Page 25 - Piyush Goyal

Highlights of the day: Security up at Delhi borders ahead of farmers' march

Farmers' protest march updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here

Piyush Goyal confident of interest rate cut by RBI in coming months

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday exuded confidence that the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates as inflation is under control. The RBI has been maintaining the benchmark interest rate at an elevated level of 6.5 per cent since February 2023. Goyal said that the economic fundamentals of the country are strong and inflation is under check. He said that the average inflation of 10 years in India is about 5 to 5.5 per cent. It was the best-performing decade and because of that, the interest rate came down "dramatically" and the central bank was strengthened and had the ability to bring down the interest rate. "Of-course in the last year and a half, post Ukraine-crisis, interest rates have again gone up by 250 basis points. But now that inflation is pretty much in control, I suspect we will soon see the reversal of the rate hikes starting in India, whether it happens in the next or the second monetary policy from now. I think it's only a matter of time," Goyal ...

Farmer leaders to inform about decision on govt proposals by Feb 20: Goyal

"The farmers' union will tell us their decision by morning. We will also have discussions with NCCF and NAFED after returning to Delhi," he added

Panel of 3 Union ministers hold talks with farmer leaders in Chandigarh

Meanwhile, there was no report of any clash between farmers and the Haryana security personnel at the two Punjab and Haryana border points - Shambhu and Khanauri - on Thursday

Union ministers to meet farmer leaders today: 5 key things to know

Farmers protest news: This will be the third round of talks between the two sides- the previous two rounds of dialogue on February 8 and 12 remained inconclusive

Farmers protest: Ministers, farm unions hold talks ahead of rally

Delhi Police stepped up security in the national capital, enforcing Section 144, which bans gatherings and processions for a month across Delhi

SEA seeks import curbs on finished products to protect oleochemical sector

Edible oils industry body SEA on Monday demanded import curbs on finished products, including stearic acid and refined glycerine or impose duty with additional tariff on raw materials to safeguard the domestic industry. In a representation made to Food and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said: "Domestic oleochemical industry facing severe threat due to large scale import of finished product viz. stearic acid, refined glycerine, soap noodles and oleic acid at nil duty." SEA has requested the government to take immediate steps to safeguard the interests of the domestic industry by taking some measures. "Imports of finished products like stearic acid, soap noodles, oleic acid and refined glycerine should be placed under restricted items list," it said. Or else, the government should impose import duty on these products with additional duty of 25 per cent on imported raw material like refined palm stearin, it said. That apart,

Buy Bharat Rice at Rs 29/kg : Know about Modi govt's latest scheme

The government introduces 'Bharat rice' at a subsidised price of Rs 29/kg to address the 15% increase in retail rice prices. Watch the video to know the details

Ram temple symbol of peace, unity and harmony: Piyush Goyal in Rajya Sabha

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement unified the entire country, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal said on Friday as he described January 22 as a "historic" day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended the second exile of Lord Ram with the consecration ceremony at the temple in Ayodhya. Replying to a short duration discussion in the House on the construction of historic Shri Ram Temple and Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlalla, Goyal said the Ram temple in Ayodhya is a symbol of peace, unity and harmony. He also highlighted Modi's resolve and relentless efforts in building the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The prime minister has fulfilled his guarantee and promise to the nation, Goyal said, adding that the temple is equally a symbol of India's progress (vikas) and heritage (virasat). At the same time, the construction of the temple paves the way for the country's economic growth by boosting tourism on a large scale, he said. "Since the Pran Pratishtha, we saw that in a matter of days

India continues to be preferred destination for FDI, says Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India continues to be a preferred FDI (foreign direct investment) destination despite soaring global interest rates. He said that interest rates rose worldwide including in the US and that led to the flow of capital back in the developed nations. "That was a period where one would have imagined a much deeper impact on the developing economies than what India witnessed, but the strength of demand in India, the strength of opportunities that people saw in India, ensured that we did not see the drastic fall that many of our other peer countries (witnessed)," Goyal said. The total FDI -- which includes equity inflows, reinvested earnings and other capital -- contracted 15.5 per cent to USD 32.9 billion during April-September this fiscal against USD 38.94 billion in April-June 2022. "We continue to have significant FDI coming in...a lot of reinvestment of earnings happened even during this period when ideally I would have though

Govt sets up task force to resolve non-tariff barriers, says Piyush Goyal

The government has set up a task force under the Department of Commerce to identify, categorise and develop tailored strategies for the resolution of non-tariff barriers, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Such barriers include prior registration requirements in the exporting country, cumbersome testing and certification requirements and unreasonable domestic standards/rules. Different countries enforce various regulatory measures to ensure the safety and quality of the products placed in their territory. These measures apply equally to domestic manufacturers and importers. However, such measures may sometimes act as trade barriers due to various reasons like gaps in the regulatory frameworks and quality compliance requirements of the trade partners, lack of transparency, arbitrariness or differing interpretation of the rules, and improper implementation. "Taking cognizance of the challenges involved in mapping the trade barriers, and to give increased focus, a task force has

