AAPI: August 2024

DELHI, AUGUST 2024

Index of this Newsletter

INDIA

INDIA & THE WORLD

21. Why India should be worried about what’s happening in Bangladesh
22. Mughals brought effort to India’s wild mango culture
23. Top global brands like Marks & Spencer, Walmart and Pepco may boost India sourcing after import duty relief
24. Apple Sets a New India Record with Another Bumper Harvest
25. Google, Amazon, Walmart seek to join RBI's digital currency project: Sources

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DELHI, AUGUST 2024

NEWSLETTER, AUGUST 2024

INDIA

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

1. Budget 2024-25: Focus on affordable rental housing could be highly impactful

ET Gov. 7 Aug. 2024

Given the yields and interest rates it is unlikely that without massive interventions from the government, rental housing will gain popularity amongst potential home-buyers who have already decided to settle down in the urban areas.

The 2024-25 Budget is a mixed bag, especially for the housing sector. It takes a holistic view of housing development and is more focused on the economically weaker sections of rural and urban areas with emphasis on transit oriented development. This fits into the broader narrative of focus on public transport and land reform. The financial allocation for three crore more homes under the PM Awas Yojana in rural and urban areas is a welcome announcement but more impactful could be the focus on rental housing. Under the PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0, housing needs of 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families will be addressed.

According to the PMAY-U website, the construction of 85,04,000 houses had been completed in urban areas by 15 July 2024. The demand and achievement under the Beneficiary Led Construction vertical was the best with 46.22 lakh (over 71 percent) of the grounded houses completed. In the ISSR (in-situ slum rehabilitation) vertical 5.04 lakh houses were completed. Of the 25.04 lakh houses completed under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme vertical, 18.96 lakh houses were for EWs and LIG beneficiaries and 6.08 lakh houses were for MIG beneficiaries. Now under the 2024-25 Union Budget, the finance minister has allocated ₹30,170 crore for PMAY.

Based on the achievements under PMAY-U to date, the schemes for Affordable Housing in Partnership and Beneficiary Led Construction have performed the best and hence should be given preference compared to the other verticals.

The Affordable Rental Housing Complexes scheme launched in 2022 for urban migrants and the poor was a non-starter and the government seems to have learnt its lesson that a very general broad approach will not work for rental solutions. In this budget, it has taken a holistic view of manufacturing, first time job holders and provision of services to peri urban areas - the target market for entry level rental housing.

Taking the Viability Gap Funding route, the government is to continue with its policy to use the private sector for optimal delivery. Incentivizing industries to get into rental in some ways is a throwback to the initial housing policies of the 1950s when companies were mandated and incentivized to set up quality housing infrastructure for their workers - many of which survive to this day. If implemented well, this could be a game changer as first time job seekers and migrants for whom manufacturing is the first step to livelihoods, end up with the most substandard housing. Slums thrive in peri urban areas and this approach could also help decongest cities and optimise the use of existing low-income housing stock.

The chances of this succeeding are high since the government has incentivised new job creation and with the right VGF, it could turn out to be profitable for industries to set up rental units.

The bigger challenge of rental housing in urban areas though remains unaddressed – the challenge is similar to that of PMAY, namely, it requires massive amounts of subsidy that the government can ill-afford. It also has long-term complexities that ownership driven models do not have. Given the yields and interest rates it is unlikely that without massive interventions from the government, rental housing will gain popularity amongst potential home-buyers who have already decided to settle down in the urban areas.

2. When grand visions ignore the harsh realities of poverty: Realistic action needed

ET Gov. 10, Aug. 2024

Low-income people still invest in their children's future, but are our governments truly investing in them? The rhythm of Kolkata's streets, a chaotic symphony of sounds and colours, always invigorated me. But recently, a visit with the IDFC Foundation team unveiled a melody I wasn't prepared for -- a harsh tune of forgotten dreams and shadowed lives.

Our destination, hidden under the looming shadows of flyovers in a low-income settlement, was a stark revelation that left me utterly speechless. This was not the urban school visit I had anticipated as part of the IDFC Foundation work.

Seventy-five years after India's hard-fought independence, a significant portion of our citizens are still trapped in poverty, lacking even the most basic shelter and services. The need for immediate action is not just a call but a scream, and the stark contrast between their joy and our concern underscores the urgency of the situation. This situation demands immediate attention, especially in addressing the lack of basic shelter, education, and healthcare. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, and it's high time we act.

As discussions swirled around transitioning from upliftment for all (Sarvodya) to upliftment for the last person (Antodaya), the stark disconnect between our grand visions and their harsh realities was evident and jarring. It was a wake-up call, a stark contrast that demands a more realistic and practical approach to bridge this gap and bring about tangible change. This discrepancy indicates that our current approach is not working, and a more realistic strategy is urgently needed.

Our elaborate master plans and lofty discussions on climate change ring hollow when we can't even provide dignified minimum essential services to our underprivileged children. This stark reality contrasts the ideals enshrined in our Constitution, which promises social justice and equality for all and mandates the state to take affirmative action to uplift the underprivileged. As Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, once said, 'We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy.'

The chasm between the discourse I witnessed on urban issues and the raw reality I faced today was jarring. Our eloquent words, our sophisticated plans, seemed to belong to a parallel world, one untouched by the grime and despair of those living under flyovers or homeless.

The children, their eyes sparkling with hope, recited poems, their dreams of becoming doctors and police officers painting a poignant picture of resilience. Their strength in adversity was inspiring and a testament to the human spirit. Low-income people still invest in their children's future, but are we truly investing in them? They may be land encroachers, but even then, as our Constitution's framers debated, they deserve the fundamental dignity of shelter and services. As a society, are we genuinely providing a path for them to realise those aspirations?

In this landscape of hopelessness, the young teachers and coordinators shone as beacons of unwavering dedication. Their efforts to educate and uplift these children in the face of such adversity were heroic. I salute them from the depths of my heart.

The efforts of local civic bodies and change-makers also enamoured me. They stood out as another glimmer of hope, their tireless work illuminating the darkness that threatened to engulf these communities. Yet, even their valiant efforts couldn't mask the harsh truth that our grand plans and missions had failed to bring about the transformative change we desperately needed.

We need more than just promises; we need tangible action. A dedicated "Mission for the Homeless" could be the answer, providing housing and essential services like sanitation and healthcare. Temporary school structures offer a safe and conducive learning environment, while basic amenities like clean water and toilets could significantly improve their quality of life. This is a call for action and a demand for immediate change.

However, actual change must be driven by these communities. Local civil society, CSR initiatives, local governments, and communities must take ownership of this transformation. Their role is crucial in addressing immediate needs and fostering empathy, understanding, and conflict resolution—crucial capacities we often fail to cultivate in our professionals. Grand plans often fail to grasp the local complexities, and vice versa. Our development language must become local and citizen-centric. Only then will we be able to bridge the gap between the two India. By empowering these communities, we can ensure that the solutions are practical and sustainable.

As we drove away from the settlement, I couldn't shake the weight of what I had witnessed. The children's laughter echoed in my ears, a haunting reminder of the dreams we'd left behind. It's time we ask ourselves not just "Where shall we live?" but "Where shall THEY live?" The journey from celebrating ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ to ushering into a golden era, ‘Amrit Kaal,’ cannot happen without addressing the plight of these marginalised communities. Instead of solutions, I grappled with a profound sense of unease, my head bowed in contemplation as I searched for answers to the question, where do we go from here? The answer is not just in action but in tangible action, dedicated missions, and practical solutions that can bring about the transformative change these communities desperately need. It lies in empowering local communities and fostering a dialogue that truly understands and addresses their needs.

3. Over 1.4 lakh startups recognized by DPIIT in India; 67,499 have women directors

ET Gov. 12 Aug. 2024

Over the past two years, the number of DPIIT-recognized startups has surged across various states and union territories (UTs).

India's startup ecosystem continues to thrive, with a significant milestone of over 1.4 lakh entities recognized as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of June 30, 2024. Among these, an encouraging 67,499 startups have at least one woman director, underscoring the growing role of women in entrepreneurship.

According to the Ministry of Steel, the government's efforts, spearheaded by the Startup India initiative launched in 2016, have been instrumental in fostering innovation and creating a robust startup ecosystem across the country. The initiative has led to the creation of more than 15.53 lakh direct jobs as of June 30.

Over the past two years, the number of DPIIT-recognized startups has surged across various states and union territories (UTs).

To build a robust ecosystem for fostering innovation, startups, and investment in India's startup ecosystem, the Government launched the Startup India initiative on January 16, 2016. Under the eligibility criteria outlined in the G.S.R. notification 127 (E) dated February 19, 2019, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognizes entities as 'startups' within this initiative. Here are details of various government programs to promote startups nationwide:

Startup India Action Plan, unveiled on January 16, 2016, this plan includes 19 action items covering areas like "Simplification and handholding," "Funding support and incentives," and "Industry-academia partnership and incubation." The plan established the foundation for government support, schemes, and incentives aimed at creating a vibrant startup ecosystem in India.

Startup India: The Way Ahead, launched on January 16, 2021, during the 5-year celebration of Startup India, this plan focuses on enhancing ease of doing business for startups, increasing technology's role in executing reforms, building stakeholders' capacities, and enabling a digital Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), recognizing the critical need for capital at the early stages of a startup, this scheme provides financial assistance for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization. A budget of Rs 945 crore has been sanctioned under the SISFS Scheme for four years starting from 2021-22.

The Government established Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) Scheme with a corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore to address startups' funding needs. DPIIT monitors the scheme, while the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) operates it. The fund has supported startups at early, seed, and growth stages, catalyzing the raising of domestic capital, reducing dependence on foreign funds, and encouraging new venture capital funds.

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) provides credit guarantees for loans extended to DPIIT-recognized startups by Scheduled Commercial Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Venture Debt Funds (VDFs) under SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds. The scheme aims to offer credit guarantees up to a specified limit against loans given by Member Institutions to eligible DPIIT-recognized startups.

Since 2016, the Government has implemented over 55 regulatory reforms to enhance ease of doing business, ease of raising capital, and reduce compliance burdens for the startup ecosystem.

Central Ministries/Departments are directed to relax prior turnover and experience conditions in public procurement for all DPIIT-recognized startups, provided they meet quality and technical specifications. Additionally, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) promotes procurement from startups.

Startups are allowed to self-certify their compliance under nine Labour and three Environment laws for a period of 3 to 5 years from incorporation.

Startups incorporated on or after April 1, 2016, can apply for an income tax exemption. Recognized startups granted an Inter-Ministerial Board Certificate are exempt from income tax for three consecutive years out of the first ten years since incorporation.

The Government has classified startups as 'fast track firms,' enabling them to wind up operations within 90 days compared to 180 days for other companies.

DPIIT-recognized startups are eligible for exemption from provisions under Section 56(2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act, effective from 2019.

Startups can benefit from fast-tracked patent application examinations and disposal. The Government's Start-ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) initiative allows startups to file patent, design, and trademark applications through registered facilitators by paying only statutory fees. The Government covers facilitators' fees, and startups receive an 80 per cent rebate on patent filings and a 50 per cent rebate on trademark filings compared to other companies.

Launched on June 19, 2017, this online platform connects all stakeholders of India's entrepreneurial ecosystem, including startups, investors, mentors, academic institutions, and government bodies.

A key objective of the Startup India initiative is to connect India's startup ecosystem with global ecosystems. This is achieved through international Government-to-Government partnerships, participation in global forums, and hosting international events. Startup India has established bridges with around 20 countries to promote cross-collaboration and provide a soft-landing platform for startups from partner nations.

