AUGUST 15, 2015

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INDIA is celebrating its 69th Independence Day on 15 August, 2015. My family and colleagues join me in conveying our warmest greetings to all fellow Indians in the State of Qatar on this historic day. Let us gratefully remember all those who sacrificed their present for a better future for our country, and cherish the ideals and aspirations that guided India’s peaceful freedom movement in which millions of Indians participated under the exemplary leadership of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

On this joyous celebration of our Independence Day in Qatar, let us also celebrate the deep-rooted friendly ties between India and Qatar, and renew our sincere thanks to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AI Thani, the Emir; His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa AI Thani, the Father Emir; His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad AI Thani, the Deputy Emir; His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa AI Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; and the Government and people of Qatar for nurturing the historic friendship and multi-dimensional partnership between our two great countries, and for their hospitality to the Indian community in Qatar.

The State Visit of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AI Thani, the Emir of Qatar to India on 24-25 March, 2015 at the invitation of Hon’ble President Shri Pranab Mukherjee, has imparted fresh momentum to our bilateral ties.

The visit was highly significant in many ways. This was HH the Emir’s first visit to India, a country with whom Qatar’s relations are steeped in history. This was also the first visit of the Head of State of an Arab country after India’s current Government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi assumed office in May, 2014.

The most important dimension of any official visit between two nations is the personal chemistry between the leaders. HH the Emir and the Indian leadership struck an instant and excellent rapport, reflecting the strong ties, nurtured by cultural affinities, people to people contacts and trade and commerce between our two great countries through centuries. At all the meetings and events, there was a pervasive atmosphere of friendship, trust and shared keenness to work together for greater progress and prosperity of the people of both countries.

During the visit of HH the Emir, the two sides discussed ways and means to build a forward-looking partnership by further broadening and deepening the bilateral engagement and by better leveraging the existing complementarities between the two countries in key areas of mutual interest including inter alia, energy, power, petrochemicals, investments, infrastructure, development, project exports, education, culture, health, human resource, media and information technology. Six Agreements/MOUs were signed during the visit.

The last year has also witnessed other important developments in our bilateral cooperation with Qatar, including discussions between India’s Law and Justice Minister and Qatar’s Justice Minister, visit of India’s National Security Adviser, and visit of Qatar’s Transport Minister and Commander of Qatar Emiri Air Force to Aero India Exhibition at Bengaluru. Active exchange of defence delegations and the visit of Indian Coast Guard Ship VIJIT, in conjunction with the celebrations of Qatar’s National Day, reflect the keenness of both sides to further strengthen defence cooperation.

Both sides have been taking active steps to further expand economic and commercial partnership. The composition of India-Qatar Business Forum has been finalized. Embassy of India, Doha organised three business and investment events, with the support of important Qatari organisations, coinciding with the launch of ‘Make in India’ campaign by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 25 September, 2014. Other developments include the visits of ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ and National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) missions to Qatar, the largest ever (65) presence of Indian companies at ‘Project Qatar’ Exhibition, opening of Doha Bank’s full fledged branch in Mumbai, and the participation of Qatari officials and business-men in major economic conferences in India.

India deeply appreciates Qatar’s support, as a co-sponsor, to its Resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, adopted unanimously with a record 177 co-sponsors, declaring 21 June as the International Day of Yoga (IDY), and for various activities to celebrate the first IDY in Qatar We are grateful to Government of Qatar and Q-Post for the release of a commemorative stamp to mark this occasion.

It is also heartening that several visits and events have taken place in recent months in the areas of tourism, sports and arts & culture, including a seminar on Indian Tourism, participation of Indian teams in major athletics, boxing, volleyball and wrestling competitions, and widely acclaimed cultural programmes held at KATARA - The Cultural Village Foundation, such as a photo exhibition on Islamic monuments of India and a Kathak classical dance performance sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, A Passage to India’ Community Festival, an event on Yoga, and exhibitions on India by creative young photographers of Qatar Photographic Society. We are grateful to KATARA for their enormous guidance and support in organising these programmes.

Ensuring the well being and welfare of Indian nationals in Qatar is the highest priority for Embassy of India. We have a regular, active and inclusive outreach to the Indian community. In particular, we have an extremely important responsibility towards the large number of Indian workers who are making a vital contribution to the progress of Qatar with the sweat of their brows. We remain in close contact with the authorities concerned in Qatar regarding the well being of our workers and other Indian nation-als, and appreciate their cooperation and support. We welcome the process of labour reforms undertaken by Government of Qatar, and look forward to the implementation of further steps being considered. As we celebrate our 69th Independence Day, I warmly congratulate the Indian community in Qatar for all that they do for the development and progress of their host country, and for further strengthening the strong ties between India and Qatar.

Sanjiv Arora Ambassador of India to the State of Qatar

A m b a s s a d o r ’ s m e s s a g e

CHAIRMAN

Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

CEO

Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr. Khalid Al Jaber

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR

Hussain Ahmad

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Ali Wahba

SUPPLEMENT EDITOR

Mohammed Salim Mohammed

COVER DESIGN

Abraham Augusthy

SUPPLEMENT COORDINATOR

Renu Malhotra

ADVERTISING CONTRIBUTORS

Muhammad ShammasSP SinghRocela MolinaMoinuddin PashaSavio Fernandes

PRODUCTION

Viswanath R Sarma

TYPESETTING

Deepak John

HH the Emir and the Indian leadership struck an instant and excellent rapport, reflecting the strong ties, nurtured by cultural affinities, people to people contacts and trade and commerce between our two great countries through centuries. At all the meetings and events, there was a pervasive atmosphere of friendship, trust and shared keenness to work together for greater progress and prosperity of the people of both countries.

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THE Emir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al

Thani paid a State

visit to India on

March 24-25 at the

invitation of Indian

President Pranab Mukherjee. The

Emir was accompanied by a high level

official delegation, including Minister

for Foreign Affairs H E Dr Khalid bin

Mohamed Al Attiyah, Minister of

Economy and Commerce H E Sheikh

Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed

Al Thani, Minister of Energy and

Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin

Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Finance H

E Ali Sherif Al Emadi and Minister of

Communication and IT H E Dr Hessa

Sultan Al Jaber.

The Emir was accorded a ceremo-

nial welcome in the forecourt of the

Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 25.

