Atmanirbhar Bharat – Dutch Uncles

India’s Toy Story: What Is Expected By 2024?

Aakash Sharma — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 03:35:10 +0000

Amidst an emerging wave of self-reliance, Indian industries are moving steadily towards acquiring self-reliant tactics and contributing to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission. One industry that is trying its best to hone self-reliant skills is the Indian toy industry.

Many developments have taken place that have started the sector on a path to become a global centre for toy production. These efforts are slow but will indeed contribute to an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

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Upscaling the Indian recyclable toys sector, the government and other industry stakeholders are re-building the industry, focusing on eco-friendly and natural materials.

This is aimed at pushing for recyclable materials and minimising the use of plastic in toys. Some Indian toy start-ups have started on this idea and are proudly donning the Made in India products tag.

Desi Toys

Desi Toys is a Mumbai-based toy company that creates toys with wood, fabric or metal, focusing on materials that are more durable than plastic. With specific toy products such as Gulel, Lagori, and Gilli Danda, Desi Toys has already partnered with retail toys giants like The Bargain Book Store, The Bombay Store, and Hamley’s to meet the growing needs of customers.

Ariro Wooden Toys

Established in 2020 and based in Chennai, Ariro Wooden Toys produces high-quality wooden toys made of Neem wood. The company has completed more than 10,000 orders in one year, reaching Rs 2.5 crore in annual revenue.

B2B model for others to follow in the toy industry

Selling toys with different products using the B2B model is an effective way for Indian toy-makers to grow their business. It could also help them compete with the Chinese monopoly in the traditional toys market.

The B2B model is suitable for bulk ordering of specific orders of toys. Therefore, manufacturers can quickly achieve scalability by making these particular toys and taking up more orders. In a B2B business, building relationships can create long-term value. Therefore, building a long-term relationship with bulk B2B buyers can ensure stable returns in the future.

Indian toy industry insights

The Indian toy industry is set to witness a shift in business-doing under the new B2B model and attract the attention of domestic and international markets. The size of the Indian toy market reached $1.23 billion in 2020, and the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.2% from 2021 to 2024.

India’s toy industry’s global market share is 0.5%. Indian toy-makers are mainly found in the National Capital Region (NCR), Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, among other states. The industry is fragmented: 90% of the market is disorganised, and there are 4,000 toy companies in the SME sector.

How can new and small businesses succeed?

The current toy industry in India is about $1.5 billion. The sector remains severely undetected and untouched from the formal economy. It is essential to understand the industry’s potential and not to anticipate its unexplored potential in a negative light. On the contrary, this less explored sector offers enormous growth and success opportunities for new entrepreneurs and budding SMEs.

The government has approved 100% FDI in the toys industry to help local businesses and toy manufacturers secure funds. It can help companies raise capital to grow their business. With an annual export value of $130 million (2019-2020), Indian toy makers already have a primary network of global consumers. It can be increased by working in the above places.

In addition, Indian players possess the technical knowledge of precision equipment and can quickly develop the ability to deal with the shortcomings of models and structures. All these factors together will have a substantial positive impact on the Indian toy industry, and SMEs will be the main driving force of the industry in the future.

The post India’s Toy Story: What Is Expected By 2024? appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

All You Need To Know About Tech Supergirl Program

Vaishali Das — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 03:35:13 +0000

What is This Programme?

The largest Tech Design Conference, Tech Supergirl, is empowering, incubating and raising women in the technological space in India. It is a digital virtual assistant for startups and corporations. Along with technical skill building and startup incubation, the programme also serves as a corporate partner to provide assistance in sales, marketing and digital automation.

Being led by over 100 women-led startups, more than 60 women entrepreneurs as nominees, judged by 7 jury members and panellists, with 3 event partners and over 250 event attendees, the event was a major hit for aspiring women entrepreneurs, technology stakeholders and women in business.

Who Has Launched It?