This online platform highlights the most promising startups in India, chosen through various programs and displayed as virtual profiles. These startups, known for their innovative solutions in sectors like Fintech, HealthTech, and EdTech, have emerged as leaders in their respective fields.

Constituted in January 2020, this council advises the Government on building a strong ecosystem for innovation and startups to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large-scale employment opportunities.

The National Startup Awards recognize outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that develop innovative products, scalable enterprises, and solutions with high potential for employment generation or wealth creation, and measurable social impact. Finalists receive handholding support across various tracks, including investor and corporate connect, mentorship, regulatory support, and more.

This unique initiative encourages competitive federalism and fosters a flourishing startup ecosystem by facilitating states to learn and replicate good practices and by highlighting state policy interventions.

This weekly one-hour program on Doordarshan features award-winning or nationally recognized startups, showcasing their success stories.

Held around National Startup Day on January 16, this week-long event brings together startups, entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders to celebrate entrepreneurship and promote innovation.

Under the ASCEND initiative, sensitization workshops on startups and entrepreneurship are conducted across the North Eastern States to build capacity and knowledge on entrepreneurship and support a robust startup ecosystem in the region.

Developed in collaboration with SIDBI, Startup India Investor Connect Portal connects startups with investors, enabling early-stage startups across the country to showcase themselves to leading venture capital funds.

The Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth (MAARG) program under the Startup India Initiative facilitates access to mentorship for startups nationwide.

MeitY Start-up Hub (MSH), established under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), this nodal entity connects India's deep tech startup infrastructure, supporting startups and incubators in scaling and market outreach.

TIDE 2.0 Scheme, Launched in 2019, the Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) Scheme promotes tech entrepreneurship through financial and technical support to incubators, focusing on emerging technologies like IoT, AI, and Blockchain.

MeitY has operationalized these centers in various areas of national interest to drive self-sufficiency and innovation in emerging technologies.

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Department of Biotechnology supports biotech startups across various sectors, including clean energy and emerging technologies, through project-based funding and incubation support.

Launched by MeitY, this program supports existing and upcoming accelerators to select and accelerate potential software product-based startups.

Approved to support the software product ecosystem, this scheme addresses key areas outlined in the National Policy on Software Products (NPSP) 2019.

This scheme encourages Indian MSMEs and startups to file international patents by providing support for innovation and recognizing global IP capabilities.

Organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, this summit offers a platform for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs in the North-East Region to pitch their ideas, learn from best practices, and network with industry mentors.

A flagship initiative by NITI Aayog, AIM promotes innovation and entrepreneurship across India, including the establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs to foster creativity and computational thinking in young minds.

Launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2016, this program nurtures ideas and technology-driven innovations into successful startups.

Launched by the Department of Defense Production, Ministry of Defense, iDEX fosters innovation and technology development in the defense and aerospace sectors by engaging startups, MSMEs, R&D institutes, and academia.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, highlighted these achievements in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha Friday, emphasizing the government's ongoing commitment to building a strong and inclusive startup ecosystem across India.

4. Fixing the last-mile delivery problem in rural healthcare: Policies, infrastructure & skills

ET Gov. 6 Aug. 2024

The demand for skilled technicians needs to be taken care of through introduction of short-term courses that focus on practical needs.

For many living in rural communities, accessing quality healthcare remains a distant dream. This isn't due to a lack of need but a multitude of challenges that create a roadblock in the "last mile" of healthcare delivery in rural India.

The very infrastructure needed for basic services is often lacking. Poor connectivity, unreliable transportation, and patchy communication networks make reaching remote villages a logistical hurdle. This is further compounded by a lack of proper healthcare facilities. Dilapidated Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and a shortage of medical professionals, driven by the migration of youth to urban areas, leave rural communities underserved.

The absence of specialized care, diagnostic facilities, and emergency medical services creates a life-or-death situation. This disparity is further amplified by the inequitable allocation of funds, with rural areas consistently receiving less than their fair share. While there are no doctors or medical personnel in about 8% of PHCs, 18% are without a pharmacist and 39% of these centers do not have laboratory technicians.

The Scarcity of Skilled Lab Technicians

A critical issue plaguing rural healthcare is the scarcity of skilled lab technicians. This shortage contributes significantly to the higher burden of untreated illnesses in rural areas, which stands at 12%, compared to 3% in urban regions.

Currently, 74% of diagnostic labs are concentrated in urban areas, leaving the majority of rural India without essential diagnostic services. According to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), each Community Health Centre (CHC) should have at least one to four lab technicians. However, many CHCs across various states have zero lab technicians, further exacerbating the problem.

The scarcity problem was highlighted only during the pandemic when there was an acute shortage of lab technicians to collect samples in villages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Innovation played a crucial role in vaccinating the rural masses of India.

The ‘Vaccine on Wheels’ program, which was piloted by private sector player based in Pune, Jivika Healthcare, announced it has successfully administered one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in remote areas of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Meghalaya.

Nearly 100 mobile vaccination vans were deployed, traveling from village to village and covering more than 2,800 villages across 30 priority districts to date. However, after COVID, everyone forgot about the shortage, as if lab technicians are only required during a pandemic crisis.

Fixing the Skilling problem

So why are we unable to solve the scarcity problem of technicians in rural areas? Perhaps, we are not matching the rural demand with skilled supply in the right manner. There is immense potential for increasing employment for the rural population to meet the scarcity problem in those areas.

First, the current skilling setup for lab technicians has failed to deliver the desired quality and quantity. The existing courses on Medical Lab Technician are long, expensive and do not emphasize the importance of continuous learning and adapting to new methodologies.

Many private and government colleges suffer from poor infrastructure and insufficient staff, leading to graduates lacking the necessary knowledge and skills to secure employment. This is evidenced by the fact that around 83 percent of total unemployed comprise India's youth.

To address the acute shortage of lab technicians and the high unemployment rate among rural youth, there is a pressing need for innovative, shorter, skill-based training programs. A six-month intensive program focused on practical training could effectively generate employment and fill the gap in rural healthcare services. This approach would not only bridge the diagnostic service gap but also provide meaningful employment opportunities for rural youth.

The success of the Krishi Sakhi Convergence Program (KSCP) can serve as a model for this initiative. KSCP has successfully transformed rural India by empowering rural women as Krishi Sakhis, trained and certified as Para-extension Workers.

A similar program, implemented by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with private sector partners, could provide practical, hands-on training to local youth, equipping them with the necessary skills to serve as lab technicians in rural CHCs and PHCs.

Unlocking Innovative technologies

Technology can be the game-changer to solve the last-mile problem. We have seen that telemedicine platforms connect patients with specialists in distant locations, reducing the burden of travel. Initiatives such as eSanjeevani by the Central Government is an ideal example. Similarly, mobile diagnostic labs can bring essential healthcare services directly to villages.

For instance, in 2015, Rajasthan government, supported by Wish Foundation, initiated a project on ‘mobile portable-lab’ in 10 districts of the state, that provided 37 clinical diagnostic tests for free that would otherwise cost around 3000 rupees otherwise. This also included a 5-day training course related to diagnostic services and a set of auxiliary nurses.

While this was a short term solution, a permanent and economically viable pan-India solution can be reached with inclusion of the private sector. Private sector participation can lead to the development and deployment of affordable diagnostic tools and mobile lab units that can be easily set up in rural areas.

Existing courses such as the Diploma in Mobile Laboratory Technology (DMLT) take 2 years to complete and have low levels of practical application, and the youth today are no longer interested in courses of this nature.

There is a pressing need for courses that are shorter, focused and hands-on. The private sector has a key role to play here, in bringing out the necessary courses to support rural healthcare, and increase employment opportunities. These interventions will require regulatory backing as State-level laws on Clinical Establishment primarily emphasizes the minimum infrastructure and staffing standards that clinics and laboratories must meet.

To tackle the scarcity of quality healthcare in rural areas, there is a need to bring changes to the legislation for supporting minimal standards and requirements that are necessary to support innovative propositions by the private sector that can cater to the remote regions, and maintain quality of test results at the same time.

Conclusion

Rural India is suffering from lack of adequate health infrastructure, both in terms of skilled technicians and infrastructure. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were huge efforts made to address these diagnostic needs by the government and the private sector.

Today, the problem continues to persist and there is an urgent need for the private sector and start-ups to bridge this gap by introducing innovative technologies such as mobile labs. While such labs will play a huge role in rural healthcare, there is a need for skilled technicians to manage these labs.

The demand for skilled technicians needs to be taken care of through introduction of short-term courses that focus on practical needs. This has immense potential to boost skilled employment amongst the youth, and reduce migration to urban centers.

(The author is part of Centre for Digital Economy Policy; Views are personal)

5. Abrogation of Article 370: Can it be the fountainhead of political & economic upliftment in J&K?

ET Gov. 30 Jul. 2024

Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Padmashri, Dean, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University:

By abrogating Article 370, the government sent out a strong signal that the time of uncertainty is over, and that J&K is part of India just as any other state in the country.

Earlier there was confusion in the minds of the people in the region about where they stood. There was talk of autonomy and special status, which was an illusion, since only a small elite was getting special treatment. The abrogation of Article 370 can be a boon for residents of the region if there is real empowerment of all, and not a chosen few, and J&K is treated equally in letter and spirit like other states of the Union.

This was stated by Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Padmashri, Dean, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor (Desk), ETGovernment. In the interview that follows, Prof. Mattoo sheds light on the various aspects of social and political problems that J&K is facing and the steps that can be taken by the government to bring long term political stability to the region.

Edited excerpts:

The problems in J&K began in the late 1980s. Why is this problem proving so difficult to resolve? Shouldn’t our democratic system make it easy for us to find democratic and political solutions to such intricate problems?

There are two dimensions of the problems that J&K has been facing since 1947. The first dimension is internal and the second is external. Being a democracy, we strive to find political solutions to problems within the framework of our remarkably flexible constitution, and by real empowerment of the people. But the external dimension, which is related to Pakistan’s viciousness, is not in our control. Unless Pakistan is made to realize that it is hurting its own interests by promoting instability, violence and terrorism in Kashmir, the external dimension will continue to vitiate the life and economy in J&K. One of the solutions, favoured by hardliners, could be that India can take initiatives to inflict heavy costs on the Pakistani army for its interference in J&K. Pakistan has to be made to realize that the Kashmir issue is like an albatross around its neck and that the people of Pakistan would be better off if the country made peace with India.

Why has India failed to make the Pakistani establishment realize that instability in Kashmir is not in their interest?

In the past, especially during the Cold War, the Pakistani establishment has been able to solicit the assistance of major powers, including the USA. Now they have an all-weather friend in China, and due to the growing closeness between China and Russia, the geopolitics of the Indian subcontinent has become very complicated. But there is tremendous domestic turmoil that Pakistan is facing, and its economy is in deep distress. If things continue to deteriorate, as it seems likely, Pakistan can become, what one of its analysts described as a “Nuclear Somalia”. The Pakistan Army also feels that its influence and strength would be reduced if there was no enmity with India, but this is based on false consciousness.

What can the Indian government do to improve the situation in the region?

Internally there have been problems between the valley and New Delhi, and between the valley and the regions of Jammu and Ladakh. Some of these problems have been resolved through democratic means and dialogue. Ladakh is now a union territory and a separate political entity. Now the priority for the government should be to empower the political mainstream in J&K. Elections should be held so that an elected government can become responsible for governance and resolving the problems of the region. It is not advisable to have a long-prolonged rule by the Lieutenant Governor. Elections are important to make the people feel that they are in charge of their own destiny. Restoration of statehood is essential, and this has been promised by the Home Minister in Parliament. One long term test of peace in J&K would be the return of Kashmiri Pandits in the state with their dignity and honor intact. This is yet to happen despite so many promises by governments in New Delhi and Srinagar.

