INDIA NEWSLETTER Indian Embassy, Vienna
Published by the Embassy of India, Vienna Year 9 • Issue 80 • May 2019
India Newsletter. 1
Indian Embassy, Vienna
Digital Infrastructure as a Core Utility to Every Citizen
Governance and Services on Demand
Digital Empowerment of Citizens
Digital India programme is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Find out more under:
www.digitalindia.gov.in
Infrastructure Development
Accelarate Manufacturing Growth
Focus on Skill Development
Sustainable Energy Sufficiency
Improved Business Environment
The Government of India has prepared a five-pillar strategy to drive India’s growth, which offers multiple avenues of collaboration and investments. Find out more under:
www.makeinindia.com
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Indian Embassy, Vienna
POSITIVE NEWS FLASHES
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from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Revenues of Indian telecom companies are expected to grow 7 per cent in FY20 with their network The Union Cabinet, capital expenditure reaching Rs 90,000 crore (US$ 12.94 Government of India has approved the billion) during the year. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) continuation programme India’s merchandise Phase-4 till 2024 with an exports grew 11 per cent outlay of Rs 2729.13 crore year-on-year in March 2019 (US$ 394.22 million). and reached an all-time high of US$ 331 billion in 2018-19. India is going to
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India is expected to witness robust venture capital (VC) investment activity in 2019, as per a report by consultancy firm KPMG
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The Ministry of Commerce, Government of India is targeting public procurement worth Rs 50,000 crore (US$ 7.22 billion) through the government e-marketplace (GeM) in FY20 and Rs 1 trillion (US$ 14.44 billion) by 2021.
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partner with Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to build a cancer hospital in Kenya and an information and communications technology (ICT) centre in Ethiopia.
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Commercial credit
in India is expected to expand at double-digit growth rates in the next few quarters, backed by refinancing of old loans and higher working capital needs on account of rising capacity utilisation.
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India is expected to become world's third largest India’s services economy by 2030 with a exports increased 5.5 per GDP of US$ 10 trillion on the cent year-on-year in back of increased February2019 to US$ consumption and 16.58 billion,as per data investment, according to
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Mr Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
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India was the world's highest recipient of remittances in 2018 with its diaspora sending back US$ 79 billion, according to the World Bank's Migration and Development Brief.
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Net inflows into Indian equity mutual funds have more than doubled month-on-month in March 2019 to reach Rs 11,756 crore (US$ 1.69 billion), according to Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI).
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Total assets under management (AUM) of Indian exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are expected to increase by 12 times from the current level to US$ 200 billion by 2029 in the next 10 years, according to Morgan Stanley.
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India now has 1,500 railway stations with free Wi-Fi access, according to a report by Asian News International (ANI).
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Indian Embassy, Vienna
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR AUSTRIAN CITIZENS e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) for Austrian citizens The Government of India has extended e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) scheme to the citizens of Austria w.e.f. 26th February 2016. Under e-Tourist Visa scheme, citizens of Austria may now apply online (https:// indianvisaonline. gov.in/visa/ tvoa.html) to obtain the Electronic Travel Authorization for travelling to India. This facility is also available to the citizens of Montenegro. Queries related to e-TV; for any assistance call 24x7 Visa support center at +91-11-24300666 or send email to indiatvoa@gov.in.
Instructions for e-Visa
1. e-Visa has 5sub-categories i.e. e-Tourist visa, e-Business visa, e-Medical visa, e-Medical Attendant visa and e-Conference visa. 2. Applicants of the eligible countries/territories may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 120 days. 3. e-Visa fee is country/Territory specific. 4. Applicant should carry a copy of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) along with him/her at the time of travel. 5. Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India. 6. The validity of e-Visa (except e-Conference visa) will be 60 days from the date of arrival in India. 7. This facility is in addition to the existing Visa services. 8. e-Visa can be availed for maximum of three times in a calendar year i.e. between January to December. 9. e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas.
NEWS ARTICLES India one of world's fastest growing large economies, IMF :PTI ---------------------------------India has been one of the fastest growing large economies in the world, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, asserting that the country has carried out several key reforms in the last five years, but more needs to be done. Responding to a question on India's economic development in the last five years at a fortnightly news conference here, IMF communications director Gerry Rice said, "India has of course been one of the world's fastest growing large economies of late, with growth averaging about seven per cent over the past five
years." He said that , "Important reforms have been implemented and we feel more reforms are needed to sustain this high growth, including to harness the demographic dividend opportunity, which India has". Details about the Indian economy would be revealed in the upcoming World Economic Outlook (WEO) survey report to be released by the IMF ahead of the annual spring meeting with the World Bank. This report would be the first under Indian American economist Gita Gopinath, who is now IMF's chief economist. "The WEO will go into more details. But amongst the policy priorities,we would include accelerate the cleanup of
banks and corporate balance sheets, continue fiscal consolidation, both at centre and state levels, and broadly maintain the reform momentum in terms of structural reforms in factor markets, labour, land reforms and further enhancing the business climate to achieve faster and more inclusive growth," Rice said.
