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Vol XXV East Asia Electronic News for
India Covering East Asia Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan,
Mongolia (Weekly Updates) 28 Jan 2019 To 03 Feb 2019
By T.S.Chandrashsekar M.A.M'PhiLPhD South Korea
TV Panelist Columnist International Affairs and Korea Expert1
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Topics:
I. East Asia News
II. India News
III. Rest of the World
IV. Important Policy News to Watch
V. Tenders and other Information India
I. East Asia News
1.Going walletless: Korea’s mobile payment market diversifies as competition grows
2.Korea seeks to ease trade dependency on China, US, Japan
3. Korea hosts Drone Show Korea 2019
4. Japan Airlines to start daily Bengaluru-Tokyo service
5. No. of foreign workers in Japan triples in decade to record 1.46 million
6. Japan Shocking: 4 more companies receive envelopes containing cyanide; extortion
suspected
7. Japan eyes e-money salary payments
8. Taiwan, Japan join hands to develop next generation of power meter systems
9. Taiwan’s ITRI wins CES Innovation Awards for 2nd consecutive year
10. Taiwan genetic testing firm Sofiva makes inroads into Thailand
11. Taiwanese biomedical company develops 10-min drug test kits
12. Economic minister hails new Google investments in Taiwan
13. Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) organized successfully its
flagship IMTEX 2019
14. Taiwan’s trade promotion authority to focus on fastest growing int’l markets in 2019
15. Taiwan ranked 13th smartest country in world
16. North Korea: Goshawk, National Bird of DPRK
17. North Korea: Wonsan Leather Shoes Factory
18. North Korea: Construction of Tanchon Power Station Progresses Apace
19. Hanwha Q Cells named top solar installer in Europe, Australia
1 Printed, Published and Owned by T.S.Chandrashekar M.AM.PhiL/(PhD SNU South Korea), No 391 20 Cross Maruti Nagar-
Sonenahalli, Ullal Upangar, Bangalore 560110, India Mobile. 91 9980732889, Email. [email protected] Digital Newsletter
20. Korea to start exports of Kyoho grapes to Australia
21. LG Electronics, Naver sign MOU on robot R&D
22. Kepco chief positive about Saudi Arabia’s nuclear bid
23. Korea vows to create new innovative cities
24. Korea: LG already moving toward 6G network technologies
25. China: CACDA hosts public event during Beijing P5 Conference
26. Military-run Chinese space station in Argentina raises fears of secret operations
27. China releases footage of ‘Guam killer’ DF-26 ballistic missile in ‘clear message to the
US’
28. US warships sail through the closely watched Taiwan Strait, for ‘a free and open Indo-
Pacific”
29. Chinese army now makes up less than half of PLA’s strength as military aims to
transform itself into modern fighting force
30. Mongolia’s eligibility extended to participate in H-2 visa program
31. Cure to Zika virus may become a reality thanks to Indian scientist Rajnish Giri and his
research on the virus’ structure
32. Teaching talent: UK universities recruit more Indian academics, number reaches 5600
in 2017-18
33. Tata Steel sells S-E Asia business to HBIS Group China
34. In India Japan’s SoftBank’s India Investment to cross $10 billion
35. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit India for one day on February 11
36. The Chinese military’s five biggest leaps forward in modern weapon systems
37. Foxconn might scale back or drop planned factory in Wisconsin
38. ISIS in South East Asia: Philippines vows to 'destroy' Islamist extremism
39. United States and Venezuela Relations in shambles: Effect on India
40. Africa's Renewable-power Surge Faces Challenge: Too Few Workers
41. ISRO selects 10 firms for transfer of Lithium-ion technology
42. India to account for 40 per cent of global rail travel by 2050: Report
43. Indian Commerce Secretary meets Chinese Vice Minister in Beijing
44. India’s Foreign Trade Statistics for the Period April Dec 2018 Ministry of Commerce
and Industry Government of India
45. DIPP nod for new e-commerce policy soon: Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu
1.Going walletless: Korea’s mobile payment market diversifies as competition grows
South Korea is increasingly going walletless, as more people are opting to use services that allow
payments to be made easily with just smartphones both offline and online. Similar to US-based
Paypal, users register their credit cards on N Pay or
Kakao Pay, and they are then able to make purchases
at compatible online shopping sites using just a
passcode or fingerprint scanning, bypassing the
complex authentication process previously required
for online card purchases.
Credit card companies also launched standalone “app
cards” that facilitate quick card payments in mobile
and online settings. At the same time, smartphone
manufacturer began popularizing the offline mobile
payment model with the launch of Samsung Pay in 2015. Using near field communication and
magnetic secure transmission technologies, the system lets people make credit or debit card
payments by placing smartphones near card terminals. In March 2018, Samsung announced that
Samsung Pay had surpassed a total of 10 million users and hosted more than 18 trillion won
($17.02 billion) in cumulative transactions in Korea.
While this business continues to develop, Korea has begun to embrace another form of mobile
payment: the QR code payment system in which people pay by scanning barcodes that connect
straight to bank accounts. Eyeing the benefits of QR pay systems, the government has launched a
similar mobile payment app called Zero Pay, in an effort to reduce card payment-processing
costs for small merchants and store owners to near zero. The platform is currently in beta mode
and will be officially launched in March. To incentivize more consumers to use Zero Pay, the
government has promised a 40 percent deduction in income tax for those who use the pay
platform. It is a vast improvement from the 15 percent tax exemption rate applied to credit card
usage.
In addition, the proportion of offline payments in the overall simplified mobile payment realm
increased from 46.5 percent in 2016 to 55.6 percent in 2017, overtaking online payments.
2.Korea seeks to ease trade dependency on China, US, Japan
South Korea began to seek free trade deals in 1999, since past 20 years, 15 FTAs between Korea
and its counterparts have taken effect, with 52 partner
countries in total. The 15 FTAs include those with three
continental economic blocs: the European Free Trade
Association (four countries), the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (10) and the European Union
(28).
The government is keeping a close watch on tariff
disputes between economic powerhouses, as the Korean
economy is highly dependent on trade with China its largest trade partner and the US.
Furthermore, trade volume with three countries China, the US and Japan takes up more than half
of the total.
Businesses in the private sector are pinning hopes on the government’s upcoming trade talks,
which could pull up the ratio of trade volume with countries like Saudi Arabia (ninth-largest
trade partner), India (11th), Russia (12th), Mexico (15th), UAE (16th) and Iran (20th).
Among these talks, the move led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to see the
effectuation of deals with South and Central American nations is aimed at gaining an
advantageous position in the emerging market before Japan or China, according to officials at the
Government Complex Sejong.
Likewise, Korea is focusing on emerging markets in the area of FTAs, in line with the road map
unveiled by Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong last year. “It is necessary to diversify export
destinations targeting emerging countries,” he said.
He added that Korea plans to expand FTA deals up to the level at which partners account for
about 90 percent of the world’s gross domestic product in the coming years, from the current 77
percent. Korea has no FTA counterpart in the Middle East. Although it held preliminary
meetings with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council in 2008, bilateral preparation
procedures have halted after their third round of meetings in July 2009. The six members are
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
Despite the Korea-EU FTA and Korea-EFTA FTA with a combined total of 32 countries, only
two -- Germany (eighth-largest) and the UK (17th) -- are among the nation’s top 20 trade
partners, according to 2018 statistics from the Korea International Trade Association.
3. Korea hosts Drone Show Korea 2019
The South Korean government kicked off Drone Show Korea 2019 in the southern port city of
Busan, with some 100 firms showcasing their latest drones and related technologies. The
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the
annual event, which marks the fourth of its
kind, is the largest drone-related convention in
Asia. It will run for three days through
Saturday.
South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom
Co. took part in the event, unveiling a new
communication service that is capable of
livestreaming videos shot by drones through a
fifth-generation network. This Is Engineering
Inc. displayed a drone controller that can be activated easily with only one hand. Established in
2016, the startup raised 7 billion won ($6.2 million) in investments last year.
Doosan Mobility Innovation announced it will mass-produce a drone that can run on hydrogen
fuel cells. The firm said if drones with lithium batteries can fly 20 to 30 minutes, those with
hydrogen fuel cells can stay aloft for up to 2 hours.
Other local organizations and research centers also shared the latest achievements in the drone
industry, including delivery drones as well as those for military purposes.
The ministry said South Korean plans to provide various support to drone firms to foster the
industry. Under the so-called regulatory sandbox program, which centers on encouraging local
companies to seek innovation and new opportunities by reducing regulations, the ministry said
local firms will be given more leeway as long as safety is guaranteed.
"The government plans to actively utilize the regulatory sandbox program to remove hurdles in
terms of launching new drone-related services by the private sector," the ministry added.
4. Japan Airlines to start daily Bengaluru-Tokyo service
Japan Airlines (JAL) on Wednesday announced that it will launch a new non-stop daily service
between Tokyo (Narita) and Bengaluru from 2020. There are no direct flights to Tokyo from any
south Indian city.
JAL, which now has direct flights to Tokyo
from New Delhi, is planning to operate
flights on the Bengaluru-Tokyo route daily.
The Tokyo-Bengaluru flight will leave
Tokyo at 6:25 pm and reach Bengaluru at
12:05 am (next day). In return, it will leave
at 2:45 am from Bengaluru and reach Tokyo
at 2:55 pm.
In a release, JAL said: "The IT industry is thriving in Bangalore and is known as the Silicon
Valley of India, where global corporations focusing in telecommunications, biotechnology, and
automobiles are strategically based in this unique city. As direct flights are currently not in
service from Japan, the launch of this route will provide customers from North America a new
option when travelling to the southern region of India”.
It has said that reservations and ticket sales will be announced when plans are finalized.
Welcoming the move, consul-general of Japan in Bengaluru, Takayuki Kitagawa, in a statement,
said, "launch of non-stop flights from Bengaluru to Tokyo (Narita) will herald a new era of more
strengthened economic relation between Karnataka and Japan. With this development not only
will tourism flourish in Karnataka and Japan but also many new businesses will be established;
thereby creating lots of new opportunities," he said.
"With the recent relaxation of visa norms from January, the new flight service is bound to see a
huge increase in Indian visitors from Bengaluru to Japan" he said. "The new flight service will
enable people to travel not just to Tokyo but also to many cities in the US easily. Once the
Silicon Valley of India and US are connected, we can probably expect Tokyo to become the next
Silicon Valley, too. This flight service is more than a win-win, it is a triple win situation for
India, Japan and the US,” he added
5. No. of foreign workers in Japan triples in decade to record 1.46 million
According to the data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare number of foreign
workers in Japan tripled over a decade to a record-high 1.46 million as of October, official data
showed, as companies continue to struggle with a
labor shortage.
As of Oct 31, there were 1,460,463 foreign workers in
Japan, up 14.2 percent from a year earlier, marking
the 11th straight year of increase. The figure, the
highest since comparable data became available in
2008 when it stood around 486,000, is almost certain
to rise in the years ahead as Japan has decided to ease
visa restrictions and accept more foreign workers
starting from April.
The labor ministry attributed the increase to the government's policy of promoting the hiring of
highly skilled workers, students as part-timers, and trainees from developing countries under its
technical intern program. Many foreign technical interns and students are engaged in unskilled
labor with low wages to fill the manpower shortages.
By nationality, Chinese accounted for more than a quarter of the total foreign workforce at
389,117, up 4.5 percent from the previous year, followed by Vietnamese at 316,840, up 31.9
percent, and Filipinos at 164,006, up 11.7 percent.
By sector, manufacturing hired the largest number of foreign workers at 434,342, followed by
retailing at 186,061, and hotels and catering at 185,050, with 230,510 workers categorized under
"other services". Japan's parliament passed new legislation in December paving the way for the
country to formally open its doors to blue-collar workers.
Under the new visa system starting in April, Japan will accept up to 345,150 foreign workers
over five years in 14 sectors including construction, farming and nursing care. It represents a
major policy shift for a country that has basically granted working visas only to highly skilled
people with professional knowledge such as doctors, lawyers and teachers.
A labor ministry panel projected earlier this month Japan's workforce will drop 20 percent by
2040 from 2017 due to an aging population and falling birthrate if the economy sees no growth
and appropriate measures are not taken to sustain productivity. The forecast did not take into
consideration the expansion of foreign workers under the new scheme.
6. Japan Shocking: 4 more companies receive envelopes containing cyanide; extortion
suspected
Ten companies were confirmed to have received envelopes containing a white powder thought to
be potassium cyanide. Police suspect that the envelopes are all the work of the same person, and
are investigating the case as attempted extortion.
According to Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
and Osaka Prefectural Police, the newly confirmed targets are a
pharmaceutical firm and a food company in Tokyo, and two
pharmaceutical companies in western Japan's Osaka. Each
envelope contained white powder and a message demanding
money. The notes made the demands under the names of
leading members of the AUM Shinrikyo, the cult behind the
March 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway among other
crimes.
Envelopes of the same kind were sent on Jan. 25 to pharmaceutical companies in Tokyo, Osaka
and Sapporo, capital of the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, as well as The Mainichi
Newspapers' Tokyo head office.
7. Japan eyes e-money salary payments
Japan is a cash-oriented society, with cashless payments at around 20 percent in 2015, sharply
lower than 90 percent in South Korea and 60 percent in China. However Japanese government is
considering allowing firms to pay salaries in electronic money to promote a shift toward a
cashless society.
The move is being sought as Japan is set to open up in April to
more foreign blue-collar workers, who are expected to face
hurdles in opening bank accounts as they lack domestic assets
and transaction histories. In addition to e-money that can be
added to IC cards and smartphones, deposits to prepaid cards
and smartphone apps will be considered. Cryptocurrencies, that
tend to be volatile, will likely be excluded.
The government is planning to first introduce cashless salary
payments at the special zones designated for deregulation, and then nationwide. Currently,
workers in Japan largely receive salaries in cash or through bank transfers.
Japanese labor law insists companies pay salaries in cash at least once a month, in principle, so
that they do not pay in kind with their products. Deposits to bank accounts are accepted under a
labor ministry ordinance. The government aims to limit those who handle cashless salary
payments to dealers in a sound financial state, registered with the Financial Services Agency.
Talks will take place between the government and industry bodies to determine how best to
protect workers from stalled payments if dealers go under.
8. Taiwan, Japan join hands to develop next generation of power meter systems
Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Tokyo’s utility companies Power
Grid (TEPCO PG) and Tokyo Gas have inked an agreement to pave the way for jointly
developing next-generation power meter systems
at the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City in
Tainan.
The project will draw on the expertise of the
parties involved, including Taiwan’s smart energy
management systems and the next-generation
power meter technologies Japan boasts, ITRI said
in a press release.
The power companies from Tokyo will establish a
total of seven model homes at the experimental field in Tainan, which will be fitted with smart
meters incorporating data of the amount of electricity, water, and gas consumed. Big data
analysis will help provide insight into what a green lifestyle means for energy conservation.
In line with the “five plus two” innovative industries plan set out by the Executive Yuan, the
Taiwan-Japan initiative will lay the foundation for bilateral collaboration in tapping the lucrative
energy market as the island is geared towards energy transformation by 2025, noted Robert Hu,
head of the ITRI's Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories.
Improving quality of life through the analysis of tenants’ behavior is also one of the joint
project’s objectives. Take senior care as an example. As an individual’s household activities
leave an electricity footprint, relevant data can be used as an indicator of whether an abnormality
has occurred in the life pattern of a solitary elder, which triggers a response mechanism
accordingly.
9. Taiwan’s ITRI wins CES Innovation Awards for 2nd consecutive year
A device developed by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan's largest high-
tech applied research institution, and another product
rolled out by ITRI’s spinoff have both won CES
2019 Innovation Awards.
ITRI’s Hybrid Power Drone with High Payload and
Duration alongside ELECLEAN’s Disinfectant
Spray were each named CES 2019 Innovation
Award Honorees in the Robotics and Drones
category and the Home Appliances category,
respectively, the institute said in the news release.
The annual CES Innovation Awards program honors outstanding product design and engineering
in brand-new consumer technology products. “ITRI’s Hybrid Power Drone with High Payload
and Duration is an octocopter that can hover up to 45 minutes at 30 kg payload, which is over
three times the endurance of a drone powered solely by lithium battery,” the news release said.
The drone consists of “a hybrid power system including a lightweight aviation internal
combustion engine (ICE), a high-power-density electric generator, and lithium batteries,”
according to the document.
The drone passed a preliminary field test for a smart spray system in a mountainous tea garden,
proving its capabilities as an advanced agricultural drone for plant protection, according to ITRI.
As for ELECLEAN Disinfectant Spray, it is “a portable device
that uses water to produce a disinfectant to kill 99.9% of
bacteria and viruses such as H1N1 Virus, Enterovirus, and E.
coli,” ITRI said, adding that its startup ELECLEAN developed
the product, “using the world’s first nano-catalysis
electrochemical technology to convert water molecules into
reactive oxygen species (ROS) in 15 minutes.”
Designed to be eco-friendly and convenient, and without
adding chemicals, the device will not result in skin allergies or
dermatitis, ITRI said. “Moreover, its user-friendly and compact
design makes it easy to use and carry,” the institute said. “The
ELECLEAN Disinfectant Spray can be applied in homes,
hospitals, restaurants, or schools for multiple purposes including disinfecting surfaces, cleaning
hands, or sanitizing pets.”
10. Taiwan genetic testing firm Sofiva makes inroads into Thailand
Taiwanese genetic testing company Sofiva Genomics has announced plans to establish its first
overseas subsidiary in Bangkok, marking its venture into the Southeast Asian market. Sofiva
Genomics provides services spanning prenatal testing,
neonatal testing, personalized care, as well as screening for
cancer and rare genetic diseases, will be setting up a
laboratory in the capital of Thailand, according to a press
release by the company.
The Thailand office will serve as a springboard for the
company as it eyes at expanding business to Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries in the
region, remarked the General Manager of Sofiva, Hong Chia-cheng.
Touting that the company holds key analysis technologies in the area of genetic testing, CEO of
Sofiva, Su Yi-ning, noted that Sofiva has been exporting its expertise to other countries while
many other enterprises rely on sending specimens abroad for testing.
Sofiva provides diagnosis for a range of genetic disorders through rapid screening, including
Prader-Willi Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and Hemophilia.
