Beware the quantum computers
Today’s encryption technology will be putty in the hands of those running the post-quantum world. How equipped ...
The euphoria generated amongst global investors when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 has now diminished to a “more normal” outlook with doubts creeping in following the failure to pass the crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Land Acquisition Bills, and lack of urgency in pushing infrastructure projects.
At a three-day conference organised by India Unlimited, a platform initiated by the Indian embassy in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden, the pet themes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, such as Make in India, Digital India, Reimagining India and Skill India, were the focus of discussions among Indian government representatives, led by Banashri Bose Harrison, India’s Ambassador to Sweden and Latvia, and a host of Swedish entrepreneurs, big business heads, government officials and leaders.
This was the third annual edition of India Unlimited, the platform assiduously nurtured by the Indian Ambassador with its creator, Sanjoo Malhotra, an independent Indian professional based in Sweden.
There are about 800 Swedish companies doing business in India every year. They have created 150,000 direct and 1,000,000 indirect jobs in India.
“The saturation in most economies is a sharp contrast to the growth curve in India… Our effort as India’s representatives here is to facilitate the interface and encourage honest dialogue,” said Banashri Bose Harrison.
Alkesh Kumar Sharma, CEO and Managing Director of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, talked about premier industrial townships being developed as a global manufacturing and investment destination supported by smart infrastructure and enabling policy framework.
The enthusiasm of the Indian delegation was met with characteristic pragmatism by the Swedish side. Participants in a roundtable on defence and security discussed foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence industry. According to a number of participants, GST was at the heart of planning any such move.
At another seminar, enthusiasm about India was mixed with caution.
Anna Lindberg, Trade Commissioner to India as well as Head of Business Sweden, and her colleague Lisa Tullus, Project Manager Sweden India Smart Cities Platform, made a presentation titled ‘A trend shift after the Modi Government turned to more realistic levels in 2015’.
According to a survey conducted by Business Sweden, the Indian business climate was considered favourable by 16 per cent of the companies in Sweden in 2013. This rose to a staggering 60 per cent in 2014 after Modi was sworn in to power. In 2015, it came down to 52 per cent and the trend follows in 2016. Similarly, future investment climate in India was considered favourable by 52 per cent of the companies in Sweden in 2013. This dramatically went up to 90 per cent in 2014 after Modi’s decisive victory. In 2015, it came down to what Lisa Tullus described as a “more normal” 72 per cent, which is still a very high percentage of companies that view India as a good investment destination.
Among the main challenges identified by the companies, besides the bureaucracy and red tape, bribery and corruption, the Swedish companies recognise competition too as a major issue. “The companies are looking at adoption of the Goods and Services Tax, push for infrastructure improvement and land acquisition reforms as the key reforms to help invest in India,” said Lisa Tullus.
Today’s encryption technology will be putty in the hands of those running the post-quantum world. How equipped ...
Rocketship’s Anand Rajaraman on getting pitches from places like Rameswaram and Patna
Bengaluru-based Archeron group plans to open five banks that are run entirely by AI and quantum technologies
Ably skippered by N Srinivasan, India Cements is upping its post-Covid-19 game by expanding capacity
Three-in-one: Passive debt funds come at a low cost and have high-quality portfolios. Some offer return ...
Trend in the rupee movement and Q4 earnings can give direction to the market
There is room for improvement in fund transfer options
Silver looks positive but lacks the higher volumes required to substantiate bullishness
Murder is a theme that is unlikely to darken and yellow with time, the writer Truman Capote had once said.
In her novel based on the life of Rani Jindan Kaur, author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni crafts a hero for the ...
A domineering father, three resentful sons and a vile plan — director Dileesh Pothan, screenwriter Syam ...
Actor Adil Hussain on theatre, communal amity and citizenship in a new book about Assam and its many ...
Marketers are padded up, sponsorship deals have been struck, and campaigns are rolling out. Now let the games ...
And what marketers can possibly do to bring it back in our lives
The agency has changed form over the years but its lustre has not dimmed
Media Factory has purchased the majority stake held by Sam and Lara Balsara of Madison World in Madison Media ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor