FICCI : Industry's Voice for Policy Change

Presswire 18 | Jun 28, 2023

Developed 67 new industrial areas with an annual investment of 500 crore

Hit enter to search or ESC to close Jaipur. The MSME policy implemented in Rajasthan in 2022 aims to facilitate the establishment of 20,000 new MSME units with a collective investment of Rs 10,000 crore and generate employment opportunities for about 1 lakh persons. Along with this, Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme 2022 provides various types of incentives like asset creation, interest subsidy and capital subsidy, which work to promote the development of MSMEs in the state. Additionally, the scheme includes several exemptions such as stamp duty, electricity duty and mandi tax. As a result of these proactive policies and incentives, the MSME sector in Rajasthan has experienced a remarkable momentum in growth and development. This was stated by Sudhir Kumar Sharma, Managing Director, Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation Limited (RICO), at the 6th Rajasthan MSME Summit organized by FICCI Rajasthan State Council in Jaipur today on the occasion of International MSME Day. The summit was organized on the theme ‘Unlocking the Growth Potential for MSMEs in Rajasthan’. Highlighting the initiatives of the government, the MD said that 67 new industrial areas have been developed in the last 5 years with an annual investment of Rs 500 crore. New industrial areas are also being developed. An MSME co-working space, plug and play center as well as a fintech park are also coming up.Sanjay Singhal, President, Udaipur Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chairman, Secure Meters Limited, shared his/her insights on the growth of Micro and Small Industries. he/she said that exposure and mentorship along with ‘generation change’ are the two major hurdles in the growth of entrepreneurs. There is a need to remove ‘mental roadblocks’ from the minds of entrepreneurs. he/she said that there is a need to reduce the ‘compliance burden’ along with promoting the existing enterprises and infrastructure.Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Managing Director, Resurgent India Limited gave a detailed presentation on Enabling Transformation from Micro and Small Enterprises to Medium and Large Enterprises. he/she said that Rajasthan ranks third in terms of micro enterprises registration, but it keeps slipping in rank when it comes to small and medium enterprises. he/she said that an immediate and significant boost to improve access to credit and funding sources is necessary to ensure increased investment in fixed capital for MSMEs in Rajasthan to move up the value chain.Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on MSME and President, The Employers Association of Rajasthan, NK Jain said that there are many areas which have potential for growth and can be harnessed. These include agro food processing and packaging, solar panels and equipment, EV car and two-wheeler manufacturing, lithium ion batteries, IT and robotics, hospitality sector, etc. he/she also suggested the need for skill enhancement for MSMEs in terms of technology and MSME credit cards.Earlier in his/her welcome address, Randhir Vikram Singh, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council and CMD, Mandawa Hotels, said that the summit aims to promote Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) by promoting knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking among industry stakeholders. ) to unlock its growth potential.A knowledge paper prepared by Resurgent India Limited was also released. This was followed by two panel discussions one on ‘Future Ready MSME’ and the other on ‘Reimagining Role of Regional Associations for MSME Growth Story’. A session on Business Opportunities for MSMEs was also organized.Highlights: About 16,000 crores will be spent in this rail line project. There are a total of 17 tunnels in this 126 km long rail project. 35 bridges will also be constructed on this...Photo:UIDAI TWEET AI will give all information related to Aadhaar on one voice The Unique Identification Authority of India which oversees the use of Aadhaar card has launched a new AI/ML based customer service...Highlights: The width of the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway is 120 metres. Dholera is being developed as a Greenfield Smart City. The total cost of the expressway project will be Rs 4200 crore. New Delhi. After...Disclosure — In order to grow our small business, Presswire18 earns revenue in a few different ways. We publish several sponsored posts each month, which are always labeled at the top. We also sometimes earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products we link to. We feature only items we genuinely love and want to share, and this is an arrangement between the retailer and Presswire18 (readers never pay more for products). These are the ways we support Presswire18 , and allow us to run the site and engage with this community we truly love. Thank you for reading! © 2023 All Rights Reserved | Presswire18

Pelikken | Jun 27, 2023

Government Policies and incentives are boosting the growth of MSMEs in the state

Latest News KCB Bank unveils plan to support schools’ transition to clean energy solutions Mumbai International Airport's May 2023 Performance Soars, Signals Strong Growth ‘Digital Health Connect’ summit discusses future and opportunities in digital healthcare sector - To mark the International MSME Day - Release of knowledge paper - Organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council Jaipur, 27 June: The MSME policy implemented in Rajasthan in 2022 aims to facilitate the establishment of 20,000 new MSME units, with a collective investment of Rs 10,000 crores, and generating employment opportunities for approximately 1 lakh individuals. Furthermore, the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme 2022 offers a range of incentives, including asset creation, interest subsidy, and capital subsidy, which serve to foster the growth of MSMEs in the state. Additionally, the scheme encompasses several exemptions such as stamp duty, electricity charges, and Mandi Tax. As a result of these proactive policies and incentives, the MSME sector in Rajasthan has experienced a notable surge in growth and development. This was stated by Managing Director, Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation Ltd (RIICO), Mr. Sudhir Kumar Sharma at the 6th Rajasthan MSME Summit organized FICCI Rajasthan State Council in Jaipur today on the occasion of International MSME Day. The summit was themed on ‘Unlocking the Growth Potential for MSMEs in Rajasthan’. Futher highlighting the initiatives of the Government,the MD added that the in the last 5 years 67 new industrial areas have been developed with an annual investment of INR 500 crores. New industrial areas are also being developed. A MSME Co-working space, Plug and Play center as well as Fintech park are also coming up. President, Udaipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry & Chairman, Secure Meters Ltd, Mr. Sanjaya Singhal shared his insights on the growth of micro and small industries. He said that generation change as well as exposure and mentorship are the two major impediments in the growth of entrepreneurs. There is a need to clear the entreprenurs’ mind of mental roadblocks. There is a need to nurture existing enterprises and infrastructure as well as reduce compliance burden, he added. Managing Director, Resurgent India Limited, Mr. Jyoti Prakash Gadia gave a detailed presentation on enabling the transition of micro and small enterprises to medium and large enterprises. He said that while Rajasthan ranks 3rd in terms of micro enterprises registration but it keeps slipping in rank when one moved to small and medium enterprises. He said that an urgent and significant boost to improve access to credit and funding sources is necessary to ensure increased investment in fixed capital for MSMEs in Rajasthan to move up the value chain. Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Sub Committee on MSME & President, The Employers Association of Rajasthan, Mr. NK Jain said that there are various sectors which have growth potential and can be tapped. These include Agro Food Processing and Packaging, solar panel and equipment, EV cars and two wheelers manufacturing, Lithium ion battery, IT and Robotics, Hospitality sector, among others. He also suggested the need for upskilling for MSMEs in terms of technology and a MSME credit card. Earlier in his welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels, Mr Randhir Vikram Singh said that the summit aims to unlock the growth potential of MSMEs by fostering knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking among industry stakeholders. A knowledge paper on 'Empowering Small Businesses' prepared by Resurgent India Ltd. was also released on the occasion. Later there were two panel discussions on Future Ready MSMEs and Reimaging Role of Regional Associations for MSME Growth Story. A session on business opportunities for MSMEs was also organized. In the session on business opportunities for MSMEs, the Chief of Staff, South Western Command Lt. Gen. A Arun said that today India is the largest importer of defence equipment in the world. If increasingly more equipment could be made in India it will not only save foreign exchange but also foster employment. The MSME sector can play a huge role in the manufacture of such defence equipment. He also urged the MSME sector to focus their efforts and resources on Research and Development (R&D) which will enable them to produce quality equipment. He also pointed out that India for the first time exported defence equipment worth Rs. 12,815 crores in the last financial year. It is likely to go upto around Rs. 20,000 crores in the current financial year.[Shanghai, China, June 28, 2023] Huawei has shown up in full force for MWC Shanghai 2023, with thIndia, June 27, 2023 – Quixy, the renowned noKochi, 27th June 2023: Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile manufacturer and tNew Delhi, 23rd June 2023: COAI, the apex industry body for the digita ·Transact across merchants with RuPay Credit Card, instantly using UPI·Thrissur, June 28, 2023: South Indian Bank (SIB) today signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Mahindra and Mahindra India, June 28th, 2023 – Fairfield by Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy&rsquBusiness / 28-06-2023Art&Culture / 28-06-2023Travel / 28-06-2023Business / 28-06-2023Events / 28-06-2023Pelikken © Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

First India | Nov 14, 2022

Raj sandstone & granite in demand: Rawat

Hunt Daily News | Nov 14, 2022

India Stonemart 2022 - Rajasthan Minerals speaks magic, Jaipur

Quick Telecast | Nov 14, 2022

Rajasthan attracts Rs 1,200 Crore Trade inquiries at India Stonemart 2022

The Times of India | Nov 14, 2022

Stonemart generates biz inquiries worth ₹1,200cr

Business Standard | Nov 14, 2022

India Stonemart 2022 exhibition gets enquiries worth Rs 1,200 crore

The Statesman | Nov 14, 2022

Raj attracts Rs 1,200 crore trade inquiries at Stonemart-2022

ANI News | Nov 14, 2022

Sany Bharat Showcases Prowess with Impressive Display of World Class Machinery at India Stonemart 2022

Krishi Jagran | Nov 13, 2022

India Stonemart 2022

The Times of India | Nov 12, 2022

Stone Industry's contribution is important in job creation: CM Gehlot

The Times of India | Nov 12, 2022

'Monuments in state are an inspiration for architects'

The Times of India | Nov 12, 2022

'Monuments in state are an inspiration for architects'

First India | Nov 12, 2022

Dhariwal: Youth be inspired to adopt ancient architecture again

The Hindu | Nov 11, 2022

Stonemart starts in Jaipur as an international exhibition of stone industry

KNN | Nov 11, 2022

70% of stone production in India comes from Rajasthan: RIICO Chairman

Usama Speaks | Jan 21, 2022

FICCI Rajasthan State Council organizes 6th Digital Rajasthan Conclave

IG Media | Jan 21, 2022

FICCI Rajasthan State Council organizes 6th Digital Rajasthan Conclave

English Lokmat | Nov 15, 2021

Rajasthan delegation signs MoUs worth Rs 1,500cr at Dubai Expo

First India | Nov 15, 2021

Rajasthan ascends to global investment from Dubai

MCE Zone | Nov 15, 2021

Rajasthan Government inks investment agreements worth Rs 37828 crore in Dubai Expo

Hindustan Times | Nov 12, 2021

Rajasthan to be presented as global investment destination at Dubai Expo

The Week | Nov 12, 2021

Rajasthan to Offer Big-bang Investment Opportunities in Petrochemicals and Fintech Sectors at EXPO2020 India Pavilion

First India | Nov 12, 2021

Eyes on Investment, Rajasthan week commences at Dubai Expo

ANI News | Nov 11, 2021

Rajasthan to offer big-bang investment opportunities in Petrochemicals and Fintech Sectors at EXPO2020 India Pavilion

Business Standard | Nov 11, 2021

Rajasthan to offer big-bang investment opportunities in Petrochemicals and Fintech Sectors at EXPO2020 India Pavilion

The Print | Nov 11, 2021

Rajasthan to offer big-bang investment opportunities in Petrochemicals and Fintech Sectors at EXPO2020 India Pavilion

India News Republic | Nov 11, 2021

Rajasthan to Offer Big-bang Investment Opportunities in Petrochemicals and Fintech Sectors at EXPO2020 India Pavilion

The Times of India | Sep 25, 2021

Tourism dept plans new norms for river cruise ahead of season

World360 News | Sep 24, 2021

Rajasthan crisis-ridden tourism gets 500 Crore Booster, Says Dotasra in Rajasthan Calling virtual road show

sify.com | Apr 15, 2021

Rajasthan registered -71.50% YoY dip in tourist numbers in 2020

Financial Express | Apr 08, 2021

Vaccines for tourism professionals, promoting weddings and rural culture could revive Rajasthan tourism: FICCI

The Spuzz | Apr 08, 2021

Vaccines for tourism experts, advertising weddings and rural culture could revive Rajasthan tourism: FICCI

DailyNews24Hour | Apr 08, 2021

Vaccines for tourism professionals, selling weddings and rural tradition may revive Rajasthan tourism: FICCI

Crypto Press | Apr 08, 2021

Vaccines for tourism professionals, promoting weddings and rural culture could revive Rajasthan tourism: FICCI

Times of India | Mar 29, 2021

Rajasthan to promote wellness tourism, to sign ink MoUs with ayurvedic institutes

The Times of India | Mar 26, 2021

Rajasthan to promote wellness tourism, ink MoUs with ayurvedic institutes

Odisha TV | Feb 18, 2021

How Rajasthan Hoteliers stay afloat amid pandemic?

Amid the ongoing pandemic, weddings have helped revive the hotel sector in Rajasthan which was left bleeding during and post the lockdown period. The hoteliers in the desert state stay afloat amid the pandemic, courtesy the Indian weddings which are not big and fat but have trimmed in size. Yet, they have the potential to keep the hospitality industry going amid the tough times.

According to Sandeep Lodha, CEO, OYO’s Weddingz.in, “In last one month, 6000 queries have been received by us for a wedding in Rajasthan.”

“There are two emerging trends — smaller weddings and domestic weddings — being seen these days. Rajasthan stands to benefit the most from these trends as the demand for weddings in Rajasthan is already very high,” he added.

He was speaking in the webinar on “Wedding Tourism – Positioning Rajasthan as Wedding Capital of India” held on the virtual platform recently, organised by FICCI and Rajasthan Tourism.

Addressing the same webinar, Commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, Dhiraj Srivastava, said, “Wedding tourism and destination weddings can be a significant game-changer for the Rajasthan hospitality industry. Government of Rajasthan hence recognises the huge opportunity. The latest tourist policy seeks to diversify existing tourism products giving priority to lesser-known destinations and improve visitors’ experience including destination weddings. According to the policy’s guidelines to be released soon, wedding destinations will be identified, graded and listed to facilitate wedding planners and management firms,” he added.

Executive Director, HRH Group of Hotels, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar said that the cities of this state, like Udaipur, have created an identity for themselves. Besides being the city of lakes, Udipur is today known as a prominent wedding destination competing with Lake Como, Italy.

Prithvi Singh, a renowned hotelier told IANS, “Weddings have come as a great saviour to us when travel remains suspended. No doubt that hotel occupancy has grown in the wedding season, but the enormous discounts being offered during pandemic times speaks volumes about our fight to survive and it reflects how compromising with price has become mandatory for our sustenance,” he said.

During the lockdown, we sensed how weddings will emerge as our saviour and hence we started a campaign targeting best wedding planners for our hotels. The initiative was quite successful as we started getting bookings for our properties from different places, he added.

Chairman, Shahpura Hotels, Surendra Singh Shahpura said that rural areas also need to be developed as wedding destinations so that smaller hotels can benefit from wedding tourism. Marriage destinations in Rajasthan will help the hotel sector bounce back to where it was in March 2020.

Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels, Randhir Vikram Singh said that weddings are now smaller and more intimate, emphasising on the need for strict hygiene standards. Rajasthan is competitively placed to harness this potential segment. This is due to better connectivity, the splendour of heritage properties and modern architecture.

General Secretary, The Event and Entertainment Management Association, Siddhartha Chaturvedi said that Rajasthan is already one of the favourite places to have a wedding in India. Best of world-class solutions are easily available here. However, the State has not fully exploited the wedding industry. As many as 10 more destinations can be created to promote wedding destinations in the State, he added.

Daiji World | Feb 17, 2021

R'sthan hoteliers stay afloat amid pandemic, courtesy weddings

According to Sandeep Lodha, CEO, OYO's Weddingz.in, "In last one month, 6000 queries have been received by us for a wedding in Rajasthan."

"There are two emerging trends -- smaller weddings and domestic weddings -- being seen these days. Rajasthan stands to benefit the most from these trends as the demand for weddings in Rajasthan is already very high," he added.

He was speaking in the webinar on "Wedding Tourism - Positioning Rajasthan as Wedding Capital of India" held on the virtual platform recently, organised by FICCI and Rajasthan Tourism.

Addressing the same webinar, Commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, Dhiraj Srivastava, said, "Wedding tourism and destination weddings can be a significant game-changer for the Rajasthan hospitality industry. Government of Rajasthan hence recognises the huge opportunity. The latest tourist policy seeks to diversify existing tourism products giving priority to lesser-known destinations and improve visitors' experience including destination weddings. According to the policy's guidelines to be released soon, wedding destinations will be identified, graded and listed to facilitate wedding planners and management firms," he added.

Prithvi Singh, a renowned hotelier told IANS, "Weddings have come as a great saviour to us when travel remains suspended. No doubt that hotel occupancy has grown in the wedding season, but the enormous discounts being offered during pandemic times speaks volumes about our fight to survive and it reflects how compromising with price has become mandatory for our sustenance," he said.

Punjab News Express | Feb 01, 2021

Budget is prudent and well-calibrated: FICCI Rajasthan state chief

FICCI Rajasthan State Council and Kajaria Ceramics Ltd CMD chairman Ashok Kajaria on Monday said that the budget is prudent and well-calibrated in today's environment.

He said, "The impetus on social and physical infrastructure is commendable. The Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban), Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, vehicle scrapping policy and plan to deal with air pollution in 42 urban centres will help improve quality of life. There are no new taxes and preference to growth over fiscal consolidation were need of the day, " he added,

Randhir Vikram Singh, Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels, said that the extension of additional deduction of Rs 1.5 Lakh for loans taken up till 31 March 2022 and tax holiday to affordable housing projects for one more year will help realise the dream of 'Housing for All'.

