VOL XXII, ISSUE 21

15 November 2022

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POLICY SCAN                                                                                    

Gujarat govt announces new Electronics Policy 2022-2028

With a view to generate 1 million employment opportunities in a span of five years, the Gujarat government unveiled a new Electronics Policy – 2022-2028. Announcing the policy, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel said that the new electronics policy will not only lay the foundation for manufacturing for electronic products in Gujarat but it will also give momentum to Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The policy is eying at producing electronics items in tune with $30 billion to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of producing $300 million worth of sustainable electronics manufacturing and exports by 2026. For the purpose, the state government has made provisions and relaxation including one-time reimbursement of 100% stamp duty and registration fee on the sale/transfer of land and entitling ‘eligible units’ for a 7% loan on the interest paid, with a ceiling of Rs 10 crore per annum.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/gujarat-govt-announces-new-electronics-policy-2022-2028/2758623/ October 30, 2022

Uttar Pradesh cabinet approves new industrial investment, employment promotion policy

The state cabinet on Thursday approved the new Uttar Pradesh Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy-2022, along with amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Start-up Policy-2020 and the U.P. Data Centre Policy-2021, with a view to turning the state into a trillion-dollar economy by 2027.The new Uttar Pradesh Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy-2022 will be effective for five years and is aimed at attracting investment at U.P. Global Investors Summit-2023 to be organised in Lucknow from February 10 to 12 next year. Besides Microsoft India (R and D) Private Limited (investment ₹2186 crore), the other units for which incentives were approved on a case-by-case basis are MAQ India Private Limited (investment ₹483 crore) and One97 Communications- Paytm (investment ₹571 crore) under the provisions of Uttar Pradesh Information Technology and Start-up Policy-2017.

Source: By Umesh Raghuvanshi, https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/uttar-pradesh-cabinet-approves-new-industrial-investment-employment-promotion-policy-101667495546248.html,  November 04, 2022

INDUSTRY  SCAN                                                                           

General

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How Intel Aims to Beat its Rivals Samsung and TSMC in the Semiconductor Foundry Space?

The US is now investing billions of dollars to build its in-house chip manufacturing cluster to defeat China’s fearless ambitions of leading the semiconductor industry. China is now trying relentlessly to reduce its dependence on foreign technology. In the meantime, because of the slumping demand of chips and decreased production, Intel grabbed a 20 percent YoY drop in Q3 revenue in the past week and the overall revenue for 2022 dropped between $63 billion and $64 billion as low as $4 billion from its past FY income. As per some media reports surfaced previously, the US tech giant is working on the mass production of chips on 5-nm process in retaliation to TSMC’s 3-nm tech process. Intel planned to unleash them during the Q2 of 2023 along with 18A production during the same timeline. Intel also played a key role in the unleashing of the CHIPS ACT, which will channel more than $50 billion in federal money into chipset manufacturing.

Source: By Nijhum Rudra, https://circuitdigest.com/,  November 07, 2022

Smart Meter Makers to Make Devices More Affordable

Amit Kumar, Chairman of IEEMA Meter Division and Vice President of Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd, said the combined annual production capacity of the Indian meter industry is more than 100 million smart meters which is sufficient to meet the 2025 target. As per industry estimates, a smart meter costs around USD 50, including manufacturing and installation charges. Around 25 crore smart prepaid metres are to be installed by March 2025 under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) at an outlay of Rs 3.3 lakh crore. The Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) has around 1,000 member organisations across the entire value chain in power generation, transmission and distribution, equipment, and electronic goods. Elecrama is part of IEEMA.

