Airtel, Jio CTOs say PLI scheme, OpenRAN to grow local 5G gear vendor ecosystem

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio said that India’s local telecom vendor ecosystem will grow with the help of the OpenRAN technology and the recently introduced PLI scheme, which will allow new players to enter the market and innovate further. It said that the global telecom vendor industry has shrunk over the past few years due to consolidation.Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel told ET that the recently introduced production-linked scheme will help Indian suppliers to manufacturers locally and supply to the world. “...this is a great scheme and we should encourage it. In fact, we have been encouraging all our suppliers to see how they can move their factories to India and make this as a hub to supply to Asia, South Asia and even to Europe and other markets."

(ET, Mar 02, 2021)

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SECTION I - POLICY SCAN                                                                                    

PLI Scheme for IT Hardware-Extension of timeline for filing applications till 30.04.2021

The last date for applying under PLI Scheme for IT Hardware has been extended from 31^st march 2021 to 30^th April 2021. The relevant MeitY’s Office Memorandum may be referred from the link provided HERE. The scheme Guidelines are still awaited and will be announced at an early date. The relevant portal for registration and applying for the scheme is: https://pliithw.com/# . 

“IGST & Compensation Cess exemption on Imports by Export Oriented Units (EoU’s)” extended till 1st April 2022

“IGST & Compensation Cess exemption on Imports by Export Oriented Units (EoU’s)” has been extended for one year, till 1^st April 2022. Earlier this exemption was applicable till 31^st March 2020 only. The relevant Cust. Notification may be referred from the Link: https://www.cbic.gov.in/resources//htdocs-cbec/customs/cs-act/notifications/notfns-2021/cs-tarr2021/cs19-2021.pdf.

Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 extended upto 30th September 2021

The FTP 2015-20 which was applicable till 31st March 2021, has been extended till 30th September 2021. All clauses/conditions regarding duty exemptions and Export Import procedures will remain applicable till 30th Sep. 2021. The relevant DGFT extension notification may be referred from HERE (FTP Extension).

CBIC waives penalty payable for non-compliance of provisions of Notification No. 14/2020 dated 21st March 2020

CBIC has issued Notification No. 6/2021-Central Tax Dt. 30th March, 2021 thereby waiving penalty provisions for non-compliance of provisions of Notification No. 14/2020 dated 21st March 2020. The relevant CT Notif. 6/2021 may be downloaded from HERE (CT6/2021).

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 SECTION II - INDUSTRY  SCAN                                                                           

General

India’s high import duties are killing MSMEs

Anil Bhardwaj, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, an organisation with hundreds of members from the MSME (medium, small and micro enterprises) sector says India’s increased import duties have made the industry highly uncompetitive. “We have a mindset that exports are good, imports are bad. But in a globalised world, it is the reverse. If we make steel expensive by increasing import duties, then all the sectors [that use steel as an input], such as engineering goods and auto component become unable to compete globally.”In 2017, the government of India raised import duties on a slew of products from footwear and mobile phones to motor vehicles and others. At the time, it said that the increase in import duties was not a revenue-raising measure, but a move to nurture the Make in India campaign to boost domestic manufacturing. Even so, over the years, there has been a consistent rise in import duties across key raw materials such as steel, copper, polymers and aluminium amongst others. However, this protectionism has not built the MSME sector into a force to reckoned with.  

(India Today, Mar 25, 2021)

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Indian retail, a nearly $900-billion market dominated by mom-and-pop stores

India's expanding retail landscape is changing fast, with global and domestic consumer and retail behemoths fighting tooth and nail to woo shoppers, as many choose large, clean supermarkets over crowded local stores and ordering online.Data from Forrester Research shows India's retail market was worth an estimated $883 billion last year, of which grocery retail accounted for $608 billion. By 2024, the market is expected to grow to $1.3 trillion. India - population 1.3 billion - has over the years become a sought-after retail destination with a growing base of young and affluent shoppers. The sector contributes 10% to India's gross domestic product and accounts for 8% of India's employment, according to Invest India, the country's investment promotion arm. India's mom-and-pop stores sell everything from clothes and footwear to groceries and electronics. Most of India's grocery retail happens at kiranas - small- and mid-sized mom-and-pop outlets which account for 75-78% of the consumer goods market, Ambit Capital estimates.

(ET, Mar 22, 2021)

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 MSME

Vayana Network, CRIF India launch Good Business Score to manage business health of MSMEs

Supply chain financing platform Vayana Network, in partnership with CRIF Solutions, on Monday introduced the Good Business Score (GBS), a tech based tool to help India’s MSMEs measure and manage their business health effectively. GBS is aimed to help MSMEs signal their worth to prospective business partners, stand apart from competition, and improve by understanding their own strengths and weaknesses.

Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/sme-sector/vayana-network-crif-india-launch-good-business-score-to-manage-business-health-of-msmes/articleshow/81509806.cms

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Reliance Jio to aggressively gain MSME subscribers

By offering a bundled connectivity plan at 1/10th the existing price (Rs 15-20K/month) in the market, Jio is looking to expand the addressable market in the MSME segment. As per a report by BofA Securities, Jio is looking to replicate mobile traction on MSME front. "Amongst the 50 million MSME, we consider 15-20 million to be the addressable market for this offering currently. Over time with rising GDP/capital and recent focus on the government's "Make in India" initiative we expect room for the addressable market to expand," the report said.

