News for 'US Department of Commerce'

'Rs 1.7 trillion may be GST average collection next FY'

'Rs 1.7 trillion may be GST average collection next FY'

Rediff.com18 Feb 2024

'We crossed Rs 1.7 trillion in three months this financial year.'

'Jobs Have To Be Created Everywhere'

'Jobs Have To Be Created Everywhere'

Rediff.com25 Jul 2024

'I found it unbelievable that L&T said 45,000 jobs were waiting to be filled because of unavailability of suitable skillsets.' 'So, when the Opposition sweepingly says there are no jobs, I'm sorry... I'm not saying it's raining jobs, but there are jobs. The (skill) gap has to be bridged.'

Swiggy, Zomato and others get 15 days to submit complaint redressal plan

Swiggy, Zomato and others get 15 days to submit complaint redressal plan

Rediff.com13 Jun 2022

The government on Monday asked online food business operators like Swiggy and Zomato to submit a proposal within 15 days on improving their consumer grievance redressal mechanism amid rising complaints from customers. The department of consumer affairs directed e-commerce FBOs "to transparently show consumers the breakup of all charges included in the order amount such as delivery charges, packaging charges, taxes, surge pricing etc." According to an official statement, "The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed major e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) to furnish the current framework as well as a proposal on improving the consumer grievance redressal mechanism within 15 days."

India may buy more oil from UAE in the coming months after COP talks

India may buy more oil from UAE in the coming months after COP talks

Rediff.com11 Dec 2023

India is expected to ramp up its purchase of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the coming months following discussions between the two countries on the sidelines of the ongoing COP28 summit in Dubai, multiple sources in the know said. The UAE has historically been India's third-largest source of crude. It has suffered the largest drop in shipments since Indian refiners began to binge on Russian crude in 2022.

Laptop, tablet imports surge 42% amid licensing fears

Laptop, tablet imports surge 42% amid licensing fears

Rediff.com27 Nov 2023

India's import of personal computers, including laptops and tablets, shot up in September by 42 per cent to $715 million, reversing a year-long downward trend after the government announced it would impose import restrictions on such electronic hardware items in August. The rise in such imports were led by the largest source China (33 per cent) and Singapore (188 per cent), according to data released by the commerce department. On August 3, the Centre had announced it was planning to bring seven products in the information technology hardware segment, such as personal computers, micro computers, mainframe computers, super computers, computer systems and data processing units under the 'restricted' label.

Pharma export body suspends Marion Biotech for no reply on syrup deaths

Pharma export body suspends Marion Biotech for no reply on syrup deaths

Rediff.com30 Dec 2022

The drug maker will lose some incentives if its membership is suspended, sources in Pharmexcil said.

Bengaluru's water crisis: India Inc adopt innovative methods

Bengaluru's water crisis: India Inc adopt innovative methods

Rediff.com14 Mar 2024

From installing water-saving aerators on taps to using cans for washing hands and dishes, Bengaluru is adopting diverse strategies to tide over the water crisis. While several citizens have taken to social media to urge Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make work from home mandatory for IT companies, it appears that hybrid mode will continue to be the norm for most - although with new water conservation measures in place. Co-working space provider Urban Vault has, for instance, installed smart water meters to detect leakage.

Google unveils a slate of AI tools for Indian developers

Google unveils a slate of AI tools for Indian developers

Rediff.com29 Jun 2023

Google unveiled on Wednesday a slate of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies for Indian developers at its first I/O Connect event for India, being held in Bengaluru. The company made accessible for Indian developers its faster, more accurate large language AI model accessible through PaLM API, Makersuite, as well as features on Google Cloud's Vertex AI. Google Cloud officially launched a new initiative in collaboration with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, to help sellers build and scale commerce platforms across the country.

Centre seeks info from embassy on Iran's bar on rice, tea imports

Centre seeks info from embassy on Iran's bar on rice, tea imports

Rediff.com8 Dec 2022

The department of commerce has urged the agriculture ministry as well as the diplomatic mission in Tehran to apprise it of details as to why Iranian buyers have stopped import of rice and tea from India, a senior government official said. Exporters said that exports of items such as high quality tea and rice have stopped since last week. As of now, there has been no confirmation from the authorities and the response from the embassy in Tehran is also taking time, they said.

Ravneet Kaur: An IAS officer with varied experience

Ravneet Kaur: An IAS officer with varied experience

Rediff.com17 May 2023

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has named Ravneet Kaur, a Punjab cadre IAS officer of 1988 batch, as chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Kaur will hold the post for five years or until attaining the age of 65. She is the second woman to serve in an 'economic regulator' role after Madhabi Puri Buch, who was appointed chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India last year and the first woman to head the country's chief national competition regulator.

India's Startup Scorecard

India's Startup Scorecard

Rediff.com2 Apr 2024

For the startup ecosystem in India, the scorecard so far has been a mixed bag, observes Akhil Gupta.

3 Bangladeshi tourists dead as houseboat catches fire in Dal Lake

3 Bangladeshi tourists dead as houseboat catches fire in Dal Lake

Rediff.com11 Nov 2023

Three tourists from Bangladesh were charred to death in a major blaze in a houseboat on the famous Dal Lake on Saturday, officials in Srinagar said.

Kissinger used racist, misogynist language for then PM Indira Gandhi

Kissinger used racist, misogynist language for then PM Indira Gandhi

Rediff.com30 Nov 2023

Speaking about the issue in India in March 2012 at a media conclave, Kissinger defended his use of unparliamentary language while referring to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

'First Congress Candidate To Get Vote From A Thackeray'

'First Congress Candidate To Get Vote From A Thackeray'

Rediff.com9 May 2024

While the responses of the candidates were predictable, depending on which side they belonged to, an interesting point slipped through when Rahul Shewale cited the Dharavi Redevelopment Project as a scheme that would add to Mumbai's importance. No big infrastructural project in Mumbai, he said, could be successful without the Centre's nod.

Bharat Rice to be sold at Rs 29/kg in retail market from next week

Bharat Rice to be sold at Rs 29/kg in retail market from next week

Rediff.com2 Feb 2024

The Centre on Friday said it will sell 'Bharat Rice' in the retail market at Rs 29 per kg from next week to give relief to the common man and has also directed traders to disclose rice/paddy stock, as part of its efforts to control prices that have risen by around 15 per cent in the last one year. In a press conference, Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra exuded confidence that these two measures along with the various restrictions of exports will help in cooling down the prices. Seeking to dispel market rumours, he categorically said the government has no plans to lift restrictions on rice exports any time soon.

Foxconn unit in talks for $200 million components plant in Tamil Nadu

Foxconn unit in talks for $200 million components plant in Tamil Nadu

Rediff.com28 Jul 2023

Taiwan-based Hon Hai Technology Group, the subsidiary of Foxconn Industrial Internet (Fii), is in talks with the Tamil Nadu government to invest around $200 million to set up an electronic components unit in the state. According to a Reuters report, FII, which makes communication, mobile network and cloud computing equipment, has shared the plan with the Tamil Nadu state officials. Business Standard had reported last week that Fii's chief executive officer (CEO) Brand Cheng met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce TRB Rajaa.

Will BJP benefit from Trinamool leader's arrest for Sandeshkhali?

Will BJP benefit from Trinamool leader's arrest for Sandeshkhali?

Rediff.com14 Mar 2024

Whether the age-old cry of kendrer banchana will be able to drown out pangs of Sandeshkhali, the EVM will tell.

Mamata removes Partha Chatterjee from cabinet, all TMC posts

Mamata removes Partha Chatterjee from cabinet, all TMC posts

Rediff.com28 Jul 2022

The ED had arrested Chatterjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress secretary-general, on July 23 in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment drives by the School Service Commission.

Senior-level bureaucratic rejig at Centre, Rajendra Kumar made ESIC chief

Senior-level bureaucratic rejig at Centre, Rajendra Kumar made ESIC chief

Rediff.com25 Sep 2022

Kumar, a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is currently an additional secretary in the ministry of electronics and Information Technology.

Average tomato prices in Delhi drop to Rs 150 per kg

Average tomato prices in Delhi drop to Rs 150 per kg

Rediff.com17 Jul 2023

Tomato prices in the retail markets of the national capital declined to an average Rs 150 per kg on Monday from Rs 178 per kg on Sunday, according to the government data. However, e-commerce players such as Amazon, Big Basket and Otipy are selling tomatoes at Rs 170-190 per kg in Delhi-NCR. Blinkit is selling at Rs 138 per kg. The Centre is selling tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 80 per kg in Delhi-NCR and some other cities through the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).

'Is it usual for a store to be empty at 6 pm?'

'Is it usual for a store to be empty at 6 pm?'

Rediff.com2 Jan 2024

'Due to rural stress, volumes continue to remain an issue for the industry, and we are yet to see any revival in demand.'

40-year-old fintech gurus need 60-year-olds to handhold them

40-year-old fintech gurus need 60-year-olds to handhold them

Rediff.com19 Mar 2024

The message is clear: The 60-year-old wise uncles need to handhold the 40-year-old entrepreneurs when, obsessed with ambition and greed for growth, they become a victim of hubris, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

LIC IPO: Govt to review & simplify FDI policy

LIC IPO: Govt to review & simplify FDI policy

Rediff.com7 Jan 2022

The government is working towards further review and simplification of the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to facilitate the proposed initial public offering (IPO) of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary Anurag Jain said on Thursday. The final decision will be taken by the Cabinet. The industry department is working together with the finance ministry's department of financial services (DFS) and department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM) towards a successful listing of the life insurer on the domestic bourses, which is expected to be the largest in India.

Microsoft gives ONDC its first Big Tech push

Microsoft gives ONDC its first Big Tech push

Rediff.com10 Aug 2022

Microsoft has become the first global Big Tech company to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an Indian government initiative for developing a first-of-its-kind open network for digital commerce. The world's second-largest technology firm intends to introduce social e-commerce via its app in the Indian market later this year. ONDC is expected to open to the public in Bengaluru over the next fortnight as it enters into the next phase of the pilot for further fine-tuning before rollouts in other cities, according to a source in the know.

'We are not worried what Modiji says about Muslims'

'We are not worried what Modiji says about Muslims'

Rediff.com18 May 2024

While political experts claim that the Modi Magic is missing in the 2024 general election, the common people in the street -- at least those in the crowd on Thursday -- vow that they will vote for Modi and the candidate who contests the election doesn't matter much.

ASK MAYANK: Can my son do his MBA without giving CAT?

ASK MAYANK: Can my son do his MBA without giving CAT?

Rediff.com5 May 2023

You can apply for online MBAs that won't require CAT scores, suggests rediffGURU Mayank Kumar.

Amazon fined for selling sub-standard pressure cookers

Amazon fined for selling sub-standard pressure cookers

Rediff.com4 Aug 2022

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on e-commerce major Amazon for selling pressure cookers that did not meet quality standards. The CCPA also directed Amazon to notify the consumers of all these 2,265 pressure cookers sold through its platform, recall the products and reimburse the prices to buyers, the Department of Consumer Affairs said in a statement.

Commerce minister plans to push the idea of co-working spaces

Commerce minister plans to push the idea of co-working spaces

Rediff.com20 Jun 2017

To tap into the growing demand for offices, several global and Indian co-working entities are creating stock in the top cities.

ED alleges Rs 2,000-cr liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, names IAS officer as kingpin

ED alleges Rs 2,000-cr liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, names IAS officer as kingpin

Rediff.com7 May 2023

The ED said its investigation also revealed that from 2019 to 2022, the sale of 'unaccounted illicit' liquor was almost 30-40 per cent of the total liquor sale in the state.