Source: By Sharon Katta, https://www.electronicsb2b.com/ , November 04, 2022

US export restrictions: Expect semiconductor shortage to last 3-5 years

A month since the Biden administration decided to impose curbs on the export of chip-making technology to China, the global semiconductor supply chain is set to worsen. Escalating prices coupled with a more severe supply crunch, experts say, is the unwelcome fallout of the US Federal government’s decision to restrict exports of chip-making equipment to China. Closer home, the impact of a continued semiconductor shortfall will impact Indian auto majors. Maruti Suzuki, which recorded sales of 1.92 lakh cars in the festive season this year, stares at an uncertain outlook so far as semiconductor availability is concerned. The lack of visibility on normalcy pertaining to semiconductor availability has been further impacted by the US government's decisions pertaining to chip-making exports to China. This is largely because China relies on technology imports like chip-makers to optimize manufacturing.

Source: By Jude Sannith, https://www.cnbctv18.com/,  November 04, 2022

Tamil Nadu to diversify manufacturing from consumer electronics and textile to EV

A delegation from India's Tamil Nadu state government visited Taiwan at the end of October, holding meetings with electronics manufacturer Foxconn, Pegatron, Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA), and the Taiwan Footwear Manufacturers Association (TFMA) and many more during their visit to Taiwan. Tamil Nadu accounted for 9%, or around US$300 billion, of India's national GDP in 2021. The southern state plays a vital role in India's manufacturing sector with the industries thriving around the state capital, Chennai, and across other industrial locations in the state. Foxconn's iPhone production is mainly based on the rim of Chennai; Hyundai Motor Company built its facilities close to the capital city as well. Pegatron, Delta Electronics, Dell, Flex, Daimler, Yamaha, Salcomp, Tata Electronics, Ola Electric, and Taiwan's largest shoemaker Feng Tay Enterprise are also manufacturing in Tamil Nadu. Caught up by the ongoing US-China contention like many other countries in the world, India, especially Tamil Nadu state, has seen a large amount of foreign investment pouring in. India, too, imposed strict restrictions on Chinese investments since the Pulwama attack in 2019, which has resulted in a relationship dip between India and China. 

Source: By Yusin Hu, https://www.digitimes.com/,  November 11, 2022

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Information Technology

IT giant Tech Mahindra to pay Rs18 per share divided soon: Buy the stock?

With a market valuation of ₹1,02,551.50 crore, Tech Mahindra Ltd. is a large-cap company that is engaged in the IT industry. This IT behemoth's stock ended trading today at ₹1,054.00 a piece, up 0.11% from the previous close of ₹1,052.85. In comparison to the 20-Day average volume of 2,261,850 shares, the stock reported a total volume during its trading session of 2,531,080 shares. Tech Mahindra is going to pay a special interim dividend of ₹18 per share soon and post its Q2 results, research analysts of several companies have given the stock a buy call rating. The company has said in a stock exchange filing that its Board of Directors has “Declared Special dividend of Rs. 18/- per equity share of Rs. 5/- each i.e. 360% of the face value.

Source: By Vipul Das, https://www.livemint.com/,  November 04, 2022

Enterprise Architecture has a key role to play in digital transformation

With the acceleration and the growth of digital transformation efforts and migration to the cloud, the need for best practices in IT architecture has evolved too. We are well aware that the majority of digital initiatives are not successful despite investing heavily. One of the main reasons for this failure is continuing with legacy data architecture and databases that prevent the building of new apps and bringing about the much-needed broader innovation. Enterprise Architecture consists of a planned and organized approach to taking control of IT assets and addressing the growing complexities present in the business environment. Acting as a bridge between business and IT, it delivers important insights and provides a complete picture, thereby eliminating incorrect communication.

Source: https://www.ciol.com/enterprise-architecture-key-role-play-digital-transformation/,  November 01, 2022

Layoffs: When technology industry turns heartless

It’s that bad quarter of an hour, when the tech industry turns heartless. Leading global companies from Amazon to Google to Apple have either announced widespread layoffs or hiring freezes. The latest to join the list is social media gaint Twitter, which packed home thousands of employees, including in India. In further bad news, the Bank of England last week confirmed that the UK could see one of the worst recessions in a century. If its fears turn true, layoffs in the world’s leading financial hub are inevitable. This will cause double-trouble for Indian firms and employees as the financial sector is one of the top clients of the sector. Not only the attrition rates have been high with most companies recording 23-27% manpower exits during the first half of FY23, but also there have been reports of companies freezing or cutting staff bonuses, worrying about falling IT budgets in the US and Europe. 