Paytm Mall on hiring spree, eyes Rs 10,000crore business in a year: Business Standard -------------------------------Putting speculation to rest and eyeing a comeback, Paytm Mall, the online marketplace firm of Vijay Shekhar SharmaIndia Newsletter. 4
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led One97 Communications, is planning to hire as many as 500 back-end tech team members. The company is targeting Rs 10,000 crore in business over the next 12 months. The news comes amid reports that the company was planning to scale down its online marketplace business and eventually exit it. The company, however, has been through some internal reshuffle as well as changes so that it can revamp and reboot. According to sources, while Amit Sinha, chief operating officer (COO) at Paytm Mall, is still overseeing the business, he might be given another role in the company. The company said that it was on the fast track to expand its online to offline (O2O) platform across the country and has witnessed growth of over 200 per cent in the last six months. In past few weeks, the company has hired 200 people across various verticals to bolster back-end processes and plans to add another 300 on the rolls in the next few months. “We are observing strong traction for O2O with the business growing over 200 per cent in the last six months and have therefore doubled down on this business model. To support this growth, we have re-aligned some of our teams and have added 200 more people for the business. We further plan to add an additional workforce of 300 people across business, technology, and product in the next few months,” said Srinivas Mothey, SVP – Paytm Mall.
Digital media powered growth in India's M&E industry in 2018: Report Livemint --------------------------------
India’s media and entertainment (M&E) sector grew 13.4% year-on-year to touch ₹1.67 trillion in 2018, powered by digital platforms that grew 42% to ₹16,900 crore during the period, a new report said. The M&E sector in India is expected to cross ₹2.35 trillion ($33.6 billion) by 2021, at a compounded annual growth rate of 11.6%, according to the report by lobby group Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and consulting firm EY. Digital will continue its scorching pace of growth to overtake filmed entertainment in 2019 and print by 2021, said the report titled A Billion Screens of Opportunity, released in Mumbai at Ficci Frames, an yearly media and entertainment industry event. At 570 million, India has the second-highest number of Internet users after China, growing 13% annually and estimated to reach five million by 2021. The report estimates that approximately 2.5 million consumers in India are digital only and would not normally use traditional media. Digital ad spends grew 34% to ₹15,400 crore and now account for around 21% of the ad market. Several broadcasters have started combining selling of ads across over-the-top (OTT) and linear platforms to enable better monetization of marque properties and increased utilization of digital inventory. Further, the TV industry
grew from ₹66,000 crore to ₹74,000 crore in 2018, a growth of 12% and is estimated to reach ₹95,500 crore by 2021, with advertising growth at 10% and subscription growth at 8%. TV advertising grew 14% to ₹30,500 crore, while subscription grew 11% to ₹43,500 crore this past year. Television viewing households increased to 197 million, a 7.5% increase over 2016 with 77% of time on television spent on general entertainment content and film channels. Print accounted for the second largest share of the Indian M&E sector, despite being static and growing at 0.7% to reach ₹30,550 crore in 2018. The year witnessed a 26% growth in digital news consumers over 2017 when 222 million people consumed news online. Page views grew 59% over 2017 and average time spent increased by almost 100% to 8 minutes per day in 2018. Advertising revenues stood at ₹21,700 crore and subscription revenues grew marginally by 1.2% to ₹8,830 crore. Newspaper advertising reduced by 1% while magazine advertising fell 10%, because of reduced ad volumes and pressure on effective rates. Hindi newspaper publications continued to lead with 37% of total ad volumes, while share of English publications stood at 25%. The Indian film segment grew 12.2% in 2018 to reach ₹174.5 billion, driven by the growth in digital rights and overseas theatricals. Domestic film revenues crossed ₹100 billion with net box office collections for Hindi films at ₹32.5 billion—the highest ever for Hindi theatricals. Overseas theatricals grew to ₹30 India Newsletter • 5
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billion in 2017 where China became the largest international market for Indian content. “The Indian M&E sector is entering a phase of accelerated growth. The status quo is being shattered by digital disruptions and that’s unshackling the creative economy in India like never before. These are exciting times for all it is to let our imagination and ambition guide us," said Uday Shankar, vice president, Ficci and chair, Ficci media and entertainment division.
