A meeting on Measures Taken and Action Plan for improving India's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) ranking was held under the chairpersonship of Special Secretary (Logistics), DPIIT, MoCI on Friday with the nodal officers of the LPI dedicated cell formed in eleven Stakeholder Ministries/Departments.

 

The dedicated cell meets every fortnight to assess the measures taken and outcomes achieved in improving performance across six parameters of LPI including (i) Customs., (ii) Infrastructure (iii) Ease of arranging shipments (iv) Quality of logistics services (v) Tracking and Tracing and (vi) Timeliness.

 

SmtSumitaDawra, Special Secretary (Logistics) DPIIT, during her opening remarks, highlighted that the targeted action plan is important to improve the logistics efficiency of the country and thereby India’s ranking in the World Bank LPI. She added that the measures taken by the stakeholder Ministries/ Departments will be showcased to the World Bank LPI team.

 

During the meeting, Ministries/ Departments presented the action plan, and best practices were showcased.

 

Mr. VivekVerma, Secretary, of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), highlighted thatLPAI has implemented a Land Port Management System (LPMS) to digitiseoperations and facilitate a secure electronic flow of information between all stakeholders at the Integrated check posts (ICPs). The system is reducing the dwell time of cross-border movements (trade and passenger), enhancing the efficiency of customs and border management clearance, and improving the timely delivery of shipments.  He added that LPAI has been successful in reducing the dwell time from 57 days to less than 24 hours.

 

Mr. Manoj Gangeya, ED (Planning), Ministry of Railways, stated about various initiatives that MoR is planning across six parameters of LPI. This includes 100% electrification of railway tracks, increasing CAPEX to INR 2.6 lakh crore in FY24 to improve the speed and volume of freight transport in the country, and the implementation of Eastern and Western dedicated freight corridors is likely to increase the average speed of freight trains, thereby by reducing transit time and inventory cost to customers. Additionally, the development of rail containerisationat ports and freight terminals is expected to increase the rail container loading from 80 million MT recorded last year to 3 times by FY31.  MoR is also checking the feasibility of railway siding at Land Ports to promote multi-modal connectivity.

 

Mr. Ajay Kumar, CEO, AAICLAS highlighted the airport capacity building which is being undertaken at Kolkata with a target to construct an upgraded/new facility by December 2025. An air cargo village in an area of 37 acres approx. in Delhi (Jewar airport) is also being planned with an investment of 1200Cr which is likely to be commissioned by Dec 2024.

 

Mr. Rituraj Mishra, Deputy Secretary (Ports) presented the various initiatives that have been planned to improve logistics efficiency. Some of them include the automation of weighbridges, improving scanning facilities at the ports, increasing DPD/ DPE share to 80% by rail, and streamlining and simplifying processes by creating Standard Operating Procedures (SoPS) across all the ports.

 

Mr. R. Ananth, Director, CBIC highlighted that a Custom Revenue Control Laboratories (CRCL) will be launched in Guwahati by December 23 which will assist in field formations in chemical analysis of samples of various trade commodities.

 

In her closing remarks, the Special Secretary added that these initiatives with a targeted intervention will improve logistics efficiency in the country. Further, the good practices by Ministries will help in impressing the idea of objective-based assessment in LPI calculation to the World Bank. In this regards, she suggested:

 

Ministries/Departments including CBIC, MoCA, MoRTH, MoR, and MoPSW to share the initiatives, best practices, and interventions planned to address the gap/ issues pertaining to Ministries in the form of an action plan with a timeline in coordination with User Ministries (Coal, Steel, DGFT) and NICDC

 

A systematic approach needs to be followed to communicate the initiatives and good practices of Ministries/ Departments to the stakeholders which will improve the perception of the logistics sector in India

 

The eleven Stakeholder Ministries/Departmentsincludes Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), M/o Civil Aviation, M/o Railways, M/o Port Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), M/o Coal, M/o Civil Aviation (MOCA), CBIC, M/o Steel, and, D/o Commerce, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and, National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC).

The United Kingdom is set to bring the 'largest-ever' delegation to the seventh edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), scheduled to be held here on November 21-22, an official notification said. A 55-member delegation from a wide range of businesses and institutions will represent the UK at BGBS in Kolkata, the British Deputy High Commision said.

 

'I am looking forward to leading the UK's largest ever delegation to the Bengal Global Business Summit in Kolkata... I hope the summit will help British businesses to expand here and that companies from Bengal can enhance their footprint in the UK,' Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said.

