INDIA Newsletter
#2 2016 April - June
Message from H.E. Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison Ambassador of India to Sweden and Latvia
I hope all of you are enjoying the summer and will excuse the slight delay in the publication of this newsletter for the period April to June 2016.
full with a large number of Swedish viewers in the audience. The success of 2nd Namaste Stockholm exceeded all expectations with huge crowds thronging Kungsträdgården on May 21 from morning till night. The yoga session with which the day began attracted over 1000 yoga lovers. This was followed by non-stop cultural performances from12:00 noon to 10:00 PM including classical and popular genres of music and dances of India performed by local community groups as well as professional artists from Sweden and India. A special mention must be made of the beautiful dance inspired by a poem of Tagore with which Astad Deboo, the pioneer of contemporary dance in India inaugurated the programme. His ‘jugalbandi’ (the Hindi term for performing in combination with other artists) with Opera singer Charlotta Huldt in the evening was also unique and captivating. The fashion show by the talented students from the National Institute of Fashion Technology was again one of the highlights.
It has been a very active and hectic period, both from the cultural perspective and the economic angle. Yoga was a major priority with the Embassy organizing a well-attended seminar on ‘Yoga for Health’ on April 7, the International Health Day. The speakers included two Professors from Karolinska Institute; Professor Falkenberg and Dr. Sanjeevi, who presented the benefits of yoga as established by scientific research while Ms. Eva Seilitz from the Swedish Criminal and Probation Service spoke about the benefits of using yoga in Swedish prisons. This seminar led up to the celebration of the 2nd International Day of Yoga on June 21 in Stockholm with the support of ‘Yogobe and Art of Living’. Hosted by the Swedish celebrity Ms. Blossom, the event attracted more than 1200 yoga enthusiasts. It was really thrilling and moving to hear so many voices saying ‘Om’ together with such a positive feeling.
Besides culture, the other two C’s which Namaste Stockholm again showcased were the Cuisines of India presented by different regional Indian associations as well as selected restaurants; and its beautiful Crafts demonstrated by two master crafts persons sent by the Indian Ministry of Textiles. The Indian Tourism Office in Amsterdam and travel agents presented the many tourists attractions of India to the visitors.
The undoubted cultural highlights of the period were the 2nd Namaste Stockholm and the 3rd Cinema Indien; both attracting even larger numbers than last year.
Indeed, it was a colourful festival which presented Indian culture, cuisines, crafts and tourism attractions for the enjoyment of between 15-20000 visitors throughout the day. The Embassy sincerely thanks all of them as also the different Indian groups and organization and other partners who contributed to making the 2nd Namaste Stockholm an even bigger success than last year.
A number of well-known Indian film personalities visited Sweden for the film festival, which was held from April 21-24 including the Actress and Director Aparna Sen with her recent film ‘Arshinagar’ based on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and Director Ketan Mehta with his amazing ‘Manjhi – the Mountain Man’, the saga of a man with an invincible spirit. Many of the shows were house
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On the economic front, the 3rd annual India-Sweden Business Conference focussed this year on ‘Making and Innovating in a New India’ and was held in Stockholm on May 2-3 and in Gothenburg on May 4. A 17-member delegation was brought by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to participate in the conference in Stockholm. Among others, we were happy to welcome Mr. Rajiv Modi, CEO of Cadila Pharma who led the delegation and Mrs. Sushma Rajgopalan, CEO of ITC Infotech, both of whom made very valuable contributions to different sessions of the conference. The participation of Mr. M.G. Gopal, Special Chief Secretary, Urban Development, Government of Telangana allowed the participants to get a first-hand picture regarding the investments opportunities in this pro-active State. The presentations by Mr. Alkesh Sharma, CEO, Delhi Metro Industrial Corridors provided extremely useful information regarding the opportunities offered by India in the infrastructure sector, which could be of interest to Swedish partners.
Uppsala University and the second by Dr. K.N. Ninan at the University of Gothenburg. We thank both the Universities for hosting ICCR Chairs. Coming to Latvia, bilateral relations got a boost with the first Ministerial visit from India since March 2011 when MoS for Health and AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik visited Riga from May 15-18, accompanied by a strong delegation including Secretary AYUSH and the Director of Indian Institute of Ayurveda. There is really an amazing and encouraging appreciation of Yoga and Ayurveda in Latvia and this visit has given a strong impetus to developing bilateral cooperation in these areas. Despite heavy rains in the evening on 21st June, the 2nd International Day of Yoga was celebrated in Riga on a big scale with events ranging from a research seminar to a children’s drawing competition on Yoga. The newsletter will give you more details about these highlights that I have mentioned above as well as other events. I look forward to your feedback at ambassador@indianembassy.se
A heartfelt thanks to the Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mr. Mikael Damberg, who inaugurated the conference and State Secretary Mr. Oscar Stenström who participated actively in the event.
Sincerely,
Economic partnership between India and Sweden got a further strong boost from the visit of the Indian Minister for Communication and Information Technology Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad in May. He called on Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on May 16 to convey the greetings of Prime Minister Modi and to discuss the follow up of Prime Minister Löfven’s visit to India earlier in the year. In his meeting with the Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Mr. Mikael Damberg, he discussed bilateral cooperation in the important field of telecommunication and Digital Technology. He also had a very interesting visit to the headquarters of Ericsson where we met with CEO Hans Vestberg and his team.
(Mrs) Banashri Bose Harrison / (श्रीमति) बनश्री बोस हैरीसन Ambassador of India / भारि की राजदिू
Two ICCR lectures were organized during the month of May; the first by Prof. Amit Prakash at
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INDIA & SWEDEN
Embassy organizes ‘Yoga for Health’ Seminar to celebrate the Int’l Health Day
To celebrate the International Health Day and to build up to the International Day of Yoga on June 21, the Embassy of India, in collaboration with Yogobe, Art of Living and the Indian Community in Sweden, organized a Seminar in Stockholm on ‘Yoga for Health’ on April 7, 2016. The speakers included Professor Torkel Falkenberg, Associate Professor; and Dr. C.B. Sanjeevi, Professor in the Department of Medicine, from the well-known Karolinska Institute; Ms. Eva Seilitz, Kriminalvarden (Swedish Criminal and Probation Service); Ms. Pia Lahdenpera, Coordinator, Art of Living, Sweden, Mr. Peter Munteanu, CEO & Founder of Yogobe, and Mr. Phani Praveen & Ms. Johanna Bhattacharyya, from the “Indian community in Sweden”. Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison, in her welcome remarks, underlined the important role of Yoga in achieving holistic health in a sustainable way. The event, which was attended by around 100 persons, presented the benefits of Yoga as established by scientific research as well as first-hand experiences, including in Swedish prisons.
In picture (from left) Professor Torkel, Mr. Peter Munteanu, Ambassador Mrs. Harrison, Dr. C.B. Sanjeevi and Deputy of the Ambassador Mr. Vijai Kumar
Ambassador meets the CEO of ABB
Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison visited Vasteras on April 15 and had a meeting with ABB Managing Director, Johan Söderström who briefed her about ABB’s plans for expanding its operations in India. Mr. Athma Sharma, Senior Vice President and Ms. Maria Brithon-Brinck, Country Human Resource Manager also participated in the meeting. Ambassador also met a large group of Indian professionals working in ABB. Mr. Söderström spoke highly of their contribution to ABB.
Ambassador with the Presidenr and CEO Johan Soderstrom, Senior Vice President & CFO Mr Athma Sharma HR Manager Maria Brithon Brick
Indian festivals celebrated in Vasteras, Uppsala, Stockholm and Malmö The Ambassador and other officers of the Embassy attended a function organized to celebrate Holi by the Vasteras Indian Swedish Association on April 16. The
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Holi Celebration in Västerås
President of the India Friendship Group in the Swedish Parliament, Ms. Asa Coenrad was a special guest at the event, which was attended by about a hundred persons. The Ambassador also attended an annual cultural event ‘Jai Ho, organized by the Uppsala Indian Association. A cultural event to commemorate the Telgu new year ‘Ugadi’ was also organized in Stockholm on the same day by the Sweden Telgu Association in which Embassy officials participated. An event was organized on May 21 in Malmö to celebrate Holi by the Indian community in collaboration with the Malmö Commune and Folkets Park.
India showcased at International Day at Linkoping University Second Secretary in the Embassy visited Linkoping University on April 15 to make a presentation on India in the International Day. Around 100 Indian students are pursuing technical courses in the university. A meeting with the Indian student community was arranged in the evening which was attended by both current and former Indian students of the university.
Hackathon organized under India Unlimited platform
A 24-hour Hackathon on ‘What is a Smart City?’ was organized on April 22-23. About 40 Indian and foreign students participated in the Hackathon and came up with innovative solutions for smart transport and housing. The prize for the winning team was a trip to India to present their project to potentially interested partners.
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3rd Cinema Indien in Stockholm a success The third festival of Indian Cinema was organized in Stockholm from April 21-24 under the Indian Unlimited platform with the collaboration of the National Film Development Corporation, Air India and the Swedish film distributors and theatre company SF Bio. The inauguration of the festival was preceded by a discussion organized by the Swedish Film Institute between the famous Swedish actress and director Helena Bergström, and renowned Indian actress and director Aparna Sen. Other Indian film personalities who visited Sweden for the festival included directors Ketan Mehta, Ruchika Oberoi, Modhurima Sinha, Sruti Harihara Subramanian and Bhaskar Jyoti Hazarika and actor Tannishtha Chatterjee. Ambassador hosted a lunch on April 21 during which the Indian film personalities met Swedish media. The festival attracted a large audience and many shows were sold out.
Art exhibition ‘Tagore to Ray’ at Millesgarden An exhibition showcasing the artwork of iconic Indian personalities: Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray was inaugurated on April 23 at Millesgarden, the sculpture museum of Stockholm. About a hundred persons attended the function which included a cultural programme. The exhibition was curated by the Calcutta artist Ujjal Chakraborty. The exhibition continued till May 22 and attracted many visitors. Ambassador Harrison presented, to the Director of the Museum Ms Onita Wass a replica of a gift which Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore had sent to Dr. Carl Milles after he had visited Millesgården in the 1920s. This gift was a bottle containing a grain of rice on which a Christmas greeting was inscribed. The replica was made by a master Indian craftsman, located by the Handloom & Handicrafts Export Corporation of India.
