FICCI

The application deadline for the FICCI National HR Innovation Awards has been extended to August 2nd, 2024. Don’t miss out on this chance to showcase your best HR practices and win in the presence of industry experts from various sectors. Register for Awards https://lnkd.in/dCrmS9KJ Register for the Innovation Summit https://lnkd.in/d7B5p2wH For more information, contact supriti.banerjee@ficci.com

Hurry! Registration for FICCI's 21st Annual Capital Markets Conference #CAPAM2024 closes in two days. Join us in Mumbai on August 02, 2024, for an insightful discussion on Strengthening and Regulating Market Infrastructure with regulators and industry experts. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) | National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE India) | ICICIdirect | L&T Finance | L&T-SuFin | CDSL - Central Depository Services India Ltd | Standard Chartered India | HDFC securities | Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (BSE) | JM Financial Ltd | National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) | PwC India | SBI Capital Markets | TRUST | IIFL (India Infoline Group) | NJ Group | Jyoti Vij | Radhika Gupta | Vijay Chandok | Deepak Kaushik | Ashish Malik | Manish Sinha

Ms Lakshmi C, Co-Chair, FICCI HR & Skills Committee and Human Resource Lead, Accenture hosted HR & Skills committee members at the Accenture Mumbai office to discuss the committee's ongoing and upcoming initiatives.

The Indian Shrimp Industry got a much-needed boost in the Union Budget 24-25. The increase of the fisheries department budget by 54% to over Rs 2,616 crore is a much-welcome change, especially after the last few years of difficult exports. The budget also included reduced customs duties to help the sector recover faster. Shrimp exports make up 70% of India's marine exports, but concerns about quality, food safety, and diseases are ongoing struggles. The new budget supports the establishment of "Nucleus Breeding Centres" for shrimp brood-stocks and shrimp farming and processing centers. This should help the sector fight productivity challenges and develop higher-value adds. All the above are good news for the shrimp industry. However, India needs to expand its marine export basket and consider other export-worthy fish to de-risk the sector. The overall marine sector's economic outlaw is myopic, focusing on a single segment and neglecting India's diverse marine ecology that includes a variety of fishes, seaweed and other marine agri products The following are my quick thoughts 1. A part of the rural development budget of Rs 2.66 lakhs should be allocated to build modernized docks and harbors for safe and clean fish landing and trading centers. 2. Upgrading 1000 ITIs should include skills in various aspects of the blue economy, including fisheries, seaweed cultivation, mangrove, oysters, and crab farming. 3. To improve the marine industry's supply chain, the plan to co-locate vegetable growing clusters and commercial centers should be extended for fishing villages. 4. Extending the climate finance taxonomy and the net zero transition pathway for the blue economy is also vital. With large areas available for seaweed cultivation and other sustainable aquaculture, India can be the first globally to standardize blue carbon models. 5. Building a pan-India marine spatial plan and policy to help all marine stakeholders make informed decisions on sustainable utilization and conservation of marine resources. Infact this should be the first step done along with other marine departments. : Ms Devleena Bhattacharjee, Chair FICCI Working Group on Fishtech, Founder & CEO, Numer8, Founder & COO, ClimaCrew. #BudgetWithFICCI

FICCI Forum of Parliamentarians (FoP) led by Chair and MP Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Co-Chairs and FICCI Past Presidents Dr Jyotsna Suri and Mr Harshavardhan Neotia, organized a reception & interaction with the Hon’ble Members of the Indian Parliament Rajya Sabha MPs Mr Rajeev Shukla, Mr Sujeet Kumar, and Mr Milind Murli Deora and Lok Sabha MPs Mr N K Premachandran, Mr Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Mr Naveen Jindal, Mr Karti P Chidambaram, Mr Pradyut Bordoloi, Mr Harish Chandra Meena, and Mr Konda Vishweshwar Reddy. Select industry leaders including FICCI Past Presidents Mr Harsh Pati Singhania, Mr Sandip Somany, Immediate Past President Mr Subhrakant Panda and DG Ms Jyoti Vij were also present.

The Hon'ble CM of Madhya Pradesh, Dr Mohan Yadav, conducted an exemplary industry outreach initiative in Coimbatore. During this visit, FICCI Tamil Nadu State Council Chair Dr GSK Velu, and Co-Chair Ms Swathy Rohit had a productive discussion with the Chief Minister. FICCI remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering industry growth and promoting Madhya Pradesh as a premier investment destination.

We welcome the government's allocation of Rs. 1.52 lakh crore for the agri and allied sectors. The introduction of 109 high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops is a significant step forward for our farmers community. The comprehensive review of agricultural research, led by domain experts, will ensure the effectiveness and relevance of developing climate-resilient seeds. Additionally, the promotion of digital public infrastructure for agriculture in partnership with states is a forward-thinking initiative. At Crystal Crop Protection Limited, we are ready to support and contribute to these efforts, believing they will significantly enhance productivity, ensure food security, and strengthen our agricultural sector against climate change: Mr Ankur Aggarwal, Member FICCI National Agriculture Committee and MD, Crystal Crop Protection Ltd. #BudgetWithFICCI

A cornerstone of this budget is the substantial allocation of ₹1.5 lakh crore for developing agricultural infrastructure, including irrigation systems, warehousing, and cold storage facilities. This transformative measure will significantly reduce post-harvest losses and ensure that our farmers can store and transport their produce with greater efficiency. The government's initiative to develop large-scale vegetable production clusters closer to major consumption centres is a masterstroke, aimed at streamlining supply chains. The promotion of farmer producer organisations, support for co-operatives, and the boosting of start-ups within the vegetable supply chain—encompassing collection, storage, and marketing—will significantly enhance efficiency and profitability for our farmers: Mr Vijayaraghavan Palat, Member FICCI National Agriculture Committee and Founder & CEO, Lawrencedale Agro Processing India #BudgetWithFICCI

Budget is forward looking especially charging focus on Agriculture research and review of research infrastructure in Agriculture will go a long way in fulfilling income aspirations of the farmers apart from ensuring food and nutritional security. Setting up mission for boosting productivity in oilseeds and pulses is a welcome step: Mr Ombeer Singh Tyagi, Member FICCI National Agriculture Committee and VP Corporate Affairs, UPL Limited. #BudgetWithFICCI

The budget sets forth the development of agriculture and allied sectors, along with the requisite skilling of manpower as a pillar of the new government’s policy. While it is good to see the promotion of agri research which is pivotal for the long-term development of the sector in today’s Union Budget, one would have also hoped for more access to finance at the farm level and more affordable financial products and services: Mr Syed Junaid Altaf Bukhari, Chair, FICCI Taskforce on Horticulture and Promoter & Group Executive Director – FIL Industries Private Limited.