A major effort is underway to modernise the Indian Defence Forces. But the domestic defence industry has failed to catch up with the global players. WION's Palki Sharma tells you what's holding back the defence manufacturing on WION Edit.

WION EDIT: Why Make in India in Defence hasn't taken off?

India's biennial DefExpo has started in Lucknow on Wednesday and this is perhaps one of the largest defence expos that India has ever organised.

More than one thousand companies are there. For the sake of comparison — the last edition had 700 odd companies — it was held in Chennai.

This time, defence ministers from 38 countries are attending. 172 foreign companies are making their pitch-- last time, there were 160 but — the emphasis is not on foreign companies.

It's on the Indian ones. The idea is to showcase India. The theme is India — an emerging defence manufacturing hub.

More than 800 Indian defence companies are participating. Companies like the Mahindra group, Adani defence aerospace, Hinduja group and reliance defence also have experience in building defence equipment.

But India is far from a manufacturing hub, much less for defence. Make in India for the defence was a great idea. But it has failed to take off.

As of December, last year projects worth more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore had not been cleared. This includes contracts for fighter jets, infantry combat vehicles, transport aircraft and more.

They are all stuck at different stages. Some of them are just waiting for a final contract to launch production.So no major "Make in India" defence project has taken off in the last six years.

According to experts, Indian defence companies are not yet ready to take up big-ticket projects. Bureaucratic delays and long processes are holding back defence deals.&nbsp;

There is also a fund crunch. India's defence budget got a marginal increase of nine per cent this year. But, most of it goes towards paying pensions and salaries of personnel.

The armed forces might not have enough money left to pursue modernization plans.This, in turn, impacts the Indian government's plans to push more indigenous defence projects.

India's biennial DefExpo has started in Lucknow on Wednesday and this is perhaps one of the largest defence expos that India has ever organised. More than one thousand companies are there.

India's biennial DefExpo has started in Lucknow on Wednesday and this is perhaps one of the largest defence expos that India has ever organised. More than one thousand companies are there. For the sake of comparison — the last edition had 700 odd companies — it was held in Chennai. This time, defence ministers from 38 countries are attending. 172 foreign companies are making their pitch-- last time, there were 160 but — the emphasis is not on foreign companies. It's on the Indian ones. The idea is to showcase India. The theme is India — an emerging defence manufacturing hub. More than 800 Indian defence companies are participating. Companies like the Mahindra group, Adani defence aerospace, Hinduja group and reliance defence also have experience in building defence equipment. But India is far from a manufacturing hub, much less for defence. Make in India for the defence was a great idea. But it has failed to take off. As of December, last year projects worth more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore had not been cleared. This includes contracts for fighter jets, infantry combat vehicles, transport aircraft and more. They are all stuck at different stages. Some of them are just waiting for a final contract to launch production.So no major "Make in India" defence project has taken off in the last six years. According to experts, Indian defence companies are not yet ready to take up big-ticket projects. Bureaucratic delays and long processes are holding back defence deals. There is also a fund crunch. India's defence budget got a marginal increase of nine per cent this year. But, most of it goes towards paying pensions and salaries of personnel. The armed forces might not have enough money left to pursue modernization plans.This, in turn, impacts the Indian government's plans to push more indigenous defence projects.

Defence Expo 2020 showcases India's potential to become a manufacturing hub

India is eyeing defence export of&nbsp;$5 billion in the next five years, Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/latest-india-news-narendra-modi-arrives-in-lucknow-to-inaugurate-defence-expo-2020-today-278838">Narendra Modi</a> said on Wednesday, highlighting the measures taken by his government to boost manufacturing and woo investors to set up a base in the country.

Inaugurating the 11th edition of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/latest-india-news-narendra-modi-arrives-in-lucknow-to-inaugurate-defence-expo-2020-today-278838">DefExpo</a>, Modi said a country of the size of India cannot entirely depend on imports and added the number of defence licenses issued in the last five years has risen to 460 from 210 in 2014, the year he first came to power.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/latest-india-news-narendra-modi-arrives-in-lucknow-to-inaugurate-defence-expo-2020-today-278838">Narendra Modi arrives in Lucknow to inaugurate Defence Expo 2020 today</a>

India is building several defence equipment like artillery guns, aircraft carriers, submarines, light-combat aircraft, and combat helicopters, he said.

"Our mantra is Make in India, for India, for the world. In 2014 the export of defence equipment from India was about Rs 2,000 crore. In the last 2 years, it has gone up to Rs 17,000 crore.

In the next five years our target is export of $5 billion, which is about Rs 35,000 crore," the prime minister said.

India is not only a major market globally but a vast opportunity for the world as well, he said, asserting that Uttar Pradesh is going to be one of the biggest defence manufacturing hubs in India. 
Lack of proper policy initiative in the last several decades made India the biggest importer of defence platforms, he added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/latest-india-news-we-want-to-make-india-a-defence-manufacturing-hub-rajnath-singh-278846">We want to make India a defence manufacturing hub: Rajnath Singh</a>

Modi cited misuse of technology, terrorism and cyber threat as challenges facing the world and said defence forces are eyeing new technology considering new threats. India is not behind others, he added.

He said a roadmap had been finalised to use application of artificial intelligence in defence sector.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/union-budget-2020-defence-sector-needs-more-money-for-modernisation-278261">Budget 2020: Here's what's in store for the Defence sector</a>

The prime minister said the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs will boost the overall defence production.

"We are going to enhance our presence in the outer space in coming years," he said, adding that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/drdo-carries-out-a-dozen-successful-summer-trials-of-nag-anti-tank-missile-237212">DRDO</a> is putting up effective protection for India's assets in outer space created by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-in-space-timeline-271560">ISRO</a>.

"Our defence preparedness is not aimed at any country as India is a reliable contributor to world peace. It's our responsibility to ensure security of not only India but countries in the neighbourhood as well," he said.

He invited foreign defence manufacturers to "come and invest in India.&nbsp;

India is eyeing defence export of $5 billion in the next five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, highlighting the measures taken by his government to boost manufacturing and woo investors to set up a base in the country.

India is eyeing defence export of $5 billion in the next five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, highlighting the measures taken by his government to boost manufacturing and woo investors to set up a base in the country. Inaugurating the 11th edition of DefExpo, Modi said a country of the size of India cannot entirely depend on imports and added the number of defence licenses issued in the last five years has risen to 460 from 210 in 2014, the year he first came to power. Also read: Narendra Modi arrives in Lucknow to inaugurate Defence Expo 2020 today India is building several defence equipment like artillery guns, aircraft carriers, submarines, light-combat aircraft, and combat helicopters, he said. "Our mantra is Make in India, for India, for the world. In 2014 the export of defence equipment from India was about Rs 2,000 crore. In the last 2 years, it has gone up to Rs 17,000 crore. In the next five years our target is export of $5 billion, which is about Rs 35,000 crore," the prime minister said. India is not only a major market globally but a vast opportunity for the world as well, he said, asserting that Uttar Pradesh is going to be one of the biggest defence manufacturing hubs in India. Lack of proper policy initiative in the last several decades made India the biggest importer of defence platforms, he added. Also read: We want to make India a defence manufacturing hub: Rajnath Singh Modi cited misuse of technology, terrorism and cyber threat as challenges facing the world and said defence forces are eyeing new technology considering new threats. India is not behind others, he added. He said a roadmap had been finalised to use application of artificial intelligence in defence sector. Also read: Budget 2020: Here's what's in store for the Defence sector The prime minister said the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs will boost the overall defence production. "We are going to enhance our presence in the outer space in coming years," he said, adding that the DRDO is putting up effective protection for India's assets in outer space created by ISRO. "Our defence preparedness is not aimed at any country as India is a reliable contributor to world peace. It's our responsibility to ensure security of not only India but countries in the neighbourhood as well," he said. He invited foreign defence manufacturers to "come and invest in India.

Our target is $5 billion of defence export in next five years: Narendra Modi

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said that an objection against former congress chief Rahul Gandhi has been registered on his "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajya-sabha-adjourned-after-uproar-over-rahul-gandhis-remark-268035">rape in India" remark</a>.

"We have requested the Election Commission to take an action," Irani told media today.&nbsp;

"We have said this before that crimes against women should not be politicised. Rahul Gandhi dared to make rapes a political tool. We have requested the Election Commission to take action," she stated.

Irani added that the Election Commission has assured that they "will follow the legal procedure and do justice" in the matter.

This comes as Rahul Gandhi raked up a controversy by his remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

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Union Minister and BJP leader, Smriti Irani: We have said this before that crimes against women should not be politicised. Rahul Gandhi dared to make rapes a political tool. We have requested Election Commission to take action. <a href="https://t.co/BJgOSYrJe6">https://t.co/BJgOSYrJe6</a>
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While addressing a rally in Jharkhand, Gandhi on Thursday said that the prime minister talks about 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'rape in India'.

Earlier in the day, Irani had condemned Gandhi's remark saying, "this is the first time in history that a leader is giving a clarion call that Indian women should be raped. Is this Rahul Gandhi's message to the people of the country?".

Rajya Sabha was also adjourned today after an uproar over Rahul Gandhi's remark.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Gandhi has said that "there is no question of apologising". His comments came during his interaction with media in the Parliament.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said that an objection against former congress chief Rahul Gandhi has been registered on his "rape in India" remark. "We have requested the Election Commission to take an action," Irani told media today.

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said that an objection against former congress chief Rahul Gandhi has been registered on his "rape in India" remark. "We have requested the Election Commission to take an action," Irani told media today. "We have said this before that crimes against women should not be politicised. Rahul Gandhi dared to make rapes a political tool. We have requested the Election Commission to take action," she stated. Irani added that the Election Commission has assured that they "will follow the legal procedure and do justice" in the matter. This comes as Rahul Gandhi raked up a controversy by his remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Union Minister and BJP leader, Smriti Irani: We have said this before that crimes against women should not be politicised. Rahul Gandhi dared to make rapes a political tool. We have requested Election Commission to take action. https://t.co/BJgOSYrJe6 — ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2019 × While addressing a rally in Jharkhand, Gandhi on Thursday said that the prime minister talks about 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'rape in India'. Earlier in the day, Irani had condemned Gandhi's remark saying, "this is the first time in history that a leader is giving a clarion call that Indian women should be raped. Is this Rahul Gandhi's message to the people of the country?". Rajya Sabha was also adjourned today after an uproar over Rahul Gandhi's remark. Meanwhile, Gandhi has said that "there is no question of apologising". His comments came during his interaction with media in the Parliament.

Have requested Election Commission to take action: Smriti Irani on Rahul Gandhi's rape remark 

In a bid to push 'Make in India', a large industry delegation would be travelling with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of November to Russia, which is the biggest supplier of defence equipment to India.

The visit scheduled to start from November 5 is coming at a time when the two countries are pushing for tie-ups and partnership between Indian and Russian companies for the production of spares and equipment for the Indian forces.

"The Defence Minister is visiting Russia for the India Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military and Technical Commission with his Russian counterpart where the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of defence and technology ties between them and ways to further expanding this cooperation," Defence officials said here.

The high level delegation scheduled to go there have the who's who of the defence bureaucracy including Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary (Defence Production) Subhash Chandra and DG Acquisition Apoorva Chandra along with Joint Secretary Sanjay Jaju who is playing a key role in pushing Make in India in defence sector.

The defence industry representatives travelling with the Defence Ministry include top public and private sector companies including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Larsen and Toubro.

The new private sector entrants into the defence sector include Adani Industries.

India and Russia have had over five decades of defence partnership. Major Indian defence hardware including tanks, nuclear submarines and fighter aircraft are of Russian origin.

Despite India diversifying its equipment, the two countries are still engaged in defence trade of more than five billion dollars every year, including the S-400 air defence missile system and SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

India and Russia have recently signed a deal for joint manufacturing of AK-203 assault rifles at the Ordnance Factory Board in Amethi.

In a bid to push 'Make in India', a large industry delegation would be travelling with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of November to Russia, which is the biggest supplier of defence equipment to India.

In a bid to push 'Make in India', a large industry delegation would be travelling with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of November to Russia, which is the biggest supplier of defence equipment to India. The visit scheduled to start from November 5 is coming at a time when the two countries are pushing for tie-ups and partnership between Indian and Russian companies for the production of spares and equipment for the Indian forces. "The Defence Minister is visiting Russia for the India Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military and Technical Commission with his Russian counterpart where the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of defence and technology ties between them and ways to further expanding this cooperation," Defence officials said here. The high level delegation scheduled to go there have the who's who of the defence bureaucracy including Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary (Defence Production) Subhash Chandra and DG Acquisition Apoorva Chandra along with Joint Secretary Sanjay Jaju who is playing a key role in pushing Make in India in defence sector. The defence industry representatives travelling with the Defence Ministry include top public and private sector companies including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Larsen and Toubro. The new private sector entrants into the defence sector include Adani Industries. India and Russia have had over five decades of defence partnership. Major Indian defence hardware including tanks, nuclear submarines and fighter aircraft are of Russian origin. Despite India diversifying its equipment, the two countries are still engaged in defence trade of more than five billion dollars every year, including the S-400 air defence missile system and SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft. India and Russia have recently signed a deal for joint manufacturing of AK-203 assault rifles at the Ordnance Factory Board in Amethi.

To push make in India, large industry delegation to accompany Defence Minister to Russia

In line with the central government's push to make India a major defence manufacturing hub, a firm based in Karnataka's Bengaluru&nbsp;has developed the country's first indigenous sniper rifle prototypes that are meant for use by the Indian armed forces. 
 
SSS Defence, which has developed two sniper rifles, is hoping to lead the way for India to become an arms manufacturing and exporting hub. 
 
"We started designing and developing these rifles after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/make-in-india-bullet-resistant-jackets-are-safer-lighter-cheaper-paswan-253870">'Make in India'</a> came in the defence sector. We became one of the few manufacturers allowed to develop arms in the country. These two weapons are entirely made indigenously," SSS Defence Managing Director (MD) Satish R Machani told ANI on Sunday. 
 
The 61-year-old company earlier used to manufacture components (mainly springs) for the automotive industry. 
 
"We have also been supplying components for the defence sector. Our idea is to have a complete system of arms for our forces and we eventually hope to become an arms exporter. Obviously, we have to put in a lot more work to make our weapons global level but we have an excellent Research and Development centre," Machani said. 
 
The company is also constructing an 80,000 sq ft arms factory in Jigani for its manufacturing unit. 
 
Explaining the working of the weapons, CEO Vivek Krishnan said: "We have developed high-end sniper rifles [with] calibre 7.62x51 mm and .338 Lapua Magnum platforms. Each rifle uses a barreled action that is inspected, gauged, hand-worked and accurized. The barrel length options range from 20 inches to 24 inches, based on the mission criteria and use environments."

In line with the central government's push to make India a major defence manufacturing hub, a firm based in Karnataka's Bengaluru has developed the country's first indigenous sniper rifle prototypes that are meant for use by the Indian armed forces.

