Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji&#039;,
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-The Business Standard
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
*****************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;-The Business Standard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;*****************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Business Standard
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
*****************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;-The Business Standard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;*****************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what..."/>
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                <strong>Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji</strong></h1>
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                <div style="text-align: justify">-The Business Standard</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>So, what is lobbying?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why it's in the news</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A case of US vs India</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Can India be far behind?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">*****************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A list of some of the prominent names</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.</div>               </font>
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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f0a7f004464-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f0a7f004464-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67f0a7f004464-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f0a7f004464-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f0a7f004464-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f0a7f004464-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f0a7f004464-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67f0a7f004464-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji&#039;,
		&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
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-The Business Standard
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
*****************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;-The Business Standard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;*****************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;English&#039;,
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	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 18424,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
-The Business Standard
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
*****************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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$articleid = (int) 18424
$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji&#039;
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;-The Business Standard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;*****************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what..."/>
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                <strong>Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji</strong></h1>
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                <div style="text-align: justify">-The Business Standard</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>So, what is lobbying?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why it's in the news</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A case of US vs India</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Can India be far behind?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">*****************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A list of some of the prominent names</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.</div>               </font>
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-The Business Standard
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&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
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There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
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&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
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At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;
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&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
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The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
*****************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;articleid&#039; =&gt; (int) 18424,
	&#039;metaTitle&#039; =&gt; &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji&#039;,
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;-The Business Standard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;*****************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 18424,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
-The Business Standard
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
**********************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
*****************
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Business Standard, 13 December, 2012, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/lobbying-simplified-do-we-need-it/199445/on&#039;,
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;-The Business Standard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc&#039;s big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn&#039;t. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, what is lobbying?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &amp;ldquo;lobby&amp;rdquo; means &amp;ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &amp;ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&amp;quot; in respect of an official Act.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why it&#039;s in the news&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word &amp;ldquo;lobbying&amp;rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &amp;ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who do lobbyists work for?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A case of US vs India&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &amp;ldquo;regularising&amp;rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What&amp;rsquo;s the remedy?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Experts say the government&amp;rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &amp;nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &amp;mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &amp;mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;**********************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Can India be far behind?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &amp;ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;*****************&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A list of some of the prominent names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Ranbaxy: &amp;nbsp;Paid $90,000 &amp;nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &amp;quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&amp;quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &amp;quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&amp;quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp;amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &amp;quot;TRD&amp;quot;, which could mean trade.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp;amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what..."/>
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                <strong>Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji</strong></h1>
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                <div style="text-align: justify">-The Business Standard</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>So, what is lobbying?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why it's in the news</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A case of US vs India</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Can India be far behind?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">*****************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A list of some of the prominent names</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.</div>               </font>
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		'title' => 'Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji',
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		'description' => '<div style="text-align: justify">
-The Business Standard
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>So, what is lobbying?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Why it's in the news</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>A case of US vs India</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Can India be far behind?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
*****************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>A list of some of the prominent names</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
</div>',
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	'metaTitle' => 'LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji',
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...',
	'disp' => '<div style="text-align: justify">-The Business Standard</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>So, what is lobbying?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why it's in the news</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A case of US vs India</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Can India be far behind?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">*****************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A list of some of the prominent names</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.</div>',
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	'id' => (int) 18424,
	'title' => 'Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji',
	'subheading' => '',
	'description' => '<div style="text-align: justify">
-The Business Standard
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>So, what is lobbying?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Why it's in the news</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>A case of US vs India</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
**********************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Can India be far behind?</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
*****************
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>A list of some of the prominent names</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.
</div>',
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-The Business Standard





Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;





There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what...'
$disp = '<div style="text-align: justify">-The Business Standard</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>So, what is lobbying?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to the Oxford dictionary, the word &ldquo;lobby&rdquo; means &ldquo;a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.&rdquo; &nbsp;Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a &ldquo;public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration&quot; in respect of an official Act.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Why it's in the news</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word &ldquo;lobbying&rdquo; again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to &ldquo;enhanced market access for investment in India&rdquo;.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Who do lobbyists work for?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A case of US vs India</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of &ldquo;regularising&rdquo; lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>What&rsquo;s the remedy?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Experts say the government&rsquo;s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name. &nbsp;In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law &mdash; which will strictly regulate lobbying &mdash; will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">**********************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Can India be far behind?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US &ndash; for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">*****************</div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>A list of some of the prominent names</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Ranbaxy: &nbsp;Paid $90,000 &nbsp;to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including &quot;Preserve Access to Affordable Generics&quot;, according to a document registered in 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as &quot;market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors&quot;, shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith &amp; Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of &quot;TRD&quot;, which could mean trade.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems &amp; Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.</div>'
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Lobbying simplified: do we need it?-Shantanu Bhattacharji

-The Business Standard Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US  There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least not from the legal standpoint. So, what is lobbying? According to the Oxford dictionary, the word “lobby” means “a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue.”  Indian lawmakers are aware that governments across the world lobby for their business interests all the time. The Indian government does it, if often poorly. Indian business houses lobby governments in India as well as overseas frequently.  At present, the only law that has some relevance to lobbying is Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which makes it illegal for a “public servant to take gratification other than legal remuneration" in respect of an official Act. ********************** Why it's in the news The word “lobbying” again acquired a whole new dimension and notoriety after the disclosure that Walmart had spent close to $25 million (approximately Rs 135 crore) on lobbying activities, including on issues related to “enhanced market access for investment in India”. The word grabbed much space in national media after the disclosure of the recorded phone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G spectrum scandal case. ********************** Who do lobbyists work for? The big industrial houses employ high-profile lobbyists to try and influence government policies and appointments for their own advantage. The question is what are the chambers of commerce and industry doing most of the time? The one-word simple answer is: lobbying. ********************** A case of US vs India Under US laws, companies, individuals and even foreign countries are allowed to lobby before the Congress and various wings of the US government. And to facilitate the process, they are required to either hire the services of registered lobbyists or employ them, who then, on behalf of the firms or entities go to the offices of lawmakers, policymakers, meet either the congressmen or government officials with a set of presentations and policy papers reflecting their views. Violation of the complex and extensive lobbying regulations can lead to penalties and even jail. In 2010, corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said that his ministry was in talks with other departments of the government on the issue of “regularising” lobbying. The Planning Commission of India had set up an expert committee to look into the issue of lobbying.  ********************** What’s the remedy? Experts say the government’s laidback attitude will make the matter worse. After the recent disclosure by Walmart the profession has earned a bad name.  In India, most lobbyists are former bureaucrats, public relations professionals, lawyers, corporate affairs executives and former journalists. Probably, a law — which will strictly regulate lobbying — will help change that perception. It is high time to have a regulatory structure on the lines of the US Lobbying Disclosure Act to clean up the entire process. ********************** Can India be far behind? Documents with the US House of Representatives reveal at least 27 Indian companies have over the years spent thousands of dollars on lobbying in the US – for issues ranging from visa to exploring defence market. ***************** A list of some of the prominent names Ranbaxy:  Paid $90,000  to the lobbying firm Patton Boggs for issues including "Preserve Access to Affordable Generics", according to a document registered in 2010. Tata Sons: Roped in Cohen Group for lobbying for issues described as "market research in the automotive, defence and energy sectors", shows a document from 2007 that does not mention the ammount. Reliance Industries: Became a client of the lobbyist Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, according to a 2009 document, on the unspecified issue of "TRD", which could mean trade. Wipro: The firm spent $33,000 on lobbyist Melanie Carter-Maguire on issues relating to trade and visa. The company roped in a lobbyist firm this year, too, but the amount involved has not been mentioned. Some other names: Software body Nasscom and the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council have also been listed.