Coimbatore, June 1 (IANS) The Tiruppur knitwear and textile industry has welcomed the Centre’s decision to temporarily remove customs duty on cotton imports, describing it as a timely intervention that will help reduce production costs, improve raw material availability, and enhance the global competitiveness of India’s textile and apparel exports. The Centre has announced a temporary exemption from all customs duties on cotton imports from June 1 to October 30, a move aimed at addressing co…
Latest SMEs News & Updates
Jaipur, May 19 (IANS) Rajasthan is rapidly emerging as India’s next major semiconductor and electronics manufacturing destination, with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government on Tuesday unveiling ambitious plans to transform the state into a high-technology hub. Marking a significant milestone in the state’s industrial journey, Rajasthan’s first semiconductor cluster has been launched in Bhiwadi, signaling a decisive shift from traditional industries toward a technology-driven economy a…
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) India and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties in key sectors including semiconductors, renewable energy, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure under a newly announced Strategic Partnership, with both countries adopting a five-year roadmap aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience and technological collaboration.As part of the new framework, both countries adopted the “Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Par…
New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) Meta-backed WhatsApp on Thursday announced the launch of ‘Business AI’ in India, bringing AI-powered customer support directly to the WhatsApp Business app to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) manage customer engagement round the clock.The feature is designed to enable eligible businesses to respond to customer queries 24/7, capture leads, book appointments and drive sales without requiring additional tools or platforms.It can also be customised using a busines…
Port Sudan, May 5 (IANS) India and Sudan held the ninth round of Foreign Office Consultations in Port Sudan, discussing progress in bilateral ties across various sectors. The officials of the two nations also spoke on regional issues of mutual interest. “9th round of India-Sudan Foreign Office Consultation was held in Port Sudan on 4 May 2026, co-chaired by Joint Secretary (WANA) and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sudan,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)…
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Chairperson of the Policy Research Council of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Takayuki Kobayashi met Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri before wrapping up his India visit, on Monday. “Both sides reaffirmed the strategic importance of India-Japan relations and agreed to advance bilateral ties in domains of shared interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on X.Earlier in the day, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held talks with the visiti…
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday held talks with a Japanese delegation to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations.”Met the delegation led by Mr Takayuki Kobayashi, Member of the House of Representatives and Chairperson of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) Policy Research Council, Japan,” Goyal said in a post on X.”Discussed strengthening India–Japan economic engagement, enhancing MSME partnerships, and deepening collaboration…
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) has driven capacity expansion in food processing, job creation, and export growth, with beneficiaries receiving a total incentive of Rs 2,162.55 crore, the government said on Tuesday.Food processing and preservation capacity has grown by 34 lakh MT per annum, the official statement said, highlighting the scheme’s impact.A total of 165 applications have been approved, corresponding to 274 pr…
New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) As global supply chains realign and businesses look at setting up facilities outside China, India has emerged as a long-term strategic investment destination, with competitive export potential for Japan’s mid-sized companies to partner Indian MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to drive growth.The India–Japan ‘Joint Vision for the Next Decade’, adopted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo in August 2025, encourages cooperation among SMEs (sma…
New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The growing technological ties between India and Japan in the electronics hardware sector have emerged as a new factor in cementing the strong economic and strategic relations between the world’s largest democracy and Asia’s tech giant. As semiconductors, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital public infrastructure (DPI) redefine the nature of global influence, this burgeoning “tech alliance” stands as the most vital strategic partnership in the reg…