In line with the central government's push to make India a major defence manufacturing hub, a firm based in Karnataka's Bengaluru has developed the country's first indigenous sniper rifle prototypes that are meant for use by the Indian armed forces. SSS Defence, which has developed two sniper rifles, is hoping to lead the way for India to become an arms manufacturing and exporting hub. "We started designing and developing these rifles after 'Make in India' came in the defence sector. We became one of the few manufacturers allowed to develop arms in the country. These two weapons are entirely made indigenously," SSS Defence Managing Director (MD) Satish R Machani told ANI on Sunday. The 61-year-old company earlier used to manufacture components (mainly springs) for the automotive industry. "We have also been supplying components for the defence sector. Our idea is to have a complete system of arms for our forces and we eventually hope to become an arms exporter. Obviously, we have to put in a lot more work to make our weapons global level but we have an excellent Research and Development centre," Machani said. The company is also constructing an 80,000 sq ft arms factory in Jigani for its manufacturing unit. Explaining the working of the weapons, CEO Vivek Krishnan said: "We have developed high-end sniper rifles [with] calibre 7.62x51 mm and .338 Lapua Magnum platforms. Each rifle uses a barreled action that is inspected, gauged, hand-worked and accurized. The barrel length options range from 20 inches to 24 inches, based on the mission criteria and use environments."

Two sniper rifles developed by Bengaluru-based firm

The Indian government is open to taking further measures to rationalise taxation so as to encourage 'Make in India' in the defence manufacturing sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.

Addressing the top CEOs of the French Defence Industry here, Singh said, "We have recently reduced corporate tax significantly. For the Make in India in defence, if there is a need for further rationalisation, then it may be considered suitable."

Highlighting the purpose for his meeting with the top CEOs, Singh said, "The primary aim is to explore the ways to strengthen our defence industrial partnership. I hope this event will provide traction to pitch for our Make in India initiative and it will be equally beneficial to you to engage with us."

The Defence Minister also said that India would be open to exploring the opportunity of the co-production of the high-end defence equipment and seek collaborations to modernise country's shipyards and defence platforms by the infusion of technology.

"India would be open to exploring the opportunity of the co-production of high-end defence equipment, and we want collaboration to modernise our shipyard and defence platform by infusion of technology," Singh said.

Singh pitched that the French firm can make India as its base for the production of defence equipment, and "not solely for India but to other countries as well and can consider an aero-engine complex on the government to government basis."

The CEOs of Dassault Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, Nexter, Arquus, Rafaut Sas, Sogitec Industries, Roxel, Naval Group, Thales, Safran, MBDA, Assystem were present at the meeting.

The meeting was conducted on the background of the Defence expo which will be held in Lucknow in 2020 with the theme of 'Digital transformation of defence.

The Indian government is open to taking further measures to rationalise taxation so as to encourage 'Make in India' in the defence manufacturing sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.

The Indian government is open to taking further measures to rationalise taxation so as to encourage 'Make in India' in the defence manufacturing sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. Addressing the top CEOs of the French Defence Industry here, Singh said, "We have recently reduced corporate tax significantly. For the Make in India in defence, if there is a need for further rationalisation, then it may be considered suitable." Highlighting the purpose for his meeting with the top CEOs, Singh said, "The primary aim is to explore the ways to strengthen our defence industrial partnership. I hope this event will provide traction to pitch for our Make in India initiative and it will be equally beneficial to you to engage with us." The Defence Minister also said that India would be open to exploring the opportunity of the co-production of the high-end defence equipment and seek collaborations to modernise country's shipyards and defence platforms by the infusion of technology. "India would be open to exploring the opportunity of the co-production of high-end defence equipment, and we want collaboration to modernise our shipyard and defence platform by infusion of technology," Singh said. Singh pitched that the French firm can make India as its base for the production of defence equipment, and "not solely for India but to other countries as well and can consider an aero-engine complex on the government to government basis." The CEOs of Dassault Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, Nexter, Arquus, Rafaut Sas, Sogitec Industries, Roxel, Naval Group, Thales, Safran, MBDA, Assystem were present at the meeting. The meeting was conducted on the background of the Defence expo which will be held in Lucknow in 2020 with the theme of 'Digital transformation of defence.

Government ready for tax rationalisation to encourage 'Make in India': Rajnath Singh

Like United States, United Kingdom and Germany, India has also started making bulletproof jackets, said Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan adding that the domestic bullet-resistant jackets are safer, lighter, cheaper than any international manufacturing and are even being exported.

Paswan on Friday showcased the bullet-resistant jackets being made under the `Make in India` initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The minister expressed happiness that India has now joined a select League of Nations such as the US, UK and Germany to have its own standard for bullet-resistant jackets.

The jackets have been made using the standard set by the Bureau of India Standard (BIS) notified in December 2018.

This standard has been formulated following the directions of Niti Aayog and Ministry of Home Affairs.

The standard is expected to fulfil the long pending demand of Indian Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces and State Police Forces and will assist them in streamlining their procurement process.

Addressing the media, Paswan said that the standard that has been set by BIS is at par with International Standards.

"These jackets are lightweight weighing between 5 kilograms to 10 kilograms depending on the threat level and are of the best quality in the world," he said.

Talking about the prices of the jackets he said, these jackets range from Rs 70,000 to 80,000 which is considerably lesser than the price of the jackets which were being procured earlier.

Paswan expressed happiness at the fact that these jackets are being manufactured under 'Make in India'&nbsp;initiative and are already being exported to other nations.

"This will also lead to an increase in the employment generation across the nation," he said.

Ex-Army personnel showcased the jacket and explained its salient features to the media.

The jackets have a dynamic weight distribution system which makes it feel half its actual weight and also has an easy to open and release system to ensure that the jawans can easily wear and remove the jackets as per their requirement without much effort.

These jackets also allow the jawans to use his weapon with ease while getting 360-degree protection from bullets.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Like United States, United Kingdom and Germany, India has also started making bulletproof jackets, said Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan adding that the domestic bullet-resistant jackets are safer, lighter, cheaper than any international manufacturing and are even being exported.

Like United States, United Kingdom and Germany, India has also started making bulletproof jackets, said Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan adding that the domestic bullet-resistant jackets are safer, lighter, cheaper than any international manufacturing and are even being exported. Paswan on Friday showcased the bullet-resistant jackets being made under the `Make in India` initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister expressed happiness that India has now joined a select League of Nations such as the US, UK and Germany to have its own standard for bullet-resistant jackets. The jackets have been made using the standard set by the Bureau of India Standard (BIS) notified in December 2018. This standard has been formulated following the directions of Niti Aayog and Ministry of Home Affairs. The standard is expected to fulfil the long pending demand of Indian Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces and State Police Forces and will assist them in streamlining their procurement process. Addressing the media, Paswan said that the standard that has been set by BIS is at par with International Standards. "These jackets are lightweight weighing between 5 kilograms to 10 kilograms depending on the threat level and are of the best quality in the world," he said. Talking about the prices of the jackets he said, these jackets range from Rs 70,000 to 80,000 which is considerably lesser than the price of the jackets which were being procured earlier. Paswan expressed happiness at the fact that these jackets are being manufactured under 'Make in India' initiative and are already being exported to other nations. "This will also lead to an increase in the employment generation across the nation," he said. Ex-Army personnel showcased the jacket and explained its salient features to the media. The jackets have a dynamic weight distribution system which makes it feel half its actual weight and also has an easy to open and release system to ensure that the jawans can easily wear and remove the jackets as per their requirement without much effort. These jackets also allow the jawans to use his weapon with ease while getting 360-degree protection from bullets.

Make in India bullet-resistant jackets are safer, lighter, cheaper: Paswan

Apple Inc's top-end iPhones, assembled in India by Foxconn's local unit, are likely to hit Indian stores next month, a source said, potentially helping the tech giant drop prices in the world's second-biggest smartphone market.

Some approvals are pending, but the India-made iPhone XR and XS devices are expected to hit the market by August, the source said, asking not to be named as the matter is not public.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Foxconn said it does not comment on customers or their products.

Expanding local assembly will help Apple save on high taxes levied on the import of fully-built devices, as well as meet local sourcing norms for opening its own retail stores in India.

Apple's devices are coveted by millions of Indians, but its premium pricing has limited its market share to a meagre 1 per cent to the gain of rivals such as China's OnePlus.

Reuters had previously reported that the local unit of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, widely known as Foxconn, would this year begin assembling iPhone X family devices in India's southern Tamil Nadu state.

Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple also assembles the lower-cost SE, 6S and 7 models in India through Wistron Corp's local unit in the tech hub of Bengaluru.

"Local production will give Apple the leeway to play with the margins of their distributors and indirectly price their phones lower," said Rushabh Doshi, a research director at tech consultancy Canalys.

Trade war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has tried to position South Asia's third-biggest economy as a hub for smartphone manufacturing, wooing global players with access to a market with over a billion wireless connections and cheap labour.

That push has met with some success as global smartphone giants including Samsung and China's Oppo have expanded rapidly in India, and contract manufacturers like Foxconn have ramped up domestic operations.

Beyond fulfilling local demand, companies such as Apple could also use India as an export hub to soften the impact of a bruising trade war between the United States and China, according to technology analysts.

Apple cut its fiscal first-quarter sales forecast, blaming slowing iPhone sales in China where uncertainty around US-China trade relations has hurt the economy.

Some of the Wistron assembled iPhone 6s and 7 are being exported from India to markets in Europe, Neil Shah of Hong-King based tech researcher Counterpoint said.

Wistron's India head declined to comment.

Apple Inc's top-end iPhones, assembled in India by Foxconn's local unit, are likely to hit Indian stores next month, a source said, potentially helping the tech giant drop prices in the world's second-biggest smartphone market.

Apple Inc's top-end iPhones, assembled in India by Foxconn's local unit, are likely to hit Indian stores next month, a source said, potentially helping the tech giant drop prices in the world's second-biggest smartphone market. Some approvals are pending, but the India-made iPhone XR and XS devices are expected to hit the market by August, the source said, asking not to be named as the matter is not public. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Foxconn said it does not comment on customers or their products. Expanding local assembly will help Apple save on high taxes levied on the import of fully-built devices, as well as meet local sourcing norms for opening its own retail stores in India. Apple's devices are coveted by millions of Indians, but its premium pricing has limited its market share to a meagre 1 per cent to the gain of rivals such as China's OnePlus. Reuters had previously reported that the local unit of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, widely known as Foxconn, would this year begin assembling iPhone X family devices in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple also assembles the lower-cost SE, 6S and 7 models in India through Wistron Corp's local unit in the tech hub of Bengaluru. "Local production will give Apple the leeway to play with the margins of their distributors and indirectly price their phones lower," said Rushabh Doshi, a research director at tech consultancy Canalys. Trade war Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has tried to position South Asia's third-biggest economy as a hub for smartphone manufacturing, wooing global players with access to a market with over a billion wireless connections and cheap labour. That push has met with some success as global smartphone giants including Samsung and China's Oppo have expanded rapidly in India, and contract manufacturers like Foxconn have ramped up domestic operations. Beyond fulfilling local demand, companies such as Apple could also use India as an export hub to soften the impact of a bruising trade war between the United States and China, according to technology analysts. Apple cut its fiscal first-quarter sales forecast, blaming slowing iPhone sales in China where uncertainty around US-China trade relations has hurt the economy. Some of the Wistron assembled iPhone 6s and 7 are being exported from India to markets in Europe, Neil Shah of Hong-King based tech researcher Counterpoint said. Wistron's India head declined to comment.

Apple's India-made top-end iPhones to hit stores next month: Source

The United States President Donald Trump intends to&nbsp;terminate the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program with India and Turkey,&nbsp;US trade chief's office said on Monday.

GSP is a preferential tariff system extended by developed countries to developing countries, also known as beneficiary countries, to grow their economy. It is a preferential arrangement that allows concessional low/zero tariff imports from&nbsp;120 designated beneficiary countries and territories.&nbsp;

Washington "intends to terminate India's and Turkey's designations as beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because they no longer comply with the statutory eligibility criteria," the Office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement.

The changes cannot take effect for at least 60 days following the notification of Congress as well as the countries affected -- a process Trump began Monday with letters to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/want-reciprocal-tax-on-india-to-match-tariffs-on-us-exports-says-donald-trump-200816">Want 'reciprocal tax' on India to match tariffs on US exports, says Donald Trump</a>

India has failed to provide assurances that it would allow required market access, while Turkey is "sufficiently economically developed" that it no longer qualifies, the statement read.

India, however, "has implemented a wide array of trade barriers that create serious negative effects on United States commerce," the statement said.

The statement also said that Turkey, after being designated a GSP beneficiary in 1975, has meanwhile demonstrated a "higher level of economic development," meaning that it can be "graduated" from the program.

Trump, who has vowed to reduce US trade deficits, has repeatedly called out India for its high tariffs.

The US goods and services trade deficit with India was $27.3 billion in 2017, according to the US Trade Representative's Office.

India is the world's largest beneficiary of the GSP program and ending its participation would be the strongest punitive action against India since Trump took office in 2017.

"I will continue to assess whether the Government of India is providing equitable and reasonable access to its markets, in accordance with the GSP eligibility criteria," the President wrote in the letter sent to Congress.

India reportedly&nbsp;enjoys preferential tariff on exports worth of nearly $ 5.6 billion under the GSP route out of the total exports of $48 billion in 2017-18.

On Saturday as well,&nbsp;Trump accused India of being a "high tariff nation" and threatened to impose "a reciprocal tax" to match heavy duties that New Delhi imposes on goods from the United States.

Addressing the last day of a four-day annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, the US President said, "India is a very high tariff nation. When we send a motorcycle to India, they charge 100 per cent tariff. When India sends a motorcycle to us, we charge nothing. I want a reciprocal tax, at least I want to charge a tax."

(With inputs from&nbsp;agencies)

The United States President Donald Trump intends to terminate the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program with India and Turkey, US trade chief's office said on Monday.

The United States President Donald Trump intends to terminate the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program with India and Turkey, US trade chief's office said on Monday. GSP is a preferential tariff system extended by developed countries to developing countries, also known as beneficiary countries, to grow their economy. It is a preferential arrangement that allows concessional low/zero tariff imports from 120 designated beneficiary countries and territories. Washington "intends to terminate India's and Turkey's designations as beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because they no longer comply with the statutory eligibility criteria," the Office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement. The changes cannot take effect for at least 60 days following the notification of Congress as well as the countries affected -- a process Trump began Monday with letters to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate. Also read: Want 'reciprocal tax' on India to match tariffs on US exports, says Donald Trump India has failed to provide assurances that it would allow required market access, while Turkey is "sufficiently economically developed" that it no longer qualifies, the statement read. India, however, "has implemented a wide array of trade barriers that create serious negative effects on United States commerce," the statement said. The statement also said that Turkey, after being designated a GSP beneficiary in 1975, has meanwhile demonstrated a "higher level of economic development," meaning that it can be "graduated" from the program. Trump, who has vowed to reduce US trade deficits, has repeatedly called out India for its high tariffs. The US goods and services trade deficit with India was $27.3 billion in 2017, according to the US Trade Representative's Office. India is the world's largest beneficiary of the GSP program and ending its participation would be the strongest punitive action against India since Trump took office in 2017. "I will continue to assess whether the Government of India is providing equitable and reasonable access to its markets, in accordance with the GSP eligibility criteria," the President wrote in the letter sent to Congress. India reportedly enjoys preferential tariff on exports worth of nearly $ 5.6 billion under the GSP route out of the total exports of $48 billion in 2017-18. On Saturday as well, Trump accused India of being a "high tariff nation" and threatened to impose "a reciprocal tax" to match heavy duties that New Delhi imposes on goods from the United States. Addressing the last day of a four-day annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, the US President said, "India is a very high tariff nation. When we send a motorcycle to India, they charge 100 per cent tariff. When India sends a motorcycle to us, we charge nothing. I want a reciprocal tax, at least I want to charge a tax." (With inputs from agencies)

I intend to end preferential trade status for India, Turkey: Trump

As part of the annual prime ministerial meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited India to participate in the 12th Indo-Japan Annual Summit. This year the bilateral talk began with an inauguration of the much anticipated Mumbai-Ahmadabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR). The project cost of 1.1 Lakh crore is partially funded by the Japanese as part of its infrastructure assistance to India. Moreover, the project presents a huge opportunity for both India and Japan to expand the cooperation in other areas.

Prime Minister Abe visit came at the backdrop of two major regional events – the stand-off between India and the Chinese army over Dokhlam as well as continuing North Korea nuclear and missile threat. Both the events have drawn much attention in this year’s annual summit. The Joint Statement captured recent development in the bilateral cooperation.&nbsp;

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<h5>Though both the prime ministers declared their commitment to cooperate on defence equipment and technology, one is still in the dark on the level of commitment from both the sides.</h5>
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Importantly, the joint statement made a concrete effort to reassure each other by affirming their support to “value-based partnership in achieving a free, open and prosperous Indo-pacific region.” The joint statement also took a dig at Chinese (One Belt, One Road) initiative by underlining the importance of “ensuring the development and use of connectivity infrastructure in an open, transparent and fair process.” Both the sides also condemned strongly North Korea and Pakistan for disturbing regional peace and global order.

The defence cooperation is a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. The MALABAR trilateral naval exercise provides great impetus to the Indian navy. India will be in strong cooperation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy. The two sides agreed to continue the military-to-military engagement and discuss issues of common interest.

Though both the prime ministers declared their commitment to cooperate on defence equipment and technology, one is still in the dark on the level of commitment from both the sides. The US-2i amphibious aircraft is a classic example of failure in which both sides have not been able to finalise a deal despite several rounds of consultation. This clearly shows the problem in Indian defence acquisition policy and why many foreign countries are reluctant to invest in “Make in India” defence programme.

India believes Japanese defence industry can play an important role in “Make in India” programme. Though the US-2i procurement is getting delayed, in 2015, Indian Navy has issued Request for Information (RFI) to Japanese manufacturers. India wants Japan to participate in the project 75 (I), helping the country to build six advanced submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. Japanese Soryu-class submarine is one of its kind which can offer Indian navy great advantage in the submarine warfare. After losing Australian submarine bid to French shipbuilder Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS), Japan sees an opportunity in India’s project 75 (I) programme.&nbsp;

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<h5>Japanese Soryu-class submarine is one of its kind which can offer Indian navy great advantage in the submarine warfare.</h5>
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This year, Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley paid two consequent visits to Japan. His primary goal was to focus on strengthening cooperation over defence equipment. During his visit to Japan in the month of May 2017, the Defence Minister made some interesting observation about challenges India is facing in acquiring defence equipment from Japan. He spoke about various reforms the present government has undertaken to attract foreign investment in the country. He has also laid out his plan of giving incentives to foreign companies that are interested in setting up defence manufacturing bases in India.&nbsp;

This is a significant statement as he himself is under huge pressure to decide on the strategic partnership with the private sector for defence equipment. Defence Minister Jaitely also indicated that India is looking at Japanese technology for local manufacturing of defence equipment. The cooperation would be “both for the purpose of buying (from Japan) and any possibility of India domestically manufacturing with their technologies.”&nbsp;

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<h5>Japan fear the transfer of technology to India will expose its technological capability to Russia.&nbsp;</h5>
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Before handing over the defence portfolio to his successor Mrs Nirmala Sitaraman, Mr Arun Jaitely revisited Japan this September to take part in the annual India-Japan defence ministerial dialogue. He intending to discuss bilateral cooperation in defence production, including dual-use technologies etc. But the cooperation in defence equipment and technology has not gained much prominence in the Joint Statement issued by two prime ministers. This clearly signifies that Japan is still reluctant on agreeing to some of the demands, such as transfer of technology (ToT) to India and co-production of equipment in India.

It also raises two major issues concerning the Japanese interest in pursuing its defence cooperation with India. Firstly, though India and Japan are steadfastly cooperating over several matters, the latter sees India’s close military ties with Russia as a major impediment in co-development of defence equipment. Japan fear the transfer of technology to India will expose its technological capability to Russia.&nbsp;

Secondly, given India’s complex defence acquisition policy, Tokyo feel that it will be difficult for it to compete with other Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who have already found a place in the Indian defence sector. Japan's failed bid to secure the Australian submarine programme is a classic example of how Japanese industry lack international experience when it comes to selling defence equipment. India, thus, needs to allay the fear of Japan while working hand-in-hand towards addressing the crucial gaps in the bilateral defence cooperation.

Japan sees India?s close military ties with Russia as a major impediment in co-development of defence equipment.

As part of the annual prime ministerial meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited India to participate in the 12th Indo-Japan Annual Summit. This year the bilateral talk began with an inauguration of the much anticipated Mumbai-Ahmadabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR). The project cost of 1.1 Lakh crore is partially funded by the Japanese as part of its infrastructure assistance to India. Moreover, the project presents a huge opportunity for both India and Japan to expand the cooperation in other areas. Prime Minister Abe visit came at the backdrop of two major regional events – the stand-off between India and the Chinese army over Dokhlam as well as continuing North Korea nuclear and missile threat. Both the events have drawn much attention in this year’s annual summit. The Joint Statement captured recent development in the bilateral cooperation. Though both the prime ministers declared their commitment to cooperate on defence equipment and technology, one is still in the dark on the level of commitment from both the sides. × Importantly, the joint statement made a concrete effort to reassure each other by affirming their support to “value-based partnership in achieving a free, open and prosperous Indo-pacific region.” The joint statement also took a dig at Chinese (One Belt, One Road) initiative by underlining the importance of “ensuring the development and use of connectivity infrastructure in an open, transparent and fair process.” Both the sides also condemned strongly North Korea and Pakistan for disturbing regional peace and global order. The defence cooperation is a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. The MALABAR trilateral naval exercise provides great impetus to the Indian navy. India will be in strong cooperation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy. The two sides agreed to continue the military-to-military engagement and discuss issues of common interest. Though both the prime ministers declared their commitment to cooperate on defence equipment and technology, one is still in the dark on the level of commitment from both the sides. The US-2i amphibious aircraft is a classic example of failure in which both sides have not been able to finalise a deal despite several rounds of consultation. This clearly shows the problem in Indian defence acquisition policy and why many foreign countries are reluctant to invest in “Make in India” defence programme. India believes Japanese defence industry can play an important role in “Make in India” programme. Though the US-2i procurement is getting delayed, in 2015, Indian Navy has issued Request for Information (RFI) to Japanese manufacturers. India wants Japan to participate in the project 75 (I), helping the country to build six advanced submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. Japanese Soryu-class submarine is one of its kind which can offer Indian navy great advantage in the submarine warfare. After losing Australian submarine bid to French shipbuilder Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS), Japan sees an opportunity in India’s project 75 (I) programme. Japanese Soryu-class submarine is one of its kind which can offer Indian navy great advantage in the submarine warfare. × This year, Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley paid two consequent visits to Japan. His primary goal was to focus on strengthening cooperation over defence equipment. During his visit to Japan in the month of May 2017, the Defence Minister made some interesting observation about challenges India is facing in acquiring defence equipment from Japan. He spoke about various reforms the present government has undertaken to attract foreign investment in the country. He has also laid out his plan of giving incentives to foreign companies that are interested in setting up defence manufacturing bases in India. This is a significant statement as he himself is under huge pressure to decide on the strategic partnership with the private sector for defence equipment. Defence Minister Jaitely also indicated that India is looking at Japanese technology for local manufacturing of defence equipment. The cooperation would be “both for the purpose of buying (from Japan) and any possibility of India domestically manufacturing with their technologies.” Japan fear the transfer of technology to India will expose its technological capability to Russia. × Before handing over the defence portfolio to his successor Mrs Nirmala Sitaraman, Mr Arun Jaitely revisited Japan this September to take part in the annual India-Japan defence ministerial dialogue. He intending to discuss bilateral cooperation in defence production, including dual-use technologies etc. But the cooperation in defence equipment and technology has not gained much prominence in the Joint Statement issued by two prime ministers. This clearly signifies that Japan is still reluctant on agreeing to some of the demands, such as transfer of technology (ToT) to India and co-production of equipment in India. It also raises two major issues concerning the Japanese interest in pursuing its defence cooperation with India. Firstly, though India and Japan are steadfastly cooperating over several matters, the latter sees India’s close military ties with Russia as a major impediment in co-development of defence equipment. Japan fear the transfer of technology to India will expose its technological capability to Russia. Secondly, given India’s complex defence acquisition policy, Tokyo feel that it will be difficult for it to compete with other Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who have already found a place in the Indian defence sector. Japan's failed bid to secure the Australian submarine programme is a classic example of how Japanese industry lack international experience when it comes to selling defence equipment. India, thus, needs to allay the fear of Japan while working hand-in-hand towards addressing the crucial gaps in the bilateral defence cooperation.

Opinion: Will Modi's 'Make in India' programme benefit from Japanese defence industry?

The Indian government finally signed a&nbsp;major contract to make bullet-proof jackets for Indian soldiers who were in desperate need of the life-saving kit from a long time.

The signed contract under 'Make In India' was won by small Delhi based company, SMPP Pvt Ltd. The company has a Research and Development Centre in Okhla, Delhi.

“The new jackets meet the most advanced GSQRs 1438 (technical parameters) standards of the Indian Army. These bullet-proof jackets have 'Boron Carbide Ceramic', which is the lightest material for ballistic protection,” said SMPP chairman S C Kansal in a statement.

1.86 lakh bullet-proof jackets will be procured for 639 crore rupees for the army and are expected to be delivered within three years.

These jackets were finalised after a series of 'stringent field evaluation trials', said Nirmala Sitharaman-led Defence Ministry.

Indian&nbsp;army has been struggling to get the life-saving kit from a very long time. In 2009 the army first made a request for more than 1.86 lakh bullet-proof jackets but the order got delayed due to no vendor cleared the trials conducted by the army.

These ergonomically designed Bullet-proof Jackets&nbsp;have modular parts&nbsp;providing immense protection and flexibility to soldiers operating in different operational situations ranging from long-distance patrolling to high-risk room intervention scenarios,” said an officer.

These jackets can sustain the impact of hard steel core bullets during the combat and will provide 360-degree protection to soldiers.

In 2016 army made an emergency purchase of 50,000 bullet-proof jackets but as the jackets did not meet the standards that were required as it was designed on older specifications.

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The Signed contract under 'Make In India' was won by small Delhi based company, SMPP Pvt Ltd. The company has a Research and Development Centre, Okhla, Delhi

The Indian government finally signed a major contract to make bullet-proof jackets for Indian soldiers who were in desperate need of the life-saving kit from a long time. The signed contract under 'Make In India' was won by small Delhi based company, SMPP Pvt Ltd. The company has a Research and Development Centre in Okhla, Delhi. “The new jackets meet the most advanced GSQRs 1438 (technical parameters) standards of the Indian Army. These bullet-proof jackets have 'Boron Carbide Ceramic', which is the lightest material for ballistic protection,” said SMPP chairman S C Kansal in a statement. 1.86 lakh bullet-proof jackets will be procured for 639 crore rupees for the army and are expected to be delivered within three years. These jackets were finalised after a series of 'stringent field evaluation trials', said Nirmala Sitharaman-led Defence Ministry. Indian army has been struggling to get the life-saving kit from a very long time. In 2009 the army first made a request for more than 1.86 lakh bullet-proof jackets but the order got delayed due to no vendor cleared the trials conducted by the army. These ergonomically designed Bullet-proof Jackets have modular parts providing immense protection and flexibility to soldiers operating in different operational situations ranging from long-distance patrolling to high-risk room intervention scenarios,” said an officer. These jackets can sustain the impact of hard steel core bullets during the combat and will provide 360-degree protection to soldiers. In 2016 army made an emergency purchase of 50,000 bullet-proof jackets but as the jackets did not meet the standards that were required as it was designed on older specifications.

Watch: Indian Army to finally get upgraded bullet-proof jackets

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday&nbsp;said that the decision to hike customs duty on mobile phones and other luxury items was taken in national interest.

Speaking to Zee Business, Jaitley said, &ldquo;There are many goods that we make in India. And I don&rsquo;t see any point in not promoting home-made goods. A few years ago, there were a handful of countries which manufactured mobile phones. Today, that number has grown substantially. And many of them are home-grown. But people buy or import phones from abroad, and this is hurting the domestic market. So, our government took this decision of increasing customs duty to promote Make in India.&rdquo;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/this-years-budget-is-popular-and-not-populist-arun-jaitley-31679">This year&#39;s budget is &#39;popular, and not populist&#39;: Arun Jaitley&nbsp;</a>

It&rsquo;s not right to keep importing goods and not promote our own companies, Jaitley said.

While presenting the Budget on Thursday, Jaitley had announced a hike in customs duty on mobile phones to 20 per cent from 15 per cent in a bid to boost local value addition in domestic electronics manufacturing.

Jaitley said he was making a &ldquo;calibrated departure&rdquo; from the usual practice of reduction in customs duties. He said this is being done in view of the &ldquo;substantial potential&rdquo; for domestic value addition in sectors like food processing, electronics, auto components and footwear. The move will lead to the creation of more jobs in the country, Jaitley added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2018-govts-landmark-national-health-scheme-to-be-implemented-from-october-2nd-31610">Govt&#39;s landmark national health scheme to be implemented from October 2</a>

Commenting on the decision, Indian Cellular Association (ICA) National President Pankaj Mohindroo said that this will be the &ldquo;last nail in the coffin&rdquo; of imports.

&ldquo;We are reaching a situation where imports would be nearly impossible,&rdquo; Mohindroo added.

He said since the bulk of mobile phones are manufactured domestically, there will be no impact on their prices. The exception will be a few brands, that are still making phones overseas.

Customs duty on smartwatches and wearables has been doubled to 20%, while specified parts and accessories of mobile phones have seen a duty hike to 15 per cent&nbsp;from the current range of 7.5-10 per cent.

