Tractors and Drones for Agri-Innovations

In Union Budget 2022, the agriculture sector allocation has been increased by 4.4% to Rs 132,513.62 crore. From promoting chemical-free farming to funding agri-tech start-ups to digital services to farmers, the budget looked at taking agriculture on a sustained higher growth trajectory with a slew of innovative announcements.

The reform-oriented scheme- Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is being attributed to the sharp rise in the sale of tractors recently. This is a clear indication of deepening mechanisation of agriculture and rural economy and generates hope to double farmers’ income.

Drones have flown into Indian landscapes quite fast. In August 2021, the Ministry of Civil Aviation liberalised the drone use policy. This was followed by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare issuing the SOP for using drones to spray pesticides in agricultural, forest lands and non-cropped areas. In October 2021, India became the first-ever country to commercially produce and spray Nano Liquid Urea through Drone in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar. A drone subsidy proposal was also included later in the drone policy. It is through this clause that FPO’s can now receive a grant of up to 75% of the cost of an agriculture drone.

Innovative drone-powered solutions and government initiatives like the Svamitva scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas), which is surveying inhabited Indian rural lands using drone technology are taking advantage of these measures. This will empower villagers with a “record of rights”, which may further assist them to fight off property disputes or make more enterprising decisions concerning their land.

As for crop assessment, drones can be peerless as they can provide high-resolution crop data which can help identify, warn & fix issues with the agricultural produce. Other uses include livestock Management, crop health and stress analysis, plant growth monitoring and treatment, scouting, precision farming, fertiliser spraying and more. High-tech aerial surveying drones have advanced sensors which procure precise data. Geo-tagging aerial images provide information that can result in lesser cost, improved crop yields and profitability.

Clearly, the increased public expenditure on infrastructure, agri-techs including ‘Kisan Drones’, crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides and nutrients, other R&Ds, and FPOs is sure to create a multiplier impact on the growth and competitiveness of the agriculture sector in coming years.

 

Carbon Capturing for Sustainability 

One of the three key goals identified by the government during the budget 2022 is Promoting digital economy & fintech, technology-enabled development, energy transition, and climate action. To protect the interests of future generations and prepare the major polluting industries for green operational levels, achieving these tech and sustainability goals is vital.

Producing top soil, balanced and clean air, well-recharged aquifers etc are gifts of nature that are not easy to produce using man-made technologies, surely not in the short span of time they are needed for a sustainable future. The solution is mindfulness of damages, reducing externalities and capturing & restoring at the source. Top soil storage and refilling open cast mines to sewage treatment are already in vogue. Efforts towards air pollution is collectively termed Circular Carbon Economy(CCE). Latest in CCE is Carbon-capturing, whereby the plants capture carbon at the point of emission itself and using oxidation process traps the carbon dioxide. This way the pollutant becomes reusable in the production of fuels, plastic, soda ash etc. Wherever near by mines, oil wells or other appropriate geological structures are available, this captured carbon is stored deep inside earth’s surface.

To accelerate Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, India’s DST has established a national programme on CO2 storage research and, in August 2020, made a call for proposals to support CCS research, development, pilot and demonstration projects. CCS technology is meant to play an essential role in meeting net-zero targets, including as one of few solutions to tackle emissions from heavy industry.

Globally, power and industry account for about 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions. With the debate rounding on Net Zero Emissions and targets being set, it is vital to identify and adopt the right balance of portfolio of emission curtailment technologies. The words in the spotlight are – Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage – induced with the aim to reduce carbon emission either by storing it or reusing it. Aligning with this, two National Centres of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilization are being established in India. With the support of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), these two centres namely, NCoE-CCU (National Centre of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilization) is established at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Bombay) and NCCCU ( National Centre in Carbon Capture and Utilization ) at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) Bengaluru.

CCU is among such key pathways to reduce emissions while continuing to develop sustainably at an unprecedented pace. CCU aligns with 5 of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), namely, climate action; clean energy, industry, innovation, and infrastructure; responsible consumption and production; and partnerships to achieve the goals.

 

Independent interdependent India-South Korea

15th August is the most important date in India, as it celebrates Independence Day. So is true for South Korea! In 1945, on 15th August, Korea was liberated from its occupation by Japan and, exactly three years later, on August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was officially established, making the date celebratory as National Liberation Day of Korea or Korean Independence Day. This is not the only connection between the two countries. According to records, the history of India-South Korea ties dates back to 48 AD when an Indian princess ‘Suriratna’ from Ayodhya married King Kim-Suro, and became Queen Hur Hwang-ok. “In the golden age of Asia, Korea was one of its lamp bearers, and that lamp is waiting to be lit once again for the illumination of the East”, Rabindranath Tagore once said in his evocative poem ‘Lamp of the East’.

India already stands as S.Korea’s seventh-largest exports market. India is also one of the top priorities in South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s New Southern Policy which oscillates in tandem with PM Modi’s emphasis on India’s Act East Policy. South Korea’s technological competence & capital base has, in recent years, been able to strike a good match with India’s lucrative market potential and ever-expanding consumer base.

In line with the common vision for cooperation and growth, both the country had signed six MOUs and bilateral agreements during the S.Korean leader’s visit to India in 2018. To further ease business issues, the government of India has established a Korea Plus initiative to facilitate numerous business queries. Reciprocating on similar lines, the South Korean government is setting up strategy groups & centres for promoting research and cooperation between the two countries. The Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency is also spreading its work in India.

