27th January 2010, New Delhi: 44th India International Garment Fair organized by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) successfully concluded on 22nd Jan in New Delhi. The event witnessed around 721 buyers from 667 companies and 593 buying agents from 412 companies. The exhibitors showcased their Autumn/ Winter collections and attracted more than 1,314 visitors from approximately 60 countries.

The turnout of buyers was up 87% this year as compared to 42nd IIGF Autumn/Winter held last year. There was a 54% increase in the number of buying agents registered at the 44th IIGF. Business worth 9.67 million dollars was booked/negotiated, leading to a 62% hike as compared to the orders registered at last year’s IIGF for Autumn/ Winter collections. In purview of the buyers expected at the 44th IIGF, the display area was extended to 1440 square meters resulting in 26% more space available for the Indian exporters to display their creations.

On the occasion, Mr. Premal Udani, Chairman, AEPC said “We are very happy with the response received at the 44th IIGF. IIGF being a flagship event of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has mostly succeeded in bridging the gap between the Indian exporters and global buyers by giving them numerous options and a platform to showcase their creations. This fair was all-the-more important for all the exhibitors and buyers as it was held just when the economy started picking up.”

Mr. Udani said garments are the final link in the textile chain that starts from fibers and consequently has the maximum value addition and job creation possibilities. “A slight push in apparel exports can see the entire textile chain moving up. But the government should refund all taxes to improve our cost-competitiveness.”

AEPC Secretary General Mr. Vimal Kirti Singh said the downfall in apparel exports during recent months may stop due to receding recession and the next two years may witness a turnaround. Mr. Praveen Nayyar, Council’s Senior Vice-Chairman and Mr. Ashok Rajani, Chairman, Export Promotion Sub-Committee were also present on the occasion.

The visitors were from various parts of the world i.e. US, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Panama, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Britain, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Australia , New Zealand majority of which represented US, Britain, Spain, France, Turkey and UAE. The fair was inaugurated by Mrs. Panabaaka Lakshmi, Minister of State for Textiles & Mr. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry.

Amid dazzling fashion shows, awards for the best display were announced. Shilpayan Decor got the gold prize, Village Crafts India bagged silver and Kack India got the bronze. Merits of certificates were given to Sarash Impex, Manvi Impex, Jain International, NCCR Exports, Dolphin Clothing and Cross Culture Fashions.

The 44th IIGF witnessed participants from locations such as Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jaipur, Tripur and some cities in the NCR region. The product profile included women’s wear, men’s wear, kids’ wear, accessories, fashion jewellery and knitwear.

IIGF is jointly organized by the International Garment Fair Association (IGFA), the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the Garment Exporters Association (GEA), the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), the Apparel Exporters and Manufacturers Association (AEMA) and the Apparel and Handloom Exporters Association (AHEA).

Sources: http://www.aepcindia.com/admin/press-pdf/wrap_up_release[1].pdf

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Protesters at yesterday’s Australian Open illegally used the AustralianMade, Australian Grown logo in their anti-racism demonstration.

The AustralianMade Campaign was in no way involved in the protest and strongly disapproves of the unauthorised use and the implication that the logo can be used as a racist symbol.

“The use of the AustralianMade logo by these protesters was unauthorised and totally inappropriate. The symbol is a registered trade mark used to help consumers identify genuine Australian products and produce. It can only be used with the express authorisation of Australian Made Campaign Ltd and unauthorised use, particularly such as in this case, cannot be tolerated”, said Chief Executive of the Australian Made Campaign, Ian Harrison.

“The fact that it is the most recognised and trusted symbol for Australia products probably explains why the protesters chose to use it, but the AustralianMade Campaign deplores any suggestion that the logo is in any way a racist symbol.”

The matter has been referred to the Campaign’s legal advisors and at the absolute minimum an undertaking will be sought from the perpetrators that this type of unauthorised use of the iconic symbol is not repeated.

Source: http://www.australianmade.com.au/objectlibrary/711?filename=100127%20Misuse%20of%20logo%20by%20protesters.pdf

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ASC Fine Wines, wine retailer The Wine Way, the Kakadu Bar & Restaurant in Shanghai and freelance wine writer Denis Lin are the inaugural recipients of the prestigious Wine Australia Awards.

The winners were announced today by one of Australia’s leading wine authorities, Mr James Halliday, and the Ambassador to China, His Excellency Dr Geoff Raby, at an invitation-only wine master class held during the Australia Day celebrations at the Grand Millennium Hotel.

