The North East of India as a pivot for potential Japan-India collaboration

During the first Japan-India Coordination Forum for Development of the North Eastern Region, it was announced that India plans to spend INR 45,000 crores for addressing the gaps in state plans vis-à-vis the development of the region bordering China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Looking for collaborative interventions that can fast-track development in the North East of India, Japan’s assistance has been sought across tourism, food processing, skill development as well as infrastructural development, especially in terms of alleviating their vulnerabilities to natural calamities, for example, by ensuring that buildings are resistant to damage from earthquakes.
 
A key outcome of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India during the 12th Indo-Japan annual summit was the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed for setting up an India-Japan Act East Forum as an amalgamation of India’s Act East Policy and Japan’s Free and Open Asia-Pacific strategy. This Forum will promote development projects in the North East of India as well as enhance connectivity in the region.
 
Japan and India have historically had a long-standing and multi-faceted relationship. They have been engaged in cultural exchanges and have cemented strategic ties over time.Their trade relations flourished post World War II. Japan is one of the few countries that India has allowed to be a part of the socio-economic development efforts in the North East. Now, their linkages are deepening as major development partners, with the enhancement of economic and diplomatic agreements as well as strategic defense partnerships based on a common vision of the evolving scenario in Asian geopolitics.
 

 
The Japanese companies have been entering into joint ventures with Indian companies, based on investments and capacity expansions, in order to take advantage of the cheap labour and technological expertise available in India. India’s Act East Policy has further influenced the influx of businesses in India, especially in the North East of India, as reflected by the presence of Japanese business establishments. Japan has been extending ODA loans in the North East since 1981, across fields like water supply, energy, forestry and urban development.
 
The North East of India is strategically located at the juncture of Japan and South-East Asia and acts as a corridor to the BIMSTEC countries i.e. economic cooperation with Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. In the backdrop of China’s One Belt Road Initiative, Japan is interested in exploring collaborative opportunities with India for the development of projects in ASEAN. In this context, the abundance of skilled labour available in North East could aid Japan in multiple ways.
 
Kenji Hiramatsu, Japan’s ambassador to India, describes Japan as “a natural partner for the development of the north-east region.” The aspirational element of the India-Japan bilateral relationship is captured in the Joint Statement on India and Japan Vision 2025: Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity released by Prime Ministers Shinzo and Modi during the former’s visit to India in 2015.
 
 
India Outbound
October 15,2018
 
 
 

source https://indiaoutbound.org/the-north-east-of-india-as-a-pivot-for-potential-japan-india-collaboration/

Australia’s new political and economically: India

India and Australia have been major political players in the Indo Pacific region but they have had a historically lukewarm relationship, in terms of trade and diplomacy. According to some foreign policy white papers released by the government of Australia, Canberra seeks to strengthen its ties with Delhi through trade and commerce. The white papers are a set of recommendations, which outline what the Australian plans to do in the near future with regards to its foreign policy.
 
The white papers contain around ninety recommendations in making India a strategic partner in the Indo Pacific region by 2035. The most prioritised sector seems to be higher education. This does not come as a surprise as Indians already consider Australia to be one of the favourable higher education destinations. Moreover, Australia also provides two-year work permits for students having completed their studies there. Can berra will try to take this further by setting up a higher education hub in India and even having an Australian consortium partnering a new IIT in India. Suchan investment makes logical sense when one understands that education is Australia’s third largest export.
 

 
The White Papers further suggest that Australia should support Indian membership in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). APEC is a 21 member organisation which supports free trade all across the Asia Pacific region. Australia probably hopes to champion the Indian cause in the APEC to get a free trade agreement (FTA) with India in the longer run. This would not only strength then Australia’s ties with India, but also thwart Chinese hegemony over the Asia Pacific region.
 
