-The Hindu Business Line Agriculture development and food security form the foundation of Manufacturing growth. Modi must realise this Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s exhortation ‘Make in India’ would make perfect sense till we realise that by ‘making’ he means Manufacturing. But could it be that his focus on Manufacturing may come a cropper if we do not ensure that agriculture is placed permanently on a sound footing? The history of the great...

-Hindustan Times The government is set to re-launch its pharmacy chain, Jan Aushadhi, to sell generic drugs ranging from anti-biotics, anti-cardiac, anti-infective and gastro intestinal drugs at prices at least half of branded drugs. The project would be launched in six states on a pilot basis from June 21, where 5,000 stores would be opened across the country in a phased manner. The scheme failed in 2008 due to poor supply-chain management. “Now, we...

-Hindustan Times The NDA government is confident of winning over some naysayers by keeping its doors open to adopting a few changes they may propose to the contentious land bill that has been referred to a joint parliamentary panel, sources said. Their support will be crucial in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks the numbers and will be equally important if a joint session of Parliament is called to clear the...

-The Indian Express While tractor sales trebled during FY04-14, the last year saw a reversal in the trend with the agri industry facing multiple issues. If there is one indicator capturing the changes that took place in rural India over the past decade, along with the emerging signs of distress in the last year, it is the sales of tractors. Between 2003-04 and 2013-14, domestic tractor sales more than trebled from under...

-The Indian Express Niggling procedural hassles stymie efforts to modernise antiquated labour regulations.   As it completes one year in office, the NDA government seems to have finally bit the bullet and taken up the controversial Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, for amendments that would allow easier retrenchment and closure norms for firms with up to 300 workers though ensuring that the employees get higher compensation in return. The draft code on industrial relations has...