Articles by "FICCI"
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New Delhi, Apr 5: President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday regretted that women had not been given their due in business and commerce despite their contribution to economy at work and at home.
Addressing the 34th annual session of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) here he said conditions need to be created for more women to come into the workforce.
"If more women become part of the workforce, both household incomes and the GDP will rise. We will become a more prosperous nation. More than that, we will become a more equal society,’’ he said
"Appropriate, encouraging and safe conditions must be created at home, in society and at the work-place to enhance the percentage of working women.’’
The magic of entrepreneurship must be used to facilitate start-ups for women at the bottom of the pyramid. The government has a role here, but so do civil society and business and organisations such as FLO, he said.
Referring to bank frauds, he said that while genuine business failures can happen but when there is a wilful and criminal default on a bank loan, then it is families of our fellows Indians that suffer. The innocent citizen loses out, and ultimately the honest tax-payer bears the burden.
He lauded the efforts of MUDRA entrepreneurs in small hamlets and among traditionally underprivileged and deprived communities to make efforts to pay back their loans. 
Mr Kovind urged the members of FLO to see how they could make such businesses – largely run by women – integral to their value chains. UNI


New Delhi, Apr 3: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has pitched for a benign stance in the monetary policy to be announced this week for strengthening of the revival signs in the economy. 
The RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is meeting on April 4-5, for announcing the First Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for 2018-19.
“Over the last few months, the signs of economic recovery are visible, but there is a need to further push the growth levers to see a complete turnaround in manufacturing and enable investments to reach full scale,” said FICCI president Rashesh Shah.
Mr Shah pointed out that FICCI’s surveys show investment growth has not picked up at the desired pace and one of the reasons cited is lack of availability of affordable capital for higher investments, according to an official statement here.
“We urge the RBI to take a balanced approach in the upcoming meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee and take necessary action to encourage risk taking by business enterprises and release animal spirits. This is critical to boost investments and accelerate the growth of the economy,” he said. UNI


New Delhi, Mar 16: Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has said India’s GDP could reach USD 5 trillion by 2025 thus proved that there is consistent growth in manufacturing, services and agricultural sectors.
Chairing a working group on making India a USD 5 trillion economy in 7 years here on Thursday, Mr Prabhu said government has focused on 12 Champion sectors to push growth in manufacturing and generate job opportunities in India.
The meeting was attended by heads of industry bodies CII, FICCI, IFC, NASSCOM, Niti Aayog and senior officials from the Departments of Commerce and DIPP.
Underlining role of the private sector to create new business models and strategies and leverage new technologies in order to fuel growth in the Indian economy, the Minister said the government will act as the facilitator in this process.
The participants underlined the need to factor in technological disruptions, challenges due to climate change, positive use of India’s demographic dividend, conscious effort to make India’s manufacturing sector a part of global value chain and recognizing the importance of small and medium scale enterprises to fuel India’s growth story.
"These sectors have potential to become global champions and drive double digit growth in manufacturing, “Mr Prabhu said. UNI



New Delhi, Feb 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday held substantive and productive discussions on cooperation in trade and investment, energy, connectivity, defence and security and regional issues.
After a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and the visiting Iranian President, agreements were signed in areas like double taxation avoidance, extradition, agricultural cooperation, port lease, medicine and others. 
'Civilisational connect, contemporary context! PM narendramodi welcomed President of Iran Dr. Rouhani to India. Both leaders held substantive & productive discussion on cooperation in trade & investment, energy, connectivity, defence & security & regional issues,' spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.
'On sidelines of the bilateral meeting between PM @narendramodi and Iranian President Dr. Rouhani, agreements were signed in areas like double taxation avoidance, extradition, agricultural cooperation, port lease, medicine and others,' he said.
Addressing a joint press interaction with Mr Rouhani, PM Modi said, 'the visit by the Iranian president shows how the two sides want to deepen cooperation in key areas, including connectivity.'
Mr Modi said that during his talks with the Iranian president, they discussed threats posed by terrorism, drug trafficking and other challenges.
Speaking during the joint interaction, Mr Rouhani said, "We are determined to combat terrorism and extremism."
The Iranian leader also said that regional conflicts must be resolved through diplomacy and political initiatives.
PM Modi also appreciated the way the Iranian leader provided leadership in developing the strategically-important Chabahar Port. 
Expressing concern on the issue of terrorism, Mr Modi said both countries want to see our neighbours free of terrorism. 
'The two countries want to see our neighbour Afghanistan safe and prosper. We want to see our neighbours free of terrorism. I thank you for the way you provided leadership in developing Chabahar Port,' the PM told the Iranian President.
Mr Rouhani said relations between the two countries go beyond trade and business. 'It goes back in history,' he said.
The countries signed an agreement for exchange of information between the two contracting parties as per latest international standards.
It will improve transparency in tax matters and help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance.
They also signed an agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation & Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income. The agreement will stimulate flow of investment, technology and personnel from India to Iran and vice versa and prevent double taxation.
Other MoUs signed between the two countries include an MoU between EEPC India and Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.; MoU between Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA); MoU between the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture (ICCIMA) and between PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).
An MoU on Postal Cooperation has also been signed envisaging cooperation between the two postal agencies including exchange of experience, knowledge and technology in e-commerce/logistics services; cooperation on philately; establishment of working group of experts; feasibility studies on using air and surface transit capacities of both countries Earlier, Mr Rouhani was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan where he was welcomed by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Modi.
In the morning, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on Mr Rouhani and discussed various issues with him. UNI


