New Telecom Policy to make roaming free across country
New Delhi, The Hindu Business Line, May 31
The Cabinet on Thursday cleared the National Telecom Policy 2012 which envisages a slew of initiatives, including free roaming, unrestricted Net telephony and a new unified licensing regime for operators. The policy gives specific emphasis to push broadband uptake and increase local manufacturing of telecom equipment. The policy document is, however, silent about when and how the proposals will be implemented.
The biggest gain would be for those who travel a lot, as roaming charges are set to be abolished. This means that subscriber will get free incoming calls and outgoing calls at local tariffs anywhere in the country.
Introduction of inter-circle Mobile Number Portability will enable users carry their phone number from one State to another. For example, an Airtel user in Delhi can shift to Vodafone's network in Chennai and retain the phone number. Currently, MNP is allowed only if the user wants to change operator in the same circle.
Unrestricted Net Telephony
The other major gain for consumers will be on the proposal to allow unrestricted Internet telephony. This will allow subscribers to use the Internet to make local and STD calls to a fixed or mobile user. This is also good for Internet Service Providers such as Reliance Industries promoted Reliance Infotel, as unrestricted Net telephony will allow them to offer voice services on top of data. The new policy comes at a time when the telecom sector is reeling under the multiple impact of the 2G spectrum scam, falling revenues for operators and the resultant tariff hikes.
Board set under Anand Sharma to boost manufacturing sector
New Delhi, The Economic Times: June 04
The Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Textiles, Shri Anand Sharma briefing the media after meeting with Power loom Association
The government has set up a high-level board under commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma to boost manufacturing sectors after India's GDP growth plummeted to a nine-year low of 5.3% in the last quarter of 2011-12, largely because of a 0.3% contraction in manufacturing.
The annual growth for the 2011-12 was also a nine-year low of 6.5%. The 13-member Manufacturing Industry promotion Board ( MIPB) would periodically review the manufacturing sector, which contributes nearly 15% of the GDP, well below near 40% share in China.
The board would include secretaries of key government departments and ministries, such as economic affairs, revenue, labour, MSME, road transport and environment and also some industry representatives.
"High-level inter-ministerial nature of the board will enable it to resolve co-ordination issues among central ministries on the one hand and state governments and central ministries on the other," a commerce and industry ministry release said on Sunday. The government has formed three more panels - High Level Committee (HLC), Green Manufacturing Committee (GMC) and Board of Approval (BoA) - to implement the National Manufacturing Policy. The policy aims to increase the share of the manufacturing sector in the GDP to 25%, from the current about 15%, in the next decade. It envisages mega National Investment and Manufacturing Zones and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
Trade policy boost for e-commerce biz
The Hindu Business Line, May 8, 2012
New Delhi: In a boost for e-commerce businesses, the Centre has agreed to provide fiscal incentives for exports shipped through e-commerce platforms.
To begin with, this facility will be available for shipments effected from Delhi and Mumbai, the Commerce and Industry minister, Mr Anand Sharma, announced here today, as part of the annual supplement to the trade policy.
Mr Sharma also said that an inter-ministerial task force constituted by the Finance Ministry would expeditiously look into various aspects of e-commerce to enable shipments through designated ports. The latest initiative could boost exports of handicrafts, gems & jewellery, carpets, music CDs and electronic items from the country, said Mr Ajai Sahai, Director-General and CEO, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).
Exports thru courier
It is not only exports through e-commerce platforms, even exports through posts and couriers would be eligible for export incentives for shipments effected from Delhi and Mumbai. Reacting to the announcement, Mr Malcolm Monteiro, CEO, South Asia, DHL Express, said, “We in the express logistics industry warmly welcome the decision to make exports shipped through Express and E-Commerce from Delhi and Mumbai eligible for export benefits.”
“We look forward to the logical next step from Customs to allow commercial export shipments through courier giving the Indian exporter the choice to use the best logistic platform as per their requirements,” he added.
Nalco gets nod for Rs 12,000-crore investment to set up JV plants
with GMDC
Ahmedabad, The Economic Times: June 05
Gujarat government, last week, okayed the Rs 12,000-crore investment plan by National Aluminium Company in Gujarat to set up an alumina and smelter plant. The approval has cleared the way for Nalco and state-owned Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation to set up a joint venture, a senior official from Gujarat's department of industries and mines said. GMDC will have a 26% stake in the joint venture.
The project is expected to be set up on the lines units installed by the UK-based Vedanta group in Orissa, but will use better technology, the GMDC official said. The project will be set up in two phases. In the first phase, Nalco will invest Rs 4,400 crore in an alumina plant with a capacity of 10 lakh tonnes per annum. The remaining investment will come in the second phase that will also see setting up of a five lakh per annum capacity smelter plant. GMDC will supply 30 lakh tonnes of bauxite sourced from Gadshisa and surrounding mines in Kutch to Nalco. In addition to the price of bauxite, GMDC will also get a 26% share from the profit, earned by Nalco from the sale of the final product.
"Till now bauxite mined from Gujarat was sold to buyers outside the state. Now, the mineral will stay in the state and generate employment through value-addition," said GMDC managing director VS Gandhi. Kutch has 63 million tonnes of non-plant grade bauxite reserves. GMDC has reserves of plant grade and non plant Bauxite at Gadhsisa in Kutch and Kalyanpur in Jamnagar (Saurashtra region). While Gadhsisa has a potential of mining one million TPA Bauxite, Kalyanpur has a capacity of 1.25 million TPA. Plant grade bauxite is used in refractories and chemical industries, while non plant grade bauxite is exported.
Bauxite miner and exporter Ashapura Minechem had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with GMDC for the plant but did not execute it. Fresh EoIs were then invited. Companies who had expressed interest include US-based AluChem Inc, Russia-based UC RUSAL, Dubai-based Dubai Aluminium Limited (DUBAL), and Indian companies like Adani Enterprise, Aditya Birla group, NALCO, JSW steel and Jaiprakash Industries.The proposals were examined by Nagpur-based Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre of the Government of India. After a comparative analysis, NALCO was selected for the project.
|