Source: By Sunitha Natti, https://www.newindianexpress.com/, November 06, 2022

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Telecom

Ministries to work closely to avoid overlaps in telecom law

Telecom ministry officials will work with their counterparts in the broadcasting ministry and department of space to implement the rules incorporated in the Indian Telecommunications Bill after it becomes a law to prevent conflicts in regulation, a senior government official said. The potential for overlapping of regulation may arise due to the expansion of the definition of telecommunications in the draft telecom bill to include over-the-top (OTT) communication apps, broadcasting, satellite and communication over the internet. The official said that the draft version of the telecom bill will be released for stakeholder consultations in the coming months and will become an umbrella Act under which several ministries are likely to be covered.

Source: By Gulveen Aulakh, https://www.livemint.com/,  November 07, 2022

Telecom tariffs remain at 'unsustainable levels': Vodafone Idea CEO

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea (VIL) has said telecom tariffs in India continue to remain at "unsustainable levels" and the industry needs "tariff correction" to support continued investments. VIL has seen average revenue per user (ARPU) growth for five consecutive quarters now. Its average revenue or realisation per user at Rs 131 in Q2 FY23 was 19.5 per cent higher than the year-ago period, aided mostly by tariff hikes and subscriber upgrades. To a specific question, Moondra admitted that both 4G coverage expansion and 5G rollout will depend on funding and fund raise. The company is ready with its plans and "engaged" with vendors, and once funding is in place, it will be able to roll out 5G and execute it quickly. The service revenue of VIL, however, increased 12.8 per cent to Rs 10,614.6 crore in the second quarter of the current fiscal. In the year-ago period, the same stood at Rs 9,406.4 crore.

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/,  November 05, 2022

Jio and Airtel add 3,500 5G sites per week in ramp up

Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are adding around 3,500 sites per week cumulatively, as they ramp up their 5G network rollout. Both the telcos are set to further scale up site additions to 9,000-10,000 per week combined in the coming three-four months as equipment becomes easily available with more domestic production of radios, said executives of the two telcos. At this pace, the 5G rollout by the two operators will far exceed the obligation mandated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). While Reliance Jio has announced plans to cover the entire country with 5G by December next year, Bharti Airtel aims to do so by March 2024. The spokesperson further said Jio will have the widest 5G coverage in India way ahead of the other operators and will offer the best 5G services to its customers.

Source: By Kiran Rathee, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/,  November 07, 2022

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Telecom Operators To Accelerate Pace Of 5G Network Rollout

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly received assurance from the telecom operators on the speedy rollout of 5G network. As per reports, from December, these operators are expected to add 8,000 towers per week to accelerate the launch of the 5G network. According to a report by Business Standard, due to the shortage in the availability of radio hardware with the manufacturers, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have been constructing roughly 2,500 towers every week. The action is also being taken shortly after Airtel stated that it has approximately one million 5G users. The implementation of 5G is being monitored by Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. As per reports, he earlier also exerted pressure on the operators to accelerate the process and install about 10,000 towers every week.

