Jan. 27 – To encourage more hotels to open prior to the Commonwealth Games, India is giving a five-year tax holiday for new hotels completed in the national capital region before March 31.
The rule will apply to 2, 3 and 4 star hotels and exclude 5 star hotels. An estimated 100,000 tourists are expected to arrive in New Delhi when the Commonwealth Games start on October 3. Currently, the city only has 10,000 hotel rooms and will need 30,000 more for the games. Continue reading
Jan. 5 – A recently approved industrial policy for New Delhi aims to consolidate business in the capital to turn it into a high-tech, knowledge-based service sector and IT hub.
Two special economic zones will initially be set up in Baprola, one for gems and jewelery and the other for IT and information technology enabled services (ITES) says The Economic Times. The plan is applicable from 2010 to 2021 and is only the second of its kind to be implemented in the city. Continue reading
Dec. 10 – India has successfully decoded the human genome locally making it part of the only six countries in the world to do so.
Other countries who have been able to accomplish the feat are the United States, United Kingdom, China, Canada and South Korea. India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) says the breakthrough will allow pharmaceutical companies to produce drugs more attuned with Indian physiology. Continue reading
Nov. 13 – India’s Foreign Ministry has announced that stapled Chinese visas for Indian travelers will not be allowed to exit the country and advises applicants to verify how their visas will be attached.
Some Chinese embassies and consulates have continued to issue stapled visas for Indians coming from Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir despite Indian government protests. The practice is China’s way of not recognizing the territories as a part of India.
“It has come to the attention of government of India that the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in New Delhi and the Chinese consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata are issuing visas on a separate piece of paper ‘stapled’ to the passport (rather than pasted as is the usual practice), to certain categories of Indian nationals on the basis of their domicile, ethnicity and/or place of issue of the passport. Such paper visas stapled to the passport are not considered valid for travel out of the country,” said the ministry advisory. Continue reading
By Shirley Liu and Seema Rani Bhende
NEW DELHI, Nov. 4 – With the start of the Commonwealth Games 2010 less than a year away, questions continue to be asked if India is truly up to the challenge. Over the last several months, there have been mounting concerns from reporters and Commonwealth Games officials that New Delhi is unprepared and seriously behind planning schedule, which has raised doubt on India’s ability to execute the Games in a sound fashion. Continue reading
Oct. 29 – The World Economic Forum will be holding the India Economic Summit on November 8-10 in New Delhi. The theme is “India’s Next Generation of Growth.”
According to the Forum, the questions to be debated will include answers from experts addressing the fact that India has the world’s second largest population and one of the fastest growing economies today. Experts predict that India will become a global superpower within fifty years – thanks to its economic growth and young population. Access to health care, reliable power and clean water are also in desperate short supply. Could these gaps prevent India from achieving what finally seems within its grasp? Continue reading
MUMBAI, Oct. 14 – Following an inspection of the sites intended for the Delhi Commonwealth Games led by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Mike Fennell, the Delhi Games Organizing Committee (DGOC) has the ignominy of having an Independent Technical Committee, made up of foreign experts oversee all aspects of DGOC preparations.
The CGF had delegates from each of the 71 commonwealth territories inspect all venues over the past six days. Fennell’s report was not good, stating that “There are particular concerns across all operational areas, as well as with the procurement processes.” Somewhat predictably, DGOC chief Suresh Kalmadi reacted angrily to the report and to the imposition of an independent review panel, saying that the CGF had come to India with an existing agenda and that the visit was extremely demoralizing. Continue reading
Oct. 9 – More American investment is expected to pour in when the U.S.-India bilateral investment treaty is finalized and streamlines the foreign direct investment process in terms of project bidding and return on investments.
“Once the treaty comes through, it will enable billions of dollars of foreign direct investment to come to India . The United States wants to partner and work together with India in the areas of green energy, green collar jobs and green initiatives,” Timothy Roemer, U.S. ambassador to India, was quoted by the ENS Economic Bureau during the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi. The ambassador also cited the potential of the educational sector as one of the avenues of cooperation. Continue reading
New Delhi
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