 

The companies that will be a part of the delegation include tech firms such as Teknobuilt, AirNode, SmartViz, Xworks Tech, Hy-Met Limited, Cambridge Carbon Capture and GreenEnco as well as older engineering companies such as Mott Macdonald, an official told PTI.

 

'The UK-India 2030 Roadmap agreed by our prime ministers promised to transform trade and investment between the UK and India. That's what we are here to do,' said Dr Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India.

 

In the 2022 edition of the BGBS - the state's annual marquee event to woo investors from across the globe - 49 senior figures were in attendance from the UK, the British Deputy High Commision said.

 

While African cuisine is renowned for its diversity, one staple manages to unify dinner tables across the continent – rice.

 

Rice has become the single most important source of dietary energy in West Africa and the third most important for Africa as a whole. The staple is grown in about 40 out of 54 countries in Africa and rice cultivation is the principal activity and source of income for more than 35 million smallholder rice farmers in Africa.

 

However, its demand is growing faster because of population growth, urbanization and changes in consumer preferences. So while the continent boasts a wealth of fertile land and agricultural potential, the capacity to meet the burgeoning demand for rice is increasingly strained. The result is a growing reliance on importation to bridge the gap between production and consumption.

 

Africa has continued to import as much as 12.6 million tons (MT) of milled rice with a huge rice import bill of about US$ 5.5 billion annually.

 

According to the latest Rice Outlook report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), global rice trade in 2024 is projected at 52.85 million tons (milled basis), up 345,000 tons from the previous forecast.

 

And on the 2024 import side, import forecasts are raised for some African countries including Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.

 

Here are 5 African countries projected for high rice imports in 2024:

Rank	Country	Current forecast (1,000 metric tons)	Explanation for forecast
1	Nigeria	2100	Import forecast is raised based on stronger-than-expected demand for imported rice due to both high prices for domestic rice and quality concerns.
2	Ghana	800	Raised the import forecast based on stronger-than-expected purchases from top-supplier Vietnam.
3	Mozambique	700	Import forecast is raised to a near-record-high based on stronger-than-expected purchases from top-supplier India.
4	Burkinafaso	525	Raised the import forecast based on a smaller 2022/23 production estimate and resulting tighter supplies
5	Sierra Leone	450	Import forecast is reduced based on a slower-than-expected pace of purchases from India, the largest supplier of rice to Sierra Leone.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday banned production, storage, distribution and sale of halal certified products in the state with immediate effect.

 

However, export products have been kept out of the purview of this ban.

 

Anita Singh, commissioner and additional chief secretary, Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA), Uttar Pradesh, issued a notification in this context on Saturday.

 

The ban is a sequel to an FIR being registered at Hazratganj police station in the state capital against four organizations, production companies, their owners and managers as well as other unidentified people for unnecessarily extorting money in the name of halal certification and promoting enmity in the name of religion and also funding different anti-national, separatist and terror organizations. Those made accused in the FIR include Halal India Pvt Ltd of Chennai, Jamiat Ulama Hind Halal Trust of Delhi, Halal Counselling of India and Jamiat Ulama of Mumbai, Maharashtra as well as some unidentified people.

 

'Strict legal action will be taken against an individual or firm engaged in the production, storage, distribution, buying and selling of halal certified medicines, medical devices and cosmetics within Uttar Pradesh,' said the state government.

 

'The halal certification is operating as a parallel system and it creates confusion regarding food quality, violating government rules in this regard,' it said.

 

The government has taken a serious note of products such as dairy items, sugar, bakery products, peppermint oil, beverages, edible oils, some medicines, medical devices and cosmetic products being labelled with halal certificates.

 

'The state government has banned production, storage, distribution and sale of halal certified products in the state with immediate effect. Only export products will be exempted from this ban,' said FSDA commissioner Anita Singh.

 

Elaborating on the issue, Singh said: 'Earlier, halal certification was only confined to meat products. But today all types of products like oil, sugar, toothpaste and spices are being issued halal certificates.'

 

The state government pointed out that all acts related with certification of food products were scrapped and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was introduced as the sole body to issue certificates for edible products.

 

'Except the FSSAI, no agency or body can issue certificates to products. Earlier, halal certificates were confined to meat products. But today they are being issued to all kinds of products such as toothpaste, sugar and oil to name a few,' said Singh.

 

What is halal certification

 

Halal certification is a guarantee that the product is prepared in accordance with Islamic law and is unadulterated. In India, the halal certificate is issued by a third party body unlike in Arab countries where a magistrate grants the halal certificate.

