Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region Shri G. Kishan Reddy hosted the first India-Central Asia Culture Ministers’ Meeting through video conferencing on 3^rd April, 2023.

The Culture Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting. The India-Central Asia Summit hosted by Prime Minister  Shri Narendra Modi, on 27th January 2022 had laid emphasis on promoting cultural cooperation for better understanding of culture between the Central Asian countries and strengthen our age-old cultural linkages which bind our people together.

Today’s meeting followed the resolution of their Leaders to promote cultural cooperation for better understanding of culture between the Central Asian countries and strengthening age-old cultural linkages of the region. The Ministers presented their perspective to take forward their leaders’ commitment for further strengthening of cultural cooperation in the region.

In his opening address, Shri G. Kishan Reddy spoke about the historical and cultural linkages of India and Central Asia. The  Minister referred to the eternal teachings of ahimsa or non-violence preached by Buddha. He stated that shared Buddhist heritage is a cherished spiritual bond which needs to be further cultivated and propagated for harmonious relations. He called for acknowledging the mutual historical, traditional and ancient links and to come together for further strengthening of cultural bonds.

At the end of the meeting, Indian side proposed a Joint Statement in testimony to the first India-Central Asia Culture Ministers Meeting. The participants agreed to convey their consent at the earliest to acknowledge the meeting and its continuance at regular intervals.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed happiness as ISRO conducts Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission.

ISRO joined by DRDO and Indian Air Force successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka in the early hours on April 2, 2023.

In reply to the tweet threads by ISRO, the Prime Minister tweeted;

“A great team effort. This achievement takes us one step closer to realising an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle.”

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the first-time voters who have attained the age of 18 are the children of the Modi era and that is their greatest blessing and advantage.

Addressing a congregation of First-time Voters at Hasanpur Assembly constituency, Amroha district, Uttar Pradesh, Dr Jitendra Singh said that as these new young voters are getting the opportunity to exercise their franchise, they will be voting for the Modi led dispensation in an India which is full of optimism and upward journey. He said that this is something quite in contrast to the plight the earlier two generations of youth after independence went through, when there was an atmosphere of pessimism and lack of esteem. Many of the youth went aboard during this time as they were not able to find any future hope for themselves by staying back in the country, the Minister remarked.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that whereas now the trend has shifted. Not only the Indian youth are looked up with esteem but the youth who have gone out of India are looking to come back and explore the opportunities in front of them.

The Minister mentioned that those who vote for the first-time now will have the opportunity to become key voters and opinion makers of the Indian society at a time when India celebrates 100 years of independence 25 years from now as they would be at the prime of their age.

Quoting Prime Minister when he said at a Youth Convocation Ceremony that “The whole world is looking at India’s youth with hope. Because you are the growth engine of the country and India is the world’s growth engine”, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the New India is open, futuristic and known for its progressive views and the development of our country is on the shoulders of the youth.

While highlighting the various schemes and initiatives of the Government over the past 8 years, Dr Jitendra Singh said that firstly all these schemes are youth centric and secondly they all took care to provide level playing field to all youth whether it was introducing the practise of self-attestation and ending the practise of attestation through gazetted officers or whether it was abolition of interview so that there was no room for any misappropriation in the job recruitments.

Dr Jitendra Singh gave full credit to the futuristic vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had given a call for “Start-Up India Stand Up India” from the ramparts of Red Fort in his Independence Day address of 2015 that initiated a mass interest, as a result of which the number of Start-Ups in India has increased from mere 350 in 2014 to over 80,000 in 2022 with 85 unicorns (with the $1 billion valuation and above). This has tremendously widened the avenues for the youth.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a futuristic vision and that is the reason he has given a special focus to the new generation which is coming up in India.

The Inaugural session of the 2nd Tourism Working Group Meeting under G20 hosted by the Ministry of Tourism was held at Siliguri, West Bengal today morning. The inaugural session was addressed by Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and DoNER Shri G.Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri John Barla. Shri Raju Bista, Member of Parliament, Darjeeling was also present in the session.

