The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Commerce Ministry proposes to scale back the Foreign Direct Investment ceiling for the tobacco industry from 100 to 74 per cent and insert a caveat that cigarettes manufactured in the new ventures or in upgraded facilities must be mainly for consumption outside India.Sources said the department, which is responsible for the policy on FDI, is finalising a cabinet note aimed at comprehensive review of the tobacco policy.
Mumbai-based infrastructure conglomerate Essar group has withdrawn its plans to build a 1,125 hectare Special Economic Zone in Jamnagar because of the adverse economic environment, a commerce ministry official said. The proposal was to set up a 16-20-million-metric-tonne-a-year petrochemical refinery at an investment of Rs 15,000 crore, one of the largest SEZ proposals, according to information available on the company's website.
Commerce ministry had recently brought out a discussion paper that called for allowing 100 per cent FDI in the defence sector.
Sectors like IT and energy have the potential to raise the value of India's exports to $1 trillion, or 5 per cent of the global trade, by 2020, but the government needs to devise a concerted strategy, FIEO said.
Goa has scrapped 12 SEZs, including the seven, which were approved by the state government. But the government is struggling over denotification of three industrial enclaves, which has now rushed to the High Court against government's intention to scrap them.
In a major relief to Indian information technology (IT) companies operating in Australia, Canberra has agreed to amend its domestic laws to stop taxing offshore income of such Indian companies, as part of the free trade deal inked. This may lead to savings up to $200 million each year for over 100 Indian IT companies operating in Australia. "The Government of Australia has agreed to amend the domestic taxation law to stop the taxation of offshore income of Indian firms providing technical services to Australia. "This will resolve the issue that the Indian government has raised about the double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) between the two governments for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income," said a commerce ministry official.
India-ASEAN Summit, scheduled for December 17 in Thailand, has been postponed as crisis-ridden South-East Asian country is unable to host the meet.
Adani, Reliance Industries, DLF, Omaxe and Singapore-based Ascendas Group had plans to set up mega multi-product SEZs, with some of them having infrastructure like ports and air-cargo complexes.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry will soon seek Cabinet nod to give out inflation data every month instead of the present practice of weekly release.
Unaffected by controversies, global financial market heavyweight Soros group, has approached the Indian government, expressing interest to invest in special economic zones in India.
The country's exports rose by 48.34 per cent to $32.5 billion on account of healthy growth in shipments of petroleum products, gems and jewellery, and chemicals, leather and marine goods, according to the data released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday. Imports in June too rose by 98.31 per cent to $41.87 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $9.37 billion as against a trade surplus of $0.79 billion in the same month last year. During April-June 2021, the exports increased by 85.88 per cent to $95.39 billion.
Exports from special economic zones (SEZs) are likely to touch Rs 2 lakh crore in 2009-10, a 100 per cent jump from the year-ago period, with Reliance Industries' Jamnagar special economic zone expected to contribute the most to the kitty.
Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases.
The decision regarding this was taken by the Board of Approval in its meeting on September 18.
Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Sun Pharma, IndusInd Bank, RIL, ITC, Vedanta, Asian Paints, HDFC and Infosys, advancing up to 3.02 per cent.
The EU also feels that Tamil Nadu has adopted a restrictive practice for imported liquor. Significantly, a similar complaint by the trade bloc at the WTO led to the elimination of additional Customs duty on imported liquor in 2007.
The government is considering de-canalising import of petrol and diesel from the next fiscal, a move long awaited by global oil majors like Royal Dutch Shell to begin petro retailing in the country.
The commerce ministry has projected Rs 21,631.94 crore (Rs 216.31 billion) worth of exports from the 63 special economic zones, which have been notified since February 2006. Till date, Rs 13,435 crore (Rs 134.35 billion) has been invested in them.
As part of efforts to give a greater fillip to trade, the commerce ministry is working aggressively on finalising trade pacts with countries in the South East Asian region and some Latin American countries.
Trade deficit marginally widened to $9.85 billion as against $9.72 billion in February 2019.
India's exports have declined for the seventh consecutive month in April.
The exercise is aimed at finalising India's position for a free trade agreement with BIMSTEC nations.
Under the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12), Rs 550 crore (Rs 5.5 billion) was provided for promoting exports through Market Access Initiative scheme.
Overall exports in 2008-09 grow at slowest pace in 7 yrs.
A high-powered inter-ministerial committee was expected to finalise the list based on the suggestions and recommendations from different chambers, business houses and trade experts, the Daily Star newspaper reported.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade on Monday notified Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme (refund of local taxes) on cement exports. The commerce ministry had lifted the 46-day old ban on cement exports on May 27. However, it had allowed shipments only through ports in Gujarat. The state accounts for 95 per cent of the total cement exports.
Wholesale price inflation remained in the negative territory for the fourth month in a row in July at (-)1.36 per cent, even though prices of food items, especially vegetables, skyrocketed. The inflation, however, has inched up from (-)4.12 per cent recorded in June fuelled by 62.12 per cent rise in vegetable prices. In July last year, wholesale price index (WPI) was 14.07 per cent.
India's exports and imports have together dipped for the first time in seven years, signalling weakening of domestic and external demand in the backdrop of global economic crisis. Government officials said the sale of Indian goods in overseas markets was likely to see a dip in February as well.
In the previous fiscal, exports from the SEZs was Rs 99,689 crore (Rs 996.89 billion). Exports from Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery is likely to contribute substantially to the total shipments this fiscal, another official said.
Hong Kong-headquartered Growth-Link Overseas has announced it would invest Rs 300 crore to build a manufacturing facility for Nike footwear at Cheyyar, near Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu.
A dip in petroleum product exports for the first time in the current fiscal has contributed to a 22 per cent decline in merchandise exports in January, commerce ministry data reveals.
Relief for exporters, additional incentives for export of farm products other than those in short supply and more steps to check inflation through hassle-free and cheap imports are likely to be announced on Friday in the last review of Foreign Trade Policy by the UPA government.
A revamped Electronic Data Interface system and easier norms for the Accredited Clients Programme are some features likely to be introduced to reduce the transaction time and costs of exporters. Some of the measures may figure in the annual supplement to the Foreign Trade Policy, which is being released on Apr 11. ComMin officials expect the new Electronic Data Interface System to become operational by the end of this fiscal. Exporters will have to submit lesser documents.
India's exports jumped 45.76 per cent to $33.28 billion in August on account of healthy growth in segments like engineering, petroleum products, gems and jewellery and chemicals, even as the trade deficit widened to a four-month high of $13.81 billion.
A closer look at the data reveals that a lot of the items are not part of this calculation. The notable ones include buffalo meat, marine exports, raw cotton, and plantation crops such as tea, coffee, rubber, etc.
