Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said the world today wants to engage with India for free trade agreements (FTA), and to expand trade and diplomatic relations with India. Speaking at the inaugural of the maiden Global Investors Meet of the DMK government, the Commerce and Textiles Minister said India's young population has given demographic dividend which has become the envy of the world.

 

Batting for women joining the formal workforce in the country, he said, 'when women go to work, it will not only add to the GDP but will also add twice to the country's GDP as the work they are now doing will be replaced by technology.'

 

Elaborating, he said, '... as more and more women come into formal workforce, the work what they are now doing, which is unfortunately not reflecting in our GDP will be replaced by technology as India will become the largest market for washing machines, dishwashers.. India will become the largest market for goods and services,' he said.

 

Underscoring that women led development will take India to newer heights, Union Minister said, 'While India is outperforming all our peer economies, the world today wants to come and engage with India, to do free trade agreements with India, to expand trade and diplomatic relations with India.'

 

He noted that the development taking place across sectors, was based on the strength of the young population as the average age stood at 28.4 years.

 

'This young population's basic needs have been met with several welfare initiatives like food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education, water, digital connectivity, air, road, ports, rail which will take the country grow on a fast track. We have prepared the nation to aspire big, to think big and to work collectively as a nation with a sense of duty and to make the nation a developed nation by 2047.'

 

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that India would aspire to become a developed nation by 2047 and to shed the colonial mindset, Goyal said, 'these things rest on two important fundamental needs -- women led development. Strengthening the Nari Shakti and second is to make India corruption free.'

 

Goyal said India was looked as 5th weakest economy before 2014 and in the last 10 years, it has grown to become the world's fifth largest economy.

 

'India was looked as one of the weakest five economies in the world. The journey in the last 10 years has been from fragile economy to the world's fifth largest economy. The journey has taken India to have a very strong macro-economic fundamentals. The journey has given us a GDP growth of 7.7 per cent in the last two quarters.' he said.

 

Complimenting the Tamil Nadu government for setting a target to raise the state's economy by USD 1 trillion by 2030, Goyal said this aspiration would drive for industrialisation, creation of new jobs in the state.

 

'this (vision to reach USD 1 trillion economy) will help the young girls and boys to aspire for big goals in life and it is only when we have big goals, this country will move forward.'

 

Stalin, who released semiconductor and advanced electronics policy on the occasion, said the Global Investors Meet would act as a catalyst for economic and industrial growth.

 

'With the aim that Tamil Nadu should play an important role in shaping India's economic growth, I have set an ambitious target of transforming Tamil Nadu's economy into a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030. To achieve this, we are pursuing a twin-pronged approach of attracting both capital and employment intensive investments,' Stalin, who was clad in a black colour suit said.

 

'We have been inviting investors with a red-carpet. We want to be the trendsetter amid other states. TNGIM has witnessed encouraging response and is expected to bring pride and investment to Tamil Nadu. Multiple policies have been announced by the state. Our focus is to ensure development for all,' he added.

 

The CM also released the USD 1 trillion report and the first copy was received by Goyal on the occasion.

 

Later in a social media post, Stalin said, 'Honoured to share the dais with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Thiru Piyush Goyal and esteemed industry leaders. TVS Chairman Venu Srinivasan, JSW MD Sajjan Jindal, Ashok Leyland MD Shenu Agarwal at TNGIM2024 inauguration.

 

'Positive vibes and global acclaim for Tamil Nadu's one trillion dollar dreams are fuelling our journey to success. Let's aim high, attract game-changing investments, and position Tamil Nadu as the economic powerhouse of India,' he said.

 

Anticipating a tremendously successful event and eagerly awaiting the investment numbers that will shape the state's thriving future, he added.

 

In his welcome address, Minister for Industries TRB Rajaa said, 'this summit is a pedestal for the state to showcase the sectoral expertise, enhance and strengthen skilling diversity and expand the investment opportunities both nationally and internationally.'

 

'Tamil Nadu's skilling prowess exceeds the national benchmark by contributing 43 per cent of the total women workforce in India,' he noted.

 

Seven products from Odisha, ranging from the Similipal Kai chutney made with red weaver ants to the embroidered Kapdaganda shawl, have bagged the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag in recognition of their exclusivity to the state.

 

Geographical Indications of goods refer to the place of origin of a product. Such tags are accorded as they convey an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, attributable to the fact of its origin in a specific geographical locality, region or country. In India, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, awards GIs. 

 

A GI registration is given to an area, not a trader, but once a product gets the registration, traders dealing in the product can apply to sell it with the GI logo. Authorised traders are each assigned a unique GI number. If any unauthorised trader tries selling the product under that name, they can be prosecuted under The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

 

A marker of authentic products, the GI tags also help protect the interests of the local growers and artisans by preventing duplicity of the products and sale from unauthorised traders. Consumers, through the tags, can know which goods are certified. Here is a quick look at the seven products and what makes them distinctive:

 

1. Kapdaganda shawl

Woven and embroidered by the women of the Dongria Kondh tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) in the Niyamgiri hills in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, the shawl reflects the rich tribal heritage of the Dongria Kondhs.

It is embroidered on an off-white coarse cloth with red, yellow and green coloured threads, with each colour holding significance. Green symbolises the mountains and hills, and yellow stands for peace and happiness. Red stands as the symbol of blood.

 

The motifs in the shawls are mostly lines and triangles, believed to be a reflection of the importance of mountains for the community. The shawl is worn by both men and women and the Dongrias gift it to their family members as a token of love and affection.

 

2. Lanjia Saura Painting

The painting, one of the oldest tribal art forms, is also known as Idital. The artworks are famous for their beauty, aesthetics, ritualistic association and iconography.

The art form belongs to the Lanjia Saura community, a PVTG largely residing in the Rayagada district. These paintings are in the form of exterior murals painted on the mud walls of homes. White paintings figure over a crimson-maroon background.

 

It is believed that the Lanjia Sauras paint their walls with Idital artworks to show gratitude to their deities and forefathers, and also for the well-being of their community. Reflecting the love and affection of the primitive tribes for nature, they feature subjects like tribal humans, trees, animals, birds, the Sun and the Moon.

 

3. Koraput Kala Jeera Rice

The black-coloured rice variety, also known as the ‘Prince of Rice’, is famous for its aroma, taste, texture and nutritional value. Tribal farmers of the Koraput region have preserved the rice variety for around 1,000 years. As the rice grains resemble cumin seeds, it is also called Kala Jeera. Consumption of the rice variety helps in increasing haemoglobin levels and improves metabolism in the body.

The farmers and producers of Koraput Kala Jeera rice have followed the traditional knowledge and practices in cultivation. Ancient tales also speak about the physical, mental and spiritual delights resulting from the consumption of the rice variety.

 

4. Similipal Kai chutney

The chutney made with red weaver ants is a traditional delicacy of the tribals in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The ants are found in the forests of Mayurbhanj, including in the Similipal forests – Asia’s second-largest biosphere. Rich in medicinal and nutritional value, the chutney is believed to be a good source of nutrients like protein, calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, potassium, etc.

The tribals prepare the Kai chutney by grinding the ants manually on a Sil Batta or the grinding stone. Mayurbhanj’s tribals also earn their livelihood by selling the red ants and the chutney made from the ants. They believe that its consumption helps boost immunity and prevents diseases.

 

5. Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal

Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal is known for its prickly thorns on the stems and the whole plant. The green and round fruits contain more seeds as compared to other genotypes. It is famous for its unique taste and relatively short quick cooking time. The plants are resistant to major insects and can be grown with minimal pesticide.

 

It is being widely cultivated in Nayagarh district of the state. The growers are getting a yield of up to 200 quintals per hectare and selling at around Rs 60 per kg. Historical records also suggest that the locals got the brinjal from the hilly areas. They collected seeds from it and started raising seedlings nearly 100 years ago.

