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The government on Monday directed cooperatives NCCF and NAFED to sell tomatoes at Rs 50 per kilogram, effective August 15. The move, to reduce the price from Rs 70 to Rs 50 per kilogram, was in view of easing prices of the crop in wholesale markets and set to benefit the consumer.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), the retail sale of tomatoes commenced on July 14, and till August 13, a total of 15 lakh kilograms of the crop was procured by the two agencies, according to an official statement.

The stock is being continuously directed towards the retail consumers in major consumption centres in the country, located in the NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Initially, a retail price of Rs 90 per kilogram was fixed for tomatoes procured by NCCF and NAFED. With effect from July 16, the price was reduced to Rs 80 per kilogram, and to Rs 70 per kilogram from July 20.&nbsp;

NCCF has substantially increased the quantity of tomatoes supplied to the retail consumer over the past few days, by stationing its mobile vans across 70 locations across New Delhi, and 15 locations in Noida and Greater Noida. NCCF is also continuously carrying out the retail sale of tomato through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.

Earlier, the consumer affairs department had directed NCCF and NAFED to procure tomatoes from the mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra for simultaneous disposal in major consumption centres where retail prices had risen the most in the past month.

In the National Capital Region, the retail sale of tomatoes commenced on July 14, and till August 13, a total of 15 lakh kilograms of the crop was procured by the two agencies, according to an official statement.&nbsp;


Tomato to be sold at Rs 50 per kg by NCCF, NAFED 

The government has directed sugar mills to ensure compliance with the mandatory packaging of 20 per cent of production in jute bags from the coming sugar season. The sugar season in the country begins in October.&nbsp;

Sugar mills are being reviewed at the highest government level and are directed to take appropriate action prior to the onset of the sugar season 2023-24, according&nbsp;to an official statement,&nbsp;dated August 11.&nbsp;

"As you are aware that the relevant fields to add the packaging details have already been added in the P-2 form of the NSWS portal, therefore the correct information with respect to packaging details shall be filled by all the sugar mills in their P-2 form," the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, wrote to sugar mills.&nbsp;

The National Single Window System (NSWS) is a digital platform that offers guidance in identifying and applying for pre-operation and pre-establishment approvals required for setting up a business.&nbsp;

All sugar mills are requested "to ensure strict compliance" with the 20 per cent jute packaging requirement from the sugar season 2023-24, the DFPD said.

In February, the government <a href="https://www.zeebiz.com/india/news-govt-approves-extension-of-mandatory-jute-packaging-norms-sources-223071">extended the packaging norms</a>, mandating all food grains and 20 per cent of sugar to be packed in jute bags, in a move aimed at protecting the environment-friendly jute industry.

<h2>Why is jute important for the domestic economy?</h2>

Jute is a natural, bio-degradable, renewable and reusable fibre, and hence fulfils all sustainability parameters. The jute industry plays an important role in the domestic economy, especially in states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The jute packaging reservation norms account for direct employment to 3.7 lakh workers and several lakh farmers.

About three-fourths of the total output of the jute industry comprises sacking bags, 90 per cent of which are supplied to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state procurement agencies.&nbsp;

The government purchases jute sacking bags worth about Rs 8,000 crore every year for packing food grains.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to an official statement, sugar mills are being reviewed at the highest government level and are directed to take appropriate action prior to the onset of the sugar season 2023-24. The sugar season in the country begins in October.


Sugar mills asked to ensure mandatory packaging of 20% output in jute bags from 2023-24 season

Fake IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app scam:&nbsp;The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has alerted that several fraudulent applications are present on Google Play Store and Apple Store that look like its official ticketing app — IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app — but instead they're fraudulent apps that can steal user's money and data. Also, the company stated that spammers are sending spurious messages in bulk with malicious phishing links that, if clicked on, can hack into the mobile phones of the user and steal personal information and clean up their bank account without their knowledge.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h2>How the fake IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app scam works</h2>

IRCTC stated that fraudsters are sending such messages with phishing links in bulk that ask users to download what looks as the real IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app. When downloaded the fake app either installs malware into the users' phones, or uses their login credentials and app permissions to skim through personal data and then hacks into mobile banking apps or transfers the vital personal information over to the scamsters.&nbsp;

In a message shared on Twitter, IRCTC stated: "Alert: It has been reported that a malicious and fake mobile app campaign is in circulation where some fraudsters are sending phishing links at a mass level and insisting users download fake ‘IRCTC Rail Connect’ mobile app to trick common citizens into fraudulent activities."