While presenting the Budget on Thursday, Jaitley had announced a hike in customs duty on mobile phones to 20 per cent from 15 per cent

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that the decision to hike customs duty on mobile phones and other luxury items was taken in national interest. Speaking to Zee Business, Jaitley said, “There are many goods that we make in India. And I don’t see any point in not promoting home-made goods. A few years ago, there were a handful of countries which manufactured mobile phones. Today, that number has grown substantially. And many of them are home-grown. But people buy or import phones from abroad, and this is hurting the domestic market. So, our government took this decision of increasing customs duty to promote Make in India.” Also read: This year's budget is 'popular, and not populist': Arun Jaitley It’s not right to keep importing goods and not promote our own companies, Jaitley said. While presenting the Budget on Thursday, Jaitley had announced a hike in customs duty on mobile phones to 20 per cent from 15 per cent in a bid to boost local value addition in domestic electronics manufacturing. Jaitley said he was making a “calibrated departure” from the usual practice of reduction in customs duties. He said this is being done in view of the “substantial potential” for domestic value addition in sectors like food processing, electronics, auto components and footwear. The move will lead to the creation of more jobs in the country, Jaitley added. Also read: Govt's landmark national health scheme to be implemented from October 2 Commenting on the decision, Indian Cellular Association (ICA) National President Pankaj Mohindroo said that this will be the “last nail in the coffin” of imports. “We are reaching a situation where imports would be nearly impossible,” Mohindroo added. He said since the bulk of mobile phones are manufactured domestically, there will be no impact on their prices. The exception will be a few brands, that are still making phones overseas. Customs duty on smartwatches and wearables has been doubled to 20%, while specified parts and accessories of mobile phones have seen a duty hike to 15 per cent from the current range of 7.5-10 per cent.

Budget 2018: Customs duty hike will give impetus to 'Make in India', says Arun Jaitley

By testing Agni-5 on January 18, it seems, India has sent a firm message to many doubting Thomases inside and outside the country. A missile or nuclear test is conducted not only for validating technical parameters but also to send a political signal.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Regarding Agni-5, from the very beginning, it has been made clear that this particular range does not need more than 2-3 tests before the deployment because most of the technical or technological parameters were already tested in the shorter ranges of Agni.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This fifth test of Agni-5 is also the third recurring test from a canister on a road-mobile launcher. So, even this canister on a road-mobile capability has been tested as per requirements.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Quite significantly, none of the five tests have failed. Thus, the maturity of ballistic missile development technology is decisively restated. When Agni-3 had failed, many started doubting the Indian capability to build an advanced weapons system. The scientific community has given a befitting response to the sceptics.

&nbsp;

Now, the user will be confident about the capability. Agni-5 is going to build Indian nuclear deterrence robust and effective. Besides, it is also on the line of the global pattern of mobile ballistic missile development. The third successful test of a mobile Agni-5 gives the nuclear deterrence the required operational flexibility. It can address shifting targets with even a small size of ballistic missile battery.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Signalling China, it wants to assert that Chinese expansionist and aggressive policy will not go unanswered. Violating all the past agreements for maintaining the status-quo, China has once again stepped up its construction activities in the Doklam region. Media reports suggest that this time, Chinese activities are much more intense than what it did about six months back.&nbsp; Though the Indian government does not maintain that any of its nuclear-capable missiles or nuclear weapons is country-specific, it is an open secret that Agni-5 has been developed to deter China.

&nbsp;

Moreover, the missile was launched the day the Indian defence minister inaugurated the Defence Industry Development Meeting. In fact, she rightly stressed the role Indian indigenous industry had played in developing strategic weapons like nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;India has been under curbs so that it does not develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Despite the 2008 NSG exemptions or joining the Missile Technology Control Regime, these curbs continue. Still, no country is going to supply any item which may contribute to the development of&nbsp; Indian nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. All of these needs to be developed indigenously.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Now, the Indian government needs to signal to the world that it can develop other weapons systems indigenously and the world has to work with it under the Make in India programme.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Signalling China, India wants to assert that Chinese expansionist and aggressive policy will not go unanswered.

By testing Agni-5 on January 18, it seems, India has sent a firm message to many doubting Thomases inside and outside the country. A missile or nuclear test is conducted not only for validating technical parameters but also to send a political signal. Regarding Agni-5, from the very beginning, it has been made clear that this particular range does not need more than 2-3 tests before the deployment because most of the technical or technological parameters were already tested in the shorter ranges of Agni. This fifth test of Agni-5 is also the third recurring test from a canister on a road-mobile launcher. So, even this canister on a road-mobile capability has been tested as per requirements. Quite significantly, none of the five tests have failed. Thus, the maturity of ballistic missile development technology is decisively restated. When Agni-3 had failed, many started doubting the Indian capability to build an advanced weapons system. The scientific community has given a befitting response to the sceptics. Now, the user will be confident about the capability. Agni-5 is going to build Indian nuclear deterrence robust and effective. Besides, it is also on the line of the global pattern of mobile ballistic missile development. The third successful test of a mobile Agni-5 gives the nuclear deterrence the required operational flexibility. It can address shifting targets with even a small size of ballistic missile battery. Signalling China, it wants to assert that Chinese expansionist and aggressive policy will not go unanswered. Violating all the past agreements for maintaining the status-quo, China has once again stepped up its construction activities in the Doklam region. Media reports suggest that this time, Chinese activities are much more intense than what it did about six months back. Though the Indian government does not maintain that any of its nuclear-capable missiles or nuclear weapons is country-specific, it is an open secret that Agni-5 has been developed to deter China. Moreover, the missile was launched the day the Indian defence minister inaugurated the Defence Industry Development Meeting. In fact, she rightly stressed the role Indian indigenous industry had played in developing strategic weapons like nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. India has been under curbs so that it does not develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Despite the 2008 NSG exemptions or joining the Missile Technology Control Regime, these curbs continue. Still, no country is going to supply any item which may contribute to the development of Indian nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. All of these needs to be developed indigenously. Now, the Indian government needs to signal to the world that it can develop other weapons systems indigenously and the world has to work with it under the Make in India programme. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Agni-5 has been developed indigenously to deter China

&quot;America First&quot; and &quot;Make in India&quot; are not incompatible, US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Juster said in Delhi on Thursday.&nbsp;

Rather, he said, investing in each other&#39;s markets will be mutually beneficial, will increase economic interactions, and the volume of trade.&nbsp;

Juster added that a number of US companies have reported increasing difficulties in conducting business in the largest market in the region -- <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-attempting-to-tie-india-to-its-chariot-says-china-daily-20971" target="_blank">China</a> -- and that India can &quot;seize this strategic opportunity through trade and investment&quot; to become an alternative hub for US business in the Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;

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<h5>Juster said a number of US companies have reported increasing difficulties in conducting business in the largest market in the region -- China -- and that India can &#39;seize this strategic opportunity through trade and investment&#39; to become an alternative hub for US business in the Indo-Pacific region</h5>
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Juster was making his inaugural policy speech on US-India relations in New Delhi.&nbsp;

India, Juster said, is a leading power in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. For India and the US, he added, the Indo-Pacific region is vital for security and prosperity of our people as well as others. Together we want to ensure a free and open region where rule of law and democratic principles are reflected.&nbsp;

Juster said Afghanistan is one example of areas of cooperation where &quot;we both have a strong interest in promoting peace, security and prosperity&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Our leaders are committed to supporting Afghanistan and helping build that country&#39;s democratic institutions,&quot; he added.

Pakistan he said is also important to the situation in Afghanistan, adding that &quot;I don&#39;t think we are going to get stability and security in Afghanistan if Pakistan does not contribute positively to that&quot;.&nbsp;

Juster added that &quot;that was really (a) major impetus in suspending security assistance to Pakistan because we feel they have not done all that they could to try to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan that are contributing to unrest in Afghanistan.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;President Trump and other US leaders have been clear that we will not tolerate cross-border terrorism or terrorist safe havens anywhere. &nbsp;As part of this effort, last month we launched the first-ever US-India Counter-Terrorism Designations Dialogue,&quot; Juster said.&nbsp;

&quot;We want to promote respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, guarantee freedom of navigation over flight and commerce and other lawful uses of the sea, ensure territorial and maritime disputes are resolved peacefully consistent with international laws,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Continuing in his America First vein but saying somewhat the opposite, Juster said the &quot;US is probably as open a country as any in the world and we probably take more immigrants per year compared to any other country. We are a country of immigrants and that has helped drive our economy, made us what we are, that is not going to change.&quot;&nbsp;

Finally, he added that the &quot;US was working with partners to secure&quot; India&#39;s membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.&nbsp;

Kenneth I Juster said investing in each other's markets will be mutually beneficial, will increase economic interactions, and the volume of trade

"America First" and "Make in India" are not incompatible, US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Juster said in Delhi on Thursday. Rather, he said, investing in each other's markets will be mutually beneficial, will increase economic interactions, and the volume of trade. Juster added that a number of US companies have reported increasing difficulties in conducting business in the largest market in the region -- China -- and that India can "seize this strategic opportunity through trade and investment" to become an alternative hub for US business in the Indo-Pacific region. Juster said a number of US companies have reported increasing difficulties in conducting business in the largest market in the region -- China -- and that India can 'seize this strategic opportunity through trade and investment' to become an alternative hub for US business in the Indo-Pacific region × Juster was making his inaugural policy speech on US-India relations in New Delhi. India, Juster said, is a leading power in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. For India and the US, he added, the Indo-Pacific region is vital for security and prosperity of our people as well as others. Together we want to ensure a free and open region where rule of law and democratic principles are reflected. Juster said Afghanistan is one example of areas of cooperation where "we both have a strong interest in promoting peace, security and prosperity". "Our leaders are committed to supporting Afghanistan and helping build that country's democratic institutions," he added. Pakistan he said is also important to the situation in Afghanistan, adding that "I don't think we are going to get stability and security in Afghanistan if Pakistan does not contribute positively to that". Juster added that "that was really (a) major impetus in suspending security assistance to Pakistan because we feel they have not done all that they could to try to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan that are contributing to unrest in Afghanistan." "President Trump and other US leaders have been clear that we will not tolerate cross-border terrorism or terrorist safe havens anywhere. As part of this effort, last month we launched the first-ever US-India Counter-Terrorism Designations Dialogue," Juster said. "We want to promote respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, guarantee freedom of navigation over flight and commerce and other lawful uses of the sea, ensure territorial and maritime disputes are resolved peacefully consistent with international laws," he said. Continuing in his America First vein but saying somewhat the opposite, Juster said the "US is probably as open a country as any in the world and we probably take more immigrants per year compared to any other country. We are a country of immigrants and that has helped drive our economy, made us what we are, that is not going to change." Finally, he added that the "US was working with partners to secure" India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

'America First' and 'Make in India' not incompatible: US ambassador to India

Soon after taking over as the prime minister, Narendra Modi announced the ambitious &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; Campaign, giving a ray of hope to the nation. In September 2014, this program was launched with an aim to promote India as the investment destination and a global centre for technology, design and manufacturing. Currently, the manufacturing sector contributes only 16 per cent to the GDP which Mr Modi planned to make 25 per cent by 2015. Indeed, it was an ambitious goal.

&nbsp;

It carried a huge implication for the Defence sector as India is the biggest importer of Defence Equipment in the world. We are importing everything from aircrafts to warships, war tanks to communication equipment, Spare parts to ammunition and even specialised equipment and clothing.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While countries like Brazil, Sweden, South Korea, Spain, Italy and even Pakistan started manufacturing their own military warships and aircrafts, India is way far behind. We have not been able to produce important parts, such as avionics, radar and engine for our own indigenous aircraft &ldquo;Tejas&rdquo;.&nbsp; So, what is the reason behind this?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Why are we not able to succeed in Make in India Campaign?

&nbsp;

Several countries announced their interest in this campaign and declared a sizeable value of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for their initiatives in India, yet they have not been able to start their projects and, hence, the effect of Make in India Campaign is not visible. Numbers show that in FY 2011-12, the total FDI inflow in the manufacturing sector was 9.4 billion USD which has fallen to 8.4 billion in 2015-16.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The biggest challenge is the nature of manufacturing. When Mr Modi invited investors from all over the world to come and manufacture in India, they experienced a specific challenge. Indian manufacturing sector is largely labour oriented. While a massive 76 per cent of total labour in China works in medium and large-scale industries, the number in India is just 16 per cent. Which means about 84 per cent of India&rsquo;s labour is employed in small-scale and cottage industries, a factor which needs to be understood by all.

&nbsp;

The second challenge is the diversity of the Indian manufacturing sector and the corresponding need of investment vis-a-vis return of investment. If we take the example of high-end medical equipment, the domestic demand is very low (5-6 billion USD) whereas the investment required to make them is quite high.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The third challenge is the technology dependence. In the current scenario of technical advancement, India is heavily dependent upon manual labour. Not only this, the average hourly labour remuneration in India are one of the lowest in the world. It causes difficulties in acceptance of technology-oriented industries.

&nbsp;

The fourth challenge is the availability of market. The kind and scale of &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; activities PM Modi is talking about need large-scale investments and to have an effective return of these investments, the industry must find additional markets outside India where it can export the goods too. Not only manufacturing is sufficient but the government must open more Special Economic Zones for the same purpose.

&nbsp;

The fifth challenge is the ease of doing business in India. Despite massive efforts of the Union Government, there are hurdles for an investor in terms of clearances, approvals and sometimes lack of coordination between state and union government, leading to undue harassment of the investor and ultimately failure of the project.

&nbsp;

The seventh aspect is the selection of right industry for pitching. As we know well that India leads the world in pharmaceutical and chemical-based manufacturing, however, there are few sectors which can show much better growth, keeping in view of all the challenges mentioned above. Biotechnology, building materials, textiles, education and consumer durables are one of the few. Selecting the right industry is likely to give better dividends in less time.

&nbsp;

The eighth aspect is the expenditure on Research and Development (R&amp;D). Despite having premium institutions, such as IITs and IISc, we are lagging in terms of R&amp;D. These institutions which could become a hub of R&amp;D have now become a mere institution to provide Degrees. The government must take a special interest in this.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is a long way to go for this government. The success of the &#39;Make in India campaign&#39; lies in a sustainable model which can take care of the country and its needs. The policies must be investor-friendly and not a mere invitation to an investor. It is the responsibility of the Union Government to initiate meaningful dialogue and effective mediation between the investor and the concerned state government. And we must do it immediately. Three and a half long years have passed without any substantial visual impact and the results are needed to be seen before country loses its patience.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

The success of the 'Make in India campaign' lies in making policies investor-friendly and not a mere invitation to an investor.

Soon after taking over as the prime minister, Narendra Modi announced the ambitious “Make in India” Campaign, giving a ray of hope to the nation. In September 2014, this program was launched with an aim to promote India as the investment destination and a global centre for technology, design and manufacturing. Currently, the manufacturing sector contributes only 16 per cent to the GDP which Mr Modi planned to make 25 per cent by 2015. Indeed, it was an ambitious goal. It carried a huge implication for the Defence sector as India is the biggest importer of Defence Equipment in the world. We are importing everything from aircrafts to warships, war tanks to communication equipment, Spare parts to ammunition and even specialised equipment and clothing. While countries like Brazil, Sweden, South Korea, Spain, Italy and even Pakistan started manufacturing their own military warships and aircrafts, India is way far behind. We have not been able to produce important parts, such as avionics, radar and engine for our own indigenous aircraft “Tejas”. So, what is the reason behind this? Why are we not able to succeed in Make in India Campaign? Several countries announced their interest in this campaign and declared a sizeable value of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for their initiatives in India, yet they have not been able to start their projects and, hence, the effect of Make in India Campaign is not visible. Numbers show that in FY 2011-12, the total FDI inflow in the manufacturing sector was 9.4 billion USD which has fallen to 8.4 billion in 2015-16. The biggest challenge is the nature of manufacturing. When Mr Modi invited investors from all over the world to come and manufacture in India, they experienced a specific challenge. Indian manufacturing sector is largely labour oriented. While a massive 76 per cent of total labour in China works in medium and large-scale industries, the number in India is just 16 per cent. Which means about 84 per cent of India’s labour is employed in small-scale and cottage industries, a factor which needs to be understood by all. The second challenge is the diversity of the Indian manufacturing sector and the corresponding need of investment vis-a-vis return of investment. If we take the example of high-end medical equipment, the domestic demand is very low (5-6 billion USD) whereas the investment required to make them is quite high. The third challenge is the technology dependence. In the current scenario of technical advancement, India is heavily dependent upon manual labour. Not only this, the average hourly labour remuneration in India are one of the lowest in the world. It causes difficulties in acceptance of technology-oriented industries. The fourth challenge is the availability of market. The kind and scale of “Make in India” activities PM Modi is talking about need large-scale investments and to have an effective return of these investments, the industry must find additional markets outside India where it can export the goods too. Not only manufacturing is sufficient but the government must open more Special Economic Zones for the same purpose. The fifth challenge is the ease of doing business in India. Despite massive efforts of the Union Government, there are hurdles for an investor in terms of clearances, approvals and sometimes lack of coordination between state and union government, leading to undue harassment of the investor and ultimately failure of the project. The seventh aspect is the selection of right industry for pitching. As we know well that India leads the world in pharmaceutical and chemical-based manufacturing, however, there are few sectors which can show much better growth, keeping in view of all the challenges mentioned above. Biotechnology, building materials, textiles, education and consumer durables are one of the few. Selecting the right industry is likely to give better dividends in less time. The eighth aspect is the expenditure on Research and Development (R&D). Despite having premium institutions, such as IITs and IISc, we are lagging in terms of R&D. These institutions which could become a hub of R&D have now become a mere institution to provide Degrees. The government must take a special interest in this. There is a long way to go for this government. The success of the 'Make in India campaign' lies in a sustainable model which can take care of the country and its needs. The policies must be investor-friendly and not a mere invitation to an investor. It is the responsibility of the Union Government to initiate meaningful dialogue and effective mediation between the investor and the concerned state government. And we must do it immediately. Three and a half long years have passed without any substantial visual impact and the results are needed to be seen before country loses its patience. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: What 'Make in India' campaign needs to do to succeed

By

Prasad Bhosekar&nbsp;

Long ago, Hollywood had introduced us to &quot;Robocop&#39;&#39;. Now, a desi version of Robocop is getting ready. It&#39;s not a film but a real robot being &quot;Made in India&quot;&nbsp;and which is being developed as &quot;cop&quot;&nbsp;to do policing. 
&nbsp; 
In Hyderabad, a 28-year-old robotics engineer has developed a beta version ( prototype ) of the robot which can do policing.

Named &quot;smart policing robot,&#39;&#39; this prototype which is in an advanced stage&nbsp;of completion is being programmed to do policing jobs like identifying suspects, interact&nbsp;with people, take complaints among a host of other features. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;In Dubai, I had seen robots which are doing the job of interacting with people at public places. I got an idea why not go a step ahead and incorporate host of security and policing related features and more importantly make them in India,&#39;&#39; says PSV Kisshhan, founder and CEO of H-Bots, a Hyderabad-based startup. 
&nbsp; 
Six months back, Kisshhan and his team of 24 people all of whom are in the age group of 25 years started working on &quot;smart policing robot&#39;&#39;.

&quot;The current beta version is made of nylon and weighs around 25 kgs but the final product will be made of plastic and will be weighing around 50-60 kgs,&#39;&#39; discloses Kisshhan.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
At around five feet, the robot is equipped with three cameras- two for surveillance and one for taking complaints. The display panel has features like recording complaints. It has face and gesture recognition, it can identify suspects, detect metals, monitor temperatures and also it is being designed to control thefts. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;We have developed our own software based on Java and python applications. Our Robot can move 360 degrees, has a battery life of nearly nine hours,&#39;&#39; discloses Kisshhan. 
&nbsp; 
By July this year, the first &quot;smart policing robot&#39;&#39; is expected to roll out after all the final tests.

H-Bots is planning to roll out at least 70 robots per year and sees demand not only in India but also in other countries for their product.

&quot;We will price our robots from Rs 5&nbsp;lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs depending on the model and features. There will be two variants - indoor and outdoor. Outdoor will also be waterproof and will have a solar option.&#39;&#39; 
&nbsp; 
Kisshhan also informs that his place is open for all those enthusiasts who look for hardware and place to innovate products of their own. By 2020, Kisshhan estimates that India will be the largest robotic hub.

In Hyderabad, a 28-year-old robotics engineer has developed a beta version ( prototype ) of the robot which can do policing.

By Prasad Bhosekar Long ago, Hollywood had introduced us to "Robocop''. Now, a desi version of Robocop is getting ready. It's not a film but a real robot being "Made in India" and which is being developed as "cop" to do policing. In Hyderabad, a 28-year-old robotics engineer has developed a beta version ( prototype ) of the robot which can do policing. Named "smart policing robot,'' this prototype which is in an advanced stage of completion is being programmed to do policing jobs like identifying suspects, interact with people, take complaints among a host of other features. "In Dubai, I had seen robots which are doing the job of interacting with people at public places. I got an idea why not go a step ahead and incorporate host of security and policing related features and more importantly make them in India,'' says PSV Kisshhan, founder and CEO of H-Bots, a Hyderabad-based startup. Six months back, Kisshhan and his team of 24 people all of whom are in the age group of 25 years started working on "smart policing robot''. "The current beta version is made of nylon and weighs around 25 kgs but the final product will be made of plastic and will be weighing around 50-60 kgs,'' discloses Kisshhan. At around five feet, the robot is equipped with three cameras- two for surveillance and one for taking complaints. The display panel has features like recording complaints. It has face and gesture recognition, it can identify suspects, detect metals, monitor temperatures and also it is being designed to control thefts. "We have developed our own software based on Java and python applications. Our Robot can move 360 degrees, has a battery life of nearly nine hours,'' discloses Kisshhan. By July this year, the first "smart policing robot'' is expected to roll out after all the final tests. H-Bots is planning to roll out at least 70 robots per year and sees demand not only in India but also in other countries for their product. "We will price our robots from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs depending on the model and features. There will be two variants - indoor and outdoor. Outdoor will also be waterproof and will have a solar option.'' Kisshhan also informs that his place is open for all those enthusiasts who look for hardware and place to innovate products of their own. By 2020, Kisshhan estimates that India will be the largest robotic hub.

Watch: Now, get ready for desi robocop

India&rsquo;s developmental goals and the trajectory of expanding economy largely depend on our ability to source energy. Shifting the focus of our economy towards manufacturing sector with &lsquo;Make in India&rsquo; campaign, coupled with the developmental goal of &lsquo;Power for All&rsquo; will be the key drivers of energy demand.

For the nation, which imports around 70 per cent of its primary energy demand, ensuring the security of supply always takes the precedence for policymakers; and the reason why energy policy discourse in India often revolves around &lsquo;Energy Security&rsquo;. In November 2015 Prime Minister Modi announced an idea establishing the &lsquo;International Solar Alliance&rsquo; (ISA), during his speech at 21st Conference of Parties in Paris, a part of the larger narrative, convincing the world of India&rsquo;s commitment towards combating climate change.

The idea was floated earlier during Third India Africa Forum Summit in October to &ldquo;provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar rich countries...&rdquo;; and has received encouraging response from across the world &ndash; from tiny African developing nations to developed economies including France and Australia. New Delhi&rsquo;s initiative proved successful in bringing international community closer, but the challenge remains in meeting the stated objective of harnessing solar energy for sustainable development &ndash; and not becoming just another multilateral forum that is high on rhetoric and low on action.

Amidst the price and supply uncertainties for conventional forms of energy coupled with associated geopolitical risks, renewable energy remains the key hope for our future supply of energy. India pledged 175 GW of power from renewable sources by 2022 including 100 GW of solar power, achieving this target largely depends on the availability of funding and ease of technology transfer; with ISA, India has launched a platform where &lsquo;solar rich&rsquo; countries can share their experiences, learn from global best practices, secure funding and access technology.

ISA is an impressive concept theoretically but its success depends on global cooperation and thus diplomacy is essential for development. As of December 2017, ISA framework has 45 signatories, and 15 nations ratifying the framework; a recent public announcement from Beijing, describing its plan to join the solar alliance is a positive development&nbsp;since China is one of the largest manufacturers of renewable energy devices and equipment including photo-voltaic cells.

While ISA aims to achieve 1000 GW power from solar by 2030, the key challenge is about securing finance. ISA is primarily an organisation with the majority of members from developing world, and thus its ability to deal with global north will determine the success of the alliance. It is worth noting that while the US has pulled out of Paris Climate accord, President Trump accused India and China of getting &lsquo;undue advantage&rsquo;; the narrative of this &lsquo;undue advantage&rsquo; could prove to be a challenge for ISA in securing &lsquo;clean energy finance&rsquo; from advanced economies; we know that the US is currently the first and alone in building up such a narrative, it is difficult to predict that nobody else would join this bandwagon in future.

India has its fair share of achievements in harnessing solar energy &ndash; be it one of the largest single location solar power plants (648 MW) in Tamilnadu&rsquo;s Kamuthi or the first airport to run completely on solar power in Kerala&rsquo;s Cochin; these achievements have boosted the credibility of New Delhi&rsquo;s leadership for the alliance. However, the primary challenge for the newly formed alliance will be to prioritise small-scale but inclusive and accessible renewable projects over large-scale &lsquo;demonstrative&rsquo; and &lsquo;headline-making&rsquo; projects, given the global obsession with adjectives such as &lsquo;first&rsquo;, &lsquo;biggest&rsquo; or &lsquo;largest&rsquo;.

New Delhi has been a voice of the global south for long &ndash; from its prominent role in Non-Aligned Movement to representing and empowering voices of developing nations in international organisations and multilateral forums; and thus stakes are high, as India begins to lead the global discourse on renewables through ISA. The success of alliance in promoting and enhancing &lsquo;clean energy&rsquo; supply will also drive India&rsquo;s ambitions to be recognised as an &lsquo;exemplary&rsquo; power.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Shifting the focus of our economy towards manufacturing sector with ?Make in India? campaign, coupled with the developmental goal of ?Power for All? will be the key drivers of energy demand.

India’s developmental goals and the trajectory of expanding economy largely depend on our ability to source energy. Shifting the focus of our economy towards manufacturing sector with ‘Make in India’ campaign, coupled with the developmental goal of ‘Power for All’ will be the key drivers of energy demand. For the nation, which imports around 70 per cent of its primary energy demand, ensuring the security of supply always takes the precedence for policymakers; and the reason why energy policy discourse in India often revolves around ‘Energy Security’. In November 2015 Prime Minister Modi announced an idea establishing the ‘International Solar Alliance’ (ISA), during his speech at 21st Conference of Parties in Paris, a part of the larger narrative, convincing the world of India’s commitment towards combating climate change. The idea was floated earlier during Third India Africa Forum Summit in October to “provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar rich countries...”; and has received encouraging response from across the world – from tiny African developing nations to developed economies including France and Australia. New Delhi’s initiative proved successful in bringing international community closer, but the challenge remains in meeting the stated objective of harnessing solar energy for sustainable development – and not becoming just another multilateral forum that is high on rhetoric and low on action. Amidst the price and supply uncertainties for conventional forms of energy coupled with associated geopolitical risks, renewable energy remains the key hope for our future supply of energy. India pledged 175 GW of power from renewable sources by 2022 including 100 GW of solar power, achieving this target largely depends on the availability of funding and ease of technology transfer; with ISA, India has launched a platform where ‘solar rich’ countries can share their experiences, learn from global best practices, secure funding and access technology. ISA is an impressive concept theoretically but its success depends on global cooperation and thus diplomacy is essential for development. As of December 2017, ISA framework has 45 signatories, and 15 nations ratifying the framework; a recent public announcement from Beijing, describing its plan to join the solar alliance is a positive development since China is one of the largest manufacturers of renewable energy devices and equipment including photo-voltaic cells. While ISA aims to achieve 1000 GW power from solar by 2030, the key challenge is about securing finance. ISA is primarily an organisation with the majority of members from developing world, and thus its ability to deal with global north will determine the success of the alliance. It is worth noting that while the US has pulled out of Paris Climate accord, President Trump accused India and China of getting ‘undue advantage’; the narrative of this ‘undue advantage’ could prove to be a challenge for ISA in securing ‘clean energy finance’ from advanced economies; we know that the US is currently the first and alone in building up such a narrative, it is difficult to predict that nobody else would join this bandwagon in future. India has its fair share of achievements in harnessing solar energy – be it one of the largest single location solar power plants (648 MW) in Tamilnadu’s Kamuthi or the first airport to run completely on solar power in Kerala’s Cochin; these achievements have boosted the credibility of New Delhi’s leadership for the alliance. However, the primary challenge for the newly formed alliance will be to prioritise small-scale but inclusive and accessible renewable projects over large-scale ‘demonstrative’ and ‘headline-making’ projects, given the global obsession with adjectives such as ‘first’, ‘biggest’ or ‘largest’. New Delhi has been a voice of the global south for long – from its prominent role in Non-Aligned Movement to representing and empowering voices of developing nations in international organisations and multilateral forums; and thus stakes are high, as India begins to lead the global discourse on renewables through ISA. The success of alliance in promoting and enhancing ‘clean energy’ supply will also drive India’s ambitions to be recognised as an ‘exemplary’ power. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: 'Development' and 'diplomacy' are driving India's energy discourse

Tech-giant Apple on Monday increased the prices of all its iPhone models in India, days after the Indian government hiked the import duty on mobile phones by five percent.

The mobile phones will now be taxed at 15 percent from earlier&#39;s 10 percent. The increase will be effective from today itself.

iPhone X lovers will now have to shell out Rs 92,430 for the 64GB and Rs 1,05,720 for the 256GB variant, which earlier were available for Rs 89,000 and Rs 1,02,000 respectively.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will now start at MRP of Rs. 66,120 and Rs. 75,450 respectively, compared to Rs. 64,000 and Rs. 73,000 earlier.&nbsp;

Likewise, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will now start at Rs. 50,810 and Rs. 61,060 respectively, while the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus starting price will now be Rs. 41,550 and Rs. 50,740 respectively.

However, iPhone SE is the only model which is unaffected by the price hike, because the company assembles it in India.

The government made this decision to curb the overseas supplies and encourage manufacturing in India as part of the Make in India initiative. &nbsp;

Microwave ovens and cameras are the other electronic products to be affected by the increase in import duty.&nbsp;

The mobile phones will now be taxed at 15 percent from earlier's 10 percent.

