AAPI: January 2024

DELHI, January 2024

Index of this Newsletter

INDIA

INDIA & THE WORLD

21. Indian Coast Guard, Amazon India join hands to create work opportunities for ex-service personnel
22. Year-End Review 2023: India's technological triumphs across electronics, semiconductors, AI
23. The squalid history of medical patents
24. Lakshadweep's tourism on growth path with new proposals for development
25. Looking Like A Wow

* * *

DELHI, JANUARY 2024

NEWSLETTER, JANUARY 2024

INDIA

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

1. Over 1.14 lakh startups spread across 36 states and UTs created 12 lakh jobs

ET Gov. 27 Dec. 2023

Number of patents granted witnesses eight-fold growth from 2014-15 to 2023-24.

PLI scheme across these key specific sectors is poised to make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investment in the areas of core competency.

Keeping in view India’s vision of becoming ‘Atmanirbhar’, production linked incentive (PLI) schemes for 14 key sectors were announced with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports.

PLI scheme across these key specific sectors is poised to make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investment in the areas of core competency and cutting-edge technology; ensure efficiencies; create economies of scale; enhance exports and make India an integral part of the global value chain, according to the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Advt

In a year-end review report of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released on Tuesday, the ministry said 746 applications have been approved till November 2023 by the PLI units established in more than 150 districts across 24 states.

Over Rs 95,000 crore of investment reported till September 2023, which has led to production/ sales of Rs 7.80 lakh crore and employment generation (direct & indirect) of over 6.4 lakh. Export have been boosted by Rs 3.20 lakh crore. Incentives worth around Rs 2,900 crore have been disbursed in FY 2022-23. There has been a value addition of 20% in mobile manufacturing within a period of three years. Of the USD 101 billion total electronics production in FY 2022-23, smartphones constitute USD 44 billion, including USD 11.1 billion as exports.

Import substitution of 60% has been achieved in the Telecom sector and India has become almost self–reliant in Antennae, GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) & CPE (Customer Premises Equipment). There has been a significant reduction in imports of raw materials in the Pharma sector. Unique intermediate materials and bulk drugs are being manufactured in India including Penicillin-G, and transfer of technology has happened in manufacturing of Medical Devices such as CT scan, MRI, etc.

Drones sector has seen seven times jump in turnover, which consists of all MSME startups. Under the PLI scheme for Food Processing, sourcing of raw materials from India has seen significant increase which has positively impacted income of Indian farmers and MSMEs.

Advt

PLI scheme for White Goods (ACs and LED Lights)

It was approved by the Union Cabinet on 7 April 2021, with total outlay of Rs 6,238 crore. 64 companies have been selected under the scheme. 34 companies to invest Rs 5,429 crore for air conditioner components and 30 companies to invest Rs 1,337 crore for LED component manufacturing. Further investments of Rs 6,766 crore is envisaged creating additional direct employment of about 48 thousand persons.

The net incremental production is expected to be more than Rs 1.23 lakh crore during the scheme period. 13 foreign companies are investing Rs 2,090 crore under the scheme. 23 MSME applicants have committed investment of Rs 1,042 crore under the scheme. 100% applicants, who opted for gestation period upto March, 2022 have commenced production. As against the threshold investment of Rs 1,266 crore, actual investment of Rs 2,002 crore have been done by the beneficiaries upto March, 2023. Investment of Rs 2,084 crore have been done by the beneficiaries upto September, 2023.

Startup India initiative

Startup India initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16, 2016, has evolved into the launchpad for ideas to innovation in the country. Several programs have been implemented over the years under the Startup India initiative to support entrepreneurs, build a robust startup ecosystem, and transform India into a country of job creators rather than job seekers.

It is a remarkable achievement that more than 1,14,000 startups have been recognized by the government which have reported creation of more than 12 lakh jobs with an average of 11 jobs created by each recognised startup. The DPIIT recognized startups are spread across all 36 states and UTs of the country, the ministry said.

Under the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) scheme, the government has committed about Rs 10,229 crore to 129 alternative investment funds (AIFs). A total of Rs 17,272 crore has been invested by the AIFs in 915 startups. Under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), a total sum of Rs 747 crore has been approved to 192 incubators. Also, the selected incubators have approved a total of Rs 291 crore to 1,579 startups.

The government has also notified the establishment of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) for providing credit guarantees to loans extended by scheduled commercial banks, non-banking financial companies and AIFs. The scheme has been operationalized on April 1, 2023.

More than 21,800 DPIIT recognised startups have been on-boarded on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) which have received over 2,43,000 orders from public entities, totalling Rs 18,540 crore. GeM Startup Runway is a fast-track process for onboarding of startups on the GeM platform.

Under India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, a Startup20 Engagement Group was institutionalised to create a global narrative for supporting startups and enabling synergies among startups, corporates, investors, innovation agencies and other key ecosystem stakeholders. The Startup20 Engagement Group in India’s G20 Presidency held four meetings in different regions of India.

In 2023, Startup India organised 3 regional and 2 international capacity building and exposure visits for officials from states/ UTs to interact with and learn from policy makers, incubators, and other ecosystem enablers in national and international startup ecosystems.

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative by DPIIT aiming at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.

ONDC recorded more than 6.3 million transactions in the month of November 2023 across 600+ cities. 2.3 lakh+ sellers and service providers are active on the ONDC network spread across 500+ cities and towns across India. 59 network participants are live on the network. The sellers and service providers are spread across 500+ cities expanding the geographical coverage of the ONDC network. Presently, over 3,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) have registered to be a part of the ONDC network through various seller network participants. Around 400 self-help groups (SHGs), micro-entrepreneurs and social sector enterprises have been onboarded on the network.

Mobility through the ONDC network is live in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kochi and Kolkata with taxi and auto drivers on boarded. ONDC team has successfully conducted a pilot for exports, with Singapore being the first market to buy products from Indian sellers through the ONDC network.

Nodal officer for each state/UT has been appointed to accelerate state level engagement plans and awareness campaigns and workshops have been organized across the country. The ONDC network started with two categories (F&B and Grocery) and has expanded the categories to mobility, fashion, beauty and personal care, home & kitchen, electronics and appliances, health & wellness and B2B.

ONDC is actively working with the ministry of MSME to onboard MSMEs to the network through existing seller applications and also working to integrate MSME-Mart which has over 2 lakh MSMEs, with ONDC.

One District One Product (ODOP)

One District One Product (ODOP) aims to foster balanced regional development across all districts of the country by being vocal for local products. More than 1,200 products have been identified across 767 districts of the country which are showcased on ODOP portal and many of these products are also being sold on GEM and other e-commerce platforms.

ODOP- Ekta/Unity Mall

Setting up of Ekta/Unity Mall in the states was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 for promotion and sale of their own ODOPs, GI products, and other handicraft products, and for providing space for such products of all other states. The Union Budget also provided for an outlay of Rs 5,000 crores of 50-year interest-free loans to states under the ‘Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’, which will be linked to or allocated for certain purposes which, inter-alia, includes constructing the Unity Malls. At present, 27 states have submitted their detailed project reports, out of these, 17 have been approved by Department of Expenditure.

Promoting Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and Reducing Compliance Burden

As part of reducing compliance burden exercise and based on data uploaded on the Regulatory Compliance Portal, more than 3,600 compliances have been decriminalized and more than 41,000 compliances have been reduced by various ministries/ departments and states/ UTs. India has reported meteoric improvement in Ease of Doing Business Ranking from 142nd rank in 2014 to 63rd rank in the World Bank Doing Business 2020 report.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 was passed by the Parliament. Through this Amendment Act, a total of 183 provisions are proposed to be decriminalized in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 ministries/ departments.

All states/UTs are being assessed under Business Reform Action Plan on the basis of implementation of designated reform parameters contained in the action plan such as Investment Enablers, Access to Information and Transparency, Online Single Window System, Land Allotment, Construction Permits Enablers, Labour Regulation Enablers, Environment Registration Enablers, Inspection Enablers, Obtaining Utility Permits, Contract Enforcement, sector-specific reforms, etc. Report of BRAP 2022 is to be released soon.

Further under EoDB reforms, the government is moving towards centralized KYC and PAN as Single Business Identity and Regulatory Impact Assessment, thereby giving impetus to FDI in the country and domestic manufacturing activities.

National Single Window System (NSWS)

NSWS simplifies processes by providing a single platform for G2B clearances across various Ministries/ Departments, reducing duplication by auto-populating form fields based on investor profiles. It presently offers approvals from 32 Central ministries/ departments and 25 states/UTs.

The NSWS portal has successfully processed over 2,55,000 approvals as of November 2023, marking a significant milestone in streamlining processes for both Central and state/ UTs. It incorporates government schemes like Vehicle Scrapping, Indian Footwear and Leather Development (IFLDP), Sugar and Ethanol Policies, facilitating applications for over 400 investors in IFLDP, 25 for Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility, and 19 for Automated Testing Stations.

Make in India 2.0

Since its launch, Make in India has made significant achievements and is now focusing on 27 sectors under Make in India 2.0. DPIIT is coordinating action plans for 15 manufacturing sectors, while the Department of Commerce is coordinating for 12 service sectors.

Now, DPIIT is working closely with 24 sub-sectors which have been chosen keeping in mind the Indian industries strengths and competitive edge, need for import substitution, potential for export and increased employability. These 24 sub-sectors are – furniture, air-conditioners, leather and footwear, ready to eat, fisheries, agri-produce, auto components, aluminium, electronics, agrochemicals, steel, textiles, EV components and integrated circuits, ethanol, ceramics, set top boxes, robotics, televisions, close circuit cameras, toys, drones, medical devices, sporting goods, gym equipment. Efforts are on to boost the growth of the sub-sectors in a holistic and coordinated manner.

Investment outreach is being done through ministries, state governments and Indian Missions abroad; identification of potential investors, handholding and investment facilitation is done through Invest India.

Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017

The PPP-Mll Order gives preference to locally manufactured goods, works and services in public procurement, thereby giving boost to industrial growth in the country and enhance income and job opportunity for its masses.

Keeping in view the mandate of "Atmanirbhar Bharat", DPIIT has revised its Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India Order, 2017) on 16.09.2020 with the following salient features:

Re-classification of suppliers

i. ‘Class-I local supplier’ – Suppliers offering items with equal to or more than 50% local content

ii. ‘Class-II local supplier’ - Suppliers offering items with equal to or more than 20% but less than 50% local content

iii. ‘Non local supplier’ - Suppliers offering items with less than 20% local content

Nodal ministries/ departments are authorized to notify a higher minimum local content requirement for any item -- higher than 50/20%, if they deem fit

Purchase preference for Class-I local suppliers (suppliers with more than 50% local content)

Suppliers offering items with less than 20% domestic local value addition can't participate in domestic/national bidding process.

For purchases with estimated value less than Rs. 200 Crore, no Global tender enquiry will be issued.

Five states namely Manipur, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Goa have already adopted PPP-MII Order, 2017. DPIIT is making continuous efforts to encourage the remaining states/UTs to either adopt PPP-MII Order or have similar order, similar to PPP-MII Order, 2017.

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan

In 62 Network Planning Group meetings held so far under PM GatiShakti (PMGS), more than 123 big-ticket infrastructure projects, worth Rs 12.08 lakh crore, have been examined on PMGS principles.