[[{"fid":"254805","view_mode":"default","type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"fake IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app scam ","title":"fake IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app scam ","height":324,"width":590,"class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

<h2> 
How to stay safe</h2>

IRCTC has asked users to only download the official IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app from Google Play Store or Apple Store only and to contact IRCTC website and customer care number for more information.

In the tweet, IRCTC stated: "People are advised not to fall prey of such fraudsters and use only IRCTC’s official Rail Connect Mobile Apps from Google Play Store or Apple Store, and call IRCTC Customer Care on official numbers published on IRCTC official website http://irctc.co.in."

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
IRCTC ऐप का लिंक भेजकर फर्जीवाड़ा 
 
IRCTC की लोगों को सतर्क रहने की सलाह 
 
ऐसे लिंक से फ्रॉड संभव है: IRCTC 
 
लिंक को ओपन करने बचें, डाउनलोड न करें 
 
ऐप को प्ले स्टोर से ही डाउनलोड करें: IRCTC<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IRCTC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IRCTC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IRCTCofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IRCTCofficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Link?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Link</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fraud?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fraud</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RailMinIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AshwiniVaishnaw</a> <a href="https://t.co/LK5ny9zijQ">pic.twitter.com/LK5ny9zijQ</a>
— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZeeBusiness/status/1687472220917075968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://admin.zeebiz.com/companies/video-gallery-d2c-brand-mamaearths-parent-company-honasa-consumer-ltd-gets-ipo-nod-from-sebi-247570/embed" width="100%"></iframe>

Fake IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app scam:&nbsp;IRCTC stated that fraudsters are sending such messages with phishing links in bulk that ask users to download what looks as the real IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app.&nbsp;


IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app fraud: Scammers using phishing links to scam users — IRCTC issues tips to safely download ticketing application

Air India Express (AIXL) is delighted to announce the introduction of Gourmair, the award-winning in-flight dining brand, curated to cater to diverse culinary preferences with a wide-range of hot meals and lite bites.&nbsp;Effective from June 22, 2023, Air India Express guests can pre-book Gourmair hot meals in distinct sections, including MasterChef Specials, World's Finest, Regional Favourites, All-Day Breakfast, Healthy and Diabetic options, Seasonal Fresh Fruits, Lite Bites, including sandwiches and rolls and delectable desserts on the airline’s new co-branded website airindiaexpress.com.

Air India Express has proudly partnered with the chefs of reputed flight kitchens across India, the UAE and Singapore, to ensure every meal served on board meets the highest standards of hygiene, quality, and flavour.

Gourmair is currently offered on AirAsia India’s flights operated on domestic routes and with the integration of the two LCCs, more offerings are harmonised across the two airlines.

The revamped Food and Beverage (FnB) menu presents an extensive array of choices carefully curated to cater to diverse dietary preferences.

Gourmair offers vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, Jain, non-vegetarian, and eggetarian meals to cater to a wide range of taste palates.

Commenting on the introduction of Gourmair, Mr. Aloke Singh, MD, Air India Express and AirAsia India, stated, "We strive to set new benchmarks for in-flight dining by delivering an exceptional culinary experience that aligns with our commitment to providing our guests with value-for-money services. Gourmair has proved extremely popular on board AirAsia India domestic flights and we are pleased to bring this on the Air India Express international routes as well. We cordially invite all our guests to savour the distinctive flavours of Gourmair served oven-hot at 36,000 feet in the sky."

Alongside AIXL, the harmonised Gourmair menu continues to be available on domestic flights operated by AirAsia India.

Guests travelling on international flights can pre-book their meals 24 hours prior to departure, while domestic travellers may pre-book 12 hours before their flight departs, on the airline’s unified customer interface, airindiaexpress.com.&nbsp;

With the introduction of Gourmair, Air India Express will broaden its culinary offerings, replacing complimentary snack boxes with an extended buy-on-board menu and the opportunity to elevate their dining experience with the diverse pre-book options as part of the Gourmair in-flight dining experience.&nbsp;

[[{"fid":"248025","view_mode":"default","type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Food option","title":"Food option","height":478,"width":850,"class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

The refreshed Gourmair dining experience also includes a complimentary Mixed Berry Ragi Halwa dessert with all pre-booked hot meals, commemorating the United Nations declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

To commemorate the introduction of Gourmair, AIXL partnered with Cochin International Airport (CIAL) to organise an exclusive food tasting event at the departure terminal.

Over 800 passengers got the opportunity to sample the flavours and variety offered by the new Gourmair menu at the event that took place today at the airport.

To celebrate the launch of Gourmair on Air India Express, the airline launched an introductory offer for bookings made till 5th July 2023.

Guests can enjoy a remarkable 50 per cent discount on the pre-book menu while select items on the buy-on-board menu will also be available on discount.

The offer is applicable to guests who pre-book their Gourmair meals within the promotional period on Air India Express and AirAsia India flights.

Effective from June 22, 2023, Air India Express guests can pre-book Gourmair hot meals in distinct sections, including MasterChef Specials, World's Finest, and Regional Favourites, on the airline’s new co-branded website, airindiaexpress.com.


Air India Express Unveils Gourmair: Airline upgrades its in-flight dining experience

Uber on Wednesday announced the expansion of its 'Reserve' facility, across 6 more cities in India, providing riders across the option to pre-book their rides —&nbsp;30 minutes to 90 days ahead of their travel. Uber Reserve will now also be available for cash payments offering riders access to reliable, pre-booked rides.&nbsp;

The service is now live across 13 cities in India – Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Guwahati.

The expansion of the Uber Reserve&nbsp;service signals Uber’s commitment to India by bringing its latest global offerings best suited to market needs. With the Reserve option in addition to on-demand trips, drivers can select from offers that are best suited for their time on the road. Uber Reserve provides the drivers an added option of accepting trips up to 7 days ahead - helping them lock in their earnings and driving schedule in advance.

Reserve now appears as a new option in the latest version of the Uber app and is available on Uber Premier, Uber Intercity, Uber Rentals and Uber XL. The new product is developed keeping in mind pre-planned travel needs, including work trips, airport drops, visits to the doctor, and other scheduled appointments. The planned ride options will be available at various attractive price points across product categories.

Commenting on the launch, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India &amp; South Asia said, “We are excited to expand Uber Reserve to more cities in India. With Reserve, riders can pre-book their rides ensuring peace of mind, certainty and added control over their trip. Reserve also opens up even more options for drivers to choose from between on-demand and pre-booked trips. At Uber, we are always reimagining mobility in a way that it works for riders, drivers and cities and with Reserve we are unlocking even more certainty when you use our services.”

With comprehensive safety measures in place, convenient pick-ups, affordable prices and digital payment options at a touch of a button, Uber hopes to offer a seamless product experience in the new category that riders and drivers enjoy on its other popular products.

How to book an Uber Reserve trip:

1) Tap the Reserve icon in the updated Uber app. Schedule from&nbsp;up to 90 days or at least 30 minutes in advance. 
2) Review the booking details in the app, including the assigned driver as the time of travel approaches. Cancel free of charge up to 1 hour in advance. 
3)&nbsp;Wait for the driver-partner, within the waiting time included in the reservation.

Reserve enables pre-booking an assured ride 30 minutes to 90 days in advance across 13 cities


Uber expands ‘Reserve’ to 6 more cities in India: How to book an Uber Reserve trip

Commerce minister Piyush Goyal unveiled the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 today, 31 March 2023. The new policy aims to increase India's exports to $2 trillion by 2030 by shifting from incentives to remission and entitlement-based regimes.&nbsp;The current FTP 2015-20, which has been repeatedly extended at the request of the industry due to global risks like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, expires on March 31, 2023.

In contrast to the custom of issuing a 5-year FTP, Santosh Sarangi, director general of foreign trade (DGFT), said that the new policy has no expiration date and would be amended as and when necessary.

<h2>The FTP has the following highlights:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Instead of 5-year policy, the new policy is perpetual which will ensure more continuity in policy.</li>
	<li>The export targets for the next 2- 3 years are on the more optimistic side as the world economy is slowing down significantly, and inflation and recessions are real threats to growth.</li>
	<li>Digitisation of export promotion schemes is good as it will reduce paperwork as well as bureaucracy.</li>
	<li>Lowering the limit for recognising the exporters is a good step.</li>
	<li>Added emphasis on manufacturing exports is a good step as India needs to increase its competitiveness.</li>
</ul>

According to Rohit Arora, co-founder, and CEO of Biz2Credit, "The challenges which the govt need to tackle including the big emphasis which the US govt has put on increasing the manufacturing competitiveness of US and related Free Trade Zones under the Inflation Reduction Act ( IRA), as well as Chips Act, will lead to over $500 billion in subsidies for high tech as well as clean energy manufacturing. This will make the US a very competitive nation both for internal production as well as exports in the tech manufacturing space. Also, the lack of Free Trade agreements (FTAs) with major economies in the world is leading to a competitive disadvantage for Indian exporters."

