EUROPE | April 2019| ISSUE 12

Message From SESEI

Greetings from Project SESEI!

Dear Readers,

With immense pleasure we bring to you the twelfth edition of our “SESEI Newsletter Europe” in a new design and format. The focus of our Newsletter remains on bringing important and latest updates and information around policy & regulatory decisions and standards development activities being carried out in India around our project priority sectors.

While WTO with its members have decided to start negotiations to put in place global rules on e-commerce. India has released its Draft national e-commerce policy, which aims to provide a policy framework that shall enable India to benefit from rapid digitisation of the domestic, as well as global economy.

India also released its much awaited National Policy on Electronics 2019 through its Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). This policy aims to position India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) and create an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally. Another important step towards boosting the local manufacturing under its Make in India program is the prohibition of Importing many electronics and information technology (IT) products without Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) registration. This decision was taken to tighten quality controls for electronic products and as well to curb the rising import of cheap electronic items.

Similar move has also been witnessed in the automotive sector where the Government has notified phased increase in basic customs duty to 15% from April 2020 and 10% on imported lithium-ion cells by April 2021 on parts of electric passenger vehicles which is to be assembled in India to promote domestic manufacturing of EVs. This notification also entails doubling the basic customs duty on completely built units of electric buses and trucks to 50% from April 2020.

The Government of India has also announced the 2nd phase of FAME India phase II scheme which will be implemented from April 2019 with a total outlay of Rs 10,000 Crores (about €1.25 billion) over the period of three years (i.e. from 2019-20 to 2021-22).

The World Bank has committed to provide India funds worth $300 million to aid its energy efficiency programme. The move will help the government set up the requisite infrastructure to push forward its ambition of expanding e-mobility in the country. Niti Aayog - the think tank of Indian government is working on an Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) policy to introduce intelligent transport system in the country in the wake of increasing road fatalities. Niti Aayog is also working on many initiatives towards transportation, where the idea is to have seamless, connected, shared, digitalized and zero-emission free mobility. These initiatives are comparable to the intelligent transport and clean mobility programme of the European Commission.

5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain are the main technologies of great emphasis by the Indian government in the ICT sector. Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) has been asked to finalize standards for IoT/M2M such as oneM2M. India is also aspiring to roll out 5G services at par with the rest of the world. National program on AI will be launched shortly, which intends to establish a National Centre for AI in India. IIT Madras in collaboration with Germany-based Bosch has also opened Data Science (DS) and AI centre.

Both India and Europe are serious about their commitment towards the Paris agreement. A publication on climate action titled 'India - Spearheading Climate Solutions' was released by the Ministry of Environment. This publication is the progress report of the Indian initiatives on climate control and mentions the key actions India has taken under various sectors towards combating and adapting to climate change.

Space technology is an interesting area of growing collaboration between India and EU. Both India and EU are collaborating for past four years while working together in the space sector on Copernicus and Galileo, the EU’s flagship Earth observation and navigation programmes, respectively.

As you will read through the newsletter you will realize that there are many similarities between EU and India in focus and approach on key issues such as energy requirements, clean technologies, intelligent transport and new ICT technologies.

Apart from the interesting news we have brought details of the important events and seminars which will be happening in India and if interested details of the draft standards released by BIS, ARAI and TSDSI.

We are eagerly awaiting to receiving your comments and suggestions on the new Newsletter.

Happy Reading once again.

Dinesh Chand Sharma (Seconded European Standardization Expert in India)
Director – Standards & Public Policy
Mobile: +91 9810079461, Desk: +91 11 3352 1525
Board: +91 11 3352 1500, Fax: +91 11 3352 1501
E-mail: dinesh.chand.sharma@eustandards.in

Message From SESEI

Greetings from Project SESEI!

We are eagerly awaiting to receiving your comments and suggestions on the new Newsletter.

Happy Reading once again.

Government allocated INR 3,004.90 crore for development of solar power

2019-04-02 297 0

Government has allocated Rs 3,004.90 crore (over €375 million) for development of solar power projects next financial year (2019-20) including both grid-interactive and off-grid and decentralized categories. Under grid-interactive schemes, the budgeted allocation for solar is seen rising 15% to Rs 2,479 crore (about €310 million) while the allocation for solar projects under off-grid and decentralized renewable power is seen declining 35% to Rs 525 crore (over €65 million) for FY 2019-20.

TAGS #solarpower

News Source ⇾

Electrical Equip. /Consumer Electronics

Notifications, Guidelines released by Ministry of Power (MoP) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)

2019-04-02 311 0

Guidelines for Procurement of aggregated Power of 2500 MW under Pilot Scheme-II for three years (covered under Medium Term). Read more
Notification for Quality Control Order on SPV Goods 2017. Read more
Office Memorandum (OM) on “Implementation of approved Models & Manufacturers of Solar PV Modules (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2019”. Read more
MNRE along with the MoP announced the amendments to the guidelines for the tariff-based competitive bidding process for procurement & Power from grid-connected solar PV power projects. Read more
Modifications in Scheme for “Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Park Scheme. Read more
Guidelines for enlistment under 'Approved Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic Modules (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2019. Read more
Quality Control Order on Solar Thermal Systems/ Devices/Components Goods. Read more

TAGS #MNRE #MoP

News Source ⇾

ICT

Cabinet approved National policy on Software Product

2019-04-02 253 0

The Union Cabinet has approved the National Policy on Software Products 2019 to develop India as the global Software Product hub, driven by innovation, improved commercialization, sustainable Intellectual Property (IP), promoting technology startups and specialized skill sets. Policy aims to help the industry grow at CAGR of 40% to reach USD 70-80 billion by 2025, while creating employment opportunities for 3.5 million people.

TAGS #softwareproduct #IPR #Innovation

News Source ⇾

ICT

Government plans national program on artificial intelligence (AI)

2019-04-02 590 0

In order to take the benefit of AI and related technologies to the people, Government is planning to launch national program on AI. The program will be catalysed by the establishment of the National Centre for AI. The centre will be established as a hub along with centres of excellence. 9 priority areas had been identified by GoI for the same and a national portal on AI will be developed soon.

TAGS #AI

News Source ⇾

ICT

DoT defers deadline for testing and certification of telecom equipment again

2019-04-02 260 0

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has once again pushed back the deadline to begin domestic testing and certification of telecom equipment and mobile phones to August 1, 2019. According to a previous order in September 2018, April 1, 2019, was fixed as the deadline for certification of mobile base stations, routers, internet of things devices and other network gears.

TAGS #DoT #MTCTE

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ICT

Telecom Regulatory (TRAI) issued following reports/whitepapers/consultation Papers/recommendations:

2019-04-02 241 0

Annual Report for the Year 2017-18 Read more/download>>
White paper on 'Enabling 5G in India' stating that 5G network is expected to be deployed in India along with the rest of the world by 2020. Read more/Download>>
Recommendations on Methodology for levy of Spectrum Charges for provision of Satellite based Services using Gateway installed in India under 'sui-generis' category. Read more/Download>>
Consultation Paper on Review of Television Audience Measurement and Ratings in India. Read more/Download>>
Consultation Paper on Review of Per Port Transaction Charge and Other Related Charges for Mobile Number Portability. Read more/Download>>

TAGS #TRAI

News Source ⇾