EUROPE | JANUARY 2022| ISSUE 10

Message From SESEI

Greeting from Project SESEI!!!
Dear Readers,

I would like to begin by wishing you all a very Happy and safe 2022. I welcome you all to the tenth edition of the “SESEI newsletter - Europe.” Sharing of information and latest updates is one of key characteristic of the SESEI Project. It allows stakeholders to understand, stay abreast and take informed action based on the news and information shared with our readers.

I am also very happy to inform you that Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), national standard development body of India, has published Indian Standard IS 17802-"Accessibility for ICT Products and Services, Part 1: Requirements" which is a technical adoption of European Standard EN 301 549 v3.2.1 as developed by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI. The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) has notified WTO of Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Systems (MTCTE) for Telephone sets, including telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks. Commerce and Industry Minister called for waiver of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in World Trade Organization (WTO) and dismantling new trade barriers in the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government of India also launched National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) to provide awareness on intellectual property and its rights to students.

The Smart Cities Mission has been falling behind the schedule and the covid pandemic has affected the completion of the projects. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has extended the timeline for the implementation of Smart Cities Mission to June 2023 due to the Covid pandemic and other reasons. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with Smart Cities Mission, National Institute of Urban Affairs and GIZ India organized a Smart Move Innovative Urban Mobility Challenge, which was won by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee for their interactive passenger information system to predict the crowding levels in the public transit system.

A comprehensive sectoral report on the Smart Cities has been prepared by SESEI, providing details on the various initiatives and standards related activities carried out by the Govt. of India under the smart cities mission.

The automotive sector in India is buzzing with activities, a lot has been initiated by the Ministry of Heavy Industry (MoHI) to roll out the Electrical Vehicle (EV) vision of the country to achieve hundred percent electrical vehicles on the Indian roads by 2030. The Automotive Research Foundation of India (ARAI), Pune, is working on standardization of charging infrastructure, which is scheduled to be launched by the top of 2022, for fast charging, the prototype. Similarly, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay along with Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) is working on developing flagship products, standardizing technical specifications and customizing solutions for the Indian EV charging ecosystem.

The Central government launched ‘E-Amrit’, a web portal on electric vehicles (EVs), at the ongoing COP26 Summit in United Kingdom’s Glasgow. E-Amrit is a one-stop destination for all information on electric vehicles–busting myths around the adoption of EVs. Several states have also formed their various EV policies and are encouraging people to adopt EVs with various subsidy schemes in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint.

We all know that Information Communication Technology will be the key sector for all industries and for the growth of the countries economy. Artificial Intelligence, blockchain and IoT/M2M will be leaving lasting impressions on the way we live. Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MEITY) released “National Strategy on Blockchain” with the vision to create trusted digital platforms. The Department of Telecommunication has created a technology innovation group focused on the 6G technology, with the hopes of taking the lead in global technology development. The Innovation Group will be focusing on creating roadmap for research and development (R&D), pre-standardization, application and product development, and action plans for 6G technology. C-DoT ( Centre of Development for Telematics has launched a Quantum Communication lab, becoming the first organization in the country to provide indigenous quantum secure telecom products and solutions.

The 5Gi standards developed by Telecom Standards Development Society of India (TSDSI), is all set to be formally incorporated in the global 5G standard (3GPP). The DoT has been coordinating with the global players for the incorporation of 5Gi with the 3GPP standard. The new ICT technologies also necessitates the need to have robust cyber security strategy. The National Security Council is working on the National Cybersecurity Strategy, over the last two years and is in the cabinet for the final stamp.

In the Realm of Green Energy and Resource efficiency, India is ensuring positive actions and steps. Apart from proposing tweaks in its laws to make it mandatory for industrial units to use a minimum share of green energy in overall electricity consumption as the country seeks to move away from fossil fuels and fight climate change. The government is also working on providing fiscal incentives to encourage a circular economy. Extended producer liability in 11 sectors or products and a refund option for products after use besides some other fiscal sops could be introduced to aid the switch to circular economy from a linear one.