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP) has 1463 data layers today, belonging to 39 Central ministries/ departments (585) and 36 states/UTs (878). Individual portals of 39 Central ministries (Infrastructure, Social, and Economic) have been developed and integrated with NMP. 22 Social Sector Ministries have been onboarded on PM GatiShakti with over 200 data layers mapped on NMP (like Primary Healthcare Facilities, Post Office, Hostels, Colleges, PVTG- Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, etc).

State Master Plan (SMP) portals for 36 States/UTs have been developed for mapping and synchronised integration of infrastructure assets. Five Regional Workshops on PM GatiShakti was conducted between February and April this year, covering all 36 States/UTs for larger sensitization, exchange of knowledge, and demonstration of use cases by Ministries and the States/UTs.

To integrate GatiShakti further in all infrastructure works in the States, Department of Expenditure (DoE) directed to utilize NMP for mapping and planning all the infrastructure projects proposed under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investments for 2023-24 of Rs 1.3 lakh crore. On 11 July 2023, DoE issued the notification for all State Governments to map and plan the capital investment projects approved under the Scheme using the PM GatiShakti platform. This will give further fillip to usage of PM GatiShakti NMP.

Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS)

The 5th edition of LEADS annual exercise - LEADS 2023 report was released by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal on 16th December, 2023.

National Logistics Policy, 2022

On completion of one year of launch of National Logistics Policy significant progress has been made to achieve NLP targets -- reduction in logistics cost, improvement in India’s ranking in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI), and create data-driven decision support mechanism for an efficient logistics ecosystem.

Progress made on the eight action areas under the Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP), defined under the NLP, is as follows:

The Service Improvement Group (SIG) is well established with the involvement of more than 30 business associations in the field of logistics; critical issues concerning logistics services are raised by business associations on the E-LoGS platform. SIG and E-LoGS have together established a robust mechanism to address and resolve logistics issues/ promote logistics efficiency.

7 SIG and 1 special SIG meetings with Customs and a meeting with Member Customs have been conducted.

108 logistics-related issues were received on E-LoGS platform, of which 16 issues were resolved, 58 are in progress, 19 are under review, and 15 are not admissible.

A NPG meeting was held to discuss Sectoral Plan for Efficient Logistics (SPEL) by individual line Ministries/Departments on 16th November 2023 for prioritizing cross-sectoral cooperation and to focus on the optimization of modal mix for holistic planning.

Progress made in implementation of the Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP) is as below:

Infrastructure gaps are being addressed and digital initiatives undertaken (under National Committee on Trade Facilitation).

To bring holistic focus on ‘logistics’ in public policy at State level, States/UTs are developing State Logistics Plans (SLPs) aligned with NLP. So far, 23 States have notified their respective State Logistics policies.

Draft Sector Specific Plans developed by M/o Coal and discussed in 6th EGoS.

Human Resource Development and Capacity Building:

To further give traction to training and capacity building in Logistics and Infrastructure Development, Syllabus and training modules are being developed with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), which will be imparted through webinars, workshops, digital training, physical training, integrating courses with the existing curriculum of Central Training Institutes (CTIs) and Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs).

A webinar on PM GatiShakti was held on 04 August 2023 with CBC for all Ministries and Business/Trade Associations, etc. As on date, 17 CTIs and 19 State ATIs have appointed Nodal officers for the same.

MoU signed between Logistics Division of DPIIT and GatiShakti Vishwavidyalaya (Ministry of Railways) on 4th October 2023 for capacity building, outreach, knowledge sharing, and related aspects on PM GatiShakti.

Progress on Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP):

The integration of ULIP with 35 systems of 08 different Ministries through 113 APIs, covering 1,800+ fields has been completed. 699 industry players have been registered on ULIP. Over 125 private companies have signed NDA, and this will enhance supply chain visibility and boost trade. Over 65 applications have been made live. GST data is being integrated with ULIP to provide end-to-end multimodal tracking of cargo and demand-supply mapping for trade.

Project Monitoring Group (PMG)

The PMG portal has been upgraded from an issue-based resolution mechanism to a Milestone-based monitoring system. The new system will ensure proactive monitoring of projects and will help in initiating course correction measures in time. This will put the Project Monitoring Group at the forefront of driving transformational change in the infrastructure space.

Till November, 2023 PMG Portal has on-boarded 2426 projects of worth Rs 61.90 lakh crore. These include all important mega infrastructure projects including high impact GatiShakti projects and critical infrastructure gap projects. PMG has facilitated resolution of 6978 issues worth Rs. 51.90 lakh crore.

Industrial Corridor Programme

The Programme aims to develop futuristic industrial cities in India at par with the world’s best manufacturing and investment destinations. It will create employment opportunities and economic growth leading to overall socio-economic development. Few approved projects are: Dholera Special Investment Region (Gujarat), Shendra Bidkin Industrial Area (Aurangabad), Integrated Industrial Township, Vikram Udyogpuri etc. A total of 274 Plots (1,707 acre) allotted till November, 2023, attracting investments from companies of South Korea, Russia, China, UK, Japan as well as from India including MSMEs.

Industrial Performance

Industrial production as measured by Index of Industrial Production (IIP) expanded by 6.9% during April-October 2023-24 over the corresponding period last year on the back of broad-based growth. All three sectors — Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity - recorded robust growth during the period.

There has been a consistent recovery after COVID-19 pandemic. In the FY 2021-22, industrial production recovered from the COVID pandemic and registered a double-digit growth of 11.4%. Industrial production further expanded by 5.2% in FY 2022-23. During April to October period of FY 2023-24, IIP registered cumulative growth of 6.9% over the corresponding period of previous year. Index of Manufacturing, Mining and Electricity sector grew by 6.4%, 9.4% and 8.0% respectively during the aforesaid period.

Trends in Growth of Eight Core Industries

The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) measures the performance of eight core industries i.e. Cement, Coal, Crude Oil, Electricity, Fertilizers, Natural Gas, Petroleum Refinery Products, and Steel. The industries included in the ICI comprise 40.27 % weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). During 2022-23, the ICI recorded an annual growth of 7.8% compared to average growth rate of 1.5% during the last 3 years i.e. 2019-20 to 2021-22. During Apr - Oct 2023 in the current Financial Year 2023-24, output of core industries further increased by 8.6% over the corresponding period last year. Among the eight core industries, Steel, Coal and Cement registered double-digit growth of 14.5%, 13.1% and 12.2% respectively.

Foreign Direct Investment

India is one of the most attractive FDI destinations in the world today. The Government has put in place an investor friendly Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy under which most sectors except certain strategically important sectors are open for 100% FDI under the automatic route.

Measures taken by the Government on FDI Policy reforms have resulted in increased FDI inflow in the country. FDI inflow in India stood at USD 36 billion in 2013-14 and registered its highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 85 billion in the financial year 2021-22. During FY 2022-23, FDI inflow of USD 71 billion (provisional figure) has been reported. During the current financial year, 2023-24 (up-to September 2023) FDI worth USD 33 billion has been reported.

FDI inflow in the last 9 financial years (2014-23: USD 596 billion) has increased by 100% over the previous 9 financial years (2005-14: USD 298 billion) and is nearly 65% of the total FDI reported in the last 23 years (USD 920 billion). FDI equity inflow in the manufacturing sectors in the last 9 financial years (2014-23) (USD 149 billion) has increased by 55% over the corresponding period of the previous nine years (2005-14) (USD 96 billion). These trends in India’s FDI are an endorsement of its status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors.

IPR Strengthening

Various Policy and Legislative reforms have been undertaken in last 9 years in the area of institutional strengthening and process digitalization. India’s rank in the Global Innovation Index (GII) amongst 132 economies has improved from 81st in 2015 to 40th in GII 2022 ranking and in 2023 India has retained its 40th position.

The number of Patents granted has seen an eight-fold growth from 5978 in 2014-15 to 47735 in 2023-24 (upto 30th Nov, 2023). Number of Designs registered has recorded a two-fold increase from 7147 in 2014-15 to 15506 in 2023-24 (upto 30th Nov, 2023). Patents filed by women have seen a rise of more than 345 times, from 15 in 2014-15 to 5183 in 2023- 24 (upto 30th Nov, 2023).

2. Capex on National Highways increased from Rs 51,000 cr in FY14 to Rs 2,40,000 cr in FY23, Parliament told

ET, 15 Dec. 2023

Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari said budgetary allocation of the road ministry has increased from about Rs 31,130 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 2,70,435 crore in 2023-24. Such increased budgetary allocation led to expansion of the National Highway (NH) network in the country from about 91,287 km in March 2014 to about 1,46,145 km at present, Gadkari added.

New Delhi: Capital expenditure on National Highways has seen a significant increase from about Rs 51,000 crore in 2013-14 to more than Rs 2,40,000 crore in 2022-23, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari said budgetary allocation of the road ministry has increased from about Rs 31,130 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 2,70,435 crore in 2023-24.

Such increased budgetary allocation led to expansion of the National Highway (NH) network in the country from about 91,287 km in March 2014 to about 1,46,145 km at present, Gadkari added.

The minister said the length of four-lane-plus NH network, including high-speed corridors, has increased by more than 250 per cent from about 18,371 km in March 2014 to about 46,179 km so far.

Also, the length of less than two-lane NHs has decreased from about 27,517 km in March 2014 to about 14,870 km, which is now only about 10 per cent of the NH network, he added.

According to him, the ministry has completed various flagship projects, or its sections, which are already completed and opened to traffic to enable ease of movement.

Some of these include Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot section (229 km) and entire section in Madhya Pradesh (210 km) of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Amritsar-Bhatinda-Jamnagar (470 km) in Rajasthan, Suryapet-Khammam section of Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam, Indore-Hyderabad (175 km), new Brahamputra Bridge near Tejpur in Assam on NH-37A(old), Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project in Mizoram, Shillong Nongstoin-Tura section of NH-44E & NH 127B in Meghalaya, he added.

3. Genrobotics Kerala GPAI: Genrobotics chosen among top three Indian startups at global AI summit

ET Gov. 18 Dec. 2023

Genrobotics is currently collaborating with major hospital chains in India, including Aster, to deploy the G Gaiter robotic gait trainer in their Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation departments.

Genrobotics, a Kerala-based startup acclaimed for leveraging technology for social change, has been adjudged among top three Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups of India at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023 organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in New Delhi.

Genrobotic's G-gaiter Robotic Technology won the award in 'AI Game Changers' category at the December 12-14 summit held at Bharat Mandapam, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a statement said on Saturday.

Advt

S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT presented the award to Afsal Muttikkal, Regional Director, Genrobotics Medical and Mobility and Arun Dominic, Regional Business Development Manager.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, was also present, it said.

Genrobotics was honoured for its outstanding innovation in healthcare by developing G Gaiter --- an advanced AI-powered robotic gait trainer.

G Gaiter trains people who lose mobility due to stroke, spinal injury, accidents, Parkinson's disease and similar conditions to recover faster with minimal dependency on others, the statement said.

Afsal Muttikkal said within a short span of time G Gaiter has proved a most effective tool that helps rehabilitation of individuals who have lost mobility due to various conditions.

Genrobotics also secured the Medicall Made in India Innovation 2023 Golden Award for G Gaiter earlier in July this year, Muttikkal added.

