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State Govts Should Help Jumpstart Intl Flights: Jayant Sinha

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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With the civil aviation industry booming in an unprecedented manner in the country, the landlocked North India should seize the opportunity to use this sector as a powerful tool for accelerated development, said Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha in Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Speaking on the theme “Giving Wings To Aviation Sector In North” while delivering the inaugural address at a CII Conference On Making India An Aviation Hub, he said with the industry growing at a steady 15-20 percent over the last four years because of liberal framework put in place by the central government, the northern states are also seeing amazing capacity building. Operational domestic airports have been added in Ludhiana, Pathankot and Adampur in Punjab, Hisar International Airport in Haryana is ready for flight operations, Jewar International Airport (Noida) in Uttar Pradesh, which will have two runways, is at an advanced stage of land acquisition and Hindon civil airport in Delhi is getting started. Shimla is again on the air map and heliports are coming up in all hill states – Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.

Suggesting that state governments at this stage should get involved in promoting international flights from international airports in their respective states on the lines of the Assam Government, which is offering subsidy to airlines which start operating international flights from Guwahati to ASEAN countries, he said jumpstarting international traffic from their states would prove to be a real game changer. “It will open up major business hubs like London, Dubai and Singapore for unlimited trade opportunities,” he added.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“The future of aviation in Northern states is extremely bright. I would like to see the international airports in Hisar, Jewar, Chandigarh and Amritsar competing with Delhi international airport in the coming years,” the minister said.

Chandigarh Airport

Focussing his attention on the Chandigarh International Airport, Jayant Sinha said by the summer of 2019, precisely last Sunday of March, the International Airport at Chandigarh will be open 24×7 to wide bodied aircraft with the Cat 2 ILS (Instrument Landing System) becoming operational and the runway being extended to 10,400 ft length, besides addition of other international facilities at the airport. “With the support of participating state governments, long haul flights to and from destinations like Toronto, New York, London, Sydney could become a reality in no time,” he said.

Supplementing the information provided by the minister, Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) CEO Suneel Dutt informed the gathering that the ILS would be upgraded to Cat 3 by next winter, when it would be required most, by further reducing visibility constraints. He informed that there are 70-80 scheduled flights operating from the airport and there are no restrictions on parking of aircraft. Five more parking slots are being added to the existing 10 by October 2019, he added.           

100 Airports Operational

The minister said with the country’s 100th airport becoming operational at Pakyong in Sikkim, one of the most beautiful airports in the world, sitting on a table top, connectivity to the entire North-East has been further strengthened. It has opened the beauty and wonder of Sikkim to the rest of the world. He claimed that the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme is proving to be a landmark initiative, under which 32 additional airports have already been made operational and scheduled airlines are operating from them. This phenomenal expansion is being spoken about around the world and is the successful culmination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of giving opportunity to a common man who wears a ‘hawai chappal’ to fly a ‘hawai jahaz’.

Reeling out figures, Jayant Sinha asserted that in the last 4 years, there has been a twofold increase in number of passengers who have flown by air – from 60 million (6 crore) in calendar year 2013 to 120 million (12 crore) in 2017. The number of passenger trips have also increased from 100 million (10 crore) in financial year 2014-15 to 180 million (18 crore) in FY ending March 2018. The growth rate of 15-20 percent has been the highest among large aviation markets in the world and is expected to sustain in the coming years, he affirmed.

“Still, we are just scratching the surface. Out of a total population of 1250 million (125 crore) only about 120 million (12 crore) people have travelled by air, though this figure has already topped the number of people who have undertaken air conditioned Railway travel.

“Aviation is poised to become the largest industry in the Indian economy. In all of the 67 years since independence the country had added 400 commercial planes to its fleet. While in the last four years alone, orders for 1,000 planes have been placed. This is apart from the 100s of military aircraft being acquired,” he added.

Great Time To Investment

Making a strong pitch for investments in the sector, the minister said, “The demand for air travel is extraordinary, and therefore it is a great time for people to invest in the aviation industry. The whole concept of airport regulation has been overhauled to attract Indian and foreign investment in the sector. Under the new approach being adopted, focus has shifted from revenue based model to yield based model, which cuts costs both for the passengers and the airlines. This new model is being tried out for Jewar airport, he added.

Talking about the Civil Aviation Policy adopted in June 2016, Jayant Sinha said the very first such policy in the history of the country is a forward looking document designed to cater to an exponentially growing demand. Under the NABH (NextGen Airports for Bharat) Nirman initiative, planning is being done not just for increase in passenger trips to 220-230 million (22-23 crore) in the next few years, but for a billion (100 crore) passenger trips in the next 10-15 years, which will mark more than a fivefold increase from the present level, he said.

Informing the gathering that an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in the aviation sector in the next five years is already in the pipeline, of which Rs 18,000 crore is to be made by Airport Authority of India (AAI) alone, he said Greenfield aviation projects coming up at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, Hisar in Haryana and in Navi Mumbai and Goa are a result of attractive policies being pursued by the government. But to reach the 1 billion passenger trips mark, another Rs 3 lakh crore investment will be required, he added.

Claiming that the massive liberalisation and opening up of the sector has shown positive results, with the aviation sector poised to become the next telecom sector, he informed that in fact with an estimated business of Rs 1.5 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore it is already the size of the telecom sector. He expressed confidence that the sector, which is on an unprecedented growth path, will have massive multiplier effect on other sectors of the economy.

‘Digi Yatra’

Asserting that the government wanted to ensure high levels of passenger ease and comfort at all airports and by all airlines, the minister assured that the same standards will be applied to all airports across the country.

“Under a new globally unique initiative, ‘Digi Yatra’, we are going to ensure that passengers need not carry any travel papers at all and breeze through immigration and security with the use of biometrics based systems at all major airports. Boarding pass will also become a thing of the past. For this passengers need to get KYC compliant once with their finger print and iris scan. The Bangalore Airport has already placed a big order for machines to become Digi Yatra compliant,” he said.

Regarding shortage of various categories of skilled manpower in the aviation industry, he said the government had set up a liberal regulatory framework, and expressed confidence that the private sector will step in and investment adequately in the training sector to supplement the capacities of various autonomous and government institutes like the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, and fill the gaps.

ATF Prices

On measures aimed at arresting the crippling aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, he said his ministry had earnestly taken up the matter for bringing ATF under the purview of the GST regime so that the industry could benefit from input tax credits, but a decision on it rests with the GST Council, which is seized of the matter.

