Can cluster farming revolutionise India's agri exports? IBT Newsletter, May 15-19, 2023

Recently, the Government of India undertook a very important initiative to allow five private firms to undertake cluster farming on about 50,000 hectares on a pilot basis with an investment of Rs 750 crore, including government subsidy.

What is cluster farming essentially? How can it boost India’s agri production, bring new varieties and enhance exports? Azhar Tambuwala , Director Sahyadri Farms (one of the shortlisted entities) gives an insider perspective, based on the FPO's own success in trade with new grape varieties.

Did you know that around 11,000 Indian companies were registered in UAE in 2022 alone?

The India-UAE CEPA, a comprehensive agreement that addresses every facet of India’s economic relations with the UAE, including trade, investments, healthcare, digital trade, government procurement, intellectual property rights, etc, completed one year on May 1, 2023.

IBT looks at key highlights and trends in trade and investment relations between the two countries during this period, which seem to indicate the beginning of a new and positive paradigm.?

India’s increasing reliance on plastic imports with a sharp rise this year urged Centre for Advanced Trade Research to decipher this dependence and look for ways to balance the situation. With the right policies in place, the industry has the potential to decrease the negative trade balance and increase its global footprint.

To enhance the design capabilities of the domestic defence sector and attain self-reliance, the MoD has approved a fresh list of 928 components and subsystems.

The smart wearables industry in India is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years as more people become aware of the benefits of these devices. With the entry of new players in the market and their focus on providing innovative products, the fitness wearables sector is likely to expand its offerings in the near future.?

After experiencing an estimated 6.9% GDP growth in 2022-23 despite global headwinds, India’s economy is projected to grow at a rate of 7% and expected to be the fastest-growing economy in FY ’24. IBT looks at important developments and policy changes at the close of 2022-23 and what the current fiscal portends.

Stubble burning is one of the major pollution-causing issues faced by Delhi and neighboring cities, which has no fixed solution till now. Is it possible to address this issue for good? IBT dived deep into the heaps of paddy straw and explored the root cause, challenges, possible solutions and how it can be converted into opportunity.?

The startup ecosystem in India has been developing rapidly, leading to an increase in investments directed towards new startups. This indicates that founding teams with innovative ideas are capable of attracting investments, even during the ongoing funding winter.

Despite this challenging time, investment in early-stage startups has been witnessed in 2022. The B2B, fintech, and enterprise SaaS sectors have emerged as the most successful in attracting early-stage funding.

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Shri Piyush Goyal , Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry, Govt. Of India inaugurated the India Pavilion at SIAL Canada 2023 in Toronto on May 9, 2023 with participation from?over 100 Indian Food & Beverage Exporters. India's participation was organised by Trade Promotion Council of India , Indian Trade Promotion Organization , The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India .

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