Tech-giant Apple on Monday increased the prices of all its iPhone models in India, days after the Indian government hiked the import duty on mobile phones by five percent. The mobile phones will now be taxed at 15 percent from earlier's 10 percent. The increase will be effective from today itself. iPhone X lovers will now have to shell out Rs 92,430 for the 64GB and Rs 1,05,720 for the 256GB variant, which earlier were available for Rs 89,000 and Rs 1,02,000 respectively. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will now start at MRP of Rs. 66,120 and Rs. 75,450 respectively, compared to Rs. 64,000 and Rs. 73,000 earlier. Likewise, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will now start at Rs. 50,810 and Rs. 61,060 respectively, while the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus starting price will now be Rs. 41,550 and Rs. 50,740 respectively. However, iPhone SE is the only model which is unaffected by the price hike, because the company assembles it in India. The government made this decision to curb the overseas supplies and encourage manufacturing in India as part of the Make in India initiative. Microwave ovens and cameras are the other electronic products to be affected by the increase in import duty.

iPhone prices increases in India after govt hikes import duty

Citing a media report, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that Modi&#39;s &quot;Make In India&quot; project&nbsp;died turning Gujarati taxpayers Rs 33,000 crore into ash.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM&rsquo;s pet &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; project just died. 33,000 crores of Gujarati taxpayer money turned to ash. Who is accountable? <a href="https://t.co/pQ9HUK6Ui1">https://t.co/pQ9HUK6Ui1</a>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/934627151927586816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Gandhi also asked&nbsp;who should be held accountable for the money becoming &quot;ash&quot;.

The media report claimed that the average daily production of Nano cars at the Tata Motor&#39;s Sanand plant was down to just two.

(Also read -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/production-for-tata-nano-may-soon-terminate-as-dealers-stop-placing-orders-25161">Tata&#39;s Nano may soon be phased out: Reports</a>)

Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that Rs.&nbsp;33,000 crore&nbsp;worth of &quot;benefits&quot; were given to the Nano car plant in Sanand, near Ahmedabad.

Rahul Gandhi is currently campaigning in the Gujarat for upcoming elections in the state. (Also read -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modijis-friends-have-caused-pollution-in-gujarat-rahul-gandhi-25025">&#39;Modiji&#39;s friends&#39; have caused pollution in Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi</a>)

Tata Motors&#39;&nbsp;Nano, launched in 2008 as the world&#39;s cheapest car, may soon be phased out since dealers in most parts of the country have stopped placing orders for the vehicle.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that Modi's 'Make In India' project just died turning Gujarati taxpayers Rs 33,000 crore into ash

Citing a media report, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that Modi's "Make In India" project died turning Gujarati taxpayers Rs 33,000 crore into ash. PM’s pet “Make in India” project just died. 33,000 crores of Gujarati taxpayer money turned to ash. Who is accountable? https://t.co/pQ9HUK6Ui1 — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 26, 2017 × Gandhi also asked who should be held accountable for the money becoming "ash". The media report claimed that the average daily production of Nano cars at the Tata Motor's Sanand plant was down to just two. (Also read - Tata's Nano may soon be phased out: Reports) Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that Rs. 33,000 crore worth of "benefits" were given to the Nano car plant in Sanand, near Ahmedabad. Rahul Gandhi is currently campaigning in the Gujarat for upcoming elections in the state. (Also read - 'Modiji's friends' have caused pollution in Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi) Tata Motors' Nano, launched in 2008 as the world's cheapest car, may soon be phased out since dealers in most parts of the country have stopped placing orders for the vehicle.

Rahul uses Nano closing report to attack PM Modi's 'Make in India'

US&nbsp;firm General Electric&#39;s plan to build a diesel&nbsp;locomotive&nbsp;factory&nbsp;in eastern&nbsp;India&nbsp;is on&nbsp;track, the railway&nbsp;minister said on Thursday, seeking to allay concerns that the state-controlled network&nbsp;was making changes to the contract.

Piyush Goyal&#39;s comments came after GE said this week that the&nbsp;Indian government&#39;s &quot;Make in India&quot;&nbsp;initiative would be undermined if the railway ministry went ahead with changes to a joint venture with the conglomerate.

GE had won a $2.6 billion contract in 2015 to supply&nbsp;Indian Railways with 1,000 diesel locomotives.

But the railway&nbsp;ministry said last week it wouldn&#39;t need diesel after all - hoping to save on fuel and maintenance costs - and suggested GE might want to make electric engines instead.

Piyush Goyal's comments came after GE said this week that the?Indian government's 'Make in India' initiative would be undermined if the railway ministry went ahead with changes to a joint venture with the conglomerate.

US firm General Electric's plan to build a diesel locomotive factory in eastern India is on track, the railway minister said on Thursday, seeking to allay concerns that the state-controlled network was making changes to the contract. Piyush Goyal's comments came after GE said this week that the Indian government's "Make in India" initiative would be undermined if the railway ministry went ahead with changes to a joint venture with the conglomerate. GE had won a $2.6 billion contract in 2015 to supply Indian Railways with 1,000 diesel locomotives. But the railway ministry said last week it wouldn't need diesel after all - hoping to save on fuel and maintenance costs - and suggested GE might want to make electric engines instead.

India allays concerns, says work on GE's locomotive factory on track

General Electric Co said on Tuesday that the Indian government&#39;s &quot;Make in India&quot;&nbsp;initiative would be undermined if the country&#39;s railway ministry went ahead with changes to a joint venture with the conglomerate. 
&nbsp; 
Any changes to the joint venture will put future foreign investment at risk and cause the government to incur substantial costs, GE said in an emailed statement. 
&nbsp; 
GE had won a $2.6 billion contract in 2015 to supply Indian Railways with 1,000 diesel locomotives. 
&nbsp; 
The Economic Times newspaper reported last week that the ministry told the company the railways would not require diesel locomotives in the future and offered the American company an option to manufacture electric locomotives at its upcoming factory in the eastern state of Bihar. 
&nbsp; 
Under the deal, GE is also to build two maintenance sheds elsewhere in the country to service the locomotives over an 11-year period. 
&nbsp;

General Electric Co said on Tuesday that the Indian government's 'Make in India' initiative would be undermined if the country's railway ministry went ahead with changes to a joint venture with the conglomerate

General Electric Co said on Tuesday that the Indian government's "Make in India" initiative would be undermined if the country's railway ministry went ahead with changes to a joint venture with the conglomerate. Any changes to the joint venture will put future foreign investment at risk and cause the government to incur substantial costs, GE said in an emailed statement. GE had won a $2.6 billion contract in 2015 to supply Indian Railways with 1,000 diesel locomotives. The Economic Times newspaper reported last week that the ministry told the company the railways would not require diesel locomotives in the future and offered the American company an option to manufacture electric locomotives at its upcoming factory in the eastern state of Bihar. Under the deal, GE is also to build two maintenance sheds elsewhere in the country to service the locomotives over an 11-year period.

GE warns railway contract rejig to undermine 'Make in India' drive

Rahul Gandhi gave his second address in the US on Wednesday morning, making jobs the central focus of his talk.&nbsp;

Gandhi was speaking at Princeton University.&nbsp;

The &quot;central question&quot;, he said, is how does India give its people jobs?&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-us-makes-no-holds-barred-attack-on-pm-modi-20102" target="_blank">Also read: Rahul Gandhi, in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-us-makes-no-holds-barred-attack-on-pm-modi-20102" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-us-makes-no-holds-barred-attack-on-pm-modi-20102" target="_blank">, makes no-holds-barred attack on PM Modi</a>

He added that if India, as a modern country, is unable to give its people jobs, then it is difficult to give them vision.&nbsp;

&quot;Everyday nearly 30,000 youngsters come into (the) job market. 450 jobs are being provided today,&quot; said Gandhi.&nbsp;

Gandhi added that &quot;unemployment is one of the major threats to the growth of the nation&quot;.&nbsp;

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Central ques is how India gives its ppl jobs.If you,as a modern country,are unable to give them jobs,it&#39;s difficult to give them vision: RG
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910340979546243072">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Everyday nearly 30,000 new youngsters come into job market. 450 jobs are being provided today: Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in US <a href="https://t.co/m4zZ9fEMVT">pic.twitter.com/m4zZ9fEMVT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910341275974619139">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He compared India with China, saying India was falling behind.&nbsp;

&quot;We need to realise that China is moving ahead with tremendous power. And we have to work in accordance with that,&quot; said Gandhi.&nbsp;

&quot;We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He added, &quot;China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;What does that vision look like? What kind of cooperation do we have between the two nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

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We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well. China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?: Rahul Gandhi
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What does that vision look like? What kind of coopn do we have b/w the 2 nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to: RG <a href="https://t.co/BdKXYOnLwL">pic.twitter.com/BdKXYOnLwL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910339518439608320">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He also talked about polarisation, saying it was one of India&#39;s central challenges.&nbsp;

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One of the the central challenges in India is the politics of polarisation: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in New Jersey. <a href="https://t.co/OhIXC9XUCz">pic.twitter.com/OhIXC9XUCz</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910338840778248193">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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And added that not enough was being done for gender equality.&nbsp;

And he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Make-in-India programme, instead of targeting big business, should focus on promoting small businesses.&nbsp;

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PM Modi&#39;s Make-in-India programme instead of targeting large business should concentrate on promoting small businesses: Rahul Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/WP30LFu4yh">pic.twitter.com/WP30LFu4yh</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910337799722721280">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

'Everyday nearly 30,000 youngsters come into (the) job market. 450 jobs are being provided today,' said Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi gave his second address in the US on Wednesday morning, making jobs the central focus of his talk. Gandhi was speaking at Princeton University. The "central question", he said, is how does India give its people jobs? Also read: Rahul Gandhi, in US, makes no-holds-barred attack on PM Modi He added that if India, as a modern country, is unable to give its people jobs, then it is difficult to give them vision. "Everyday nearly 30,000 youngsters come into (the) job market. 450 jobs are being provided today," said Gandhi. Gandhi added that "unemployment is one of the major threats to the growth of the nation". Central ques is how India gives its ppl jobs.If you,as a modern country,are unable to give them jobs,it's difficult to give them vision: RG — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × Everyday nearly 30,000 new youngsters come into job market. 450 jobs are being provided today: Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in US pic.twitter.com/m4zZ9fEMVT — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × He compared India with China, saying India was falling behind. "We need to realise that China is moving ahead with tremendous power. And we have to work in accordance with that," said Gandhi. "We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well," he said. He added, "China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?" "What does that vision look like? What kind of cooperation do we have between the two nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to," he said. We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well. China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?: Rahul Gandhi — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × What does that vision look like? What kind of coopn do we have b/w the 2 nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to: RG pic.twitter.com/BdKXYOnLwL — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × He also talked about polarisation, saying it was one of India's central challenges. One of the the central challenges in India is the politics of polarisation: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/OhIXC9XUCz — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × And added that not enough was being done for gender equality. And he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make-in-India programme, instead of targeting big business, should focus on promoting small businesses. PM Modi's Make-in-India programme instead of targeting large business should concentrate on promoting small businesses: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/WP30LFu4yh — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 ×

Rahul Gandhi in US: Central question is how does India give its people jobs??

No Indian Prime Minister has ever visited Israel, but that is about to change when Narendra Modi touches down in Israel July 4.

For two days Modi will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss &quot;all matters of mutual interest&quot;, according to a <a href="http://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/28566/Visit_of_Prime_Minister_to_Israel_July_46_2017" target="_blank">press release</a> from India&#39;s Minister of External Affairs released on June 28.

The itinerary also includes meetings with members of Israel&#39;s Indian community in Tel Aviv, and a stop in a Haifa cemetry to honour Indian soldiers interred on the grounds.

&nbsp;

Military, business&nbsp;ties

This april, Israel signed a deal to supply Israel with&nbsp;air and missile defense system&nbsp;worth&nbsp;$2 billion, in what Israel called the &quot;largest defense contract deal&quot; in its history, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/29/asia/india-modi-israel/index.html" target="_blank">CNN </a>reports.

&quot;As India seeks to modernize and grow its defense capabilities, it could find an able ally in Israel. The two countries see themselves as bulwarks of democracy in a region rife with illiberal leaders,&quot; said the CNN New Delhi Bureau Chief, Ravi Agrawal.

Under Modi&#39;s &quot;Make in India&quot; program, the PM is looking for foreign companies to set up factories in India, and this trip will likely be a chance for Modi to encourage Israeli businesses to do the same, CNN adds.

Watch WION discuss India-Israel trade relations with the head of Israel&#39;s&nbsp;Chamber of Commerce, in this TV&nbsp;interview conducted in Tel Aviv, Israel.&nbsp;

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Head of India-Israel Chamber of Commerce speaks to WION (WION)
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In advance of this week&#39;s&nbsp;meeting, Israelis welcomed the Indian Prime Minister in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-israelis-learn-hindi-to-welcome-indian-pm-modi-to-the-country-17506" target="_blank">Hindi</a>.

&nbsp;

PM Modi is likely going to try to attract Israeli business to set up production in Israel under his 'Make in India' program

No Indian Prime Minister has ever visited Israel, but that is about to change when Narendra Modi touches down in Israel July 4. For two days Modi will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss "all matters of mutual interest", according to a press release from India's Minister of External Affairs released on June 28. The itinerary also includes meetings with members of Israel's Indian community in Tel Aviv, and a stop in a Haifa cemetry to honour Indian soldiers interred on the grounds. Military, business ties This april, Israel signed a deal to supply Israel with air and missile defense system worth $2 billion, in what Israel called the "largest defense contract deal" in its history, CNN reports. "As India seeks to modernize and grow its defense capabilities, it could find an able ally in Israel. The two countries see themselves as bulwarks of democracy in a region rife with illiberal leaders," said the CNN New Delhi Bureau Chief, Ravi Agrawal. Under Modi's "Make in India" program, the PM is looking for foreign companies to set up factories in India, and this trip will likely be a chance for Modi to encourage Israeli businesses to do the same, CNN adds. Watch WION discuss India-Israel trade relations with the head of Israel's Chamber of Commerce, in this TV interview conducted in Tel Aviv, Israel. Head of India-Israel Chamber of Commerce speaks to WION (WION) × In advance of this week's meeting, Israelis welcomed the Indian Prime Minister in Hindi.

Modi set to become first Indian PM to visit Israel with his trip this week

When Saurabh Ahuja tried to import a $600 3D printer for manufacturing drones in his Delhi workshop, he ended up spending another $900 in taxes and bribes and waited three months for it to clear customs.

&quot;We lack in technology and industry to make the smallest things, so we have to import,&quot; Ahuja said as he listed the frustrations entrepreneurs still encounter since the government launched its &quot;Make In India&quot; project.

&quot;If my business grows, the country grows with me. But the government won&#39;t let me grow.&quot;

Since coming to power in 2014, Narendra Modi has been looking to overhaul India&#39;s image as an awkward country in which to do business and instead emulate China by becoming a global manufacturing hub.

In September that year, the right-wing premier unveiled &quot;Make in India&quot; as a flagship initiative which would have an &quot;unprecedented overhaul of out-dated processes and policies&quot; at its core.

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<h5>If my business grows, the country grows with me. But the government won&#39;t let me grow,&#39; says Saurabh Ahuja, director, Nuts and Boltz</h5>
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The government has tried to woo investors by promising to simplify the tax regime and liberalise rules on foreign direct investment (FDI).

But in the World Bank&#39;s most recent chart ranking countries for their ease of doing business, India came 130th out of 190.

While much of the focus has been on the travails of foreign firms, local entrepreneurs who should be the poster boys of Indian manufacturing are also struggling.

The printer that Ahuja did eventually manage to import from China to build everything from drones to robots had nearly 300 parts.&nbsp;

He first had to submit a sheaf of documents, including details of the exporter and the product catalogue to officials at Delhi airport.

