India approves Rs 1,45,980 crore under Production Linked Scheme (PLI). Will that prove game changer in India's manuring capabilities ?

The production linked Incentive (PLI) scheme that would give benefits to the tune of Rs 1,45,980 crore to 10 key sectors is going to prove a game-changer for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and for enhancing exports. The five-year financial outlay of the scheme was cleared by Modi Cabinet on November 11.

The scheme was first announced on April 1, 2020, offers a production linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components, including Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units. The Scheme has been designed to boost the electronics manufacturing landscape and establish India at the global level in the electronics sector. 

 The scheme extends an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales (over a base year) of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments, to eligible companies, for a period of five (5) years subsequent to the base year as defined. 

 The Scheme was open for applications for a period of 4 months initially and was extended subsequently. It would be implemented through a Nodal Agency that would act as a Project Management Agency (PMA) and would be responsible for providing secretarial, managerial and implementation support.

As per the financial outlay, the highest allocation is given to the automobile sector of Rs 57,042 crore, Rs 18,100 crore for advance chemical battery cells, Rs 15,000 crore for pharmaceutical drugs and Rs 12,195 crore for telecom and network products.

The PLI scheme across these 10 key specific sectors would make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investment in the areas of core competency. The cutting-edge technology would ensure efficiencies, create economies of scale and make India an integral part of the global supply chain.

S.NO	Sectors	Implementing Ministry/Department	Approved financial outlay over a five-year period Rs. crore
	Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery	NITI Aayog and Department of Heavy Industries	18100
	Electronic/Technology Products	Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology	5000
	Automobiles & Auto Components	Department of Heavy Industries	57042
	Pharmaceuticals drugs	Department of Pharmaceuticals	15000
	Telecom & Networking Products	Department of Telecom	12195
	Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles	Ministry of Textiles	10683
	Food Products	Ministry of Food Processing Industries	10900
	High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules	Ministry of New and Renewable Energy	4500
	White Goods (ACs & LED)	Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade	6238
	Speciality Steel	Ministry of Steel	6322
Total			145980

• ACC battery manufacturing represents one of the largest economic opportunities of the twenty-first century for several global growth sectors, such as consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. The PLI scheme for ACC battery will incentivize large domestic and international players in establishing a competitive ACC battery set-up in the country.
• India is expected to have a USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2025. Additionally, the Government's push for data localization, Internet of Things market in India, projects such as Smart City and Digital India are expected to increase the demand for electronic products. The PLI scheme will boost the production of electronic products in India.
• The automotive industry is a major economic contributor in India. The PLI scheme will make the Indian automotive Industry more competitive and will enhance the globalization of the Indian automotive sector.
• The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the third-largest in the world by volume and 14th largest in terms of value. It contributes 3.5% of the total drugs and medicines exported globally. India possesses the complete ecosystem for development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and a robust ecosystem of allied industries. The PLI scheme will incentivize the global and domestic players to engage in high-value production.
• Telecom equipment forms a critical and strategic element of building a secured telecom infrastructure and India aspires to become a major original equipment manufacturer of telecom and networking products. The PLI scheme is expected to attract large investments from global players and help domestic companies seize emerging opportunities and become big players in the export market.
• The Indian textile industry is one of the largest in the world and has a share of ~5% of global exports in textiles and apparel. But India's share in the manmade fibre (MMF) segment is low in contrast to the global consumption pattern, which is majorly in this segment. The PLI scheme will attract large investment in the sector to further boost domestic manufacturing, especially in the MMF segment and technical textiles.
• The growth of the processed food industry leads to a better price for farmers and reduces high levels of wastage. Specific product lines having high growth potential and capabilities to generate medium- to large-scale employment have been identified for providing support through PLI scheme.
• 
  Large imports of solar PV panels pose risks in supply-chain resilience and have strategic security challenges considering the electronic (hackable) nature of the value chain. A focused PLI scheme for solar PV modules will incentivize domestic and global players to build large-scale solar PV capacity in India and help India leapfrog in capturing the global value chains for solar PV manufacturing.
• White goods (air conditioners and LEDs) have a very high potential for domestic value addition and making these products globally competitive. A PLI scheme for the sector will lead to more domestic manufacturing, generation of jobs and increased exports.
• Steel is a strategically important industry and India is the world's second-largest steel producer in the world. It is a net exporter of finished steel and has the potential to become a champion in certain grades of steel. A PLI scheme in Specialty Steel will help in enhancing manufacturing capabilities for value-added steel leading to an increase in total exports.

