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'We Are One Of India's Biggest Trade Partners'

References of a strong trade alliance between India and Netherlands can be traced back to the 17th century. Even today, the two nations boast of a robust relationship. In an interaction with The Dollar Business, H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga, Ambassador of Netherlands to India, talks about the ways to further consolidate the strong bilateral relations and maximise opportunities for investors from both countries.

'India Is A Priority Market For Amul'

When one talks about dairy products in India, the first name that perhaps comes to mind is Amul. R. S. Sodhi, Managing Director of Gujarat Co-Operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF which owns the brand) Ltd., spoke with The Dollar Business about the USP of the cooperative, the continued relevance of its business model and Amul’s expansion across overseas markets.

New-gen Newsmakers

The Dollar Business Celebrates the Success of Rising Stars of Indian Foreign Trade for Them the Sky Is No Limit, It’s Just a Direction!

We Will Be Exporting to 30 Markets From India by End of 2016

Daimler AG has been active in the commercial vehicle business in India since the 1950s. However, it only started manufacturing in the country in 2012 through its subsidiary Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV). And since then there has been no looking back. The Dollar Business caught up with Erich Nesselhauf, MD & CEO, DICV, to know the secret to DICV's success.

Rcep Can Boost Business Across a Large Region

New Zealand and India have a lot in common – from their love for cricket to their Commonwealth heritage and much more. Despite this the bilateral trade between the two countries is yet to live up to its potential. In an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, Grahame Morton, High Commissioner of New Zealand to India, talks about various ways to improve social, political and trade ties between the two nations.

MEIS: When Change Is the Only Constant

The Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS), which was introduced in FTP 2015-2020, has undergone several changes. Recently again, while 2,901 tarifflines were added to the MEIS schedule, reward rates across 575 tarifflines were altered. While just the word ‘added’ may sound good to some exporters, for the most, frequent changes and ambiguities in notifications are confusing many.

FTP Mid - Term Review : Will Exporters Woes Continue?

India's exporters got little from this year's Union Budget. The recently implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST) further left them confused. They now can't wait to learn what 'happy surprises' the mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy has in store for them. And not to say, their expectations from the mid-term review have changed in the past weeks. [It's just getting bigger!] The Dollar Business reaches out to India's EXIM community to learn what it desires from the FTP revision and how GST has impacted its wishlist.

Exporters Find It Tough To Honour High Volume Commitments

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), established in 1985, has been instrumental in identifying new markets and providing better support systems to exporters of agricultural and processed food products. In a tête-à-tête with The Dollar Business, Devendra Kumar Singh, Chairman of APEDA, throws light on the various initiatives that APEDA is taking up to give exports a boost.

Can India's Outsourcing Industry Survive The Trump Attack?

Uncertainty has descended upon the $150-billion Indian outsourcing industry in anticipation of the protectionist regime under President Trump. Protectionism has been a popular election rhetoric across nations, and more so in recent times. And the voting masses seem to like it. Will Trump’s campaign cry for protectionism cross the boundaries of poetic drama and come alive as laws? There is no doubt that US being the largest consumer nation in the world, governments across the globe will keep a close watch on Trump’s policies. India will be no exception. The hot-button topic for India – ‘outsourcing’, has surfaced again and the impact of Trump’s announcements, be it restrictions on H-1B visas or penal taxes on US companies for outsourcing jobs, is being felt already in India. And this, coming during times when India's outsourcing industry has been experiencing a rough patch isn't an encouraging development. How hard will an avalanche of protectionist measures from the Trump regime hit India's outsourcing industry?

Our Sourcing From India Will Double In The Next Few Years

It's a known fact that the Indian government is working hard to increase defence and aerospace procurement from indigenous sources – from the current 40% to 70%, in the next 10 years. The Dollar Business recently caught up with Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India, to understand how manufacturers in India can leverage growth opportunities and what makes India a preferred sourcing destination for the American aircraft-maker.

Telecom Exports Can Be The Next Big Growth Area

Telecommunications is one of the fastest growing sectors across the globe. Telecom Equipment and Services Promotion Council (TEPC) has been actively working to promote India’s exports from this sector. In an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, Rakesh Kumar Bhatnagar, Director General, TEPC, talks about the issues plaguing the sector and the outlook for the future.

'Li-ion' Of The Imports Business...Become One!

To say that almost all modern day gadgets are powered by lithium-ion batteries would not be an exaggeration. From mobile phones and medical devices to defence equipment, these batteries are omnipresent. Interestingly, while their demand has been on the rise little has been done to produce them indigenously. And that means importers of these batteries are making hay. The Dollar Business analyses the present and the future of the business.

'It's Puzzling That Exports Hasn't Been Consistent'

Dr. Rakesh Mohan over his long and illustrious career has been the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI); Executive Director at International Monetary Fund; Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, GoI and more. In an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, on the eve of the launch of his new book, he held forth on a wide-range of topics including fiscal responsibility, GST, the role of RBI and more.

'India Is An Exciting Place To Do Business In...'

Cargill Inc., a multi-national food major with a presence in 70 countries, started operations in India in 1987. Today, the company is one of the largest originators and marketers of several commodities in India. Siraj Chaudhry, Chairman, Cargill India, in an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, talks about Cargill’s journey in India – trials, tribulations, triumphs and the road ahead.

A Profitable Connection?

From postcards to video calls, the world has moved on to newer, faster and easier forms of communication in a matter of a few decades. This progress has been made due to the proliferation of optical fibre cable (OFC) networks around the globe. But many miss the fact that India is already the world’s third-largest exporter of OFCs, with exports witnessing double-digit growth over the last few years.

'German Firms Use India As A Key Hub'

Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the economic development agency of Germany, has been assisting German businesses in seeking opportunities in India and vice versa for almost three decades now. The Dollar Business caught up with Asha-Maria Sharma, Director, GTAI India, to understand how GTAI has been helping German and Indian companies – particularly SMEs – connect.

FIPA Will Boost Canadian Investment In India

Canada’s economic and trade relations with India are expanding at a never-seen-before pace. And Canada’s Minister of International Trade François-Philippe Champagne was in India recently with an agenda to strengthen ties further. The Dollar Business caught up with him to understand how the two nations plan to intensify and boost bilateral trade.

Profits On Your Palms!

India is the world’s biggest importer of palm oil. Interestingly, over the last one year, while imports of crude palm oil has been on a decline, that of refined palm oil has been rising sharply. Export taxes by major producers like Indonesia and Malaysia have a lot to do with this anomaly as does India’s custom duties. Is this the right time to jump into imports of RBD Pamolein? The Dollar Business examines.

Acquisitions Have Fuelled Our Growth

Wockhardt is a true Indian pharmaceutical multinational with full-fledged operations in several countries, including US, UK, Ireland and France. In an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, Dr. Murtaza Khorakiwala, Managing Director of Wockhardt Group, talks about the company’s innovative business models that are in motion to make the most of emerging opportunities across the globe.

Steel Industry Is On An Expansion Mode

India’s steel industry today faces challenging market conditions arising out of a global steel glut. In an freewheeling interaction with The Dollar Business, Chaudhary Birender Singh, Union Minister of Steel, GoI, talks at length about the government’s initiatives and plans to overcome global challenges while fueling growth and enhancing competitiveness of Indian steel industry.

China Is A Focus Market For Us!

For more than three decades now, Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) has been instrumental in connecting Indian carpet exporters with overseas buyers. ‘Rugs of India’, a brand promoted by CEPC, today, defines India’s hand-weaving skills, globally. However, when it comes to exports, even these exotic, traditional rugs need to be branded and marketed well in the face of competition from machine-made products. CEPC Chairman Mahavir Pratap Sharma explains why.

Red-tapism Is Still An Issue In Exports

Exports wasn’t Anil Peshawari’s forte. But in 1999, this chartered accountant decided to take the plunge and start a garment export business. Come today and he has been successful in establishing Meenu Creation, a 100% export-oriented company that boasts of an annual turnover of Rs.300 crore. In an interaction, Peshawari shares lessons that experience has taught him and other thoughts on textile exports business.

Goa Certainly Needs To Market Itself Better 

Think about holidays and chances are high that you would be visualising the serene beaches of Goa, a holiday destination that is in the bucket list of all leisure travellers, foreign and domestic alike. The Dollar Business caught up with Manohar Azgaonkar, the newly appointed Minister for Tourism of Goa, to understand how his Ministry plans to make Goa a round-the-year tourist destination and increase forex earnings.

From Afghanistan With Love

Asafoetida, or hing as it is popularly known, has been a darling of almost every Indian kitchen since ages. What's more? Its recently found use as a product of medicinal value is driving its demand higher. And since India does not produce enough asafoetida to meet domestic demand, its imports makes for a lucrative business proposition.

Synthetic Jute From China Is Hurting Our Exports

Though India continues to be the largest producer and processor of natural jute in the world, very little seems to have changed for the industry participants over the last many decades. Manish Kajaria, Chairman, Jute Product Development and Export Promotion Council (JPDEPC), talks about the many challenges that the jute industry faces in the current times and what needs to be done to overcome them.

We Will Surpass Our Export Target

Coconut Development Board (CDB) is one of the youngest export promotion councils in India. In a freewheeling interaction with The Dollar Business, Dr. Anand Kumar Singh, the Immediate Past Chairman of CDB, who now heads the Horticultural Science division of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), talks about the initiatives taken up by CDB to boost exports of coconut products.

'Lowered Incentives Have Hurt Exports'

The decentralised powerloom sector is the backbone of India’s textile business. It not only contributes about 60% to India’s fabrics export, but also provides employment to over seven million people. The Dollar Business caught up with Purushottam K. Vanga, Chairman of Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL), to understand what the Council is doing to boost exports from the sector.

“it's Time to Explore Untapped Markets”

Charan Reddy Arutla (CRA): I have always been passionate about apparel and shopping – usually, I spend a lot of time and money on shopping.    In 2011, an enthusiastic young man combined his passion for fashion with business and started Roman Island. Six years later, this Rs.100 crore company is making its presence felt both in the domestic and international markets. CEO and Chairman Charan Reddy Arutla shares the company’s growth, challenges and plans with The Dollar Business.

Fta Will Create A Win-win Situation

Edgar Vasquez, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru, was in India recently to push for a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) covering goods, services and investments between the two countries. The Dollar Business caught up with him to understand the rationale behind the proposed FTA, which is in line with the agreements the Latin American nation already has with 53 countries.

The 'Soap' Opera Has Just Begun

Indian exporters of organic soaps have been making ‘clean’ hits across overseas markets for quite some time now. As a result, exports of this product from the country has risen steadily. So, what really makes this product a popular choice amongst foreign buyers and Indian exporters (who enjoy high average margins)?