Source: https://www.indiatvnews.com/business/news-reliance-jio-to-aggressively-gain-msme-subscribers-689994

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Extension for registration date

The requirement for registering on the Udyam Registration Portal has been further simplified.The Modi government’s paperless portal to ease MSME registration was launched on July 1, 2020. The objective of the portal is to provide a single-page registration, consume less time and simplify processes of registering any enterprise under MSME.

Source:https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/msme-udyam-registration-simplified-gstin-not-mandatory-pan-card-can-be-used-11615215135967.html

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Public procurement from women-owned MSEs in FY21 surpasses FY20 level

So far this fiscal, CPSEs have purchased goods worth Rs 558.85 crore, benefitting 3596 MSEs.The public procurement of goods and services by central ministries, departments and central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) from women-owned micro and small enterprises (MSEs) this fiscal has exceeded the FY20 level, according to the MSME Sambandh portal. With less than a month left for the completion of the current financial year, the procurement from women-owned MSEs has already surpassed the FY20 level.

Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/public-procurement-from-women-owned-mses-in-fy21-surpasses-fy20-level-6610861.html

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 Information Technology & EV’s

Race for electric vehicles: India plans to ramp up incentives :

The year is 2023. A Singapore resident decides to buy a car. Not just any car but the latest electric vehicle (EV) produced by the new gleaming high-tech Hyundai factory in Jurong, an industrial town in Western Singapore. She whips up her smartphone and personalises her new car. She surmises that cream colour seats, a shocking pink exterior coat plus the performance model which can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds would be nice and proceeds to make payment using her bitcoin account. The next day, she heads out to Jurong to watch the factory put the final touches on her brand-new ride and proudly drives her car to show off to her friends at Marina Bay Sands. This may sound a little like fantasy, but it could materialise in the near future. Last week, it was reported by Reuters that the Indian government is planning to ramp up incentives to spur electric car manufacturing investments in the country with the aim of catching up with leading EV producing nations. Interestingly, it is facing an unlikely competitor in Singapore which has not made an automobile since 1980.

(LiveMint, Mar 29, 2021)

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Assembly Elections 2021: What are EVMs, how are they used? All you need to know about electronic voting:

Even though the initial investment in EVMs was heavy, it has since been expected to save costs of production and printing of crores of ballot papers, their transportation and storage, substantial reduction in the counting staff and the remuneration paid to them. The Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs are used in the general and Assembly elections in India. EVMs have replaced paper ballots in local, state and parliamentary (Lok Sabha) elections.In 2012, after rulings of Delhi High Court, Supreme Court and demands from various political parties, the Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to introduce EVMs with voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system.The VVPAT system was introduced in 8 of 543 parliamentary constituencies as a pilot project in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. They are now used in every Assembly and General Election in India.On 9 April, 2019, the apex court ordered ECI to increase the VVPAT slips vote count in five randomly selected EVMs in each assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency, which means Election Commission of India has to count VVPAT slips of 20,625 EVMs in the Lok Sabha election 2019.

(First Post, Mar 29, 2021)

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Global Automatic Leak Test Apparatus Market 2020 Industry Growth – Electronics India, Jicon Industries, Yatherm, Systonic, Pharma Test, ESICO INTERNATIONAL : 

This research report titled Global Automatic Leak Test Apparatus Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 released by MarketQuest.biz scrutinizes market size, market share, status, trends, competitive scenario, and potential growth opportunities with forecast till 2025. The report helps in getting answers to the relevant questions with respect to the developing trends and growth opportunities in this industry. The report contains important data accumulated from pertinent sources. The study profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the industry. The restraints are also given, which proves to be a prospect for this market during the forecast period of 2020 to 2025 respectively. The strong trends that shape the growth pattern of the global market are scrutinized in the report in detail.

(The Bisouv Network, Mar 29, 2021)

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Joint Convergence India and Smart Cities India Expo under at Pragati Maidan

New Delhi is currently witnessing a large-scale industry event after a very long time. This time around, it is the 28th Convergence India and sixth edition of the Smart Cities India Expo being jointly held at this mega venue at the Pragati Maidan that has been under renovation for the last couple of years. The combined exhibition, which is being organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) & Exhibitions India Group, was inaugurated yesterday by Satyendra Jain, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Industries, Homes, Public Works Department, Power, Urban Development and Transport, Government of NCT of Delhi. While the focus of the Smart Cities India Expo lies in clean and green mobility, digital revolution and smarter living, the Convergence India Expo is more tilted towards the IT and electronics industry. The former has exhibits showcasing solutions for green transportation such as EVs from companies such as Hyundai Motor India. There are digital initiatives as well such as smart parking sensors that solve the crucial problem in big cities.