The Emir met the President who

hosted a banquet dinner in honour

of the visiting dignitary. As part

of his official engagements in New

Delhi, the Emir held detailed bilat-

eral discussions with Prime Minister

Narendra Modi. The Emir received

Vice President M Hamid Ansari. He

also received Minister of External

Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs

Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State

(Independent Charge) Petroleum and

Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

AGREEMENTS SIGNED

The following agreements and

memorandum of understandings

(MoUs) were signed during the visit:

(1) Transfer of Sentenced Persons;

(2) Cooperation between the Foreign

Service Institute, Ministry of External

Affairs and Qatar Diplomatic

Institute, Ministry of Foreign

Affairs; (3) Cooperation in the field

of Information and Communication

Technology; (4) Cooperation in the

field of Atmospheric and Ocean

Sciences; (5) Cooperation in the field

of Radio and Television between

Prasar Bharati and Qatar Media

Corporation; and (6) Agreement for

mutual cooperation and exchange of

news between Qatar News Agency

and United New Agency. The Emir

expressed appreciation for the role and

contribution of the Indian community

towards the development of Qatar.

The Ambassador held a meeting

with H E Ali bin Fahad Al Hajri,

Secretary for Political Affairs to the

Emir. They discussed a wide range of

issues related to cooperation between

India and Qatar, especially in the con-

text of the the Emir’s visit to India

Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and President Pranab Mukherjee.

Emir’s India visit boosts ties

Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Vice-President Hamid Ansari (above) and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh (right).

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THE first International

Day of Yoga (IDY)

was celebrated in the

Chancery of Embassy

of India, Doha, on

June 21, 2015 by

embassy officials. After reading Prime

Minister Narendra Modi’s message on

IDY and quoting from PM’s address

at United Nations General Assembly

(UNGA), Ambassador Sanjiv Arora in

his brief remarks, gave a background

and significance of yoga in day-to-day

life in general and IDY in particular.

This was followed by a live dem-

onstration by Madhav Gopal, Yoga

Teacher from Bengaluru, who had

come on a visit to Qatar for IDY

celebrations, a Q&A session and

distribution of CDs, books, T-shirts

and other publicity material on yoga,

among the attendees.

A ‘Public Event’ to celebrate

the first IDY was organised by the

embassy with the cooperation and

support of Ministry of Youth and

Sports, Government of Qatar, and

Indian community fora at Al Arabi

Indoor Sports stadium on the same

day at 9pm. Due to the Holy month

of Ramadan, the event was held at

9pm to cater for a large participa-

tion, after Iftar.

Despite social and religious commit-

ments associated with Ramadan, many

Qatari dignitaries attended the event.

In addition, diplomats, and hundred

of Indian nationals and other expatri-

ates were also present. Consequent

upon the Ambassador’s phone call to

the Foreign Minister of Qatar, the

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs

H E Mohammed bin Abdullah bin

Mutaib Al Rumaihi graced the IDY

event as the Chief Guest.

H E Faleh Mohammed Al Naemi,

Chairman of the Board of Directors

and Managing Director of Qatar-

Post, and Sheikha Athba bint

Thamer Al Thani, an education-

ist, philanthropist and a prominent

member of the Royal family were

Embassy celebrates first Yoga Day

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mutaib Al Rumaihi, Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora and Faleh Mohammed Al Naemi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of Qatar-Post, dis-playing the commemorative stamps with IDY logo during the celebration of first International Day of Yoga at Al Arabi Sport Club.

Guests of Honour at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, the

Ambassador highlighted the adop-

tion of the Resolution at the UNGA

in December 2014, to observe June 21

as the International Day of Yoga and

on the myriad benefits of Yoga for a

healthy way of life. The Ambassador

thanked Qatar government for co-

sponsoring the UN resolution as well

as supporting the Embassy of India

and the Indian Community in con-

ducting various events to commemo-

rate the first IDY.

The Ambassador appreciated the

cooperation of Qatar-Post (Q-Post)

for releasing a commemorative post-

age stamp on the first IDY. He also

read out excerpts from the message

of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on

the occasion. The Ambassador high-

lighted the various events on yoga

that were conducted over the past

two months at various Indian schools,

regular sessions on yoga at the Indian

Cultural Centre, dedicated session on

yoga for the worker community, an

exclusive event on yoga at the Katara

Cultural Village for an international

audience, an event on yoga for the Al

Khor community, located 50km from

Doha, and an exclusive ‘ladies only’

event on yoga at the Aspire Active

Club, Aspire Zone.

In conclusion, the Ambassador

highlighted that the first IDY was

just the beginning and requested one

and all to adopt yoga to lead a stress-

free and peaceful life. A short video

on Modi’s message and glimpses of

the record breaking yoga event held

at Rajpath in the morning of June 21

were played. A documentary on yoga,

duly factoring the growing inter-

national popularity of this ancient

Indian art and ethos, was also shown

to the large gathering.

IDY POSTAL STAMP

As a gesture of strong support,

Q-Post Chairman released commemo-

rative stamps with IDY Logo jointly

with Al Rumaihi and the Ambassador.

A picture frame of commemorative

stamps was presented by the Q-Post

Chairman to the Ambassador in the

presence of Al Rumaihi. This is the

first time that such a stamp related

to India has been released in Qatar

and sent a strong positive message to

the large Indian community in Qatar.

The Chairman Q-Post also presented

a Q-Post memento to the Ambassador.

Speaking on the occasion, Al

Rumaihi praised the contribution of

the large and vibrant Indian commu-

nity in the development of Qatar. He

said Qatar shared a deep-rooted and

multi-faceted relation with India and

would always support India in propa-

gating peace in the world.

Sheikha Athba bint Thamer Al

Thani enthralled the audience with

her remarks in fluent Hindi and

thanked the Prime Minister and the

Government of India for the efforts

to popularise yoga for the benefit of

the world.

Al Naemi, for his part, praised the

bilateral relations between India and

Qatar. He said yoga would help bring

peace back in the world.

The grand finale to the event was

marked by live demonstration on vari-

ous yogasanas led by Madhav Gopal of

S-Vyasa Institute for Yoga, Benguluru,

and his team of yoga experts.

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Hundreds of yoga enthusiasts from the

Indian community, students and other

nationalities took part in performing

the various asanas. In addition, a team

of yoga enthusiastic IT professionals particularly

from Tech Mahindra, who have been managing the

official website of IDY, also took part in perform-

ing various asanas. All participants were given

an IDY T-shirt and a CD on yoga.

YOGA SESSION AT ASPIRE ZONE

Yoga sessions at the prestigious sports complex

Aspire were closed during Ramadan. However,

as a special gesture, Aspire offered an exclusive

‘ladies only’ yoga session to commemorate the

IDY from 8pm to 9pm. Chhaya Arora, spouse of

the Ambassador and Patron of Indian Women’s

Association, attended the event, which saw the

participation of ladies from the Indian community

and other nationalities, including a few Qataris.

All English dailies gave prominent coverage to

the IDY events held on June 21, 2015.

