16-Dec-2022: Initiatives taken by Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to speed up patent applications and eliminate pendency

The Department has taken various initiatives to expedite the process of patent applications and eliminate pendency that includes manpower augmentation from time to time, setting up of feedback mechanism and appropriate legislative amendments. These includes, modernization of the Intellectual property (IP) offices with steady switchover from manual to computerized system of processing of applications, improved management of intellectual property (IP) related information, creation of stronger public interface and revamping of the routine functioning of IP offices. Further, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, officers have been provided with VPN access to avoid any delay in examination process. Also, to facilitate early disposal of applications, hearing of contested cases is done through videoconferencing, thereby removing the requirement of visiting the office by the applicant.

Further, for patent office international patent classification tool, WIPO-IPCCAT has been implemented, which helps the examiners and controllers to categorize the patents accurately and consistently into their main and sub-group levels in IPC. An appropriate classification results in effective and efficient prior arts search. For trademarks, India has acceded to Treaties on International Classification (for trademarks and designs) including Nice Agreement, Vienna Agreement, Locarno Agreement, which helps to harmonise the classification systems for examination of trademark and design applications, in line with the classification systems followed globally. Apart from initial induction, regular trainings are given to the technical manpower of patent office at Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Intellectual Property Management (RGNIIPM), Nagpur and foreign IP Offices, to improve their skills required for speedy examination and grant/registration of IP applications 

The Department regularly reviews the manpower strength of Patent Office with Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks office. In addition to the existing manpower of 936 officers, 500 additional posts in the Patent Office have been created. Further, approval for recruitment of 200 contractual manpower to assist the Patent officers in expediting the examination of application has been given.

Patent Office has adopted centralized system of allocation of patent applications in which applications are allotted to officers irrespective of geographical location. All operations in the Patent Office have been digitized. Further, comprehensive e-filing system has been introduced which is available 24x7. Therefore, an applicant situated in any part of India can file his/her patent application without any requirement of visiting Patent Office.

7-Dec-2022: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognizes 59,787 entities as startups in the last 5 years

In the last five years (years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021) 59,787 entities were recognised as startups by the DPIIT, Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash said in reply to a parliament question.

Under Startup India Initiative, entities are recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as startups as per eligibility conditions prescribed under G.S.R. notification 127 (E) dated 19th February, 2019. As on 30th November 2022, 84,102 entities have been recognised as startups by the DPIIT.

Recognized startups are spread across 56 sectors.

8-Oct-2022: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) holds National Workshop on ‘Ease of Doing Business’

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducted a National Workshop on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in New Delhi today.

The Keynote address at the Workshop was delivered by Shri Parameswaran Iyer, CEO Niti Aayog. He highlighted the importance of India’s performance on global indices. He underscored how Ease of Doing Business took the center stage as one of the most important pillars along with other programs, towards developing India as a preferred investment destination. Shri Iyer also spoke of the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for ease of living and Ease of Doing Business. He suggested that focus should be on achieving the whole-of-government approach by learning from each other.

Shri Amitabh Kant, G 20 Sherpa emphasized the role of Ease of doing business in transforming India. He reiterated that complacency with improvement of India’s rank is not desirable. De-novo thinking on the very need of certain processes, permissions, renewals is necessary to attain Ease of Doing business in its true spirit. Enabling a change in mindset within the country to accept the new ways is also essential, he said. Further he emphasized on having at least one change agent to initiate the transformation in every State.

Secretary DPIIT, Shri Anurag Jain moderated the panel discussion in which Shri Parameswaran Iyer, CEO Niti Aayog, Shri Ramesh Abhishek, Former Secretary DPIIT, Shri Shailendra Singh, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Ajay Tirkey, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Shri Ravinder, Secretary, Health, Government of UP participated.

Shri Ramesh Abhishek, former Secretary, DPIIT highlighted the vision for Ease of Doing Business 2.0, wherein a framework to be drafted for all public authorities including State and regulators. Study of global Best Practices should be undertaken by Government Departments. Very need for license/ approvals / renewals should be examined and any requirement of the same should be justified. It should also be examined if licenses/approvals can be replaced with mere registration/intimation to Government authorities.

Shri Shailendra Singh, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Madhya Pradesh, talked about the capacity building exercises undertaken and workshops for all stakeholders to inculcate Ease of Doing Business across the country.

Shri Ajay Tirkey, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, mentioned that significant improvement in registration processes has been achieved through digitization and accessible grievance redressal mechanism. Department is working on next phase of reforms including geo-referencing and unique identity for land parcels.

Shri Ravinder, Secretary, Health, Government of UP mentioned the initiatives undertaken on the lines of international best practices such as Hong Kong for improved construction permits.

The eminent panelists highlighted the significance of coordination among the government departments and States, allocation of responsibility among the nodal departments and effective monitoring as few pillars that led to the improvement in India’s rankings in World Bank’s Doing Business Report. The panelists also provided valuable inputs regarding the next generation of reforms to further enhance Ease of Doing Business across the Country.

Smt. Manmeet K. Nanda, Jt. Secretary, DPIIT also made a presentation covering the reform journey of Ease of Doing Business in India. She highlighted the key initiatives undertaken by the Central and State governments to create a conducive business environment across the Country. It may be noted that India is one of the few countries with sub-national rankings with an aim to percolate the impact of reforms at the ground level.

Presentations were also made by representatives of Government of Maharashtra and Government of NCT of Delhi highlighting reforms implemented by them which contributed to improvement of India’s rank in World Bank’s Doing Business Report.

Workshop also witnessed wide participation from States, Central Ministries, and Industry. The workshop highlighted the key learnings of continuous process of the Ease of Doing Business exercise in India. It broad based the initiatives undertaken, global best practices to be studied, and focused upon the ‘Whole of Government’ approach to drive reforms ‘Across Nation’.

7-Oct-2022: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) asks businesses and citizens to flag issues faced in starting and running a business

Government of India is committed to improve Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living across the country. Multitude of reforms have been implemented over the last few years to improve Government’s interface with businesses and citizens.

To further improve Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living, DPIIT is inviting suggestions from businesses and citizens on issues in starting and running a business. Any minor violation under different provisions/sections can be suggested for decriminalization. The aim is to make ‘New India’ a preferred investment destination across the globe and ensure hassle-free service delivery to the ultimate beneficiary. Suggestion campaign is live on Innovate platform of MyGov till 15th October 2022.

Campaign link: https://innovateindia.mygov.in/suggestion-box/

Following are some suggestive broad areas that can be seen to further improve Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living:

• Getting Permissions, Approvals
• Renewal of Certificates, Licenses
• Decriminalization of minor offences
• Filings/Returns
• Inspections/Audits
• Online systems/process
• Maintaining Registers & Records
• Applying for Incentives
• Payment of Incentives
• Procedural/Guidelines related
• Payment mechanism
• Others

28-Sep-2022: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Invest India and the Embassy of the Netherlands formalize the India-Netherlands Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM)

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and The Embassy of The Kingdom of The Netherlands officially signed the Joint Statement to formalize the bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM) between India and The Netherlands. Invest India, the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, is the executing body of the bilateral FTM. The Ambassador of The Netherlands to India, H.E. Mr. Marten van den Berg, and Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Anurag Jain, formally signed and exchanged the Joint Statement on 27th September 2022.

The bilateral FTM between India and The Netherlands aims to serve as a platform for faster resolution of investment cases of Dutch companies operating in India. The mechanism functions in close collaboration between DPIIT, respective ministries and departments, Invest India and the Embassy of The Netherlands. The mechanism will strengthen and assist bilateral efforts to increase mutual investment activities, as well as support and develop business cooperation between companies in both the countries.

“It is worthy of noting the strong economic relation between India and the Netherlands. Some Dutch companies have been operating for over 100 years in India, which illustrates this close bilateral relationship. We are keen to collaborate more with our Indian partners to further stimulate Dutch companies in India, particularly in key areas of economics, science and innovation,” highlights H.E. Mr. Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of The Netherlands to India.

