India-Briefing News

The Man of the Moment: Manmohan

nazia — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:00:08 +0800

July 23 - Seventeen years after Manmohan Singh "libralized" India's economy leading the nation to attain Asian superpower status, he's once again proven that as a visionary he knows whats needed for India's development and that he's got the nation's support.

After two gruelling days in Parliment house, where leaders of the ruling coalition UPA party fought tooth and nail with their opposition, Manmohan Singh's UPA party won the trust vote by 19 votes. The ruling coalition secured 275 votes as against 256 by the Opposition. As many as 10 members were absent or abstained from voting. The emergency need for a trust vote was called for when the left parties, a large minority in the ruling coalition decided to withdraw from the government as Manmohan Singh agreed to sigh the nuclear deal with America.

India Opposed U.S. Farm Subsidies

nazia — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:04:44 +0800

July 21 - India has strongly opposed an extention of agricultural subsidies granted to the United States at the recently held Doha round of global free trade talks being held in Geneva.

The latest draft on agriculture modalities circulated by committee of agriculture chairman Crawford Falconer has given a special ‘carve-out’to the US in the form of a different base period for subsidy calculation than others which will allow it to maintain a higher subsidies of US$5 million.

Fuel Prices Attack Hospitality Industry Too

nazia — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:10:08 +0800

July 18 - Hotel room rates in New Delhi have dropped almost 50 percent the lowest in two years on the back of rising aviation fuel fees and an economic slowdown, the Times of India reported

"Corporates have cut travel of their executives which has affected our occupancy. Although the tariff is in the range of Rs 5,000-Rs 8,000 (US$117-187) in five-stars, they are still pretty affordable. But with airfares being where they are, personal leisure travel is becoming out of reach of the middle class," said an leading hotelier.

Everybody's Right To Information

nazia — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:28:16 +0800

July 16 - India's bringing the best of its legal and technology sectors together - the government is considering setting up a Right to Information call centre. After the success of the Right to Information Act enforced in 2005, which gives the citizens of India access to government information, empowering them to hold the state accountable, the call center will make the act more accessable.

If all goes well, the call center will allow applicants to seek information over the phone from any of the central government departments and organizations across the country, reported the Times of India.

The call centre will save citizens the trouble not only of writing and posting the RTI applications to different public authorities but also of buying postal orders or demand drafts for paying the nominal fee of Rs 10.

India's Diamond Traders Have Their Work Cut out For Them

nazia — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:04:25 +0800

July 14 - A little known fact states that India polishes about nine in every ten diamonds, mostly tiny stones less than a carat. None the less, the country's diamond traders have their eyes set on brighter tragets - the trade of rough diamonds.

"We're trying to make India the largest trading centre and manufacturing centre for diamonds," said Sanjay Kothari, the chairman of India's Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) told Reuters. "Why should we go to Antwerp?"

A bullish confidence is common among Indian businessmen these days. Nonetheless, even if few see Antwerp being eclipsed any time soon, the ambition of Kothari and his colleagues is giving pause to at least some Antwerp traders.

Indias Taxes Help Government Acquire More Land

nazia — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:12:08 +0800

July 11 - As incomes soar in a booming India, the government has collected an unprecedented amount of direct tax - Rs 3,14,000 crore (US$73 billion) last fiscal - more than they know what to do with. In a bid to invest their money prudently, the Income tax department will capitalise on the slump in India's real estate sector.

Deals have been struck for several prime plots of land and office space in many cities across the country worth millions of rupees. The emphasis is, however, on acquiring centrally air-conditioned buildings that are Wi-Fi enabled, fitted with state-of-the-art security systems and plush reception with a lounge-kind of open space, the Times of India reported.

India’s Communist Party Ends Coalition Support

nazia — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:22:41 +0800

July 10- India’s Communist Party formally ended its support of the Congress-led coalition, over a government decision to push through with a civilian nuclear deal with the United States.

Leftist parties argue that the deal could threaten Indian sovereignty while the government feels the deal is needed to answer the country’s increasing energy demands.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's said in a statement that the government will go ahead with seeking approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency for the U.S. civilian nuclear deal.

India's Nuclear Deal Nears Completion

nazia — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 15:13:41 +0800

July 8 - Having garnered strength from his fragmented coalition government, India's confident prime minister, Manmohan Singh, is ready to meet President Bush on Wednesday morning, the stage is now set for India to sign the nuclear deal with America.

India Creates 30,000 American Jobs

nazia — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 13:37:51 +0800

July 7 - Amidst the row in the United States over outsourcing, a study proves that Indian companies are not taking American jobs, instead they have generated more than 30,000 jobs for U.S. citizens in recent years. Indian small and medium enterprises alone in 2007 had set up shop in the U.S. through greenfield units or via acquisitions and created no less than 65,000 jobs, said a study conducted by industry chamber Ficci.

India's First Climate Change Plan

nazia — Fri, 4 Jul 2008 17:31:03 +0800

July 4 - India has revealed its first climate change plan before the G8 summit in Japan next week. The plan outlines eight "missions" for sustainable development - solar energy, energy efficiency, creating a sustainable habitat, conserving water, preserving the Himalayan ecosystem, creating a green India, creating sustainable agriculture and establishing a platform of "strategic knowledge for climate change.

While the plan lacks a proper budget and plan of action, the government seems keen to implement their enviromental ideas. A story by cnet news says that of all the plans, the Indian government seems most keen to implement solar energy. Given the resource is abundant in India, they plan to invest heavily in factories manufacturing solar cells.