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Ambassador gifted a replica of a gift which Nobel Laurate Rabindranath Tagore had sent to Dr. Carl Milles after he had visited Millesgården in the 1920s to the Director of the Museum Ms Onita Wass
3rd Annual India-Sweden business conference focuses on
‘Making and Innovating in a New India’
Swedish Minister for Enterprise & Innovation Mikael Damberg
Reji Kumar Pillai, President of the India Smart Grid Forum speaking at Smart Manufacturing & Industrial Corridors seminar
MoU between CII and the Swedish Association of Engineering Industries
Under the Unlimited India platform, co-created by the Indian Embassy to promote connections between India and Sweden, the 3rd annual business conference, seminars and roundtables were organized in Stockholm and Gothenburg from May 2-4. A 17-member delegation coordinated by the CII participated in the conference in Stockholm with overarching theme of ‘Making and Innovating in a New India’ which covered Skill India, Energy Collaboration – Smart Grid Pilot Projects, Reimagining India 2030, Defence & Security, Gender & Diversity, Smart Cities, Smart Manufacturing & Industrial Corridors, Life Science & Innovation , Sustainable Textiles, Digital India & Innovation and Indian Consumer. The conference was inaugurated by the Swedish Minister for Enterprise & Innovation Mikael Damberg who gave the keynote address in the session on Reimagining India 2030. The Minister also presented the prize to the winning team of the Hackathon which had been organized under the India Unlimited platform on April 22-23 on the theme of ‘What is a Smart City?’. A CEOs’ lunch was hosted by Ambassador of India Banashri Bose Harrison during the conference in which State Secretary in the Ministry of Enterprise & innovation, Mr Oscar Stenström was the chief guest. The lunch was attended by representatives of some leading Swedish companies along with Indian business leaders including Dr. Rajiv Modi, CEO of Cadila Pharma; Ms Sushma Rajagopalan, CEO of ITC Infotech and Mr. Alkesh Shrama, CEO & MD of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Corporation (DMIC), and Mr. M.G. Gopal Special Chief Secretary (Urban Development) from the Govt. of Telangana also participated. An MoU between the CII and the Swedish Association of Engineering Industries was signed. An MoU was also signed between ‘Effibar India Pvt Ltd’ and the Swedish company ‘Energeotek AB during the conference. On May 4, a seminar on ‘Indo-Sweden Business Ties: New Partnership Opportunities’ was held in Gothenburg which was inaugurated by the Lord Mayor, Lena Malm. Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison, Mr. Gopal and Mr. Alkesh Sharma once again presented the opportunities that India offered.
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Minister for Communication & IT visits Sweden The Minister of Communication & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad visited Sweden from May 15-18. His delegation included J. S. Deepak, Secretary, Department of Telecommunication and Dr. Ajay Kumar- Additional Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology. The Minister called on Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven on May 16. He also had a meeting with the Minister of Enterprise & Innovation Mr. Mikael Damberg on May 17 and discussed cooperation in the important field of telecommunications and digital technologies. The delegation visited Ericsson’s headquarters on May 16. The Minister and his delegation participated at the public forum on ‘Digital India’ – opportunities for global partnership - organized by the Embassy in collaboration with Sweden India Business Council (SIBC), Business Sweden, Swedish ICT and India Unlimited on May 16. He also delivered the opening remarks at the Annual Sweden India Business Council Dialogue on May 17 and met several CEOs, including at a Round Table with Swedish IT and Electronic Companies. At a dinner hosted by Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison, the Minister and delegation members interacted with the Heads of Indian IT companies in Sweden.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven with the Indian Delegation
Swedish Minister for Enterprise & Innovation Mikael Damberg with the Indian Delegation
Second Namaste Stockholm on May 21 attracts record visitors The Indian Embassy organized the second Namaste Stockholm on May 21 under the India Unlimited platform with the support of the Indian Ministries of Tourism and Textiles as well as other partners. The day began with a morning session of Yoga in which over thousand Yoga enthusiasts participated. Other programmes throughout the day showcased Indian culture, cuisine and crafts as well as tourist attractions. There were non-stop cultural performances including classical and popular genres of music and dances of India performed by local community groups as well as professional artistes from Sweden and India. Astad Deboo, the pioneer of modern dance in India was one of the star performers who inaugurated the programme with a dance inspired by a poem from Nobel Laureate Tagore which enthralled the audience. A
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fashion show by students from the National Institute of Fashion Technology was also one of the highlights. The exceptional fusion between Astad Deboo and two leading Swedish musicians: Anders Hagberg on flute and saxophone; and Ahmad Al Khatib on Oud was highly appreciated as was also a Bollywood Opera, created by Swedish Opera singer Charlotta Huldt, which added Indian colours and music to an Opera by Rossini, a first musical creation of its kind. Seminars were organized through the day to present the different travel opportunities in India with the active participation of the India Tourist Office. At the same time, Indian craftsmanship was showcased with two master craftsmen who were sent to Stockholm for this event by the Ministry of Textiles. Their impressive skills in the art of Kashmiri embroidery and in Miniature painting attracted the appreciation of the visitors. The Embassy also showcased Indian spices, teas and coffees in addition to a display of information about Yoga and Ayurveda at two separate stalls. The event was a huge success with a huge crowd thronging the park from morning till 10 PM at night.
India festival at East Asia Museum A cultural event was organized at East Asia Museum on May 22 with cultural performances, including by Astad Deboo and the Uppsala Indian Choir. In addition, there was a display of Indian handicrafts by two master craftspersons, which continued at the museum for a week.
Astad Deboo
A musical journey to India on May 22 The Embassy collaborated in a musical event, ‘A journey to India’ at the historical hall, Musikaliska in Stockholm, in which the Indian Tabla player Sukhwinder Singh, and Cellist Matthew Barly played together with the chamber orchestra led by violinist Huego Ticciati.
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ICCR Lecture at Uppsala University and Gothenburg University Prof Amit Prakash, ICCR Chair at Uppsala University delivered his inaugural lecture on May 24. The lecture was jointly organized by the Forum for South Asian studies and the Department of Peace & Conflict Research. The theme was ‘Governance, Democracy & Development in India’. Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison gave the opening remarks. The audience of about 30 comprised of the Vice Rector of the University and other senior officials from the University, faculty members and students. The talk was followed by an interaction and a reception hosted by the University. On May 30, Dr. K.N. Ninan, Visiting ICCR Professor at the Department of Economics of the University of Gothenburg, delivered the ICCR Lecture on “Climate Change: Economics, Environment and Public Policy (with special reference to India)” at the University of Gothenburg. The audience of about 20 comprised the Head of Department of Economics, and other senior faculty members and students. Cd’A Vijai Kumar who attended the lecture, after his brief opening remarks, thanked the University for hosting the ICCR Chair.
Embassy organizes a CEO Roundtable to promote Smart Cities Breakfast Roundtable on "India-Sweden Digital Conclave" was hosted by Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison at the Embassy Residence on June 8. The Round table was organized by the Embassy in collaboration with Business Sweden and the Sweden India Business Council. The event was aimed at promoting Swedish participation in the development of Smart Cities in India from the digital perspective. It was attended by about 30 CEOs and Senior representatives of a number of Swedish companies, including ABB AB, Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Arris, SSAB Group, SAAB Group, Sweco, Envac AB, Connode AB, Forsway AB, Datapath, and Bombardier Transportation Sweden AB. The Swedish Credit Guarantee Agency was also represented at the gathering. The keynote speaker at the Roundtable was Mr. S.N. Subrahmanyan, Director of the Board of L&T, Head of Infrastructure and Construction and President of L&T Infotech and Management.
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Mr. S.N. Subrahmanyan, Director of the Board of L&T, Head of Infrastructure and Construction and President of L&T Infotech and Management
Indian Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) & Chief of Air Staff visits Sweden
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chairman of Chief of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chairman of Chief of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff visited Sweden from June 7-10. He met the Swedish Supreme Commander and the Service Chiefs of Swedish Army, Navy and Air Force on June 8 and the State Secretary to Minister for Defence, Jan Salestrand on June 10. He also visited a Swedish Air Force Base and the Gripen Fighter Jet production facilities in Linköping.
Ambassador visits Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison visited Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden on June 15-16. She had a meeting with the CEO of Grasim Industries of the Aditya Birla Group, which has a major investment in Örnsköldsvik. She also visited the headquarters of BAE Systems for defence production. She also met local municipality dignitaries to discuss possibilities of deepening cooperation with India. Earlier Defence Attaché Group Captain Aditya Kumar Wahi visited Örnsköldsvik from May 15-16 to, among others, participate in the Annual Grand Meeting for the members of MidSweden Chamber of Commerce on May 16. He made a presentation on “Make in India – New opportunities for Indian & Swedish Companies”. He also visited BAE Company.