In his opening remarks, Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER Shri G.K Reddy welcomed all the participants to the beautiful town of Siliguri. He opined that Siliguri possesses a rare combination of Diversity, Culture, Tradition, and beauty. Known as The Gateway to the Northeast, the minister said that the place provides amazing travel experiences such as Spirituality in the various Monasteries and Temples, Wildlife and natural beauty in the National Parks, adventure in the form of camping and  rafting . He said that Siliguri is an embodiment of India, a country where diversity delights, culture echoes, tradition speaks and beauty enthrals.

Addressing the session, Shri G.Kishan Reddy further said that the ideas discussed will aid in developing tourism in mission mode. It will also aid India in maximising its potential in the tourism sector. He announced that in order to give a boost to the uniqueness of Indian tourism, the country is observing ‘Visit India Year 2023′ which is a unique, collective movement that invites the world to explore India in the historical year of India’s G20 presidency as well as, grand celebrations of 75 years of Indian Independence – India@75 Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The minister announced that the vision is to make India a one trillion dollar tourism economy by 2047 – our 100th year of Independence.

He also informed that the Ministry of Tourism has also formulated a Draft National Tourism Policy. The new Policy is a holistic framework for sustainable and responsible growth of the tourism sector in the country and aims at improving framework conditions for tourism development in the country, supporting tourism industries, and strengthening tourism to highlight India’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The Union Minister said that the aim is to make India a seamless , modern, and smart tourism destination.

Shri G.Kishan Reddy underscored the need for digitalisation of the Tourism Industry which also is a priority of the Tourism Working Group. He  informed that the Government of India is working on various niche products like coastal tourism, wildlife tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, rural,tourism, archaeological tourism, spiritual tourism, destination weddings and others. The minister expressed his confidence that a meaningful framework for realising the potential of adventure tourism will be devised.

The minister of State, Shri John Barla said that Government of India has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of all strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through various schemes of the Government of India.

He also said that the State of West Bengal aims to become a preferred tourism and tourism-related investment destination by leveraging its unique geographical setting along with its various tourism-related assets. It is developing the necessary infrastructure and promoting tourism in an integrated manner which will not only bring in more investment and further the socio-economic goals of the Government of India, but also ensure that all these are in conformity with the relevant acts, rules and regulations relating to environmental protection. The overall aim is to see that the tourism sector contributes towards improving the quality of life of people in general.

Welcoming all the participants, Shri Arvind Singh shared that under India’s G20 Presidency, there are over 200 meetings in more than 59 cities across 32 different work streams. It allows India to showcase the rich cultural and natural heritage to G20 delegates and guests.

All the G20 member States (including Troika – Indonesia & Brazil) shared their comments and suggestions on the 1st Draft Outcome and the five priorities introduced by India.

The second session of the tourism working group meeting was planned in Presentation & Open Discussion format. The session discussed all five priorities one by one. A presentation on each priority was made by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Indonesia and Italy on Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, and Destination Management respectively. Each presentation was followed by detailed discussion among member countries, invitee countries and international organizations.

Concluding the meeting, Chair (India) expressed towards all the G20 Members, Invitee countries, International Organizations for endorsing the five priorities and successfully conducting the meeting

In a side event today, on “Tourism in Mission Mode:Advantage Adventure Tourism” presentations by the participants highlighted the benefits, issues and challenges in the promotion of adventure tourism. Ideas were discussed with respect to making India a globally competitive Adventure Tourism hub.  The model law on Adventure safety and way of developing vibrant villages as adventure destinations were discussed.

In the side event, the Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and DoNER, Shri G.Kishan Reddy said that the presentations were informative, engaging and thought- provoking. He informed that the ideas mentioned in here have further enriched understanding of Adventure Tourism.

Shri G.Kishan Reddy opined that by the very nature of Adventure Tourism locations, this niche product will benefit India’s Tribal Communities, disadvantaged communities women and youth by providing jobs & entrepreneurial opportunities. He announced that India holds great potential to become a global marketplace for adventure activities and sports. The minister said that the National Adventure Tourism strategy has been framed and the aim is to place India among the top Adventure Tourism Destinations of the World by developing infrastructure and setting up high safety standards.

Earlier in the day on the sidelines , Shri G.Kishan Reddy and  Shri John Barla flagged off the Himalayan drive Car 9 car rally.

The second day of the meeting concluded with colorful cultural performances by folk artists. On the occasion Adivasi dance performance, Chau dance performance were performed.

Earlier last evening,  Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER Shri G.K Redd; Secretary Information and Broadcasting; Secretary Tourism,Shri Arvind Singh along with the delegates participated in the moonlight tea plucking activity.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has urged the scientists to do rural and agriculture oriented research by adopting the need based, regionwise as well as technology, research and entrepreneurship futuristic vision to make the country and the society prosperous. He was speaking as the Chief Guest in a seminar on Women In Science And Entrepreneurship- WISE-2023 organised by Indian Women Scientist Association’s Nagpur Branch in National Environment Engineering Research Inistitute’s (NEERI) hall in Nagpur today. Many dignitaries including NEERI’s Director Dr. Atul Vaidya, Retired Dean of Nagpur Medical College, Dr. Vibhavari Dani were present on the occasion.

He said the research has no value in the absence of proven technology, availability of raw material, economic feasibility and marketing ability. He undelined the need to do research on the available resources like fly ash, Nag river water, garbage and solid waste in Nagpur.

He informed that Punjab and Haryana in north India are also producing biobitumin along with rice and wheat and the agriculture is being diversified in power and electricity. He suggested that it is possible to produce Bio-Bitumin by cultivating Bamboo in the wasteland near Vekoli and other public sector companies in Nagpur. He said that using bamboo for combustion in place of coal will reduce the pollution and save the environment. He also informed that the waste material from the readymade garment units in Butibori MIDC is used to make the durable and beautiful carpets at Pachgaon in Umred and training is being imparted to 1200 women. He underlined that by value addition of this type of raw material and with nice design and attractive packaging, it is possible to do the marketing of it in global market.

He said that construction was reduced by using the technology and informed that it is possible to construct the bridge in just Rs. 1000 crores instead of Rs. 1600 crores by using the Malaysian technology and reducing the distance between two pillars of the flyover and casting the beam in steel fibre which was done in the Indora to Dighori bridge, whose stone laying ceremony was performed recently. He specifically pointed out towards the savings or Rs. 600 crores on this occasion.

He also appealed all the office bearers of Indian Women Scientist Association to tap the new opportunities in research and help the social and economic transformation on the occasion of Women In Science And Entrepreneurship- WISE-2023.

Office bearers of Indian Women Scientist Association, NEERI’s scientists and students were present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and New Delhi at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh today. Upon arriving at the venue, the Prime Minister carried out an inspection of the Rani Kamlapati – New Delhi Vande Bharat Express and also interacted with the children and crew of the train.

The Prime Minister began his address by expressing grief about the tragedy that occurred during Ram Navmi in a  temple in Indore and paid tributes to the departed souls and empathized with their families. He also wished a speedy recovery to those recovering from injuries during this mishap.

The Prime Minister congratulated the people of Madhya Pradesh for getting their first Vande Bharat train. He said that the train will reduce the travel time between Delhi and Bhopal and will usher in many facilities and conveniences for the professionals and youth.

The Prime Minister recalled that he was fortunate enough to also inaugurate the venue for today’s organization, Rani Kamlapati Station. He also expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to flag off  India’s state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express for Delhi. He pointed out that today is one of the rare instances in the history of Indian Railways that a Prime Minister has visited the same railway station twice in a very short period. The Prime Minister further added that today’s occasion is a prime example of a new order and new traditions being created in modern India.

The Prime Minister talked about his interaction with the school children on the occasion and underlined the sense of curiosity and excitement about the train in the children. “In a way, Vande Bharat is a symbol of India’s enthusiasm and excitement. It represents our skills, confidence and capabilities”, he said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the benefits of the train for tourism in the area as Sanchi, Bhimbetka, Bhojpur and Udayagiri caves will start getting more footfalls. This will also improve the opportunities for employment, income and self-employment.