Tech Supergirl Program, the first and largest tech incubation programme, is launched by Indian Women Institution League (IWIL) India in collaboration with SSC NASSCOM, National Skill Development Corporation and Shell E4.

IWIL is a non-profit organisation aiming to incubate and accelerate women entrepreneurs, and strengthen the women-led business ecosystem to create a future inclusive of socially and economically independent women.

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With a direct mission of supporting the government's vision of Atmairbhar Bharat, the programme aims to foster women entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.

Who Will It Benefit?

Tech Supergirl aims to impact 3 million women in the business field, technology and academia. With the Tech Supergirl Incubation Program, Tech Supergirl IWIL India is offering more than 25,000 women in the technology sector to develop technical skills and digital literacy for smooth business operations.

The platform will cater to the women entrepreneurs and MSMEs in the direction of networking, scaling and startup incubation. It will also assist corporates in their day-to-day synergies and operations.

Direct and Indirect Beneficiaries

With a direct mission of supporting the government’s vision of Atmairbhar Bharat, the programme aims to foster women entrepreneurship ecosystem in India. The programme is intending to impact more than 2.5 women by 2030. It will directly benefit the women in the technological space in India by supporting them to become more self-reliant and capable enough to secure their livelihood.

Talking about the indirect beneficiaries of this programme, it will be boosting India’s GDP by increasing woman’s participation in India’s economy from mere 18% to 50%. With women being more resilient and multi-tasking, Tech Supergirl aims to create 25,000 plus jobs in artificial intelligence, data analysis, LoT, Blockchain, Data science, augmentation, etc. in the tech sector in India.

Suggested Plan of Action

People interested in the Tech Supergirl Incubation Program should register on their official website and submit their entrepreneurial story. The stories will be evaluated and selected on the basis of financial growth, human capital, innovation, international orientation and corporate excellence.

The selected 30 women entrepreneurs will be featured in their portal. Further these 30 entrepreneurs will be provided with funding, networking opportunities and will also be able to access some international grants.

The post All You Need To Know About Tech Supergirl Program appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

ARTPARK Innovation Program Explained

DU Desk — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 05:36:00 +0000

What is ARTPARK Innovation Program?

ARTPARK Innovation Program is launched by Bangalore-based non-profit organisation, AI & Robotics Technology Park (ARTPARK), offering technological solutions to social problems in India.

Top notch universities usually fail in converting their academic research into market-ready products and services. ARTPARK aims to bridge this transitional gap between innovations developed in top and renowned universities and deploy those technological innovations to tackle issues in India.

The programme also has a mission to support innovative ideas, help to productize innovation, get external benefactors for the organisations who expertise in product designing, selling and marketing. It will also provide the startups with investors for seed funding to get them started.

What Does it Plan to do?

The programme is planning to grow the AI & Robotics innovation ecosystem in India by creating or working with existing startups. The programme has aligned with the $100 million venture fund for supporting startups in the artificial intelligence and robotics sector.

It also plans to uplift the healthcare, education, mobility, infrastructure, agriculture, retail and cyber-security problems in India and globally. The programme will also facilitate students and professionals with a proper training in advancing their skills and knowledge regarding this sector. It will also develop products like:

DataSetu– Creating a data sharing ecosystem and marketplace that will boost the AI applications and solutions.
BhashaSetu– Enabling Indic language translation to expand the participation level in the economic growth of the country, regardless of languages.
Avtaar Robotics– Allowing emotive robotic nurses to transport healthcare professionals’ skills across the globe.
Akashmarg– Roads in the sky, like Drone Skyways, for autonomous drones.

Along with the technology-led economic growth and innovation in the startup ecosystem in India, the programme plans to aid the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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Along with the technology-led economic growth and innovation in the startup ecosystem in India, the programme plans to aid the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Why Was This Programme Started?

The ARTPARK Innovation Program was launched with the purpose of extending their support to the startups in the AI & Robotics sector. Preparing these startups for future unicorn businesses, ARTPARK aims to help the startups to take up more risks and challenges.