Fourth Tagore Award function A function to award the fourth Tagore Prize for the most creative project in Grade X of the Stockholm International School was held at India House on May 9. This was timed to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Rabindranath Tagore. Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison welcomed the guests and spoke about the timeless relevance and creativity of Tagore. A short film on Gitanjali made by the Public Diplomacy Division was shown to the guests. Mr. David Hume, project Coordinator from the Stockholm International School spoke about the projects and criteria used for selecting the five projects. The Ambassador handed over Tagore’s books as prizes for the three winning projects. The
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programme concluded with cultural performances based on songs, poetry and dance of the Nobel Laureate poet by the Tagore Dance and Music Group followed by Indian refreshments which were appreciated by all. The event was attended by over 50 persons.
2nd IDY celebrated in Sweden on a grand scale The Embassy in association with Yogobe, a local company which promotes Yoga, and Art of Living, Sweden, celebrated the 2nd International Day of Yoga on June 21 in Stockholm. Swedish celebrity, Ms. Blossom Alexandra Liliana Tainton-Lindquist hosted the event which began with a broadcast of the message of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on the 2nd IDY. Ambassador, Banashri Bose Harrison informed the audience of the rationale for India's initiative to have the UN declare an international day of Yoga. There were guided Yoga sessions on the basis of the Common Yoga Protocol developed by India’s Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH). At the end of the Yoga session, Ambassador drew the lottery for two air tickets for travel to India, which were sponsored by the Jet Airways. The event attracted over 1200 Yoga enthusiasts.
Swedish Director General for Trade visits India Ms Eva Walder, Director General for Trade, in the Ministry Foreign Affairs visited India on April 1, 2016. She met with Commerce Secretary, Secretary, DIPP and Joint Secretary, DIPP.
Swedish Minister of Justice & Migration visits India Swedish Justice & Migration Minister, Morgan Johansson visited India from May 12-14. He met MoS (Home), KIren Rijiju on May 12 for discussion on issues related to migration and cooperation in counter-terrorism.
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INDIA & LATVIA
MoS for Health and AYUSH visits Latvia
Minister of State for Health and Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH), Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik
Minister of State for Health and Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH), Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik, visited Riga from May 15-18. The delegation also included Secretary (AYUSH) and Director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda. The Minister met the Latvian Health Minister, Mr. Guntis Belevics on May 16. He met Members of Latvian Parliamentary Committee for relations with India, led by Mr. Atis Lejins. The Minister also met the Rector and other important functionaries of the University of Latvia and discussed cooperation in the field of integrated systems of medicine, including Ayurveda and Yoga, and setting up of a Chair of Ayurveda and an AYUSH Information Cell at the University of Latvia. The Minister visited Sigulda where an integrative healthcare centre is planned to be set up. The Minister had a press interaction on May 17. This was the first Ministerial visit from India to Latvia since March 2011 and gave a boost to bilateral relations.
Embassy participates in 6th Global Summit on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Riga Counsellor Vijai Kumar attended the 6th Global Summit on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants held in Riga from May 23-26. The Summit was organized by the V. Sivaram Research Foundation, India. Aimed particularly for the promotion and development of medicinal and aromatic plant sector for sustainable health the Summit also provided a forum for various stakeholders to share advance information and experiences on this subject. The event was attended by over 50 persons including from Asia, Africa, Middle East, South America and the EU.