Sector Wise Product Lines

Sector		Product Lines
Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Manufacturing		ACC Batteries
Electronic/Technology Products		Semiconductor Fab Display Fab Laptop/ Notebooks Servers IoT Devices Specified Computer Hardware
Automobile and Auto Components		Automobile and Auto Components
Pharmaceuticals	Category 1 Biopharmaceuticals Complex generic drugs Patented drugs or drugs nearing patent expiry Cell based or gene therapy products Orphan drugs Special empty capsules ·        vii. Complex excipients
	Category 2 Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs) /Key Starting Materials (KSMs) and /Drug Intermediaries (Dls) Category 3 Repurposed Drugs Auto-immune drugs, Anti-cancer drugs, Antidiabetic drugs, Anti Infective drugs, Cardiovascular drugs, Psychotropic drugs and Anti-Retroviral drugs In-vitro Diagnostic Devices (IVDs) Phytopharmaceuticals Other drugs not manufactured in India Other drugs as approved
Telecom Products	Core Transmission Equipment 4G/5G, Next Generation Radio Access Network and Wireless Equipment Access & Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) Access Devices and Other WirelessEquipment Enterprise equipment: Switches, Router
Textiles	Man-Made Fiber Segment Technical Textiles
Food Processing	Ready to Eat / Ready to Cook (RTE/ RTC) Marine Products Fruits & Vegetables Honey Desi Ghee Mozzarella Cheese Organic eggs and poultry meat
Solar PV manufacturing	Solar PVs
White Goods	Air conditioners LED
Steel Products	Coated Steel High Strength Steel Steel Rails Ally Steel Bars & Rods

Ends.

North-East India to grown Kashmiri Kesar (Saffron) to make India self reliant

North-East India to grown Kashmiri Kesar (Saffron) to make India self-reliant 

Saffron cultivation in India would no longer be the monopoly of Kashmir alone. Efforts made by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has started yielding results, the Saffron of Kashmir quality has started flowering in Yangyang region of Sikkim this year with the efforts of the North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR).

The Yangyang region of Sikkim has started its cultivation in Sikkim successfully and it would subsequently start in other regions of the North-Eastern areas. And if it really turns into a reality, It would change the future of the people in North East since it has great potential in national as well as international market.

Saffron is one of the costliest herbs in the world as costly as gold depending upon its quality. Pricewise speaking its retail price in India is as much as Gold. According to a rough estimate, it costs nearly USD 65 (Rs 4,745) for a gram of saffron. Presently India produces good quality saffron only in Kashmir and is number two in its production after Iran. Yet it is not able to meet its domestic demand. To satisfy its demand, it imported saffron to the tune of nearly USD 18.3 million in 2018.

World over its production is mostly confined to Iran where it produces more than 90 % saffron. In India its cultivation is limited to Pampore region of Jammu and Kashmir followed by Budgam, Srinagar and Kishtiwar districts. After its introduction in North-Eastern India, the production is likely to increase. From importer of Saffron, India may turn an exporter of the hurb in the coming years.

The move was initiated by the North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It had launched the pilot project to explore the feasibility of growing saffron in North East region with the same quality and higher quantity in Yangyang area of Southern Part of the North East state.

"In the pilot project seeds were transported from Kashmir to Sikkim and acclimatized. It is now flowering in Yangyang in Southern part of the North East State,” said a senior officer of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) here on Monday.

Further, it has also planned a detailed analysis and testing of all parameters, including soil testing, quality, quantity, and possible value addition for immediate results and extrapolation of the project to other parts of the North East Region along with Micro Food Enterprises.

After its successful cultivation in Yangyang, it would be spread in other areas of North Eastern Region targeting the quality of Kashmir Kesar with high yeild in North East, the University claims

About Kashmiri Safron (कश्मीरी केसर)

Saffron is one of the world’s most distinguished and rare agricultural products cultivated as a source of spice for at least 3,500 years. The name ‘saffron’ is a derivative of the Arabic “zá-faran”, which means ‘be yellow’. Saffron is heavily demanded by consumers due to its application in the food and beverage industry, which is anticipated to be a significant factor driving the growth of the global saffron market. In food, saffron is used as a flavouring agent, spice and yellow food colouring, which makes it one of the most preferred spices for consumers.

Kashmir Saffron has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indication Registry. It is grown in the region of Kashmir including Pulwama, Bedgam, Kishtwar and Srinagar.

One stigma of saffron weighs about 2 mg and on an average, each flower has three stigmata, so near about  1,00,000 to 150,000 flowers are to be picked one-by-one in order to produce 1 kg of the spice. That's why Saffron is considered as one of the world’s most expensive spices. Its price in the international market is as high as Rs 5,00,000 a kg to Rs 20,00,000 a kg depending upon its aroma quality, colour and taste.

Though main cultivating countries of Saffron is Iran, it is imported by countries like Spain, France and Italy, which exports it after value-adding to the product, They have sophisticated, well-established packaging methods and distribution channels. The next step India should do is to establish such a sophisticated processing unit and market it internationally.

World production in Saffron

Saffron is currently being cultivated in Iran, India, Afghanistan, Spain, Greece Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Israel, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, UAE, Japan, Iraq and recently Australia (Tasmania). The world’s total production of dried saffron is estimated to be around 325 tonnes a year. Iran produces more than 90% of the world’s total production, India is second.

