AAPI: November 2020

DELHI, 20th NOVEMBER 2020

Index of this Newsletter

INDIA

INDIA & THE WORLD

21. Will support our industry to invest in Africa in big way
22. India's structural promise remains intact: JPMorgan
23. Indian exports to US, China on rise in 2020
24.1. India has US$ 2.7 trillion untapped export potential in electronic exports: UNCTAD data
24.2. India set to touch 328 foreign satellite launches on Saturday
25. Saudi Arabia announces additional rights to expatriate workers; to benefit over 2 million Indians

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DELHI, 20th NOVEMBER 2020

NEWSLETTER, 20-XI-2020

INDIA

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

1. Rs. 2-lakh-crore boost likely for economy as Cabinet clears decks for PLI (Production-linked Incentive) scheme in 10 sectors

IBEF, Nov. 12, 2020

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet issued its nod in principle to expand the Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to 10 industries. Over the next five years, the change is likely to see sops worth Rs. 2 lakh crore for 10 industrial sectors such as automotive, auto parts, battery production and white goods.

The automotive sector is likely to receive the bulk of the allocation of Rs. 2 lakh crore sops to the proposed sectors at Rs. 57,000 crore (US$ 7.68 billion), such as cell chemistry batteries, food products, textile products, solar PV solar products, etc.

Earlier this year, the government announced the PLI scheme for the cell phone, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment sectors in order to make India a manufacturing hub and raise exports.

Unlike other programmes, the PLI scheme is a result- and output-oriented programme where producers earn cash rewards for production over 5-7 years.

The PLI framework was introduced by the Centre to help many businesses consider diversifying their supply chains away from China in the midst of sustained friction between Washington and Beijing over trade.

The scheme has already been released in the electronics manufacturing sector for implementation. In the next few years, core electronics manufacturers such as Apple assemblers Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron, as well as Samsung, and local players Karbonn, Lava and Dixon have secured strategic investments amounting US$ 100 billion.

In the next 5 years, manufacturers are expected to produce goods worth Rs. 11.5 lakh crore (US$ 154.90 billion) and to export products worth Rs. 7 lakh crore (US$ 94.29 billion) through the electronics sector scheme itself.

The government had previously said it was considering expanding the policy to 7-8 sectors after it was collected from electronics manufacturers with great enthusiasm.

Last month, Secretary of Economic Affairs Mr. Tarun Bajaj said the government is planning to expand the scheme to 7-8 more sectors to encourage domestic manufacturing.

"I have a great deal of confidence and optimism in the PLI system that we have put out for cellular phones, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and there are around 7-8 sectors in the offing where the PLI system will be expanded," Mr. Bajaj said while addressing a virtual CII conference.

Unlike other programmes, the PLI system is an output- and output-oriented programme where producers earn cash rewards for production over 5-7 years, he said.

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

2.1. Multi-modal logistics park will generate 20 lakh jobs once completed.

ET Bureau, Oct. 21, 2020, Bikash Singh

The minister made the remarks while laying the foundation stone of the Rs 694 crore facility under Bharatmala Project at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district virtually.

Gadkari said that the project once completed would generate around 20 lakh direct and indirect employment. He informed that the project, to be implemented with a cost of Rs. 1171 crore in two phases, is proposed to be completed by 2023.GUWAHATI: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that the upcoming multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) will generate 20 lakh direct and indirect employment once completed.

The minister made the remarks while laying the foundation stone of the Rs 694 crore facility under Bharatmala Project at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district virtually.

Designed as a state of art facility, MMLP Jogighopa is envisioned to drive economic growth and trade competitiveness of the country through a truly integrated, seamless, efficient, reliable and cost-effective logistics network. It is aimed to improve the logistics efficiency and facilitate the Domestic and Export-Import trade in the region. The state government has transferred 200acres of land belonging to Ashok Paper Mill for the project.

He also appreciated the role of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for realization of the project and urged him to review implementation of NHIDCL every month for maintaining quality and timely completion of the project.

He said that his ministry has allocated around 80,000 crore for roads infrastructure development in Assam and informed that construction of Rs. 5000 crore Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge would start in next 2-3 months. He further said that the road from Guwahati to Jogighopa would also be upgraded to four lane.

Moreover, he said that his ministry took steps for dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to boost trade from the region. The Union Minister also informed that the proposal for construction of Brahmaputra Express Highway is still under consideration and the bridge connecting Nimatighat in Jorhat with Majuli would be finalized shortly.

In his speech, Sonowal said that the people of lower Assam always felt neglected as during all these years after independence no significant industrial development took place in the region. However with the coming up of the Multi Model Logistics Park, people of the region find new hope and he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for the initiative.

He said that Prime Minister Modi after taking charge of the country gave utmost priority for development of north east and took up many schemes for realizing the inherent potential of the region. He said that the visit of Union Ministers every fortnight as per direction of the PM helps in quality implementation and timely completion of development schemes.

He said that inspired by the Prime Minister Modi, Assam government organized global investors summit in 2018 and as a result investment worth Rs. 79000 crore was received. The central government invested around 42000 crore alone in the Petroleum sector in Assam.

Sonowal said that the latest step for setting up the Multi Modal Logistics Park would revive trade links of erstwhile river port of Dhubri connecting it upto Chittagong port of Bangladesh and significantly boost domestic and international trade.

Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said, 'Historically Assam used to have a very vibrant trade activity with the neighbouring countries through roadways, railways and riverine waterways. But following independence and partition, these links got disrupted. However, the Act East Policy has potentially transposed Assam from the periphery of the country to being the centre-stage of India’s growing relations with ASEAN neighbours. Now protocol agreement has been signed with Bangladesh and vessels from North East can travel to Chittagong and Mongla ports of Bangladesh and our link with the sea has been reconnected.'

'This Logistics Park will be integrated with roadways, railways and waterways. MMLP, Jogighopa will be a game changer for the economy of Assam and will bring about a sea-change in the overall development of the state,' added Minister Patowary. The Industry Minister further appealed the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to sanction a similar MMLP at Silchar to uniformly develop both the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys.

On the occasion, an MoU was signed between NHIDCL and Ashok Paper Mill.

2.2. Haryana attracts FDI of US$ 73 billion during 2019-20

IBEF, Nov. 02, 2020

In 2019–2020, the Haryana government formulated an investor-friendly industrial and business promotion strategy and attracted US$ 73 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), becoming the country's fifth largest economy, Chief Secretary Mr. Vijai Vardhan said on Thursday.

Representing India at the first meeting of the Forum of Heads of Regions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), hosted by Russia, Mr. Vijai Vardhan said it was a matter of pride that he was representing India. He welcomed the initiative of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to coordinate this dialogue between the Area Heads of the Member States. He added that this forum would pave the way for better cooperation and collaboration between member countries and regions.

He said that the state of Haryana spans just 2% of India geographically and has a population of approximately 25 million, which is still the leading state in the agricultural and industrial sectors. The state is surrounded by three sides of New Delhi and three industrial cities of Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, fall within a 70 km radius of New Delhi International Airport. He further added that a new airport in the Hisar district of Haryana is also being built at a rapid rate.

In addition, the state has a rail network of more than 1,700 km and, following the approval of the Government of India's new Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) project in September 2020, the transport network in the state will be further enhanced. The state has a road network that is very well thought out, with more than 30 national highways, 11 expressways and state highways.

Mr. Vijai Vardhan said Haryana is one of the nation's largest car hubs, and two-thirds of passenger vehicles, 50% of the country's tractors and 60% of motorcycles are produced here. In addition, Haryana is the perfect destination for auto companies and producers of auto parts. In the field of IT and biotechnology, the state has also made its mark and is the third largest exporter in terms of software and the chosen destination for IT / ITES facilities.

The Chief Secretary further elaborated on IT, saying that Gurugram district has emerged as a chosen destination for the IT industry with over 400 information technology (IT) companies in North India. The state, meanwhile, is an educational centre as well. Speaking about this, he said that India's first Mr. Vishwakarma Kaushal University for the Development of Skills for Vocational Education was established in Haryana.

He said Haryana has over 60 universities, including science and technology universities, health sciences, agriculture, veterinary science, performance, and visual arts. Haryana is one of the most successful research and development (R&D) destinations, and the state has invested in top companies such as Intel, Apple, Samsung, Amazon, and Google. The State Government has formed Department of Foreign Cooperation to streamline various issues relating to foreign cooperation.

He said there is enormous potential for cooperation between the member countries of Haryana and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the areas of trade and commerce, automotive manufacturing, skills development, IT and ITES, agriculture and agro-based industries such as food processing, health and animal science. He invited all member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to Haryana. Other Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries also expressed their views at the meeting.

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

3.1. Sun Life Asia Service Centre India hires 41% women this year, despite the lockdown

ETHRworld, Oct. 29, 2020

Gurugram-based ASCI employs more than 1900 people. With 35 per cent women workforce and 30 per cent women in leadership layer, the company plans to further accelerate its Diversity & Inclusion agenda, according to a statement.

“We have hired 41% women this year despite the lockdown and we will continue to increase our women workforce in the near future,” said Rajeev Bhardwaj, CHRO, Sun Life ASC.Sun Life Asia Service Centre India (ASCI), the Global In-house Centre (GIC) of Sun Life Financial, on Thursday announced that it has hired 41 per cent women this year despite the lockdown and intends to continue increasing its women workforce in the near future.

Rajeev Bhardwaj, CHRO, Sun Life ASC, said, “Diversity and Inclusion is and will be key to our growth in the future. We are committed to a 60:40 diversity ratio and to nurturing more women leaders in ASCI.”

According to Bhardwaj, mentorship and sponsorship programmes, intentional hiring across diverse roles, pay parity and socially responsible policies will help drive Sun Life ASCI’s diversity and inclusion agenda.

“We have hired 41% women this year despite the lockdown and we will continue to increase our women workforce in the near future,” added Bhardwaj.

Currently, ASCI runs women centric initiatives such as Women Leadership Development, Sponsorship and Education Assistance programmes. The company also focuses on distinct campaigns like Sun Women and Leaders Speak for its women leaders to share their thought leadership perspective on the company’s internal as well as social media.

ASCI’s Women Leadership Development Programme is aimed at developing leadership competencies that are known to accelerate and build on the readiness of Sun Life's high potential women leaders. Under this programme, 12 women leaders were given an opportunity to take on a 10-month learning journey that had a blend of classroom sessions on networking, knowing self, negotiation, webinars and mentoring.

Juhi Roy, Manager – Operations at Sun Life ASCI, who participated in the programme, said, “The Women's Leadership Programme has been one of the most thought-provoking and inspiring programmes. Some pearls of wisdom that resonated with me were to be engaged and involved in a thoughtful manner, to be fearless about tapping into mentors, to build fellowships and never underestimate the power of networking. It also taught me to build the confidence to accept criticism positively. The overarching takeaway for me was to set a standard of excellence for myself and encourage other women to be our best selves.”

ASCI also has an Education Assistance Programme that women employees find valuable as it allows them to add to their professional skills. Under this programme, employees who want to continue with higher education can enrol for a long-term certification. Sun Life ASCI, in collaboration with IMT Ghaziabad, offers two-year post graduate programme and one-year Executive MBA programme for the same.

Sharanpreet Sandhu, Sr Specialist – Development at Sun Life ASCI, said, “I started my journey with Sun Life ASCI 10 years back. The company continuously works in the direction of our growth and development so we can advance with the organisation. I availed Education Assistance Policy to do my SAS certifications in 2019 which helped me grow professionally.”