Genrobotics is currently collaborating with major hospital chains in India, including Aster, to deploy the G Gaiter robotic gait trainer in their Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation departments.

The technology has the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, the national regulator for medical devices, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, the statement further said.

Advt

Recently, the General Hospital here has become the first government hospital in the country to deploy G Gaiter.

The state government also plans to deploy G Gaiter at its medical college hospitals in Kozhikode, Thrissur and Kottayam.

4. New terminal to increase Surat Airport's capacity three times: AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar

ET Gov. 18 Dec. 2023

PM Modi will be on a day-long visit to Surat on Sunday. Besides inaugurating the new Surat airport terminal, he will also dedicate to the people the Surat Diamond Bourse - world's largest and modern centre for international diamond and jewellery business.

New terminal to increase Surat Airport's capacity three times: AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar

The overall capacity of Surat Airport will increase three times once its newly built terminal building is operational, said Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The AAI Chairman stated this ahead of the new terminal's inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The capacity of Surat airport will increase three times once this new terminal becomes operational. Prime Minister Modi ji has given this airport the status of an international airport, and the Union cabinet has approved it. Surat is one of the biggest business hubs globally, and this new terminal will connect people across the globe...Also, in the process, the Surat city will get further facelift," AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar said while speaking to ANI.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week approved the proposal to declare Surat Airport as an international airport. Surat airport will not only become a gateway for international travellers but also facilitate seamless export-import operations for the thriving diamond and textile - industries.

The Surat Airport expansion has been undertaken at a cost of Rs 353 crore.

Surat is currently connected to 14 domestic cities -- Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Goa, Goa Mopa, Belgaum, Pune, Jaipur, Udaipur, Indore, Diu and Kishangarh and internationally via Sharjah to the rest of the world. It is handling more than 252 passenger flight movements per week.

Asked what the reason behind the airport's expansion was, the AAI chairman said, "The new airport terminal has been built keeping in mind the passengers' needs, ample space, enough parking, multiple entry gates to the facility, and more number of check-in gates."

Surat, a rapidly growing city in India, has demonstrated remarkable economic prowess and industrial development over the decades. With a surge in passenger traffic and cargo operations, the airport's international designation, according to the government, will provide a crucial impetus for regional development.

Surat is synonymous with its thriving and young booming textile industry. Also, as 90 per cent of the world's diamonds supply are cut and polished here, it is also called the "Diamond City".

Surat being the 'Diamond capital of the world' is also recognized for the presence of a huge number of Textiles Industries and Educational Institutions & Research, Law Colleges, SVNIT, Surat and religious places like Swami Narayan temple, Tombs of the Bohras, and Udvada, etc.

As per officials, the Surat airport has a runway of 2906 X 45 metre capable to operate Code 'C' type of aircrafts and terminal building of an area of 8474 square metre.

The new terminal building is equipped to handle 1,200 domestic passengers and 600 international passengers during peak hours and has provision for further increasing the peak hour capacity to 3,000 passengers with annual handling capacity increasing to 55 lakh passengers.

The terminal building, as it is the gateway to Surat city, has been designed with its local culture and heritage ensuring that the essence should reflect both in interior and exterior, creating a sense of place for the visitors. Rogan, embroidery works such as Zari and Brocade, beautiful relief works of wooden carvings, and mosaic work depicting the famous Kite festival of Gujarat will be showcased in the airport.

The facade of the upgraded terminal building aims to enrich the passenger experience with the rich and traditional woodwork of the old houses of the 'Rander' region of Surat City.

The new airport terminal is equipped with various sustainability features like Double Insulated Roofing System, Canopies for energy saving, Low Heat Gain Double Glazing Unit, Rain Water Harvesting, water treatment plant, Sewage treatment plant and use of recycled water for landscaping and solar power plant, among others.

5. From ‘facilitator’ to ‘regulator’: How Rajeev Raghuvanshi is fixing gaps in pharma industry

ET, 12 Jan. 2024

The pharmaceutical industry, and the central drug regulatory agency, faced a severe reputation crisis following the deaths of 70 children in Gambia due to contaminated cough syrups in 2022. A few months later, Rajeev Raghuvanshi took over as the Drug Controller General of India and is currently driving a transformational change. Can he set a high bar for product quality?

For a moment, one might mistake it for a corporate office. Shiny cars pulling over. Executives in dapper suits sauntering in.

That’s how the FDA Bhawan — the headquarters of India’s apex drug regulatory agency, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) — in Delhi’s bustling ITO area always looked. The building is at the heart of every critical decision that impacts the Indian pharmaceutical industry – from launch of new drugs to clinical-trial approvals for global drug makers. Yet, for years the health ministry authority has grappled with serious reputation challenges.

Laxity in functioning, low transparency and tardy handling of files are just a few. Most damning are charges of corruption against a few senior officials in the past. Seen as being too cozy with the industry that it should monitor and regulate, the CDSCO has not been taken seriously for most of its existence.

Taking charge amid crisis

A lot of that is changing over the last year.

At the centre of that makeover is Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). In the view of experts, he is treading on a thorny path. The mandate appears clear: Transform the central administration through timely and unsparing actions, those that bolsters trust in quality of Indian medicines and, in turn, make the industry globally competitive.

Against most of his predecessors who have moved up through internal transfers or promotions, Raghuvanshi’s appointment last February was through the Union Public Service Commission route, a rigorous selection process for hiring top bureaucrats.

Before taking the rank, Raghuvanshi was with the Indian Pharmacopeia Commission as its secretary and scientific director. His other stints include work in the private sector, at Ranbaxy (now part of Sun Pharma) and later at Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Labs, where he was part of the research team that worked on differentiated products for the US market.

Raghuvanshi’s term at DCGI started at a critical juncture.

Just five months before his appointment, the Indian industry was embroiled in an unprecedented crisis. Its reputation was hobbled as a reliable supplier of medicines to low- and middle-income countries. Gambia, a small African nation, erupted in news, having reported deaths of 70 children allegedly due to acute kidney damage caused by toxic impurities contained in cough syrups supplied by Maiden Pharma, a Haryana-based drug maker.

More startling news followed. Uzbekistan reported similar deaths, this time the blame was on cough syrups made by Marion Biotech, another Indian company based in Noida.

India was placed under the scanner by global agencies, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). Tests conducted in overseas labs threw undisputable evidence of use of industrial-grade chemicals that were prohibited for making medicines.

Did the Indian regulators bungle up? Were there failures in government scrutiny that allowed exports of unsafe medicines? How was the industry allowed to follow dual standards for medicines sold in top-tier markets like the US and Europe while scant regard was paid to those supplied to small nations and even those routed to the home market?

These questions plunged the industry into a tailspin.

Calling a spade, a spade

In the face of these setbacks, Raghuvanshi had no time to lose. As part of a planned crackdown on erring units, last November, the central authority ordered closure of 76 units, of the 237 that were inspected across the country. As many as 179 units were issued show-cause notices and licences of 15 others were cancelled outright. A similar drive was taken up on analytical labs that cleared test samples. Thousands of samples were drawn for detailed analysis.

A step as drastic as that has never been heard before, and the clean-up drive is not over yet. Raghuvanshi is sending clear signals to the industry – and that change is inevitable.

In his first exclusive media interaction since he took over as the DCGI, Raghuvanshi tells ET Prime a lot has been achieved in the past few months, but he cautions that ensuring quality must become an ongoing process and not an exception.

The biggest achievement, he says, is that the whole (pharma) industry is sensitised about quality, including the small units. “I see a shift in the mindset of the industry that quality is paramount. I have been stressing at every forum that quality is the core of the pharmaceutical industry, and you can’t do business without quality being at the core,” he says.

Success: Slow but sure

The idea of “risk-based inspections”, or, simply put assessing the extent of risks a manufacturing site poses to patients, has helped. “It has been a success for us,” he adds, “not because we went and audited manufacturing sites, and we found something. But because the whole system realised that we are sharply focused on quality and that sensitised the industry.”

In December, a health ministry notification running into roughly 150 pages pinned the ultimate responsibility for effective quality systems in drug manufacturing on the senior management of the company. It also dwells on the key attributes to ensuring a quality management system that clearly describes root-cause analysis of problems and its detailed follow-up investigations. In its intent, the document has similarities with steps followed by the US FDA, considered a gold standard in terms of enforcement of regulations.

But the task is not an easy one, given the vestige of an industry that has steadfastly resisted tighter controls. Also, there has been a pushback from state regulators, stubborn against teaming up with the central authority on quality audits of facilities. Raghuvanshi concedes on the point of dual regulatory authorities but says it takes setting a few examples to make it into a systemic approach.

"I have been stressing at every forum that quality is the core of pharmaceutical industry, and you can’t do business without quality being at the core."

— Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India

An alignment among stakeholders and regulatory bodies is seen. “From our honourable minister (Mansukh Mandaviya) to my organisation (CDSCO) and the entire bureaucracy, we agree on what is to be done. The coordination between the centre and states has increased significantly, which has been a big gap. “Earlier, the two sides (centre and state agencies) worked like competitors, but now we are working as a single unit. There was a system that had developed and felt it was not the centre’s prerogative. We broke that.”

Facilitator or regulator?

The change will not be easily palatable for most players in the industry, especially when drug inspectors were habitually malleable to their needs and seen as “friendly.” Raghuvanshi says a degree of firmness was needed in the initial phases.

In one such incident, he reminisces, a company stopped the auditors from entering its premises and it had to be asserted that the agency is within the constitutional rights to audit and the law doesn’t specify if the inspection is to be conducted by the state agency or the central body.

“We warned them if we are not allowed, there will be serious repercussions. We waited and debated for two hours at the gate. That incident demolished the perception that agencies can be taken lightly. In leadership change, we need to set examples,” he adds.

But isn’t the industry too cozy with the regulatory bodies to expect tough actions?

Raghuvanshi accepts it will take a lot more to move things.

In a meeting with industry representatives, he says, he was told that the role of the DCGI is to be a “facilitator” of the industry but ever since he took over, that has changed to that of a “regulator.” To that he quipped, “I accept that but if the situation that we are in today is because of the facilitation, then I would better be a regulator than a facilitator.”

Industry representatives have recently written to Mandaviya seeking a halt against risk-based inspections. That has not fazed Raghuvanshi.

I insist in the long run, it is good for the industry to earn a global position as exporters of good-quality medicines. If we are not able to use this opportunity, nobody can be blamed.”

Raghuvanshi’s move is closely watched by stakeholders – from international agencies to health ministry mandarins. He says he expects positive outcomes and barring a few exceptions, the industry is aligned and receptive to the situation. A recent visit by the top brass of the US FDA appreciated the role of the Indian agency and extended its support.

From the union health ministry, Raghuvanshi says, he has unflinching backing. “At the top, they understand that there are global players, and we must be strong as a country to compete with them. We cannot risk our credibility,” he remarks.

A digital spin

While audits and enforcement actions are on, next on Raghuvanshi’s plate is to use advanced digital systems to identify and plug the holes in the drug supply chain. With over 10,000 manufacturing units scattered across the country, it can be overwhelming to keep tabs on the actions of every single unit.

Raghuvanshi says over the next year or so, plans are on to build an end-to-end digitised regulatory structure. By that he means, migrating to a “new digital regulatory ecosystem” where all the partnering organisations have a role to play.