"Also nearshoring trends like setting up facilities in Mexico by Chinese companies are going to trump friend shoring strategies and this needs to be addressed by making Indian exporters more competitive. No mention of better and cheaper access to credit for Indian exporters is also a major issue in the competitiveness of the export sector," Arora added.

The current FTP 2015-20, which has been repeatedly extended at the request of the industry due to global risks like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, expires on March 31, 2023.


Foreign Trade Policy 2023: Piyush Goyal unveils new policy, aims $2 trillion exports by 2030

Deepak Mohanty has been appointed as the new chairman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). He will serve as the chairman of the regulatory body for 5 years from the date of appointment or till further orders.&nbsp;

Deepak will get monthly remuneration of Rs 4.5 lakh.

Deepak previously served as executive director of RBI and a whole-time member of the Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).&nbsp;

Deepak obtained Bachelor's degree in Economics with Honors from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, in 1979.&nbsp; He holds a Master's degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University and another Master's degree in Economics from Yale University.

What is Pension Fund Regulatory &amp; Development Authority&nbsp; (PFRDA)&nbsp;

The Pension Fund Regulatory &amp; Development Authority Act was passed on September 19, 2013, and the same was notified on 1st February 2014.&nbsp;

PFRDA is regulating NPS, subscribed by employees of the government of India, state governments and by employees of private institutions/organizations &amp; unorganized sectors. PFRDA is headquartered in New Delhi, with regional offices located around the country.

Deepak obtained Bachelor's degree in Economics with Honors from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, in 1979.&nbsp;&nbsp;


Deepak Mohanty appointed as new chairman of PFRDA 

Zee Businesses' exclusive on government appoval&nbsp; to Quality Control Order for cotton bales stands validated. On 31 January, the channel reported that government will approve Quality Control Order (QCO) for mandatory certification of cotton bales and issue notification on it soon. On Tuesday,&nbsp;Union Minister of Textiles Piyush Goyal approved the Quality Control Order (QCO) for mandatory certification of cotton bales under specification No. IS12171: 2019. The announcement was made by the Minister.

The QCO has been vetted by Ministry of Law &amp; Justice and will be notified shortly.

The Union Minister presided over the fifth interactive meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG) in New Delhi to review progress of initiatives for cotton value chain. Textiles Minister pointed out that quality of Indian cotton fibre is beneficial for farmers and industry.

He stressed that branding of Indian Cotton will add great value to the entire cotton value chain from farmers, ginners to cotton users, right up to the consumers.

A MoU has been signed on 15 December 2022 between the CCI and TEXPROCIL to encourage the Trade and Industry to work on the principle of self-regulation by owning complete responsibility of Traceability, Certification and Branding of “KASTURI Cotton India” with the project target period of 2022-23 to 2024-24.&nbsp; Steering Committee and Apex Committee have been constituted and the work of TEXPROCIL will begin in the current cotton season.

Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) prepared a pilot project targeting technologies to agro-climatic zones-large scale demonstrations of best practices to enhance cotton productivity.&nbsp;

Minister emphasized strengthening testing facility needed to conform to KASTURI standards, DNA testing and traceability. He assured that adequate modern testing facilities would be created through BIS and TRAs.

Zee Businesses' exclusive on government appoval&nbsp; to&nbsp;Quality Control Order for cotton bales stands validated. On 31 January, the channel reported that government will approve&nbsp;Quality Control Order (QCO) for mandatory certification of cotton bales and issue notification on it soon


Centre approves Quality Control Order for mandatory certification of cotton bales; to be notified soon

Government has approved sale of 30 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat in open market in view of spiraling prices in the domestic markets, Zee Business’ Ambarish Pandey reports. The decision has come after weeks of deliberations.

The government wants to cool down the prices of wheat ahead of the harvesting season in order to sustain its purchase programme. The government had in May imposed a ban on export of wheat in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war. It was done to prevent any domestic shortfall in wheat.

Now that the prices have been going up in the domestic markets, the government has taken a decision to release it in the open market.

The government has also indicated that it will be able to retain a stock of 126 lakh metric tonne by 1st of April with buffer stock remaining at 75 lakh metric tonne.

The market has been waiting for this announcement for a long time.

Government has approved sale of 30 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat in open market in view of spiraling prices in the domestic markets, Zee Business’ Ambarish Pandey reports


Government approves sale of 30 lakh MT wheat in open market to control spiralling prices

Winter Session of Parliament:&nbsp;The Winter Session of Parliament - set to commence from December 7, Wednesday -will consider 16 new Bills. Apart from this, several Bills passed already by either of the Houses or reviewed by Parliamentary Committees will also be taken up for passage in the winter session.

From, the 'Trade Marks Bill, 2022' seeking to incorporate certain aspects of the Madrid Registration System i.e. transformation and replacement which is needed to make our processing at par with the Madrid System to the 'Geographical Indications of Goods Bill, 2022', seeking to amend the GI Act to make some of the procedure simplified in order to be more accessible to maximum stakeholders, multiple Bills are to be tabled this session.&nbsp;

Here is the list of 16 Bills to be introduced in the Parliament during the Winter Session:

<ul>
	<li>The Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) (Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Kalakshetra Foundation (Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Cantonment Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Old Grant (Regulation) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The National Dental Commission Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The North East Water Management Authority Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
	<li>The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022</li>
</ul>

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="http://zeebiz.com/personal-finance/news-bharat-bond-etf-april-2033-returns-maturity-5-reasons-to-invest-check-interest-rate-risk-tax-benefit-expense-ratio-211026" target="_blank">Bharat Bond ETF: 5 reasons to invest; check interest rate, risk, tax benefit, expense ratio and maturity</a>

<a href="http://zeebiz.com/market-news/live-updates-stock-market-highlights-anil-singhvi-strategy-sensex-nifty-paytm-rbi-mpc-fed-share-market-adani-ndtv-nikkei-dow-jones-hal-pb-fintech-210857/210859" target="_blank">Click Here For Latest Updates On Stock Market | Zee Business Live</a>

Winter Session of Parliament:&nbsp;Check full list of 16 Bills to be introduced in the Parliament during the Winter Session.&nbsp;


Winter Session of Parliament start date 16 new Bills for consideration  Check full list 

New Packaging Rule: In a relief to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, the government has decided to implement 'new packaging rules' from January 1, 2023. Earlier, it was decided that the new rules would be effective from December 1, 2022. However, it has now been delayed by one month.&nbsp;

According to new packaging rules, 19 types of items - including milk, tea, biscuits, baby food, pulses, bottled water, edible oil, flour, cement bags, bread and detergents - will have to give complete information on the packets.&nbsp;

Also, it would be compulsory for the imported products to mention the date of manufacture and country of origin.&nbsp;

The new rule also states that the manufacturers will have to mention the price per gram or ml in case the weight of the quantity of the product is less or more than the standard weight.&nbsp;

Earlier in July this year, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Thursday issued new rules for the packaging of electronic goods. As per the new rule, giving a QR code has been made compulsory on the packaging with relevant information for products manufactured on or from July 15 onwards.

If not mentioned as a QR code, the information should be part of the packaging, said the rules called the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022, notified by the ministry.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Citing relevant clauses and sections, the ministry had said, "Provided that in the case of an electronic product which is manufactured or packed or imported after July 15, the package of such product shall, for a period of one year from such date, declare the name of the manufacturer or packer or importer, as the case may be, on the package itself and such declaration shall also inform the consumers to scan the QR code for the address and other related information."

<a href="https://www.zeebiz.com/market-news/live-updates-share-market-live-today-sensex-nifty-nifty-bank-broader-markets-midcap-smallcap-stock-market-market-update-global-markets-210414" target="_blank">Click Here For Latest Updates On Stock Market | Zee Business Live</a>

Also, it would be compulsory for the imported products to mention the date of manufacture and country of origin.


New packaging rules for milk, tea, bread and 16 other products deferred again

Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added&nbsp;16.94 lakh net members in the month of August, 2022 which is 14.40 per cent up on Year-on-Year&nbsp;basis according to the provisional data release by the government. Further details are awaited. &nbsp;

See Tweet Here:&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
- Provisional payroll data highlights that <a href="https://twitter.com/socialepfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@socialepfo</a> has added 16.94 lakh net members in the month of August, 2022. 
- 14.40% increase seen on YoY basis<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Data?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Data</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Labour?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Labour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jobs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jobs</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ZeeBusiness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZeeBusiness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LabourMinistry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LabourMinistry</a>
— Ambarish Pandey (@pandeyambarish) <a href="https://twitter.com/pandeyambarish/status/1583064034966147072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 
[[{"fid":"206569","view_mode":"default","type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":340,"width":956,"class":"media-element file-default"}}]]&nbsp;Source: EPFO

Next date of release is 20 November.

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Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added&nbsp;16.94 lakh net members in the month of August, 2022 which is 14.40% up on Yo-Y basis according to the provisional data


EPFO adds 16.94 lakh members in August; over 14% jump YoY

5g network:&nbsp;Top officials of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and&nbsp;Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have called a joint meeting of smartphone companies, including Apple and Samsung, and telecom operators on issues related to provide smooth access to 5G services. While over 100 million subscribers in India have 5G-ready phones, many devices, including Apple, are not supporting the service at present.

A joint meeting of smartphone companies and telecom operators will be held on Wednesday at the Department of Telecom (DoT) office.&nbsp;Secretaries of both the DoT and Ministry of Electronics and IT will chair the meeting to discuss teething 5G issues.

The agenda of the meeting includes a discussion around enabling the handsets to start supporting 5G services on 5G networks in India.&nbsp;Bharti Airtel is the only company to have commercially launched 5G services while Jio has started beta trials.

At the meeting, the authorities will discuss the intervention of handset manufacturers and telecom operators to release software updates for all 5G handsets and prioritise the software upgrade for the adoption of 5G in India.&nbsp;According to an industry source, who did not wish to be identified, Apple is currently testing iPhone with Airtel and Jio to work on software updates that will give access to 5G services to consumers.

Another source said all Samsung flagship smartphones and some of the mid-range 5G handsets are already supporting 5G services and the company is working on releasing updates for the rest of the smartphones.&nbsp;

The study reveals that over 100 million users with 5G-ready smartphones wish to upgrade to a 5G subscription in 2023 while more than half of them are open to upgrading to a higher data tier plan in the next 12 months.&nbsp;Bharti Airtel has started rolling 5G in eight cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi while Jio has started beta trials in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.

The 5G services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years -- Jio promises to do that by December 2023 and Bharti Airtel by March 2024.

(PTI Inputs)&nbsp;

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5G services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years -- Jio promises to do that by December 2023 and Bharti Airtel by March 2024.


5g network: Govt to hold hold joint meeting of smartphone firms, telecom operators to push 5G services | Details 

DA hike latest news today:&nbsp;The Union Cabnet has increased Dearness allowance (DA) of the Central Government Employees by 4 per cent taking it effectively at 38 per cent from 34 per cent. Over 50 lakh central government employees and 62 lakh pensioners are likley to benefit from the current hike.&nbsp;

Earlier, today Zee Business had reported on the story informed about the likleihood of the increase in DA by 4 per cent. The Union Cabinet which is slated to meet today could give its approval to hike the inflation-linked allowance for government employees. The meeting will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After today's hike of 4 per cent, the total DA paid to government employees will reach 38 per cent. DA is a part of the salary which is calculated as a specific percentage of the basic salary which is then added to the basic salary.

The DA hike will result in an increase in wages for approximately 52 lakh Central government employees. State governments are also likely to follow suit. The hike in DA will come as a major relief to workers amid skyrocketing inflation.

The DA is revised by the government usually twice in a year -- January and July.

Apart from DA hike, the Union Cabinet could also decide to extend the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another 3 months till December. The cost to state exchequer will be around Rs 40,000 cr.&nbsp;

The Union Cabinet has also approved many railway redovelopment projects also. The cabinet has approved production linked bonus for railway employees, Zee Business has learnt thrugh its sourses. Fo non-gazetted employees, a proposal for 78-day bonus has been received. An estimated 11 lakh employees will benefit from it. The additional cost for Railway will be around Rs 2000 cr.

