I&B Ministry
India, US should resolve IPR issues at earliest: IACC
NEW DELHI: India and the United States should exchange a bouquet of “wish lists” includig IPR issues aimed at fast tracking resolution of bilateral issues that impede accelerated flow of investment between the two countries, Indo American Chamber of Commerce national president N VSrinivasan said today.
Broad contours of the wish lists should include amicable settlement of IPR issues leading to earliest conclusion of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), Totalization Agreement, a sound legal framework to expeditiously settle disputes, settlement of issues emanating from non-tariff measures and importantly a fast solution to nagging visa problems.
He said that there was a growing realization among the US corporations that India, lying mid-way between West and the East, has the potential to emerge as a Gateway for serving both markets. Many corporations are seriously discussing these ideas in their board room meetings, while others are taking concrete steps towards investing in India with a renewed interest. “We have to capitalize on the situation by removing impediments to flow of investments and take concrete step toease doing business in India to leverage our position as an attractive investment destination,” according to Srinivasan.
The US President – Elect Donald Trump is in the process of recalibrating the policies to deal pragmatically with each country by their level of importance and economic engagement. Against this backdrop, India’s recent policy initiatives like Make in India, Digital India, Smart city project, high budget investments in infrastructure etc. where critical technical and financial investments are needed, would stand to benefit.
Trump has has made it very clear that he is averse to regional trade agreements like NAFTA, emerging Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) etc. which according to him have been militated against the US interests.
Flagging the contentious issues that are coming up in the bilateral economic negotiations, such as tardy intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and their enforcement, retrospective tax regime in India, insistence on deciding economic disputes under Indian laws etc, the IACC President said these issues can be settled in a spirit of give and take.
There has been a proliferation of Indian companies and start-ups in the US, mostly in the ICT sector. These are set up mostly by people who migrated to the US at various stages, particularly during the dotcoms days. Their business enterprises are providing gainful employment to many US citizens. Most of the IT and technology platforms in India, such as mobile telephony, credit/debit card networks, climate tracking equipment, heavy duty computers, drones, sensors etc are working on equipment mostly imported from the US.
“We are happy and privileged to have two administrations in the US and India, which are pro-business and believe in creating an environment for seamless business activities. Donald Trump’s significant business interests in India in various sectors and his statement of intent to forge a strong business relationship are pointers to an exciting bilateral business relationship”.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
