FM projects 4.4% fiscal deficit for FY 2025-26 FM announces removal of 7 tariff rates FM revokes social welfare surcharge on 80 items Budget proposes BCD exemption for cobalt & lithium iron batteries BCD on display hiked but reduced open cell BCD exemption for shipping sector extended for 10 more years FM announces 2 yrs time limit for finalising provisional assessment FM proposes to rationalise TDS / TCS rates by halving rates TDS - Annual limit for rent raised to Rs 6 lakhs + limit for interest of pensioners hiked to Rs 1 lakhs FM proposes scheme for determining ALP for block period of 3 years FM announces presumptive tax schemes for NRIs Tonnage tax scheme extended to inland water vessels Budget proposes to hike exempt income limit to Rs 12 lakhs FM changes slabs and rates across board - 30% rate to apply above Rs 24 lakhs Budget 2025 - Rs 1 lakh crore revenue foregone for direct taxes Central Excise - Settlement Commission is gone; Budget proposes Interim Boards for Settlement and pending applications GST - Finance Bill 2025 proposes amendment in Schedule III to extend benefits to SEZ or FTWZ GST - Budget proposes to amend CGST & IGST Acts to provide distribution of ITC by ISDs + provisions for implementation of Track & Trace mechanism + substitutes ‘plant or machinery’ by ‘Plant and machinery’ + Sec (34)(2) amended for reversal of ITC in respect of credit-note + mandatory deposit of 10% penalty for appeals + new provisions for penalty in case of Track & Trace mechanism Budget reduces Customs duty on motors cars + motorcycles + Solar cells + smart electricity meters + yachts + furniture + lighting fittings Lab chemicals + goods imported for personal use Budget exempts cobalt powder & waste and other critical minerals (See 'Corp Brief') India to operationalise 5 Modular N-Reactors by 2033 (See 'Corp Brief') 'Bharattradenet' for global trade to be set up for trade financing (See 'Corp Brief') Govt to further decriminalise 100 provisions in more laws Investment Friendliness Index for States to be developed in 2025 Revamped KYC registry to be rolled out Govt to enhance FDI limit to 100% in insurance sector FM proposes to introduce New I-T Act next week Govt to promote commissioning of GCCs in tier-2 cities The shipbuilding financial assistance policy will be revamped with the establishment of a Maritime Development Fund, having a corpus of ₹25,000 crore Each infrastructure-related ministry is to come up with a 3-year plan to be implemented in Private Public Partnership mode The PM Swanidhi Scheme will be revamped with higher loan limits and the introduction of a ₹30,000 UPI-linked credit card Govt to set up Exports Promotion Mission for easy credit FM announces Geo-spatial Mission FM announces 10K research fellowships at IITs FM announces Bihta airport besides greenfield airports in Bihar UDAN Scheme - Modified scheme to link 220 destinations Budget unfolds Maritime Development Fund with Rs 25K outlay FM announces Nuclear Energy Mission Jal Mission extended till 2028 with more budget outlays FM announces social security schemes for gig workers Govt to set up 5 National Centre for Excellence for skilling FM announces broadband connectivity to all secondary schools and primary health centres Govt to set up Manufacturing Mission FM announces a New Fund of Funds with Rs 10K Crore Budget proposes to enhance limit of MSMEs Kisan Credit Card - Loan limit hiked to Rs 5 lakhs Govt to set up Makhana Board to promote sales of makhana FM announces Mission for Cotton Productivity FM announces special programmes for pulses, vegetables & fruits Budget 2025 focuses on 10 main areas including youth, poor, women, manufacturing, MSMEs & innovations Budget 2025 focuses on 10 main areas including youth, poor, women, manufacturing, MSMEs & innovations Budget 2025 gets Cabinet nod; FM arrives at Parliament FDI grows from USD 47 bn to USD 55.6 bn in first 8 months of FY25: Survey (See 'Corp Brief') TReDS is helping MSME financing: Survey (See 'Corp Brief') 619 routes connecting 88 airports operationalised under UDAN (See 'Corp Brief') India ranks 6th among top 10 patent-filing offices globally (See 'Corp Brief') Digital economy & RE sector to create jobs in future: Survey (See 'Corp Brief') Percentage of schools having computers up from 38% to 57%: Economic Survey (See 'Corp Brief') Research in Agri essential to improve production: Survey (See 'Corp Brief') Arbitration Act - Court to appoint independent sole arbitrator as appointment procedure choosed by parties is no longer valid: HC (See 'Legal Desk') 2/3rd of population now covered under National Food Security Act: Survey (See 'Corp Brief') Micro-Irrigation: Loans worth Rs 3640 Cr disbursed: Survey (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Benefit of extension of limitation during COVID-19, cannot be granted to any party merely for asking, especially when there is default on part of party seeking such extension: HC (See 'Legal Desk') RM presents awards to best Marching Contingents and Tableaux of Republic Day (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Pending investigations for inordinate period cannot deprive accused's right to travel abroad, if he is ready to comply with requisite conditions: HC (See 'Legal Desk') 'Gujarat Governance Model' offers best practices to be replicated elsewhere: MoS (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Amount seized by Income Department and adjusted against demand prior to initiation of CIRP, can't be considered as assets of corporate debtor: NCLAT (See 'Legal Desk') India leading Global Energy Transition with unprecedented speed: Joshi (See 'Corp Brief') Mandaviya launches State-Specific Microsites under e-Shram Initiative (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Issue of validity of arbitration agreement more particularly in respect of having essential elements of arbitration agreement, can better be considered and decided on merits by arbitration tribunal: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Minister inaugurates Handloom Conclave-Manthan (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Date of receipt of corrected award would be taken as disposal date u/s 34 of Arbitration Act, even when application u/s 33 has been filed: HC (See 'Legal Desk') 76 on 76: Celebrating India's creative diversity with WAVES Comics (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Sufficiency of reasons over number of days is considered, while determining plea of condonation of delay u/s 37(1)(2) of Arbitration Act: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Minister administers Pledge on TB Mukt Bharat (See 'Corp Brief') Misc - Suit for specific performance does not conclude after passing of decree and court retains its control even after decree is passed: SC (See 'Legal Desk') CCI okays acquisition of shareholding in ITD Cementation by Renew Exim DMCC (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Jurisdiction of arbitral tribunal can't be challenged after submission of statement of defence: SC (See 'Legal Desk') DPIIT, JKEDI sign MoU to strengthen startup ecosystem in J&K (See 'Corp Brief') Trade Marks Act - Plaintiffs are held entitled for decree of permanent injunction restraining defendants from doing business, under trademark 'PENTA': HC (See 'Legal Desk') IPR - Deceptive similarity between INDIA GATE and BHARAT GATE marks is likely to result in confusion or presumption of association between them: HC (See 'Legal Desk')