Ram Vilas Paswan's Final Throw Of Dice

Ram Vilas Paswan's Final Throw Of Dice

Rediff.com29 Mar 2024

Ram Vilas Paswan was no fool. He knew very well about the ownership tussle going on beneath this veneer of congeniality. At all costs, he wanted to keep the lid on the family drama. He did not want it to come in the way of his son's coronation.

Himanta inducts 2 cabinet ministers, rejigs several seniors' portfolios

Himanta inducts 2 cabinet ministers, rejigs several seniors' portfolios

Rediff.com9 Jun 2022

The expansion was the first by Sarma since he assumed chief ministership of the state about 13 months ago.

Can India Create Multi Language AI Like Chat GPT?

Can India Create Multi Language AI Like Chat GPT?

Rediff.com8 Jan 2024

Creating an LLM trained on Indian languages is not easy. Experts say each language in India has a nuance of its own, so creating a ChatGPT-like product is an ambitious challenge.

$800/tonne minimum export price imposed on onion

$800/tonne minimum export price imposed on onion

Rediff.com28 Oct 2023

The government on Saturday imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of $800 per tonne on onion exports till December 31 this year with a view to increase availability of the vegetable in the domestic market and contain prices. The decision will come into effect from October 29. Besides, the government has also announced the procurement of additional 2 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer, over and above the 5 lakh tonnes already procured.

Gujarat, Karnataka are best states for start-ups

Gujarat, Karnataka are best states for start-ups

Rediff.com4 Jul 2022

Gujarat and Karnataka have been ranked as the best performers in developing startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of states and Union territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Among smaller states having population of less than one crore, Meghalaya has been adjudged as the best performer. The rankings are based on the initiatives taken to develop the startup ecosystem for promoting budding entrepreneurs.

Draft ecommerce policy to ensure goods sold online meet standards

Draft ecommerce policy to ensure goods sold online meet standards

Rediff.com15 Mar 2021

Conformity assessment procedures will be put in place to verify that goods and services sold on e-commerce platforms meet required standards and technical regulations, according to the draft e-commerce policy. The policy, which is under discussion, also stated that actions and things which cannot be done by the online platform entities "can also not be done" by any of its associates and related parties. Government may, from time to time, notify parties which fall in the definition of associates and related parties, it said.

What Pranab Mukherjee thought about Rahul Gandhi

What Pranab Mukherjee thought about Rahul Gandhi

Rediff.com7 Dec 2023

'If Rahul couldn't persuade his colleagues without resorting to theatrics, then maybe politics wasn't his calling

Deadline for public comments on draft e-com rules extended till July 21

Deadline for public comments on draft e-com rules extended till July 21

Rediff.com5 Jul 2021

The government on Monday extended till July 21 the deadline for public comments on proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules, 2020. Earlier, the last date for public comments on the draft e-commerce rules was July 6. "It has now been decided to extend the timeline for receipt of comments/ suggestions on the draft e-commerce rules. "Views/ comments/ suggestions on the proposed amendments may be sent by July 21, 2021," a government notice said.

'Absolutely believe it was a success': US on G20 Summit in Delhi

'Absolutely believe it was a success': US on G20 Summit in Delhi

Rediff.com12 Sep 2023

The US hails the landmark 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' which will usher in a new era of connectivity from Europe to Asia and will stimulate economic growth across the two continents.

'Many Indian unicorns have set up businesses in Dubai'

'Many Indian unicorns have set up businesses in Dubai'

Rediff.com16 Sep 2023

'As part of our D33 strategy, the plan is to establish 30 unicorns in Dubai within the next 10 years.'

Udaan lays off about 180 employees in a move to drive cost-efficiency

Udaan lays off about 180 employees in a move to drive cost-efficiency

Rediff.com29 Jun 2022

Udaan - India's largest business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce company - has laid off about 180 employees, or 4-5 per cent of its workforce of 4,000, in a move to drive cost efficiency, revealed sources. They said the layoffs have happened across various department functions. The layoffs have happened at a time when the Bengaluru-based firm is trying to turn into a publicly listed entity in 18-24 months.