India In Vancouver-Weekly Newsletter
Issue no 47-March 31,2023

      Consulate Weekly Newsletter

In the 99th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about rising awareness regarding organ donation and highlighted a policy being worked on towards streamlining the processes related to it. He applauded India's Nari Shakti and cited several examples how women were leading from the front in diverse sectors. The PM also shed light on India's emphasis on renewable energy.

                    CONSULATE NEWS

As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and International year of millets 2023, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver partnered with Ohm BC and Laxmi Narayan Temple in Surrey to celebrate the Kerala Hindu Cultural Festival on 26 March 2023. The event witnessed participation of more than 1000 people from Indian diaspora, and members of other communities based in British Columbia. Consul General Mr. Manish was the Chief Guest at the event. In his address, Consul General appreciated the efforts of OHM-BC and members of Kerala community to showcase the different aspects of Kerala -like unique cultural heritage, music, dance, cuisine, costumes, customs, rituals and dresses. He highlighted the achievements and contribution of Malayalee diaspora in progress of India and Canada. He also requested the communities to support the newcomers & students to Canada and urged them to be the Cultural Ambassadors of India.

The Consulate General of India in Vancouver organized an interaction on 29 March 2023 with Indian students studying in British Columbia. Around 50 students from different Universities / Colleges were present on the occasion. Consul General addressed the students and made a presentation giving an overview of India-Canada bilateral and sectoral engagements, various initiatives of the Government viz. G-20 Presidency, International Year of Millets 2023, Mission LiFE, One District One Product initiative, etc. Students were briefed about the functioning of the Consulate, support systems available for their welfare, various consular services and cultural activities. They were also informed about basic Do’s and Don’ts to ensure their well-being while pursuing their studies in Canada, especially in British Columbia. This was followed by an interaction session where different queries raised by students were answered by the Consul General and other officers of the Consulate.

                                    High Commissioner's Visit to British Columbia & Yukon

High Commissioner Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma had an extensive discussions with Langara College President Dr. Paula Burns and other stakeholders of the College on 22 March 2023 regarding Indian students mobility to Canada, their well being, organizing informative sessions & education opportunities in India.

High Commissioner Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma met with Vancouver Mayor Mr. Ken Sim on 23 March 2023 and thanked him for taking care of Indian diaspora in his jurisdiction & discussed way forward in tech & startup eco-system collaboration.

High Commissioner Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma visited Yukon University on 23 March 2023 & met with President Dr. Lesley Brown, faculty members & Indian students. Discussions focussed on partnership between institutions, research collaboration in areas of common interests, students welfare and mobility.

High Commissioner Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General Mr. Manish met with Premier of Yukon Hon Ranj Pillai on 24 March 2023 at Whitehorse. A whole range of issues were discussed to intensify bilateral relations in existing & new areas. Mobility, Education, Energy, Tourism, mining & minerals are promising areas.

In a community function in Whitehorse, High Commissioner Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma felicitated 96 year old Indian Air Force veteran Flight officer Joginder Grewal in the presence of Premier of Yukon Hon Ranj Pillai, Minister Nils Clarke & Indian diaspora. Varishth Yoddha Joginder Grewal shared his journey in Indian Air Force & adopting Yukon as his home over 35 years ago. Yukon is home to over 500, Indian origin people.

High Commissioner Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma met Hon John Streicker, Minister for Energy, Mines, Resources, Tourism & Culture, Government of Yukon, on 24 March 2023 at Whitehorse. Discussions were focused on cooperation in mines & mineral; renewable energy; solar power; IT & ITES. Both sides also discussed possible cooperation in tourism sector.

               KNOW YOUR MILLETS

FOXTAIL MILLET

Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.) an annual grass plant, produces seeds that possess health-promoting properties owing to its unique protein composition containing a high content of essential amino acids. lt is one of the earliest cultivated crops, extensively grown in the arid and semi-arid regions of Asia and Africa, as well as in some other economically developed countries of the world where it is more commonly used as bird feed. Anti-nutrients like phytic acid and tannin present in this millet can be reduced to undetectable amounts by using the proper processing methods. Additionally, the millet is said to have antioxidant, low-glycemic index and hypolipidemic properties..