Sun Life Asia Service Centre India (ASCI) is the Global In-house Centre of Sun Life Financial, a Canadian financial services company and one of the largest life insurance organisations in the world. Started in 2006, Asia Service Centre’s (India & Philippines) employ more than 3,000 staff providing 24x7 enterprise support to Sun Life corporations globally.

3.2. Enterprises will push AI to new frontiers in 2021: Report

Ians, Oct. 26, 2020

"Plan to quadruple your investment next year. Build your internal AI team, engage consultancies to implement domain-specific solutions, and upgrade your data, analytics, and machine learning (ML) platforms to rethink how you use AI," Forrester advised.

Artificial data have many pros and cons. The good part is that they can help data-strapped organisations to adopt AI by turning to synthetic data providers like DataGen and Mostly AI.San Francisco: In 2021, one in four forward-thinking enterprises will push Artificial Intelligence to new frontiers, such as holographic meetings for remote work and on-demand personalised manufacturing, according to new predictions by Forrester Research.

They will gamify strategic planning, build simulations in the boardroom, and move into intelligent edge experiences, said the report.

Consultancies like Capgemini, EY, and KPMG will provide strategy and governance chops, while software companies like DataRobot, IBM, and Tecton will provide scale and speed to fuel this imagination, it added.

But here are many deterrents to AI success -- a lack of trust, poor data quality, data paucity, a lack of imagination, and a dearth of the right power tools to scale.

However, the next year will see companies tackle these head on, not because they want to or suddenly have the wherewithal to overcome these in this unprecedented year, but because they have to.

"They have to rebuild their businesses not for today or even next year but to prepare to compete in an AI-driven future," Forrester said.

With this expected hypergrowth in AI, there will also be the proliferation of artificial data and the beginnings of a blockchain-based approach to data trust.

Artificial data comes in two related but different forms: synthetic data and fake data.

While synthetic data allows users to create data sets for training AI, fake data does the opposite -- it perturbs training data to deliberately throw off AI.

Artificial data have many pros and cons. The good part is that they can help data-strapped organisations to adopt AI by turning to synthetic data providers like DataGen and Mostly AI.

At the same time malicious actors can use fake data in adversarial attacks like the one that caused a Tesla last year to veer into oncoming traffic due to stickers placed on the road.

Blockchain for data provenance will begin to repair AI's trust problem, according to Forrester.

4.1. Microsoft, NSDC collaborate to empower 1 lakh women in India with digital skills

PTI, Oct. 29, 2020

"The (latest) partnership is focused on enhancing women's workforce participation by equipping underserved young women from rural communities with the skills required to thrive in a digital economy," a statement said.

The partnership with NSDC is an extension of Microsoft's global skilling initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills needed for the COVID-19 economy and part of Microsoft India's ongoing commitment to support young women for a career in technology.Microsoft on Wednesday said it has collaborated with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to impart digital skills to more than one lakh underserved women in India over the next 10 months. As part of the collaboration, more than 70 hours of course content will be made available free of cost, covering topics such as digital literacy, enhancing employability, nano entrepreneurship, and communication skills.

This initiative is an extension of Microsoft's partnership with NSDC to provide digital skills to over 1 lakh youth in the country.

The programme will curate a series of live training sessions and digital skilling drives to help create opportunities for young girls and women, particularly first time job seekers and those whose jobs may have been impacted by COVID-19, to join the future workforce.

"COVID-19 has accelerated India's digital transformation and a workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills will be the key to unlocking the country's next phase of growth. Providing equal opportunity and access to digital skills for underserved young women will be an important part of this journey, ensuring an inclusive economic recovery," Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari said.

These live training sessions will be delivered online through the Microsoft Community Training (MCT) platform. The MCT platform will also allow the trainees to access rich content already available on MCT as well as provide a forum to engage with peers.

"NSDC is nurturing a conducive ecosystem in which women across formal and informal sectors get access to appropriate skill development opportunities. Mainstreaming of content, delivery of training and use of digital platforms are key to increasing participation of women," NSDC MD and CEO Manish Kumar said.

The partnership with Microsoft will help in economic empowerment of women, he added.

Under this partnership, eSkill India - NSDC's digital skilling initiative - will support in building the outreach of this engagement through its skilling ecosystem which includes sector skill councils, training partners, and training centres. Microsoft and NSDC will award a joint e-certificate to participants post course completion.

Furthermore, 20,000 young women from regions with least female labour force participation will be selected by NSDC and skilled through dedicated skills for employability training program for employment in IT/IT enabled job roles.

5.1. Manufacturing growth puts India among top three emerging economies

IBEF, Oct. 27, 2020

In September, a steady recovery in the manufacturing sector helped India climb two notches to third place in the main emerging markets, wherein China and Brazil rank higher.

In the first year-on-year increase in exports in seven months, manufacturing growth reflected the highest reading in the purchasing managers' index in over eight years. India's merchandise exports rose 6%to US$ 27.6 billion in September on a yearly basis.

Exports last reported a year-on-year spike in February, well before Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Exports dropped 60% in April, the first full lockdown month, but since then, the contraction has been easing.

Only China (10% growth) fared better than India among the other emerging markets that announced their export data for September. The latest available data for all other emerging markets showed that exports were still below last year's rate.

India's manufacturing PMI, which had already returned to the expansion track in August, was boosted by the increase in exports. In September, the reading increased further to 56.8, the highest since early 2012. Only Brazil, with a PMI reading of 64.9, performed better. A reading above 50 denotes expansion.

Other real activity results, such as the selling of automobiles and the loading of rail freight, also point to the recovery of economic activity in India. These changes were likely motivated by further easing of the restrictions associated with pandemics, slower spread of coronavirus, and the start of the Indian festive season.

The weekly Business Resumption Index, compiled by Nomura, the Japanese brokerage, shows that improvement has continued widely into October. But this was primarily attributed to sharply growing mobility in the workplace, one of the index's measures. The other data points have been slow, such as power demand and labour force participation.

Nomura cautioned that the change could signal only a" faux recovery "limited to festive use. The brokerage firm also fears that the progress achieved could be reversed by coronavirus picking up again during festivals.

Economists say that, meanwhile, retail inflation, a problem over the last few months, may have peaked in September. The inflation rate based on India's consumer price index, which in April broke the central bank's upper limit of 6%, rose to 7.3% in September. Only Turkey’s inflation rate of over 11% was higher among emerging markets.

After December, inflation could begin to soften with a drop in vegetable prices, a reduction in supply chain disruptions, weak demand and a favourable base impact, ICICI Securities Primary Dealership said in a report.

The Reserve Bank of India, too, expects inflation to return to its target range in the ongoing quarter, and further decline to 4.5% in January-March 2021.

By the last quarter of the financial year, the RBI also expects India's economy to start reporting growth again. The deeper-than-expected contraction of GDP in the first quarter, however, could weigh down the growth rate for the full year: the RBI expects GDP to contract 9.5% in 2020-21, while the International Monetary Fund forecasts a contraction of 10.3%, the worst among EM peers.

Stock market capitalization, the largest among the EM economies considered in the tracker, grew 2.5% sequentially in September. The growth came in spite of net outflows of capital during the month.

In the last few months, the positive performance of the markets can in part be attributed to increased interest among domestic investors, both retail and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs). In the future, due to the US presidential elections and a second coronavirus wave in Europe, financial markets could experience volatility.

In September, the Indian rupee also appreciated 1.5% against the US dollar. The only two emerging market currencies in the tracker that outperformed the Indian rupee were the Mexican peso (2.4%) and the Chinese yuan (1.7%).

As the coronavirus situation in India is now improving and mobility is returning to pre-pandemic levels, the emphasis has shifted to stimulating economic recovery. Even after the festive season has ended, India's relative success against other emerging economies will depend on its ability to maintain domestic demand and the gains made against the virus.

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

5.2. MG Motor Partners ASDC, Autobot India To Provide Skilled Manpower To Automobile Industry

IBEF, Nov. 12, 2020

MG Motor has collaborated with the Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) and Autobot India to introduce Dakshta, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Electric Vehicles (AI) training programme aimed at developing qualified automotive workforce.

The strategic alliance, which is part of MG 's vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous , Shared, and Electric) mobility that it has established in its Indian product offering, is a step towards modernising the country's high-end car technologies through online and offline engineering student skill development courses, MG Motor India said in a statement.

Training in the eight-module training programme would emphasis on developing skills, thus improving job prospects in the automotive sector, thus creating qualified workforce to fill the future requirements of the automotive industry.

Through COVID cycles, it will initially focus solely on online learning and later include case studies and sharing of best practise, the release said.

'The Dakshata programme is an initiative that will enable young learners to develop relevant modern technology skills and become self-reliant, motivating them for a better future and further improving Ability India 's aim of achieving a wider vision,' said Mr. Yash Yadav, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of MG Motor India.

More technologies are currently making their way into the automotive industry as the technology-cost curve is turning steeper.

The automotive industry is growing at a rapid pace, be it hybrid technology or electric vehicles, the company said, adding that the purpose of the programme is to train ITI and diploma students, as well as engineering students, to fill the supply deficit of trained automotive professionals.

'We are grateful to MG Motor for engaging with us on the Dakshata initiative, which is part of our mutual vision to create a sustainable ecosystem of skills in the automotive industry,' said ASDC Chairman Mr. Nikunj Sanghi.

The Council is a joint initiative of the Government of India, the Society of Indian Car Manufacturers (SIAM), the Association of Manufacturers of Automotive Parts (ACMA) and the Association of Automobile Dealers (FADA).

Mr. Ashwini Tiwary, founder, and CEO of Autobot India, said that new-age vehicles need to be more technologically advanced, interconnected, and informed, which needs a completely new set of skills and expertise to drive the growth of the industry and its full value chain.

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

- AGRICULTURE, FISHING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

6.1. In UP 370.000 SHGs (Self Help Groups) ensured jobs for rural women

TNN, Oct. 22, 2020

"These 3.71 lakh self-help groups were created through 592 development blocks across the state. These groups have been linked to 15945 village organisations and 775 cluster level associations," said a state government spokesperson.

Thousands of migrant laborers returning from other states have also been linked to employment through these self-help groups and women members of approximetely 30,000 families have already been linked to SHGs.LUCKNOW: UP government created a staggering 3.71 lakh self-help groups to tackle the dual challenge of rural joblessness and migrant influx during the Covid-induced lockdown period.

"Yogi Government has taken firm steps towards making thousands of women financially self-reliant. Under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana and National Rural Livelihood Mission, it has launched a major campaign across the state under the name of State Rural Livelihood Mission to make women, especially in rural areas, self-employed and to become self-reliant," said a state government spokesperson.

Under the mission, 2.42 self-help groups have been linked with revolving funds, 1.42 lakh with community investment funds and 1.16 lakh have been provided bank credit linkage.

Thousands of migrant laborers returning from other states have also been linked to employment through these self-help groups and women members of approximately 30,000 families have already been linked to SHGs.

6.2. Commercial coal mining: 19 auctioned blocks to create more than 69,000 jobs

PTI, Nov. 10, 2020

"With a combined peak-rated capacity reaching 51 MT per annum, it is expected that these 19 mines will generate a total revenue of nearly about Rs 7,000 crore," the minister said while briefing the media here.

While launching the auctions, it was broadly expected that investors related to mining, power and clean coal sectors would explore opportunities. However, the bidding process also saw players from sectors like real estate, infrastructure and pharma, Joshi said.NEW DELHI: The auction of coal mines for commercial mining witnessed "fierce competition" and the 19 blocks that went under the hammer can generate total revenues of around Rs 7,000 crore per annum and create more than 69,000 jobs once they are operationalised, coal minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday.