The Bangkok branch will also be expanding its scope of service for predictive genetic testing for
cancers and targeted therapy, among other services.
11. Taiwanese biomedical company develops 10-min drug test kits
To avoid incidents where apprehended drug addicts may get away with it by switching their
urine samples during the screening process, Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. has
developed a wide range of substance testing kits touted to be
capable of determining whether one has been on drugs in 10
minutes and requiring just three drops of urine, the company
said, adding that the devices boast a 90 to 95 percent
accuracy rate.
According to Formosa Biomedical, screening kits it currently
manufactured can be applied to detect traces of marijuana,
morphine, amphetamines, and Ketamine, with more being
developed. Previously, major clients of the products were the police, military, and education
authorities. After two years of effort, the company has finally been allowed to sell the products at
pharmacies across Taiwan, giving a boost to the country’s fight against substance abuse through
early intervention at household levels.
In addition to the quick drug test devices, Formosa Biomedical is also known for its screening
kits for influenza and pregnancy, with the three product lines expected to account for a market
share of 70 percent next year.
12. Economic minister hails new Google investments in Taiwan
In a video posted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan’s Economic Minister Shen Jong-
chin flaunted a series of new investments from Google to encourage citizens to keep their faith in
the Taiwanese government and economy.
Shen says Google's three main investment areas are
significant for multiple reasons. First, he stated, its purchase
of renewable energy produced in Taiwan indicates the
country is on top of a global trend. Second, the company's
establishment of a local research and development center
suggests it is optimistic about Taiwan's future prospects,
commented Shen.
Finally, he added, Google’s decision to set up a local data center signifies that it recognizes
Taiwan as a country that respects rule of law and is able to provide excellent cybersecurity
protection.
At the end of the video, Shen expressed hope that the public will show their support for
government policies pushing economic growth in the upcoming year.
The minister has said that this year the government will seek to stimulate the economy via
exports, investment, construction, and consumption. Concrete policies have been devised to
assist Taiwanese businesses in relocating their operations back to Taiwan, and help implement
renewable energy infrastructure.
Google also announced this week that it inked a long-term PPA for the output of a 10MW solar
array in Tainan City as part of an initiative to expand its portfolio of renewable energy in Asia.
13. Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) organized successfully its
flagship IMTEX 2019 at the Bangalore
International Exhibition Centre (BIEC)
from 24 to 30 January, 2019 in Bengaluru.
Tooltech 2019 is a premier event concurrent
showcasing machine tool accessories,
metrology and CAD/CAM cutting tools,
tooling systems and current trends in the tooling industry. An initiative of IMTMA, IMTEX is a
flagship event for the Indian metal cutting industry.
It is South and South East Asia's apex exhibition showcasing the latest trends as well as
technological refinements from India and other global players. The mega event attracts visitors
from a wide spectrum of manufacturing and ancillary industries including key decision and
policy makers as well as industry captains who are keen to source latest technologies and
manufacturing solutions for their product lines.
Participants list are at
https://www.imtex.in
We had Two Interview of the East Asia Participants
1.The First was with,
Company: Daegu Gyeongbuk Machinery
Cooperative, Daegu Korea
Representative: Mr Jang Oh-Young
Position: Manager Overseas Marketing, Leader of
Delegtion to IMTEX Bangalore
Country: South Korea
Questions
I.Is this your First Visit to India
Ans. Yes
II. What Products does your Company Deal with?
Ans. Automobile Parts, Automobile Assembly System,
Industrial Machinery, Water Treatment, Agricultural
Machinery, Die & Mold
III. Your Relation with Local Partner in India?
Ans. As already Many Korean Companies are in India like Samsung, LG, Daewoo, Hyundai,
Doosan, Hanjin, KCCottrell, Business relation is good but challenges do remain
IV. Why India is choice of Business?
Ans. As India is growing with 7.2%, 400 Million
Middle Class and Demand in Auto, Machinery has
made prospect for us that too a good relation. Samsung,
Hyundai are using Make in India and exporting
overseas cost cutting is also their. For us India is a
good market especially our Area also is in Textile,
Automobile, Now Electric Cars Industry. As Bangalore
is also hub of all this Three we can work in win win
situation.
Present India and Korea Government have good
relation so Business Relation is also a byproduct of it.
V. Do you see in the Future A Taiwan Industrial
Belt in Bangalore like Taiwan Software Park?
Ans. Yes, but now as we are manufacturer and distributer in Taiwan we want to think about
Manufacturing in Future as cost cutting will be important. This all depends on the Management
decision too but I am optimistic of it
VI. Do you like Indian Food and have you visited any place except Bangalore in
Karnataka?
Ans. Indian Food tasted but not visited any city except Bangalore but going to visit in Bangalore
some places like Cubbon Park, Vidhan Soudha, Tippu Palace…
VII. What are the problems you faced in Bangalore?
Ans. Traffic,
VIII. When is your Next Visit to India?
Ans. Soon and glad to associate with India and like to do more Business and visit soon with
more delegation. We also want to import and export so we see a conducive atmosphere.
Imtex 2019 Person of the Week Interview:
Company: CC Chain Headway
Representative: Ms Crystal Lin
Position: International Sales Officer
Country: Taiwan
Questions
I.Is this your First Visit to India
Ans. 4th Visit to India
II. What Products does your Company Deal with?
Ans. Holders, Cutting Tools, Inserts
III. Your Relation with Local Partner in India?
Ans. Relationship is very good. The Partner is in Chennai
IV. Why India as choice of Business?
Ans. As India is growing with 7.2% 400 Million Middle Class and Demand in Machinery has
made prospect for us that too a good relation of India and Taiwan is driving the business
V. Do you see in the Future A Taiwan Industrial Belt in Bangalore like Taiwan Software
Park?
Ans. Yes, but now as we are manufacturer and distributer in Taiwan we want to think about
Manufacturing in Future as cost cutting will be
important. This all depends on the Management decision
too but I am optimistic of it
VI. Do you like Indian Food and have you visited any
place except Bangalore in Karnataka?
Ans. Indian Food not tasted but not visited any city
except Bangalore
VII. What are the problems you faced in Bangalore?
Ans. Traffic, Tax Problems due to more Import Tax on
Products
VIII. When is your Next Visit to India?
Ans. Soon and glad to associate with India and like to do
more Business and visit soon
14. Taiwan’s trade promotion authority to focus on fastest growing int’l markets in 2019
Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) said during a press conference that it
will focus on the fastest growing international markets, especially Southeast Asia, China, and
Africa, in its effort to help Taiwan’s enterprises
promote and sell their products overseas.
As the economies of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy
target-countries in Southeast Asia continue to grow
faster than the world average, TAITRA will build on
past success and continue to develop markets for
Taiwan’s national teams in the fields of electric
vehicles, public construction, medicine, and smart city,
in addition to holding Taiwan Expo shows, in the
region.
TAITRA said that it held a total of nine Taiwan Expo shows in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the
Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia in the past two years, attracting a total of 1,600 exhibitors
and 210,000 visitors, creating more than US$630 million worth of business deals.
TAITRA chairman James Huang said that TAITRA will hold Taiwan Expo shows in second-tier
cities in the region this year, including Indonesia’s Surabaya, the Philippines’ Davao, Vietnam’s
Hanoi, and Malaysia’s Penang.
With regard to China and Africa, TAITRA will also step up its efforts to develop more business
opportunities in those two regions, the chairman added.
TAITRA will also strategically set up a new oversea office in Israel in February to capitalize on
the tremendous business potential that can be created when Israel’s enormously innovative
energy meets with Taiwan’s excellent manufacturing capabilities, Huang said.
In addition, Hall 2 of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center will open on Mar. 4. The addition of the
new exhibition hall is expected to solve the problem of exhibition space shortage that has
troubled TAITRA, the organizer of many massive trade shows in Taiwan.
During the press conference, TAITRA Smart Trade Assistant, an interactive app created to
conveniently help buyers find Taiwan products online, was demonstrated.
15. Taiwan ranked 13th smartest country in world
Taiwan has been ranked as the 13th smartest country in the
world this year, based on a combination of three factors,
while it was also rated as having the 4th highest IQ and 4th
smartest schoolchildren.
In a list generated by VoucherCloud earlier this month,
Taiwan ranked as the 13th smartest country in the world, trailing just behind Germany and ahead
of Austria. The list is generated based on the number of each country's Nobel Prize winners,
educational attainment, and average IQ, two of which Taiwan has taken the 4th spot.
Japan ranked 1st as the smartest country in the world, followed by Switzerland, China, the U.S.,
and the Netherlands, rounding out the top five. Taiwan ranked 5th in Asia, trailing only Japan,
China, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Economic rival Singapore was well behind at 73rd for its
low Nobel Prize score.
Taiwan tied with South Korea for having the 4th highest IQ in the world, following only
Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. Out of the top 10 countries with the highest IQ, the only non-
Asian nations were Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, and Liechtenstein.
In terms of educational attainment, Taiwan also ranked 4th in the world, ahead of overall 1st
place finisher Japan and topped by only Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
The list of Nobel Prize Winners was derived from World Atlas, global IQ scores were obtained
from a study by Lynn & Vanhanen, and student test scores were gathered from a 2015 study
carried out by Our World in Data.