New Delhi, Dec 18: The Election Commission (EC) has decided to set up a panel comprising representatives from Press Council of India and National Broadcaster's Association among others to suggest amendments to a provision in the election law barring campaigning 48 hours ahead of polling.
In an order issued on Sunday night, the poll panel said the proposed committee will have members from the Election Commission, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and also from the ministries of Law and IT to examine provisions in the prevailing context of communication technologies and suggest required changes.
The order comes in the wake of controversies and a series of complaints from Congress and BJP over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's FICCI speech, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's TV interviews in Gujarat and the release of BJP Sankalp Patra by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley -- after campaigning had ended for the crucial Gujarat polls.
It further said the matter will be thereafter taken up with all stakeholders including political parties and media houses for their views and to recommend "appropriate modification" in law and the Commission's instructions.
The Commission also said that the legal opinion provided to the Election Commission advised that in view of the "increasing changes" in technology and media functioning, there should be "another look" at the relevant laws. 
"It appears imperative to revisit the provisions relating to the last 48 hours before completion of poll to appropriately address challenges unleashed by fast changing technologies in the context of multi-phase polls," the EC said.
The Congress held noisy protest in Delhi outside the EC main office premises on December 14 and had charged the constitutional body with being partisan. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala had gone to the extent of calling the poll panel a "captive puppet" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded actions against BJP leaders and Union Ministers including Amit Shah, Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal for their media interactions and statements.
The EC had earlier also ordered lodging of FIRs against TV channels for airing the interview of Rahul Gandhi, a day after poll campaign for the second phase of polling had ended.
A show cause notice served to Rahul Gandhi was withdrawn on Sunday night by the Election Commission. UNI


New Delhi, Dec 14: Charging the Election Commission of turning a blind eye to the violation of the model code of conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by organising a roadshow with BJP flags, the Congress on Thursday termed the EC as a 'captive puppet' of the BJP and urged it to restore the dignity of its office by taking requisite action in the matter.
Addressing a joint press conference here along with AICC general secretary incharge for Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, AICC media incharge Randeep Surjewala said, 'having tried every trick in the book to divert and distract the Gujarat election in view of impending defeat, a desperate Prime Minister on Thursday negated all norms of Constitution and Code of Conduct by holding a road show with BJP flags. Election Commission of India and its entire machinery shamelessly abdicated its constitutional responsibility.
"Election Commission’s conspiratorial silence and absolute inaction reflects as to how one more independent institution in our polity has become a puppet at the whims and fancy of Bhartiya Janata Party.'
Charging the EC of double standards, Mr Surjewala said, 'The double standard of Election Commission can be gauged by the fact that while it registers an FIR against news channels and news papers for holding an interview of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi at New Delhi; it gives a free licence to BJP and Mr Narendra Modi to violate the law, the Constitution and Code of Conduct as it meekly surrenders itself and prostrates before the Prime Minister and the ruling party.
"It also turned a blind eye to the holding of a press conference by BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Piyush Goyal yesterday. It also failed to take any action over the PM addressing the function at FICCI where he gave a 'political' speech.' UNI


Kolkata, Dec 13: The State Industry Department is planning to approach prominent industrialists of Bengal to act as brand ambassadors for the state.
The state government wants the industrialists themselves, who have benefitted from 
the state’s policies (and there are many of them), to speak about the policies and 
opportunities which exist in the ruling government of Bengal. Some of them have 
already participated in road shows organised by the State Government abroad.
The state government is also approaching industry associations like CII, ASSOCHAM, FICCI and others to promote Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) as well as Bengal as a business destination, generally.
Now, the state government is primarily focussing on two things to attract investments 
from abroad – modern manufacturing facilities (as per the industry 4.0 standard) and the  existence of some of top branded hotels in the state.
Internationally, Industry 4.0 is the standard now being followed for manufacturing industries, a standard which stresses on the use of information technology to make manufacturing much more efficient. The state government wants the state to adopt this standard widely.
As for highlighting the hotels, the aim of the state government is to highlight them in order to convince potential investors, as the presence of upscale hotels (where big-ticket investors can stay comfortably) is one of the prime markers of the industry-friendliness of a region. UNI


New Delhi, Dec 9: Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Dipak Misra has suggested a model for ensuring timely, cost-effective and impartial arbitration ecosystem in the country, which can make India a global hub of arbitration.
In his inaugural address at the ICA-FICCI “International conference: Arbitration in the Era of Globalisation” on Saturday, Justice Misra said, "while talking about court-annexed arbitration, I must say I am in favour of institutional arbitration like ICA, MCA and whatever they are having throughout the country …. the shift has to be towards institutional arbitration, there is a need and there is a purpose. When you are handling a complex economy, there has to be a structural adjudication of disputes”.
CJI said that a friendly judicial approach with minimum interference and maximum execution should be core principles of arbitration in any dispute.
Justice Mishra said that implementation was the foundation of any result that comes through arbitration – institutional or in court.
“India will play pivotal role in arbitration. India has travelled from Bhatia International case to BALCO case. Indian courts are not scared of accepting foreign jurisdiction.” 
He stressed that, “In the US, UK and other progressive countries, they have realised and we have also realised that the best way to serve commercial disputes are not the court litigations, there has to be alternate dispute resolution system”.
Justice Misra said, “India has to grow to have its own arbitral system – so that the people from other jurisdictions get attracted to have arbitration proceedings in India”.
He pointed out that sometimes the business agreements are so drafted by the companies that the concept of jurisdiction shifts from India to outside, and said “That is your choice. Nobody can impose a contractual choice on you, but if you are doing business, you must look after the interest of the country”.
Justice Misra also made it clear that an essential element of a robust arbitration system would be ensuring minimum interference and maximum executability. UNI