(Autocar Professional, Mar 29, 2021)

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Digital news publishers and OTT Platforms rules: Govt. says this about Part III guidelines

The Government of India has notified new rules for digital news publishers and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.  With this, the government aims to bring online news media publishers under the same norms as the traditional media publishers, such as newspapers and news channels. These new rules will apply on social media players such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and OTT players like Zee5, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, among others.  The Government of India has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 on 25.02.2021.  Part III of Rules pertains to digital news publishers and publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms). The rules require the publishers to adhere to the Code of Ethics, establish a Grievance redressal Mechanism, and furnish information to the Government of India," said the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.   Earlier in a press conference, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law & Justice, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Minister and Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Information & Broadcasting had confirmed about the Digital Media Ethics Code.  

(Zee Business, Mar 25, 2021)

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IIT-H, NXP India and MeitY join hands to boost semiconductor and IP startups the country

IT Hyderabad, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and NXP India have joined hands to announce the launch of the first 'Semiconductor Startup Incubation and Acceleration Program'. The programme aims to locate, facilitate, and mentor semiconductor and IP design start-ups in India in both, technological as well as business aspects. NXP India is among the biggest R&D centres for NXP Semiconductors and a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications. As per a statement, the programme will support India's vision of making the country a self-reliant nation as it creates a ready platform to support start-ups who wish to design semiconductor chips in India. The local hardware designing and manufacturing of products will strengthen the core Technology-driven System pillar vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and in turn will boost India's economy, generate employment, and enhance India's position globally in the electronics industry by moving up in the value chain, the statement added.

(Indian Express, Mar 25, 2021)

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NXP ties up with IT ministry, FabCI; launches semiconductor incubation, acceleration programme

To find, facilitate, and mentor semiconductor and IP design start-ups across India, Dutch semiconductor manufacturer NXP in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Fabless Chip Design Incubator (FabCI), IIT Hyderabad, has launched the maiden 'Semiconductor Startup Incubation and Acceleration Programme'. The programme has been launched keeping in mind Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat as it will support India's vision of making the country a self-reliant nation as it creates a ready platform to support start-ups willing to design semiconductor chips in India.  The government of India has been working towards promoting the ESDM sector to bring electronic manufacturing to India. There is also a need to build a thriving fabless design ecosystem in India. We look forward to this joint initiative of NXP Semiconductors and IIT Hyderabad for this Incubation cum Accelerator Programme that aims to find, facilitate and mentor the semiconductor and IP design startups pan India.  

(Business Today, Mar 25, 2021)

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E-Tail struggle: The Amazon-Future Retail court battle intensifies 

The legal battle between e-tail major Amazon and the Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail over the latter’s sale of assets to Reliance Retail has intensified. Just days after a single bench of the Delhi High Court said on March 18 that Future Retail, Future Coupons, Kishore Biyani and others had violated an emergency award by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) in favour of Amazon in October last year, a division bench of the high court stayed the order. The March 18 order had ruled that the assets of Future Coupons Private Limited, Future Retail, Kishore Biyani and 10 other promoters be attached. However, the division bench’s order staying this will be in force until the next hearing at the Supreme Court on April 27.  The latest high court ruling gives Biyani and Future Retail some breathing space. On March 18, according to reports, the high court had ruled that Future Retail and its promoters, including Biyani, had ‘deliberately and wilfully’ violated the SIAC order stopping Future Retail from continuing with its asset sale to Reliance Retail. The high court also said that the SIAC’s order was not a ‘nullity’, as claimed by Future Retail and Reliance Retail, and that it was enforceable under Indian laws. Future Retail, which has about 1,800 stores across formats—apparel, lifestyle and groceries—and overall sales of Rs 26,000 crore, saw its debt spiralling out of control at Rs 13,000 crore in 2019.

(India Today, Mar 24, 2021)

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Lockdown proved inflection point for e-commerce in India

The pandemic-induced lockdown and movement curbs marked an inflection point for e-commerce in India, pushing demand to record highs, nudging new buyers as well as sellers onto digital platforms, and holding out the promise of lasting growth for players. The Indian e-commerce market has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic, as containment measures introduced millions to the convenience of online shopping, and prompted seasoned online shoppers to buy more. Social distancing compulsions through the year, massive smartphone base and reliable broadband galvanised e-commerce uptake beyond metros, deep into smaller cities and towns, bringing an element of ‘trust in online commerce. The outbreak necessitated the use of new technology tools and non-contact formats to cater to unprecedented demand. Analysts said these shifts in consumer shopping traits are here to stay, post-pandemic. The pandemic brought about a "structural shift" in shopping behaviour with more and more customers and businesses relying on e-commerce. Players like Amazon and Flipkart as well as industry watchers noted that the need for social distancing and prioritising safety during the pandemic led to millions of people turning to e-commerce platforms this past year, not only in metros but also in tier III regions and beyond. 

(LiveMint, Mar 24, 2021)

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India's digital ecosystem is undergoing a historic evolution: Sandhu

India's digital ecosystem, backed by a thriving startup culture, is undergoing a historic evolution and American companies should act quickly to benefit from this new-found opportunity, New Delhi's top diplomat in the US has told a powerful Silicon Valley body.Under the Prime Minister's (Narendra Modi) Digital India initiative, India's digital space is witnessing rapid transformation, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said on Tuesday in his address to the annual Washington DC trip of the powerful Bay Area Council. The whole B2B (business-to-business), B2C (business-to-consumer) ecosystem, is undergoing a historic evolution, backed by a thriving startup culture. It is estimated that by 2023, India will have a connected market, of up to 700 million smartphones, and about 800 million internet users, he said.Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the annual Washington DC visit of the Bay Area Council is being held virtually.