India ranks 6th among top 10 patent-filing offices globally

Published: Feb 01, 2025

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 01, 2025: THE industrial sector expected to grow by 6.2 per cent in FY-25 as per the first advance estimates of GDP, driven by robust growth in electricity and construction, says the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled in Parliament by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman today. Fostering R&D investments, innovations, enhancing the growth and formalisation of smaller manufacturers will drive growth across various sectors, the Survey adds.

The survey also states that consumer-focused sectors like automobiles, electronics, and pharmaceuticals have emerged as growth drivers. The Economic Survey optimistically observes that with 2.8 per cent of the global share in manufacturing and with increasing shift of manufacturing production towards emerging economies like India and China; India stands a good chance of benefiting from trends in global industrial diversification.

CORE INPUT INDUSTRIES

1. Cement

The Survey mentions that India is the second largest cement producer in the world after China. The government's focus on mega projects like highways, railways, and housing schemes, coupled with rural development and industrial growth, is expected to fuel significant cement demand, the survey adds.

2. Steel Industry

The Survey observes that in April-November of FY25, the country's crude steel and finished steel production registered a growth of 3.3 per cent and 4.6 per cent. The sustained growth in steel sector was fuelled by ongoing development projects and increased public infrastructure spending. The economic survey further adds, Government initiatives on housing, urban and rural infrastructure contributed to the rising demand.

3. Capital Goods

The government has been actively promoting Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, supporting the establishment of Smart Advanced Manufacturing and Rapid Transformation Hub (SAMARTH) Udyog centres.

4. Automobile Industry

In FY24, the industry recorded auto mobile domestic sales growth of 12.5 per cent. Recognising the sector's potential, the government has extended the PLI Scheme by one year.

5. Electronics Industry

The Economic Survey notes that the domestic production of electronic goods has increased substantially from Rs.1.90 lakh crore in FY15 to Rs.9.52 lakh crore in FY24, growing at a CAGR of 17.5 per cent. It observes, programmes such as Make in India and Digital India, along with improved infrastructure, ease of doing business, and various incentives, have boosted domestic manufacturing and drawn foreign investments.

6. Textiles

The Survey says that textile industry is a major employment generator and it accounts for about 11 per cent of India's manufacturing GVA. India is a leading producer of jute and ranks second globally in cotton, silk, and man-made fibre production, the survey adds.

7. Pharmaceuticals

The Survey highlights, Indian pharmaceutical industry is the world's third-largest by volume. The industry boasts of a diverse product portfolio encompassing generic drugs, bulk drugs, over-the-counter medications, vaccines, biosimilars, and biologics, establishing a strong global presence. The Survey further states that the total annual turnover of pharmaceuticals in FY24 was Rs.4.17 lakh crore, growing at an average rate of 10.1 per cent in the last five years. Furthermore, the Survey mentions that the medical devices industry in India is experiencing rapid growth, with a CAGR of approximately 15 per cent.

FLOURISHING INNOVATIONS AMIDST ASPIRATIONS OF ENHANCED R&D

The economic survey notes, India has a robust intellectual property ecosystem. As per the WIPO Report 2022, India ranks sixth among the top 10 patent filing offices globally. The Survey mentions that since the National IPR Policy 2016, amendments to rules governing patents, designs, copyrights, and trademarks have streamlined application processes and reduced compliance. The Patent (Amendment) Rules 2024 has further simplified patent processing, filing and maintenance, the survey adds.

The Economic Survey optimistically emphasizes that synchronised efforts of all tiers of governments, the private sector, the skilling eco-system, academia and R&D institutions, as well, and financial stakeholders to enable India realise its ambition as a manufacturing powerhouse.

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