Impressive Health Benefits of Saffron

1) A Powerful Antioxidant

2) May Improve Mood and Treat Depressive Symptoms

3) May Have Cancer-Fighting Properties

4) May Reduce PMS (Premenstrual  syndrome) Symptoms

5) May Act as an Aphrodisiac

6) May Reduce Appetite and Aid Weight Loss

7) May reduce heart disease risk factors

8) May lower blood sugar levels

9) May improve eyesight in adults with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

10) May improve memory in adults with Alzheimer’s disease

Mathura incident: an act to incite communal violence, or to promote communal harmony?

Faisal Khan, the founder of Delhi-based social organisation Khudai Khidmatgar was arrested after he was booked along with three others for allegedly offering namaz at Nand Baba temple in Barasana in Mathura district.

After being arrested in Delhi, Faisal Khan was handed over to Uttar Pradesh police, said the sources.

On Sunday, the UP police had filed an FIR against four persons – Faisal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Alok Ratan, and Nilesh Gupta -- at Barsana police station in Mathura after photographs of two of them offering namaz in the courtyard of the temple on October 29 went viral on social media.

Was it an act to incite communal violence, or to promote communal harmony and create a situation like FRANCE?

The act of offering Namaz in a in temple in Mathura temple ( the birthplace of Lord Krishna) by two Muslims with the help of two Hindus, cannot be treated as a normal case.

The government should wake up and ask security agencies to expose the gang behind it.

It is time for Intelligence agencies to see, whether the move was to spread 'peace and harmony' or to incite religious sentiments to create communal riots or riot-like situation.

At first look, it appears an attempt to promote communal harmony and to bring two communities together, but was it really so or was it a move to incite communal violence in the peaceful city of Mathura? There are many questions which remains unanswered if it was really to promote communal harmony.

1)     Why the Muslim youths choose a Hindu temple to offer Namaz, was it to incite locals to instigate communal violence. And when they saw they could not incite violence, they posted it on youtube social media platform to instigate others or to tell their masters abroad that the job has been done.

2)     Can Hindus go to a mosque and perform their Havan in theirs. Will, it did not cause violence.  We should be thankful to Hindus in Mathura that they did not indulge in any violent act.

3)     Secularism means to respect all believe and follow your belief without hurting other communities sentiments.

4)     Do we see it a normal case or a move to create a situation like France in India?

5)     Those arrested two Hindus and two Muslims, involved in the act should be arrested for anti-national acts. Creating a situation/ ground for communal violence is a much more heinous act than a normal murder case.

6)     It is time India should take it seriously and must not allow it to be replicated in any part of the country and in any part of the religious place. Mandir, Masjids and Gurudwaras should be kept away from dirty politics. 

THE ACTUAL INCIDENT

UP Police booked four youths belonging to Khudai Khidmatgar, a Delhi-based organisation which claims to promote communal harmony on Nov 1 after two of them allegedly offered namaz at Nand Mahal temple in UP’s Mathura district last month. One of them, Faisal Khan, was arrested from Delhi on Nov 2,2020.

The others have been identified as Chand Mohammed, Alok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta. They have been booked for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, defiling a place of worship and public mischief.

On a complaint by the temple caretaker, an FIR was lodged at Barsana police station in Mathura Sunday night. “We have been informed that on October 29, four persons came from Delhi. Two of them were Muslims. The Muslim youths offered afternoon namaz inside the temple. On Sunday, some shared photos on Facebook calling it an act of harmony. The temple staff lodged a complaint and an FIR has been registered,” said SSP Gaurav Grover.

ends

 

Is India's economy returning back to normal, at least Tax collection shows so, increased by 10%

 The Indian economy seems to be returning back to normal with GST revenue collection increasing 10 % in the month of October over September touching the GST collection to Rs 1,05,155 crore.

“The gross GST revenue collected in the month of October is Rs 1,05,155crore of which CGST is Rs 19,193 crore, SGST Rs 25,411 crore,  and IGST is Rs  52,540 crore (including ₹ 23375crore collected on import of goods) and Cess is Rs 8,011crore (including Rs 932 crore collected on import of goods). The total number of GSTR-3B Returns filed for the month of October up to 31st October is 80 lakh,” said a senior officer of the Finance Ministry here on Sunday.

He said the government has settled Rs 25,091 crore to CGST and Rs 19,427 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement. The total revenue earned by the Central Government and the State Governments after regular settlement in the month of October is Rs 44,285 crore for CGST and Rs 44,839 crore for the SGST.

The revenues for the month are 10% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. During the month, revenues from import of goods were 9% higher and the revenues from domestic transaction (including import of services) are11% higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year, the Ministry said.

The growth in GST revenue as compared to that in months of July, August and September is minus14%, minus 8% and 5% respectively clearly showing the trajectory of recovery of the economy and, correspondingly, of the revenues.