The fourth day of RAISE 2020– ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’summit witnessed discussion on a range of themes like scaling AI research to solve big societal problems, leveraging AI to improve learning outcomes, and the overall opportunity of AI for India, among others.

In the first session of the day, Dr. Manish Gupta, Director, Google Research Lab talked about the agility of AI solutions to respond to societal needs and address them on a large scale. “AI is being used to predict weather patterns to warn people of impending floods. It is also being used for early detection of health risks like blindness, cardio vascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. The ambit of AI is large and therefore scalability of solutions is of critical importance,” he said.

In the same session, Gaurav Sharma, VP, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software said AI’s use cases lend themselves very well to the achievement of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and that developers need to keep people and culture at the center of designing AI-based solutions to be able to move from adoption to absorption of AI. “India has a lot of offer in AI, and our country should transform into an AI-led society to position itself as a global leader in this space. AI systems need to be made safe, secure, and transparent, and must promote accountability to inspire consumer confidence.”

This session was followed by a showcase of the achievements of the Government of Telangana in developing an ecosystem for AI in the state. Over the next decade, the state government aims to make Hyderabad one of the top 25 AI innovation hubs of the world. Mr. JayeshRanjan, Principal Secretary, ITEC Department, Government of Telangana detailed the various initiatives taken by the state government to promote research in AI.

Addressing a session on the need for partnerships to make AI accessible and drive innovation, Mr. BhaskarGorti, President& Chief Digital Officer, Nokia Software,said that innovation, engagement and service to the industry should be the underlying ethos when developing AI solutions; at the same time he cautioned against the perils of AI, citing the example of social media. “Higher social media use correlates with self-reported declines in mental and physical health and life satisfaction,” Mr. Gorti said.

Mr. Balendu Sharma, Localization & Accessibility Lead, Microsoft India, also attended the session and talked about role that the government and large enterprises can play in increasing access to AI.

This session was followed by talks by Ms. Shalini Kapoor, Fellow-AI, and Director & CTO – IBM AI Apps, and Mr. Prakash Mallya, VP, Sales, Marketing and Communications Group, and MD, Intel, on the theme of using AI for learning.

“There is growing need for hyper-personalized education that dramatically improves learning outcomes. AI helps personalize education and at the same time create robust formal education frameworks that are required to fill skill gaps in individuals,” Ms. Kapoor said.

In a session on leveraging AI for learning, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF’s India Representative, talked about the impact of research in AI for children. “Children need to be at the center of the thought process behind research into AI. The impact that early interaction with AI can create in young individuals is profound and deep-rooted. Therefore, AI can be critical to building people’s cognitive abilities and addressing the needs of the labor market,” she said.

Later in the day, there were three parallel fireside chats. While Mr. Marcus Wallenberg, Swedish Banker & Industrialist and Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog discussed AI being a great economic opportunity for India; in the other chat session, Ms. Rekha Menon, Chairperson & MD, Accenture and Mr. Abhishek Singh, President & CEO, NeGD and CEO, MyGov deliberated upon the importance of building responsible AI. In the third fireside chat, Mr. Talleen Kumar, CEO, Government e-Marketplace and Mr. Saibal Chakraborty, MD & Partner, BCG, discussed the impact of AI on e-marketplaces.

RAISE 2020 is being organized between October 5 and 9. So far, more than 77,000 stakeholders from academia, the research industry and government representatives from 146 countries have registered to participate in the summit.

India is rapidly integrating artificial intelligence across sectors. India’s technological prowess and the richness of its data will help the country become the AI garage of the world, delivering cutting-edge technological solutions. The RAISE 2020 Summit (http://raise2020.indiaai.gov.in/) serves as a platform for discussion and consensus building to help create a data-rich environment, which will help develop AI for the global community.

About RAISE 2020:

RAISE 2020 is a first-of-its-kind global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India’s vision and roadmap for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment through responsible AI. Organized by Government of India along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and NITI Aayog, the event is witnessing robust participation from global industry leaders, key opinion makers, Government representatives and academia.

My dear friends,Namaste!