              INCREDIBLE INDIA- ASSAM

The State of Assam is blessed with natural beauty, be it the emerald tea gardens, teeming wildlife, the limitless stretch of the mighty Brahmaputra, the majestic one-horned rhino or the warm beautiful people of the land, Assam is all this and much more.

                                           LIFE MISSION

                         NEWS FLASH

                      NEWS SEGMENT

Make in India gets major boost! BrahMos in talks to supply missiles to South East Asian, Middle East countries

In a major boost for India's Make in India mission, BrahMos Aerospace is in talks with some South East Asian and Middle East countries to sell BrahMos missiles, according to media reports. BrahMos Aerospace, which is a joint venture between India and Russia, has achieved 75 percent indigenous capability as far as its BrahMos missile project is concerned. Atul Rane, MD & CEO, BrahMos Aerospace, said talks were underway with Indonesia for supply of BrahMos missiles. There are some other South East Asian and Middle East countries as well, with which deliberations were going on.

'India Will Achieve Developed Tag by 2047, PM Modi Launches New Metro Line in Benguluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday — his seventh this year- where he inaugurated the new section of Bengaluru Metro Phase 2. Later in the day, the PM will then proceed to the district headquarters town of Davangere and address a public meeting, to mark the culmination of BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankapla Yatre’. The 13.71 km Whitefield (Kadugodi)-to-Krishnarajapuram Metro Line, inaugurated by the Prime Minister, has 12 stations and was built at a cost of Rs 4,249 crore.

India as G20 President Has Much to Offer the World in Fight Against TB

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to claim over 4,100 lives every day and half of this global burden is in G20 countries. The emergence of drug resistance is an added challenge, with some estimates suggesting an increase of 20 percent annually in the last decade, in patients with newly detected Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). It was in 2018 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call to end TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target.

Idea of selected leaders was common in ancient India,Its Indeed Mother of Democracy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India is indeed a mother of democracy where the guiding philosophy is that of "sabka sath, sabka vikas".He was virtually addressing the leader-level plenary session on the Summit of Democracy hosted by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

Indian economy to grow at 6.5% in coming decade

The Indian economy is likely to grow at the rate of 6.5 per cent in the coming decade on the back of the turnaround in financial and investment cycle, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran said on Wednesday.

PM Modi Lauds ISRO's LVM3 Injecting 36 Satellites Into Intended Orbits

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the successful placement of 36 internet satellites of a company belonging to the UK-based OneWeb Group into the intended orbits by the ISRO's heaviest rocket, LVM3. "It reinforces India's leading role as a global commercial launch service provider in the true spirit of Aatmanirbharta," Modi said in a tweet. This was the second dedicated mission for NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

India's Growing Aviation Industry

India's aviation industry has undergone significant growth and transformation over the past decade. In the early 2000s, air travel in India was a luxury, only accessible to the affluent few. Today, India has become the third-largest domestic market in the world, behind only the United States and China, with more people choosing to travel by air than ever before.

How India is Ready for a record high in service exports

However, the data packed a surprise. In the same period, services exports rose by a staggering 36.9% to $29.15 billion. In fact, cumulatively services exports for the 11 months ended February aggregate $296.94 billion. With less than a month to go, it is apparent that India will log a new record in 2022-23.

Export benefits under RoDTEP extended to 18 textile items including sari

The government has extended export benefits under RoDTEP scheme to 18 items related to textiles sector, including saari and lungi, with a view to boost shipments of these goods. Benefits under the duty refund scheme -- Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) -- will be given to exports made from March 23, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said in a notification.

Infra Investment Got India Out of Pandemic Slowdown,India will Lead world in 6G tech

Union Minister for Communication and Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said investments in infrastructure helped India get out of the pandemic slowdown as a healthy economy, with a growth rate of 6.2 per cent and moderate inflation. Reflecting upon India’s rapid progress in rolling out 5G across the country, Vaishnaw said India has laid out the ambition for the country’s lead in 6G adoption and has already registered 127 patents.

India To Push For Rupee Trade In G20 meetings

India will be looking to push the rupee trade agenda in the G-20 meetings it is organising as part of its ongoing presidency of the forum, a senior bureaucrat said on Monday. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said rupee trade will be of help, especially with those countries whose currencies are under pressure.

iPhone,Samsung drove India made smartphone exports to record levels in 2022

Export of locally made smartphones rose to record levels in 2022, contributing 20% in shipment terms, and 30% in value terms, though overall shipments of Made-in-India smartphones fell 3% on-year due to low demand, as per an industry report.

