EUROPE | JANUARY 2022| ISSUE 10 | Fiscal sops, stricter rules in the works to back circular economy

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