The auction of blocks for commercial mining has opened the coal sector to the private players.

The auction of these mines witnessed fierce competition and companies have offered great premiums, he said.

"Out of 38 mines put on auction, 19 mines were successfully auctioned. The success of the auction is 50 per cent," he said.

"I appeal to the state governments to cooperate with the bidders. The sooner these coal blocks are operationalised, the sooner the state governments will get revenue from these blocks," he added.

The minister further said except coking coal, all other coal imports should be stopped in the coming years.

"As a testimony to the positive sentiment shared by the industry, when we decided to remove 'end user' criteria from the bidding process, almost 65 per cent bidders were from the 'non-end user' category," he said.

Joshi said 42 companies participated in the auction, out of which 40 were private players.

Total 76 bids were received for 23 mines, wherein 19 mines had received two or more bids and were found eligible for opening of technical bids. "This is a very good response according to me," he said.

For three mines, there were single bids.

"Keeping that as the base price, immediately we are going for the re-auction of those mines," he added.

The results of these auctions have been historic and this clearly proves that opening up the coal sector was a step in the right direction, he emphasised.

"I am happy to note that two PSUs have also participated in the bidding process and hope that in the coming time, we will continue to see more participation from the PSUs.

"It is heartening to note that one of them, ie, APMDC has won one of the Brahmadiha block it had bid for at a premium of 41.75 per cent, bidding against five private companies," he added.

In June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining.

Some of the corporate biggies that have bagged blocks include Adani Enterprises, Vedanta, Hindalco Industries and Jindal Power.

7. Cabinet approves extension of the Market Intervention Scheme for procurement of apples in Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2020-21

Press Information Bureau, Oct. 22, 2020

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the extension of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for apple procurement in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for the current season also i.e. 2020-21 on the same terms and condition as was done in J&K during last season i.e. 2019-20.

The procurement of apple will be done by Central Procuring Agency i.e. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation ltd. (NAFED) through State Designated Agency i.e. Directorate of Planning and Marketing, Department of Horticulture & Jammu & Kashmir Horticulture Processing and Marketing Corporation (JKHPMC), directly from apple farmers of J&K and the payment will be made through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Bank account of apple farmers. 12 LMT of apples can be procured under this scheme.

Government has also allowed NAFED to utilize Government Guarantee of Rs. 2,500 Crore (US$ 340.34 million) for this operation. The losses, if any, to be incurred in this operation will be shared between Central Government and UT administration of J&K on 50:50 basis.

The constituted Designated Price Committee of last Season will be continued for the fixation of price of various variety and grades of apples for this Season also. The UT administration of J&K shall ensure the provision of basic amenities in the designated mandis.

Smooth and continuous implementation of the procurement process will be monitored by constituted Monitoring Committee under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary at the central level and constituted implementation & Coordination Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary at the UT Level.

This announcement of the Government of India will provide an effective marketing platform to apples growers and will facilitate employment generation for the local people. It will ensure remunerative prices for apples resulting in overall income enhancement of farmers in J&K.

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

8. Launched Unique Khadi Footwear; KVIC Targets Rs. 5000 Crore Business

Press Information Bureau, Oct. 22, 2020

Now feel the fineness of handcrafted Khadi fabric in the footwear. Union Minister for MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari today launched India’s first-ever high-quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) through Video Conference. These footwears are made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool. Shri Gadkari also launched the online sale of Khadi footwear through KVIC’s e-portal www.khadiindia.gov.in.

Shri Gadkari heaped praises on Khadi fabric footwear saying such unique products had high potential of capturing the international market. At the same time, he said, Khadi fabric footwear would create additional employment and higher income for our artisans.

“Khadi footwear is a unique product. International quality and use of fine fabric like Patola Silk, Banarasi Silk, Cotton, Denim would attract the youngsters who can purchase it online. These footwears are cost-effective,” Shri Gadkari said while also urging the KVIC to develop alternatives to leather accessories like ladies’ handbags, purses, wallet in handcrafted Khadi fabric that has a huge potential in foreign markets. “By developing and marketing such products overseas, Khadi India can capture a market worth Rs. 5000 crore (US$ 680.68 million),” the MSME Minister said.

Minister of State for MSME, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi said the Khadi fabric footwear is not only environment-friendly and skin-friendly, but it reflects the hard work of Khadi artisans that has been put in to make fabric for these footwears. “I congratulate KVIC for developing Khadi fabric footwear according to the global taste. I am sure by occupying a major share in the footwear industry, Khadi fabric footwear will help in reviving the country’s economy,” Shri Sarangi said.

To begin with, the footwear has been launched in 15 designs for ladies and 10 designs for men. Exquisite Khadi products like Patola Silk of Gujarat, Banarasi Silk, Madhubani-printed Silk of Bihar, Khadi Denim, Tussar Silk, Matka - Katia Silk, a variety of Cotton fabric, Tweed Wool and Khadi Poly Vastra have been used to make these footwears unique and trendy. Available in a wide range of designs, colours and prints, these footwears have been designed to suit clothing for all purposes - formal, casual and festive occasions. The Khadi footwear price ranges from Rs. 1100 (US$ 14.98) to Rs. 3300 (US$ 44.93) per pair.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said, venturing into new segments, tapping new markets and diversifying the product range, as envisaged by the Prime Minister, have been the mantra for Khadi’s stupendous success in the last six years.

“The idea behind launching Khadi Fabric Footwear was to tap the international market where a large section of international consumers is increasingly going vegan and hence, Khadi will become a preferred choice of this segment. “Khadi fabric footwear is a small step for people, but it will be a giant leap for our Khadi artisans. Using fine fabric like Cotton, Silk and Wool in footwear will lead to higher production of fabric by artisans as well as increase in its consumption. This will ultimately create additional employment and higher income for Khadi artisans,” Mr. Saxena said. The size of Indian footwear industry is approx. Rs. 50,000 crore (US$ 6.81 billion) which includes exports worth nearly Rs. 18,000 crore (US$ 2.45 billion). Mr. Saxena said our initial target is to capture at least 2% of this Industry that is estimated to be around Rs. 1000 crore (US$ 136.14 million).

Incidentally, the idea behind developing the Khadi fabric footwear also coincides with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Local to Global”. Earlier, KVIC had successfully launched its first-ever Khadi wrist watch in association with Titan which has been a trend-setter.

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

9.1. Tribes India brings more of Nature's Bounty in its range with inclusion of 100 New Forest Fresh Organic Products

Press Information Bureau, Oct. 27, 2020

TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs has included 100 new Forest Fresh Organic Products in its range of Tribes India products to bring more of nature’s bounty. Forest Fresh Naturals and Organics, a new range of tribal produce and products, was unveiled by Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED virtually today. On a weekly basis, 100 new products / produce will be launched and included in the Tribes India catalogue. The first set of 100 products were launched online today. These and the subsequently included produce/ products will be available in 125 Tribes India outlets, Tribes India mobile vans and also on online platforms such as the Tribes India E-marketplace (tribesindia.com) and e-tailers. As its part of its sustained initiatives to help sustain incomes and livelihoods of tribal artisans and forest dwellers, newer products and natural produce have been sourced from tribals across the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pravir Krishna said, “We are proud to unveil Forest Fresh Organics, our new range of tribal produce and products. 100 new tribal produce, predominantly natural produce and immunity boosters, sourced from tribal communities from across India will be included. The inclusion of organic, essential natural immunity-boosting products through different channels will help ensure that people adopt a sustainable and wholesome way of living. This will also go a long way in promoting and empowering tribals (both artisans and forest dwellers) across the country. The sales proceeds of these goods, irrespective of the channel, will directly go to the tribals.”

These new products, sourced from different parts of the country will enhance Tribes India's vast and rich repertoire. Among the products launched today, include golden green and red apples from Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh; baskets and boxes made from Munj grass from Uttarakhand, seeded Tamarind, cloves, eucalyptus oil, coffee powder from the Nilgiri tribes in Tamil Nadu; Tribes India branded masks made by the Meena tribes of Rajasthan; varieties of organic, immunity booster Churan and Kadha from the Gond, Bhil tribes of Madhya Pradesh; Mahua bamboo candles made by the Bhilala tribes from Shivganga, Jhabua of Madhya Pradesh; organic, immunity boosting powders such as Giloy powder, jamun powder; a range of pulses and khichdi mixes from Maharashtra and Gujarat. From the North- east, products being included are different kinds of pickles (jackfruit, olive), juices (bel), and joha and red rice.

All the products have been sourced from tribals pan India from states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and the North-East to name a few. In addition to these, certain products that have been processed, packaged under the Van Dhan tribal start-ups, a component of the MSP scheme which has emerged as a source of employment generation for tribal gatherers and forest dwellers and the home-bound tribal artisans, have also been included.

The inclusion of these unique products will help both the customer and the affected tribal population. On one hand, pure natural produce, a gift of nature will reach and boost families across the country, and support tribal livelihoods. In these trying times, when the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted lives in more ways than one, people are focusing on healthier ways of living and staying as safe as possible.

Adapting ‘Go Vocal for Local’, a mantra in these troubled times, into ‘Go Vocal for Local Go Tribal’, TRIFED has been striving to ameliorate the condition of the distressed and affected tribal people by putting in place several path-breaking initiatives, in addition to its existing flagship programmes and implementations, which have emerged as a panacea and relief.

Keeping in line with the clarion call of ‘Atmanirbhar Abhiyan’, TRIFED has also launched an exclusive e-marketplace for tribal producers – forest dwellers and artisans, to facilitate the purchase of MFPs, handicrafts and handlooms online. The Tribes India E-Mart platform (market.tribesindia.com) is an omni-channel facility for tribals to sell their goods to a large national and international audience in an e-marketplace through their own e-shop. TRIFED is in the process of onboarding approximately 5 lakh tribal producers across the country and sourcing their natural produce and handcrafted goods.

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

9.2. Uttar Pradesh government to clear decks for 542 food processing projects

TNN, Oct. 27, 2020

Official sources said a state-level empowered committee (SLEC) has already given nod to 275 proposals worth Rs 810 crore which would create around 20,000 direct employment opportunities.

In a statement, the food processing department said that in 2019-20, the government provided training to 2,970 beneficiaries to help them set up as many as 119 units.

LUCKNOW: In a boost to food processing sector, the state government is set to execute proposals of at least 542 projects worth Rs 2,964 crore which will create over 44,000 employment opportunities.

According to a state government spokesperson, out of 542 proposals, 59 are for fruit and vegetable processing, 155 for consumer products and 258 for food milling units, among others. Official sources said a state-level empowered committee (SLEC) has already given nod to 275 proposals worth Rs 810 crore which would create around 20,000 direct employment opportunities.

The government has also approved Rs 56 crore for proposed food processing units. In financial year 2019-20, 134 proposals were approved and around Rs 37 crore was transferred to the units through direct benefit transfer.

To reach out to the grassroots, the government has identified 50 districts where 400 food processing awareness camps of three days each are proposed to be organised at gram panchayat levels. In a statement, the food processing department said that in 2019-20, the government provided training to 2,970 beneficiaries to help them set up as many as 119 units. The government had come up with a food processing policy in 2017 that envisaged rebate while setting up new units or expanding/modernising the existing ones. The policy also provides research, quality improvement of products and patent design registration.

The department said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the officials to take decisions which are helpful for entrepreneurs seeking to establish a food processing unit in the state. Earlier, PepsiCo announced Rs 814 crore green field project for production of potato chips in Mathura. The unit is proposed to be set up in Kosi area of the district and will start commercial production by mid-2021.