The abrogation of Article 370 came as a surprise. But it has led to a definite improvement in the situation in J&K. How do you see the impact of the abrogation of Article 370?

By abrogating Article 370, the government sent out a strong signal that the time of uncertainty is now over, and that J&K is now part of India just as any other state in the country. Earlier there was confusion in the minds of the people in the region about where they stood–there was talk of autonomy and special status, but this was an illusion, since only a small elite part of the population was being treated specially. The abrogation of Article 370 can become a boon for most residents of the region if there is real empowerment of the people, and not just a chosen few, and J&K is treated equally in letter and spirit as other states of the Union. One strong signal would be to build a new world-class capital for Jammu & Kashmir, like the old capital of Lalitaditya in Parihaspura, which is close to Srinagar. Hopefully, investments can flow into the region to create jobs, improve infrastructure, and drive tourism and other industries.

At the time when Article 370 was abrogated, some politicians and experts had predicted that J&K would enter a phase of protests and turmoil. But that didn’t happen. How did the government manage to maintain peace in the region?

There was no doubt that even observers like me thought that there would be a backlash on the streets of the state. Even critics will agree that the Government of India planned and executed the post-370 measures with remarkable efficiency. The political credit for the implementation of this reform goes to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. The National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who has extensive 40 years’ experience of dealing with the problems in the region, was fully involved in managing the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370.

In August 2019, when the decision to abrogate Article 370 was announced, a massive curfew was imposed in J&K. All forms of communications–phones, internet–were under tight regulation. You could not even phone your close friends and relatives. The shops and schools were closed. Only a few people in the top echelons of the administration had access to sat phones. The army and the paramilitary forces were on high alert. The anticipation that things could go awry made the government plan this operation in such fine detail that it became a case study for management schools. It is to the government’s credit that not a single life was lost.

The other side of the issue is that, after years of violence and economic decline, the people of J&K were exhausted. Having faced uncertainty and violence for so many years, they wanted to go back to their lives with dignity and honor. They want to feel that they are in control of their destiny. They are not the tools of the Pakistani military. Pakistan can infiltrate J&K, but it cannot win the hearts and minds of the people. Even in 1947, Pakistan failed to capture the region. To win hearts and minds, you need a democratic culture, which Pakistan lacks.

Democracy is India’s biggest strength. India can find peaceful and political solutions to the most difficult social and economic problems because, in our system of governance, we follow the democratic model of consensus building and decision making, and that is what we must implement fully in J&K.

Do you believe that Kashmir can become developed and the Kashmiri Pandits can return to their ancestral homes?

That is my hope, but much more needs to be done. On the surface, things are improving in Kashmir. In the recent period, there has been an unprecedented tourist season in Kashmir. There has been a huge influx of tourists. I am optimistic that one day the Kashmiri Pandits will be able to return to their ancestral homes.

Other than tourism, what other industry can thrive in Kashmir?

In the area of horticulture, Kashmir has an untapped potential. Kashmiri apple production used to be the highest in India. There are regions in Europe–for instance, South Tyrol–where the economy is dependent on apples. Kashmir can thrive from its apple production. The farming of pears, peaches, dry fruits like almonds and walnuts can also see huge growth. Any industry that requires a pristine dust free environment can thrive in Kashmir. This includes IT and electronics manufacturing. In the old days, HMT had set up one of its biggest watch manufacturing facilities in Kashmir. HMT was manufacturing watches in Kashmir to take advantage of the dust free environment. The region’s large pool of talented youngsters can be an asset for any enterprise.

What else can be done to bring a sense of positivity and drive development in J&K?

We need a grand idea, like building a new capital for J&K. Parihaspura, built by King Lalitaditya, was thought to be one of the great capitals of Kashmir historically. We need to build a new Parihaspura, near Srinagar. The new Parihaspura should be faithful to Kashmir’s syncretic heritage, while being embellished with the best technological practices of the world. Living, working and commuting in this city would be based on green technologies and the city would have a faint carbon footprint.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

6. Reliance’s Mango Empire: How Mukesh Ambani transformed barren lands into Asia’s largest orchard

The Financial Express, 24 Jul. 2024, Lifestyle

Mukesh Ambani, renowned for his expansive ventures in petroleum, telecommunications, and retail, has carved an unexpected niche in agriculture. His leadership at Reliance Industries Limited has transformed the company into the world’s largest exporter of mangoes, marking a remarkable shift from industrial prowess to agricultural prominence.

In 1997, facing stringent pollution challenges at its Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, Reliance Industries responded with a visionary solution. To mitigate environmental impacts and comply with Pollution Control Board regulations, the company embarked on a project to convert the surrounding barren lands into a sprawling mango orchard. This initiative not only aimed to combat pollution but also aimed to create a sustainable green belt around the industrial complex.

Dhirubhai Ambani Lakhibag Amrayee: A Legacy Inspired by History

Spanning 600 acres, the orchard named after Reliance’s founder, Dhirubhai Ambani, hosts over 1.3 lakh mango trees comprising more than 200 varieties. The name pays homage to the historical Lakhibag orchard established by Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, symbolizing continuity between India’s rich past and modern environmental stewardship.

To thrive in the region’s high salinity and arid conditions, Reliance implemented cutting-edge technologies. This included a desalination plant providing clean water, significantly reducing pollution levels. Advanced agricultural techniques such as water harvesting, drip irrigation, and simultaneous fertilization ensured optimal growth and sustainability of the orchard.

Diversity in Cultivation: Mango Varieties and Global Impact

The orchard showcases a diverse array of mango varieties, including renowned Indian types like Kesar, Alphonso, Ratna, Sindhu, Neelam, and Amrapali, alongside international cultivars such as Tommy Atkins and Kent from Florida, and Lily, Keitt, and Maya from Israel. Annually producing approximately 600 tonnes of premium mangoes, Reliance has emerged as Asia’s foremost mango exporter, catering to both domestic and international markets.

Commitment to Sustainability: Empowering Local Agriculture

Beyond its own operations, Reliance actively promotes sustainability and community development. The company distributes one lakh saplings annually to local farmers, conducts training sessions on innovative agricultural practices, and fosters environmental stewardship within the community. This initiative underscores Reliance’s holistic approach to sustainable development and its pivotal role in driving agricultural innovation.

Mukesh Ambani’s Agricultural Vision

Mukesh Ambani’s foray into mango cultivation exemplifies how industrial giants can leverage their resources to tackle environmental challenges while fostering economic growth. The Dhirubhai Ambani Lakhibag Amrayee not only epitomizes Reliance’s innovative spirit but also reaffirms its commitment to sustainability and global leadership in agricultural exports.

7. Agri Stack to Cover Six Crore Farmers by End of the Year

ET, 28, July, 2024

Agri Stack – a database of farmers in India with details like their agriculture landholding, GPS coordinates of each plot and crops grown on them – will cover 60 million farmers by the end of this financial year, an agriculture ministry official said.

A unique farmer identification number, or ID, will be provided to each farmer and the database will have linkages to the government benefits availed by farmers. A Unified Farmer Service Interface (UFSI) will be the application programming interface or the service layer to provide data to others.

“Agri Stack is ‘Aadhaar plus’ for the Indian agriculture ecosystem,” Rajeev Chawla, strategic advisor and chief knowledge officer at the Union agriculture and farmer welfare ministry, told ET.

He said 60 million farmer IDs will be given by the end of this financial year. “We already know 100 million farmers who avail the PM Kisan scheme. We have created farmer IDs for them in advance but have not activated them,” he said.

Use cases for the Agri Stack include availing the Kisan credit card in which loans can be acquired in 15 minutes. Chawla said the farmer IDs will be activated only when the farmer will register on the farmer registry. During a recent pilot in two districts – Beed in Maharashtra and Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh – camps were held where farmers who visited got their IDs created.

“There are another 50 million people for whom we will create farmer IDs on the fly with the help of their Aadhaar,” Chawla said.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on Tuesday had said, “Buoyed by the success of the pilot project, our government, in partnership with the states, will facilitate the implementation of DPI (digital public infrastructure) in agriculture for coverage of farmers and their lands in three years.”

A digital crop survey for Kharif using DPI will be taken up in 400 districts in the current fiscal, she had said. The details of 60 million farmers and their lands will be brought into the farmer and land registries this fiscal. Also, issuance of Jan Samarth-based Kisan credit cards will be enabled in five states.

In last year’s budget, it had been said that in agriculture, geo-referencing has been completed for 75% of the villages in the country. A digital crop survey has been launched on a pilot basis in 12 states. In addition, support registries such as crop registries, an agri data exchange, a consent manager, a sand box, and a UFSI have also been developed.

“Agriculture knowledge is highly local and contextual. We have hundreds of agriculture research institutes, coordination institutes, people working in the seeds sector, fertiliser sector, and many others who create knowledge,” Pramod Varma, former architect of Aadhaar, told ET. “Unfortunately, they don’t translate to the last mile, to the farmer, in a usable way.” Local language and technology barriers don’t let farmers access the vast agriculture knowledge, which remains highly fragmented and currently not leverageable, he said. “So, the commitment by the government to build agri DPIs via a set of electronic registries and open networks facilitating knowledge and commerce exchange at the fingertips of the farmer, is commendable,” Varma said.

8. HUL Needs Rural Spark, Lower Input Costs to Drive Volume Push

ET, 28 Jul. 2024

Announcing its June quarter results after the close of the market session on the budget day, FMCG bellwether HUL posted a subdued performance, with a 1.6% increase in revenue and a 2.7% increase in net profit.

The operating profit margin stood at 23.8% — 20 basis points higher than the year-ago level. One basis point is a hundredth of a percentage point.

HUL closed 1.8% lower on Wednesday.

Incidentally, the silver lining has been the underlying volume growth at 4% — the highest in the past five quarters — aided by the spending on advertising and promotion. The company spent nearly 11% of its revenues on advertising. It took price corrections especially in fabric wash and household care products — passing on the benefit accruing from the softening of commodity prices.

While the revenues of the home care, beauty & wellbeing and food & refreshment segments grew in low single-digits, that of personal care declined by 4.5% due to price cuts.

In terms of profitability, the home care and food & refreshments segments posted an increase in their segmental margins while the beauty and personal care portfolio faced a decline. The food and refreshment category was impacted by a harsh summer season.

HUL is driving premiumisation across its portfolio in terms of leading trends, leveraging technology and delivering new formats and benefits. During the quarter, the company re-launched brands such as Vim, Lux and Lifebuoy with superior formulations. In fact, the contribution of its premium portfolio has increased by 300 bps over the last three years. It has reshaped its portfolio in certain high-growth categories. These include Rin liquid detergent, Vaseline’s first overnight serum in lotion, Lux body wash, and international cuisine in the form of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

With the rural demand gradually improving, the company expects to drive volume-led growth going ahead. In case the commodity prices remain at the current levels, price increases may not be needed. The operating margins are expected to be maintained at the current levels — facilitated by cost savings and productivity programmes.

The stock has gained 5.5% in the past year and is trading slightly lower than its 52-week high. A good monsoon and input cost inflation are factors to watch out for in the case of the FMCG industry. While a good monsoon augurs well for spurring rural demand, benign commodity prices would ensure minimal price increases. However, climate change and geo-political conditions don’t render the scenario easy.

