CONTENTS
DECEmBER 2015
06
11
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INDIA EmPIRE AWARDS Celebrating the Diaspora in America’s West Coast
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06
HEAVYWEIGHT LEADER The tough job of mr Anand Geete
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REGIONAL PBD Diaspora meet in Los Angeles
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39
21
EmBASSY FEATURE Opportunities in mongolia, Afghanistan, Lesotho
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43 39
DIASPORA NEWS Prime minister’s visits to UK, malaysia and Singapore
BUSINESS AND GOVERNANCE News you can use
Cover Story—PolitiCal interview
Mr Anant Gangaram Geete Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises
“We are shutting down sick PSUs, looking at improving profitability” Mr Anant Geete, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises, has his job cut out. The Ministry has 32 PSUs of which 21 are functional. Large scale retrenchments are on to shut down 7 PSUs. Retrenching workers is never easy, especially when having to deal with aggressive union leaders. But somehow, through attractive VRS packages, the minister is ensuring that workers leave without too many grievances, quite a few are in fact eager to quit. Mr Geete speaks to Editor Sayantan Chakravarty at his office in Parliament How are you dealing with the crisis of retrenchment? This crisis is an opportunity to look at profitability. The Ministry of Heavy Industries comprises 32 PSUs of which 21 are functional, and 11 are sick. Out of the remaining 11 PSUs, we have decided to shut down 5. For two PSUs, a liquidator has been appointed by the Supreme Court. We have proposed revival of 2 PSUs. Two others that cannot be revived are also on the verge of closing. Out of the 21 functional PSUs, 17 are making profits. We aim to convert the remaining 4 functional ones into profit making PSUs. Is there workers’ unrest? In the industries we have decided to shut down, we are giving very handsome VRS packages. For instance, employees who are working on a pay scale of 1987, we are going to give them VRS packages on 2007 pay scales. So the workers will be making more money while retiring, than they may have made during their working life. I haven’t come across any remorse or bitterness. In fact, one PSU workers’ union came to us for speedy disposal of VRS package. Apart from attractive VRS packages, we are improving working conditions, especially in those industries which are not in profit but need to be revived. How is the BHEL faring? The biggest PSU with us is a Maharatna—Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. It has been facing some difficulty because its main function is manufacturing of power generation equipment. Apart from that, BHEL also works for Defence and Railways, and manufactures locomotives and capital goods. As 6
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you know that in the past 2 years the power sector went through an uncertain phase. The main reason was the coal scam that took place during the time of the previous Government. The Supreme Court put a ban on mining in all coal blocks, and cancelled all allocations that were made. Due to this no new power projects could be launched or taken forward. I am happy to announce that BHEL currently has work orders to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore. Overall for work orders of Rs 1,00,000 crore, BHEL is in L1 (lowest bidder) position in different sectors. Some of these sectors include ones managed by the NTPC, NHPC, state Governments. Besides, there are some private projects. For BHEL which went through a tough phase, the future appears bright. How about giving a push to the automotive sector? The entire automotive sector is under the purview of this Ministry, which means all policies related to this sector are framed by us. We launched the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electrical vehicles) India scheme on April 1, 2015. We wish to focus on promoting electric and hybrid vehicles under the Electric Mobility Mission. The Finance Minister has granted us Rs 800 crore for the period 2015 – 2017. To make FAME India a success, our total requirement by 2030 will be Rs 14,000 crore. In principal, the FM has accepted our proposal, but has advised us to carry out the proposed scheme in a phased manner in four sectors. Is there a lot of subsidy involved in this scheme? Subsidy is a major component. We provide 30 per cent sub-
PhotograPhS Š SiPra daS
WALKING THE TALK: Mr Geete is determined to shut down sick units in his Ministry, and help the profit making ones step up to international standards
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Cover Story—PolitiCal interview
BALANCING JOB: As the leader of the Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party, Mr Geete is politically required to do a fine balancing job when things heat up between his party and the BJP sidy for overhead costs in diesel car manufacturing under the FAME India scheme. The four sectors where subsidy is provided are 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, buses and commercial vehicles. The highest subsidy component provided is Rs 66 lakh. The FAME India scheme has received very good responses from the 2-wheeler manufacturers, like Hero or Kinetic. The demand for products has increased three fold. We have sold 25,000 two-wheeler vehicles within 4 months under this scheme. This is the biggest scheme launched by my Ministry for the automotive sector. We are also spending a lot of money on R and D. We have plans to open centres in various states to further promote this industry. Do things look promising in the Capital Goods sector? In the Capital Goods sector we are looking forward to making a huge investment in Research and Development. This sector consists of mainly the SMEs. Since there are no major players in this sector, it is not able to put together the kind of money required for setting up R and D units. So, the Government has come forward to help them. We are going to spend around Rs 985 crore on the Capital Goods sector in order to promote it. How are you promoting Make In India? FAME India is a part of Make in India. We are promoting the automotive sector, especially hybrid and electric vehicles—this is also a part of Make in India. And the scheme that we have in the Capital Goods sector is also to promote the Make in India programme. Our ministry is completely in favour of the programme. What is your long term vision for this Ministry? Top most priority for us is to ensure that the Central Pub8
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lic Sector Enterprises we have should remain in good condition, and do not suffer any losses. It may not be possible to open new ones, but we will certainly take care of the ones that are functional. In our country, we have a balance between the public and private sectors. If the public sector ceases to exist, this balance will go away. Is Scooter India being revived? Scooter India is on the stage of revival. Probably this year the company will also show profits. Has politics become a fine balancing game? Being in politics in the present day is not very easy, so I consider winning the Lok Sabha election consecutively for 6 years a big thing. But I feel blessed, because the people of Konkan region that I represent have so much faith in me. I have won the elections from the same constituency every time, I have never changed it. I have inculcated this belief in the people through my work, and I see no problem in the coming elections as well. How about regular standoffs between your party and the BJP? Yes, there can be issues in politics. See whenever we have alliances in Government, differences are bound to arise. Every party has their own strategy and values, and every party keeps trying hard to come up. When there are two different parties with different ideologies working for the betterment of the people and country, estrangements are very common. But this has never been a problem for me. In fact I would not hesitate to say that whenever there has been a crisis situation, the balancing factor has been Anant Geete. â??
BUSineSS anD GovernanCe PhotograPhS Š SiPra daS
AGREEMENT SIGNED
Mr Rajan Katoch, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries (left) and Mr Rohit Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (right) after signing an agreement. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and PSE, Mr Anant Geete and Union Minister of State (IC), Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy are in the middle
CMs COME TOGETHER Mr Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi and Ms Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal are seen in Parliament. At the centre is Aam Aadmi Party MP Mr Bhagwant Mann. On the right of the frame is Mr Kalyan Banerjee, MP from Trinamool Congress
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interview: Chairman, aai
“We plan to make the stakeholders potential partners in our growth” After having a long stint of over 30 years in the most sought after Cadre like IAS and reaching a senior position of Additional Secretary, he has taken the onerous responsibility of steering the country’s most vibrant organization dealing with airport infrastructure that is Airports Authority of India. A brief interview with Mr RK Srivastava, Chairman, Airports Authority of India
Sir, you will agree that civil aviation in general and airports in particular have come out of category of elite class service. Would you like to dwell upon this in the light of emphasis you have laid upon service parameters in your message? In the first instance, let me also thank you for taking the initiative for this meeting. While I appreciate your concern about the sector, as regards a way forward for AAI to steer up on the map of new growth and height in the field of infrastructure development and safety in the aviation sector, I have given emphasis to customer friendliness in our enabling services at airports and I have deliberated upon proactive approach in gauging the emerging trends, expectation and demands of different stakeholders in aviation sector in general and passengers, airlines, cargo industry and security in particular. How has the civil aviation sector been progressing over the past year? Your question is very straight forward and very specific to the past year. But let me begin with that the civil aviation sector in India started to cater to the needs of big businesses and well healed gentry which is also termed as elite class who needed to travel fast, both within India and abroad, and they wanted their goods and mail to travel equally fast. This scenario, over a period of time, has totally changed. Today civil aviation sector contributes significantly to the process of economic development. As far as India is concerned, we are the 9th largest aviation market with traffic showing almost double digit growth. The policy initiatives and modernization of both airport as well as ANS infrastructure have propelled Indian aviation sector to a new high growth path. Connectivity has become the Mantra for the overall progress and development, not only for the city where it exists, rather for the adjoining districts and states as well encompassing more and more catchment areas; of-late, airports are being termed as economic magnets. As on date, AAI manages 125 airports including civil enclaves, 60 of them have been recently developed and modernized, thereby provisioning capacity 12 india empire | deCember 2015
ahead of demand. Not resting with this, AAI has further evolved itself to undertake development of airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. AAI also provides Air Navigation Services across the nation and has taken up ANS upgradation for enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity of the air-space of the country. Coming back to your question on progress over the past year, to be specific, during the recently concluded financial year 2014-15, Air Traffic at Indian airports has reached to 190 million passengers, 1.60 million aircraft movements and 2.5 million Metric Tonnes of cargo indicating growth of 12.6 per cent in pax, 4.3 per cent in the aircraft movements and 11.0 per cent in cargo over the previous year. Further, during the current financial year from April to September, the growth in passenger traffic has further improved to 17 per cent due to significant growth of 20 per cent in domestic passenger traffic. Growth in aircraft movement has also increased to 8 per cent. This shows scope for rapid development of civil aviation sector in India. With the announcement of draft Civil Aviation Policy, last week, the sector is going to be propelled on the high growth chart. What are the measures being taken by AAI regarding the safety and security at airports? Safety and security are the prime concerns of civil aviation activity around the globe and India is no exception. Security at airports is governed by the specific provisions of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Within India, BCAS lays down AVSEC norms for security. AAI has enabled all the provisions under its domain for commensuration with the same. Security at airports is being looked after by CISF and the respective State Police. CISF has been introduced at most of the AAI’s airports. Survey and resurveys are carried out in coordination with BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) to assess the threat perception at the respective airports and based on that we adopt the security measures. The intensity of security and provision of equipment is enhanced as per the sensitivity of the airport. We
Mr RK Srivastava Chairman, Airports Authority of India
have provided latest security equipment, gadgets and infrastructure to the personnel who are dealing with the security function which includes X-Ray baggage machines, Door Frame Metal Detectors, Hand Held Metal Detectors supported by CCTV at various airports. AAI has also provided explosive trace detectors and inline X-Ray Baggage System at its airports as per need basis. What are the AAI’s plans, in terms of airport construction, upgradation and planned investments over the next 2-3 years? At the outset, let me state that AAI has taken all-round initiatives to ensure adequate infrastructure at its airports. With the rising air traffic, improved facilities and services for maintaining desired level of customer satisfaction and commercial exploitation for maintaining the growth of the organization, we are continuously adding more and more airports in the country to meet the expectations of people, thereby enhancing wider connectivity. We have plans of spending 4-5 billion dollars in the next seven years, to add the new capacity of 70 million passengers at the Airport. However, with the new policy aiming to increase the ticket sale from 70 m to 300 m per annum, the CAPEX requirement would be two and a half times more than what is planned today. This, however, would be factored in our revised calibration of supply with demand in different fields of Aviation Infrastructure. Presently Construction of new Terminal Buildings are being taken up at Portblair, Kishangarh, Pakyong, Hubli, Tezu, Vijayawada and Belgaum .In order to meet the objective of inclusive growth, AAI in line with Government ob-
jectives, plans to enhance Regional and Remote area air connectivity in a time bound manner. Under this AAI has been mandated to develop five airports namely Kishangarh, Belgaum, Hubli, Jharsuguda and Tezu for which work is in progress. AAI will be taking up the implementation of Airport Infrastructure projects on Turnkey/ Design Built model for which EOI has been called for empanelment of PMC. To bridge the gap between capacity and demand, expansion and upgradation of Airports are planned at Lucknow, Guwahati, Leh, Srinagar, Agartala, Trichy, Trivandrum, Port Blair and Vijaywada Airports. Terminal Buildings at Jammu, Trichy, Pune, Calicut and Srinagar are also being expanded and modified. For further improving regional connectivity, AAI is taking up joint ventures with State Governments to develop airports in the remote areas. As the Chairman of AAI, what are your top priorities for the sector in the next 1-2 years? Ans. The top priorities for the sector in the next 1-2 years would be to transform the image of AAI airports to be the most customer friendly airports at par with anywhere in the globe. We aim to achieve this by augmenting our airports with state of the art infrastructure, provision of new facilities for air navigation, enhancing safety both in air and ground, improving efficiency of air operations in Indian air-space. We plan to make airports self-sustaining commercial enterprises, by increasing the non-aeronautical revenue. Our endeavour is to make the stakeholders potentially the State Government’s partner in our journey of growth. We plan to augment Food and Beverage facilities, retail services, introduce more international and national brands at airports, provide Business Lounges thus enhancing the options for the travelling public for greater convenience and a sense of hospitality. AAI also plans to extend CUTE (Common User Terminal Equipment) and CUSS (Common Use Self-Service) services at most of the airports, Implement Inline baggage screening with self-service kiosks, provide PBB (Passenger Boarding Bridges) at most of the airports, provide travellers with information on mobile or gadgets, improve the ambience at the airports, improve signage’s for ease of finding ways in and around the airport, augment parking facilities and provide value added services like paid porters and kids ❐ entertainment. deCember 2015 | india empire 13
enGaGinG the DiaSPora
IndIa EmpIrE
AwArdS CELEBRATING INDIA IN BEVERLEY HILLS
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PhotograPhS © Murali
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Mr Navneeet Chugh (MC), Dr Harvinder S Sahota, Ms Manjusha Kulkarni, Mr Subba Rao, Mr K K Anand, Ms Apra Bhandari, Mr Ashok Madan, Mr Venu Sarakki, Mr Sayantan Chakravarty (Editor, India Empire Publications)
S
even prominent members of the Indian diaspora in Southern California were honoured and recognized at the India Empire Awards held at a Beverly Hills restaurant on Friday, November 13, 2015. Also receiving an award was Mr K K Anand of Anand Law Practice, New Delhi for accomplishments in legal services. Mr Sayantan Chakravarty, Editor and Publisher of the monthly print and electronic magazine India Empire (indiaempire.com) said that the awards were instituted to recognize and celebrate the success of India’s diaspora in the West Coast of the USA. Previously similar awards have been held in New Delhi to honour and recognize diaspora figures from all over the world.