IT services sector may register growth up to 9% in FY20 - PTI ---------------------------------
The information technology services sector is estimated to clock a flat growth of upto 9 percent in the fiscal year 2019-20. The growth will be at par with the 9.1 percent growth achieved by the sector in FY19, according to industry lobby Nasscom. The grouping has discontinued a 25-year-old practice of coming out with growth estimates citing the changes in the landscape which makes the job harder. Domestic rating agency Icra said the sector will clock a 7-9 percent growth in USD in FY20 mainly on demand for digital solutions. "The earlier small-scale proof of concept digital projects has started evolving into enterprise level larger implementations coupled with improvement in discretionary spend supporting future growth," its vice president Gaurav Jain said. The traditional mainstay
of banking and financial services will experience some weakness on low interest rates, focus on cost optimisation and managing discretionary spending, it said, adding that insurance companies are supporting the growth. Firming oil prices will lead to some discretionary spends by energy firms on digital spends and give the IT firms some good news, while retail is also showing improvement in the first nine months of FY19. From a profitability perspective, the rating agency said margins were flattish in the third quarter of FY19 on pricing pressure, increased regulatory costs, wage inflation and higher onshore hiring and subcontracting cost necessitated by visa curbs. However, the overall margins are estimated to decline to 20.8 percent in FY20 for its 19 sample companies from 22.5 percent in FY18. Indian companies have started to ramp-up on-shore hiring in its largest market of US on visa issuance norms being tightened by restricting the entry-level programmers coupled with increasing compliance and evidence requirements adding to cost pressures, it said. There will be higher consolidation in the industry, especially among the small and mid-size players, owing to margin pressures in the next decade, it said. From a credit outlook perspective, the rating agency said it expects some stability on the ability of the sector to sustain free cash flows.
On fast track: Government to make it easier for new firms to start operations: Krishnanand Tripathi, FT ---------------------------------The Modi government looks to cut down the time required for a company to register with various government departments before kick-starting operations, in line with its push to improve ease of doing business in India. These registrations include obtaining a permanent account number (PAN), registration with GST, EPFO and ESIC among other things. However, the process of registration with multiple agencies is cumbersome and it delays the start of business activity. Experts point out that it was important for the government to club all the registration processes together so that a newly incorporated entity can hit the ground running. It is also in line with the vision of the government to improve the ease of doing business. India has improved its ease of doing business ranking by 65 points in the last four years, from 142 in 2014 to 77 in 2018, with the government now aiming to enter into top 50 countries in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking. “To ensure that a newly incorporated entity is almost ready to commence their business from the next day of incorporation, it is important that the application for all central numbers and registrations be clubbed together into one form and accordingly processed along with all other incorporation documents,” said Prashant Prakhar, senior member of regulatory and financial practice India Newsletter. 6
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at Nishith Desai Associates. The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) has notified an AGILE form that will be filed along with the incorporation application form SPICe. This AGILE (INC-35) form linked with SPICe incorporation will be processed alongside the incorporation request and it will register the newly registered company
with
Employees
Provident
GSTIN, Fund
Organisation and Employees State Insurance Corporation. “Introduction of AGILE form is a welcome step in this regard. It should practically reduce the time-line for incorporation and commencement of business for a company in India to half,” said Prashant Prakhar. However, the first step in the direction of incorporating a company itself is a time consuming
process.
Experts
point out that lack of a statutory time-line
for
Registration
the Centre
Central (CRC)
within which the name must be approved causes the delay. Prashant Prakhar who advises companies on inbound investment in India says that it will be a good idea to specify a statutory time-line within which the CRC should approve or reject an application seeking reservation of a company’s name. Usually registration of a company’s name takes up to a week.
Make in India: Maharashtra gets Rs 8 lakh crore investment pledge:PTI ---------------------------------Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state has signed 2,594 memoranda of understanding across various sectors such as energy, real estate, textiles, MSMEs, IT and ITeS, tourism, ports, retail, medical and skill development, among others. He said the state has received the maximum investment commitment of Rs 3.25 lakh crore for the Konkan region, which also includes the Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). "For the backward Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, the state signed MoUs worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore. This is for the first time we have seen investment interest shifting to these regions," he added. While the Pune region attracted investment commitments of about Rs 50,000 crore, around Rs 25,000 crore worth of MoUs were signed for Khandesh in the north-eastern part of the state. CM Fadnavis said "We have received many offers for MoUs, but we could not accommodate all. All MoUs that are signed have been vetted by various departments. Going by the offers we have received, the numbers could have crossed Rs 12 lakh crore,". He also addred that "While Rs 60,000 crore worth of investments have been committed to electronics and F&B sectors, the new IT policy
has fetched us investment commitments worth Rs 25,000 crore. The MSME policy could attract thousands of entrepreneurs who have signed around Rs 15,000 crore worth of MoUs guaranteeing huge employment generation".