16. North Korea: Goshawk, National Bird of DPRK
National bird of the DPRK is goshawk. The Korean nation has loved goshawk very much from
olden times as it is good at hunting and called it "Poramae" and "Haedongchong" (blue hawk of
Korea).
According to an old document of Korea
"Kobonunggolbang", Haechong
(Haedongchong) was sent to the king of a
neighbor country who was fond of hunting
by Ancient Korea (early 30th century B.C.-
108 B.C.). This shows that goshawk had
been well known to other countries from long ago.
In mural paintings dating back to Koguryo Kingdom (B.C. 277-A.D. 668), including Jangchon
Tomb No. 1 and Three Tombs in Kangso District, there are such scenes as persons taming hawk
and hunting with hawk.
According to the historical book "History of Koryo Kingdom" edited in 1451, Ungbang (agency
which tames hawk specially) was run and taming hawk and hunting with goshawk were
encouraged in Koryo (918-1392), the first unified state of the Korean nation.
In Japanese history books, too, there are records that how to tame hawk and use it in hunting had
been spread to Japan by such old states of Korea as Paekje (late 1st century B.C.-660) and Silla
(early 1st century-935).
Paintings of hawk had been fixed to walls and gates of every house in Korea on the New Year's
Day. The historical records tell that goshawk has been closely related to the life of the Korean
people from olden times.
17. North Korea: Wonsan Leather Shoes Factory
The Wonsan Leather Shoes Factory in Kangwon Province of the DPRK is leading the country's
footwear industry. Its "Maebongsan"-trademarked shoes took the first place at the 2018 National
Footwear Exhibition.
The factory is now pushing ahead
with the work to produce various
kinds and styles of varicolored and
light shoes. It developed a device
for measuring foot size and
established a process of producing
light soles based on supercritical
carbonic acid gas. It also
introduced a compressor into the
work for making the outer rim of
shoes to improve quality and speed and save much manpower and materials in the cutting
process.
By using quality coloring agent with shiny and adhesive character and infrared lamp in drying
process, the factory lowers production cost and raises adhesive strength. Last year, Kim Jong Un
visited the factory expressed satisfaction over the successes made by its employees.
18. North Korea: Construction of Tanchon Power Station Progresses Apace
Builders of the Tanchon Power Station are pushing forward the project to implement the tasks
set forth by Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address. The waterway tunnel project progresses
apace, entering this year.
As of now, such works were carried out as
excavation of pilot tunnel of over 2 100
meters, extension of waterway tunnel of more
than 14 000 cubic meters and concrete lining
of 4 100 cubic meters.
After finishing the project for excavating
thousand and hundreds of meters of pilot
tunnel and extending waterway tunnel,
soldier-builders have carried out the concrete lining of hundreds of cubic meters of waterway
tunnel in a brief span of time.
The Taehung Guidance Bureau brigade and the Jagang provincial brigade extended over 1 600
and 1 000 cubic meters of waterway tunnel respectively in more than 20 days.
Soldier-builders in charge of building the dam of the Tanchon Power Station No. 5 have carried
out more than 5 000 cubic meters of footing excavation.
Brigades of Nampho and Rason cities carried out their footing excavation monthly plans for
generator room and intake building of the Tanchon Power Station No. 6 at over 120 percent.
19. Hanwha Q Cells named top solar installer in Europe, Australia
South Korean solar panel maker Hanwha Q Cells was named
the top photovoltaics installer in Europe and Australia this year
by research institutes in the respective regions that surveyed its
brand recognition, management and market share.
In Europe, Hanwha Q Cells has remained in the top position
since its acquisition of German company Q Cells in 2012, and
for four years in Australia. The survey was conducted and announced by EuPD Research, an
information provider on business-to-business firms, and compared scores for brand
recommendation, awareness and sales performance of Q Cells’ competitors.
The company has been expanding sales in solar panel markets for both residential and
commercial uses in Europe, US and Japan, with the Q.Peak Duo, which uses half-cut cells to
increase energy efficiency, the company added.
20. Korea to start exports of Kyoho grapes to Australia
South Korea's agricultural ministry said it has won approval from its Australian counterpart to
ship Korean Kyoho grapes there starting this
year. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs said it has paved the way for South
Korean farms to ship Kyoho grapes, which are
normally larger than typical breeds, to Australia
under a simple procedure.
The ministry has been requesting Australia ease
regulations in terms of quarantines since 2017.
Starting this year, the grapes can be shipped
without an additional decontamination process, if the exporter can prove the farms carried out
comprehensive food safety measures.
With the latest decision, South Korea will be shipping two kinds of grapes to Australia, including
the Campbell Early type. The world's sixth-largest exporting country has only been sending
Campbell Early grapes to Australia since 2012. The ministry said the latest deal falls in line with
Seoul's efforts to bolster sales of high-end fruits and vegetables overseas.
21. LG Electronics, Naver sign MOU on robot R&D
South Korean home appliance maker LG Electronics Inc. and South Korean portal operator
Naver Corp. on agreed to jointly develop an
advanced guidance robot based on the high-
tech mobility platform.
Under the agreement, the two Korean
companies will explore ways to adopt
Naver's integrated location and mobility
solution eXtended Definition & Dimension
Map in LG's guide robot called Air Star to upgrade its function.
The xDM platform is an advanced mobility technology that can be used in both indoor and
outdoor settings and accurately analyzes location data in real time. "Based on LG Electronics'
know-how in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving, we will combine Naver's software
platform in our robots to provide differentiated value for our customers," Roh Jin-seo, the head
of the robotics business at LG Electronics, said during the signing ceremony at Naver Labs in
Seongnam, south of Seoul.
Naver debuted its artificial intelligence and other robotic technologies during this year's CES,
drawing attention from industry officials around the globe. Naver Labs Corp., a R&D subsidiary
of Naver, has integrated AI, mobility, robotics and other technologies for the development of so-
called Ambient Intelligence, with an aim of improving people's lives.
Ambient Intelligence products include AMBIDEX, a robotic arm that uses a cable-driven
mechanism to make interactions with humans safer. Other robotic technology includes Around
G, an autonomous guide robot that provides guidance in large indoor spaces, such as shopping
malls and airports.
22. Kepco chief positive about Saudi Arabia’s nuclear bid
Saudi Arabia plans to build two power plants a total of 2.8 gigawatts with an investment of $12
billion by 2030. It is currently reviewing five
consortium bidders, including a Korea Electric
Power Corp.-led consortium, US-based
Westinghouse Electric Corp., China General
Nuclear Power Group, a French electric utility
company and Russia’s Rosatom.
The Korean consortium comprises around 30 public
and private companies, including Kepco, Korea
Hydro & Nuclear Power, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and the Korea Development
Bank.
In January, the five bidders summited plans regarding how they would “localize” in Saudi
Arabia, which refers to helping local employees and companies participate in construction so
they ultimately gain the capacity to build nuclear power plants on their own in the future.
“We believe Kepco left a good expression in terms of localization,” said Kepco CEO Kim Jong-
kap at a press briefing. “During a road show, many Saudi Arabian companies came to meet us,
and we believe things have been going well at the working level,” he said. In October of last
year, Kepco hosted a roadshow in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the bid for the nation’s nuclear
power plant projects.
A shortlist will be made by March, and the final bidder will be selected in December, though the
schedule may change, according to Kim.
Meanwhile, Korea is currently building the United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear power station,
Barakah nuclear power plant, slated to be complete by 2021. The consortium includes Kepco,
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Hyundai Engineering
& Construction and Samsung C&T Corp.
23. Korea vows to create new innovative cities
The South Korean government has decided to
promote specific business interests by city and region
for the sake of balanced regional development,
injecting some 56 trillion won ($50.1 billion) over the
next five years.
To this end, new business clusters and zones utilizing
the latest technologies will be designated, the
government said.
Gangwon Province will have Smart HealthCare while
Jeju will have Smart Meetings, Incentives,
Conferencing and Exhiitions. North Chungcheong
will have Solar Energy, Daeagu Advanced Medical
Care…
24. Korea: LG already moving toward 6G network technologies
LG Electronics announced it is embarking on a research and development plan for the sixth
generation of the telecommunications network beyond the upcoming fifth generation in order to
lead the future market.
LG opened a 6G research center within KAIST Institute, a research organization for technologies
for the country’s economic development run by the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology in
Daejeon Metropolitan City, which will be headed by Cho Dong-ho, professor of electrical
engineering at KAIST.
The institute and LG will conduct joint projects on
new technologies that connect 5G and 6G in a bid
to move faster than competitors into the 6G market.
“LG will enhance research on telecom network
technologies to be able to lead global
standardizations for the sixth-generation network,”
said Park Il-pyung, chief technology officer of LG.
The new center’s head Cho Dong-ho said, “It is significant that LG and KI take one step towards
the network technologies for 10 years afterwards, which will be helpful to preparing for future
industries.” LG was a leader in the commercialization of the fourth-generation Long Term
Evolution network.
The company topped the number of patents on LTE and LTE-Advanced technologies from 2012
through 2016, according to market researcher TechIPM. LG Uplus, the telecom affiliate of LG
Electronics, launched the 4G mobile services ahead of bigger players SK Telecom and KT in
2011.
On the 5G network, LG has been focusing particularly on automotive communications
technologies by teaming up with Qualcomm to develop Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything
technologies, known as C-V2X, which will help deliver data at the speeds necessary in a real life
driving situation.
