Business
Extension of benefit under RoDTEP to tobacco sector will boost exports
The Indian Tobacco Association has said that the extension of benefit under RoDTEP to the tobacco sector is eminently aligned to the objectives of the Foreign Trade Policy and also to have a level playing field to our products in the international market.
Export is a pre-requisite for the growth of any country. The Association said India has got advantage of wide range of soils and climatic conditions to produce different styles of tobaccos which can cater to the needs of different overseas markets.
There are several countries in the world whose economy is based on Tobacco like – Brazil, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Thailand, etc. India is, thus, well positioned to become a major player in the global tobacco market if it can harness the emerging opportunities through price competitiveness. However, steep increases in cost of cultivation, transportation and logistics has adversely impacted the price competitiveness of Indian tobacco.
The Association had said, “we had the opportunity to digitally participate in the Prime Minister’s interactive session. We were pleased to learn that the government is focusing on exports, with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry setting a target of a 30 per cent growth in Indian tobacco exports. In this regard, we also met with the Commerce Minister and the Secretary of the Commerce Ministry, and made our representations and workings through the Tobacco Board. Whereas, tobacco is not included in RoDTEP benefits, despite several appeals.”
The tobacco sector’s exports mainly include value-added products, such as flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco (approximately 72 per cent of the country’s FCV production for export) and tobacco products, which bring the country US$ 900 million in foreign exchange each year. As there is no level playing field in the international market, India’s exports of unprocessed tobacco have fallen sharply.
Indian Unmanufactured exports in 2013-14 was worth Rs 4,850 cr with volume of 236 M Kg compared to Rs 3,780 cr with a substantially low volume of 169 M Kg in 2020-21, clearly indicates India’s fall in global markets. It is loss to entire FCV tobacco stake holder community as well as revenue loss to the Indian Government.
The global competitiveness of the Indian tobacco industry has also been severely affected due to factors like (i) Subsidies provided to tobacco in countries like Zimbabwe, Tanzania, EU, and the USA;(ii) A duty free regime in the EU for imports from least developed countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Malawi and so on; (iii) The prevalence of a Tariff Rate Quota in USA whereby the US market is accessible at a concessional import duty rate by countries like Argentina, Brazil, Thailand, etc while non-quota imports from countries like India are taxed at an ad-valorem rate of 350 per cent.
Consequently, the Indian tobacco sector is denied a level-playing field when competing globally with some of the major tobacco growing countries like USA, Argentina, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The stated objective of the Foreign Trade Policy in general, include enhancement of India’s export competitiveness by offsetting infrastructural inefficiencies and associated costs involved in export of goods and products, which are produced in India, especially those having high export intensity and employment potential.
Due to reasons stated above, extension of benefit under RoDTEP to the tobacco sector is eminently aligned to the objectives of the Foreign Trade Policy and also to have a level playing field to our products in the international market – Export incentive will boost the Forex and income generation to farmers.
Business
Indian stock market trades flat, all eyes on RBI MPC meet
Mumbai, Feb 5 : The domestic benchmark indices traded almost flat early on Wednesday, after the stock market experienced a strong upward movement as the US trade tariff tensions eased.
After a positive opening, the Sensex and the Nifty were almost flat. At around 9.31 am, Sensex was trading at around 78,595.81, up marginally, while the Nifty was at 23,769.80, up almost 30 points or 0.13 per cent.
HDFC Bank, Infosys, Oil and Natural Gas Corp, Tata Consultancy Services and Bharat Petroleum Corp added to the Nifty 50 index.
On the other hand, Asian Paints, Larsen and Toubro, Titan and Nestle India weighed on the Nifty 50 index.
On NSE, nine sectors advanced, three declined out of 12. The NSE Nifty FMC declined the most, and the NSE Nifty Oil & Gas rose the most. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices were trading higher in early trade.
According to market watchers, after a positive opening, Nifty can find support at 23,600. On the higher side, 23,800 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 23,900 and 24,000.
After remaining net sellers for the 23 sessions, the foreign institutional investors (FIIs) turned net buyers on February 4, as they bought equities worth Rs 809 crore. On the contrary, 35 domestic institutional investors (DIIs) turned net sellers after remaining net buyers for the last 35 sessions, as they sold equities worth Rs 430 crore.
The strong buying interest helped the Nifty index close above the 23,700 mark. Additionally, global markets traded positively.
According to Sameet Chavan of Angel One, the US decision to pause tariffs triggered a strong recovery from lower levels in U.S. futures overnight, setting a positive tone for Asian markets.
“While the momentum remains positive, key overhead resistance levels need to be monitored at 23900 (89 DEMA), 24000 (200 DSMA), and 24250 (previous swing high),” he mentioned.
After a robust Union Budget, all eyes are on the RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting on February 7 where a rate cut is expected.
Business
BMC Budget 2025: Over ₹5500 Crore Allocated For Development Of Coastal Road (Phase 1 & 2); Details Inside
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) presented its budget for the financial year 2025–2026 on Tuesday. BMC assigned an unprecedented budget of Rs 74,366 crore for the financial year 2025-26. The civic body budget allocated approximately Rs 4,000 crore for the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (Phase 2). BMC mentioned Phase 2, which will connect Versova and Dahisar.
The budget is a crucial component of the BMC’s operations, as it outlines the key factors and the city’s development, as well as what should be invested in and how to invest for the state. Coastal roads are crucial for Mumbai because they provide commuters with quick access and good connectivity, cutting the travel time between Marine Drive and Bandra-Worli Sea Link from 45 to 50 minutes to less than 10 minutes.
Mumbai Coastal Road Project (Phase 1)
The first phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road would be maintained, according to the budget, with Rs 1,516 crore allocated for the south section’s completion. Project Coastal Road (Phase 1) The first phase began in March 2024 with the opening of 10.58 km of coastal road. Starting at BD Somani Chowk, 280 m before the Princess Street Flyover at Marine Drive, the path leads to Worli, where it joins the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL). Estimated cost of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project Phase 1 was ₹13,060 crore.
Mumbai Coastal Road Project (Phase 2)
Phase 2 is now underway in the Versova and Dahisar neighborhoods of Mumbai. BMC mentioned the total amount of 4000 crore rupees that was permitted for phase 2 in the budget for 2025–2026. BMC is keenly focusing on the Coastal Road Project to develop the city and to reduce the traffic issue of Mumbai
BMC Budget 2025-26 Other Highlights
The BMC budget also prioritizes waste management services and educational facilities. Among the greatest services in Mumbai, together with the roads such as the Goregoan Mulund Link Road and the concretization projects
Business
BMC Budget 2025: Mumbai Civic Body Allocates ₹7,380 Crore For Healthcare In 2025-26 Budget; Full Details Inside
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allocated Rs 7,380.43 crore for healthcare in its 2025-26 budget of Rs 74,427 crore, focusing on hospital redevelopment, disease prevention and expanded medical services.
To increase capacity, 3,515 new beds will be added through municipal hospital redevelopment. Intensive care and neonatal ICU services in suburban hospitals will also be expanded. The Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray – Aapla Dawakhana initiative, which has 250 centres and 33 polyclinics, has benefited 90 lakh patients so far.
New Aapla Dawakhana Centres To Come Up In City
In the coming year, 25 new Aapla Dawakhana centres and three physiotherapy centres will be set up. Free diagnostic tests, including X-rays, ECGs, CT scans, MRI and mammography, will be provided at municipal rates through private labs.
Under a public-private partnership model, private institutions will operate and maintain hospitals for 30 years. These include the 490-bed Bhagwati Hospital in R/North Ward, a 300-bed hospital transferred from MMRDA in M/East Ward, as well as the Punjabi Galli Diagnostic Center, Jakhadevi Multi-Specialty Clinic and Vikhroli Parksite Hospital.
Several specialty medical services and hospital upgrades are planned. Nair Hospital will get a new oncology and emergency department, while Cooper Hospital will have a 150-bed cancer unit equipped with Linear Accelerator radiation therapy. IVF and dialysis services will be expanded at KEM, Nair, and LTMG Hospitals. The redevelopment of LTMG Hospital will include a new nursing college and an oncology building.
A ‘Zero Prescription Policy’ will ensure that all required medicines are available in municipal hospitals. The ‘Aarogya Seva Aaplya Dari’ initiative will introduce door-to-door health check-ups. DNB medical courses will be expanded, with new specialisations in ENT and Anesthesia.
Cancer Screening Initiative
In terms of disease prevention and cancer screening, 30 lakh citizens will be screened for hypertension, while an HPV vaccination program will be launched for girls aged 9 to 14 to prevent cervical cancer. A ward-wise cancer care model will be implemented to screen for oral, breast and cervical cancer.
Efforts to eliminate tuberculosis include distributing kits with masks, sanitizers, and spittoons to all TB patients. A Next-Generation Sequencing pilot project at Kasturba Hospital will improve TB diagnosis. A new BPaL regimen for MDR-TB treatment will be introduced.
Initiatives Benefitting Pregnant Women & Children
Maternal and child healthcare initiatives include 38 ‘Maa Mitra’ helpdesks to track high-risk pregnancies, automated voice calls and SMS alerts for pregnant women and infant immunization, cochlear implant surgeries for children with hearing disabilities at AJB ENT Hospital, and the establishment of two new Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres for malnourished children.
The immunization and disease surveillance program will conduct 52,000 vaccination sessions annually across Mumbai. A Typhoid Sentinel Surveillance program will be introduced in nine health centres.
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