-Medianama.com Accusing e-commerce platforms of openly flouting FDI rules, traders’ body CAIT has asked Finance Minister Piyush Goyal to conduct an investigation into and place a blanket ban on festival sales by e-commerce companies for indulging in “predatory pricing” and “deep discounting”. Praveen Khandelwal, national secretary-general of CAIT, wrote to the minister on September 13 (see letter below), with “substantial evidence” of e-commerce companies indulging in predatory pricing and deep discounting. CAIT...

-Financial Express We have been hearing the expression ‘Industry 4.0’ ever since the idea of ‘smart factory’ was unveiled in Hannover in April 2013. Many opine ‘Agriculture 4.0’ akin to 4G of telecom. I believe Agriculture 4.0 is “going back to basics, but with technology as its underpinning” to usher in sustainability, in the wake of climate change and degradation of our agricultural ecosystems. We need to re-look at agriculture with...

-The Times of India NAGPUR: After a question was raised by TOI in a press conference addressed by state agriculture minister Dr Anil Bonde, a notification to impose a temporary ban on five pesticide formulations was issued on Thursday. The ban will be in force in Amravati division, especially Akola and Yavatmal districts for 60 days. Bonde had signed the order over a week ago, but the order had not reached the department’s...

-Newsclick.in This bounty for corporate houses comes at a time when common people are reeling under a slowdown, joblessness is at record levels and incomes are stagnating. Continuing her series of press conferences, that are becoming like a treasure hunt for corporates, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced today that corporate tax rates will be slashed from the current 30% (average) to 25.17% including all cess/surcharge. Actually, if no other concession is availed...

-TheWire.in The move itself reveals a deep-seated pro-consumer and anti-producer bias that has been, in large part, the reason for the agriculture economy being in doldrums. New Delhi: The government has decided to import onions from ‘Pakistan, Egypt, China, Afghanistan or any other origin’, according to a Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation Limited notifications. Some concerns were raised about importing from Pakistan. “And why import from Pakistan? Is the Indian farmer a...