India - Partner In Growth
Welcome to the May 2, 2018  bulletin of key policy decisions and high-impact news, presented by the Embassy of India, Washington DC.
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KEY POLICY DECISIONS
PM Modi: All Villages Now Have Electricity

All villages in India now have access to electricity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced. This was achieved when a remote village in the north-eastern state of Manipur became the last to be connected to the grid and flipped on the lights.



Aviation Minister: Make-in-India Plane Manufacturing a Top Priority

Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, said that aircraft and aviation equipment manufacturing under the Make in India program and safety and security in the aviation sector would be his top priorities. Air passengers must have a delightful travel experience and carriers must be responsive to customer requirements, he said.


 
Watch Dept. of Tourism's New 360-Degree VR Incredible India! Video
 
Experience Incredible India! in 360 degrees, as never seen before. Journey across Hampi, Goa, Delhi and Amritsar, and explore the places and people that make each of these iconic Indian sites incredible.


 
Reserve Bank Removes Cap for FPI in Bond Market

The Reserve Bank of India, in an attempt to keep foreign investors invested in the local bond market, said they could invest in any maturity they wished for instead of the restrictive clause earlier that the investment must be in paper that had at least three years left to mature.


 
Ease of Doing Business: Food Clearances to Speed Up at Ports

The Commerce Ministry has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and customs authorities to clear import consignments of food products in about 48 hours at ports with a view to promote ease of doing business. Currently, it takes as many as five to eight days to get import clearance for a food consignment, a Government official said. 


 
HIGH-IMPACT NEWS
Make in India: Navy Inducts India-Made Amphibious Craft

The Indian Navy inducted its third ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV at Port Blair. Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command commissioned the ship as INCLU L53 into the Indian Navy.


 
Cisco CEO: India Top of Mind on Investment Decisions

India is a high priority for U.S.-based internet services giant Cisco when it comes to global investment, said CEO Chuck Robbins. Robbins, who was in India recently, said Cisco has made a significant investment in the Indian market across startups as well as programs such as Digital India, Skills India and Make in India.


Walmart Attempts International Turnaround with Indian Tie-Ups

Walmart Inc's urgency to stem market share losses to rivals around the world is driving it to partner with local players in India and elsewhere. The world's largest retailer is looking to acquire a majority stake in India's leading online retailer Flipkart for $10 billion to $12 billion.


How India Could Shape Future of 3 American Giants

India's economy isn't going to slow down anytime soon. It is well ahead of China's projected 4.4% GDP growth through 2025, making it an attractive play for American companies. Not surprisingly, Cisco, Amazon and Microsoft have been investing aggressively in India to tap into emerging tech trends that could shape the country's future.



Former Pentagon Official: Time for U.S.-India Joint Defense Projects

With India being designated as a major defense partner by the U.S., it is time the two countries to commit themselves to defense projects, said Keith Webster, who represented the Pentagon in the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative in the Obama administration. "Both governments need to make a program decision and commit," he said.


TRANSFORMING INDIA
How This Indian Town Solved Its Open-Toilet Problem

Nearly three years ago, in partnership with the local Town Municipal Corporation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a Bengaluru non-profit commissioned India's first city-wide and dedicated fecal sludge treatment plant at Devanahalli. This plant has helped the town of 30,000 people to move toward an open-defecation-free environment.



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