India - Partner In Growth
Welcome to the July 14, 2016 bulletin of key policy decisions and high-impact news from India, presented by the Embassy of India, in Washington D.C.
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KEY POLICY DECISIONS
Govt. OKs $1.8 Billion for Skill Training for 10 Million 
 
The Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana job-training program with an outlay of $1.8 billion for 10 million people over the next four years. The program will give fresh training to 600,000 youths and certify the skills of 400,000 others who have acquired skills informally.



New Civic Facilities, Transport Infrastructure Announced for Delhi
 
The Minister for Urban Development has announced a series of developments of civic facilities and transport infrastructure in Delhi that includes new highway overpasses, bridges, skywalks, footbridges and other projects aimed at easing congestion in the Indian capital city.   


 
Indian Airports to Boost Solar Power Generation  

Airports in India already are generating significant amounts of necessary energy through solar power and more projects are in the pipeline. The Indian airports authority has installed solar power plants at 16 airports. By December of this year, solar plants are planned at 11 more airports, and five more after that.



Govt. 
Approves $225 Million for Religious Tourism  
The Government has OK'd projects worth more than $225 million under three plans -- Ramayana circuit, Krishna circuit and Buddhist circuit -- as part of its focus on religious tourism. The projects will develop infrastructure, including road and rail linkages, signage, tourist facilitation centers, wi-fi and other elements. 

 
 
Govt. 
OK Plan to Revive Fertilizer Plants
 
The Government plans to revive the nation's fertilizer industry by setting up a special-purpose vehicle involving state-owned companies NTPC, Indian Oil Corporation and Coal India to help Fertiliser Corporation of India plants. The cost is estimated at $1.8 million. 
 

HIGH-IMPACT NEWS
Transport Minister to U.S. Investors: Don't Miss 'Golden Opportunity' in India 

The Minister for Road Transport and Highways & Shipping urged U.S. investors not to miss the golden opportunity to invest in India, with the Government giving top priority to infrastructure development, in comments at an event hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council in Washington.
 

Report: India is World's 4th-Largest App Economy

India is rapidly moving into the mobile application age and is already the fourth-largest mobile app economy, according to a report by a mobile-app analytics company. In total app downloads per year, only China, the U.S., and Brazil are ahead of India. App downloads in India are projected to grow by 92% to reach 7.7 billion downloads this year, and further to 20.1 billion by 2020.

India Proposal Jump-Starts Stalled WTO Services Talks

Stalled multilateral trade negotiations saw unexpected momentum with several World Trade Organization (WTO) members expressing a broad interest in reviving services negotiations after India announced a proposal for a trade facilitation in services agreement during an informal meeting of the WTO Services Council in Geneva. 

India's First Internet-of-Things Center Launched 

Five startups have been chosen to be part of India's first Internet of Things (IoT) center, a technology whereby sensors in devices such smartphones and smoke detectors talk to each other and share data via the internet. Wireless Controls, Uncanny Vision, LightMetrics, ThingsCloud and SAAR Microsystems have been chosen for the first IoT center in Bengaluru.
 
Google Introduces Android Skills Program for India

To cash in on India's high quality talent pool, Google aims to train about two million developers on its Android platform over the next three years. This will be done through public and private universities and training institutes of the National Skill Development Corporation of India, the company said. 


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