A prominent five member committee was set up in Southern California to recommend names of awardees, which were finally accepted by the magazine’s editorial team in New Delhi. The award function was conducted with a combination of flair and humour by Mr Navneet S Chugh, eminent Attorney and Law and Certified Public Accountant. The citations for the awardees are as follows: Ms Apra Bhandari (Excellence in Communication in Media) graduated in Communications and Media from Cornell University and was selected as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Cornellians. Today Ms Bhandari owns the Adaa Indian and Bollywood Dance Academy, an award-winning dance school in the Orange County. She has worked as an Unit Production Manager with Warner Brothers Production deCember 2015 | india empire 15
enGaGinG the DiaSPora
HONOUR ROLL (Clock wise from top): Ms Bhandari receiving a shawl from Mr Kewal Kanda, Ms Kulkarni receives her award, Mr Rao receives from Mr Shiv Ratan, Community Affairs Counsellor, Embassy of India in Washington, Mr Sarakki receives from Mr Sunil Gulati, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana and Dr Sahota receives from Mr Ashook Ramsaran, President, GOPIO International
during the making of “Chandni Chowk to China.” She acted as the lead actress in the Indian film Shambhu, as a supporting actress in the Indian film, Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, and in various international television commercials including those for UNICEF, Cadbury and Bank of Baroda. She has been a Production Intern with the NBC and a Reporter with TV Asia in Edison. Dr. Harvinder Sahota (Philanthropy) has donated U.S.$1.5 million to the University of Irvine, California for a chair in Sikh studies. The chair will be named after Dr Sahota’s mother, Bibi Dhan Kaur Sahota. UI and Dr Sahota signed an agreement on August 12, 2015 which includes teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Sikhism, starting in September 2016. Dr Sahota is a graduate of Patiala Medical College in Punjab. He is the creator of the perfusion angioplasty balloon. He is affiliated with four universities in Southern California—Claremont Lincoln University, Claremont School of Theology, Loyola Marymount University and U.C. Irvine. Mr Ashok Madan (Community Service) is a veteran Real Estate Investor who came to the USA in 1970 to pursue a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering. After graduating, he worked in the Information Technology filed, and joined the County of Los Angeles in 1976 where he ascended to a management position. He retired from there in 2010, after putting in 33 years of service. Mr Madan has done yeoman service to the community over the years. He is currently President of the NFIA—the National Federation of Indian American Associations, Founding Member, COLAIAPA—County of Angels Indian American Professionals Association, Life Member, GOPIO—Global Organization of People of Indian Origin. Ms Manjusha P Kulkarni (Community Health Empowerment) is an Executive Director of the South Asian Network, a community based organization dedicated to advancing the health, empowerment and solidarity of persons of South Asian origin in Southern California. Between 1999 and 2010, 16 india empire | deCember 2015
enGaGinG the DiaSPora
Mr Inder Singh, Chairman of GOPIO International honours Mr K K Anand, distinguished Advocate from New Delhi (top left), and Mr Navneet Chugh, the MC for the evening and eminent attorney and CPA in Los Angeles
Ms Kulkarni served as Senior Attorney at the National Health Law Programme in Los Angeles, a capacity in which she worked towards improving access to quality healthcare for lowincome individuals through administrative and legislative policy advocacy and litigation. In 2013, SAN was featured in the Los Angeles Times and on PRI’s radio programme, The World. In April 2014, Ms Kulkarni received the White House Champions of Change award for dedication to improving healthcare access for South Asian Americans. Mr Subba Rao Gopavarapu (Excellence in Business Leadership) is the founder and CEO of GSR Technologies, Inc. He is a serial entrepreneur and software architect with more than 20 years of experience in custom software development and software solutions in areas such as PDM and PLM, DevOps Engineering and ALM, Mobile, Cloud, Big Data applications. Under his leadership, GSR Technologies received an “Emerging Small Business award” from the Asian Business Association of Orange County in 2011. Under his leadership GSR Technologies, Inc has been selected to participate as a Program Partner of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business in 2014. GSR Technologies is Siemens PLM Software Solutions Channel Partner in USA. Mr. Gopavarapu holds B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Nagarjuna University, India. Mr. Venu Sarakki (Excellence in Entrepreneurship) is the CEO of Sarakki Associates Inc, (SAI) a multi-disciplinary engineering firm based in Santa Ana, CA. SAI started in 1995 by providing their services in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which deals with improving traffic mobility by applying state of the art computer and communication systems. SAI currently provides IT services related to secure border systems along US-Mexico border and to enhance cyber security. SAI was recently awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by US Department of State for Cyber security project. On July 11, 2014, Mr. Sarakki was invited to the white house to meet President Obama to discuss small business issues and their impact on policy. Mr. Sarakki is a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Mr Nakul Dev Mahajan (Excellence in Performing Arts) is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Bollywood Dance Company in the United States, NDM Bollywood Dance Productions and Studios Inc. located in Los Angeles. His 18 india empire | deCember 2015
A view of the audience at the venue
unique dance style and choreography fuses a diverse repertoire including Indian classical styles, such as Kathak, Bharata Natyam, Bhangra, and Folk; and, western staples including Ballroom, Latin, Hip-hop, Contemporary, and Jazz. Some of his major Hollywood choreography credits include Superstars of Dance, America’s Best Dance Crew and A.R. Rahman’s World Tour: Jai Ho. However, Nakul is best known for his choreography on So You Think You Can Dance, which garnered him international interest and secured his role as Hollywood’s Favorite Bollywood Choreographer. Mr K K Anand (Legal Accomplishments) is the Founder of Anand Law Practice which is headquartered in New Delhi. The firm’s NRI Legal Services and Solutions division is dedicated to handle property, matrimonial and other legal issues of NRIs, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas citizens of India. With regard to property / real estate, a team of legal experts provides services related to Land and property searches, Transfer of land/property, Partition/Division of property, Will or Succession certificates, Disputes/litigation cases regarding illegal possession of NRI property in India, Landlord and tenant disputes, Criminal litigation against NRIs and OCsI relating to property disputes, Investment in real estate in India. With regard to matrimonial discords, the firm provides services related to Cross border divorce cases, Matrimonial criminal matters, Inter country adoption, Child custody cases, Matrimonial property disputes, Rights of NRI spouses. ❐
rPBD, loS anGeleS
wEST COAST ENGAGEMENT
Ambassador of India to USA Mr Arun K Singh (second from left), and Mr Anil K Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (second from right) release a report overseen by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). At right is Director General, CII, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee
Various business meetings were held as a part of the Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (RPBD) over the last two days at Los Angeles, USA. They included three panel discussions on ● Investment Opportunities in Clean and Renewable Energy Sector in India ● Technology Partnerships, Investments and Innovation through the Digital India Initiative ● Impact Investments into Social Enterprises in India Speakers from the Indian industry and subject matter experts from US participated. The OIFC’s Indian Business delegation included senior executives from CII, entrepreneurs/ business owners and innovators from sectors including -Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, IT and IT enabled Services, Port technologies, Social Entrepreneurs, Impact investing, Healthcare, Hospitality, Real Estate, Market entry firms who can advise on business investment laws and regulatory aspects with India. The delegation comprised the Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs; Ambassador of India to USA; the Consul General of India in San Francisco. The OIFC delegation also included Mr Jupally Krishna Rao, Minister for Industry, Govt of Telangana, Mr IYR Rao, Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, and senior officials from Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIDC), Department of Industries, Government of Jharkhand and Department of NRI Affairs, Government of Kerala.
Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, General V.K. Singh, addressing the diaspora at the Los Angeles meet
The RPBD and OIFC Business Meet were organised by Ministry of Overseas India Affairs in close coordination with the Embassy of India in USA, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco; and the Indian Associations in USA. The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) was setup as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the Ministry of deCember 2015 | india empire 19
rPBD, loS anGeleS
A session on building greater synergy between Bollywood and Hollywood. Among the participants was Gulshan Grover (third from left)
Chairman of the RPBD Los Angeles Organizing Committee, Mr Inder Singh, makes impactful points before the large audience
Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to enhance economic engagement of Indian Diaspora with India. At the Business Meet, OIFC launched the India Corporate Internship initiative, which would offer 60 paid internships at 23 top Indian corporate firms from summer 2016, by funding students of Indian origin. The internships would be a window to the Indian work culture, an opportunity to connect to roots and experience working in a multi-cultural environment. The RPBD is an annual event organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), as part of its outreach to the Indian Diaspora in various global regions. So far eight RPBDs have been held, the last in London in October 2014. â?? 20 india empire | deCember 2015
DiPlomatiC interview
HIS ExCEllENCy Mr GONCHIG GANbOld AMbASSAdOr Of MONGOlIA TO INdIA