“The plan is to link all the portals that are part of the pharmaceutical supply chain on a single platform,” he elaborates. For example, he adds, the customs department is an integral part of our supply and distribution chain. “Combining their portal into the core CDSCO system will enable the customers to gain real-time access to any part of our activity. Similarly, the Indian Pharmacopeia Commission can be integrated on drug-quality parameters, and we are trying to integrate other departments as part of the plan.”

If the plan is executed well, we may be able to do remote or table audits as everything can be accessed on the digital records,” Raghuvanshi notes. Migration to a new system is already set in motion. The ministry has floated calls for expression of interest (EOI) and soon RFP (request for proposal) for a digital regulatory ecosystem is expected to follow suit.

As part of the new ecosystem, the regulatory body can have access to manufacturer’s data. Some of that could be items like sources of raw materials, batch records that are tested and released, and details of stock or inventory. “The ambition is to capture the entire value chain – from sourcing to release of final products. When we do that, streamlining will become possible,” he says.

The change will not come without its share of challenges, Raghuvanshi realises and says a big business community is involved which comes with its own thinking, and we know it won’t be easy to reach the goals. “It may take some time.”

Nab the culprit: writing on the wall…err screen

Nonetheless, Raghuvanshi expects the industry to see the benefits of such integrated digitally enabled systems. For example, he says, if we map the manufacturing chain and build interventions at critical points, we will know if the sourcing of raw materials is from the right suppliers or dubious and unauthorised units.

“If sourcing is from a site that has lax standards and we integrate their QC (quality check) labs, we will know their test results. Over time, if this plan gets implemented, the need for site inspections may be less. Every part of the manufacturing chain can be seen on our screen,” he says.

So, is sourcing of raw materials at the root of the quality issues faced currently?

Among other things, yes, Raghuvanshi says. But this he asserts can be mitigated if companies, at the manufacturing level, are able to strongly implement the testing of incoming raw material and outgoing finished material. If these two ends are tied, there should be no product quality issues.

Meanwhile, in all the churn Raghuvanshi recently worked on a rare international accomplishment for India. The Indian Pharmacopeia Commission, a government body that sets standards for drugs and promotes rational use of generic medicines, was admitted in the prestigious group of countries like the US, Europe and Japan. A government release in October says, the group, under the banner of Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG), will bring together the European Pharmacopoeia, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the United States Pharmacopeia, and the Indian Pharmacopoeia to harmonise global standards.

For now, Raghuvanshi has his hands full. But with drastic steps being taken under his watch, observers see him ruffling feathers of a powerful industry. It will continue to be an uphill task for him until the industry embraces a change for good.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

6. Govt Plans to go Hi-tech to Reduce Wastage of Fresh Fruit and Veggies

ET, 16 Dec. 2023

The government is exploring a technology tool developed by ecommerce major Amazon called Johari to reduce wastage of fresh fruits and vegetables at its warehouses and retail outlets.

A pilot project at some of Mother Dairy-owned Safal stores across Delhi and Bengaluru is on the anvil. Johari uses computer vision models and wi-fi-enabled internet-of-things (IoT) cameras to identify pre-determined defects—cuts, cracks and other damages—in fresh produce.

These cameras are strategically placed on store shelves or sites where produce is stored. They automatically capture images of the crates at periodic intervals, allowing for continuous monitoring of the quality of the fresh produce.

"The government is always open to new ideas. We will do the cost analysis and ensure that the technology is scalable as well as viable for the government, based on which we can do a pilot in select outlets," a senior government official told ET, requesting anonymity.

This development comes after a recent closed-door meeting between officials of government policy think-tank NITI Aayog and Amazon to discuss the efficacy of Johari.

The Centre mostly procures foodgrains to be sold at subsidised rates and to maintain a buffer. Besides, it procures onions in large quantities and at times tomatoes to keep prices in check and maintain a demand-supply balance. It also sells fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishables through Safal stores under the National Dairy Development Board.

Rajeev Rastogi, vice president, machine learning at Amazon, confirmed to ET the meeting held with NITI Aayog officials to get Johari deployed in government-owned centres.

In August this year, Amazon India launched the shelf monitoring solution Johari to ensure that only fresh quality fruits and vegetables are delivered to customers.

Automated monitoring using IoT cameras reduces the need for manual inspection, saving time and labour costs in the quality control process, the company said. The technology provides real-time information, enabling prompt decision-making and action to maintain the freshness of the produce, it said.

Cost of Deployment

The deployment cost of the shelf-life monitoring technology encompasses several factors. To optimise image viewing on each shelf, the recommended approach entails deploying one low-cost IoT camera per shelf, ensuring a practical and effective monitoring solution that is scalable, Rastogi said. According to him, the selected IoT cameras are priced at approximately $25 each for 5 megapixel and $20 for 3 megapixel, making them highly cost-effective for deployment at scale.

The estimated cost for deploying the camera in each store can range from Rs 2,600 to Rs 3,300 per camera, encompassing the cost of the IoT cameras with nearly 50% import duties, he said. There are other costs for required cloud computing infrastructure and usage of quality models as a service depending on the scale and usage, he added.

The technology identifies the region of the defect on the product surface area and can also calculate dimensions such as ratio of the length/area of the defect with respect to the length and area, he explained. The total deployment cost is contingent on the number of Safal stores in each region and the number of shelves required to be monitored, he clarified. Each shelf will require one camera for monitoring assuming a standard crate size.

The upfront deployment costs are offset by the technology's capability to mitigate food waste, enhance quality assurance and elevate overall customer satisfaction, he argued. Johari works in two monitoring modes—manual and automated. Manual monitoring lets Amazon India's sellers or operators submit a picture of the produce in a crate from their phone. The shelf monitoring solution then analyses the image using grading logic to highlight any item that does not meet quality standards, Rastogi explained. He said that the app can also be used to understand specific defects for each item and the whole process takes six seconds. In the automated monitoring option, cameras on shelves take pictures at predetermined intervals and analyse quality through the above process, he said.

7. Panvel innovator grows exotic fruits in tropical climate

Hindustan Times, 6 Jan. 2024, by Sameera Kapoor Munshi

Navi Mumbai: Cultivating strawberries, red apples, dragon fruits or even for that matter foreign origin water melons or even Japanese rice might seem impossible in the tropical climate of Navi Mumbai but Panvel based scientist Minesh Gadgil claims otherwise. M.Sc graduate and resident of Gulsunde Village, Gadgil for the past 10 years has been demonstrating the scientific and organic way of engaging in unconventional farming.

Gadgil calls himself an inventor and has reserved a half acre plot just 15 kilometers away from Panvel city to demonstrate the ways to cultivate these exotic types of fruits and grains. “The general perception is that farming is a loss making venture and I wish to change this notion. Farming when done as per the market demand can be a rewarding experience. With little bit of research and by using proper techniques any form of grains or fruits can be grown successfully and even fetch a good market price,” said the recipient of Krushibhushan 2019.

Essentially hailing from a chemical science background, Gagil’s foray into farming happened by chance. To pursue his primary passion of doing research work, the scientist took voluntary retirement from a petrochemical company at the age of 28. “Post VRS I was researching on deriving bio fuel from the remains of rice husks when the thought of branching into farming happened. I realized that the residue of the husk contained nutrients which could be processed further to develop organic pest preventing solutions. In the process I identified 20 odd variants of leaves which possessed similar nutrients and developed products that enhanced productivity while farming,” said Gadgil, a member of Agriculture Technology and Management Agency (ATMA) Raigad District.

In addition to exotic fruits the scientist has experimented in cultivating grains like Telegana Sona Rice known for its low glycemic index, red rice and even black rice. Presently the half acre plot is awaiting the yields from 100 odds seeds of African origin watermelons sown in October. “I keep experimenting with different types of seeds and grains. In October I procured seed of African origin water melons and some of these have borne fruits which are yellow in color unlike the commonly found green melons. Additionally the saplings of blue and black berries planted earliest are expected to yield fruits at the earliest,” said Gadgil.

The scientist takes immense pride in recalling successfully cultivating almost 30 grams weighing strawberries last year. “The mindset needs to change with regard to restricting only traditional farming practices. I have showcased my successes in various government programs and even impart my understanding with farming communities,” he adds.

8. India’s First Inland Waterways Development Council commits US$ 5.4 billion (Rs. 45,000 crore) for the development of River Cruise Tourism

Press Information Bureau, Jan. 9, 2024

The inaugural session of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) in Kolkata, led by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, marked a pivotal moment for India's inland waterways. With key stakeholders and industry leaders in attendance, the meeting focused on bolstering the sector's capacity and viability. A substantial commitment of US$ 5.4 billion (Rs. 45,000 crore) was announced for the development of river cruise tourism, allocating US$ 4.2 billion (Rs. 35,000 crore) for cruise vessels and US$ 1.2 billion (Rs. 10,000 crore) for cruise terminal infrastructure by 2047. Additionally, an investment of US$ 1.8 billion (Rs. 15,200 crore), determined at the Global Maritime India Summit in October 2023, aims to propel inland waterways for cargo trade, projecting a remarkable growth rate exceeding 400%, leading to a volume increase to 500 million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) by 2047.

Mr. Sonowal, in launching the 'Harit Nauka' guidelines and the 'River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047,' underscored India's impressive growth under Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. The IWDC's mission aligns with the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, focusing on a modern approach and clear strategy to rejuvenate neglected waterways. The outlined roadmap aims to expand the capacity for River Cruise tourism, increase the number of cruise circuits, and enhance infrastructure, signaling a transformative journey toward sustainable development and economic rejuvenation.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.

9. Andhra Pradesh plans big to market seafood as local consumption found wanting

Indian Express, 11 August, 2023, By PTI

At a time when a kilo of mutton costs around Rs 1,000 and many people are avoiding chicken for various reasons, JD, fisheries V V Rao said nutrient-rich seafood is an excellent alternative.

Despite being blessed with a coastline of nearly 1,000 km, where fishing is allowed up to 200 nautical miles within the exclusive economic zone (EEC), Andhra Pradesh lacks a reliable and robust domestic market for fish, shrimp and aquaculture products and the government has now come up with a multi-pronged marketing strategy to address the issue.

It includes organising periodical seafood festivals as well as opening up branded retail outlets.

V V Rao, joint director, fisheries department, said the lack of domestic market subjects entrepreneurs, who spend a fortune in terms of money and time on aquaculture, especially shrimp to the phenomenon of "buyer's market".

This is where the fisheries department hopes that the food festivals, which they are organising with Bhoomi Organics, will play a role in popularising seafood, unearthing demand and connecting entrepreneurs.

"This year we got 5.75 lakh tonnes of marine fish. We have natural water bodies of 4.75 lakh hectares in the form of reservoirs, lakes and ponds where 10 lakh tonnes of fish is available," Rao told PTI.

Further, up to 20 lakh tonnes of shrimp are cultured, resulting in a total production of 52 lakhs tonnes of fish, shrimp and aquaculture products per annum from all sources.

He observed that the lion's share of shrimp-- about15 lakh tonnes is exported while only a mere three to four lakh tonnes are consumed locally. He noted that if we do not increase consumption internally, aquaculture entrepreneurs will suffer at the hands of processors and buyers.