EVENT AT KATARA

On June 5, the Ambassador led the “Health and

Yoga awareness” event organised by the Indian

Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), a com-

munity association working under the aegis of

the Embassy for the welfare of Indian workers,

with the support and cooperation of the embassy

at the premises of the Indian Cultural Centre

(ICC). The event, attended by over 200 workers

was combined with a “Tree Plantation Ceremony”

to commemorate the World Environment Day at

the premises of ICC, apex organisation of socio-

cultural associations of the Indian community in

Qatar, functioning under the aegis of Embassy of

India, Doha.

The Embassy of India, in collaboration with

Katara (the Cultural Village) held a yoga aware-

ness programme on June 12, as part of its cel-

ebrations of the first International Day of Yoga.

The well-attended event included senior officials

of Katara; Ambassadors and senior diplomats of

many countries, among others.

The Ambassador underlined the importance

of the IDY being celebrated internationally in

response to India’s resolution at the UNGA to

declare June 21 as the IDY. The resolution was

unanimously adopted on December 11, 2014 with

the co-sponsorship of a record 177 countries,

including Qatar.

A special film titled ‘Yoga for Harmony &

Peace’ was screened for dignitaries, guests and

yoga enthusiasts from various walks of life. The

programme showcased a live demonstration of

yoga postures performed by three experts. The

benefits of the postures were explained to the pub-

lic. The Ambassador thanked the management

team of Katara for their overwhelming support in

promoting healthy lifestyle by endorsing IDY to

ICBF organises health and yoga awareness eventbe celebrated on June 21 every year. On the same

day, a ‘Health and Wellness Session on Yoga’ was

organised by Embassy of India, in cooperation with

Indian Cultural Centre and Bharati Association of

Al Khor, both apex socio-cultural organisations

functioning under the aegis of the Embassy of India,

at Al Khor for the community of Al Khor city and

nearby areas.

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THE Indian community in Qatar mourned the sudden death of former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who passed away in India on July 27. He was 83. The Indian Embassy said in a statement that the mission is “deeply saddened” by the death of Dr Kalam. A book of condolence was open at the Indian Embassy on July 29 and 30.

The Indian community in Doha held a condolence meeting on July 28 at the Asoka Hall, Indian Cultural Centre from 8pm. The management and members of the Indian Club, in a condolence message, said: “With his death, India lost a renowned scientist and an eminent personality.”

Kareem Abdullah, former president of Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), said: “Unfortunately, the space to deliver his capabilities was limited after he became the president as he couldn’t carry out his activities more freely due to protocol-imposed restrictions on his movement.” Remarkably, Indians and non-Indians in Doha and around the world mourned and shared their thoughts about Dr Kalam on social media.

Expats mourn death of APJ Abdul Kalam

Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora speaks to community members gath-ered at Indian Cultural Centre on July 28 to pay tributes to former presi-dent and nuclear scientist APJ Abdul Kalam who died in India on July 27.

The late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam shaking hands with Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani during an official welcoming ceremony in New Delhi on April 14, 2005.

Kalam: India’s missile man, an indomitable spirit

AN enthusiast till the last for sharing ideas with students and youth, it was not surprising that former president APJ Abdul Kalam was deliv-

ering a lecture at the IIM-Shillong when he collapsed and died in a hospital shortly afterwards.

His handle @APJAbdulKalam, described him as “Scientist, teacher, learner and writer. Served as the 11th President of India (2002-07). Working for an economically developed nation by 2020.”

Popularly known as India’s “Missile Man”, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam crowned a illustri-ous acientific career with a term as india’s first citi-zen after the then Atal Behari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government put forward his name as K R Narayanan’s successor. He was recipient of India’s highest civilian honour — the Bharat Ratna — in 1997.

One of India’s best known scientists, Kalam was full of ideas on how to solve India’s problems - on bridging the rural-urban divide through his pet con-cept of PURA or “Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areasa - for empowering villages, and also to use

solar power in a big way to tide over India’s energy needs. PURA, Kalam said, was about giving a cluster of villages physical, electronic and knowledge con-nectivity and he had in mind creating about 7,000 PURAs across the country.

Born on October 15, 1931 at the Hindu pilgrim town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Kalam spe-cialised in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology and in 1958, joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

He moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where he was project director of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 and made India a member of the exclusive Space Club. In his two-decade stint in the space agency, he was responsible for the evolution of ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. He rejoined DRDO in 1982, and planned the programme that produced a number of successful missiles, earning him the “Missile Man”

nickname. He took up the responsibility of develop-ing indigenous weapons as the chief executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of Agni and Prithvi missiles.

From 1992 to 1997, Kalam was scientific adviser to the defence minister, and later served as princi-pal scientific adviser (1999-2001) to the government with the rank of cabinet minister. From November 2001, Kalam was professor, technology and societal transformation at Anna University, Chennai. He wrote four books — Wings of Fire, India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium, My Journey and Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India.

One of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctor-ates from 30 universities and institutions, he was was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981, and Padma Vibhushan in 1990 before the Bharat Ratna.

On July 22, Kalam tweeted: “An indomitable spirit stands on two feet.. vision and firm thought”. It could serve as an apt description for him. IANS

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NSA Ajit Doval’s visit

AJIT Doval, National Security Adviser

(NSA) of India, visited Doha on

February 11-12. Doval met the Emir of

the State of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim

bin Hamad Al Thani on February 12 and handed

over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also met with H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser

bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Interior

Minister, and H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al

Attiyah, Minister for Foreign Affairs and dis-

cussed several issues of mutual interest. Doval also

informally interacted with senior Qatari officials

and businessmen at a dinner in his honour hosted

by Ambassador Sanjiv Arora.

Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora met with Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi, RasGas CEO, and Khalid Sultan Al Kuwari, Chief Marketing & Shipping

Officer at RasGas headquarters in February this year. They discussed a wide range of issues related to India-Qatar cooperation in energy sector and potential areas of expanding collaborations.

A delegation led by Ashutosh Jindal, JS(IC), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and includ-ing Dr A K Balyan, MD & CEO, Petronet LNG Ltd; Prabhat Singh, Director (Mkt), GAIL India Ltd; R K Garg, Director (Finance), Petronet LNG Ltd; Ravindra Agrawal, General Manager, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC); and Vivek Mittal, Chief Manager (Commercial & Marketing) arrived in Doha on April 13 for technical discussions with Ras Gas the next day. The Ambassador met with the delegation on their arrival and also before their departure.

On May 21, the Ambassador, accompanied by DCM and FS (PEC), visited the operations of RasGas Company Ltd (RasGas) facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City. The long serving Chief Operations Officer Hamad Mubarak Al Muhannadi was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of RasGas. The CEO and his senior team were present throughout the presentation, discussions and site visit.

Meeting with RasGas CEO

THE 2nd edition of a unique Indian

community festival was held on

March 19-20 under the theme “A

Passage to India” with the guidance,

support and cooperation of Embassy

of India, Doha.

The festival was organised by Indian Cultural

Centre (ICC) at Katara. The festival was

inaugurated by Katara General Manager Dr

Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti and Ambassador

Sanjiv Arora, who is also ICC’s Patron. The

festival featured a large number of stalls by

Indian companies as well as Indian associations

based in Qatar, multi-

media presentations

and an array of cultural

programmes showcasing

the diversity of Indian

culture.

The highlights of

the festival were the

replica of ‘India Gate’

richly illuminated and

meticulously designed by

25 artisans of ‘Viswa Kala

Vedi’, a socio-cultural

association affiliated

to ICC; fashion show of the brides of India;

and food festival ‘A Taste of India’. Following

suggestions made by the Ambassador, special

arrangements were made for demonstration

of yoga to utilise the opportunity to create

awareness about yoga.

The two-day festival attracted more than

60,000 visitors, both Qataris and expatriates

including several dignitaries, senior officials and

members of the diplomatic corps. On the sidelines

of the inauguration ceremony, the Ambassador

gave live interview to Qatar Television.

‘A Passage to India’ festival

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AN EIGHT-MEMBER delegation led

by D V Sadananda Gowda, Minister

for Law & Justice, arrived in Doha

on April 11 to participate in the 13th

UN Congress on Crime Prevention

and Criminal Justice (UNCCPCJ).

The Minister and the delegation accompanying

him as well as the Ambassador Sanjiv Arora and

other officers attended the opening session of the

Congress which was inaugurated by H H the Emir

of Qatar at Qatar National Convention Centre.

The Minister and the Ambassador also attended

the official reception for Heads of Delegation hosted

by Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh

Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, who

was the President of the 13th UNCCPCJ. Gowda

addressed the High Level Segment of the 13th UN

Congress on April 13. Earlier in the day, Gowda met

with H E Hassan Lahdan Al Mohannadi, Qatar’s

Minister of Justice.

Before departing, the Minister of Law & Justice

interacted with a broad-based gathering of the

Indian community in Qatar at a felicitation func-

tion organised in his honour by the Indian Cultural

Centre in association with Karnataka Sangha, one

of ICC’s affiliated associations.

Law & Justice Minister takes part in UN event

THE Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) organised a free medical camp for low income workers on February 27 in Al Khor. Ambassador Sanjiv Arora inaugurated the medi-cal camp, met doctors and other volunteers, and workers.

The medical camp benefitted over 600 workers, mainly from India.

Embassy officials also attended to urgent consular and labour cases at the camp.

On May 8, the Ambassador also inaugurated the 21st medical camp for low income workers organised by the ICBF in cooperation with Indian Doctors’ Club at KIMS Qatar Medical Centre. Around 500 people of different nationalities were provided free medical consulta-tions and medicines.

Free medical camp

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NASSCOM delegation attends meetings

A delegation of NASSCOM (National

Association of Software and Services

Companies), headed by Chennai-based

entrepreneur Maran Nagarajan, visited

Doha on March 18 and attended a number of meet-

ings, including one at the Qatar Chamber chaired

by the Qatar India Business Council Chairman and

prominent Qatari businessman Abdul Rahman Al

Ansari. The delegation also called on the Ambassador

and expressed their desire to work closely with com-

panies in Qatar. The meeting was well attended by

prominent Indian businessmen and professionals

operating in Qatar

Arora attends Doha Bank’s branch opening in Mumbai

DOHA Bank’s full-fledged branch in Mumbai was

inaugurated on April 29, 2015 by Minister of

Railways Suresh Prabhu, jointly with Qatar’s

Minister of Finance H E Ali Sherif Al Emadi

and Qatar Central Bank Governor H E Sheikh Abdullah

bin Saoud Al Thani. Other dignitaries present included

Deepak Vasantrao Kesarkar, India’s Minister for Finance

and Planning, Rural Development, and Subhash Desai,

Minister of Industries, Government of Maharashtra; the

Ambassador of India to Qatar and the Ambassador of Qatar

to India. The Ambassador Sanjiv Arora reminded Qatar’s

Minister of Finance and the QCB Governor about the pend-

ing request of State Bank of India, ICICI and other Indian

banks for grant of licence for full-fledged operations in Qatar.

PADDY HARVESTING CEREMONY: K P Mohanan, the Minister for Agriculture, State of Kerala, and Ambassador Sanjiv Arora attended the paddy harvesting ceremony at Al Dosari Park in Al Shahaniya on International Labour Day on May 1 this year. The crop was cultivated for the first time in Qatar by a group of women from Kerala. The Minister and a group of organic farming enthusiasts from Kerala living in Qatar had planted the rice seedlings about six months ago.

18

Community help desk at NHRC

AMBASSADOR Sanjiv

Arora at the inaugura-

tion of the Community

Help Desks/Offices

set up at the National

Human Rights Committee (NHRC)

of Qatar to serve different com-

munities on May 12. Four separate

help desks have been established

to facilitate swift redressal of com-

plaints by workers from India, Nepal,

Philippines and Egypt.

65 Indian firms participate in Project Qatar 2015

IFP Qatar, organisers of Project Qatar, the

International Construction Technology and

Building Materials Exhibition, invited Heads of

Mission of participating countries to a press con-

ference on April 20 to announce the launch of the 12th

Edition of the exhibition. The event was held from May

4-7. Addressing the conference, Ambassador Sanjiv

Arora said Project Qatar 2014 saw Indian compa-

nies finalising business worth an estimated QR100m.

The event was inaugurated by Minister of Economy

and Commerce H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin

Mohammed Al Thani. A total of 65 Indian companies

participated under the aegis of Associated Chambers of

Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) this year.

The Ambassador attended the inauguration ceremony

and met Indian companies and Assocham officials.

Event to express solidarity with victims of Nepal earthquake

ON JUNE 16, 2015 the Embassy of India, in cooperation with

Indian Cultural Centre, an apex organisation functioning under

the aegis of Embassy of India, organised an event to express

solidarity with the victims of earthquake in Nepal.

As a gesture of support for Nepal and for the victims devas-

tated by the earthquake, a Draft for QR210,000/- (equivalent to Nepali Rs 5.6

million approx) was handed over to Mani Ratna Sharma, CDA of Embassy of

Nepal in Doha, jointly by the Ambassador, presidents of Indian Cultural Centre

(ICC), Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) and Indian Business and

Professional Network (IBPN) as well as by representatives/Principals of Indian

schools — DPS Modern Indian School, MES and Bhavan’s Public School — on

behalf of Indian community in Qatar. These were in addition to the contribu-

tions made by other members of the Indian community directly. At the event,

brief remarks were made by the Ambassador, presidents of three apex organi-

sations as well as representatives/Principals of Indian schools.