He further said, "Reduction in time limit for re-opening up of income tax assessments to 3 years for most of the cases is a welcome step. Increasing the turnover limit for tax audit to Rs 10 crore with 95% digital transactions aims at ease of doing business and boosting transparency. Tourism and allied sectors were looking for support but were conspicuous by their absence. We hope that we will witness some announcements for these sectors in future."

SocialNews.xyz | Feb 01, 2021

Budget is prudent and well-calibrated: FICCI Rajasthan state chief

FICCI Rajasthan State Council and Kajaria Ceramics Ltd CMD chairman Ashok Kajaria on Monday said that the budget is prudent and well-calibrated in today's environment.

Telugu Stop | Feb 01, 2021

Budget is prudent and well-calibrated: FICCI Rajasthan State Chief

FICCI Rajasthan State Council and Kajaria Ceramics Ltd CMD chairman Ashok Kajaria on Monday said that the budget is prudent and well-calibrated in today’s environment.

He said, “The impetus on social and physical infrastructure is commendable. The Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban), Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, vehicle scrapping policy and plan to deal with air pollution in 42 urban centres will help improve quality of life. There are no new taxes and preference to growth over fiscal consolidation were need of the day,” he added,

He further said, “Reduction in time limit for re-opening up of income tax assessments to 3 years for most of the cases is a welcome step. Increasing the turnover limit for tax audit to Rs 10 crore with 95% digital transactions aims at ease of doing business and boosting transparency.

Tourism and allied sectors were looking for support but were conspicuous by their absence. We hope that we will witness some announcements for these sectors in future

ET Now News | Jan 14, 2021

Rajasthan committed to facilitate ease of doing business, says Industry Minister

Parsadi Lal Meena, Minister for Industry, Government of Rajasthan, said that the government is committed to facilitate EoDB (ease of doing business) and help industries become competitive. We will consider making open access affordable. The state government has set up a single-window system in which 14 department officials are providing permissions in 100 different areas related to industries. MSMEs can avail permissions easily through the Raj portal without having to run around to different offices.

During 2019-2020, RIICO has received an investment of Rs 1,400 crore from the auction of industrial plots via e-auction. This was informed by Minister for Industry, Government of Rajasthan, Parsadi Lal Meena. He was addressing the webinar on ‘Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries’ as the Chief Guest. The webinar was organized by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Managing Director, Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, Rohit Gupta said that electricity cost is a major input to the overall cost of industries. Electricity cost in Rajasthan is higher as compared to other States due to the financial position of the power discoms which is linked to the consumer mix of the state. The Department is planning to look into areas like –access to rebates, making timely payments to the generators, operational efficiency of thermal plants, etc. to reduce the overall procurement cost.

Head-Business Development & SVP, Indian Energy Exchange, Rohit Bajaj said that high Cross Subsidy Surcharge, 24-hour scheduling restriction, uniform scheduling for at least eight hours, minimum 1 MW contract demand for availing open access, among others are key issues for open access in Rajasthan. Industries can avail of power procurement options like long-term for more than 7 years, medium-term from 1 year to 5 years, short term for up to 1 year. The most preferred option is, however, the Power Exchange option which is a highly liquid and transparent marketplace.

Partner, Deloitte, Anujesh Dwivedi said that Open access is an option to purchase cheaper electricity. It allows the consumer to purchase electricity directly from power generators, traders or exchange. In Rajasthan, open access will have a positive impact on additional job opportunities and state wise share in incremental GDP. There is a need to initiate discussions between the State Department, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC), Power Discoms on how open access can be effectively resolved. Furthermore, there is also a need to establish a road map for implementing provisions related to Open Access under Rajasthan Industrial Development policy 2019.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the State. For this, the reduction of operating cost especially electricity cost can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states. Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed vote of thanks during the webinar.

sify.com | Jan 14, 2021

'Rajasthan govt is committed to facilitate ease of doing business'

During 2019-2020, RIICO received investments of Rs 1400 crores from the auction of industrial plots via e-auction. This was informed by Rajasthan Minister for Industry Parsadi Lal Meena while addressing a webinar on "Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries" on Tuesday.

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Managing Director, Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, Rohit Gupta said that electricity cost is a major input in the overall cost of industries. Electricity cost in Rajasthan is higher as compared to other states due to the financial position of the power discoms which is linked to the consumer mix of the state.

The department is planning to look into areas like access to rebates, making timely payments to the generators, operational efficiency of thermal plants, etc. to reduce the overall procurement cost, he said.

Bajaj said that industries can avail of power procurement options like long-term for more than 7 years, medium term from 1 year to 5 years, short term for up to 1 year. The most preferred option is, however, the Power Exchange option which is a highly liquid and transparent marketplace.

Partner, Deloitte, Anujesh Dwivedi said that open access is an option to purchase cheaper electricity. It allows the consumer to purchase electricity directly from power generators, traders or exchange. In Rajasthan, open access will have a positive impact on additional job opportunities and state wise share in incremental GDP.

There is a need to initiate discussions between the Department, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC), Power Discoms on how open access can be effectively resolved. Furthermore, there is also a need to establish a road map for implementing provisions related to Open Access under the Rajasthan Industrial Development policy 2019, he added.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.

The Siasat Daily | Jan 13, 2021

'Rajasthan govt is committed to facilitate ease of doing business'

During 2019-2020, RIICO received investments of Rs 1400 crores from the auction of industrial plots via e-auction. This was informed by Rajasthan Minister for Industry Parsadi Lal Meena while addressing a webinar on “Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries” on Tuesday.

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.

Daily Hunt | Jan 12, 2021

'Rajasthan govt committed to facilitate ease of doing business'

The Rajasthan government is committed to facilitate ease of doing business and help industries become competitive. The state government has set up a single-window system in which officials from 14 departments are providing permissions in 100 different areas related to industries. MSMEs can avail permissions easily through the Raj portal without having to run around to different offices. During 2019-2020, RIICO received investments of Rs 1400 crores from the auction of industrial plots via e-auction. This was informed by Rajasthan Minister for Industry Parsadi Lal Meena while addressing a webinar on "Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries" on Tuesday.

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.

SME Times | Jan 12, 2021

'Rajasthan govt committed to facilitate ease of doing business'

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.

sify.com | Jan 12, 2021

'Rajasthan govt is committed to facilitate ease of doing business'

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.

The Rahnuma | Jan 12, 2021

'Rajasthan govt is committed to facilitate ease of doing business'

During 2019-2020, RIICO received investments of Rs 1400 crores from the auction of industrial plots via e-auction. This was informed by Rajasthan Minister for Industry Parsadi Lal Meena while addressing a webinar on “Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries” on Tuesday.

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.

Daiji World | Dec 23, 2020

Every stage of tourism should be seamless and quick, says Raj official

As the industry begins to recover against the backdrop of the pandemic, there needs to be a system where the tourist is technologically facilitated from the start to end point for a smooth and easy travel experience.

Ease of travelling in Rajasthan needs to be further developed. Every stage of tourism should be seamless, fast, hi-tech and easy, said Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Niranjan Kumar Arya. He was addressing a virtual conference on 'Rajasthan Calling- Leveraging Technology for Driving Growth of Tourism' organised by FICCI Rajasthan on Wednesday.

Talking about various processes that need further technological intervention, Additional Director General – Tourism, Government of India, Rupinder Brar said that the e-visa process that is already in place for 171 countries needs to be further streamlined.

Technological intervention in scanning through passports without waiting at the counter or getting information at the airport kiosks without dealing with too many papers can be further explored. Similarly, getting feedback, scanning biometrics and monitoring a hotel's Covid response in terms of following protocols can be further enabled through technology.

Director – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Nishant Jain said that the recently launched Tourism Policy has incorporated all aspects of tourism like – experiential, adventure, tribal, rural, craft, cuisine, and many more. The State Government has also undertaken many tourism initiatives. The 'Citizen Mobile App' will soon be launched in Rajasthan.

In order to maintain its visibility, film 'Rajasthan is Ready' was launched to showcase the state's readiness post-Covid. Apart from this, the campaign, 'Routes of Rajasthan' in association with Autocar India was also undertaken by Rajasthan Tourism. For marketing and promotions, the Department through social media and digital media regularly ties up with online portals.

CEO, Thrillophilia, Chitra Daga said that content creation needs to be done on a massive scale. This can be done in the form of video shoots, GoPro shoots, photography and writings which can be further put on social media platforms.

Head – Public Policy, Airbnb, Vineeta Dixit said that in India online travel has opened up opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs. It has provided wider outreach and ease of conducting business digitally. Further investment in digital tools is key to protect jobs and livelihoods and driving economic recovery in the new world.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that the tourism sector will take time to reach pre-Covid levels as compared to other industries. Domestic tourism should see a spurt during 2021.

Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels, Randhir Vikram Singh said that 2020 has been a zero year for tourism. Rajasthan tourism industry is slowly reviving with weddings and nearby travel which is erratic and heavily discounted. 2021 should be a year for intensive marketing and promotions across all mediums.

The programme was moderated by CEO & MD, Trance Hotels, Veer Vijay Singh. Co-Founder, Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, Sabina Chopra was also present on the occasion.

Bhaskar Live | Dec 23, 2020

Every stage of tourism should be seamless and quick, says Raj official

Ease of travelling in Rajasthan needs to be further developed. Every stage of tourism should be seamless, fast, hi-tech and easy, said Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Niranjan Kumar Arya. He was addressing a virtual conference on ‘Rajasthan Calling- Leveraging Technology for Driving Growth of Tourism’ organised by FICCI Rajasthan on Wednesday.

Technological intervention in scanning through passports without waiting at the counter or getting information at the airport kiosks without dealing with too many papers can be further explored. Similarly, getting feedback, scanning biometrics and monitoring a hotel’s Covid response in terms of following protocols can be further enabled through technology.

Director – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Nishant Jain said that the recently launched Tourism Policy has incorporated all aspects of tourism like – experiential, adventure, tribal, rural, craft, cuisine, and many more. The State Government has also undertaken many tourism initiatives. The ‘Citizen Mobile App’ will soon be launched in Rajasthan.

In order to maintain its visibility, film ‘Rajasthan is Ready’ was launched to showcase the state’s readiness post-Covid. Apart from this, the campaign, ‘Routes of Rajasthan’ in association with Autocar India was also undertaken by Rajasthan Tourism. For marketing and promotions, the Department through social media and digital media regularly ties up with online portals.

The programme was moderated by CEO & MD, Trance Hotels, Veer Vijay Singh. Co-Founder, Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, Sabina Chopra was also present on the occasion.

sify.com | Dec 23, 2020

Every stage of tourism should be seamless and quick, says Raj official

The programme was moderated by CEO & MD, Trance Hotels, Veer Vijay Singh. Co-Founder, Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, Sabina Chopra was also present on the occasion.

Easy Press Wire | Oct 15, 2020

5th Digital Rajasthan Conclave organized virtually by FICCI Rajasthan in association with STPI

FICCI Rajasthan State Council in association with Software Technology Parks of India, Government of India organized the virtual conference - 5th edition of Digital Rajasthan Conclave today. The theme for the webinar was Accelerating Resilience through Digitalization.

Addressing the webinar, Dr Omkar Rai, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) said, “Resilience though digitization should be mantra for India’s journey in times to come.” According to him, the status of India’s revenue in software product market at global level according to 2019-20 assessment was close to 9 Billion Dollar out of 511 Billion Dollar and therefore to capitalize on India’s IT Service industry and its workforce talent, NPSP 2019 Policy aspired to make India a software product nation and take the revenue in the sector between 70-80 Billion Dollar by 2025 and during COVID lockdown all the initiatives in this direction got lot of acceleration.

Addressing the house, Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI said, “COVID has actually led to digital transformation in most organizations with contactless delivery, contactless services and social distancing. Rajasthan Government during lockdown did a great job with online passes, sharing information online, digital distribution of services, school going online and more. According to him, the real challenge is to ensure that every citizen gets benefit from the services offered by the government and that we need collaborative and collective leadership amongst all the stakeholders to one by one identify the areas where we need to digitize, increase digitization and expand digitization and therefore go for coordinated actions in each sector.”

Chairing the session on “Accelerating Resilience through Digitalization”, Dr Ajay Data, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on Entrepreneurship and Founder & CEO, Data Ingenious Global Ltd shared that just in 6 months span, COVID has made all of us learn and adopt different technologies that we had never learnt before and post covid all the sectors will have a huge moment of demand, supply and disruption. He also mentioned that we are already getting into a huge transformational time in terms of technology and should work parallel in securing digital boundaries from attacks and misuse.

Another panel discussion on “Leveraging emerging technologies to position Rajasthan as Crafts Hub of the world” saw participation of Mr. Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Chairman, TiE Global; Mr. Nagaraja Prakasam, Mentor, Angel investor & Partner Acumen Fund; Dr Toolika Gupta, Director, Indian Institute of Crafts & Design; Dr Shikha Jain, Director, Dronah; Ms. Abha Agrawal, Co-founder, DesiHangover; Ms. Umang Shridhar, Founder, KhaDigi and Mr. Vijay Sharma, Co-founder & CEO, Fabriclore Retail Pvt Ltd.

Welcoming the speakers, Mr. Randhir Vikram Singh, Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels said, “Nowadays, it is hard to imagine any aspect of our life being untouched by technology. In an age where innovation has become a rule, the value generated by digitalization has redefined consumer expectations.”

Telegraph Online | Oct 14, 2020

5th Digital Rajasthan Conclave organized virtually by FICCI Rajasthan in association with STPI

FICCI Rajasthan State Council in association with Software Technology Parks of India, Government of India organized the virtual conference – 5th edition of Digital Rajasthan Conclave today. The theme for the webinar was Accelerating Resilience through Digitalization.

He also mentioned that Chunauti Programme being conducted all over India for training and recruiting young boys and girls from smaller towns has received 1800 participation out of which 75 participants are from Rajasthan and going by the manpower and talent that Jaipur has, it would become a hub for innovation and product creation in technology sector. Sharing about STPI’s plans, Mr. Omkar said that STPI is trying to setup centers of excellence in emerging technology and 12 centers of excellence have be launched with 6 more centers to be launched soon which will serve as incubator to the startups.

Addressing the virtual event, Ms. Mugdha Sinha, Secretary – Arts, Literature, Culture & Archeology, Government of Rajasthan said, “Technology is so powerful today that it is capable of doing more with less. The greatest realization COVID has brought to us is the acceptability of disruptive nature of technology. Digitization has to be democratic and data belongs to each one of us and needs to be put in the service of citizens.” Ms. Sinha also shared that the Department of Arts, Literature, Culture & Archeology, GoR recently launched a ‘Call for Artist Database’ using technology along with crowd sourcing information which has led to engagement with the civil society. According to her, people need to own technology and those at cutting edge level will need more training in terms of usage and exposure to technology and that technology will bring more ecological consciousness in Governance and disruption will lead us to quantum jump in technology.

In his context setting address, Mr. Somesh Gupta, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on IT & ITeS and DC Head, Infosys Jaipur said, “Recent advancements in technology and innovation are continuously disrupting our world. The manner in which services are delivered to end users is undergoing a paradigm shift.” He also mentioned that Rajasthan is, in fact, a state of Firsts when it comes to e-Governance and the state also has a fairly developed start-up ecosystem.

Vishva Times | Oct 02, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on 'Future of Handloom & Khadi'.

Speaking as Chief Guest at the webinar, Dr Arvind Mayaram, Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan mentioned that consumerism drives the world and there is a need to create demand and make people greedy for handlooms and khadi.

"We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective."

Dhiraj Srivastava, Commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation said that there is also a heightened interest and demand for handloom products like never before and time is ripe that we strengthen the entire value chain especially designing and marketing to unleash the real value and potential of the sector.

Laila Tyabji, Chairperson, Dastkar, stressed on bringing khadi beyond Khadi Bhandars. According to her khadi and handloom should be highlighted through nationwide campaigns, media, advertising, etc and given the reach to new markets and showcased at all kind of platforms so as to increase the consumption.

Presenting the concept of 3D - Decentralised, Diverse and Democratic framework for the development of Khadi, Kishore Shah, Co-Founder and Director, Khadi London suggested for setting a transformative target of development of 400 successful clusters and increase in market share for handloom & khadi from 5 to 25 percent by 2025.

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI mentioned that the handlooms have a long tradition of excellent craftsmanship and acclaimed globally for their weaving and printing elegance. It is important to ensure sustenance of our cultural heritage.

Welcoming the participants, Randhir Vikram Singh, Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels said that the handloom sector plays a crucial role in generating employment and revenue. It is one of the few sectors that preserve and promote Indian culture.

Wandana Parnami, Chairperson, FICCI Ladies Organisation - Jaipur Chapter said there is an increased sensitivity towards environment today due to which sustainable fabrics are in demand and the importance of sustainability would play a crucial role in the resurrection of handlooms and khadi.

India Updates | Oct 02, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on ‘Future of Handloom & Khadi’.

“We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective.”

Presenting the concept of 3D – Decentralised, Diverse and Democratic framework for the development of Khadi, Kishore Shah, Co-Founder and Director, Khadi London suggested for setting a transformative target of development of 400 successful clusters and increase in market share for handloom & khadi from 5 to 25 percent by 2025.

Wandana Parnami, Chairperson, FICCI Ladies Organisation – Jaipur Chapter said there is an increased sensitivity towards environment today due to which sustainable fabrics are in demand and the importance of sustainability would play a crucial role in the resurrection of handlooms and khadi.

New Kerala | Oct 02, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on 'Future of Handloom & Khadi'.

"We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective."