Emphasizing the new thinking and approach of 21st-century India, the Prime Minister recalled the appeasement by the earlier government at the cost of meeting the needs of the citizens. “They were busy with appeasement (tushtikaran) of the vote bank, we are committed to satisfying the needs of the citizens (santushtikaran)”, he added. Calling Indian Railway, common family transport, the Prime Minister asked why it was not upgraded and modernized earlier.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the governments in the past could have easily upgraded the already existing rail network which India acquired after independence but the development of railways was sacrificed due to vested political interests. Even after decades of independence, the Prime Minister said, the Northeastern states had not been connected to the rail network. The Prime Minister remarked that the government has strived to make Indian Railways the best rail network in the world. Throwing light on the negative publicity that Indian Railways received before 2014, the Prime Minister addressed the issue of thousands of unmanned gates in this extensive rail network causing fatal accidents. He informed that the broad gauge network is free from unmanned gates today. He also noted that earlier, news related to train accidents causing loss of life and property was commonplace but the Indian Railways has become much more secure today. He highlighted the scope of Made in India ‘Kavach’ is being expanded to strengthen the security of passengers.

The Prime Minister stressed that the approach to safety is not limited to just accidents but also that any emergency is immediately attended to during the journey, which is of immense benefit to the women, he said. Cleanliness, timeliness, and black marketing of tickets have all been addressed with technology and concern for the commuters.

Shri Modi said through the ‘One Station One Product’ initiative, Railways is emerging as a powerful tool for taking the products of local artisans from one place to the other. Under the scheme, commuters can buy local products of the district such as handicrafts, art, utensils, textiles, painting etc at the station itself. About 600 outlets are already operational in the country and more than one lakh purchases have been made.

The Prime Minister said that “Today, Indian Railways is becoming synonymous with convenience for the common families of the country.” He listed upgrades like railway station modernization, WiFi facilities on 6000 stations and CCTV on 900 stations in this regard. He highlighted the popularity of Vande Bharat among the youth and the growing demand for Vande Bharat from every corner of the country.

The Prime Minister mentioned the record allocation for railways in this year’s Budget. “When will is there, intentions are clear and determination is firm, new paths emerge”, he said. Shri Modi informed that, in the last 9 years, the rail budget was continuously increased and Madhya Pradesh got Rs 13, 000 crore allocated in the rail-related budget compared to the average of Rs 600 crores in years before 2014.

Giving an example of the modernization of railways, the Prime Minister highlighted the work of 100 percent electrification of the railway network is being achieved in some parts of the country every other day. He informed that Madhya Pradesh is also included in the 11 states where 100 percent electrification has been achieved. The Prime Minister highlighted that the average electrification of railway routes per year has increased tenfold from 600 kilometers to 6000 kilometers after 2014.

“Today, Madhya Pradesh is writing a new saga of continuous development. Be it agriculture or industry, today the strength of MP is expanding the strength of India”, the Prime Minister remarked. He reiterated that the performance of Madhya Pradesh is commendable in most of the parameters of development on which the state was once called ‘Bimaru’. The  Prime Minister gave examples of Madhya Pradesh being among the leading states in building houses for the poor. He further added that the state is also doing a fine job in providing water to every household. He also touched upon the farmers of the state and mentioned that they are creating new records in the production of many crops including wheat. He also touched upon the industries in the state and said that it is continuously moving towards new standards, thereby creating endless opportunities for the youth.

The Prime Minister alerted the people about the concerted efforts to malign his image from both inside and outside the country. “India’s poor, India’s middle class, India’s tribals, India’s Dalit-backward, every Indian has become my protective shield”, he said, asking people to stay focused on the development of the country. “We have to further increase the role of Madhya Pradesh in developed India. This new Vande Bharat Express is a part of this resolution”, he concluded.

Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mangu Bhai Patel, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw were present on the occasion.

Background

Vande Bharat Express has redefined the passenger travel experience in the country. The new train being introduced between Rani Kamlapati Railway station, Bhopal and New Delhi railway station will be the 11th Vande Bharat service and 12th Vande Bharat train in the country. The indigenously designed Vande Bharat Express train set is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide a faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated several development works of Rs. 2415 crore in Aizawl Mizoram today. Several dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Mizoram Shri Zoramthanga were present on the occasion.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that today is a very important day for Mizoram as the new Battalion Headquarter of Assam Rifles is being inaugurated here. He said that along with this, the MoU signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs, Assam Government and Mizoram Government to hand over the land to Mizoram Government for the development of the state will open the new avenues for development here. Shri Shah said that the foundation stone of Laldenga Lammual Centre has also been laid here today which will provide this area  a very good cultural centre. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Central Government and the Mizoram Government are committed to serve the people of the state and in this direction today 11 different schemes worth about Rs. 2500 crore have been inaugurated and the foundation stone has been laid.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that for the all-round development of Mizoram, the foundation stone of 4 new road projects worth about Rs. 1200 crores has also been laid today, which will significantly increase the industry and trade of Mizoram and trade between Mizoram and Myanmar. He said that this is the 36th year since the formation of Mizoram and attaining statehood and Mizoram has made great progress during this period. Shri Shah said that once upon a time there used to be unrest and firing and today Shri Zoramthanga is the Chief Minister, this is an excellent example of the success of India’s democracy. Shri Shah appealed to the organizations indulging in violence in the Northeast to join the mainstream, be a part of the democratic process and contribute to the development of India and the Northeast. He said that the peace established in Mizoram today is an unprecedented example of the success of India’s democracy.

Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the entire Northeast is moving forward on a new path of peace, stability and development today. He said that once upon a time violence was spread by insurgent groups in the Northeast, there was lack of rail, road and air connectivity and there was no sign of development. However, in the last 9 years due to the efforts of the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and with the cooperation of the people of the Northeast, there has been peace in Northeast, connectivity has increased and there has been development at par with other parts of India. Shri Shah said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi is making the entire Northeast conflict-free, insurgency-free and peaceful.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that, there has been 67 percent reduction in violent incidents, 60 percent reduction in the death of security forces and 83 percent reduction in the death of civilians in the Northeast in 2021 in comparison to 2014. He said that since 2014 till now, cadres of about 8000 insurgent organizations have surrendered and joined the mainstream in the entire Northeast. He said the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi signed an agreement with the NLFT in Tripura in 2019, rehabilitated about 37,000 people in Tripura by signing the Bru Accord in 2020. The government established peace in Assam by signing the Bodo Accord in 2021, and in Uppar Assam also important steps have been taken to establish peace by signing the Karbi-Anglong Accord in 2022. Shri Shah said that the areas under the ambit of AFSPA have come down by about 70 per cent in the last 9 years.

Shri Amit Shah said that Shri Narendra Modi ji is committed to the development of the Northeast and after becoming the Prime Minister, he has visited the Northeast 53 times and he is the first Prime Minister of the country who has done this. He said that as per the instructions of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, ministers of the Government of India have visited Northeast 432 times. Shri Shah said that the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has increased the budget of Northeast by 276 percent with PM-DevINE. He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the rail, road and air connectivity between the capitals of the eight northeastern states will be developed at a cost of Rs 1 lakh 76 thousand crore before 2025. Shri Shah said that Mizoram has immense potential for development and especially after Shri Zoramthanga became the Chief Minister, the economy of Mizoram has improved and the GDP has grown at an average of 12.15 percent in the last decade. He said that Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project will connect Mizoram and Myanmar and it will open up immense business opportunities for Mizoram. He said that the Government of India would leave no stone unturned to explore the immense potential in Mizoram in the fields of tourism, bamboo cultivation and solar energy.

Through consistent policy initiatives of the Government and tremendous contribution of the defence industry, India has achieved a remarkable milestone in defence exports in Financial Year 2022-23. The exports have reached an all-time high of approx. Rs 16,000 crore, almost Rs 3,000 crore more than the previous financial year.