9. Top Hotels Innovate for Discerning Taste Buds

ET, 5 Aug. 2024

With food and beverage (F&B) sales now accounting for nearly 50% of the operational revenue of some hospitality companies, several top hotel chains in India are introducing innovative F&B formats to heighten the gastronomical delight for their guests.

While some are bringing in global brands and Michelin chefs, others are introducing plant-based options, masala chai ice creams, and coffee on tap through a Modbar.

Manisha Bhasin, corporate chef at ITC Hotels, the mastermind behind showcasing millets with a global twist during the G20 summit, said the surprise element is catching up in a big way and there is a lot of focus on farm-to-table concepts. “Sustainability and local foraging are the big buzzwords. The Northeast cuisine has come up in a big way and people are looking for unusual ingredients,” she said.

Radisson Hotel Group is expanding Meetha by Radisson (the group’s artisanal ‘mithai’ offering conceptualised by celebrity Chef Rakesh Sethi) and is also planning to bring its global F&B concepts like Balaustine and ISSEI to India, Nikhil Sharma, managing director and area senior vice president, South Asia, at Radisson, told ET.

The group’s Balaustine restaurant brand focuses on the cuisine along the Barbary Coast, the Levant and its neighbouring Middle Eastern countries, while ISSEI specialises in Nikkei, a mix of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines.

Several of Marriott’s restaurants have adopted farm-to-table concepts, said Khushnooma Kapadia, vice president-marketing for South Asia at Marriott International. “With the growing demand for healthy options, we have introduced vegan menus, Ayurvedic diets, organic ingredients, plant-based dishes, and nutrient-rich superfoods are available and customised to preference,” said Kapadia.

Aashika Khanna, director of IHHR Hospitality, which runs Ananda in the Himalayas, said Ananda has also expanded its vegan offerings and has incorporated many variations for lactose, grain, gluten and nut sensitivities.

Roseate Hotels & Resorts is hosting Michelin-starred and master chefs from around the world each month and will soon introduce its own wine blends,” said CEO Kush Kapoor. Besides a Wimbledon-style roof at its rooftop bar AER, which folds up in a matter of minutes, guests at Opus, the new lobby restaurant at Four Seasons Mumbai, can also sample coffee on tap as the restaurant boasts of Modbar units, said its general manager, Nitesh Gandhi.

Thomas Angerer, director of F&B for India and Southwest Asia at Hyatt, said at Alila Diwa Goa’s Spice Studio, the chain is celebrating the flavours of India’s coastal region through traditional cooking techniques.

There is an increasing focus across chains on local produce.

In the Kumaon area, Leisure Hotels Group is curating dishes such as ‘aloo gutka bruschetta’ with ‘bhang ki chutney’ and Kumaoni cheese platters.

“Our offerings have been repositioned and local flavours are being blended with global influence,” said corporate chef Sumit Kumar.

Tezab Saha, F&B manager at Novotel Goa Candolim, said adding a pinch of Kokum in Goa has transformed the way the property crafts cocktails and dishes. “Recognising and utilising local elements such as star fruit, bilimbi, jamun and cashew apple can work wonders in the F&B game,” he said.

10. Tea Board Officials Inspect Factories in North Bengal

ET, 5 Aug. 2024

A special team of Tea Board officials inspected several factories in North Bengal to determine the quality of leaves manufactured by them. An official of the Tea Board told PTI that several samples have been collected from these factories and their quality will be determined.

"The operation was conducted at various factories in North Bengal over the last several days on a large scale. Tea Board has collected samples from these factories and future course of action will be determined as per provisions of the Tea Marketing Control Order (TMCO)," the official said.

President of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA) Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty said "We welcome the action taken by Tea Board in inspecting several factories of North Bengal. We demand that exemplary action be taken against these entities so that it becomes a deterrent in future".

Chakraborty said CISTA had come to learn that some factories are procuring tea waste from Assam and mixing it with green leaves produced at the factories.

"We have informed the Tea Board of these malpractices by these factories. As per rules, two per cent of the total production of any factory should be declared as tea waste", he said.

This waste should be used either for manufacturing instant tea or for producing organic manure, he said.

"Even these factories were mixing artificial colours to the waste and mixing with green leaves", he said.

By mixing tea waste with green leaves, the profit margins become higher, adding that nearly 20 million kilogrammes of these teas are being sold every year. "So this has become a lucrative business proposition for these factories", he said.

Tea Board had time and now emphasised the shared responsibility of all stakeholders towards ensuring the safety of tea. "Tea shall be free from any extraneous matter, added colouring material and harmful substances", the official said.

- Industry and Manufacture

11. The Vision and Impact of Aliyana North India's Ethnic Wear Industry, Meena Bazaar

editor@republicworld.com (Digital Desk), 24 Jul. 2024.

The Indian ethnic wear industry boasts a legacy that stretches back millennia. Each region possesses its unique styles and weaves, a testament to the country's rich diversity. Every stitch tells a story from the Kanchipuram sarees of Tamil Nadu, adorned with intricate zari work, to the mirror-embellished Phulkari dupattas of Punjab. A report by Statista estimates the Indian ethnic wear market to be valued at a staggering ₹1.75 trillion (USD 21.8 billion) in 2023 is likely to increase to 1.68 trillion rupees in the financial year 2025. These figures signify the industry's size and its deep-rooted significance in Indian culture.

The Indian ethnic wear industry is experiencing a dynamic transformation, fueled by rising disposable incomes and a burgeoning middle class. Deloitte projects India's middle-class population to reach 547 million by 2025, leading to a larger customer base investing in high-quality, intricately designed traditional attire. The intricate handwork and artistry behind ethnic wear are gaining recognition, with a renewed appreciation for skilled artisans. Government initiatives like the "Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)" are crucial in promoting traditional crafts and empowering artisans. Simultaneously, there is a growing demand for sustainable fashion as consumers become more environmentally conscious. This includes the use of organic fabrics, eco-friendly dyes, and ethical production practices.

Amidst this ever-evolving sector, Aliyana by Meena Bazaar has emerged as a trailblazer, redefining ethnic luxury shopping in North India.

The story of Aliyana traces back to the visionary leadership of the late Shri SP Jain, who in the early 1970s, with his hard work and dedication, built a successful export garment business, Meena Bazaar, in Chandigarh. Joining in 1993, Rajnish Jain's passion for fashion and acute foresight in anticipating shifts toward fashion and trends led to the inception of Aliyana by Meena Bazaar. Recognizing the potential for growth and innovation in the fashion industry, Rajnish envisioned a brand that aimed to redefine luxury shopping in North India.

Aliyana Today

Today, Aliyana boasts two physical stores. The flagship store in Chandigarh spans 7,000 square feet, while the Mohali store, inaugurated by Jacqueline Fernandez, is spread across 5,000 square feet. These spaces offer a curated selection of high-end couture, from designer sarees to Indo-western ensembles, meticulously crafted by a team of creative designers from across the country. Over the years, renowned personalities such as Amy Jackson and Athiya Shetty have graced the stores, adding to their allure and prestige.

In 2021, Aliyana embarked on a digital journey, leveraging the power of social media to connect with a global audience. With a rapidly growing family of 275k+ followers on Instagram, Aliyana now delivers fashion beyond borders. Collaborations with celebrities like Kriti Kharbanda, Palak Tiwari, Jasmin Bhasin, and Tejaswi Prakash, among others, have further elevated the brand's profile. Numerous high-end magazine shoots have also solidified its reputation as a beacon of luxury fashion.

Rajnish Jain, Managing Partner of Aliyana, elaborates on this philosophy: "We endeavor to offer every customer an experience that makes them feel special and awestruck as if they belong to a fairy tale."

A first in North India, located on the first floor of the Mohali showroom, the Aliyana Designer Studio is the epitome of high-end couture. It boasts an array of clothing sourced from talented designers across the country, offering a unique blend of traditional and contemporary styles. "Our brand Aliyana is an answer to women's fantasy to charm by their looks. It's all about 'the beautiful you'," Manish Jain adds.

Aliyana by Meena Bazaar’s dedication to celebrating femininity is evident in every aspect of their stores. The Mohali outlet, with its five extravagant floors, each dedicated to a different style, is a testament to this commitment. From neon pop colors to classic bling, the store's exquisite interiors make it a haven for every woman seeking to indulge in the pleasures of glamour.

Rajnish and Manish Jain aspire to expand Aliyana by Meena Bazaar's footprint beyond Chandigarh, bringing their unique brand of luxury to new markets.

12. Bollywood's Impact on Indian Fashion Trends

Zee News, 24, July, 2024, Siddhi Sharma

Bollywood, the thriving Indian film industry, has a big impact on Indian design trends in addition to being a major source of entertainment. Bollywood has been a major influence on millions of people's fashion choices for decades, setting trends that cut across all social classes.

Bollywood: A Pioneer of Style

Bollywood's impact on Indian design dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, when the film industry was at its height and famous actors and actresses defined fashion trends with their distinct looks. Future fashion revolutions were paved with the expertise of icons such as Madhubala, Nargis, and Dev Anand, who introduced audiences to a fusion of ancient Indian and Western clothes.

Changing Attire Trends

Bold and innovative fashion was embraced by Bollywood in the 1970s and 80s. The polka-dot blouses, bell-bottom jeans, and huge sunglasses worn by celebrities like Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan became incredibly popular. These trends immediately spilled over into the real world, impacting shop offers and everyday fashion across the nation.

Bollywood began to expand internationally in the 1990s, with its films being viewed by people all over the world. During this period, designer Manish Malhotra rose to fame, revolutionising Bollywood fashion with his glitzy outfits for celebrities like Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi. His creations made high fashion more widely available by popularizing the idea of designer brands in India.

The Current Impact

Bollywood is still leading the way in India when it comes to fashion innovation. Stars like Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, and Ranveer Singh are well-known for their impeccable style, and they are frequently spotted sporting the newest collections from high-end designers. The red carpet events, award shows, and movie promotions are important venues where Bollywood stars present new trends, inspiring fans and fashion enthusiasts.

Bollywood's influence also extends to accessories, makeup, and hairstyles; iconic looks from films frequently inspire new trends, such as the "winged eyeliner" trend promoted by actresses or the "mustache" trend seen on actors.

Bollywood undoubtedly has a significant influence on Indian fashion, setting trends that mold the nation's fashion scene. Bollywood is still a major influence that not only sets but also reflects Indian fashion trends as it keeps developing and experimenting. Bollywood's star power and cinematic storytelling continue to inspire and have an impact, sustaining the vibrant and dynamic Indian fashion industry.

13. PLI for toys, leather and footwear gets nod, Rs 6,000 outlay seen for scheme till FY32

Financial Express, 24, jul. 2024, Mukesh Jagota

The government will introduce the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the toys and leather and footwear sectors, with a total outlay of over Rs 6,000 crore, according to the budget documents. Both schemes are set to run until 2031-32.

The PLI for toys will have an outlay of Rs 3,489 crore, while the footwear and leather sector will receive Rs 2,600 crore. These schemes are pending cabinet approval, with a token allocation provided for this year.

Several other sectors, including furniture, bicycles, chemicals and construction equipment, have also requested PLI schemes. However, there is no indication that the government has made any decisions regarding their demands.

Currently, PLI schemes for 14 sectors, with an outlay of Rs 1.97 trillion, are operational. Adding the two new sectors will increase the allocation for the scheme launched in 2020.

Of the total allocation, only 5% of the funds have been disbursed as incentives to beneficiaries. This financial year, the incentive outgo is expected to reach Rs 14,182 crore, up from Rs 8,000 crore in FY24. In FY23, the incentive payout under the scheme was Rs 2,900 crore.

