By Suroopa Chatterjee

There is a saying that monsoons and mangoes are the only things that make one love Indian summers.

No fruit is so intimately and historically stitched into the Indian ethos as the Mango. The mango is King in India, enjoying a lofty status. India soars to mango madness from late March to early August. The fruit tree, bearing the scientific name Mangifera Indica, flourishes in humid weather with rainfall ranging from 890–1,015 mm in a year. Ideally, it grows in loamy, alluvial, well-drained, aerated, deep soils.

Early in March 2021, India’s Agricultural Ministry stated “the Mango production in the country is estimated to increase by 4.24% to 21.12 million tonnes in the crop year 2020–21 ending June. The Ministry added that the output of mango stood at 20.26 million tonnes during the 2019–20 crop year (July-June).”

India is a global leader in mango production, producing around 20 million tonnes of the fruit. Uttar Pradesh is the state that ranks first in production with a share of about 23.47% of the total. More than 1500 varieties of mangoes grow across India. Leading producers are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

The ‘Alphonso’ cultivar occupies the exalted position often referred to as King of mangoes. It is widely exported with 60% being sent to the Middle east. It is grown in Ratnagiri region of Maharashtra and some western regions of Karnataka and Gujarat. Other notable varieties of mango produced in India include: Safeda, Saroli, Dussehri, Langra, Chausa, Himsagar, Badami, Rumani, Totapuri, , Kesar, Sindhoora, Neelum, Gulab Khas, Mallika, Imam Pasand, Malgoa, Kishen Bhog, and Raspuri.

The fruit is eaten ripe, raw, converted to chutneys, sauces, pickles, jams, jellies, added to desserts and curries, made into drinks and interestingly also made into a popular sweet known as ‘mango leather’ particularly in the coastal states. Since mango is considered a rich fruit laden with sugars, apart from its fibrous nature being a great digestive, it is also a source of worry for diabetics. Recently, two Gujarat based farmers in Junagadh and Gir Somnath have cultivated a new variety called ‘Tommy Atkins’. Supposedly it has a unique quality: it doesn’t increase blood sugar levels when consumed. It has a dark violet colour and red pulp. It is also known as ‘Black Mango’.

“It is all the craze for the people in the US. They prefer more of Black Mangos because of their diet that they follow. This mango has more fiber and is great for health-conscious people. But the eating habits of India are a lot different. Here, mostly Kesar and Alphonso are preferred since Indians like more sugary fruits. However, it can still be consumed by Indians as well — specifically those who have a blood sugar problem,” said Dr DK Varu, professor and head of the Department of Horticulture at Junagadh Agricultural University in a published report.

The biggest testimony of the adulation the fruit enjoys can be observed by the fact that mango festivals are held all over the country. The International Mango festival, held in July each year at Delhi, has grown in popularity over the years. This festival was started in 1987 at the Saharanpur orchards. The festival attracts traders, horticulturists, businessmen, exporters and buyers seeking business opportunities and provides updates on the latest developments in India. It is usually held in Dilli Haat. Some 1100 varieties of mangoes are displayed for smelling, tasting, and buying. Mango saplings and products can also be purchased here. Other fun elements are thrown in, such as mango-themed folk songs, mango eating competitions, quizzes and magic shows.

India’s Mango festivals also attract foodies and tourists as festival venues have a variety of stalls attended by chefs from five star hotels like Taj Mahal Palace, Maurya Sheraton, Inter-Continental Hotel, and Claridges to name just a few. Chefs offer delicious mango shakes, desserts with innovative fusions. About 40,000 metric tonnes of the fruit are exported to 80 countries and annual revenue earned through exports and mango products is estimated at around $85 million. The festivals’ organizers wish to see those figures rise.

“The Bengal Mango Utsav is one event I try not to miss as I am a lover of this luscious fruit. This is held jointly by the Food processing and Horticulture department. Here in Bengal we have close to 400 varieties of the fruit and 124 varieties alone from Murshidabad district, I believe. As Bengalis we love the fruit and it’s a summer indulgence and finds favour in festivals and parties. The leaves of the mango trees have religious significance for us and have medicinal value for treatment of burns, scalds and diabetes. The raw fruit is a vital ingredient for kasundi, a mustard sauce which is unique to this region and much loved and is an important commercial product. Yes Alphonso is the costliest and possibly the best gift to the world but my personal favourites are Himsagar, Gulab Khas and Langda popular in these parts. These festivals are great promoters of culture, tourism and business and hope they flourish more”, states Kolkata-based mango lover Subhayu Saha.

The fruit has also opened up prospects for Mango tourism. The craze for Alphonso mangoes (locally called hapus) has enticed tourists to places like Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra. Many orchards and farm stays have opened to tourists in places like Dwarka Farm stay, Talawade, Maharashtra; Chiguru farm, near Bangalore, Karnataka; and Kailash farms, Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Usually these orchards are spread over acres of hilly terrain and make for a fetching short weekend getaway where people also get a feel for nature, the mango trees, its production details and the bottled products from its produce.