LG was the world’s first to suggest the global standards for the 5G-based automotive telecom
technologies, it said.
25. China: CACDA hosts public event during Beijing P5 Conference
The China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA) held a public event themed
“Safeguarding NPT Regime: Shared Responsibility and Joint Efforts”, during the Beijing P5
Conference in Beijing. The heads of delegations
from China, the US, Russia, the UK and France
were invited to meet with the public.
Andrea Thompson, US undersecretary for arms
control and international security, said there were
“uneven results” in efforts to advance transparency
under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. “We
previously agreed to set format for reporting, but
the gap between the reports of the United States on the one hand, and Russia and China on the
other, is great,” Thompson said in her opening remarks. “I cannot overemphasise the value of
transparency.
The annual conference of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council
(P5) hosted by China was held from 30 to 31 January 2019 in Beijing.
At the invitation of CACDA, the most authoritative non-governmental organization in the field
of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, heads of delegations from the five
countries met with the public and introduced the contribution and efforts of their countries in
implementing the NPT commitments during the Beijing P5 Conference.
At the same time, five experts from the five countries were invited to interpret the nuclear
policies and practices of the five countries, in a bid to strengthen exchanges and interactions
between governments and civil societies, academia and news organizations on the important
issue of strategic security and arms control diplomacy.
26. Military-run Chinese space station in Argentina raises fears of secret operations
When China built a military-run space station in Argentinian Patagonia it promised to include a
visitors’ centre to explain the purpose of its powerful 16-storey antenna. The centre is now built
behind the 2.5 metre (8ft) barbed wire fence that surrounds the entire space station compound.
Visits are by appointment only.
Shrouded in secrecy, the
compound has stirred unease
among residents, fuelled
conspiracy theories and sparked
concerns in the Trump
administration about its true
purpose. The station’s stated aim is
peaceful space observation and
exploration and, according to
Chinese media, it played a key role
in China’s landing of a spacecraft
on the far side of the moon in January.
But the remote 200-hectare (500-acre) compound operates with little oversight by the Argentine
authorities, according to hundreds of pages of Argentine government documents. President
Mauricio Macri’s former foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, said in an interview that Argentina
had no physical oversight of the station’s operations. In 2016, she revised the China space station
deal to include a stipulation it be for civilian use only.
Concern is China’s space programme is run by its military, the People’s Liberation Army. The
Patagonian station is managed by the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General
(CLTC), which reports to the PLA’s Strategic Support Force. Beijing insists its space
programme is for peaceful purposes and its foreign ministry stressed in a statement that the
Argentine station was for civilian use only.
Asked how it ensures the station is not used for military purposes, Argentina’s space agency
CONAE said the agreement between the two countries stated their commitment to “peaceful
use” of the project. It said radio emissions from the station were also monitored, but radio
astronomy experts said the Chinese could easily hide illicit data in these transmissions or add
encrypted channels to the frequencies agreed upon with Argentina.
The United States has long been worried about what it sees as China’s strategy to “militarise”
space. Alberto Hugo Amarilla, 60, who runs a small hotel in Las Lajas, recalled a dinner he
attended soon after construction began at the site. There, he said, a Chinese official in town to
visit the site greeted him enthusiastically. His fellow dinner guests told him the official had
learned that Amarilla was a retired army officer. The official, they said, was a Chinese general.
27. China releases footage of ‘Guam killer’ DF-26 ballistic missile in ‘clear message to the
US’
China has revealed footage of its next-generation Dongfeng-26 ballistic missile showing
improved stability and accuracy, a move
analysts say aims to send a message to the
United States about its military strength.
Footage of the missile was released for the
first time in a report on state broadcaster
CCTV, amid intensifying military rivalry
between China and the US.
Military analysts said the fin-like flight
control surfaces provided better stability for
the missile as it neared a moving target,
such as a US aircraft carrier. The intermediate-range ballistic missile is also known as the “Guam
killer” for its range – 3,000km to 5,741km (1,864 to 3,567 miles) that puts the US island in the
western Pacific within striking distance.
It could be used in nuclear, conventional and anti-ship strikes, meaning China could use it to
attack US aircraft carriers and naval bases in the Asia-Pacific region. China’s defence ministry in
April confirmed the DF-26 had been put into service with the Rocket Force.
US says China’s growing military might is part of ‘diverse’ threat to national security Zhang
Baohui, a director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong,
said the drill was about deterrence amid rising tensions in the region. “China has repeatedly
stated that the missile can hit moving targets like ships,” Zhang said. “While the overall
probability of war between the US and China remains very low, Beijing is nonetheless concerned
by recent changes in the dynamics of Sino-US relations. The public debut of the DF-26 could
mean enhancing its general deterrence.”
28. US warships sail through the closely watched Taiwan Strait, for ‘a free and open Indo-
Pacific”
Taiwan’s defence ministry and the Pentagon said warships passed through international waters
on Monday. The Pentagon says the
passage demonstrated a commitment to ‘a
free and open Indo-Pacific’, but was
‘certainly not’ intended to raise tensions.
It is the fourth time the Navy has publicly
admitted to sending surface combatants
through the strait since the US restarted
the practice last summer. It comes at a
sensitive time in US-China relations, and
is likely to draw criticism from Beijing
Two US Navy warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Taiwan said multiple
Chinese military jets flew near the southern tip of the self-ruled island to the West Pacific on the
same day for a naval training exercise.
US guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell and the USNS Walter S. Diehl conducted “a
routine” Taiwan Strait transit “in accordance with international law”, US Pacific Fleet
spokesman Lt. Commander Tim Gorman. “The ships’ transit through the Taiwan Strait
demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Gorman said. “The US Navy
will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence confirmed two US warships did sail through the Strait, and that
the excursion was continuing as of Thursday night. Separately, the ministry said the People’s
Liberation Army Air Force on Thursday had military aircraft, including H6 jet bombers and
KJ500 Airborne Early Warning planes, fly through the Bashi Channel, between the island’s
southern tip and the Philippines, to the West Pacific.
US Navy head won’t rule out sending carrier through Taiwan Strait “The PLA aircraft returned
to their base after completing their long-distance training exercise,” a spokesman said. The PLA
conducted a similar exercise last week.
The USS McCampbell, an Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, completed a joint
operation with the British Royal Navy frigate, the HMS Argyll, in the South China Sea,
according to US Pacific Fleet. It was the two navies’ first joint drill in the region since 2010.
Both sides said the joint exercise signalled their shared emphasis on regional peace and stability
to “address common security priorities”. Xi Jinping has opened the door to war with Taiwan
Admiral John Richardson, the US Chief of Naval Operations, said in Tokyo that the US
considers the Taiwan Strait to be international waters. “We don’t see any kind of limitation on
whatever type of ship could pass through those waters,” he said.
29. Chinese army now makes up less than half of PLA’s strength as military aims to
transform itself into modern fighting force
The Chinese military has significantly boosted its navy, air force and new strategic units and
downsized its land-based army as part of a strategic shift designed to transform the People’s
Liberation Army into a comprehensive modern
force. PLA Army now accounts for less than 50 per
cent of the total number of PLA troops; almost half
of non-combatant units have been made redundant,
and the number of officers in the PLA has been
reduced by 30 per cent.
The four other branches of the PLA – the navy, air
force, rocket force and strategic support force,
which is responsible for areas such as cyberwarfare now together make up more than half of the
Chinese military, overtaking the army, which has traditionally been the dominant unit of the
PLA.
The Chinese military used to operate following the model established in the second world war. It
had to be reformed and optimised to meet the pressing needs of the changing times and this the
result. The Chinese military’s five biggest leaps forward in modern weapon systems. The process
of downsizing was first announced by President Xi Jinping in 2015 with a pledge to reduce the
number of personnel by 300,000. Currently, China has 2 million active servicemen and women,
making the PLA the largest armed force in the world.
The strategic and tactical missile operator and strategic support force, which is in charge of
cyber, space, and electronic warfare was established three years ago as President Xi stepped up
efforts to modernise the military.
30. Mongolia’s eligibility extended to participate in H-2 visa program
US Department of Home Security announced the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to
participate in the H-2 visa programs in 2019. Mongolia is among
the eligible countries to receive H-2A and H-2B visa of
temporary worker program, which is effective between January
18, 2019 and January 18, 2020.
For Mongolia, five Mongolians received H-2A which is
agricultural work visa and two citizens received H-2B non-
agricultural work visa in 2018. These visa recipients found
themselves the companies in the United States licensed to hire
temporary workers and now they are working in Missouri, Hawaii, California and Maryland.
Several private businesses and entities are providing advice and counsel in Mongolia regarding
visas for the U.S. H-2 Temporary Worker Program.
.
II. India News
31. Cure to Zika virus may become a reality thanks to Indian scientist Rajnish Giri and his
research on the virus’ structure
Dr Rajnish Giri and his team have successfully identified the regions of the virus protein
responsible for human virus interaction. Indian scientist Dr. Rajnish Giri has been studying the
protein structure of the Zika virus at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi of Himachal
Pradesh. He is further assisted by Vladimir Uversky from the University of South Florida and
research scholar Pushpendra Mani Mishra.