 

6. Odisha Khajuri Guda

Odisha’s 'Khajuri Guda' or jaggery is a natural sweetener extracted from date palm trees and has its origin in the Gajapati district. Traditionally, the jaggery is prepared in a trapezoidal form called ‘Patali Gur’ and is organic by nature. It is dark brown and has a unique taste.

 

7. Dhenkanal Magji

Dhenkanal Magji is a type of sweet made from cheese from buffalo milk, with distinct characteristics in terms of appearance, taste, flavour, shape, and size. It also has unique nutritional values that distinguish it from other cheese-based sweets.

 

Thousands of people were said to be earning their livelihood through animal husbandry, especially buffalo rearing, during the British era. The region was the hinterland of buffalo milk production and cheese was the third largest produce, after milk and curd. Mandar-Sadangi area of Gondia block is believed to be the centre of origin of the sweet stuff, which has now been spread to the entire district.

 

The sweet is prepared by draining moisture from the cheese and then frying it, finally forming balls from the mixture.

 

To make India self-sufficient in pulses, the government has launched a new portal that will enable the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) to purchase tur dal (pigeon pea) directly from registered farmers. The portal was launched by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. It wil facilitate the registration, purchase, and direct payment to farmers producing Tur Dal.

 

Shah emphasized that by January 2028, India will no longer need to import any pulses. He assured farmers that their produce would be procured at either the minimum support price (MSP) or the market price, whichever is higher, through the newly launched portal.

 

Registered farmers will have the opportunity to sell their produce in the open market as well. This initiative aims to boost domestic pulses production through crop diversification, ultimately reducing the country's reliance on imports. In the future, a similar facility will be introduced for other pulses such as urad (black gram), masoor (lentil), and maize. Currently, India heavily depends on imports for tur, urad, and masoor.

 

Through this new portal, pulses will be procured by government-backed cooperatives such as NAFED and NCCF. Companies like Agribid associated with NCCF will further assist in the procurement of various commodities.

 

Shah emphasized that this move would not only make India self-sufficient in pulse production but also contribute to nutritional security, enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, and conserve water due to the crops' lower water requirements.

 

This announcement comes at a time when tur production in India is expected to reach 3.4 million tonnes in 2023-24, lower than the record output of 4.8 million tonnes in 2016-17 due to reduced acreage. The government estimates that India's import of pulses in the ongoing fiscal year is expected to decrease by more than 35 per cent compared to the previous fiscal year, as a result of this initiative.

The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in the economic development of nations, and the collaboration between countries can significantly impact food security, technology exchange, and overall growth. In recent years, the relationship between Kenya and India in the field of agriculture has witnessed notable advancements, fostering mutual benefits and sustainable development.

 

Over the years, the two nations have engaged in various collaborative efforts, ranging from trade and cultural exchange to technological partnerships. In the agricultural sector, these collaborations have become increasingly vital.

 

Technology Transfer

India, with its advancements in agricultural technology, has been a valuable partner for Kenya in enhancing its farming practices. The transfer of knowledge related to crop management, irrigation techniques, and the use of precision farming technologies has contributed to increased productivity in Kenyan agriculture.

 

Capacity Building

Training programs and workshops facilitated by Indian agricultural experts have played a pivotal role in building the capacity of Kenyan farmers. This exchange of expertise has empowered local communities to adopt modern farming practices, ultimately improving their livelihoods.

 

Trade Relations

The agricultural trade between Kenya and India has flourished, with both countries benefiting from the exchange of commodities. India's diverse agricultural products, such as spices, tea, and pulses, have found a market in Kenya, while Kenyan produce, including tea, coffee, and floriculture products, has gained popularity in the Indian market.

 

Research and Development  

Collaborative research initiatives between Kenyan and Indian agricultural institutions have been instrumental in addressing shared challenges like climate change, soil degradation, and pest control. Joint efforts in research and development have led to the creation of sustainable agricultural practices tailored to the specific needs of both nations.

