France ready to invest $1bn annually in India: PM

January 25, 2016

Chandigarh, Jan 25: France would immediately start investing $1 billion in India annually which will be scaled up later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced after discussions with French President Francois Hollande here on Sunday.

modifrance The two sides also signed 16 MoUs, including one for manufacture of helicopters in India. Hollande, who began his three-day India visit with a stopover at Chandigarh on Sunday, said his country trusts Indian economy moments after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured foreign businessmen of a stable and predictable tax system in the country.

Modi was addressing business leaders of the two countries in presence of the French president. Describing the India-France relationship as “made for each other”, Modi also sought to allay fears of a return of the much feared retrospective taxation.

“Retrospective tax is a matter of past. That chapter will not be opened again. We are ensuring that neither this government nor the future governments can open this chapter,” Modi said.

He said investors should know about the taxation system in the country over the next 15 years. Earlier, the two leaders, accompanied by a large group of officials and CEOs, took a stroll in the famous Rock Garden.

On his part, Hollande said his visit to India was aimed at consolidating the strategic partnership and implement decisions taken during Modi’s visit to France. He said the agreements signed should be implemented and turned into reality.

The French president said the two countries can work in areas like solar energy, technology transfer, transport, roads, space industry, health, agro, and nuclear energy.

Both the leaders’ comments came during the meeting of Indo-French CEOs Forum and the subsequent India-France Business Summit, jointly organised by the Centre, Confederation of Indian Industries and MEDEF International.

Modi and Hollande outlined the areas where both the countries could work together, including combating terrorism, cyber security, climate change, defence, urban development and renewable energy. They also agreed that terrorism remains a challenge and both need to work together.

On enhancing relationship, Hollande said France would want to share technology with India. “France trusts Indian economy,” Hollande said as he referred to the troubles Chinese economy was facing. The French president also assured cooperation in a variety of fields.

“India has the talent and France has technology,” Modi said as he sought closer economic cooperation between both the countries. Hard-selling India’s potential, he reminded French businessmen that India has skilled manpower, which can be a major source of strength, and using this talent pool can bring down costs.

Trying to alleviate any fears of negative taxation, he said, “I am for stable governance and predictable taxation system.This government is known for stable and predictable tax regime,” he said.

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India needs to look beyond what rating agencies think, says Raghuram Rajan

Agencies

August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

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China deliberately delaying grant of clearance for the evacuation flight

News Network

February 22,2020

New Delhi, Feb 22: China is delaying grant of clearance to India's proposal to send an Indian Air Force flight to carry relief material for people affected by coronavirus in the neighbouring country and bring back Indians from its city of Wuhan, official sources said Saturday.

India was to send a C-17 military transport aircraft to Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, on February 20 but the plane could not take off as permission was not granted for the flight.

"China is deliberately delaying grant of clearance for the evacuation flight," a high-level source said.

The aircraft was to carry a large consignment of medical supplies to China and bring back more Indians from Wuhan.

Sources said the Chinese side continued to maintain that there was no delay in granting permission for the flight to go, but "inexplicably" the clearance has not been given.

In a letter to President Xi Jinping earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed India's solidarity to the people and government of China in meeting the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak and offered to provide assistance to the country.

India then put together relief supplies in pursuance of Modi's commitment as a token of India's solidarity, particularly in the 70th year of the anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"These supplies have been offered even as India faces tremendous shortage itself, given our ethos of helping others in their hour of need," said a source aware of the issue.

The items being supplied are gloves, surgical masks, feeding pumps and defibrillators based on the requirements as indicated by the Chinese side.

India's national carrier Air India has already evacuated around 640 Indians from Wuhan in two separate flights.

According to estimates, over 100 Indians are still living in Wuhan. A sizeable number of countries have evacuated their citizens from China and restricted movement of people and goods to and from the country in view of the massive outbreak of coronavirus there.

Indian nationals in Wuhan continue their long wait for the flight. The delay is causing them and their family members in India tremendous mental anguish, said the sources.

They said relief and evacuation flights from other countries including by France are allowed to operate by China but the permission has not come through in India's case.

"Are they not interested in Indian aid provided as our token of support? Why are they creating roadblock in evacuating our nationals from Wuhan and putting them under hardship and mental agony?" said a person aware of the issue.

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Sikh volunteers sanitize Jama Masjid, meet Naib Shahi Imam

News Network

May 29,2020

New Delhi, May 29: In a powerful display of inter community solidarity, a team of Sikh volunteers visited Delhi's Jama Masjid and sanitized the 17th century monument.

As the national capital battled coronavirus, the historic Jama Masjid is closed for congregational prayers. However, the team of Sikh volunteers effectively sanitized the monument to ensure it is safe for the caretakers and visitors.

The volunteers affiliated with United Sikhs organization also met Naib Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Shaban Bukhari during the visit. The latter thanked the team for the humanitarian gesture and underlined the need for all sections of humanity to unite in the face of this crisis.

"The Sikh community has always displayed exemplary commitment to humanity and we are thankful to the United Sikhs' team for their initiative. This enormous crisis facing the human race can be fought off only if all communities, nations and people unite and fight it together. In recent weeks we have seen heart wrenching images of misery in the country as thousands of migrant workers return to their villages. At the same time we have also seen positive stories of different people uniting to help and feed them. We hope that together we will overcome this crisis," said Syed Shaban Bukhari, Naib Shahi Imam, Jama Masjid, Delhi.

Shaban Bukhari has also advised Muslims across the country to strictly avoid congregational prayers this Eid and pray at homes. He is young leader, who really believes in secularism. For him, humanity and kindness come first.