“I would like to highlight the opportune period during which we are signing this FTM – ‘Amrit Kal’, the celebration of 75 years of independence as well as our bilateral diplomatic relationship. India is one of the few countries which has a very open FDI policy, and we have worked to resolve several issues of Dutch companies even before the FTM process began. In this context, we are formalizing a relationship which was present since long before,” comments Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, DPIIT.

“The India-Netherlands economic link has been a cornerstone in our bilateral relations. On this important occasion, it is crucial to highlight our strong political, economic and commercial relations, along with several sectoral cooperations. It is our endeavor that all issues of Dutch companies get resolved even before we reach the stage of the FTM, and are continuously working in this direction,” conveys Shri Rajendra Ratnoo, Joint Secretary, DPIIT.

“Today is a very important day for our bilateral relationship. The signing ceremony is a huge step towards promoting bilateral investments between both the partnering countries. There are significant areas of mutual interest, and we look forward to working together to make the India-Netherlands investment corridor more robust,” adds Mr. Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India.

Diplomatic relations between India and The Netherlands were formally established in 1947. Since then, the two countries have developed strong political, economic & commercial relations, and various sectoral co- operations.

According to official Indian statistics, The Netherlands is the 4th largest foreign direct investor in India. Between April 2000 and June 2022, the cumulative flow of foreign direct investment from The Netherlands to India reached some USD 42.3 billion.

In 2021-2022, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to USD 17 billion. India's exports to The Netherlands consists mainly of mineral fuels and mineral-based products, organic chemicals, electrical machinery and equipment, aluminium, iron and steel and pharmaceutical products.

26-Aug-2022: DPIIT reviews 40 critical Infrastructure Projects across India

Special Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the Project Monitoring Group (PMG Invest India) reviewed 40 critical infrastructure projects across India with issues enlisted for resolution with Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Ministry of Railways today. These included 11 projects previously reviewed under PRAGATI by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and several GatiShakti High Impact Projects as well.

The meeting saw active participation from senior officials from Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change and Ministry of Railways to discuss issues relating, forest clearances, use of railways land, right of way etc. The two Ministries provided cogent timelines for issue resolution. Additionally, officials from User Agencies also provided perspectives on overall progress of projects.

Among the projects reviewed, a few notable names are as follows:

• BharatNet- The broadband connectivity plan seeks to bring broadband to 361,000 villages across 16 states and is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
• Hubli-Ankola New Line Project (164.44 km), a super critical Railway project which was stuck due to litigation issues regarding wildlife clearance given by the National Board of Wildlife
• Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor connecting Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi with Modipuram in Meerut passing through key towns such as Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Muradnagar and Modinagar in Uttar Pradesh covering a total length of 82.15 km.
• Four laning of Bangalore - Chennai Expressway (NE-5), a 260.85 km 4-lane access-controlled road connecting Hoskote near Bengaluru, Karnataka with Sriperumbudur near Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Special Secretary, DPIIT reviewed 57 issues in 40 projects with an anticipated investment of approximately INR 3.37 lakh crores and emphasized upon the importance of timely completion of projects and the role of seamless coordination between the various departments of the Central Government to ensure that projects having high socio-economic importance are not delayed. Further, Special Secretary was particularly appreciative of the exemplary work done by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in streamlining the regulatory process for obtaining environment/forest/wildlife clearances and extensive reforms taken in this regard for ensuring timely commissioning of infrastructure projects across India.

Infrastructure being the central cog in India’s growth journey and driving its socio-economic development, the Government of India has prioritized the timely implementation and completion of large scale, high impact Infrastructure projects in India.

Considering the emphasis of the Central Government on GatiShakti and continuing the focus on infrastructure development and resolving bottlenecks being faced in projects, the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) was instituted. Since its merger with DPIIT in 2019, PMG Invest India has taken new initiatives such as developing a modern technology portal for better project monitoring and faster issue resolution. It offers a unique institutional mechanism to facilitate resolution of regulatory bottlenecks in infrastructure projects with investments upward of ₹ 500 crores and do milestone-based project monitoring of the same.

21-Apr-2022: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducts Investor's Roundtable

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce, and Industry along with Invest India conducted the Investor’s Roundtable on 20th April 2022 with the objective to boost investor confidence and take cognizance of industry-level policy recommendations to enhance investor’s business experience in India.

The meeting focussed on showcasing the opportunities in India and engaging with them to handhold their India entry /expansion plans.

Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, DPIIT emphasised the need for continuous dialogues between Industry and Government for a long-lasting business relationship. He reiterated that the post-pandemic recovery in India has been fast and there is growing confidence among both domestic and foreign investors in India.

He remarked that India received the highest ever FDI in the last two years. He also mentioned important reforms such as a reduction in Basic Customs Duty from 10 to 7.5%, extension of time limits for the new companies to be eligible for new corporate tax up to March 2024, the PLI schemes in various sectors and the launch of PM Gati Shakti to improve logistics efficiency and reduce logistics cost. Further, the demographic dividend and skilled workforce availability were also highlighted.

India's MSME sector with over 63 million units makes for a great opportunity for collaboration with investors in the global supply chain realignment. It was emphasized that reforms are a continuous process and assured that the government remains committed to strengthening the investor experience. Shri Anurag Jain requested the companies to Make in India - Make for the World as the country offers a favourable and competitive environment for investments.

The event saw the participation of 21 companies from various key investors representing sectors including the electronics, footwear, and textiles sectors. The senior officials of the State Government of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka were present and showcased the opportunities and support offered to the  industry in the respective states. The Union government was represented by senior officials from CBIC, MEA, DoC, NICDC, APEDA, CBDT, BIS MeitY, and FDI, Leather & International Cooperation (Asia) divisions of DPIIT, to address the suggestions of the investors.

21-Apr-2022: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducts Mega Buyer-Seller Meet  in Jammu & Kashmir under One District One Product

With the vision to promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, a mega buyer-seller meet was organized on 21st April, 2022 at Jammu and Kashmir under One District One Product initiative of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the support of Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO).

The Buyer Seller Meet witnessed the presence of multiple national and International Brands with the cumulative revenue of over Rs 8,000 Crores and having their products available in over a million retail outlets across the world. Sellers, Traders, Farmers, Aggregators from various districts of Jammu & Kashmir showcased their products that are unique to the valley including the world-famous Kashmiri saffron, Himalayan White Acacia Honey, Red shiny Kidney beans, freshly grown organic vegetables and more.

The Buyer Seller Meet provided a platform where different Government departments and institutions came together to boost the trade of selected products. Jammu & Kashmir agriculture and industries department worked together to bring quality products as per market requirement and it was imperative to connect this best-in-class products with renowned brands to improve earning potential of farmers. Collective discussion between all the stakeholders generated innovative ideas on diversification of products such as saffron based dairy products, Walnut based bakery products and more. Focused trade discussions were facilitated between the buyers and sellers which resulted in signing of Letters of Intent for 4 products amounting to INR 1.2 crores.

The above is a direct outcome of the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self Reliant India). DPIIT, under its initiative of One District One Product is working to ensure such linkages with a string focus on increasing farmers income. With over 700 products cutting across sectors like agriculture, textiles, handicrafts and manufacturing, the ODOP Initiative seeks to select, brand and promote one product from every district of the country. This is marked by a key role – to coordinate, create collaborative networks and enable handholding of buyers and sellers for the larger aim of trade promotion and facilitation.

The keynote address for the event was made by Shri. Som Parkash, Minister of State, Ministry and Commerce and Industry with the presence of various dignitaries such as Smt. Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT; Shri. Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers’ Welfare along with other subject matter experts from the Agricultural and Horticultural Departments of the Govt. of J&K.

Alongside the Buyer-Seller Meet, an e-commerce onboarding session was also held by one of the leading e-commerce players in the country in order to support J&K based sellers to expand trade into web-based sales. Previously, the ODOP Initiative had facilitated the sale of 6750 kilograms of apples and 2000 kgs of walnuts from Budgam, Kashmir to Karnataka based buyers that were previously importing the same. Through the recognition of unique selling propositions (USP) of various products and keen handholding, the ODOP Initiative seeks to replicate such efforts at a larger scale through its latest mega buyer-seller meet.