 

India Provides Financial Support to Kenya for Modernizing Its Agricultural Sector

Moreover, In a recent milestone following the African Union's inclusion in the G20, Prime Minister Modi expressed immense satisfaction over the visit of the Kenyan President to India. During this significant engagement, the Indian Prime Minister announced that India has committed to providing a substantial line of credit amounting to USD 250 million to Kenya.

 

This financial support is specifically earmarked for the modernization of Kenya's agricultural sector, reflecting a strategic and collaborative effort to enhance the nation's farming practices and bolster its overall agricultural development. The generous financial assistance underscores the deepening ties between India and Kenya.

The evolving relationship between Kenya and India in the agricultural sector exemplifies the power of international collaboration. By leveraging each other's strengths, these two nations are creating a foundation for a resilient and vibrant agricultural sector. As the partnership deepens, it is expected to contribute not only to the economic well-being of both countries but also to the global discourse on agricultural innovation and food security.

 

India can tap the $10-12 billion poultry and eggs market overseas, if the Government allows the industry to import feed for exports, according to an industry leader.

 

Speaking at the panel discussion on ‘Tapping the potential of livestock sector’ at the businessLine Agri & Commodity Summit 2024 in Delhi on Friday, Suresh Chitturi, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms, said there is at least $10-12 billion food market i he Middle East with Brazil and Ukraine supplying chicken and eggs.

 

Terming that as a huge opportunity for India, he said: 'Typically our feed prices are high because of the minimum support price and all that. I think, if the government allows us to import feed for exports, I think that makes us on par with them and it is a huge thing.'

 

Huge opportunity

He said chicken from Brazil takes at least three months to reach shelves in Dubai. Whereas, India can reach Dubai in the same week.

 

Stating that India is not as vegetarian a country as one thinks it to be, he said not a single kilo of chicken gets wasted anywhere. Consumption is not a problem as far both eggs and chicken, and it is doubling every seven years, which is very good. 'Frankly, I don’t think you can ask for more than that,' he said.

 

On the production aspects, he said India is as good as anybody else in the world on the production side. But it is not good in managing the supply.

 

Not ‘eat milk’ society

Ranjith Mukundan, Co-founder and CEO, Stellapps Technologies Pvt Ltd, said India is a milk drinking society and still not an ‘eat milk’ (dairy products like cheese) society.

 

Stressing the need to simplify an otherwise fragmented supply chain, he said increase the number of cows and carry-out micro-chilling in farms could lead to decarbonisation and so on, over a 10-year horizon.

 

He said dairy sector is relatively more organised thanks to the co-operative movement, and opined that better quality one-on-one dairy products will happen in the long term.

 

On the importance of technology in the dairy sector, he said technology needs to be a supply chain concept, and not only farm facing concept.

 

More focus needed

KK Vijayan, former Director, ICAR-CIBA (Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture), said fisheries directly impacts the rural economy as it produces food and provides livelihood too.

 

Stating that India has good amount of resources in fisheries sector, he said it has around 9 million hectares of freshwater, 1.24 million hectares of brackish water resources, and around 2 lakh square km of exclusive economic zone.

 

Terming fish as a nutritional food, he said it is helping farmer to earn livelihood also. Since 2020, there has been more focus on fisheries sector. But it needs more focus as it is a promising area, he said.

 

He stressed the need to increase per capita consumption of fish, and said whatever the support system agriculture sector gets should also to be extended to this fisheries sector.

 

KV Kurmanath of businessline, Hyderabad, moderated the session.

 

The summit was sponsored by State Bank of India and co-powered by NABARD in association with National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) and INDOFIL Industries Ltd. Dhanuka Agritech Ltd and Kribhco Agri Business are associate partners. The National Stock Exchange and Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Co­ operative Management were the regional sponsors.