The incentive payout is projected to increase in the coming years as production begins or ramps up in many units. By December 2023, around Rs 1.07 trillion had been invested by PLI companies, generating incremental sales of over Rs 9 trillion and creating 700,000 jobs.

The PLI scheme was first launched in March 2020 for three products — raw materials for the pharma industry, medical devices and large-scale electronics manufacturing. In November 2020, 10 more sectors were included, and in September 2021, PLI for drones was added to the list.

14. India-made telecom equipment now being exported to more than 100 nations: DoT official

ET Gov. 1 Aug. 2024

Last year, the country exported telecom equipment and services worth more than $18.2 billion.

Designed and manufactured in India, telecom equipment are now being exported to over 100 countries, the Centre has informed.

“Many of our homegrown telecom companies have made their mark in Western nations, including the US, despite fierce global competition,” said Madhu Arora, Member (Technology), Digital Communications Commission, Department of Telecom.

“The Indian Army has recently integrated its first indigenous chip-based 4G mobile base station, developed by our own R&D firms,” she informed.

Addressing the ‘Defence Sector ICT Conclave’ in the national capital where 18 companies showcased their products, Arora said Information and communications technology (ICT) forms the backbone of defence operations.

“India’s vibrant ICT sector, marked by innovation and integrity, has established a significant presence over the past decades. The Indian ICT industry is providing solutions to the world, showcasing India’s leadership in this domain,” the senior official remarked.

Abhishek Singh, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said the MEA is actively working to enhance cooperation with Africa in the ICT sector.

“By focusing on emerging technologies like AI and blockchain, we aim to address specific challenges faced by African countries,” he noted.

India has emerged as one of the top five investors in Africa, with cumulative investments of around $75 billion.

Several Indian companies have been instrumental in driving digital transformation across the continent.

According to Sandeep Aggarwal, Immediate Past Chairman, Telecom Equipment & Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC), ICT is critical for maintaining the sovereignty and integrity of India.

India, with its long-standing cooperation and respect for African sovereignty, is a reliable partner in this field.

“Our expertise in data analytics and artificial intelligence empowers our defence forces with predictive insights and actionable intelligence, enhancing decision-making and operational effectiveness in the front,” Aggarwal mentioned.

15. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran: Tata’s ₹27000 cr semiconductor unit in Assam to be operational by ‘25, will create 27000 jobs

ET Gov. 05 Aug. 2024

Tata Electronics' ₹27,000 crore chip assembly plant in Assam will create 27,000 jobs and is expected to become operational in 2025, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said on Saturday. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet on 29th February, 2024.

He was speaking at the function for commencement of construction of Tata’s semiconductor unit in Assam on August 3.

"At its capacity it will employ 27,000 people, 15,000 direct jobs and additional 12,000 indirect jobs. We want to move fast. We are trying to accelerate the building of this factory. We hope sometime in 2025 we will be able to complete this facility and quickly start operations," Chandrasekaran said.

The company has already employed 1,000 people from Assam and as the facility expands it will bring entire semiconductor ecosystem companies, he noted.

The ceremony was attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who said it was a 'golden day' for the people of Assam as Bhumi pujan was performed.

The chief minister assured the Chairman of Tata Sons that the company will face no difficulty in setting up this industry and the people of Assam will always be grateful for this facility.

"The setting up of this facility will herald industrial development in the state leading to employment opportunities for the youth', Sarma said after the Bhumi pujan of the facility at Jagiroad in Morigaon district of Assam.

He said that it was due to the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that this facility became possible.

“They had assured us that if the Tatas are prepared to move one step, the Centre will move two steps to ensure the setting up of the facility in Assam," he said.

“Even after decline in insurgency activities in the state, very few private companies were willing to invest in the state but " had approached Chandrasekaran, who was then the managing director of Tata Consultancy Services, to become a co-sponsor of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT, Guwahati) and he had readily agreed," Sarma said.

Later in the day, during his interaction with the media, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics & Information Technology and Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnav, said that the Prime Minister of India has always emphasised on Act East policy and a very important milestone is being achieved today in Assam with the commencement of construction of this facility.

The programme for development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India was notified on 21 December 2021 with a total outlay of ₹ 76,000 crore.

In June, 2023, the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the proposal of Micron for setting up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat whose construction is progressing at a rapid pace.

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

16. Foxconn iPadding Up to Assemble in India

ET, 26 Jul. 2024

Foxconn is evaluating plans to assemble Apple’s flagship tablet iPad in India, marking a significant expansion of its current operations focused on making iPhones, multiple people aware of the developments told ET

The Taiwanese contract manufacturer may begin assembling iPads at its facility in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur, in what will be a show of confidence in the rapidly expanding supply chain in India for Apple’s iconic products.

So far, India-based units of Foxconn and other global contract manufacturers have only assembled Apple’s smartphones. “Foxconn is seriously looking to start assembling Apple iPads out of its Tamil Nadu facility,” according to one person cited above.

A second source in the know said “some rounds of discussions have already happened with the government as well on this”, adding that “their experience so far has been very good, and they are coming full force. They will double what they have in the next few years, which includes iPhone, iPads and some other products too”.

However, assembly of the “Mac range of laptops may take some time as the production volume is very small”.

Apple’s plans to expand the portfolio of products assembled in India ties into its strategy of diversification away from China. In fact, Apple had already diverted a portion of its product development for the iPad to Vietnam last year.

Queries sent to Apple and Foxconn remained unanswered as of press time Thursday.

Industry experts pointed out that capabilities required to produce an iPad are similar to that for smartphone assembly, unlike a laptop which requires far more complex production facilities.

“It ( iPad) is like a bigger iPhone in essence,” said one industry source on condition of anonymity.

“So, it is something that can be assembled in India without too much trouble as Apple’s contract manufacturers are already well equipped to manage such functions.”

Taiwanese research firm Isaiah Research told ET that electric car maker BYD’s facility in Phu Tho, Vietnam, started assembling iPads in the second half of 2022 and that as per their estimates, Vietnam accounts for about 5-10% of all iPad assembly. Additionally, Foxconn set up production lines in Bac Giang, Vietnam, to start assembling MacBooks.

“Expanding iPad production in India is primarily aimed at diversifying supply chain risks,” said Boyce Fan, Vice President of Research at TrendForce.

“Additionally, targeting the domestic market in India is also a consideration. It is currently estimated that the annual iPad shipments will reach 49 million this year, a year-over-year increase of 4.5%,” he noted.

To be sure, Foxconn will also gain from India’s production-linked incentives (PLI 2.0 for IT Hardware) which includes tablets, as it aggressively increases its investments in India.

ET had reported on June 28 that the company was looking to begin manufacturing AI servers — the high-performance computing engines that train and run artificial intelligence models — at its Sriperumbudur plant.

Further, Google was said to be in advanced talks with Foxconn to make Pixel smartphones at the same facility.

In February, Foxconn in an exchange filing had said its Indian subsidiary would spend Rs 1,200 crore to build a factory that would come up on company-owned land. It is also building a mega factory outside Bengaluru, which is expected to primarily make iPhones.

The Taiwanese contract manufacturer has also announced that it would invest $37.2 million and would join hands with IT major HCL Group to establish a chip packaging and testing facility in India. The proposal is, however, awaiting government approval.

With iPhones, India has reached Completely Knocked Down (CKD) levels but with iPads, it is likely that they will have to start with Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) first for some time before reaching CKD levels, said an industry source.

SKD refers to a manufacturing and trade practice where a product is partially assembled, before being exported to another country. CKD is like SKD, but it goes a step further.

In CKD, the product is shipped in a completely disassembled state.

Ashweej Aithal, an analyst at market research firm Canalys, said Apple was initially hesitant about locally manufacturing iPads and MacBooks in India due to its previous conflicts with government restrictions on its collaboration with BYD. The company’s attempt to partner with China’s BYD to make iPads in India hit a roadblock due to government restrictions owing to geopolitical concerns.

“The recent reduction of the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) in the Budget from 20% to 15% on components is also expected to expedite domestic manufacturing plans,” Aithal said.

“Foxconn is likely to start assembling iPads in the second half of next year if these plans materialise.”

17. Making India an AI First Nation from - Classrooms to Board rooms

ET, 28 Jul. 2024

Demand for AI skills is far outstripping talent supply, placing India in a unique position to leverageits demographic advantage. AI skills have emerged as one of the key considerations for jobs globally, as organisations look to scale their businesses with AI.

IANSEY outlines strategic recommendations for India to lead in AI.

With one of the youngest populations in the world and a thrust on technology, India has a unique human capital advantage to harness artificial intelligence for significant economic and societal benefits. Empowering people with AI skills will be a foundational step in India becoming an AI-first nation.

Given gen AI’s universal applicability, organisations across industries will have to build a robust and inclusive talent pipeline with future-ready skills to unlock productivity, efficiency and innovation to stay competitive.

Earlier this year, the global population exceeded eight billion people. Today, one out of every six people on earth live in India. AI is key to India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and every day, the question remains: How and what should be done to put AI in the hands of everyone?

As technology changes, the work to govern AI responsibly must keep pace. Aligned with the ‘India AI Mission’ and ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, public and private sector will need to come together to democratise access to AI skills. We need to adopt a skilling-first approach to AI to ensure our citizens can participate and thrive in an AI economy.

This requires a three-tiered approach in building skills from classrooms to boardrooms: 1) Building AI skills at the grassroots; 2) Enhancing AI fluency in government; and 3) Empowering organisations with a future-ready workforce. AI skilling can help transform India’s global competitiveness and turbocharge our growth and development.

FLUENCY AT THE GRASSROOTS

Empowering communities at the grassroots with AI fluency can spark innovation at scale, enabling people to benefit from AI’s advances. Non-profits, in collaboration with industry and government stakeholders, can play a major role in driving AI fluency at the grassroots. They can provide AI skilling resources and technologies, support with funds and technical assistance for building and scaling programs that drive social impact.

A non-profit organisation SEEDS is leveraging gen AI to help vulnerable people in slums understand the dangers of heat waves and protect themselves. Sunny Lives, the AI model that helped generate heat wave risk information for around 125,000 people, has seen many of the atrisk people come up with innovative home -grown solutions to reduce heat impact, reinforcing how AI skills are helping unlock human ingenuity and improve lives.

Agriculture is another important case. Farmers face challenges like unpredictable weather conditions, uncontrollable pests and diseases, loss of yield, soilde gradation and limited connectivity with buyers/ sellers. We need solutions that facilitate data collection from satellites, weather providers and sensors. Far mvibes.AI, for instance, leverages AI to provide valuable insights for farmers on soil moisture, temperature, humidity, pH and other parameters. Additionally, Agripilot.ai provides farmers with actionable insights for growing food more sustainably. These innovations empower farmers with data-driven tools to enhance productivity and sustainability in agriculture.

Organisations and industry can play an enabling role in seeding the next generation of AI innovators by collaborating with education institutions to train students in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. By imparting skills to increase representation of women in AI, cloud and cybersecurity, the industry can play an enabling role in building a diverse and inclusive talent pool. From developing AI solutions for multilingual communication barriers to enhancing agricultural productivity through data-driven insights, strategic investments in human capital can yield substantial dividends for development.

18. R&D at academic institutions can democratize technology, empower startups, fuel economic growth: Director IIT Roorkee, Kamal Kishore Pant

ET Gov. 28 Jul. 2024

"The primary role of the IITs is to educate and skill individuals who will go on to make valuable contributions to society. The National Education Policy 2020 goes beyond the traditional teaching methods; it is also aimed at inculcating entrepreneurial and social values in the students. We aim to instill the values of critical thinking and teamwork among our students.