Source: https://www.outlookindia.com/,  November 05, 2022

Industry bodies call for draft Telecom Bill review

The draft Indian Telecommunication Bill 2022 is overbroad and will impose extensive licensing burden, hurt cross-border digital trade, hamper India's economic growth, and constrain innovation, several industry bodies have said in a joint statement. It also recommended excluding customer equipment and software from the definition of telecommunications equipment as they are already regulated by the electronics & IT ministry (MeitY). Industry stakeholders called for further deliberations and consideration to fully assess the draft bill, given its wide-ranging implications. Washington-based Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) said the draft bill will unintentionally limit the ease of doing business in India, negatively impact cross-border digital trade, hamper India's economic growth, and constrain innovation.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/.  NOvember 10, 2022

Telecom towers grow by 60 per cent between 2017-2022

In an indication of improved coverage, the number of towers has gone up by almost 60 per cent in the last five years. However, despite the launch of 4G and 5G services, the year-on-year addition of towers has not seen any significant sudden increase. Experts note that this is because there is only marginal deployment of 5G services at present; exponential growth in tower additions is likely to come next year. According to the count of mobile towers provided on the Department of Telecommunications Dashboard, the four operators running  the telecom network utilised 7.37 lakh towers and 23.7 lakh base stations as of November 2022. Therefore, there has been a nearly 60 per cent increase and a 40 per cent increase in towers and BTS, respectively, since December 2017. Yearly, towers are being added at an approximately constant rate, with 45,000–55,000 year-on-year adds on the telecom tower side and 50,000–65,000 net adds on the BTS side.

Source: By Ayushi Kar, https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/,  November 13, 2022

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EV’s & Auto Electronics

Legacy two-wheeler makers rev up EV play to take on startups

Three of India’s top four legacy two-wheeler brands are finally cranking up their presence in the electric vehicle (EV) segment to challenge a host of startups currently dominating this space. Thanks to improved availability of semiconductors and easing of supply chain issues, legacy players are stepping on the pedal. TVS Motor Company, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp, who together control 60% of the domestic two-wheeler market, are planning multiple EV launches, raising EV output and increasing their market reach by adding more towns and cities to the distribution list. Chennai-based TVS Motor Company has raced ahead to emerge as the leader among its peers. On the back of strong demand for electric scooter iQube, the company plans to ramp up production more than four-fold to 25,000 a month from the current 8,000 a month.

Source: By Swaraj Baggonkar, https://www.financialexpress.com/,  November 14, 2022

Electric vehicle lobby writes to parliamentary committee against fraudulence allegations

An industry body for electric vehicle (EV) makers has written to a parliamentary committee against an investigation into alleged misappropriation of subsidies by some manufacturers. Some anonymous "detractors" were keen to derail e-mobility, it said. The lobby, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), in its petition to the parliament standing committee on electric and hybrid mobility said “vested interest groups” were trying to scuttle the government's e-mobility policy through an anonymous campaign. SMEV was referring to anonymous emails sent to various government departments and media organisations alleging that several electric two-wheeler companies, including leading sellers Hero Electric and Okinawa Autotech, were wrongfully claiming subsidies under the government’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and hybrid vehicles (FAME) scheme.

Source: By Nehal Chaliawala, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/,  November 11, 2022

Hyundai All Set to Welcome Global Battery EV Platform in India with Ioniq 5

Hyundai Motor India on Thursday said it will introduce its global dedicated battery electric vehicle platform in the country with its upcoming model Ioniq 5, slated to debut in the Auto Expo in January next year. The Ioniq 5 will be the company’s first model in the country based on the electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). “With the introduction of E-GMP to India, we will be able to provide customers with advanced battery electric vehicles, derived from a platform that is modular, scalable and versatile," Hyundai Motor India MD & CEO Unsoo Kim said in a statement. Conceptualised and engineered to pivot the future transformation of electric mobility, E-GMP will usher in a new league of electric vehicles for the new age customers in India, he added. The automaker currently sells a single electric model — Kona Electric in the domestic market. Last year, the South Korean auto major announced plans to invest around Rs 4,000 crore to drive six electric vehicles in India by 2028.