Further, many popular S.Korean brands are already on an expansion mode in India, with many of them becoming a household name in India – from a Samsung mobile phone, a Hyundai vehicle to an LG home device. Electronics giant Samsung’s Phone factory in Noida is the world’s largest mobile phone factory. Also, Samsung and LG Electronics have established their largest R&D facilities in Bangalore, outside Korea. Hyundai’s R&D centre in Hyderabad is one of its five global hubs (others being in Korea, the US, China & Germany). While LG plans to create export hubs in India, Hyundai Motors had announced its aim to further its manufacturing capability here. Other companies include the ‘Lotte Group’, which has lined up $3 – 5 Bon in potential India investment in the next five years. Kia Motors is planning to invest around $2 bn to build a facility in Andhra Pradesh.

US-China Trade war made major South Korean exporters (Samsung and Hyundai) face grand losses. South Korean companies have to move manufacturing outside China as it is becoming increasingly challenging due to its recent imposition of economic sanctions on South Korea. Thus, countries like India, which offer less complex business and investment framework and cheaper labour, are no less than a natural destination for South Korea to strengthen its economic portfolio and cut down its dependence on its two traditional trade allies i.e. US & China.

Uplifting Indian Sports from Grassroot level

“Early catch and proper nurture, makes a medals winning culture” could be the adage adopted by India as it has started to make its mark in international competitions across various games and sports. To support sports saplings – 90 Extension Centres of STC (Sports Authority of India Training Centre), including 60 Khelo India Centres, and 10 Regular Schools which are part of the National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC), are operational under Sports Authority of India. Most of the Extension Centres are operational in schools across the country. Further, under the “State Level Khelo India Centre” vertical of the Khelo India scheme, 04 Kendriya Vidyalayas with residential facilities are operational as Sports Schools since October 2019. Under this vertical ₹1,50,000 per athlete per annum are provided towards expenses of onboarding, lodging, education, training, competition exposure, medical by the Government of India.

In the past few decades, the country has seen exponential growth in sports. As it has pulled its socks by way of providing sports infrastructure at the grassroots level to help athletes to become professional, results have started to show by providing the world with a glimpse of the multisports nation. Further, Sports and Physical education are also responsible for healthy individuals. Now, as per the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), Health and Physical Education is a compulsory subject up to Xth Class, and an optional subject at Higher Secondary Stage. Educating school students about physical education prepares them to deal with the basic nuance of the Human body and further develop a sense of responsibility towards their health. Fit India Movement works with the vision that a healthy individual is far more productive for the nation.

National Sports University, established in Manipur, is a first of its kind university that aims to provide athletes and individuals to nurture into world-class athletes. The university will uplift education in the areas of Sports Sciences, Sports Technology, Sports Coaching, besides functioning as the national training centre for selected sports disciplines. The National Sports University will cater to students and sportspersons from all States and UTs. Financially supporting these efforts is also one of the main pillars behind successful infrastructure. On the similar lines, The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has released a total fund of Rs.87.65 Cr to date including Rs.5.49 Cr during the current Financial Year 2021-22 for establishing/construction of the main campus and for the functioning of the temporary campus of the National Sports University, Manipur. Such efforts at the university level will further push the Indian sports ecosystem to the next level.

 

Regretting ’Unofficial’ Posts


If Trade is new form of War, Social media communication surely seems to be emerging as Bullets. One of the most important aspects for development and advancement of Human civilization has been Communication. A successful brand building exercise or any other mass communication can be viewed as the process of creating and sharing ideas, information, views, facts, feelings, etc. among masses to reach a common understanding. A leader in business, politics, religion, science or any other domain may be highly qualified and skilled but if (s)he/they do not possess good communication skills and knack to use the right technology, all these skills and advantages become irrelevant.

‘Regret’ has been expressed by Chung Eui-Yong, South Korean Foreign Minister, in a phone call with EAM S. Jaishankar, regarding the offence caused to the people and government of India by a social media post of Hyundai Pakistan. Similar statement has been issued by Hyundai Global. Hyundai’s Indian unit has called the post ‘unofficial social media activity’ and ‘it has zero-tolerance policy towards insensitive communication’ and they ‘condemn any such view’. Hyundai sells annually around 8,000 cars via ‘distributor’ in Pakistan, while in India it has a full fledged Subsidiary with three decades’ investment and has sold over 5,00,000 cars last year. Yet, #BoycottHyundai has been trending in India since Hyundai Pakistan post supporting the so-called Kashmir Solidarity Day appeared on social media platforms. Messaging of the same nature have been seen for boycotting Kia, KFC, Suzuki, Isuzu and other MNCs for their similar posts.

Governments and Global Corporations may not have many commonalities, but minimising such ‘unofficial’ posts by a third party, whose association is much less of representational nature than the third party commands in public perception, is an emerging priority for both. These feed to misinformation, disinformation and even lead up to Fake News more often than not. The quick and wide reach of social media and the propensity of account hacks etc add to these issues. Perhaps the issue needs similar attention as understanding and compliance of International Tax regimes, because Global corporate management can not plead ignorance to the importance of localised religious , historical and political nuances.