Global Investors meet

About Rising Himachal 2019

The Global Investors’ Meet 2019 was the flagship business event of the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The State will be organizing the inaugural edition of the marquee event at Dharamshala on November 07 to 08, 2019. In this event Himachal showcased the policy & regulatory environment, investment opportunities across eight focus sectors to boost manufacturing and employment generation in the state.

The state is in accelerated socio-economic growth phase and has transitioned from agrarian economy to an industry and services led economy. Abundance of industrial power that is amongst the cheapest in the country, open and progressive policies of the State Government backed by fast track project clearances, continuous investment in upgradation of infrastructure development, human capital and social welfare has made Himachal Pradesh as the preferred destination in India for entrepreneurs.

Objectives were:

1 To attract investment in the sectors of Agri Business, Food Processing & Post Harvest Technology, Manufacturing & Pharmaceuticals,    Tourism, Hospitality & Civil Aviation, Hydro & Renewable Energy, Wellness, Healthcare & Ayush, Housing, Urban Development, Transport,    Infrastructure & Logistics, Information Technology, ITES & Electronics, Education and Skill Development.

2 To provide a platform to bring together heads of the state, leaders from corporate world, senior policy makers, development agencies, heads    from institutions of international repute and academia from across the world to further cause of socio-economic development in the State.

3 To boost economic growth and GDP of the State.

4 To generate employment opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship.

5 To inculcate an ecosystem that supports its stakeholders to excel in a variety of economic activities.

6 To promote ‘Make in Himachal’ and thereby encourage ‘Make in India’.

7 To boost the share of the state in the exports.

8 To strengthen and empower the MSME sector of Himachal Pradesh

Salient Points of Investors Meet

• 614 MoUs have been signed which would attract an investment of about Rs 93,000 crore. It’s double of recent HP Budget which was for Rs. 43,000. Initially, investment target was Rs 85000 crore  investment
• UAE is the Partner Country for the Global Investor’s Meet. Over 1700 Business Delegates including 200 International delegates participated in the event.
• CII will open a Skill Institute at Dharamshala for Skill upgradation of the youth.

Exemption to Entrepreneurs for approvals & NOCs

• The Himachal Pradesh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Facilitation of Establishment and Operation) Ordinance, 2019, promulgated by the Governor, which came into effect today, aims at providing exemptions from certain inspections and approvals for the establishment and operation of MSMEs.
• The salient features of the Ordinance include the freedom given to any person who intends to start an enterprise to do so by just submitting a declaration of intent to start an enterprise.
• Approx. 99 percent of the industries functioning in Himachal Pradesh belong to the micro, small and medium sector. They form the backbone of the economy of the State and provide employment to over 3.50 lakh people.
• “During the period of three years or till the commencement of commercial production, whichever is earlier, no competent authority shall undertake any inspection” and no action will be taken against the official concerned for any action taken in good faith under the provisions of the ordinance.
• Eight Acts, including the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, Himachal Pradesh Municipal Act, 1994, Himachal Pradesh Fire Fighting Services Act, 1984, Himachal Pradesh Road Side Land Control Act, 1968, Himachal Pradesh Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1969, Himachal Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2006, and Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977, have been covered under the ordinance.

Lavi Fair

• The Lavi fair is believed to have started in 1681 AD at Sarahan and later shifted to Rampur.
• Initially it was held 3 times a year, this may have been due to periodical shearing of sheep.
• It commenced as a trade/commercial fair during the reign of 113^th king of Bushahr; Chatrapati Raja Kehri Singh (1636-96 AD).  He was son of Son of Raja Chatar Singh.
• Raja Kehri Singh sided with Tibet when Ladakh attacked Tibet in 1681-83 and a Treay was made. According to this treaty, the Tibet and the Bushahr would remain friends and the traders from both sides would enjoy all facilities without payment of any tax. Horses from Tibet and swords from Bushahr were exchanged in token of friendship.
• On account of the help given by Raja Kehari Singh and treaty of Tingmosgorg in 1684 AD upper Kinnaur was given to Bushahr. This was seized from Ladakh.
• Lavi starts on 25th Kartika ( 11^th November) every year and continues for three days.
• Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated the four-day-long International Lavi fair in Shimla district’s Rampur on Monday. 