“We consider India a source of wisdom and knowledge” In an interview about the bilateral relations, tourism, economy and the role of Ulaanbaatar Dialogue, His Excellency Mr Gonchig Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia spoke to India Empire’s Assistant Editor Misha Singh. Mr Ganbold has studied in Ulaanbaatar, New Delhi, Moscow, Oxford, Geneva, Hawaii and Munich. He speaks Hindi, English and Russian. He has also worked at Mongolia Embassies in New Delhi, Washington D.C. and London. Mr Ganbold has also served as the Director of Multilateral Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as in Ministry of Finance and National Security Council of Mongolia. He has contributed articles to print and electronic media and translated over dozen books Please brief us about the role of Ulaanbaatar Dialogue in Mongolia’s regional security cooperation? Whatever happens in that region tends to have a direct implication on Mongolia. This region is known for controversial and unsettled issues for instance Korean peninsula, we consider it to be free from nuclear weapon. We wish it to be a place of tranquility and peace. There is an island controversy between China and Japan and there are number of uncertainties in Northern territories of Russia and Japan. There is also concentration of the nuclear weapons in China and Russia. Mongolia beleives that there should be platform where the people gather together and discuss the issues; not necessarily agree with one another on everything but there should be a place for discussion. So, Mongolia considers that Ulaanbaatar Dialogue could be such a forward platform where the countries in the region could get together and discuss whatever issues they have. Mongolia hosted the first ever visit of an Indian Prime Minister in May 2015. Kindly brief us about the Agreements and MoUs exchanged during the visit of Prime Minister to Mongolia? Both the countries are eager to keep the pace of high level confidential talks, so the Prime Minister’s visit is an important milestone in the same. During the series of discussions, Government of India has reiterated its willingness to accept Mongolian students in Indian Universities including Nalanda University. The Indian Government has also indicated its interest to encourage our economic and trade relationship… Both Mongolia and India are two of the oldest nations in India and both know one another quite well since Buddhism prevailed in Mongolia steppes 2500 years ago. Mongolians were aware of India and they also respected India as the country of Lord Buddha or Lord Buddha janam bhoomi. Mongolia also considers India as a source of wisdom and knowledge, so our 22 india empire | deCember 2015
monks and sanyasis used to come to India and study in Nalanda University. Mongolians were aware of India a very long time and the bilateral and diplomatic relations were formed on the basis of the ages old cultural and spiritual ties. How are Mongolia-India relations progressing under India’s Act East Policy? Since May last year, India has emphasized on Look to East Policy and which is very much in Mongolia’s interest. Being in Asia and being similar on large scuffs of areas right from nonaligned movement up to the station of military blocs in interest of tranquility and peace keeping. India and Mongolia also have a common standing on various United Nations initiatives such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Both countries have much to interact and also Mongolia supports India’s willingness to become the member of the United Nations Security Council. In return India also reiterated its support in favour of Mongolia’s interest to get elected in the United Nations Human Right Council. Please tell us about Mongolia’s interest to become a member of APEC? How would it affect Mongolia economically? Mongolia is the shortest route between Europe and Asia; it has a vast territory, almost half of India and its population is small. So, if Mongolia joins the APEC then we would also have common markets like Russia and China. Through these countries we can also get access to other markets. Our exports mainly consist of agriculture material, raw material, semi-products, finished products and minerals. These voluminous goods also need infrastructure, so we could also get joint Asia and Pacific infrastructure, transit and transport services. Not only infrastructure but also our common market, common customs will also facilitate our treaty. Initially we have concluded Free trade Agreement with Japan, we are also looking forward to conclude such agreements with other
His Excellency Mr Gonchig GANBOLD Ambassador of Mongolia to India
countries which would help us to join APEC. What are the steps taken by the Government to promote Mongolia as a tourist destination? Is Government seeking to take advantage of the same and focus on ‘Adventure Tourism’? Mongolia is one of the few countries in the contemporary world which preserves it ecologically clean environment and has a typical view of nomadic civilization. So, whoever wants to get acquainted with these two scenes should definitely visit Mongolia. The Government also liberalized visa regulations last year. The Government approved a list of 42 countries with a visa free access to Mongolia. The discussions are going on to further liberalize the visa policy. Though, Mongolia is little far from main destination of tourism, we intend to receive as much as 4,00,000 tourists in a year. Mongolia also has a plenty of geographical and climatic zones. In the southern region we have the belt of Gobi Desert and in the western region we have endless steppes popular for hiking, bird watching and ecological tourism. The western region is also an amazing destination for adventure tourism. What is Mongolia’s engagement policy in the Make in India campaign? We are dependent on certain coach importation like pharmaceuticals and chemicals. India is known for its quality in these areas and is also a reliable exporter and provider of the same. So, if we could promote our trade then pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food items can also be stable items for trade. For instance, Mongolia can export good agricultural materials, readymade garments to India and India in turn can export canvas, agriculture machinery and tools. What is the future of trade between Mongolia and
India? Also, please outline the presence of Mongolia’s companies in India, and Indian companies in Mongolia… Mongolia can export cooking coal, fluorspar, wool, copper, rare rose elements and all types of minerals which are very important in the metallurgical industry. Although there is huge geographical distance and many hindrances but Mongolia is closer to the sea port and we are the beacon of highways and railways infrastructure. The connectivity makes it easier for us to shift the goods to the sea shore then onwards to the Calcutta port. Mongolia also has an agreement with the European Union which exempts over 700 varieties of commodities from their taxes and customs duty. There are many Indian companies in Mongolia but very few Mongolian companies in India. Also, there are few people indicating interest in setting up joint ventures and combined activities in the field of trade and economy. Please talk us through Mongolia’s trilateral talks with Russia and China? What are Mongolia’s goals for the same? Russia and China are the members of the United Nations Security Council and also the super powers. They also play an important role in the regional politics. Mongolia has very long border of over 400 kms with Russia and equally long border with China, it is landlocked between the two countries. So, by simplifying our custom regimes and visa systems, Mongolia looks forward to improve its exports in a great way which in turn would have a very good implication on country’s welfare. The Shanghai Corporation Organisation in the recent summit discussed building free corridors through Mongolia that would help us to make natural gas lines, electricity grids and transport corridors for both highways and railways. This initiative will also make Mongolia’s access with ❐ the international market much broader. deCember 2015 | india empire 23
“Spiritual Neighbours and Strategic Partners” By gonchig gaNBold, Ambassador of Mongolia
M
ongolia and India are two of the earliest nations in Asia if not in the world. We, Mongolians have got acquainted with India ever since the teachings of Lord Buddha prevailed throughout the steppes of Mongolia. Mongols became well aware of India after Buddhism prevailed in Mongolian steppes. The 13th Century manuscript known as The Sacred History of Mongols (chapter 261 to 264) referred to India as Hindu or Hindustan and the Indus river as Sindhi or a New river. Both countries have built deep rooted ties with shared cultural, religious and intellectual legacies. The amazing stories of Mughal dynasty held a pivotally important part in India’s history. There are still areas and places with thought provoking names such as Mangolpuri, Mongolbad, Mangolore in Delhi and other parts of India. It is of the view that large number of manuscripts and literatures on our historical ties are being preserved and restored in archives, museums, libraries and research institutions in India. Shri Narendra Modi, Honorable Prime Minister of India during his official visit to Mongolia in May 2015 presented samples of Banyan tree to the main Buddhist (Gandantegchiling) monastery, which was deeply appreciated as a vivid illustration of our common spiritual legacy and close feelings toward one another. The truth of Siddhartha Gautama cannot be adequately described here in a brief write up. Perhaps it requires a lifetime to comprehend it. The Buddha described it in a parable. Man should seek the middle path between self-indulgence and self mortification. This middle way, known as the Noble Eightfold path, consisted of right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right mode of living, right endeavor, right mindfulness and right con-
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sciousness. The teachings of Lord Buddha helped not only to form our people’s thoughts but also turned into philosophy that has great impact on our state policy. Sons and daughters of India hailed from diverse ethnicities and religions like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Baba Sahib Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, Mulana Azad, Sarojni Naidu had led the struggle of Аhimsa (Non violence) against British Raj that existed over two centuries. Likewise Mongolians 25 years ago got rid of authoritarian regime with single political party and embarked on path of twin transformations such as parliamentary democracy and market economy without broken single window-pane. These traditional ties between the people of our two countries grew into formal state to state relations when our two nations fought and regained their respective independence and sovereignty. Mongolia and India established diplomatic relations on December 24, 1955. Presently, we are to mark the 60th jubilee as yearlong event on both sides. Mongolians and Indians are spiritual neighbours those sitting on the northern and southern edge of the Buddhist Asia. Despite geographical distance we have been intertwined with ancient bonds of history, culture and religion which turned into solid basis of the state to state official diplomatic relations. This year we are contemplating to mark this sixtyth anniversary of these relations as as year long event. We mongolians respect India as sacred land of Lord Buddha and source of wisdom and knowledge. Travelers of ancient past note that the mongolian monks studied in Nalanda University. This spiritual tie is also another basis of our close cooperation. I am pleased that the Government of India has announced its readiness to accept the Mongolian
youths to this ancient university. Mongolia and India have contributed a wide array of arts, literature, poetry as well as research works to the oriental culture which are worth to be introduced to our young generation. We in Mongolia know the teachings of Swami Vivekanand, who said, “What are our thoughts are who we are so take care about what you think.Words are secondary and thoughts are live and travels far.” “You have to grow from the inside out. There is no teacher but your own soul”. “Neither money, nor name or fame pays but character cleaves through adamantine walls of difference”. We pass them on to our youngsters generation to generation and saying that “You ought to know thoughts in order to know the men.” “Check yourself being among the people and check your thoughts while being alone”, “Sight is blind whenas thoughts are blind”. “The best form of wealth is knowledge which is better”. The Great Genghis Khan also known as Chinggis Khan, founder of the Unified Mongolian state said that winning of heart and mind is the way to govern the bodies. Thus, even in 13th century, the Mongols appreciated and respected the diverse cultures and civilizations. So instead of discriminating or conflicting with them, the Mongols used to co-exist and debate with all the major faiths in their respective temples, monastries, mosques and ashrams, as Marco Polo had noted. Mongolia this year is marking the 25th anniversary of the first free and fair elections which ushered my country into the political democracy and market economy. Following the great Indian tradition of Ahimsa (Non violence) to get rid of British Raj nearly seventy years ago we launched democratic changes in Mongolia in early 1990s peacefully without any violence. India supported these sweeping trans28 india empire | deCember 2015