At a time when a kilo of mutton costs around Rs 1,000 and many people are avoiding chicken for various reasons, Rao said nutrient-rich seafood, which is natural, is an excellent alternative.

He said nobody feeds the fish thriving in natural water bodies, calling them completely natural, healthy and also affordable, as they are available for as low as Rs 50.

Raghuram from Bhoomi Organics said the term 'organic food' is not restricted to groceries or plant-based foods alone, but also extends to any product that is chemical-free. He said the fish available in the sea and natural water bodies are organic as they rely on the natural food chain, beginning with plankton and other aquatic organisms.

"Nowadays, chicken and milk are highly induced with hormones. These are causing hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and several other health issues. All these issues are getting into the society and the next generation is getting impacted," said Raghuram.

K Kanna Babu, fisheries commissioner, said as many as 4,000 food enthusiasts relished unlimited seafood buffets at Rs 699 per head at the recently concluded three-day food festival at Vijayawada, where up to 10,000 footfalls were recorded.

Besides regular seafood festivals at several locations in the state such as Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Nellore, Kurnool and others, Babu said hundreds of 'Fish Andhra' retail outlets are being set up throughout the state under a hub and spoke model.

Out of 26 hubs, 15 are under construction while three are operational now whereas retail outlets will be raised up to 4,000 by March from the existing 2,000.

Besides offering the option of ordering online, seafood will be made available in live and packed format while attractive subsidy schemes of up to 75 percent, training and handholding are available for entrepreneurs to establish outlets.

Despite these measures, Babu said a lot still needs to be done. According to him, though non-vegetarian food is highly popular in AP, average seafood consumption per person per annum is less than 8 kg, indicating an untapped domestic market.

Babu observed that entrepreneurs cannot be left to the vagaries of international markets.

"Exports are not good now because of global economic gloom, mainly in the US and to some extent in China. These are two big places where we export our aquaculture products," he said.

The commissioner said these markets are ordering less and reducing prices, directly impacting aquaculture entrepreneurs.

He cited the emulative example of South American giant Brazil.

According to him, Brazil used to export a majority of the shrimp it produced, but has now improved its domestic market to such an extent that it need not export.

Stating that though 75 percent shrimp in India is cultured in the southern state, Babu noted that only less than 5 percent is being utilised in AP, calling for a Brazil-like development.

Kona Joseph, a veteran aquaculture entrepreneur, consultant and editor of AquaTech magazine from Yelurupadu village in West Godavari district called on the state and Central governments to promote fish consumption similar to how the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) promoted eggs.

10. Reliance Retail Lines Up Value Apparel Play in Smaller Towns

ET, 15 Dec. 2023

Reliance Retail will come up with value apparel retail stores in tier-2, -3 and below towns under the Fashion World by Trends banner in its first major foray into rural and small towns, two industry executives said.

This will also be the first store format which the country’s largest retailer will expand primarily through the franchisee model. The company will set up over 500 such stores in direct competition with the likes of rural and small-town focused chains like V-Mart Retail, the executives said.

At present, Reliance Retail has a presence in smaller towns through the existing formats in apparel, grocery, electronics and telecom connectivity, but this is the first time they are setting up a dedicated format for small markets and expanding it further into rural areas.

Reliance has already set up five Fashion World by Trends stores in places like Siliguri, Dhule and Aurangabad. These stores are set up over 5,000 square feet, while its largest apparel retail format, Trends, are set up over 8,000 to 24,000 sq ft.

While Reliance has expanded some of the 2,600-odd Trends stores in smaller towns, the merchandise mix of Fashion World by Trends will be largely different, customized for each market and will have more entry level price options to get first time branded and readymade apparel buyers to the stores, the executives said.

An email sent to Reliance Retail remained unanswered till Thursday press time.

“Reliance will set up 20 Fashion World by Trends stores by this month and over 100 stores in a year. These will be set up mostly in towns where Trends stores are not present. Some cities may have potential for more than one such store,” one of the executives said.

Another executive said less than one lakh population towns will be the core of the expansion of these outlets. “The range will comprise ethnic wear, kids wear, men's and womenswear from national value brands and Reliance owned apparel brands,” he said.

Reliance Retail is the country’s largest apparel retailer with over 4,000 stores across multiple brands. While the Trends brand is the largest fashion retail chain, it has recently launched new formats like Azorte, which is into high street fashion, and youth-centric fashion at Yousta and Centro departmental stores.

One of the executives said this new store format expansion primarily through the franchisee route will help Reliance also expand its business-to-business play in branded apparel.

- Industry and Manufacture

11. Twenty Cos Begin Operations from Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Cities

ET, 27 Dec. 2023

Inox Air Products, Haier Appliances and Torrent Power are among the 20-odd companies that have launched manufacturing operations from four smart industrial townships being developed under the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) managing director Rajat Kumar Saini said the four industrial smart cities are coming up on 2,500-3,000 acres of industrial land. He said 65% of the land is occupied where 274 companies have set up or are in the process of setting up their units. The four cities are Dholera (Gujarat), Greater Noida (UP), Vikram Udyogpuri (MP) and Shendra-Bidkin (Maharashtra).

“We are targeting hi-tech and new-age electronics in Dholera. We are rationing the applications and focussing on hi-tech sectors only,” Saini said, adding that Shendra-Bidkin is the most occupied project with almost all plots occupied while less than 40 acres are left in Vikram Udyogpuri. These greenfield smart industrial cities are offering plug and play infrastructure, 24 hours power supply, effluent treatment plants, multi-modal connectivity and single-window clearances, including environmental approvals.

India has 11 such industrial and economic corridors, and the aim is to have 32 smart industrial cities. At present, there are four fully developed smart cities.

“Four more cities are coming up. It takes a long time for such cities to come up,” Saini said. Three Chinese companies—including Haier Appliances and Chenfeng—have invested in these fully-developed industrial cities till now.

The investments were made before 2020 when the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) made prior government approval mandatory for foreign direct investment (FDI) from countries sharing a land border with India, irrespective of sectoral caps, through Press Note 3. The industry could get land 25-30% cheaper in such corridors as agriculture isn’t cross-subsidised.

12. Tapping into senses, not just taste: Indri, and other India-made single malts get global honours

ET, 12 Jan. 2024

Piccadily Distilleries’ single malt brand Indri has won the ‘Double Gold Best in Show’ in the Malt: Peated category at the US-based Whiskies of the World Award. Apart from Indri, there were four other Indian spirits that received top honours. For long, not known as a country having its own premium alcobev brands, India has surely come a long way.

The first sip tastes like heaven. The second one takes you there.

That’s mostly true with most of the spirits but a good whiskey, especially a single malt, is an experience which touches all five senses. And some of the best-in-class are India-made, a fact proven on the global stage!

Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 Single Malt, by Haryana-based Piccadily Distilleries, has won the “Double Gold Best in Show” in the Malt: Peated category at the US-based Whiskies of the World Award.

Since the win, the company’s share price has increased from INR45.25 as on January 10, 2023, to INR263.75 on January 5, 2024.

“The liquid is really good. In Gurugram where retailers generally have their own MRP, and only the MSP is set by manufacturers, the price of the bottle skyrocketed after the social media frenzy around it winning the award. I tried, and am happy to say, it’s a great whisky,” says Vikram Achinta, founder, Tuleeho, a Delhi-based beverage training and consulting firm.

So, do awards help sales? Achinta adds, “Indri’s awarded single malt was not available at most stores in Gurugram after a short while. There, some retailers were selling a bottle for nearly INR35,000. The actual price at that time was INR8,000+. The surprising thing is people were still buying it, at those inflated prices. And when Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition ran out, people started buying Indri Trini, again at inflated prices.”

Indri Single Malt was launched by Piccadily Distilleries in 2021. It currently has four expressions namely Indri Trini, Indri Dru, Indri Triple Cask, and the now world-famous Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023.

Besides Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition, there were four other Indian whiskies that made it to the awards list.

The Indian market

According to the UK-based market research firm IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, as of 2022, out of the total 189 million, 9-litre cases of whisky sold in India, 97% was low-priced Indian variant.

The spirits consumption, especially whisky in India, continues to be dominated by mass Indian brands. McDowell’s continues to be amongst the most sold whiskies (priced at INR672 for a 750ml) in Karnataka.

But at the same time in 2023, out of the total 675,000 cases of single malts sold in India, 53% was contributed by Indian single malts.

Clearly, while the Indian population preferring the value segment holds the majority of the demand, there is slow change among those who prefer a quality drink over drinking too much. Could this be the decade where Indian whiskies enjoy the global limelight like their Japanese counterpart?

About Piccadily Distilleries

Piccadily Distilleries, part of the Piccadily Group, was founded in 1953, and the group’s first sugar mill and distillery started in 1993. In 1994, the company set up its second sugar mill and distillery in Indri, Haryana.

The company in FY23 produced 15,145 cases of Indri Trini, all which was sold, and 3,912 cases of another recently launched single malt called, Kamet Single Malt Whisky.

“We received an overwhelming response, and our entire production has sold out,” says Praveen Malviya, CEO, Piccadily Agro Industries Ltd.

“Our flagship expression Indri Trini is leading our sales. We are experiencing an exponential growth and are expecting a 4X growth in terms of number of cases for this FY24,” he adds.

“It’s not even been two proper years for the product. For any product to reach the larger outlet base, it takes time. Majority of the sales of the company has happened during 2023. If you look at the total single malts market of 6.75 lakh cases, and if you achieve anything over 5% of that, that’s a great achievement, and significant volume,” says Vinod Giri, Director General of Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverages Companies (CIABC).

Before entering the premium category of single malts, Piccadily Distilleries was known for its country liquor. The company makes Malta 50 Degree Proof, and Marshal Rum among other brands under the category.

Piccadily Distilleries is clearly pushing its alcobev category on the back of the success of its single malts — its contribution to the total revenue increased to 57% in FY23 over 46% in FY22.

Whiskies of the World is an international competition and a tour. It is a ticketed event where the ticket price also includes food along with drinks. For the 2023 edition, there were 19 jurors across various roles from the industry — industry veterans, influencers, and sommeliers.

In 2022 too, India won four awards, wherein the first launch of the Indri range —Indri Trini, Amrut Peated Cask Strength, Amrut Cask Strength, and Amrut Single Malts of India - Neidhal — also won medals in categories of Double Gold Best in Class, Gold, and Silver.

The master distiller of Piccadily is Surrinder Kumar, a man who needs little introduction. He is often referred to as an industry legend, is also one of the minds behind the Amrut Distilleries’ single malts. Kumar was associated with Amrut Distilleries in various roles along with as a master distiller for over three decades, up until June 2019.

Amrut and Paul John led the way

The Indian single malts list is long. It was started by Amrut Distilleries, which brought home one of the most prestigious single malt awards in 2010 and was ranked the third best whisky in the world by the Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and rated 97.5 points.

The company as of today has nearly 21 different expressions of single malts in its portfolio.

John Distilleries is the other important contender among Indian single malts. The company currently has 17 different single malts, and numerous awards across the brands.

India currently has a long list of single malts being made with different taste profiles, textures, and notes. However, one of the primary challenges of Indian whiskies is the manufacturing process. The ageing of the liquid requires years.