The Indian economy is expected to grow 7.3 per cent on an annual basis in the current financial year, according to the first advance estimate released by the National Statistical Office on Friday. The Indian economy had grown by 7.2 per cent in FY23. The economy is pegged to grow at 8.9 per cent in FY24 in nominal terms, compared to 16.1 per cent in the previous financial year. The government sees FY24 GVA growth at 6.9 per cent YoY, down from 7 per cent in FY23.

 

The government will review the progress of the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for all 14 sectors on January 12, an official said on Thursday. The meeting assumes significance as the government has disbursed Rs 2,900 crore till March 2023 under the scheme.

 

The empowered committee in PLI has also approved Rs 1,000 crore disbursement to beneficiary firms of the electronics sector.

 

The scheme was announced in 2021 for 14 sectors such as telecommunication, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell battery, drones, and pharma with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore.

 

'On January 12, there is a PLI review meeting,' the official said, adding, 'some PLI sectors are doing very well, others are in gestation period, and there are some which are lagging a bit, we expect to see a take-off very soon'.

 

The purpose of the schemes is to attract investments in key sectors and cutting-edge technology; ensure efficiency and bring economies of size and scale in the manufacturing sector and make Indian companies and manufacturers globally competitive.

 

The schemes have attracted over Rs 95,000 crore in investment till September 2023.

 

According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, 746 applications have been approved till November 2023 under these schemes.

 

As per the ministry, of the USD 101 billion of total electronics production in 2022-23, smartphones constituted USD 44 billion.

 

About PLI in white goods (AC and LED light components), the ministry has said that 64 companies have been selected under the scheme.

 

Of this, 34 would invest Rs 5,429 crore for air-conditioner components and 30 would invest Rs 1,337 crore for LED component manufacturing.

 

'Further investments of Rs 6,766 crore are envisaged creating additional direct employment of about 48,000 persons,' the ministry has said, adding that 13 foreign companies are investing Rs 2,090 crore under the scheme.

The Karnataka government now calls on to nourish the future with millets & organics. It is encouraging the cultivation of millets among farmers, food processors, marketers and consumers. The Raithasiri scheme, which was introduced in 2019-2020, benefitted 100,604 farmers with the financial expenditure of Rs 81.54 crore since inspection, it is working to expand cultivated areas to accelerate exports.

 

In the state Budget announcement 2020-21, the Raithasiri programme was envisaged to focus on high nutrient value crops like chia, quinoa and teff, which were included.

 

There is considerable encouragement to millet farmers. This has enhanced the cultivation of these nutra-cereals like foxtail millet, little millet, Indian barnyard millet, kodo millet, brown-top millet and proso millet, according to Karnataka Minister for Agriculture N Chaluvarayaswamy.

 

With all efforts to conduct fifth edition of Millets and Organics, 2024 – International Trade Fair, organised by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka from January 5-7, 2024, in the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru, he said that this will be a platform for farmers, farmer groups, domestic and international companies, Central and state institutions in the organic and millet sector to connect and explore opportunities in agri-horticulture, processing, machinery and agri-technology.

 

The nodal agency for the three-day Millets & Organics International Trade Fair 2024 is the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Processing & Export Corporation (KAPPEC).

 

The state has been a leader in the promotion of organics and millets with the First Organics and Millets trade fair being held in 2017, and subsequently the second, third and fourth editions in 2018, 2019 and 2023 respectively in Bengaluru.

 

Noting that millets need to be popularised because they are the traditional foods for more than half a billion people in Asia and Africa, he said that the state government had noticed the paucity of modern processing facilities as one of the major drawbacks in the processing of millets. Here the state intends to support the setting of millet processing units besides facilitating market linkages for millets grown in the state.

 

Further, production incentive of Rs 10,000 per hectare based on the crop survey data to encourage farmers cultivating millet has been done through the Union government’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Besides, the government has also helped in the distribution of 21,840.92 quintiles of ragi or finger millet which ranks sixth in production after wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and bajra in India. In the case of other millets, the government has distributed 999.24 quintiles of bajra, 132.33 quintiles of sorghum and 53.53 quintiles of foxtail millet or navane seeds to the farmers during the Kharif year 2023.