However, the sudden entrance of Covid last year has brought in its struggles for the Alphonso mango cultivators of Maharashtra owing to lockdowns. The state enjoys the largest exports of Alphonso; however, the arrival of cyclone Nisarga last year also struck a further blow to the Konkan coast, bringing in losses with whichthe farmers are still trying to cope.

In a quote given to The Print, Rajan Seth, an Alphonso farmer based in Mazgaon, Ratnagiri, stated, “With the implementation of the lockdown, the rate of mango started to crash from 20 April, similar to last year, when the lockdown was announced.” He has a 50-acre partly-leased farm containing 3,500 mango trees. “The peak season is usually from 20 April to 20 May, hence the lockdown is causing us maximum damage.”

However the fate of the fruit has been looking up for cultivators in the eastern region with sixteen varieties of mangoes including three GI certified Khirsapati and Laxman Bhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar), which are being exported to Bahrain. The fruits have been sourced from farmers in Bengal and Bihar by The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) registered exporter, DM enterprises, Kolkata, and imported by Al Jazeera group, Bahrain.

With export promotion programs halted owing to Covid, APEDA took the initiative to organize a virtual meet for exporters and importers of mangoes from India and South Korea. And this season saw India ship 2.5 metric tonnes of shipment of Banganapalli and Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh.

There has been much debate about the Mango’s origins. Some believe that it originated around 4000 years ago in India and gradually spread to other parts of Asia and the world. Since the mango fruit had a large seed, it was possibly humans that carried it and spread its magic. The Mango was taken to China from India during the middle of the 7^th century AD when Hwen Tsang, the Chinese traveller, went back to China from India.

The fruit has been eulogized in stories and poetry. Legendary Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib was a connoisseur and consumed it till the very end of his life. The poet Rabindranath Tagore was extremely fond of mangoes. The fruit and its flowers, called manjari, are frequently mentioned in his works. Mango designs and motifs have been extensively explored in textiles, and indigenous arts and crafts. In fact anything mango is often viewed as something quintessentially Indian. This mystical fruit is considered food of gods and stands and is still a symbol of prosperity, love, wealth, fertility and luck.

Indians, whether in India or elsewhere, will continue to seek and engage with the fruit as a heady summer indulgence. The fruit has now become a part of the country’s cultural identity and legacy and certainly upheld the country’s name proudly among the world’s most coveted fruits.

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By Mangal Dev, Head of Hitachi Rail, India and South Asia region

For European and Italian firms there are good opportunities in the Indian transport sector: the Indian government is open to external specialist technology companies that would like to set up their complete value chain for global markets from India.

Why India? The country offers a myriad of opportunities not only in terms of skilled human resources, raw materials, and an ecosystem of start-ups and SMEs, but also a favorable environment when it comes to ease of doing business. 

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By Federico Piazza

In a country with over 600 million farmers, most of them small or very small, of which 150 million are landowners, India’s goal of greater agricultural efficiency is predominantly implemented through agricultural mechanization.

Mechanization is used for preparing the soil, sowing high-quality seeds that multinationals — such as Syngenta and Monsanto are introducing to the market — for haymaking and agricultural residue management as well as irrigation, etc.
It also integrates the vast world of fertilizers and bio-stimulants to increase crop yields and environmental sustainability.

These are all technological fields in which Italy provides an important contribution.
And, Italy is already well positioned in India both as an exporter and as a producer in various groups.

According to a 2020 analysis by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, India is the third largest market for Italian machinery exports, with a value of around 1.3 billion euros. A fair share of that is agricultural machinery.
According to data from ICE (the Italian Trade Agency), Italy is the number four supplier of agricultural machinery and equipment (excluding tractors) after China, Thailand, and Japan, with exports valued at $4.5 million over the first 11 months of 2020. In addition, it is the third largest tractor supplier after Thailand and Japan, even if that only amounts to a little more than half a million dollars.
This is understandable as, in India, a wide variety of domestically and internationally produced tractors are used.

The crucial factor is, in fact, the industrial localization of agro-mechanics.
Among the Italian firms producing machines and equipment in India are BCS, Maschio Gaspardo, and SAME. Bonfiglioli and Carraro produce transmissions, reducers and axles. There are also braking systems from Safim Brakes, while Ognibene and Mita manufacture hydraulic systems and filters respectively, and Ama deals with accessories. Isagro is operating in the field of agro-pharmaceuticals.

In India, these companies also have thousands of employees. For example, Carraro’s three offices in Pune employ the same number of staff as the company’s five factories in Italy. Meanwhile, Maschio Gaspardo, a leader in India for hoes and plows, has built a sales network of 400 dealers in the country’s main agricultural areas.

The Indian market for agricultural equipment will increase in value from 11 to 15 billion euros over the next three years, strongly encouraged by government policies and ease of bank financing. “Among the market drivers is also the labor shortage in some areas following large-scale migration from rural to urban areas,” observes the director of ICE’s Mumbai offices, Fabrizio Giustarini. While for advanced agriculture “manufacturers are focusing on integrating technologies, like robotic systems as well as GPS and Google Earth navigation systems, into existing machinery to improve productivity.”

India’s agricultural sector employs over 70% of the country but, as Professor Pratapaditya Mishra of Orissa’s Utkal University points out, these activities only contribute 17% to the GDP.

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By Suroopa Chatterjee

In recent years B2G has been emerging as the new buzz word in the business landscape.

Businesses worldwide have undergone rapid transformation in the way they operate as they compete in an extremely challenging and dynamic environment. Procurement or buying procedures have become volatile and complex, particularly in the B2B, B2C and B2G segment.

Much like private companies, governments too must purchase materials and services for their operational requirements.
So, public procurement and outsourcing is a huge business that involves a government or state owned enterprise buying goods and services from private players.

B2G or Business-to-government (also sometimes called business-to-administration) is a business agreement to supply goods, services, and information between businesses and government at all levels (state, local and federal or central).

A big or small business that engages in service or goods supply to a government agency it’s a B2G transaction, irrespective of whether it involves billions of dollars in the defense sector or selling IT solutions for governmental administrative work. If providing sanitation personnel to a government institute or a small firm supplying office stationery to local or state agencies.

Then of course there is B2G e‑commerce, which is nothing more than using the internet in this procurement process as well as for licensing procedures and other operations related to commerce between companies and the public sector.

What are the opportunities for B2G, especially for SMEs? Many governments award lucrative contracts yearly to private players, clearly that means immense opportunities for both newbie startups and well-established private suppliers. And, most businesses see stable business in partnering with public companies and governmental entities. The volume and money involved is far more than in the private sector.

In addition, the governmental stamp offers some assurance to private suppliers as public procurements are governed by some specific rules and laws given that they utilize a sizable portion of taxpayer’s money. Tender processes make it free from discrimination. Of course navigating through these processes ensure that funds are utilized efficiently, legitimately and effectively with transparency that, ideally, involves very little waste of public resources.
The basics are different for government bodies when compared to private companies, because the former’s purpose is not to make a profit for its shareholders.

What are the opportunities for startups in India? In a country like India, government tenders offer a good pilot opportunity for startups that have had limited success in bagging private projects. Also, by giving startups this opportunity, governments open a wider spectrum of vendor choices as startups are more proactive than corporate vendors, often providing cheaper and more creative alternatives.
For businesses to thrive and grow, ultimately it is all about the customer. And, a vital part of sales strategy is to do business with the government.

Despite their advantages, startups do face challenges in trying to launch a smooth stream of business contracts as they must submit a previous track record of handling similar projects.

The selection criteria for public buyers to opt for a particular supplier vary from that of a private sector. Often, to be eligible for selection, suppliers must keep abreast of requirements in terms of prices, quality, ethical standards, and financial stability as these are vital criteria.
According to experts it’s always a better practice for suppliers to establish a firmer foothold with buyers before the actual tender is issued. This allows suppliers to understand the buyer and use innovation to highlight their edge over other competitors by providing more value than just products or services.

Which sectors offer the most opportunity in India? The central government, each of the 29 state level governments, and seven union territories are the largest purchasers of supplies and services. In India, a combination of central and state government tenders totaling around 75,000 are published monthly.
Government tenders account for around 10% of the GDP. Indian Railways, the CPWD (Central Public Works Department), MES, State level PWDs and PSUs like BPCL, HPCL, NTPC, to name a few, usually float tenders. The value of these can range from anywhere between INR 2 lakhs to a few thousand crores which makes it a huge business opportunity for SMEs.

Asides from seeking potential customers from consumers and industry, foreign companies also look to the government sector for optimizing their investment returns in India. Of course many foreign companies operating in India face issues of lack of transparency, absence of standardization, and an excess of red tape, which delays processes.

There have been a several initiatives from the government – namely Make in India, Skill India, Smart Cities, Urban Transformation, FDI reforms, EODB or Ease of Doing business reforms along with a strong push from the Ministry of railways, power, transport, aviation, food processing, and construction – that have created and will continue to build a huge market for large and small enterprises in India over the next two decades.

Recently awareness has focused on how urgent it is for state governments to improve their ease of doing business, as many across the world look to India as a future partner. Different states have implemented reforms to make the processes easy for business and speeding up clearances for pending projects. This has also generated enthusiasm within states themselves to invite more development investments.

Ever since systems went online with regards to opportunities and bidding, procurement processes have become more user-friendly and, to an extent, eliminated the challenges previously encountered offline. Also, government officials have updated their skills and are working professionally for a smoother execution.

Construction and infrastructure companies are two sectors that have relied on contractual work with state and local governmental agencies.
Contractors are often consulted for new office buildings, landscape development, road repairs or construction. Agencies then seek requests for proposal (RFP), outlining work they require and the submission guidelines. Company owners submit bids that include an estimate of the cost and time required for completion. Then the L1, or lowest bidder, bags the project. But experience and quality sometimes take precedence in matters of selection.

Data is vital and handling it efficiently also offers a huge opportunity for companies whose core strength is Information Technology. From filing taxes, to managing sensitive records, government agencies handle a huge volume of data that requires swift and accurate information retrieval. Small companies can find opportunities by offering consultancy and software development services to government agencies.

GeM or Government e‑Marketplace, an online procurement platform, is the most widely used method for public procurement in India. MSMEs and startups, as well as small to medium companies can register as vendors and offer their services or products directly to government appointed personnel. GeM has launched GeM Startup Runway, an initiative allowing startups to reach out to government buyers by offering innovative items with unique process, design and functionality aspects.

In 2020, Tech Bharat held their first start-up conclave, Tech Bharat 2020, to connect and create a platform to build opportunities in private, manufacturing and government sectors. The conclave saw participation from the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka. With business development as their objective, the conclave intends to bring in national and business leaders as well as decision makers from large and mid-size enterprises. Tech Bharat wants to grow towards sustained growth by focusing on future technology adoption and vibrant ecosystems for innovation.

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By Suroopa Chatterjee

India has seen a recent spate of entrepreneurs or startups that have drawn a great deal of attention and reflect the immense opportunities that exist for transforming waste into usable products.

While India has ranked very poorly in the world pollution index, with many cities on the most polluted list, a Mumbai-based material and design startup – Carbon Craft Design – has successfully produced the world’s first carbon tiles from polluted air. This altogether changes the game in the field of construction, which has often been the biggest contributor to carbon pollution.

Founded in 2019 by architect Tejas Sidnal, Carbon Craft Design is collaborating with US based startup, Air-Ink – which processes the air pollutants to convert to soot that is used in the tile production. The soot is then fused with marble chips, powder and cement along with a binder. The effort is a very positive step towards commercializing environmental solutions.

In a statement given to The Better India, the founder affirmed that “Each carbon tile is equivalent to cleaning 30,000 liters of air! Moreover, these tiles consume only one-fifth of the energy required to manufacture vitrified tiles. This means, instead of burning the tiles to come up with the finished product, we use a hydraulic press that helps us in manufacturing these tiles.”

After all the heavy metals and harmful components are removed from the soot, attractive tiles are made in six shades of grey, black and white by traditional craftsmen who are brought in from other states. Orders have started pouring in and promise to increase; what’s more these tiles have several advantages over conventional vitrified tiles, which need far more energy to be produced and cost more. Talks are on between the startup and established names like Larsen & Toubro and JSW.

Another startup from Kerala, “Malai Biomaterials”, founded in 2018 by Susmith C Suseelan and Slovakia’s Zuzana Gombosava, caught public attention when they ventured and innovated on producing a vegan, eco-friendly, leather substitute that looks and feels like the real thing but is made using coconut water.

The chief ingredients of this bio leather are bacterial cellulose that is derived from the coconut water, banana stem fiber, fibers from hemp and sisal trees along with natural dyes, natural gums and starches. The startup works with coconut cultivators and processing units, collects and uses the coconut water to produce bacterial cellulose. For a report given to The Hindu, Susmith had stated that their product was an attempt to create a material based on bacterial cellulose that was ecologically friendly and usable for commercial products.

“Our criteria was to keep it as sustainable as possible, both environmentally and socially. About 320 sq meters of Malai can be made from 4000 liters of water per day collected from a modest coconut processing unit. “While their main focus is the production of the material, they have also ventured into making bags and accessories. They are supplying the material to foreign brands like Ethical Living (UK), Playbag (Czech Republic) and Riti (India).

Northeastern India has also had three engineers teaming up to eliminate carbon emissions and pollution by making bricks with electric machines and not from conventional kilns. Based out of Guwahati, Assam, the startup Zerund Bricks , was co-founded by Rupam Choudhury, Mousum Talukdar and David Pratim Gogoi in 2018.

Using an electric machine, the trio developed a patented lightweight brick with embedded plastic using fly ash from thermal power plants, waste plastic, cement and other materials. 70% of the brick composition is from waste and since they are avoiding kilns it is reducing carbon emissions. The bricks are 10% lighter than conventional ones and also far more cost effective. They offer better thermal insulation, keeping homes cooler in summers and warmer in winters. The startup has sold over 2.5 lakhs of bricks since they started operations and have catered to more than a thousand clients for buildings in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Another element that contributes to environmental pollution is plastic and, sadly, India contributes around 9.46 million tons of plastic waste according to recent data from Un-Plastic Collective (UPC). Recognizing the need to better this, Ayodhya-based Yash Pakka – a four-decade-old paper and packaging company, founded a brand called CHUK in 2017 that provides a variety of 100% biodegradable, lightweight tableware that is food safe.

The startup was founded by Ved Krishna who wanted to transform his business into something that was pro-environment. He wanted a solution to substitute for single use plastic and Styrofoam products that are so widely used. His tableware is made of bagasse, which is sugarcane fiber. In a statement given to yourstory.com, Ved Krishna said, “The advantages of using bagasse are that it makes the products lightweight, flexible, microwaveable, and strong enough to prevent leakage. CHUK also recovers 95% of cooking chemicals used in manufacturing, thereby making it even more environmentally-friendly. CHUK procures waste from sugarcane locally, converts it to pulp, molds that into products, and then sells them.

The startup is focused on B2B segments like quick-service restaurants, institutional canteens and caterers. It has managed to bag an impressive client list in just three years with orders even coming from large firms, such as Indian Railways. It is also supplying some of the leading airports and five star hotels like Hyatt and The Park. Other clients include well-known names like Haldirams, Google, PVR, Inox, and Starbucks to name a few. It’s also eyeing the B2C segments and looking to partner with e‑commerce platforms. From its inception it has earned revenues to the tune of 46.6 crores.
As businesses with an environmental bent develop, look for more success stories to emerge in the days to come.

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Resilient and growing online sales piques interest of European brands 

By Federico Piazza

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By Suroopa Chatterjee

India is fortunate in being endowed with quite a number of tourist attractions when viewed through myriad lenses of its art, culture, topography, history, architecture and religious philosophy. According to Statista’s published reports, a total of almost 11 million tourists visited the country in 2019.

The tourism industry is one of the biggest service industries that contributed significantly to the country’s GDP, a major chunk of which came from domestic tourism. Not only is it a major source of employment but it’s also one of the fastest growing economic sectors.

The total contribution of the travel and tourism industry is expected to reach 50 billion USD by 2022. India was ranked 34^thamong 140 countries overall according to The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report of 2019.

India improved its ranking by 6 places over the earlier 2017 report, making it the largest leap among the top 25% of countries ranked. One aspect of tourism that has significantly gained the interest and focus of the Central Government’s policy makers has been the huge potential of the Indian coasts.

India has a total of 1197 km of islands and a coastline of 7516.6 km to 5422.6 km of mainland coastline. The coastline encompasses nine states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal as well as the two union territories of Pondicherry and Daman and Diu, the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal in addition to the Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea. The coastal ecosystem includes 43,230 sq km of wetlands, 97 major estuaries, 34 major lagoons, and 31 mangrove areas.

Some of the renowned beaches are Calangute Beach in Goa, Kovalam Beach in Kerala, Diveagar Beach in Maharashtra, Marina Beach in Tamil Nadu, Puri Beach in Odisha, Radhanagar Beach in the Andaman and NicobarIslands, Devka Beach in Daman and Diu, Agatti Island Beach in Lakshadweep, Promenade Beach in Pondicherry, Ramakrishna Beach in Andhra Pradesh, Digha Beach in West Bengal, Karwar Beach in Karnataka, and Mandvi Beach in Gujarat.

The government has identified beaches and coasts as niche areas for touristic promotion.
Many of these have very good potential and, with the right facilities and infrastructure, can be developed into revenue earners and employment zones and not just function as dumping grounds for domestic and industrial refuse.

With this intent, over the past four years the government has planned 17 coastal development projects across the nation. Under the Tourism Ministry’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Rupees 2000 crore project aims to promote and boost coastal and beach tourism.
It is part of Sagarmala, an umbrella project for developing ports, roads and railway networks servicing the ports according to published news reports. The individual states execute these while funding comes from the central government.

According to an Economic Times report, some of the key coastal tourism projects that have yet to start include the 700-crore project of ropeway between Sweri fort and Elephanta island (Maharashtra), a 90-crore project in the Dakshin Kannada, Uttar Kannada and Udipi districts of the Karnataka circuit, as well as a 76-crore project at Gopalpur, Barkul, Satapada and Tampara (Odisha district).

Others under implementation include a 47-crore project involving lighthouse development at Kanhoji Angre island in Maharashtra, a 100-crore project at Chennai, Mamallapuram, Rameshwaram, Manpadu and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu circuit), a 100-crore project involving the development of Sinquerim-Baga, Anjuna-Vagator, Morjim-Keri, Aguada Fort and Aguada Jail (Goa circuit), an 85-crore project at Pondicherry, and another 85-crore project in the West Bengal beach circuit involving Digha, Udaypur, Mandarmani, Shankarpur, Tajpur, Bakkhali, Fraserganj and Henry Island.

The only beach to have seen completion among the projects is Kakinada. The beach now boasts a musical fountain, a glass pedestrian bridge, contemporary landscaping, a food court and an art gallery. To add to the attraction, provisions for daily laser-light shows with the scenic backdrop of the harbour and sea promises to be a major draw and offer healthy competition to the well-known Vizag beaches also in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

In India – famed for its tradition, culture and art forms – many beaches have been picturesque havens for dance festivals with temple backdrops that have been much admired and patronized by national and international cultural enthusiasts. Two of the well-known festivals are the Mamallapuram dance festival and the Konark Dance festival. 2019 also saw Mumbai take the lead in holding a unique literature festival, the Queenlines Lit festival, this first edition of the festival attracted prestigious attendees from India and abroad.

Another beach literature festival was held at Kozhikode Beach in January 2020 which featured artists, actors, celebrities, writers, thinkers and activists who discussed topics from art, culture, and music to the environment. On the eastern coast, beaches have also served as professional and holiday package venues for corporations; places where they can host their annual retreats and where work and play are given attention in equal measure.

Goa too organizes music festivals on its beaches during the end of the year; these are a major tourist attraction, offering glimpses of culture, food and local flavour. Also, river cruises in coastal Kerala, Goa and West Bengal are other options for tourism and revenue streams.

With the sudden upheaval brought in by Covid, the government is planning some steps to encourage tourism promotion campaigns across television and digital platforms for luring tourists and to build confidence. The campaigns will highlight various safety precautions and measures, better air and road connectivity to and from touristic destinations to usher in foreign tourists as borders open up and tourism resumes.

The tourism ministry’s additional director general, Rupinder Brar stated at a webinar organized by the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH): “With better weather conditions and a Covid vaccine on the horizon, we are expecting a strong bounce back in international tourism to India in 2021.” The minister also spoke about offering attractively priced covid-19 insurance policies to foreign tourists.

“Beach tourism post COVID has really increased because going to beaches is easier and more drivable for the public than going to the mountains. Just when the lockdown was lifted, there was a rush to go to the beaches. It was definitely more relaxing and especially during this time these small destinations were more explored by the public than during usual times. Many unexplored beaches have got their due importance and attention. I think, especially in the eastern part of India, all the beaches that were more virgin have grabbed the attention of the tourists. So I think the beaches will not remain empty like before. People are more aware about it as they know, they can drive. So yes beach tourism has a very long way to go,” stated Riddhi Roy, Operations Manager at Dolphin Travels in Kolkata.

Whilst there is a long list of positives when it comes to beach and coastal tourism, there has to be a balance somewhere. Coastal tourism involves a unique resource combination at the border of land and sea environments. So while development can be hugely lucrative for the economy, it should be done sustainably since it involves fragile ecosystems like estuaries, dunes, rocky coasts, kelp forests, coral reefs, mangroves and indigenous livelihood and way of life.

Yes the sun, sea, and sand have continued to be the main ingredients for the kind of coastal tourism that has charmed tourists. But, rampant development and commercialization in an effort to bring in a universal homogenous effect of standard facilities often robs the pristine beauty and local flavour of the area, as well as destroying natural diversity.

The options for beach tourism development are plentiful and the range for recreation is vast and ever-expanding with activities like sand dune surfing, beach volleyball, tidal pool exploration, fishing, parasailing, and beach combing. There is also a diverse offer when it comes to marine recreation activities including scuba diving, snorkelling, yachting, deep-sea fishing, wildlife watching tours, sea cruising, and sea kayaking.
However all of these things will have a notable impact on costal area residents, fisheries and agricultural zones, as well as on shipping and land use practices like agriculture and industrial development.

Perhaps the most practical suggestion for this thriving and exciting new industry comes from famed sand sculptor and artist Sudarshan Pattanaik who has been drawing admiration from home and abroad for having made beach art and sand sculpting a strong form of expression.

“Beaches should hold events” he stated earlier on a media platform. He points out five suggestions to improve beach tourism: A clean beach is the best beach; cleanliness has to be an ongoing process. Water run-off from city drains should not be discharged anywhere near the beach. Water treatment is a must for coastal cities. Beaches with forests and rural habitats need to be developed. Tourists always scout for local flavours and colours: art and culture along with local cuisine. Every beach should have a calendar of events; for example, beach volleyball, sand art, food festivals, dances in the local fishing community, etc.

Costal and beach tourism offers fantastic opportunities for development and revenue in India, but it must be done sustainably and with careful planning in order to reach its full potential and maintain gains over the long term.

Main photo (Ipomea at Rishikulya, Orissa, India) by ePhotocorp, iStock
Photos by Arpita Majumder

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By Suroopa Chatterjee

India, often viewed as the crucible of entrepreneurs or entrepreneurship, has thousands of success stories both within and outside its geographical boundaries. Much of a nation’s growth is fuelled by the innovations and entrepreneurial skills of its citizens.

According to a PWC report, India’s corporate sector lacks the capacity to generate the 12 million jobs needed each year to absorb the flood of job market entrants unleashed by India’s demographic dividend. The entrepreneurial sector must therefore also play a major role; it has the operational nimbleness and conceptual depth to create the radical new solutions required for a vibrant future economy.

Experts see the tech industry reaching phenomenal heights, spearheaded by countries like China and India.
With India’s open market of over a billion consumers, 40% are expected to emerge from poverty over the next two decades, a number of them being first time tech users. Many see Asia as the future of the internet—with over 60% of the global population—and as a place where everything will gradually go online with 5G.

For the last couple of years the world has been driven and almost moulded by the tech industry. Disruptions like AI, data analytics, and robotics are new formats that almost all sectors are adopting. Disruptions usher in sudden changes that alter norms and make the existing environment embrace challenges. New trends and ways of doing things spring forth, making it a defining moment.

Entrepreneurship is a driving force that should not just limit itself to growth-oriented business sectors in urban metropolitan areas but should seep into the heartland of its smaller villages and towns.

Women innovators and entrepreneurs are progressively making a noticeable dent in guiding this force, which is impacting essential sectors like healthcare, agrobusiness and the like. India has seen the emergence of many new faces and their contributions, before and after the start of the pandemic, which are helping to create a bright future for women’s entrepreneurship.

However, while it has its advantages, in many societies and especially in the Indian context, technology has also alienated a vast section of the senior population. For the most part, older people still feel more comfortable in an analogue world.

