Tag: NITI Aayog

AIM– NITI Aayog launches new accelerator to support Australian and Indian circular economy startups to rise

 

Startups and small to mid-sized enterprises(SMEs) in India and Australia working on circular economy technologies and solutions will benefit from a new accelerator program designed to open new doors to explore opportunities between the two countries.

AIM, NITI Aayog today launched a new accelerator called Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE) to support Australian and Indian circular economy startups.

The India Australia RISE Accelerator is delivered in partnership between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mr Manpreet Vohra, High Commissioner of India to Australia said, “In the dynamic landscape of international relations, the strategic partnership between India and Australia stands as a testament to our shared values, economic interests, and geopolitical objectives that bind the two nations together. The RISE Accelerator will not only strengthen diplomatic ties but also paved the way for collaborative efforts across various domains”

Dr Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director – Atal Innovation Mission – NITI Aayog said, “RISE Accelerator stands as a pioneering multi-year bilateral program, uniquely crafted between India and Australia, dedicated to addressing the shared challenges of both economies. Focused on the overarching theme of environment and climate technology, RISE provides a platform for startups to innovate solutions that transcend global challenges.”

Tamara Ogilvie,CSIRO’s RISE Accelerator program director said the program focusses on startups and SMEs that have mature technologies and a desire to expand between India and Australia.

“Over the nine-month RISE Accelerator program, we’ll help startups navigate early steps in a new region, fast-track connections to the right partners, customers and talent, and build credibility to succeed in international markets,” Ms Ogilvie said.

“For the first round of RISE Accelerator, we’re calling for startups and SMEs developing innovative business models, technologies, and or resource ingenuity to support India’s and Australia’s transition to a circular economy.”

Pramit Dash, AIM’s RISE Accelerator lead said the Australian and Indian startups would be well supported to validate and adapt their technology and research overseas.

“This is a real opportunity for startups from Australia and India to work with industry and researchers in their target market,” Mr Dash said.

“As well as developing cultural literacy,participants will develop meaningful bilateral industry and research collaborations.”

The first round of the program aligns with CSIRO’s Circular Economy for Missions initiative, which is focused on creating a sustainable future built on waste innovation.

Heinz Schandl, CSIRO’s Circular Economy for MissionsLead said that we need to design materials and products with a zero-waste mindset.

“A circular economy means products are designed in such a way that they can be used again, or even multiple times, to maximise their value,” Dr Schandl said.

“We hope this program will help to accelerate technologies and solutions to grow economies, create jobs and reduce waste.”

There is no charge for startups to participate in the program, which will be delivered virtually, with a number of opportunities to travel between Australia and India. Participating startups may also be eligible for up to INR 40,00,000 in non-equity grants.

Applications for the RISE Accelerator program are open now, and will close Saturday 7 January 2024.

For more information, and to apply, visit https://riseaccelerator.org/

 

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NITI Aayog Organised Workshop on Inclusive Trade for Growth & Prosperity

 NITI Aayog organised a thematic workshop on “Inclusive Trade for Growth & Prosperity” which highlighted the need to enhance and widen domestic outreach, ownership and implementation of New Delhi Leader’s Declaration (NDLD) outcomes in the areas of inclusive trade for growth and prosperity, and resilient supply chains. The thematic workshop was organised as a follow up to New Delhi Leader’s Declaration (NDLD) under India’s presidency G20 Summit which emphasised on adopting strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive trade for growth and prosperity for all.


Shri BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO NITI Aayog, in his keynote address highlighted the need for a non-discriminatory and inclusive trading system which facilitates trade as an engine of growth and prosperity. Further, he emphasized the need for India to integrate into global value chains (GVCs) and adapt swiftly to emerging trading systems.

Dr. Arvind Virmani, Hon’ble Member, NITI Aayog, addressed the first session titled ‘Mapping Global Value Chains’, and highlighted the need for strengthening key areas such as labour-intensive supply chains, institutional factors for policy framing and simplifying taxation system, and integrating payment, refund and export credit system especially for MSMEs. Dr. Virmani also recognised the need to address various anti-dumping issues and the need to foster FTAs with potential partners.

The session on ‘Mapping Global Value Chains’ focused on strengthening logistics for efficient supply chains, exchange rate management to enhance competitiveness, utilising strategic intervention from MNCs, provision of cumulative Rules of Origin, identification of potentially competitive segments, transparent & traceable GVCs, mapping startups and integrating industrial policy with trade policy to name a few.