"Our students not only study but also work in our tinkering labs, developing products using AR, VR, AI applications and 3D printers. They evaluate the technical, economic feasibility, and market readiness of these products. Once a product is ready, we showcase it at expos where industry representatives, DRDO and the Army can see these innovations. Some products have already attracted industry interest and are on the path to commercialisation."

This was stated by Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor (Desk), ETGovernment. In the interview that follows, Prof. Pant sheds light on research and development work being conducted at the institutions of higher learning in the country.

Edited excerpts:

You have done extensive work in the area of environment-friendly technologies like hydrocarbon conversion processes, biomass conversion, bio-food production, CO2 conversion technology, e-waste, and plastic management. What kind of impact can these technologies have on the national economy in the next 10 years?

Given my background as a chemical engineer and my experience at IIT Delhi for over 24 years before joining IIT Roorkee as the Director, I can say that my passion for research continues alongside my administrative duties. One of the promising technologies that we have developed is the coal-to-methanol processing system. Indian coal, which has around 40% ash, is not of the best quality. With the support of the Department of Science and Technology, Thermax Pune, and NITI Aayog, we developed a plant that is now operational.

Additionally, we are working on integrating carbon capture and utilisation technologies. For example, the CO2 produced during coal gasification can be captured and converted into methanol and dimethyl ether, making the process more sustainable. This methanol can also be converted to hydrogen for fuel cell applications. In the biomass sector, we are working on converting biomass into hydrogen and bio-oil–15 kg of biomass can yield 1 kg of hydrogen. Kitchen waste too can be converted to biogas, which contains methane and can be used as a clean fuel. These are green fuels that contribute to sustainability.

We have also developed technologies for plastic waste utilisation and electronic waste management. We have developed a 50 kg per day plant for electronic waste metal recovery. With the anticipated rise in battery waste from e-vehicles, recovering valuable metals from e-waste will be crucial. This aligns with the concept of a circular economy, where materials are continually reused, minimising waste. We have patented several technologies, such as plastic waste to liquid fuel conversion, and transferred them to the industry for use.

Several institutions have implemented the “professor of practice” model. What is the advantage of this model?

Under the “professor of practice” model professionals with a proven track record mentor the students, startups and faculty. These professionals have vast experience in their respective domains. They offer informative talks and courses, sharing their experiences on how academia and industry should collaborate. At IIT Roorkee, we have a Center for Space Science and Technology where scientists from ISRO have joined as professors of practice. Their role involves interacting with students, who are the future leaders in DRDO, ISRO and other eminent government and private sector institutions.

How do you see the developments in AI, ML, IoT, quantum computing, 5G and 6G communication systems and other emerging technologies?

By leveraging available data and utilizing data science, AI, and quantum computation, we can identify root causes and develop future solutions. AI and ML can play crucial roles in advanced data analysis and decision-making. These technologies can also lead to seminal improvements in cybersecurity and data privacy. The integration of quantum computation can lead to the development of super-fast devices. Technologies like 5G and 6G will enable rapid signal detection and faster communication. IoT is also vital for industries, progressing from IoT 4.0 to 5.0. The ability to process signals quickly and design efficient sensors will be crucial for data collection and implementation.

To enable the development of fruitful emerging technology systems we need to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, which combines science, technology, engineering, mathematics and economics. This approach is already being adopted by several institutions.

Significant amount of research is being done on drones, which can be used for both civilian and defence related purposes. The drones can operate in areas where human intervention is challenging. Submarine applications, which can detect underwater mines and other threats, are under development. At IIT Roorkee, we have developed a device that can detect earthquakes 45 seconds before they occur. We are now working to further improve the detection time. In healthcare, AI, ML, quantum computation, and IoT can revolutionise medical devices, point-of-care diagnostics and treatments. Robotic applications in surgery and other areas are also promising.

What is the role that the academic institutions can play in improving research and development of technologies and systems for the defence sector?

The government has undertaken many initiatives to encourage greater synergy and cooperation between the universities and defence organizations like the DRDO. The DRDO Centers of Excellence have been established in most prominent institutions, including IIT Roorkee. The purpose of the CoE is to leverage academic expertise and talent for defence-related research. Cutting-edge research is being done in the CoEs located in several institutions, including IIT Roorkee. More CoE-type activities should be initiated. Interaction between various institutions is important to avoid duplication of efforts. Such interactions can be facilitated through workshops and seminars.

What kind of success have the DIA-CoEs have achieved in bringing new technology to the defence sector?

These centers have been very successful. Currently, more than 70 projects are running at IIT Roorkee across various areas. For example, we are developing tools for augmented and virtual reality labs using AR and VR technologies. We are also working on lightweight bulletproof jackets made from composite materials, including carbon nanotubes and steel composites.We are also conducting research for development of systems which can improve the efficiency of army tanks by reducing their load weight and enhancing their cameras for better performance in remote areas. We have designed drones with payload capacities of up to 15 kg. However, for defence applications, the requirement is for drones with a 200 kg payload capacity and a range of 4 to 5 km. We have signed an MoU with the army to work on these areas.

What is the outcome of the research that you are conducting?

Some of the technologies we are developing at IIT Roorkee address the specific needs of the defence forces. At present, we have over 70 ongoing projects with DRDO. Some of these projects include smart infrastructure and hardened structures for defence applications, energy storage devices, and lightweight, high-energy materials for battery applications. We are also conducting studies on landslides and avalanches, which are critical for high-altitude areas.

We are collaborating with the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) for research on thermal management. We are developing AI models for landslide early warning systems. We are working on identifying geological structures associated with high landslide hazard zones and demonstrating the mitigation measures to safeguard the defence infrastructure. We are also developing anti-freezing agents for high altitudes and researching efficient biomass-based fuels for army vehicles.

We are exploring recycling solutions for high-altitude areas. These solutions entail the conversion of plastic waste into value-added chemicals through the use of small tabletop units. This approach can help convert waste into valuable resources or energy without the need to transport heavy equipment.

IITs have contributed significantly to the country over the last few decades. However, the country is now changing; we are becoming more economically powerful, more universities are emerging, and online education is gaining popularity. How have the IITs evolved to keep pace with a changing India?

The primary role of the IITs is to educate and skill individuals who will go on to make valuable contributions to society. The National Education Policy 2020 goes beyond the traditional teaching methods; it is also aimed at inculcating entrepreneurial and social values in the students. We aim to instill the values of critical thinking and teamwork among our students.

Our students not only study but also work in our tinkering labs, developing products using AR, VR, AI applications and 3D printers. They evaluate the technical, economic feasibility, and market readiness of these products. Once a product is ready, we showcase it at expos where industry representatives, DRDO and the Army can see these innovations. Some products have already attracted industry interest and are on the path to commercialisation. We aim to train students to develop technologies that can be commercialised. This requires collaboration between industry and academia, a process that is now well-established. For example, we have the AARTI (Automobile Allied Research) initiative, supported by the Ministry of Heavy Industry, where we develop products for physically challenged individuals and design lightweight, efficient mechanical parts in collaboration with MSMEs.

Collaboration between academia and industry is vital. IITs are partnering with local industries to develop novel technologies and products. Our students undertake internships and work in our labs to create products that can be produced by the industry. Projects with commercial value are taken up by students in their second, third and final years, as well as during their PhD studies. This approach integrates fundamental education with practical application, supporting the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. We emphasise holistic development, teaching students the value of education, ethics, and how their knowledge can benefit society. We also run training programs for industries, focusing on IoT, AI, and ML applications to improve industrial efficiency in areas like water and energy conservation, and developing green technologies.

We also promote the efficient use of local resources, recycling, and sustainable practices. For instance, we help industries develop processes for water recycling. These efforts are crucial for addressing issues related to food, energy, and water, aligning with Vision 2047's emphasis on sustainability. We train our students to achieve sustainable development goals and foster transformational research through industry and organisational collaborations. By adapting our curriculum and teaching methods to include practical applications and industry collaborations, we ensure that our students are well-prepared to meet the evolving needs of a changing India.

Educational institutions like the IITs are now playing a seminal role in encouraging the development of startup culture in the country. How do you see the link between the development of startup culture, emphasis on academic R&D and the new education policy launched by the government?

Over the past decade, the education system has evolved significantly. About 10 years ago, the culture of startups was not prevalent, and the focus was primarily on traditional blackboard teaching. Students were mainly concerned with grades and securing jobs, and education was not as product-oriented as it is today.

In recent years, IIT Roorkee has made substantial progress in promoting R&D activities. Several collaborations have been established, resulting in the development of several new branches of scholarship and research. Some of these branches include hydrology, water resource development and management, disaster mitigation and management, and earthquake engineering. There has also been growth in the existing branches such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and electronics.

With the introduction of the National Education Policy 2020, there has been a shift towards technology development within the country.

Earlier the industry-academia collaboration was at a minimal level and most of the cutting-edge technologies are being imported in the country. But now the government is supporting collaboration between industry and academia through the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology, NITI Aayog and other institutions. This has led to application-oriented research in several areas. It has also facilitated the rise of startups which seek to develop products and services for the market.

Today, every IIT, including IIT Roorkee, has strong collaborations with industry. The R&D work being done at the academic institutions is a medium for democratizing technology, empowering startups and fueling the economy.

19. C-DOT signs agreement with IIT Roorkee and IIT Mandi for development of cell-free’ 6G access points

ET Gov. 28 Jul. 2024

In a significant step towards developing indigenous technology, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a premier Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi), for the development of cell-free’ 6G access points. Both the IITs are collaborating to develop this technology, the Ministry of Communications said in statement on Wednesday.

The agreement is signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, which has been designed for providing funding support to domestic companies, Indian startups, academia and R&D institutions involved in technology design, development, commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions. This scheme aims to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, playing a significant role in bridging the digital divide across India, the ministry said.

Traditional mobile networks use cellular topologies in which each cell is serviced by a single base station like 4G/5G to service mobile customers. ‘Cell-Free’ Massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) eliminates the idea of cells and cell boundaries by deploying several access points (APs) across a vast region to serve many user devices at the same time. A large number of APs are dedicated to each user within their coverage area, meaning a single user may be supported by many apps. This ensures ubiquitous connectivity to the users, eliminates dead zones, enhances signal strength, and significantly boosts data speeds, offering an exceptional user experience even in densely populated areas.

This 6G project will focus on developing APs for enabling the upcoming 6G radio access networks and also aims to contribute to the 6G standardization activity, drive commercialization, generate intellectual property rights (IPRs), and develop a skilled workforce to support the emerging 6G landscape.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by CEO, C-DOT, Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, principal investigator, Dr Abhay Kumar Sah from IIT Roorkee, co-investigator Dr Adarsh Patel from IIT Mandi and Director C-DOT, Dr Pankaj Kumar Dalela.

At the event, Dr Sah and Dr Patel affirmed their dedication to advancing next-generation communication technologies, aligning with Bharat 6G Vision launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They expressed their gratitude to DoT and C-DOT for the opportunity to collaborate on this research, emphasizing that it bolsters efforts to enhance cutting-edge research capabilities and infrastructure in the telecom sector.

Upadhyay underscored the key role of indigenously designed and developed technologies in meeting the specific requirements of communication for our diverse country, reaffirming the commitment towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. He also said this will help us generating IPRs in 6G domain and emerging technologies in the area of 6G.

The C-DOT, IIT-Roorkee and IIT-Mandi representatives expressed their enthusiasm and commitment to this collaborative endeavour on developing and shaping the 6G vision of India.

