Page 75 - India

Japan's minister Hayashi pitches for improvement in India's biz environment

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has pitched for improvement in the investment environment for Japanese firms operating in India with many of them seeking a more predictable, transparent and stable business climate in the country. A Japanese readout said Hayashi requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for cooperation on improving the investment environment and for the early establishment of a joint crediting mechanism, during their talks on Thursday. Separately, deputy press secretary in Japan's foreign ministry Yukiko Okano said Hayashi met over lunch on Friday representatives of Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India (JCCII) and officials of several Japanese companies operating in the country, and they apprised him about the issues. The Japanese foreign minister began his two-day visit to India on Thursday. "The view from the Japanese businesspeople here is that they would like to see a more predictable, transparent and stable business environment in .

38% of Indians have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, says AIIMS study

A recent AIIMS study, which analysed published reports on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in India, states that over one-third (38 per cent) of Indians have fatty liver or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The phenomenon is not restricted to adults, but affects nearly 35 per cent of the children as well, says the study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology in June 2022. "Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is often unrecognised since it does not cause symptoms in the early stage, but may progress in some patients with severe liver disease. "The cause of 'fatty liver' or 'steatohepatitis' is the recent westernisation of our diets which involves increased intake of fast food, lack of healthy fruits and vegetables on the plate, and an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle," Dr Anoop Saraya, Head of Department of Gastroenterology, said. He said the ailment is considered the "liver counterpart" of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and hear

India should give stapled visas to anyone applying from Tibet: Tharoor

Amid a row over China issuing stapled visas to a few sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said India should simply start issuing stapled visas to anyone applying for an Indian visa from Tibet. India on Thursday described as "unacceptable" China issuing stapled visas to a few sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh and asserted that it reserves the right to "suitably respond" to such actions. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has lodged its "strong protest" with the Chinese side on the matter and there should be no discrimination on the basis of domicile or ethnicity in the visa regime for Indian citizens. Tagging a media report on China issuing stapled visas to some Indian sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh, Tharoor tweeted, "Enough is enough. Instead of frustrating our sportsmen and every other Arunachali seeking a Chinese visa, we should simply start issuing stapled visas ourselves, to anyone applying f

International Tiger Day: Rise in numbers cause for celebration and concern

One tiger and scores of tourists in open jeeps asking each other in piercing whispers to be quiet as they train their binoculars and cameras on it, getting perilously close to the animal while they do so. The all too familiar scene captured in innumerable social media posts could be from Ranthambore or Corbett, Tadoba or Kanha - a snapshot as it were of the human-animal dilemma that has seen the number of tigers in India go up while their habitat shrinks and often brought humans just too close to the big cats. The rising tiger population, which has also spotlighted the development versus ecology debate, is cause for celebration and also concern, experts said ahead of International Tiger Day on Saturday. With 3,167 tigers according to the 2022 tiger census, about 75 per cent of the global numbers, the once elusive bright orange fur and distinct low rumbling roar is not so rare anymore. Scripting a remarkable story of conservation, Project Tiger started 50 years ago in 1973 when the .

India, UK close to concluding FTA talks, working to iron out issues on IPRs

India and the UK are "very close" to concluding negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement as both sides are working to iron out differences on issues including investment treaty, intellectual property rights (IPRs) and rules of origin, a senior government official said on Friday. The official also said there is a broad consensus on matters related to auto and spirits, however "nothing is agreed till everything is agreed". The 11th round of talks was concluded recently. For that round, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal visited London and took stock of the negotiations. The official exuded confidence that the negotiations will be concluded this year. "We are very close and are trying to conclude the talks as early as possible," the official added. Out of the total 26 chapters in the FTA, 19 have been closed. "Remaining issues include IPRs, rules of origin and investment treaty," the official added. In the rules of origin chap

India seeks EU nod for export of farmed shrimps by newly listed firms

India has demanded the European Union to provide permission to newly-listed fishery companies for the export of farmed shrimps and reduce the sampling frequency at the EU border inspection post from the current level of 50 per cent. These issues were flagged by Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala in a meeting with the EU delegation led by Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for Environment, Ocean and Fisheries here on Thursday. "Various bilateral issues on fisheries and aquaculture were discussed" in the meeting, an official statement said. In the meeting, Rupala requested the EU to reduce sampling frequency for inspection of Indian farmed shrimps at border inspection post of the EU from the current level of 50 per cent to the previous level of 10 per cent. He also requested for re-listing of de-listed fishery establishments, and granting permission to the newly listed fishery companies for export of aquaculture shrimps from India