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The Union Cabnet has increased Dearness allowance (DA) of the Central Government Employees by 4 per cent taking it effectively at 38 per cent from 34 per cent


DA Hike: BIG! Government raises Dearness Allowance of Central Government employees by 4% to 38% 

Make in India, the flagship program of the Government of India will complete eight years of path-breaking reforms on 25th September 2022. Launched in 2014, ‘Make in India’ is transforming the country into a leading global manufacturing and investment destination.&nbsp;

The initiative is an open invitation to potential investors and partners across the globe to participate in the growth story of ‘New India’.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Make In India has substantial accomplishments across 27 sectors. These include strategic sectors of manufacturing and services as well. To attract foreign investments, the government has put in place a liberal and transparent policy wherein most sectors are open to FDI under the automatic route.&nbsp;

FDI inflows in India stood at US $ 45.15 billion in 2014-2015 and have since consecutively reached record FDI inflows for eight years. The year 2021-22 recorded the highest ever FDI at $83.6 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This FDI has come from 101 countries and invested across 31 UTs and States and 57 sectors in the country. On the back of economic reforms and Ease of Doing Business in recent years, India is on track to attract US$ 100 Bn FDI in the current Financial Year (FY).&nbsp;

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, across 14 key manufacturing sectors, was launched in 2020-21 as a big boost to Make in India initiative. The PLI Scheme incentivises domestic production in strategic growth sectors where India has comparative advantage. This includes strengthening domestic manufacturing, forming resilient supply chains, making Indian industries more competitive and boosting the export potential. PLI Scheme is expected to generate significant gains for production and employment, with benefits extending to the MSME eco-system.&nbsp;

Recognising the importance of semiconductors in the world economy, the Government of India has launched a USD 10 billion incentive scheme to build a semiconductor, display, design ecosystem in India.&nbsp;

To promote local industry by providing them preference in public procurement of Goods, Works and Services, the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 was also issued pursuant to Rule 153 (iii) of the General Financial Rules 2017, as an enabling provision. &nbsp;The policy aims at encouraging domestic manufacturer’s participation in public procurement activities over entities merely importing to trade or assemble items. The policy is applicable to all Ministries or Departments or attached or subordinate Offices or autonomous body controlled by the Government of India and includes Government companies as defined in the Companies Act.&nbsp;

Further, the National Single Window System (NSWS) has been soft-launched in September 2021 to improve the ease-of-doing-business by providing a single digital platform to investors for approvals and clearances. This portal has integrated multiple existing clearance systems of the various Ministries/Departments of Government of India and State Governments to enhance the investor experience.&nbsp;

The Government has also launched programme for multimodal connectivity to manufacturing zones in the country, called the PM Gatishakti programme, which will ensure logistical efficiency in business operations through the creation of infrastructure that improves connectivity. This will enable faster movement of goods and people, enhancing access to markets, hubs, and opportunities, and reducing logistics cost.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The One-District-One-Product (ODOP)initiative is another manifestation of the 'Make in India' vision for facilitating promotion and production of the indigenous products from each district of the country and providing a global platform to the artisans and manufacturers of handloom, handicrafts, textiles, agricultural and processed products, thereby further contributing to the socio-economic growth of various regions of the country.&nbsp;

The Toy Industry in India has historically been import dependent. Lack of raw-material, technology, design capability etc. led to huge imports of Toys and its components. In 2018-19, Toys worth USD 371 Mn (Rs. 2960 cr.) were imported into our country. &nbsp;A large proportion of these toys were unsafe, substandard, counterfeit, and cheap. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To address the import of low-quality and hazardous toys and to enhance domestic manufacturing of toys, several strategic interventions have been taken by government. Some key initiatives include increase of Basic Custom Duty from 20% to 60%, implementation of Quality Control Order, mandatory sample testing of imported toys, granting more than 850 BIS licenses to domestic toy manufacturers, development of toy clusters etc. Several promotional initiatives including The India Toy Fair 2021, Toycathon 2021, Toy Business League 2022 were conducted to promote indigenous toys to encourage innovation and new-age design to suit global requirements.&nbsp;

There are several trends that mark a shift in Indian manufacturing, which includes increase in domestic value addition &amp; local sourcing, a greater focus on R &amp; D, innovation and sustainability measures.&nbsp;

The Make in India initiative has been striving to ensure that the business ecosystem in the nation is conducive for investors doing business in India and contributing to growth and development of the Nation. This has been done through a range of reforms that has led to increased investment inflows as well as economic growth.&nbsp;

With this initiative at the forefront, the businesses in India are aiming that the products that are 'Made in India' are also ‘Made for the World,’ adhering to global standards of quality.&nbsp;

With PIB inputs

Make in India, the flagship program of the Government of India will complete eight years of path-breaking reforms on 25th September 2022.&nbsp;


Ambarish Pandey