First of all, I would like to compliment Shri Prem Watsa for creating this forum. It is good to see so many investors and businesses of Canada here. I am glad you are being exposed o the tremendous  investment and business opportunities in India.

Friends,  there is one thing common to most people in the audience. It has people who take investment decisions. Decisions which assess risk. Decisions which predict return while making investment.

I want to ask you: What do you think about before investing in a country? Does the country have a vibrant democracy? Does the country have political stability? Does the country have investment and business friendly policies? Does the country have transparency  in governance? Does the country have a skilled talent pool? Does the country have a large market? These are different questions, you may be asking.

The undisputed answer to all these questions is one:and that is India.

There is an opportunity for everyone- Institutional Investors, manufacturers, supporters of innovation ecosystems and infrastructure companies.There is an opportunity to invest, to set up units and to run businesses.There is an opportunity to partner with our private sector and with the governments.There is an opportunity to earn as well as learn, not only that as well as to lead, there is an opportunity to grow.

Friends, In the post-Covid world, you will often hear of various kinds of problems -Problems of manufacturing, problems of supply chains, problems of PPE, etc.  Problems are natural.

However, India has not let those problems be.We showed resilience and emerged as a land of solutions.

We provided free food grain to 800 million people and free cooking gas to around 80 million families- and for a long time.Despite disrupted logistics, we were able to deliver money directly into bank accounts ofmore than 400 million farmers, women,poor and needy people within a matter of days.

This shows the strength of governance structures and systems that we have built over the last few years.

Friends, India is playing the role of the pharmacy to the world. We have provided medicine to around 150 countries so far during this pandemic.

During March-June of this year, our agricultural exports rose by 23%.This happened while the entire country was in a stringent lockdown.

Today, our manufacturing is running on full steam. Before the pandemic India hardly manufactured PPE kits.Today not only does India manufacture millions of PPE kits every month, it also exports them.

We are also committed to ramping up production.We want to help the entire world when it comes to vaccine production for Covid-19.

Friends, The India story is strong today and stronger tomorrow. Let me explain how.

Today, the FDI regime has been very well liberalized.We have created a friendly tax regime for Sovereign Wealth and Pension Funds.

We have undertaken significant reforms for developing a robust Bond market. We have come up with Incentive schemes for Champion sectors.

Schemes in sectors like in Pharma, Medical Devices and Electronics Manufacturing have already been in operation.We want to ensure high-level attention and effective hand-holding for investors. For this, a dedicated Empowered Group of Secretaries has been made.

We are proactively monetizingassets across sectors- Airports, Railways, Highways, Power Transmission lines, etc.Real Estate Investment Trusts and Infrastructure Investment Trusts have been fully enabled for monetization of both public and private assets

Friends, Today, India is undergoing a rapid change in mindsets as well as markets.Today, India has embarked on a journey of deregulation and decriminalization of various offences under the companies act.

India has risenfrom 81 to 48 in the Global Innovation Index rankings in the last 5 years.India has risen 142 to 63 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings in the last 5 years.The results of these improvements are there for everyone to see.India received around 70 Billion USD from Institutional Investors in a year and a half between January 2019 to July 2020. This is almost equal to that received in four years between 2013 and 2017.The continuing confidence of global investor community in India is seen by the fact that FDI into India went up by 20% in 2019 and, this when global FDI inflows fell by 1%.

India has already received over 20 Billion USD during the first 6 months of this year from across the globe.This is also the time when Covid-19 has been at peak globally.

The International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City is one of our major initiatives.Investors could utilize it as a preferred platform to transact globally.We have recently set-up a fully empowered unified regulator for it.

Friends,India has adopted a unique approach posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have given relief and stimulus package for the poor and the small businesses.But we have also used this opportunity to undertake structural reforms.These reforms ensure more productivity and prosperity

India has undertaken a trinity of reforms in the field of education,labour and agriculture.Together, they impact almost every Indian.

India has ensured reforms of old laws in the field oflabour and agriculture.They ensure greater participation of the private sector while also strengthening the government’s safety nets.