India is now exporting to over 85 countries. Indian industry has shown its capability of design and development to the world, with 100 firms exporting defence products at present. The rising defence exports and participation of 104 countries in Aero India 2023 are proof of India’s growing defence manufacturing capabilities.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi described the achievement as a clear manifestation of India’s talent and the enthusiasm towards ‘Make in India’. “It also shows the reforms in this sector over the last few years are delivering good results. Our Government will keep supporting efforts to make India a defence production hub,” he said.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh termed record defence exports as a remarkable achievement of the country. “Under the inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the defence exports will continue to grow exponentially,” he tweeted.

Today, India, which was known as an importer about eight years back, exports major platforms like Dornier-228, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), Brahmos Missiles, Akash Missile System, Radars, Simulators, Mine Protected Vehicles, Armoured Vehicles, PINAKA Rockets & Launchers, Ammunitions, Thermal Imagers, Body Armours, besides Systems, Line Replaceable Units and Parts & components of Avionics and Small Arms. There is growing global demand of LCA-Tejas, Light Combat Helicopters, Aircraft Carrier, MRO activities etc.

To give a push to defence exports, Government has taken a number of policy initiatives and brought reforms over the last 5-6 years. Export procedures have been simplified and made industry friendly with end-to-end online export authorisation curtailing delays and bringing Ease of Doing Business.  Government has notified three Open General Export License (OGEL) for export of Parts and Components/Transfer of Technology/Major Platforms and Equipment. OGEL is one-time export license, which permits the industry to export specified items to specified destinations, enumerated in the OGEL, without seeking export authorisation during the validity of the OGEL.

Export leads received from various countries are disseminated to the registered Indian Defence Exporters through online portal on real time basis to enable them to respond to export opportunities. Regular reviews are held with Indian Missions abroad to promote Indian defence products and facilitate Indian Industry. More than 40 webinars organized with Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) with involvement of Industry Associations.

In the financial year 2022-2023, procurement of goods and services from government portal Government e Marketplace  (GeM) has crossed the Rs 2 lakh crore mark, which is a remarkable achievement, said Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, in Mumbai today. Commerce and Industry Minister highlighted the role of GeM as a digital tool in the public and national interest.  GeM is a symbol of the speed with which PM Narendra Modi has taken the country forward through modern technology, said the Minister. He was speaking at a press conference on the landmark achievement of GeM. Mediapersons from various parts of the country also joined the press conference via video conferencing.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal congratulated GeM and its strong ecosystem of buyers and sellers, whose unwavering support has been pivotal towards achieving this historic feat. The Minister added that the Prime Minister desires that the Government departments run at the highest levels of integrity and transparency, with participation of people from the remotest corners of the country and enables women entrepreneuers, startups and the MSME sector to participate in a fair and equitable manner in government procurements.

“I am confident that GeM will grow faster, the future is very bright. I would like to appeal to more and more vendors to join GeM so that they too get a chance to participate in the government procurement process”,  he also said.

After the GeM portal was launched in 2017, business worth about Rs 400 crore was done, and in the second year, GeM did business of about Rs 5800 crore. The business through GeM has grown from around Rs 35000 crore two years ago and tripled last year to Rs 1 lakh 6 thousand crores, the Minister informed. Growing to Rs 2 lakh crores in 5 years shows that this experiment of the Prime Minister has been successful, he further stated.

The Minister also mentioned that India has crossed total exports of 750 billion dollars for the financial year 2022-23 and the final figure is expected to cross 765 billion dollars.

The G20 Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting was held in Mumbai recently, also saw positive discussions, he informed. The Union Minister expressed that India has got the Presidency of the G-20 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it is a great opportunity to showcase the achievements of the rapidly developing New India to the world.

Speaking about the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 released in New Delhi yesterday, he said that this has been welcomed by industry and trade. A sense of stability is reflected in the foreign trade policy, he added.

Speaking about the vision and journey ahead for GeM, CEO of GeM P.K. Singh, thanked all the stakeholders who are the primary drivers behind GeM’s reaching such great heights.

As on 31st March 2023, GeM has recorded a staggering ₹ 2 lakh crore of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in FY 2022-23. Cumulatively, GeM has surpassed the ₹ 3.9 lakh crore GMV since inception, with the overwhelming support of its stakeholders. The total number of transactions on GeM has also crossed 1.47 crore. GeM is catering to the diverse procurement needs of over 67,000 government buyer organisations. The portal features over 11,700 product categories with more than 32 lakh listed products, as well as over 280 service categories with more than 2.8 lakh service offerings. Based on various studies, the minimum savings on the platform are about 10%, which translates into a savings of ~ ₹ 40,000 crore worth of public money.

