India and the United States have set up a working group to promote greater interaction between legal professionals and to facilitate trade in legal services between the two countries.
The BoA, headed by Commerce Secretary G K Pillai, will consider granting formal clearances to Mukesh Ambani-promoted Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone and Hindalco aluminium SEZ in Orissa.
"Exports of $150 billion are certain this year. If there is a surge, they could even go up to $155 billion," Commerce Secretary GK Pillai told reporters on the sidelines of a CII meeting on Foreign Trade Policy.
Taking a hard knock in the recession-hit US and other major markets, India's exports nose-dived by 22 per cent in January, dashing all hopes of a recovery riding on the December figures.
In 2016, the Centre has been able to get only seven IAS officers from all states so far.
The finance ministry is considering a suggestion by the Commerce Ministry to enhance duty neutralisation rates to make up for revenue lost by exporters due to sharp appreciation in the rupee.
The Centre cannot de-notify three special economic zones that have been notified in Goa, but can cancel others following the state government's decision to scrap such zones, Commerce Secretary Gopal Pillai said on Wednesday.
A four-agency task force probing the killing of two Indian doctoral students at a Louisiana State University apartment has intensified investigations, but has so far been unable to identify the motive behind the double homicide as two senior Indian officials reached the campus to take the stock of the situation.
The government on Friday cleared seven co-developers in Mukesh Ambani-promoted Navi Mumbai SEZs, thus endorsing fresh investment through private equity players by a key partner of the Reliance Industries chairman, Mukesh Ambani.
India's trade with China will touch the 100-billion dollar mark in the next five years, coming close to bilateral trade target with the European Union by 2013.
The government on Thursday cleared six proposals for setting up special economic zones, taking the total number of such enclaves approved to more than 450.The Board of Approval (BoA), chaired by Commerce Secretary Gopal Pillai, took up nine proposals, of which five were granted formal approvals and one in-principle.
Meena said political parties should be responsible enough to decide to what extent they should use the Sabarimala issue during the campaign.
Russia had imposed a complete ban on import of these commodities originating from India citing poor quality with affect from May 1, 2007.
Not the one to give up hope, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy is visiting India next week to find ways for picking up the threads from last month's failed trade talks in Geneva.
The talks are being held in Brussels between high-level delegations from India and EU, led by Commerce Secretary G K Pillai and Director General of European Commission Davis O'Sullivan.
An appreciation in the rupee has severely affected exports. India's exports are not likely to meet the FY08 target.
Within a fortnight of Commerce Secretary G K Pillai talking about a possible relaxation of cap on land size for SEZs, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday there was no proposal to change the 5,000 hectare ceiling prescribed by a group of ministers. However, the Centre would look at specific proposals from states once the Resettlment and Rehabilitation Policy is implemented, he said.
The government may look at relaxing 5,000 hectare-ceiling on land for Special Economic Zones once the the Land Acquisition Act is in place, commerce secretary G K Pillai said on Monday. "Now that the new Relief & Rehabilitation policy has come into being, the government may think of relaxing the upper limit of 5,000 hectares for SEZs (once the land acquisition law is enacted), he said on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit.
The trade policy specifies that "for all goods and services exported from India, services received, rendered abroad, wherever possible, shall be exempted from service tax".
G K Pillai, chairman of India's Board of Approval for SEZs, demystifies SEZs and the controversy surrounding them.
G K Pillai, who heads the government's SEZ panel, demystifies SEZs and the controversy surrounding them.
BoA has given formal approval to 15 special economic zones, including those of TCS and Cognizant, and in-principle nod to five, Commerce Secretary and BoA Chairman G K Pillai told reporters after the meeting in New Delhi.
India and Japan will next month sign an agreement for a dedicated rail freight corridor connecting Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, which will significantly reduce the time taken for transporting goods from one metro to another.
The country's industrial growth in first 7 months of FY'09 stands at 4.1 per cent as against 9.9 per cent. Manufacturing output in October also declines by 1.2 per cent. Only earlier this month, the government sought to rescue manufacturers by announcing an across-the-board (barring petroleum goods) four per cent cut in excise duty.
Faced by criticism on its special economic zone policy, the government is preparing guidelines for acquisition of land from farmers for setting up SEZs.
The government on Monday approved the proposals of Reliance Industries, Wipro, Hewlett Packard and Biocon to set up Special Economic Zones -- a move that is expected to generate at least 67,000 jobs by March 2006.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
India and Russia will set up a joint task force to boost bilateral trade to a level of $10 billion by 2010 from the present $2billion, a senior official of the Indian government has said.
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing regarding the Justice (Retd.) R.M Lodha-led committee's recommendations and the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) constant reluctance to accept all recommendations till December 14.
The Centre said on Wednesday it had made a good offer for the proposed Free Trade Agreement with the Association of South East Asian Nation and is awaiting ASEAN's reactions to it.
Reflecting the enthusiasm among private companies for setting up special economic zones, the board of approval for SEZs will consider over 100 proposals on March 17 - its first meeting since the implementation of SEZ Act and Rules last month.
The government has approved a Rs 675 crore (Rs 6.75 Special Economic Zone by Finnish telecom major Nokia near Chennai.
The high command's choice of Thennala Balakrishna Pillai and Vayalar Ravi for the election to the Rajya Sabha appears to have prompted the resignation.
Kodoth Govindan Nair has defied the Congress high command and filed his nomination.
Senior India pace bowler Zaheer Khan and prolific batsman Cheteshwar Pujara left Mumbai by an early morning flight to South Africa along with three other players well ahead of the two-Test series against the hosts.
The party revamped the Kerala unit in the wake of the unprecedented rout in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.
The Supreme Court on Monday is likely to give the final order on the implementations of Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha Committee's recommendation in the Board of Control for Cricket in India including removal of the current office bearers, while the perjury charges against BCCI chief Anurag Thakur could also come up for hearing.
Swami Sandeepananda Giri had welcomed the apex court order permitting women in the 10-50 age group to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.
They sought directions declaring presidential orders of August 5 as 'unconstitutional, void and inoperative'.
The base camps of Pamba and Nilackal witnessed intensified protests as the Lord Ayyappa temple opens for the five-day monthly pooja on Wednesday evening, for the first time after the landmark top court verdict.
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