India - Partner In Growth
Welcome to the September 14, 2017  bulletin of key policy decisions and high-impact news, presented by the Embassy of India, Washington DC.
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KEY POLICY DECISIONS
Indian Government to Pursue Additional Labor Law Reforms 
India's government will seek further advice from the Central Advisory Board - including employer and employee representatives - to determine the country's national minimum wage, according to a statement from the Labor Ministry. It will also refine other labor laws in an effort to improve compliance without compromising on workers' wages and social security.



India Releases National Nutrition Strategy As 'Roadmap' for Action
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog released the country's National Nutrition Strategy to inform policy and address under-nutrition, malnutrition and protein hunger. It illustrates the need for a "holistic" nutrition strategy that spans from citizens' birth to death.


 
Indian Ships to Participate in ASEAN International Fleet Review 
Two Indian Naval ships embarked on a three-month deployment to East and Southeast Asia, where they will participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Countries' (ASEAN) International Fleet Review in Thailand. The INS Satpura and INS Kadmatt will also visit ports in Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia and Brunei to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the India-ASEAN dialogue. 


 
India Conducts Successful Tests of 'NAG' Missiles
India's government tested its third generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), "NAG," on two separate occasions, each resulting in success against different targets. Conducted in the ranges of the state of Rajasthan, the tests mark the completion of the NAG missile's development trials. 


 
Secretary Launches Capacity Building Initiative for Finance Departments 
Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg kicked off collaboration between multilateral agencies and state and Union Territories' finance departments at a recent workshop held at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center in New Delhi. The initiative aims to equip the departments with a deeper understanding of the opportunities available with the IMF, World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank, among others.


 
HIGH-IMPACT NEWS
PM Modi: India Becoming One of World's 'Most Open Economies'  
India is fast becoming one of the most open economies in the world, buoyed by improvements in global rankings - the World Bank's "Ease of Doing Business" report and the World Economic Forum's "Global Competitive Index," to name a few - and economic reforms such as the goods and services tax (GST), said Prime Minister  Narendra Modi . Speaking with the BRICS Business Council, he noted foreign direct investment in India is at an all-time high.

 
 
India 'Putting House in Order' to Achieve Greater Growth
In a recent interview, Indian Chief Statistician  T. C. A. Anant  suggested the country's second quarter GDP growth will likely improve given the "structural adjustment" that happened after the introduction of the GST. "We are in a sense putting our house in order to facilitate much faster growth," he added.


India Promotes Intellectual Property Rights With '#LetsTalkIP'
India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched a social media campaign focused on geographical indications (GIs) - signs on products that denote their specific geographical origin and qualities associated with that location - such as Darjeeling tea or Jaipur's blue pottery. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of GIs and intellectual property rights.
     


Commerce Minister Encourages Investors to 'Make,' 'Design' in India
Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu recently discussed the Invest India initiative, calling for a "paradigm shift" in the country's approach to encouraging investment. Prabhu, the former Railway Minister, stressed the need for a value chain-focused approach where investors can both "make" and "design" in India.



'Impactful' Work on Smart Cities Project to Expand
A review of India's Smart Cities initiative found that projects ranging from Pune's riverfront development to Udaipur's infrastructure updates were some of the most impactful in the initiative's first batch of 20 cities. Urban Development Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra urged all state and Union Territory chief secretaries to continue focusing on "transformative" projects and begin work by November.   




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