INDIA in
MEXICO A Monthly Newsletter | Vol.III No.9 | October-November 2019
Foreign Office Consultations
Celebrating 150th Birth Anniversary of the Mahatma
Constitution Day
In this Issue
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Gandhi@150 The 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated across Mexico. People from all over Mexico came together to pay homage to the great man. Cd’A Mr. Aliawati Longkumer, Embassy officials, members of Indian Community and friends of India paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 150th Birth Anniversary. This was followed by musical rendition of Vaishnav Jan To and other bhajans.
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Indian Embassy celebrated Gandhi Jayanti with discourses on peace by Government officials, a one-act play on Ahimsa and a medley enacting Dandi March on the stage.
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As part of the Gandhi@150 Celebrations, Dr. Shrimati Das, Director GTICC visited the Mahatma Gandhi School and delivered a talk on “Gandhi as an Environmentalist�.
#Gandhi continues to inspire millions! Prizes and certificates were given to the winners of Quiz, Painting and Essay writing competitions conducted by the Embassy over the year.
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An exhibition of art-works on Mahatma Gandhi was inaugurated on 2nd October in the Embassy. These paintings are done by the famous Mexican painter, Ms. Mayra Hernandez Rios.
Gandhi@150 in the city of Guadalajara!
Gandhi@150 in the city of Cancun!
Gandhi@150 en San Luis Potosi! Visita a la Universidad de Matehuala
Celebrando el legado de Mahatma Gandhi, el Embajador Manpreet Vohra inauguró una exposición de fotos de la vida de Gandhi en la Universidad de Matehuala. También, ofreció unas flores a la estatua del Padre de la Nación, seguido por un acto civico y siembra de un árbol de la paz.
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El embajador Manpreet Vohra inaugurรณ el Modelo de las Naciones Unidas en la Universidad de Matehuala en la ocasion del Gandhi@150. Mรกs de 500 alumnos participarรกn con los temas de sostenibilidad y la paz en la ediciรณn de la MUN 2019.
Foreign Office Consultations The fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Mexico were held in New Delhi on 7th October 2019. The Indian side was led by Ms. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East). The Mexican side was led by Amb.Julián Ventura Valero, Deputy Minister of External Affairs of Mexico.
During the consultations the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including political, trade and economic cooperation as well as agriculture, science and technology, energy, tourism and culture. Both sides underscored the need to hold regular dialogue in these areas through the established bilateral mechanisms. The two sides will explore early dates for holding of the Joint Commission Meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers’. In this context, they agreed to continue the work on a roadmap towards a strategic partnership, as agreed upon during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mexico in 2016.
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Diálogo sobre Innovación y Desarrollo Social El 9 de octubre se celebró el Diálogo sobre Innovación y Desarrollo Social en Nueva Delhi, el cual reunió a la academia e iniciativa privada de ambos países para promover el desarrollo tecnológico con inclusión social. Al tiempo, se firmó un Memorándum de Entendimiento entre la Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior de México y la Asociación de Universidades Indias. Asimismo, tuvo ocasión el encuentro con centros de pensamiento de India para conocer, por parte de los mejores investigadores y analistas de ese país, su perspectiva regional y global. stos encuentros fueron encabezados por el Subsecretario de Relaciones Exteriores, Julián Ventura, el cual fue acompañado por el Embajador de México en India, Federico Salas y el Dr. Sergio Silva por parte de la Secretaría de Economía.
Para proyectar aún más la presencia de México en India, ambas naciones trabajan en convertir la actual relación privilegiada en una estratégica: existen oportunidades de cooperación a nivel gubernamental, empresarial, educativo e innovación. La visita del Subsecretario Julián Ventura subraya la amistad México-India, la cual cumplirá, próximamente, 70 años de relaciones diplomáticas.
Grupo de Amistad India-México
El Grupo de Amistad India-Mexico se inauguró en la Cámara de Diputados el 7 de Noviembre . Esperamos que esta alianza consolide los avances económicos, culturales y de cooperación entre ambas naciones.
Visit of the Hon. Election Commissioner of India
Lessons from the largest democratic exercise in the world! Honorable Election Commissioner of India Shri Sushil Chandra, on a visit to Mexico, interacted with the Indian community and Embassy officials to brief them about the National Voters Service Portal.
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Diwali
The Indian Association of Mexico organized a fun-filled Diwali night on 25 October.