10.1 Easing remote work norms to open more jobs, bring social impact: KPO Council

ETTelecom, Nov. 07,2020, Muntazir Abbas

"This step will have a massive social impact and should add more and more jobs to tier 2 and 3 cities as well as bring more female employees into the business process outsourcing sector," Jitendra Sharma, Secretary at the KPO Council of India said.

The new liberal policy framework, following the contagious Covid-19 or coronavirus outbreak, is aimed to boost the BPO and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) sector worldwide.NEW DELHI: The relaxation in the framework for other service providers to deliver IT-enabled services remotely would have a massive social impact and offer more employment opportunities in tier - II and tier - III cities, the KPO Council of India said.

Thursday, the Centre simplified the rules by reducing the compliance burden for the business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT-enabled services (ITes) players to further facilitate work from home or work from anywhere.

The new liberal policy framework, following the contagious Covid-19 or coronavirus outbreak, is aimed to boost the BPO and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) sector worldwide.

Delhi-based group said that such a step would boost growth prospects, and it was a much-needed step.

“This is a path-breaking decision taken by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The industry was asking for such policy for long as earlier its absence was hindering the growth prospects for the industry and its proliferation to India’s tier 2 and 3 cities,” Sharma added.

"India's IT sector is our pride. The prowess of this sector is recognised globally. We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure a conducive environment for growth and innovation in India. Today's decisions will especially encourage young talent in the sector," Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier tweeted.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, India’s premier trade body said that the move will ensure ease of doing business, and enable the industry to contribute towards realising a truly Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

“This is a landmark decision. It will go a long way in fostering the growth of IT/ITeS/BPO industry,” Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI said.

The new policy, according to FICCI, is also expected to encourage innovation ecosystem, and support the development of an inclusive and diverse workforce.

10.2. Good opportunity to export sugar; reconsidering extension of export: Subsidy

IBEF, 09 Nov. 2020

According to Food Secretary Mr. Sudhanshu Pandey, the government is reassessing the extension of sugar export subsidies as India has a strong opportunity to sell the sweetener on the global market in the 2019-20 season that started this month between November and April.

To minimise surplus stocks and help cash-starved sugar mills direct sugar payments to farmers, India, the second largest sugar-producing country in the world, had to offer export subsidies over the last two years.

As per official data, sugar mills exported 5.7 million tonnes of sugar compared to the mandatory quota of 6 million tonnes set for the 2019-20 season (October-September).

Mr. Pandey said, "The production in Thailand is set to decline this year, while the processing in Brazil will only begin in April 2021. India has strong export opportunities from now until April.

"This is the opportunity that the industry has to consider taking, given that India is expected to have a bumper sugar production this year, we are doing our best," he added.

According to official sources, the Ministry of Food is working on a cabinet approval proposal to expand the current sugar export policy to approximately 6 million tonnes for the 2020-21 season.

Food Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal said on October 30, the government was not considering expanding the export subsidy scheme, but after several rounds of consultation with stakeholders and policy makers, sources said, a fresh thought was given to the proposal.

Industry experts say India needs to export more than 5 million tonnes of sugar this year to ensure that domestic prices do not drop below production costs and make it hard for mills to compensate cane farmers on time.

As domestic sugar production is pegged at 31 million tonnes, well above the annual demand of 26 million tonnes, the surplus stock situation is expected to continue this season.

Mr. Pandey said the government is supporting mills to manufacture ethanol rather than sugar to prevent sugar glut-kind of scenario as the former can be used under the National Biofuel Policy for blending with petrol.

Subsidized loans are being granted to millers for distillery capacity expansion to achieve ethanol production of over 360 crore litres and to meet the ethanol blending target of 10% by 2022 and 20% by 2030 for petrol, he added.

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

- INDUSTRY and MANUFACTURE

11.1. Need to rethink and reinvent Indian manufacturing: Mukesh Ambani

ANI, Oct. 20, 2020

Ambani asserted, he thinks that we have the formula to convert the magic into reality and establish linkages between academic institutions to real world, skill training and employment in a way that actually sustains India of much higher quality and better jobs.

"We just have to rethink and reinvent manufacturing, I would agree that some areas - like if you take our own refining and petrochemicals, where we are the most globally competitive - the opportunity for us is to embrace the future industries, think in terms of ecosystems. Three specific things we can do for leadership is to strengthen our small and medium sector," said Ambani.New Delhi: Chairman of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, Monday said that India must rethink and reinvent manufacturing, like it did its refining and petrochemicals to make the country's manufacturing sector globally competitive.

He was responding to the query by Maruti Suzuki Chairman RC Bhargava in Q and A in Delhi during the virtual launch event of N K Singh's book "Portraits Of Power: Half A Century of Being at Ringside".

Three specific things we can do for leadership is to strengthen our small and medium sector," said Ambani.

Hear from leaders on what it takes to build a new engagement strategy by actively listening to the employees & leveraging the digital means to reach and engage the workforce in these times.

He further added, just like we have startups in technology sector, he thinks India is ripe now to support our small and medium sector entrepreneurs and get them the physical start up.

We need as much thinking about bricks as we have about clicks, and we need to think in terms of an entire ecosystem that delivers future industries and future services and I think that we are already on the way, with what we have done with batteries and solar and all the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution.

"If we do that right, rather than worry about the past, we can think about the future then the future is not going to be an extension of the past. We can create our new destiny in terms of eco system, platforms and manufacturing which then becomes a high employment generation piece and we then have a play not only for our domestic market, but all the marginal pieces we can support to the international market," said Ambani.

Ambani was responding to a question by Maruti Suzuki Chairman RC Bhargava that Indian manufacturing has still not become globally competitive and why is manufacturing growth slower than what we would like. What can be done?

Responding to a question about How he wished to be remembered as, Ambani said: "Well, it's more than what I wish to be remembered by. It's not about me, it is about what I can do to contribute to our society and I think, what I am working towards is really three things as we said like:

“The first is really transformation of India into a digital society and that digital society incorporates all the future industries, so that the next 30 years of India is a 100 times, like what we have never imagined is what we can achieve. That's the first piece that at least in my humble way of working to."

"The second coincidently combines with the magic that our Finance Minister talked about and I think that linkages in education and its time to transform our education sector at any point in time we have 200 million children in India in the education system and it will take us 8 to 10 years to completely transform the skill base of India and I think that you know what we have been what our Finance Minister very aptly describe what is magic," he added.

The third thing that we are working towards is really transformation of energy, he added.

"And we think again that the world is right and India is in the right mindset to completely, in the next few decades, move away from fossil fuels to completely renewable energy. Be Atmanirbhar and really try and see if we can make our modest contribution in terms of development of India and in energy also development of the world in terms of this transition," said Ambani.

"The way I think about it is that what really controls life is we are already in information. Both with our IT industry has done and what we have done in communications. We are leaders in the world in information. We have to now covert that to intelligence. We have to have the best human resources and we have to have our own energy and be Atmanirbhar. If I can play my small part in actually achieving this and create institutions that will perpetuate and sustain that than I would have done my Job. I don't know whether I will succeed or not," he added.

11.2. Festive season has brought in new hopes for people in logistics industry

ETHRWorld, Nov. 10, 2020

Narsimhan R, Director, RTS, believes the logistics sector will see a surge in jobs opportunities. He said, “The logistics industry functions across various sectors like manufacturing, auto, e-commerce, etc penetrate the need for hiring resources. Rise of digitization is propelling job opportunities across operations.”

To tackle the manpower crisis, the industry has been witnessing the need for temporary recruitment staff in different segments like sales, advisory, delivery guy, etc.By Abhishek Sahu

The Covid-19 pandemic harmed millions of salaried Indians with as many as 1.8 crore people losing their jobs during the Covid-induced lockdowns, since April 2020. Evidently, the festive season has brought in some hopes for people who were either laid off or have been looking for jobs ever since the lockdown affected the economy.

According to a report by RedSeer, about three lakh jobs are expected to be created by various e-commerce and logistics companies during this year's festive season. Of these, about 30 per cent of roles are likely to be created by logistics partners.

Rise of digitization propelling job opportunities across operations

As the economy reopens, industry leaders propound that a major chunk of this seasonal recruitment has been driven by the logistics, supply and delivery segments.

RTS employs 500 people (on & off rolls) today and recently added about 100 people.

“We are striving to get back to our pre-Covid scenario and are hoping to expand job opportunities as various industries are getting back to normalcy. RTS takes pride in adding 20 per cent of its staff during the pandemic,” said Narsimhan R.

To tackle the manpower crisis, the industry has been witnessing the need for temporary recruitment staff in different segments like sales, advisory, delivery guy, etc.

According to Alok Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO, NebulARC, betting big on the festive season, logistics has emerged as the top employment-generating sector in India.

“B2B and B2C companies are hiring temporary staff to deftly manage inventories in peak times. We plan our recruitment on an MoM (month-over-Month) basis. As a growing company, we will continue to hire more people and expand our team to manage the logistics operations,” he said.

Logistics industry has a larger role to play

As per industry leaders, logistics firms, which are involved in the movement, storage, and flow of goods, have been directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uday Sharma, COO, Spoton Logistics, said as an integral part of the value chains, both within the country and across international borders, logistics firms facilitate trade and commerce and help businesses get their products to customers.

“Since digitization can’t replace the entire logistics work system, thus preparation for operations came in place,” he said.

Sharma mentioned a few important aspects that should be kept in mind while responding to the prevalent uncertainties. He said, “To protect staff’s health, some companies have introduced new protocols on social distancing at warehouses, disinfecting work areas, or providing protective gear while giving employees unlimited unpaid time off.”

He further said, “Warehouses and retailers are focusing on grocery deliveries since demand is high for essential products, and the last-mile segment is offering no-contact delivery options.”

However, Sharma said these efforts, which come at a higher financial cost, cannot guarantee protection against outbreaks in confined warehouses.

It is unquestionably true that digitization is poised to redesign new job opportunities and reinvent functional areas like inventory management, procurement, compliances, and distribution.

Alok Sharma from NebulARC believes the logistics industry has a larger role to play to ensure the seamless movement of goods from manufacturers to suppliers and the end-customers.

“Skills that can be acquired in the industry included technical skills like process improvement, warehouse management, and optimization,” he said.

According to Uday Sharma, the industry will remain one of the highest employment-generating sectors since rapid digital advances in the supply chain domain exerted an enormous influence on the creation of jobs.

“In the future, employees will be well-equipped in technological competencies like supply chain analytics, warehouse management systems, process automation, and robotics,” he added.

12. Motorola bets on smart home appliances biz; says India can be a big part of global ops

IBEF, Oct. 22, 2020

In terms of the Lenovo-owned company's foray into non-handset companies such as smart TVs and smart appliances, Motorola stated that India has the potential to become a major part of its global operations.

Via a strategic alliance with Flipkart, Motorola unveiled the world-first line of smart home appliances for Indian consumers earlier this month.

Mr. Prashanth Mani, Country Head, Lenovo Mobile Business Group and Managing Director, Motorola Mobility told ET, “We are the first country for smart appliances and smart TV. Most of these are global first launches. There is a lot of interest that global has. Smart home appliances are a new market as we have entered with premium devices”.

Mr. Mani stated that the demand for smart home appliances is expected to rise by $6 billion in India by 2022, powered by the country's increased per capita income and digitisation. "The market is $52 billion globally ... We think it's the right time to reach space."

Having introduced smart TVs and audio devices, the company is introducing smart air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines.