formations from their very beginning and the Parliament of India along with fellow Asian legislative bodies made its valuable contributions in inserting democratic norms and principles in our Constitution in 1992. The Governments of Mongolia and India have defined the core principles of their relations and cooperation which enshrined in their Joint Declaration of 1973 and reaffirmed time and again. Since then we have concluded the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation in 1994 and Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership in 2008 and Treaty on Stratgeic Partnership in 2015 and have agreed to collobrate in all available fields. At present there are over 50 treaties and agreements that have been implemented between our countries. Thus, ties with centuries old history have grown into strategic partnership at this time of turbulent but promising prespective. India supported the transformations for political democracy and market economy of 1990’s from their very beginning and the Parliament of India along with fellow Asian legislative bodies made its valuable contributions in drafting our first democratic Constitution. Barring mining agriculture and animal husbandary have substantive role in our economies, so both Mongolia and India pay much importance to climate change and environmental protection which are indeed promising areas for broader integration. The Government of India rendered assistance to Mongolia in training our national personnel and promoting SME under its ITEC program. The Indian Government has also been providing short and long term trainings to our professionals since 1987. Our youth are studying in the Indian universities on the stipends provided by the Government and private sector’s stipends. Mongolia and India are both peace loving nations and free from any military alliances. Both countries have been constructively collaborating with Non Aligned Movement, United Nations, World Trade Organization, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to avoid of conflicts and facilitate understanding and cooperation to the benefit of universal well-being. We unanimously denounce all forms of extremism and express our firm determination to strive against religious fundamentalism and violent terrorism. Soon after my happy reunion with India after one and half decade having received my Letters of Credence as Ambassador of Mongolia on September 2, 2015 in which H.E. Mr Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India underlined the ancient cultural and spiritual ties between India and Mongolia. The following day to this symbolic but very important moment in my career as newly minted Ambassador, I had also an opportunity to attend the international symposium on Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative on Conflict Avoidance and Environmental Consciousness co-hosted by the Vivekanada International Foundation of India and the Tokyo Foundation of Japan. The three day international symposium held in New Delhi and Bodhgaya of Bihar helped me in recalling what the President of India highlighted in his brief remarks on the age old ties between our two nations. ❐
afGhaniStan inDePenDenCe Day CeleBrationS
96 INdEPENdENCE dAy CElEbrATION TH
H.E the Ambassador with H.E S. Jaishankar the Foreign Secretary, Chief Guest
The Guests standing for National Anthem at the Inependence Day Celebration
Art Expiation: Display of paintings from culture, natural beauty and day to day life of Afghans
H.E Ambassador Abdali posing for a group photo with Afghan students wearing traditional clothes Afghan handicraft
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Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi celebrated the 96th anniversary of the country’s independence on November 5, 2015. The celebrations took place at the Afghan Ambassador’s residence which was attended by some 1500 guests from the host country’s government authorities, the diplomatic community, media, private sector, think-tanks and the civil society.
H.E Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Afghan Ambassador to India (centre), H.E S. Jaishankar Foreign Secretary on the left and H.E Richard Verma Ambassador of US to India
Afghan children in traditional Afghan dress
Traditional Afghan food served at the event
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DiPlomatiC interview
HIS ExCEllENCy Mr bOTHATA TSIkOANE HIGH COMMISSIONEr Of THE kINGdOM Of lESOTHO
“We deeply value our relations with India” Asked about Lesotho’s bilateral and economic relations with India, tourism opportunities, capacity building and training programmes in Defence and Security and contribution of Indian community in Lesotho, His Excellency Mr Bothata Tsikoane, High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho opened up to India Empire’s Assistant Editor Misha Singh in an interview
Please let us know about Lesotho’s bilateral trade and economic relations with India… I must say that this is one area that has not been explored enough by both countries. There is nothing significant happening; however we have been working very hard to create awareness between the two countries particularly in the private sector. We wish to bring to the attention of the business community in India that there are huge amount of opportunities laying in the Kingdom of Lesotho to invest and make it a hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the whole of Africa. We wish to tell the business community in Lesotho to know that India has just woke-up from its slumber and is rising in the International stage. It is important for Lesotho that it should also look forward to import technology from India and both countries should work towards enhancing bilateral trade. India has been exporting a lot of pharmaceuticals to Lesotho and Lesotho used to export raw wool and mohair which has stopped. We are in the process of reviving this because Lesotho still ranks high in the production of wool and mohair. We have also had high powered delegation visit of private sector and Government officials in 2014 led by then Prime Minister of Lesotho. Our Prime Minister was also part of the recent India-Africa Summit 2015 accompanied by a business delegation. We believe that through these efforts we will be able to see developments on the ground. What is the status of the MoU signed between the National Small Industries Corporation in India and the Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation in Lesotho? That MoU has been signed twice. It did not come in effect when it was signed for the first time. It was again signed 34 india empire | deCember 2015
last year in Pretoria, however nothing monumental has happened on the ground so far but our intention is to bring the business community to India and learn about the technology for small and medium enterprises. We hope that something in this direction happens at the beginning of the upcoming financial year. What are the tourism opportunities in Lesotho that you can let our readers know about? Lesotho is a very beautiful country. It is referred to as the Switzerland of Africa because of its high altitude. The lowest point of Lesotho is 1400 meters above the sea level and highest point is 3482 meters above the sea level. Due to the high altitude, Lesotho is full of mountains and in amongst the few countries in Africa which experience snowfall every winter and this makes skiing one of the major tourist attraction. Unlike the other countries in Africa, we do not have wild life but we have the natural beauty. Our major natural resource is water, tourists can engage in a lot of water sport activities. The world considers Africa, a future frontier because of its untapped potential, so we ask India to come and seize the opportunities while they last. How do you view the contribution of the 1,300 Indian community in Lesotho? Our relationship with India and Africa goes long back. We remember Mahatma Gandhi was in South Africa, where he played an important role in the fight of the freedom for South Africa. He was based in Kwazulu Natal Province which is very close to Lesotho. Few Indians who were sent to South Africa as slaves over the years moved to Lesotho. They were very popular because of their trade. This trade
His Excellency Mr Bothata Tsikoane High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho to India
was affected by the presence of Chinese in Africa however Indians continue to be part of us as some of them were born and grew up in Africa. Our relationship is that of brothers and sisters. You will also be aware that my predecessor is of Indian origin which suggests that they are part of us. Please outline for us the presence of Lesotho’s companies in India, and Indian companies in Lesotho… We have a lot of pharmaceutical companies doing trade in Lesotho, there are about 10 of them. There are few other companies in other sectors such as energy and IT to name but a few. This is not good at all and we need to improve on this. Please talk us through capacity building and training programmes in Defence and Security… We have had the cooperation between Indian army and Lesotho for 15 years. This cooperation embarks a number of things. The first is that we have Indians army personnel in Lesotho training our defence force; second, our
army personnel come to India to learn the different distributions of India. The relationship is still going very strong. There are 20 soldiers that have trained from India in various fields be it engineering, medicine and few other special courses. When the Prime Minister of Lesotho was on a visit to India, one of the main focus on his agenda was to extend this agreement for another 10 years when it ends next year. This is because we really value our relationship with India. What kind of Line of Credit has been offered to Lesotho by the Indian Government? So far we have solicitated two lines of credit. The first one was for agriculture; I think it was done 10 years back when India supplied us with machineries. The most recent Line of credit is of USD 4.7 million for financing setting up of a vocational training centre for empowerment of youth and women, in Lesotho. The income generating machines and equipment have already been dispatched to Lesotho. Another line of credit has been offered by the Government of India is still pending but doors are open f or more lines of credit. ❐ deCember 2015 | india empire 35
interview with traDe anD inDUStry miniSter, leSotho
HON. SENATOr JOSHUA P. SETIPA MINISTEr Of TrAdE ANd INdUSTry
“We consider India to be a superpower” In a brief interview on Lesotho’s bilateral trade, economic relations and significance of India-Africa Summit, Hon. Senator Joshua Setipa, Minister of Trade and Industry, Kingdom of Lesotho spoke to India Empire’s Assistant Editor Misha Singh market. Learning for India’s experience will not only consolidate our industry but also create opportunities for Indian investors. How do you rate the current relations between India and Lesotho under Narendra Modi Government? Our relationships with India have traditionally been excellent irrespective of which party is in power. We have a very strong bilateral relationship that ranges from security to trading. A contingent of Indian Army has been in Lesotho for a while now and doing a wonderful job in helping us strengthen and structure our army. This is an intervention that started years ago and will continue irrespective of who is the Prime Minister.
