Nov 09, 2017 India and the European Union (EU) will be making another attempt to set in motion the stalled negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement on November 14-15 during a stock-taking meet on state-of-play in the discussions even as a formal round of talks remains elusive. The meeting will take place here and it will be held between India’s Chief Trade Negotiator Anup Wadhawan from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Helena König from EU, who will be identifying the difficult areas that require hard bargain as well […]

Nov 09, 2017 As part of New Delhi reaching out to Latin America, India and Colombia on Wednesday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Colombian counterpart Maria Angela Holguin. According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, Sushma Swaraj and Holguin held discussions on a wide-range of issues of shared common interest to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations. India has extended assistance to Colombia in capacity building under its ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) programme […]

Nov 09, 2017 The apex decision-making body for the Goods and Services Tax, will meet in Guwahati later this week to deliberate on more measures to make the new tax regime smoother. A few weeks ago, amid the furore over a massive rise in compliance burden due to GST, the government decided to do a reality check. It set up a few computers and asked several indirect tax officers involved with conceptualisation and implementation of the new regime to try filling up the forms themselves. While there were a few […]

Nov 09, 2017 Agrarian states Punjab and Haryana have procured over 220 lakh tonne of paddy this season so far, Food and Supplies Department officials said here on Tuesday. Punjab has procured over nearly 158 lakh tonne of paddy while in Haryana, over 63 lakh tonne has been procured. Punjab is all set to set an all-time record of procuring over 182 lakh tonne of paddy this season. It had procured over 168 lakh tonne of paddy in a bumper crop season last year. The paddy arrival in Haryana is […]

Nov 07, 2017 A 70-member Australian delegation headed by Martin Hamilton-Smith, minister for investment and trade at the South Australian government, will meet with state governments in India negotiating and proposing tie-ups in water conservation, defence, technology in healthcare, premium wine and food as well as art. The first of such initiatives is likely to be a proposal for a centre of research on water conservation in Maharashtra, said Smith. The delegation will also visit Rajasthan, Delhi and Bangalore. The team includes representatives from companies such as Add-Life Techonlogies, which […]

Nov 07, 2017 The Karnataka government is organising an international trade fair on organics and millets here from January 19 to 21 to provide a platform for farmers, buyers, sellers and exporters of organic produce and millets. It will also provide an opportunity for farm equipment manufacturers to showcase their products and expertise, a release said. Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda today unveiled the new website and logo of international trade fair, scheduled to be held at Palace Grounds here. Source: The Hindu Business Line

Nov 07, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be discussing issues related to counter-terrorism and boosting two-way trade with King Philippe of Belgium during his visit here that began on Monday with a trip to the iconic Taj Mahal. This is King Philippe’s maiden visit to India since his coronation in 2013. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are leading a 90-member delegation for the week-long trip. After wrapping up their trip in Agra, King Philippe will be meeting Modi on Tuesday for delegation-level meeting. Anti-terror focus Both sides are expected […]

Nov 07, 2017 Leading experts, organic farmers, scientists, traders and representatives of civil society groups from all over the world will participate in the 19th Organic World Congress being organized by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) from November 9 at the Indian Exposition Mart in Greater Noida near here. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh will inaugurate the three-day conference in the presence of Union Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu with APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) as the partner agency. The theme of […]

Nov 06, 2017 Famous Banganapalle mangoes of Andhra Pradesh and Tulapanji rice of West Bengal are among the seven commodities that have been granted Geographical Indications this fiscal year by the Indian patent office. A Geographical Indication (GI) is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin. Darjeeling Tea, Tirupathi Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and Kashmir Pashmina are […]

Nov 06, 2017 The revenue department today said farmers do not need to quote PAN for cash sale of their produce up to Rs 2 lakh a day. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in response to representations from stakeholders regarding the applicability of provisions of Income-tax Act, 1961 to cash sale of agricultural produce by the cultivators/ agriculturists. The newly inserted section 269ST in the Income Tax Act bans such cash dealings on a single day, in respect of a single transaction or transactions relating to one […]