20. Indians Flying High in Silicon Valley. Destination: C-Suite

ET, 10 Aug. 2024

It isn’t just the CEOs of Indian origin who’ve taken the tech world by storm in the US. A number of the top-tier leadership positions or CXOs in these companies are also held by Indians or those of Indian origin.

While the spotlight is on the likes of Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, the second rung is also filled with Indian Americans who are likely to be the leaders of tomorrow at these companies.They include Apple senior vice president of operations Sabih Khan; Nvidia executive vice president of worldwide field operations Jay Puri and senior vice president of enterprise sales and business development Shanker Trivedi; Tesla chief financial officer Vaibhav Taneja and Google senior vice president Prabhakar Raghavan, who is widely considered to the second most important executive at the search giant.

Other prominent executives include Meta vice president of machine learning Sandeep Pandey and vice president of product management Ragavan Srinivasan; storage major Micron’s chief business officer Sumit Sadana; Salesforce president and chief engineering officer Srini Tallapragada; Manish Sharma, chief executive officer, North America, Accenture; or Naga Chandrasekaran, who has been appointed chief global operations officer at global chip company Intel two weeks ago. He replaced company veteran Keyvan Esfarjani who retired after 30 years at Intel.

As per not-for-profit Indiaspora’s recent impact report in partnership with BCG, about one-third of tech employees in Silicon Valley are of Indian origin.

CEOs of Indian origin head 16 Fortune 500 companies and these leaders collectively employ 2.7 million Americans and generate nearly $1 trillion in revenue, according to the report.

“Indiaspora is set to release a new version of our global business leaders list where we have found that there are about 115 Indian or Indian origin executives running large companies around the world,” Indiaspora Forum executive director Sanjeev Joshipura told ET.

Additionally, he said that in America and other parts of the world, roles such as the chief technology officer, chief data officer, chief information security officer, chief information officer and other C-Suite technology oriented roles “in every fifth or sixth large company” have an Indian origin person in these positions.

Elon Musk had in June heaped praises on Ashok Elluswamy, the Indian-origin robotics engineer who played a pivotal role in Tesla’s “success in AI” and the Autopilot software. Elluswamy was the first hire for Tesla’s Autopilot team in 2021.

“Without him and our awesome team, we would just be another car company looking for an autonomy supplier that doesn't exist,” Musk had said on X, complimenting the robotics engineer who completed his Bachelor's degree in Chennai before moving to study at Carnegie Mellon University in the US.

Despite making up only 1.5% of the US population, the Indian American community is estimated to pay about 5-6% of the country’s income tax ($250-300 billion).

“Along with leading major corporations, the economic impact of Indian Americans goes beyond big business,” according to the Indiaspora report released in June. “They have a significant presence in the startup world, cofounding 72 out of 648 US unicorns operating in 2024. These companies, like Cambridge Mobile Telematics and Solugen, employ over 55,000 people and are valued at $195 billion.”

Experts have traditionally attributed the community’s success to various factors, chief among them being the ability to put their nose to the grindstone and hustle. Apart from this, another advantage is the strong focus on technical education and the emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). There’s also said to be a cultural reason--the ability of Indians to adapt and assimilate with ease.

In his book, The Made in India Manager, Hindustan Unilever and Tata Group veteran R Gopalakrishnan said the four key ingredients that make these leaders stand out include an upbringing in a “crushingly competitive” environment, experience of personal setbacks leading to accelerated learning, a strong work ethic and fluency in English.

“Indians are among the most adaptable people--mentally, physically, psychologically and socially,” Gopalakrishnan told ET. “There is a linguistic adaptability, wherein most Indians would probably speak more than two-three languages and there is an understanding of not expecting others to adjust to us but rather to adjust to them.”

He said that he regarded the Made in India manager as one who has spent 15-20 years in India, which would mean a bulk of their formative and schooling years in the country.

“The old joke was that you could not become a CEO in the US if you are Indian,” Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India, had said in April. “Now, the joke is that you cannot become a CEO in America if you are not Indian, whether it is Google, Microsoft or Starbucks. People have come and made a big difference.”

He added that more than one in 10 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are now Indian immigrants who studied in the US.

Indian-American tech entrepreneur and academic Vivek Wadhwa attributed the trend to the ability of Indians to blend in, leading to members of the community dominating multiple fields, the latest example being Kamala Harris kicking off her campaign for the US presidency.

“Indians and Indian Americans are dominating practically every field there is and achieving extraordinary success because of their ability to assimilate,” he said. “The Chinese and Taiwanese dominated the first wave of immigrant leaders. Indians are part of the fabric of Silicon Valley. Culturally, they fit right in.”

These Indian-origin CXOs follow in the footsteps of those who have already achieved leadership positions. They include Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology; Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe; Jay Chaudhry, CEO of Zscaler; Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM; Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube; George Kurian, CEO of NetApp; and Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks, among several others who are touted as trailblazers.

India and the World

21. Why India should be worried about what’s happening in Bangladesh

ET, 28 Jul. 2024

The protests that erupted in Bangladesh and shook the entire country should worry India.

When protests started at the Shanbagh junction in Dhaka in the second week of July 2024, no one had an idea that these student protests will turn Bangladesh into a bloody battlefield claiming hundreds of lives, injuring over eight thousand, eventually grinding India’s eastern neighbor to a complete halt.

Despite the Supreme Court of Bangladesh restoring the quota as per previous norms cancelling a High Court judgement that was the trigger for the protests in the first place, things are far from becoming normal.

The protests which started as a small student gathering engulfed the entire country in no time. People turned hostile quickly, forcing deployment of the military and the issuance of shoot at sight orders.

Political parties have been eking mileage out of the situation with the aim of overthrowing the ruling Sheikh Hasina government, which has been in power for over fifteen years.

Since so many were killed by law enforcement agencies, it was already difficult to contain the anger and vengeance of the people. This has been further fuelled by opposition parties and radical Islamic extremist organisations.

Normalcy may be established within the next few weeks or months, but the way protests erupted and shook the entire country is worrying.

It is a concern for India, and it is pertinent to deeply analyse the situation from an Indian perspective.

Why it matters

The present Bangladesh Government lead by Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina has been quite supportive to India, something that was evident after she cancelled her recent visit to China and expressed her desire to work with India on various projects.

At the same time, the opposition led by Begum Khalida Zia has been hostile to India and openly showcased their proximity to Pakistan and China, both archrivals of India. Strategically speaking, the current protests have been an eye-opener for India and may threaten its national security. Here’s how.

1. History of Student movements in Bangladesh- In Bangladesh, history of various student movements had been quite interesting. In 1971 when Mukti-Bahini soldiers fought against occupational forces of Pakistan, the student organisations were at forefront and the fire started from Dhaka University campus itself. The 1990 mass uprising, leading to the fall of military general Hussain Muhammad Irshad, was also led by students and in 2013, the large-scale violence in the country was also led by Islamic Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of radical Jamaat-e-Islami. Nearly all the major protests in Bangladesh ever since the country was formed, have been led by the students and hence the current quota protests led by same student organisations cannot be brushed under the carpet.

2. Intensity and spread of the protests: The intensity and speed at which these protests spread all over the Bangladesh is a matterof serious concern. Islamic radicals, opposition political parties, splinter groups and even non-descript organisations joined it. The entire country was at standstill in no time and knowing the porous nature of 4,096km long border with India, there were high chances that the fire could have spread to India too. This became further complicated in the light of the fact that the ruling party in one of the bordering Indian states actively supported these protests as against the official stand of Indian government. Further, the protests may inspire a possible anti-reservation movement in India where reservation quota has exceeded 50% and some voices in India are demanding merit-based selection in government jobs.

3. Threat of a military coup: Bangladesh had a long history of military coups which it inherited from Pakistan. Military Generals in Bangladesh are known to watch the political developments closely and maintain ties with the political groups. Some of them are pro-government while others, not so much. A detailed study of various military coups, first in August of 1975, then in Nov1975, failed mutinies at BograCantonment and Bangladesh Air Force in 1977, coup in 1981 and then in 1982, also failed attempt in 1996, 2007 coup during Bangladesh political crisis, a revolt in Bangladesh Rifles in 2009 and the coup attempt in 2011 clearly indicate the risky behavior of the Bangladesh Military. The current Shaikh Hasina government is known to crack down on extremists. That they have been in power for fifteen years and elected again recently has made a section of their military unhappy. Under such circumstances, the current student protests can be the trigger of another coup attempt in our neighborhood, which will be detrimental to India’s interests.

4. Rise of non-state actors and extremist elements: Extremism is on a steady rise in Bangladesh with several radical Islamic organisations able to influence majority of its population. This rise in extremism is directly proportionate to the rise in non-state actors and terror groups within the country. The 2016 terror attacks by Islamic State (ISIS) in a posh locality of Dhaka is an example as to how terror groups can survive in Bangladesh. We also saw in 2013 when Jamaat-e-Islami, the most prominent religious radical group of Bangladesh, staged mass violent protests across the country when one of its leaders was sentenced to death. Its student wing- Islamic Chhatra Shibir - carried out large scale violence against minority Hindus across the country. That organisation is leading the anti-quota protests in Bangladesh today, and that can be a scary proposition.

5. Possible Chinese influence: China always wanted to have a stronghold in the backyard of India and hence facilitated many schemes to win hearts and minds of the Bangladeshi leadership. Historically China had very close relations with the main opposition party of Bangladesh – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In fact, it was the founding president of the party- General Zia Ur Rehman who was the architect of Bangladesh-China relations, and it was his wife and current president of BNP, Mrs. Khaleda Zia who was instrumental in adding China as an observer to South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC)” despite of strong Indian protest. Despite Bangladesh being surrounded by India on all sides, China is the biggest trade partner for that country. It accounts fornearly 32% of its overall imports. Current Bangladesh government is trying to part ways with China, which was evident from the recent statement of Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina that she would prefer India to do its projects than China. When the current events are viewed from this prism, there are speculations that China may be fueling it with an aim to install a government of its choice in Bangladesh, as such large-scale violence is difficult without an external help.

India must watch every development under a magnifying glass, lest the situation may threaten national security.

(Originally published on Jul 22, 2024, 12:19:44 PM IST)

22. Mughals brought effort to India’s wild mango culture

Mid-Day, 30 jul. 2024, Sucheta Chakraborty

The mango is the only fruit used to run down other regions and its people. You cannot insult anybody else’s culture by insulting their grapes or oranges or bananas,” Delhi-based journalist and author Sopan Joshi tells us, pointing to both the fruit’s dominance in the popular imagination and the worn-out conversations around the fruit that he hoped to go beyond.

His new book, Mangifera Indica: A Biography of the Mango, a product of ‘slow journalism’ which Joshi espouses, is an ambitious project that shows how multiple disciplines—history, science, ecology, economics, and culture—bear on an understanding of the fruit. Joshi has lived with the story of the mango for close to a decade for this book. Among the more surprising discoveries he made during the course of his research was that for one, there are two distinct cultures of the mango in India. One, of the ordinary people who grew seed-grown mangoes on common land. In all Indian traditions, the forest is central. So, this was the wild mango. Second, there were the vatikas or panchavatis which were the pleasure gardens of the rich. “The mango’s horticulture changed significantly with the coming of Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty. He came from a completely different ecological landscape—Central Asia is right in the middle of Iran and China, both ancient gardening powerhouses. That approach to horticulture prized controlled improvement. It was very different from traditional sub-tropical ideas of horticulture in India, rooted in an embrace of wilderness and uncertainty. This resulted in the addition of a new layer in India’s culture of the mango, with a sharper focus on the fruit,” Joshi tells mid-day.

The Portuguese also arrived in Goa with cutting-edge horticultural skills. There was a great emphasis on fine mangoes or table-type mangoes which are cut and eaten, and that Mughal obsession got transferred to Indian merchants and rulers. Rich families who owned orchards began to employ mango managers. But Mughal rule did not undermine the desi culture of the amrais or mango groves. That was destroyed under British rule.

“A sizable proportion of orchards producing mangoes today were set up after Independence. They were a way to defeat land ceiling laws brought in for land redistribution after the abolition of zamindari. The ceiling on horticultural land was much higher than that for cultivable land with irrigation. Since land is a state subject, each state had its own laws. Most states with thriving horticulture had ceiling exemptions for orchards. Many families with large landholdings converted irrigated lands into mango orchards to dodge land ceiling laws.

Land is a fixed asset; nobody wishes to lose it, even if they have no interest in its productivity. This is the most serious threat to India’s mango sector. Most landowners are ‘absentee landlords’; in many instances, they don’t visit them even once a year. They ‘sell’ the mango crop in advance to contractors, who manage the orchards. So, the actual grower is a desperate contractor who’s forced to resort to a string of crude practices to make a profit. This is why the mango that we get today is actually quite poor. The fruit that is the cynosure of India’s cultural life is grown amidst overwhelming indifference,” Joshi says.

‘Marathi brides returned to maher during mango season’

Sopan Joshi

Anupam Mishra, a scholar of socio-environmental traditions of ordinary people] was my mentor; I was still in school when I first travelled with him to see rural India. Among trees planted around water bodies was the mango; ancient texts such as Varahamihira’s Brihatsamhita list the mango as one of the trees to provide shade around ponds. It’s not just stray sightings or textual evidence. Older relatives have recounted to me the wedding parties of their childhood. The baraat, a contraction of the Sanskrit “var yatra” or the groom’s travelling party, stayed in mango groves outside the bride’s village. The lodging area was made comfortable and pleasant by the bride’s family, with food and entertainment. ‘They were charming, idyllic gatherings,’ an uncle had told me.

Many tribal villages in coastal Andhra Pradesh still have localities called vantalamammidi; it means ‘mango kitchen’. ‘These were mango groves under which travelling parties could take refuge and cook,’ said Ravi Rebbapragada, tribal rights activist in Visakhapatnam. Long before concrete banquet halls began to lend a grotesque touch to wedding arenas, the appropriate venue for a banquet was the mango grove.

In Amravati, Karuna Futane recalled her youth: ‘When I got married, it was the norm for the bride to go back to her parents during the mango season; the festival was called maher vashin (literally, living at mother’s house).’ She usually spent the mango season at her mother’s and recalled the excitement of plucking raw mangoes for pickles. ‘Good pickling mangoes were shared and sent all over,’ she said, her face flushed like a new bride’s, even as her granddaughter tugged at her sari. Her husband Vasant is a campaigner for natural farming. ‘In his youth, he used to plant mango trees by the roadside, saying it would give shade and fruits to passers-by,’ she said. In Nagpur, reputed Marathi playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar recounted his childhood in Parwa village of Vidarbha, surrounded by mango groves. As an adult, whenever he went back, he noticed the groves were gradually getting cut down. Now, they are all gone.

Mishra had heard about a mango grove in the region south of the Narmada River that was a makeshift hockey stadium. The central part with the hockey pitch was open ground, surrounded by mango trees that provided shade to spectators. Enquiries after its location have been fruitless. He also spoke of a mango grove set up by a community of hijras (transgender persons). It was called Hijdon Ki Amrai near the town of Narshighpur in Madhya Pradesh. After I tracked down their residence near the old part of the town, the transgender persons took me north along the Jhirna Road. Here lies a graveyard surrounded by 13 grand mango trees, where the community bury their dead.

One time, I happened to be travelling through Sohagpur, a town 120 kilometres west of here. I heard of a well-known face from the hijra community called Ghanshyam Guru. In 2010, Ghanshyam Guru embraced Islam and became Mohammed Haneef, undertaking Haj a few years later. Hindu cremation grounds here do not allow last rites for the hijra community. Afraid that their souls will wander about after their bodies die, they embrace Islam for the dignity of a burial. ‘The almighty is the one and the same, regardless of your mode of worship,’ she told me. The community held large parcels of land in this region, granted to them for sustenance by big landholders or the village leadership. Such lands frequently had mango groves as common resources.

Excerpted from Sopan Joshi’s Mangifera Indica: A Biography of the Mango published with permission from Aleph Book Company

23. Top global brands like Marks & Spencer, Walmart and Pepco may boost India sourcing after import duty relief

ET, 31 jul. 2024, Navneeta Nandan and Sutanuka Ghosal

Top global brands like Marks & Spencer, Walmart and Pepco may boost India sourcing after import duty relief© Provided by The Economic Times

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Global brands like Marks & Spencer, Next, Decathlon, Primark, GAP, Walmart, Pepco, and Tesco are planning to ramp up sourcing from India, industry executives told ET.

Export orders had dwindled in Tiruppur in the last three years as two major buyers, the US and Europe, reduced their purchases following the recession caused due to the pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.

Further, the customs duty changes in the Union budget are likely to give a major fillip to Tiruppur, a textile production hub in Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is already facing a wave of orders with some global brands diverting purchases from Bangladesh with production getting impacted there due to social unrest.

Brands who may have origins in other countries but have a presence in Australia like Kmart and Target, too are buying large volumes of garments from Tiruppur to take advantage of the India-Australia Free Trade Agreement, said KM Subramanian, president of Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA). Also, Australian brands like BIG W and Woolworth are placing orders after the FTA.

Subramanian said all the global brands have done social auditing of the factories before placing orders. "They have looked into the living conditions of the workers and how green the factories are. Based on their assessments, they have placed orders with Tiruppur. Next, Decathlon and Polish brand Pepco are all sourcing from Tiruppur," he said.

Subramanian said global buyers are finding India as a more stable sourcing country compared to others like Bangladesh. "So, more orders have started to pour into Tiruppur. We expect more orders to get diverted from the neighbouring nation," he said referring to Bangladesh.

The budget scrapped or lowered import duties on certain raw materials used in the fashion industry but only when they are exported as finished products from India.

The leather business also got an impetus in the budget. P Rajasekaran, business head, finished leather business at Tata International, said, "The import duty waiver by the government on the export of shoes and leather goods is expected to significantly increase exports of Indian leather products. We are witnessing a rise in demand for sustainable/bio leather products from global brands, and there is increased interest from key markets such as the US, China, and Europe. To meet this growing demand, we aim to boost the production of sustainable leather at Tata International manufacturing units to 50% within the next four years."

"India is a crucial market for H&M, both in terms of sourcing and our customer base. While we do not disclose sourcing figures by country for competitive reasons, we are closely monitoring the recent reduction in customs duty on raw materials and its potential benefits. Our focus remains on our long-term sustainability goals, aiming for 100% of our materials in commercial goods to be either recycled or sustainably sourced by 2030, while supporting local industries and suppliers," said Yanira Ramirez, country sales manager at H&M India.

Primark said, "Our understanding is that the list of products on which customs duties are to be reduced does not include textile raw materials and, therefore, will not affect us. We welcome progress in this space, including the negotiation of free trade agreements, as we're always reviewing new opportunities to enhance and evolve our supply chain and sourcing strategy."

Next, GAP, Decathlon, and Zara did not respond to ET's queries.

Subramanian said exports from Tiruppur are likely to increase by 10% this fiscal following the fresh orders. In FY24, the garments hub had clocked a revenue of ?33,500 crore. There are close to 6,000 knitwear and knitwear-accessory units in Tiruppur.

24. Apple Sets a New India Record with Another Bumper Harvest

ET, 3 Aug. 2024

Apple has set a new quarterly revenue record in India yet again for its third quarter ended June, continuing its high pace of growth in the world’s second-largest smartphone market where consumers are continuing to buy premium products.

The iPhone maker set “quarterly revenue records in more than two dozen countries and regions, including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, the UK, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand” in the June quarter, Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook told analysts in an earnings call on Friday.

The new high in India and some other markets helped Apple set a new June quarter revenue record globally at $85.8 billion, up 5% from a year back, despite a fall in sales in China. The company also set an all-time quarterly revenue record in services, which grew 14% on-year.

Apple’s new record in India is despite a 2% year-on-year fall in overall smartphone shipments in the country in the June quarter as per market tracker Counterpoint Research, which attributed the decline to the heatwave, seasonal slump, and a sequential slowdown in demand.

And it is not just the iPhone that is driving Apple’s business in India. The company management highlighted robust sales of Mac computers in the country, buoyed by its back-to-school consumer promotion.

The company “saw particularly strong performance in emerging markets, with June quarter records for Mac in Latin America, India, and South Asia,” Apple’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri told analysts.

As per Counterpoint, Samsung and Vivo led the Indian smartphone market in value or sales revenue market share in the June quarter, followed by Apple in the third spot. Samsung’s value share was 24.5%, Vivo’s at 16.8%, and Apple’s at 16.3%.

“But Apple is expected to rebound in the next quarter, driven by the recent price cuts across the entire range of iPhones,” said Counterpoint’s research analyst Shubham Singh.

By volume or number of units sold, Xiaomi (18.9% market share) beat Samsung in the June quarter to become the market leader in India, closely followed by Vivo (18.8%). Samsung (18.1%) is marginally behind in the third slot.

Apple reported a 6.5% year-on-year fall in its sales in China in the June quarter. On a constant currency basis, the fall was 3%.

However, Cook said Apple is confident in the long-term opportunity in China. “I don't know how every chapter of the book reads, but we’re very confident in the long-term,” he told analysts.

25. Google, Amazon, Walmart seek to join RBI's digital currency project: Sources

ET Gov. 7 Aug. 2024

The Reserve Bank of India started a pilot for the e-rupee, a digital alternative to the physical currency, in December 2022. GooglePay, Walmart-backed PhonePe and AmazonPay are among five payment firms seeking to join the Indian central bank's digital currency pilot by offering transactions via the e-rupee, three sources directly involved in the discussions said.

Indian fintech firms Cred and Mobikwik are the other two that have applied to join the pilot, the sources added.

The Reserve Bank of India started a pilot for the e-rupee, a digital alternative to the physical currency, in December 2022. After an initial surge, e-rupee transactions have declined, reflecting the struggle central banks globally have faced in popularising digital currencies.

Google Pay and Amazon Pay are payments applications offered by Alphabet Inc's Google and Amazon.com, respectively, that facilitate retail payments over India's widely used Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Initially, the central bank had permitted only banks to offer e-rupee via their mobile applications, but in April it said payment firms could also offer e-rupee transactions via their platform once approved by the RBI.

Payment firms are working closely with the RBI and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the domestic payments authority, and are expected to roll out access to e-rupee over the next three-to-four months, the sources said.

The sources declined to be identified because they are not authorised to speak to media.

The RBI and NPCI did not respond to emails seeking comment while the five companies declined to comment.

While transactions using the digital currency had risen to over 1 million a day late last year, they have since declined sharply to about 100,000-200,000 a day, one of the sources said.

Allowing popular payment firms to offer e-rupee should help lift volumes by widening the user base, the second source said.

Together these five payment firms account for over 85% of digital payments via UPI, which averages about 13 billion transactions each month.

While continuing to try and popularise the e-rupee, the central bank has no immediate plans to do a full-scale launch of the digital currency, the second source said.

"The e-rupee is likely to stay in the pilot stage for the next couple of years," the source added.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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