3-Mar-2022: PM addresses DPIIT webinar on 'Make in India for the World'

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed post-budget webinar organized by The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). This is eighth post-budget webinar addressed by the Prime Minister. Theme of the webinar was 'Make in India for the World'.

The Prime Minister said that the budget has many significant provisions for AatmaNirbhar Bharat and Make in India. He said that it is not acceptable that a country like India ends up merely as a market. He pointed towards supply chain disruptions during the pandemic and other uncertainties to underline the critical importance of Make in India.  On the other hand, the Prime Minister continued, positive factors like demographic dividend of young and talented population, democratic set up, natural resources should also encourage us to move towards Make in India with determination. He also referred to his call for zero defect-zero effect manufacturing that he gave for the ramparts of Red Fort. Aatmanirbharta is all the more important if we see from the prism of national security, he said.

The Prime Minister said, that the world is looking at India as a manufacturing powerhouse. Manufacturing, he said, is the 15 per cent of India’s GDP, but there are infinite possibilities before Make in India and we should work with full strength to create a robust manufacturing base in India, he said.

The Prime Minister gave the examples of new demand and opportunities in sectors like semi-conductors and Electric Vehicles where manufacturers should move with a sense of removing dependencies on foreign sources. Similarly, areas like steel and medical equipment need to be focussed for indigenous manufacturing, he said.

The Prime Minister stressed the difference between availability of a product  as opposed to availability of made in India product in the market.  He reiterated his dismay that many of the supplies for India’s various festivals are seeing foreign providers whereas they have been and can be easily provided by local manufacturers. He also emphasized that ambit of ‘Vocal for Local’ goes well beyond buying ‘Diyas’ on Diwali. He asked the private sector to push the factors of vocal for local and AatmaNirbhar Bharat in their marketing and branding efforts. “Take pride in the products your company makes and instill this sense of pride in your Indian customers as well. For this some common branding can also be considered”, he added.

The Prime Minister highlighted the need to find new destinations for the local products. He exhorted the private sector to enhance spending on R&D and to diversify and upgrade their product portfolio. Referring to declaration of 2023 as International Year of Millets, the Prime Minister said “The demand for millets is increasing in the world. By studying the world markets, we should prepare our mills in advance for maximum production and packaging.”

The Prime Minister mentioned new possibilities due to opening up of  areas like mining, coal and defence, the Prime Minister asked the participants to prepare a new strategy. “You will have to maintain global standards and you will also have to compete globally”, he said.

This budget has given significant importance of MSME through credit facilitation and technology upgradation. The government has also announced a RAMP program of Rs 6,000 crore for MSMEs. The budget has also focused on developing new railway logistics products for farmers, for large industries and MSMEs. The integration of postal and railway networks will solve the problems of connectivity in small enterprises and remote areas. He said that regional manufacturing ecosystem can be strengthened by using the model of PM DevINE which has been announced for the North-East Region. Similarly, reforms in Special Economic Zone Act will provide a boost for the exports.

Shri Modi also elaborated on the impact of the reforms. He said that in PLI for large scale electronics manufacturing, target of 1 lakh crore rupees worth of production was achieved in December 2021. Many other PLI schemes are in the important stages of implementation.

The Prime Minister mentioned removal of 25 thousand compliances and auto renewal of licences, leading to significant reduction in the compliance burden. Similarly, digitization is bring speed and transparency in the regulatory framework. “From Common Spice Form to National Single Window System to set up a company, now you are feeling our development friendly approach at every step”, he added.

The Prime Minister called upon the captains of manufacturing to pick up some areas and work to remove foreign dependence in that. He reiterated that such webinars are unprecedented governance steps to include stakeholder voices in the policy implementation and developing a collaborative approach for proper, timely and seamless implementation of the budget provisions for better outcomes.

2-Feb-2022: Micro Entrepreneurs in Rural Areas

Under Startup India Initiative, entities including Micro enterprises are recognized by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as Startups as per eligibility conditions prescribed under G.S.R. notification 127 (E) dated 19th February, 2019. All initiatives under the Startup India are inclusive and are implemented across States, cities, towns and rural areas. The recognised startups can avail benefits under the Startup India Initiative is given below:

1. Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS): Easy availability of capital is essential for entrepreneurs at the early stages of growth of an enterprise. The capital required at this stage often presents a make or break situation for startups with good business ideas. The Scheme aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. Rs. 945 crore has been sanctioned under the SISFS Scheme for period of 4 years starting from 2021-22. It will support an estimated 3,600 entrepreneurs through 300 incubators in the next 4 years.
2. Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) Scheme: The Government has established FFS with corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore, to meet the funding needs of startups. DPIIT is the monitoring agency and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the operating agency for FFS. The total corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore is envisaged to be provided over the 14th and 15th Finance Commission cycles based on progress of the scheme and availability of funds. It has not only made capital available for startups at early stage, seed stage and growth stage but also played a catalytic role in terms of facilitating raising of domestic capital, reducing dependence on foreign capital and encouraging home grown and new venture capital funds.
3. Ease of Procurement: To enable ease of procurement, Central Ministries/ Departments are directed to relax conditions of prior turnover and prior experience in public procurement for all Startups subject to meeting quality and technical specifications. Further, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Startup Runway; a dedicated corner for startups to sell products & services directly to the Government.
4. Self-Certification under Labour and Environmental laws: Startups are allowed to self-certify their compliance under 6 Labour and 3 Environment laws for a period of 3 to 5 years from the date of incorporation.
5. Income Tax Exemption for 3 years: Startups incorporated on or after 1st April 2016 can apply for income tax exemption. The recognised startups that are granted an Inter-Ministerial Board Certificate are exempted from income-tax for a period of 3 consecutive years out of 10 years since incorporation.
6. Exemption for the Purpose Of Clause (VII)(b) of Sub-section (2) of Section 56 of the Act: A DPIIT recognized startup is eligible for exemption from the provisions of section 56(2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act.
7. Faster Exit for Startups: Ministry of Corporate A­ffairs has notified Startups as ‘fast track firms’ enabling them to wind up operations within 90 days vis-a-vis 180 days for other companies.
8. Support for Intellectual Property Protection: Startups are eligible for fast-tracked patent application examination and disposal. The Government launched Start-ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) which facilitates the startups to file applications for patents, designs and trademarks through registered facilitators in appropriate IP offices by paying only the statutory fees. Facilitators under this Scheme are responsible for providing general advisory on diff­erent IPRs, and information on protecting and promoting IPRs in other countries. The Government bears the entire fees of the facilitators for any number of patents, trademark or designs, and startups only bear the cost of the statutory fees payable. Startups are provided with an 80% rebate in filing of patents and 50% rebate in filling of trademark vis-a-vis other companies.
9. Startup India Hub: The Government launched a Startup India Online Hub on 19th June 2017 which is one of its kind online platform for all stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India to discover, connect and engage with each other. The Online Hub hosts Startups, Investors, Funds, Mentors, Academic Institutions, Incubators, Accelerators, Corporates, Government Bodies and more.
10. International Access to Indian Startups: One of the key objectives under the Startup India initiative is to help connect Indian startup ecosystem to global startup ecosystems through various engagement models. This has been done though international Government to Government partnerships, participation in international forums and hosting of global events. Startup India has launched bridges with over 13 countries (Brazil, Sweden, Russia, Portugal, UK, Finland, Netherlands, Singapore, Israel, Japan and South Korea, Canada, Croatia) that provides a soft-landing platform for startups from the partner nations and aid in promoting cross collaboration.
11. National Startup Awards: National Startup Awards is an initiative to recognize and reward outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact.

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), a credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth, is operational. The Scheme was launched during FY 2008-09. Under the Scheme, general category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of 25 % of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas. For beneficiaries belonging to special categories such as scheduled caste/scheduled tribe/OBC /minorities/women, ex-serviceman, physically handicapped, North-east region, Hill and Border areas etc. the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas.