With a growing Indian economy, an FTA could boost commodity export from Australia. Amongst the commodities to look at for Australia would be LPG. Australia is also endowed with a multitude of natural resources, which they can use to establish sound trading relations. The white paper does identify the servicing and IT sector of India to be of key interest. It will be logical if Australia uses this sector to build the political bridge with India. Australia does plan to make India a top ODI destination for Australia and since one of the major sectors attracting ODI from foreign countries is the IT sector, this underlines the probability of Canberra leveraging its political strength through the Indian IT sector.
 
But as of today, there is too much speculation about the concrete nature of the trade between these two countries. The white papers are policy recommendations that have targets to be fulfilled by 2035. Although it might be too early to make concrete statements about the nature of the relationship between the two countries, we can all be sure that Australia has forgone its earlier mistrust of India and is signalling to be one of our closes economic and politicalally.
 
India Outbound
October 15,2018
 
 
 

source https://indiaoutbound.org/australias-new-political-and-economic-ally-india/

Green cover loss in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam

A study carried out by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) has predicted a depletion of 9,007.14 square km (2.94%) of forests in parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by 2028. The study, Forest Cover Monitoring and Prediction in a Lesser Himalayan Elephant Landscape, published in the current issue of Current Science, says deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat in Upper Assam is likely to influence not only adjoining Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh but lower Assam as well.
 
Scientists involved in the study said they monitored the depletion of forest cover in parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over 42,375 square km in an elephant landscape falling in the Lesser Himalaya in the Northeast. The forest cover of 2028 was predicted using the 2000-2009 depletion of forests study and Cellular Automata Markov Model (CAMM). As elephants are long-ranging animals and are distributed across the landscape, it is important to carry out studies covering large areas to address the habitat status over time, which can be used for effective habitat conservation.
 

 
According to this study, more districts of Assam than Arunachal Pradesh and more plains than hills faced deforestation. It has identified increasing human population and subsequent demand on land for cultivation as major reasons for forest cover depletion. With the highest rate of deforestation (in the Assam-Arunachal area) in India, the study area can also be addressed as the deforestation hotspot of India.
 
The annual rate of deforestation was found to be higher in Assam than Arunachal Pradesh primarily due to the latter’s inhospitable mountainous terrain. Among the districts in Assam, the highest deforestation was noticed in Barpeta, followed by Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur during the 85-year study period. Area-wise, the largest amount of forest cover loss was noticed in Dhemaji (1,419.99 square km), followed by Sonitpur (825.85 square km), Lohit in Arunachal (820.61 square km), Tinsukia (662.28 square km) and Lakhimpur (635.15 square km).Of the 9,000 square km forest cover loss prediction, Assam and Arunachal are predicted to lose around 670.55 square km of moist deciduous dense forest by 2028.
 
A.J.T. John Singh and Kamal Medhi evaluated the three community conservation areas (CCAs) established by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India and talked in their report about tremendous extraction of wood for various purposes, garbage management problem, and how cultivation was encroaching upon the mountain slopes, destroying the ecologically precious forests, and road-building activities with enormous extraction of wood.
 
This kind of massive green cover loss by 2028 will not only affect India but it will also affect the ecology of neighbouring country Bhutan. Wildlife activists said lack of forest cover will bring further chaos from food and water security point of view in Assam. With planting trees, we also need to work towards revitalising the forest ecosystem. It is important to sensitise the local people to realise and protect the forest wealth and biodiversity of these regions as development must not take place at the cost of conservation.
 
 
India Outbound
October 12,2018
 
 
 

The post Green cover loss in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam appeared first on .

source https://indiaoutbound.org/green-cover-loss-in-arunachal-pradesh-and-assam/

In Conversation with Dr. Raman Singh, Hon’ble CM of Chhattisgarh

Ql. Why is the government keen on building a Start-up ecosystem in Chhattisgarh?
In recent times, Chhattisgarh has performed consistently well, vis-à-vis the national average when it comes to delivering economic growth. However, like the rest of India, our state not only needs to accelerate this pace of growth but aim for a quantum jump in growth, to provide a better sustainable quality of life for our citizens with opportunities for the many (“Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas).
 