With the clear vision of uplifting Indian societal problems, the programme is also creating inclusive and sustainable development in the country. Through this programme, the top universities will be able to market their innovations in a proper way to the general public in India. The programme also makes AI & Robotics more accessible to a larger population.

Who Will It Benefit?

This programme is helping some interesting companies in this sector such as Vishwa Swarm, Astrome, Karmalife, Ten3t Healthcare and Playment. It already selected six startups incubated in universities for the first batch of AIPs. The programme will help such tech-savvy startups to emerge as future unicorn startups in India in the technology sector.

ARTPARK Innovation Program Categories

Under AIP, four major programmes are designed:

ARTPARK-Spark:

A starting-up programme for young minds, encouraging them to spark their entrepreneurship skills. It is for 6 months with an aim of training them to be part of early founding teams in ARTPARK or mission projects.

ARTPARK-Ignite:

An incubation programme for 6-18 months for AI & Robotics startups. Igniting their innovation by enabling them with data, domain, expertise and research along with providing capital for their startups.

ARTPARK-Turbo:

Encouraging and supporting young AI & Robotics startups by funding them to kick start their ideas.

ARTPARK-Boost:

Extending support to the existing companies to join ARTPARK mission projects without any equity investment.

How Will AIP Benefit Tech-Startups, Especially AI & Robotics Sector?

The AI Focused and Robotics startups will be used to solve societal problems. The programme enables the AI & Robotics tools and technologies that can bring growth to the developing world. With the help of this programme, AI & Robotics solutions built in India can become robust solutions at a global level.

The post ARTPARK Innovation Program Explained appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Under Stimulus Package, MSME Entitled to Additional 20% Loans

Aakash Sharma — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 10:35:05 +0000

In the second phase of the government-backed stimulus package, the nation’s MSMEs will be granted loans under the credit scheme to survive in the pandemic-hit economy. Industry experts have welcomed the new package but have demanded more than just bank loans; they require direct benefits for increasing cash liquidity in the long term.

One of the features announced is the decision to increase the purview of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to Rs 4.5 lakh crore. The current cap of the ECLGS scheme, announced in May 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package, is Rs 3 lakh crore.

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The stimulus package, worth Rs 6.29 lakh crore in the form of a sovereign guarantee, aims to give relief to the industry's struggling segments from the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More Credit Guarantee on Loans for MSMEs

The package includes a credit guarantee for bank loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs), lending up to Rs 1.25 lakh to 25 lakhs to small borrowers. According to the latest available data, out of the Rs 3 lakh crore, banks have already sanctioned around Rs 2.7 lakh crore and disbursed around Rs 2.1 lakh crore under the ECLGS scheme.

Under the ECLGS program, MSMEs are entitled to an additional 20% loan backed by a sovereign (state) guarantee. The additional 20% loan limit in the current stimulus package is provided through ECGLS program loans. The credit limit was earlier extended to September 30, 2021. Now, the last date of disbursement under the scheme has been extended to 31 December.

Due to a long-term economic downturn and the financial distress caused by the pandemic, the Indian economy is at its lowest point in decades. The sovereign guarantee on credit loans to MSMEs is going to ease this distress to some extent.

Sovereign Guarantee

Sovereign Guarantee is an assurance in which the government promises to underwrite businesses’ losses in the undertaking as a guarantor due to the disastrous consequences of certain events. The disastrous event, in this case, is the pandemic which has resulted in a sharp drop in companies’ creditworthiness.

What is in the Stimulus Package?

As part of the loan guarantee, banks will provide loans to MFIs at reasonable interest rates and lenders will have easy access to credit to give to MSMEs. The guarantee on loans will be provided to Scheduled Commercial Banks, new (or existing) NBFC-MFIs, or Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs), for on-lending up to Rs 1.25 lakh to approximately 25 lakh small borrowers.