Qatar coast guard delegation visits New Delhi, Mumbai

A SCOPING delegation from Qatar Coasts and Border Security Department at Qatar’s Ministry of Interior visited the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi and the Regional Coast Guard Headquarters (West) in Mumbai from February 21 to 25 to review training facilitates of the Indian Coast

Guard. The delegation was led by Head of Department of Training and Human Resources, Qatar Coasts and Border Security Department, Captain Ali Soud A H Al Marri.

Qatar team attends Aero India Expo

QATAR participated with two high-level delegations, one led by H E Jassim Seif Al Sulaiti, the Minister of Transport, Govt of Qatar, and the other led by Qatar Emiri Air Force in the Aero India Expo 2015, which was held at Benguluru from

February 19 to 23.

19

INDIA has reinvigorated relations with its

neighbours, and at the same time was fully

prepared to defend the borders, President

Pranab Mukherjee said.

In his address to the joint session of

parliament at the beginning of the budget

session in February this year, Mukherjee said India

will continue to work with others to reform multi-

lateral institutions, including the United Nations,

and seek India’s rightful place there.

“Recognising that our destiny is linked with our

neighbourhood, my government has reinvigorated

our relations with our neighbours and is promot-

ing greater cooperation and integration in South

Asia. At the same time, we speak clearly about

our interests and are fully prepared to defend our

borders and secure our people,” he said.

The President said ties with China had expanded

following the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping

to India. “We have significantly expanded our rela-

tions with China, based on mutual respect and sen-

sitivity to each other’s concerns and interests,” he

said. Mukherjee said the government has “restored

confidence and momentum” in India’s time-tested

strategic partnership with Russia. “The historic

visit of US President Barack Obama as the chief

guest for the Republic Day celebrations has ele-

vated our relations with the US to a new level.

In coming months, we intend to further deepen

our cooperation with Europe,” he said.

The President said that a deeper political, eco-

nomic and security relationship with Japan was

at the forefront of a more active and purposeful

Act-East-Policy, which was anchored in India’s

relations with southeast Asia and now extends to

Australia and the pacific Islands.

He said India was also committed to deeper

engagement with west Asia, central Asia, Africa

and South America. The President said that the

UN took a historic decision to declare June 21

as ‘International Day for Yoga’ within 75 days of

Reinvigorating relations with neighboursPrime Minister Narendra Modi’s call at the United

Nations General Assembly.

He said the Indian community abroad feels

more connected to the country and has responded

enthusiastically to the call to participate in India’s

transformation, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, whose

100th anniversary of return to India was commemo-

rated this year.

“Recognising that our destiny is linked with

our neighbourhood, my government has reinvigorated relations with our neighbours

and is promoting greater cooperation and integration in South Asia. At the same time,

we speak clearly about our interests and are fully prepared

to defend our borders and secure our people.”

President Pranab Mukherjee

20

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has moved on a number of fronts during his first year in office and has achieved some success. While the focus has understandably been on what his measures mean for India, the fact is that they have global implications of

the first order. Developing countries around the world are comparing India and China, trying to decide which model is best for achieving rapid economic growth.

India is the world’s largest democracy, and China is an authoritarian regime where political activity is proscribed. Obstacles that routinely frustrate growth in India can be bull-dozed away in China. There are no problems with obtaining land for factories or putting up offices and apartments in China. Infrastructure, from power plants to modern highways and bullet trains, sprouts up everywhere. China’s economic growth has been on an unprecedented scale in human his-tory: A 17-fold increase per capita since 1980 compared with 4.5 in India.

India must demonstrate that democracy doesn’t equate with sluggishness and inefficiency and that free people are capable of internal regeneration and reform. Indians are proud that this year their country’s economic growth may exceed China’s. But this should be a routine performance.

There’s no reason that India shouldn’t achieve real dou-ble-digit annual growth rates for the next 20 years. After all, India can combine the best of two worlds: harvesting the immense expansion that comes from catching up with developed countries and enjoying the growth, particularly in exports, that comes from its high-tech prowess.

Doing this would not only enormously improve India’s living standards but also mean a more humane, democratic and richer world. People around the globe would look to India for inspiration on how they should be governed, on how free

people can achieve more progress and enjoy happier lives than those living under dictatorships.

Here are reforms that would help turn this dream into an astonishing reality.

A TRUE NATIONAL ECONOMY. Outsiders are amazed that much of India resembles pre-revolutionary France, with many internal barriers standing in the way of economic effi-ciency and growth. The US has benefited enormously from having a continental-size domestic market, as would India. Key to this would be passage of a national general services tax to replace the stifling hodgepodge of local taxes that are a baffling array of internal tariffs on the movement of goods.

As Forbes contributor Henry To has noted: “India currently does not have a common market; freight that crosses state borders is taxed multiple times by local governments, result-ing in a fragmented logistics system and multihour delays at border checkpoints. Perishables often spoil while logistics companies are set up with tax avoidance in mind.” To goes on to say that striking this tax morass would add 2 percent to India’s GDP growth.

TAX REFORM. Observers speculate that a new GST would come in at 20 percent or more. This is too high, espe-cially for a country that has so many people struggling to climb out of poverty. Finance bureaucrats would find a rate of 10 percent to be too low, but a reasonable rate would be easier to collect and would lessen avoidance incentives.

Regarding personal income, India should also take a page from Hong Kong’s — and some 30 other countries’ — tax books and enact a low-rate flat tax of, say, 10 percent, with generous exemptions for adults and children, instead of today’s tiered system. Again, a low rate combined with simplicity would generate more growth and sharply cut tax evasion.

The government is right in getting rid of the wealth tax, but

there’s no need to slap a surtax on high-income earners. That simply hurts capital creation, which India needs.

India is phasing in a reduction in the corporate tax, from 30 percent to 25 percent. Don’t go slow; cut it all at once — and 25 percent is still too high. India should follow the example of Hong Kong, Singapore and others and trim the corporate tax to well below 20 percent.

The government must immediately get rid of the 1997 Minimum Alternate Tax, which has been arbitrarily used to chase after foreign firms. That the Modi administration still applies this capricious exaction is a dampener on foreign investment.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT. Limits have been raised in certain sectors, such as insurance and construc-tion. Systematic liberalizations each year would prove to be a powerful magnet to overseas investors.

MAKE STARTING A BUSINESS EASY. The majority of Indians work in the informal economy. A key reason for this is the expense, time and complexity of setting up a legal business. Doing Business, the World Bank’s annual survey, ranks India as one of the worst countries in this category. Setting up a business involves 13 different procedures, which invites corruption and inhibits even trying.