 

However, in India, government run institutions like the FSSAI and the ISI are authorised to certify food products.

 

Halal certified products

 

Products of renowned companies are carrying halal certificate.

 

According to the state government, sweets and namkeen, food products, cold drinks, juices, ice creams, cosmetics, food grains, medical products and other items are being halal certified.

 

Legal opinion

 

Senior advocate, Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court Prashant Chandra said

 

ban on halal certified products was absolutely legal.

 

Every consumable food item, be it meat, poultry, packaged food and medication required certification only by expert agencies of the government, he said.

 

Any other agency undertaking certification in the name of ‘halal certification’ must be banned as it also had the ill effect of creating a divide between Muslims and non-Muslims and corroding the basic structure of the Indian Constitution which is secular in nature, he said.

 

Halal certification had the effect of compulsorily roping in non-Muslims to use only such products which had been approved by halal certification agencies, as over a period of time, any product not having halal certification was not marketable, Chandra said, adding that over the past three decades, since the concept was introduced, it was confined to meat sold by Muslim butchers in England. Gradually, it spread across the globe and practically every food item had now been brought within the dragnet of halal. Thus, a multi trillion dollar industry of halal certification had been created.

 

Petition in SC seeks ban on halal certification

 

Advocate Vibhor Anand had filed a petition in the Supreme Court in April 2022, seeking a complete ban on halal products and halal certification, claiming that fundamental rights of 85% citizens were being infringed upon for the sake of a mere 15% population which used these products.

 

The petitioner had sought withdrawal of all halal-certified products from the market by the multinational companies

 

Halal certification was first introduced in 1974 for slaughtered meat and was applied only to meat products till 1993. Subsequently, halal certification was extended to even food items, cosmetics, medicines, hospitals, housing societies and malls. It includes snacks, sweets, grains, oils, cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, nail polish, and lipsticks among other things.

 

Campaign against halal certification

 

The Hindu Janajagriti Samiti has been carrying out campaigns for the past several years against halal certification.

 

Members of the organisation have given representation to several ministers of the Yogi Adityanath government since 2017 seeking ban on halal certification.

 

Vishwanath Kulkarni, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar coordinator of the organisation, said: 'Halal certification is completely illegal. It must be banned across the country. No law permits certification to food products by private agencies.'

 

Opposition reaction

 

'India is the biggest meat exporter to the world and most of this export is to Muslim countries. This export is of around Rs.1.25 lakh crore. Muslim countries only want halal certified meat and such certificates are issued by religious bodies. Out of the top 20 meat exporters, 18 are non-Muslims. If halal certification is banned, it will cause revenue loss to the country. However, if the government goes ahead with this ban, then the Samajwadi Party will have no objection,' said Ameeq Jamai, spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party.

 

What IIA says

 

'Industry will abide by the state government’s decision. Whatever loss traders will face will be confined to packaging of goods,' said Neeraj Singhal, national president, Indian Industries Association, an industry lobby body of MSMEs.

 

According to the IIA, three per cent production cost of any product is its packaging cost.

 

'We do not have any data related with production of halal certified products,' said Singhal.

The production of famous Darjeeling oranges is expected to be 'steady' this winter with the department of food processing industries and horticulture drawing up plans to make value-added products from fruits which drop from trees before they become ripe.

 

Debaji Basak, the Darjeeling district food processing and horticulture officer, said: 'Field reports suggest the orange yield will be steady this winter after a rapid decline in the production over the past decade. We are now exploring the possibility of setting up fruit processing units in the hills.'

 

Officials of the department said they had noticed that almost 40 per cent of the fruit fell before they ripened.

 

'Our department wants to target this 40 per cent of the fruit. We are exploring the possibilities of setting up small units in the hills and simultaneously approaching big business houses and trade bodies to exploit the potential of the famous Darjeeling oranges,' said an official.

 

Juice, jam, jelly and marmalade are some value-added products that can be processed from oranges.

 

The Darjeeling oranges, though smaller in size, are considered superior to the Nagpur variety because they are more sweet, juicy and succulent.

 

However, the production had been declining in the hills as orange orchards were reeling from an assault of the citrus tristeza virus, greening (fungal infections), trunk borer disease and an attack by fruit flies.

 

Poor farming practices have also been blamed for the low yield.

 

According to sources in the department, the hills produced around 39 metric tonnes of oranges last winter.

 

'The figure is expected to remain the same. A few years ago, the production had dropped to almost 29 metric tonnes,' said a source.