UK-based global conglomerate SRAM & MRAM Group signed a historic association with Himachal Pradesh government to set up an EV bus manufacturing unit. SRAM & MRAM Group, a billion dollar conglomerate in association with CSEPEL Holding Nyrt, Hungary, will become the world’s largest bus manufacturing conglomerate in the world with a capacity to produce over 8,000 buses per annum.

A new survey, called the Jaccha-Baccha Survey (JABS), conducted in June in six states (Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh) to map the state of pregnant and nursing women has found that a high proportion of women do not eat enough during pregnancy.Within the six states, which the survey divided into laggard and leader states, Uttar Pradesh, which is India’s most populous, performed the worst, while Himachal Pradesh, on average, performed the best.

Other Tit-Bits

• Government has come up with H.P State AYUSH Policy, which envisages attractive incentives for prospective investors in AYUSH and Wellness Sector.
• In HP, people from other states will now be eligible for class III and IV jobs only if they have passed the board examination from the state.

• The important fiscal incentives are Capital subsidy on Ayush Therapy unit at the rate of 25 percent of Fixed Capital Investment with a ceiling of Rs. One crore excluding cost of land, interest subvention of 4 percent on term loan with ceiling of Rs. 15 lakh per annum,
• Net SGST reimbursement at the rate of 75 percent for seven years,
• Incentives for initiatives in power saving, environmental conservation and for women entrepreneurs,
• Recruitment assistance will be provided in giving employment to Himachali bonafides
• lease rental subsidy and rebate on stamp duty will be given to selective investible projects.
• HP Cabinet gave its nod to new IT, ITes and ESDM Policy, 2019 for making Himachal Pradesh as a most favoured investment destination for IT, ITeS and ESDM companies. The policy also envisages building infrastructural support system which can cater to all IT, ITeS and ESDM industry requirements.
• In order to create a comprehensive, holistic policy framework to address all aspects of housing for the urban poor including slum rehabilitation and redevelopment and to promote mixed housing development in all new housing projects, the Cabinet gave its nod to the Affordable Housing Policy, 2019.
• The Cabinet decided to set up five Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts in Bilaspur, Solan, Kullu, Shimla and Nurpur in Kangra district for facilitating and treatment of affected people.      

• Under Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kissan Yojana (PKKKY), target has been fixed to train 50,000 farmers during the current year of which more than 20,000 farmers have so far been trained of which more than 15,000 farmers have already started practicing natural farming in their fields. He said that the PKKKY would help in achieving in the target set by the government to double the income of farmers by 2022.
• HP Govt cleared a proposal to establish a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for regulating and promoting the real estate sector in the state, an official spokesperson said.
• NTPC Ltd has signed an agreement with the HP government to set up two new hydropower projects in the state with a total capacity of 520MW. The two projects  – Seli (400MW) and Miyar (120MW) – are to be located in Chenab Basin at Lahaul & Spiti district. Seli will be a run-of-river project with pondage scheme,  while Miyar will be a run-of-river project without pondage scheme.
• Family members of martyrs will not be charged toll tax in Himachal: CM
• Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mahender Singh Thakur was conferred upon Fame India Sarvashresth Mantri Award for distinguished services in politics and as Minister.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad medical college and hospital, Tanda in district Kangra achieved 31^st rank among the 600 institutions of the country and first rank in North India.
• Palampur may soon get a Municipal Corporation: Sarveen Chaudhary, Urban Development Minister.
• JSW Energy is planning to revive its 240 megawatt (MW) hydro power project in Kuther (Chamba) at a cost of ₹2,750 crore.
• The Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) has set 2022 as the new deadline for completion of the Rs 315-crore Kol Dam lift drinking water scheme that will provide 24X7 supply to residents of the capital city.
• The intensified mission Indradhanush 2.0 aimed at achieving full immunization coverage for all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace would be launched in Chamba district of the state.