The scheme will have a focus on new lending, not repayment of old loans. All borrowers (including defaulters up to 89 days) will be eligible for the stimulus package’s benefits. Affiliated Member Lending Institutions (MLI) will provide guarantee cover for funding to MFIs/NBFC-MFIs until 31 March 2022 or until guarantees for Rs 7,500 crore are issued, whichever is earlier.

How will the SME and MSME segment benefit from the stimulus package?

Primarily, India’s small business sector, which contributes the most to the nation’s economy, will get a lease on their business life due to increased financial credit and guaranteed low interest-rate security. The new stimulus package will provide the necessary credit to MSMEs and businesses in the lower rung of the economy to perform important functions like covering operating costs to keep the business going.

In addition, loans will be granted to all trusts or registered companies belonging to the MSME category. The application for the ECLGS Scheme, under which 20 per cent of additional loans can be taken, is a seemingly straightforward process. The borrower must register under GST and have an SMA-2 and NPA status. There is no fee for processing the application.

Experts have said that while the recently announced stimulus package is targeted at the areas which are the most affected by the pandemic, it relies more on loans than on direct incentives. Credit guarantee schemes have not guaranteed revival in the past (as recently as 2020) – the current economic downturn is apparent in the low GDP, high inflation and unemployment.

Generating new demand is the most effective way to stimulate the economy, and that requires an increase in consumption. To increase consumption, the government should put money directly in the hands of the people. Sectors need liquid financial support immediately, not credit expansion. It is only when people have cash in hand that they will spend it on commodities, which will increase MSMEs’ business.

The post Under Stimulus Package, MSME Entitled to Additional 20% Loans appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Ease of Doing Business: How will the Pharma Industry achieve its target of $130 billion by 2030?

Aakash Sharma — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 08:35:04 +0000

In order to facilitate trade in the country, the government is continuously working to reduce the legal burden on the Indian pharmaceutical industry. At the inaugural meeting of The India Pharma 2021 and India Medical Devices 2021 programmes, the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda pointed out that the domestic pharmaceutical industry could reach a trading volume of $130 billion by 2030.

The motive for this year’s India Pharma programme is “Indian Pharma Industry: Future is Now” and for India Medical Device is “India MedTech Future: Innovate & Make in India by Global Alliance” (ANI).

To accomplish the de facto vision 2030, businesses, stakeholders, and the government must accelerate global health planning by acquiring quality and affordable medicines segments. The Indian pharma industry and its stakeholders need to become the world’s largest and most trusted pharmaceutical sector to grow to the estimated values of between $ 120 billion to $ 130 billion by 2030 and benefit society simultaneously.

Easing the way of doing Business- Indian Pharma Industry leads the way

India is now at the 79th position in facilitating businesses, up from 145th rank previously. In the pharmaceutical sector, the country’s ranking has risen to 63. It is, therefore, clear that reforms are underway in the entire vertical of the industry. Many pharmaceutical industry players have called on the government to further liberalise the regulatory system, especially among drug and medication processes.

India serves over 200 countries and territories as its pharmaceuticals clients. This relationship will continue to grow in value, effectively giving the advantage of increased growth opportunities to businesses and start-ups.

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Under the charge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government strives to intensify the ease of doing business in the country. The vigorous effort is on to reduce the regulatory compliance burden on the (pharma) industry.
- D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Indian Pharma Industry’s Commitment to fight COVID globally

On the brighter side, this development has forced the industry to provide better medical care to the public. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the weaknesses of the global supply chain in the pharmaceutical industry. To measure this, the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Government of India has launched an extensive PLI, or Production Linked Incentive, programme for drugs, pharmaceuticals, and treatment machines with an expenditure of Rs 6,940 crore over five years.

The government has already begun approval applications of incentives worth Rs 6,564 crore. The Cabinet has also passed another PLI scheme for the pharma sector with Rs 15,000 crore. The government seeks to build national capacity for high-value products such as biomedicine, complex generics and gene therapy drugs.