The second session on ‘Promoting Inclusive Trade for Growth’ was chaired by Prof. Ramesh Chand, Hon’ble Member, NITI Aayog. The session highlighted the key points including – strengthening capacity and infrastructure development of LDCs; reducing non-tariff barriers; mobilizing resources for scaling up aid-for trade, particularly for MSMEs in developing and least developed countries; digital inclusion in three areas namely infrastructure, skills and data ownership; standard setting; technical advancement; transparency; and incorporating climate principles into trading systems.

The concluding session of the Workshop ‘Addressing challenges to Inclusive Trade’ was chaired by Dr. Harsha Vardhana Singh, Ex DDG, WTO. He drew attention towards enhancing traditional exports of India; increasing female labour force participation in trade; state/district level integration into the supply chain and trade (promoting Districts as Exports Hub); facilitating integration of MSMEs in GVCs; logistics and financial support, access to information for MSMEs; climate resilient agriculture with promotion of Nutri cereals and accelerating services exports; document digitalization with respect to trade; and strengthening focused skill development including reskilling & upskilling.

NITI Aayog is organising a series of thematic workshops on key agendas of New Delhi Leader’s Declaration (NDLD) to devise actionable strategies and plans that can be implemented to provide impetus to growth and prosperity of the country. Other thematic workshops are focused on topics of SGDs, Roadmap for Tourism, Digital Public Infrastructure, India and African Union Cooperation, Data for Development, Women Led Development, etc.

 

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NITI Aayog through Atal Innovation Mission to host State-level innovation workshop to catalyze regional Innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystems development

 In a strategic move to foster and nurture innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem throughout India, Atal Innovation Mission is set to organize a peer-to-peer workshop focusing on the development of state-level innovation ecosystems.

The upcoming event, “Building State-level Innovation Ecosystems” is scheduled to take place from November 6th to 8th at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore). This three-day gathering will provide a unique platform for states and union territories (UTs) across India to convene, exchange insights, and build strategies to foster innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) within their respective regions.

Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission Dr. Chintan Vaishnav while addressing a pre event press conference here on Thursday said that “India’s recent ascent in the Global Innovation Index, from 81st to 40th place, underscores the nation’s vast innovation potential. To continue this remarkable trajectory and break into the top 25, it is imperative that India’s diverse states collaborate to build resilient I&E ecosystems tailored to their specific strengths and local contexts. These ecosystems play a pivotal role in strengthening regional industries, stimulating economic growth, and generating employment opportunities.”

He further maintained that the states across India have already embarked on the journey to construct robust I&E ecosystems, supported by initiatives from the Central Government. Consequently, a multitude of state-level models have emerged, each offering its own set of insights and accomplishments. However, this state-level workshop has been meticulously designed to harness the power of mutual learning among states and UTs, fostering a shared commitment to advancing their respective state-level I&E ecosystems.

The purpose of this workshop is to unleash the power of peer learning across the states/UTs in order to propel each state-level ecosystem forward.

In addition to sharing of State/UT-level innovation and entrepreneurship models, participants will exchange ideas, strategies, and experiences, showcasing successful implementations and the knowledge they have acquired in building innovation ecosystems.

Furthermore, the workshop aims to create a dynamic network of state and UT-level ecosystem builders who can continue to collaborate, exchange ideas, and drive progress beyond the workshop. The participants will also visit parts of the Karnataka innovation ecosystem during the workshop.

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8th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the 8th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog earlier today. The Meeting was held at the New Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.  It was attended by Chief Ministers/Lt.Governors representing 19 States and 6 UTs.

Prime Minister stressed that the Centre, States and UTs should work as Team India and fulfil the dreams and aspirations of people for a Viksit Bharat @ 2047. He said that NITI Aayog can play a critical role in helping States to develop their strategies for the next 25 years and align the same with the National Development Agenda. He urged the States and UTs to work with NITI Aayog so that the country can take a quantum leap towards achieving its vision for the Amrit Kaal.

Prime Minister mentioned that NITI Aayog is taking multiple initiatives for strengthening cooperative and competitive federalism like the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP). Both these programmes showcase the power of working together as Centre, States and Districts, and the impact of data-driven governance in improving the lives of common citizens at the grassroots level.

Prime Minister stressed on the need for States and Centre to promote Shree Anna in the International Year of Millets. He also deliberated on the need for working towards water conservation through the Amrit Sarovar programme. 

Prime Minister spoke about the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline at the State levels. He urged the States to proactively use the  Gati Shakti Portal not only for infrastructure and logistics but also for local area development and creation of social infrastructure.

Speaking about G20 meetings being held in the country, he said that while G20 has brought glory to India on the world stage, it has provided States the opportunity for global exposure. 

Prime Minister also spoke about the importance of skilling people with a view to meet global requirements, supporting MSMEs, developing the tourism potential of the country,  reducing compliances at the State level including decriminalisation of minor offences, creation of Ekta Malls. Talking about Nari Shakti, he highlighted the significance of women-led development. He also spoke about ending the menace of TB by 2025.

Chief Minister/Lt. Governors gave various policy level suggestions. They mentioned specific issues pertaining to the States which require Centre-State cooperation. Some of the key suggestions and best practices highlighted by them included in areas like opting for green strategies, need for zone wise planning, tourism, urban planning, agriculture, quality of workmanship, logistics, among others.

Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the CMs and LGs for participating in the meeting and sharing their views and experiences. He said NITI Aayog will study the states’ concerns, challenges, and best practices and subsequently plan the way forward.

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AIM, NITI Aayog, and UNCDF Team Up to Make India a Global Agri-tech Leader

 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) today jointly launched a whitepaper aimed at making India a global leader in Agri-Tech innovation and expanding these innovations to the least developed countries in Asia and Africa.

The whitepaper, meticulously prepared by experts from AIM, NITI Aayog, and UNCDF, offers actionable steps to overcome challenges faced by Agri-Tech start-ups and facilitate their growth at national and international levels.

The whitepaper outlines the significant observations and recommendations required to tackle challenges in the agriculture sector and promote sustainable practices that support smallholder farmers across developing economies. Agri-Tech innovations will help address food security, supply chain inefficiencies, and climate change concerns.

Addressing the audience, Mr. Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stated, “Agri-tech startups in India have emerged as a game-changer in the agriculture sector, offering innovative solutions to the emerging challenges in Agriculture like Climate change, Improving Productivity etc. The AIM-UNCDF Agri-tech challenge has uncovered the immense promise and potential of this market, and we are excited to see what the future holds.”

Speaking during the launch, Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission Dr. Chintan Vaishnav said “the agriculture sector is critical to food security, supply chain efficiency, and climate change mitigation, and the Agri-Tech start-ups in India have provided significant solutions to these challenges. Through this partnership with UNCDF, we aim to facilitate cross-border engagement, knowledge exchange, and investments to support high-impact Agri-Tech innovations and make agriculture practices efficient, resilient, and sustainable for smallholder farmers across developing economies. We look forward to working with our partners to realize this vision.”

At the launch, Jaspreet Singh, Global lead, Financial health and Innovation, UNCDF, said, “The learnings from the Agri-tech challenge have been immense and revealed that the market is enormous and has immense potential for global south-south collaboration. Moving forward, we are working towards creating a community platform for smallholder farmers which can be helpful for Agri and Agri-tech startups to exchange ideas, explore collaboration, and share knowledge”

With over 70% of the agricultural workforce in India comprising smallholder farmers, Agri-tech start-ups have emerged as the solution to the challenges faced by farmers. AIM, in partnership with UNCDF, aims to create a south-south collaboration environment where start-ups from Asia and Africa can exchange ideas and generate opportunities in their respective countries.

AIM, an anchor partner of the south-south collaboration initiatives, collaborates with partner countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and Zambia. The collaboration focuses on addressing three key challenges in the agriculture sector, namely low productivity, poor risk resilience, and inefficient supply chain management. Out of 25 potential Agri-Tech start-ups that aim to solve critical challenges around production, supply chain, risk, and climate change, the partners have shown interest in and are at various stages of cross-border engagement.

The Agri-Tech start-ups in emerging economies have successfully provided digital solutions to several agricultural challenges that the sector has faced in the past. AIM, in partnership with UNCDF, is committed to supporting high-impact Agri-Tech innovations, creating an enabling environment that facilitates start-up growth and sharing of knowledge across borders. The Indian start-up sector has the potential to play the role of a knowledge hub and support market development in less-developed start-up economies across the globe.

The launch of the whitepaper marks a significant milestone in the journey towards making India a global leader in Agri-Tech innovation and expanding these innovations to the least developed countries in Asia and Africa. AIM, NITI Aayog, and UNCDF are committed to working together towards this goal and achieving sustainable and inclusive growth in the agriculture sector.

 

Seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog

 As India commemorates 75 years of Independence, there is a reinforced need for the states to be agile, resilient and self-reliant and move towards ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in a spirit of cooperative federalism.  In the drive towards building a steady, sustainable and inclusive India, the Seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog will be held on 7th August 2022 and will pave the way for synergies towards a new era of collaboration and cooperation between Centre and States/ Union Territories.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will chair the seventh meeting of the Governing Council at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.  The agenda of the meeting, interalia, includes crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses and agri-communities; implementation of the National Education Policy–school education; implementation of the National Education Policy–higher education; and urban governance.