 

Since processing of millets is still a challenge and its processed products have poor shelf life hence encouragement is given at the farm gate level. 

 

In the case of organics, Karnataka ranks eighth in the country in terms of organic area of 82,015.56 hectare and fourth in terms of total certified organic annual production of 237091.45 million tonne as per the APEDA(Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) statistics. 

 

The ultimate objective of the state government is to popularise 'organic produce and millets as traditional super foods to nourish the future generations,' said the department of agriculture officials.

India’s coffee exports in the calendar year 2023 scaled a new high in value terms on higher global prices. This is despite a 5.5 per cent decline in volumes on reduced offtake by key buyers in Europe and Russia.

 

The shipments were up 4.50 per cent to hit a record $1.16 billion during 2023 over previous year’s $1.11 billion. In rupee terms, the growth was 9.81 per cent at Rs.9,578 crore over the previous year’s Rs.8,722 crore. The per unit value realised by the Indian exporters was up 16.5 per cent on bullish global prices.

 

The exports were a record high in calendar year in value terms, said KG Jagadeesha, Secretary and CEO, Coffee Board. Factors such as high prices, efforts of exporters and promotional activities of Coffee Board helped achieved this milestone, he added.

 

Segment-wise

Among the green beans, only the premium arabica parchment shipments registered a growth of 7.6 per cent at 38,045 tonnes during 2023 compared to the previous year’s 35,329 tonnes. Arabica cherry shipments were down by 1.2 per cent at 8,772 tonnes (8,887 tonnes last year), while the robusta parchment volumes were down 2 per cent at 29,128 tonnes (29,741 tonnes). However, the robusta cherry shipments saw a major decline of 17 per cent at 1.57 lakh tonnes (1.90 lakh tonnes). Instant coffees were up 7.28 per cent at 36,999 tonnes (34,486 tonnes), while the imports for re-exports were up by around 7 per cent at 1.05 lakh tonnes (98,819 tonnes). India imports raw coffees to convert them into instant coffees and re-exports them.

 

Italy continued to remain as the largest buyer of Indian coffees, although the offtake during 2023 was down by a tenth at 55,546 tonnes (61,717 tonnes). Similarly, purchases of Indian coffee by Germany, the second largest buyer, were down at 35,877 tonnes (43,822 tonnes) and the Russian Federation was by 19 per cent at 27,455 tonnes (34,102 tonnes). Exports to Belgium, the fourth largest buyer of Indian coffees were down by 35 per cent at 19,079 tonnes (29,234 tonnes).

 

The only markets where the Indian coffee shipments registered a growth were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Libya, Poland and Malaysia. Shipments to the UAE were up 7 per cent at 18,124 tonnes (16,935 tonnes), while Libya registered a 33 per cent growth at 13,022 tonnes (9748 tonnes). Exports to Malaysia surged 40 per cent at 12,971 tonnes (9,223 tonnes), while Poland saw an increase of 1.73 per cent at 15,679 tonnes (15,411 tonnes).

 

Major shippers

CCL Products India Ltd continues to be the largest exporter of coffees shipping out 39,047 tonnes during the year, followed by Vidya Herbs Pvt Ltd with 30,012 tonnes and NKG India Coffee Pvt Ltd with some 24,130 tonnes. Other major exporters during the year include Allanasons Pvt Ltd - 23,745 tonnes, Tata Coffee – 23,498 tonnes, Indus Coffee Pvt Ltd – 21,709 tonnes, Olam Food Ingredients India Pvt Ltd – 20,950 tonnes, Emil Traders – 18107 tonnes, Louis Dreyfus Company India Pvt Ltd – 16719 tonnes, Vayhan Coffee Ltd - 14909 tonnes, Ecom Commodities India Pvt Ltd – 14638 tonnes, and SLN Coffee – 14117 tonnes.

 

India is the seventh largest coffee producer is the fifth largest exporter with a share of around 4 per cent in the global market.