“Our priority is that wherever we enter, we want to build premium positioning for the brand.”

The business is also growing its emphasis on the premium handset market and will launch the country 's global 5 G smartphone portfolio. Mr. Mani said, “We will also determine how rapidly we want to reduce 5 G prices in India. Motorola phones have seen growth across Flipkart and offline channels in the mid and low-end ranges".

The executive stated that amid lockdown and global supply chain problems, Motorola has not encountered any effects on its handset business this year. “This year is not going to have any impact of Covid on our handset business. 2020 will be better than 2019,” he added.

Mr. Mani stated that the handset company of Motorola is rising more rapidly than the industry. "We will continue to rise faster than the quarter-over-quarter market".

He stated that during the ongoing pandemic, Motorola did well globally, rising 33% sequentially in terms of revenue and 35% in terms of volume in the last quarter. “We are already profitable in India and have seen profitable growth in the first quarter of this year.”

As per Counterpoint Study, in the second quarter, Motorola had a 1% market share in volume. However, the handset brand expects it to fuel revenue during the festive season.

Last week, ET announced that Motorola is in negotiations with Dixon Technologies and Lava for a $1 billion smartphone manufacturing deal in India.

Mr. Mani declined to comment on these debates but said that the organisation is "well versed in taking advantage of the PLI system for handsets."

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

13. Siemens Healthineers to invest EUR 160 mn to set up innovation hub in Bengaluru

PTI, Oct. 21, 2020

"The innovation hub in Bengaluru is an integral part of our global network of innovation that will further accelerate our ability to develop effective solutions quickly and with a strong focus on emerging markets, especially in Asia," Schardt said.

"To expand digital capabilities, we will hire up to 1,800 digital talents in the next 10 years," Schardt said.New Delhi: Medical technology major Siemens Healthineers on Tuesday said it plans to invest EUR 160 million (Rs 1,300 crore) over the next 5 years to set up an innovation hub in Bengaluru. The investment is part of Siemens Healthineers' Strategy 2025, in which India plays an important role as a growth market for the company, the medical tech firm said in a statement.

"To better serve the needs of the emerging markets, we will invest EUR 160 million over the next 5 years in an innovation hub in Bengaluru in India," Siemens Healthineers Chief Technology Officer Peter Schardt said in a virtual press conference.

The innovation hub will be housed in a new state-of-the-art campus that combines existing research and development (R&D) centre and ultra modern medical imaging factory, he added.

The Bengaluru innovation hub will assume increased responsibility for customer-centric solutions to serve such markets even better. Special focus is on solutions for the digitalisation of healthcare, which is the foundation for value-based and patient-centred medicine within the region and across the globe, he added.

"To expand digital capabilities, we will hire up to 1,800 digital talents in the next 10 years," Schardt said.

Siemens Healthineers, Asia Pacific President Elisabeth Staudinger said, "This investment is the largest we have ever made in India. It will play a key role in taking our business to the next level by driving digitalization and expanding our portfolio for emerging markets."

The innovation hub in Bengaluru will demonstrate our commitment to advance healthcare through cutting-edge digital technologies as well as through accessible and affordable innovations driven from India, she added.

The Bengaluru campus will be one of four innovation hubs of the company, with other hubs located in the United States, Germany, and China, Siemens Healthineers said.

The innovation hub at Bengaluru will include centres of competence in digital technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, immersive technologies like augmented and virtual reality, user experience, and cybersecurity, it added.

"Bengaluru is an ideal location for an innovation hub because of its strong innovation and healthcare ecosystems, coupled with reputed educational institutions," Siemens Healthcare Pvt Ltd Senior Vice-President (Development Center) and MD Gerd Hoefner said.

Currently, the company has around 2,400 employees in R&D in Bengaluru, he added.

The investment aims to make India a manufacturing centre for the company's emerging market products, Siemens Healthineers said.

14. Tata group to set up Rs. 5000 crore phone component making unit in TN: Report

IBEF, Oct. 29, 2020

According to a report by The Hindu BusinessLine, the Tata group is investing Rs. 5,000 crore (US$ 676.59 million) to set up a phone component manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu.

The paper claimed that Tata Sons, Tata Electronics, was allocated 500 acres by TIDCO (Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation) and that the precision engineering division of the Titan Co Ltd group company, Titan Engineering and Automation Ltd, would provide the expertise for this project.

TIDCO is the single largest shareholder in the watchmaker, with a 27.88% stake in Titan Co Ltd. The report also claimed that the plant would be used in India for manufacturing for iPhone maker Apple.

Apple didn't respond immediately to Mint 's investment queries. An industry executive close to one of the businesses, however, said Apple is not involved in the project. A Tata spokesperson said, "The company has been set up to build an electronics ecosystem. It is not about any particular client."

The iPhone manufacturer is currently contracting with Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron to produce its phones in India. On the other hand, instead of general smartphone assembly and production, the Tata plant seems to be intended for parts.

At its facility in Sriperumbudur, outside Chennai, Foxconn already manufactures handsets, including the iPhone 11, for Apple. In its Bengaluru factory, Wistron also makes iPhones, though Pegatron is in the process of setting up its India plant.

In March, a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme worth Rs. 40,995 crore (US$ 5.55 billion) was approved by the union cabinet to improve electronics manufacturing in the country, with incentives linked to sales and capital investment. For companies engaged in mobile production, it gives a 4-6% opportunity. Though foreign companies, such as Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron, can reap these advantages on phones with invoice values above Rs. 15000 (US$ 202.98), there is no such restriction for Indian companies.

Five international and five Indian firms were approved by the government for the scheme earlier this month. Lava International, Bhagwati (Micromax), Padget Electronics, UTL Neolyncs and Opteimus Electronics are Indian companies included in the list. Samsung, Foxconn Hon Hai, Rising Star (owned by Foxconn), Wistron and Pegatron are, on the other hand, foreign players who have been authorised. Also accepted were component manufacturers such as AT&S, Ascent Circuits, Visicon and three others.

Companies approved for the PLI scheme are projected to drive over Rs. 10.5 lakh crore (US$ 140 billion) of production in India in the next five years, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It is estimated that over 50% of these will be exported from the region.

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

"15.1. Project MoUs worth Rs 35K cr inked at 'Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0’">

15.1. Project MoUs worth Rs 35K cr inked at 'Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0'

IANS, Nov. 03, 2020

"Today's investment proposals worth Rs 35,000 crore shall generate over 23,000 jobs in the state. Maharashtra will not just emerge from the coronavirus situation, but will lead the whole country with more vigour," Thackeray said.

In the logistics sector, the investors include: EMR India (Singapore, Rs 4,310 crore), Malpani Warehousing & Industrial Park (Rs 950 crore), Ishwar Logistics Park (Rs 395 crore), Pareba Logistics Park (Rs 381 crore), and Evermint Logistics (Rs 350 crore).Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Monday inked MoUs worth Rs 35,000 crore with 10 Indian and five global companies at the 'Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0' investor meet, officials said here.

These include seven agreements for setting up data centres, five for logistics and one each in the gas & fuel, chemicals, and electronics sectors, paving the way for the state to become a data and logistics hub in western India.

"Faith is of utmost importance... Both the investors and government have trust in each other. We are happy that all procedures have been completed in 60 per cent of the industries in the previous MoUs (June, 2020)," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on the occasion.

Expressing satisfaction at the Industry Ministry's performance, he said this is just the beginning and "the state is planning to bring in over Rs 1 lakh crore investments in the coming few months".

In addition to the 12 companies which signed the deals on June 15, another 15 companies signed the deals in the presence of Industry Minister Subhash Desai, Minister of State for Industry Aditi Tatkare and other top officials.

They include: Data Centres like Netmagic IT Services (Rs 10,555 crore), Adani Enterprises Ltd (Rs 5,000 crore), Colt (United Kingdom, Rs 4,400 crore), Nxtra (Rs 2,500 crore), Princeton Digital Group (Singapore, Rs 1,500 crore), Mantra Data Centre (Spain, Rs 1,125 crore), and STT Global (Rs 825 crore).

The remaining are: Bright Sino Holdings (Rs 1,800 crore), Mitsubishi Electronics (Japan, Rs 490 crore) and Oriental Aromatics (Rs 265 crore), said an official.

In June, the state had signed 12 MoUs worth Rs 16,000 crore at the height of the lockdown, encompassing automobiles, food processing, engineering, logistics, IT and chemical sectors with Indian and global companies.

15.2. Mercedes-Benz aims to boost Make-In-India programme

IBEF, Nov. 09, 2020

To benefit from lower tax rates and improve sales, Mercedes-Benz, the country's biggest luxury car producer, aims to assemble more cars in India.

The company rolled out its first AMG vehicle from its Pune factory earlier this week, making India one of the brand's group of countries to manufacture.

AMG cars are vehicles that have been entirely imported for sale in India, so far. The AMG GLC 43 Coupe became India's first AMG car to be partially manufactured. The AMGs are also produced outside of Germany in Thailand, the US and Malaysia.

In India, BMW and Audi also have assembly facility that have been operational for over a decade. From its Chennai-based factory, BMW currently produces eight models. One of the models assembled by Audi from the Auran is the A6 sedan, in Aurangabad.

Mr. Martin Schwenk, managing director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “In the last couple of years, we saw that AMG has performed really well in the success category. We feel that there is a great likelihood of further expanding AMG 's footprint and making it acceptable to the public at the same time.”

"That's why we were thinking about localising the AMG brand, so we introduced the GLC 43 Coupe. It is a commodity that would cost about Rs. 1 crore (US$ 135.13 thousand) (if completely imported), but it comes to Rs. 76.7 lakh (US$ 103.64 thousand) after localization,” added Mr. Schwenk.

There are two plates in India for import duties on fully constructed cars — 60% and 100%, depending on the value. The import duties are 15% and 30% for partially assembled units.

Mercedes-Benz has already manufactured 10 models in India, including the C-Class, E-Class and Maybach, sourcing engines from Force Motors of Pune. Compared with 2018, the eight AMG cars imported by the carmaker recorded a growth of 54% during 2019. Mercedes did not share the AMGs' absolute figures.

“When we introduce the car in India and the AMG version of it, we are hoping to take this further with the A-Class Limousine. With that launch, we will be able to boost the portfolio size,” added Mr. Schwenk.

Amid weak demand conditions, Mercedes-Benz has ramped up investment in India over the last two years. The investments poured into the localization of more goods and the assembly plant.

We have invested Rs. 400 crore (US$ 54.05 million) in India in the last 12-18 months, mainly to begin preparing to produce the new GLE, GLS, GLC and now AMG models. The A-Class and GLA entry segments will also be manufactured in the future. So far, India has witnessed an investment of Rs. 2,600 crore (US$ 351.33 million),” added Mr. Schwenk.

Mercedes-Benz logged sales of 13,786 units in India in 2019, a fall of 11% from 15,538 units in 2018. According to the company, India's demand for luxury cars is starting to recover and that is evident from the momentum seen during the time of Navratri and Dussehra. During those 10 days, the company sold 550 vehicles.

"We're very truly happy with the growth in demand. Since July, we have seen growth coming in every month. Currently, we are in a normal year at 80-90%. So, we had a powerful ramp-up leading into the holiday season. It is better than what we were hoping for. "Diwali is going to be even better and (sales) must be similar to Diwali last year," Mr. Schwenk added.

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

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

16.1. Tata Technologies partners with Karnataka govt to upgrade ITIs as technology hubs

IBEF, Nov. 09, 2020

On Friday, Tata Technologies Ltd signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the government of Karnataka for 10 years to modernise 150 state Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and invested Rs. 4,600 crore (US$ 621.58 million) in the state, a company statement said.

