1.   

Remove non-tariff barriers: India to Japan

India has asked Japan to remove all non-tax barriers to help the domestic industry take advantage of the comprehensive free-trade agreement and increase its share in the Japanese market. The issue was flagged by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma in his meeting with Japanese Minister Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano last week in Cambodia.

2.   

Rangarajan panel for total decontrol of sugar industry

The Rangarajan Committee, set up earlier this year by the prime minsiter’s office (PMO), has recommended total decontrol of the sugar industry by doing away with the levy sugar obligation, release mechanism and freeing of export-import. While recommending the Centre’s Fair and Remunerative price (FRP) as the base price for sugarcane, the panel has suggested a profit-sharing mechanism so that farmers, too, benefit from higher sugar prices.

3.   

Record wheat output wards off base effect in agri GDP

A record rabi harvest, especially for wheat, propelled India’s agriculture gross domestic product (GDP) for the quarter ended June to 2.9 per cent, compared with the market estimates of one percent. Growth in agriculture GDP in the corresponding period last year stood at 3.7 per cent. According to data released on Friday, agriculture, forestry and fishing expanded 2.9 per cent during the quarter, helping raise overall GDP growth to 5.5 per cent, against 5.3 per cent in the year-ago period.

4.   

Tajikistan invites India Inc. to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties

The President of Republic of Tajikistan, Mr Emomali Rahmon today urged the captains of Indian industry for enhancing the bilateral trade through mutual economic co-operation and development between the two countries in various sectors like energy, mining, pharmaceutical, light industry, eco-tourism, roadways construction, agriculture, transport, communication and others.