The team used computational research and biophysical studies to unravel the structure of the
virus molecule and made a breakthrough by identifying its critical internal regions. This research
was later published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
Dr. Rajnish’s study addresses the regions of the Zika virus molecule that are responsible for its
interaction with a human host. Earlier, this research proved to be a time-consuming and complex
task as the virus had to be grown in the laboratory. Recent developments in Bioinformatics, a
new branch of science allows scientists to use the database of viral proteins and genes and
performs an instant computational analysis.
“Viral bioinformatics has, in turn, offered fresh perspectives in the design of drugs and
therapeutic methods to combat virus-borne illness” He added, “We are using molecular
recognition feature (MRF) analysing computational tools to identify the MRF regions in proteins
of the virus. We have used protein information from a Zika virus protein database called
UniProt, as a reference to confirm the protein sequence in a strain of Zika, called Mr 766. The
disorderliness of the cofactor region (NS2B Region) of a particular enzyme protein (NS2B-NS3)
has been confirmed using a technique called circular dichroism spectroscopy.”
Since 2006, evidence of Zika virus has been reported by 70 countries and territories. It primarily
spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. The catastrophic outcomes have largely
affected pregnant women, and several cases were also reported in India.
The virus inhabits a zone between the non-living and the living, where it finds a host to replicate
for survival. Similarly, it can replicate itself inside the human host and disrupts nerve cells.
The most common victims are fetuses because their nerve cells are still under formation. It has
many severe impacts that can result in miscarriages, stillbirth, and deformations of brain or
microcephaly.
32. Teaching talent: UK universities recruit more Indian academics, number reaches 5600
in 2017-18
The number of Indian students coming to British higher education institutions showed a minor
rise in 2017-18, but the recruitment of ‘British Indian’ academics has continued to grow,
reflecting expertise across disciplines:
they now number 5,600.
The category includes individuals who are
Indian citizens as well as British citizens
of Indian origin. Of the 5,600 academics
in this group in 2017-18, 2,620 were
Indian citizens, new figures provided to
Hindustan Times by the Higher Education
Statistics Agency (HESA) show.
The 5,600 academics now include 450 professors, 105 categorised as ‘other senior academic’,
and 5045 employed at ‘other contract level’. Indian academics are among faculty staff in almost
every British university, conducting research and teaching a range of subjects. The numbers have
steadily gone up from 3930 in 2010-11 to 5245 in 2016-17 before again increasing in 2017-18.
Previous and current Indian academics include economist Amartya Sen, educationist Sugata
Mitra, engineer Kumar Bhattacharyya, cultural theorist Bhikhu Parekh, Sumantra Bose at the
London School of Economics, and Jaideep Prabhu at the University of Cambridge.
In 2017, two India-born experts, Parveen Kumar (medicine; based at the London School of
Medicine) and Pratibha Gai (electron microscopy; University of York) were honoured with
damehood, the female equivalent of knighthood, one of Britain’s highest civilian honours.
Universities with the highest number of Indian-origin academics include Oxford, Cambridge,
University College London, King’s College London, Manchester, and the Imperial College of
Science, Technology and Medicine, the figures show.
Disciplines employing the largest number of Indian academics are Clinical Medicine,
Biosciences, Business and Management, Mechanical, Aero and Production Engineering, and
Information Technology. Many came from India for doctoral study and later took up academic
positions.
The HESA figures complement findings of a 2015 study that said Indian academics in research-
intensive universities are preferred due to their “single-mindedness, competitiveness, resilience
and work centrality”, as well as their links with Indian institutions and knowledge of India.
The study found that Indian academics are “singled out for jobs over other candidates” partly due
to their willingness to “play the game” of prioritising research over teaching.
The study by Dulini Fernando of Warwick Business School and Laurie Cohen of Nottingham
University Business School said research-intensive universities in science and engineering
departments, which recruit high numbers of international staff, found that “cultural, social and
domestic capital” can put Indian academics in a more favourable position than home-grown
talent.
33. Tata Steel sells S-E Asia business to HBIS Group China
Tata Steel Ltd has agreed to sell most of its steel business in South-east Asia to China’s
stateowned HBIS Group as the Indian steel maker continues efforts to trim its massive debt and
focus on its fast-growing home
market.
Under the deal, TS Global
Holdings Pte. Ltd (TSGH), an
indirect wholly-owned unit of Tata
Steel, signed definitive agreements
with an entity controlled by HBIS
to sell its entire stake in NatSteel
Holdings Pte Ltd. and Tata Steel
(Thailand). “As per the agreement,
the divestment will be made to a
company in which 70% equity shares will be held by an entity controlled by HBIS and 30% will
be held by TSGH,” Tata Steel said in a statement.
The pacts were signed in Beijing and the transaction is expected to close in twothree months, TV
Narendran, managing director and chief executive of Tata Steel, said in a conference call.
“Our experience in Southeast Asia and their (HBIS’s) aspirations in this geography make this a
good partnership,” Narendran said. “HBIS was keen to build a partnership with Tata Steel and
we believe we could optimize value by divesting and taking advantage of any upside over the
next three years… We have a commercial relationship with HBIS and we want larger
cooperation in many other areas. This is a good starting point.”
Since taking control of Tata group, chairman N Chandrasekaran has focused on Tata Steel
regaining its premier role in the domestic steel market. The company bid aggressively for
bankrupt Bhushan Steel Ltd, boosting its capacity in the auto steel segment. Tata Steel also
bought the steel business of Usha Martin Ltd last year. The acquisitions saw Tata Steel’s gross
debt swell to Rs 1 lakh trillion as of the end of September.
Tata Steel also forged partnerships with Thyssenkrupp AG in Europe to rescue what it could
from the acquisition of Corus, which has seen massive writedowns in value, while also looking
to sell five non-core units in Europe. “I believe that with this sale, Tata Steel would be able to
reduce debt and their return on equity will improve,” said Sanjiv Bhasin, executive vice-
president, markets and corporate affairs, at IIFL Securities Ltd.
“The big Damocles’ sword is really the European operations, and once the JV (joint venture)
with Thyssenkrupp goes through, the debt overhang will ease and that Tata Steel stock will be
re-rated. Tata Steel is the lowest-cost steel producer in the world—they have captive power, their
own iron ore mining rights—so it makes best sense for them to focus on India.”
“Steel is seeing the downside of the cycle now, but I believe that once the Chinese new year has
come and gone, we will see steel prices firm up and demand pick up. So, any debt reduction for
Tata Steel will directly improve their Ebitda,” he said. Ebitda is earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation and amortization.
Tata Steel bought NatSteel Singapore in 2004 for Rs 1,313 crore, the first of its investments in
South-east Asia, and bought into a Thai steel company, Millennium Steel, two years later.
However, operations have proved lacklustre from the start, with production numbers of both low
and the units struggling to consistently report profits. The two units contributed Rs 9,542 crore,
or 16%, to a total revenue of Rs 60,519 crore in FY18, but only Rs 437 crore, or 2%, to the total
Ebitda of Rs 22,045 crore.
“India allows us a lot of growth opportunities and we want to stay focused in India from a
growth point of view,” Narendran said. “In other geographies, we want to create structurally
strong enterprises that can stand on their own so that the parent can focus its capital on growing
the India business.”
34. In India Japan’s SoftBank’s India Investment to cross $10 billion
Japanese telecom and internet major Soft-Bank is set to cross the $10-billion milestone in the
country as it closes investments in two e-commerce ventures babycare retailer Firstcry and
sector-focused logistics company Delhivery. Both
these are expected to be in the $400-450 million
range, helping the Japanese billionaire Masayoshi
Son-led firm cross the promised number in less
than five years after he announced in October
2014 that he will invest $10 billion over a decade.
Son has been able to build up a significant
shareholding in India’s most-valued internet and
technology firms, like mobile payments giant
Paytm, hospitality company Oyo and ride-hailing
major Ola. Soft-Bank also owned a stake in
India’s largest e-tailer Flipkart, which it divested to US retail major Walmart last year.
In India SoftBank’s 1st big India bet was in 2011, total capital invested by SoftBank will now be
more than the combined assets under management of the top five India focused venture capital
fund managers. These firms, which include Sequoia Capital India and Accel India, manage a
little over $8 billion across multiple funds and have been operating in the country for a decade.
While SoftBank made its first big bet in India in 2011 when it invested $200 million in mobile
advertising platform InMobi, it aggressively started investing in 2014 when it picked up stakes in
Snapdeal, Ola and Housing in quick succession. At that time, the investments were being helmed
by Nikesh Arora, the former Google executive that Son had picked as his successor, and were
being made out of Soft-Bank’s balance sheet.
Some investments like Housing and Snapdeal, where it also clashed with founders of the
company, did not work out as planned. While Housing got acquired by PropTiger, SoftBank later
also invested in online retailer Flipkart and Paytm Mall, which directly compete with Snapdeal.
This has made some founders wary of taking investment from SoftBank, as Ola CEO Bhavish
Aggarwal specifically negotiated rights protecting himself against the Japanese firm.
But 2016 saw two significant changes the exit of Arora, and the launch of the $100-billion
SoftBank Vision Fund, with which it has started taking bolder bets. This fund is headed by India-
born Rajeev Misra, a former senior Deutsche Bank executive.
35. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit India for one day on February 11
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit India for one day on February 11 for a
meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Just as Netanyahu is facing elections in
April, so is Modi, with India scheduled to go to the
polls in April and May.
A visit to India two months before the election
would be a good way for Netanyahu to showcase his
diplomatic achievements, and could also be
beneficial to Modi, who for his own political reasons
underscores India’s strong ties with Israel.
When Netanyahu went to India in January 2018, Modi spent a good deal of time with him and
went out of his way to fete the Israeli leader in Ahmedabad in his home state of Gujarat, where
the two rode through the streets as tens of thousands of people cheered and chanted “Bibi, Modi,
Bibi, Modi.”
That show of support, one senior diplomatic official explained at the time, was as good for the
Indian leader, as it was for Netanyahu. According to the official, Israel is seen in India as a
military, agricultural and technological powerhouse that embraces the future, which is exactly
how Modi wants to be perceived by his people.
Modi made a historic visit to Israel in 2017, becoming the first Indian prime minister to ever visit
the Jewish state. Earlier this month, the head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben-
Shabbat, traveled to India, flying to New Delhi on a direct Air India flight over Saudi airspace.
Ben-Shabbat met Modi, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, as well as the director-
generals of India’s foreign and defense ministries. The PMO said that the discussions dealt with
bilateral ties, security cooperation and arms sales, and regional issues, such as Iran’s
entrenchment in Syria.
Modi and Netanyahu spoke by phone during that visit, and according to The Indian Express,
Netanyahu expressed a desire to visit India again, with Modi giving his consent.
III. Rest of the World
36. The Chinese military’s five biggest leaps forward in modern weapon systems
China’s enormous military strides in recent years were in part achieved by laws that required
foreign companies to share technological know-how in exchange for access to China’s vast
market, the Defence Intelligence Agency, a Department of Defence combat support agency, said
in a report. “The result of this multifaceted approach to technology acquisition is a PLA
[People’s Liberation Army] on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapons systems
in the world,” it said.
The report said that besides the advancement China made in weapons building, the PLA’s most
daunting task was how to transform traditional ground operation-focused, inward-facing forces
into separate but equal professional services capable of joint operations across the globe.
This transformation in the military was triggered by Beijing’s threat perception, which it believes
could undermine its objective of perpetuating Communist Party rule. “These include long-
standing concerns regarding Taiwan independence, Uygur and Tibetan separatism, and perceived
challenges to China’s control of disputed areas in the East and South China seas,” the report said.
Beijing’s most significant developments can be found in five categories.
1. New generation of missiles: China is developing a generation of missiles with warheads
consisting of multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles and penetration aids – tactics
and devices designed to improve missile performance. These are intended to ensure the viability
of China’s deterrent in the face of advances by the US and, to a lesser extent, Russia. China’s
hypersonic Starry Sky-2 was clocked at Mach 5.5 last August and is regarded by strategists as
game-chaning technology.
2. Hypersonic Weapons: In August, China successfully tested the Starry Sky-2, an aircraft that
achieved a speed of Mach 5.5 (five-and-a-half times the speed of sound) and could be used to
carry weapons at hypersonic speeds, making them virtually unstoppable. Hypersonic technology
has long been seen as a game-changer by strategists as it can hit a target before any of the current
generations of missile defence systems can react.
3. Space and counterspace: China continues to invest in improving its capabilities in space-
based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, satellite communication, satellite
navigation, and meteorology, as well as human space flight and robotic space exploration. The
Strategic Support Force, established in December 2015, has an important role in the management
of China’s aerospace warfare capabilities.
Similarly, China continued to develop a variety of so-called counterspace capabilities designed
to limit or prevent an adversary’s use of space-based assets during crisis or conflict, such as the
anti-satellite missile system tested in July 2014. Vehicles carrying missiles for nuclear and
conventional strikes appear in a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the
founding of the People's Liberation Army at Zhurihe, Inner Mongolia, on July 30, 2017. Photo:
Xinhua
4. Nuclear weapons: China maintains a stockpile of nuclear warheads and continues research
and development and production of new nuclear weapons through its design and production
organisation, the China Academy of Engineering. The academy is responsible for all aspects of
design research, including nuclear physics, materials science, electronics, explosives, and
computer modelling. The state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation operates several
uranium enrichment facilities at three plants.
5. Underground facilities: China’s underground facilities emphasise protection of what is
known as C4I – Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence – and missile
assets. China had a robust, technologically advanced underground facility programme, the study
said.
37. Foxconn might scale back or drop planned factory in Wisconsin
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, known internationally as Foxconn Technology Group, is
considering scaling back or even abandoning
plans to make cutting-edge displays from a
US$10 billion plant it is building in the US.
Such a move could undermine promises to
create 13,000 jobs at a project hailed by US
President Donald Trump for reviving US
manufacturing.
Apple Inc’s main manufacturing partner is
rethinking its approach because of the high
cost of making advanced TV screens in the
US, Reuters cited Foxconn executive Louis
Woo, a special assistant to chairman Terry Gou as saying.
Hon Hai unveiled the Wisconsin project with much fanfare in 2017 as the firm extracted a raft of
incentives from the state, although some were forfeited last year after falling short of hiring
goals. The company is in a particularly precarious position as the US and China wage an
escalating battle over trade. It does most of its manufacturing in China, sells products to
Americans and faces pressure from both sides to maintain or create new jobs.
Hon Hai now intends to turn the Wisconsin site into a base for mostly engineers and researchers.
It would also produce specialized products for industrial, healthcare and professional
applications, he said. “In terms of TV, we have no place in the US,” Woo was cited as saying.
“We can’t compete.”
“When it comes to manufacturing advanced screens for TVs, if a certain size of display has more
supply, whether from China or Japan or Taiwan, we have to change, too.” Rather than
manufacturing LCD panels in the US, it would be more profitable to make them in greater China
and Japan, ship them to Mexico for final assembly, and import the finished product to the US, he
said.
That would represent a supply chain that fits with Foxconn’s current “fluid, good business
model,” he said. Doubt is growing about Foxconn’s ability to meet its hiring commitments. Hon
Hai’s potential retreat from its signature US project comes as demand for Apple’s iPhone and
smartphones in general is flagging.
Hon Hai gets about half its revenue from its US client. It assembles everything from iPhones and
laptop computers to Sony Corp PlayStations at factories in China and around the world.
38. ISIS in South East Asia: Philippines vows to 'destroy' Islamist extremism
In Philippines Roman Catholic cathedral in Jolo, the capital of Sulu province two bombs
exploded on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. The
Government says it will "pursue to the ends of
the earth the ruthless perpetrators" behind
bomb attacks that killed over a dozen people
and wounded many more during a Sunday
Mass.
Less than two years after victory was declared
over ISIS-aligned militants in Marawi, the
threat of extremism has returned to the
southern Philippines. Despite moving forward with a historic deal to provide the region's Muslim
population with a high degree of autonomy.
President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to hit resurgent militants hard, but his order to "destroy"
the ISIS-linked group thought to be responsible for the bombing of a church on Sunday may
prove to be harder than anticipated. "That is always my order. Destroy the Abu Sayyaf, destroy
the (communist insurgent group New People's Army), and destroy the drug organizations. If
destroying (means) killing, if you are interested to know, yes," Duterte said, referring to the ISIS-
affiliated Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which Philippines authorities have claimed is the almost
certainly responsible for the Sunday bombing.
For decades Mindanao has been ravaged by a low-intensity separatist conflict that has claimed
tens of thousands of lives. In 2017, Islamic State-aligned Filipino and foreign militants laid siege
to the city of Marawi in Mindanao for five months. The ensuing violence forced more than
350,000 residents to flee the city and surrounding areas, as their homes were reduced to rubble
by government airstrikes. Many remain displaced more than 16 month after the fighting ended.
According to a poll by Malaysia-based Merdeka Center late last year, which measured Southeast
Asians' attitudes towards extremism, 6% of Filipino Muslims said they "would use violence or
join a violent organization to defend their faith," while more than half of Filipinos polled said
they could "justify acts like attacking the police, military or civilians, and agreed that waging war
was the only way" to conduct jihad.
In addition, historically the government's struggles stem from a lack of capacity, poor
coordination and geographical obstacles, with the physical terrain itself a barrier to government
forces effectively cracking down on militants in the south.
The Sulu and Celebes seas between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are jointly patrolled
by the three countries' militaries, but the vastness of the area along with the numerous
uninhabited inlets and islands means that policing it is costly, and ineffective at preventing the
smuggling of cash, weapons and fighters between the three.
The problem is much more ingrained and intractable than Duterte's blunt-force response would
suggest. Ajang Ajang itself refers to a younger generation of ASG, whose fathers were killed in
operations and vengeance is their main motivators. It's clear now that you don't solve terrorism
with a purely military strategy, and until that lesson is learned we're going to have problems in
the Philippines as far as we can see a news channel quoted.
39. United States and Venezuela Relations in shambles: Effect on India
The diplomatic relationship between the United States and Venezuela is in shambles and has hit
a new low this week but they still share a crucial link: oil. The United States is Venezuela's
biggest and most important oil customer, accounting
for 39% of the OPEC nation's deliveries last year,
according to ClipperData. And Venezuela was the
fourth-biggest source of foreign oil that flowed into
America last October.
