National
Seven PM MITRA (Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) Park
⇒ The Government of India announced the sites for setting up of 7 PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks for the Textile industry on 17 March 2023.
The Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- Inspired by the 5F vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister (i.e. Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign), the PM MITRA Parks are a major step forward in realising the Government’s vision of making India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports.
- It is expected that these parks will enhance the competitiveness of the textiles industry by helping it achieve economies of scale as well as attract global players to manufacture in India.
Selection:
- These 7 sites were chosen out of 18 proposals for PM MITRA parks which were received from 13 States.
- Eligible States and sites were evaluated using a transparent Challenge Method based on objective criteria taking into account a variety of factors such as connectivity, existing ecosystem, textile/industry policy, infrastructure, utility services etc.
- PM Gati Shakti- National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity was also used for validation.
PM MITRA Parks will help in creating world-class industrial infrastructure that would attract large scale investment including foreign direct investment (FDI) and encourage innovation and job creation within the sector.
Key Points:
- The Ministry of Textiles will oversee the execution of these projects.
- An SPV owned by Centre and State Government will be set up for each park which will oversee the implementation of the project.
- The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support upto Rs 500 crore per park to the Park SPV.
- A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) upto Rs 300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivise speedy implementation.
- Convergence with other GOI schemes shall also be facilitated in order to ensure additional incentives to the Master Developer and investor units.
- State governments will provide contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of at least 1000 acres of land and will also facilitate provision of all utilities, Reliable Power Supply and Water availability and Waste Water Disposal system, an effective single window clearance as well as a conducive and stable industrial/textile policy.
- The parks will offer an excellent infrastructure, plug and play facilities as well as training and research facilities for the industry.
- PM MITRA Parks represent a unique model where the Centre and State Governments will work together to increase investment, promote innovation, create job opportunities and ultimately make India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports.
- Nearly Rs 70,000 crores investment and 20 lakhs employment generation is envisaged through these parks.
International
Inauguration of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline
⇒ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) on 18 March 2023 in a virtual mode.
- The foundation stone for the construction of this pipeline was laid by both Prime Ministers in September 2018.
- Numaligarh Refinery Limited has been supplying petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015. This is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours.
About IBFP:
- Cooperation in the power and energy sector has become one of the hallmarks of India-Bangladesh relations.
- IBFP is the first cross border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh.
- It has been built at an estimated cost of INR 377 crore, of which the Bangladesh portion of the pipeline built at a cost of approx INR 285 crore, has been borne by the Government of India under grant assistance.
- The Pipeline has a capacity to transport 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) to Bangladesh.
- It will supply High Speed Diesel initially to seven districts in northern Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is India’s top-most development partner and its largest trade partner in the region. The operationalisation of the Friendship Pipeline will enhance ongoing energy cooperation between the two countries and will further growth in Bangladesh, particularly in the agriculture sector. Enhanced connectivity with Bangladesh will further strengthen people to people linkages between two sides.
Startup20 Engagement Group
Establishment of Startup20 Engagement Group:
» Startup20 is an official engagement group, established under the G20 India Presidency 2023.
- It acts as a dialogue forum with the global startup ecosystem stakeholders and intends to represent the global startup ecosystem to raise the macroeconomic concerns and challenges faced by entrepreneurs with G20 leaders.
- This would function like other G20 engagement groups, supported by G20 India Sherpa initially along with the Startup20 secretariat.
In congruence with the ideology of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Startup20 aims to connect with multiple stakeholders in the startup ecosystem to drive growth and collaboration. It will seek to advance important subjects for discussion and develop recommendations for each priority area using a consensus-based methodology.
Year of Establishment: 2023 (under G20 India Presidency)
Task Forces:
- Foundation & Alliances
- Finance
- Inclusion & Sustainability
Guest Nations: Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and UAE.
Startup20 Inception Meeting:
» The Startup20 inception meeting was held in Hyderabad from January 28-29, 2023.
The Startup20 inception meeting aspired to kickstart a series of events to create a global narrative for supporting startups and enabling synergies between startups, corporates, investors, innovation agencies, and other key ecosystem stakeholders.
Theme:
The theme for the meeting was ‘Innovation Leading the Path for Solving Global Challenges’.
The primary objective is to harmonize the global startup ecosystem through a collaborative and forward-looking approach.
Day 1:
The meeting commenced with the opening remarks by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Chair, Startup20.
NIIO Showcase:
The Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) showcased medical innovations including the ‘Aadyant’ Oxygen Recycling System (ORS), ‘Spandan’ low-cost digital stethoscope, and ‘Nebiro’ smart portable nebuliser.
- Delegates from G 20 countries and senior functionaries including G20 Sherpa Mr Amitabh Kant and CEO, Niti Aayog, and Mr Parameswaran Iyer interacted with the naval officers; and praised the innovative work being done by the Indian Navy under the theme “Indian Navy – Innovating towards Nation Building”.
DAY 2:
Launch of Startup20X by Actor Suniel Shetty
Startup20X has been launched to bring together leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, visionaries, educators, incubation professionals, women, youth, artisans, artists, activists, and others, to discuss experiences and best practices. The conferences and series of talks will enable efficient policy formulation throughout Startup20 Engagement Group and taskforce discussions.
Round Table Discussions on Objectives and Deliverables of each of the Taskforces
Each participant recorded their opinions and discussion through an online form. This was followed by nominations for the international and national delegations to the three task forces.
2nd Meeting of Startup20 Engagement Group:
The second meeting of the Startup20 Engagement group took place in Gangtok, Sikkim on March 18-19, 2023.
Participation:
Delegates from G20 member and invitee countries, representatives from multilateral organisations, and stakeholders from the Indian startup ecosystem were invited to the meeting.
- 49 delegates from 15 countries along with 130 Indian delegates participated in the event.
At the Sikkim Sabha, the task force members (comprising of delegates from the G20 nations) of the Startup20 Engagement Group discussed and deliberated on the first draft of the official policy communiqué. The meeting built on the agenda finalised during the inception meeting held in Hyderabad.
Key Points:
- The session witnessed stimulating conversations, innovative ideas, & discussions of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, all fueled by a passion for progress.
- Post the inauguration session, the three task forces, namely – Foundations & Alliances, Finance, and Inclusion & Sustainability, along with Startup 20 team held meetings in cafes on MG Marg.
- During the meeting, the discussions revolved around the deliverables, progress achieved to date, and how to continue striving toward their goals.
- A side chat called Sikkim Dialogues with Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Startup 20 Chair was held parallelly.
- Post the networking lunch, the Startup20X conference was held at Chintan Bhawan. Various startup founders from the north-eastern Indian states participated in the conference and shared their inspiring stories with the audience.
The Startup20 Sikkim Sabha saw some amazing discussions & collaborations in two days.
Side Events and Excursions:
The Startup20 also hosted a variety of side events, Startup20X events, startups showcase at MG Marg, and delegates’ visit to the Rumtek Monastery and museum and university building of Kala.