With the export market losing its sheen, a growing number of apparel exporters are drawing up strategies to sell their wares in the domestic market. Analysts said that the higher local demand for branded apparel was because of rising purchasing power of consumers who were now spending 6-7 per cent of their disposable income on ready-made garments. The surge in consumer spending has resulted in a 20 per cent growth in demand for international apparel.
Some new sectors in which the commerce ministry has proposed to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) are credit information companies and commodity exchanges. The ministry is in favour of allowing up to 49 per cent FDI proposed in both these sectors. In proposing to open up the commodity sector, the ministry has said that FII investment be limited to 24 per cent, with a condition that a foreign investor cannot hold more than 10 per cent equity in the investing companies
As foreign fund flows have lifted the rupee to record highs against the dollar, the commerce ministry has started telling exporters to prepare for the Indian currency rising further to 38 against the dollar by December. The strong rupee is already hurting India's exporters, with companies cutting jobs and scaling back expansions. A further appreciation may have even worse consequences for sectors like textile, infotech and automobile.
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which owns the Amul brand, is all set to introduce sugar-free chocolates across the country, targeted at diabetics. This comes soon after the company had launched sugar-free ice-cream. India has become the diabetes capital of the world with almost 35 million people suffering from the disorder. And their population will continue to grow at a fast pace, say experts, because of Indian dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle.
Companies based at Gurgaon are sending workers on 45 days' leave without pay before the festival, while those in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, have not renewed the contracts of over 8,000 workers. All expansion plans have been put on hold and orders for new machinery are being revoked.
Analysts point out that exporters outside SEZs enjoy Cenvat credit against service tax paid on a host of services subscribed to while engaging in export-related activities. In addition, the department of revenue recently permitted service tax exemption on seven services used by exporters.
The government is planning to codify class action as law. A clause to this effect has been included in the new Company Law Bill, which is expected to be tabled in the coming winter session of Parliament.
The Department of Commerce is preparing guidelines for setting up single-window clearance systems in states for special economic zones (SEZs). he move comes after a recent review by the department, in which it was found that the SEZ developers were facing problems in getting approvals in many states.
Since the SEZ Act was notified in February 2006, 22 SEZs have been up and running. In the last financial year (2006-07), these SEZs collectively exported goods worth Rs 33,000 crore (Rs 330 billion) , roughly 6 per cent of India's total exports of Rs 5,71,641 crore (Rs 5716.41 billion). Officials also pointed out that 52,000 people have found employment in the new SEZs set up after 2005.
Currently, only Rs 3,500 crore (Rs 35 billion) of the Rs 24,280 crore (Rs 242.8 billion) goes to the organised sector. Companies are targeting kids from the age of one to 14. According to Technopak, this sector is growing at 20 per cent per annum.
In a bid to transform Mumbai into a world-class financial hub, the Centre has asked the Maharashtra government to upgrade its ports, railway and other infrastructure at the earliest.
Over the past one year, since the helpline became functional (on September 8, 2006), a total of 3,110 grievances have been registered.
It is not the urban centres alone that are powering India's phenomenal growth in mobile telephony. Data on rural telephony, compiled by the telecom regulator, shows people in villages are subscribing to mobile services in large numbers
The finance ministry had strongly opposed the hike announced by the commerce ministry.
Even as India and China give final touches to a joint study group report on enhancing trade ties, the domestic industry, especially the electronics sector, is facing an unprecedented threat from Chinese imports.
India and Australia are soon likely to initiate talks for a free trade agreement.
The study was commissioned by the Forum of Indian Regulators -- a body which is open to all regulators but currently dominated by power regulators.
The highlights of the export package was the increase of drawback rates by an average 2 percentage to 3 percentage points with retrospective effect from April 1.
Even as the SEZ Board of Approval meeting, held in New Delhi on Thursday, deferred taking a decision on Essar's request to link its steel-based zone at Hazira
There was a time when the footwear exporters of Agra used to rue the fact that their export market was predominantly Europe where they could tot up only modest gains.
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