I&B Minister launches Bharat Nirman Web portal

I&B Minister launches Bharat Nirman Web portal -
www.bharat-nirman.in and AIR News free SMS service
Presents a Comprehensive Analysis of the
"Glimpses of the India Story"-Multi-Media Initiative
Reiterates Government's Commitment to a "Rights Based Approach" for citizens
The Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri Manish Tewari today launched the online portal for the Bharat Nirman Campaign. The online portal provides an interactive digital platform for the creative campaign on various schemes and programmes of the Bharat Nirman Campaign. The digital platform is both in English and Hindi with creatives in 11 regional languages. The portal enables the user to get information about the Bharat Nirman schemes at a single place. It also has live integration with social media platforms such as Face Book, Twitter and You Tube. The portal has apps for mobiles and tablets to provide easy reading.

Phase II of the 2013 comprehensive multi media campaign was launched by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on 14th August, 2013. The 360 degree communication approach used all formats of media such a TV, radio, print, outdoor publicity and special outreach programmes. The multi media campaign was supported by a strong media outreach programme through eight Public Information Campaigns (PICs) in rural areas conducted by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) with support from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP) and the Song & Drama Division. So far, four PICs have been supported by the 'Jamunia' Sound and Light Show. The Song & Drama Division is also developing a new production taking forward the theme of 'Priya Power' which is scheduled to be launched in mid-September at the Red Fort grounds, New Delhi.

Prasar Bharati as a part of its mandate conceptualised different programmes such as serials, interviews of eminent personalities and success stories/achievements of flagship schemes. Doordarshan has been airing a serial named "Poorva Suhani Aaye Re" every Wednesday and Thursday at 10 pm and All India Radio has come up with a serial named "Priya". These success stories based on ground realities where the Bharat Nirman schemes have ushered in progress and prosperity are also being telecast on Doordarshan and broadcast on All India Radio.A scientific approach has been undertaken to monitor and evaluate the Bharat Nirman Media Campaign.

Today, the Minister also launched All India Radio's initiative, "AIR News free SMS service". The service provides AIR news headlines free of cost to its subscribers on mobile telephones. People willing to subscribe to the service can SMS "AIRNEWS their name" to 08082080820. They can also give a missed call to 08082080820 to subscribe to the service. So far 2 lakh people have subscribed to the service.

Facts and figures of the Bharat Nirman Campaign
Media vehicle Category Phase I Phase II (Till date)
(No. of ads/spots)
TV Cable & Satellite Channels 31,042 34,789
DD 1570 2090
Total 32,612 36,879
Radio AIR 12,600 (across 92 stations)
Private FM 94,932 (across 216 stations)
Total 1,07,532 (1.07lakhs)
Community Radio 6,048 spots (across 36 stations)
Digital Cinema Screens 11,200 per day, 2.24 lakhs during the entire period (across 1400 empanelled screens) 27,324 per day, 6.46 lakhs during the entire period (across 6,831 empanelled screens)
Print Advertorials 5 X 750 = 3750
Strip ads 12 X 750 = 9000
Total 12,750 (in about 750 newspapers) 15,120 (in about 700 newspapers)
Outdoor Publicity No. of sites displayed 3,550 4,225
The PICs conducted so far in August and September, 2013 are as follows:-

Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh (11th-13th August,2013)
Marwar, Distt. Pali in Rajasthan (17th-19th August,2013)
Saiha Distt. In Mizoram (21st-23rd August,2013)
Dhariyabad, Distt. Pratapgarh in Rajasthan (24th-26th August,2013)(Jamunia from 23.8.2013 to 27.8.2013)
Baitul in Madhya Pradesh (25th-27th August,2013) (Jamunia from 24.8.2013 to 28.8.2013)
Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh (5th-7th September, 2013) (Jamunia from 8.9.2013 to 11.9.2013)
Gariaband Distt. in Chhattisgarh (6th-8th September, 2013)
Baouli, Distt Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan (7th-9th September, 2013) (Jamunia from 3.9.2013 to 7.9.2013)

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UK, AP to join hands to conserve energy

Hyderabad: The UK has agreed in principle to share the best practices with the Government of Andhra Pradesh in energy efficiency and energy conservation initiatives.

This decision was taken at a meeting of Sandip Verma, Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Government of UK, with Chief Secretary and Chairperson of State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) P.K. Mohanty here on Saturday, according to a release.

A high-level delegation of experts on energy and representatives of energy efficiency companies of the UK would be visiting the State to share the best practices, particularly a World Class Comprehensive Demand Side Management (CDSM) which was implemented in the UK over two decades ago.

objective
The objective was to achieve energy savings of around 15,000 million units a year in key sectors such as industry, agriculture, domestic and government offices and public/civic infrastructure.

