Business Meet with APCTT
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Mr. Subhash Goyal, Convenor, FIEO Committee on Services (2nd from left)addressing the meet. With him from left, Mr. Ajay Sahai, Director General, FIEO; Dr. K. Ramanathan, Head, APCTT; and Mr. Krishnan Srinivasaraghavan, In-charge, Technology Transfer Services Group, APCTT. |
FIEO organized a Business Meet with Asia Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) at Niryat Bhawan on 10th April to discuss how technology upgradation and transfer of technology could benefit service providers.
While initiating the Meet, FIEO Director General Mr. Ajay Sahai said that the major concerns of the SMEs were related to mainly finance, marketing and technology. He informed that the Federation had been suggesting formation of a kind of global technology fund, having 1% of the total foreign exchange reserves of the country, to provide necessary financial support to the SME sector. He felt that it was important to provide latest technologies at the cluster level and said that the Federation would try to organize such meets in industrial clusters.
Mr. Subhash Goyal Convenor, FIEO Committee on Services, who chaired the Meet, observed that India was considered as one of the fastest growing economies in the world with an economic growth of over 8% for the last many years. "Our services sector is playing an important role in achieving high growth rate for the economy and is now occupying a share of about 55% of the GDP. It accounts for about 2.5% of the global services exports and this figure may go upto 6% by 2012 if the present annual growth rate is maintained." He added.
Dr. K. Ramanathan, Head of the Centre, APCTT, informed that his organization was focusing on technology transfer and capacity building, besides promotion of management innovation through sub-regional and regional networking for the benefit of SMEs. He explained in detail the technology transfer networking for upgrading technology needs of SMEs through website training, especially designed by their Centre.
Mr. Krishnan, Incharge of Technology Transfer Group, APCTT, made a presentation on web-based technology transfer and technology offers available in different countries for the benefit of Indian SMEs.
Mr. Sandeep Gupta, Director (Finance), FIEO, while proposing the vote of thanks observed that SMEs in countries like India were facing lot of competition from their counterparts in other countries and to meet the challenges they should imbibe latest technologies available in the world.
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Banks charging ECGC Premium against RBI guidelines Some FIEO members have informed that ECGC Premium for Post Shipment Credit Guarantee is being levied on them by the Banks in addition to other service charges and cost of post shipment finance. This is in contravention with Para 2.6.2 of Master Circular on Export Credit [No. DBOD.DIR (Exp.) BC. 01/04.02/2007-08, dated July 2, 2007] issued by the RBI. The Circular provides that the cost of premium in respect of the Whole Turnover Post-shipment Credit Guarantee taken by Banks may be absorbed by the Banks and not passed on to the exporters. Further, Banks have also been advised to consider exempting all deserving Gold Card Holder exporters from the Packing Credit Guarantee Sectoral Schemes of ECGC on the basis of their track record. In view of the above, FIEO requests its Member Exporters to send the names of the banks passing on the premium to them so that the same could be brought to the notice of the RBI for necessary actionn |