About Government e Marketplace (GeM)

Government e Marketplace (GeM) is an online platform for public procurement in India that was envisaged by the Prime Minister. The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the objective of creating an inclusive, efficient, and transparent platform for the buyers and sellers to carry out procurement activities in a fair and competitive manner.

In the last ~6.5 years, GeM has revolutionized the ecosystem of public procurement in the country through technology, the digitization of processes, the digital integration of all stakeholders, and the use of analytics. GeM is an example of how digital platforms created with a strategic and clear intent to reinvigorate and reimagine legacy processes can bring about lasting change for the nation as well as the underserved. GeM has been effectively contributing to the government’s commitment of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”.

The platform enables multiple procurement modes (direct purchase, L1 procurement, bidding, reverse auction, bid followed by reverse auction). GeM has evolved as a trust-based platform and is contactless, paperless, and cashless, where authentication of users is done through API integration with respective domain databases, i.e., Aadhaar, PAN, Startup, GSTN, MCA21, etc. The marketplace includes policies for automated market adjustments as well as end-to-end digital processes that support a thriving buyer-seller ecosystem.

GeM has also developed many important functionalities in consultation with its stakeholders, like Push Button Procurement, Single Packet Bidding, Annual Procurement Plan, Vivaad Se Vishwaas, Business opportunities on GeM and AI/ML-based use cases for helping the buyers make more informed decisions.

Through automation and digitization of processes, GeM has led to higher process efficiencies, better information sharing, improved transparency, reduced process cycle times, and a higher level of trust among bidders, which in turn have resulted in greater competition and higher savings. These innovations in GeM have also brought down waiting times and prices for buyers significantly and ensured timely payments to sellers. This is also expected to enhance the overall “Ease of Doing Business” while also promoting the highest standards of quality in public procurement in India.

The gross GST revenue collected in the month of March 2023 is ₹1,60,122 crore of which CGST is ₹29,546 crore, SGST is ₹37,314 crore, IGST is ₹82,907 crore (including ₹42,503 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is ₹10,355 crore (including ₹960 crore collected on import of goods). It is for the fourth time, in the current financial year that the gross GST collection has crossed ₹1.5 lakh crore mark registering second highest collection since implementation of GST. This month witnessed the highest IGST collection ever.

The government has settled ₹33,408 crore to CGST and ₹28,187 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement. The total revenue of Centre and the States in the month of March 2023 after IGST settlement is ₹62,954 crore for CGST and ₹65,501 crore for the SGST.

The revenues for the month of March 2023 are 13% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. During the month, revenues from import of goods was 8% higher and the revenues from domestic transaction (including import of services) are 14% higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year. The return filing during March 2023 has been highest ever. 93.2% of statement of invoices (in GSTR-1) and 91.4% of returns (in GSTR-3B) of February were filed till March 2023 as compared to 83.1% and 84.7%, respectively same month last year.

The total gross collection for 2022-23 stands at ₹18.10 lakh crore and the average gross monthly collection for the full year is ₹1.51 lakh crore. The gross revenues in 2022-23 were 22% higher than that last year. The average monthly gross GST collection for the last quarter of the FY 2022-23 has been ₹1.55 lakh crore against the average monthly collection of ₹1.51 lakh crore, ₹1.46 lakh crore and ₹1.49 lakh crore in the first, second and third quarters respectively.

The chart below shows trends in monthly gross GST revenues during the current year. The table shows the state-wise figures of GST collected in each State during the month of March 2023 as compared to March 2022.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed happiness on GeM crossing Gross Merchandise Value of ₹2 lakh crore in 2022–23.

In response to a tweet by the Union Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal, the Prime Minister said;

“Excellent! @GeM_India has given us a glimpse of the energy and enterprise of the people of India. It has ensured prosperity and better markets for many citizens.”