Referring to the issue of slot management, especially peak slots, at the international airports in Mumbai and Delhi, he admitted that the allocation of slots for business airlines was a major issue at Mumbai International Airport because of a sole runway, but otherwise it was considered among the most efficient airports in the world, handling 1,000 flights a day from a single runway. The under construction Navi Mumbai International Airport, a Greenfield project, is expected to help majorly ease these problems. “It is going to be a massive airport with two runways, but it could take between 2-4 years to complete.”

Delhi International Airport is being overhauled to make it one of the largest airports in the world. From handling 65 million (6.5 crore) passengers a year, its capacity will be expanded to handle 100 million to 120 million (10-12 crore) passengers a year. Currently Atlanta International airport tops the list of largest airports in the world, handling 104 million passengers a year, closely followed by Beijing Capital International Airport, which caters to around a 100 million. “Despite having three runways, the Delhi International Airport is not running optimally as the systems are being readied for managing peak slots. Passenger traffic handling capacities at the various terminals are also being scaled up in a phased manner,” he added.

Haryana Story

Elaborating on the aviation scene in Haryana, state Additional Chief Secretary – Industries and Civil Aviation Devender Singh while addressing the inaugural session said, the newly constructed airport, part of a proposed massive aviation hub in Hisar, has received approval for operating six scheduled flights on the Delhi-Hisar and Hisar-Chandigarh routes for which negotiations were on to sign MoUs with airline operators to start the flights. He requested the Minister to give them a slot in Terminal 3 of IGI airport Delhi as a special case, instead of Hindon Civil Airport, as at present.

In due course the airport runway will be expanded from 4,000 feet to 11,000 feet and an international terminal constructed to allow long haul international flights to operate from the Hisar Airport, he informed, adding that the state civil aviation department is in possession of 4200 acres of land in its name, which would, in phases, be utilised for a proposed aviation university, aerospace manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, etc. Expression of Interest had also been invited for business airlines to operate non scheduled flights from Hisar to various popular hill destinations like Shimla, Kullu and  Dharamshala and also within the state of Himachal Pradesh. 

There is also a proposal for operating flying clubs and an Aero Sports Academy from the other operational airports in Haryana on PPP model, Devender Singh shared.

Concluding the inaugural session, Kamal Hingorani, Member, CII National Committee On Civil Aviation & Chief Customer Service Officer, Spicejet Ltd, confirmed that Spicejet was indeed discontinuing its Delhi-Chandigarh flights from October 6. However, he sought to allay apprehensions that it was going to be permanent decision. The aviation industry is very dynamic. With the ATS prices shooting up to an all time high because of the sliding rupee, the airline has re-evaluated its position on many routes, including Chandigarh. He assured that they will be back.

IAF More Open

Participating in a session on “Policy and Regulatory Environment In Aviation Industry: The Way Forward”, moderated by Dr. Chandan Chowdhury, Associate Dean, Indian School of Business, Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister and Secretary Civil Aviation Tejveer Singh felt that the IAF was now more open about allowing civil airports to be developed and operated from its airfields, which made sense with capital costs involved in constructing independent airports cut drastically. He gave the example of Halwara airport which was not approved under UDAN 1, but which had now been sanctioned and would be made operational in three years time.

Addressing the session, Haryana Director Industries and Advisor Civil Aviation Ashok Sangwan while admitting that till about five years ago the state civil aviation department was restricting itself to running three flying clubs and supervising VIP flying, said now, realising the important role of the state government in accelerating the aviation industry, the department is focussed heavily on creating infrastructure and extending incentives to the industry. He informed that a Request for Proposal (RFP) is being released soon for setting up an Aero Sports Academy at Narnaul airport.

Need Regulatory Changes

Maharashtra Civil Aviation Director Capt. Sanjay Karve was of the opinion that it is high time the armed forces review some of the archaic rules and regulations governing civilian movement around defence bases framed in war times, which no longer existed. 

Air India Director Operations Capt. Arvind Kathpalia called for regulatory changes, asserting that overregulation in aviation sector to enforce safety standards invariable adversely affected operations, especially of smaller operators, which faced insurmountable cost and financial viability issues.

Dr. M. Muthukrishnan, Head – Environment, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), emphasised the need for good land use planning around airports to allow for expansion whenever required so that public litigation can be avoided.

In the session on “India as a Global Aviation Hub & Creating Regional Hubs”, session chairman and Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer of Vistara Airlines Sanjiv Kapoor shared that Vistara’s experience of operating flights from Chandigarh International Airport has been good and the airlines is planning to increase its flights from the city.

Maj. Daksh Nakra, Head – Northern India, Bird Education Society for Travel & Tourism, highlighted the massive gap between demand and supply for skilled manpower in the aviation industry and the lack of adequate skilling facilities for filling the gaps.

Kishore Jayaraman, President, India & South Asia, Rolls-Royce, felt that India had the potential to connect Europe with Asia, to act as a bridge between East and West, but the challenge lies in quickly expanding the airports in our major cities to adequately cater to ever increasing volumes of passenger trips.

Vishok Mansingh, CEO of TruJet Airlines, while emphasising the need for creating local aviation hubs, felt that the airlines did not need subsidies but level playing field with the heavily subsidised Railways and road transport. He also wanted policy changes to bring down running costs of airlines to protect their bottom lines.

Point To Point Copter Services

Rohit Mathur, CEO Heritage Aviation Pvt Ltd, expressed confidence that helicopters had a great future and the government needed to majorly encourage point to point helicopter services with a brisk frequency to increase running time of helicopters and make them viable. Right now these were largely being used for leisure and pleasure. Giving an example, he said cost of point to point connectivity with 4-5 trips a day on Chandigarh-Manali and Chandigarh-Dharamshala could come down to Rs 4,000-Rs.5,000 per person per trip. 

Advocating liberal helicopter operation regulations, he claimed that Sao Paulo in Brazil had 700 operational helicopters and 200 helipads. In Canada, helicopters are freely used in spraying farmlands, and in many cases each member of a farm family is a licensed helicopter pilot, he added.

Paramprit Bakshi, Vice President – South Asia & Head – Strategic Business Units of global aviation advisory CAPA, said India enjoyed a great geographical advantage but at the same time, hemmed in between two major aviation hubs, Dubai and Singapore, it has to face stiff competition in its push towards itself becoming an aviation hub.

A CII-CBRE report titled ‘Giving Wings To Aviation Sector In North’ was released on the occasion.

Aroma Of 40 Nations Native Food To Sweeten Amritsars Own

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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The Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab is already an established destination on the international tourism map. The admiration of its lip-smacking cuisine resonates across the globe. So, when India, which became a member of the prestigious World Association of Chefs Societies (WorldChefs) after a three decades long struggle, offered to host the first ever World Heritage Cuisine Summit & Food Festival, Amritsar was a natural choice as venue. To be organised by the recently instituted World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee under the aegis of WorldChefs, and hosted by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA), the three-day summit-festival will be fittingly held in the expansive compounds of heritage site Qila Gobindgarh, erstwhile home to famed Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s prized diamond Koh-i-noor, from October 12-14. Chefs from 40 of the 108 member countries of WorldChefs have already confirmed their participation, celebrated chef Manjit Gill, who is chairman of the World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee, told media persons in Chandigarh on Friday.

“Food is evolving continuously, and becoming more fashionable with time and with more and more young chefs joining the culinary journey, but in the process traditional or heritage food, typical to different parts of the world, is losing out and disappearing from our plates. WorldChefs feels that fashionable food can sustain only when its base is strong and it takes inspiration from rich traditions and heritage. Hence the recent institution of the World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee and the idea of World Heritage Cuisine Summit & Food Festival,” Chef Gill explained.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“So, the objective behind the first initiative of its kind in the world by WorldChefs is to protect, safeguard and promote cultural and culinary heritage of nations of the world. It will celebrate traditional cuisine with live demonstrations, food tastings, presentations, panel discussions, master classes and Q&A sessions by chefs from around the world. It will focus on inculcating appreciation for food culture and traditions, as much as on good food habits and sustainable practices. The event will also witness the launch of Chefs’ Manifesto outlining hunger removal initiatives undertaken and sustainability development goals,” Chef Gill added.

The summit-festival has been designer in a manner to provide an unprecedented opportunity to food enthusiasts to witness live demonstrations by renowned chefs from all over the world, and also to savour these delicacies prepared by chefs from 15 countries at the many tasting counters.

The aesthetics, layout and location of the historical venue partner – Qila Gobindgarh – provide an idyllic setting for the culinary showcase. The multiple venues at the premises will include a World Kitchen, where chefs in batches of two countries will simultaneously present live cooking of traditional recipes every hour. There will also be five Master Class counters where chefs from 40 countries, and 20 from India, will plate pre-prepared dishes for display and food photography. A food pavilion will offer regional Indian specialities, with a special focus on Amritsar’s famed street food.

Impetus To Indian Cuisine, Punjab Tourism

Against the backdrop of the revered Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), where the sacred ‘langar’ (common kitchen) is the largest example of slow food and community cooking, the World Heritage Cuisine Summit & Food Festival is expected to provide an impetus to culinary and heritage tourism of Punjab state.

 “One of the key outcomes of the summit and festival, besides boosting the pride of our national food culture, will be participating culinary ambassadors carrying back indelible experiences and memories of the diversity of Indian cuisine and sharing and disseminating these in their respective countries. Hosting the unprecedented event in Amritsar will also give a fillip to my long cherished desire, and ongoing endeavour to have Punjabi cuisine acknowledged and listed in the elite Food Edition of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage,” Gill shared.

Participating Countries

Among the countries participating are USA, Canada and Dominican Republic from North America, Ecuador from South America, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and Wales from Europe, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia from Africa, and India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Turkey and Armenia from Asia.

German origin Chef Thomas Gugler, who has been based out of Saudi Arabia for the last nearly two decades and is currently President of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WorldChefs), will be the Guest of Honour.

Sharing his thoughts on putting together this world class summit-festival, Event Director Herbbie Sidhu, who is also Managing Director, Myriad Nuances, said making the event a grand affair has entailed continuing tireless efforts of IFCA and the organising committee, and unflinching support of Incredible India, Punjab Tourism and the Amritsar District Administration led by Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha.

Delegate Registration, Walk-In Attendees

The summit-festival is ticketed and open to all. A 3-day package, which entitles a delegate to attend all technical presentations, shows and educational sessions, open networking with invited foreign and Indian chef delegates on all three days and buffet lunch, tea, coffee for three days in designated exclusive area, is priced Rs 3500. A similar one-day package costs Rs 1500. A student pass (against student ID) for Rs 1,000 entitles holder to all summit-festival facilities on all three days, minus the food & beverages. Walk-in attendees, who just want to enjoy the food at the food street, to be especially created for the summit-festival, can register at a help desk to be set up at the venue. They need to carry a photo ID. The food street will serve Amritsar traditional cuisines and food from other parts of India and rest of the world “at a reasonable price”, according to the organisers.

www.heritagesummit2018.com

Get Key To 4300 Brand Gyms Worldwide 24X7

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

A magnetic card gives you access to this newly opened gym in Chandigarh’s Sector 17, which remains open 19 hours a day, all 7 days a week. The card is also your key to 4300 locations in the rest of India and 33 countries worldwide of the US-based leading health and fitness chain Anytime Fitness, the second innings of which began in India in 2013 from Delhi after initially shutting shop in 2011. “This is the 53rd club in India as part of our fresh beginning, with plans for a pan India presence, and this time we are making sure that we have trusted partners,” Managing Director of Anytime Fitness India Vikas Jain told lifeinchandigarh.com at the formal opening of the Chandigarh gym on Friday. “Many of our old customers from the earlier foray are approaching us and we are warmly welcoming them into our fold to build bridges of trust with them,” he said, adding that the brand remains committed to helping fitness conscious people to achieve their goals with professional help from caring certified fitness and wellness experts.

Jain said so far the brand has 40 franchises in India, some of them running multiple clubs. This one in Chandigarh is the 8th location of franchise and Punjabi singer-actor Harrdy Sandhu along with his friends Naveen Grover and Manu Grover, who also run clubs in Ludhiana, Delhi, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad. All three were present at the formal launch.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Equipped with world class facilities for cardio, strength training, weight training, functional training, pilates, etc. the club has opened at a prime location facing the multilevel parking. It will also hold fitness classes in yoga, bhangra, zumba, etc. In pre-sales mode, membership to the club is being offered @ Rs 24,000 annually with likelihood of it being raised to Rs 30,000, which is still reasonable considering that Anytime Fitness is the world’s leading brand.

Although Anytime Fitness is a 24-hour gym chain, the Chandigarh centre will remain open for 19 hours a day from 5 a.m. to midnight daily.

Sharing the brand footprint in India, Jain said “So far we have been concentrating on North India, with 30 clubs having been opened in Delhi NCR alone. In the next phase of expansion, we have plans to densify Mumbai with 5 more locations being added to the existing 3. We hope to reach the 70 mark by the end of the year. Our target is 100 clubs by 2020 and 250 in a longer timeframe.”

Anytime Fitness Chandigarh

SCO 98-100, 3rd Floor, Facing Multilevel Parking, Sector 17.

Queries : 9851400048

Men Get Royal Space To Romance Their Style

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Gents are often seen complaining that they do not have even a fraction of choices available to ladies when it comes to grooming and pampering themselves, whether it be exclusive fashionable clothes, beauty and wellness centres and products or jewellery items. Here comes something to cheer up the men folk. Truefitt & Hill, the oldest barbershop in the world (certified by Guinness) which has had the privilege of serving the British royalty since the early 19th century, has started operations in the city to give the men an exclusive styling experience fit for kings, while at the same time leaving them revitalised and rejuvenated. Apart from the enclosed, but spacious, interiors (services are provided in rnwell-appointed rooms, not halls), which provide a customer a high degree of privacy, the barbershop, as the brand still proudly calls its store, offers the best of British vintage ambience, luxurious chairs from Collins, one of the world’s best brands, a grooming range of 150 of its own high quality British manufacture brand products, highly professional barbers and other staff trained at its own academy in Mumbai and exceptional standards of hygiene. Among the services (Truefitt & Hill would like to call them experiences) being provided are elaborate royal and classic packages for haircut, shave, manicure, pedicure, hair treatment, facial, massage, etc., pretty expensive, but ones which promise to leave every gent in a heavenly state, and craving for more.rn

Sharing their thoughts with media persons a day before the formal launch of the Chandigarh barbershop in Sector 9 on Saturday, Krishna Gupta and Istayak Ansari, co-founders of Lloyds Luxuries Ltd., the master franchise for India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Vietnam, informed that the Chandigarh barbershop is the 16th store of the brand in India and the biggest so far. “We will soon touch 20 stores,” they said.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Worldwide Truefitt & Hill is present in 12 countries, including India, and its international footprint can be seen in cities like London, Washington, Chicago, Toronto, Canberra, Baku, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Salmiya, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok.

The brand’s signature service is Royal Shave which is a unique 45-minute experience. A male guest gets to experience the luxury of a timeless straight-razor shave. Perfected since 1805, this royal ritual begins with wrapping of hot towels followed by exfoliating the face with a scrub. Thereafter, the skin is nourished and massaged with light textured pre-shave oil, unique to the brand. This makes the beard soft, allowing the razor blade to glide smoothly. A hot towel is wrapped again, an occurrence that is repeated often to help open the pores and relax the customer.

Using the brand’s own handmade badger brush, a small amount of glycerine-based shaving cream is applied to create a rich and emollient lather. The brush coats each whisker with shaving cream ensuring the most comfortable shave possible. Holding the skin taut with one hand, the other hand then does its magic with a straight razor. This experience heightens when the Royal Shave concludes with a relaxing facial massage and the application of a selection of 10 aftershave balms. Wow, how luxurious!!

Krishna and Istayak claimed that “our experience in the past three and a half years of  operations has been that so professional are our barbers and other staff, and so relaxing and unwinding our procedures and processes fine tuned over two centuries, that most customers tend to fall asleep within minutes of the expert hands starting to work on them. We have seen a significant reduction in duration between visits of our male guests. On an average the service billing per customer per visit at our existing barbershops has been Rs 2000-2500 and product billing Rs 4000-4500, which shows the level of trust our patrons have in our services and products” they added.

The master franchise has pegged the payback of investment in each barbershop at three to three-and-a-half years. The hopes from Chandigarh are higher.

Truefitt & Hill Chandigarh

SCO 185-187, Sector 9-C, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh

Appointment : 9988014130

Who Will Bell The Cat? Govt, Industry, Farmers All At Sea

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Spurious pesticides and other agrochemicals have wrecked havoc with Indian agriculture and yet neither the so called responsible agrochemical industry, estimated to be worth Rs. 31,000 crore, nor the central or state governments or the farmers are serious about taking the bull by the horns. The issue was hotly debated in a recent seminar on ‘Role of Agrochemicals For Sustainable Agriculture’ with the theme ‘Enhancing Farmers’ Productivity Sustainably’ organised in Chandigarh by the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) jointly with the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals and National Committee On Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture (NCPAH) in the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and various farmers’ and industry bodies. While the industry lashed at the government and regulatory authorities at the centre and in states for failing to check the illegal trade, and instead harassing the genuine manufacturers and their trade network, Punjab State Farmers & Farm Workers Commission Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar advised self regulation by the industry and intelligence sharing with the state government to curb the menace. When it is common knowledge that Moradabad and Karnal are the hubs of this spurious and fake trade, and there may be others as well, then failure to take action against the perpetrators can mean any one of two things – either the various stakeholders are incompetent or they are in cahoots with these people, he said bluntly in his address.

Launching a blistering attack on this issue in his keynote address, RG Agarwal, Group Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Ltd., informed the audience that as per government’s own figures there are more than 4500 companies registered for sales and marketing of agrochemicals but when data on import, export, production and sales was recently sought from these companies only 314 companies responded, leading one to believe that the rest of the companies were indulging in spurious or substandard activity. “Why is the government not taking action against these companies? Why are pesticide inspectors drawing more than 90% samples from products manufactured by reputed companies? Why only 50 to 75 manufacturers are being targeted out of the whole lot of 1500-odd licence holders?” he asked.

   

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Endorsing this view, Dr. Sarjiwan Manhas, Chairman, CropLife India, a not for profit industry organisation focussed on promoting safe, responsible and judicious use of crop protection solutions, informed that fake or spurious products continue to be a growing challenge for the crop protection industry in India. “Domestic market for crop protection products in 2016-17 was pegged at Rs 16,000 crore. In addition, it is estimated that 20-25% of the products being sold are illegal or counterfeit, which threaten not only the efficacy for controlling the pest but also pose a risk to the environment. This also has a knocking effect on the economy. As per Indian Chamber of Commerce estimates, due to these ineffective and illegal pesticides, there is an annual loss of up to 11 million tonnes of food grains. Also, exports of agricultural commodities get seriously dented when traces of these illegal pesticides are found in the country of exports,” he added.

Demanding early passage of the revised draft Pesticides Management Bill (PMB) 2017, which defines misbranded, substandard and spurious pesticides, he said at present pesticides registration, imports, manufacturing, distribution, etc. is fully governed by archaic Insecticides Act 1968 and rules framed therein. A draft Pesticides Management Bill was framed in 2008, which was further revised in 2017, but is still to be passed by Parliament, he lamented.

Asserting Facts, Debunking Myths

In his presentation titled ‘Asserting The Facts. Debunking The Myths’, S. Ganesan, representing United Phosphorous Limited (UPL), quoted facts and figures to challenge the impression that Indian farmers used excessive agrochemicals. He said, with an annual agricultural production worth 401.3 bn US $ (2017), India ranks second in the world with a share of 12%, next only to China with annual production worth 968.6 bn US $ and market share of 28%.  Against this, India’s annual consumption of agrochemicals is only 50,410 tonnes (2016), which places the country at 13th position with a world share of just 1%. China, USA and Brazil together account for more than 62% of agrochemical use worldwide, he added.

Addressing the other concern that India’s agricultural commodities were heavily contaminated with agrochemical residues, he said out of 1,58,118 samples analysed in India since 2008 till 2016-17, only 3109 samples (1.96%) have been found to be above the maximum residue limits (MRLs), which means that more than 98% of the agricultural commodities comply with the legal upper limits fixed for pesticide residues, making India’s food among the safest in the world. All this talk of heavily contaminated food was mere propaganda by vested interests to adversely affect the export competitiveness of India’s agricultural commodities, he asserted.

Challenging another propaganda of a cancer catastrophe awaiting India, he quoted WHO figures to show that six European countries figured in the top 10 ranks in the incidence of cancer per 1,00,000 population, while India is ranked 156th with incidence of 93.9 against the world average of 180. Singapore, with nil agriculture, has a much higher cancer rate than India, he said maintaining that cancer incidence is not known to have any direct link with use of agrochemicals.

He also rubbished talk of abnormally high incidence of cancer in Punjab, the food bowl of the country, arguing that cancer rate in Punjab was less than the national average of 92 per 1,00,000 population. Quoting Tata Memorial Hospital studies, he said it had also clearly denied the general belief that presence of heavy metals in groundwater or excessive use of pesticides and agrochemicals was responsible for high incidence of cancer in the Malwa region of Punjab. The studies had blamed poor lifestyles for majority of cancer cases in Punjab – tobacco, alcohol abuse, obesity and late age marriages. In India, cancer rate is maximum in North Eastern states such as Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, etc that are not practising intensive agriculture, he said.

Crop Losses

In his thematic presentation, Raju Kapoor, Director, Industry & Public Affairs, FMC India, informed that Indian farmers are losing approximately Rs 2,00,000 crore worth of income annually to insects, diseases, weeds, rodents, storage, etc. and these losses can be minimised through responsible crop protection measures which need to be safe and judicious. Enumerating the various stakeholders’ expectations from a sustainable food system, he said for the farmers it will be sustainable income and sustainable farming system, for the society it will be safe food chain, nutrition and health, and for the environment it will be least footprints and preservation of elements for future generations.

For all these goals to be realised it would require coordinated intervention of the government, regulators and civil society and the cornerstone of success would be integrity, transparency, traceability and communication.

Government Measures

Giving an overview of measures being taken by the central government towards sustainably increasing farmers’ productivity, Agriculture Commissioner SK Malhotra informed that the government was closely assessing the preparedness ahead of Kharif and Rabi seasons and ensuring that quality inputs were delivered to farmers well in time. The latest assessment made in the ministry pointed towards a record food grain production of 285 million tonnes this year and record horticulture production of 307 million tonnes, he said adding that the good monsoon (average rainfall of 690 mm till end of August, deviation of less than 6%) had further raised the prospects of the Kharif crops which this year was sown over 1,040 lakh hectares. Preparations had already begun for the Rabi crop, he said.

Addressing the concerns of long delays in approvals for new pesticides, Malhotra said the system for registering/approving pesticides had been streamlined by formulating guidelines wherever these were not in place and he was happy to inform that all pending cases for approval had been disposed off. As on today the list of registered pesticides has 286 entries, he said adding that the government was open to new ideas and was willing to work with the industry for the overall benefit of farmers.

Noting with satisfaction that government initiatives at conserving irrigation water, with the cooperation of the industry and farmers, had borne fruit, he informed that 10 million hectares of land had already come under micro irrigation and the government was hopeful of doubling the area to 20 million hectares by 2022.  He said while states like Punjab, West Bengal, Bihar and Jammu Kashmir had initially shown a lukewarm response towards micro irrigation initiatives of the central government, while other states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana had taken advantage, Punjab had now adopted micro irrigation as a priority area.

Bar Code On Packages

Punjab Farmers’ Commission Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar took the opportunity of Malhotra’s presence to suggest that government should make it mandatory for every package of pesticides to carry a bar code to check spurious and counterfeit products, the long pending Pesticides Management Bill should be pushed through Parliament before the 2019 general elections, spray nozzles should be brought under the ambit of government subsidy and organic farming should be given space to grow.

Expressing the Punjab Farmers Commission’s willingness to work in close coordination with the “good” agrochemicals industry to revive the nearly defunct agricultural extension services in the state, he said on the recommendation of the commission, the state government has appointed 140 new Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs).  “We have recommended that they be posted to focal points near their homes for at least three years and not assigned regulatory duties. We would welcome a partnership with the industry in retraining the existing and new ADOs in modern agricultural practices so that the extension work undertaken by them proves truly beneficial to the farmers.”

To check the sale of spurious agrochemicals in the state, Jakhar said the commission was pursuing with the state government to frame a law making it compulsory for dealers to log in the details of every buyer of agrochemical products. Along with checking sale of spurious products, this exercise will also help in extending targeted extension services to farmers, he said adding that “We hope to see this regulation becoming a part of the state agriculture policy before the next general elections.”

Indo-Israel Agricultural Project

Explaining the contours of the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP), the biggest cooperation Israel government has anywhere in the world, San Alluf, Counsellor Agriculture for Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, Embassy of Israel in India, said the key crops being focussed on in the 25 centres of excellence set up under the project in 11 states in India are mango, pomegranate, date palm, citrus, cucumber, capsicum and tomato. Each of the large scale demonstration projects is tailor made to local conditions like climate and soil, he added.

“We are demonstrating a full value chain encompassing cultivation, harvest and post harvest. We are starting from choosing the best varieties of crops and management of nurseries. We provide the local farmers with the best quality seeds/plants in large numbers for which each project boasts of a hi-tech climate-control nursery. Good planting material is essential to achieve full crop potential. We are asking each centre to develop their guidelines and protocols in the local language and apprise farmers with how, when and how much to irrigate, fertigate (apply fertiliser through irrigation water), etc. There are also protocols for pests, diseases, canopy management and more,” Alluf shared.

Efficient Use Of Irrigation Water

In a presentation on the issue of efficient use of irrigation water, Dr. Sangita Ladha, Vice President – Marketing & Business Development, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, one of the largest micro irrigation companies in the world, highlighted that with India poised to be the most populous country in the world, overtaking China, its 4% fresh water resources of the world would fall well short of demand in the coming years. Since irrigation was the largest single guzzler among all other fresh water consuming activities, flood irrigation practices need to be disallowed. Early adoption of on-farm drip or sprinkler irrigation was the only way forward. The approach needs to be ‘from resource to roots’, she added.

Among other examples of integrated micro irrigation projects executed by Jain Irrigation in command areas in various parts of the country, she singled out the work in progress on the Kandi integrated solar powered drip irrigation system in Talwara area of Punjab which when completed will irrigate 1642 acres of cultivable land in 14 villages and benefit 1200 farmers. The source of irrigation water for the project is the Kandi canal.

Dr. Sangita Ladha recommended farmers to go for three crops a year with drip irrigation to minimise payback period of the investment incurred on the project. In the Kandi project, the per acre cost will come to approximately Rs. 2.5 lakh. The life of any drip irrigation project is between 10 to 12 years, she added.

Spurious Pesticides Trade Ruining Agriculture, Need Strong & Determined Action To Curb It

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

It needs more than a serious effort by enforcement agencies at the centre and in the states to make a dent in the widespread spurious pesticides trade which has wrecked havoc in the heavily stressed farm sector in the country. If India is to really achieve the national goal of doubling farm incomes by 2022, which is quite possible, then strong and determined steps to eradicate this trade, along with efforts towards rapid adoption of modern farm practices and technology and judicious utilisation of fertilisers and irrigation water have to take the centre stage in the country on a mission mode. These are some of the issues which will come under sharp focus in the one-day Seminar on ‘Role of Agrochemicals For Sustainable Agriculture’ with the theme ‘Enhancing Farmers’ Productivity Sustainably’ to be held at Hotel Mountview in Chandigarh on Friday. Jointly organised by the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) with the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals and National Committee On Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture (NCPAH) in the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and various farmers’ and industry bodies, the seminar is aimed at empowering farmers with knowledge of latest and best in science on safe and judicious usage of various agrochemical inputs for sustainable agriculture while at the same time creating opportunities for the Indian agrochemicals industry.

Interacting with media persons on the eve of the seminar RG Agarwal, Group Chairman, agrochemicals major Dhanuka Agritech Limited, said though various programmes and policies have been implemented to increase farm incomes, the spread of awareness among the farmers to convince them to adopt modern ways of agriculture and allied activities, has been slow considering the enormity of exercise involving 12 crore farmers in 6.5 lakh villages. The problem with Indian farming is that because of small land holdings the number of farmers is astronomical and to reach out to each of them in every nook and corner of the country is a herculean task, he added.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

He said government needs to move quickly to strengthen the farmers by giving them freedom to sell their agriculture or horticulture produce wherever they want and whenever they want to get a good price without taking recourse to middlemen. For this amendments need to be made in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and a wide network of storage facilities established. The increasing dependence of the country on foreign agricultural inputs and technologies is another cause of concern, and so is the lack of creditable farm extension services. India needs to focus on these two aspects as well if we are to come anywhere near achieving the 2022 target, he added.

Haryana Krishi Ayog member Dr Shyam Bhaskar felt that modern thought and practices were making significant progress in states like Haryana. Besides making a major dent in curbing stubble in the state this year, it was also adopting micro irrigation schemes in a big way. Quoting latest NCPAH figures of area under micro irrigation as against net sown area, he said, Haryana was placed only second to Andhra Pradesh by a razor thin margin in this regard. The northern state has 5,92,705 hectares under micro irrigation, which is 16.83 % of the net sown area of 35,21,751 hectares, while the southern state boasts of 10,54,381 hectares under micro irrigation, which is 16.91 % of the net sown area of 62,36,050 hectares, he added.

Brij Uberoi, CEO, CropLife India, a not for profit industry organisation focussed on promoting safe, responsible and judicious use of crop protection solutions, informed that his organisation had rolled out an extensive awareness drive in three states – Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra – for farmers on the importance and use of inexpensive Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) like eyewear, hand gloves and face masks while administering pesticides on their farms and responsible use of crop protection products. 

In Punjab, the project had been initiated in five districts – Bathinda, Sangrur, Muktsar, Fazilka and Mansa. In each of these districts, the project implementation is being supported by local government bodies, farmers’ associations and kisan unions and locally operational NGOs, he added.

US Affordable Brand Hotel 6 Throws Open 1st Property In Zirakpur-Chandigarh

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0

It all began with two American real estate commercial contractors from Southern California realising during a cross-country road trip with their families the limited choice of consistent, affordable lodging available to an average leisure traveller. It triggered William Becker and Paul Greene to design and develop a lodging concept ‘Motel 6’– offering a clean, comfortable, consistently-executed motel experience at a reasonable price – which was to revolutionise the lodging business in America and become an iconic brand through the 1970s and early 1980s. With the brand changing hands a couple of times, an extended stay brand ‘Studio 6’ was launched and the owners ventured into franchising. G6 Hospitality, which manages and operates the brands and today has a portfolio of 1600-odd hotels across USA, Canada and Mexico, on Friday announced its first footprint in Zirakpur, near Chandigarh, in the form of its latest offering ‘Hotel 6’in association with its India partners Auromatrix Holdings. The ‘Hotel 6’ brand, which has been launched for international markets and is under development in Latin America and has reached Indian shores, plans a nationwide footprint in five years with the roll out of 40 such affordable hotels, which have been positioned between a budget and a business hotel after extensive market research.

Interacting with media persons at the newly launched Hotel 6 Zirakpur-Chandigarh (after refurbishing and rebranded Hotel Medallion), Auromatrix Holding Chairman Kumar Sitaraman and G6 Hospitality LLC CEO Rob Palleschi expressed confidence that Hotel 6 brand will do well in India as it had been positioned correctly, targeting the growing segment of middle class travellers by providing high and consistent quality at an affordable price.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“We will apply for a four-star status for Hotel 6 Zirakpur-Chandigarh. Besides all the standard mode facilities and amenities associated with a four-star property, the hotel will offer the exclusive advantages of large-sized rooms, a swimming pool and a gym. The hotel is geared to cater to all categories of visitors with 175 rooms, a large banquet and two conference rooms, which are interconnected,” Sitaraman said.

Palleschi intervened to inform that “It took us two years to study the requirements of emerging Indian hospitality market, design a product suited to local markets and to engage the right partners. We have decided not to try and Americanise or Westernise the Hotel 6 chain in India. In fact, we would like to compliment the local markets adaptations with the use of technology to achieve customer delight, which is the hotel’s USP.

“Every hotel will use a special and state-of-the-art exclusive to Hotel 6 cloud-based software ‘Hotel Key’. Guests will be able to use I-pads for check-in and check-out, ordering food in the restaurant, etc. The brand will be well supported by a global marketing network and regional sales teams at various locations in India,” he added.

“We promise to surprise our guests with our package by going beyond their expectations at the given price,” said Palleschi, adding that they were keen on bringing the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands also to India but they would leave a decision in this regard to their Indian partners.

UK Offers Millions To Undergraduate, Postgraduate Scholars

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Recognising that women are underrepresented in the field of science, including engineering and scientific academia, The British Council which is celebrating 70 years of its presence in India this year has awarded fully-funded scholarships to 100 Indian women, 25 of them from the North, to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects at United Kingdom’s premier institutions of higher learning. Sharing this information with students at the English Auditorium of Panjab University campus on Monday, British Deputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh Andrew Ayre and other senior officials said giving top priority to granting scholarships to Indian students to pursue higher education in UK universities, a hefty sum of Rs 117 crore was spent last year, making possible for 500 students to avail of scholarships.

Speaking on the topic ‘Education As A Key Link For Strengthening UK-India Ties’ as part of a ‘Gateway to Global Opportunity’ programme, Ayre said the UK institutions of higher learning were consistently ranked among the best in the world and they offered flexible courses to suit individual requirements, which is a big advantage.

British Deputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh Andrew Ayre
Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Giving details of the anniversary scholarships for women, Tom Birtwistle, Director, North India, British Council, said the 100 women scholars will be attending 44 British universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for their Master’s courses during the 2018-19 academic year. The scholarships will offer the women a chance to work in world-class research environments and collaborate in international research teams. Selected from across India from Tier I, II and III cities and towns, the scholars were also provided training by the British Council to enable them to create an impact of their work in STEM subjects through effective use of social media and science communication.

Indian women recipients of British Council special anniversary scholarships from North

Among the scholarships listed out by Birtwistle (details available on the website of British Council Chandigarh) were :

GREAT Scholarships : 67 full tuition scholarships with a value of 1 million British pounds for prospective full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolling in a broad range of subjects.

Commonwealth Scholarship & Fellowship : Aimed at students of Commonwealth countries who can make a significant contribution to their home country after completion of their higher education programme in the UK. The courses covered are one-year Taught Master’s courses or equivalent and doctoral degree of up to three/four years’ duration.

Hornby Scholarships 2018 : For English language teachers from outside the UK to study for Masters degree in English Language Teaching (ELT) at the University of Warwick.

Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships : Scholarships are offered in the field of Conservation, Heritage and Culture, enabling Indians in the early to mid stages of their careers to spend time in the UK, helping them achieve artistic, academic and professional ambitions and to broaden their international contacts.

Newton Bhabha PhD Placement Programme : A partnership between The British Council and Departments of Science & Technology and Biotechnology, it provides funding support to Indians for short-term placements in UK and Indian institutions.

For details, visit https://www.britishcouncil.in/about/what/our-presence-in-india/british-council-chandigarh

Another Saas-Bahu Plot, With A Role Reversal

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

You don’t need a wise head over your shoulders to produce a typical Hindi family serial. They come a dime a dozen. Pick up any one of the clichéd hit storylines in an Indian setting, ‘saas-bahu’ being the safest, and get going. It doesn’t matter even if you don’t have a director in place, because he is going to be just a face. Zee TV announced one such serial in the ‘saas-bahu’ mould, though claimed to be with a “role reversal”, in Chandigarh on Friday. Brace yourself for an ‘exceptional’ story, at the centre of which is a family which has apparently multiplied faster than the fastest urban Indian family you would have imagined. ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ is about a 40 years old man, whose three daughters-in-law conspire to marry him off to a girl younger than them for their own vested interests (the girl is 20 years old). Phew!! That’s some speed of family progression. Any guesses, what age would be the sons of the 40-year-old man!

Anchored by veteran theatre artist and actor Daljit Soundh, the by now famous ‘dadi’ of the never-ending serial ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ (1100-plus episodes and still running), a team representing Zee TV which flew down to Chandigarh on Friday to promote the upcoming serial, announced that ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ will premiere on September 3 and air Monday to Friday at 8 p.m.

Theatre personality & TV actor Daljit Soundh ‘dadi’ of ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ fame 

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Daljit, who hails from Amritsar, and is again playing ‘dadi’ (Tulsi Devi) to the 40-year-old (Akshat) in the serial, shared with media persons that ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ is produced by Shoonya Square. But, wait!! Doesn’t the serial have a director!! The write-up shared with us does not make a mention of the director, though it names the producer and the actor. Daljit fumbles for an answer. “Yes, we have a director… Mr Dheeraj. Sorry, no he is the producer!” She calls out to a girl, accompanying her on the promotional tour, for assistance. The girl too appears clueless. Finally, she manages to mumble “we don’t have a director yet. The shoot begins only on August 20.” Good going!

Daljit says she has had a fairly long stint with the Zee TV family now. After doing
not-so- significant roles in several serials, the role of ‘dadi’ in the runaway hit serial ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ catapulted her to fame. “Very few people know me by my name. Everyone calls me ‘dadi’, and I am pretty happy with the love and respect which comes with that status.”

‘Guddan…Tumse Na Ho Payega’ is said to be a “light-hearted story” of a 20-year-old girl, Guddan (played by Kanika Mann), who having bumbled and fumbled through most of her life, and being told by her own family that she can barely get one thing right, finds herself becoming a very young mother-in-law to three older daughters-in-law by a quirk of circumstances.

A promo of the serial claims “For the first time on television, we will witness a role reversal of the typical ‘saas-bahu’ relationship as three daughters-in-law set out to seek a suitable bride for their 40-year-old father-in-law, Akshat (played by Nishant Singh Malkani) for their own vested interests and get him married to 20-year-old Guddan.

“Being a new ‘saas’ in the household, where the older ‘bahus’ have ruled the roost for the longest time, Guddan is the quintessential inexperienced outsider faced with resistance, challenges and is time and again stripped powerless by the phrase – ‘Tumse Na Ho Payega’. Will Guddan tide over self-doubt and brave all the daily challenges thrown her way to shut down her critics and cynics once for all by proving ‘Guddan Se Ho Payega’?”

In the serial, Tusli Devi is a constant pillar of strength and a guiding force to her grandson Akshat, who always looks up to his ‘dadi’ in trying times.

While Guddan is flamboyant, carefree and always ready to take risks, making her commit the silliest of mistakes, Akshat is a perfectionist with immense maturity. Set against the backdrop of the vibrant city of Indore, ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ will trace the journey of two contrasting personalities, as they struggle to find common ground to lead a happy married life. “As Guddan and Akshat’s contrasting worlds collide, it leads to a lot of drama, some lighter moments and the eternal quest for Guddan to prove that she can take on any challenge and nail it, no matter what her naysayers say,” the promo reads.

Adds Daljit “The show has an intriguing storyline and delivers a very strong message about having faith in yourself and achieving the impossible.”

Among other actors who will be seen in pivotal roles in the serial are Shweta Mahadik, Sehrish Ali, Mayank Verma and Rehan Roy.

Scaling New Heights Of Indo-Thailand Ties, Thai Envoys Push

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

From the traditional Thai legal calendar, the solar calendar, counting years in Buddhist Era (B.E.), which is 543 years ahead of the Christian/Normal calendar (A.D.), to the Thai Kings being given the title of Rama (Rama I, Rama II… etc.), to the Bangkok International airport being named Suvarnabhumi International airport to the an important road in Bangkok, where the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located, being called Sri Ayutthaya (Ayodhya) Road, to the mythical bird Garuda being the symbol of Thai royalty for centuries, and later being adopted as the national emblem of the nation, Thailand is steeped in Buddhist and Hindu culture of India. No wonder the two countries have centuries old cultural, economic and political ties, which were dented somewhat (though not culturally) during the Cold War Era, when both countries found themselves on opposite sides of the great political divide. With the Cold War abating following the collapse of the Soviet Union and economies getting globalised, political-security and economic relations have improved significantly. The two sides have been cooperating closely on political and security issues, and trade has been robust, touching 10 Bn US $ annually, after a 30 % increase registered last year. Investments in one another’s countries has been tardy with Indian companies investing 500m US $ in Thailand and investments from Thailand in India reaching 250m US $.

Thai Ambassador to India Chutinto Sam Gongsakdi is not satisfied with the volume of trade and investment between the second largest economy in the 10-member Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the sixth largest economy of the world. The heavy tilt of balance of bilateral trade in favour of Thailand (which accounts for 7Bn US $ out of the total trade of 10 Bn US $) is also exercising his mind.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“The growth in trade and investment is encouraging, but nowhere near the huge potential, considering the cultural affinity and the age old ties between Thailand and India,” Gongsakdi said while sharing his thoughts during an interaction with Lifeinchandigarh.com after formally inaugurating a five-day ‘Namaste Thailand Expo 2018’ at Himachal Bhawan, in Chandigarh, on Wednesday. “We need to rediscover and revive the age old ties and scale up political-security, economic and cultural relations to an all new level. We are making all out efforts to make this happen in the shortest possible timeframe,” he added.

Gongsakdi said Thailand laid great stress on promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which generate 99 % of employment in the country, and would like this sector from both countries to forge greater business ties for inclusive growth. Early completion of the much delayed India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral road project would make a major impact towards this end as it will facilitate greater connectivity between Asean countries and India.

Admitting that balance of trade between the two countries was currently tilted heavily in favour of his country, the Thai Ambassador felt that Thailand needed to open up more towards India, and he was making earnest efforts to make that happen. Import of military hardware from India was one of the areas being considered to bridge this gap, he added.

Coming to the presence of Thai companies in India, Gongsakdi informed that though some of the top Thai companies have been operating in India for long, they have been keeping a low profile. Recently, the CP Group of Thailand, an agribusiness and packaged food major operating in South India, announced a venture into cash and carry wholesale stores across India with an investment of Rs. 1,000 crores in the next five years.

The diversified Siam Cement Group (SCG) is also eyeing its entry into India in a big way looking at opportunities in petro chemicals and the rapidly growing packaging industry in India. Thai companies as also participating in international consortiums to execute work on the Kolkata airport, the Mumbai Metro and Delhi Metro, he said, adding that “However, if we compare the 28 Thai companies operating in India to the 1350 Japanese and 700 Korean companies doing business in the country, the involvement of Thai businesses in India is way below the potential.”

The Thai Ambassador said among the major Indian companies invested in Thailand are Indo Rama Group, Aditya Birla Group and Tata Consultancy Services, with TCS alone providing employment to 2,000 people in Thailand.

Focusing on the burgeoning tourist traffic from India into Thailand, he informed that 14 lakh India tourists are visiting Thailand each year confining their journeys largely to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. “But Indians need to realise that there is much more to Thailand than these three cities. It’s the second largest economy in Asean and there are opportunities galore across the length and breadth of the country,” he remarked.

Gongsakdi said air connectivity between India and Asean region has recently received a further boost with the Royal Bhutanese Airlines, Drukair announcing launch of its Guwahati-Singapore-Guwahati flights and another Guwahati-Bangkok-Guwahati flight in the pipeline. Other cities in India are also likely to be covered by more direct flights to the Asean region soon, he added.

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