Each winner will receive a fully sponsored, 10-day trip to Australia to explore the diversity of wines and wine regions as guests of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC). The award ceremony was jointly hosted by the AWBC and the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade).

ASC Fine Wine’s CEO, Mr Don St Pierre Jr., said he was honoured by the award, which would mean “a great deal” to everyone in the company.

“It is a profound encouragement for us to continue our strong effort to work together with our Australian wine suppliers, media, Austrade and the AWBC to promote Australian wines as a brand for quality fine wines to the Chinese market,” he said.

“We firmly believe these endeavours will not only benefit ASC but also the Australian wine industry and, ultimately and most importantly, the wine consumers in China.”

The unique awards recognise a commitment to the promotion of wine and an interest in Australian wine across the wine trade – from sommeliers and food and beverage staff to writers, educators, retailers, restaurateurs, importers and distributors.

The four individual awards are co-hosted by selected well known Australian brands and wine regions, including Penfolds, Jacob’s Creek, Hardys and regions in the state of Victoria. A judging panel considered applications from across China and held private interviews before making its selections.

“Our aim is to recognise excellence and to reward progressive, forward thinking companies that foster dynamic innovation, professionalism and show genuine leadership in the category,” said the AWBC’s Regional Manager, Ms Ali Lockwood.

The award ceremony preceded a major wine tasting for the wine trade and VIPs featuring more than 200 wines currently available in Beijing from over 50 brands, as well as a selection of top wines from Mr Halliday’s acclaimed book James Halliday’s 2010 Australian Wine Companion.

Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Beijing, Mr Alan Morrell, said Australian wine was now at the forefront in China and the Australia Day tasting provided an opportunity for the trade, media and Australian wine lovers “to experience all that we have to offer”.

“Currently Australia is the second highest importing country by volume and by value behind France, with Australia’s market share increasing over the last six months,” he said. “China is also Australia’s fourth largest export destination by volume and value.

Source: http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/Portals/2/MediaReleases/Wine%20Australia%20Awards%20China%20Media%20Release.pdf

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The results of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Q4 2009 Economic Survey shows businesses are still expecting the economy to return to growth but are becoming increasingly uncertain about the strength of recovery. There has been a weakening across virtually all economic indicators compared to Q3 2009 which suggests companies in the capital are expecting a shallow, gradual recovery at best.

Yet despite the quarterly dip, the capital’s economy is in a much stronger position compared with this time last year, with some indicators making substantial gains since Q4 2008. For instance, when asked to rate the prospects of their own company, 45 per cent expected them to improve in the coming months, down from 47 per cent last quarter, but still up from 24 per cent compared to a year ago.

Similarly, there were small drops in turnover when comparing against Q3 2009, with increases down from 61 per cent to 56 per cent, but again, in the context of the last twelve months the picture is much brighter, considering that just 34 per cent of firms were reporting increases at the end of 2008. This same pattern was repeated across other indicators such as profitability, domestic orders, export sales, capital investment and training investment.

When asked about how they see the capital overall (rather than their own company) the number of firms that expect the London economy to worsen rose from 20 per cent in Q3 2009 to 32 per cent in Q4 2009, but it is still the first time since mid-2007 that we have seen a positive balance in confidence in the London economy for two consecutive quarters.

On a brighter note there were no major changes in staff layoffs with the number of companies saying they had let go employees actually falling marginally by five percentage points down to 19 per cent, while over a third of businesses have said they have actually tried to recruit (36 per cent). This reflects the fact that many companies have already let staff go and companies, particularly smaller ones, are still doing their best to hold on to staff.

Elsewhere, company output provided better news with 34 per cent of companies saying their output had risen, up four per cent on last quarter and up 10 per cent from the same time last year.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Helen Hill, Director of Policy at the LCCI, said:

“Both our research and the anecdotal evidence of the businesses we speak to suggest that many firms continue to operate in survival mode, with an understandable reluctance to expand and invest. Although we see optimistic signs for the UK and London economies, it is important to recognise that serious issues still exist that threaten a dip back into negative growth following any recovery in 2010.

“Taken with continued concern about unemployment, inflation and interest rates, which are all expected to rise further in the coming months, London firms know we are not out of the woods yet. The economy is in a fragile state and a drop in confidence is exactly the kind of reaction that could see 2010 characterised by a second dip in the growth figures.”

Source: http://www.londonchamber.co.uk/

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NEW DELHI, January 25, 2010. The Korean President, Mr. Lee Myungbak, has urged the Indian Government to look at Korea’s expertise in civil nuclear energy production and strike mutually beneficial collaboration in developing India’s nuclear energy capabilities and make the sector globally competitive.

Addressing captains of Indian industry and trade at a business meeting organized by FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM here today, the Korean President said: “I met with the External Affairs Minister, Mr. S M Krishna today and discussed many issues, including cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. I apprised him about the Korean capabilities in the sector and told him that this was a very productive area to collaborate for mutual benefit and it would make your nuclear energy sector globally competitive.”

Mr. Myung-bak urged Korean companies to invest in Indian growing economy and Indian companies to turn their attention to Korea. Business cooperation between the two sides, he said, would be productive and effective in view of the complementarities that existed between the two economies and the competitive advantages enjoyed by the Korean and Indian companies.

He laid stress on people-to-people exchanges – of engineers, scholars and students—make the benefits arising out of the Korea- India CEPA more meaningful.

In his address, Mr. Anand Sharma, Minister for Commerce and Industry, pointed out that India had today become a major investment destination with a huge market for automobiles, consumer electronics, areas that Korean companies excelled in. The business community of the two countries could also engage in healthcare, IT and BPO sector, he added.

He expressed confidence that the visit of the Korean President to India would open new pathways of cooperation to reach the fruits of development to their peoples and create conditions for Asian integration to ensure that Asia plays a leading role in global affairs.

Mr. Venu Srinivasan, President, CII, in his welcome address, suggested setting up of dedicated trade and investment promotion agencies in each country to bridge the information gap regarding procedures and regulations faced by potential businesses. These agencies could target Tier 2 and 3 cities in India, which were thriving centres of entrepreneurship and a few promising sectors could be short-listed for targeted intervention, including automobiles, telecom, electronics and electrical machinery, textiles, leather and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. K K Jajodia, Senior Committee Member, ASSOCHAM, noted that Korea was the forerunner in meeting the demands of the consumers. It’s use of digital technologies, its skilled workforce was an opportunity for India to learn to equip its universities and institutions with the required expertise.

Mr. Harsh Pati Singhania, President, FICCI, stated that there was tremendous potential for technology transfer between the SMEs of the two countries. Korean companies, he said, could look at joint ventures as well as sub-contracting arrangements with Indian companies in the areas of semi-conductors, plastics, auto parts, agricultural instruments, textiles, multi-media, ceramic products, and software. Korean participation should also be considered for investments in the India’s special economic zones, he added.

Source: http://www.ficci.com/PressRelease/553/korea.pdf

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Dents is accepted as a modern leading fashion brand for men and women – its beautiful gloves, hats, scarves and leather goods are top sellers in the finest department stores and fashion outlets all over the world. Few, however, know that Dents is one of the oldest surviving fashion companies in the world.

The brand Dents was founded by master craftsman John Dent in Worcester, England, in 1777. Thanks to his meticulous workmanship and eye for creativity, Dents soon developed a reputation as a leading leather glove company. From the beginning, it used only the very finest English and French leather and perfected techniques of cut and fit which became world famous as “Dents’ secret fit”. Its gloves and accessories were soon being sought by the famous and fashionable in Paris, New York, Montreal and Sydney.

The company expanded quickly and was one of the first to become a truly global business before the term became fashionable. In the early 19th century it was an important supplier to as far afield as Australia, supplying leading department store, Davy Jones in Melbourne, from as early as 1839. In 1856 the company opened a Paris office and soon after had offices across the world from Montreal and New York to Sydney. It also owned factories in Italy, Germany, Belgium and France.

Today the company caters not only for all the top social events but also for those important business meetings, sporting occasions, town and country wear and casual day wear to suit modern busy lifestyles. Dents is a thoroughly modern company and its latest collection of fashion accessories are found in fine stores and shops worldwide.

Source: http://www.gloveassociation.org/aboutBGA/BGA_news.php

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The European Competitive Telecoms Association (ECTA) has announced the election of Hubertus von Roenne as chairman of the board of directors for 2010.

A German national, based in Paris , Mr von Roenne’s vision for his term as ECTA Chairman is to help build a truly pan-European competitive single market for communications in which consumers and businesses receive world-class services. His appointment coincides with the changeover of the European Commission in Brussels which sees the Dutch Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, assume responsibility for the ‘Digital Agenda’.

Dr von Roenne marked his appointment by writing to EU President Jose Manuel Barroso outlining ECTA’s 2020 vision for how communications should be exploited to deliver future growth and prosperity in Europe.

“We urge President Barroso to take the opportunity of the EU Spring Council in March to commit to a strategy of proactive measures in the telecoms sector that will open markets to competition and deliver a connected and competitive Europe in the decade to come,” commented Dr von Roenne.

He cited four key areas that the EU must address:

• take action to enforce telecoms rules and open markets fully to competition
• Deploy open fibre networks to support innovation in high speed services
• Create a single market for business communications
• Boost competition in mobile markets to create seamless pan-European services

ECTA has asked to meet with President Barroso to discuss these points further once the new Commission is confirmed.

Source: http://www.ectaportal.com/en/PRESS/ECTA-Press-Releases/2010/ECTA-elects-Board-officers/

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Federal Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke toured the cotton industry last week, visiting “Keytah” in the Gwydir Valley to discuss grower issues, research and development.
“Keytah” Manager, Andrew Parkes, showcased the farm, and in particular the on-farm irrigation efficiency trials that have been set up to compare drip, overhead, bankless channels and furrow irrigation strategies.

Cotton Australia, through the Chair Joanne Grainger, took the opportunity to highlight a number of key issues to the Minister including:

• The slow APVMA response to issues surrounding phenoxy herbicide drift
• The huge benefit of GM technology to the industry as well as some of the exciting new technologies in the pipeline
• The new myBMP program
• The benefits of the industry R&D effort and how much we value the partnership with government

A key big picture issue during this election year for all farmers is the constant erosion of property rights, be it through encroachment of mining, native vegetation laws, water reform or urban encroachment. All these issues are impacting on grower certainty and were highlighted to the Minister.

Phil Alchin from Boyce and Co spent time with the Minister highlighting the financial impact of the ongoing drought on irrigators and the effects of water buyback on the Moree economy.

Special thanks must go to the owners of “Keytah”, David and Neil Statham and their staff for hosting the Minister’s visit.

Source: http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/news/view.aspx?id=237

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Speaking at the CII partnership summit being held in Chennai, His Excellency Maqbool Ali Sultan, Minister for Commerce and Industry, Sultanate of Oman, stressed on the historical ties between the gulf region and India dating from the time of Indus valley civilization. He referred to the complimentarity between India and the Gulf’s trade and investment needs. The minister pointed out that while India will become a major consumer of energy to drive its relentless economic growth, the Gulf countries are seeking food security, healthcare, education, and skilled labor for their own overall economic development and growth all of which represented a business opportunity for Indian industry.

Also speaking at the same session was Mr. Mane Al Suwaidi, Director, Ministry of Foreign Trade, UAE who stressed that the a majority of the Gulf population was young and investment in education and skill development is an important part of the UAE federal policy and offered opportunities to Indian investors. Construction, financial services, and innovation in energy related technologies also offered opportunities for investors in the Gulf region, Mr. Suwaidi said. Both speakers were quick to point out the ease of doing business in the gulf region and its proximity to India as major plusses for Indian investors going to look for opportunities in that region.

Source: http://www.cii.in/PressreleasesDetail.aspx?id=2628&gid=N&SectorID=®ionid=&conid=&nrid=&StateID=

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Mr A Sakthivel, President, Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) while commenting on the recently released data of RBI on the credit offtake stated that while the offtake is about 50% of what it was in the last fiscal (13.7% y-o-y as against 24% in 2008-2009), it is encouraging that it has moved on from the single digit levels.

FIEO Chief stated that keeping in view the fact that Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has shown a growth of 11.2% (as per data released on 10th January, 2010) and the consumer goods production, a whopping 36% growth, the timing and sequencing of exit from the expansionary fiscal and monetary policy is an issue which may be given due consideration while announcing the 3rd quarter review of the Monetary Policy on 29th January, 2010.He elaborated that much of the data announced is driven by domestic demand and the sustainability of the same can only be tested with time.

President FIEO concluded that it would only be right under the current scheme of things to not only continue with interest subvention but to include all sectors and factor in the element of transaction cost , at least partially, which is as high as 18% for some sectors. Foreign currency loans (PCFC and Post-shipment) at 6%; term loans at single digit rates of interest; investment linked tax deduction for plant & machinery, R&D besides marketing incentives for tapping new markets etc. might enable MSMEs to work on a level playing field with other MSMEs around the world.

http://fieo.org/view_Press_Releases_detail.php?lang=0&id=0,21&dcd=480&did=1264135718qtkn0t2f4ok1dt0ttlbibds7f0

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