Further, the Fund of Funds for Startups Scheme and the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme are operational to provide capital at various stages of business cycle of a startup.

Under the Fund of Funds for Startups Scheme (FFS), a corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore has been sanctioned, spread over 14th and 15th Finance Commission cycles. The Scheme is operated and managed by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The Scheme does not directly provide financial assistance to startups, instead supports SEBI- registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), who in turn invest money in growing Indian startups through equity and equity-linked instruments.

Under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Rs. 945 crore has been sanctioned for period of 4 years starting from 2021-22. The funds are released to Startups through approved Incubators.

23-Sep-2021: Startup India ecosystem gets big boost by DPIIT

The Prime Minister of India has launched a nation-wide celebration of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence. The initiative is a 75-week countdown to the 75th Independence Day of India starting from 12th March 2021. It embodies all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political, and economic identity and is dedicated to the people of India who have been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey, fueled by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry is celebrating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Week from the 20th of September 2021 to the 26th of September 2021. The role of states in promoting the Startup ecosystem has been pivotal for India’s journey towards a leading global Startup hub. In the light of promoting and celebrating the Startup India initiative during the said week, Startup India is coordinating with the below States and Union Territories to organize/participate in startup events.

1. Uttarakhand
2. Meghalaya
3. Andaman & Nicobar Islands
4. Telangana
5. Gujarat
6. Karnataka
7. Jammu & Kashmir
8. Haryana
9. Assam

The aim of the initiative is to foster entrepreneurship on the ground. The activities/programs conducted by the above states in association with Startup India consist of diverse programs, launch of key initiatives, inaugural of startup summits, and launch of startup policies, etc. The programs under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Week will have a long-lasting impact on the entire startup ecosystem of India.

The above states are at different stages of the Startup ecosystem, i.e., ranging from emerging ecosystem to best performing ecosystem. To keep the interests of the Startup ecosystem in line, a wide range of themes have been chosen to conduct these programs as per the ecosystem's needs. The themes vary from - Knowledge on Trademarking and Patents, Investments, Marketing, Mentorship, Regulations, Procurement, Community building, etc. Programs around these themes will equip entrepreneurs with immense knowledge to scale their existing venture to the next stage.

31-Dec-2020: Year End Review-  2020 for Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade

The major highlights of the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade during the year 2020 are as follows:

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS: Doing Business Report,2020: To improve Ease of Doing Business in the country, the emphasis has been on simplification and rationalization of the existing rules and introduction of information technology to make governance more efficient and effective. As per the Doing Business Report (DBR) ,2020 of the  World Bank’s released  on 24th October, 2019, India’s rank has moved upwards at  63rd position amongst 190 countries from its rank at  77nd  position  in  2019. India has improved its rank in 7 out of 10 indicators and has moved closer to international best practices. The DBR, 2020 acknowledges India as one of the top 10 improvers, third time in a row, with an improvement of 67 ranks in three years. It is also the highest jump by any large country since 2011.

State Reform Action Plan: Since 2014 to track the implementation of business reforms at the State level, DPIIT in partnership with the World Bank, has been annually ranking all States and UTs based on the assessments of reforms in the specified areas of ease of doing business. A 301-point State Reforms Action Plan, 2020 was shared with States/UTs on 25th August, 2020 for its implementation by 31st December, 2020. The Action Plan is spread across 24 reform areas and seeks to promote sector-specific approach so as to create an enabling business environment across various sectors in the country. The various sectors include Trade License, Healthcare, Legal Metrology, Fire License/NOC, Cinema Halls, Hospitality, Telecom, Movie Shooting and Tourism.

District Reform Action Plan: District level functionaries are key touch points for an entrepreneur and hence a district level reform exercise is the next logical step in the reform agenda. DPIIT has prepared and shared a 213-point District Reform Action Plan, 2020 with States/UTs on 25.08.2020. The Action Plan covers 8 reform areas with States & UTs. The District Plan covers 43 NOCs/Permissions/ Registrations/ Certificates which will ease regulations for sectors like retail, education, health, food and beverages, real estate, gems and jewellery mining and entertainment.

INVESTMENT PROMOTION

Production-Linked Incentive Scheme: To provide a major boost to manufacturing, the government has launched Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for 13 sectors, 3 sectors in March 2020    and 10 sectors in November 2020 with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore over the next five years. The sectors are  (i) Automobiles and Auto Components, (ii) Pharmaceuticals Drugs, (iii) Specialty Steel, (iv) Telecom & Networking Products, (v) Electronic/Technology Products, (vi) White Goods (ACs and LEDs), (vii) Food Products, (viii) Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles, (ix) High efficiency solar PV modules, and (x) Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery (xi) Medical devices (xii) Large scale electronics manufacturing  including mobile phones (xiii)  Critical Key Starting materials /Drug intermediaries and APIs. The PLI schemes will be implemented by the concerned ministries/departments and will be within the overall financial limits prescribed. The largest financial outlay has been given to the PLIs on Automobile and Auto Components and on Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC).

Empowered Group of Secretaries and Project Development Cells:  In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, with a view to support, facilitate and provide investor friendly ecosystem to investors investing in India, an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), and Project Development Cells (PDCs) in Ministries/Departments have been set up. These institutions are meant to fast-track investments in coordination between the Central Government and State Governments and thereby grow the pipeline of investible projects in India to increase domestic investments and FDI inflow.

PDCs have now been established in 29 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, headed by respective Joint Secretary-level nodal officers. All PDCs have assumed a smooth functioning, executing clearly defined investor engagement strategies, which includes identification of prospective investors; multi-level engagements with investors that have shown interest; active engagement with a wide range of stakeholders to resolve existing investors’ issues, to develop new projects/proposals and to promote existing investment opportunities.

Investment Clearance Cell: Following the Hon'ble FM’s budget announcement, an Investment Clearance Cell (ICC) to provide facilitation and support to businesses through a one-stop digital platform – the central Single Window System (SWS) is being set up and the platform is planned for launch with select states by 15 April, 2021. This national portal will integrate the existing clearance systems of the various Ministries/Departments of Govt. of India and State Governments without disruption to the existing IT portals of Ministries.

Industrial Information System: DPIIT has developed an Industrial Information System (IIS) which provides a GIS-enabled database of industrial areas including clusters, parks, nodes, zones, etc. across the country to help investors identify their preferred location for investment. 3390 industrial parks/estates/SEZs in 4.76 lakh hectares have been mapped on Industrial Information System (IIS) along with net land area availability. A national level land bank is being developed by integrating IIS with State industrial GIS systems. A GIS Land Bank was launched by Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry on 27 August 2020 for 6 states [Gujarat, UP, Odisha, Telangana, Goa, Haryana]; and now 7 more states [Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand] have been on-boarded, which brings total number of states on-boarded to 13. This will enable the investors to see plot level data and availability of updated land related information in real time. A mobile app is also available for easy viewing by users.

Industrial Park Rating System: Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) is an exercise which recognizes best performing parks, identifying interventions and serving as a decision support system for investors and policy makers in being undertaken by DPIIT, under the technical guidance of ADB. DPIIT now aims to develop the first annual ‘Industrial Park Rating System 2.0’ that shall widen its coverage and aim to bring in qualitative assessment further to the pilot phase. Under IPRS 2.0, the assessment of Industrial Parks including private industrial parks with introduction of qualitative indicators for assessing these parks will be undertaken this year. IPRS 2.0 will include the introduction of tenant feedback mechanism which will help in assessment of the developer’s responses and also engage directly with the ultimate beneficiaries of this exercise. The exercise of assessment of the Industrial Park will conclude with releasing of report on Industrial Park Rating System 2.0 by March-2021.

Focus Sub-Sectors: DPIIT is working closely with 24 sub-sectors which have been chosen keeping in mind the Indian industries strengths and competitive edge, need for import substitution, potential for export and increased employability. These 24 subsectors are – furniture, air-conditioners, leather and footwear, ready to eat, fisheries, Agri-produce, auto components, aluminium, electronics, agrochemicals, steel, textiles, EV components and integrated circuits, ethanol, ceramics, set top boxes, robotics, televisions, close circuit cameras, toys, drones, medical devices, sporting goods, gym equipment. Efforts are on to boost the growth of the sub-sectors in a holistic and coordinated manner.