(ET, Mar 24, 2021)

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Editors Guild of India urges PM Modi to revoke new digital media rules 

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. The guild noted that the new rules undermine the freedom of the press in the country and has sought an appointment with the PM to discuss the matter. “We are deeply concerned about the notification of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. The Rules, issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000, have the potential of fundamentally altering how publishers of news operate over the Internet and undermine freedom of press in the country,” a letter dated March 6 reads.  The most alarming aspect of these rules is the cumbersome three-tier structure to regulate digital media, with an ‘Inter-Departmental Committee’ at the top, and excessive powers being given to a government officer to block, modify and delete content. Various other provisions in these rules can place unreasonable restrictions on digital news media, and consequently media at large. These rules have been brought in without due consultation with the stakeholders and deepen the worry that freedom of press in India is being seriously compromised,” it added.

(Exchange for Media, Mar 24, 2021)

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A Legal Toolkit for Fair and Competitive Digital Markets in India

The restrictions in mobility—imposed by the government as a response to COVID-19—have only further accelerated the growth of India’s digital market.[4] In this context, India requires a legal and regulatory framework that can shape and support the growth of its digital economy by ensuring that these markets remain free and fair and thereby work for the benefit of consumers. In such an environment, not only do prices remain low, but market players are able to compete on innovation. Indeed, the digital and economic features of data markets make them prone to concentration and ‘tipping’.[a],[5] Additionally, consumer trust is fundamental to the sustainability of any market. The importance of user trust in data markets is all the more amplified, as user data—which comprises sensitive personal information—is a key determinant of competition and innovation. This paper outlines the laws that can together ensure that Indian digital markets are strong by ensuring fairness and contestability.

(ORF, Mar 24, 2021)

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970 Government Funded Public EV Charging Station Installed in India so far

Answering a question raised in the Rajya Sabha on the progress made by government-backed agencies in establishing the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure of India, Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy RK Singh has detailed initiatives of the central government/ Power Ministry and the progress made so far – reporting a total of 970 installed public stations in the country.The Ministry of Power had issued the “Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EV) – Revised Guidelines and Standards” on October 1, 2019. The guidelines provide that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) shall create and maintain a national online database of all the Public Charging Stations through Discoms.  The power minister stated that Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), Power Grid Corporation Ltd (PGCIL), and NTPC all under the executive control of the Ministry of Power have been engaged in the installation of Public Charging Stations (PCS) in the country. He detailed that NTPC has installed 140 Public Charging Stations, EESL has installed 141 Public Charging Stations, and that PGCIL has installed 14 EV Charging Stations across India, so far. In addition, various Central Public Sector – Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have installed a total of 289 Charging Stations across the country.  

(Saur Energy, Mar 24, 2021)

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Power Grid surges 2% after launching certified e-tendering portal “PRANIT”

State-owned Power Grid Corporation has established an e-Tendering Portal-PRANIT which will lead to less paperwork and ease of operation, making the tendering process more transparent.The portal has been certified by Standardisation, Testing and Quality Certification Directorate (STQC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. In a statement on Tuesday, the Power Ministry said that with this, POWERGRID is now the only organization in India to have an eProcurement solution on SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), complying with all applicable requirements relating to security and transparency as stipulated by STQC. POWERGRID in pursuit of digitalisation has been undertaking several innovative enhancements within the SAP SRM framework.At around 2.29 pm, Power Grid is trading at Rs223.15 per piece up 1.8% on Sensex.

(IIFL Securities, Mar 24, 2021)

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Digital lending: Government blocks 27 fraud lending apps offering instant credit online

Following the ban on over 250 apps of Chinese origin ranging across categories such as social network, gaming, e-commerce, news, business, photo and video editing, and more, the government of India has now come down heavily on lending or loan apps offering instant credit over the internet. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had received a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs for blocking 27 loan lending apps and after due process, MeitY blocked those 27 apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The information was shared by MoS Finance Ministry Anurag Singh Thakur in the Lok Sabha earlier this week. However, the names of the blocked loan apps weren’t shared in his reply. The information was shared by the MoS in response to a question on whether the government, large technology companies, and regulated digital lenders are jointly looking for a crackdown on fraud Chinese lending apps operating in India.  The Reserve Bank of India in a circular dated June 24, 2020, reiterated to banks and NBFCs to disclose names of digital lending platforms engaged as agents on the website while lending platforms were required to disclose upfront the name of the lending institution on whose behalf they are lending.

 (FE, Mar 21, 2021)

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Hyundai Staria revealed – Would it make sense for India?

Hyundai has recently registered an MPV, which the brand is calling ‘Staria’. Hyundai has registered the trademarks putting the focus on Asian markets. With the Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia and India receiving the registrations, the Staria could up the MPV game in the country. In this article, we will discuss the upcoming Hyundai Staria and whether it would make sense for the country. 