Enabling ‘Future India’: Achieving holistic growth by upskilling women in STEM fields: ET Spotlight, By Satyabhushan Sahoo ---------------------------------The gender disparity in India’s educational ecosystem has seen a downward trend after the introduction of indigenous government initiatives such as the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana’. According to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, the Gender Parity Index -the ratio of the number of female students enrolled at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education to the corresponding number of male students in each level -- has gone up from 1.01, 0.88 and 0.86 in 2010-11 to 1.03, 1.01 and 0.92 in 2014-15 respectively. The NSS 71st round report also suggests a similar upward trend with the female literacy rate (age 15 & above) ascending from 54.9% in 2007-08 to 60.8% in 2014. Though these figures paint a picture of India’s educational landscape, but not a clear one. The same reports also suggest that in 2014 the literacy rate of females in urban India was 77.9% whereas that in rural India was 53.1%. This
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disparity becomes further evident when compared in terms of learning outcomes, especially in subjects such as Maths and Science where students from urban areas clearly surpass the intellect of their counterparts from rural areas. While the government continues its efforts towards mitigating the rural-urban divide using technology by introducing technical upliftment & inclusion initiatives such as Digital India, Digi Gaon and other digital literacy initiatives, the core problem still remains underaddressed. The penetration of internet, computers and mobile phones is steadily growing but in terms of users who are consumers of digital solutions, not creators. Students, especially female, aren’t being able to embrace technology or pursue advanced careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) because of the lack of quality education necessary to ignite that spark of curiosity at the right age. Solving core technical education-related problems requires the collaborative efforts of government bodies, academic establishments as well as corporate entities. Many industry leaders & multinational conglomerates operational in the field of science and technology help the government address societal issues in the areas of education, healthcare, disaster management, etc. with
innovative tech-based, humaninspired solutions. IBM is one such industry pioneer which has been actively contributing towards the upliftment of the society in India through their CSR initiatives since 2004, long before the CSR legislation was passed in India in 2013. IBM announced a threeyear programme with a bouquet of CSR initiatives targeted at promoting STEM education for female students and prepare them for “new collar� jobs. In its initial phase, the programme will affect the careers of over 2,00,000 women studying in government institutions across three states -- Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Eventually, the company plans on propagating the initiative to several other states benefitting 1 million+ female students and facilitating over 4 million teachers with educational resources in the due course of three years. They also introduced a two-year Advanced Diploma Programme in emerging technologies to be availed across 100 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), including 50 all-women ITIs. To ensure its pertinence to the Indian educational ecosystem, the course has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GoI. To help math teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas across India, IBM announced that they will continue to support them with their AI-powered instructional resources website, Teacher Advisor With Watson. A similar unique online repository of STEM-related lessons, Teachers TryScience, which has been developed using
contributions from 55,000 trainers and covers 12 states and 9 Indian languages, will also be made available to four million teachers across the country. Apart from their endeavours of the future, IBM in collaboration with the Government of India is currently nurturing and shaping young innovators with their Atal Tinkering Labs initiative. The initiative will help about 4,000 mentors and 6,00,000 mentees with an AI-powered Mentor Platform developed with the IBM Watson cognitive platform by analyzing their interactions and providing personalized support. India, as of now, is progressing on a path which leads to growth but not necessarily sustainable growth. A sustainable future demands for technology-led inclusive growth. And inclusive here would mean inclusivity in terms of gender, geography and genre. Considering the level of intrusion as well as the importance of technology in our lives, upskilling women and leveraging their potential in STEM fields is utterly important to build future-ready as well as human-friendly solutions.
Waste management opportunity in India worth $14 bn: Smart City Council --------------------------------The growing economies across the globe are observing an increase in urban population, rise in per capita income level and increasing consumption level. With India growing on similar grounds, increase in purchasing power has led to
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more affordability and accessibility of the resources that increased the levels of municipal as well as industrial wastes across the Indian States. Having said, close to 62 MT waste is generated on an annual basis that will increase by two times by 2030. That said, the Indian garbage, by 2025, is likely to offer a business opportunity of $14 billion, unlocking new business avenues in the waste treatment industry. The increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial waste has led to a rise in public health concerns and environmental impacts due to the production of greenhouse gases. Of the total generated municipal solid waste, close to 45 per cent is actually treated with rest is thrown on the designated landfills, sewage and water bodies. More than 50 per cent of the total solid waste generated remains untreated and dumped on the landfills due to the lack of efficient waste management system in India. As municipal solid waste (MSW) holds close to 75 per cent of the total waste generated in India, there lies an investment opportunity for the private players to convert a pile of garbage into the income streams. India has the potential to generate approximately 90 million tonnes per annum of waste by 2030-2032. The central government has been implementing Swachh Bharat Abhiyan , emphasizing waste management at different stages of generation, collection and disposal. Municipal solid waste management sector in India is projected to see capital and O&M requirement of close to USD 65 Billion by 2030.
The government allows 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route for urban infrastructure areas including waste management subject to relevant rules and regulations.