 

Around 52 metric tonnes of oranges used to be harvested in the hills when the production was at its peak.

 

The Bengal horticulture department is also taking initiatives to increase orange cultivation in the hills. The department has distributed around 45,000 saplings to orange growers and provided expertise to them so that they can revive the fertility of their land.

 

Oranges are grown over an area of 4,150 hectares in the hills.

The UK's demand of a higher level of protection for its GI products from the agriculture sector under the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with India remains an unresolved issue as the talks for the pact are on to iron out differences, an official said. British GI (Geographical Indication) products include Scotch whisky, Stilton cheese and Cheddar cheese.

 

A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

 

Once a product gets this tag, any person or company cannot sell a similar item under that name.

 

India normally provides general protection for violation of GI rules, but the UK is seeking a higher level of protection, the official, who did not wish to be named, said.

 

'Negotiations are going on between the two countries. There are some issues pending in the intellectual property rights (IPRs) chapter,' the official added.

 

According to experts, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the World Trade Organisation outlines an elevated level of protection for GIs.

 

This enhanced protection prohibits the use of a GI if the product does not genuinely originate from the designated area, regardless of whether the public is misled or the true origin is specified. This ensures complete protection of a GI, safeguarding its reputation under all circumstances.

 

It also prohibits the use of terms like 'kind', 'style', and 'type' for products that fall under this protection. Currently, this higher level of protection is exclusive to wines and spirits.

 

GI is an intellectual property right. On this subject, under a free trade agreement, normally two countries include rules prescribed in the TRIPS and do not go beyond that.

 

Nilanshu Shekhar, founding partner at law firm KAnalysis, said Indian legislation does not differentiate between wines and spirits, and other products in terms of GI protection, and the decision to grant higher protection rests with the central government and varies based on international recognition.

 

India has been advocating for extended protection to other products beyond wines and spirits to prevent misuse of its labels like Basmati rice by other countries.

 

'The UK's interest in securing higher-level GI protection for more products in the proposed FTA with India predominantly benefits its strong export segments of wines and spirits, dairy products etc. As FTAs are based on mutual benefits, India should negotiate firmly for the UK to offer similar elevated GI protection to Indian products to a higher range of Indian products too,' Shekhar said.

 

He said that this approach would create a more balanced and reciprocal trade relationship, potentially opening new markets and enhancing the global standing of Indian products.

 

A higher level of GI protection for products like cheese will create problems for Indian companies, hence, New Delhi should not accede to the demand unless the UK is reciprocating equally in this or another department, he added.

 

Sharing similar views, expert on internal trade and WTO-related issues, Abhijit Das said: 'If the UK is demanding a higher level of protection for its GIs, Britain must be willing to give a higher level of pro-action to our GIs as well. But, there could be some adverse consequences for cheese manufactured by Amul in India'.

 

The famous Indian goods carrying GI tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Chanderi Fabric, Mysore Silk, Kullu Shawl, Kangra Tea, Thanjavur Paintings, and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving.

 

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal has recently stated that India and the UK are not working under any deadline for the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement as both sides are discussing issues 'slightly' complex in nature.

 

India and the UK launched the talks for the agreement in January 2022.

 

Oilmeals exports rose 36 per cent last month to nearly 2.9 lakh tonnes on higher shipments of soyabean meal and rapeseed meal, according to industry data. Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) data showed that the export of oilmeals in October stood at 2,89,931 tonnes as compared to 2,13,153 tonnes in the same month last year.

 

Soyabean meal export rose to 87,060 tonnes last month from 40,196 tonnes in the year-ago period, while shipment of rapeseed meal increased to 1,69,422 tonnes from 98,571 tonnes during the period under review.

 

'Foreign demand for Indian soyabean meal has benefited from improved price competitiveness and the shortage of Argentine export supplies in recent months,' SEA said.

 

'The major consumers of Indian soyabean meal are South East Asia, where India has a logistic advantage and also can supply in small lots,' SEA Executive Director B V Mehta said.

 

Also, Indian Soybean Meal being Non-GMO has an advantage and is preferred by certain European countries and the US, he added.

 

During the April-October period of this fiscal, the total export of oilmeals increased 30 per cent to 25,66,051 tonnes as compared to 19,75,496 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. Soyabean meal export jumped to 6,73,910 tonnes in the first seven months of this fiscal from 1,61,534 tonnes in the year-ago period.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday permitted banks to open additional current account for exports proceeds in addition to special rupee vostro accounts with a view to provide greater operational flexibility to exporters. To provide greater operational flexibility to exporters, banks maintaining special rupee vostro account as per the provisions of the RBI circular dated July 11, 2022 are permitted to open an additional special current account for its exporter constituent exclusively for settlement of their export transactions, RBI said in a notification.