This objective is to improve the accessibility of people with the advanced skills required in all districts for smart manufacturing and enable the industry to adopt Industry 4.0 technology very efficiently.

These ITIs will cater to the advanced skill requirements of students and hiring managers following the upgrade. They will also serve as hubs for technology and skills centres for large industries and MSMEs.

To implement this project, Tata Technologies will work collaboratively with 20 international industry partners. It will upgrade the overall infrastructure, build an ITI course curriculum that leverages its knowledge of the manufacturing domain in advanced technology areas, execute training programmes and provide equally equitable training.

Alongside industry partners, the company would also deploy 300 training staff and will enable the implementation of advanced tools and equipment.

"The technology upgrade of ITIs will result in better job opportunities for the state's youth and develop the state of Karnataka into a future investment hub for all those players in the industry who are likely to adopt Industry 4.0 and smart development technologies," Chief Minister, Mr. B S Yediyurappa said.

“MSMEs who could not afford high-end advanced technology that will be supported for use at ITIs will benefit significantly from this initiative," he said.

Mr. Warren Harris, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Technologies, said, “Through this partnership with the Government of Karnataka, we aim to leverage our product technical expertise and manufacturing domain skills to build future-ready courseware and training programs that allow ITI students to develop their skills in the recent advancements and be part of the rapidly transforming systems."

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Skills Development, Mr. C N Ashwath Narayan said, “Two-year certification programme with a special emphasis on electric vehicle technology has been initiated by the state.”

"In addition to the certification offered by the ITIs throughout all trades, students from the next academic year should expect several certifications through technology / OEM providers," he added.

The advanced centres will promote modernization in Industry 4.0 sectors, such as product development, product verification and virtual review, crafts design, additive manufacturing (3D printing), modern repair and overhaul of automotive maintenance, battery electric vehicle training, etc.

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

16.2. How a change in L&D (learning and Development) helped drive digital transformation at Tata Communications

ETHRWorld, Oct. 27, 2020, Abhishek Sahu

A case study shows how the L&D team at Tata Communications, where 90% of all learning happened in classrooms, realised there needed to be a single place for employees to access all learning. This led to the creation of Tata Communications Learning Academy and within 9 months, it was found that 80% of the company’s employees were using the platform and were upskilling and reskilling themselves online.

As recent events have illustrated, businesses need robust and adaptable learning programmes. Industry leaders believe Learning and Development programmes help in maintaining consistency in learning irrespective of time and situation. However, the modus operandi needs to be transformed to walk shoulder to shoulder with the changing times and demands.

Maintaining the traditional training model had become increasingly difficult

According to a case study, titled ‘Tata Communications Upskills Individuals and Teams Swiftly and Strategically with Degreed’, the L&D team at Tata Communications needed to shift learning away from the classroom and upskill an entire workforce to keep pace with digital transformation inside and outside the company.

“Up until 2017, 90% of learning at Tata Communications took place in classrooms.

Maintaining that traditional training model had become increasingly difficult, especially with newer technologies changing every three to six months,” stated the case study.

Speaking on the same, Ina Bajwa, Global Head of Learning & Development, Tata Communications, said, “There was a clear need for L&D programmes to evolve, supporting employees to be upskilled at the pace of the company’s ongoing digital transformation, and in a way that was scalable.”

Bajwa opined this could only have been possible by using a platform approach that could host varieties of online content, offer a great learner experience, and be easily accessible by all the employees across the globe.

On the same line, Ajay Sridharan, VP - SEA at Degreed, said L&D leaders must continue to stay on top of changing learning needs within their organisations and with each individual. Recent research conducted by Degreed found that many people don’t access their employer’s L&D resources for most of their learning. Instead, they are 67% more likely to turn to their professional networks to build skills.

“Similarly, one in five workers and managers stated that they’d like to access learning resources in their workplace messaging and collaboration systems. Having these kinds of insights will help L&D leaders understand exactly how to tailor the learning environment to their unique workforce,” Sridharan said.

Single destination for personalized learning

To adequately scale learning to support Tata Communications’ new initiatives, the report said, “the L&D team realized it needed to make all learning materials and courses available to every employee online. By the end of 2018, learning at the company had successfully shifted away from the classroom, and 91% of it was delivered digitally.”

As part of a broad strategy, the learning team sought to centralize all learning resources on a single consumer-grade platform to make learning even more efficient, accessible, trackable, and useful, the report added.

Degreed, an upskilling and learning experience platform, helped Tata Communications’ HR and L&D leaders provide the employees with a single destination for personalized learning from a wide range of sources.

“They gave L&D the ability to curate content quickly and strategically upskill individuals and teams,” the report said.

The telecommunications company launched the Tata Communications Learning Academy, in partnership with Degreed. It is an intuitive one-stop-platform for all learning and is the primary learning interface for all employees of Tata Communications. Its AI-enabled recommendation engine provides personalised content based on the learner’s preferences, content & people followed and searched themes.

Using Degreed, Sridharan said, “the L&D team can efficiently curate and tailor content to the business’ needs as well as the learners’ feedback. The team can pick up on cues from the wider business, using the knowledge of what worked and what didn’t to inform constant agile improvements to the academy.”

“The multi-modal formats in digital courses, articles, videos, podcasts, books and easily accessible links to place certification requests, customised learning requests, and access to quarterly learning calendars – offer a great variety to learners who are looking for byte-sized content for ‘learning in the flow of work’, as well as ‘elaborate courses’ to help them achieve their development focus,” Bajwa said.

The approach helped Tata Communications achieve a net promoter score of 79

Nine months after the launch of Tata Communications Learning Academy, the case study said 80% of Tata Communications’ employees had used the platform at least once, and 55% had returned to use it again.

Besides, “Employees completed 5,379 certifications, exceeding the company’s certifications target for FY20 by a whopping 176%. Moreover, Degreed helped Tata Communications realize its employee learning and L&D programme goals,” the report said.

Supporting the same, Bajwa said, “Tata Communications Learning Academy, powered by Degreed, made us adapt to the sudden change presented by the pandemic seamlessly. Our employees relied on the academy for all their learning and development needs and as compared to the pre-pandemic times, the surge in uptake was phenomenal.”

Before the launch of the Academy, Tata Communications’ net promoter score was 55. But the new approach helped the company to get to a stellar net promoter score of 79. “At present, we are at 84, while the average across organisations is negative 25, according to Degreed research,” Bajwa added.

Speaking on how L&D leaders can create the right environments and foster experiences that put employees at the centre of the learning universe, Sridharan said, “Putting employees at the centre of the learning universe starts, first and foremost, with understanding their needs, wants and aspirations.”

“It requires trust and close collaboration between business leaders, HR, L&D, and individual employees. To create a learning experience suited to each individual, you have to let them shape their experiences by inputting on the kind of tech they want to use, the content they find useful, and what they need to succeed in their roles today and grow their careers tomorrow.” added Sridharan.

17.1. Dr Reddy's launches generic product in US to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease

IBEF, Oct. 21, 2020

On Tuesday, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories said it had launched the over-the-counter (OTC) medication Famotidine tablets on the American market, used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease.

"After receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), the company has launched the medication, which is like Johnson & Johnson's Pepcid AC, in the US," Dr. Reddy's Laboratories said in a statement.

Famotidine tablets are used to avoid and alleviate acid indigestion and sour stomach-related heartburn caused by consuming or drinking certain foods and drinks.

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories North America Generics CEO Mr. Marc Kikuchi said, "This launch will help us fulfil an important therapy gap created in antacids market due to Ranitidine withdrawal”.

For the 12 months ending in August 2020, the Pepcid AC brand and generic variants had US sales of about $211 million.

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

17.2. Pharma exports soar 15% in first half of FY21

IBEF, Nov. 04, 2020

The country's pharmaceuticals exports are on course to cross US$ 23 billion for the first time this fiscal year after rising 14.85% yoy at US$ 11.78 billion in the first half, a senior ministry of commerce official said.

Mr. Ravi Uday Bhaskar, DG, Pharmexcil, said, "India is likely to sustain similar growth in pharmaceutical exports in the second half of the fiscal period, following the indications of demand for our pharmaceutical products worldwide, as well as close the fiscal with exports of at least US$ 23 billion and may even touch US$ 24 billion".

The growth is driven by drug formulations and biologicals, whose shipment grew a record 21.85% year-on-year to US$ 8.99 billion in the April-September period as countries around the world turned to India to meet a rise in demand in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic that in many parts of the world triggered lockdowns and production disruptions.

For the first time in the history of Indian pharmaceutical exports, the first half accounted for 76.3% of overall pharmaceutical exports, up from around 72% a year earlier.

Last fiscal year, India exported US$ 20.58 billion worth of pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Uday Bhaskar told ET, "We expected India to record US$ 22 billion in pharmaceutical exports last fiscal year, but we fell short and ended up at US$ 20.58 billion , due to logistics disruptions and lockdowns in different importing countries in the Covid-19 pandemic in the last fiscal quarter ended March 2020".

Herbal products also saw a record increase of 20.77% year on year in the first half, in addition to formulations and biologicals, at US$ 168.87 million. Less than 1.5% of Indian pharma exports are accounted for by herbal products.

In the first half, exports of bulk medicines, medication intermediates, Ayush, vaccines and surgical products decreased slightly, due to the transition in countries around the world 's immediate healthcare focus to managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the first half, bulk drugs and drug intermediates reported a decline of 4.5% to US$ 1.87 billion, down from US$ 1.96 billion last fiscal year. "The decrease in bulk drugs and intermediate drug exports can also be seen as a positive development as most Indian companies have used them to manufacture high-margin and high-value formulations for value addition, contributing to Indian pharmaceutical exports' overall growth," said Mr. Uday Bhaskar.

Vaccine exports dropped 7.27% to US$ 359.05 million in the first half, while surgical exports and Ayush goods remained nearly unchanged, falling 0.11% to US$ 317.07 million and 0.65% to US$ 72.1 million, respectively.

India exports vaccines mainly to fulfil the various countries' scheduled immunisation programmes for infants, and with the shift in the healthcare priority of these countries to counter the Covid-19 pandemic, India has seen a decrease in exports of vaccines, said Mr. Uday Bhaskar.

However, the country "will see a substantial increase in the export of this fiscal vaccine if the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine is successful before the fiscal end," he added.

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

18.1. After easing of WFH rules, India Inc continues to innovate ahead

IANS, Nov. 10, 2020

Building a homogeneous culture, training and skills for organisations, security, employee bonding among others need to be relooked in this new normal, with millions of employees working at the place of their choice.

Shammi Pant, Co-founder of mYJen, which provides AI based communications skills coaching tools, is looking forward to tapping the tremendous opportunity of reinventing and transforming the workplace.New Delhi: In view of the government’s recent initiative to make Work From Home (WFH) and Work From Anywhere (WFA) permanent features for the IT/ITeS/BPO sectors, companies will have to gear up for this new normal to implement it as a long term strategy.

The pandemic has been the biggest disruptor of this century and this move by the government can be a gamechanger for the IT and BPO industry, positioning India as a global outsourcing hub leading to job creation beyond the metros.

The changes will enable companies to attract talent from anywhere, reduce costs of operations while also accelerate development and use of new human resources, marketing, sales, business development and other practices to ensure high productivity.

Karthikeyan Natarajan, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Cyient, a leading home-grown engineering and digital solutions company with a global footprint, hailed the government's move, stating that the liberalised guidelines will help plan workforce and customer delivery as well as create jobs in Tier-2 and 3 cities, given that the pandemic might be a reality for the next two years."