Micron to make chips for domestic, global markets at its Gujarat facility

Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said that the Gujarat facility is expected to create up to 5,000 jobs

Kerala sanitation workers pool money to buy lottery ticket, win Rs 10 cr

The women pooled in the money to purchase a lottery ticket a few weeks ago and won the jackpot

India second country after China to burn one billion tonnes of coal: IEA

In 2023, China and India will account for 70 per cent of global coal consumption, or double the amount of coal burnt in the rest of the world combined

India indispensable partner for free, open Indo-Pacific: Japan minister

India is an indispensable partner to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and Tokyo would like to further expand cooperation in the region with New Delhi, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Friday. In an address at the India-Japan Forum, the visiting minister also referred to an assertion by the leaders of the G7 countries in the grouping's Hiroshima summit in May that any attempts to change the status quo by force cannot be tolerated anywhere. Hayashi said Japan is very keen to work hand-in-hand with India to make its G20 presidency successful, especially the upcoming summit of the intergovernmental forum. The Japanese foreign minister said a call for upholding international law may sound like a mere slogan unless the challenges being faced by the Global South are dealt with effectively. In his comments, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described Japan as India's natural partner. Hayashi arrived in Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit.

India-made cold syrup sent to Iraq tainted with toxic chemicals, shows test

A bottle of Cold Out purchased at a pharmacy in Baghdad in March contains 2.1 per cent ethylene glycol, according to Valisure LLC, an independent US laboratory

China is no longer saving Southeast Asia's tourism industry. India might

China was once the world's most plentiful source of international tourists, and Southeast Asia was among their top destinations

India's UN envoy Kamboj assumes Chair of Commission for Social Development

The Chair is backed by Vice-Chairs from Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Dominican Republic, and a forthcoming African State election, as per the statement

India, Japan explore collaboration in semiconductors, other critical tech

India and Japan on Thursday explored possible collaboration in critical and emerging technologies such as semiconductors, besides ways to expand cooperation in areas of defence equipment and technology. In their wide-ranging talks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasised the crucial role of a strong and enduring partnership between India and Japan in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The two sides also highlighted the importance of achieving the target of five trillion Yen Japanese investment in India in the period 2022-27, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The talks took place hours after Hayashi arrived here on a two-day visit with an aim to review and bolster Indo-Japan strategic ties. In a tweet, Jaishankar described the discussions at the 15th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue as "warm and comprehensive". "Our talks covered enhancing political, defence and security, economic and commerc

India asking for renegotiation of FTAs with Japan, S.Korea -trade minister

Goyal also termed India's free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "ill-conceived" and "unfair" to the Indian industry

Semiconductor PLI to help India do in 10 yrs what China did in 30: IT min

India is on track to becoming a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain in the next decade with USD 10 billion of incentives and assistance provided to encourage local chip manufacturing, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday. The production-linked incentive scheme last year attracted firms like Vedanta and Taiwan's Foxconn, who promised multi-billion dollar investment in setting up units to manufacture chips, which are used in products ranging from mobile phones to cars. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said there is "not one person in the semiconductor global ecosystem" that does not see India as "a very credible, viable and fast charging destination for semiconductor investments and innovation". He also said that India is on track for the next 10 years in the semiconductor space with USD 10 billion (about Rs 81,993 crore), compared to China's three decades of progress. "We are on track to do in the next

Abdul Kalam's 8th death anniversary: Remembering the Missile man of India

India is remembering the former President APJ Abdul Kalam on his 8th death anniversary today. Kalam had passed away on July 27, 2015, at the age of 83, while giving a lecture at IIM-Shillong

India to host mega-event in redeveloped ITPO complex in Pragati Maidan

The newly built facility --- International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) -- aims to promote India as a global business destination

India's 'mass' consumers to lead $300 bn e-com opportunity by 2030: Redseer

Redseer's report added that approximately 70% of mass consumers have increased their shopping frequency on e-commerce platforms in the last one year

Global rice markets in turmoil as India bans export of non-basmati

Social media has been abuzz for the past few days with viral videos of people stocking rice bags in the US and the UK, and stores restricting supplies of Indian rice