As part of preparations for the meeting, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in Dharamshala in June 2022 which was the culmination of the six month long rigorous exercise by the Centre and States. The conference was chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs, along with senior officials of the Central and State Governments.  The 7th Governing Council Meeting will endeavour to finalize a roadmap and outcome oriented action plan on each of the above themes. 

This would be the first in-person  meeting of the Governing Council since July 2019. It is particularly important as we enter Amrit Kaal against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and in light of India hosting the G20 Presidency and summit next year. The meeting would also lay emphasis on the importance of the Presidency for India for the federal system and the role that states can play in highlighting their progress at the G-20 Platform.

NITI Aayog’s Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies with the active involvement of States and Union Territories.  The Governing Council presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues. It comprises the Prime Minister of India; Chief Ministers of all the states and union territories with legislature; Lt Governors of other UTs; Ex-Officio Members; Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Full-Time Members, NITI Aayog; and Union Ministers as Special Invitees.  It provides one of the most important forum for deliberations between the Centre and States and identifying key strategies for cohesive action with a whole-of-Government approach.

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CO-OPERATIVE AND COMPETITIVE FEDERALISM

 

                                                              (Photo: YouTube)

India opted for quasi-federal structure after Independence. After Independence from 1947 to 1967, India experienced the centralized federalism. From 1967 to 1990, India witnessed confrontational federalism due to the emergence of other party governments at the state level. Since 1990, Co-operative federalism has been developed. The present NDA government has been focusing on the new concept of competitive federalism along with co-operative federalism for higher growth of the country.

In competitive federalism, states would compete with each other over a broad-range issues to provide citizens various services in a hassle-free manner. The policy of one-size-fit-all is replaced with different policies of various states based on their own priorities within the state. This spirit of competition has led to lack of inter-state mutual assistance. The NITI Aayog was formed to empower and strengthen the state governments. It also appointed regional councils to create cooperation among two or more states facing a common set of problems or amicably settle disputes.

While the competition between states, reflected in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, has generated a lot of enthusiasm, this must be a continuing exercise. There are only few well-off states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu which are competing. The proposed GST law may help some of the less productive states to raise the revenue. But the opposition of few well-off states with respect to revenue loss in implementation of GST system points that there is lack of will in participating in the process of competitive federalism.

We’ve seen various inter-state water disputes such as Krishna water disputes involving Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Narmada water disputes involving Rajasthan, Gujarat, M.P, and Maharashtra, Cauvery water disputes involving Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and various others. For this, under Article 263, an inter-state council was established. The Sarkaria Commission on center-state relations (1983-87) made a strong case for the establishment of a permanent inter-state council. Article 301 to 307 in Part 13 deals with the trade, commerce and intercourse within the territory of India, breaking all the border barrier between the states. Zonal councils have also been established in 1956 to narrow the gap between the states. Cases such as Cauvery water dispute and Sutlej Yamuna link canal issue have seen non-mutual assistance between the states to a wider extent.

Thus, it can be said that co-operative and competitive federalism are two sides of the same coin. This spirit of competition has led to the lack of mutual assistance between and among the states. It is competition with co-operation that will drive the real change.

 

NITI Aayog to study the feasibility of drinking water project

The Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today held a meeting with Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation, and Shri U.P. Singh, Secretary, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and discussed various possible ways in which drinking water and irrigation needs of the drought-prone Udayagiri area, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh can be met. The Vice President shared with them the concerns of the people of this area.

In the recent past, the Vice President has been talking to people of Udayagiri constituency, from where Shri Venkaiah Naidu, now The Vice President of India was elected as MLA in 1978 for the first time. While enquiring about the general well-being, they informed the Vice President that ground water levels in the area have depleted considerably, most of the tanks/borewells have dried up and various water supply schemes are not serving the water needs to the fullest. They also informed the Vice President that this is the 7th consecutive year where there are no adequate rains. Most of them requested Shri Naidu to find out ways of getting water from Krishna basin or Somasila project.

In today’s discussion with the Vice President, officials suggested that they would explore various options in consultation with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and see what might be the most feasible option.

The Vice President advised Secretary, Water Resources to discuss with Central Water Commission and find out about the technical feasibility. He also suggested that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the various ongoing efforts of the State Government to mitigate the water crisis including through the Water Grid project could be studied. 

After a preliminary assessment is made, the Vice President advised that a delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti as well as from NITI Aayog and Central Water Commission could visit the area and interact with the concerned stakeholders to understand the ground reality and suggest a way forward.