How significant is India-Africa summit 2015, as the event has witnessed the highest attendance of delegates this year? The numbers of head of states that have turned up for the summit are close to 40 which is a big turnout. It is a demonstration of the strategic importance that Africa attaches to its relationship with India. It also confirms India’s place in the international stage. It can be said that India is a superpower and a strategic partner to Africa. Indians and Africans have been trading for centuries and our presence consolidates the existing strong relationship between India and Africa. What is Lesotho bringing to the table during the India-Africa summit? Lesotho brings partnership and friendship on the table for India. We also bring opportunities for Indian companies to get a foothold in the growing African market. We say, come trade in Lesotho and use it as a springboard for African market. Africa is a growing market and has very dynamic economies and we ask India to be a part of that story. The best way to do it is to do it from Lesotho. Please tell us about the current bilateral trade between the two countries? Our bilateral trade with India is still very small. We are working towards increasing it and the best way to do it is to utilize or exploit the opportunities granted by the Indian Government. We believe Lesotho can do it by exporting a whole range of products into the Indian market duty free and quota free. We are in talks with the Indian Government to add more products to the list. There is a whole range of opportunities in the textile 36 india empire | deCember 2015
Does Lesotho agree that India should get a permanent seat in UNSC? Lesotho as a part of Africa subscribes to the view that it is time that the United Nations reflects their current situation or the geopolitical situation to the world. Things may have been different in 1945 but the world has changed. So, we support India’s aspirations just as India supports our aspirations with regards to the Security Council. Lesotho has recognised the state of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. What will be your stand if the matter is discussed in UN? We are very clear that the territorial integrate of India is a non negotiable matter and we support it. Therefore, it is not even the matter of what our position is, there is nothing to negotiate because we recognize India territorial integrate and will continue to do so. What are your views on Indian peace keeping force in Africa? We think India has been one of the leading countries as far as contributing to United Nation’s peace keeping process and we support it. We believe that countries like Lesotho also have an opportunity to learn from experiences of Indian peace keeping force. What are your views on India offering Africa a concessional credit of USD 10 billion over five years and a grant assistance of USD 600 million? It is very commendable and generous. It demonstrates that Prime Minister Modi is not just saying the right things but putting his mind where his mouth is. He is supporting the commitment of the Indian Government to strengthen this relationship. The trade and economic relations are very important and providing financial support is one way to strengthen them and we are very excited about it. We believe that these steps will catalyze our efforts to further grow this relationship. ❐
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN
LESOTHO INvESTMENT oPPoRTUNITIES ●
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Agriculture and Agro-Processing ❖ Horticulture and Broiler Water Bottling Technology and Engineering Electrical & Electronic Appliance Textiles and Garments ❖ Knitted fabric mill ❖ Accessories & Packaging Materials ❖ Leather & Footwear Products Tourism Food Processing Mining and quarrying ❖ Diamonds and Sandstone Environmental and green industries Energy Sector ❖ Solar, wind and Hydropower Generation Pharmaceuticals Infrastructure Development
MARKET ACCESS ●
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INCENTIvES ●
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0% corporate tax rate on manufactured exports for extra SACU markets 10% corporate tax rate on manufactured exports within SACU market Corporate tax for other commercial entities is 25% No withholding tax on dividents distributed by manufacturing operations Training costs allowable at 125% Easy repatriation of profits A VAT rate of 14%
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) (5 countries comprising 55 million consumers) Southern African Development Community (SADC) (14 countries comprising 260 million consumers) Duty free and concessionary access of Lesotho made products to: ❖ USA (310 million people) ❖ EU (490 million people) ❖ Mercursor (South America) (385 million people) (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) ❖ GSP: Japan (127 million people), Canada (34 million people), Australia (22 million people), Turkey(72 million), New Zealand and SACU EFTA Natural Recourses: Diamonds, Sandstone, Wildlife, Mohair, Wool and Water are one of the strategic projects that Lesotho is aggressively marketing.
LNDC - INvESTMENT FACILITATIoN ● ● ●
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Assistance with company registration Procurement of permits and licenses Provision of serviced industrial and commercial buildings Provision of serviced industrial and commercial sites Promotion of good Industrial relations Facilitation of access to finance for Joint ventures
deCember 2015 | india empire 37
DIASPORA NEWS
Pm in UK
Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi delivering his address at Wembley Stadium
THE WEMBLEY SHOW
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi said that diversity was India's strength as he urged the country's British Indian diaspora to become integral part of its growth story and dispelled concerns highlighted in media over some incidents intolerance in the country, saying that "there is a very deep and best India outside TV screen" Addressing a huge, enthusiastic gathering of British Indians at the expansive Wembley Stadium in November, Mr Modi announced resumption of a direct flight between London and Ahmedabad, simplification of the process concerning Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and measures taken towards electronic travel authorisation and e-migra-
tion portal. British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was present at the stadium, described it "a historic day" and said it was biggest gathering of Indian diaspora. Mr Modi, who spoke for over an hour, talked of his government's plans to launch railway rupee bond in London and raised slogan "James Bond, Brooke Bond and Rupee Bond" to loud cheers from the gathering. Mr Modi faced questions over intolerance from the media during his visit to the United Kingdom and to which he said India was a land of diversity. Diversity is its pride and its strength," he added. Towards the end of his speech, Mr Modi recalled work of Mr Imran Khan, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan who has developed over 50 deCember 2015 | india empire 39
Pm in UK
PM Modi greets the people after delivering his address at Wembley Stadium in London on November 13, 2015
mobile applications related to education and dedicated them to students. "My India is in Imran Khan of Alwar," Mr Modi said. Leaders of the world ask him with some amazement how there is so much harmony in a diverse and big country like India, he added. Referring to the work of his government in the past 18 months, Mr Modi said India's stature had risen in the world and said the diaspora must also be experiencing it. "This change is the sign of India's success. Today when India talks, it does from a position of equality," he said. "India is moving on the path of development at a fast pace. I can tell you that the speed which India has taken, the direction it has taken, results will be evident soon," he added. Mr Modi took out his watch and demonstrated that if it is seen upright it shows London time and if it is reversed
it shows the time in India. "There is no other two countries with such equation. Till the time there is sun and moon, the relations between India and England will continue to gain strength. We will cross new frontiers of development," he said. He thanked people for "outpouring their affections" and said India will not judge its diaspora by the colour of their passport. "You have as much right on India as I have," Prime Minister said and asked them to renew their links with the country as their dreams will be fulfilled. Referring to the challenges of terrorism and global warming faced by the world, Mr Modi said life of Mahatma Gandhi showed solution to these problems and India can show the right path. Mr Modi also referred to Sufi tradition and said its greater spread would have helped check terrorism. He said while his Government wanted FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in many sectors, for him FDI conveyed First Develop India. Referring to increase in FDI flows, he said, "The world's confidence in India was rising. That is our biggest strength. We want to move ahead with that." Talking about his proposal to launch a global solar alliance later this month in Paris, he said there were 102 countries which have harness solar energy. "India can lead in this," he said. Modi said he wanted to make a "Clean India" and provide round the clock power to all by 2019, which is 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Modi referred to his humble origins as tea seller and recalled his push towards fighting female infanticide and financial inclusion. He told the gathering that India has no reason to be poor took digs at the previous governments over corruption and their inability to remove poverty and said 18,000 villages in India were still without electricity. "I do not why there is a habit ❐ to see that it stays," he said.
