1.   

Commerce Secy hopeful of achieving export target

The Union Commerce Secretary, Mr S.R. Rao, on Thursday expressed hope that India could achieve the 20 per cent targeted export growth this fiscal. April’s disappointing 3.2 per cent growth notwithstanding; the Government was expecting an improvement during the course of the year, mainly through value-added products. Mr Rao, after a meeting with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations members here, said the focused products have started giving dividends over the last couple of months.

2.   

India pips Thailand as world''s top rice exporter

India surpassed Thailand as the world''s leading rice exporter this month, as Bangkok''s price intervention policy made the kingdom''s rice more expensive on the world market, industry sources said Thursday. On July 10, India''s total rice exports for this year reached 3.61 million tons, edging past the 3.6 million exported by Thailand, which has held the top slot for decades, according to data gathered by the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

3.   

Anand Sharma to Attend Global Investment Conference in London Tomorrow

The Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles Shri Anand Sharma, left today for London to attend The Global Investment Conference which is taking place tomorrow. Shri Sharma will speak during a session on Global Trade Partnerships along with the British Minister of Business, Innovation and Skills Dr. Vince Cable and Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment, Nigeria.

4.   

EGoM on drought meets early next week

With the southwest monsoon showing little sign of improvement, worsening the drought-like scenario in many parts of the country, the first meeting of an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on this situation will be held on Tuesday next week. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will chair it. The commodities market regulator, the Forward Markets Commission (FMC), has warned traders that it would not allow them to manipulate futures prices of agriculture items and could ban its trading if required.