Frogo has you covered if you still no plans for New Year’s Eve

Bangalore, 28 December, 2016 – For various reasons such as time crunch or other activities always getting in the way, some of us would have missed out on planning our New Year’s Eve. Now, with just two days left, we are in that zone of total panic where all the parties we wanted to attend are sold out or the restaurant we were planning to book is full.

Fear not.There is a solution that is likely to put you out of your misery by giving you a host of ideas and options on what you can do this New Year’s Eve. Frogo, the Bengaluru-based experiences and activities platform has you covered with some of the best activities and experiences that you can book even now!

Frogo’s list of carefully-curated experiences exclusive for New Year’s Eve allows you to pick outan activity that appeals best to you. Whichever part of the country you may be in, Frogo has you covered with more than 100experiences for you to choose from.  Some of the most popular experiences include the rooftop party at The World Trade Centre Bangalore, Bollywood Blockbuster Night at Novotel Mumbai, Sea Shores Beach Party at Alibag and the Angels and Demons Party in Hyderabad. For those who want to do something a little different, activities like dining under a helipad or welcoming the New Year from the hills of Kaurava Kunda may appeal more to you.

The best part about booking from Frogo is that you don’t have to worry about where to go and book your tickets or sign up for activities. The website and mobile app is a one-stop destination that allows you to view the details of the activity and book your tickets in just a few clicks. So go ahead and have a fun-filled time and welcome 2017 in grand style.

Visit https://www.frogo.in/ to explore the best activities for New Year’s and to book your tickets now

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Unfair Prosecution Rules streamlined

Currently, 90% of e-waste is managed by the unorganized sector comprising of unskilled kabaadiwallas. There is a pressing need to integrate this unorganized sector with the organized sector through skill development.
 
Workshop on EWaste Management

Photo Caption 1 (L to R): Mr. Sumit Patil, Consultant, Environmental Sustainability, Health & Safety, TCS Ltd, Mr. Raman Sharma, Director, Exigo Recycling Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Nandkumar Namdev Gurav, Regional Officer, Technical, MPCB, Mr. Piyush Sharma, Deputy Secretary, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, President, AIAI and Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre, Mumbai, Dr. N. J. Singh, Whole Time Director (EHS) DCM Shriram Ltd, Mr. B. K Soni, Chairman & M.D Eco Recycling Ltd, Y. R. Warerkar, Executive Director, World Trade Centre, Mumbai.

Photo Caption 2 (L to R): Mr. Vijay Kalantri, President, AIAI and Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre and Dr. N.J. Singh, Whole Time Director (EHS) DCM Shriram Ltd.

"Creating awareness among every individual on eco-friendly recycling of electronic waste is the most important step for the successful implementation of the E-waste Management Rules 2016. It is the responsibility of every citizen to comply with these rules. Maharashtra is the first state to introduce inventorisation of e-waste in 2005. Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has introduced the enforcement policy for the E-Waste Management Rules 2016, however it does not allow its tribunal and officials to prosecute defaulter to prevent unfair prosecutions. A field officer can only issue a show cause notice till is heard by an official at a higher level of the Pollution Control Board. Unlike the earlier rule of 2011, the revised e-waste management rules (2016) provides simplified procedure for authorization of e-waste recyclers, extending responsibility of waste management to refurbishers as well," said Mr. Nandkumar Namdev Gurav, Regional Officer, Technical, MPCB at a Workshop on E- Waste Management — Challenges, Prospects and Strategies. The workshop was organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with All India Association of Industries (AIAI), and supported by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and World Trade Centre Mumbai. The key feature of the E-Waste Management Rules 2016 is the introduction of the provision of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for effective channelization of E-waste to the registered dismantlers or recyclers.

Dr. N. J. Singh, Whole Time Director (EHS), DCM Shriram pointed out that India has emerged as the world's 5th largest electronic waste producer and it discards roughly 18.5 lakh tonne of e-waste every year where in telecom equipment alone accounts for 12%. The industry must focus on environmentally sustainable and harmonized approach for recycling.

Mr. Sumit Patil, Consultant Environmental Sustainability, Health & Safety, TCS Ltd., explained the in-house e-waste management system adopted by the company based on its policy on Management and Disposal of e-waste.

Mr. B.K. Soni, Chairman & MD, Eco Recycling Ltd. opined that the government must focus on the three Is of training, transport and technology to create a sustainable formal system of e-waste management. The first T refers to imparting of skills on informal kabadiwalas about eco-friendly methods of e-waste management. The second T refers to investment in reverse logistics to transport e-waste from generation points to collection centres. The third T refers to use of cutting-edge technology to recover assets from e-waste.

Making suggestions to the government, Mr. Raman Sharma, Director, Exigo Recycling Pvt. Ltd. said the government must introduce National Pricing Strategy for people disposing electronic waste, simplify compliance and administrative procedures. The government must also make it compulsory for manufacturers to introduce deposit refund scheme to incentivize consumers to return their old hardwares. Also, the municipal authorities must cancel tender process for awarding waste management contracts and instead choose from a panel of 3-4 recyclers, he suggested.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai said, "Prosecution cannot be the only solution to solve the menace of e-waste. The government must provide amnesty scheme for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) not complying with the e-waste rules and must start education and awareness programme at the grassroot level for better compliance in future. Considering that 60% of the waste is generated in around 10 cities in India, the e-waste management drive must largely focus on metros. There are over 500,000 rag pickers in Mumbai and the government must train them on efficient e-waste management practices. The industry and government must work together to create an effective legal framework to address e-waste menace. The government must offer incentives such as tax rebate for industries to comply with e-waste rules. The government must also appoint a celebrity ambassador to promote best practices in e-waste management. The informal e-waste recyclers must be integrated with the formal sector through training and skill development."

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Home furnishing industry of Nan’an eyes investment opportunity in India

China’s leading building materials companies explore business opportunity in India on the backdrop of Indian government’s Smart Cities Project

India November 17, 2016: “The Chinese city of Nan’an, famously known as ‘Global Capital of Stones’, is keenly interested to invest in India in the home furnishing and building materials sector. Nan’an has advanced industrial clusters that produce various types of ceramic products, plumbing, kitchenware and bathware products, furniture, electronic security products, door, window and other building products. The city has trade and industry counterparts at 160 locations across Europe, the USA, and South East Asia. Nan’an is the only county-level city in China to have chambers of commerce across all provinces in the country,” said Madam Zhang XiaoHong, Deputy Mayor of Nan'an Municipal Government at an interactive meeting with officials of World Trade Centre Mumbai. 

Nan'an is a county-level city in southern Fujian province of China and it falls under the administration of Quanzhou City. The deputy mayor led a business delegation comprising of top officials from China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Nan’an Sub-council (CCPIT), The Foreign Affairs Office of Nan'an Municipal Government and companies from the home furnishing and building materials industry of Nan’an to India. 

Officials of the delegation have visited India to explore investment opportunities in the country, especially in Mumbai on the backdrop of Government of India’s Smart Cities Project.

Zhang further remarked that exports and imports from Nan’an has been growing significantly with the assistance of World Trade Centres across the world. She raised hope that World Trade Centre Mumbai would facilitate trade and investment ties between Nan’an and Mumbai.  

Industrial clusters in Nan’an produce building materials that are tailor-made to meet the specific requirements of different regions. Nan’an has strong infrastructure facilities and it is part of the ancient Silk Route of China, she added. 

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman of World Trade Centre Mumbai said, “China is the largest trade partner of India with a bilateral trade volume of around USD 70 billion today. There is further scope for expansion in the trade volume between both the countries across various sectors such as automobile, heavy machinery, construction materials and so on. Chinese manufacturers must consider setting up manufacturing facilities in India as the Indian government is improving the ease of doing business for foreign and domestic investors. Also, the Indian government’s ambitious programmes such as Make in India, Smart Cities, Digital India provide ample business opportunity for Chinese businessmen. Today, India is the fastest growing economy in the world with the annual growth in GDP of 7.5%. Chinese entrepreneurs must take advantage of these attractive features of the Indian economy and strengthen commercial ties with the country.”

During the event, World Trade Centre Mumbai and The People’s Government of Nan’An City, Fujian Province signed a memorandum of understanding for exchange of trade information, delegation and promotion of investment between both the countries.

Photo Caption: Madam Zhang XiaoHong, Deputy Mayor of Nan'an Municipal Government exchanging Memorandum of Understanding with Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman of World Trade Centre Mumbai at an interactive meeting with a business delegation from Nan’an at WTC Mumbai

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Mexico offers tremendous trade & investment opportunities

Mumbai: 04th Nov,2016: “Mexico is the fourth largest trading partner for India from Latin America with a bilateral trade volume of $6.1 billion per annum. India is the biggest exporter of automobiles and auto components and India’s export to Mexico is over USD 3.7 bn. But there is tremendous scope for Mexico to become the leading trade partner of India in Latin America as both countries have huge potential for collaboration in automobiles, auto components, pharmaceuticals, information technology, infrastructure, renewable energy and downstream sectors of petroleum products,” said Mr. Rodrigo Blanco, ‎Director, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency ProMexico at an interactive meeting with the World Trade Centre Mumbai. 



Mexico offers ample opportunities for investments as the rules and regulations in this country are more favourable for investors, Mr. Blanco added by informing that investment from India to Mexico is over USD 3 billion and from Mexico to India is USD 800 million. There are various sectors which are unexplored and there are tremendous opportunities for investment in Mexico and Mexico can be used as a HUB for exports to other Latin American countries from here.

Mr. Esteban Puente Bustindui, Commercial Director of World Trade Centre, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, speaking on the occasion, said that India is the largest exporter of automobile and auto-components, electrical goods and also textile, pharmaceutical and other products to Mexico and there is great opportunity for investment by Indian companies there. Already, Indian companies such as J.K. Tyres, TCS, Motherson Group, Rane Group have presence in Mexico and more Indian companies are expected to invest.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai said, “India and Mexico enjoy excellent trade relationship and there is tremendous opportunity for commercial collaboration in various unexplored sectors between both the countries. Especially, Industries which consume more power can enjoy energy at cheaper rates and other benefits by setting up plants in Mexico.  There is huge potential for trade and investment in various sectors between both the countries, but far-off distance and freight between both the countries are the hindrances, but setting up of Manufacturing plant in Mexico for export to other Latin American countries and even to USA can be explored.”

Photo Caption: (From L to R): Mr. Y.R. Warerkar, Executive Director, World Trade Centre Mumbai, Mr. Esteban Puente Bustindui, Commercial Director, World Trade Centre, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai, Mr. Rodrigo Blanco, ‎Director, ProMexico

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Rediscovering India-Brazil Investment and Trade Ties to start a New Phase

 

Brazilian delegation to Mumbai was on a mission to explore new vistas for trade, commerce and investment.

Mumbai, October 18, 2016: “Brazil’s trade with India has immense scope for expansion which currently accounts for 1.21% of India’s total trade. The total trade between India and Brazil is at USD 6.69 billion in 2015-16. The market opportunities exist in the areas of food and drinks (coffee, tea, fruits, cocoa, and confectionary products), home and building (woods), machinery and equipment (vehicles and auto parts), mineral products and chemicals. Brazil has recently launched a new infrastructure Program, ‘Crescer’ (meaning ‘grow’) which will focus on concession, privatization and public-private partnerships, Brazil and India should rather look for complementarities and synergies between their respective markets and mind-sets in order to increase and upgrade their business potential. For more business to take place there should be more people to people exchanges. I am a strong believer of people-to-people relations to cement long-term and sustainable partnerships”, said Ms. Rosimar da Silva Suzano, Consul General, Consulate General of Brazil in Mumbai at the International Business Round Table organized by World Trade Centre Mumbai, All India Association of Industries, ApexBrasil and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Brazil at the World Trade Centre Mumbai.

Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, India is undergoing a series of reforms that are in the process of enhancing the competitiveness of the country.

From Left to Right:

Mr. Y. R Warekar, Executive Director, World Trade Centre Mumbai, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, President, All India Association of Industries & Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai,  Ms. Rosimar da Silva Suzano, Consul General, Consulate General of Brazil in Mumbai, Ms. Lara Gurgel, Trade Promotion Division, Apex-Brasil and Mr. Gajanan Patil, General Manager-Marketing, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

Introducing the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Mr. Gajanan Patil, General Manager-Marketing said, “MIDC is the largest industrial development corporation in India having 264 industrial parks and approximately 73,000 hectares of land. Maharashtra attracts 29 percent (1/3rd) of the FDI that flow into India and accounts for a total of 14 percent of India’s GDP”. Highlighting the importance of MIDC, he said that with a diversified portfolio MIDC is a one-stop shop for setting and selling industries in Maharashtra.

With fiscal and non-fiscal incentives provided by MIDC and with progressive initiatives aimed at improving business environment, mega and ultra mega projects are being set up with the support of MAITRI, a single-window clearing system. The on-going projects of MIDC are AURIC City (DMIC Node in Maharashtra) which covers Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Area in Aurangabad district and Dighi Port Industrial Area in Raigad district by adopting smart city concepts. Some of the marquee projects include Navi Mumbai Airport, Pune Metro Rail Project, Nagpur Metro Rail Project, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and Multimodal International Passenger and Cargo Hub Airport, International Financial Services Center and development of Naina, a new city. The recent investments in the DMIC project were from Foxconn (Rs32,250 Cr - $5 billion), General Motors (Rs 6,400 crore) and  POSCO (Rs 20,000 crore).

Ms. Lara Gurgel, representing Apex-Brasil, the trade promotion agency in Brazil, said that Apex-Brasil supported 80 sectors of the Brazil economy, agriculture being one of the main sectors. The main objective of the trade investment agency is to provide exchange of information between countries through the support of the local facilitators such as the consulate and local trade promotion bodies. She introduced all the companies on the delegation that were looking forward to the business-to-business meetings, thereafter. Ms Gugel explained that the delegation visit to Mumbai was part of the follow-up to the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries said, “India and Brazil share a special relationship and tremendous opportunities lie between them especially in natural resources, besides traditional areas such as agriculture, food processing, oil & gas, mining, textile, spinning etc. With the successful conclusion of the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa, member countries should work towards the success of BRICS.  Currently India is growing at a rate of 7.6 percent and aiming to increase 8-10 percent which is possible first and foremost by providing concession in freight costs. Secondly, rather than taking the whole spectrum of sectors we should focus on five major areas of collaboration. One such sector is technology which India requires and can be fulfilled through collaborative efforts with Brazil. In conclusion, Mr. Kalantri emphasized that India has a demographic dividend of 1.2 billion population with a huge segment of youth under the age of 35. We are a consumer market and Brazil must explore various business and trade opportunities with India, Mr. Kalantri stressed.

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Brazilian Mission to India presents business and investment opportunities

Brazilian business mission to India will include business rounds in Mumbai

Mumbai, October 10, 2016: The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), in partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), promotes the Business Mission to India, in the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai. The mission will take place between October 11 and 18, and participate at two events: BRICS Trade Fair in New Delhi, and the Business Round in Mumbai.

The business round being planned In Mumbai, which is the main industrial and commercial hub of India, will consists of a full day with pre-booked meetings between Indian buyers and Brazilian entrepreneurs selected by Apex-Brasil and by the Trade Promotion Sector of the Consulate General of Brazil, in partnership with World Trade Centre (WTC) Mumbai on 18thOctober, 2016 from 10:00 am onwards.

Apex-Brasil will take 11 companies and representatives of Chambers of Commerce and industry associations to the Brazilian booth at the BRICS Trade Fair. The participants work in the industries of food and drinks, home and construction, machinery and equipment, technology and health, IT and fashion (leather).
In a pre-planned networking space for investment promotion agencies of the BRICS countries and potential foreign investors, Apex-Brasil analysts will meet other participants and provide information on how to invest in Brazil.

"This will be a great opportunity to present investment opportunities in Brazil, especially for investors of Indian and Chinese origin. Chinese investors, for example, have great interest in the sectors of infrastructure, agribusiness and automotive, while Indian investors are prospecting for opportunities especially in the areas of information technology and health," says Maria Luisa Cravo Wittenberg, Investment Manager of Apex-Brasil.

Opportunities

The participation of Brazil in India’s total trade is still small, accounting for 1.21% of the total. In 2015, Brazil exported US$ 3.2 billion to India, out of which US$ 2.08 billion were in the processing industry. Currently, more than 1300 Brazilian companies sell to India.

A study conducted by Apex-Brasil indicates that there are market opportunities in India in the sectors of food and drinks – with an emphasis on coffee, meats, tea, fruits, cocoa and confectionery products – home and building (woods), machinery and equipment (vehicles and auto parts), mineral products and chemicals.

The Brazilian leather sector already exports to India, and there is great room for expansion. Brazilian leather currently accounts for 3.13% of the total acquired by India, and the untapped market (the value that India imports from other countries) amounts to US$ 689 million.

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Philippines targets India’s services sector for mutual cooperation

Mumbai, September 21, 2016: Positioned as an attractive investment hub of the Far East, the Philippines is targeting to increase its current bilateral trade with India pegged at US$ 1.91 billion by reaching out to Indian industry at various forums.

Mumbai- 21st September 2016: “India can look to Philippines as a secondary location to reach out to US Market for Goods and Services to avail of US GSP privileges and further reap benefits from being part of the ASEAN Markets. Besides, English as the main language of Business for both countries, India and Philippines are also the world’s fastest growing economies and are major players in the Global IT-BPM Value Chain. Tier II companies of India can locate their businesses in the Philippines to avail of a conducive economic and business climate, said Mr. Michael Alfred V. Ignacio, commercial Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines – New Delhi during a Business Round Table: Introduction on Strategic Trade and Investment Opportunities with the Philippines held at the World Trade Centre Mumbai which was jointly organised by World Trade Centre Mumbai and All India Association of Industries.

Mr Ignacio in his presentation highlighted, “India is currently 20th export market for the Philippines and we look forward to tap the unexplored high potential for trade and investment partnership between our countries. Philippines continuous on its path to improve its global competitive ranking and scope for public-private partnership especially infrastructure development, which Indian companies can consider”. Philippines have 345 Economic Zones and enjoy Fiscal and Non fiscal incentives. Our priority sectors includes information and communication technology, automotive components, renewable energy and exploration of market potential for products such as high innovation and design-driven products for the niche market, electronics and semi conductors and education as service.

Mr. Subramanian Krishna Moorthy, Vice Consul Ad Honorem, Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines, Mumbai said, “Philippine’s economy is driven mainly by the services sector and India’s strength too lies in this sector, so there is tremendous scope for Indian collaboration in banking and other financial services, telecommunication, tourism, etc. With the establishment of Indo-Philippine Textile Mills, Inc. (Indo-Phil), 14 out of top 15 Indian companies in ICT having set base in the Philippines and GMR involvement in developing the Cebu - Mactan International Airport, similarly there is further scope for such joint ventures.

 Mr. Manoj Kedia, CFO, Birla Group said that the company commenced its operation in 1975 and has 76 per cent of women employees. The company provides livelihood to thousand families in the Bulacan area of Philippine. What started with 15 thousand spindles has now grown up to 60,000 spindles supplying 20 per cent of total market share in cotton and acrylic yarn.

Capt. Somesh Batra, Vice Chairman, World Trade Centre Mumbai in his inaugural address said, “India’s Look East Policy is a priority pillar of India’s foreign policy and the favourable developments in Philippines can cover the broad canvas of cooperation and consultations on matters related to foreign policy, defence, trade, tourism, culture and people-to-people relations”. With India’s stress on infrastructure development, Philippines could play a major role in collaborative efforts in ties area.

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