These reforms will lead to a win-win situation for entrepreneurs as well as for our hard-working people.The reforms in the field of education will further harness the talent of our youth.These reforms have also set the stage for more foreign universities to be able to come to India.

The reforms in the labour laws greatly reduce the number oflabour codes. They are both employee and employer friendly and will further increase ease of doing business.

The reforms in the field of agriculture are far-reaching.They will not only give more choice to farmers but will boost exports.

These reforms will support our efforts to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India.By working towards self-reliance we seek to contribute to global good and prosperity.

Friends,

If you are looking to partner in the field of education, the place to be is India.

If you are looking to invest in manufacturing or services, the place to be is India.

If you are looking to collaborate in the field of agriculture, the place to be is India.

Friends,

India-Canada bilateral ties are driven by our shared democratic values and many common interests.The trade and investment linkages between us are integral to our multi-faceted relationship.

Canada is the 20^th largest foreign investor in India. More than 600 Canadian companies have presence in India.I am told that Canadian Pension Funds have pledged around 50 billion USD as investment in India till now.

Our relationship is perhaps far stronger than what the numbers suggest.But that also means together, we can achieve much more.

Canada is home to some of the largest and most experienced infrastructure investors.Canadian Pension Funds were the first ones to start investing directly in India.Many of them have already discovered great opportunities in a range of areas like highways, airports, logistics, telecom and real estate.They are looking at expanding their presence and finding new areas to invest.Mature Canadian investors who have been in India for many years now can be our best brand ambassadors.

Their own experience,their plan to expand and diversify can be the most credible evidence for all of you to come here too.In addition, you have the benefit of knowing India well.After all, Canada has one of the largest Indian Diasporas in the world. There would be no barriers for you here. You would find yourself as welcome here as in your own country.

Thank you for inviting me to address this event.Thank you once again.

On the issue of Iron Ore exports, the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry would like to place on record the following facts:

Export policy restriction put in 1998 only for KIOCL: On 21.01.1998, vide Notification, a specific entry was added in the export policy regarding “Iron Ore pellets manufactured by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) out of concentrates produced by it”. Thus, the export policy was regard to only Iron Ore pellets manufactured by KIOCL, which was ‘canalized’ through KIOCL, a CPSU under Ministry of Steel.

No change in policy for Iron Ore Pellets not manufactured by KIOCL: Subsequently, vide its Notification dated 26.09.2014 the export policy of Iron Ore pellets manufactured by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited was amended to ‘Free’ from ‘canalised’. Further, in the notification a policy condition was also added that the export of Iron Ore pellets manufactured by KIOCL is to be done by KIOCL Limited, Bangalore or any entity authorised by KIOCL Limited, Bangalore. However, there has been no amendment to the export policy of Iron Ore Pellets not manufactured by KIOCL.

Export duty on Pellets made Nil in 2011: To promote the export of Iron Ore pellets as a value added product, then Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee, had reduced export duty to ‘nil’ during the 2011-12 budget announcing in his budget speech“Iron ore is also exported in a value-added, pelletized form. Full exemption from export duty is being provided to Iron Ore pellets to encourage the value addition process for fines.”

Iron Ore Pellet Export happening prior to even 2014: As per the Export Policy, items not mentioned specifically in the export schedule are “free” for exports. As per export data, Iron Ore Pellets were taking place even prior to change in export duty in 2011-12. The iron ore pellet export data in the ten years before the 2014 notification is given in the annexure and is available in public domain. Thus, the linkage to changes in 2014 notification is misleading and is not backed by data.

Legal position still under consideration: The legal opinion from Deputy Legal Advisor, Department of Legal Affairs has not been endorsed by the senior officials of the Department and cannot be taken as the official legal view on this matter. The matter for final legal position is under consideration.

Annexure: Export data of Iron Ore Pellets

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address at Invest India Conference in Canada through video conference today.

The Prime Minister said India is undisputedly the only country shining in all their investment parameters like having political stability, investment and business friendly policies, transparency  in governance, skilled talent pool and a large market. He said there is an opportunity for everyone including Institutional Investors, manufacturers, supporters of innovation ecosystems and infrastructure companies.

The Prime Minister said in the post-Covid world, India showed resilience and emerged as a land of solutions to overcome various kinds of problems related to manufacturing, supply chains, etc. He added, despite disrupted logistics, money was directly delivered into bank accounts of  over 400 million farmers, women, poor and needy people within a matter of days. He listed various initiatives taken by the Government to overcome the disruption owing to the pandemic and stressed that this shows the strength of governance structures and systems that have been built over the last few years.

The Prime Minister said while the entire country was in a stringent lockdown, India was providing medicine to around 150 countries and played the role of the pharmacy to the world. He added during March-June of this year, agricultural exports rose by 23%. He said before the pandemic, India hardly manufactured PPE kits but today not only does India manufacture millions of PPE kits every month, it exports them too. He committed to ramping up production and helping the entire world in vaccine production for Covid-19.

The Prime Minister explained how India’s story is growing stronger by listing the initiatives of the Government in creating a business friendly environment. He listed initiatives like liberalizing the FDI regime, creating a friendly tax regime for Sovereign Wealth and Pension Funds, bringing significant reforms for developing a robust Bond market, Incentive schemes for Champion sectors. He said schemes in sectors like Pharma, Medical Devices and Electronics Manufacturing are already in operation. He added for ensuring high-level attention and effective hand-holding for investors, a dedicated Empowered Group of Secretaries has been formed. He emphasized proactive monetization of assets across sectors like Airports, Railways, Highways, Power Transmission lines, etc. He said Real Estate Investment Trusts and Infrastructure Investment Trusts have been fully enabled for monetization of both public and private assets.

The Prime Minister said today India is undergoing a rapid change in mindsets as well as markets. It has embarked on a journey of deregulation and decriminalization of various offences under the companies act. He said India has risen from 81 to 48 in the Global Innovation Index rankings and risen from 142 to 63 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings in the last 5 years.

The Prime Minister said due to these improvements, India received around USD 70 Billion from Institutional Investors between January 2019 to July 2020. This is almost equal to that received in four years between 2013 and 2017. He stressed that continuing confidence of the global investor community in India is seen by the fact that FDI into India went up by 20% in 2019 when global FDI inflows fell by 1%.

The Prime Minister said India has already received over USD 20 Billion during the first 6 months of this year from across the globe when Covid-19 has been at peak globally. He said India has adopted a unique approach posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He said relief and stimulus packages were given to the poor and the small businesses and at the same time this opportunity to undertake structural reforms which will ensure more productivity and prosperity.

The Prime Minister said India has undertaken a trinity of reforms in the field of education, labour and agriculture. Together, they impact almost every Indian. He said India has ensured reforms of old laws in the field of labour and agriculture. They ensure greater participation of the private sector while also strengthening the government’s safety nets and will lead to a win-win situation for entrepreneurs as well as for our hard-working people. He said the reforms in the field of education will further harness the talent of our youth and have set the stage for more foreign universities to come to India.

The Prime Minister said the reforms in the labour laws greatly reduce the number of Labour codes and are both employee and employer friendly and will further increase ease of doing business. He added the reforms in the field of agriculture are far-reaching and will not only give more choice to farmers but will boost exports. He said these reforms will support our efforts to build an AatmaNirbhar Bharat or self reliant India and by working towards self-reliance, we seek to contribute to global good and prosperity. He highlighted that India is the place to partner in the field of education, to invest in manufacturing or services and to collaborate  in the field of agriculture.

The Prime Minister said India-Canada bilateral ties are driven by shared democratic values and many common interests. He said the trade and investment linkages between us are integral to our multifaceted relationship. He highlighted that Canada is home to some of the largest and most experienced infrastructure investors. He said Canadian Pension Funds were the first ones to start investing directly in India. Many of them have already discovered great opportunities in a range of areas like highways, airports, logistics, telecom and real estate. He said Mature Canadian investors who have been in India for many years now can be our best brand ambassadors. Their experience, their plan to expand and diversify can be the most credible evidence for other Canadian investors to come here too. He promised no barriers for the Canadian investors in India.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the passing away of Union Minister Shri Ram Vilas Paswan.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said, “I am saddened beyond words. There is a void in our nation that will perhaps never be filled. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji’s demise is a personal loss. I have lost a friend, valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate to ensure every poor person leads a life of dignity.

Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji rose in politics through hardwork and determination. As a young leader, he resisted tyranny and the assault on our democracy during the Emergency. He was an outstanding Parliamentarian and Minister, making lasting contributions in several policy areas.

Working together, shoulder to shoulder with Paswan Ji has been an incredible experience. His interventions during Cabinet Meetings were insightful. From political wisdom, statesmanship to governance issues, he was brilliant. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.” 

The Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah condoled the passing away of the Union Cabinet Minister, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan. In series of tweets he has said, “I am extremely disturbed to hear the news about the passing away of Shri Ram Vilas Paswan. Shri Paswan always fought for the welfare and the rights of the poor and the deprived. He always kept national interest and public welfare paramount in his political life. His passing away has created a void in Indian politics.”

“Whether it was the fight against the Emergency of 1975 or to make the mantra of the welfare of the poor meaningful in this period of the Corona pandemic in the Modi government, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan played a unique role in all these. Shri Paswan while holding many important positions, was loved by everyone due to his simple and gentle personality.”

“His absence in Indian politics and in the Union Cabinet shall always be felt, and the Modi government is committed to complete his dream of welfare of the poor and the development of Bihar.”

“My condolences to his family and supporters and I pray for the peace of the departed Soul. Om Shanti.

The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and environment from POPs, which are identified chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate in living organisms, adversely affect human health/ environment and have the property of long-range environmental transport (LRET).

Exposure to POPs can lead to cancer, damage to central & peripheral nervous systems, diseases of immune system, reproductive disorders and interference with normal infant and child development. POPs are listed in various Annexes to the Stockholm Convention after thorough scientific research, deliberations and negotiations among member countries.

Considering its commitment towards providing safe environment and addressing human health risks, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had notified the ‘Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants Rules, on March 5, 2018 under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The regulation inter alia prohibited the manufacture, trade, use, import and export seven chemicals namely (i) Chlordecone, (ii) Hexabromobiphenyl, (iii) Hexabromodiphenyl ether and Heptabromodiphenylether (Commercial octa-BDE), (iv) Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and Pentabromodiphenyl ether (Commercial penta-BDE), (v) Pentachlorobenzene, (vi) Hexabromocyclododecane, and (vii) Hexachlorobutadiene, which were already listed as POPs under Stockholm Convention.

The Cabinet’s approval for ratification of POPs demonstrates India’s commitment to meet its international obligations with regard to protection of environment and human health. It also indicates the resolve of the Government to take action on POPs by implementing control measures, develop and implement action plans for unintentionally produced chemicals, develop inventories of the chemicals’ stockpiles and review as well as update its National Implementation Plan (NIP). The ratification process would enable India to access Global Environment Facility (GEF) financial resources in updating the NIP.

The Cabinet further delegated its powers to ratify chemicals under the Stockholm Convention to Union Ministers of External Affairs (MEA) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) in respect of POPs already regulated under the domestic regulations thereby streamlining the procedure.

India had ratified the Stockholm Convention on January 13, 2006 as per Article 25(4), which enabled it to keep itself in a default “opt-out” position such that amendments in various Annexes of the convention cannot be enforced on it unless an instrument of ratification/ acceptance/ approval or accession is explicitly deposited with UN depositary.

Constructed at a total cost of about Rs. 68.60 Crores, these four KVs have been running in temporary buildings till now. About 4000 Students will be benefitted with these newly developed campuses in the states of Odisha, Haryana and Rajasthan.

All the four new buildings of KVs have been constructed as per ‘Green Building’ norms and facilitated with Rain Water Harvesting System to ensure maximum water conservation. Buildings are constructed barrier free for the easy access to Divyang people. Ample space for Sports and Physical Activities has been allotted for encouraging students towards fitness.