Aparna Thakker, CEO and Founder of Empowerji, has successfully identified the need for learning opportunities for seniors and made training videos on how to use Apps, websites and other technologies, as these are part of literally everything one does in the new world. Her content is driven by what seniors might find useful to empower them to understand and effectively use technology to take care of their daily needs.

Megha Agarwal, Founder and CEO at Leap Skills Academy, started her organization in New Delhi having identified the need for girls, especially those from suburbs, who required their basic skills to be integrated with technical skills to make them job ready or employable. The focus of the academy is to work with motivated students from smaller towns and cities and give them a leg up to realize their aspirations by creating a high-quality, large-scale solution with a sustainable cost structure.

Women technopreneurs have been outstandingly effective players when it comes to using technology to find solutions in this dynamic world with ever changing needs.

For Ayushi Mishra, biomedical engineer and co-founder of Dronamaps, based in Gurugram, it was all about using technology with purpose that paved the way for solutions during the recent pandemic. She and her team designed a live dashboard that tracked and traced COVID patients, which was initially designed for a Punjabi Government project.

But its success has seen it spread to other states. Dronamaps has been used to fence off quarantined patients, cluster analysis of the spread and also aid in location tracking as well as making predictive analyses for spatial spread on the basis of specific parameters.

Recently featured in Vogue India, she joins the ranks of two other technopreneurs—Dr Rachna Dave and Dr Pooja Rao—who also made an impressive impact by using technology for providing life solutions.

For Dr Rachna Dave, microbiologist and co-founder of Chennai-based Microgo, it’s all about keeping lives safe and conserving resources. Her product, Goassure, is a cost-effective hand sanitizer that saves on water waste. Currently she and her team are engaged in finding a solution that would help people avoid wearing a mask in flu-like conditions.

For India’s leading data scientist Dr Pooja Rao—who co-founded Qure.AI, located in Mumbai—AI was a tool that she wanted to use to create state of the art tools in the diagnostics field. She identified the lacuna in healthcare delivery because of an inadequate number of healthcare professionals for bringing instant diagnostics to the patients. She and her team developed a system that analyses and diagnoses medical images like X rays, CT scans, and MRI scans.

The Covid crisis also further caused QURE.Ai to devise AI-fuelled response solutions. With the onset of the pandemic she and her team redesigned their Xray AI tool.
Through specific algorithms they were able to effectively detect a specific type of pneumonia, in the same way that real doctors can identify new diseases based on past learning. Many clinics and hospices in the UK and India are using this tool after seeing its utility, especially during the ongoing pandemic.

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By Pratapaditya Mishra and Binay Krushna Mahapatra

The aluminium industry has a high potential for creating jobs.
Consider that the production of 1 Mln MT of Aluminium would create about 200,000 jobs that can offer a living wage to well-trained workers. In order to spur growth in India’s aluminium industry, a revitalisation plan, which includes a stimulus package and dealing with tariff and non-tariff issues has been suggested.

What should such a plan include?

Firstly, there should be a higher emphasis on essential end-use sectors like power and packaging. Secondly, multiple supply chain alternatives for shipments should be established by creating strategic marketing tie-ups with competitors to utilize their marketing base in regions less-affected by COVID-19. Producers would also do well to consider alternative sales channels, such as traders, new potential end-users, e‑retailers, spot auctions, etc.

Another important aspect of any aluminium industry revamp needs to involve ramping up recycling initiatives. Why? Because recycling aluminium requires up to 95% less energy than primary production. Recycling should be given due importance in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry. Secondary recycling should be promoted to contribute 30–35% of domestic metal requirements in line with the international trend.

There are also any number of more specific measures that can be taken to make the industry more sustainable, robust and efficient. On the production end, one energy-saving solution involves using  hot metal to make use of energy (gas and power) to produce high value-added products (VAP) instead of producing a high volume of lower VAP. In addition, inventory and management of raw materials and consumables will be key factors, together with developing strong data analytics to monitor the price movements of raw materials to fine tune the demand-supply and procurement cycle.

However, upstream efficiencies also mean that it will be necessary to drive downstream production in each country to keep VAP in inventory. Alternatively, there is the possibility of entering new market territories, building a wider base to mitigate the short-term risk of market fluctuations due to COVID-19.

Certainly upstream and downstream need to coordinate, focusing on and expanding R&D during the next few years in order to develop and facilitate localized sourcing. In the early stages, primary producers would play a handholding role in the development of the ancillary and downstream industry segment.

All of this requires strategic organizational structures with a commitment to investing in automation, continuous improvement efforts and employee training with the aim of keeping the cost to the company low.

There is, of course, another important player in this context: the Indian government. How could the government work towards encouraging the renewal of India’s aluminium industry?
The first step would involve support in terms of tax relief, import duty reduction and export benefit. It is also important to balance duties in the case of scrap to help both primary and secondary producers. The government could also help revive the consumer market by way of tax relief to auto buyers and sellers.

More specific measures should also be considered. There is the possibility of the allocation of coal block to the aluminium industry under the government dispensation route; aluminium manufacturing is a power-intensive industry with nearly 40% of input cost being the cost of power. A consistent supply of coal is essential for the survival and growth of the aluminium industry.

Mining and technology are also part of the equation. Bauxite needs to be conserved; India will have Bauxite for approx. 45–50 years at present reserve and consumption levels. The mineral needs to be conserved to ensure long-term benefits from value-addition within the country. With revised IBM guidelines (increasing cut-off limit of reactive silica from 3 to 5%), Indian alumina refineries will have to process lean bauxite ores thus conserving the precious mineral. The development of applications and the introduction of new technology through Industry 4.0 in a process industry, such as the aluminium sector, will be increasingly important.

When it comes to creating a level playing field vis-à-vis regional competitors, import duties ought to be reconsidered. With a view to protecting Aluminium MSMEs, import duty on cheap, end-use aluminium products from China and other countries in the series 7603 to 7612 should be increased by 5% to 10% and metal ingot (7601) and scrap (7602) import duty should be boosted by 5%.

It’s also important that the aluminium industry be given core industry status and a National Aluminium Policy needs to be introduced. What should such a policy look like?
To start with, a National Aluminium Scrap Policy should be introduced to regulate the import & use of aluminium scrap. This type of policy would also help avoid any reduction in the quality of recycled aluminium. The challenges of aluminium MSMEs needs to be studied and a comprehensive package extended. This could include handholding to be done by home plants along the lines of what is already being done in China.

The financial situation also needs to be reviewed and plans drawn up for loan restructuring and/or the long-term refinancing of loans. In addition, the aluminium industry could be encouraged by offering suitable incentives to spend CAPEX in setting up new facilities and/or updating existing ones. Another financial consideration should be a moratorium on royalty on mineral ore and coal mining & coal cess (or carbon tax) for this FY-21.

Finally, and importantly, measures must be implemented to develop demand.
The Indian Government, in consultation with the Indian Aluminium Industry, would benefit by developing policies and guidelines for increasing aluminium consumption in the applications that involve improving automobile performance, replacing steel coaches in suburban trains and goods trains with aluminium wagons, using aluminium for residential and commercial construction, promoting the use of aluminium in food packaging, and mandating the use of aluminium in Smart City Projects as a green initiative.

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By Francesco Rao

The Indian energy market is strategic for large international producers, including Italy’s Enel Green Power, which has been operating in India’s renewable energy sector for years.
India is the world’s third largest producer of electricity and, according to the IEA (International Energy Agency), demand could triple in the next 20 years.
But alongside industrial and dynamic India which will need more and more energy, there is also rural India. An India where about 700 million people live, and where many areas have problems connecting to the electricity grid, as well as water and transport infrastructure issues.

Italian and Indian companies, along with researchers, recently met in a web conference—“Access to energy and water in rural India” organized by the Italian Embassy in Delhi—to talk about this very issue. “The Indian government is making great efforts for rural India,” commented Lamberto Dai Prà, Enel Green Power’s Head of the Africa, Asia and Oceania area markets.

Certainly there are various technical solutions to bring electricity to unserved or underserved areas. But it is essential for operators to have a defined regulatory and tariff framework in order to attract and protect investments, and above all it is necessary to create energy demand. If no economic activities are developed that need electricity, it is little used and investments will generate losses rather than gains.

In short, electrification and economic development go hand in hand. For rural areas in countries like India, the question is how to trigger development that has not yet been planned.

For the part of India that has enjoyed substantial economic progress in recent years, the potential for development, and therefore for energy demand, remains high. Delhi is making a major push for renewables, such as wind and solar, through significant investments.
This means that Enel Green Power’s prospects in India remain good. As an international player in the sector,it’s the one single company with the largest global production of energy from renewable sources: over 40 GW per year.

On the subcontinent, Enel Green Power is well positioned with wind farms both in operation and nearing completion. To which should be added the 180-million-dollar project for a new, large solar park in the state of Rajasthan, a contract which was awarded in June of this year through the subsidiary EGP India. With this project, Enel Green Power has exceeded a production capacity of 1 GW in the country.

The Italian multinational entered the Indian market in 2015, acquiring three wind farms in Maharashtra and Gujarat, for a total installed capacity of 172 MW and a production of 320 GWh per year. Then, in 2018 and 2019, two wind farms were added again in Gujarat, for a further 475 MW, which will become operational in 2021 and 2022 with a 25-year electricity supply contract for an Indian utility.

Looking ahead, to finance the new projects, Enel Green Power has entered into a long-term agreement with the Norwegian private equity fund Norfund, to better take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Indian government’s ten-year renewable plan, which is moving ahead without any particular slowdowns.

Recently, Delhi’s Minister of Energy R.K. Singh confirmed that India had the world’s highest growth capacity in terms of renewable energy. Wind and solar power already produce 88 GW. That is, over 35% of the country’s energy capacity. The government’s goal is to raise this share to 60% by 2030, producing 450 GW from non-fossil fuels. That would be more than 400% growth! But, for the next 10 years, Delhi has to maintain the additional annual average of around 40 GW, something it has done for the past two years.

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