IoT utilities market to witness double-digit growth rate: SCC ---------------------------------
A leading industry report predicts that utility firms are forecast to reduce their expenditure by nearly $157 billion by 2035 through smart meter applications, thereby stimulating Internet of Things (IoT) utilities market trends in the years ahead. The last half a decade has remarkably witnessed IoT penetrating the utilities domain, effectively commercializing IoT utilities market, a realm which is of late, being characterized by intense competition among tech behemoths. Having earned the tag of being one of most dynamically transformative technologies brainstormed in recent times, IoT has successfully been exploited to a massive extent in the utilities sector. The deployment of this technology has helped utility companies monitor real time power consumption by effectively promoting connectivity, operational efficacy, and communication between smart meters, edge equipment, and sensors. Furthermore, IoT has necessitated the conception of contemporary business models in the utility sector, the mass acceptance of which has been forecast to have a profound impact on the overall IoT utilities industry size, pegged at a valuation of USD 4 billion in 2016. One of the most
profitable avenues for the expansion of IoT utilities industry is the United States. Mass awareness regarding the benefits of IoT technology in sync with the presence of oil and gas production units across the country demanding the deployment of connected solutions are expected to drive the US market. Across the APAC zone however, the escalating need for smart meters coupled with the development of smart cities and construction activities in China and India will help transform the regional IoT utilities market outlook. Furthermore, the huge presence of numerous power generating units and high government funding for the power sector will also provide a boost to the Asia Pacific IoT utilities industry trends. IoT applications assist utilities in interpreting the power consumption patterns and problem recognition, facilitating the effective allocation of resources. The evolution of IoT has made it viable for smart meters to connect with consumer electrical equipment through wireless connections and provide them with real time information about power consumption. On these grounds, over the last few years, the deployment of smart meters has gained intense popularity across the utility sector. The concept of smart cities has further helped promote the application of IoT devices across the construction sector, for the reason that IoT helps upgrade building and smart energy grid connectivity, which would eventually augment the profitability landscape of IoT utilities market. With extensive R & D investments. loT utilities industry will see a profitable growth by 2024 with a target valuation of USD 15 billion. India Newsletter. 9
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FORUM FOR INDIAN SCIENCE DIPLOMACY IISc collaborates to develop self-repairing flexible electronics --------------------------------Scientists from the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bangalore in collaboration with the University of Cambridge have developed a novel technique for making flexible electronic parts self-healing too. This technique doesn’t require any rare earth materials or complex circuitry like the previous attempts made in the field of flexible electronics.
IIT - IISc collaborate on Climate Change initiative -------------------------------Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)-Guwahati and Mandi as well as Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru have collaborated to develop a ‘Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for the Indian Himalayan Region Using a Common Framework’ covering all the 12 Indian Himalayan region (IHR) states. This will be useful for government officials, implementers, decision makers, funding agencies and development experts.
India and EU to step up cooperation on Research and Innovation -------------------------------The 12th EU-India Joint Steering Committee meeting on Science and Technology took place earlier this month. India and EU acknowledged the existing technological
cooperation and the need to tap the potential of large innovation capacities of both EU and India. Emphasis was also laid on making science relevant for society and on strengthening cooperation on health research and bioeconomy.
factories and power plants then burn the stubble in a controlled environment for their own industrial purposes.
India-Afghanistan collaborate on digital education initiatives --------------------------------
India’s lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 which is scheduled for launch in April will carry NASA-owned retroreflector arrays. The 800crore Chandrayaan-2 mission comes a decade after India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1 launched in October 2008.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Higher Education, Afghanistan to work on Digital Education Initiatives that will include many programmes including Sharing of Online Education Platform, named ‘Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds' (SWAYAM), sharing and access to various Indian facilities and sharing of experience and participation of higher educational institutions of Afghanistan in various activities.
Innovative technique by Punjab companies to tackle stubble burning -------------------------------Farm2Energy Pvt Ltd, a Ludhiana-based company has a business model which uses the crop residue, thereby preventing stubble burning and also saving the lungs of the population. The business use balers and tractors to scoop up the stubble, role it into bales which are then sold to neighbouring sugar and cement factories. These
Chandrayaan-2 to carry NASA’s laser instruments to Moon -------------------------------
Study reveals shielding effect of Nitrogen against climate change -------------------------------Agricultural scientists from IIT Kharagpur have revealed in their new study the effect of adding more Nitrogen as a possible way to offset the climate change repercussions on wheat crop. The findings have been published in the European Journal of Agronomy.
Space Technology applications in Agriculture -------------------------------The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is using the space technology in its projects for various applications such as crop production forecasting, soil resource mapping and geo-tagging. High-resolution remote sensing data is also being used for improving crop yield estimates.
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MAKE IN INDIA AUTOMOBILE
Automobile exports grew 15.54 per cent during April 2018February 2019. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.05 per cent during 2016-2026. In addition, several initiatives by the Government of India and the major automobile players in the Indian market are expected to make India a leader in the twowheeler and four wheeler market in the world by 2020. The Indian auto industry became the 4th largest in the world with sales increasing 9.5 per cent year-on-year to 4.02 million units (excluding two wheelers) in 2017. It was the 7th largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in 2017. The Two Wheelers segment dominates the market in terms of volume owing to a growing middle class and a young population. Moreover, the growing interest of the companies in exploring the rural markets further aided the growth of the sector. India is also a prominent auto exporter and has strong export growth expectations for the near future.