The government is simplifying this process, but not nearly enough. A single portal to apply for all the permits is helpful, but scrapping the need for these permits altogether would do the trick. India should follow New Zealand’s example, where the process is simple, quick and cheap. Growth of a formal entrepreneurial class would also generate political support for changing India’s antigrowth labour laws. The government is working on positively changing bankruptcy procedures. However, it must also reform other aspects of the economy standing in the way of progress, such as contract enforce-ment and obtaining various permits. Doing Business could be an indispensable guide.

LAND ACQUISITION. A huge barrier to growth has been the difficulty businesses have had in buying land. The govern-ment had proposed legislation to streamline this process, but the Opposition still controls the Upper House. Prime Minister Modi may have to make the two houses vote on the matter together. In his home state of Gujarat, Modi has seen how factories can spring up when permits and environmental clearances are handled expeditiously. Being labelled anti-farmer is inhibiting, but counter-measures, such as special bonuses to farmers for selling land, could prove useful. This would tie in with one of the government’s major and ongoing initiatives of moving toward direct cash payments to the poor instead of the corruption-laden system of in-kind benefits.

PRIVATISATION. During its first term, Modi’s government must move ahead with privatisation, especially of state-run banks. Sale of shares would be an easy source of cash.

MONETARY POLICY. Raghuram Rajan, head of the cen-tral bank, has been a breath of fresh air, as he has focussed on taming inflation and moved away from the Keynesian fal-lacy that cheap money stimulates growth. In fact, countries with unstable currencies have lower long-term growth rates than those with stable currencies.

In fact, India could learn from its former colonial master, Britain, which rose from a second-tier European power into a globe-girdling empire, once Sir Isaac Newton fixed the pound to gold. For starters, India could fix the rupee to the dollar, the way Hong Kong has successfully done for more than 30 years. Finally, Prime Minister Modi, like Margaret Thatcher, must make the case that free markets are the best way to help the poor achieve higher and higher incomes.

(This article originally appeared in the May 29, 2015 issue of Forbes India.)

How Modi can make India a global superpower

21

22

BY NIGEL EASTWOOD

INDIA has been the talk of the

investment community for a

number of years now. But no

matter how much the opportu-

nity is explained and analysed,

Western foreign investors

still seem unsure. Why the reticence

to embrace such a huge opportunity,

especially in the tech sector?

The first stumbling block for inves-

tors to overcome is their own percep-

tion of the Indian economy. A decade

ago, they would have been right to be

cautious. But now? Macro-economic

stability in India has been vastly

improved by the greater credibility

of the Central Bank. But more than

this, the new government administra-

tion, led by Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, has generated a great deal of

positive market confidence. This con-

fidence comes from the government’s

very strong mandate and the fact that

this administration has managed to

inspire even opposition politicians;

getting them on their side and gain-

ing their cooperation.

There’s no shortage of demand

either. India’s urban population is

projected to reach 500 million by 2017

and the potential aggregate demand

in India is massive. Currently the

majority of people’s incomes in India

are, on a global scale, relatively low

or very low. But that’s changing fast.

It’s estimated that in India there are

already 350 million middle-class peo-

ple — more than the entire popula-

tion of America. And this is set to

grow exponentially. So there can be no

dispute that there is a huge untapped

market in India.

So far most of the Indian invest-

ment discussions have been domi-

nated by the potential offered by

the e-commerce industry; I call the

phenomenon ‘Flipkartisation’, named

after the hyper-successful Indian

online shopping site, Flipkart.

According to IAMAI and IMRB

International, in 2014 the e-commerce

industry in India was worth $13.5bn;

a long way behind America. But the

Internet penetration level is projected

to rise to only 19 percent in India in

2015, versus 84 percent in the USA.

So you can see the investment attrac-

tion, which is why a number of high-

profile investors have already secured

substantial returns on their stakes.

But rising rates of connectivity offer

Western investors other potentially

high-yield opportunities. In particular,

the hot Indian investment right now

is in the financial technology sector.

Here’s the investment case: India has

millions of unbanked people, so there

is significant room for growth.

According to the Bank of India,

more than 40 percent of the Indian

population does not have access to

any banking facilities at the moment,

rising to 61 percent in rural areas.

In addition, only 11 percent of the

Indian adult population have access

to a loan facility.

Unlike in the West where people are

loyal to their bank, Indian consumers

aren’t tied into traditional banks, so

there is huge potential to leapfrog

Western models and go directly to

newer financial models: mobile app-

based banking, mobile wallets, and

peer-to-peer loans.

Unlike other areas of the app indus-

try which are largely dependent on

advertising, this is also very easy to

commercialise through fees. In addi-

tion there is strong consumer demand

for micro-payment technology due to

the large number of micro- and small

businesses in India.

However, because of a number of

recent high-profile failures, there

will still be reticence on the part of

Western investors. But there are clear

reasons for many of these failures.

As a successful investor in India

myself, I can see at least some of the

fundamental mistakes they made:

many foreign investors try to manage

their investments from the US or UK,

leaving the Indian companies to get

on with it alone or micro-managing

from a distance with little knowledge

or understanding of the culture and

systems. They try to impose Western

solutions onto Asian culture. Frankly,

they try to paint their house through

their letterbox. This strategy is

Why India is such a huge opportunity for Western investors

GLOBAL investors may have reduced their exposure to emerging market equities but India still continues to be

the most favoured country, says a report. According to global financial major Bank of America Merrill Lynch, global investors have reduced their exposure to emerging market equities amid weak earnings pros-pects, weak Chinese economic growth and a strong dollar.

India topped the global emerging mar-ket investors’ country preference chart followed by China and Poland in the sec-ond and third place, respectively. Asia Pacific investors have increased their allocations to India and Taiwan in June.

Meanwhile, as per latest data from depositories, foreign investors pulled out more than Rs3,300 crore from Indian stock markets so far in June, mainly on account of better returns from Asian peers. “Despite having lost 14 percent (in USD terms) since January highs, India continues to be the most favoured country for GEM (Global Emerging Market) investors,” BofA-ML said in a

research report. Other countries in the list included, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Korea, Thailand and South Africa. The BSE’s benchmark 30-share Sensitive Index closed 0.74 percent or 200.34 points higher at 27,316.17 points on June 19. So far this calender year (since January 1) the index has lost 191.37 points.

According to BofA-ML, the views on the Chinese economy, to a large extent, define investor views on emerging market equi-ties. Moreover, China growth prospects have come down sharply since April. “With the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index up about 150 percent in the last year with no sign of an earnings revival, 70 percent of global investors believe China equities are in a bubble,” the report said.

According to June’s BofA Merrill Lynch Fund Manager Survey, globally investors have moved out of equities into cash ahead of an expected US Fed rate hike. Investors have also shown concern about a Greek default and a possible bubble in Chinese equities as they have scaled back risk. PTI

India top choice among emerging markets: Report

utterly wrong.

In my experience, investing in India

can just never be about short-term

financial gain. This is why New Call

Telecom is now raising more than

$100m to scale up operations in India

and roll out digital services across the

country. Venture capital and private

equity firms need to partner with

companies who have experience on-

the-ground managing and scaling

Indian and Asian investments. To

be successful you need to be a close,

working partner with the company

in which you invest. You need their

local knowledge and you need to be

in-country as much as possible. It’s

those Western investors who commit

themselves to really getting involved

with the local companies and trusting

the in-country teams that will ulti-

mately be successful in India.

23

24

BY DHRUVA KUMAR SINGH

“Make in India” is perhaps one of the most important programmes being pursued by the government of India. The central theme is about transforming India into a

manufacturing hub with world class technology on the pat-tern of China, Japan, South Korea etc.

Post liberalisation economic growth in India was spurred by the service sector, significantly by-passing the manufac-turing sector. The manufacturing sector, on the other hand, despite great potential for higher employment generation and so on has lagged behind. In India the poor contribution of manufacturing to the GDP is an area of concern (Budget speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi). It hovers around 16-17 percent, whereas in China it is about 35 per cent and about 30.5 percent in South Korea.

The “Make in India” programme is characterised by the simultaneous focus of the government on capital (in particu-lar FDI), technology and labour. FDI inflows helps in building manufacturing base. In early 2000s, China overtook the USA as the worlds largest recipient of foreign capital and in 2011, it dethroned the USA as the world’s largest producer of manufactured goods.

In a serious effort to attract investors, the positioning of India as the fastest growing economy and a huge market displaying a willingness to migrate from a regime of red tape to a culture of red carpet may yield result in the near future. According to various reports, FDI inflows in FY 2015-16 are slated to be much higher, perhaps double FY 2014-15 levels.

India’s demographic configuration will ensure that the supply of labour force will remain abundant in the foresee-able future. To skill them, all existing initiatives need to be synchronised and converged under a single umbrella. Further, there is a need to develop a national labour market where buyers and sellers can interact effectively. (Reaping Demographic Dividends: Creation of a National Labour Plan, Asian Age, January 23, 2015).

From the above perspectives, it may not be incongruous to highlight the crucial role for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the “Make in India” programme. SMEs governed under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 have provided the backbone to the countries with sound manufacturing base such as Germany (mittelstands), Japan, China etc. SMEs in India (governed under the Micro ,Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006) have to take advantage of exciting opportunities available in sectors like food processing, auto components, defence, aero space etc.

As per one estimate only 2 percent of the food produced is being processed. India is one of the largest markets for defence goods and aero space products and the need for Indianisation has thrown open the floodgate of opportunities for both large Indian firms and SMEs. As India has become one of the largest automotive markets in the world, business in automotive components can be considered as another sunrise sector for SMEs.

For proper development of SMEs, it is desirable that large corporations should come forward and provide hand hold-ing support to SMEs. In China, Volkswagen played a crucial handholding support to SMEs which ultimately helped emer-gence of a sound production base for automotive compo-nents. In fact, such handholding is required to ease access of SMEs to state of the art technologies.

Another issue of pressing importance for SMEs is the

access to finance. Most financial products with their eligibil-ity norms do not fit into the varied requirements of SMEs. The situation is more difficult if financing is required for R&D purpose. Various studies suggest that in India SMEs’ access to funds are marked by very high interest rates which is a reflection of poor confidence of the financial sector in SMEs. Hence, there is need to devise financial products to suit specific requirements of SMEs. For example, Chinese e-Commerce giant Alibaba launched Alipay Financial in June 2010 which is dedicated to finance SME suppliers to the e-Commerce company.

In order to synergise the flow of benefits to SMEs, fol-lowing a cluster approach is often propagated. This also symbolises the spirit of Sanghe Shakti Kaliyuge (power of unity in modern times). This was the key issue at the 4th National Cluster Summit of CII in the year 2011. This model is being followed for a long time in India and is acclaimed world wide.

A Cluster approach is about geographical concentration of units wherein they largely have common challenges and oppor-tunities. The success of units inside the cluster is a function of competitive advantage these units enjoy over those who are not part of the cluster. The competitive advantage of units inside the cluster emanate from basically two aspects: Infrastructure and logistics available both inside and outside the cluster and governance of the cluster.

While a lot of emphasis has been placed on the infra-structure aspect , there has been comparatively less focus on governance aspects. Good governance inside a cluster can create the right growth character while ensuring stability and organic growth of the cluster.

For ensuring good governance of a cluster it would be essential to segregate administration into regulatory

administration and business administration. While the former should be within the ambit of the Central/state government/ any public authority , the latter should lie within the purview of elected business bodies to be formed from amongst members of the cluster and deriving power from statutes.

A clear demarcation of functions between the regula-tory body and the business body is a critical necessity. For example a regulatory body may look into subjects of area development, municipal administration, creation of neces-sary infrastructure facilities, etc. Similarly the business body may look into the subject of development and promotion of cluster brand, setting up of cluster show room, administra-tion of intellectual property rights, facilitation for develop-ment of technical know how, ensuring access to finance etc.

Moreover, such a body may be formed on the pattern of a society bestowed with membership providing powers. The segregation of cluster administration into two segments — regulatory and business would also lead to the development of a strong cluster brand with assurance of quality to the market outside the cluster, both domestic and overseas.

The functioning of a cluster with simultaneous pursuit of governance and purely business initiatives would also create a climate of cooperative competitiveness amongst units, leading to productive group dynamics. A robust cluster that would emerge from would also go a long way in solv-ing the problem of access to finance faced by SMEs, since units of a cluster can apply for debt through the business administration office of the cluster. It would also facilitate access to latest technical know how through establishment of appropriate cluster specific R&D centres which enter into MOUs with outside agencies/ technological giants.

Needless to add, such a segregation in governance — regulatory and business to be administered by two different agencies should be attempted first in the existing clusters so that the advantages are immediately realisable. All said and done, empowered, successful clusters will serve as effec-tive pressure groups on the government for formulation of SME friendly policies so that the dormant potential of SMEs can be harnessed, thereby converting the economy into the much awaited manufacturing hub for generations to come.

Making a manufacturing hub with world-class techThe “Make in India” programme is characterised by the simultaneous focus of the government on capital (in particular FDI), technology and labour.

25

BY SMITI MITTAL

THE impending solar power revolu-

tion in India would not be limited

to large-scale projects but would

also include off-grid solutions like

community-level power plants and

solar lanterns.