Productivity of sugar mills increased, over 99% cane dues cleared: Goyal

Over 99 per cent sugar cane dues to farmers in the country have been cleared by mills which amounts to over Rs 1.14 lakh crore out of the Rs 1.15 lakh crore outstanding, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. He also said that now only Rs 516 crore outstanding is due with regards to three sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh against whom action is being taken. Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry, Consumer Affairs and food, said in 2013-14, Rs 57,000 crore had been given to farmers as sugar cane price. Cane price dues used to be given to farmers after two-three years. However, in 2022-23, cane production increased by one-and-a-half times and cane dues stood at Rs 1,15,000 crore. "Of this, Rs 1,14,000 crore has been paid to farmers on time which is more than 99 per cent," he said, inviting a sharp response from some opposition members who claimed the figures were not correct. The minister said productivity of the mills has increased, cooperative mills have .

PLI scheme to support industry only initially, not create dependency: Goyal

'Ultimately, competition will prevail,' he said, urging industry to be more outward-looking in terms of scaling businesses

PLI to only give kickstart, ultimately competition will prevail: Goyal

The industry should look at the measures under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme as an initial support because going forward, the industry has to face competition to grow further, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. He asked the PLI incentive beneficiary firms to share their "constructive criticism and feedback for better implementation of the scheme". The idea is to make India a manufacturing powerhouse and there is a long journey ahead, he said. More than 1,200 stakeholders, including government officials and industry players are meeting here and deliberating on the progress of 14 PLI schemes. The scheme incentives should not be seen as crutches and "we are not looking to make you dependent on government subsidies. This is only like a kickstart... "The PLI scheme is only meant to give you that little bit of a boost to kickstart your effort and please look at it as a kickstart, an initial support (because) ultimately competition will prevail,"

Budget 2024: PM GatiShakti to be utilised for 3 major railway corridors

PM GatiShakti aims boost multimodal connectivity while moving towards logistics efficiency and reducing carbon footprint in rail movement

Govt continues to be bright spot of world despite challenges: Piyush Goyal

The global economic uncertainties have impacted foreign direct investment (FDI) but despite these challenges, India will continue to be the bright spot of the world for overseas players, says Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. While signing free trade agreements (FTAs) or bilateral investment treaties (BITs), the government always ensures the terms are best for India, Goyal told PTI in a post-budget interaction. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on Thursday said India is negotiating BITs with different countries in the spirit of 'first develop India'. She said that geopolitically, global affairs are becoming more complex and challenging with wars and conflicts. "The global uncertainty has certainly impacted FDI, particulary considering that the interest rates in the US and other developed countries have massively seen a spike," Goyal told PTI. He said that because of the high interest rates, there was a reverse flow of capital towards developed ...

We are worried about the ongoing Red Sea crisis, says Piyush Goyal

Exporters are now able to stand up on their feet and we have been able to move away from the mindset of export incentives, said Union Minister Piyush Goyal

India to sustain exports growth, Budget provides strong foundation: Goyal

India has sustained its export growth notwithstanding the global challenges emerging due to issues like the Israel-Hamas war and the Budget has laid out a strong foundation to push the economic growth, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. The minister said that certainly, the country is facing "very severe" challenges due to these conflicts. "But despite these challenges, India continues to be a bright spot in terms of economy, economic growth, and we continue to broadly sustained our exports...I think, the Indian story is a story of resilience, and strength," Goyal told PTI in a post-budget interaction. In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that geopolitically, global affairs are becoming more complex and challenging due to wars and conflicts. Globalization is being redefined with reshoring and friend-shoring, disruption and fragmentation of supply chains, and competition for critical minerals and technologies. A new world order

75,000 patents granted by patent office in 10 months: Piyush Goyal

"There has been a significant push to reduce criminalisation of laws regarding businesses in India," said Goyal

As many as 75,000 patents granted in last 10 months, says Piyush Goyal

The Indian Patent Office has granted a "record" 75,000 patents in the last 10 months and it reflects India's ability to innovate, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. Interacting with innovators and entrepreneurs on the eve of the 75th Republic Day here, the minister also said that 40,000 compliances have either been eliminated or simplified to ease the burden on entrepreneurs. "The Indian Patent Office has granted a record 75,000 patents in the last 10 months," he said, adding the government is making it easier to do business and make it less burdensome to meet the requirements of the law and comply with rules and procedures. There has been a significant push to reduce the burden of criminalisation of many laws regarding business in India and the Jan Vishwas law was the first step in that direction and gave the comfort to people and businessmen that the government trusts them, he said. "If you make a small mistake, you do not have to worry about criminal ...