My belief is that leapfrogging in growth can only be achieved through disruptive innovations; and disruptive innovations are more likely to emerge from creative entrepreneurs running energetic and knowledge-based start-ups. I want Chhattisgarh to be a destination for Indian entrepreneurs — a place where they can unleash their creativity and launch world-beating products/services not only to sell to the rest of India, but to the world.
 
Our government is committed to creating that environment and infrastructure along with the other support mechanisms such as mentoring, funding and access to wider markets that makes Chhattisgarh the preferred destination for Indian and foreign innovative companies.
 
This would not just improve the state’s performance on economic indices but develop unique innovation quotient/capital, while enabling the state to lift more people out of poverty and create opportunities for those in the marginalised sections of society.
 
We have been among the pioneering states in the country with a comprehensive start-up policy that has been embraced byall the key stakeholders in the state and we will ensure a vibrant internationally connected start-up ecosystem in Chhattisgarh.
 
Q2. Why the aim to be “the” Frugal Innovation hub of the country?
There is a consensus across nations that inequality is the biggest threat facing humanity, which also states that technology has exacerbated this challenge.The role of innovation and technology in alleviating absolute poverty has been a tremendous success, however, when it comes to bridging the equality gap, it has in fact done the opposite. The scale of inequality in the world today is unsustainable and poses significant danger to our societies in the long run.
 
Frugal Innovation enabled by technology aims to reverse that trend and ensure not only basic amenities but also opportunities that are available to the socio-economically weaker sections of our society. It answers questions about how to best harness human ingenuity with technology to provide health care, education, electricity alongside access to technology and opportunities at the cheapest possible cost to support the aspirations of the poorer 6 billion.
 
By becoming the frugal innovation hub of the country, we will be able to deploy those solutions in our home state and help not only deliver improved public services but also ensure that the wider society in Chhattisgarh has access to the tools needed to succeed in the 21st century economy. And this comes with a significant market proposition.
 
These frugal solutions, once successful in a country like India, would have the potential of solving similar challenges across the developing world. The market for Indian frugal innovation solution, the AtalInnovation Mission believes, is in the region of hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade or so. Our aim is to have Chhattisgarh at the heart of this frugal solutions export model – “Make in Chhattisgarh- sell in India; sell globally”.
 
Q3. Chhattisgarh seeks to make all its urban bodies “smart.” What is the vision that is driving this and what steps are being taken to ensure fruition?
The simple answer is that citizens everywhere deserve a good sustainable quality of life with opportunities. So, our vision is not only about urban bodies but ideally delivering similar quality of life in our villages, where our citizens are not left behind. That isthe vision.
 
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led national mission on Smart Cities showcases the path; but people beyond those smart cities, chosen in the national framework, deserve and aspire to achieve a similar quality of life. And it is upto the state and local governments to further the impact of the national initiative – through state-based programmes developed around local needs and aspirations.
 
Q4. You have often used the phrase “nutritional security” and your commitment to pursuing this. Could you provide some insights?
Malnutrition, especially among the poorer sections of society, has been a barrier to living fulfilling and productive lives. Among children, they have devastating life-long impacts and hence, addressing food and nutrition challenges, including agrarian ones, have been a key hallmark of my government. It also demonstrates that frugal innovation does not necessarily mean enabled by technology.
 
Chhattisgarh has been a pioneer in delivering food and nutritional security where 85% of the households in the state are covered under the MukhyamantriKhaddyanna Suraksha Yojana and almost all the families in the state are covered through the Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition SecurityAct. The entitlements are provided to each household and the eldest woman in the household is deemed to be the head of the household. Through these initiatives, we have been able to cover a significant majority of the households in the urban informal sector, landless labourers, marginal farmers among others, in the most vulnerable sections of society.
 
One of the key innovations that have been deployed in the state is how we have rethought the public distribution system (PDS). The approach we inherited, like in most states, was designed around private entities that completed the “last mile” in public distribution. We have now adopted a model where these private entities have been replaced by community organisations including Gram Panchayats (village councils), women’s self-help groups and other community organisations. These have tackled a significant part of the leakage, that is often the case with public distribution systems in most parts of the country, including Chhattisgarh.
 