2nd IDY celebrated in Riga The Embassy in association with the Indo-Latvian Chamber of Commerce, the Centre for Indian Studies and Culture of the University of Latvia, the Latvian Professional Yoga federation and the European Academy of Tibetan Medicine and Yoga celebrated the Second International Day of Yoga on June 21 at the Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia in Riga. It included
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a morning Yoga session in which around 100 people from 15 Yoga schools participated. The event was inaugurated by Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison and a senior representative from the Riga City Council where Ambassador spoke about the reasons for India having taken the initiative to launch an IDY declared by the United Nations and importance of yoga. The Ambassador presented prizes and certificates to the participants of the Yoga Symposium on “Past, Present and Future Roadmap to Integrate Yoga in Societies with Diverse Historical and Cultural Background� which was organised on June 20. She also presented the prizes to the winners of the drawing competition on the theme of Yoga which had been organised for children of different age groups. Yoga and meditation sessions were performed in the stands by ten Yoga Schools of Latvia during the day. Cultural performances were held in the evening by Latvian & Indian performers including a special performance by the Kathak Dancer, Ms. Shovana Narayan. Over 250 Yoga enthusiasts from different parts of Latvia braved the heavy rains and participated.
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INDIA & WORLD
President visits New Zealand
India's President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister John Key
The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee visited New Zealand from April 30 to May 2, 2016. The President met with Governor General, Jerry Mateparae and Prime Minister, John Key. They reiterated New Zealand's support for India's candidature for permanent membership of the expanded UN Security Council. An Air Services Agreement was signed between the two countries. A MoU on an ICCR Chair of Indian Studies in the University of Victoria was also signed. The President also addressed business leaders and the Indian community in New Zealand during the visit.
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi visits Iran
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi visited Iran on May 22-23 at the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He called on the supreme leader the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei on May 23 and held talks with President, Dr. Rouhani. The two leaders discussed in depth bilateral relations between India and Iran and exchanged views on regional situation and global issues of mutual interest. A trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor among India, Afghanistan and Iran was signed at a separate event on the same day highlighting the significance India attaches to developing connectivity using Chabahar as a regional hub. Twelve MoUs and other documents were signed between the two countries.
President visits China
India's President Pranab Mukherjee and President of China
President of India visited China on a State visit from May 24 to 27. The last Presidential visit from India to China was in May 2000. President Xi Jin Ping has visited India in September 2014. The President visited Guangzhou and Beijing. He met with the top leadership of China in Beijing. A key highlight of Rashtrapatiji’s engagement in Beijing was the Round Table of Vice Chancellors and Presidents of Universities of India and China. A number of MoUs in the academic field were signed between the academic institutions of two countries. The President addressed a business gathering in Guangzhou. He also shared his thoughts with the Indian community in Guangzhou.
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Prime Minister visits Afghanistan Prime Minister, Narendra Modi visited Afghanistan on June 4. He met President Ghani and discussed the situation in Afghanistan and how the two countries could cooperate further for promoting peace and stability in that country. Prime Minister Modi jointly inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, with the President of Afghanistan, Dr. Ashraf Ghani in Herat province in Western Afghanistan. The completion of the dam project represents the culmination of years of hard work by about 1, 500 Indian and Afghan engineers and other professionals in very difficult conditions. It also highlights India's continued commitment to Afghanistan's reconstruction and development. On December 25 last year, the Prime Minister had jointly with President Ghani dedicated to the Afghan nation the new Parliament Building constructed under the India-Afghanistan development cooperation.
Indian Prime Minister with the President of Afghanistan
President visits Africa The President of India visited Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Namibia from June 12-18. The visits to Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire were the first ever by an Indian President. The visit to Namibia was the second by an Indian President and after a gap of 21 years. These visits reflect the importance that India attaches to enhancing our bilateral relations with these important countries of Africa. They also indicate our determination to provide fresh momentum to India's engagement with Africa in a follow up to the successful organization of the Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) in New Delhi in October, 2015. Ghana: The President met President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, as well as all his key ministers. Three agreements/ MOUs were signed: on exemption from visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports; on the establishment of a Joint Commission and between the Foreign Service Institutes of the two countries. A target was set for the bilateral trade to be increased to US $ 5 billion by 2020. The
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Indian President Pranab Mukherjee with the President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama
President addressed a Joint Business Forum and highlighted ‘Brand India’. He also addressed the students and faculty of the University of Ghana. ITEC slots to Ghana were increased from 250 to 300 and ICCR scholarships from 16 to 40 in addition to the announcement of an assistance of US $ 1 million for the India-Ghana Kofi Annan Centre for IT excellence. The Government of Ghana expressed deep appreciation for India's generous developmental assistance which amounts to approximately US $ 450 million in the last 5 -6 years.