Indian single malts do not mention the number of years that the liquid has been aged, as they are made in different climactic conditions.

But the difference in the manufacturing process has not impacted the performance of Indian brands globally.

“Awards definitely help the bottom line. Although at Radico we have not done number analysis of such kind, but yes, the awards do help, as consumers are excited to try the liquid,” says Sanjeev Banga, president - international business, Radico Khaitan.

Radico Khaitan, one of the Indian spirits’ market leaders, launched its first single malt in 2016 called the Rampur Select. Since then, the company has launched quite a few new single malts, namely Rampur Indian Single Malt Sherry PX Finish, Rampur Asava, and Rampur Double Cask. The last two are the only ones available in India. Double Cask is available in 10-12 cities and Asava will be launched very soon.

All the three brands of the company have won multiple awards since its launch.

“Generally, the process followed for the award ceremonies are fairly straightforward. You nominate your brand, its mostly done based on blind tasting by jurors cutting across various sections of the industry. And most manufacturers add the award details to the packaging part of the bottle which doesn’t require labelling clearance by the government authorities,” adds Banga.

The outlook

Awards and international recognition are not limited for any of the Indian single malts. In fact, most of them were first launched in the UK, and then eventually launched in India. Indri is among the few single malts to be launched here first.

“Any success has several factors behind it, but I do think Piccadily has been bold with their strategy and execution in rapidly expanding availability of their product. I have been told that Indri is available in the US, at retailers such as Total Wines for nearly USD64 for standard version. That’s a good price,” says Giri.

United Spirts launched Godawan in 2022. Speaking about that Hina Nagarajan, managing director and CEO of United Spirits Ltd says, “On the first anniversary of Godawan, in May 2023, we introduced Godawan 100, which is a bespoke 100-bottle collectors’ edition. We have received great response on Godawan, 100. All bottles were sold immediately, and we fetched upwards of INR90,000 per bottle.”

Godawan is now available in the US as well.

One of the primary sources of fiscal encouragement for the award-winning single malts of India is the pricing at which they can sell the same in other countries. That along with customs, most Indian single malts are available across international markets like the US, the UK, but relatively more expensive than in home ground.

According to the Q3 FY24 investor presentation of Radico Khaitan, the Indian single malt market is expected to grow at 45% CAGR between 2022 and 2026. The market size of India single malts sales in India continues to be a sliver, as per multiple industry sources, of the entire whisky market of the country which is over 200 million cases.

“Indians have been making single malts for a little over a decade now. It’s not fair to compare them to the legacy of international single malt brands that have been around for centuries, if not decades. We are doing things differently because of our climatic conditions. But Indian single malts are definitely amongst the collectors prized items already,” concludes Banga.

13. Giridhar Aramane IAS Defence Secretary HAL: Defence Secretary inaugurates new design, test facility at HAL’s Aero Engine

ET Gov. 30 Dec. 2023

“Manufacturing sector is the future of the country. In the coming decades, the HAL should focus on mastering technologies for all types of aircraft. Think ahead as the entire paradigm of warfare is changing."

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated a new design and test facility at Aero Engine Research and Development Centre (AERDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru today.

The AERDC is currently involved in the design and development of several new engines including two strategic engines–Hindustan Turbo Fan Engine (HTFE) of 25 kN thrust for powering trainers, UAV’s, twin engine small fighter aircraft or regional jets and Hindustan Turbo Shaft Engine (HTSE) of 1200 kN thrust for powering light and medium weight helicopters .

The facility, spanning over 10,000 sq. meters, houses special machines, advanced setups leveraging on computational tools, in-house fabrication facility and two test beds for testing HTFE-25 and one testbed each for testing HTSE-1200 and upcoming JV engine for IMRH to be co-developed by Safran, France and HAL.

In addition, the newly developed facility has set-ups for testing Air producer of Jaguar, Gas Turbine Starter Unit (GTSU) - 110 M2 and 127E of Light Combat Aircraft, Auxiliary Power Units of Indian Multi-Role Helicopter and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Gas Turbine Electrical Generator (GTEG)-60 for An-32 aircraft.

Set-ups to carry out various critical tests for engine components and Line Replacement Units (LRUs) have also been established within the new facility.

Hailing the work being done by HAL, the Defence Secretary noted that the government trusts the capability of the Defence PSU to deliver and make the country self-reliant.

Highlighting the role of unmanned aircraft in future warfare, the Defence Secretary encouraged the HAL to collaborate with other private companies to develop new platforms. He inspected the manufacturing range of various engines and test beds and also paid a visit to HAL’s Aerospace Division.

Chairman & Managing Director (Addl. Charge) of HAL CB Ananthakrishnan said, “The development of this facility marks a key milestone in HAL’s growth trajectory. It is a testimony of our commitment towards achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in aero-engine design and development.”

14. Reliance invents to emerge as pioneer in AI solutions developer for India: Mukesh Ambani

ET Gov. 30 Dec. 2023

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani wants the group to pioneer artificial intelligence solutions for India's urgent priorities including healthcare, education, agriculture and employment.

India's top industrialist said as Reliance reinvents itself to become a new age technology company it needs "to be at forefront of using data, with AI as an enabler for achieving a quantum jump in productivity and efficiency."

Mukesh has led the transformation of Reliance from a traditional energy and material business company into a technology company over the last decade with the launch of its telecom and digital services.

Reliance, which was started by Mukesh's father Dhirubhai Ambani in 1957, now operates in telecoms, digital services, retail, oil and gas and new energy with a market value of more than $200 billion.

To supports its AI ambitions, in September Reliance signed a deal with U.S. chip firm Nvidia to develop cloud infrastructure and language models, as well as generative applications.

In his year-end address to employees on Thursday Mukesh urged them to bring AI-led transformation across the company's key growth engines including digital services, retail, oil and chemical business as well as health and life science by 2024.

Also on Thursday, Reliance rival Adani Group said that it had formed a joint venture with a unit of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Co. (IHC) for deployment AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain products. The joint venture aims to tap $175 billion India digitization opportunity.

(Reporting by Dhwani Pandya Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

15. Adidas Eyes First Asia GCC Outside China in Chennai’

ET, 4 Dec. 2024

Akhil Kapoor to lead operations at German giant’s Global Business Services hub: Sources.Adidas is setting up its first and only global capacity centre (GCC) in Asia outside China in Chennai, to focus on ‘key processes’, sources aware of the developments told ET.

Adidas is setting up its first and only global capacity centre (GCC) in Asia outside China in Chennai, to focus on ‘key processes’, sources aware of the developments told ET. The athletic footwear and apparel giant’s move reinforces the recent boom of multinationals investing in India in large numbers to set up their GCCs to harness the abundant software skills in the country. The German corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, will set up its Global Business Services (GBS) hub with Akhil Kapoor leading operations.

Kapoor’s LinkedIn profile says he is the vice-president — GBS global procurement and head of GBS India with his location listed as Chennai. “Under his leadership, the hub will play a crucial role in key processes such as Source-to-Pay (S2P), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Invoice-to-Cash (I2C), and Record-to-Report (R2R),” one source said. This person added that Adidas anticipates significant growth in its Chennai centre and is planning to add ‘high quality resources’ over the next three to five years.

Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa told ET that Chennai is establishing itself as the ‘premier choice’ for GCCs and Research & Development centres in India. “We are leveraging our longstanding reputation as a knowledge hub and manufacturing powerhouse, as this foundation has been instrumental in showcasing our talent pool’s capabilities, earning the trust of existing and potential investors. This trend is evident in the footwear sector, where our state already employs a significant number of women, and now, leading footwear brands are considering Chennai for their GCCs,” he said.

- Services (Education, Healthcare, IT, R&D, Tourism, etc.)

16. Nitish govt offers incentives to IT investors, focus on employment generation

ET Gov. 11 Jan. 2024

“Bihar IT Policy 2024 will create lakhs of jobs and will enable the youth of Bihar who are working in the IT sector in other parts of the country to come back and work in their own state. We are ready to provide subsidies and all kinds of facilities to the investors who set up their IT companies in Bihar."

The Government of Bihar recognises the strategic importance of Information Technology as a key catalyst for development: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has passed the Bihar IT Policy 2024. The aim of the policy is to promote the IT industry in Bihar.

The Government of Bihar recognises the strategic importance of Information Technology as a key catalyst for development, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said. Bihar’s IT Minister Md. Israil Mansuri said that Bihar IT Policy 2024 had been cleared on the personal initiative of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

In a tweet on January 10, Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister said, “नई 𝐈𝐓 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 के अंतर्गत 𝐈𝐓 क्षेत्र में कार्यरत कंपनियों, निवेशकों व रोजगार प्रदाताओं को न्यूनतम 𝟓 से 𝟑𝟎 करोड़ रुपये निवेश करने पर 𝟑𝟎% का पूँजी निवेश सब्सिडी हमारी सरकार देगी।”

(Under the New IT Policy, the companies, investors and employment generators who invest between INR 5 to 30 crore will get 30% of their investment as subsidy from Bihar government.)

In his tweet, Tejashwi also notes that the Bihar government is offering 50% subsidy on lease and rental charges and 25% subsidy on electricity consumption.

In addition to this under the new IT policy, Bihar government is offering Rs. 5000 as subsidy for 𝐄𝐒𝐈/𝐄𝐏𝐅 deposits that the investing companies make on the behalf of their employees.

For investments between INR 100 crore and INR 1000 crore, the Bihar government is ready to negotiate a “Tailor Made Package” with the investors and IT companies. This has been stated by the Deputy Chief Minister in his tweet.

“We hope in the times to come, Bihar will emerge as a strong player in the IT sector and lakhs of youth in the state will find high-end jobs,” Tejashwi Yadav said in his tweet.

Bihar’s IT Minister Md. Israil Mansuri said that the focus of the new IT policy is to create job opporutnities for the youth in Bihar.

“The Bihar IT Policy 2024 will prove to be a milestone in the development of the IT sector in Bihar,” Md. Israil Mansuri added.

Bihar’s IT Secretary Abhay Kumar Singh said that the industrialists who invest in Bihar’s IT sector will get a subsidy of up to 30%. The IT Secretary also informed that the investors and companies will not face any office space related problems.

“The Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority has enough land to cater to the needs of the IT industries,” he said. The Bihar IT Policy 2024 was cleared by the State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on January 8.

17. India’s Setting Benchmarks in Digital World

ET, 15 Dec. 2023

India is the world’s envy when it comes to its digital platforms and capabilities, with the country’s offerings setting a benchmark for what most developed economies want to achieve in their own markets, Times Internet vice chairman Satyan Gajwani said, while making his opening remarks at the Economic Times CEO Roundtable 2023.

“The world over economies and politics are volatile, and yet, when we look at India, it is remarkably stable, optimistic, and exciting. There are real gains that we’re seeing happen in our economy… there’s real economic growth, there’s value creation in our markets, and we have a thriving startup ecosystem,” Gajwani said.

He cited the World Bank’s recent report that pegged India as the second-fastest growing economy in the G20, and said that the country’s level of growth is significant considering its scale.

“Today, we are the world’s envy in terms of our digital platforms and capabilities. We have over a billion Aadhaar registrations. And last year, over 75 billion digital payments happened through our stack. The most developed economies in the world are envious of us, and set India’s platforms as the benchmark that they want to achieve for their own markets,” Gajwani said.