The UK Govt has also agreed to strengthen and assist the SECM in implementing energy efficiency programmes by providing technical support and involving various prominent energy efficiency companies of the UK, the release said.

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Sultanate of Oman woos Indian tourists with attractive packages

Hyderabad: The Sultanate of Oman is seeking to woo Indian tourists by offering attractive packages, opening up exotic locations for shooting movies and as a meeting, wedding and convention destination.

Oman attracted over 2.21 lakh tourists visitors from India last year, an increase of over 35.6 per cent over 2011.

“We believe that the potential is lot more as the air connectivity makes it a lot more attractive for an Indian tourist,” said Lubaina Sheerazi, India representative of Oman.

Addressing a press conference here, she said the focus now is to tap tourists from non-metros, and Tier II cities including Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. With excellent connectivity, Oman offers an ideal location even for wedding ceremonies.

“The new convention centre coming up and the new airport, both expected to be ready by 2014, will make it even more attractive,” she explained.

Lubaina said, “Indians connect with a destination like Oman as its rich culture, tradition and hospitality is something that they will identify with and appreciate, besides its picturesque locations.”

Bollywood film Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobarra and South Indian movie Singham were shot in Oman. “We had associated with these movies as an initiative to popularise the destination in India,” she said.

Oman is all about old world charm and modernity. It provides ultimate Arabian experience blending old and new, she said.

To facilitate Indian tourists, the visa issuance process is also made easy as one can apply online and get it within four working days. The cost of visa for a visitor travelling for less than 10 days has also been kept low.

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India, Japan to raise currency swap limit to $50 billion

Mumbai: In a bid to bring stability to the financial markets, the Indian and Japanese Governments have decided to expand their bilateral currency-swap arrangement from $15 billion to $50 billion.

A bilateral currency swap agreement will allow us to pay for imports in these nations’ currencies, rather than in dollars, up to the mutually agreed threshold, according to India Forex Advisers.

Such agreements will help reduce the demand for dollars in the short term and boost exports. This kind of agreement can be an effective hedge against the volatility in the forex markets, and India should only enter into such agreements with countries with which it does not have a big trade imbalance, said the forex advisory firm.

To finalise terms
The Government and the Reserve Bank of India will discuss and finalise the terms of the enhancement in the currency-swap arrangement with their Japanese counterparts.

In December, 2012 a bilateral swap agreement was signed between the Bank of Japan and the Reserve Bank of India for US$ 15 billion. This arrangement, aimed at addressing possible short-term liquidity mismatches and supplementing existing international financial arrangements, is part of the effort to strengthen mutual cooperation between Japan and India.

India Forex Advisors also said the Government should consider investment-led trade with China as it is one of our major trading partners, so that the latter relocates its industry here and imports from India.

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Sebi inks info-exchange pacts with 31 European regulators

New Delhi: For a greater oversight of hedge funds and other Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) with cross-border presence, Sebi has reached regulatory cooperation and information exchange pacts with its counterparts in 31 European countries.

These include Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Liechtenstein, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland and the UK.

As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) finalized between Sebi and its European peers, they would be able to "consult, cooperate and exchange information" with regard to the supervision and oversight of AIFs, as also their managers and other related entities.

AIFs include hedge funds, private equity funds, start-up funds, venture capital funds, SME funds, among others.

These MoUs have been finalised at the initiative of the EU region capital markets regulator, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), as part of the European Parliament's Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD).

The MoUs provide for "ongoing, informal, oral consultations, supplemented by more in-depth cooperation" between Sebi and its 31 European counterparts, as also the written exchange of non-public information whenever necessary.

Besides, the regulators would also facilitate for each other the cross-border on-site visits in connection with their regulatory and supervisory functions.

Under the AIFMD regime, such cooperation agreements have been made necessary for allowing such funds and their managers from outside EU region to access any of the EU market or perform their fund management businesses by delegation from EU-based entities.

The treaties would allow the EU and non-EU authorities will be able to supervise fund managers that operate on a cross-border basis both within and outside Europe. The co-operation would also include mutual assistance in the enforcement of the respective laws.

As per the MoU, "no domestic secrecy, blocking laws or regulations should prevent an authority (Sebi etc) from providing assistance to other authorities", although any of its signatories can deny information on the grounds of the national public interest.

The cooperation are aimed to be most useful in cases like initial application, on-going oversight, regulatory approvals or supervisory actions and enforcement actions with regard to the AIFs and their managers.

Besides, Sebi and its counterparts would need to inform each other about any material event that could adversely impact the covered entity and the overall market. For any forward passage of information received under the MoU, the regulators would need to take a permission from the other party.

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RBI relaxes norms for non-resident investors

Mumbai: In yet another step to attract foreign money, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday allowed non-resident investors to acquire shares of listed Indian companies through stock exchanges under the foreign direct investment (FDI) scheme.

The central bank has said such investment will be allowed only if the non-resident investor has already “acquired and continues to hold control” according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeover) Regulations.

At present, foreign institutional investors (FIIs), qualified foreign institutions and non-resident Indians (NRIs) are eligible to acquire shares on stock exchanges in compliance with FEMA regulations, but they are not permitted to acquire shares on bourses under the FDI scheme.

According to experts, the new regulation will pave the way for foreigners to be treated on a par with FIIs, as they can buy shares in the company they control (in line with the Sebi takeover code regulations) through on-market deals. Earlier, they were allowed to do so only through off-market deals.

“This is a very important step and will have a far-reaching impact,” said Lalit Kumar, Partner at J Sagar Associates.

“This will also have tax implications, as stock market transactions don’t attract capital gains. Also, the move to allow such acquisitions to be funded through dividend paid to NRIs is significant. The move will help attract capital flows into the Indian market,” said Lalit Kumar, Partner at J Sagar Associates.

Such transaction should happen through a registered broker, RBI said in a notification.

Earlier, a non-resident wasn’t permitted to acquire shares on stock exchange.

Some experts were of the view that the move was a step towards fuller convertibility of the rupee. “This is a step towards full convertibility of the rupee. Right now, we allow repatriation of capital to a select class of investor and in select assets. Now, this window has been opened to even foreign individuals and NRIs. This makes India a more attractive investment destination,” said Sivarama Krishnan, executive director, risk advisory services of consultant firm PwC.

The central bank has also laid out certain conditions for the sources of funds for purchase of shares. The amount should be paid by way of inward remittance through normal banking channels, the RBI said. It further said the amount can be paid by way of debit to the NRE/FCNR account of the person concerned or paid by debit to a non-interest-bearing escrow account (in rupees) maintained in India.

Further, the consideration amount can be paid out of the dividend paid by Indian investee company, in which the said non-resident holds control. Such dividends, however, should have been credited to specially designated non-interest bearing rupee account for acquisition of shares on the floor of stock exchange.

RBI has also said that the original and resultant investments have to be in line with the extant FDI policy and FEMA regulations in respect of sectoral cap, entry route, reporting requirement, and documentation.

LURING FOREIGN FUNDS
* NRIs qualify only if they have “acquired and continue to hold control” under Sebi norms

* Foreigners could be treated on a par with FIIs as they get on-market-deal window

* Deals can only happen through a registered broker

* Some experts say step a precursor to fuller convertibility of the rupee

* Share purchase should be paid by inward remittance through banking channels

* Amount can be paid via debit to NRE/FCNR accounts or via debit to non-interest bearing escrow account

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Viom bags Chennai airport deal to provide Wi-Fi, Net-based services

Kolkata: Telecom infrastructure company Viom Networks Ltd has bagged a contract to provide Wi-Fi and other Internet-related services at the Chennai International Airport.

Market sources point out that the deal is expected to be in the range of Rs 20–30 crore. Both Viom and AAI refused to comment on the deal size.

This would be Viom’s first foray outside the telecom tower business. With nearly 42,000 telecom towers, the company is currently the second largest operator in the country after Indus Towers.

Viom Networks is a joint venture between the SREI Group of Kolkata and Tata Teleservices.

According to H.S. Suresh, Director, Chennai Airport, services include providing infrastructure to ensure Wi-Fi across the airport. Other “Internet-based services” - that generally include cable TV services (DTH) – will also be provided along with it. Agreements between Viom and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) were signed in July.

“We signed the contract with Viom two months back. As per the contract, Viom would pay us a licence fee of Rs 24 lakh a month (or Rs 2.88 crore annually). This is a seven-year contract,” Suresh told Business Line.

According to him, Viom Networks will develop the infrastructure at the airport and have tie-ups with other telcos (telecom companies) for offering internet-based services.

REVENUE
Market sources point out that Viom would have to partner with a telecom company to provide Internet and Wi-Fi services.

In terms of revenue, the Viom can earn from providing infrastructure services to its telecom service provider. Those aware of the deal say that Viom will provide backend infrastructure services only.

Viom, however, refused to comment on the deal. “As per corporate policy we do not comment on market speculation,” a company spokesperson said.

According to Katyayan Gupta, analyst at Forrester Research, Viom’s decision to opt for in-building solutions shows its intention to evolve from a “telecom infrastructure” company to a “systems integrator”.

“The company has the necessary expertise in telecom infrastructure to leverage itself in other verticals,” he added.

OTHER VERTICALS
Following a surge in data growth and limited opportunities in the tower business, Viom has been trying to move into other revenue generating verticals.

Some of the verticals include third-party managed solutions (managing telecom tower infrastructure for operators) and in-building solutions (improving internet connectivity and Wi-Fi services within buildings).

Viom is already in talks with Telenor for setting up and managing towers in Mynamar.

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