One District One Product (ODOP): The Hon’ble PM’s clarion call of ‘AatmaNirbhar’ to the nation in his address on the 74th Independence Day – August 15, 2020 explicitly emphasized that we as a nation must move on the path of value addition to our natural as well as human resources. DPIIT is working on the initiative of One District One Product to take this vision forward. OODP has been envisaged to be a transformational step forward realizing the true potential of a district, fuel economic growth and generate employment and rural entrepreneurship. ODOP has already been implemented in some of the States (for example, UP). By scaling it up as a national movement, we can look at creating a pool of 739 products from 739 districts in India that can be regulated.

To begin with, 103 districts have been identified with specific products having manufacturing / export potential. 68 products out of the 106 products are available on big ecommerce platforms. With a view to promote manufacturing and exports, an analysis of specific interventions such as marketing, technology, design, etc. is underway along with identification of the agency responsible for the same. Merger of the two initiatives “ODOP” and “District as Export Hub” as a common initiative to be led by Department of Commerce and supported by DPIIT.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

The IPR regime in India has transformed in the past two decades. The changes have been effected in infrastructure upgradation, manpower augmentation, regulatory reforms and IT enablement resulting in speedy disposal of IP applications. Electronic filing systems are in place for filing of applications for Patents, Trademarks, Designs and Geographical Indications. The Copyright Office, also has advanced facilities for online filing for registration of copyrights. Real time dissemination of information, in respect of IP applications, positions India’s IP Offices at par with its peers globally.

The major achievements in 2020 are explained below.

1. In order to simplify the process and reduce compliance burden, amendments have been made through Patent Amendment Rules 2020, related to the working of Patented Invention in India as required under section 8 in Form 27. Additionally, filing of a statement on the commercial working of a patent within 6 months instead of 3 months as prescribed earlier and only one form may be filled in respect of multiple related patents assigned to common patentee.
2. To give a boost to the registration of Authorised users of a Geographical Indications product, Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) (Amendment) Rules, 2020 were notified in the Gazette on August 26, 2020. The amendment has reduced the fees to be paid for the GI registration process and eased the procedure for registration of an authorized user of a registered GI.
3. Scheme for facilitating Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) launched for encouraging innovation and creativity of startups has now been extended up to 31stMarch, 2023.
4. To encourage Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to seek protection for their innovations processing fees for patent applications by small entities has been further reduced by 80% (from the existing 50% provided in May 16, 2016) as compared to large entities. As a result, the patent filing and processing fees for small entities is now at par with the fees for individual applicants and start-ups.
5. Last year, India and Japan had signed a bilateral "Patent Prosecution Highway". The first year of a three year’s Pilot PPH Program with Japan was a successful drive whereby 100 patent applications were received, which allowed 100 applications from Japan in a year.
6. International Collaborations - India has signed MoUs with various countries so as to lay the foundation for a technical cooperation between the two countries with the aim of strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights for the benefit of innovation and sustainable economic growth. Building on this foundation, India this year signed MoUs with the United States of America, Denmark and Portugal. Subsequently, various IPR awareness drives were carried out in collaboration with Denmark.
7. Adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift to the digital space for carrying forward the objective of creating IPR awareness was observed and organised 224 webinars for different stakeholders such as FICCI/CII/INTA/Atal Tinkering Labs. Additionally, a specific initiative related to sensitization of IPR enforcement agencies was also carried out in collaboration with State Judicial Academies.
8. Keeping with the trend, several social media campaigns related to IPR awareness were executed, such as “Quiz Time with CIPAM”, and “Defeat Counterfeit”. Further, a campaign “Gift a GI” for promotion and marketing of GI products was also launched, especially during festive seasons. In the spirit of ‘vocal for local’ theme, another campaign talking about success stories of indigenous technologies and startups has been recently launched in collaboration with AGNII.

No. of Patent and Trademark applications filed by Startups under Startups Intellectual Property Protection

Year	Patents		Trademarks
	Filed	Granted	Filed	Registered
2019-20	1841	106	4130	2248
2020-21 (till November 2020)	1262	9	4104	89

S. No.	Particulars	IPR Awareness workshops/ seminars
	Academic Institutions (including school/colleges/ universities)	117
	IP training and sensitization programs for enforcement agencies and judiciary.	16
	Industries including Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)/Startups/Young entrepreneurs	97

Figures of IPR filings and registered in 2020-21

IP	CUMULATIVE STATISTICS: FY 2020-21 (Till November 30, 2020)
	Filing	Grants/Registration
Patents	37660	17148
Trademarks	278023	135289
Copyrights	13861	9221
Designs	7403	5425
Geographical Indications	33	5

STARTUP INDIA

With over 40,000 recognized startups, India has transformed into the third largest startup ecosystem supplementing employability as well as enhancing our self-reliance. Startup India’s role has been vital in nurturing entrepreneurship beyond Tier 1 cities. The regional growth through the efforts of States and Union Territories (UTs) has created a national ecosystem to thrust our economic goals

With the launch of the Startup India campaign, recognized startups have now spread across 586 districts with a total of 29 States and UTs with Startup Policies in place, creating more than 4.2 lakh jobs. Entrepreneurs now have options to avail benefits across a range of laws, regulations, fiscal and infrastructural support. Startup India has also played a pivotal role in strengthening the key pillars identified for our startup economy.

Salient features of the schemes provided by Startup India are:

• An INR 10294.27 crore Startup Fund of Funds has been launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to promote availability of risk capital in the Indian economy. As of 13th November 2020, the Fund of Funds has committed INR 4326.95 crore to 60 private venture funds.
• Startup India has facilitated procurement from startups on the Government E-Marketplace (GeM) portal. Presently, 7438 startups have serviced orders worth over INR 1800 crores on GeM portal.
• A number of ‘Startup Grand Challenges’ with Government bodies and corporates have been organized to channelize them to work with startups and incorporate the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.
• To further bridge the Indian Startup ecosystem with the Global ecosystem, engagement models with 11 countries including Korea, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, etc. have been built.
• Startup India launched the StartupYatra in 2017 which took the momentum to rural and non-metro regions, reaching the grass root level of the states.
• DPIIT launched the first edition of States’ Startup Ranking Framework 2018 in February 2018 and second edition in May 2019. State Startup Ranking is an effort to identify key actions undertaken by various States to help and scale up Startups. It is also an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge relevant departments of the States and UTs that have worked consistently in this mission to make India a thriving Startup nation. The results for SRF 2.0 were declared in September 2020. To facilitate continuity in the exercise that has led to immense growth of startup ecosystem on in the states, the State Ranking Framework 2020 is being planned and will be undertaken in the coming months. To further this endeavour, the next framework delves deeper into policies and incentives to make India one of the best startup nations in the world.
• Actions taken by the Startup India initiative have resulted in a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. The results are visible across all fields of human endeavour and all sectors of the economy. The ‘National Startup Awards’ have been conceptualized to further strengthen the Indian startup ecosystem. These awards seek to recognize and reward outstanding Startups and ecosystem enablers (incubators and accelerators) that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact. The first edition of the awards was launched in November 2019 across 12 Sectors and 3 Special Categories, successfully receiving 1,682 applications. The Winners were announced on the 6th of October 2020 for the first edition. The 2nd National Startup Awards are in the planning stage and will be open for applications in the coming months.
• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under the Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) scheme has selected 102 incubators across the country to provide financial support, with grants worth INR 201.1 crores being disbursed to 68 incubators. This fund has supported incubation of more than 1,250 startups, created over 13,800 jobs and has led to over 2,000 events and 700 trainings being conducted.
• Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL)by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) aims to inculcate entrepreneurial skills in school students. Over 14,000 schools have been selected to set up Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) with 5068 ATLs having received INR 12 lakhs grants each and are operational.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Foreign Direct Investment has played an important role in this process of Globalization and is a major driver of economic growth and a source of non-debt finance for the economic development of India. It has been the endeavour of the Government to put in place an enabling and investor friendly FDI policy. Government on its part has undertaken a number of reforms in different areas of economy. In the last one years, to liberalise and simplify FDI policy for providing Ease of doing business and attract investments, following reforms have been undertaken by the Government across sectors:

Insurance Intermediaries

Vide Press Note 1(2020) 100% FDI has been permitted in Intermediaries or Insurance Intermediaries including insurance brokers, re-insurance brokers, insurance consultants, corporate agents, third party administrator, Surveyors and Loss Assessors and such other entities, as may be notified by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority from time to time.