“This infrastructure that we have is not just empowering… it’s enabling all facets and all segments of society in India… and it can be a true enabler of inclusive growth in our country,” he added.

He highlighted that the level of talent and capability in India was particularly exciting. “We have the largest pool of English STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates in the world, and a powerful youth that will grow and power our economy going forward.”

18. Kerala CM launches K-SMART App for seamless digital access to local govt services

PTI, ET Gov. 2 Jan. 2024

Developed by the Information Kerala Mission for the Department of Local Self-Government, the app will be initially implemented in corporations and municipalities across the state.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the K-SMART application in Kochi on Monday, aiming to provide digital access to services offered by local self-government bodies through a unified platform across the state.

During the launch, the chief minister said that the government's objective is to leverage advanced technology for the improvement of various sectors in society.

With the introduction of K-SMART (Kerala Solutions for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation), he said that services provided by local self-government bodies will now be available at citizens' fingertips.

Developed by the Information Kerala Mission for the Department of Local Self-Government, the app will be initially implemented in corporations and municipalities across the state.

The next phase will involve extending its reach to Gram Panchayats starting April 1, as announced by the government.

Officials highlighted that the K-SMART will streamline local government services in Kerala with its 35 different modules.

These modules encompass a wide range of services, including birth, death, and marriage registrations, business licenses, property taxes, and more.

Citizens can now access all these services through a single platform by logging into the web portal and providing the necessary information.

Initially, eight services will be available, covering areas such as the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, business licenses, property taxes, among others, officials added.

19. India's video industry revenues hit US$ 13 billion in 2023: Report

IBEF, January 4, 2024

According to a report by Media Partners Asia (MPA), India's video industry revenues surged to US$ 13 billion, surpassing Korea and Australia but trailing behind China and Japan in the Asia-Pacific region. The forecast suggests a growth of US$ 17 billion by 2028.

In 2023, the Asia-Pacific video sector witnessed a 5.5% growth, reaching US$ 145 billion. Online video sales experienced a notable 13% increase, amounting to US$ 57 billion. In comparison, TV revenues showed modest growth at less than 1%, totaling US$ 98 billion, according to MPA – a prominent provider of advisory, consulting, and research services in the media and telecoms sector across Asia Pacific.

Specifically, subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) saw a 15% growth, reaching US$ 28 billion in 2023, or US $ 12 billion, excluding China. Advertising video-on-demand (AVoD) expanded by 11%, totaling US$ 29 billion, or US$ 17 billion excluding China, with user-generated content and social video dominating the AVoD category at an 80% share. In comparison, premium AVoD accounted for a 20% share in 2023, as highlighted in the report.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.

20. Generative AI could boost India's economy by $1.2-1.5 trillion in the next seven years: Study

ET Gov. 18 Dec. 2023

The report titled ‘The AIdea of India: Generative AI's impact on India's digital growth’ said that if India fully utilised Gen AI technology across various sectors, it could potentially contribute an additional $359–438 billion to the economy in the fiscal year 2029–30.

Generative AI could boost India's economy by $1.2-1.5 trillion in the next seven years as the Gen AI revolution unfolds across the globe, promising significant disruption and innovation, according to an EY report.

The EY analysis said that this would result in a 5.9% —7.2% increase in GDP compared to the baseline.

About 69% of the expected impact is projected to originate from sectors such as business services, financial services, education, retail, and healthcare, due to improved employee productivity, operational efficiency, and much more robust customer engagement, as per the research.

The EY report threw up valuable insights into how various industries are gearing up for the adoption of Gen AI. Based on a detailed survey that covered over 200 C-suite participants, the findings show that 60% of organisations acknowledge the significant influence Gen AI will have on their business models. However, around 75% express a low to moderate level of readiness to harness the benefits of Gen AI.

The two primary challenges currently faced by these organisations are a shortage of skilled personnel, reported by 52% of respondents, and the availability of unclear use cases, cited by 47%. Surprisingly, only 36% of organisations consider data privacy as a potential risk associated with Gen AI, according to the research.

“Organisations are swiftly adopting an AI-first approach to digital transformation, aiming to enhance customer engagement, increase productivity, and achieve greater agility in delivering digital capabilities using innovative foundation models and AI-first solutions. Although AI is in its early stages, there is a tremendous sense of optimism, and to realise its full potential, India must significantly elevate its efforts in terms of increased government involvement in development and deployment. Moreover, providing a critical computer ecosystem for continuous innovation and growth will be vital for India to stay competitive in this evolving landscape,” said Mahesh Makhija, Technology Consulting Leader, EY India.

The professional services firm’s experts believe that making Gen AI accessible to everyone, following the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (2018) that aims to include everyone, is essential to seeing its benefits in areas like education, healthcare, farming, smart cities, and more.

India and the World

21. Indian Coast Guard, Amazon India join hands to create work opportunities for ex-service personnel

ET Gov. 22 Dec. 2023

In August 2019, Amazon India launched a Military Veterans Employment program to create hundreds of opportunities for military veterans and their spouses across the company’s fulfillment network all over India.

From left to right Asst Comdt Kiran Raval, Dy Comdt Rukshar Khan, Comdt (JG) Chandni Bhatnagar, Comdt (JG) N P Singh, DIG C.D. Mohapatra,Amit Sharma, Director, Program Management & Global Catalogue Operations, Amazon India, IG T Shashi Kumar, TM, DDG (HRD), Col. Lokesh Wale, President, Warriors Board for Amazon India, DIG Narendra Singh, TM , PD(Administration), Hemika Batalvi, Manager Recruitment, Amazon and Aashita Agarwal, Manager Public Policy, Amazon India

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence, has signed a MoU with Amazon India to provide work opportunities for ex-service personnel Amazon India.

“This MoU is in line with the company’s commitment towards an inclusive workplace,” the spokesperson for Amazon India said.

“At Amazon India, there has been a consistent focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in its workforce where unique perspectives are valued and welcomed. The company fosters a culture that is conducive to growth and offers people equal opportunities to unlock their full potential while empowering them to do more,” the Amazon India spokesperson said.

“Over the last few years, Amazon India has launched multiple initiatives to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into the workforce,” he added.

This was done in partnership with the Army Welfare Placement Organization (AWPO) to create continued work opportunities for military veterans and their families across India.

Amazon India further strengthened its commitment to provide ex-service personnel with work opportunities across its growing operations network in India by renewing its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR). This MoU with the DGR enables Amazon India to mobilize the untapped potential of veterans, giving it access to a greater talent pipeline.

“At Amazon, we are very humbled to build further on our efforts to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion at our workplace. Due to the deep appreciation of the wealth of experience and unique perspective of ex-service personnel, Amazon runs the Military Veterans Employment Programme globally,” said Deepti Varma, VP, People Experience Technology, Amazon India, Japan & Emerging Markets.

“With the signing of this MoU, we are excited to work with the Indian Coast Guard towards a common goal of creating meaningful work opportunities for our veterans and their families. We will continue to leverage the wealth of experience of military veterans, who are an incomparable addition to Amazon,” she added.

“The vast experience our veterans possess can be leveraged for tremendous success across diverse industries and businesses. Amazon India has taken proactive steps in offering employment opportunities to military veterans,” the Indian Coast Guard said.

“This MoU marks a significant milestone as we unite in the pursuit of a shared objective: fostering meaningful career paths for ex-service personnel from the Indian Coast Guard,” he added.

22. Year-End Review 2023: India's technological triumphs across electronics, semiconductors, AI

ET Gov. 27 Dec. 2023

The extension of the Digital India program, incentives for RuPay Debit Cards, and the introduction of the AI-enabled translation tool Bhashini reflect India's commitment to fostering a technologically advanced society.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the SemiconIndia 2023 event in Gandhinagar, marking a significant leap in India's semiconductor manufacturing prowess.

India stands at the forefront of global innovation, with key achievements across electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. The dynamic landscape of the country's technology sector is highlighted in a comprehensive year-end review.

The three-day event witnessed the convergence of global industry leaders, with Micron Technology, Applied Materials, and Foxconn showcasing their commitment to India's semiconductor ecosystem, read the press release.

India, as the Incoming Support Chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), hosted the annual GPAI Summit from December 12-14, 2023, in New Delhi.

The summit brought together representatives from 28 member countries and the European Union, creating a platform for in-depth discussions on the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI), read the press release.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) rolled out a new security mechanism for robust fingerprint-based Aadhaar authentication, incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The move enhances security, particularly in banking, telecom, and government sectors. The decision to allow residents to update documents in Aadhaar online free of cost further demonstrates India's commitment to ease of living through digital initiatives.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) organized the G20-DIA Programme in Bangalore from August 17-19, 2023, read the press release.

Advt

The event featured the participation of 109 startups from 23 nations, highlighting India's position as a global hub for digital innovation. The program encompassed workshops, exhibitions, and awards, attracting over 15,000 participants.

The Cabinet's approval of Micron's Rs22,516 crore semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat, witnessed a rapid transition from approval to groundbreaking within three months.

This strategic move aligns with India's vision of becoming a semiconductor manufacturing hub, anticipating the creation of thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities, read the press release.

The Union Cabinet's approval of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware reinforces India's position as a global IT manufacturing hub.

The first India Stack Developer Conference, inaugurated by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, emphasized the objective of creating a robust ecosystem for digital innovation, read the press release.

The Union Cabinet's approval of the Memorandum of Cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signifies a significant step in enhancing collaboration in the fields of digitization and electronic manufacturing.

Anticipation builds for the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, set to unveil Gujarat's roadmap for Viksit Bharat@2047.

Meanwhile, India's successful hosting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group meeting in Lucknow showcases the nation's pivotal role in shaping global digital strategies, read the press release.

As 2023 draws to a close, this year-end review encapsulates India's strides in technology, underlining the nation's commitment to digital excellence and innovation on the global stage.

23. The squalid history of medical patents

Down to Earth, 27 December, Latha Jishnu

Bringing medicines into the global intellectual property regime was a triumph of corporate skulduggery led by Pfizer

Some drug companies are forever in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Nefarious reasons, in fact. One such company is Pfizer. It describes itself as one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies that “prioritises the health and well-being of people and the planet to deliver breakthroughs in a responsible way”. If that were, indeed, true, it is unlikely that the company would be facing so many lawsuits as it does from patients and governments.

In recent days, the state of Texas in the US has filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of intentionally misrepresenting the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine. Attorney-General Ken Paxton said Pfizer’s claim that its vaccine was 95 per cent effective was misleading because it offered a “relative risk reduction” based on only two months of clinical trial data, while the vaccine recipients’ “absolute risk reduction” showed the vaccine, Comirnaty, to be just 0.85 per cent effective.

The more serious charge levelled against the American multinational is that it “censored persons who threatened to disseminate the truth in order to facilitate fast adoption of the product and expand its commercial opportunity”. The lawsuit, according to a Reuters report, seeks more than $10 million in fines for violating a Texas law protecting consumers from deceptive marketing, as well as Pfizer being barred from making alleged false claims and silencing “truthful speech” about its vaccine. Pfizer has reported revenue of over $74 billion in 2021-22 from Comirnaty.