(Motor Octane, Mar 11, 2021)

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Polycab forays into passive network solutions

Homegrown Polycab India Wednesday forayed into passive networking solutions for the Indian telecom market to support high-speed broadband and applications such as Internet of Things (IoT) in line with Centre's ambitious Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign."Polycab's telecom business unit has launched the whole range of end-to-end passive networking for organisations – public and private – in India," the Gujarat-based company said.“In today's digital era of power and data emerging as complementary assets, we have brought together the offerings to evolve as a stronger and more capable, single-source manufacturer and provider of power and data-solutions,” Inder T. Jaisinghani, Chairman & Managing Director, Polycab India said. With the new portfolio, the company said that that IoT and Wi-Fi devices, surveillance cameras and high-capacity networks would bring in their true performance and value.Through the original equipment maker strategy for electrical and passive networking solutions under Polycab, the company said it aligns perfectly with the essence of Indian government’s initiatives like Make-in-India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Jaisinghani further said that the company stands committed to play the role of a partner and contribute to the national missions like Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Digital India, by being an integrated and single source provider of power and passive networking solutions.“We are uniquely positioned to manufacture and craft a whole range of end-to-end passive networking products for voice, data, video and end-point applications of communication networks”, says Ashish D. Jain, Executive President & COO, Telecom Business at Polycab India. 

(ET, Mar 10, 2021)

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Telecom

Geographical expansion of new digital users in smaller locations, rural India: Google Report

 A mix of the uncertainty of 2020 and accelerated digital adoption saw Indians leverage their time spent online for "determined pursuit of progress", says a report by Google which also noted the geographical expansion of new digital users in smaller locations and rural India. One of the clear shifts in user behaviour was demonstrated in a never-before upsurge in queries for 'learn', up over 30 per cent year on year (y-o-y), Google said citing its annual 'Year in Search' report for the past year. "The combination of the uncertainty of 2020 and the accelerated digital adoption in the year saw Indians leverage their time spent online for the determined pursuit of progress," it said.The search data in the report, titled 'India's determined progress', also captured the geographical expansion of new digital users in tier 2/3/4 locations and rural India."This has led to an increase in the importance of the 3Vs--Voice, Video and Vernacular--a trend that was first established in 2017, for a wider variety of uses, underpinned by a preference for the mother tongue," it said.

(ET, Mar 25, 2021)

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Samsung to launch 5G variant of Galaxy S20 FE in India next week

Samsung is planning to add more 5G smartphones to its premium segment portfolio in India.According to industry sources, Samsung is all set to launch the 5G variant of its popular Galaxy S20 FE smartphone in India next week.So far, Samsung's 5G portfolio in India consisted of the recently-launched Galaxy S21 series and the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G. With the launch of Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Samsung will bring the power of 5G to the affordable flagship range as well. Galaxy S20 FE 5G will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset and will come in 8/128 GB variant..

(ET, Mar 25, 2021)

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Samsung to develop autonomous driving chip for Google's Waymo: Media  

Samsung Electronics recently won a project for Google parent Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo to develop chips for next-generation self-driving cars, South Korean media reported on Monday.Samsung will develop a chip that computes data collected from various sensors installed in autonomous vehicles or centrally controls functions by exchanging information with Google data centres in real time, South Korean newspaper Herald Business reported, citing unnamed industry source.The project is expected to be carried out by Samsung's logic chip development division System LSI's Custom SOC Business Team, it added.Samsung Electronics declined comment regarding client company matters. Alphabet did not have an immediate comment.

(ET, Mar 15, 2021)

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Defence & Solar

German government buys stake in defence supplier Hensoldt

The German government is buying a minority stake in defence supplier Hensoldt, a company that derives from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus' former defence and security electronics division, for security reasons.The state-owned KfW development bank said Monday that it was buying 25.1% of the shares in Hensoldt on behalf of the federal government in Berlin. That gives the government a blocking minority under German law. KfW didn't detail the value of the purchase.Germany's Cabinet decided in December to buy the stake in order to prevent ``unfriendly powers'' from getting hold of things such as sensors and encryption technology for military use, news agency dpa reported.Among other things, Hensoldt supplies components for Eurofighter planes.  Hensoldt has about 5,600 employees and had revenue of 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) last year. It is based in Taufkirchen, near Munich.

(ET, Mar 29, 2021) 

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Two years after Mission Shakti, India increasing its military capabilities in Space

Two years after it successfully shot down a satellite in space, India has been working to increase its military capabilities in Space as the DRDO has developed sensors and satellites along with ground stations to help the defence forces in warfare."The Mission Shakti demonstrated the capability of India to take down any satellite. In the last two years, a lot of work has been done to increase the country's capabilities in space through the development of sensors and satellites by the Space group formed within the DRDO," government sources told ANI. Sources said along with the Defence Space Agency formed after the Cabinet Committee on Security approval, the government had also approved a space research agency under the DRDO to develop military capabilities in space."Work is in progress to provide enhanced Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), Communication Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) capabilities of the defence forces," the sources said."Especially, in view of the Chinese aggression activities in the last year, work is also in progress to provide higher resolution imagery to armed force to analyse the development in-ground and keep a closer eye there," the sources said. 