Domestic automobile production increased at 7.08 per cent CAGR between FY13-18 with 29.07 million vehicles manufactured in the country in FY18. During April 2018January 2019, automobile production increased 9.84 per cent year-on-year to reach 26.26 million vehicle units. Overall domestic automobiles sales increased at 7.01 per cent CAGR between FY13-18 with 24.97 million vehicles getting sold in FY18. During April 2018January 2019, highest year-onyear growth in domestic sales among all the categories was
recorded in commercial vehicles at 22.79 per cent followed by 14.79 per cent year-on-year growth in the sales of threewheelers. Premium motorbike sales in India crossed one million units in FY18. During JanuarySeptember 2018, BMW registered a growth of 11 per cent year-on-year in its sales in India at 7,915 units. Mercedes Benz ranked first in sales satisfaction in the luxury vehicles segment according to J D Power 2018 India sales satisfaction index (luxury). Sales of electric two-wheelers are estimated to have crossed 55,000 vehicles in 2017-18. Investments In order to keep up with the growing demand, several auto makers have started investing heavily in various segments of the industry during the last few months. The industry has
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attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US$ 20.85 billion during the period April 2000 to December 2018, according to data released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Some of the recent/planned investments and developments in the automobile sector in India are as follows: - Ashok Leyland has planned a capital expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore (US$ 155.20 million) to launch 20-25 new models across various commercial vehicle categories in 2018-19. - Hyundai is planning to invest US$ 1 billion in India by 2020. SAIC Motor has also announced to invest US$ 310 million in India. Mercedes Benz has increased the manufacturing
capacity of its Chakan Plant to 20,000 units per year, highest for any luxury car manufacturing in India. - As of October 2018, Honda Motors Company is planning to set up its third factory in India for launching hybrid and electric vehicles with the cost of Rs 9,200 crore (US$ 1.31 billion), its largest investment in India so far. - In November 2018, Mahindra Electric Mobility opened its electric technology manufacturing hub in Bangalore with an investment of Rs 100 crore (US$ 14.25 million) which will increase its annual manufacturing capacity to 25,000 units. Government Initiatives The Government of India encourages foreign investment
in the automobile sector and allows 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route. Some of the recent initiatives taken by the Government of India are : - The government aims to develop India as a global manufacturing centre and an R&D hub. - In February 2019, the Government of India approved the FAME-II scheme with a fund requirement of Rs 10,000 crore (US$ 1.39 billion) for FY20-22. - The Ministry of Heavy Industries has shortlisted 11 cities in the country for introduction of electric vehicles in their public transport systems under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles in India) scheme.
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INDIAN STATE ECONOMIC PROFILE ASSAM Assam is the largest economy in the Northeast region. Owing to its relative proximity to the rest of the country and availability of quality infrastructure, the state offers a favourable environment for industry. Assam boasts largest tea growing area in the world, constituting around one-seventh of the global tea production. The state accounts for over 50 per cent in the country’s overall tea production. Tea production in the state stood at nearly 661.40 thousand tonnes during January – November 2018. It also has 20 industrial estates, three industrial growth centres, 11 Integrated Infrastructure 17 Development Depots, industrial areas, 12 growth centres, eight mini industrial estates, one export promotion park and one food processing industrial park. Assam is also tourist the most popular destination among the northeastern states.
Between 2011-12 and 2016-17, Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) expanded at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.78 per cent to US $ 37.23 billion. Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) expanded at a CAGR of 11.48 per cent to US$ 33.20 billion between 2011-12 and 2016-17. According to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), cumulative FDI inflows in the state of Assam* during April 2000 to June 2018 is US$ 110 million. During 2018-19**, exports from the state stood at US$ 154.87 million. To facilitate infrastructure support, the State Industries and Commerce Department has sponsored three projects as industrial growth centres at Chariduar, Matia and ChaygaonPatgaon. The Assam government has approved 11 integrated infrastructure development centres across the state.
Major initiatives taken by the government to promote Assam as an investment destination are: ► In December 2018, India's longest rail-cum-road bridge, Bogibeel bridge, was inaugurated in Assam by the Prime Minister of India. The Bogibeel bridge is a 4.94 km long strategically important project over the Brahmaputra river. ► Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has implemented an Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) at Amingaon, near Guwahati in the district of Kamrup, at an estimated cost of US$ 3 million. ► Border Trade Centers (BTCs) have been established at Mankachar (Dhubri), Sutarkandi (Karimganj) and Darranga (Kamrup). ► Industrial growth centres with supporting infrastructure have been set up at Balipara in the Sonitpur district and Matia in Goalpara at estimated cost of US$ 4.5 million and US$ 5.3 million respectively.
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INDIAN TRADE FAIRS INTERESTED IN VISITING A TRADE SHOW IN INDIA? In case your company is interested in visiting a tradeshow/B2B event in India, be it one listed here or another one that came to your attention, get in contact with us via comm1.vienna@mea.gov.in to get more information about possible assistance/subsidies.
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GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
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Mumbai (July 17) • Hyderabad (July 19) Chennai (July 22) • Bangalore (July 24) Kolkata (July 26) • New Delhi (July 28).