Both India and European Union have also agreed to work together in the areas of clean energy with a focus on offshore wind, green hydrogen, and solar power besides deciding to encourage investments in the field of energy efficiency. Some of the areas identified for cooperation included ensuring nearly zero energy buildings and renewable energy sources, including solar and offshore wind

Similar, interesting articles and updates from the other priority sectors are provided in this newsletter. As always, we look forward to your comments and suggestions to further improvise it. Happy New Year and happy reading once again.

Hope you will find this Newsletter informative. Happy Reading!!!!

Warm regards,
Dinesh Chand Sharma (Seconded European Standardization Expert in India)
Director – Standards & Public Policy
Mobile: +91 9810079461, Desk: +91 11 3352 1525
E-mail: dinesh.chand.sharma@sesei.eu

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Electrical Equip. /Consumer Electronics

Government releases guideline for the Cyber Security in Power Sector

2022-01-10 194 0

Under direction of Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister the Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power has prepared the guideline for the Cyber Security in Power sector, and it has been released. The guideline lays down required actions for cyber security preparedness across various utilities in power sector to raise the level of cyber security preparedness for power sector. It lays down a cyber assurance framework, the strengthens the regulatory framework, puts in place mechanisms for security threat early warning, vulnerability management and response to security threats, securing remote operations and services, protection and resilience of critical information infrastructure, reducing cyber supply chain risks, encouraging use of open standards, promotion of research and development in cyber security, human resource development in the domain of Cyber Security, Developing effective public private partnerships and information sharing and cooperation.

TAGS #goverment

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Tata Power collaborates with IIT Delhi to work on smart grid technologies

2022-01-10 224 0

Tata Power and IIT Delhi have signed an MoU to collaborate in areas like smart grid technology, clean energy solutions. Considering the large number of experts with their excellence in different fields in IIT Delhi and Tata Power, there is an immense potential to collaborate between academia, research, and domain experts from business with a high transformational impact. Both the institutions have agreed to work together to identify projects that can be transformed from R&D stage to pilot projects and scaling in areas such as EV infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, hydrogen technologies, battery energy storage systems, monitoring and sensing solutions, microgrids, et al.

TAGS #IIT

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To Promote Clean Energy Consumption, Power Ministry proposes Amendment to Energy Conservation Act, 2001

2022-01-10 209 0

Amidst the growing energy needs and changing global climate landscape, the Government of India has identified new areas to achieve higher levels of penetration of Renewable energy by proposing certain Amendments to Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The objective will be to enhance demand for renewable energy at the end- use sectors such as Industry, buildings, transport etc. Ministry of Power has prepared amendments, after consultations with stakeholders. The proposal includes defining minimum share of renewable energy in the overall consumption by the industrial units or any establishment. There will be provision to incentivize efforts on using clean energy sources by means of carbon saving certificate.

TAGS #energy

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Ministry of Power (MoP) & Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notifications/guidelines:

2022-01-10 201 0

Revised Policy for Biomass Utilization Power Generation through Co-firing in Coal based Power Plants Read more>>
Inviting Suggestions regarding Formulation of Comprehensive Policy Framework and Recommend other interventions to promote Energy Storage in Power Sector Read more>>
Seeking comments on Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2021 Read more>>
Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) to provide for Purchase Preference (linked with local content) in respect of Power Sector. Read more>>

Scheme for Flexibility in Generation and Scheduling of Thermal/Hydro Power Stations through bundling with Renewable Energy and Storage Power. Read more>>

TAGS #MoP

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Government notifies semiconductor policy to push manufacturing

2022-01-10 157 0

The center notified the semiconductor policy that aims to promote the manufacturing of semiconductor chips in the country. As per the notification, the government will provide up to 50% of the cost for setting up two semiconductors and two display fabs units. The Application window will start from 1 January and will be open for 45 days. “The government may extend the benefits of Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme… Up to 2.5% of the outlay of the scheme shall be earmarked for meeting the R&D, skill development and training requirements for the development of semiconductor… Semiconductor Fab(s) set up in India will be supported through purchase preference in procurement of electronic products by the Government under the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017,” reads the notification. The Centre is planning to give incentives of Rs 76,000 crore to set up over 20 semiconductor companies, components manufacturing and display fabrication units in the next six years to make India an electronics market.“

TAGS #manufacturing

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