Startups involved in training and skilling the workforce to enable them to efficiently conduct business online are optimistic about the future.

Shammi Pant, Co-founder of mYJen, which provides AI based communications skills coaching tools, is looking forward to tapping the tremendous opportunity of reinventing and transforming the workplace.

According to her, effective employee communication skills will play a pivotal role in making this model successful. The Learning & Development (L&D) teams have a critical role to play in carving out the right learning solutions, by introducing new age and high tech digital and AI learning products that are scalable and personalised.

On the other side of the spectrum, companies too are actively attempting to address these issues based on the learning from more than six months of WFH now.

According to Rajiv Bhalla, Managing Director, Barco India, "As we navigate through the human and economic impact of Covid-19, it will be imperative for employees to focus on agility, adaptability, reskilling, and upskilling to ensure that they are trained for the upcoming challenges and rapid technology changes.

"At Barco, we have initiated reskilling and upskilling initiatives along with providing access to virtual courses on edX platform and certified training programs through our Learning and Development centre of excellence - Barco University, to keep our employees up to date and relevant in today's competitive market."

The government policy announcement is also a reflection of the changing needs of businesses in a digital world. The regulations on working from home have constantly been eased since March when the country first went into lockdown.

For example, in April the Department of Telecom (DoT) did away with the need to make security deposits or submit WFH agreement the companies had with their employees. And on November 5, the DoT completely changed the guidelines to allow permanent WFH or WFA in India for Other Service Providers (OSPs) employees of BPO and ITeS companies.

18.2. Microsoft, Nasscom to skill 30K Telangana youths in AI

IANS, Nov. 13, 2020

AI Classroom Series course introduces students to the concepts of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It helps students enhance their employability by acquiring the skills that the industry requires. The sessions will commence from November 23.

Shrikant Sinha, CEO of TASK, said the course will be a combination of self-learning modules, hands-on workshops, live demos and virtual instructor-led classes by experts from Microsoft and Nasscom, followed by an assignment and finally certification from Microsoft and Nasscom . The course is open to students of all streams.Hyderabad: Microsoft and Nasscom will skill 30,000 youths from Telangana in Artificial Intelligence under 'March to Million' initiative, for which the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) and Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) have partnered with the two organisations.

The initiative, which aims at skilling one million youths in AI by 2021, was launched on Thursday.

"The industry today, irrespective of the domain, requires smart technology-backed solutions that reduce resource utilisation and enhance productivity. We need the youth of Telangana to be skilled in these areas. I am glad that TASK and TSCHE have partnered for this initiative. The students of our state must make use of this opportunity to skill themselves in these emerging technologies," said Industry and Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao, who had announced 2020 to be the year of Artificial Intelligence.

"I appreciate Microsoft and Nasscom FutureSkills for bringing this initiative to Telangana. The world of technology is evolving very fast and we need our students to be a part of this technology revolution. An initiative such as this will help upgrade the talent pool in our state and enhance Telangana's appeal to global organisations for making investments in the state," said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Information Technology.

Papi Reddy, Chairman of TSCHE, said the programme gives learners the flexibility to learn at a pace and time convenient to them.

Dr Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, said the digital transformation of India is driving demand for tech-enabled jobs across every industry and with it the need for digital skills. Technologies like AI are becoming enablers for every business today, making the need for creating an AI-ready ecosystem vital for India's economic and social value creation.

Amit Aggarwal, CEO IT-ITES Sector Skill Council Nasscom and Co-Architect, Nasscom FutureSkills, said that digital skills like AI are in demand across all sectors and within roles that traditionally did not require them.

The IT exports in Telangana rose by 18 per cent in 2019-20, propelling the state to the second position in India based on IT exports. The 'March to Million' project is another major step towards creating an AI-ready talent pool in Telangana, thereby strengthening the IT ecosystem in the state, said the IT Department.

19.1. Oyo generated over 5000 employment opportunities in Maharashtra, looking for more

ETTravelWorld, Oct. 24, 2020

"We have generated over 5000+ employment opportunities in the state and are excited to tap into the potential of the tourism sector in the state. We, along with hundreds of our hotel partners, look forward to delivering a safe, secure and comfortable experience to the travellers,” Agarwal said.

Rohit Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, OYO India & South Asia, explained how it enabled significant economic opportunities for Maharashtra’s tourism and hospitality sectors and reiterated its commitment to generating more employment and entrepreneurship through the growing network of its hotels and homes in the state. OYO Hotels & Homes will look at expanding its network of hotels in the state of Maharashtra by inviting more owners to be part of the network to leverage full advantage of the new “ease of doing business” policy of the State government in the State. The State government had announced reducing the number of approvals required to start and operate hotels and restaurants in the State from over 70 to just 10 recently.

The intention of the hotel company was shared during ‘OYO Samvad’ a virtual interactive meeting series between OYO leadership and Maharashtra Tourism recently by Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO of OYO.

“We along with our 170+ hotel partners had an insightful experience listening to the state government’s vision and their efforts to revive the hospitality sector in the state to make it an important tourism hub in the country. Maharashtra is an important market for us. We have generated over 5000+ employment opportunities in the state and we are excited to tap into the potential of the tourism sector in the state. We, along with hundreds of our hotel partners, look forward to delivering a safe, secure and comfortable experience to the travellers,” Agarwal said.

Currently, OYO claims to have 900+ hotels with 16,000+ rooms in Maharashtra and enjoys a presence in prominent tourist destinations such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Nashik, Mahabaleshwar, Alibag, Aurangabad.

The ‘OYO Samvad’ webinar focused on the future of hospitality and tourism, including strategies and steps taken by the Maharashtra government to revitalize the industry amidst COVID 19.

Addressing the webinar, Aaditya Thackeray, Minister of Tourism and Environment, Maharashtra, said that the State holds enormous opportunity for the travel and hospitality sector in terms of generating opportunities for employment and bringing revenue to the state. “We are proud to be surrounded with natural beauty and are actively pursuing opportunities in coastal, spiritual, heritage, eco-tourism, agri-tourism. We will continue to introduce multi-pronged tourism policies to bring a world-class experience to the tourists visiting the state. During the lock-down, our focus has been to introduce sector friendly policies to enable entrepreneurs, boost tourism and celebrate our incredible state with the rest of the world. We are excited by the work done by an Indian company such as OYO, and we wholeheartedly support the hospitality chain in its efforts to bring affordable, quality, safe and hygienic stay-in experiences to the travellers visiting the state.”

Addressing the OYO hotel partners during the webinar, Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra said, “We have taken some major decisions recently to boost tourism in the state and have plans to announce some new-proposals in the near future. While introducing health, safety and hygiene protocols in the state’s hospitality sector, we took in the suggestions and recommendations by the hospitality chain, OYO Hotels & Homes. We would like to collaborate and close work with OYO to motivate entrepreneurs to open more hotels, attracting tourists and travellers looking for affordable stays.”

19.2. Hinduja Global Solutions to hire 3,200 people in the second quarter of the current fiscal

PTI, Nov. 13, 2020

"We expect to hire around 3,200 people in the second half of the year...Pipeline looks encouraging. For instance, in the UK, we had won a short-term project related to COVID-19 from one of the government departments...We have now won another big order and we expect to add a significant number of people," HGS Global Chief Financial Officer Srinivas Palakodeti told .

Palakodeti added that the hiring is across almost all the geographies - the US, Canada, Jamaica, the Philippines and India. At the end of September 2020 quarter, the company's total headcount stood at 39,578 with 45 per cent staff in India.New Delhi: Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS), the BPO arm of the diversified Hinduja group, plans to hire about 3,200 people in the second half of the ongoing fiscal across various geographies including the UK, the US and India. The hiring plans come on the back of a strong deal pipeline that the company sees across various segments.

He added that for this new client, the company is adding 700 staff in the UK, and these roles will be all work-from-home.

"There is also a lot of interest in terms of digital services, it could be social care, engaging customers on any of the social media platforms...online reputation management...we have won some engagements there," he said.

The Philippines accounted for 24.9 per cent of the headcount, followed by US/Jamaica (18.8 per cent), Canada (7.4 per cent) and UK/Europe (3.9 per cent).

Palakodeti explained that some of the hiring is also on account of open season enrolment in the US, where open enrolment season is a period when people can enroll in a health insurance plan.

This is when employees of organisations can also make changes to their elected benefit options. Companies like HGS ramp up hiring to address the spike in workload related to the healthcare industry during this time. Earlier this week, HGS announced its financial results for September quarter.

Its consolidated net profit rose 65.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 81.3 crore in September quarter - the highest-ever reported by the company. Revenue increased 9.4 per cent to Rs 1,332.5 crore during the quarter under review from Rs 1,217.9 crore in July-September a year ago.

The company had attributed the strong performance to robust healthcare volumes and growth in other verticals. Healthcare and Insurance vertical, which accounted for 55.5 per cent of the quarter's revenue, witnessed 10.8 per cent growth in the quarter over the year-ago period.

Technology and Telecom vertical accounted for 14.2 per cent, while Consumer and Retail vertical revenue contributed 10.6 per cent of the September 2020 quarter revenue.

During the quarter, HGS added 12 new logos across verticals for core business process management (BPM) services and eight for HRO/ Payroll processing, and signed 49 opportunities for expansion of business with existing clients.

It signed engagements with 17 clients (new and existing) for HGS Digital services (RPA, digital, analytics and Social Care services), and as of September 30, 2020, it had 235 core BPM clients and 699 HRO/Payroll processing clients.

20.1. Walmart Vriddhi to train MSMEs digitally

ET Bureau, Oct. 30, 2020, Shambhavi Anand

The first all-digital institute will initially be open to MSMEs in Panipat, Sonipat, and Kundli, an area that is a hub of textile, steel and kitchenware production. Eligible MSMEs can access the digital training experience through a mobile application available on iOS and Android in both English and Hindi.
The Walmart Vriddhi Program was launched by Walmart Inc. in December 2019 with the aim to empower 50,000 Indian MSMEs to “Make in India” for domestic and global supply chains.

New Delhi: Walmart rolls out virtual training program to small and medium sized businesses as a part of its supplier development program Walmart Vriddhi, the company said in a statement.

The first all-digital institute will initially be open to MSMEs in Panipat, Sonipat, and Kundli, an area that is a hub of textile, steel and kitchenware production. Eligible MSMEs can access the digital training experience through a mobile application available on iOS and Android in both English and Hindi.

It will later be rolled out to other regions in India.

“Walmart Vriddhi opens up opportunities for MSMEs to sell into Walmart’s supply chains or the open marketplace. Wherever they are in their journey and whatever their aspirations for growth, that openness makes the program unique and puts the supplier at the centre of everything we do,” Judith McKenna, president and CEO of Walmart International, said. “With today’s digital enhancements, we’re helping more entrepreneurs expand their capabilities and build sustainable businesses that add value to their communities.”

The Walmart Vriddhi Program was launched by Walmart Inc. in December 2019 with the aim to empower 50,000 Indian MSMEs to “Make in India” for domestic and global supply chains. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the program was reshaped to emphasise digital experiences, and this allowed it to be rolled out to more MSMEs.

20.2. Amazon Web Services to invest $2.77 billion in Telangana to set up data centres

PTI, Nov. 06,2020

"Happy to announce the largest FDI in the history of Telangana! After a series of meetings, AWS has finalized investment of Rs 20,761 Cr ($ 2.77 Bn) to set up multiple data centers in Telangana The @AWSCloud Hyd Region is expected to be launched by mid 2022," the minister tweeted.

AZs consist of multiple data centres in separate distinct locations within a single region that are engineered to be operationally independent of one another with independent power, cooling, physical security and connections via a low-latency network, the release said.Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be investing $2.77 billion (Rs 20,761 crore) in Telangana to set up multiple data centres, Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao said on Friday.

It is the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the history of the state, he added.

AWS is the cloud platform offered by Amazon.

A press release issued by Rama Rao said, AWS is investing to set up an AWS Region with three Availability Zones (AZs) here.

The minister had met officials from AWS during his Davos visit earlier in the year and subsequently arrived at the closure on the investment in a swift manner, according to the release.

India and the World

21.Will support our industry to invest in Africa in big way

IBEF, Nov. 05, 2020

India will support large-scale investment by its domestic industry in Africa to further improve economic relations between the two regions, Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.

He said bilateral trade, which has increased to approximately US$ 67 billion, reflects Africa's deep engagement with India.

He also added that, initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, will further encourage local investors and businesses to collaborate with Africa.

“Let us work together to create a supply chain between Africa and India that is more diverse, efficient and resilient. Let us also continue to keep our markets open and make trade between Africa and India smoother and more desirable. We promise you (that) we will support our industry to invest heavily in Africa,” he said at the Indo Africa Virtual Summit.

In addition, Mr. Goyal expressed hope that Africa's least developed countries (LDCs) would benefit from India 's extended Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme.

This scheme has been expanded by India to 26 of Africa's LDCs. Under the scheme, lower duties are paid on imports of most goods from less developed nations.

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

22. India's structural promise remains intact: JPMorgan

ET Bureau, Oct. 8, 2020, Joel Rebello & MC Govardhana Rangan

Filippo Gori, CEO, JPMorgan, Asia Pacific, says, "India is on the cusp of a digital transformation and that is making people excited and they are seriously considering India like never before. For example, despite the lockdown in India, JPMorgan’s operations have continued to operate very effectively."

Filippo Gori, CEO, JPMorgan, Asia PacificIndia stands out among emerging markets because of its technology skills. Fund flows would remain strong, especially chasing the digital theme, says Filippo Gori, CEO, JPMorgan, Asia Pacific. In an interview with Joel Rebello and MC Govardhana Rangan, Gori says the China Plus One strategy of multinational corporations could see some manufacturing move to low-cost nations like Vietnam and Thailand. Edited excerpts from the interview:

This pandemic is being compared to the one the world saw a century ago. Does history tell us how economies could progress from here?

I see the crisis accelerating existing trends more than anything else - for example we were on a path of digitisation and innovation and the pandemic is a catalyst to accelerate some of those transformations. You can look back in history when Europe had the Spanish flu or plagues but I don't think learnings can be properly extrapolated. My impression is that central banks and governments have acted very quickly and ensured there is no liquidity crunch. But our view is that this situation will strain the world economy for a while.

There are a few arrows left for the central banks around the world including negative interest rates. In India, the RBI has been very pro-active and aggressive, injecting unprecedented liquidity into the system - effectively cutting rates by 175 bps - and back-stopping some credit risk. What happens next will depend on the speed and strength of the economic recovery but it's likely many markets will require continued policy support through 2021.

One fallout of central banks' action is capital flows. Do the fundamentals justify the inflows in emerging markets as an asset class?

As an asset class EM has some challenges and some countries within this have greater risk than others in terms of economic concerns. However, India, has received a lot of positive interest from global investors over the past few months and its valuation premiums are unlikely to fall in isolation since the country's structural promise remains intact. In terms of technology, India has done a lot in this space and this plays into the core global themes around consumption and digitisation.

One argument is that it is only one company that has cornered majority of flows in India in the last few months. Is there a broader theme?

You often need a leader to show the way, which can help promote further flows and the importance of that shouldn’t be discounted. In terms of other themes, the China Plus One theme is interesting. For example, we don’t expect a single country to be the technology factory of the world and we believe more tech companies will establish broader supply chains across more countries to reduce the single-country risk exposure. India can definitely play a role within this.

We have seen a lot of things moving to Vietnam and Thailand. Why has it not moved to India and what needs to be done?

Labour costs in China have reached a point where it is cheaper to move supply chains to other markets, and Vietnam and Thailand stand out as potential destinations for labor-intensive manufacturing. But it won’t be immediate and may take three to five years to build new supply chains outside of China. If there is one area where we feel strongly that India can play a leadership role, it’s in tech. India is on the cusp of a digital transformation and that is making people excited and they are seriously considering India like never before. For example, despite the lockdown in India, JPMorgan’s operations have continued to operate very effectively.

What are the top destinations in the region according to you?

Not in any particular order, but Japan, China, Australia and India. We have seen some large transactions in the capital markets and M&A. There is good dialogue with companies analysing opportunities in these markets that could bode well for the future.

23. Indian exports to US, China on rise in 2020

Press Information Bureau, Oct. 21, 2020

A major increase in India's exports to the United States and China, coupled with a decrease in imports from the two countries, was seen this year, owing to the drive of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to data collected from the Centre, India's exports to the USA amounted to USD 5.1 billion in September 2020, 15.5% more than the figures for the corresponding month (USD 4.4 billion) in 2019.

In addition, imports from the United States decreased by a substantial 34.3% to USD 1.8 billion in September 2020, compared to USD 2.8 billion in September 2019.

Similarly, in the period from April to September this year, imports from China, one of the largest producers of commodities across industries, decreased to USD 27.4 billion. Therefore, imports have decreased by 24.5% from the USD 36.3 billion amount for the same duration last year.

Meanwhile, Indian exports to China increased by 26.3% to hit USD 10.6 billion in the above-mentioned period, a substantial increase from USD 8.4 billion for the period April-September 2019.

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

24.1. India has US$ 2.7 trillion untapped export potential in electronic exports: UNCTAD data

IBEF, Oct. 29, 2020

Despite the low market share of electronic exports (0.3%), India 's marginal market share in the world market means that India still has an untapped ability to mass produce and export these electronic products to the world market.

India has an untapped export potential of US$ 2.7 trillion in electronic exports, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) results.

India's share of key electronic products in global exports is barely 0.3%, while the corresponding figure for Malaysia and Vietnam is estimated at 3% and for Thailand at 2%, according to the latest UNCTAD statistics.

Furthermore, the data show that China is the largest exporter of electronic goods, with a worldwide share of 26%, followed by Hong Kong, with a share of 13%. The other big exporters are South Korea, the USA, Germany, and Japan, with shares of 6.8%, 6.6%, 4.8% and 3.2%, respectively.

Hong Kong 's share has more than doubled from 5.4% to 13% since 1995, while South Korea 's share has risen slightly from 4.9% to 6.8%. The contribution of Vietnam to electronic exports grew from practically zero in 1995 to 2.9%.

Japan and the USA's share of worldwide electronic exports decreased sharply during this time, while Germany's share contracted slightly. During this time, India's share remained steady at around 0.1-0.3%, UNCTAD data shows.

The size of the world market for exports of electronic products is US$ 2.74 trillion, of which India's exports are barely US$ 7.79 billion (0.3%).

Ms. Rupa Naik, Senior Director, MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai, said, “India has the opportunity to capture the huge world market for electronic products because of the shifting global supply chain after the outbreak of pandemic and progressive policy measures such as production linked incentives and SPECS.”

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

24.2. India set to touch 328 foreign satellite launches on Saturday

IBEF, Nov. 09, 2020

On Friday afternoon, the 26-hour countdown to the Saturday rocket launch from the first launch pad will begin. On November 7, 2020, at 3.02 p.m. the rocket with 10 satellites is scheduled to take off from the Sriharikota Rocket Terminal, a senior official of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) told IANS.

The nine overseas satellites are from: Lithuania (1-technology demonstrator), Luxembourg (4 Kleos Space maritime application satellites) and the USA (4-Lemur remote sensing multi-mission satellites).

It all began in 1999 when, for the first time, India launched foreign satellites — Kitsat-3 from South Korea weighing 107 kg and DLR-Tubsat from Germany weighing 45 kg — as piggyback luggage with a PSLV-C2 rocket on the country's own 1,050 kg Oceansat. Since then, 319 foreign satellites have been launched by India over the next two decades.

The ISRO has also set a global record for the largest number of satellites to be launched—104 of which were 101 foreign satellites in a single PSLV rocket on February 15, 2017. ISRO has earned Rs. 1,245.17 crore (US$ 168.25 million) in the last five years by launching satellites from 26 countries, according to the Indian government. The income was Rs. 324.19 crore (US$ 43.81 million) in 2018-19, against Rs. 232.56 crore (US$ 31.42 million) in 2017-18.

Mr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State in the Department of Space and the Department of Atomic Energy, told Rajya Sabha in December 2019, “In the last five years, contracts with 10 countries, such as the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Algeria and France, have been signed under commercial arrangements.”

Two start-ups, Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd, are also in the process of developing small rockets while ISRO is building a small rocket with a long winding name — Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to launch satellites weighing up to 500.

The largest factor in the global space sector will be the launch of small satellites, as ~7,000 satellites are expected to be in the skies by 2027. The focus of global satellite communications will now be the low-cost launch of Small sats to LEO. In all, at a total cost of $38 billion, about 7,000 small sats are expected to be launched between 2018 and 2027.

The planned launch of the Saturday rocket will be the first space mission from India for ISRO in 2020.

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

25. Saudi Arabia announces additional rights to expatriate workers; to benefit over 2 million Indians

ET Bureau, Nov. 12, 2020, Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury

The initiative allows expatriate workers labor mobility and amends existing exit procedures in a manner that does not conflict with Saudi Labor Law and is in line with international immigration best practices.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday embarked on an ambitious initiative reforming the Kingdom's labour laws to allow expatriate workers additional rights in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP).

Saudi Arabia, one of India’s strategic partners in the region, hosts 2.6 million Indians.

At a press conference held in Riyadh, the Ministry announced the "Labour Relation Initiative," which will come into effect in March of 2021. The initiative allows expatriate workers labour mobility and amends existing exit procedures in a manner that does not conflict with Saudi Labour Law and is in line with international immigration best practices.

The reforms will drive greater competition in Saudi Arabia's labour market by permitting employees to change their employers and allow employers to attract the best talent, ultimately increasing competition, wages, and public spending inside the Kingdom. 'The Labour Relation Initiative' is a declaration of Saudi Arabia's commitment to developing the local labour market and better regulating it in a manner that is beneficial to both employers and expatriate workers.

The initiative supports the Kingdom's reputation regarding expatriate workers' rights and its labour market efficiency and would lead to a reduction in the disputes between local employers and expatriate workers relating to employee mobility or exit visa requests.

The reforms allow expatriate workers in the Kingdom to transfer their sponsorship from one employer to another, request Exit/Re-Entry Visas, and secure a Final Exit Visa; all will now be approved automatically without requiring the employer's consent. The three services will be made available to the public through the smartphone application "Absher" and the Ministry's electronic web portal.

The 'Labour Relation Initiative' comes to complement several similar initiatives launched by the Kingdom to improve the efficiency of the local job market, including the Wage Protection System (WPS), the electronic documentation of all labour contracts, and launching "Widy" mechanism for out of court settlement of labour disputes.

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AAPI

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Wednesday 18 November 2020

NEWSLETTER, 20-XI-2020

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

– AGRICULTURE, FISHING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

– INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURE

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

NEWSLETTER, 20-XI-2020

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

- AGRICULTURE, FISHING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

- INDUSTRY and MANUFACTURE

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

India and the World