In the future, India could become a global supplier of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient), ASMs and intermediaries. Plans for a massive park for medicines and medical supplies are being laid out for around Rs 3,400 crore to make the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-sufficient India) a reality.

Government Schemes to boost the growth of the Indian Pharma Industry

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers wants the pharma industry to participate in government projects such as Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. The government has supported and appreciated the role of the pharmaceutical industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their combined efforts and initiatives gained international recognition and helped create health harmony and glory around the world.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, collectively with FICCI and Invest India, organised the 6th edition of the year-long plans on the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device division – “India Pharma & India Medical Device 2021” on February 25-26 and March 1-2, 2021.

How can India’s new, emerging and existing pharma businesses benefit from the current scenario?

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is entering the next stage of its development. This critical issue requires greater cooperation between pharmaceutical companies, governments and regulators. Collaboration is necessary to make a viable growth ecosystem. Only then can government intervention and the efforts and advice of pharmaceutical companies be joined together to help the industry achieve its vision for 2030.

The government can be a crucial enabler to achieve this through strategic interventions such as increasing healthcare expenditure from approximately 1 per cent to 2.5 per cent GDP share by 2025, and even 5 per cent by 2030, in concurrence with the other advanced markets in Europe and North America. And start-ups should certainly keep a keen eye out for immense growth opportunities in this entire process to reap benefits while delivering innovative solutions.

The post Ease of Doing Business: How will the Pharma Industry achieve its target of $130 billion by 2030? appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Atmanirbhar Bharat – Dutch Uncles

India’s Toy Story: What Is Expected By 2024?

‘‘

Upscaling the Indian recyclable toys sector, the government and other industry stakeholders are re-building the industry, focusing on eco-friendly and natural materials.

Desi Toys

Ariro Wooden Toys

B2B model for others to follow in the toy industry

Indian toy industry insights

How can new and small businesses succeed?

All You Need To Know About Tech Supergirl Program

What is This Programme?

Who Has Launched It?

‘‘

With a direct mission of supporting the government's vision of Atmairbhar Bharat, the programme aims to foster women entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.

Who Will It Benefit?

Direct and Indirect Beneficiaries

Suggested Plan of Action

ARTPARK Innovation Program Explained

What is ARTPARK Innovation Program?

What Does it Plan to do?

‘‘

Along with the technology-led economic growth and innovation in the startup ecosystem in India, the programme plans to aid the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Why Was This Programme Started?

Who Will It Benefit?

ARTPARK Innovation Program Categories

ARTPARK-Spark:

ARTPARK-Ignite:

ARTPARK-Turbo:

ARTPARK-Boost:

How Will AIP Benefit Tech-Startups, Especially AI & Robotics Sector?

Under Stimulus Package, MSME Entitled to Additional 20% Loans

‘‘

The stimulus package, worth Rs 6.29 lakh crore in the form of a sovereign guarantee, aims to give relief to the industry's struggling segments from the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. ​

More Credit Guarantee on Loans for MSMEs

Sovereign Guarantee

What is in the Stimulus Package?

How will the SME and MSME segment benefit from the stimulus package?

Ease of Doing Business: How will the Pharma Industry achieve its target of $130 billion by 2030?

Easing the way of doing Business- Indian Pharma Industry leads the way

‘‘

Under the charge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government strives to intensify the ease of doing business in the country. The vigorous effort is on to reduce the regulatory compliance burden on the (pharma) industry.- D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Indian Pharma Industry’s Commitment to fight COVID globally

Government Schemes to boost the growth of the Indian Pharma Industry

How can India’s new, emerging and existing pharma businesses benefit from the current scenario?

The stimulus package, worth Rs 6.29 lakh crore in the form of a sovereign guarantee, aims to give relief to the industry's struggling segments from the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the charge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government strives to intensify the ease of doing business in the country. The vigorous effort is on to reduce the regulatory compliance burden on the (pharma) industry.
- D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers