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Extension of benefit under RoDTEP to tobacco sector will boost exports

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5 years ago

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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.

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Q1 results, inflation, US-Iran tensions among key triggers likely to drive stock market next week

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2 hours ago

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August 9, 2026

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Mumbai, Aug 9: Indian stock markets are likely to remain volatile next week as investors track a busy earnings calendar, the release of July retail inflation data, movements in crude oil prices, geopolitical developments surrounding the US-Iran conflict and foreign institutional investor (FII) flows.

Indian equities ended the week on a positive note despite heightened volatility, with investors assessing the implementation of the new Closing Auction Session (CAS) framework for F&O stocks, the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy decision and persistent geopolitical uncertainties.

The Sensex gained 0.52 per cent over the week to close at 78,499.17, while the Nifty rose 0.77 per cent to finish at 24,570.65.

A key focus for investors next week will be the ongoing Q1 FY27 earnings season. Several prominent companies are scheduled to announce their April-June quarter results.

Markets will also react to India’s July retail inflation data, which is scheduled to be released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on August 12.

Geopolitical developments, particularly those involving the US, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, will remain another major market trigger.

Iran has reportedly put forward fresh conditions for reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, while the UAE has reported that one of its vessels was targeted by an Iranian missile.

Any further escalation in geopolitical tensions or delays in reopening the shipping route could put additional pressure on crude prices.

FII activity will also remain on investors’ radar. Foreign institutional investors turned net buyers of Indian equities on Friday, snapping their brief selling streak.

According to provisional exchange data, FIIs purchased shares worth Rs 12,941.31 crore and sold equities worth Rs 12,461.07 crore, resulting in a net inflow of Rs 480.24 crore.

Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to support the market, recording a net inflow of Rs 235.56 crore on Friday. DIIs bought equities worth Rs 15,679.58 crore and sold shares worth Rs 15,444.02 crore.

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India exported over 7,000 metric tonnes of Makhana to over 20 global destinations in FY26

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22 hours ago

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August 8, 2026

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New Delhi : India exported more than 7,000 metric tonnes of Makhana and value-added Makhana products to over 20 international destinations, including the US, the Middle East and Africa, in last fiscal (FY26), the government informed on Saturday.

Bihar accounts for nearly 85 per cent of India’s Makhana production. To further strengthen the sector, a separate HS Code for Makhana came into effect from July last year under the Finance Bill, 2025.

In a new feat, APEDA facilitated first-ever commercial sea shipment of 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from the BIADA Industrial Area in Bihta, Bihar, to Australia.

The consignment, sourced from Makhana growers of Darbhanga district, is expected to strengthen the international presence of Bihar’s flagship GI product while creating enhanced income opportunities for farmers through export-led market access, according to Commerce Ministry.

The initiative has enabled farmers to realise nearly 18 per cent higher returns than prevailing market rates, highlighting the benefits of export-oriented value chains and direct market linkages.

The export is expected to strengthen the international presence of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana, create sustainable export opportunities for Bihar’s Makhana sector and contribute to higher farmer incomes.

State Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said Makhana is the identity of Bihar and greater participation of Bihar-based exporters in international trade would enable farmers to secure better price realisation.

He emphasised the importance of maintaining quality standards to meet global market requirements and stated that the Government of Bihar is continuously working to strengthen the Makhana value chain by supporting growers, processors and exporters.

The minister further said that all necessary support would continue to be extended to the Phori community, whose traditional skills are integral to Makhana processing.

The first-ever sea shipment of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana to Australia reflects the growing global demand for Bihar’s agricultural products and opens new opportunities for farmers and exporters, he added.

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CSIR conclave reviews first-year progress of Phase III skill initiative

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24 hours ago

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August 8, 2026

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New Delhi : The Coordinators’ Conclave‑cum‑Meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative reviewed the progress made during the first year of Phase III of the initiative, an official statement said on Saturday.

The statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said the two‑day meeting facilitated knowledge exchange among participating laboratories and strengthened collaboration for effective implementation of the programme.

The conclave was hosted by CSIR‑HRDC in association with CSIR‑National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, and brought together Skill Nodal Coordinators from all 37 participating CSIR laboratories to present annual progress reports covering programmes conducted, trainee outreach, innovations, challenges and future action plans.

These presentations enabled the Monitoring Committee to comprehensively assess the implementation status across laboratories while providing an excellent opportunity for sharing best practices and successful models of skill development.

Dr. Mohana Krishna Reddy Mudiam, Director, Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT), Gurugram, and Chairman of the Monitoring Committee underscored that skill development is an integral part of nation-building and outlined five key priority pillars to guide the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative towards building a robust, future-ready, and industry-aligned skill development ecosystem.

Dr. Vinay Kumar, Scientist-G and Skill Nodal Principal Investigator, CSIR-HRDC highlighted Skill Initiative’s pivotal role in creating a nationwide skill development ecosystem for nurturing industry-ready talent to build a technology-driven workforce.

Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, Pune emphasised that CSIR is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful contribution to the Skill India Mission by leveraging its extensive nationwide laboratory network and scientific expertise to help position India as a global hub for skilled talent.

Dr. T. S. Rana, Head, CSIR-HRDC, Ghaziabad, emphasised CSIR’s commitment to transforming knowledge into digitally enabled, experiential, and innovation-driven solutions for skill development.

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