UK’s Indian PM
FDI increased
“Made in India”
British Prime Minister David Cameron during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit said a time will soon come when there will be a British-Indian prime minister. Addressing 60,000 wildly cheering British-Indians awaiting to listen to visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Cameron began with an Indian style of greeting “Namaste Wembley!” “It won't be long before there is a British-Indian prime minister in 10, Downing Street,” Cameron said citing the contributions of BritishIndians in various fields. He said that “India-UK ties are about people and about prosperity. Prime Minister Modi and I govern in challenging times but we are united by the scale of our ambition,” he said. He also backed India's claim for permanent membership in the UN Security Council.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the world's confidence in India is increasing and this can be proved by the fact that foreign direct investment into India has increased by 40 percent. “FDI into India has increased by 40 percent. It shows the increasing international confidence in India,” Mr Modi said in Hindi in his muchawaited address to 60,000 wildly cheering British Indians at the iconic Wembley Stadium here. “Two dreams that we are working towards -- a clean India and India with 24/7 electricity,” he said. Earlier, British Prime Cameron and his wife Ms Samantha, dressed in a sari, welcomed Mr Modi as he arrived at Wembley Stadium. After Mr Modi met with organisers of the much-hyped event, the two leaders interacted with a group of schoolchildren of Indian origin.
Indian pop and Hindi playback singer Alisha Chinai performed at the iconic Wembley Stadium as 60,000 cheering people waited for the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Indian diaspora in Britain. Ostensibly in keeping with Mr Modi's “Make in India” initiative, Alisha belted out her evergreen single “Made in India” from the album by the same name as the cultural programme ahead of Mr Modi's speech kicked off in an electric atmosphere. Composed by Biddu and released in 1995, "Made in India" was the first Indipop album that sold on a scale comparable to Hindi film music albums. Ahmedabad-born Alisha's other albums include Jadoo, Baby Doll and Aaah Alisha. Apart from Alisha, Jay Sean, Kanika Kapoor, and Jyotsna Srikanth were among the other performers.
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Pm in SoUth eaSt aSia
MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE
ENGAGE PM MODI
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi in November sought greater engagement of the diaspora in making the country strong, pointing to the large requirement of foreign direct investment and stating that his only task was development that wipes tears from the eyes of the poor. Addressing a gathering of the Indian diaspora at the Singapore Expo, Mr Modi spoke of his Government's goals of providing round-the-clock power by 2022, generating 40 percent energy from non-fossil sources by 2030 and generating 175 GW of renewable energy. "India is a great country but it has a lot to learn from Singapore. The diversity that is in India, it is in Singapore but everyone is a Singaporean and is working shoulder to shoulder to build the country. We have to learn a lot from Singapore," he said. Mr Modi said that he had started his journey with one task before him and needed the blessings of Indians in the country and outside. "I have to accomplish one task and that is development, development, development which wipes the tears of the poor, provides employment to youth, prosperity to farmers and empowerment to women." Referring to the positive image of the country in the world, Mr Modi said the reason for it was "not Modi but you, my brothers and sisters living in foreign countries". He said Indians assimilated well with the country they went to. "They live by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -- the whole world is one family," Mr Modi said. Indians number about 350,000 in Singapore's population of about 5.5 million. The Prime Minister said FDI has two meanings for him -- foreign direct investment and first develop India. "Today, India needs a large amount of FDI, he said, noting that FDI flows had gone up by 40 percent over the past 18 months. Mr Modi said his government had allowed upto 100 percent FDI in railways and the same would apply in approved high technology areas in defence. "For me railway is not transport only. It is engine for India's transformation," he said. Referring to Swami Vivekananda, Mr Modi said he sees the country reaching its old glory of being "Vishwa Guru" (world guru).
The Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi addressing at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 21, 2015
TORANA GATE, LITTLE INDIA Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the third day of his visit to Malaysia in November, highlighted the cultural ties of India with this southeast nation as he inaugurated Torana Gate, a traditional gateway to Hindu and Buddhist deCember 2015 | india empire 41
Pm in SoUth eaSt aSia
temples. “This Torana is not merely a piece of art on stone. This is connecting the two nations and illustrates the two great cultures,” Mr Modi said while jointly inaugurating the Torana Gate with his Malaysian counterpart Mr Najib Razak at Brickfields, popularly known as Little India. Mr Modi said the gate was first made by emperor Ashoka in Madhya Pradesh and was dedicated to Lord Buddha. Mr Razak described the gate as a symbol of India-Malaysia friendship. “Torana Gate is a symbol of India-Malaysia friendship. It offers a gateway to one of the oldest civilisations,” he said. Stating that the message of Lord Buddha reverberated across Asia, Mr Modi said the newly inaugurated Torana gate was a milestone in India's relations with Malaysia. “I am sure ties between India and Malaysia will be stronger and deeper in the times to come. The inauguration of the Torana gate shows that India-Malaysia ties are not only economical but also cultural”, he said The gate in Kuala Lumpur is inspired by the design of the Sanchi Stupa and the entire cost of its construction was borne by India. Of Malaysia's total population of nearly 30 million, two million people are of Indian origin. MODI LAUDS MALAy INDIANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November sought to enhance India's connect with its diaspora in Malaysia praising lavishly its accomplishments and making a slew of announcements, including naming a cultural centre here after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He also announced one million US dollar as additional fund to the corpus of the IndiaStudents Trust Fund. In his address to the diaspora on the second day of his visit to Malaysia, Mr Modi said his government was prepared to work with the Malaysian government to build a memorial to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in Malaysia during World War II. He said India and Malaysia should recognise each other's degrees, on which he would talk with his Malaysian counterpart Mr Najib Razak.
Recalling Netaji Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Indian Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur will be named after freedom fighter and commander of the Indian National Army Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. “Thousands of your forefathers came forward to join Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army,” he said as he made his by-now trademark address to the Indian diaspora on the second day of his visit to Malaysia. “Independent India owes a debt of gratitude to Malay-Indians,” he said. “We will name our cultural centre here after Subhas Chandra Bose.” A cultural extravaganza showcasing the best of Indian and Malaysian talent preceded Modi's speech. The event was organised by the Welcome Partners, comprising Indian expatriates and around 90 cultural and community organisations from across the country. Of the nearly 30 million population of Malaysia, around two million people are of Indian origin. Mr Modi on his visit to Malaysia attended the 13th AseanIndia Summit and the 10th East Asia Summit.
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Mr Modi said his government has merged the Overseas Citizen of India and Persons of Indian-Origin cards and made visas life-long. "Besides, Indian-origin up to 4th generation is enough to register for OCI now. This is especially helpful for people like Malay Indians, whose ancestors came here generations ago. Minor children, who are foreign nationals, and foreign spouses can also get OCI status now. We have introduced e-visas that has made travel simpler," he said. Mr Modi further said that the Indian Government has opened nine visa collection centres in Malaysia. "There is an eMigrate portal to make it easier and safer for workers to go to certain countries." He added that there were times when workers from India get into difficulties here and their welfare and security were at the top of government's concerns. "Last year, we assisted more than 8,000 Indian workers to return home safely." ❐
PM’s Singapore visit
PM Modi and the Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Hsien Loong at Komala Vilas Restaurant, Little India, Singapore on November 23, 2015 Addressing the Singaporean business community at the India-Singapore Economic Convention, Modi admitted there were still a number of regulatory and taxation issues in India and tried to hard sell the country's business potential to Singapore's corporate community, - and assured that he will do the handholding when they come to India. "In the past few months, the interest of foreign investors in India has gone up tremendously. However, there were a number of regulatory and taxation issues which were adversely impacting on their sentiments. We have taken very decisive steps to remove many of the long-pending concerns," Mr Modi said. He expressed hope that the much-awaited goods and service tax regime would roll out from 2016. India's growth rate was 7.3 percent last year and the World Bank has projected even better growth this year, he added. Mr Modi observed Singapore has emerged as the second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in India. "Outward Indian FDI to Singapore has also increased in recent times. Singapore is now one of the top destinations for Indian investments. We are working hard to make sure that our tax regime is transparent and predictable. We are also keen to see that genuine investors and honest tax payers get quick and fair decisions on tax matters," he said.