During the virtual inauguration ceremony, Union Education Minister will also address the local gatherings and dignitaries through Video Conferencing.

India’s elite men and women boxers will travel to Italy and France for a period of 52 days from October to December for their overseas training and participation in international competition. The overseas training and exposure has been sanctioned by the government at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.31 crores.

A 28 member contingent will travel which include 10 male boxers and 6 women boxers along with the support staff. Amongst the boxers who will be participating include Amit Panghal, Ashish Kumar, Satish Kumar, Simranjit Kaur, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani, all of whom have earned quotas for the Tokyo Olympics. All the four events (Men’s 57 kg, Men’s 81 kg, Men’s 91 kg, Women’s 57 kg) where India is yet to win a quota, will have boxers who will be a part of the travelling contingent. They will be accompanied by 8 coaches and support staff in the men’s team and 4 coaches and support staff in the women’s team.

Lovlina Borgohain, Women’s 69 kg boxer, is looking forward to be participating in competition again, “It is very good that we will be getting a feeling of competition again. I am very excited about this. With 10 months to go before the Olympics, getting to compete against European opponents will be really helpful.”

The men’s and women’s boxing team will be training at Assisi, Italy for a period of 52 days from October 15 to December 5. The expenses will include their boarding, lodging, airfare and visa fees. Covid Tests of all 28 players and staff will also be covered under this expense.

13 boxers from the contingent will also participate in the “Alexis Vastine” International Boxing Tournament to be held in Nantes, France from October 28 to October 30.

Ashish Kumar, Men’s 75 kg boxer said that this is good preparation as they would be coming up against opponents who they might face at the Olympics, “It will be very helpful for us to play against competitors from abroad. We were already at camp in Patiala and regained our fitness, going abroad will really help. When we meet new competitors, we will get an idea of our level. It will help us get a better idea of where we stand and what aspects we need to improve on.”

Nine boxers, the highest ever for a single Olympics from India have earned quotas for the Tokyo games. The World Olympic qualifying event scheduled for next year is the last event for Indian boxers to obtain quotas for the Olympics.

CA Kutappa, Chief Coach, Indian Men’s Boxing Team is very happy that the boxers will travel abroad and calls this exposure trip as an opportunity to know where they stand against international competition after all the disruptions that have taken place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “At this time last year, we were at peak competition fitness, participating in the World Championships and were training intensely. Thank the government for sanctioning this. The boxers are very happy, they wanted to do something different, they need competition and training. They want to see where they stand compared to the European boxers. This overseas exposure will give a better idea of competition from Europe.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the beginning of his 20^th year as a public representative. In a series of tweets, the Union Home Minister said “October 7 is a very important day in the history of our country. On this day in 2001, Shri Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, and from that day onwards, an unstoppable journey dedicated to the cause of the nation and public service was begun which has helped us in achieving new milestones in the country’s development every day.

Shri Amit Shah said that “Inspired by the thoughts, vision and charismatic personality of PM Modi, every Indian today is working towards re-establishing India as a ‘Vishwa Guru’. It is a matter of great pride for me to work for the welfare of the nation under his extraordinary leadership and guidance”.

He further added that “if anyone can truly understand the aspirations of 130 crores Indians, then he is none other than Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. With his visionary thinking, PM Modi is working relentlessly towards creating an India that is strong, modern and self-reliant, said Shri Amit Shah.

Shri Amit Shah said that “as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi brought a revolution of development in the state and now as Prime Minister, he is bringing a positive change in the lives of millions of poor, farmers, women and deprived sections of society by empowering them with various historic schemes and initiatives”.

Shri Amit Shah said “whether it was bringing Bhuj out from the catastrophic earthquake and placing it on the development path, or to make Gujarat a symbol of peace and harmony, or to provide the Gujarat model of development and progress to the country through hard work and visionary thinking, it is solely the result of the untiring commitment of Modi ji”.

Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence organised the Ambassadors’ Round Table Virtual conference on Aero India 2021, chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh here today. The major reach-out effort of the Ministry was well attended by 200+ invitees comprising Ambassadors, Heads of Missions and Defence Attaches of over 75 countries indicating the growing stature of the 13^th mega biennial event, to be held in Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru from February 3-7, 2021. The senior representatives of foreign missions at New Delhi were briefed about the Aero India-21well in advance with a view to encourage the presence of their leaders and senior most decision makers at the event in February 2021 wherein India’s Aerospace and Defence manufacturing capabilities will be displayed under one umbrella.

Addressing the conference, Raksha Mantri said, Aero India-21aligns with India’s vision to be among the top five countries of the world in defence and aerospace industries, with active participation of public and private sector fulfilling the objective of Self-Reliance as well as requirements of other friendly countries. Shri Rajnath Singh stated that “Aatmanirbhar Bharat was the centerpiece of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and towards this, Ministry of Defence has announced numerous government reforms such as increase in FDI to 74% through automatic route, the Defence Acquisition Procedure -2020, revised Offset guidelines to promote Investment in India for co-development and co-production as also formulated the draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020)during the preceding pandemic months to steer the vision as also for ease of business”.

Shri Rajnath Singh added that India’s Aerospace and defence sector has matured and is exploring mutually beneficial partnerships with friendly countries to set up manufacturing industries in India and defence equipment produced in India to be exported abroad. He further stated that “Aero India-21 will showcase Government’s intent to achieve a turnover of USD 25 billion with exports of USD 5 billion in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025”.

The representatives from across the world were briefed that Aero India-21 will be a business oriented event and will be compliant to the COVID-19 stipulations. The event has received tremendous interest since the launch of the event website by the Defence Minister on 11 Sep 2020 and more than 90%of space has been booked reflecting the tremendous interest shown by exhibitors to participate in the aero show. The fine tuning of the business events and seminars are being planned and over 500 exhibitors are expected at Asia’s Largest Aeroshow.

Raksha Mantri also urged the Ambassadors to impress upon their leadership and Industry captains of their respective countries and defence industries to participate in Aero India-21 in a big way so as to “dive deep into the strategic and business opportunities available in India with the aim of establishing strategic partnerships”. Shri Rajnath Singh also released the official Aero India 2021 inaugural film on the occasion.

The theme of the event ‘The runway to a billion opportunities’, encompasses the gamut of Aerospace and Defence manufacturing including opportunities in the civil aerospace domain. The Defence Minister expressed confidence that Aero India-21 will demonstrate India’s ability to take the lead and further build on our strengths in the post COVID world.

Department of Defence Production gave a detailed presentation on all aspects of Aero India-21 and built in assurances to be compliant with COVID-19 stipulations. The Government of Karnataka also gave a presentation informing the participants about the preparedness of the state to conduct the show in a controlled and safe environment.

Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri BS Yediyurappa also addressed the distinguished audience and assured them that Government of Karnataka would make all necessary preparations towards safe conduct of the Aero India-21 in February 2021 at Bengaluru keeping in mind the safety of the participants and in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Yesso Naik; Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Raj Kumar also addressed the gathering and echoed the resolve of the Ministry of Defence to steer the indigenous defence industry as one of the pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat and invited the Foreign delegates to Aero India-21.

Indian Railways today opened the applications submitted by various entities in response to the RFQs for PPP in Passenger Train Operations Project.

MoR has received excellent response.In all 120 Applications have been received for the 12 Clusters, from 15 applicant firms.

It may be noted that Ministry of Railways (MOR) had invited Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for private participation in operation of passenger train services over 12 Clusters comprising 140 Origin Destination pair of routes through introduction of 151 modern Trains to increase high quality trains operated on the network.

This is the first major initiative of attracting private investment for running Passenger Trains over Indian Railway Network. The project is expected to entail private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crores.

The private entities for undertaking the project would be selected through a transparent two-stage competitive bidding process comprising of Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP).

The RFQ for 12 clusters were published on 01 July 2020. 

MoR will expeditiously complete the evaluation of Applications and RFP documents will be made available to the qualified applicants by November 2020. MoR has targeted to award all the Clusters by February, 2021.

Details of Participation Cluster wise

Details of Participants