Digital Advancement & Innovations in Health Sector

India fought an unprecedented battle to overcome the systemic challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. From expanding the healthcare infrastructure both physically and digitally to establishment of more and more AIIMS in the country at an unbelievable pace to achieving remarkable feats with the rollout of Vaccine Maitri Initiative and attaining the status of being called the ‘Pharmacy of the World’, India has emerged as the ‘Vaidya’ of the World, the knower of Health Sciences. Providing quality healthcare services to citizens during Covid was the central goal of the Indian government along with a focus on capacity building, which further helped New India to strengthen the healthcare sector in various domains.

Digital Health is one such area, where India is building strongholds to stand prepared for any future crisis. Today, the country’s healthcare is being imbibed with facilities like telemedicine and innovative methodologies that not only benefit patients but ease up service delivery for the pharma sector. India started e-Sanjeevani, a first-of-its-kind telemedicine initiative by any country during the covid pandemic, that has revolutionised the teleconsultation structure for all across the country. The success of this platform’s robust technology speaks for itself. In April 2022, the country achieved the milestone of a record 3.5 lakhs tele-consultations on a single day! Teleconsultation is possibly the future of India’s health systems, the concrete path towards establishing it has already been laid through Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres that extend e-Sanjeevani services and facilitate a perfect platform to provide health services to the last mile.

India’s Unified Health Interface provides for an open network designed to enable interoperable digital health service delivery. Last year, PM Modi announced the roll-out of Digital Health IDs under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission ( ABHA) which came out as another push towards building the Digital Health ecosystem of the country. Under this mission, 21.6 crore ABHA health IDs have been created and more than 26,000 health facilities have been connected so far.

Digital health innovations are being endorsed like never before as they assist in saving time, boosting accuracy and efficiency. With Artificial Intelligence, India is combining technologies in ways that are new to healthcare. NIRAMAI a startup based in Bengaluru designed an AI-Based screening device that can detect breast cancer at a much earlier stage than traditional methods or self-examination. Indian startups like these have put the nation on the world map of AI with their innovative technique. During the COVID period, CoWin platform, Arogya Setu, innovative PPE Kits, testing kits, advanced masks, etc. were some of the need-based innovations made by the National Health Authority, premiere institutes, and startups across the nation. Such breakthroughs aided by the government’s policy initiatives ensure that India will leapfrog in the digital space by leveraging technologies that provide digital services.

Vicious cycle of inflation and crisis

India has reported inflation at a 17-month high of 6.95%, the US inflation rate hit the 8.5% mark, a four-decade high, and in the UK, the inflation rate surged to a three-decade high of 6.2% in March 2022. With such high inflation rates, central banks are expected to continue more aggressive interest rate hikes in order to control rising prices, a move that could also prompt more market sell-offs, and making loans and economic activities more expensive.

Post pandemic world was surely not ready for Russia-Ukraine crisis. Oil prices crossed $100 a barrel in few days since crisis started unfolding and jumped to even $139 a barrel at one point, the highest level for almost 14 years, while wholesale gas prices for next-day delivery more than doubled. Such a massive surge in energy-prices is sure to negatively affect the global economy as Russia, the world’s third largest producer and exporter of oil after USA and S.Arabia meets 10% of global demand. The European continent is most vulnerable as Russia caters to around 27% of oil and around 40 % of the natural gas needs of the region. Germany which has abandoned nuclear power and relies heavily on Russian gas, has great stakes.

Russia is also a good supplier of grains, vegetable oils and industrial resources such as iron and steel, other metals, machinary and equipment, chemical products, food stuff and agri products, besides being world’s largest exporter of wheat, sixth largest exporter of gold, etc. Trade interruptions and sanctions have meant higher prices for all such products, a development that is further stoking food inflation backed with already disrupted global supply chains of the post-COVID world.

The embargoes and sanctions imposed on Russia by the US, EU and other Western Nations are already showing effects. The move by US, UK, Canada and EU to cut off several Russian Banks from the SWIFT Payments System, is particularly very punitive. Similar step has been taken against Iran and North Korea in the past but the impact registered had not been huge because of the limits of these economies.

Though Russia accounts for a small percentage of India’s total trade, the other sectors that have connections with Russian Firms may get hugely impacted. With Russian banks excluded from SWIFT system, those Indian entities trading with Russian firms will have to face added tensions about future payments and outstanding bills.

India has to strategise as to how to control rising crude prices. In such cases the government is met with two choices i.e. It can either pass on the brunt to consumers or has to let it affect India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD). An RBI study shows that a $10 per barrel increase in oil prices results in an additional deficit of $12.5 billion or Rs. 94,750 crore. It also has about a 24 basis direct impact on retail inflation measured by CPI. This calculation makes the above-mention choice a tough call.

Indian Defence Suiting up

Indian industries, especially the defence sector has grown leaps and bounds in the recent past, as country’s arms exports have grown nearly six times since 2014 i.e. from Rs. 1520 crore to a whopping Rs. 8434 crores. Ever since PM Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ initative in 2014, private industry players have displayed a newfound zeal and optimism to become vectors in erecting a self-reliant culture in Defence manufacturing. The government too went to lengths and relaxed norms, introduced well-thought measures, created a better ecosystem and breathing space for defence indigeneity in the country, all of which has resulted in reduced dependence of India on foreign-sourced arms and armaments.

In its efforts towards further bolstering the domestic defence ecosystem, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has recently amended Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 for all modernisation requirements of the Defence Services and Indian Coast Guard indigenously. According to this, the Indian defence forces will now have to source all their modernization requirements from the domestic defence sector, with the outright import of weapons and platforms being resorted to only as an exception with the ‘specific approval’ of the Defence Minister and the DAC. Other amendments include measures to reduce the ‘financial burden’ on the Indian Defence industry while maintaining financial safeguards. The requirement of IPBGs (integrity pact bank guarantees) has been dispensed with, for instance, and EMD (earnest money deposit) will be taken as bid security for all acquisition cases costing over Rs 100 crore. Besides, the total order quantity will be split between shortlisted vendors, wherever viable.

The move will largely encourage wider participation and broad base the indigenous defence manufacturing sector in the country and may help the government meet its defence export target of Rs 35,000 crore by 2025. To boost defence exports, the defence ministry has also been eyeing various contracts with different countries. These include the selling of two Dornier military aircraft to the state of Sri Lanka and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas to Malaysia in a deal expected to be around $900. Both the aircrafts have been manufactured by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). India had also signed a $375 million deal to export the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to the Philippines in February this year. In December 2020, the Cabinet even gave a green signal to the sale of Akash missile systems to friendly foreign countries. MoD too has been signing defence deals with DRDO, BEL, HAL, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, etc. to acquire high-tech advanced multi-functional planes, drones, rifles, tanks to increase both country’s defence capabilities and foreign sellouts.

In what demonstrates India’s sharpened focus on getting a toehold in foreign defence markets, the government granted close to a thousand export authorisations last year, which was around four times the number approved five years ago. The approvals too have been given with speed and discipline. This resulted in attributing the nearly four-fold increase to the government’s export-friendly policies to tap new markets. Other big resolves by the government include revision of the 2016 Defence Procurement Policy into the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, giving ‘Buy Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured’ category the top most priority for procurement of capital equipment,enhancing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector, new norms for Rationalisation of the development process, renewed thrust on indigenisation of weapons and systems, and rescinding a section of the Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies (SCOMET) list that will further the growth figures of defence exports.

Status of Wheat & Edible Oils Stocks in India

From Railways, to manufacturing to digital and tech advancement, India has now introduced new norms and relaxation in almost all the sectors to increase growth figures. The country has for so long been tagged a status of ‘Krishi Pradhan’. Now, agriculture and allied activities as a sector too has strengthened with more jobs, better produce and MSPs, modern agri solutions, agro-startups growth and mega welfare schemes to support farmers and their produce. The efforts have resulted in pursual of many other types of agricultural practices & methods across the country like organic farming, horticulture, poultry, dry farming etc. and have also led to record stats of exports and production.

Today, India is in a much comfortable position, when it comes to having overall surplus availability of grains and stocks as they are expected to be higher than the minimum requirements for the next one year. It all becomes possible despite country’s wheat output looks likely to go down in 2022 because of a sharp and sudden rise in temperatures in mid-March, causing damage to crop yields especially in Punjab, Haryana and UP. Meanwhile, India- the world’s second largest producer of the grain has had five consecutive years of record harvests of wheat till 2021. Moreover, the edible oil prices too are likely to soften soon as the palm oil imports are expected to start very soon after a temporary ban by Indonesia.

Dispelling the concerns of potential shortage in surplus food availability, Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), recently cleared the air conveying that after meeting the requirement of welfare schemes in the year ahead, on April 1, 2023, India would have stocks of 80 LMT of wheat, well above the minimum requirement of 75 LMT. Total Food-grains production during 2021-22 is higher by 25.35 million tonnes compared to total figures of last 5 years. Similarly, other items that witnessed higher production in last five years include Rice (higher by 11.49 mn tonnes), Nutri /coarse cereals (higher by 3.28 mn tonnes), pulses (higher by 3.14 mn tonnes), oilseeds (higher by 3.28 mn tonnes), and sugarcane (higher by a whopping 40.59 mn tonnes).

Wheat Production, however, is expected to be 1050 LMT, which is lower than the initial estimate of 1110 LMT in FY 23. Due to higher market prices, large quantity of wheat is being bought by traders at a higher rate than MSP (Minimum Support Price), which is good for the farmers. “This year due to an increase in market prices and higher demand by the private players both for the domestic as well as export purposes, the purchase by the government agency is less. But that goes in favour of the farmers as they are getting a good price for the wheat,” Sec Sudhanshu Pandey had said. Earlier, the farmers had no option but to sell to the government. Now, they are selling only that quantity of their produce to the government, which they are unable to sell in the private market at higher prices. Therefore, from that perspective, the government procurement has reduced.

The edible oil stocks are also sufficient in the country and after a temporary ban by Indonesia, the palm oil imports are expected to start soon and this would soften the edible oil prices in the country. Besides this, India has a surplus availability of rice as well. Government has directed that locally available stocks of rice will get distributed in the same state where they are getting consumed. So, this will help exporters with their requirement of rakes or movement within the country. It is going to help the exports and all commodities including food grains. Also, the moment the state is able to distribute the rice into the PDS system they become entitled to claim their subsidy. This is an added advantage to the states otherwise they have to maintain the stocks and bear the expenses and only after distribution do they become able to get reimbursement of their Food subsidy.

Strengthening India-France Ties

PM Modi’s Paris visit is all about adding more strategic blocks to a deep relationship. Continuity of French Government in the form of re-election of Emmanuel Macron can be considered as good news for both EU and India-France ties. In last five years, Macron, who also became the first French president to clinch a re-election in 20 years, has emerged as a leader with a centrist vision for France and instances of keeping global perspective at centre for his decisions. Under Emmanuel Macron, who shares a personal rapport with PM Modi, the bond between both the regionally-important nations has deepened. Both sides have actively engaged and been respectful towards each other’s core interests across many sectors, including defence, maritime security, climate, economy, etc. With France, India is looking towards manufacturing and export of emerging and critical defence technologies without any license regime or any legal encumbrances. Under the ‘Make in India’ policy of PM Modi, India is looking towards France to make Safran aircraft engines and make air independent propulsion submarines to utilize the already existing manufacturing line at the Naval Dockyards in Mumbai.

Developments and situations in the Indo-Pacific region particularly is of much importance for France. France is considered an Indo-Pacific power as it has overseas territories in the region like Mayotte, La Réunion, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia. India’s concern and actions it takes to protect its territorial interests, especially countering the growing Chinese influence in the high waters, is what coincides with France’s vision and concerns too. India also needs France’s support and assistance to ensure the same and focus on better maritime patrolling. Election of Marie Le Pen as French President, would have led to complications, given the far-right politician’s inclination towards a protectionist economy as well as towards China and dismissal of the European Union. All these factors greatly concern India for innumerable factors including, International trade, security, cooperation, global support and territorial integrity.

India has also been trying to finalise its long-pending Free Trade Agreement with EU for quite some time. While both parties finally putting aggressive efforts to achieve the same, election of Marie Le Pen as President of France would have caused direct and indirect implications for India, given Pen’s earlier expressed interest in having a “Frexit”. This could not have been favorable news to India, which sees France as its “entry point” or a gateway to facilitate an intimate connection with Europe. “In security, France is already among India’s foremost partners,” EAM S.Jaishankar had said once adding further that, with the EU, India “now has an enhanced partnership and operational level of access.”

France has also been supporting India’s claim for permanent membership at UNSC and the reforms of the United Nations. France’s support was vital in India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) and Australia Group (AG). France continues to support India’s bid for accession to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). India and France have consistently condemned terrorism and have resolved to work together for adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN. The areas of defence and security cooperation, space cooperation and civil nuclear cooperation constitute the principal pillars of the strategic partnership of both countries. India and France also have a robust economic partnership and share a close degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues also.