BUSINESS AND GOVERNANCE
BUSineSS anD GovernanCe
IDF REVIEW Mrs Sushma Swaraj
The Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Mrs Sushma Swaraj chaired the Fifth Meeting of the Board of Trustees of India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians IDF-OI in New Delhi yesterday. She is the Chairperson of (IDF-OI), a not-for-profit Trust set-up by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to facilitate philanthropic contributions by
overseas Indians to social and development projects in India. The Board reviewed the progress made by IDF-OI on the revised mandate given in the last Board Meeting in May 23, 2015 i.e. to promote among the overseas Indians the flagship programmes of Government of India- Swachh Bharat Mission and National Mission for Clean Ganga; projects identified by the State Governments; and donor advised projects. IDF-OI informed the Board that under the Swachh Bharat Mission, overseas Indians were invited to fund construction of household, community and public toilets in both urban and rural areas. IDF has also invited contributions for the National Mission for Clean Ganga. In response to IDF-OI’s request, several State Governments have identified social and development projects in their respective states in areas such as sanitation; education; drinking water; women’s empowerment etc which are available for funding through IDF OI. The Board Meeting was attended by prominent Indians and NRIs including Shri Yusuff Ali, Shri Subhash Jindal, Dr. B.K. Agnihotri, Shri Ashok Chowgule, Ms. RituBeri and Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak.Senior Officials from Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, NITI Aayog and Finance were also present.
UNFPA LAUNCH UNFPA’s State of World Mr Toshihiro Tanaka (3rd from left) Population 2015 was launched nationally in Delhi in December by UNFPA India in the presence of the senior officials of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development, State Disaster Management Authorities, UN Agencies, Sphere India, NGOs and media. The title of this year’s Report is “Shel- been working with the National and various State Dister from the Storm: A Transformative Agenda for Women aster Management Authorities and Ministry of Health and Girls in a Crisis-Prone World.” More than 100 million and Family Welfare in integrating the needs and agenda people were in need of humanitarian assistance in 2015, of women and girls into disaster management plans up from 88 million in 2014 and 78 million in 2013. About through Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP). It is a quarter of them, 25 million, are women and adolescent critical to focus on our efforts on preparedness and cagirls of childbearing age – between 15 and 49. Toshihiro pacity building before a disaster strikes”. —Yogesh Sood Tanaka, UNFPA Deputy Representative said, “UNFPA has
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FINE ON AIRLINES The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed penalties of Rs. 151.69 crores on Jet Airways, Rs. 63.74 crores on Indigo and Rs. 42.48 crores on SpiceJet for concerted action in fixing and revising Fuel Surcharge (FSC) for transporting cargo. In order to protect the interest of passenger and bring transparency on charges for the facilities offered by airlines, DGCA has issued the following Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) & Air Transport Circulars on Passenger Facilitation: i) CAR, Section -3, Series-M, Part-I on "Carriage by Air of Persons with Disability and/ or Persons with Reduced Mobility". ii) CAR, Section -3, Series-M, Part-II on "Refund of Airline tickets to passengers of public transport undertakings". iii) CAR, Section -3, Series-M, Part-IV on "Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights". iv) CAR, Section -3, Series-M, Part-V on "Facilitation in case of diversion". v) Air Transport Circular ATC Circular ATC 03 of 2015 on Unbundle of services and fees by scheduled airlines. vi) Air Transport Circular 02 of 2010 Publishing of
Dr Mahesh Sharma
Tariff - Rule 35 of Aircraft Rules, 1937. The above regulations have been issued in consultation with the stakeholders, thereby ensuring the protection of their interests. This information was given by Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
KERALA CALLING
Mr Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister, Kerala (left) with Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Mr Ananth Kumar
A delegation led by Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Oommen Chandy met the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Ananth Kumar in New Delhi in early December. The major issue of discussion was revival of FACT Plant at Kochi. Later briefing the press, Shri Ananth Kumar said that FACT, Kochi is the mother of all industries in the country. He said both the Governments are taking keen interest in revival of FACT. Thanking the Kerala Government for lending its full support, Shri Ananth Kumar said, the proposal of revival package for FACT which is bigger than the one earlier thought of, is under active consideration of his Ministry in consultation with the Union Finance Ministry. He expressed the hope that within 15 days, the revival package for FACT would be cleared. He said the package will not only provide for revival of the Plant, but also its expansion. He said the Plant will add to the fertilizer security of the South India, and will be a big boon to the Kerala farmers.
deCember 2015 | india empire 45
ColUmn: yoGi aShwini
minD anD BoDy
DHWANI By Yogi Ashwini Yogi aShwiNi
T
he entire creation was brought into existence by Dhwani. It is the dhwani which is responsible for anything which is manifest and the unmanifest is what gave rise to dhwani. So the unmanifest gave rise to dhwani and dhwani constructed the entire manifested creation. So, even a human body was made by that dhwani. A certain kind of dhwani affects a certain part of the body. We feel that if we hear something we hear it from our ears or when we read we think that we are reading it through the eyes, but if you have noticed ever that if something is written in English and a few alphabets are missing from it then you won’t even notice that something is amiss. In the same way the dhwani has an effect on every part of the body. For instance, the effect of Shri Maha Mrityunjay mantra is directly on the nadis of the body. Any vicaar (imbalance) that develops in the body before coming into the body first goes to the nadis and from there it affects the body. So this mantra acts directly on the nadis and at that level only reduces the negative effect of the karmas somewhat or if the karmic effect is very less then it may even remove that completely. Like for instance, Shukracharya had Sanjeevni Vidya by which he could bring dead back to life. So that vidya had its first two basic parts as these two mantras only – Shri Savitri mantra and Shri Mahamrityunjay mantra. The rest of the parts have been lost, nobody knows what they were. But beings of that time had very strong bodies, beings of today are very weak and polluted so probably the complete vidya is not required at all, these two parts are good enough to bring awakening inside the body. Most of you have spent a lot of years reading texts, listening to lectures, there is so much that you know but still searching. Why? Because what you are searching for, you won’t get it using the 5 indriyas (senses), those 5 senses cannot give you that. That ‘thing’ is revealed to you only when the 5 senses are closed, only then it comes to an awakened state. Even now it is inside you but it is in an inactive state and what is inactive you can’t experience. You will just keep reading more books, listening to lectures and the time will just keep passing and finally the time to leave will come and so all that will be of no use. So by reading something, hearing lectures or understanding with your mind will make no difference. Because you have already tried all 46 india empire | deCember 2015
these things out for many years now and you know how much an effect does a lecture have on you or how much do you understand it.. So even when I am talking don’t try and understand it, don’t get into the meaning of words if you go in their meaning then you will just keep going round and round right here, because any word which is spoken does not have one interpretation, it has different meanings at different levels, different dimensions. So the dhwani, from where it is sanchalit, the force of that is something which needs to be experienced and you experience it once you connect with it. Words are a distraction. Whatever a person may keep understanding or saying does not matter because in the end the words also don’t last nor does the body. Dhwani can be either out aloud (ahad shabd) or internal (anahad shabd) But that should not make any difference, you should experience either… not by 5 senses, but by closing them. What you see with your eyes and hear with your ears is bhram (illusion). What you see and understand when your senses are closed that is truth. Because what is present in every speck that is only what is called maya. As the sloka goes- Ya devi sarvbhuteshu Vishnu maya shabdita Namastasye Namastasye Namastasye Namo Namah. The goddess who resides in every microcosm, who is the swaroop of shakti, that energy Vishnu addresses as Maya. And the one who is in every speck that is only making your 5 senses function also and these senses are your physical body, which you think yourself as. So in every speck of it Maya is present which is deluding you and this Maya which is deluding you is this body, this creation and the physical truth. But a Yogi, does not have to do anything with physical truth, he just wants to reach the complete truth (poorna satya) and you cannot reach there with your 5 senses open because they will keep deluding you. The shakti of the body which is also called Aura, shakti of surya which is called its tej is not visible to the eyes. Those who show these to eyes they are fooling you, because drishti is swaroop of maya only. That is visible from some other indri and to open that indri you first have to do yog and to do yog you have to do a lot of hard work. Noth❐ ing is easy. —The writer Yogi Ashwini Ji is the head of Dhyan Foundation, Delhi. For details contact: ashwiniyogi@yahoo.co.in