The Times of India | Oct 02, 2020

Need policy change to save khadi: Arvind Mayaram

We call khadi ‘freedom fabric’, Gandhiji’s gift to us and a symbol of self-reliance. But former Union finance secretary Arvind Mayaram says time has come to stop romanticising khadi and become practical so that a large number of artisans and weavers do not end up as construction workers in far off Delhi and Mumbai or MGNREGA workers.

“We need to look at the development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective. The cost charts prescribed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission are not in the interest of weavers as restricts their earnings whereas when they were introduced way back, they were the minimum an artisan should get,” said Mayaram at a webinar on khadi organised by FICCI-Rajasthan.

On the contrary, Mayaram said, the sale price should be made free and the weavers should be given a share in the profit over and above the wages.

“The entire value chain should be strengthened and institutions should make suitable interventions for creating products for all classes and at different value chains. It should not be confined to high fashion showrooms,” added Mayaram, who is also the economic advisor to the Rajasthan chief minister.

He said institutions like Indian institute of Crafts and Design should provide inputs for making products at every value chain and buyers segment, not just high design fashion market. “We also need to redesign and refine hand tools so that it helps in enhancing productivity,” Mayaram added.

Talking about the younger generation, he said they would not be interested in the sector if the occupation does not give them enough earning and dignity. Mayaram said, “The older people may continue to produce, but the younger generation will not take interest in the sector if there is not enough earning and dignity in it.”

Dhiraj Srivastava, commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, said khadi is symbol of our freedom struggle and relevant even today in terms of empowering villages and communities especially women and tribal populations. “There is no lack of interest and demand in handloom products, but we need to strengthen the entire value chain especially designing and marketing to unleash the real value and potential of the sector.”

Lack of marketing and improvement in quality of fabrics are also areas of concern highlighted by Laila Tyabji, chairperson, Dastkar.

Daiji World | Oct 01, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on 'Future of Handloom & Khadi'.

"We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective."

newsd | Oct 01, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on ‘Future of Handloom & Khadi’.

“We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective.”

IND News | Oct 01, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on ‘Future of Handloom & Khadi’.

“We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective.”

Jhalak | Oct 01, 2020

'Consumerism, demand to drive development of handlooms, khadi'

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on 'Future of Handloom & Khadi'.

"We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective."

Outlook | Sep 30, 2020

Furniture industry pitches for national plantation strategy for availability of raw material

The domestic furniture industry is facing challenges related to the availability of raw material, which can be addressed by a national plantation strategy, industry leaders said.

Besides, there are issues related to availability of skilled workers, import of finished products under free trade agreements and supply chain problems, they said at a webinar on the ''Future of Furniture Industry'', organised by industry chamber FICCI.

Fabindia Chairman William Bissell said a national plantation strategy can ensure uninterrupted supply of certified woods.

Well-managed plantation will benefit both businesses and farmers, he added.

"Our raw materials have become much more expensive than China. However, India has a distinct advantage and this is craftsmanship of the local artisan," Bissell emphasised.

Alex Bellos, president of US-based furniture brand West Elm, said it has faced problems in sourcing quality certified woods in India unlike China, where a lot of varieties are available.

Andreas Hettich, chairman of the advisory board, Â Hettich Group, said the regulatory environment has to be stable for the industry to thrive.

"Building furniture cluster is an investment for decades, not even just for years. It is a very long-term investment and therefore there has to be the stable environment, very good and reliable regulations and easy access to other markets...," he said.

Speaking about the domestic market, Hettich said, "It is a huge and fast-growing market and not yet a well-developed market so it is probably one of the most diverse markets in the world and dependent on micro-companies and micro dealers. So, there is a lot of room for development."

However, he also pointed out issues faced by the industry, including availability of skilled force and speed of the supply chain.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Joint Secretary Anil Agarwal said the government has identified four places to set up furniture clusters. It would be similar to what was done for the leather industry.

"The furniture sector is one of the champion sectors for the government and to help, it would formulate policy and implement them," said Agarwal.

He also assured the industry that the government will look into issues raised by it, including standardisation of woods and import of finished goods under free trade agreements.

"Government is open to putting them under non-tariff measures in compliance under the WTO regulatory framework," he added.

IKEA India CEO Peter Betzel said the company has big plans for India from a retail perspective.

On manufacturing, he said the industry needs a good trade policy before it asks its partner companies to come and invest here.

"We need local forestry which needs to be certified," Betzel said.

Devdiscourse | Sep 30, 2020

Furniture industry pitches for national plantation strategy for availability of raw material

The domestic furniture industry is facing challenges related to the availability of raw material, which can be addressed by a national plantation strategy, industry leaders said. Besides, there are issues related to the availability of skilled workers, import of finished products under free trade agreements, and supply chain problems, they said at a webinar on the 'Future of Furniture Industry', organized by industry chamber FICCI. Fabindia Chairman William Bissell said a national plantation strategy can ensure an uninterrupted supply of certified woods. Well-managed plantation will benefit both businesses and farmers, he added. "Our raw materials have become much more expensive than China. However, India has a distinct advantage and this is the craftsmanship of the local artisan," Bissell emphasized.

Alex Bellos, President of US-based furniture brand West Elm, said it has faced problems in sourcing quality certified woods in India unlike China, where a lot of varieties are available. Andreas Hettich, chairman of the advisory board, Hettich Group, said the regulatory environment has to be stable for the industry to thrive.

"Building a furniture cluster is an investment for decades, not even just for years. It is a very long-term investment and therefore there has to be a stable environment, very good and reliable regulations and easy access to other markets...," he said. Speaking about the domestic market, Hettich said, "It is a huge and fast-growing market and not yet a well-developed market so it is probably one of the most diverse markets in the world and dependent on micro-companies and micro dealers. So, there is a lot of room for development." However, he also pointed out issues faced by the industry, including the availability of skilled force and speed of the supply chain. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Joint Secretary Anil Agarwal said the government has identified four places to set up furniture clusters. It would be similar to what was done for the leather industry.

"The furniture sector is one of the champion sectors for the government and to help, it would formulate policy and implement them," said Agarwal. He also assured the industry that the government will look into issues raised by it, including standardization of woods and import of finished goods under free trade agreements.

"Government is open to putting them under non-tariff measures in compliance under the WTO regulatory framework," he added. IKEA India CEO Peter Betzel said the company has big plans for India from a retail perspective. On manufacturing, he said the industry needs a good trade policy before it asks its partner companies to come and invest here.

"We need local forestry which needs to be certified," Betzel said.

Easy Press Wire | Sep 28, 2020

Webinar on 'Future of Tourism' held by FICCI Rajasthan State Council and Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan

Tourism industry has been most severely affected by the spread of Covid-19. The importance of tourism for the economy of Rajasthan, livelihoods, employment, and entrepreneurship is well known. Government of Rajasthan has recently announced the New Tourism Policy which aims to resurrect the sector and position the State as preferred and safe tourism destination. Against this backdrop, today, on the occasion of World Tourism Day, FICCI, in association with Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan organized a webinar on "Future of Tourism" with the theme “Revitalising Tourism for Sustainable Development”.

Speaking at the virtual event, Mr. Sanjay Pande, Additional Director, Tourism Department, Government of Rajasthan said, “Government is entirely in support of the industry and we will take all the necessary measures whatever are required to build confidence in the industry. The government has been proactive right from the beginning since March when the lockdown was announced and various relief measures have been announced since then. He also mentioned that the government on its part has been very active and has seized the opportunity of the pandemic to announce a new tourism policy and it is a very pragmatic and faster in approach. In this, first time in the state, we are having provisions of Special Tourism Zones where all the other state departments will also work to develop and support that area. Due to changing preferences, our focus is now on Experiential tourism as well.”

Commenting on recovery of the sector he said that momentum is picking up, the numbers have been increasing and even post lockdown we have given approval to more that 50 new tourism project, which involve approx 500 Crores Rupees of investment.

While addressing the event, Mr. Rajiv Arora, Former Chairman, RTDC & Founder, Amrapali Jewels said, “Tourism business is still on its knees with many cities still under lockdown. With no vaccine in sight, people are still fearful to step outside their home and travel. Mask, social distancing etc. are the new normal now.” He also mentioned that the perception of common man for travelling in now changing. They want to go for wellness and avoid crowded places while maintaining social distancing along with the wish to try local taste and culture. According to him, in India, we have to look for nature and wildlife tourism where one feels stress-free and happy.

Mr. Arora also mentioned about 5 key factors which tourism industry needs to follow are a) Safety both in perception and reality, b) Health checks, c) No compromise on hygiene, d) Brand value and e) Good value for money in order to attract more tourists.

Addressing the webinar, Mr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Executive Director, HRH Group of Hotels said, “In these difficult times of pandemic, Tourism as an industry needs to figure out what the problem is and what exactly needs to be done in order to find the right solution. Tourism sector is totally dependent on other things and therefore our survival is getting difficult because of railways, buses, air transport being shut. At the same time, government needs to recognize tourism industry as an industry and provide the benefits that go along with an industry. He also mentioned that gaps in electricity rates, GST, staffing etc. needs to be reduced along with a lot of introspection within our industry.”

Addressing the virtual event, Ms. Sabina Chopra, Co-Founder, Yatra Online Pvt Ltd said, Travel and tourism has been the worst affected among all the industries, despite this it has the least support from the government, Central or State. With ease in rules and regulations for travel, there is now a spike in travel and therefore we need to focus more on domestic tourism rather than international tourism. According to her, leisure market will be the first one to open up with businesses still working from home and therefore Rajasthan should target that. She also mentioned that for weddings, Rajasthan is easy approachable from Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana and therefore hotels should come up with attractive packages to tap these markets.

In his address, Mr. Aman Nath, Founder & Chairman, Neemrana Hotels mentioned with travel restrictions being eased and people stepping out of their homes, hotels have to sometimes make them follow rules and regulations in order to a safe travel. According to him, tourism industry as a whole has to come together to push itself much harder to revive from this situation. Therefore, hotels needs to attract customers with cost cutting yet still providing them all the regulations laid for the industry. He also mentioned that government also has a great part to play for the survival of the industry in this current scenario.

Speaking at the virtual event, Mr. Veer Vijay Singh, CEO & MD, Trance Hotels said that Rajasthan has always been taken as one of the most progressive states as far as tourism is concerned. The state has been in promoting various heritage hotels with favourable policies and lower tax structure. Due to ongoing difficult times of Covid-19 we need more progressive and positive steps from the government. Our focus needs to be shifted to domestic tourists instead of foreign tourists as next one year is quite difficult to get foreign tourists for travel. On the other side, 24 million Indians who visit foreign countries need to be targeted for domestic tourism market. Now our focus should on how we can attract them to Rajasthan. He also urged Hotels to take steps to bring down costs also.

Welcoming the august gathering, Mr. Randhir Virkam Singh, Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council and CMD Mandawa Hotels said that the road to recovery for tourism industry due to the going pandemic is slow and long drawn. The industry should have two strategies for its revival viz. Short term strategy which will include revival of domestic tourism and Medium term strategy would be in international tourism space and therefore promotion of local tourism including farms, day tours and village tourism etc are now attracting travellers.

Sharing his message on World Tourism Day, Mr. Eric Falt, Director, UNESCO, New Delhi Office said, “By supporting a large base of employment, tourism in India is deemed as a rapidly growing industry. Not only does Indian tourism support a wide range of professionals across the hospitality and travel sector but also livelihoods of various artisans and small entrepreneurs.”

Mentioning the theme for the virtual event, he said that it is a critical area to be highlighted in the current situation of pandemic where hotels, crafts and heritage sights of Rajasthan tourism industry are facing major challenges. He also said that the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and UNESCO partnership project based on intangible culture and heritage initiated last year has been an effort to create a win-win situation for the stake holders including local communities and that UNESCO strongly encourages the involvement of local communities and their safeguarding, including promotion of World heritage sights and intangible cultural heritage.

In the end, Mr. Kuldeep Singh, President HRAR and RATO presented a vote of thanks and requested Government for immediate relief in electricity charges and bar license fee as there has been no business in last 7 months.

Textile Value Chain | Sep 28, 2020

Rajasthan to simplify industry approval with one-stop shop

Rajasthan is soon going to implement a one-stop shop to simplify the process of various approvals required by industries, according to state minister of industries and state enterprises Parsadi Lal Meena, who recently told delegates at a trade fair that officers of the various concerned departments will be available in the same office to fast-track approvals.

He was addressing the inaugural session of 7th edition of the five-day International Textile and Apparel Fair ‘VASTRA-2020’ organised virtually by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation (RIICO).

RIICO has announced relief packages for entrepreneurs and several financial and non-financial incentives, according to a FICCI press release.

Ashok Kajaria, chairman, FICCI Rajasthan state council, said over 500 buyers from 61 countries have registered for the virtual expo. Over 80 companies from garments, home furnishings, home textiles and fabric sectors are participating.

The five-day ‘VASTRA-2020’ will end on September 27 and the portal will be live till October 7.

India Education Diary | Sep 27, 2020

Rajasthan to simplify approval process for industry, soon to implement one-stop shop: Rajasthan Minister of Industries

Mr Parsadi Lal Meena, Minister of Industries & State Enterprises, Govt of Rajasthan today said that the vision of the government is not only to provide a conducive environment for setting up industries but also to provide a sustainable platform for progressive growth of industries.

Addressing the inaugural session of 7th edition of the 5-day International Textile and Apparel Fair, ‘VASTRA-2020’, organized by FICCI, jointly with RIICO, Mr Meena said, “Rajasthan is soon going to implement one-stop shop to simplify the process of various approvals required by the industries in the state. The officers of the concerned departments will be available in the same office to fast-track the approvals. Our government is committed towards the growth of industries at a rapid pace and create more employment opportunities.”

He further stated that in order to attract more investments in the state, Rajasthan government last year released Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme. “The inclusion of the textile and garment industry in the thrust sector has further encouraged the industry,” said Mr Meena.

The Minister said that Rajasthan is one of the few states in the country that regularly conducts trade fairs. In the present situation when travel and social interaction is limited, the virtual edition of ‘Vastra’ will provide an apt platform to the textile and apparel industry to connect with the buyers of the country and to grow their business progressively. “One of the prime objectives of organizing Vastra is to display the textile and apparel industry of Rajasthan as well as the entire country in front of the world industry,” he noted.

Mr Kuldeep Ranka, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister & Chairman, RIICO said that different cities of Rajasthan including Jaipur (Sitapura), Pali, Balotra Jodhpur, Bhiwadi, Kishangarh have been constantly growing in the textile sector for many years.

“There are several export units established in these areas which are exporting to countries like the USA, Europe, Middle East and many other countries. These units have been working in different RIICO areas for long and they have tried to create a good ecosystem for exports with RIICO,” said Mr Ranka.

He added that due to COVID-19, the economy has been gravely impacted, particularly the exports. In tandem with efforts made by the Central and State Government for growth, RIICO has also announced relief packages for the entrepreneurs as well as many financial and non-financial incentives.

“Various training programs organized by the Government to fulfil the availability of skilled labour has also helped a number of people to get jobs. Women associated with the sector also have a major share in the skilled workforce and many women entrepreneurs are facing difficulties during this pandemic,” highlighted Mr Ranka.

Mr Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council said that presently when business sentiments are down across the globe and physical events have been put on hold, virtual expos have opened up new avenues for generating new business. “Vastra-2020 will help in re-energizing and rebooting the textiles and apparel business across the globe. The main aim of the mega-event is to bring back the synergies and synchronize all the stakeholders on one platform for business generation,” he added.

Mr Kajaria said that over 500 buyers from 61 countries including Africa, Europe, America, and other regions have registered for the Virtual Expo. Similarly, over 80 companies are participating from garments, home furnishings, home textiles and fabric sectors.

The five-day ‘VASTRA-2020’ will end on 27th September and the portal will be live till 7th October.

The Free Press Journal | Sep 24, 2020

Seventh edition of 'Vastra 2020' goes virtual in Rajasthan amid pandemic

The seventh edition of the textile and apparel fair ‘Vastra 2020’ is being organised in a virtual mode due to the COVID19 pandemic. Over 249 buyers from 62 countries from Africa, Europe, and America are expected to participate in the 5-day expo.

As many as 80 exhibitors from the garments, home furnishings, home textiles, and fabrics sector will showcase their products. The expo aims to provide a common platform for all stakeholders to energize and reboot the apparel business across the world. The Covid pandemic had caused large scale cancellations of orders and buyers had been demanding huge discounts after the lockdown opened.

Organised by Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Ltd. (RIICO) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the support of the Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR), Vastra 2020 is designed to reconnect buyers and sellers with the aims to revive existing business relationships and build new ones.

The major highlights of ‘Vastra 2020’ are the highly advanced virtual booths for exhibitors to showcase their products. The online platform has been designed to give the delegates and buyers a real-event feel of being at an expo. Exhibitors have been embedded to the virtual expo by adding their online store to their virtual booths. These booths also have images of products, video playlists, social media integration, web links, card exchange as well as live engagement tools to facilitate smooth B2B interaction.

This form of the online exhibition has been designed to make ‘Vastra 2020’ accessible to significantly more people across the globe at a time when travel and physical events are restricted.

Managing Director (MD) of RIICO, Mr. Ashutosh A.T. Pednekar said expo is providing the exhibitors with business networking opportunities in the same way as they would get at a physical exhibition site in a general expo. The booths have been designed and categorized to meet the individualistic needs of exhibitors. Exhibitors can have one-to-one dialogue sessions with buyers through chat, audio or video calls. Buyers can download e-brochures, visiting cards or other required documents in digital format and leave feedback for the booths they visit.

The mega-event will be on till 27 September and the portal will be live till 7 October.