Technology at your service

Until a few years ago, access to technology was considered a privilege restricted to the urban elite. The internet was unaffordable for people in rural areas. Only 25 crore Indians used the internet till 2014, which increased to 84 crore in 2022. Earlier, the cost of 1GB of data was about Rs 300. Now it has come down to about Rs 13.5 per GB, making it affordable. This is a snapshot of how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has driven inclusion through technology in New India.

India's digital public infra story worth showcasing

India's transformative digital public infrastructure is a "story worth showcasing" and the interest it has generated among developing and developed nations presents a huge opportunity for the Indian tech industry, according to Cisco India and SAARC President Daisy Chittilapilly. Chittilapilly noted that India's digital public infrastructure offered a unique population-scale, low cost, accessible model, and is generating "tremendous amount of interest" from other nations.

PM Modi meets NXP CEO; discusses transformative landscape in world of semiconductors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 30, 2023 said he met NXP's CEO Kurt Sievers and discussed the transformative landscape in the world of semiconductors and innovation.The meeting took place earlier this week with NXP tweeting Tuesday that its CEO Sievers met Prime Minister Modi to discuss strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem, developing STEM workforce and startup ecosystem in India.

India's Digital Public Infrastructure can help developing world

India's digital public infrastructure (DPI), which includes open standards, open API, and interoperability, could potentially benefit the developing world, according to G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. He highlighted the success of India Stack, including Aadhaar, Co-Win, UPI, DigiLocker, and BHASHINI. Kant identified DPI's crucial role in providing inclusive access to public services effectively and efficiently.

Make In India initiative great, scope for deeper business ties: Russia forum director

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum director Alexey Valkov on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative while saying that Russia and India should cooperate more closely.St. Petersburg International Economic Forum director Alexey Valkov on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative while saying that Russia and India should cooperate more closely.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and PM Modi joint declaration shapes strategic ties

The recent visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to India marked a crucial moment in bilateral relations in the field of industrial partnership enabling marriage between manufacturing sectors, including defence industrial complex. India is the world's fifth-largest economy, with a GDP close to $3 trillion in 2022, and, according to some analysts, it will become the world's third-largest economy by 2027. With a young and growing population of more than 1.4 billion, India becomes, in 2023, the most populated country in the world. Moreover, 107 Indian "unicorns" witness the vibrant side of the economic Indian system.

India, France, Australia  plan to upgrade trilateral partnership

India, France and Australia are discussing raising their trilateral partnership to a leader's level grouping at an early opportunity, according to two officials aware of the matter.The trilateral partnership focused on maritime security, the blue economy and humanitarian relief efforts in the Indo-Pacific was unveiled in 2021. The first trilateral meeting took place at the officials’ level before being raised to the foreign ministers level in May 2021, when external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his French and Australian counterparts in New York on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting.

Top Women Entrepreneurs from F&B Industry

In this male-dominated industry, these Women entrepreneurs are making a bold statement. With their innovative ideas and unconventional thinking, these women have not only managed to become change makers, but they have also made their brands a huge success in the F&B industry.“Great businesses are built around the problem they are solving” when a small-town teenage girl struggled to find a fun, cozy and affordable place to hang out with her friend and saw that these small towns are being neglected by the international food chains.

15 First-Of-Its-Kind Achievements By Indian Women Will Give You Goosebumps

Harita Kaur Deol – The first woman pilot to fly solo in an Avro HS-748 in the Indian Air Force On 2 September 1994, Flt Lt Harita Kaur, at the age of 22 years, became the first Indian woman to fly a solo in an Avro HS-748 aircraft. She created history when she kissed the clouds at a massive height of 10,000 feet, which indeed was a momentous occasion for the Indian Air Force too.

Indian American robotics engineer to head NASA’s new Moon to Mars office

Indian American software and robotics engineer Amit Kshatriya has been appointed as first head of NASA’s new Moon to Mars Program Office at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, DC. The new office aims to carry out NASA’s human exploration activities at the Moon and Mars for the benefit of humanity. “The Moon to Mars Program Office will help prepare NASA to carry out our bold missions to the Moon and land the first humans on Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, in a statement.

Consulate General of India
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