Civil Aviation

In order to permit Foreign Investment up to 100% by those NRIs, who are Indian Nationals, in case of M/s Air India Ltd., vide Press Note 2(2020); Government amended the extant FDI Policy to permit Foreign Investment(s) in M/s Air India Ltd. by NRIs, who are Indian Nationals, up to 100% under automatic route.

Curbing opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic

In order to curbing opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vide Press Note 3(2020) dt. 17.04.2020, Government amended the FDI policy according to which an entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the Government route. Further, in the event of the transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an entity in India, directly or indirectly, resulting in the beneficial ownership falling within the restriction/purview of the said policy amendment, such subsequent change in beneficial ownership will also require Government approval.

Defence Sector

Now, FDI in the defence sector is allowed up to 74% through automatic route (from earlier 49%) for companies seeking new industrial licenses. FDI beyond 74% and up to 100% will be permitted under Government route. For existing FDI approved holders/defence licensees, infusion of fresh foreign investment up to 49% resulting in change in equity/ shareholding pattern can be done by making declaration within 30 days (earlier Government approval was required). Now, foreign investments in the defence sector shall be subject to scrutiny on grounds of National Security.

Consolidated FDI Policy Circular 2020

This Department has released 'Consolidated FDI Policy Circular 2020' and the same is uploaded on this Department's website for reference of various stakeholders including Ministries/Departments and prospective investors.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

SOP has been amended for ease of processing FDI proposals and is uploaded on

Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal for reference of various stakeholders including Ministries/Departments and prospective investors.

FDI applications disposed of in 2020

26 FDI applications marked to DPIIT have been disposed of in 2020.

FDI Statistics

During the first seven months of F.Y. 2020-21, total FDI inflow increased by 11% from USD 42.06 billion (April, 2019 to October, 2019) to US$ 46.82 billion (April, 2020 to October, 2020). FDI equity inflow increased by 21% to US$ 35.33 billion (April, 2020 to October, 2020) from US$ 29.31 billion reported in the same period of previous financial year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

To promote “Manufacturing Investment” in India, usage of made in India products is being encouraged in government procurement. Keeping above perspective, DPIIT has revised its Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order on 16.09.2020 with the following important changes:

1. For purchases with estimated value less than Rs. 200 crore, Global tender enquiry shall not be issued.
2. Suppliers offering items with minimum 50% domestic value addition will get purchase preference over other suppliers in government procurement.
3. Suppliers offering items with less than 20% domestic value addition can’t participate in domestic/national bidding process.
4. Nodal Ministries/ Departments have been authorized to notify higher minimum local content requirement for Class-I/ Class-II local suppliers i.e. higher than 50/20%.

Amendment has been done in GFR/PPP-MII to keep check on entities operating from countries sharing land border with India from participating in Government procurement/tenders –Applications received are being forwarded to MHA & MEA for security and political clearance. It is expected that usage of made in India products will promote local manufacturing thereby enhancing income and job opportunities for local people.

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS/QUALITY CONTROL ORDERS

One of the instruments for attracting investment in post COVID economy is adoption of Technical Regulations- a WTO compliant instrument. Technical regulations/Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are issued by DPIIT for industries falling under its domain to provide safe reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting exports, promoting import substitutes and restricting imports of sub-standard products. DPIIT as per its mandate has been issuing QCOs since 1987. QCOs for 100 products (e.g. Air conditioner, Toys, Footwears, Pressure cooker, Microwave oven etc.) under BIS Act, 1986/2016 as well as 15 products under Indian Explosives Act, 1884 (Gas Cylinders, Valves and Regulators) have been issued. 71 HSN Codes as identified by Department of Commerce (DoC) based on import surge have been examined by DPIIT. Out of which QCOs notified for 22; additional 13 are under consideration; on the rest 36 HS lines QCO not feasible. DPIIT is continuously engaged with BIS and relevant stakeholders for notification of QCOs.

INDUSTRIAL CORRIDORS

National Industrial Corridor Development Programme is India's most ambitious infrastructure programme aiming to develop new industrial cities as "Smart Cities" and converging next generation technologies across infrastructure sectors. The National Industrial Corridor Programme includes the following Industrial Corridors:

• Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
• Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)
• Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) with extension to Kochi via Coimbatore
• East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) with Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) as Phase 1
• Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC)

The objective is to expand India's Manufacturing & Services base and develop National Industrial Corridors as a "Global Manufacturing and Trading Hub". The programme will provide a major impetus to planned urbanization in India with manufacturing as the key driver. In addition to new Industrial Cities, the programme envisages development of infrastructure linkages like power plants, assured water supply, high capacity transportation and logistics facilities as well as softer interventions like skill development programme for employment of the local populace.

A National Master Plan for providing multimodal connectivity infrastructure depicting the economic zones as fulcrums of economic development interconnected with a network of multimodal connectivity infrastructure for seamless movement of people, goods & services has been prepared and is under consideration for approval of CCEA. As part of the National Master Plan, 11 (Eleven) Industrial Corridors have been identified with 32 nodes/projects proposed to be developed in 04 phases until 2024-25”.

Major achievements in 2020 are given below.

Completion of Trunk Infrastructure Components

• Trunk infrastructure activities completed at Integrated Industrial Township (IITGN) at Greater Noida (747 acres), Uttar Pradesh and Integrated Industrial Township (IITVUL) at Vikram Udyogpuri (1100 acres), Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
• Trunk infrastructure activities nearing completion at Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) (22.5 sq. kms), Gujarat and Shendra Bidkin Industrial Area (AURIC) (19 sq. kms), Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

Land allotted and investment secured

• A total of 84 plots admeasuring nearly 554.73 acres have been allotted to companies with investment to the tune of more than Rs. 16,100 crore including investors like HYOSUNG (South Korea), NLMK (Russia), HAIER (China), TATA Chemicals & AMUL so far. Further, 09 companies have also started their commercial production.
• During the year, 09 plots (industrial and residential) admeasuring 53 acres allotted in Shendra Industrial City and 02 plots admeasuring 10 acres awarded in Integrated Township at Vikram Udyogpuri.
• Apart from the above allotted plots, developed land parcels are available for immediate allotment as per details below:

S. No	Name of the Node/City	Land available for allotment (industrial + other uses) (acres)
1	Shendra Bidkin Industrial Area (MH), 4583 acres	1100
		1700
2	Dholera Special Investment Region (GJ), 5,560 acres	2900
3	Integrated Industrial Township Project, Greater Noida (UP), 747 acres	270
4	Integrated Industrial Township ‘Vikram Udyogpuri’ Project (MP), 1100 acres	650
Total		6,620

Logistics Data Bank (LDB) project is currently operational across 28 ports in India covering approximately 150+ Container Freight Stations/Inland Container Depots and 60+ Toll plazas. More than 30 million EXIM containers have been tracked till date. During the year, the services have been expanded till Nepal and Bangladesh.

DEVELOPMENT OF BACKWARD REGIONS

One of the principal objectives of the Government of India’s industrial strategy is to promote balanced industrial development throughout the country. For stimulating industrial development of hilly States, the Union Government has been supplementing the efforts of State Governments through various policies / schemes / packages of incentives. Region specific incentives schemes for the States of J&K, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Northern-Eastern Regions are being implemented by DPIIT.

PETROLEUM AND EXPLOSIVES SAFETY ORGANIZATION (PESO)

Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) functioning as a subordinate organization under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has undertaken various initiatives for ease of doing business and assisting the stake holders. Some important initiatives undertaken are as follows:

Launch of paperless licensing system: With an aim of eliminating human interface, to revamp the functioning of PESO and to enhance efficiency and transparency, paperless application and approval / grant / renewal of licenses have been launched by PESO with effect from 16/01/2020. The paperless application for grant / renewal of licenses will save precious time, stationery/postage and physical storage space. Forgery & misuse of licenses will be completely eradicated as the licenses will be issued through a secure system.

The authenticity of the license can be verified through PESO’s website (https://online.peso.gov.in/PublicDomain/). As a step ahead and to promote the digital payment initiative of the Government of India, PESO has introduced online fee payments in the application module. Fees can be submitted through credit card, debit card and net banking. With effect from 20/11/2019, receipt of fees through demand drafts has been completely stopped and fees is being received through Non Tax Receipt Portal (Bharat Kosh).

Out of the 47 licenses issued by PESO, 28 have been made paperless and remaining will be available online by 31st March 2021. More than 80% of the licenses issued by PESO are covered under the Paperless Application and Approval. The breakup of all the licenses covered under paperless application, approval & renewal is as follows:

Licenses issued under rules	Total modules	Modules covered under online system	Modules not covered under online system
Petroleum Rules	14	11	3
SMPV (U) Rules	7	6	1
Gas Cylinders Rules	8	5	3
Explosives Rules	12	3	9
Ammonium Nitrate Rules	5	2	3
Calcium Carbide Rules	1	1	0
Total Premises	47	28	19

Petroleum, Gas & Explosives Industry will be immensely benefitted by this initiative of PESO, as they are committed towards transparent and efficient public service.

Increasing the number of Competent Persons

With an aim to increase the number of Competent Persons, PESO proposes to increase the existing strength of the recognized Competent Persons. As on date, there are 349 competent persons recognized under the Petroleum Rules, 2002 and 297 competent persons are recognized under the SMPV (U) Rules, 2016. As an additional step, PESO proposes to add additional educational qualifications as well as relax the existing educational qualifications and relevant work experience of the candidates. Age limit is proposed to be introduced for ensuring physical and medical fitness of the Competent Persons. Draft rules for making necessary amendments in the Rules are under examination.

Third-Party Inspection

In order to speed up the process of inspections mandated under the statutes administered by PESO and Rules framed therein, PESO is evaluating to enlarge the scope of the third-party inspection wherever feasible. DPIIT is already working in this regard and consultations were held on 25.11.2020 with stakeholders Ministries/Departments viz. Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Indian Standards and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. A committee of Officers of PESO has been constituted to examine the views/ideas given by stakeholders, hold detailed consultations with them and submit a report by December, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS DURING COVID

COVID-19 has been unambiguously one of the worst events that happened to mankind. The outbreak of the pandemic has given an unprecedented shock to the global economy and the ripples felt in the Indian economy as well. With the prolonged country-wide lockdown, the global economic downturn, and associated disruption of demand and supply chains, the economy faced a protracted period of slowdown.

In these tough times, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) along with other Central Ministries and regulatory bodies undertook several measures to support and protect domestic industry. The idea behind these initiatives was to support the post-COVID 19 industrial ecosystem. The sections below summarize the key initiatives undertaken for managing India’s industrial growth.

1. Setting up a ‘Control Room’ to monitor the real-time status of manufacturing & logistics of essential goods and commodities
   • DPIIT  set-up a ‘Control Room’ to monitor the real-time status of transportation & logistics. The control room was operational during the entire period of the national lockdown. The team monitored the issues of internal trade, manufacturing, delivery & logistics of essential commodities. They also responded to the difficulties faced by stakeholders in the resource mobilization.
   • The control room played a key role in resolving on-ground difficulties by facilitating feedback to State Governments and other agencies and if required, provided submissions on clarifications and further steps that were needed to be taken to resolve the issues
   • In the event of any manufacturer, transporter, distributor, wholesaler, or e-commerce companies facing any ground-level difficulties, it was informed to the department through the helpline number and email
   • After registering complaints, DPIIT submitted the same to the respective concerned state government/ department(s) to take quick actions and ensure that the delivery of essential commodities isn’t impacted.
   • To monitor actual resolution on-ground, daily feedback calls were made to understand pendency and response. The control room’s proactive response and real-time feedback monitoring ensured a resolution rate of 73% for all queries logged in at the Control Room. Out of the total number of 2500 (Approx.) queries reported, about 1880 were successfully addressed by the team.
2. Managing and facilitating Pan-India medical oxygen supply

DPIIT and its subordinate office, the Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), have taken various measures to mitigate the problems of license holders and to meet the challenge of supply of sufficient quantity of medical oxygen to hospitals all over the country without any interruption during the present COVID pandemic.

Various challenges arose and these were tackled in a consultative manner, with the support of quick decision making from the DPIIT and the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EG2) of the Government of India. Some of the important decisions undertaken are mentioned below:

1. An institutional mechanism was put in place through the nomination of nodal officers to review and monitor medical oxygen supply in all States and UTs of India. A control room was formed with the Nodal officers to ensure every State and UT had a mechanism to represent oxygen-related matters and get a quick resolution
2. Government issued a letter confirming that all Medical Oxygen Manufacturing units remain functional during the lockdown. A multi-disciplinary Oxygen monitoring committee (with senior government officials) was formed to ensure adequate availability of Oxygen.
3. An important decision to allow industrial oxygen for medical use was also facilitated which proved beneficial during the times when the oxygen requirement was at the peak in the country
4. Government facilitated the decision to allow manufacturing units of Medical Oxygen Gas Cylinders, Liquid Oxygen Cylinders, and other related accessories to operate during the lockdown. The order allowed cross border movement of vehicles carrying the said products across the States.
5. The number of medical oxygen gas cylinder available in the country went up from 4.35 lakhs in April 2020 to 10.76 lakhs in Nov 2020, as per PESO reports, with majority of these manufactured in India.
6. Additionally, Oxygen carrying vehicles were also exempted from State-specific permits across States in India; thereby easing the movement of cryogenic tankers
7. To ease the shortage of tankers to move liquid medical oxygen to distant places (and to facilitate safe & fast movement of liquid oxygen), PESO allowed cryogenic ISO tanks (of 20 MT each) for domestic movement
8. Daily monitoring of medical oxygen supply and storage (state-wise) is being undertaken to plan the oxygen supply as per projections of the COVID-19 cases by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
9. Additionally, regular assessment of cryogenic storage facilities in hospitals is also done, leading to enhancement of storage capacities in the hospitals for liquid medical oxygen thereby, making them self-sufficient for the assured supply of medical oxygen. Storage capacity for Liquid Medical Oxygen in the hospitals in the country went up from 5959 MTs in April 2020 to 8000 MTs plus by Nov end 2020.
10. Oxygen production capacity enhanced from 5,913 MT (on April 2020) to 6,862 MT in September 2020. 7,014 MT by the end of October 2020, through additional capacities created.

1. Setting up of the ‘Business Immunity Platform’, the dynamic platform for business issue redressal during the lockdown
   • Invest India, India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched Business Immunity Platform (BIP) on 21st March 2020. Its objective was to become a knowledge base bringing together key stakeholders including logistics providers to fill demand-supply shortages required to combat COVID-19. The team worked with government stakeholders to simplify lockdown notifications, developed a strategy for national systems, and refined central advisories and notifications proactively.
   • This dynamic and constantly updating platform also kept a regular track of developments concerning the virus, provided the latest information on various central and state government initiatives, & resolved queries through emails and WhatsApp. BIP became an active platform for business issue redressal, operating 24/7, with a team of dedicated sector experts and responding to queries at the earliest
   • It also included frequently asked questions on important aspects like locations of COVID-19 testing, special permissions, and assisting businesses focusing on essential services to attain approvals. The portal mapped and highlighted the response mechanism in place to mitigate lockdown issues.
2. Extending license renewal and compliance timelines

PESO, under DPIIT, is the nodal organization charged with ensuring and implementing safety requirements in the manufacturing, storage, transport, and use of explosives and petroleum in the country. With the movement restriction and vehicular traffic disruption due to nationwide lockdown, undertaking inspections and other routine work was a challenge for the organization.

So, to address these issues faced by Petroleum, Explosives, Fireworks, and Industrial Gas industries, the following steps were undertaken:

• The validity of the renewal of a license under Rule 112 (1) of Explosives Rules, 2008 was extended from 13.03.2020 to 30.09.2020
• Submission of one-year late fee for applications submitted up to 30.09.2020 to the organization for renewal of the license, after the date of expiry, exempted under Rule 112 (6) of Explosives Rules, 2008
• 31.03.2020 under Rule 35 of Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 shall be deemed to be due for testing on a later date as of 30.06.2020.
• The validity of License Form LS-2 under Rule 55 of SMPV (U) Rules, 2016 expiring on 31.03.2020 extended up to 30.06.2020.
• The validity of certificates issued under Rule 18 & 19 of SMPV (U) Rules, 2016 regarding Safety Release Valve (SRV) and hydro test of pressure vessel due for testing between 15.03.2020 to 30.06.2020 extended up to 30.06.2020.
  
  Proactive Industry Consultations

With the lockdown imposed on 24th March 2020, the government took a proactive approach to organize industry consultations to understand the on-ground issues being faced by the businesses. The first meeting in this regard was held on 28th March 2020, under the chairpersonship of Hon’ble Commerce & Industry Minister, and the participants in these meetings were leading national chambers (such as CII, FICCI), regional chambers (such as Indian Chamber of Commerce, PHDCCI), MSME associations (such as FISME, LUB), sectoral chambers (such as NASSCOM, ACMA). Seven such meetings have been conducted till November 2020 to discuss and deliberate on the impact of COVID19 and the possible measures and facilitation to be undertaken by the Government to address the current industrial scenario. The outcome of these interactions with the participating industry associations was analysed by the government regularly and sent to the corresponding empowered group for consideration.

A booklet on the achievements of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is available at  https://dipp.gov.in/whats-new/achievements-ministry-commerce-and-industry.

22-Dec-2020: DPIIT invites applications for National Startup Awards 2021

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is launching the second edition of the National Startup Awards(NSA) 2021. Acknowledging the efforts, initiatives and resilience demonstrated by the startups over the period of unprecedent challenges during the pandemic, additional categories have been introduced to NSA 2021. It also aims to recognise innovations focussed towards indigenisation of key products essential for realisation of an AatmaNirbhar Bharat. The applications for the awards are open till 31st January 2021.

The awards for startups will be given in 49 areas classified into 15 broad sectors. The 15 sectors are Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Drinking Water, Education and Skill Development, Energy, Enterprise Systems, Environment, FinTech, Food Processing, Health and Wellness, Industry 4.0, Security, Space, Transport and Travel.  In addition, there are six special awards for startups from educational institutions, making impact in rural areas, women entrepreneurs, potential for import substitution, innovation for combatting COVID-19 and content delivery in Indic languages. It will also reward exceptional incubator and accelerator as key building blocks of a robust startup ecosystem.

A cash prize of INR 5 lakh each will be awarded to the winning startup in each area. The winner and two runners up will also be given opportunities to present their solutions to relevant public authorities and corporates for potential pilot projects and work orders. They will also be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events.

A cash prize of INR 15 lakh each will be awarded to one winning incubator and one winning accelerator as well.

DPIIT had initiated the first ever National Startup Awards in 2019 with a view to recognize and reward outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact. Taking forward the overwhelming success of the first edition of NSA, DPIIT now announces the launch of second National Startup Awards 2021.

15-Sep-2020: Establishment of the Development Council for Footwear and Leather Industry

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has issued a notification, constituting Development Council for Footwear & Leather Industry (DCFLI). Shri R K Gupta will chair DCFLI for 2 years. 24 other members have also been nominated.

The Development Council for Footwear and Leather Industry has been established for the formulation and implementation of promotional and developmental measures for the growth of labour intensive footwear and leather sectors in India. To boost domestic production and encourage exports, the Developmental Council is envisaged to play a very proactive role in preparing a futuristic vision for development, designing and manufacturing of high quality world-class footwear and leather products in India.

28-Feb-2020: Shri Piyush Goyal Reviews Infrastructure Projects on PMG Portal

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal chaired a meeting for the review of 17 large-size infrastructure projects on 27th of February in Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Shri Som Prakash, Minister of State for commerce and industry, senior officers of DPIIT, Chief Secretaries of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and senior officers of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh (through Video Conference). Senior officials of key ministries including Railways, Power, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Road Transport and Highways as well as Invest India were also present to address the issues raised through the Project Monitoring Group (PMG).

Project Monitoring Group (PMG) is an institutional mechanism of DPIIT to expedite resolution of issues and removal of regulatory bottlenecks in projects, with investments upward of ₹ 500 crores in India. Invest India provides implementational support to PMG in identifying and following up on issues with the States. PMG enlists unresolved project issues of all Public, Private and ‘Public–Private Partnership’ (PPP) projects and undertakes fast-tracking of approvals, sectoral policy issues and removal of bottlenecks for expeditious commissioning. It has till date resolved more than 3500 issues in 809 projects and has unlocked anticipated financial investment of more than ₹ 32 lakh crores. At the moment, PMG and Invest India are handling 588 issues in 260 projects, with total anticipated investment of ₹10 lakh crore.

In the meeting, Ministers and senior officials assessed critical projects, with important socio-economic and industrial significance. A total of 36 issues in 17 projects with total anticipated investment of ₹ 32,910 crores were reviewed. Among them, a few are as follows:

• BPCL’s Petroleum and Petrochemical projects in Rasayani, Maharashtra: With an anticipated investment of ₹ 7000 crore, this project is critical for BPCL’s plan to grow its petrochemical business from its current 1% of portfolio to 15%. This project will reduce import dependency of petrochemicals and boost growth of associated ancillary setups and industries.
• Four-laning of Govindpur (Rajganj)- Chas - West Bengal Border Section [NH-32]: This railway project has industrial significance as it passes through coal mining hub of Dhanbad and the steel city of Bokaro.
• Implementation of Transmission Systems in Jharkhand Consisting of 400/220/132/33 kV Transmission Lines and Substation: This project of ₹ 1800 crores is necessary to feed power in deficit load centres for economic and social growth in Jharkhand.
• Londa – Miraj Doubling Project: With an anticipated investment of ₹ 2436 crore, this 280 km railway line was announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2017 to generate new avenues for business in western Maharashtra.
• Actionable directions and timelines were issued for the expeditious resolution of pending issues in all projects. Shri Piyush Goyal emphasised the importance of setting up additional transmission lines for power projects in the expanding city of Bangalore where power deficits had arisen earlier due to lack of infrastructure, given high land prices for erecting new infrastructure.

Shri Piyush Goyal also directed the Railways to prioritise investments in projects where the state provides for 100% land acquisition. He also called on States to review and prioritise their Railway projects while giving due importance to freight, keeping in mind economic development priorities of the state. He also suggested to disburse funds through letters of credit to optimally utilise working capital. He also directed all the States and MoEF & CC to consider the use of technology in tree transplantation to avoid tree cutting. He asked Addl. DGF, MoEF & CC to provide a concept paper on best technologies available for tree transplantation, keeping in mind the efforts already made by the States and MoEF & CC in this regard.

The minister called for more Ministries and States to upload their projects across sectors including defence to be taken up by PMG. He also directed ACS (Revenue) Uttar Pradesh to review all Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed during investment summit and analyse if the MoUs have begun to translate into investments. He appreciated the contribution of Invest India, PMG, State Governments and DPIIT in taking up issues of large infrastructure projects with various states and expressed the hope that all stakeholders would monitor the progress closely and would unlock more of such investments by putting their projects on fast-track mode.