The Times of India | Sep 24, 2020

249 global buyers participate in Vastra expo

The Times of India | Sep 23, 2020

After 2 yrs, apparel expo starts today on virtual platform

Fashion Network | Sep 22, 2020

Vastra to hold seventh edition of textile and apparel fair as online event

Virtual Vastra 2020 will launch on September 23 with the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The trade show’s aims are “revitalising existing business ties and forging new business relations,” it announced in a press release.

The five-day online event will feature product categories including textiles, garments, fashion accessories, and home furnishings, among others. Pre-scheduled business-to-business meetings will take place, as well as meetings scheduled during the course of the event, and buyer visitors from India and abroad will attend online, according to the event’s press release.

The online incarnation of the trade show will provide an “ideal platform” for the Indian textile and apparel industry to reach international buyers, RIICO’s managing director Ashutosh A.T. Pednekar, said in a press release.

Exhibitors will run virtual booths and display their products through photos and videos. Businesses will share e-brochures, business cards, and documents digitally and present their products through audio and video calls with buyers and wholesalers.

EQ International | Sep 03, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

Rajasthan is home to most of the conventional and non-conventional sources of energy generation. The government of India has released its roadmap to achieve 175 GW capacity in renewable energy by 2022, which includes 100 GW of solar power and 60 GW of wind power.

The Union government is preparing a ‘rent a roof’ policy for supporting its target of generating 40 gigawatts (GW) of power through solar rooftop projects by 2022. Coal-based power generation capacity in India, which currently stands at 229.40 GW, is expected to reach 330-441 GW by 2040. In 2018-19, the total imports in the conventional power sector were around Rs 75,000 crore and $2.9 billion in the renewable energy segment.

All this offers tremendous opportunity for stimulating domestic manufacturing and import substitution in the energy sector, said N.K. Jain, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on MSMEs, at a webinar attended by around 200 participants.

There are 7 to 8 states in India that are suitable for generation of wind energy but Rajasthan has an advantage that alternative economic usage of the land having wind potential is limited and therefore it becomes easy to set up wind power plants said, Vinod Bishnoi, Vice President and Project Head, India Business, Suzlon Energy Ltd.

Rajasthan has come up with a very good policy in 2019 which has a stated objective to promote wind, hybrid and hybrid with storage energy. Captive consumption and third-party sale should be encouraged as it will provide cheap electricity to the industries helping them to become competitive as well as boost the RE sector, he added. Power Grid Corporation is making 3-4 substations which will take care of purchase and transmission of power.

“Solar sector offers tremendous opportunity for domestic manufacturing with varied usage across sectors especially for MSMEs and we should take benefit of this gift of nature to Rajasthan”, said Sunil Bansal, General Secretary, Rajasthan Solar Association. He added that the coming decade gives the opportunity to convert Rajasthan into a manufacturing hub for solar equipment not only for solar energy projects but many other items such as solar lamps, pumps, dryers, mosquito traps, torches, fans, deep fridges, ventilators, lanterns, traffic lights, solar AC, etc. He also suggested for reserving certain items for purchase from the MSME sector.

“The Investment Board and One-Stop Shop mechanism of 14 departments would greatly facilitate and boost investors willing to invest in the state”, said Anandi Lal Vaishnav, Additional Commissioner, Bureau of Investment Promotion, GoR. He added that RIPS 2019 has given fairly good benefits to Renewable Energy manufacturing sector under the policy and in the customised package also as it is under the thrust sector.

“The industrial infrastructure, connectivity and generation potential in Rajasthan provides immense opportunity for manufacturing and import substitution in the solar sector”, says Manish Gupta, Director, Insolation Energy. There are around 12 equipment/elements used in a solar power project which can be manufactured locally out of which around 10 elements can be manufactured by MSMEs with limited capital investment, he added.

“Enabling initiatives by the Government of India underscore its focus on domestic manufacturing and opening new opportunities. States need to promote R&D and technological advancements as well as develop advanced skill sets in manufacturing and focus on export competitiveness to leverage this opportunity,” said Ankit Piplani, VP, E&Y.

Energy Infra Post | Sep 03, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

The Navhind Times | Sep 03, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

The Economic Times | Sep 03, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

The Union government is preparing a 'rent a roof' policy for supporting its target of generating 40 gigawatts (GW) of power through solar rooftop projects by 2022. Coal-based power generation capacity in India, which currently stands at 229.40 GW, is expected to reach 330-441 GW by 2040. In 2018-19, the total imports in the conventional power sector were around Rs 75,000 crore and $2.9 billion in the renewable energy segment.

"Solar sector offers tremendous opportunity for domestic manufacturing with varied usage across sectors especially for MSMEs and we should take benefit of this gift of nature to Rajasthan", said Sunil Bansal, General Secretary, Rajasthan Solar Association. He added that the coming decade gives the opportunity to convert Rajasthan into a manufacturing hub for solar equipment not only for solar energy projects but many other items such as solar lamps, pumps, dryers, mosquito traps, torches, fans, deep fridges, ventilators, lanterns, traffic lights, solar AC, etc. He also suggested for reserving certain items for purchase from the MSME sector.

"The Investment Board and One-Stop Shop mechanism of 14 departments would greatly facilitate and boost investors willing to invest in the state", said Anandi Lal Vaishnav, Additional Commissioner, Bureau of Investment Promotion, GoR. He added that RIPS 2019 has given fairly good benefits to Renewable Energy manufacturing sector under the policy and in the customised package also as it is under the thrust sector.

"The industrial infrastructure, connectivity and generation potential in Rajasthan provides immense opportunity for manufacturing and import substitution in the solar sector", says Manish Gupta, Director, Insolation Energy. There are around 12 equipment/elements used in a solar power project which can be manufactured locally out of which around 10 elements can be manufactured by MSMEs with limited capital investment, he added.

"Enabling initiatives by the Government of India underscore its focus on domestic manufacturing and opening new opportunities. States need to promote R&D and technological advancements as well as develop advanced skill sets in manufacturing and focus on export competitiveness to leverage this opportunity," said Ankit Piplani, VP, E&Y.

Can India News | Sep 02, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

newsd | Sep 02, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

Ommcom News | Sep 02, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

Sarkaritel | Sep 02, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

SocialNews.xyz | Sep 02, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

Daijiworld | Sep 02, 2020

Rajasthan has great opportunity for domestic manufacturing in energy sector: FICCI

The Union government is preparing a 'rent a roof' policy for supporting its target of generating 40 gigawatts (GW) of power through solar rooftop projects by 2022. Coal-based power generation capacity in India, which currently stands at 229.40 GW, is expected to reach 330-441 GW by 2040. In 2018-19, the total imports in tficcihe conventional power sector were around Rs 75,000 crore and $2.9 billion in the renewable energy segment.

Bhaskar Live | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

“Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come,” he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling – upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Niraj K Pawan, Secretary – Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship and Chairman, RSLDC mentioned about the key initiatives taken by the State Government to bridge the skill gap while creating employment opportunities.

Lalit K Panwar, Vice Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University said that our university is the first Govt Skills University in the country. He talked about the “Catch Them Young”, Skilling at School level and college level only so that students can join skilling programmes during education only. Due to Covid physical skilling has stopped and we need to focus on the digital skilling programmes, he added.

Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd in his welcome remarks called for collective efforts to put the economy back on track. The ambitious programme on Atmanirbhar Bharat also calls for making local products global. This has got many subsets like manufacturing competitiveness, import substitution, value for money, etc, he added.

Easy Press Wire | Jul 10, 2020

FICCI organises 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit

While speaking as Chief Guest at the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI today, Rajeeva Swarup, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times for all of us. Government is aware about the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come, he added.

He mentioned that every adversity also presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before. The Self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned about the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling – upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Niraj K Pawan, Secretary – Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship and Chairman, RSLDC mentioned about the four key initiatives taken by the State Government to bridge the skill gap and create employment opportunities for the youth in the state:

Formation of Raj Kaushal portal with data of around 52 lakh labourers and 11 lakh industries. He mentioned that data cleansing and updation is going on continuously and shared that 2000 job opportunities have been uploaded by the industries and around 4000 labourers are also being considered for jobs. The portal has seen around 1.5 lakh visits till date.
Allowing large industries, industry associations and universities to directly enter into an understanding with RSLDC and impart skills training
RTD (Recruit – Train – Deploy) Model for industries wherein industries can hire people and subsequently impart skills to them
Recognition of prior learning and skilling through short term courses for migrant labours by Government of India. The data of migrant labours have been uploaded on Government of India portal and 22 districts where migrant workers are more than 25,000, this will start from 16th July 2020

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI mentioned that Covid has impacted the skilling sector in multiple ways. The training providers should be supported to survive, revive and thrive. Similarly, this new way of working from home opens new avenues for many who were otherwise not part of the workforce especially women and those who cannot travel for some reasons. This calls for reimaging the skilling system to cater to their requirements. He also suggested that the digital infrastructure reaches to every part of the state with suitable bandwidth to develop a combination of physical and digital ecosystem for skilling.

Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd in his welcome remarks called for collective efforts to put economy back on track. The ambitious programme on Atmanirbhar Bharat also calls for making local products global. This has got many subsets like manufacturing competitiveness, import substitution, value for money, etc, he added.

Ashok Varma, Partner – Social Sector Advisory, PwC India during his presentation on the Theme of the Programme “ Skilling for Value Addition –The Cornerstone for Self-reliant India” mentioned the Pillars of Self Reliant India as Economy, Infrastructure, Systems, Demography and Demand. As per him, productivity growth is the key factor for lasting income growth and prosperity. He mentioned that the labour productivity per hour in developed countries is significantly higher when compared to the emerging economies and among the emerging economies, China has been the front-runner in labour productivity growth, closely followed by India. Moving towards a self-reliant India, shall require banking on strong industries and enhancing productivity within them through Skill Development, he added.

Sunil Kumar Yadav, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on HR & Skills mentioned that post Lockdown, while on one hand one has to deal with Covid-19 infections related precautions for manufacturing, which should be standardised and will take relatively shorter time to get used to, the real challenge will be to deal with subdued Consumer Demand. To help revive demand, it might take whatever time to get back to normal, but Enterprises also have to develop ability to offer better value to Consumers at lesser volumes. Now, this will be possible only through achieving Global Quality and Productivity levels, which is also the only Route to achieve '"Self-Reliant India" Vision.

N K Jain, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on MSMEs delivered Vote of Thanks and emphasised on the need for taking pride in ourselves fostering innovations and entrepreneurship.

The programme also featured Panel Discussion on Skilling vis-à-vis Self-Reliant India Perspective and Benchmarks - Way Forward Ideas. It was Moderated by Nikunj Sanghi, Chairman, Automotive Skills Development Council and Panelists included S S Pabla, Pro Chancellor, Bhartiya Skill Development University; S N Modani, Managing Director & CEO, Sangam (India) Ltd; F R Singhvi, Joint Managing Director, Sansera Engineering Ltd; Jaikant Singh, Senior Head - State Governments & Citizen Engagement, National Skill Development Corporation and Vikas Bhatia, Head – CSR, Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd.

Over 450 delegates participated in Virtual Conference.

Outlook | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Niraj K Pawan, Secretary - Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship and Chairman, RSLDC mentioned about the key initiatives taken by the State Government to bridge the skill gap while creating employment opportunities.

Lalit K Panwar, Vice Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University said that our university is the first Govt Skills University in the country. He talked about the "Catch Them Young", Skilling at School level and college level only so that students can join skilling programmes during education only. Due to Covid physical skilling has stopped and we need to focus on the digital skilling programmes, he added.

New Kerala | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Niraj K Pawan, Secretary - Labour, Skill, Employment iamp; Entrepreneurship and Chairman, RSLDC mentioned about the key initiatives taken by the State Government to bridge the skill gap while creating employment opportunities.

Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council iamp; CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd in his welcome remarks called for collective efforts to put the economy back on track. The ambitious programme on Atmanirbhar Bharat also calls for making local products global. This has got many subsets like manufacturing competitiveness, import substitution, value for money, etc, he added.

Freshers Live | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Social News.XYZ | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

newsd | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

“Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come,” he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

News Track | Jul 10, 2020

Gehlot government formulated mega plan for migrant laborers, 'skill program' to start soon

Ashok Gehlot government of Rajasthan is serious about the future of migrant workers who have returned from other states. Skill programs will be started in 22 districts of the state. With the help of the Government of India, these skills courses will start from 16 July. The needs of workers and industries are being brought together on one platform through the Rajkaushal portal. Addressing the entrepreneurs at the Skill Summit of FICCI Rajasthan, Chief Secretary Rajiv Swaroop said that there is a readiness to give employment to the workers according to their abilities and skills.

Migrant workers who want to increase their skills in a particular area will be given training. Efforts will be made in the state to improve the speed of industrial products after lockdown, all efforts are being made for this. Addressing as the Chief Guest at the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organized by FICCI Rajasthan, Chief Secretary Rajeev Swaroop said that the government is serious about the challenges faced by the industries between lockdown and phased unlock. In the coming days, an action plan is being made to help industries restore normalcy.

With policy efforts, innovation and better management, industrial development and employment opportunities are increasing in the state. He said that the self-reliant India campaign will have to take steps towards efficient human resources by creating globally competitive products and services with only technical support.

Bebak Post | Jul 10, 2020

R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Andhram | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

“Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come,” he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

Jhalak | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Telegraph Online | Jul 10, 2020

State Government will facilitate industries to restore normalcy - Rajeeva Swarup

Formation of Raj Kaushal portal with data of around 52 lakh labourers and 11 lakh industries. He mentioned that data cleansing and updation is going on continuously and shared that 2000 job opportunities have been uploaded by the industries and around 4000 labourers are also being considered for jobs. The portal has seen around 1.5 lakh visits till date.
Allowing large industries, industry associations and universities to directly enter into an understanding with RSLDC and impart skills training
RTD (Recruit – Train – Deploy) Model for industries wherein industries can hire people and subsequently impart skills to them
Recognition of prior learning and skilling through short term courses for migrant labours by Government of India. The data of migrant labours have been uploaded on Government of India portal and 22 districts where migrant workers are more than 25,000, this will start from 16th July 2020

N K Jain, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on MSMEs delivered Vote of Thanks and emphasised on the need for taking pride in ourselves fostering innovations and entrepreneurship. Over 450 delegates participated in Virtual Conference.

New York Indian | Jul 10, 2020

'R'sthan govt to facilitate industries to restore normalcy'

Rajeev Swaroop, Chief Secretary, Rajasthan government addressed the 3rd Rajasthan Skills Summit organised by FICCI on Friday and acknowledged the fact that these are testing and unprecedented times.

"Government is aware of the challenges faced by the industries due to the lockdown and phased unlocking and would facilitate industries to restore normalcy in times to come," he added.

Swaroop mentioned that every adversity presents certain opportunities and we are determined to leverage our strengths with innovation and better management to emerge stronger than before.

The self-reliant India campaign cannot be achieved only through technological advancements but must be supplemented with skilled human resource for creating globally competitive products and services, he added. He also mentioned the initiative of recognising prior learning and reskilling - upskilling of migrant workers who have returned to the state and align them to the industry requirements.

Easy Press Wire | Jun 26, 2020

FICCI organises virtual conference, 4th edition of Rajasthan MSME Summit

The spread of corona virus and resultant lockdowns have led to serious disruptions for businesses especially MSMEs. Against this backdrop and on the eve of “International MSME Day, FICCI Rajasthan State Council today organized the virtual conference, 4th edition of Rajasthan MSME Summit with the theme “Revitalising MSMEs for Atmanirbhar Rajasthan”.

Addressing the virtual summit, Chief Guest, Shri Parsadi Lal Meena, Minister for Industry, Government of Rajasthan elaborated how the state government is determined to support and enhance MSME sector. He said, “The government is working for the cause of industries and has special focus on MSME sector. Because of this thought process, we have introduced MSME act, under which no permission or formality is required for establishment up to three years. The procedure is also kept very simple and one can avail this easily by registering itself at Udhyog Mitra Portal and we are pleased to share that around 5000 entrepreneurs have registered till date. In addition to this under the 'Mukhyamantri Laghu Udhyog Protsahan Yojana', the government has sanctioned budget of 250 crore rupees to support a MSME sector.”

Shri Meena also added that, to encourage Industrialists of Rajasthan to establish industries in the state, the government has offered 75 to 100 percent rebate in SGST for the period of 5 to 7 years under Rajasthan investment Promotion Scheme. Shri Meena urged the banking fraternity to address the concerns of the industry members and provide them relief in this time of crisis.

Addressing the summit, Mr. Rajiv Arora, President, Federation of Rajasthan Exporters (FORE) praised Government of Rajasthan’s efforts to re-establish industries post lockdown and shared that the Gems & Jewellery Industry of Jaipur is now getting back on track and getting orders while majority of the gems and jewellery industries are still shut in Mumbai & Surat. He also shared that the industry is open to skilling and training the migrant labours who are back and in State and shall even give them jobs in near future.

According to him, India needs to spend a lot of budget on Research and Development for an Atmanirbhar Bharat and that innovation along with R&D needs to be done on a large scale in the country. He also mentioned about making changes in our Import and Export policies in order to gain from the international environment and competitively position ourselves.

Addressing the conference virtually, Mr. Prabhat Kumar Jha, Zonal General Manager – Central Zone, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) said that NSIC has been working closely with the MSMEs to close the gaps in supply of scarce raw material. According to him, the latest announcement of the Atmanirbhar Bharat abhiyaan economic package to help MSMEs come out of their worst economic crisis is like a ray of hope for the sector.