Pranab Mukherjee at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan with President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d'Ivoire
President Pranab Mukherjee with the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Mr Hage Geingob
Cote d'Ivoire: The President was received in Cote d'Ivoire, with great warmth and affection by President, Alassane Ouattara. The President was conferred the highest national honour, the Grande Croix Commandeur in the National Merit Order. He was presented a symbolic key to the city of Abidjan, conferred honorary citizenship and made an Advisor to the traditional chiefs, with the name ‘Assito’ which means ‘The Example’. The President addressed a Joint Business Forum where agreements were signed between the CII and CEPICI as well as between Tata Motors and SUTRA for the supply of 500 buses. An agreement for the opening of a regional office of EXIM Bank of India in Abidjan was signed during the visit. The Cote d'Ivoire leadership acknowledged and appreciated India's developmental assistance. India has till date extended lines of credit amounting to US $ 136.2 million in diverse fields such as agriculture processing, transport, rural electrification and transmission, fisheries etc. It was agreed to work to double current bilateral trade by 2020 to around US $ 2 billion. Namibia: The President interacted with President, Dr. Hage Geingob, Prime Minister, Dr. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, and a large number of senior Ministers in Namibia. He addressed a Joint Session of the Namibian Parliament. He also addressed the Namibia University of Science & Technology. ITEC slots to Namibia were increased from 125 to 200 in addition to a grant of US$ 20,000 for the Indira Gandhi Maternity Clinic, assistance of 1000 tonnes of rice for mitigating the drought situation as well as 100 tonnes of essential medicines were given.Two MOUs were signed between the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA)
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and on the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology in Namibia.
Prime Minister visits USA At the invitation of the US President, H.E. Mr. Barack Obama, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi paid a bilateral visit to the USA on June 7-8. A Joint Statement titled, The United States and India: Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century, was issued.Six MoUs/Agreements were signed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. He met with President Barack Obama and he addressed a Joint Meeting of the US Congress. He was the first foreign leader to be given this honour in 2016. Prime Minster Modi also had an interaction with CEOs of major US companies
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Indian Prime Minister with President of USA
Literacy rate in India increased to 69 per cent during January - June 2014 as against 64.5 per cent during July 2007- June 2008: National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO).
Electric Vehicles (EV) sales in India increased by 37.5 per cent to 22,000 units in FY 2015-16: Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV).
Foreign Tourist arrivals (FTA) have increased by 11.3 per cent year-on-year to 8.47 lakh in February 2016 as compared with 7.61 lakh during the same period last year: Ministry of Tourism.
India retains top spot in Credit Suisse emerging markets consumer survey.
Indian Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) has won a contract worth US$ 135 million to build a stadium for FIFA World Cup 2022 to be held in Qatar.
India has managed to retain its position as the world’s fastest growing major economy as its real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.6 per cent in FY 2015-16.
India ranks third among the most attractive investment destinations for technology transactions in the world, as per Ernst & Young’s (EYs) Global Capital Confidence Barometer (CCB) - Technology report.
India is becoming a new innovation destination of choice, with Bengaluru been ranked fifth among the top ten destinations in the world to open innovation centres, according to a Capgemini report titled Digital Dynasties: The Rise of Innovation Empires Worldwide.
The Government of India plans to start as many as 10,000 solar, wind and biomass power projects in next five years, with an average capacity of 50 kilowatt per project, thereby adding 500 megawatt to the total installed capacity.
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