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Global Housing Technology Challenge- India (GHTC-India) Global Housing Technology Challenge- India (GHTC-I) intends to get the best globally available innovative construction technologies through a challenge process. It aims to demonstrate and deliver ready to live-in houses in minimum time and minimum cost with high-quality of construction in a sustainable manner. This challenge seeks to promote future potential technologies through Incubation support and accelerator workshops, in order to foster an environment of research and development in the country. The process flow chart of GHTC- India is summarized as below:
www.ghtc-india.gov.in India Newsletter• 18
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INVEST INDIA The Investors Desk of the Make in India Campaign The national investment promotion agency, provides handholding and facilitation services for attracting investments, including: Following up on approvals from Government departments/ agencies on behalf of the investor and the investing community. Providing handholding facilitation services from the point of arrival to the point of departure, including land/site identification and entry procedure advisory. Interacting with all States in a Hub & Spoke Model and providing investors with State policies relating to land/labour/capital and investment.Fixing meetings/ appointments between investors and different Government departments/agencies. The team of domain and functional experts provide sector- and state-specific inputs, and handholding support to investors through the entire investment cycle, from preinvestment decision-making to aftercare. Invest India assist with: ■ Market strategy ■ Business plan advisory ■ Location identification ■ Expediting regulatory approvals ■ Facilitating meetings with relevant government and corporate officials ■ Initiating remedial action on problems faced by investors
Contact Information
Mr. Anmol Bansal +91 9821 897 017 (Direct) anmol.bansal@investindia.org.in +91 11 2419 0300 makeinindia@nic.in
www.investindia.gov.in
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TOURISM
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh is one of the states that aesthetically defines India and its rich history that’s as ancient as the time known. This is the land wherein great sages have emerged, religions evolved and two great epic of India: Ramayana and Mahabharata have been inspired from. With each progressing century, the state has vouched for the secularity of India by giving home to various religions: Hindu, Jainism, Islamic, Buddhist and more. Apart from Varanasi (the spiritual capital of India), Allahabad, the holy confluence of two major rivers- Ganga and Yamuna flowing in the subcontinent and of course Agra that beautifully preserves the intellectual excellency of Mughal architecture– there are many more destinations here that piques the interest of every traveller and displays every shade of Indian ethnicity. More of which can be explored in special events and festivals that embarks gathering of pilgrims from all across the country and nation’s borders, be it annual the Holi festivals in Barsaana and likewise or iconic Kumbh gathering held once in 12years, at Allahabad. Travel Uttar Pradesh to explore India's culture and the origin of human beliefs. Places to visit in Uttar Pradesh: AGRAAgra is an ancient city on the banks of the River Yamuna. It finds mention in the Mahabharata but gained importance as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 - 1658. It is on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit with Delhi and Jaipur. It is famous for its Mughal architecture and for being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal - a monument of incredible elegance and architectural perfection. Agra has many other famous archeological sites and is famous for its marble inlay work and its leather industry that manufactures shoe uppers for some of the best shoe companies in the world. VARANASILying in the south of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the holy River Ganga, breathes
Taj Mahal, AGRA
Varanasi, which is believed to be the the oldest living city in the world. For centuries, the mystic of this place has been attracting pilgrims from across India as well as abroad. A dwelling of ancient domes, muths, ashrams, priests, narrow lanes with shops filled with Benaresi sarees, Varanasi represents the colorful and fascinating India of your dreams. MATHURAJust an hour’s drive from Agra, on the banks of the river Yamuna, One of the most famous sacred destinations of the Hindus, Mathura is a quaint small town on the western bank of the Yamuna River. It is the place where Lord Krishna was born and spent his early days. A famous centre of Buddhism in ancient India, the place was known for a great school of sculpture known as Mathura School of Art which flourished under the Kushana dynasty in the 1st century AD. One of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Mahapuris) and an important place of pilgrimage, Mathura and the surrounding villages of Vrindavan, Goverdhan and Gokul are popularly referred to as “Braj-Bhoomi“. LUCKNOWRetaining a feast of British Raj architecture as well as home to two grandiose tombs, Lucknow was the administrative and cultural hub of the Nawabs of Avadh (Oudh). During the period of the weakening of the Mughal Empire,the city rose into prominence as a centre for poetry, India Newsletter. 20
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music, dance and courtly diction. Modern Lucknow, extending along the banks of the Gomti River, is a seamless blend of the medieval and the modern, as new shopping complexes and ultra-modern malls are popping up all over the city. Today capital of the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, it is a fabulous place to sample its elaborate cuisine for which the city is widely known. PRAYAGRAJPrayagraj is crowned in ancient scriptures as ‘Teertharaj’ and is considered one of the holiest pilgrimage centres of India. The Kumbh held in four sacred places of India and Prayagraj is one of them. A city of many dimensions is what befits the description of Prayagraj. In addition to being a major pilgrimage centre, the city has played an important part in the formation of modern India. Hindu mythology states that Lord Brahma, the creator, chose a land for the 'Prakrishta Yajna'. KANPURThe city of Kanpur (80 km from Lucknow) is among the many Cities in Uttar Pradesh, washed by the holy waters of River Ganges. Situated on the banks of the Ganga, Kanpur spreads over an area of more of than a thousand square kilometers. The city offers various places of interest that range from religious places like Temples, Mosques, and Churches to ace
educational institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Today, Kanpur is an industrial and agricultural hub known all over the world for its leather industry. CHITRAKOOTChitrakoot meaning “the hill of many wonders” falls in the northern Vindhya range of mountains spread over the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Lord Rama spend a major part of his exile here. According to the epic Ramayana, Chitrakoot is the place where Bharat, brother of Lord Rama came to visit him and asked him to return to Ayodhya and rule the kingdom. It is believed that the supreme Gods of Hinduism, (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) took incarnations here. The place is dotted with many temples and several religious sites. AYODHYAAyodhya is located on the right bank of the river Saryu, as it is called within sacred precincts. Just 6 km from Faizabad, Ayodhya is a popular pilgrim centre. This town is closely associated with Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. For centuries, it was the capital of the descendants of the Surya dynasty of which Lord Rama was the most celebrated king. Ayodhya during ancient times was known as Kaushaldesa.
INDIA PERSPECTIVES MAGAZINE ONLINE
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ndia Perspectives, the flagship magazine of the Ministry of External Affairs. The magazine is printed in 16 languages and goes to 170 countries, disseminating interesting information about India’s rich culture and tradition. For a copy of the magazine, mail us at: poip@mea.gov.in
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GUIDE FOR TRAVELLERS - BAGGAGE RULES
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INDIA-AUSTRIA BY AIR
TOURIST HELPLINE
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YOGA, BOLLYWOOD DANCE AND HINDI CLASSES AT THE EMBASSY
■ The Embassy of India invites Yoga enthusiast for free yoga classes at the Embassy. The classes are organized in various categories and are conducted by Ms. Neelam Vats, Yoga Teacher at the Culture Center, Kaerntner Ring 2, Vienna.
■ Free Hindi learning class are held every Monday, 18.30 hrs. at the Culture Center of the Embassy at Kaerntner Ring 2, Vienna.
■ Free Bollywood dance classes are held every Tuesday from 18.00-19.00 hrs. at the Culture Center of the Embassy at Kaerntner Ring 2, Vienna.
■ For further information regarding the Yoga class timings and Hindi learning classes kindly visit Embassy's website or write an e-mail to : tic.vienna@mea.gov.in
■ For more information on Bollywood classes kindly send an e- mail to ccl.vienna@mea.gov.in
INDIAN EMBASSY LIBRARY
■■ The Embassy’s library is opened daily from 10 am to 1 pm without appointment. ■■ Our collection contains more than 2000 titles in dozens of categories. ■■ For appointments outside the opening hours or other inquiries, please contact us under info.vienna@mea.gov. in or 015058666 44 ■■ Download our latest catalog of books under indianembassy.at/pdf/EmbassyLibrary.pdf
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Indian Embassy, Vienna
NOTICE BOARD EMBASSY’S LIBRARY ■■ The EMBASSY’S library is open DAILY from 10am to 1pm without appointment. ■■ For a complete list of books available in our library, visit our website www.eoivienna.gov.in . ■■ For scheduling an appointment outside the opening hours, please contact the information assistant under info.vienna@mea.gov.in or 01 505 8666
BUSINESS CENTRE ■■ The EMBASSY’S Business Centre is opened DAILY from 10am to 1pm. ■■ For scheduling an appointment outside the opening hours, please contact the commercial wing under the contact given below.
■■ Marketing Assistant: comm1.vienna@mea.gov.in or 01 505 8666 31
STUDENTS WELFARE OFFICER ■■ Mr. Brijesh Kumar, Second Secretary in this Embassy has been designated as Officer to look after welfare of Indian Students in Austria and Montenegro.
■■ His contact details are: 0043 1 505 866 16 and ccl.vienna@mea.gov.in
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS GOES MOBILE ■■ Avail services : passport, visa, consular assistance ■■ Ask your Minister : on the go, anytime, anywhere ■■ Follow your PM : on his visits abroad ■■ Find the nearest Indian Mission/Post : for emergency consular assistance ■■ Be informed : about India’s Foreign Relations on the move and form your own opinions ■■ Know more : about how to undertake Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and Haj Pilgrimage ■■ Download and watch : pictures & documentaries on India ■■ Play and Personalize : what you need, when you need ■■ Share and contribute : your views, pics & suggestions Ministry of External Affairs proudly presents “MEAIndia” – an integrated smart app for mobile and other hand held devices ‘MEAIndia’ is now available for download on App Store and Google Play Store.
FACEBOOK & TWITTER ■■ Our Facebook and Twitter pages target the India-Austria community and covers subjects such as Business, Culture, Embassy News, India-related events and programmes in Austria, and much more.
■■ We have reached the 16000 followers mark on Facebook! ■■ ‘ Like’ our facebook page and be the first to know!
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INDIA NEWSLETTER
Disclaimer: Most of the Information collected in our Newsletter is through secondary research and Embassy of India, Vienna is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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