Q5. How do you envision the state in 2028? What are the key steps that need to be taken to turn your vision into reality?
We are committed to speeding up Chhattisgarh’s growth across all parameters over the next five years, based upon Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi’s Vision of Naya Bharat or New India@2022. For this, we must harness the efforts of all stakeholders — government, civil society, academia, private sector, public sector and development partners, towards specific outcomes, to be achieved in full measure, by or before 2022, when the nation celebrates the 75th anniversary of our Independence.
 
The outcomes that would enable the realisation of the above vision would relate to an India that is Swachhh (Clean), Healthy (Swasth), Shikshit (Educated), Sampann (Prosperous), Saksham (Capable) and Surkashit (Secure).
 
 
India Outbound
April 22, 2018
 
 
 

The post In Conversation with Dr. Raman Singh, Hon’ble CM of Chhattisgarh appeared first on .

source https://indiaoutbound.org/in-conversation-with-dr-raman-singh-honble-cm-of-chhattisgarh/

Apac countries pushing India to removeduties on 90% trade goods

India is under pressure from 15 other Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries to abolish duties on almost 90% of the goods that it trades with them under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten ASEAN countries and 6 APAC states with which the ASEAN has existing FTAs. RCEP covers a population of 3.4 billion, with a total gross domestic product (GDP) of US$49.5 trillion, or about 39% of the world’s GDP. Thus, the economic prospects of the market covered is exponential.
 
In the face of an impending global economic downturn spurred by the looming trade war between the US and China, the unrest in the Middle East and the implications of Brexit, signing the RCEP conclusively, is imperative to ensure the economic health of the participating countries. The treaty is a purveyor of free markets and open international trade, likely to benefit a burgeoning population in the APAC region.
 
Experts however are divided on whether the RCEP tables sustainable and feasible demands for India.The emphasis on elimination of trade barriers would ensure that India has access to other open markets apart from the ASEAN member countries. However, it would also widen the already existing trade deficit that India has with 10 of the existing RCEP partners.
 
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
EXPORT-IMPORT DATA BANK FOR THE 10 APAC COUNTRIES INDIA HAS A TRADE DEFICIT WITH (2017-18)
 
(VALUE IN US $ MILLIONS)
 

COUNTRY	EXPORT	IMPORT	TRADE DEFICIT
AUSTRALIA	4,012.33	13,993.75	-9981.42
BRUNEI	63.19	434.83	-371.64
CHINA	13,336.78	76,271.72	-62934.94
INDONESIA	3,963.77	16,438.80	-12475.03
JAPAN	4,734.22	10,973.48	-6239.26
LAOS	25	168.63	-143.63
MALAYASIA	5,700.09	9,011.58	-3311.49
NEWZEALAND	352.85	643.71	-290.86
SOUTH KOREA	4,460.98	16,361.76	-11900.78
THAILAND	3,653.66	7,134.55	-3480.89

The post Apac countries pushing India to removeduties on 90% trade goods appeared first on .

source https://indiaoutbound.org/apac-countries-pushing-india-to-removeduties-on-90-trade-goods/

GenRobotic Innovations: Changing Manhole to Robohole

The post GenRobotic Innovations: Changing Manhole to Robohole appeared first on .

source https://indiaoutbound.org/genrobotic-innovations-changing-manhole-to-robohole/

My Poor MP

Everyone has views on who to vote for…but who do wereally vote for? -Siddharth JhawarImagine applying for a job in which your odds of selection were 1 in 2 million. However, once you got in, you realize that what your job description says and what your bosses expect from you are essentially different roles. Your clients are suspicious and cynical of your day-to-day activities, and some of them loathe you.Compensation is quite poor, you would get paid better elsewhere,and, in fact, you may have to bear your office expenses too. All this while, many other people want your job and so you try hard to keep it. Welcome to the life of an Indian Member of Parliament!

The post My Poor MP appeared first on .

source https://indiaoutbound.org/my-poor-mp/