Now, that tight oil relationship is coming under
enormous strain. The White House on took the
dramatic step of recognizing Venezuelan opposition
leader Juan Guaido as the South American country's
legitimate president. Maduro responded by breaking
relations with the United States.
More importantly for the oil market, President Donald Trump is considering taking a range of
actions to punish Maduro, including possible oil sanctions.
Sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry would deliver a staggering blow on the country's crashing
economy, but also have important implications for the United States. The loss of Venezuelan
barrels could drive up crude prices and squeeze American refineries that take in hundreds of
thousand of barrels of Venezuelan oil each day. "The US will be hurting itself if it does put these
sanctions on Venezuela," said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData.
According to National Security Advisor John Bolton, the move will block some $7 billion in
state assets, and represents around $11 billion in lost export revenue from the U.S. market.
For India according to CARE Ratings, if the Venezuela situation is not resolved by the time the
Iran oil sanction waivers are lifted, it could push up oil prices to $70 bbl by May 2019. That's
bad news for India, the world's third largest oil importer. Venezuela is India's fourth biggest
crude supplier after Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran in the current fiscal till November, accounting
for about 12% of India's total oil imports. So sanctions against the South American nation,
coming on the heels of the US sanctions on Iran oil, means that oil flows from the two OPEC
nations are now restricted.
Reliance Industries Ltd and Nayara Energy (formerly Essar Oil) - are the primary buyers of
Venezuela Oil. India's state-owned refiners like Indian Oil and BPCL are reportedly unlikely to
benefit from more Venezuelan crude as their refining systems can't handle its quality. That puts a
stop to hopes that increasing Venezuelan oil supply will curtail oil prices from moving up
further. Petrol and diesel prices in the country have already increased by more than Rs 2 per litre
each in January. Much now depends on the April 2019 OPEC+ meeting to review the oil market
situation.
40. Africa's Renewable-power Surge Faces Challenge: Too Few Workers
In sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 600 million people still lack access to electricity, off-
grid renewable power is seen as one of the fastest ways to get energy where it's needed,
particularly to remote and rural areas where many Africans
live. But a big challenge stands in the way, experts say: a
lack of trained workers able to plan, install and maintain
solar, wind and other clean energy systems.
Overall, only 16,000 people are recorded as working in
renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa, outside South
Africa, according to the International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA). That is just 0.1 percent of the global
renewable energy workforce, and fewer than the number of people who work on wind power in
the U.S. state of Illinois alone, IRENA noted. But with demand growing for renewable energy
entrepreneurs and for workers in product assembly, sales, marketing, finance and intellectual
property, efforts are underway to provide the talent needed.
The push is part of a broader global campaign to fill an expected 4.5 million jobs related to
expansion of off-grid renewable energy by 2030, according to IRENA estimates. That expansion
is focused in part on achieving a global sustainable-development goal of providing universal
access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.
In Africa, lessons are being drawn from India, which has trained more than 30,000 solar electric
installers in the past two years as part of a government-backed effort. The country aims to train a
total of 50,000 installers by 2022, according to India's government.
One of the biggest problems facing expansion of renewable off-grid power in Africa is that
systems need to be built and operated in remote locations, where it can be harder to attract and
retain staff. Also, even in countries such as Rwanda, where a growing number of multinational
companies have trained large numbers of young workers, "the most pressing challenge has been
around finding very capable and experienced managing directors and finding senior finance
managers. In few other countries difficulty is cost: Skilled talent comes at high salaries among
companies and nonprofit groups.
IV. Important Policy News to Watch India
41. ISRO selects 10 firms for transfer of Lithium-ion technology
The Indian Space Research Organisation has selected ten companies for transfer of its Lithium-
ion cell technology. In June, ISRO had issued Request for Qualification (RFQ) in connection
with the technology transfer, containing a brief
description of the qualification aspects, technology
transfer process, timelines and other relevant details.
In August, the space agency had said it has received
response from 141 companies to its RFQ. ISRO's
VSSC has successfully developed and qualified
lithium ion cells of capacities ranging from '1.5 Ah
to 100 Ah' for use in satellites and launch vehicles.
According to the space agency, lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell technology is one of the "most
promising" electro chemical energy storage technologies owing to its high voltage, high energy
density, long life cycle and high storage characteristics.
It finds wide applications in electronic gadgets, tele-communication and industrial applications
as well as in aerospace. Recent progress in Li-ion battery technology has made it the favorite
power source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
According to ISRO, with the successful deployment of indigenous lithium ion batteries in
various missions, VSSC is planning to transfer this technology to the industries to establish
production facilities for producing lithium ion cells to cover the entire spectrum of the country's
power storage needs. Floating the RFQ, ISRO had earlier said, "This initiative is expected to
enable Zero Emission Policy of India and accelerate the development of indigenous electric
vehicle industry."
42. India to account for 40 per cent of global rail travel by 2050: Report
Indian railways will have a share of 40 per cent of the
total global rail activity and save around USD 64 billion
on fuel bills by 2050, a report by a Paris-based inter-
governmental organisation has said.
The report -- The Future of Rail Opportunities for energy -
- released by the International Energy Agency said the
annual investment in rail infrastructure will increase to
USD 330 billion in 2050 globally, on the basis of projects currently in various stages of
construction and planning.
"Rail activity in India is set to grow more than any other country, with passenger movements in
India reaching 40 per cent of global activity... The biggest part of the increased investment goes
to infrastructure for urban rail (nearly USD 190 billion) and high-speed rail (USD 70 billion); the
additional costs of the trains are small in comparison.
"As a result of these investments, in 2050 fuel expenditures are reduced by around USD 450
billion, relative to the base scenario. India could save as much as USD 64 billion on fuel
expenditures by mid-century," the report stated.
The report also stated that the pace of infrastructure build is fastest in urban rail. The length of
metro lines under construction or slated for construction over the coming five years is twice the
length of those built over any five-year period between 1970 and 2015. The result, it said is
unprecedented growth in passenger movements on urban rail.
Global activity in 2050 is 2.7 times higher than current levels, it said. "Growth is strongest in
India and Southeast Asia, which see more than a sevenfold growth in passenger movements on
urban rail, albeit from a low baseline. In the three countries with the highest urban rail activity
today, activity increases by more than threefold in China, 25% in Japan and 45% in the European
Union," it said.
43. Indian Commerce Secretary meets Chinese Vice Minister in Beijing
India’s Commerce Secretary, Dr. Anup Wadhawan, was on a two-day official visit to Beijing last
week. During the visit from 21st to 22nd January 2019, he had bilateral meeting with Mr. Zhang
Jiwen, Vice Minister of General Administration of China Customs (GACC), for examining
market access and quarantine issues for
India’s agriculture and allied products.
During the meeting with Mr. Zhang Jiwen,
Commerce Secretary appreciated GACC
for expeditiously addressing long pending
agricultural market access issues for
Indian products, following the
understandings reached on these matters at
the Informal Summit in Wuhan last year
between President, Xi Jinping and Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi.
Since that Summit, the protocol on exports
of non-basmati rice was signed in June
2018 on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. GACC has also approved 6 Indian mills for export of
rapeseed meal to China. The protocol on exports of fish meal and fish oil was signed during the
visit of China’s Vice Minister of GACC to New Delhi in November 2018.
The GACC has also deputed experts to inspect Indian soyabean meal establishments and
pomegranate orchards and pack houses in December 2018. The SPS Protocols for these products
are at an advanced stage of negotiation.
During the visit of the Commerce Secretary, India and China also signed the protocol for exports
of Indian tobacco leaves to China. Quality tobacco on par with international standards is
available in India at competitive prices and there is good potential for export of Indian tobacco to
China. The revival of the phytosanitory protocol with China will pave the way for revival of
Indian tobacco exports to China and prove economically beneficial to Indian farmers.
The recent period has thus seen significant progress in market access for a number of agricultural
and allied products from India. The Commerce Secretary requested the GACC to expedite
market access for other products like okra, soyabean, bovine meat and dairy products. Commerce
Secretary also held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of China’s
Ministry of Commerce, to discuss the progress made under RCEP negotiations and efforts to
strengthen bilateral trade.
44. India’s Foreign Trade Statistics for the Period April Dec 2018 Ministry of Commerce
and Industry Government of India
45. DIPP nod for new e-commerce policy soon: Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu
Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu said the government will release the new e-commerce policy
soon which is awaiting approval from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP). "The new e-commerce policy, initially
drafted by industry stakeholders, is currently waiting
for clearance from the DIPP," Prabhu told.
Speaking on sidelines of an event organised by the
Federation of Gujarat Industries, he said, "although
the government is willing to listen to the World
Trade Organization (WTO), the policy will be
prepared by us."
The minister also said the new industrial policy, which aims at boosting manufacturing, promote
foreign technology transfer and attract overseas investments, is also is awaiting the Cabinet
approval. Elaborating on the policy, Prabhu said, it will replace the 27-year-old existing policy,
aims to resolve bottlenecks arising from inadequate infrastructure, restrictive labour laws and
complicated business environment.
He also informed that the government is creating 'sub-national'- ease of doing business
parameters which will be measured at the district level because that is where the local industries
are flourishing.
Prabhu said countries like Russia, Japan, Korea, and Sweden have expressed interest in investing
in projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and smart cities besides the railways, and
public transport.
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