Sharing about how India has demonstrated during the covid 19 crisis, how to organize for it's own needs while most countries were dependent on other nations, Mr. Jha shared that Indian MSMEs helped more than 100 countries by supplying various products and medicines, masks and other covid related products which were hardly made in past by our MSME sector. According to him, it is not just in the times of crisis that we should become self reliant, it has to become the life mantra because our MSMEs have the capability and capacity to make everything of great quality that will also provide us the opportunity to export not just locally become globally too.

Addressing the virtual conference, Mr. Govind Singh Rawat, General Manager, State Bank of India said, “State bank of India has taken various initiatives to counter the impact of unprecedented times of COVID-19. From the month of April, we have offered 10% loan to our borrowers. Under the Government of India’s guaranteed emergency credit line scheme we have sanctioned 1100 crore rupees and disbursed 800 Crore out of this. In addition to this, under the eMudra scheme, one can avail upto Rs.50,000 loan digitally without visiting the branch.”

Earlier presenting his welcome remarks, Mr. N K Jain Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan MSME Sub-Committee & President, The Employers Association of Rajasthan said that with Atmanirbhar Rajasthan, Rajasthan MSMEs will be benefited to a great extent and the new RIPS (Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme) 2019 policy launched by Government of Rajasthan will also help growth of industries in Rajasthan. According to him, this policy will prove to be a milestone for industries in order to attract new investments from around the globe by providing better land and infrastructure and better policies for the establishment of industries in Rajasthan, giving a boost to industrial and MSME growth.

Presenting the theme address, Mr. K K Gupta, Director, Resurgent India Limited mentioned that this is a very important webinar for MSMEs as they have faced a lot of trouble due to the ongoing pandemic. Talking about SME sector being backbone of economy, he shared that about 28% of GDP is contributed by the industries in economy of the state and about 90% of the SME sector represented the industry therefore from employment to GDP or Export, SME sector plays a very important role. He also talked in detail about the various policies launched by RBI post covid like Term Loan Installments, Working Capital Limit etc. Mr. Gupta also threw light on business restructure policies to help businesses re-establish themselves.

Sharing his views on the subject, Dr K L Jain, Honorary Secretary General, Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), talked about 3 Lakh Crore Package announced by the Government of India for MSME sector. According to him, “The gap between sanction and disbursement should be reduced. The sanction too should simultaneously follow with the disbursement because the earlier the amount is disbursed, the easier it will be for businesses to get the momentum.” He also mentioned that State Government along with RBI should monitor day-to-day the sanction and disbursement of funds to industries.

During the summit, a panel discussion on Access to Affordable Credit to Revitalize MSMEs and Economy saw Mr. Mukesh Kumar, Deputy General Manager, Financial Inclusion and Development Department, Reserve Bank of India; Mr. Vinod Kumar Singla, Deputy General Manager – SME, State Bank of India and Mr. Vivek Singhal, Deputy General Manager – SME Loan Factory, Bank of Baroda discuss in detail about the policies and procedures for disbursement of funds for MSMEs.

Hindustan Times | May 31, 2020

Industrialists in state voice discontent with govt stimulus package

More than 80 percent industrialists in Rajasthan, a majority of them owning micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), are dissatisfied with the centre’s stimulus package, FICCI has found in a survey.

The online survey by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry or FICCI included 107 industry members, mostly of MSMEs in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bhiwadi, Alwar and Bhilwara to capture the status of operations, feedback on migration of labourers and the Rs 29 lakh crore stimulus package announced by the centre recently.

In the survey, 83.2% of respondents mentioned that the stimulus package was “not so effective”, 15% respondents found it “effective” and 1.8% found it “very effective”.

Atul Sharma, director, FICCI Rajasthan state council, said most of the small and medium industries were looking at a relief package instead of a stimulus package. “These units are under financial burden as they are not getting any revenue, but there is cash outflow. So, they were looking at some relief in expenses and some kind of grants from the government,” he said.

He said the industry association had apprised the state government and the centre of its demand before the package was announced. “The three main components of the package were waiver of fixed charges in electricity bills for the lockdown period, help in payment of salaries to workers in the lockdown and waiving interest on loans. However, these have not been met,” he said.

According to the survey, 72% respondents said migration of labourers has affected their business.

Sharma said the government’s recent initiative to create an online labour employment exchange is a good idea. “This is a good initiative and would help the existing and new industries in finding human resource as per their needs. There are many established portals for white collar jobs but this one is a great initiative for blue collar jobs,” he said.

Almost 90 percent respondents in the survey said their capacity utilisation is below 50 percent. The survey found that 27.1% respondents are operating at less than 10% capacity, 32.7% respondents are doing capacity utilisation between 10% and 25%, 89.7% respondents are doing capacity utilisation of less than 50% and 2.8% respondents indicated capacity utilisation above 75%.

Sharma said this is partly due to labour shortage, but mainly due to lack of demand.

“There is no place to send the material to as there is no demand,” he said.

Ashok Kajaria, chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd said, “We hope Lockdown 5.0 or Exit 1.0 would bring more positive changes and liberal guidelines as now thrust of both central and state government is on reviving the economy.”

Outlook | May 30, 2020

83.2% Rajasthan businesses find central stimulus ineffective

As the fourth phase of lockdown is nearing its end, 83.2 per cent respondents to an online poll said the central stimulus package was "not so effective". While 15 per cent respondents found it "effective", 1.8 per cent termed it "very effective".

The survey, conducted by the FICCI Rajasthan State Council, indicated 27.1 per cent industry respondents were operating at less than 10 per cent capacity, and 32.7 per cent at 10-25 per cent. While 89.7 per cent respondents reported less than 50 per cent capacity utilisation, 2.8 per cent indicated above 75 per cent capacity use.

On the impact of labour migration, 72 per cent said it affected their business.

Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council, and CMD, Kajaria Ceramics, said lockdown 5.0 or exit 1.0 would bring more positive changes and liberal guidelines as both central and state governments' thrust was on reviving the economy.

The respondents said the government should waive interest for the lockdown period, extend moratorium for one year and term-loan instalment be deferred till March 31, 2021.

They said the textile industry had been suffering financially since last 2-3 years and a new textile policy was required for the post-Covid regime.

The respondents also advocated direct relief to manufacturers, like relaxation in taxes, electricity charges, facilitation of trade and increase in demand. They said 100 per cent labour option and 24x7 working should be allowed for factories with social distancing.

All manufacturers of non-essential commodities should be provided travel passes with unlimited time to avoid inconvenience of getting passes made every month, they added.

Daiji World | May 30, 2020

83.2% Rajasthan businesses find central stimulus ineffective

On the impact of labour migration, 72 per cent said it affected their business.

The respondents said the government should waive interest for the lockdown period, extend moratorium for one year and term-loan instalment be deferred till March 31, 2021.

They said the textile industry had been suffering financially since last 2-3 years and a new textile policy was required for the post-Covid regime.

All manufacturers of non-essential commodities should be provided travel passes with unlimited time to avoid inconvenience of getting passes made every month, they added.

newsd | May 30, 2020

83.2% Rajasthan businesses find central stimulus ineffective

As the fourth phase of lockdown is nearing its end, 83.2 per cent respondents to an online poll said the central stimulus package was “not so effective”. While 15 per cent respondents found it “effective”, 1.8 per cent termed it “very effective”.

On the impact of labour migration, 72 per cent said it affected their business.

The respondents said the government should waive interest for the lockdown period, extend moratorium for one year and term-loan instalment be deferred till March 31, 2021.

They said the textile industry had been suffering financially since last 2-3 years and a new textile policy was required for the post-Covid regime.

The respondents also advocated direct relief to manufacturers, like relaxation in taxes, electricity charges, facilitation of trade and increase in demand. They said 100 per cent labour option and 24×7 working should be allowed for factories with social distancing.

All manufacturers of non-essential commodities should be provided travel passes with unlimited time to avoid inconvenience of getting passes made every month, they added.

New Kerala | May 30, 2020

83.2pc Rajasthan businesses find central stimulus ineffective

On the impact of labour migration, 72 per cent said it affected their business.

The respondents said the government should waive interest for the lockdown period, extend moratorium for one year and term-loan instalment be deferred till March 31, 2021.

They said the textile industry had been suffering financially since last 2-3 years and a new textile policy was required for the post-Covid regime.

All manufacturers of non-essential commodities should be provided travel passes with unlimited time to avoid inconvenience of getting passes made every month, they added.

News Hub Online | May 30, 2020

FICCI Survey on Status of Industries in Rajasthan in Lockdown 4.0

As Lockdown 4.0 is coming to an end, FICCI Rajasthan State Council conducted an online survey of industry members to capture the status of operations, feedback on migration of labour and central stimulus package. The key finding of the FICCI survey are as follows:

What percentage of capacity are you operating now?

27.1% of respondents are operating at less than 10% capacity, and 32.7% respondents are doing capacity utilisation between 10 – 25%. As per survey, 89.7% respondents are doing capacity utilisation of less than 50% and only 2.8% respondents indicated capacity utilisation above 75%.

Has the migration of labour back to their native places affected your business?

72% respondents said yes to the question on migration of labour and if it has affected the business.

What is your feedback on the Central Stimulus Package?

83.2% of respondents mentioned the Central Stimulus Package as “not so effective”, 15% respondents found it “effective” and only 1.8% found it “very effective”.

Commenting on the survey findings, Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd said that Lockdown 5.0 or Exit 1.0 would bring more positive changes and liberal guidelines as now thrust of both Central and State Government is on reviving the economy.

Fact Report | May 30, 2020

FICCI survey on status of Industries in Rajasthan in Lockdown 4.0

What percentage of capacity are you operating now?

Has the migration of labour back to their native places affected your business?

72% respondents said yes to the question on migration of labour and if it has affected the business.

What is your feedback on the Central Stimulus Package?

83.2% of respondents mentioned the Central Stimulus Package as “not so effective”, 15% respondents found it “effective” and only 1.8% found it “very effective”.

Easy Press Wire | May 29, 2020

FICCI survey on status of Industries in Rajasthan in Lockdown 4.0

What percentage of capacity are you operating now?

Has the migration of labour back to their native places affected your business?

72% respondents said yes to the question on migration of labour and if it has affected the business.

What is your feedback on the Central Stimulus Package?

83.2% of respondents mentioned the Central Stimulus Package as “not so effective”, 15% respondents found it “effective” and only 1.8% found it “very effective”.

Easy Press Wire | May 29, 2020

FICCI Survey on Status of Industries in Rajasthan in Lockdown 4.0

What percentage of capacity are you operating now?

Has the migration of labour back to their native places affected your business?

72% respondents said yes to the question on migration of labour and if it has affected the business.

What is your feedback on the Central Stimulus Package?

83.2% of respondents mentioned the Central Stimulus Package as “not so effective”, 15% respondents found it “effective” and only 1.8% found it “very effective”.

Easy Press Wire | May 23, 2020

2nd edition of Rajasthan IoT Summit organized virtually by FICCI Rajasthan

The ongoing global pandemic, COVID-19 has made an unusual impact both on our society and our economy. With the offline businesses being shut for a long time, people as well as organizations are now willing to adopt new technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain etc. which will further completely transform the way we live and work. Against the backdrop, FICCI Rajasthan State Council virtually organized the 2nd edition of Rajasthan IoT Summit today. The objective of the summit was to explore the potential of IoT & AI in revolutionizing the businesses post Covid19 and how IoT & AI can support the futuristic needs of governance, businesses, and society at large.

Addressing the Webinar, Chief Guest, Mr. D B Gupta, Chief Secretary, Govt of Rajasthan Said, "Rajasthan has led the way to fight Corona. Our efforts and strategies have been applauded and adopted by other states also. During the COVID-19, saving lives have been our priority. The fight is still on but we need to learn to live with this along with this it is very important to put our economy back on track. So to restart the economy and take it again on the high-growth path Rajasthan government has been working on multifaceted strategy.” He further said, “Necessary actions have been started to review rules and regulations where simplification of the procedures are required for the financial and non-financial reforms to attract more investments in the state.”

Acknowledging the proposal by CS for Japanese investments in Rajasthan Post COVID-19, H.E. Mr. Santoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India, Embassy of Japan said, "We welcome the Govt of Rajasthan’s offer to consider Rajasthan as preferred location for relocation of our production bases. Many Japanese companies are looking forward for the same also. Actually it is a golden opportunity for both Govt of Rajasthan and us.” He mentioned that Rajasthan should seize this opportunity by addressing the concerns of Japanese industry.

Mr. Somesh Gupta, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on IT & ITes and Delivery Centre Head, Infosys Ltd. presented a vote of thanks at the end. The virtual summit saw an active participation from government, academia, industry and facility providers.

New Business Daily | May 23, 2020

FICCI Rajasthan virtually organizes 2nd edition of Rajasthan IoT Summit

Addressing the Webinar, Chief Guest, Mr. D B Gupta, Chief Secretary, Govt of Rajasthan Said, "Rajasthan has led the way to fight Corona. Our efforts and strategies have been applauded and adopted by other states also. During the COVID-19, saving lives have been our priority. The fight is still on but we need to learn to live with this along with this it is very important to put our economy back on track. So to restart the economy and take it again on the high-growth path Rajasthan government has been working on multifaceted strategy." He further said, "Necessary actions have been started to review rules and regulations where simplification of the procedures are required for the financial and non-financial reforms to attract more investments in the state."

Emphasizing on how Rajasthan can be an ideal destinations for foreign investment, Mr. Gupta said, "After the Corona period, new dimensions of manufacturing and software centers will emerge in the world. Americans, Japanese, Koreans Companies based in China have already started looking new destinations to move their manufacturing infrastructure. In such situation Rajasthan can be a potential Option for them."

During the address, he also assured Japanese Ambassador Mr. Suzuki about that best possible concessions and facilities will be provided by the government of Rajasthan to the Japanese investors establishing their businesses in Rajasthan.

Acknowledging the proposal by CS for Japanese investments in Rajasthan Post COVID-19, H.E. Mr. Santoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India, Embassy of Japan said, "We welcome the Govt of Rajasthan’s offer to consider Rajasthan as preferred location for relocation of our production bases. Many Japanese companies are looking forward for the same also. Actually it is a golden opportunity for both Govt of Rajasthan and us." He mentioned that Rajasthan should seize this opportunity by addressing the concerns of Japanese industry.

Presenting his keynote address, Mr. Suzuki said "IOT connects everything including goods and people and AI is the technology that supports it. Even in times of Covid-19, new technologies are playing important roles for example; preventing infection one Japanese company is providing face disinfectant shields." He further shared that these Covid-19 experience have become an important part of export to function and diversify supply chain and such diversification can only be achieved by all parties’ collaboration.

Praising Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, he shared how Japan is looking at the opportunities rising from this initiative. Mr. Suzuki also mentioned about how the concept of data flow with trust is very important since economy engine now runs on data flow and not oil. According to him, it is urgent matter of dealing with cyber attacks and we must take care while functioning with supply chain and that together Japan & India collaboration can be a great impact in the field of technology. He mentioned this as Society 5.0 to achieve efficient productivity with human welfare.

In the beginning of the session, welcoming the participants, Mr. Ashok Kajaria, Chairman FICCI Rajasthan State Coucil and CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd. said, "Technology has come to our rescue in these testing times of lockdown 1.0,2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 where we could communicate, learn, entertain and do lot more and going forward we will witness a lot of technology use in governance, businesses and society. Industry 4.0 is bringing businesses together via network, allowing real time date sharing at an unprecedented speed and rate. Therefore, for Indian MSMEs to come to forefront, we will need funds, infrastructure and technical know-how in order to unleash the full potential of Industry 4.0."

Session on "Demystifying the Potential of IoT & AI" saw Dr. Manas Fuloria, Co Founder & CEO, Nagarro Software; Mr. Konstantinos Pavlidis, Regional BIM Director, Pinnacle Infotech, Dubai talk about COVID-19 Impact on IoT technologies-Opening Up of new frontiers, IoT & AI- Revolutionizing Healthcare and IoT and AI – Impact on the Construction Industry respectively.

Another session on Post Covid, Paradigm Shift had speakers like Dr. Lovneesh Chanana, Vice President, Government Affairs, APJ SAP India Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Gus Bartholomew, Co-Founder & CEO, SupplyCompass, UK; Mr. Naman Patwari, Technology Enthusiastic talk about Post Covid – Re-inventing Industry 4.0, Digitalization Global Supply Chains and Paradigm Shift in Transportation and Logistics Sector.

Express Tribune | May 23, 2020

Rajasthan Government is committed to provide best possible concessions and facilities to Foreign Investments post COVID-19 – DB Gupta

Addressing the Webinar, Chief Guest, Mr. D B Gupta, Chief Secretary, Govt of Rajasthan Said, "Rajasthan has led the way to fight Corona. Our efforts and strategies have been applauded and adopted by other states also. During the COVID-19, saving lives have been our priority. The fight is still on but we need to learn to live with this along with this it is very important to put our economy back on track. So to restart the economy and take it again on the high-growth path Rajasthan government has been working on multifaceted strategy." He further said, "Necessary actions have been started to review rules and regulations where simplification of the procedures are required for the financial and non-financial reforms to attract more investments in the state."

Acknowledging the proposal by CS for Japanese investments in Rajasthan Post COVID-19, H.E. Mr. Santoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India, Embassy of Japan said, "We welcome the Govt of Rajasthan’s offer to consider Rajasthan as preferred location for relocation of our production bases. Many Japanese companies are looking forward for the same also. Actually it is a golden opportunity for both Govt of Rajasthan and us." He mentioned that Rajasthan should seize this opportunity by addressing the concerns of Japanese industry.

