India’s first electric flying taxi prototype unveiled by Anand Mahindra
阿南德·馬辛德拉（Anand Mahindra）揭幕印度首款電動飛行計程車概念機
Chairman of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra, recently unveiled images of India’s first electric flying taxi prototype, developed by the ePlane Company at IIT Madras. The prototype, known as the ePlane e200, is slated for operation by the next year and represents a significant milestone in India’s pursuit of innovative transportation solutions. The ePlane e200 is a two-seater aircraft with a range of 200 kilometers, designed for intra-city travel and cargo transport. With a cruise speed of 160 kmph and a top speed of 200 kmph, it promises to significantly reduce travel time and alleviate urban traffic congestion.
Mahindra commended IIT Madras for its role as a dynamic hub of innovation, emphasizing the institution’s contribution to transforming India into a global center for pioneering technology. Founded in 2017 by aerospace engineering professor Satya Chakravarthy and his student Pranjal Mehta, the ePlane Company aims to revolutionize urban transportation. Chakravarthy highlighted that the ePlane e200 can travel up to 10 times faster than road-based vehicles, with a payload capacity of 200 kg. The unveiling of this prototype underscores India’s growing leadership in sustainable transportation, driven by visionary leaders and cutting-edge research institutions.
小編點評：馬欣德拉集團董事長阿南德·馬欣德拉（Anand Mahindra）揭幕了印度首款電動飛行計程車概念機——由IIT Madras的ePlane公司研發的ePlane e200。這款創新的雙座飛行器計劃於明年投入營運，擁有200公里的續航能力，旨在革新城市內部交通和貨物運輸，並以其出色的行駛速度緩解城市交通擁堵。馬欣德拉對IIT Madras的讚譽強調了該機構在印度邁向可持續交通技術創新過程中的關鍵角色。
N Chandrasekaran to chair Tata Electronics
N Chandrasekaran將上任塔塔電子公司董事長
N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, is set to take on the role of chairman of Tata Electronics, signaling Tata Group’s strategic move into the semiconductor industry as well as electric vehicles (EVs) and iPhone manufacturing. This leadership change, reported by The Economic Times, involves Chandrasekaran replacing Banmali Agrawala, who will transition to an advisory role within the group. Randhir Thakur, formerly of Intel Foundry Services, has been CEO and managing director at Tata Electronics since June 2023, with Srinivas Satya serving as chief supply chain officer and president of the components business since January. Tata Electronics has bolstered its management by hiring 50-60 top-level expatriates to address previous challenges in talent and technology, aiming to fuel its growth trajectory.
Tata Electronics, which announced its entry into the semiconductor sector in August 2021, has received Indian government approval for fab and ATMP projects in Gujarat and Assam. The company is also the only India-based supplier listed on Apple’s top supplier list for fiscal 2023. With Tata Group planning to invest $120 billion in sectors including semiconductors, defense, iPhone manufacturing, EVs, aviation, and financial services over the next few years, a senior officials’ meeting is scheduled for May 20 to discuss future strategies. Neil Shah, vice president at Counterpoint, emphasized that Tata’s entry into the semiconductor industry, a greenfield area for the company, will require a strategic, measured, and bold approach.
小編點評：N Chandrasekaran被任命為塔塔電子公司（Tata Electronics）董事長，標誌著塔塔集團（Tata Group）在半導體行業、電動車（EVs）和iPhone製造方面的戰略轉型，這預示著其業務組合的重大擴展。塔塔集團計劃在包括半導體、國防和航空在內的各個領域投資1200億美元，這一舉措凸顯了其成為新興技術和全球市場主要參與者的雄心。
Next round of talks for India-ASEAN trade pact review in July
印度與東盟自由貿易協定的下一輪談判將於7月舉行
Senior officials from India and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc will meet in July in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the next round of talks to review the existing Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). The last round of negotiations concluded on May 9 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Initiated in May 2023, the review aims to make AITIGA more trade-facilitative and beneficial for businesses. The joint committee overseeing the review, co-chaired by Rajesh Agrawal from India’s Department of Commerce and Mastura Ahmad Mustafa from Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, has met four times. They finalized the terms of reference and negotiating structure in the first two meetings and began detailed discussions in the third meeting held in February 2024. The fourth meeting in Malaysia saw delegates from India and all ASEAN countries participating, with a goal to conclude talks by 2025. Eight sub-committees have been formed to address various policy areas, with five already having started discussions.
ASEAN, comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, is a major trade partner for India, accounting for 11% of its global trade. Bilateral trade reached USD 122.67 billion in 2023-24. The review of AITIGA, long demanded by Indian businesses, aims to eliminate trade barriers and misuse of the agreement. The issues being negotiated include national treatment, market access, rules of origin, standards, technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures, and legal and institutional matters. India’s exports to ASEAN countries increased by 9.96% from USD 37.47 billion in FY2019 to USD 41.21 billion in FY2024, while imports from the bloc rose by 34.30% from USD 59.32 billion to USD 79.67 billion. The fifth joint committee meeting is scheduled for July 29-31, 2024, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
小編點評：印度與東協的高級官員將於7月在雅加達召開會議，旨在審查《東協-印度貨品貿易協定》（AITIGA），以促進貿易便利化和實現互惠互利。由拉傑什·阿格拉瓦爾（Rajesh Agrawal）和馬斯圖拉·艾哈邁德·穆斯塔法（Mastura Ahmad Mustafa）共同主持的聯合委員會自2023年5月啟動以來已取得顯著進展，設立了八個小組委員會負責關鍵政策領域。本次會議強調了解決貿易障礙和優化AITIGA框架的重要性，旨在進一步鞏固印度與東協之間強勁的雙邊貿易關係。
Xiaomi partners with Foxconn to assemble smartphone components in India
小米與富士康合作在印度組裝智慧型手機零組件
China’s Xiaomi Inc has partnered with Foxconn to begin assembling smartphones in India, aiming to reduce costs and capture a larger share of the world’s third-largest smartphone market. The new factory, located in Andhra Pradesh, supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to transform India into a manufacturing hub, fostering economic growth and job creation. The facility will initially produce the Redmi2 Prime, a locally tailored version of Xiaomi’s popular Redmi2 budget smartphone, priced at 6,999 rupees ($109.58). Xiaomi entered the Indian market in July 2014, and it has quickly become the company’s second-largest market due to the popularity of its affordable phones among young, price-sensitive consumers. Manu Jain, Xiaomi’s India head, stated that the new facility would offer tax benefits, better inventory management, and reduced lead times.
The Indian smartphone market, the fastest growing in the world, faces challenges due to inadequate suppliers and infrastructure, leading many local phone companies to rely on imports from China and Taiwan. Despite these hurdles, Xiaomi is optimistic about manufacturing most of its phones in India eventually. Foxconn’s return to India, after shutting down operations when Nokia ceased production, signifies renewed investment interest. The assembly line’s inauguration is a notable achievement for Andhra Pradesh and its leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, renowned for developing Hyderabad into a tech hub. Foxconn is capitalizing on the competitive environment among Indian states for investment, having recently signed a $5 billion deal with Maharashtra. Xiaomi, facing slowing sales in China, is focusing on emerging markets like India and Brazil to drive future growth. According to a Cisco study, the number of smartphone users in India is projected to increase from 140 million in 2014 to 651 million by 2019.
小編點評：小米與富士康合作在印度組裝智慧型手機，反映出其戰略性舉措，旨在利用印度快速增長的市場，同時響應總理納倫德拉·莫迪的製造業政策。安得拉邦的新工廠表明了小米與富士康對印度本地生產的承諾，並帶來稅收優惠和供應鏈效率提高等好處。隨著印度有望成為全球第二大智能手機市場，小米希望利用這一機會，在競爭日益激烈的情況下實現持續增長。
17 firms under IT hardware PLI to begin production this year: IT secy
電子資訊科技部部長表示，獲批IT硬體生產連結激勵計劃（PLI）的17家公司將於今年開始生產
A majority of personal computer and server manufacturers selected under India’s IT hardware production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme are expected to commence production this year, according to a senior government official. Out of the 27 approved companies, 17 are slated to start production in 2024, while 6-7 began production last year, and two plan to start next year. This announcement was made by Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) Secretary S. Krishnan during the inauguration of a new high-end computing server manufacturing unit by Netweb Technologies. Notable companies approved under the PLI scheme include Dell, HP, Foxconn, Lenovo, Flextronics, VVDN, Optiemus, and several others such as Padget Electronics and ITI Ltd.
In addition to the PLI scheme, Krishnan highlighted the Rs 10,372-crore India AI Mission, which aims to boost AI development in the country with a preference for domestic companies. Approved by the Cabinet on March 7, 2024, the India AI Mission will span five years and focus on creating a scalable AI ecosystem through public-private partnerships. The initiative will be managed by the IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), fostering high-end AI capabilities and infrastructure in India.
小編點評：根據印度電子資訊科技部（MeitY）部長S. Krishnan的說法，在印度IT硬體生產連結激勵計劃（PLI）下獲批的27家公司中，有17家公司將於2024年開始生產。Krishnan還強調了內閣最近批准的1037.2億盧比的印度人工智能（AI）任務，該任務旨在通過公私合作夥伴關係，在五年內促進國內AI發展。
Visiting Taiwanese business delegation states India has enormous investment possibilities
訪問印度的台灣商務代表團表示，印度擁有巨大的投資潛力
The World Trade Center Mumbai and the All India Association of Industries (AIAI) recently hosted an interactive meeting with a high-level business delegation from Taiwan to explore emerging opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation. Led by Peter Huang, Specialist of the South Asia section, Market Development Department, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, the delegation emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to enhancing trade and investment relations with India. Huang highlighted that India is a friendly and hospitable market for Taiwanese firms, particularly in sectors such as electronics, auto-components, machineries, food processing, and medical devices. The economic partnership between India and Taiwan has been growing significantly, with Taiwan viewing India as a critical partner under its ‘New Southbound Policy’. The two nations have also signed a migration agreement to facilitate the employment of Indian workers in Taiwanese industries.
Vijay Kalantri, Chairman of WTC Mumbai, noted that the India-Taiwan economic relationship is at an inflection point, evidenced by India awarding the Padma Bhushan to Foxconn CEO Young Liu and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center’s plan to establish a third office in India. Kalantri called for an increase in bilateral trade to USD 25 billion from the current USD 8 billion, which is skewed in favor of Taiwan with its USD 6 billion in exports compared to India’s USD 2 billion. He urged Taiwanese companies to invest in India and increase imports from India to balance the trade deficit. Additionally, Kalantri suggested improving people-to-people contact by enhancing flight connectivity between the two countries, as there are currently only two direct flights per week. The Taiwanese delegation included representatives from various sectors, such as auto-components, medical devices, electronics, industrial machinery, processed food, printed circuit boards, steel, and laundry equipment.
小編點評：由台灣對外貿易發展協會帶領的高級商務代表團，在世界貿易中心孟買和全印度工業協會舉辦的互動會議上，強調了印度廣闊的投資潛力。貿協強調了電子、汽車零部件和醫療器械等領域的重要性，並強調印度對台灣企業的吸引力。世界貿易中心孟買的主席維傑·卡蘭特里（Vijay Kalantri）呼籲加強雙邊貿易以解決現有的貿易逆差問題，建議增加來自台灣的投資，並增強兩國之間的航班連接，促進經濟合作。