(ET, Mar 26, 2021)

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Is it time to buy ITC and PSU stocks like BPCL, BEL or NMDC?

If BPCL is to be sold, should one buy it on declines?Absolutely. That would be an excellent opportunity to buy BPCL. This disinvestment is happening and as soon as it happens, the prices will shoot up. So for any long-term investor, this is a great stock to buy at current levels. We are expecting the stock to settle at a price level of around Rs 550 as long as the buyer is not a financial investor. If the buyer is a strategic investor, that is where it should be. The company is inherently very strong and they have done the right thing by getting out of the Numaligarh refinery, selling the treasury stocks. I think the company is perfectly poised for a significant upward movement. On the overall PSUs, one really needs to look at Bharat Electronics NSE 0.98 % (BEL). I have been positive on the stock for quite some time. With India’s focus on defence and Make in India, the future is excellent for this company as it is in defence electronics. So one can look at BEL. I have been bullish on NMDC as well though the metal cycle has slowed down a bit. But I believe that considering all the facts -- the company has got out of the steel mill business, they have diversified their customer base and global iron ore prices are going to be around $100 per ton in the near future -- NMDC is a great buy even at current prices. 

(ET, Mar 23, 2021)

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Retrofitting solar parks for agrivoltaics

Enel Green Power, the renewable energy unit of multinational energy group Enel, has launched a series of agrivoltaic pilot projects at nine demonstration sites in Europe, including two in Greece, five in Spain, and two in Italy. “Our initial approach to agrivoltaics is based on the idea of utilizing existing and operational solar parks,” Giovanni Tula, Enel Green Power's head of sustainability, told pv magazine. “We are trying to understand if different kinds of agricultural activities can be integrated in an efficient way into plants that have been active in the power generation business for several years.” Its approach is designed to utilize agricultural surfaces that have already been used for the construction of large-scale solar plants, so there is no need to occupy new plots of land.According to Tula, there is plenty of room for crops between the trackers and the panels. “A conventional solar park does not change the nature of the ground and agriculture is still possible,” he said. “Our goal is to explore the agrivoltaic option in large-scale PV parks or sites in which the energy business remains the most important one.”

(PV Magazine, Mar 16, 2021)

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Consumer Electronics

Xiaomi pledges Rs 100 crore to increase retail reach, generate jobs for 10,000 people

Smartphone maker Xiaomi India on Thursday announced a Rs 100 crore fund to support expansion of its retail reach in the country. Under the new initiative -- Grow With Mi (GWM) -- the company plans to double the number of its offline retail touch points as well as exclusive retail stores. "We will increase or double the retail touch point this year. We are going to double the number of MI stores in the next 2 years. From 3,000 Mi stores, our plan is to double it down and go to 6,000 plus Mi stores in the next two years," Xiaomi India Managing Director Manu Jain said during a virtual conference.He said that each Mi store typically employs about three people and therefore the company expects to generate employment for around 10,000 people in the next two years. "We will increase or double the retail touch point this year. We are going to double the number of MI stores in the next 2 years.

(ET, Mar 26, 2021)

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Lenovo sees 40-50% growth in premium category laptops this quarter, expects trend to continue

PC maker Lenovo is expecting its premium category laptops to register a growth of 40-50 per cent in the ongoing quarter over the same period a year ago, a senior official of the company has said. Shailendra Katyal, executive director, consumer PCSD, Lenovo India, said the growth in the premium category has come from people in top 100 cities upgrading their existing devices for longer user."Premium category has grown 40-50 per cent (as per estimates for current quarter)... and when the year ends, it may be more. The market is likely to come close to the 6 million mark. Last 2-3 years, it was in the 4-4.2 million range," Katyal said on the sidelines of launching a new model in Yoga convertible laptops.The final numbers for the quarter are yet to come. The company unveiled Yoga Slim 7i Carbon laptop for a starting price of Rs 1.1 lakh that will go on sale in the country from March 23.Katyal said that most of the growth has come from refresh purchases.

(ET, Mar 24, 2021)

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Voltas expects double-digit growth in AC sales, demand from smaller towns to go up

Tata Group firm Voltas is expecting a strong double-digit growth in sales of air conditioners this year on account of "buoyant summer" and hybrid working model adopted by people in the backdrop of the Covid pandemic, a top company official has said. The company attained the pre-Covid sales numbers during the festival season last year and expects to continue with the positive momentum this summer.Voltas is also witnessing an increase in sales in smaller towns. Its present AC sales between the metros and non-metros are in the ratio of 55:45, but the company is expecting this number to be reversed in the future.Anticipating a major growth in demand from those markets, it has recently opened several brand shops. When asked about growth, Voltas Managing Director and CEO Pradeep Bakshi told : "We expect a strong double digit industry growth this summer.""We were back to pre-Covid numbers during the festival season, and we will continue with this positive momentum in this summer of FY22 and beyond. Our Room AC business recorded a growth of 46 per cent over the corresponding quarter (non-Covid period) of the previous year.