Praising Prime Minister Modi's ‘Make in India’ campaign, he shared how Japan is looking at the opportunities rising from this initiative. Mr. Suzuki also mentioned about how the concept of data flow with trust is very important since economy engine now runs on data flow and not oil. According to him, it is urgent matter of dealing with cyber attacks and we must take care while functioning with supply chain and that together Japan & India collaboration can be a great impact in the field of technology. He mentioned this as Society 5.0 to achieve efficient productivity with human welfare.

The Times of India | May 09, 2020

Government plans virtual job exchange for Rajasthan migrant workers, industry

Easy Press Wire | May 08, 2020

FICCI organizes webinar on getting back to business in Lockdown 3.0

In his Keynote Address at a FICCI Webinar on Getting Back to Business in Lockdown 3.0, Rajeeva Swarup, Additional Chief Secretary – Home, Government of Rajasthan mentioned that we have to prepare ourselves to live with the virus and life without livelihoods is not a viable proposition. While lockdown 1, 2 & 3 has helped in arresting a spike in the spread of COVID-19, going forward we must revive and rejuvenate the economy. Commenting on the issue of labour exodus, he reiterated the need to sensitise and engage with the labour regarding this. He also mentioned that there are lot of labour that has come back to Rajasthan. There is a need to capture the details of skills for them, which could be used for industries in Rajasthan. He mentioned that the issue of movement of labour and management to Bhiwadi is under discussion and a solution is likely to come soon.

Revitalising the economy is topmost priority for us said Ashutosh AT Pednekar, Managing Director, RIICO. He mentioned that RIICO is engaging with JETRO, KOTRA, USIBC and similar agencies to channelize the investments flowing out of China to Rajasthan. Similarly, he mentioned about focus on import substitution and exploring opportunities for the local production. He also mentioned that there is no bar on percentage of workforce who could be used by industries. There is a need to stimulate demand, which is not possible unless trade and retail is opened up and we will witness some relaxation in this post Lockdown 3.0, he added. Rajasthan is a net exporter of labour and RIICO is in dialogue with Labour Department as to how the labour that has returned to the state could be utilised as well as reskilled or upskilled for employment in the state. RIICO will increase its construction outlays in comparison to last year and we are in touch with NHAI to develop industrial areas alongside Delhi – Varodara and Jamnagar – Amritsar expressways.

Ashok Kajaria, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council and CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd in his welcome remarks said that the entire supply chain has been disrupted so unless we open retail, the economic activity will not pick up. He suggested that Interstate movement of management and labour has also to be eased out to start industrial activity in border districts of Rajasthan.

Rajiv Arora, President, Federation of Rajasthan Exporters mentioned that this period also provides an opportunity to attract investments which would be flowing to Vietnam, Thailand, India and Rajasthan in India. Government should also look at giving relaxation in labour laws as done by some neighbouring states and a strong financial stimulus to industries.

Sanjay Srivastava, Business Head – Mahindra World City Jaipur said that the national & state govt has already taken multiple initiatives & guidelines to address the new normal. A joint & 360 degree collaborative approach between govt, industry, professionals, influencers & individuals can ensure India & Rajasthan can emerge as best positioned to serve the emerging opportunities.

I C Agarwal, Chairman, Genus Group while addressing concerns of manufacturing sector urged the Government that industry should be allowed to operate atleast with 60% labour strength and the issues related to movement of labour should be addressed on priority.

Ajay Data, CEO, Data Ingenious Global Ltd advised that Government should give a long term perspective for opening up of industry so that businesses could plan accordingly. Similarly, standard operating guidelines to industries but also provide flexibility of operation hours as many IT industry work as per their counter parts & customer timings in foreign countries. He also addressed the concerns relating to start-ups dying due to cash crunch & burdening fixed cost.

N K Jain, President, The Employers Association of Rajasthan said the supply chain from raw material supplier to retailer is not working, there is no point in starting production. He stressed that MSMEs should be given loan of 10% on their 3 years turnover average for bearing labour wages & salaries and some fixed nature of expenses by RFC or RIICO with moratorium period of 6 months atleast.

Sunil Kumar Yadav, Vice President, Honda Cars India Ltd urged Government to help in proper supply of raw material and manpower availability. He mentioned that for automobile industry unless the entire supply chain from OEMs to Dealership is operational, the entire value chain gets disrupted.

Easy Press Wire | May 01, 2020

'Revitalising Tourism – A Strategic Perspective' organized by FICCI Jaipur

COVID-19 has put the world on a stand-still and tourism industry is severely hit too. With an objective to deliberate and evolve the strategies for the future in tourism post lockdown, FICCI Rajasthan today organized a webinar on “Revitalising Tourism – A Strategic Perspective”.

Addressing the webinar, Ms. Sreya Guha, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan said, “The Government is keen to address the challenges of the Tourism sector and is working on a bail-out package for the industry. It under process and would become vital step to revive and support the industry. To engage and remain in focus, Rajasthan Government has launched various digital promotion campaign along with new quizzes, challenges etc and targeting not only the Domestic Tourists but also International Tourists.

For promotion of folk arts and its artist during this lockdown she said, "Rajasthan Government has started a dedicated YouTube channel for promoting Art& Culture. We are providing a fee of Rs. 2500/- per local performer for their performance. by doing so we are trying to build confidence among people for future."

Elaborating the purpose of the webinar, Mr. Atul Sharma, Head,, FICCI Rajasthan State Council said, “Our today’s webinar is more on revival strategies with focus on innovation, marketing, promotion and packaging to revitalise the sector. It is time to review our existing marketing strategies because a new chapter is going to open post lockdown. We should closely relook upon the famous 4Ps of marketing, which have been Product, Pricing, Promotion and Place.”

According to Mr. Randhir Vikram Singh, Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & MD, Mandawa Hotels, “Heritage Hotel Tourism/ Rural Tourism/ Farm Tourism/ Paying Guest Tourism would now be the most popular forms of tourism in the post COVID-19 period. Everybody would shy away from large and big hotels and feel more safe and secure in the smaller set ups with no central ACs, no closed windows etc. thus these would be the preferred choice. Therefore, if these are promoted in the right manner they could do wonders for the rural economy by providing employment to the rural people in their villages itself thus avoiding migration. This would also generate ancillary units in the villages relating to the local art and craft.”

Sharing his views, Mr. Abhishek Daga, Co-Founder, Thrillophilia said, “For revitalising tourism, the industry would need physical changes made to make travel safer and these need to be visible measures which can be seen and felt. The pandemic has let people emotionally scarred and travel is a great stress-buster. People haven't changed in that they still want to go places, but they're going to be a lot more cautious about what they do and where they go.”

He further said, “Hotels, airports, airlines, suppliers all will have to change, all consumers interaction points will need to be relooked and communicate that back to guests in order to increase their comfort level, new technology trends might play a critical role, we might soon see electronic passports and IDs, boarding passes, medical screening and robot cleaners being deployed widely to limit physical contact between people and surfaces. A more mindful approach to travel will likely be top of mind: fewer trips, longer trips, more meaningful trips.”

During the session, Mr. Rajiv Arora, Political Activist & Founder, Amrapali said, “There will be severe cash crunch in tourism sector and we need to setup immediately a COVID-19 Interest free working capital fund with long term slow principle repayment for tourism. Stop all statuary liabilities for 12 months with no interest accrual. Mr. Arora feels that when tourism and travel sector will open, traveler would be inclined towards wellness tourism, near nature & organic food & farming. We should focus on domestic tourist & promote local circuits and rebrand ourselves as a safe destination.”

Sharing facts, Mr. Sumitro Kar, Executive Director, World Travel & Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTCII) mentioned, “In 2019, WTTC reports Travel & Tourism contributed to 6.8% of India’s GDP or INR 13681.1 BN and 39 MN jobs or 8% of total employment. Aviation & Tourism, being the first hit in this crisis, these numbers will change. With Jobs and Revenue losses mounting, State Governments will be crucial partners in recovery and revival. Rajasthan must lead by extending exemplary support to its most important sector – Waiver of Property & Excise Taxes, Licence fees, Heat-Light-Power billable at actual consumption for next 12 months, which will provide huge relief for Hotels & Tourism entities. ATF must come under GST and at 12% with ITC. Till such time to keep Airlines flying, States must waive Excise Duty on ATF and rationalize VAT on ATF to 4% for next 6 months.”

Moderating the session, Dr Arvind Kalia, National Head – Mentoring, Rajasthan Patrika said, “Tourism means movement and it is restricted now. This can trigger liquidity crisis and mass bankruptcy in the industry that provides millions of jobs and immense contribution to economy. This webinar addresses diverse issues with feasible probable counter measures ranging from micro to macro levels. Constructive inputs are needed from each level i.e. micro unit level and the highest level of the government. “

Addressing the issue, Mr. Akash Poddar, Chief Operating Officer, Tsi Yatra Pvt. Ltd. said, “Now the time will be for survival, everyone has to go for cost cutting. Even Bigger companies would come on start up mode to reconsider all the things. We are not sure when will business come back and in which form and therefore we need to brace ourselves. Now we need to focus on domestic tourism sector, instead of promoting our places overseas in order to attract Indian tourists to visit different Indian destinations.”

The webinar was well received by the audience including industry members who actively proposed many industry related queries.

Fact Report | May 01, 2020

Webinar on 'Revitalising Tourism - A Strategic Perspective' organized by FICCI

Addressing the webinar, Ms. Sreya Guha, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan said, “The Government is keen to address the challenges of the Tourism sector and is working on a bail-out package for the industry. It under process and would become vital step to revive and support the industry. To engage and remain in focus, Rajasthan Government has launched various digital promotion campaigns along with new quizzes, challenges etc and targeting not only the Domestic Tourists but also International Tourists.

For promotion of folk arts and its artist during this lockdown she said, “Rajasthan Government has started a dedicated YouTube channel for promoting Art& Culture. We are providing a fee of Rs. 2500/- per local performer for their performance. by doing so we are trying to build confidence among people for future.”

Sharing his views, Mr. Abhishek Daga, Co-Founder, Thrillophilia said, “For revitalising tourism, the industry would need physical changes made to make travel safer and these need to be visible measures which can be seen and felt. The pandemic has let people emotionally scarred and travel is a great stress-buster. People haven’t changed in that they still want to go places, but they’re going to be a lot more cautious about what they do and where they go.”

The webinar was well received by the audience including industry members who actively proposed many industry related queries.

Business Daily | May 01, 2020

Government is working out on a bail-out package for Tourism Industry - Sreya Guha

Addressing the webinar, Ms. Sreya Guha, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan said, “The Government is keen to address the challenges of the Tourism sector and is working on a bail-out package for the industry. It under process and would become vital step to revive and support the industry. To engage and remain in focus, Rajasthan Government has launched various digital promotion campaigns along with new quizzes, challenges etc and targeting not only the Domestic Tourists but also International Tourists.

Sharing his views, Mr. Abhishek Daga, Co-Founder, Thrillophilia said, “For revitalising tourism, the industry would need physical changes made to make travel safer and these need to be visible measures which can be seen and felt. The pandemic has let people emotionally scarred and travel is a great stress-buster. People haven’t changed in that they still want to go places, but they’re going to be a lot more cautious about what they do and where they go.”

The webinar was well received by the audience including industry members who actively proposed many industry related queries.

The Times of India | Apr 11, 2020

Rajasthan industry backs extension of lockdown at CM meet

SME Times | Feb 17, 2020

'Textiles sector vulnerable to increasing counterfeiting'

Ramesh Chand Meena, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Government of Rajasthan, today said that crimes related to counterfeiting and smuggling have increased across the world.

He made the observation while speaking at FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy) seminar on 'Containing Counterfeiting and Smuggling - A Step Towards Prosperous Nation Building'.

"Counterfeiting and smuggling related crimes have increased manifold in the global market resulting in revenue loss to government and businesses and adversely impacting the health and safety of the consumers" Mr Meena said.

Extending his support, the Minister sought close collaboration with FICCI CASCADE to address the issue. The seminar discussed the importance of increased awareness on the hazards of counterfeiting and smuggling, and need for effective enforcement to enhance India?s economic development.

KL Jain, Member, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & Honorary Secretary General, RCCI, said that illicit trade has a serious decelerating effect on growth which must be curbed substantially. Consumers must be emphasized on taking a bill on every purchase for making India a tax compliant nation and encouraging citizens to be a part of progressive nation building.

FICCI CASCADE's recent study titled 'Invisible Enemy: Impact of Smuggling on Indian Economy and Employment' quantitatively estimates both revenue and employment opportunity lost due to smuggling in five specific industries.

As per the report, total loss to the industry on account of illicit markets in just seven manufacturing sectors is about Rs 1,05,381 crore and the loss to the government is Rs 39,239 crore. Amongst the various sectors, maximum revenue loss of Rs 9,139 crore is attributed to tobacco products, followed by mobile phones at Rs 6,705 crore and alcoholic beverages at Rs 6,309 crore.

The total direct employment opportunity lost in textiles, cigarettes, readymade garments, capital goods and consumer electronics is about 5.01 lakh in 2017-18. Direct employment opportunity lost in readymade garments and tobacco products, both largely labour-intensive industries, is 3.55 lakh, the report said.

While the total employment opportunity lost in the economy is about 16.36 lakh in 2017-18 due to backward linkage and multiplier effects of these five industries, the Indian economy loses Rs 1,17,253 crore due to smuggling in these five sectors.

Another FICCI report titled 'Illicit trade: Fueling Terror Financing and Organized Crime', highlights that the total employment losses globally due to counterfeit and piracy stood at 2 to 2.6 million jobs in 2013 and is expected to rise to 4.2 to 5.4 million jobs in 2022, suggesting an approximate increase of 110 per cent.

As per reports, seizures of highly smuggled goods such as gold, cigarettes etc. have been carried out in the state of Rajasthan. Smuggled cigarettes are widely available in major cities such as Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, etc, apart from other small towns. The customs, police department and the state enforcement agencies have taken actions in the state against those dealing in smuggled products.

Mr PC Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs, said, "During the last twenty years, the volume of the counterfeiting activity globally has increased 100 times and the size of trade in counterfeited goods is 10% of the legal international trade (around 2% of the world?s overall economic output). The problem of illicit trade is much more serious than it is commonly perceived."

Orissadiary.com | Feb 15, 2020

Counterfeiting, smuggling have risen across the world: Rajasthan Minister

Mr Ramesh Chand Meena, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Government of Rajasthan, today said that crimes related to counterfeiting and smuggling have increased across the world.

He made the observation while speaking at FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy) seminar on ‘Containing Counterfeiting and Smuggling – A Step Towards Prosperous Nation Building’.

“Counterfeiting and smuggling related crimes have increased manifold in the global market resulting in revenue loss to government and businesses and adversely impacting the health and safety of the consumers” Mr Meena said.

Dr KL Jain, Member, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & Honorary Secretary General, RCCI, said that illicit trade has a serious decelerating effect on growth which must be curbed substantially. Consumers must be emphasized on taking a bill on every purchase for making India a tax compliant nation and encouraging citizens to be a part of progressive nation building.

FICCI CASCADE’s recent study titled ‘Invisible Enemy: Impact of Smuggling on Indian Economy and Employment’ quantitatively estimates both revenue and employment opportunity lost due to smuggling in five specific industries.

Another FICCI report titled ‘Illicit trade: Fueling Terror Financing and Organized Crime’, highlights that the total employment losses globally due to counterfeit and piracy stood at 2 to 2.6 million jobs in 2013 and is expected to rise to 4.2 to 5.4 million jobs in 2022, suggesting an approximate increase of 110 per cent.

Mr PC Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs, said, “During the last twenty years, the volume of the counterfeiting activity globally has increased 100 times and the size of trade in counterfeited goods is 10% of the legal international trade (around 2% of the world?s overall economic output). The problem of illicit trade is much more serious than it is commonly perceived.”

The Times of India | Nov 23, 2019

Draft startup policy plans to create 2,000 ventures in state

In a bid to nurture startups and improve the ecosystem, department of IT on Friday released the draft of Startup and Innovation Policy 2019. It focusses on harnessing the true potential of collaborating and partnering with national and international enablers.

As per the draft document, the government sets out to create 1 lakh jobs in the state, build iStart as single gateway for startup and innovative ecosystem, and facilitate their growth. Among the key targets, it plans to facilitate growth of 2,000 startups, mobilize Rs 100 crore funding from angel and venture capital investors and government sources. The draft also plans to operationalize five sector specific Centre of Excellences in agriculture, energy, artificial intelligence, niche technologies, internet of things, healthcare, and rural entrepreneurship.

Startups often face difficulties in getting orders during the initial phase as they don’t have the required past-experience. To overcome the challenge and help them, the government has already exempted startups from requirements like turnover, past-experience and submission of earnest money. But now it plans to nudge various departments to change their rules so that more startups can participate in the bidding.

Similarly, the government will also allow startups to use their IT infrastructure.

Atul Sharma, head, FICCI-Rajasthan, said, “The policy is progressive and forward looking but the key to success lies in effective implementation with meaningful stakeholder engagement. Start-up council, seed fund and RAJIV fund are a few of our suggestions that found mention in the policy. We hope that under new policy framework, state’s performance on the innovation index would improve.”

The Times of India | Nov 08, 2019

'Technology vital for MSMEs to join global value chain'

MSMEs have to reinvest themselves by focusing on technology, improving productivity gains and upgrading the skill levels of its workforce so that they can join the global value chain, experts from trade and industry said here. They said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India have to address the technology issues if they want to be a part of the global value chain.

“India is a leader in technology but unlike big corporations, MSMEs are yet to deploy them and gain competitive edge. Besides technology, productivity gains are very low. For competing on the global stage, we have to raise the bar,” said Dileep Baid of Exports Promotion Council for Handicraft.

He cited example of textiles industry where the wastage of fabric can be as high as 18% during the whole value chain and said it is even higher for handicrafts industry.

Assem Kumar, general secretary of Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan, who also spoke at the MSME event organized by FICCI-Rajasthan, concurring the views said that there is enough scope for enhancing productivity by thinking innovatively.

Drawing attention to the evolving global trade situation, immediate past president of Carpet Exporters Promotion Council Mahavir Sharma said that the MSMEs have to remain alert to the new situation.

Sharma said, “If India does not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), some sectors like gem and jewellery and apparel will have to realign their strategies and that’s why MSMEs have to remain efficient and nimble-footed to adjust to any new scenario.”

The event was inaugurated by governor Kalraj Mishra.

Zee Business | Nov 08, 2019

Rajasthan Governor urges banks to support MSMEs

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday urged the banking sector to be more supportive towards the micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state. In terms of financial assistance, he said that if required, the parameters and guidelines could be reconsidered to give a fillip to such units.

The Governor was speaking as the chief guest at the third MSME summit `MSME 2022: Forging the Future` organised here by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Thursday.

Mishra further said the MSME sector was the second in terms of creating employment in the country, only after the agriculture sector.

"With just 20 per cent investment, it creates 80 per cent employment. As much as 31 per cent of the domestic manufacturing is by the MSME sector and 45 per cent of the total export sector," he said.

He also advised the MSME entrepreneurs that they would need to focus on the quality of their products as well as marketing.

Mishra also told the bentrepreneurs that they should avoid over-dependency on the government and that they should be able to overcome the bottlenecks with entrepreneurial acumen.

S. Ravi, General Manager, State Bank of India, Jaipur, said that with increasing competition, the banks are also changing its processes and training the employees to be more sensitive.

Earlier, in his welcome address, FICCI Rajasthan Council Co-Chairman and Mandawa Hotels Joint Managing Director Randhir Vikram Singh said that MSMEs have played a pivotal role in providing employment in backward areas as well as to the youth and socially disadvantaged.

However, the sector also faces many challenges such as technological, financial, high cost of credit, lack of access to the international market, among others, he added.

sify finance | Nov 08, 2019

Rajasthan Governor urges banks to support MSMEs

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday urged the banking sector to be more supportive towards the micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.

In terms of financial assistance, he said that if required, the parameters and guidelines could be reconsidered to give a fillip to such units.

The Governor was speaking as the chief guest at the third MSME summit 'MSME 2022: Forging the Future' organised here by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Thursday.

Mishra further said the MSME sector was the second in terms of creating employment in the country, only after the agriculture sector.

"With just 20 per cent investment, it creates 80 per cent employment. As much as 31 per cent of the domestic manufacturing is by the MSME sector and 45 per cent of the total export sector," he said.

He also advised the MSME entrepreneurs that they would need to focus on the quality of their products as well as marketing.

Mishra also told the bentrepreneurs that they should avoid over-dependency on the government and that they should be able to overcome the bottlenecks with entrepreneurial acumen.

S. Ravi, General Manager, State Bank of India, Jaipur, said that with increasing competition, the banks are also changing its processes and training the employees to be more sensitive.

However, the sector also faces many challenges such as technological, financial, high cost of credit, lack of access to the international market, among others, he added.

KNN | Nov 08, 2019

If required, parameters and guidelines can be reconsidered to boost MSMEs: Rajasthan Gov

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has urged the banking sector to be more supportive towards the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state and said if situation demands the concerned guidelines can be amended to fillip such small sector.

''The parameters and guidelines could be reconsidered to give a boost to such units, if required,'' said Mishra.

The Governor was speaking as the chief guest at the third MSME summit `MSME 2022: Forging the Future` organised here by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Thursday.

Lauding MSME sector and its contribution in the country Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Mishra said, ''The MSME sector was the second in terms of creating employment in the country, only after the agriculture sector.''

He further said, with a small investment like 20 per cent, it creates 80 per cent employment. He also advised the MSME entrepreneurs that they would need to focus on the quality of their products as well as marketing.

Mishra asked the entrepreneurs that they should avoid over-dependency on the government and so that they should be able to overcome the bottlenecks with entrepreneurial acumen.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Rajasthan Council Co-Chairman Randhir Vikram Singh too lauded the MSMEs sector and said that MSMEs have played a pivotal role in providing employment in backward areas as well as to the youth and socially disadvantaged.

newsd | Nov 07, 2019

Rajasthan Governor urges banks to support MSMEs

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday urged the banking sector to be more supportive towards the micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.

In terms of financial assistance, he said that if required, the parameters and guidelines could be reconsidered to give a fillip to such units.

The Governor was speaking as the chief guest at the third MSME summit ‘MSME 2022: Forging the Future’ organised here by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Thursday.

Mishra further said the MSME sector was the second in terms of creating employment in the country, only after the agriculture sector.

“With just 20 per cent investment, it creates 80 per cent employment. As much as 31 per cent of the domestic manufacturing is by the MSME sector and 45 per cent of the total export sector,” he said.

He also advised the MSME entrepreneurs that they would need to focus on the quality of their products as well as marketing.

Mishra also told the bentrepreneurs that they should avoid over-dependency on the government and that they should be able to overcome the bottlenecks with entrepreneurial acumen.

S. Ravi, General Manager, State Bank of India, Jaipur, said that with increasing competition, the banks are also changing its processes and training the employees to be more sensitive.

However, the sector also faces many challenges such as technological, financial, high cost of credit, lack of access to the international market, among others, he added.

The Times of India | Sep 08, 2019

15th Finance Commission holds meeting with Raj bodies, industry

The 15th Finance Commission on Sunday held meetings with representatives of Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj institutions, urban development bodies, trade and industry, and economists as part of its consultation process for making recommendations for the 2020-25 period.

According to an official release, the Commission headed by Chairman N K Singh along with its Members and senior officials met with the representatives of Rajasthan Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs).

The Commission expressed concern over issues pertaining to accounting of PRIs, including accountability mechanism and financial reporting of the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the State continues to be weak.

Of the total 10,219 PRIs, only 6,802 (66.5 per cent) of PRI Accounts were certified by Department of Local Fund Audit, of which only 20(0.2 per cent) PRI accounts were certified without qualification, it added.

As per the statement, out of 23 functions transferred, funds and functionaries were transferred in 15 out of 23 subjects.

The commission noted all the concerns highlighted by the representatives of the PRIs and promised to address them in its recommendations to the central government.

Rajasthan has a total of 10,220 PRIs, of which 9,892 are Gram Panchayats, 295 Panchayat Samities and 33 Zila Parishads.

Meanwhile, the 15th Finance Commission also held a meeting with economists in Jaipur on September 8, 2019, in coordination with the Government of Rajasthan and CUTS International.

Many issues pertinent to fiscal devolution and issues specific to improving the economic growth of Rajasthan have been discussed in the meeting.

The major points raised by the economists during the meeting include deficit management of governments is a matter that needs to be carefully handled with full recognition of contingent liabilities. At the same time, considering the investment requirements of the Indian economy, it is also important to ensure that future fiscal policy crowds in private investment.

Another concern raised by the economists was corrections attempted in the power distribution sector in terms of UDAY scheme affected the deficit position of the Government of Rajasthan considerably. Going forward, the assessment of the expenditure and revenue deficit of the State should take this into account.

The 15th Finance Commission also met with the representatives of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Rajasthan.

The Commission was informed 16 out of 18 functions envisaged in the Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution have been devolved to ULB's. Water Supply function is partially devolved and urban planning is yet to be devolved to PRIs.

Rajasthan has a total of 190 ULBs, of which 149 are Municipal Boards, 34 are Municipalities and 7 are Municipal Corporations.

The 14th Finance Commission had recommended for the period 2015-20, a devolution of Rs 3611 crore to Rajasthan as Basic Grant ( 5.2 per cent of total grants) and a devolution of Rs 903 crore as Performance grant ( 5.2 per cent of total grants).

The commission also met with the representatives of the Trade and Industry bodies in Rajasthan.

Representatives of Industries and TradeAssociations present in the meeting included representatives of Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, CII Rajasthan, Federation of Rajasthan exporters, Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, United Council of Rajasthan Industries, FICCI, FORTI, Jaipur Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Laghu Udyog Bharti, PHDCCI, Jaipur.

The Times of India | Aug 29, 2019

'Government committed to reach public via technology'

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) along with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), on Wednesday organized the 4th edition of Digital Rajasthan Conclave in Jaipur on Monday.

The aim of this conclave was to evaluate, analyse and promote Digital, IT & ITeS ecosystem in Rajasthan.

Chief secretary D B Gupta said, “Government is committed to reach people through technology. Our vision is to move from door step services to finger tips service.”

He also said that the recent advancement of technologies is providing a huge number of opportunities and today the focus of any service provider is on “ease of accessibility” and user convenience has become vital in every aspect.

Sessions on emerging technologies and trends, emerging cyber threats as well as on ways to have start-ups without external funding were held during the conclave.

Ambassador of Japan to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, added that India was doing exceptionally well in the field of technological advancement.

Hiramatsu said, 5G is an area where Japan will join hands with India as India is about to commence 5G services in the country.

Japan has technology whereas India has talented engineers with vast market and this collaboration will have a proving impact, he said.

Saur Energy | Jul 19, 2019

Captive power producers in Rajasthan stand together against duty hike

Rattled by the Rajasthan government’s decision to hike electricity duty on captive power by 150 percent, representatives from energy-intensive sectors like cement, textile, mining, etc have come together in knocking on the doors of various government departments, including the Chief Minister’s Office to get relief from the stiff proposal.

If not rolled back, the duty hike from 40 paise/unit to Rs 1, which perhaps is the highest in the country, would not only strain them with an annual additional burden of Rs 500 crore but put the operational competitiveness of many companies at a serious disadvantage, said the industry.

A delegation of Rajasthan Textile Mills Association (RTMA) met principal secretary to chief minister Kuldeep Ranka and urged him to take up the rollback request at the appropriate level. Similarly, the cement industry is trying to meet all the relevant authorities, while the bigger companies are out making rounds of various departments individually.

“The textile units had expected relief from the high level of tariffs. Instead, the government has announced to increase the duty. In fact, states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are giving Rs 2 tariff subsidy to the textile industry. The costly power will raise the financial burden on the mills and we will be uncompetitive both in the domestic and international market,” said Ashok Kumar Jain, secretary of RTMA.

Atul Sharma, head of FICCI-Rajasthan, told the local news that the plants in Rajasthan, in any case, face several other locational disadvantages both for sourcing raw materials and marketing finished products. “The distance on both counts adds to the cost. Unless there is some relief, margins will get eroded and there will be less incentive for new industries to look at Rajasthan as an investment destination,” he added.

Electricity duty on captive power remained exempted since 2006. But in 2015, the then BJP government had imposed Rs 40 paise per unit. With the additional duty, the cumulative duty outgo will surge to Rs 800 crore, as per the estimates of the industry.

The Times of India | Jun 29, 2019

Rajasthan's commercial electricity rates highest in the country

In power surplus Rajasthan, the rates should normally be cheaper. But ironically, they are one of the highest in the country. Notwithstanding the already high rates, the discoms on Monday raised fuel surcharge by a steep 56 paisa, not seen in last so many years. A comparison of commercial electricity rates in six states reveals that power tariffs in Rajasthan have shot up to Rs 7.93 per unit without the surcharge, more than what the industry pays even in Maharashtra, an industrially advanced state.

In its bid to attract investment and provide policy stability, Punjab has capped the power tariffs at Rs 5 per unit for next five years. States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh extend tariff subsidies up to Rs 2 per unit to the industry.

“Cost of power is one of the major components of operational cost. Not only there should be certainty of tariffs but also the cost needs to be comparable with other states to make Rajasthan a compelling investment destination,” said Atul Sharma, head of FICCI-Rajasthan.

Fuel surcharge is calculated factoring in cost of purchase, selling and other viable costs. Sources in the industry said that inefficient management of these heads leads to increase in the surcharge. In fact, Central Electricity Authority in July 2018 had said in a report that Rajasthan is surplus in energy by 21,940 million units and 1960 MW during peak demand.

Discoms had recently approached the power regulator Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission to sell power through open access at Rs 2.50 per units against average purchase cost of Rs 4, while underwriting a loss of Rs 1.50 per unit which was eventually turned down. Mewar Chamber of Commerce & Industry, representing the entire major industrial units of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Rajasmand and Udaipur, had written to the chief minister in February this year to provide an appropriate incentive in tariff to the textile mills.

“If the discoms can think of selling power at a loss of Rs 1.50 per unit to interstate consumers under open access system, why they cannot provide relief to the industry in the state,” said Ashok Jain of Rajasthan Textiles Mills Association.

Moreover, Rajasthan has ample scope to bring down its power cost as it has lot of potential for cheaper solar and wind energy.

The Times of India | Jun 25, 2019

Industry bodies submit budget wishlist to CM Gehlot

Leading industry bodies in Rajasthan made several budget recommendations to spur industrial activity, generate jobs and improve the tax revenue of the state government. The wish list covered issues of automatic conversion of land falling within master plan, lower electricity rates like in other states, solving payment disputes of MSMEs through facilitation council, strengthening single window clearance system, increasing ease of doing business, continuation of benefits after GST regime, etc.

Through its recommendation, CII-Rajasthan drew attention to the current Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules (RMMCR) which require all existing mines’ needs to be surrendered by the leaseholders by March, 2025.

“The rules need to be amended and the lessees must be allowed to extend their lease by 20 years, otherwise there shall be a standstill for almost 1-2 years with great loss of employment and revenue. Earlier, mining leases were granted for a period of 30 years and lessees were allowed to apply and get the same renewed for another 20 years and so on,” said Anand Mishra, chairman, CII-Rajasthan.

Making a strong case for skills development and making youths employable, FICCI-Rajasthan urged the government to make use of the recently announced unemployment allowance more productive. “The state government has declared to provide Rs 3,500 to educated unemployed youths of the state. We have suggested to link it to skilling so that while the youth is unemployed, he is getting skills for his sustainable development,” Raman Kumar Sharma, co-chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council said.

Federation of Rajasthan Exports (FORE) in its recommendations said that the budget should include proposals for setting up the gem bourse which has been pending for a long time. Rajiv Arora, president of FORE, said, “The demand for a gem bourse has been there for quite some time. Once set up, it will give a major fillip to the gem and jewellery industry and make Rajasthan a global hub, while generating multiple benefits for the people and the state.” FICCI also wanted the government to continue incentives offered under Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme and customised packages, especially with regard to central sales tax as it constitutes around 60-70 % of the total benefits for companies having majority sales outside Rajasthan.

The Hindu | Jun 20, 2019

Jaipur to host Stonemart

A memorandum of understanding signed here for organising the 11th India Stonemart in Jaipur in 2021, as the largest international exposition of dimensional stone and ancillary products and services, has indicated to a thriving stone industry in Rajasthan. The event will bring together various stakeholders of the industry.

The Rajasthan Industrial Development & Investment Corporation, Centre for Development of Stones and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry signed the MoU here on Wednesday.

The Hindu | Jun 20, 2019

Jaipur to host Stonemart

The Rajasthan Industrial Development & Investment Corporation, Centre for Development of Stones and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry signed the MoU here on Wednesday.

CIO | Jun 14, 2019

Digital trends shaping IoT adoption in India: Report

EY India, in collaboration with FICCI has launched a report on the ‘Future of IoT’ at the Rajasthan IoT summit in Jaipur.

The report outlines the future of IoT from business potential and technology point of view while highlighting its impact on emerging technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, among others.

The industries that are forecasted to spend the most on IoT solutions in 2019, globally, are manufacturing (US$197 billion), consumer IoT (US$108 billion), transportation (US$71 billion), and utilities (US$61 billion). The key industries for IoT in India are expected to be utilities (water and electricity), manufacturing, transport and logistics, automotive industries and healthcare.

The report identifies digital trends such as Digital Twin, Fog and Edge Computing, AR, VR and MR, 5G and IoT, that are projected to play a crucial role in making India a frontrunner in IoT adoption.

The overall market opportunity for Fog Computing is pegged to rise to US$18.2b by 2022 and will be a key enabler for 45% of the worlds data to move closer to the network edge. Similarly, VR, AR and MR technologies are projected to grow at a fast pace reaching a CAGR of 71.6%, reaching market size of US$147.4 billion by 2022.

In the smart manufacturing sector, there would be 50 billion internet connected “things” by 2020 including sensors, RFID chips etc. In case of mobility and connected cars, reduction in claims by GPS tracking of stolen cars is expected to decrease premium cost by 25% and a significant reduction of 10-40% in the cost of maintenance.

Artificial Intelligence will evolve to become more pervasive and available on all devices from mobile phones to high-end servers and accelerate progress in manufacturing, smart homes and smart cities.

CIOL | Jun 13, 2019

Internet of Things (IoT) offers a signiﬁcant untapped potential in India: EY and FICCI report

Rajasthan IoT summit in Jaipur. The report outlines the future of IoT from business potential and technology point of view while highlighting its impact on emerging technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, among others.

The report identifies digital trends such as Digital Twin, Fog and Edge Computing, AR, VR and MR, 5G and IoT, that are projected to play a crucial role in making India a frontrunner in IoT adoption. The overall market opportunity for Fog Computing is pegged to rise to US$18.2b by 2022 and will be a key enabler for 45% of the worlds data to move closer to the network edge. Similarly, VR, AR and MR technologies are projected to grow at a fast pace reaching a CAGR of 71.6%, reaching market size of US$147.4 billion by 2022.

Immersive experience will become a key enabler to use cases around consumer IoT as up to 87% of consumers are looking for a more seamless experience. Centralized cloud-based infrastructure shall remain the underpinning for majority of IoT applications, providing low-cost and scalable computing, storage and geographical coverage. Artificial Intelligence will evolve to become more pervasive and available on all devices from mobile phones to high-end servers and accelerate progress in manufacturing, smart homes and smart cities.

The Times of India | Apr 23, 2019

Great Indian Travel Bazaar from April 28-30

Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) will be held from April 28-30 in Jaipur where 291 leading inbound foreign tour operators (FTO) from 47 countries will participate as overseas buyers.

Around 260 exhibitors spread across 300 booths will be selling domestic tourism experiences.

Apart from the host state Rajasthan, tourism departments from as many as 10 states are also participating in the event were around 11,236 pre-scheduled B2B meetings have been planned in the over two days.

After reviewing the preparations for the event, Sreya Guha, principal secretary, tourism, art and culture, gave necessary directions to the in-charges of the various organizations for successfully organizing the annual mega travel event.

A detailed presentation was given by head of FICCI Rajasthan Atul Sharma.

Guha also discussed logistic technicalities of the Durgapura railway station for showcasing the Palace on Wheels to the foreign buyers and delegates.

The Times of India | Feb 18, 2019

Government seeks feedback on tourism policy by February 20

In its bid to expedite the process of rolling out a new tourism policy, the state tourism department has sought stakeholders’ feedback and inputs by February 20.

Six working groups have already been formed covering various areas where initiatives can be taken to improve the infrastructure, tourist experience, and attract investments and promote visibility of the state in the source markets. In an office order, Sreya Guha, principal secretary and commissioner, tourism, has asked the working groups to analyses the past and current practices in Rajasthan as well as in other states and prepare a comprehensive document which can form part of the proposed tourism policy.

In a working group deliberations, Atul Sharma, director of FICCI-Rajasthan, said, “New events focusing on wedding, MICE, medical, eco and film tourism should be planned and incorporated on the annual calendar of events. Roadshows of these events should be conducted in various cities of the country to promote the segments.”

In its deliberations, FICCI said land has become a very expensive resource and it forms a major component for any tourism project.

Nyoooz | Feb 18, 2019

Government seeks feedback on tourism policy by February 20

In its bid to expedite the process of rolling out a new tourism policy , the state tourism department has sought stakeholders’ feedback and inputs by February 20.Six working groups have already been formed covering various areas where initiatives can be taken to improve the infrastructure, tourist experience, and attract investments and promote visibility of the state in the source markets. Roadshows of these events should be conducted in various cities of the country to promote the segments.”In its deliberations, FICCI said land has become a very expensive resource and it forms a major component for any tourism project. In an office order, Sreya Guha, principal secretary and commissioner, tourism, has asked the working groups to analyses the past and current practices in Rajasthan as well as in other states and prepare a comprehensive document which can form part of the proposed tourism policy. In a working group deliberations, Atul Sharma, director of FICCI-Rajasthan, said, “New events focusing on wedding, MICE, medical, eco and film tourism should be planned and incorporated on the annual calendar of events.

The Times of India | Feb 01, 2019

Stone industry must invest in R&D to boost output: Rajasthan CM

The state government will bring new policy for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that the mining units can do their own work without being in clash with the environment department as the rules will be clearly spelt out, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said here on Thursday inaugurating the 10th edition of stonemart.

He said technology in mining has improved over the years helping the industry produce export-quality stones but the need of the hour is to further invest in research and development so that resources can be used efficiently to increase output and grow business.

“Around 20-30 years ago, there was huge wastage of stone in the mining process. However, over the years due to adoption of modern technology, the wastage has drastically reduced. This has helped combat major environmental challenges caused by the stone industry. Stone exports have also increased due to value addition and architectural reinvention,” he added.

He said the mining industry employs 10 lakh people in Rajasthan which is rich in minerals and commodities like gold, silver and potash are available in huge quantities in the state but remains unexplored so far.

Stonemart is the largest exhibition of stone industry in the country organized by Centre for Development of Stones, FICCI and RIICO. This year seven countries like Turkey, China, Italy, Brazil, Iran, Spain and Taiwan and 16 states from India are participating the event.

Speaking at the event, industries minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that modern technology should be adopted to reduce occupational hazards of the workers. “Employment opportunities for the local labour force as well as their health and security should be given priority,” added Meena.

Stone industry is not only labor-intensive but also engages a large number of artisans. Putting this industry under 18% tax bracket has disappointed the investors. Ashok Kumar Dhoot, vice-chairman, CDOS, appealed the chief minister that the current GST of 18% in the stone industry should be reduced. He also suggested that the government should set up a separate Export Promotion Council for Stones.

The inaugural session was also addressed by chief secretary DB Gupta, RIICO chairman Kuldeep Ranka in the presence of top officials like economic advisor to CM Arvind Mayaram, advisor to CM Govind Sharma; additional chief secretary, industries, Subodh Agarwal; managing director of RIICO Gaurav Goyal; secretary general of FICCI Dilip Chenoy and CEO of CDOS Mukul Rastogi.

The Times of India | Jan 29, 2019

7 countries, 17 states to take part in Stonemart

More than 25,000 trade visitors are expected to visit the country’s leading exhibition of stone industry which will see participation from seven countries like Turkey, China, Italy, Brazil, Iran, Spain and Taiwan. From India, 17 states will be participating with pavilions from Gujarat, Odisha and Jharkhand.

The four-day event that starts from Thursday will showcase natural dimensional stones, ancillary products and services. Organised by Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS), RIICO and FICCI, the event will bring together various stakeholders of the stone industry including producers, exporters and importers, consumers and buyers, experts, technology providers, architects, builders, developers, corporates, among others under a single umbrella.

Over 484 exhibitors from across the globe (350 Indian and 134 overseas) will be putting up their stalls at the mart this year. Like its previous editions, a two-day architecture festival will be held for generating new ideas. CDOS is also setting up a ‘Shilpgram’ at the event which will host stone artisans to showcase and demonstrate their art. 31 stone artisans from all over India are expected to showcase their skills and products.

High on Persona | Jan 23, 2019

FICCI Rajasthan Skills Summit was themed on ‘Future Skills - Industry 4.0’.

Today’s youth is fascinated by government and corporate jobs. They continue to shun blue collar jobs considering them generational occupations. Time has come to acquire new skills and keep an open mind to new approaches in the various job sectors so as to develop and evolve today’s youth. With fast changing technology training the trainers has also become pertinent to the growth of the Indian economy. This was informed by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Mr. Ashok Chandna. He was speaking at the FICCI Rajasthan Skills Summit – Future Skills – Industry 4.0 held in partnership with Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) at SMS Convention Centre today. The Minister also released ‘FICCI – PwC Knowledge Report on Fast Forward: Relevant Skills for a Buoyant Indian Economy’.

Secretary – Labour, Employment, Skill & Entrepreneurship, Government of Rajasthan, Mr. Rajesh Kumar Yadav said that there is an equal need to develop the manufacturing sector of the economy. Around 1.5 lakh crores is being spent yearly in imports in the defense sector. By developing the manufacturing industry, the country’s dependence on such expenditure can be reduced monumentally. He urged FICCI to work towards increasing the involvement of industry in skill development initiatives and suggested to form 6 – 7 sectoral councils for analysis of demand, maintaining the quality of training and absorbing the trained youth. He also urged to find ways to create employment opportunities at rural level to improve quality of life and check migration.

Managing Director, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation, Mr. Ngikya Gohain said that there is a need to introduce ‘Market Driven Vocational Education’ alongside ‘General Academic Education’ so as to ensure the youth have avenues for gainful employment. He urged for greater coordination between Government, Industry, Training Providers for better outcomes.

Vice Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University, Dr. Lalit K. Panwar said that the focus is to create an ecosystem where skills can flourish to adopt policies and schemes as well as bring about change at the grassroot level. With UGC making Bachelor of Vocational Studies at par with B.Sc., we have been able to create a paradigm shift where a blue collar worker can aspire to be a white collar worker, he added.

Chairman, FICCI Sub-Committee on HR, Skills and Entrepreneurship and Founder & CEO, Data Infosys Ltd., Dr. Ajay Data said that disruptive technologies are changing our lives like never before and we need to calibrate the skill ecosystem with the technological advancements.

Partner & Lead-Social Sector Advisory, PwC India, Mr. Ashok Varma said that technology disruptions like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Robotics will change the way we function. To combat technological challenges, education and training is required to boost the growth of the Indian economy.

On the occasion, the Welcome Remarks was delivered by Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & Director, Honda Cars India Ltd. Mr. Raman Kumar Sharma. Similarly, the Vote of thanks was delivered by Chairman, FICCI Sub-Committee on IT & ITeS and Head – Jaipur Delivery Centre, Infosys Ltd. Mr. Somesh Gupta. The session was moderated by Head, FICCI Rajasthan State Council, Mr. Atul Sharma.

Later two plenary sessions were held – ‘Status and Roadmap for Skills Ready Rajasthan’ and ‘Building Scalable, Sustainable Skill Development Entities’.

In this regard, Cairn Enterprise Centre, a vocational training center in Barmer supported by the Government of Rajasthan and International Finance Corporation is helping to develop the capacities for the local youth. Vocational courses are being offered in subjects like – Electrical, Basic Computers, Mobile Repairing, Masonry and much more.

The Times of India | Sep 13, 2018

Now, courses to expose youth to emerging technologies

The industry in the state, especially experts from the IT sector, is set to play a key role in helping the higher education institutes including the Rajasthan Technical University to introduce courses in emerging technologies like block chain, robotics, machine learning, Internet of things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

For Rajasthan that missed the bus for participating in the first wave technology revolution in the country, the disruptive innovations now present another opportunity to build its IT sector.

Talking to TOI, Subodh Agarwal, secretary higher education, said that the state is keen to seize the opportunities in the emerging technologies to build a vibrant IT industry.

“I had an interaction with the leading IT companies operating in the state and representatives of FICCI on how to expose the youth of our state to such emerging new technologies. Soon we will have a meeting of all the stakeholders that includes industry and top officials of Rajasthan Technical University to lay out a plan,” Agarwal said on the side lines of FICCI-Rajasthan's HR conclave.

Just when the ecosystem of IT sector in Rajasthan was beginning to improve, the industry is now facing challenges from the disruptive technologies putting at risk jobs of many.

“States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have already woken up to the new realities and rebooting their education sector with courses and projects involving quantum computing, IoT, AI, etc. In the past few years, Rajasthan has made some new ground in strengthening its IT sector and the Bhamashah Techno Hub is a good example. But exposing the youth to the emerging technologies is the need of the hour,” said Somesh Gupta, head of a leading IT company in Jaipur.

The vibrant startup ecosystem in the state is also pushing the IT industry to build new digital capabilities but availability of talent in new technologies will be the key.

DNA | Sep 13, 2018

Artificial Intelligence will eventually take over jobs of repetitive nature: Anurag Aman

Artificial intelligence has evolved beyond science fiction and has been competing out humans from work.

The transition has commenced in India and even if experts rule out an immediate change of scenario, the companies have been taking initiative towards the technology.

“Most of the big companies have been adopting AI. The technology is eventually going to take over jobs of repetitive nature,” says Anurag Aman, partner at KPMG India.

It is, however, not just the data processing and calculative jobs that are being transferred to the technology.

AI is making need of human involvement less in companies on all levels. Smart systems have been reducing the need of office support staff through better resource management. Several of the companies have also been using software support for behavioural analysis of employees.

“In India, low-cost of labour makes the technology less profitable, yet the valuation of expertise is changing in influence of AI,” he added, while speaking to DNA on the sidelines of ‘Human Resource Conclave’ organised by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), in Jaipur.

Individual skills are losing value to smart systems and are also obvious to those bearing responsibility to prepare the future citizens. Additional chief secretary, higher and technical education to government of Rajasthan, Subodh Agarwal cited the example of navigation skills of individuals being subdued by GPS based navigation applications.

“We are living in the age of technical advancement and now innovation has become a necessity. If one does not innovate, he will perish,” he said.

UPDATE SKILLS

Even as experts deny an imminent threat of mass unemployment by AI, they suggest that the employees and aspirants must regularly update their skills. ‘Fixed jobs’ they say have no future. They said that the business scenario has been improving in the country but only those aware of the contemporary advancements will progress. AI meanwhile is also expected to open up new job avenues as well and India as a country has emerged receptive to technology expecting it to bring uniformity and quality in services.

The Times of India | Oct 07, 2016

'Rajasthan needs to tap Centre’s BPO scheme'

Rajasthan is yet to take the benefit of the Centre's incentivized BPO scheme as STPI has received only one bid application for 100 seats against the 3000 seats allotted for the state. Targeted at tier-II and smaller towns, the India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) scheme provides one-time capital support up to 50% with an upper ceiling of Rs 1 lakh per seat under a viability gap funding (VGF).

"There is one company that has submitted bids for 100 seats. We urge companies to take advantage of the financial incentives offered under the scheme. Our estimation is that the 3000 seats will not only create about 9000 jobs but also help in achieving the vision of transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy," said Omkar Rai, director general of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) at an event on 'Digital Rajasthan' organized by FICCI.

He said the projects will be awarded to the lowest bidder and STPI has already conducted the third round of bidding for several projects. Envisaged under Digital India programme, the scheme seeks to incentivize establishment of 48,300 seats in BPO and ITeS operations across the country with a corpus of Rs 500 crore that will create 1.5 lakh jobs.

Speaking at the same event on adoption of technology for delivering services faster in a transparent and hassle-free way, state industry minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said initiatives such as e-mitra, Bhamashah, single window clearance, electronic public distribution system and MNREGA have vastly improved the efficiency of the government.

E-governance is becoming a thrust area for state governments. Sanjay Srivastava, chief operating officer of Mahindra World City Jaipur said that such shift in attitude has not only made government departments nimble-footed but also allowed a digital eco-system to flourish.

Echoing the same sentiment, co-chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council, Raman Kumar Sharma said Digital India, the flagship initiative of Prime Minister Modi, will greatly improve service efficacy which will lead to inclusive growth.

The conclave was also addressed by joint managing director and co-founder of NIIT P Rajendran and national technology officer of Microsoft India Prashant Shukla among others.

Rajasthan State Office

FICCI's Engagement

Timeline

Conference on Advantages & Opportunities for Gas based Industries in Rajasthan

Aug 03, 2023

Jun, 2023

6th Rajasthan MSME Summit

Rajasthan CSR Symposium

May, 2023

Learning Mission on Manufacturing Excellence

Rajasthan Millet Conclave

Apr, 2023

Learning Mission on Manufacturing Excellence

Mar, 2023

FICCI Furniture Committee Meeting and Consultation on Furniture Industries with Govt of Rajasthan

Workshop on Winning with People

Feb, 2023

Virtual Interactive Session on Post Budget Analysis of Union Budget 2023-24 (postponed)

Virtual Interactive Session on Post Budget Analysis of Union Budget 2023-24

Jan, 2023

7th Digital Rajasthan Conclave

Oct, 2022

7th HR & Skills Summit

Sep, 2022

Workshop on Managing High-Performance Teams & Conflict Through Transactional Analysis

Workshop on Managing High-Performance Teams & Conflict Through Transactional Analysis

Aug, 2022

4th Rajasthan IoT Summit

Jul, 2022

Conference on Biofortification

2nd Webinar on Future of Skills

Jun, 2022

FICCI Rajasthan State Council Meeting

5th Rajasthan MSME Summit

Apr, 2022

Webinar on Rajasthan Handloom 2.0 Theme - Reimagining the Handloom Growth Story in Rajasthan

Jan, 2022

6th Digital Rajasthan Conclave

5th Rajasthan Skills Summit, 2022

Dec, 2021

Workshop on Building World Class Organization

Virtual Workshop on Building World Class Organization

6th HR Summit, 2021 Theme: Respond, Recover, Thrive : Vision 2030

Interactive Session with Mr Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Limited

Sep, 2021

Rajasthan Calling - A Virtual Roadshow

Aug, 2021

Webinar on Culinary Tourism

Webinar on How to Expand Your Business to the UK?

3rd Rajasthan IoT Summit

Jul, 2021

Webinar on Tigers and Tourism

Webinar on Navigating Tourism through the New Normal

Webinar on Future of Skills

Webinar on Positive Thinking

Jun, 2021

Webinar on Changing Role of HR - Navigating the New Normal

Webinar on MSME Financing

Webinar on Getting Back to Business 2.0

Apr, 2021

Webinar on Leveraging Heritage for Sustainable Development of Tourism

Webinar on Rajasthan Tourism: Opportunities & Way Forward

Mar, 2021

Webinar on Demystifying the New Labour Codes

Webinar on Wellness Tourism

Transforming Tourism through Startups

Workshop on Building Resilience (postponed)

Rajasthan Water Summit

FICCI - KAS Webinar on Atmanirbhar Rajasthan - Empowering MSMEs for Self-Reliance

Feb, 2021

4th Rajasthan Skills Summit

Webinar on Wedding Tourism

Jan, 2021

Webinar on Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries

Webinar on GST - Recent Changes and Implications

Dec, 2020

Virtual Conference on Rajasthan Calling

5th HR Summit, 2020 - Reimagineering the Role of HR in the post Covid World

Nov, 2020

Webinar on Future of Mining: Leveraging Technology & Innovation for Sustainable Development of Mining

Webinar on Rajasthan Handloom 2.0
Theme - Reimagining the Handloom Growth Story in Rajasthan

6th HR Summit, 2021
Theme: Respond, Recover, Thrive : Vision 2030