He was then told each part would have to be tested before being let through. Three months and 150,000 rupees ($2,250) in warehouse charges later, he got his consignment only after he coughed up a bribe, he said.

Officials at the airport did not respond to an emailed query for comment.

Ahuja, 29, launched his company Nuts and Boltz six years ago from a basement in northwest Delhi to provide other budding entrepreneurs a place to experiment with product ideas.

For an hourly rental fee, clients have access to equipment such as 3D printers and circuit boards.

But while the prototypes can be crafted in India, nearly all the manufacturing ends up being outsourced overseas.

&#39;Mad in India&#39; 
&quot;Maker spaces are great because you can quickly launch a prototype and get credibility,&quot; said Navi Radjou, co-author of the book &quot;Frugal Innovation&quot;.

&quot;But then you open a Pandora&#39;s Box because if a customer asks for 2,000 units of your product, you&#39;re screwed since you can&#39;t make it at that scale and that leads to a lot of frustration.&quot;

While India&#39;s big business houses are among Modi&#39;s loudest cheerleaders, economist Sunil Sinha said making things at home remains a fraught process for smaller firms.

&quot;It&#39;s one thing to say we want to focus on manufacturing and that&#39;s why we have liberalised FDI and that&#39;s why we&#39;re trying to improve the ease of doing business,&quot; Sinha, principal economist at Fitch India, told AFP.

&quot;But the crucial component is what&#39;s happening at the state level, at the local level.

&quot;Anyone setting up a factory or business needs water and electricity connections and various permissions and annual regulatory filings to different government watchdogs. Those are the major stumbling blocks and there are no significant changes at that level.

&quot;Many of the large companies ... have special access to the corridors of powers, but for the small guy no one will even answer his call so he has to strike a deal with whoever is the hurdle.&quot;

Ahuja was reminded of how onerous it was to manufacture at scale when the government last year banned the imports of lithium polymer batteries, needed to power the drones.

He now buys the batteries from Mumbai from someone who smuggles them in and then charges $300 a go, double the actual cost.

&quot;Since the parts are not easily available, we&#39;ve put on hold our classes to teach people how to make drones,&quot; Ahuja said.

His complaints find echoes among large-scale manufacturers such as Rajiv Bajaj, head of the Bajaj Auto conglomerate.

A long-established motorbike manufacturer, Bajaj wants to introduce a quadricycle but has encountered multiple obstacles.

&quot;If your innovation in the country depends on government approval or the judicial process, it will not be a case of &#39;Made in India&#39;, but &#39;Mad in India&#39;,&quot; Bajaj said in a speech this year, using a twist on the government&#39;s campaign slogan.&nbsp;

(AFP)

In the World Bank's most recent chart ranking countries for their ease of doing business, India came 130th out of 190

When Saurabh Ahuja tried to import a $600 3D printer for manufacturing drones in his Delhi workshop, he ended up spending another $900 in taxes and bribes and waited three months for it to clear customs. "We lack in technology and industry to make the smallest things, so we have to import," Ahuja said as he listed the frustrations entrepreneurs still encounter since the government launched its "Make In India" project. "If my business grows, the country grows with me. But the government won't let me grow." Since coming to power in 2014, Narendra Modi has been looking to overhaul India's image as an awkward country in which to do business and instead emulate China by becoming a global manufacturing hub. In September that year, the right-wing premier unveiled "Make in India" as a flagship initiative which would have an "unprecedented overhaul of out-dated processes and policies" at its core. If my business grows, the country grows with me. But the government won't let me grow,' says Saurabh Ahuja, director, Nuts and Boltz × The government has tried to woo investors by promising to simplify the tax regime and liberalise rules on foreign direct investment (FDI). But in the World Bank's most recent chart ranking countries for their ease of doing business, India came 130th out of 190. While much of the focus has been on the travails of foreign firms, local entrepreneurs who should be the poster boys of Indian manufacturing are also struggling. The printer that Ahuja did eventually manage to import from China to build everything from drones to robots had nearly 300 parts. He first had to submit a sheaf of documents, including details of the exporter and the product catalogue to officials at Delhi airport. He was then told each part would have to be tested before being let through. Three months and 150,000 rupees ($2,250) in warehouse charges later, he got his consignment only after he coughed up a bribe, he said. Officials at the airport did not respond to an emailed query for comment. Ahuja, 29, launched his company Nuts and Boltz six years ago from a basement in northwest Delhi to provide other budding entrepreneurs a place to experiment with product ideas. For an hourly rental fee, clients have access to equipment such as 3D printers and circuit boards. But while the prototypes can be crafted in India, nearly all the manufacturing ends up being outsourced overseas. 'Mad in India' "Maker spaces are great because you can quickly launch a prototype and get credibility," said Navi Radjou, co-author of the book "Frugal Innovation". "But then you open a Pandora's Box because if a customer asks for 2,000 units of your product, you're screwed since you can't make it at that scale and that leads to a lot of frustration." While India's big business houses are among Modi's loudest cheerleaders, economist Sunil Sinha said making things at home remains a fraught process for smaller firms. "It's one thing to say we want to focus on manufacturing and that's why we have liberalised FDI and that's why we're trying to improve the ease of doing business," Sinha, principal economist at Fitch India, told AFP. "But the crucial component is what's happening at the state level, at the local level. "Anyone setting up a factory or business needs water and electricity connections and various permissions and annual regulatory filings to different government watchdogs. Those are the major stumbling blocks and there are no significant changes at that level. "Many of the large companies ... have special access to the corridors of powers, but for the small guy no one will even answer his call so he has to strike a deal with whoever is the hurdle." Ahuja was reminded of how onerous it was to manufacture at scale when the government last year banned the imports of lithium polymer batteries, needed to power the drones. He now buys the batteries from Mumbai from someone who smuggles them in and then charges $300 a go, double the actual cost. "Since the parts are not easily available, we've put on hold our classes to teach people how to make drones," Ahuja said. His complaints find echoes among large-scale manufacturers such as Rajiv Bajaj, head of the Bajaj Auto conglomerate. A long-established motorbike manufacturer, Bajaj wants to introduce a quadricycle but has encountered multiple obstacles. "If your innovation in the country depends on government approval or the judicial process, it will not be a case of 'Made in India', but 'Mad in India'," Bajaj said in a speech this year, using a twist on the government's campaign slogan. (AFP)

'Make In India' being hobbled by red tape, taxes, and bribes

Apple is all set to start making iPhones in India this year, a local government official said on Friday, as the firm looks to tap a booming middle class as sales in China slow.

The US giant has not confirmed the move, but chief executive Tim Cook said this week the company intended to &quot;invest significantly&quot; in India, where a pick-up in the economy provides ample opportunity for growth.

&quot;We have an understanding with Apple and we expect them to start manufacturing in Karnataka by the end of April,&quot; Priyank Kharge, minister of information technology and biotechnology in southern Karnataka state, told AFP.

He also added, &quot;Apple&#39;s intentions to manufacture in Bengaluru will foster cutting edge technology eco system and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally.&quot;

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He said the new operation would likely assemble iPhones for the domestic market.

Apple has only a two per cent share of the Indian market, well behind rival Samsung on 23 per cent, according to research firm Canalys.

However, last year it had 48 per cent of the premium sector in which phones sell for $450 and above.

Experts said manufacturing locally would reduce the company&#39;s costs and enable it to lower prices.

&quot;They&rsquo;re eager to be here because they&#39;ve identified India as a strategic focus market,&quot; said Jaideep Mehta of research firm IDC.

&quot;They had a fantastic 2016 in India and shipped more two million devices to India, and now they&rsquo;re looking to ultimately manufacture here as that gives them more flexibility to respond to market changes.&quot;

Apple currently sells its phones in India through third-party retailers. It is eager to open its own stores but Indian law would require it to procure 30 per cent of the components of its products locally.

It is not clear whether the Karnataka plans would help it clear that hurdle. Reports in Indian media said Wistron Corp, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, was lined up to assemble iPhones at a plant on the outskirts of tech hub Bangalore.

Apple outsources all its manufacturing globally. Analysts said that if confirmed the move would be a coup for India&#39;s government, which has been trying to persuade foreign companies to manufacture in the country.

Apple representatives met with federal and state government officials in India last week, as it is lobbying hard for a raft of tax and sourcing concessions from India, before it begins to assemble iPhones in the country.

Following the meetings, Apple said it appreciated the open and constructive dialogue it held with Indian officials, around the expansion of its local operations in the country.

Any final decision around manufacturing in India, however, is likely to still be contingent on the government&#39;s willingness to concede ground on the concessions sought by the company.

(WION with inouts from Agencies)

Apple looks to tap a booming middle class as sales in China slow.

Apple is all set to start making iPhones in India this year, a local government official said on Friday, as the firm looks to tap a booming middle class as sales in China slow. The US giant has not confirmed the move, but chief executive Tim Cook said this week the company intended to "invest significantly" in India, where a pick-up in the economy provides ample opportunity for growth. "We have an understanding with Apple and we expect them to start manufacturing in Karnataka by the end of April," Priyank Kharge, minister of information technology and biotechnology in southern Karnataka state, told AFP. He also added, "Apple's intentions to manufacture in Bengaluru will foster cutting edge technology eco system and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally." Apple's intentions to make iPhones in Bengaluru will foster cutting-edge technology ecosystem & supply chain development in the state. — Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) February 2, 2017 × He said the new operation would likely assemble iPhones for the domestic market. Apple has only a two per cent share of the Indian market, well behind rival Samsung on 23 per cent, according to research firm Canalys. However, last year it had 48 per cent of the premium sector in which phones sell for $450 and above. Experts said manufacturing locally would reduce the company's costs and enable it to lower prices. "They’re eager to be here because they've identified India as a strategic focus market," said Jaideep Mehta of research firm IDC. "They had a fantastic 2016 in India and shipped more two million devices to India, and now they’re looking to ultimately manufacture here as that gives them more flexibility to respond to market changes." Apple currently sells its phones in India through third-party retailers. It is eager to open its own stores but Indian law would require it to procure 30 per cent of the components of its products locally. It is not clear whether the Karnataka plans would help it clear that hurdle. Reports in Indian media said Wistron Corp, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, was lined up to assemble iPhones at a plant on the outskirts of tech hub Bangalore. Apple outsources all its manufacturing globally. Analysts said that if confirmed the move would be a coup for India's government, which has been trying to persuade foreign companies to manufacture in the country. Apple representatives met with federal and state government officials in India last week, as it is lobbying hard for a raft of tax and sourcing concessions from India, before it begins to assemble iPhones in the country. Following the meetings, Apple said it appreciated the open and constructive dialogue it held with Indian officials, around the expansion of its local operations in the country. Any final decision around manufacturing in India, however, is likely to still be contingent on the government's willingness to concede ground on the concessions sought by the company. (WION with inouts from Agencies)

Apple will start making iPhones in India by April

Garden Reach Shipbuilders &amp; Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata is India&rsquo;s first shipyard to produce 100 warships. While GRSE has successfully delivered 98 warships to India&rsquo;s Defence Wing, two more ships are almost ready for delivery, which will take the count to the production of warships to 100.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The 98th ship is a Landing Craft Utility and the 100th ship is a Fast Attack Craft which will be handed over to the Indian Navy by the end of this year. While the trial on the 98th ship is done, the trial on the 100th ship is due in the month of December,&rdquo; said Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, Rear Admiral, Anil Kumar Verma, VSM, IN (Retired)

GRSE is one of the major shipyards in India, besides the Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Vizag that produce warships for the Indian Navy, however, they are yet to reach the count of 100.&nbsp;

&ldquo;GRSE is one of the most important PSUs of the Defence Wing and has delivered first two anti-submarine warfare corvettes INS &lsquo;Kamorta&rsquo; and INS &lsquo;Kadmatt&rsquo; to the Indian Navy. We have produced a first-ever export warship CGS &lsquo;Barracuda&rsquo; for the Republic of Mauritius,&rdquo; added Verma.&nbsp;

GRSE since 1960, has built several ships like - Frigate, Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette, Missile Corvette, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility, Survey Vessel, Fleet Replenishment Tanker, Fast Patrol Vessel, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Attack Craft, Hover Craft, Fast Interceptor Boat and several others.&nbsp;

Besides shipbuilding, it also carries out ship repairs.

On Wednesday, GRSE paid dividend to the government for the 23rd consecutive year. A cheque for Rs 53.22 crore towards dividend for the financial year 2015-16 was handed over to Defence Minister, Government of India, Manohar Parrikar by Verma.&nbsp;

(WION)

This West Bengal shipyard is one of the major producers of warships for the Indian Navy

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata is India’s first shipyard to produce 100 warships. While GRSE has successfully delivered 98 warships to India’s Defence Wing, two more ships are almost ready for delivery, which will take the count to the production of warships to 100. “The 98th ship is a Landing Craft Utility and the 100th ship is a Fast Attack Craft which will be handed over to the Indian Navy by the end of this year. While the trial on the 98th ship is done, the trial on the 100th ship is due in the month of December,” said Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, Rear Admiral, Anil Kumar Verma, VSM, IN (Retired) GRSE is one of the major shipyards in India, besides the Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Vizag that produce warships for the Indian Navy, however, they are yet to reach the count of 100. “GRSE is one of the most important PSUs of the Defence Wing and has delivered first two anti-submarine warfare corvettes INS ‘Kamorta’ and INS ‘Kadmatt’ to the Indian Navy. We have produced a first-ever export warship CGS ‘Barracuda’ for the Republic of Mauritius,” added Verma. GRSE since 1960, has built several ships like - Frigate, Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette, Missile Corvette, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility, Survey Vessel, Fleet Replenishment Tanker, Fast Patrol Vessel, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Attack Craft, Hover Craft, Fast Interceptor Boat and several others. Besides shipbuilding, it also carries out ship repairs. On Wednesday, GRSE paid dividend to the government for the 23rd consecutive year. A cheque for Rs 53.22 crore towards dividend for the financial year 2015-16 was handed over to Defence Minister, Government of India, Manohar Parrikar by Verma. (WION)

Garden Reach shipyard to become India?s first to produce 100 warships

This is the festive season in India. Even before the sounds of firecrackers rattled our nerves, the newspapers and channels were abuzz with discussions about India&rsquo;s growing trade deficit with China. The ruling party at the centre, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been giving a clarion call for some years now that Indians celebrating Diwali must do it the &quot;swadeshi&quot; way, that is, lit-up firecrackers made only in India, and not in China.&nbsp; The call in favour of India-made goods has gone so far as to advocate a ban of Chinese crackers.&nbsp;

The sudden surge in anti-China import policy has to be understood in the context of India&#39;s growing trade deficit with China.&nbsp;The trade deficit increased from Rs. 8, 79,50,384 in 2011-12, to 10,34,84,366 in 2012-13 and fell slightly at Rs. 7, 73,92,003 in 2015-16. In other words, in recent years, India is buying more from China than we are selling to China.

Imports from China constitute 13 per cent in 2014-15 and 16 per cent of our total imports in 2015-16. However, the composition of the imports has to be examined to shed light on the nature of imports. This is important, because if we are buying intermediate goods that are being used in our production, then the import is adding value to the Indian economy.