(ET, Mar 21, 2021)

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SECTION – IV - FORTHCOMING EVENTS &  GENERAL INFORMATION 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Webinar on

 
“NCFlexE -Enabling Printable Electronics Manufacturing in India (Part 2)”

Theme – Printing and Packaging

9th April, 2021 from 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Large area flexible electronics is an emerging segment of electronics that allows development of new applications by integrating intelligence in the form of electronics directly on flexible substrates such as plastics, paper, textiles or metal foils - and this opens up new possibilities of developing conformal, flexible, lighter and more robust applications. The emerging technology of flexible electronics is rapidly growing worldwide. India, on account of its strength in two critical areas - chemicals and printing is well positioned to realize the opportunity to develop as a global manufacturing hub for flexible electronics.

Wearable electronics is an excellent example of the application of flexible/printable electronics. Some good examples of printable electronics in packaging industries are – Smart packaging like built in printable sensors to monitor the food quality, seed quality etc.., printable electronics circuits for track & trace, Printable electronics for anti-counterfeiting, displays for packaging and printable labels for marketing and media etc.

With the above background ELCINA &National Centre for Flexible Electronics (NCFlexE), a Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur are organising the Webinar on “Enabling Printable Electronics Manufacturing in India-Part 2" focused on printing and packaging on 9^th April, 2021.

The program will cover the following:

• Opportunities for flexible electronics in India specially in printing and packaging sector;

• Potential and Future of Printable Electronics in Packaging Sector;

• Market overview on Flexible Electronics and opportunities in India;

The following Speakers / Panelists have confirmed their participation so far:

• Prof. Sundar K Iyer, Coordinator, National Centre for Flexible Electronics, IIT Kanpur

• Dr. Sudheer Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, National Centre for Flexible Electronics

• Dr. R. Raghu Das, CEO , IDTechEX, UK

• Shri R. Senguttuvan, Chief Executive, ITC Limited

• Dr. Neil Morrison, Chief Technologist & Director, New Technologies & Applications, Flexible Technology Group, AMAT GmbH

• Mr. Anand Gupta, Head Innovations – Uflex Ltd.

• Shri Sanjay Ghosal, Senior General Manger & Head of Packaging, Diageo India

Please block your time to participate in this informative session by registering through the following Link :https://tinyurl.com/7mxydz9j

Interested members may contact my colleague Rajesh Rawat (9911445890) on rajesh@elcina.com for any assistance you may require for registration.

Looking forward to your participation.

With regards,

Rajoo Goel
Secretary General

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 Overseas Shows

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Note : Since this information is subject to change, especially in view of the spread of the coronavirus, all those interested are advised to ascertain the details from the organisers before making any commitment.

Domestic Shows  

Note : Since this information is subject to change, especially in view of the spread of the coronavirus, all those interested are advised to ascertain the details from the organisers before making any commitment.

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ELCINA EVENTS, ACTIVITIES & SERVICES

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EMSIF Activities 

Interactive Session for ELCINA MSMEs Members

For Collateral Free Loans under CGTMSE Scheme

26thFebruary, 2021 (online)

Availability of bank credit without the hassles of collaterals / third party guarantees would be a major source of support to the Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE). Keeping this objective in view, Govt. of India launched Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) to strengthen credit delivery system and facilitate flow of credit to the MSE sector. To operationalize the scheme, Govt. of India and SIDBI have set up the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

With the above background, EMSIF with the support of Alliance of Indian MSMEs (AIM) and M/s. Artha Capital Management had organized an interactive session for Collateral Free Loans under CGTMSE Scheme for ELCINA MSMEs Members (Tamil Nadu & Karnataka region) on 26thFebruary, 2021.

Total 20 Organisations registered for the Session. Canara Bank has participated in the session and briefed the participants about the Collaterals Free Loan scheme.

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Post Webinar Write-Up

Webinar on

“RoDTEP& Changes in ICGR Rule - Background, Eligibility and Implementation”

23rdFebruary 2021

ELCINA with support of Lakshmikumaran& Sridharan (L&S) had organized a Webinar on "RoDTEP & Changes in ICGR Rule - Background, Eligibility and Implementation"on23rd February 2021.The session was moderated by Mr. P. Sridharan -Partner in Customs practice team at Lakshmikumaran& Sridharan.

 Mr. P. Sridharan discussed the following topics:

• Rebate of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products RoDTEP scheme.

• Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules – From 1996-2017

RoDTEP Scheme

• RoDTEP scheme would refund the embedded Central, State and local duties/taxes that were so far not being rebated/refunded under any scheme.

• RoDTEP appears to be WTO compliant as incentive schemes providing for remission or rebate of indirect taxes levied on inputs.

• Entitled duty credit must be converted into RoDTEP Scrip and to be used to pay BCD.

• Applicability of scheme was extended upto 31.03.2021 or until such date theRoSCTL scheme is merged with the RoDTEP scheme, whichever is earlier.

Potential/Practical issues

•  Allowing simultaneous availment of Drawback and RoDTEP benefits, and denying RoDTEP when exports under EOU/AA Scheme/Jobbers would be against principle of equality.

• In absence of any declaration of intent at the time of export, whether EOU, AA holder etc., can claim RoDTEP subsequently if allowed?

• RoDTEP benefit on deemed export suppliers viz., supply to EOU/SEZ supplies?

• It appears that, Customs Authorities can suspend the RoDTEP Scrip. Need clarity on under what circumstance, whether notice would be issued before suspension, etc.

IGCR 2017 Rules- implications post Budget 2021

• Govt have decided to apply IGCR condition for all exemption notifications replacing other end use conditions.

• Now even a 100% EOU is required to follow the IGCR procedure ( Rule 5)

• IGCR         has      become          more   comprehensive          and      rounded- Govt.          is     open   to suggestions for improvements.

• Now the Rules can cover all operations of a manufacturing unit including job work.

• Compliance and diligence in maintaining consumption accounts will help

ELCINA Extends its gratitude to the Team of L&S in organising this informative Webinar, we also extends our gratitude to the Speaker and the participants.

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ELCINA PRODUT DISPLAY CENTRE at  ELCINA HOUSE

The 'OSRAM DISPLAY CENTRE' in ELCINA House is a permanent Display Centre and serves to showcase the Indian electronics industry to visitors. The Display Centre has now 11 Full Stalls and 4 Half/Mini Stalls, presently occupied by the following Member-companies:-  

Two full stalls are currently available at present and interested members may kindly contact ELCINA House, New Delhi (saly@elcina.com) for advance booking of the same.

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PUBLICATIONS

ELCINA EMS Task Force Report:

(recently Launched by Mr. Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Min. of Electronics & IT)

ELCINA constituted a Task Force to study the EMS Sector and come up with a Research Report providing details of the status and prospects of this ESDM segment. The task force had representation from MeitY & Invest India. The EMS Task Force commenced deliberations in July 2020 and concluded the same in November, coming up with valuable details such as the sector’s current size, growth potential, exports and policies which impact its progress. 

The Task Force findings are compiled in the form of a report. As per report, globally EMS sector was valued at US$ 832 Bn in 2019 and estimated to grow to US$ 1055 Bn by 2025. ELCINA predicts that the Indian EMS industry will gallop from US$ 23.5 Bn in 2019-20 to US$ 152 Bn by 2025. This effectively means that it has the potential to grow from <3% of the global industry to about 14% within 5 years.

For enquiries and ordering the reports, please call: Ms.TandraMajumder at +91 (011) 26924597, 26928053

“Indian Printed Circuit Board Industry & Market Research Report

The evolution of miniaturization and sub-miniaturization in the design of electronic equipment led to the emergence of a new technique of inter-component wiring and assembly known as the printed circuit board (PCB). This technology has now become the backbone of electronic devices. They provide the required mechanical support structure and electrical connect for the circuit. In addition to providing the connectivity, they also help to reduce the overall size and enhance the efficiency of the device.

• By 2020, the electronics market in India is expected to increase with a CAGR of 25.1 per cent to USD 400 billion from USD 104 billion in 2015

• Currently only 35% of this demand is currently being met by local manufacturers. And for the rest 65%, India is still dependent on imports.

• Hence, PCB- being the backbone of electronics holds a huge demand in India - Current demand of USD 2.01 Billion represents the demand based on the total PCBs (which includes both the bare board PCBs and the populated PCBs)

• Current market size for bare PCBs is USD 1.2 Billion - Only 30% of this demand for bare PCBs is currently being met by local PCB manufacturers. And for the rest 70%, India.

You may order the same from by following the below link;

http://elcina.com//new_publication.php

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“Opportunities and Challenges in the Strategic Electronics Sector, with special focus on MSMEs”. 

We are pleased to inform you that, a Special Report (update 2016) has been prepared by ELCINA on “Opportunities and Challenges in the Strategic Electronics Sector, with special focus on MSMEs”.  This Report involved detailed research & discussions with varied stakeholders from Defence Sector. It provides updated information as well as recommendations for next steps for Strategic Electronics and policy changes that we believe are required to take the Defence Electronics Sector to new heights. The updated report was released during Strategic Electronics Summit 2016.

This Study provides on insight into the Defence Electronics eco-system in India and is a guide, both for the industry as well as the defence establishment to chalk out a path to success in this important sector. You may order the same from by following the below link

http://elcina.com//new_publication.php

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 Super Capacitor-Market Landscape Study

A Supercapacitor or Ultracapacitor is a charge storage device that stores electrical charges via electrochemical & electrostatic processes and has an unusually high energy density when compared to common capacitors. Due to their beneficial properties like fast charging ability,

superior low temperature performance, long service and cycle life, and reliability, Supercapacitors hold the potential to replace or complement traditional batteries and capacitors in several applications. Supercapacitors are already being used world   wide in number of applications ranging from automotive, renewable energy to electronics. For more details you can visit below link:

http://elcina.com//new_publication.php

For enquiries, call Ms.Tandra Majumder,
ELCINA HOUSE, 422 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi - 110 020.
Tel: +91 (011) 26924597, 26928053; Fax: +91 (011) 2692 3440;
Email: tandra@elcina.com  or info@elcina.com

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