Misrepresentation appears to be a constant failing with Pfizer. One of the biggest payouts it made was $2.3 billion in partial settlement of criminal charges it faced for misbranding the painkiller Bextra “with the intent to defraud or mislead”, according to the US Department of Justice. In 2009, Pfizer paid $1 billion to resolve allegations of civil wrongdoing under the False Claims Act for illegally promoting Bextra and three other drugs, the antipsychotic Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox and the anti-epileptic drug Lyrica. The company has not admitted wrongdoing in any of these settlements. It is not as if other drugs giants are blameless—almost all of Big Pharma has been charged with malpractices and fined—but Pfizer stands out for the many criminal charges brought against it and the huge settlements it has worked out.

It is this multinational that played a stellar role in bringing intellectual property rights (IPRs) into the global trade regime through aggressive campaigning. Till the early part of the 20th century, most European countries were not in favour of IPRs, and the concept of owning ideas remained favoured only by the US and Britain. It is another matter that the Americans flourished industrially only by stealing ideas and knowhow from their former coloniser, the UK. Doron Ben-Atar, professor of history at Fordham University, provides a fascinating account of how the US patent office was handing out patents liberally for devices that were in use elsewhere in his book Trade Secrets: Intellectual Piracy and the Origins of American Industrial Power. In an interview with this columnist some years ago, Ben-Atar said that while the US was encouraging its citizens, voluntary associations and government officials to smuggle European inventions and artisans to the New World, it was at the same time holding up the young republic as an exemplary protector of innovation by enacting legislation that surpassed standards elsewhere. But most European countries were unimpressed. The Netherlands, for instance, was determined to uphold what it termed “free trade in inventions” until the early decades of the 20th century.

But our focus is narrower —how patents have dug their claws into the medical sphere, which is considered a public good, and undermined its ethical foundations, and how the legal right to produce life-saving medicines has been circumscribed by monopolies granted by the patent system.

Investigative journalist and author Alexander Zaitchik, who has written extensively on the power games of Big Pharma, says the inclusion of IPRs in the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was primarily the handiwork of Edmund T Pratt Jr, CEO of Pfizer, who took an alarmist view of the rise of a Global south-based generics industry and growing assertiveness by the G77 (Group of 77) bloc of developing countries in the UN starting in the 1970s. An inflexion point was the push for transfer of medical technology from developed states to poor countries that gained traction with the appointment of Danish doctor Halfden Mahler as director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). Mahler threw his weight behind the G77 and at a WHO-sponsored conference in the Soviet city of Alma-Ata in 1978, he unveiled an agency programme to help poor countries reduce their drug spending by building up their domestic drug industries. The declaration at the end of the conference committed WHO to the affirmation of “health as a human right based on equity and social justice.”

Zaitchik says this alarmed Pfizer that saw the development as a threat to the multinational’s “ambitious plans for dominating global markets for drugs and agricultural products, especially in Asia”. Pratt, he reveals, gathered a group of drug industry executives to discuss a plan to counter the influence of the G77 and the rise of the generics industry. Pfizer was the natural leader of the counter-attack because its “bulldog patent lawyers were legendary for launching kamikaze infringement suits around the world”. Its most infamous patent suits were against the UK government after the National Health Service purchased an Italian generic version of a Pfizer-patented antibiotic, tetracycline. Never mind that Pfizer had capitalised during World War II on the production of penicillin that had been discovered and developed at Oxford and left in the public domain! Although Pfizer lost the lawsuit, Zaitchik believes it served as “a sobering introduction to the modern ‘post-ethical’ US drug industry” throughout Europe, where medicine patents were still widely banned.

Pratt relentlessly pushed the industry’s idea of a binding agreement on iprs at other forums such as World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) before finding a foothold in the Uruguay Round of negotiations for the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that preceded the setting up of WTO in 1995. GATT was far from being democratic as the UN was and its sweeping agreements that favoured the richest countries were binding on all members. It was in WTO that the stranglehold of IPRS was formalised as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

It is hardly surprising that when the worst pandemic in 100 years hit the world in 2019, Pfizer and its cohorts backed by the developed countries refused to allow a waiver of trips even as a life-saving measure.

This was first published in the 1-15 January, 2024 print edition of Down To Earth

24. Lakshadweep's tourism on growth path with new proposals for development

ET Gov. 10 Jan. 2024

In the private sector, India's first water villa project, initiated by an Indian group, stands out as a major endeavor. The archipelago gained attention for its natural beauty, particularly after Prime Minister Modi's recent visit.

Lakshadweep being discussed across the world after PM's visit, says its administrator.

In Lakshadweep, comprising a total of 36 islands, including ten inhabited ones, the administration has recently proposed additional tourism projects.

Government-led tourism activities, managed by SPORTS (Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports), include the iconic Paradise Island huts. A new proposal under the Smart City initiative aims to introduce a 90-room hotel.

On January 2, PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' of him trying his hand at snorkelling.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches, the pristine blue skies and the ocean and tagged them with a message that read, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list."

Former Member of Parliament from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bishnu Pada Ray, condemned the unjust criticism from Maldivian ministers.

"Recently, Prime Minister Modi visited Lakshadweep, an island located far from the Maldives. During Congress's era, despite being represented by the Prime Minister and Speaker, the region saw limited development. PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep highlighted the potential for tourism development.

What the ministers of our neighbouring country, the Maldives, said about PM Modi is not correct. This led to the suspension of three Maldivian ministers by the President. By uttering these words, plenty of damage has been done to your country's tourism. Consequently, negative opinions about Modi are impacting tourism. People are cancelling their tickets. Today, people across India, including film stars, cricket players, and other patriotic individuals, are not expressing positive opinions about you in the media. I also oppose these actions. In the future, with Modi's efforts, Lakshadweep is going to become a tourist destination surpassing even the Maldives" he said.

This surge in tourism development signals an exciting phase for Lakshadweep's travel landscape.

25. Looking Like A Wow

ET, 27 Dec. 2023

The big theme that played all through 2023 was AI/gen AI – whether it was through the developments at OpenAI, or AI-related conversations at Cannes Lions, the scramble among tech companies to launch AI products.

AI, AI everywhere

“The big theme that played all through 2023 was AI/gen AI – whether it was through the developments at OpenAI, or AI-related conversations at Cannes Lions, the scramble among tech companies to launch AI products, AI-powered advertising, debates and discussions on AI reshaping the overall jobs landscape, and Elon Musk unveiling Grok, an AI chatbot with a rebellious streak. “Other themes that played out were the launch of Threads, Twitter being renamed to X, paid blue ticks and the wave of consolidation taking shape in the industry, in both, television broadcasting and advertising, and the transformation of the overall landscape and legacy networks. As for general trends, it would be ‘Naatu Naatu’ winning an Oscar, Shah Rukh Khan’s power-packed comeback through Pathaan, the launch of Chandrayaan-3 and the G20 Summit.

A new vocabulary

“As a culture today, we are looking for words that help us celebrate every day. Hence the need for words and phrases that capture the superlative nature of moments that we are living, despite the ups and the downs. Yes, there have been good and hard times this year, but India has navigated it all — with ‘Looking Like a Wow’. “The phrase became for all of India what ‘sic’ has been for Gen Z, their own vocabulary to express the superlative. True to our times, it transcended the class divides of those who’ve had the privilege of a ‘proper’ English education versus those who haven’t. It found comfort with cricket commentators as much as influence activations by brands. It even met the approval of the gatekeepers of English grammar. As a phenomenon, this is so true of our times where ideas, influences and pop culture elements can come from anywhere and go everywhere, without class divide or hierarchy.”

Barbenheimer

“This phenomenon encapsulated a captivating interplay between contrasting moods, with the world embracing the playful hues of pink alongside the earthy tones of brown. Brands across the world adeptly tapped into this duality, appealing to consumers who resonated with both carefree escapism and introspective exploration. “The trend signifies the importance of adaptability in marketing strategies. By embracing such trends and understanding the nuanced desires of consumers, we have the opportunity to create campaigns that feel personal and meaningful. It was a gentle nudge towards the future of marketing — staying attuned to diverse consumer desires and crafting real-time experiences for long-term recall.”

A year of high spends

“2023 was a roller-coaster year and a study in contrasts. Creativity took a backseat in 2023 but amid the continuing funding winter — where startups abandoned the high-profile TV sponsorship of big shows causing some stress to media owners and IPL rights holders — most seasoned marketers and advertisers cautiously upped their ad spends. While some categories in the market did not fire, overall confidence among India Inc is at an all-time high. So, ad spends continued to rise. “The government, at the Centre and of various states, upped spends to talk about their achievements, given the ‘Big Match’ coming up in 2024. Cooling down of raw material prices helped boost the upbeat sentiment, as was reflected in new highs reached by the stock market as we end 2023. Again, while there was some stress for making ends meet in the lower echelons of society, the uppermiddle-class was busy spending like there is no tomorrow, reflecting in higher demand for larger apartments, larger cars, luxury brands and a stronger desire for air travel and stays in fancy hotels.

Creativity and AI

“2023 has seen a surge in the adoption of Gen AI and gained immense traction among businesses across industries. It has been a game changer, particularly for the dynamic marketing landscape. This year, Gen AI has also sparked debates about how it will replace humans. However, the fact remains that Gen AI cannot replace human intelligence. Instead, it will lead to innovation. Gen AI is not ‘intelligent’ in itself; its intelligence comes from human experts who will be assisted by these tools and further enhanced. “As with any AI tool, humans need to build safeguards around them to ensure quality and optimum output. Gen AI will augment creativity, particularly for the marketing function in the coming years. Since Gen AI is being leveraged in every aspect of marketing — from campaign creation to customer engagement — it’s vital to strike a balance between its efficiency and human creativity to foster innovation in marketing.”

The 5G revolution

“If enabling millions to move to 4G in 2015 and 2016 unlocked our untapped potential as one of the world’s biggest digital economies, in 2023, India embarked on the 5G revolution, transitioning from MB (megabytes) speeds to GB (gigabytes) speeds. “One of the most visible impacts of 5G has been the explosion in live streaming across the country, as exemplified by huge viewership during recent sporting events. The unlimited access to faster and seamless connectivity has opened up a plethora of new use case scenarios that will not just impact existing industries, but also create many new age ones, which we will see coming of age in the next few years.”

The love of fate

“Amor fati is Latin for a ‘love of fate’. Centuries before the great German philosopher Nietzsche coined it, amor fati has been a key tenet of Stoicism. As Epictetus wrote: Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to; rather, wish that what happens happen the way it happens: then you will be happy. “2023 has seen the world bear a lot; from climate change disasters to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, from jobs being lost to behemoth agencies disappearing with one stroke of the pen and consolidation across the networks. While we must continue fighting the good fight and it may indeed be impossible for us to ‘love’ the harsh hand that fate deals us, I see amor fati as mindful acceptance with equanimity. “As CCO, amor fati helps me deal with the inevitable ups and downs of business and as a human being, it keeps me centred even as the world spins a little more off its axis every day.”

***

AAPI

Pages

Friday 19 January 2024

Newsletter, January 2024

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

– AGRICULTURE, FISHING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

– INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURE

– SERVICES (IT, R&D, Tourism, Healthcare, etc.)

NEWSLETTER, JANUARY 2024

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

- Industry and Manufacture

India and the World