Constitution Day Ambassador Manpreet Vohra and Embassy officials read the Preamble to mark the Constitution Day of India on 26th November.
Celebrating the “Spirit of Freedom” as #WeThePeople! A seminar on the Indian democracy and the constitution by distinguished Indologists was held in the Embassy to celebrate the Constitution Day of India. It was attended by Members of Parliament, friends of India and Indian community members.
550 Guru Nanak Jayanti Guru Nanak Devji's 550th birthday was celebrated with fervor- a day to rededicate ourselves to Nanakji’s ‘dream of a just, inclusive and harmonious society' on 12 November.A photo-exhibition was inaugurated and kirtan was held in the Embassy.
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Expo CIHAC
Ambassador Manpreet Vohra inaugurated the India Pavilion in EXPO CIHAC 2019. 42 Indian companies from ceramics and construction sector participated in this expo from 15-19 October. 15
ITEC Day
¡Día del ITEC en México! El 11 de noviembre se celebró el día del ITEC en México, programa que de becas otorgadas por el Gobierno de la India. Embajador Manpreet Vohra felicitó los alumnos y les ofreció una recepción. 16
Dia Internacional del Ayurveda
Festival de Comida Vegetariana ”Como parte de las celebraciones del 150 aniversario del natalicio de Mahtama Gandhi, se llevó a cabo un festival de comida vegetariana, inaugurado por la Sra. Naseem Vohra
El Día Internacional del Ayurveda se celebró el 25 de octubre con una participación de 250 personas. Consistió en una exhibición del cuerpo humano con las hierbas que pueden ser beneficiosas para problemas de salud comunes; una sesión de pranayama por la maestra de yoga, Diti Mirit Vora; comida sátvica y dos pláticas: “Ayurveda”, por el Dr. Marcus de Oliveira y “Obesidad e hiperalimentación en niños”.
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Visita a la Universidad del Sur ¡La educación como puente! El Embajador fue invitado a Chiapas por la Universidad del Sur donde se organizó una sesión especial sobre la India. El Embajador Manpreet Vohra habló sobre las relaciones bilaterales y como hemos logrado la posición que tenemos hoy en el mundo.
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!…and they say books are dead! Francis Bacon: ¨Reading Maketh a Full Man¨…refers to the notion that by reading one is able to fill the mind with knowledge pertaining to a variety of topics. Reading often enables a person to enter and explore the territories which are difficult to enter or explore in person, or it expands the imaginative aspects of the mind by helping the readers to conceive of ideas they might find foreign. When asked by a school student to share a new word with him, Shashi Tharoor, a man with a reputation as a fount of exotic vocabulary, the only man in Indian politics who is known not only for his wit but also for being a literary genius, said the simplest word in English to acquire vocabulary is to ´Read´. Read extensively. Having grown up in India, without television, without computer, without Nintendo, without Play Station, without mobile phones. All he had was printed books.
Following statistics should change the mindset of the readers who, hitherto, were under the impression and some have very strong belief that, ´Books are Dead´. The publication of books, journals and other works is an important part of the creative economy. Changes to publishing through technology and public policy go back to the Gutenberg press and the statute of Anne. Recent evolutions in technology, reading habits and public policies continue to profoundly change the nature of publishing and its underlying businesses are evolving across countries and over time it requires accurate statistics, collected on a regular and internationally comparable basis. The print books sale in India during 2019 (till August, 2019) is much higher than 2018: ¨The total Consumer Market (TCM) of print books has grown by 21% by volume and 22% by value¨ (Nielson BookScanIndia) 1. Fiction sales have increased by 15%, contrary to the belief of people that ¨Books are Dead¨. Indian books are quite popular worldwide. Things have never been better for sales of Indian publishers and authors than they are now; and it is increasing all the time. The sales at the world book fairs is proof of a very good and solid scope for Indian publishing now and in the future. India´s competitive pricing gives it an advantage, and we find titles on every subject imaginable sell today in India. The paperback titles the fiction market and contributes 88% of total fiction sales; whereas the hardback titles contributes 12% and remained the same as 2018. The Indian originated local titles have featured in more numbers compared to foreign titles in 2019. Best sellers have also increased compared to last year. The quality of English Language books from India is now world class, and we gave an effective modern distribution system to solve logistic problems. Online selling is holding many times more Indian stock than the book shop ever did. The statistics say that in 2014, 8000 books a month were sold, in 2018 around 25000 books a month is sold online in India. ….And they say Books are Dead.
MEXICO TOO READS:
¨A country that reads, that writes, that listens and communicates, is a place for a better quality of life, for generation of jobs, prepared for the changes that the demands of the world around us impose¨. Mexico is a large, well-populated country with excellent natural resources and a key strategic position. It is important to realize that there are two book markets in Mexico: The private sector and the public sector. It is estimated that government publishing represents about 63% of the total market by volume. (246million books per annum); while commercial publishers represent just 35% (100 million books per annum). Publishers are very conscious of this fact, and take every opportunity to highlight the limitations that Govt. publishing, particularly in the educational sector, impose on the realistically accessible market. The total book market at the level of publishers’ ´net sales per annum is estimated around US$ 600 million. At the consumer level this would be worth around US$855 million. The book market is dominated by educational products with sales into the educational market representing 60% of total sales. Since 2007, growth of book sales has been steady. Government purchases for the public education system have grown, although prices are still low. The demand for private education continues at a very high level, providing the dynamism at all levels, from preschool to college, and this seems likely to continue. ELT publishing is a large and growing segment, which spans both public and private sectors and school and post-school levels. The majority of demands is for American English materials, mostly published for the market, so this is an important area for British and American international ELT publishers. The market is estimated to be worth US$100m. Since 2012 publications in English grew by 81% following the implementation of English in preschool and primary public education. The ELT market of private schools too is big and highly competitive, and it represents an important proportion of all publishers’ income. Most of the teaching is in Spanish, and few UK publishers publish in Spanish. Hence publishing- both trade and educational – is becoming dominated by foreign owned multinational groups with local companies, which may be Spanish owned. Such as Santillana, Planeta, SM. Mexico is not a market where a quick impact can be gained.it requires the development and maintenance of close personal relationships within the local market. However, for those willing to invest their time and money, the market has great scope and makes natural first base for publishers wanting to expand into the wider Latin American region. In fact I learned that 2018 had a lot of distractions for the Mexican readers (presidential elections, soccer world cup), which considerably slowed down book sales. There was also the issue of the Mexican publishers acquiring the foreign titles in other currencies than their own. Mexico’s two markets Mexico/ Latin-American and Spain are very different. Specific genres such as business and marketing titles and books in the mind, body & spirit genre seem to be a lot more in demand on this side of the Atlantic.
Death of traditional books: Then came the shocker that Kindle would sound the death knell of the printed books. Just a few years ago the Kindle was being blamed for the death of the traditional books. Due to ´Kindles Screen Fatigue´, the consumer sales of Kindle were down to 35% last year and are at lowest level since 2011. , when Amazon Kindle sales first took off in UK- the market leader in E-Book, when Jeff Boz´s market dominated. This helped to fuel a 5 year high in printed book sale. It plunged 17% last year, slumped as commuters, holiday makers and leisure readers shelved digital editions in favour of good old fashioned print novels. Ten years ago, when Kindle was launched, the idea seemed miraculous. Here was the ability to carry hundreds of books enfolded in a tiny slip of plastic, countless stories in a few hundred Gms. Here are some things one can’t do with Kindle. One can’t turn down a corner, tuck a flap in a chapter, crack a spine or flick the pages to see how far one has to go. One of the greatest pleasures of reading is the physical turning of the pages. It makes one to think. In kindle one can’t remember something potent and find it again with references to where it appeared or a right or left hand page. One can’t tell whether the end is really the end, or whether the end equals to 93% followed by 7% of index or questions for book clubs. One can’t pass it on to a friend or post it through your neighbor’s door. There is a generally a sense that people are now getting screen tiredness , or fatigue, from so many devices being used , watched or looked at. Printed books provided an opportunity to step away from that.
The titles that really sold well last year did not lend themselves to digital. The people prefer or read children’s books like Harry Potter titles in print, and healthy cooking titles and biographies sell very well in print compared to e-book format. One could see a phenomenal rise in the sale of print books, which rose almost 9% last year to 1.55 billion pounds. The total UK print book market rose 8% to a five year high of 3 bn pounds. Issues with a slowdown in e-readers bought, linked to the rise of smart phones, has contributed to the decline in e-book popularity and renewed urge in book sales. For many consumers the screens on smart phones and tablets are not as conducive to reading, not as comfortable.
With most consumers carrying hi-tech expensive phones many just don’t want to have an extra cost, the potential headache, of carrying and looking after more devices. For consumers traveling or on holiday an additional e-reader device to look after is awkward. A physical copy of a book is a disposable low-cost entertainment tool. It doesn’t matter if one leaves it in the hotel room, on a train or by the swimming pool. Another thing that has happened is that books have become celebrated again as objects of beauty. They are coveted in their own right, while e-books which are not things of beauty have become more expensive. Readers have rediscovered their love of the physical. Young readers, particularly children prefer the immediacy of a book rather than e-book. For the youngsters, holding a book as a selfie statement, which an e-reader cannot do. It’s not about the death of e-books. It’s about e-books finding their natural level. Even in the years when the e-book sales were rising greatly and clearly cannibalizing physical book sales, it was always very clear that there would be a correction that would reach an equilibrium. E- Books will remain a substantial part of the market every publisher wants the people to read. And they don’t mind how they read. They know that people who read, sooner or later, will buy books. …And they say books are Dead…. Dr. Shrimati Das FS/Director Gurudev Tagore Indian Cultural Centre Embassy of India Mexico City
México e India: mirando hacia el futuro Por Emb. Julián Ventura Valero, Subsecretario de Relaciones Exteriores 08/10/2019 Ayer inicié una visita de trabajo a India, actor global de primera importancia y noveno socio comercial de México. Desde hace décadas nuestros intercambios han contribuido al enriquecimiento de nuestras culturas y sociedades. La cooperación en ciencia y tecnología ha generado desarrollo y bienestar en nuestros países. Sobre esta plataforma, estamos abriendo un nuevo capítulo en nuestra relación. El inicio del nuevo gobierno de México y la reelección del Primer Ministro Narendra Modi, ambos con sólido mandato popular, representa una gran oportunidad para evaluar dónde estamos y decidir hacia dónde queremos avanzar. Hoy, por ejemplo, apostamos a la innovación tecnológica como un nuevo eje prioritario de la agenda.
El mercado interno mexicano y nuestra plataforma exportadora nos hacen atractivos. La consolidación de la Alianza del Pacífico, la conclusión de las negociaciones del T-MEC, el avance en la modernización del Acuerdo Global con la Unión Europea y la entrada en vigor del Tratado Integral y Progesista de Asociación Transpacífico nos hacen más competitivos. Otro componente esencial de la visita, que es más tradicional, será el diálogo político. El peso global de India, como el de México, es indiscutible. Estamos convencidos de la importancia de los foros multilaterales y existen áreas de coincidencia en nuestras prioridades. Sumamos esfuerzos en el G20 para cerrar brechas entre posiciones divergentes y buscaremos espacios para actuar de la misma manera en el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, de confirmarse que los dos seremos miembros no permanentes en el bienio 202122. Con esta visita iniciamos una nueva etapa y expandimos la presencia de México en Asia. En la Cancillería tenemos claro que para lograr nuestras metas tenemos que ir más allá de los contactos entre burocracias y forjar alianzas. Trabajamos con otros actores para impulsar la innovación y el desarrollo social. India puede ser un socio privilegiado en este esfuerzo.
Realizaremos un Diálogo para la Innovación y el Desarrollo Social en el Instituto Indio de Tecnología de Delhi. Identificaremos acciones para aprovechar los avances en este campo a fin de reforzar las políticas públicas, la cultura de emprendimiento, y el bienestar y la inclusión social. En este ejercicio buscamos sumar a empresarios, universidades, especialistas y miembros de la sociedad civil. Por ello, esta iniciativa conjunta con la Secretaría de Economía incluye la participación de representantes del Consejo Empresarial Mexicano de Comercio Exterior, Inversión Tecnológica (COMCE), la Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES), la UNAM, el Tec de Monterrey y diversas empresas, así como sus homólogos indios.
https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/julianventura/mexico-e-india-mirando-hacia-el-futuro? fbclid=IwAR1hnyVE6gr96twxS1Tef6FOCXHqrQC6g8CIRsvf gyS8ZlxlDqEoR4bDDrU
En Nueva Delhi, también nos acercaremos al sector privado. Una relación más estrecha nos beneficia, tomando en cuenta que India importa de México cada año casi cinco mil millones de dólares. La inversióm india en México también ha crecido en el sector automotriz y de autopartes, las tecnologías de la información y el desarrollo de software. Buscaremos ampliar su presencia en estos y otros campos de vanguardia, para contribuir a la integración de más PYMEs mexicanas a cadenas globales de valor.
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Towards a strategic partnership Federico Salas Lotfe, Ambassador of Mexico to India The exchanges between India and Mexico this week represent an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties Mexico and India have had 69 years of diplomatic relations based on mutual interest and understanding. In 2007, a Privileged Partnership was established between both countries and we are now working towards a Strategic Partnership. A new government began in Mexico last December and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reappointed to a new term in May, setting the stage for a broader and deeper collaboration upon our shared democratic values. Two nations, one goal As two ancient rivers that merge into one throughout time, Mexico and India have a common goal: social development and inclusion. To accomplish this, we are determined to promote trade and investment in priority sectors; improve market access, including for agricultural products; promote tourism; and foster cooperation in many areas, such as energy, science and technology. Our collaboration is also important to strengthen multilateralism and the rules-based international system, and to foster cooperation within mechanisms such as the G20. This week we will hold senior official consultations. Mexico’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Julián Ventura, is in New Delhi heading a delegation that includes representatives of the private sector and academia. In this context, we will hold a dialogue with Indian partners on innovation and social development to set ambitious goals for the coming years. As a result of our mutual economic strengths, and considering the regional and global importance of Mexico and India, we have achieved rapidly expanding trade and investment links between our two countries. Mexico has become India’s top trading partner in Latin America and it is the top investor from the region in India, while India is now for the first time among Mexico’s top 10 commercial partners. Our bilateral trade reached more than $10 billion in 2018, four times what it was in 2009.
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Tourism is also a growing sector that brings our two peoples together: we share the pride of being the heirs of ancient and rich civilisations, and our cultural partnerships give our ties depth and vision. In 2018, Mexico attracted 41 million international tourists, 6% more than the previous year. According to the WTO, Mexico is the sixth most-visited country in the world, and it is proud home to 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a figure comparable to India’s. But what is most relevant is that, in 2018, Indians have been among the top 20 visitors to Mexico, and Indian tourism to Mexico is exceeding that of many European countries. Opportunities for Indian tourists visiting Mexico are endless, as they comprise adventure tourism, ancient archaeological sites, magical colonial towns, unforgettable gastronomy and much more. This has also been made possible by the wide variety of flights and airlines connecting both countries. More connectivity to facilitate leisure travel also enhances trade and business cooperation between our two countries.
Shaping the global agenda The exchanges Mexico and India are undertaking this week represent an opportunity to strengthen this bilateral relationship, a time to continue the conversation about our common future, and a space to find local answers to global issues. Together we can quite literally reach out to the stars in the field of space cooperation. Together we can bring a social perspective to the world of technology and innovation. Together, finally, we can advance to shape the global agenda so that it benefits our communities, their future and well-being. No small challenge, but one that can be achieved with the firm solidarity between India and Mexico.
Conmemora Cancún a Mahatma Gandhi Con una ofrenda y un emotivo discurso, el miércoles cancunenses, autoridades municipales, y representantes del consulado de la India, conmemoraron en este destino turístico el 150 aniversario del natalicio de Mahatma Gandhi. “Es importante reconocer y seguir los ejemplos que dejó en nuestra vida diaria, para dar paso a una mejor sociedad civil a través del diálogo y las buenas costumbres, tal y como lo hizo Mahatma Gandhi a lo largo de su vida”, destacó el Director de Relaciones Públicas de Benito Juárez, Juan Pablo de Zulueta Razo. El homenaje se llevó a cabo al pie del busto en honor luchador social, el cual forma parte del Corredor Cultural ubicado sobre la Avenida Tulum, a unos metros del Palacio Municipal. Zulueta Razo, quien asistió en representación de la Presidente Municipal Mara Lezama, resaltó la trayectoria de Ghandi hasta lograr la independencia de la India, del dominio británico, a través de una campaña de desobediencia civil.
“Fue arrestado muchas veces por los británicos debido a sus actividades en Sudáfrica y la India; de hecho, pasó siete años en prisión, pero no le importaba pues consideraba honorable ir a la cárcel por una causa justa”, agregó. Antes de tomarse la fotografía oficial, el ciudadano hindú Pradeep Agarwal tomó el micrófono para agradecer –en inglés- las muestras de cariño y afecto hacia su compatriota, destacando lo orgullo que se siente de haber nacido en el mismo país que Mahatma Ghandi.
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