 

In July 2022, the RBI had asked banks to put in place additional arrangements for export and import transactions in Indian rupees in view of increasing interest of the global trading community in the domestic currency.

 

'In order to promote growth of global trade with emphasis on exports from India and to support the increasing interest of global trading community in INR, it has been decided to put in place an additional arrangement for invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports/imports in INR,' it said.

 

India has been trying to promote rupee trade following the Russia-Ukraine war and the sanctions imposed by the West.

 

In July 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to allow the settlement of India's international trade in rupee. Accordingly, authorised Indian banks must open and maintain special rupee vostro accounts of the partner trading country's banks.

 

These accounts keep the foreign bank's holdings in the Indian counterpart in rupees. When an Indian trader wants to make a payment to a foreign trader in rupees, the amount will be credited to this vostro account.

 

Similarly, in the reverse scenario, the amount to be paid to an Indian trader is deducted from the vostro account, and credited to the person's regular account.

 

Trade Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India and the United Kingdom (UK) would be able to resolve the pending issues for a free-trade agreement (FTA) in the coming weeks, as the remaining issues were not insurmountable.

'FTAs are crystal-gazing into the future. You have to really project how the agreement will play out in 20, 30, 50 years into the future. So they are drafted very carefully. One never rushes to do an FTA. One should do it with great care and consideration of different interests,' Goyal told news agency 

 

He said both sides were looking at issues that are of a very sensitive nature as well as very important to each other. 'We hope that in the coming weeks we will be able to come to some conclusion,' he said

The minister said both sides had several rounds of negotiations, and 20 of 26 chapters had been sealed. 'Currently, we are in active dialogue on different tracks. Amongst the few issues pending, there is nothing impossible to navigate,' he said.

On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters that they were not working under any deadlines on the conclusion of negotiations on the FTA, citing there are issues that are slightly complex in nature and of economic significance to both countries.

'We are not working under any deadlines. Though, there are internal timelines as such, and round-wise discussions happen there,' Barthwal had said, adding that issues were being examined carefully in a roundwise manner and they were expected to finish soon.

 

Till now, 13 rounds of negotiations have concluded on the issue, and chief negotiators of India and the UK are expected to soon hold the next round of talks to iron out remaining issues, including concessions for electric vehicles (EVs) and greater market access in services, among others.

Launched in January last year, the agreement was originally scheduled to conclude by Diwali (October 24, 2022), but the deadline was missed due to several adverse developments.

On his visit to the Tesla factory in San Francisco earlier this week, Goyal said no decision had been taken on when Tesla would come to India and what role it would have in India’s private sector engagement on space.

 

'Those are for officials to look at. The purpose of my visit was very clear. I was looking at engaging with the high-quality senior-level Indian talent who are contributing to Tesla’s success story. I was also very keen to see the EV factory because we are now increasingly contributing through parts and components in the making of EVs,' he had said.

'Last year, India exported about a billion dollars' worth of goods. This year, it will almost double to $1.9 billion exports from India to Tesla. India is producing really high-quality products, spare parts, auto components, which I am sure will help us as we expand our electric auto ecosystem,' he added.

 

Goyal said as more and more companies from around the world come into India and as the homegrown Tatas and Mahindras expand their operations, India is poised to become a big market and big producer of EVs. 'The idea behind the visit (to the Tesla factory) was to understand the story and see how it is going to move forward,' he said.

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said that the Global South countries need to discuss ways to make supply chains open, secure, trusted and equitable.

 

'With respect to the Global South, the first need is to identify global value chains, where each of the countries could focus on not only increasing their participation but also improving the quality of their participation by moving up the value chain,' Goyal said at the second Voice of Global South Summit. He said this will help them to partake in the largest share of high value-added parts of the GVCs.

 

This is key as the Covid-19 crisis, the impact of climate change and raging geopolitical tensions have disrupted and underscored the fragility of global supply chains.

 

On the importance of increasing the digitalisation of trade documents, Goyal said it is seen that irrespective of digitalisation, documents critical for international trade are still not digitalised.

 

Goyal also met US President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation welcome reception on Thursday in San Francisco. 'It was an honour meeting @POTUS at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) welcome reception yesterday,' the minister said in a post on social networking platform X. He also met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders' Meeting 2023.