Source: https://www.news18.com/news,  November 11, 2022

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Why China’s dominance of electric vehicle supply chain must be countered

The start of COP27 in Egypt has renewed the world’s focus on climate change. Electric vehicles (EVs) are key in the global quest to decarbonise. In India, which also faces serious air pollution issues, the transition to EVs is critical. However, there is a China-size risk in the supply chain for electric vehicles. The recent sabre-rattling across the Taiwan Straits ought to be a warning for the world. Given India’s troubled relationship with China, the risk may be even more acute. The fact is that China is now the biggest spender on climate/energy transition. According to a report by Bloomberg’s New Energy Fund (NEF), in 2021, out of a total global spend of $750 billion in climate-related investments (90 per cent of which went into renewable energy and electric transport), China alone spent $266 billion. However, while almost 40 per cent of Chinese and US spending was on EVs, more than 95 per cent of India’s spending is on renewable energy. Interestingly, in Europe, about 75-80 per cent of the spending is on EVs, which is why it leads the US in this sector. In India, despite intent, EVs have not received sufficient investment.

Source: By Dhiraj Nayyar, https://indianexpress.com/,  November 14, 2022

54% Indians consumers concerned about quality of electric vehicle, not range: Report

About 50 per cent of Indian consumers are now open to buying EVs, albeit with a caveat, while 54 per cent of consumers are still concerned about EV quality, a report showed on Monday, adding that EV range anxiety now appears to be a misperception. As per the report by CyberMedia Research (CMR), the consumers are not shying away from EVs owing to 'EV range anxiety' or 'upfront costs', or 'limited EV charging infrastructure'. With a strong government policy push, including its flagship EV scheme, faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles (FAME), and more automotive OEMs prioritising EVs, India's EV momentum is gaining momentum.

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/ , November 07, 20222

Indian auto-parts makers face job losses as EVs rev up

At a webinar earlier this year on achieving a "just transition" in the sector, hosted by government think-tank Niti Aayog and WRI India, panelists estimated that 20-40% of existing jobs would become obsolete. Those affected would include manufacturers, auto dealers, after-sales professionals and roadside mechanics, as EVs have fewer mechanical parts and repairs require sophisticated electronics expertise. Depending on the level of local manufacturing, a scenario with 30% electric cars by 2030 may support around 20-25% fewer job than the ICE industry now as EVs rely more on software and electronics, according to a 2019 report on India's transition.

Source: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/,  November 05, 2022

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Defence & Solar

Indian defense firms working towards achieving USD 5 billion exports target set by Centre

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the defense companies to achieve the target of USD 5 billion in exports, Indian entities, including both private and public firms, are taking steps to enhance their foreign sales. In this regard, the biggest public sector unit, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has tasked its officers to do export promotion. BrahMos Aerospace chief, Atul Rane, recently told India Today that while the prime minister had set a target of USD 5 billion for the whole country, BrahMos alone would be working towards achieving that target. Brahmos missile export target is set at USD 5 billion by 2025. BrahMos made the first export deal with the Philippines at USD 375 million.

Source: By Manjeet Negi, https://www.indiatoday.in/,  November 08, 2022

Indian Army seeks more than 2,200 drones

The Indian Army has launched a series of fast-track drone procurement efforts under emergency powers that will see the service spend up to 3 billion rupees (U.S. $36 million) for each program. According to the Defence Ministry, orders are to be fulfilled within one year after contract signing. On Oct 16, the Army issued two tenders to procure 363 drones in keeping with its commitment to fight future wars with indigenous solutions. That planned order includes 163 drones that can operate at high altitudes, while the remaining 200 are meant for medium altitudes. The Army requires 60% of each system includes indigenous material.

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/,  November 03, 2022

Act East Policy: Indonesia expresses interest in BrahMos Missiles, deal to be sealed soon

Indonesia has shown interest in India’s defence sector. This was evident in the recently concluded Indo-Defence 2022 Expo & Forum in Jakarta, where Indonesia’s defence minister Prabowo Subianto held a long meeting with Atul Dinkar Rane, CEO & MD of BrahMos. Ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in Bali, in the meeting that lasted almost 45 minutes, the Indonesian defence minister is said to have reiterated his country’s keen interest in buying BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for its armed forces. However, “The discussions related to the BrahMos Supersonic Missiles are already in the advanced stages. Jakarta has not yet confirmed the deal due to its internal matters; the deal is likely to be concluded maybe early next year, ” sources confirmed to Financial Express Online in Jakarta.

Source: By Huma Siddiqui, https://www.financialexpress.com/,  November 12, 2022

Android RAT Group Targets Indian Defense Personnel

A malicious Android installation package has been spotted targeting Indian defense personnel since at least July 2021. The news comes from a report from external threat landscape management platform Cyfirma, which the company shared with Infosecurity over the weekend. Once installed, the app asks for several permissions, including camera, microphone, internet and storage. “Access to any one of these can be dangerous and catastrophic for national security,” Cyfirma wrote. Further research from the company revealed that the threat actors behind the tool were using a variant of Spymax RAT (remote access trojan), a tool whose source code is already available on underground forums.

Source: By Alessandro Mascellino, https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/,  November 07, 2022

India needs $300bn investment to meet 500GW renewable energy aim by 2030: Report

With 165 gigawatts (GW) generation capacity already in place, the country is on the right trajectory to meet its goal of having 50 per cent of energy needs through the renewable portfolio, the Arthur D Little (ADL) report said on Monday. As per the study, India's electricity consumption is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.4 per cent over the next decade, with annual demand touching 2,300 billion units (BUs) by 2030. However, at the current pace, generation will reach only 2,024 BUs by 2030, it said.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/,  November 07, 2022

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India has extended the deadline for its rooftop solar programme without increasing the budget outlay

India’s Rooftop Solar programme has received a four-year extension and now aims at achieving its target of 4000 megawatt (40 gigawatt) rooftop solar capacity addition, by March 2026. The programme, which has a significant role in achieving India’s total capacity target in solar energy, was already lagging. India had achieved just 7.9 gigawatt of installed rooftop solar capacity as of June 2022. The deadline extension is not a promising sign, opine experts. Through an order issued in the first week of October, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy extended the deadline of the Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II from the original deadline of December 2022. The ministry said that the Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II has been extended till March 31, 2026, without any financial implication, i.e., within the originally approved total outlay of Rs 118.14 billion for both components of the programme – the incentives to distribution companies and Central Financial Assistance to the residential sector.

Source: By Kundan Pandey, https://scroll.in/,  November 06, 2022

India’s Solar Power Generation Rises by 36% YoY to 70.2 BU in 9M 2022.

India generated around 70.24 billion units of solar power in the first nine months of the calendar year 2022, a 36% increase compared to 51.67 BU during the same period last year. Solar generation has been on an upward trend since 9M 2018, when it hit 25.45 BU. The increase in overall solar power generation is attributed to the new capacity additions during the first nine months of the year.

Source: By Rakesh Ranjan, https://mercomindia.com/,  November 04, 2022

India terminates anti-dumping probe into solar cell imports from China, Thailand & Vietnam

The commerce ministry has terminated an anti-dumping investigation into import of solar cells from China, Thailand and Vietnam following a request from the Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA). On May 15, 2021, the ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated a probe into alleged dumping of "solar cells whether or not assembled into modules or panels" exported from the three nations, following a complaint by the association. Anti-dumping rules, 1995 provide for termination of a probe in certain situations which include withdrawal of application by the affected domestic industry at whose instance the investigation was initiated. Post initiation of the probe, the government levied customs duties of 25 per cent on solar cells and 40 per cent on solar modules with effect from April 1 this year.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/,  November 13, 2022

Tender Issued to Develop 810 MW of Solar Projects in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam has issues a tender to select solar project developers to setup 810 MW of state transmission utility connected solar power projects on a build-own operate basis in the RVUNL solar park in Bikaner. RVUNL will enter into a purchase agreement with the selected bidder for 25 years from the scheduled commissioning date of the project, and the generated power will be supplied to the state DISCOMs. The selected developer will aslo be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the project for the PPA duration. The gird-connected solar projects will be setup in the RVUN 2 GW Ultra Mega Solar park being developed at villages Ramsar Chhota, Barala & Bandrewala, Tehsil Pugal, in the Bikaner district. The last date to submit the bids is January 4, 2023. Bids will be opened the following day.

Source: By Satish Shetty, https://mercomindia.com/,  November 11, 2022

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Consumer Electronics

Apple says iPhone supplies hurt by anti-virus curbs in China

Apple Inc. is warning customers they'll have to wait longer to get its latest iPhone models after anti-virus restrictions were imposed on a contractor's factory in central China. The company announcement Sunday gave no details but said the factory operated by Foxconn in the central city of Zhengzhou is "operating at significantly reduced capacity." Foxconn Technology Group said earlier it imposed anti-virus measures on the factory in Zhengzhou following virus outbreaks. Apple and Foxconn previously hadn't responded to questions about how iPhone production might be affected. Last week, access to the industrial zone where the factory is located was suspended for one week following a surge in infections in Zhengzhou and the departure of workers from the factory.

Source: https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-apple-iphone-anti-virus-curbs-china.html,  November 07, 2022

Bills target corporate practices thwarting product repairs in the US

After decades of providing directions, parts and guidance to customers who wanted to mend a broken tool or machine, manufacturers often no longer do so, advocates say, adding that the original manufacturers of a given product often direct their customers back to themselves or to approved third-party repair shops. Though two states—Colorado and New York—have passed right-to-repair legislation, legislatures in 25 are considering it, according to The Repair Association, and there are bills in the House and Senate that would address various industries, including farming equipment, electronics and automobiles. In the House, Rep. Joseph D. Morelle, D-N.Y., has legislation to require electronics companies to share records about diagnostics, repair and maintenance with owners and third-party repair shops.

Source: https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-bills-corporate-thwarting-product.html,  November 02, 2022

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MSME

Self Reliant India fund commits Rs 5,000 crore to fund MSMEs

The Self Reliant India (SRI) fund, launched by the government of India to provide growth capital to MSMEs, has committed to deploy Rs 5,000 crore, almost 50 per cent of its total corpus, in 38 private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) firms, Suresh Kozhikote, Managing Director and CEO, SBICAP Ventures told FEAspire. Each fund will get an average of Rs 100-150 crore, however its deployment will happen over time as the PE funds have an investment period of 5-6 years so they will apply for the SRI fund as and when they find suitable companies to invest in. SRI fund is a SEBI-registered category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) that operates through the mother-fund and daughter-fund structure wherein SRI fund, as a mother fund, invests up to 20 per cent of the overall corpus of daughter fund (mostly VC and PE funds) and the latter raises the balance 80 per cent of the capital from outside sources.

Source: By Sonal Khetrapal, https://www.financialexpress.com/,  November 07, 2022

2022 FIFA World Cup: This Indian MSME is supplying power transformers for the soccer event in Qatar

Kolkata-based transformer manufacturing MSME BMC Electroplast has supplied around 3,000 transformers to help power the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar beginning November 20. The current and voltage transformers supplied will help secure power distribution in stadia and related infrastructure, a company official told PTI. BMC Electroplast Director Siddhartha Mitra said the company has supplied 50 per cent of the total voltage and current transformers required for the soccer event. These instruments reside in the switchgear boards used for power distribution, internal control and protection. Qatar Electricity & Water Corporation was the agency approving BMC’s transformers under the contract worth Rs 35 crore.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/,  November 06, 2022

MSME units in a fix over steep rise in fixed charges

Proprietors of small and medium industries who had been paying fixed charges in anticipation of better times are in a dilemma as the tariff has been raised steeply. For HT consumers, the fixed charges have been raised from ₹350 per KW to ₹550. For those who are operating with very thin margins, the peak hour charges have come as a rude shock. The MSMEs in Tiruchi region are already facing tough times due to the shortage of orders from the BHEL, and several industries have turned into non-performing assets. There is a likelihood of more number of units getting into the red if the requests of the industries pertaining to moderation of peak hour tariff and maximum demand charges are not addressed, industry representatives say.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/,  November 05, 2022

New food processing policy will pay attention to concerns of MSME sector entrepreneurs: CM Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the new food processing policy to be soon introduced in the state will pay special attention to the concerns raised by the entrepreneurs in the MSME sector. The chief minister, who attended the three-day-long national seminar and expo on Agro-based Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) here, called upon the entrepreneurs attending the conference to get ready for the Global Investors Summit, which will take place in Uttar Pradesh in February, an official release issued here said.

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Source: https://www.zeebiz.com/,  November 04, 2022

Nearly 9 crore people employed by this many MSMEs registered on Udyam portal: Govt data

The Udyam Registration portal’s data disclosed by the MSME Ministry over two years after the launch of the portal showed 8.81 crore people employed by 1.19 crore MSMEs registered on the portal. Out of the total employment, 2.05 crore were women, the latest data published on the portal at the time of publishing this report showed. Apart from jobs, the government also shared export statistics. The portal had 1.48 lakh exporting units registered with an export value of Rs 9.55 lakh crore. In terms of business activity, over 34,000 enterprises registered on the Udyam portal were in manufacturing in comparison to 84.74 lakh service MSMEs. 95 per cent (1.14 crore) of total registered MSMEs on the portal were micro followed by only 3.54 per cent (4.23 lakh) small businesses and 0.32 per cent (39,289) medium enterprises.

Source: By Sandeep Soni, https://www.financialexpress.com/ , November 13, 2022

TIIC launches scheme for MSMEs

Tamilnadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC) has launched a scheme to help MSMEs get all the mandatory approvals before the units go in for loans. The TIIC, Bank of Baroda (BOB), and Coimbatore District Small Industries Associations (Codissia) recently organised a special campaign to explain to MSME entrepreneurs the fund-based and non-fund based services that TIIC and BOB offer. The TIIC, Bank of Baroda (BOB), and Coimbatore District Small Industries Associations (Codissia) recently organised a special campaign to explain to MSME entrepreneurs the fund-based and non-fund based services that TIIC and BOB offer. V. Thirugnanam, president of Codissia, said the TIIC and BOB would soon sign an MoU. Under the total cost of ownership programme of TIIC, the Corporation would facilitate the mandatory approvals for MSMEs. It would lend for plant and machinery and for other financial needs of an industry, the borrower could opt for the products of Bank of Baroda, he said.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news,  November 13, 2022

How national logistics policy will enhance MSMEs’ participation in global supply chains

The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector contributes one-third to India’s GDP and accounts for approximately 40% of the country’s total exports. As India is on the pathway to becoming a $5Tn economy, exports would become an inevitable component of the nation’s growth, and MSMEs would need as many avenues to show their utmost potential. The National Logistics Policy (NLP), recently launched by the government, is a comprehensive framework set to enhance the efficiency of India’s logistics system and ensure the seamless movement of goods across the country. The initiative’s primary aim is to reduce logistics costs from the current 13-14% of the GDP to the global cost of 7%. Moreover, the policy is said to aid Indian businesses, especially MSMEs, to become globally competitive as it will create a robust logistics infrastructure for facilitating cross-border trade. India’s logistics sector has been fragmented for quite some time now, with MSMEs undergoing unnecessary manual processes, heavy documentation work, frequent interference from various regulatory authorities, etc.

Source: By Pushkar Mukewar, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/,  November 13, 2022