The household solar power systems market

is expected to increase by 60 percent annually,

to reach an estimated market size of $250m in

2018. The number of households using such power

systems is expected to more than double to 7.2

million by 2018. These are among the conclusions

from a recent report by The Climate Group and

Goldman Sachs.

About half a million solar home power systems

were sold to about 900,000 households in 2014 which

is expected to increase by six-times to 3 million in

2018. Power generated from these solar home power

systems helped offset 39,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2014

which is expected to increase to more than 235,000

tonnes of CO2 by 2018.

The authors note that off-grid solar power sec-

tor targeting households and small villages might

be a tricky market for new entrants. Such systems

require significant upfront investment by the end

users even if low-cost finance options are available.

The end users would be willing to choose trusted

brands with good track record while investing in

such off-grid solar power systems.

While the recent activity in the Indian solar

power market has been dominated by large-scale

power projects, several leading companies are also

working on the off-grid segment.

SunEdison announced that it would install 250

MW of distributed solar power capacity across

5,000 villages over the next few years. A number

of Indian as well as international companies are also

Home solar power systems market estimated at $250mworking closely with non-government organisations

to distribute solar lanterns in villages that are not

yet connected to the power grid.

While India’s ambitious plan to add 100 GW solar

power capacity by 2022 is expected to be largely

based on utility-scale projects, the needs of those

without electricity access would most likely be met

by the most basic of off-grid solutions. The Indian

government has pledged to provide electricity access

to every household by the end of this decade.

26

28

India can meet sustainable development goals BY MILI MAJUMDAR

INDIA’S development agenda and its priority

programmes and policies are in alignment with

the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that

the UN General Assembly is expected to come up

with this year.

Poverty eradication, gender equality, affordable

and reliable energy access for all; inclusive, safe,

resilient cities and sustainable management of water

and waste are some of the overarching goals pro-

posed under the SDGs. These have consonance with

three of India’s priority programmes — namely, the

‘100 Smart Cities’, the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’

and ‘Make in India’.

The 100 Smart Cities programme will enable

evolution of safe, resilient and sustainable cities

through implementation of green retrofit, redevel-

opments and new developments; while the Swachh

Bharat Abhiyan is a pan-India cleanliness drive

meant to accomplish sanitation for all and is a

policy driver to practice sustainable solid waste

management. The Make in India programme is

designed to foster innovation, enhance skill devel-

opment and transform India into a manufacturer’s

dream destination. This, in turn, is expected to

yield sustained and inclusive economic growth and

industrialization, another key determinant of sus-

tainable development.

Will these objectives be achieved in a desir-

able time frame with sustained results? The 100

Smart Cities programme holds promise, but key

to success will be effective implementation and

availability of finances. The government of India

plans to provide seed capital, but identified cities

must access suitable expertise and financing to

accomplish the activities.

The likely government contribution to each iden-

tified smart city shall be about $162.7m (Rs10bn)

over a 10-year period, which means that these cit-

ies have to rely on innovative financing and equity

participation from other stakeholders in order to

realise the dream of a smart city.

India’s 13th Finance Commission has estimated

that the collection efficiency for property taxes, a

key revenue source, stands at a low 37 percent. This

phenomenon has precluded cities from providing

even the most basic public services to their citizens.

For instance, 40 percent of Hyderabad’s population

lacks access to direct water supply connections, and

50 percent of households in Bangalore do not have

sewerage connections. So, in a way the cities have

to meet ever-increasing infrastructure gaps first.

It is also true that provision for smartness in

terms of better communication and connectivity,

smart distribution, monitoring and metering among

other measures can help cities to be more efficient,

reduce wastage and help bridge infrastructure gaps.

For example, smart grids can reduce transmission

and distribution losses, improve conversion effi-

ciency and thus make electricity distribution more

efficient and reliable.

The other two programmes, namely Swachh

Bharat Abhiyan and Make in India, can collectively

contribute to achievement of goals of the smart cit-

ies initiative. Thus, integration of schemes, priorities

and funding are necessary. Needless to mention,

all these programme outputs will collectively feed

into the SDG objective. Habitats and buildings are

two key components of cities that need attention.

With 70 percent of commercial building stock yet

to come up, the ever-increasing demand for energy

in buildings needs to be contained.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

29

AGRA’S tourist attraction Taj Mahal has

emerged as the most popular in Asia for

“virtual travellers”.

“Taj Mahal has emerged as one of the most popu-

lar Asian places for global virtual travellers. The

fascination with this grand, symmetrical white

marble mausoleum also holds within Asia, with

the Taj Mahal ranking as one of the most glo-

bally viewed destinations by people in Singapore,

Australia, Korea, Philippines, Malaysia and of

course, India,” Google said in a statement.

“Last year, global virtual tourists had favored

Japan for its trails weaving up Mount Fuji, its

Taj Mahal is top destination of Asia’s ‘virtual tourists’

ELECTRICITY DEMAND: The electricity

demand of the building sector in urban areas

shall rise to about 237,000 gigawatt hours by

2020, which is about three times the 2010 — 2011

levels. The good part of the story is that nearly

200 million megawatt hours per annum can be

saved if all new buildings are efficient and a mini-

mum of 10 percent of the existing stock is made

efficient through retrofits. This translates into

42,000 megawatts of savings in installed capacity

of power plants.

Though the Energy Conservation Building

Code has been in place since 2007, the market

is still not geared to embrace it fully. GRIHA,

the national green building rating system devel-

oped by TERI with the active cooperation from

the ministry of new and renewable energy, man-

dates compliance with the Energy Conservation

Building Code. Limited providers and lack of

indigenous products and services, and missing

awareness push up the costs and makes imple-

mentation a real challenge.

The Make in India programme should be able to

give specific incentives to green product manufac-

turing. The challenges in implementation are many,

but the willingness of the government to achieve

results on ground through a multi-stakeholder par-

ticipation is commendable.

(Mili Majumdar is the Director of Sustainable

Habitat Division, TERI, New Delhi.)

ASIAN SCIENTIST

colorful canal at Dotonbori and its secluded ruins at

Hashima Island, as the most popular Google Street

View destinations in Asia,” it said.

Google Street View is a technology featured in

Google Maps and Google Earth that provides pano-

ramic views from positions along many streets in

the world. Though Japan still attracts many virtual

tourists, cultural monuments and temples across the

region are also gaining in popularity, it said.

Other top Google Street View destinations

in India include Delhi’s Red Fort, Qutab Minar,

Humayun’s Tomb and Jantar Mantar; Agra Fort;

Lavasa, a private city being built near Pune; Pune’s

Shaniwar Wada; Lovely Professional University

in Phagwara, Punjab; and the Indian Institute of

Technology in Mumbai, Google said.

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