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<h5>If we are buying intermediate goods that are being used in our production, then the import is adding value to the Indian economy</h5>
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The importance of analysing imports in a country&rsquo;s trade has been recognised in recent years. The nature of imports of a country matters since imports of capital goods, raw materials, and final goods depend on the purpose for which the good is being imported. Imports of intermediates are beneficial since they are most likely to be used in the manufacturing sectors of the country, thus contributing to employment.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What does India buy from China?&nbsp;

Data from India&rsquo;s Ministry of Commerce and Industry shows that the largest imports from China to India over the period 2004 to 2016, has been in the category electrical machinery and equipment, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances and organic&nbsp;chemicals.&nbsp;

Examining the data in greater detail gives us the breakup of imports in the above-mentioned categories. The top ten items imported by India in the last four years (2012-13 to 2015-16 ) are mobile phones, urea, personal computer (including laptops and palmtops), all items of machinery for setting up of industrial plants, power plants, among other things.&nbsp; Items imported in particular years also included diammonium phosphate (DAP), diloxanide furoate, cimetidine, famotidine (or bulk drugs), and solar cells or photovoltaic cells.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Why are these items being imported by India?&nbsp;

Based on a preliminary assessment of imports from China to India, apart from the cellular phones and laptops, it seems that in certain categories India is importing intermediates. These intermediates can be used for production for the domestic market or for exports. Thus, if some production and value addition is occurring due to the use of intermediate imports, it is contributing to the GDP and the employment of the country and is, therefore, beneficial. This ties in well with the &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; programme launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Imports of solar cells are in line with its solar target made as part of India&rsquo;s INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) commitment at the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Banning &ndash; repercussions&nbsp;

There has been a recent debate regarding banning of crackers from China. Very little of this category of good, includes ship flares, has been imported from China in the last four years. If so little of this item is imported from China, is the ban justified? Of course, it is possible that some of the ingredients used for making crackers are imported from China. However, even then the argument of the &lsquo;Make in India&rsquo; will hold as the final product is being made in the country and not in China. &nbsp;

Moreover banning Chinese goods, including intermediates for our own production could hurt our own industries. Nor are such bans acceptable under the WTO regime, and in case dumping occurs, both countries can use the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO&nbsp; for redressal of grievances. &nbsp;

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India is seeking to expand its exports worldwide and become more competitive globally. India&rsquo;s exports to China constitute 3.8 per cent of our exports to the world in 2014-15 and 3.4 per cent in 2015-16. Top goods exported to China in 2014-15 and 2015-16 include, among other, cotton, copper and mineral fuels. India&rsquo;s exports will get hurt if India does ban Chinese goods and China follows suit. Exporters of cotton, copper and mineral fuels etc. will lose the Chinese market. If such a situation prevails, both countries lose and this undermines the multilateral trading system on which the WTO edifice is built.&nbsp;

Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity.

Is the call for ban on Chinese firecrackers justified on grounds of economic nationalism?

This is the festive season in India. Even before the sounds of firecrackers rattled our nerves, the newspapers and channels were abuzz with discussions about India’s growing trade deficit with China. The ruling party at the centre, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been giving a clarion call for some years now that Indians celebrating Diwali must do it the "swadeshi" way, that is, lit-up firecrackers made only in India, and not in China. The call in favour of India-made goods has gone so far as to advocate a ban of Chinese crackers. The sudden surge in anti-China import policy has to be understood in the context of India's growing trade deficit with China. The trade deficit increased from Rs. 8, 79,50,384 in 2011-12, to 10,34,84,366 in 2012-13 and fell slightly at Rs. 7, 73,92,003 in 2015-16. In other words, in recent years, India is buying more from China than we are selling to China. Imports from China constitute 13 per cent in 2014-15 and 16 per cent of our total imports in 2015-16. However, the composition of the imports has to be examined to shed light on the nature of imports. This is important, because if we are buying intermediate goods that are being used in our production, then the import is adding value to the Indian economy. If we are buying intermediate goods that are being used in our production, then the import is adding value to the Indian economy × The importance of analysing imports in a country’s trade has been recognised in recent years. The nature of imports of a country matters since imports of capital goods, raw materials, and final goods depend on the purpose for which the good is being imported. Imports of intermediates are beneficial since they are most likely to be used in the manufacturing sectors of the country, thus contributing to employment. What does India buy from China? Data from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry shows that the largest imports from China to India over the period 2004 to 2016, has been in the category electrical machinery and equipment, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances and organic chemicals. Examining the data in greater detail gives us the breakup of imports in the above-mentioned categories. The top ten items imported by India in the last four years (2012-13 to 2015-16 ) are mobile phones, urea, personal computer (including laptops and palmtops), all items of machinery for setting up of industrial plants, power plants, among other things. Items imported in particular years also included diammonium phosphate (DAP), diloxanide furoate, cimetidine, famotidine (or bulk drugs), and solar cells or photovoltaic cells. Why are these items being imported by India? Based on a preliminary assessment of imports from China to India, apart from the cellular phones and laptops, it seems that in certain categories India is importing intermediates. These intermediates can be used for production for the domestic market or for exports. Thus, if some production and value addition is occurring due to the use of intermediate imports, it is contributing to the GDP and the employment of the country and is, therefore, beneficial. This ties in well with the “Make in India” programme launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Imports of solar cells are in line with its solar target made as part of India’s INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) commitment at the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Banning – repercussions There has been a recent debate regarding banning of crackers from China. Very little of this category of good, includes ship flares, has been imported from China in the last four years. If so little of this item is imported from China, is the ban justified? Of course, it is possible that some of the ingredients used for making crackers are imported from China. However, even then the argument of the ‘Make in India’ will hold as the final product is being made in the country and not in China. Moreover banning Chinese goods, including intermediates for our own production could hurt our own industries. Nor are such bans acceptable under the WTO regime, and in case dumping occurs, both countries can use the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO for redressal of grievances. Nor are such bans acceptable under the WTO regime × India is seeking to expand its exports worldwide and become more competitive globally. India’s exports to China constitute 3.8 per cent of our exports to the world in 2014-15 and 3.4 per cent in 2015-16. Top goods exported to China in 2014-15 and 2015-16 include, among other, cotton, copper and mineral fuels. India’s exports will get hurt if India does ban Chinese goods and China follows suit. Exporters of cotton, copper and mineral fuels etc. will lose the Chinese market. If such a situation prevails, both countries lose and this undermines the multilateral trading system on which the WTO edifice is built. Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity.

Banning Chinese goods: Nationalism, economic logic or bad call

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left on a four-nation visit to Africa today. 
 
Modi&#39;s first stop-over will be Mozambique where he will have talks with President Filipe Nyusi to increase cooperation.&nbsp;He will also interact with students and members of Indian community. 
 
Modi will leave for South Africa the same day where he will have a series of events in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, places associated with stay of Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. 
 
Modi described &quot;South Africa as an important strategic partner, with whom our ties are historical and deep-rooted&quot; before his departure. 
 
He will have separate meetings with President Zuma and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa aimed at boosting bilateral economic ties. 
 
On Sunday, Modi will be in Tanzania for a brief visit to give an impetus to ties with Tanzania. He will have extensive talks with President John Magufuli.&nbsp;The same evening he will fly to Kenya. 
 
His engagements in Kenya will include meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta to increase bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce.&nbsp;Modi returns home on July 11. 
 
Last year, India hosted its biggest-ever Africa summit in a bid to challenge China&#39;s dominance on a continent that is blessed with vast natural resources and has the world&#39;s fastest-growing population. 
 
New Delhi wants to project its soft power and historical ties to Africa, in contrast to China&#39;s focus on resource extraction and capital investment that has sparked a backlash in some countries against Beijing&#39;s mercantilist expansion. 
 
India&#39;s trading ties with Africa date back to antiquity and both found common cause in the struggle against colonial rule. Yet India&#39;s influence faded over the course of the Cold War as it withdrew into non-aligned isolation. 
 
Now Modi, self-styled chief salesman of a &quot;Make in India&quot; export drive, wants to capitalise on an economic slowdown in China to highlight India as an alternative partner for trade and investment. 
 
Although India&#39;s headline economic growth has overtaken China&#39;s, its economy is one-fifth the size and it lacks the financial heft to challenge Beijing in a head-to-head contest for the African market. 
 
The two-way annual trade has more than doubled to $72 billion.&nbsp;That lags trade between China and Africa, which has exploded to $200 billion as the world&#39;s number two economy sucks in oil, coal and metals to feed its industrial machine. 
 
(Reuters)

Modi described 'South Africa as an important strategic partner, with whom our ties are historical and deep-rooted' before his departure

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left on a four-nation visit to Africa today. Modi's first stop-over will be Mozambique where he will have talks with President Filipe Nyusi to increase cooperation. He will also interact with students and members of Indian community. Modi will leave for South Africa the same day where he will have a series of events in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, places associated with stay of Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. Modi described "South Africa as an important strategic partner, with whom our ties are historical and deep-rooted" before his departure. He will have separate meetings with President Zuma and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa aimed at boosting bilateral economic ties. On Sunday, Modi will be in Tanzania for a brief visit to give an impetus to ties with Tanzania. He will have extensive talks with President John Magufuli. The same evening he will fly to Kenya. His engagements in Kenya will include meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta to increase bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce. Modi returns home on July 11. Last year, India hosted its biggest-ever Africa summit in a bid to challenge China's dominance on a continent that is blessed with vast natural resources and has the world's fastest-growing population. New Delhi wants to project its soft power and historical ties to Africa, in contrast to China's focus on resource extraction and capital investment that has sparked a backlash in some countries against Beijing's mercantilist expansion. India's trading ties with Africa date back to antiquity and both found common cause in the struggle against colonial rule. Yet India's influence faded over the course of the Cold War as it withdrew into non-aligned isolation. Now Modi, self-styled chief salesman of a "Make in India" export drive, wants to capitalise on an economic slowdown in China to highlight India as an alternative partner for trade and investment. Although India's headline economic growth has overtaken China's, its economy is one-fifth the size and it lacks the financial heft to challenge Beijing in a head-to-head contest for the African market. The two-way annual trade has more than doubled to $72 billion. That lags trade between China and Africa, which has exploded to $200 billion as the world's number two economy sucks in oil, coal and metals to feed its industrial machine. (Reuters)

Indian Prime Minister begins four-nation Africa tour

A sustained government spending on infrastructure like roads, railways, power and housing will propel India into the league of top global steel consuming nations in the next 10 years, said&nbsp;a top official of domestic steel giant SAIL&nbsp;. 
 
&quot;If you look at the massive infrastructure push by the government, even going by conservative estimates, steel demand will grow a lot. India will equal the global per capita consumption&nbsp;in 10 years,&quot; SAIL Chairman P K Singh told PTI. 
 
Per capita steel consumption in India, the world&#39;s third largest producer of the metal, stood at 59.4 kg per person in 2014, against a global average of 216.6 kg, data from industry body World Steel Association showed. 
 
The chief of India&#39;s largest steel producer added the country is at a &quot;take-off stage&quot; and all the &quot;requisite ingredients&quot; are in place, only a little push from the government was needed, which is now on its way. 
 
&quot;Look at the road sector, more highways are being built, which means more steel will be used. Similarly, in Railways more tracks are to be laid and we expect a huge jump in spending there. Power sector is also expanding, which again will boost demand for the metal,&quot; Singh said. 
 
According to him, the government&#39;s &#39;Housing for all&#39; is a novel initiative that will give impetus to steel demand. In automobiles, too, demand is rising for commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars which will further aid steel sector. 
 
According to a report by the Working Group on Steel for the 12th Five Year Plan period, the potential of raising per capita steel consumption in India is being supported by several factors. 
 
An estimated infrastructure investment of USD 1 trillion, projected growth in manufacturing at 11-12 per cent, rise in urban population, emergence of rural market for steel buoyed by projects such as Bharat Nirman, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana are prominent ones among them, it had said. 
 
Singh, however, cautioned against the rising overcapacity in steel across the globe, especially in China. 
 
&quot;We have to be cautious about the excess capacity in the world and in China. Some countries are dumping their products in India at cheaper rates and adversely impacting the health of domestic producers. Steel industry is of strategic importance and is the barometer of growth,&quot; he said. 
 
India is the &quot;only growth area&quot; globally and everyone is trying to get a &quot;share of this pie&quot;, Singh said adding that government needs to watch out for dumping of steel products so that domestic firms can participate with full vigour in the &#39;Make in India&#39; programme. 
 
He welcomed the imposition of a provisional minimum import price (MIP) on 173 steel products and hoped that government will continue with it beyond August, when it expires. 
 
As per government data, steel imports declined by 41 per cent to 0.546 million tonnes (MT) in May this year compared to the year-ago period. This was triggered by MIP and other measures like safeguard and anti-dumping duty. 
 
In April too, steel imports were down 15.5 per cent year- on-year at 0.654 MT 
 
(PTI)

Per capita steel consumption in India, the world's third largest producer of the metal, stood at 59.4 kg per person in 2014

A sustained government spending on infrastructure like roads, railways, power and housing will propel India into the league of top global steel consuming nations in the next 10 years, said a top official of domestic steel giant SAIL . "If you look at the massive infrastructure push by the government, even going by conservative estimates, steel demand will grow a lot. India will equal the global per capita consumption in 10 years," SAIL Chairman P K Singh told PTI. Per capita steel consumption in India, the world's third largest producer of the metal, stood at 59.4 kg per person in 2014, against a global average of 216.6 kg, data from industry body World Steel Association showed. The chief of India's largest steel producer added the country is at a "take-off stage" and all the "requisite ingredients" are in place, only a little push from the government was needed, which is now on its way. "Look at the road sector, more highways are being built, which means more steel will be used. Similarly, in Railways more tracks are to be laid and we expect a huge jump in spending there. Power sector is also expanding, which again will boost demand for the metal," Singh said. According to him, the government's 'Housing for all' is a novel initiative that will give impetus to steel demand. In automobiles, too, demand is rising for commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars which will further aid steel sector. According to a report by the Working Group on Steel for the 12th Five Year Plan period, the potential of raising per capita steel consumption in India is being supported by several factors. An estimated infrastructure investment of USD 1 trillion, projected growth in manufacturing at 11-12 per cent, rise in urban population, emergence of rural market for steel buoyed by projects such as Bharat Nirman, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana are prominent ones among them, it had said. Singh, however, cautioned against the rising overcapacity in steel across the globe, especially in China. "We have to be cautious about the excess capacity in the world and in China. Some countries are dumping their products in India at cheaper rates and adversely impacting the health of domestic producers. Steel industry is of strategic importance and is the barometer of growth," he said. India is the "only growth area" globally and everyone is trying to get a "share of this pie", Singh said adding that government needs to watch out for dumping of steel products so that domestic firms can participate with full vigour in the 'Make in India' programme. He welcomed the imposition of a provisional minimum import price (MIP) on 173 steel products and hoped that government will continue with it beyond August, when it expires. As per government data, steel imports declined by 41 per cent to 0.546 million tonnes (MT) in May this year compared to the year-ago period. This was triggered by MIP and other measures like safeguard and anti-dumping duty. In April too, steel imports were down 15.5 per cent year- on-year at 0.654 MT (PTI)

India to equal world per capita steel consumption in 10 years

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