New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday held a pre-budget meeting with various stakeholders to gather feedback and suggestions from experts and stakeholders across different sectors.

The discussions centred on identifying growth opportunities, addressing challenges, and exploring innovative solutions, the minister said after the meeting.

“The government’s focus is on building a robust maritime ecosystem that supports economic growth and environmental sustainability. With projects like the Vadhavan Mega Transshipment Port and the Cruise India Mission, the ministry is poised to make India a global maritime hub,” Sonowal said.

The minister pointed out that policy reforms in tax and GST, support for shipbuilding, and green initiatives underscore the Ministry’s commitment to economic growth and environmental sustainability, enhancing India’s competitiveness in the maritime sector.

“This interaction has given the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways insightful perspectives that will help in shaping a more inclusive and growth-oriented budget,” the minister said.

The government is committed to developing sustainable, world-class maritime and inland waterways infrastructure to enhance EXIM trade and support economic growth, he added.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is spearheading several strategic initiatives to strengthen India’s maritime sector, focusing on sustainable and world-class infrastructure.

These include the Sagarmala Programme, with projects worth Rs 5100 crore, and the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy supporting shipyards.

The Harit Nauka initiative will promote green fuel transportation in inland waterways, while the Maritime Development Fund (MDF) and Ship Owning and Leasing Entity (SOLE) will support financing to boost ship acquisition and Indian ownership.

The meeting witnessed active participation of more than 150 stakeholders (including online as well) from Major Ports, Shipping sector, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) and representatives from FICCI, CII, National Union of Seafarers of India, Assocham, Shipyard Association of India, Maersk, DP World, JM Baxi, TCI Seaways, MSC etc. –IANS

sps/dan

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Major sectors such as pharma/biotech (6 per cent), AI-ML (20 per cent) and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) (12 per cent) showed positive growth in hiring activity in the month of June, a new report showed on Monday.

According to the Naukri JobSpeak Index, hiring in the pharma/biotech sector showed resilience, with notable growth in cities like Hyderabad (18 per cent), Baroda (27 per cent), and Mumbai (14 per cent).

Hiring was dominated by professionals with over 16 years of experience, contributing to a significant 58 per cent increase year-on-year.

“Gujarat, has been a silver lining in an otherwise turbulent market and it’s now encouraging to see emerging cities in Rajasthan such as Jodhpur and Udaipur join the fray,” said Dr Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer of Naukri.com.

In the IT sector, Jaipur (16 per cent), Kochi (6 per cent) and Delhi-NCR (4 per cent) emerged as bright spots.

Hiring in smaller startups was subdued while unicorns recorded an astonishing 30 per cent growth, according to the report.

Maintaining its momentum, the FMCG sector was buoyed by strong performances in Bengaluru (24 per cent), Delhi (23 per cent), and Mumbai (34 per cent).

While fresher hiring saw a marginal 3 per cent increase, professionals with over 16 years of experience saw a robust 41 per cent growth, the report mentioned.

–IANS

shs/rad

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) The Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based transactions reached 13.89 billion in June, surging 49 per cent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, data by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) showed on Monday.

The transaction volume in June stood at Rs 20.07 lakh crore, 1.9 per cent lower than Rs 20.45 lakh crore in May.

On a YoY basis, the transaction volume surged 36 per cent.

The average daily transaction amount reached Rs 66,903 crore while the average daily transaction count was at 463 million in June. The UPI numbers in the month of May were the highest in terms of value and volume since the UPI came into existence in 2016.

In June, the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transaction volume was down by 7 per cent in June at 517 million, as compared to 558 million in May.

Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) was up by 11 per cent in volume to 100 million in June as against 90 million in May and 95 million in April.

Earlier in the day, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) joined Project Nexus with the four ASEAN countries to create a platform to facilitate instantaneous cross-border retail payments.

Nexus, conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), aims to connect India’s UPI with the fast payment systems of ASEAN members — Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

–IANS

na/rad

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Bhavish Aggarwal-led Ola Electric on Monday announced that it has posted a growth of 107 per cent (Year-on-Year) in June 2024 Electric Vehicle (EV) two-wheeler registrations as compared to the corresponding month in 2023.

According to the government’s VAHAN Portal, the company recorded 36,716 registrations during the month.

It also recorded a 57 per cent growth in the first quarter (Q1) of FY25 over Q1 FY24 and witnessed over 1.08 lakh registrations in the quarter ended June 2024.

“Our steady market leadership reflects the strength of our expansive S1 portfolio with the product offerings across attractive price points, making EVs accessible to everyone,” Anshul Khandelwal, Chief Marketing Officer, Ola Electric, said in a statement.

Ola Electric also surpassed 2 lakh registrations in CY2024, becoming the first EV two-wheeler company to achieve the milestone within the first half of a calendar year.

The company has so far recorded more than 2.28 lakh registrations in 2024.

Ola Electric offers an expansive S1 portfolio with six offerings.

It has recently marked its entry into the mass-market segment with the S1 X portfolio.

Available in three battery configurations — 2 kWh, 3 kWh, and 4 kWh, the scooters are priced at Rs 74,999, Rs 84,999, and Rs 99,999, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ola Electric has received the go-ahead from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its initial public offering (IPO).

Ola Electric’s public issue consists of a fresh issue of Rs 5,500 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 9.51 crore equity shares, according to the draft red herring prospectus.

–IANS

shs/rad

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Automaker Hyundai Motor India has registered a decline of 1.22 per cent in overall auto sales in the month of June, while Kia India reported a growth of 9.8 per cent, the companies said on Monday.

Hyundai Motor registered total sales of 64,803 units — domestic 50,103 units and exports 14,700 units — in June 2024, as compared to 65,601 units sold in June last year.

The automaker also completed the first half (H1) of 2024, with total sales of 3,85,772 units, achieving a growth of 5.68 per cent (year-on-year).

“SUVs have contributed strongly, accounting for 66 per cent of our domestic sales. The new Hyundai CRETA has been a key driver for Domestic H1 sales with 91,348 units sold, a growth of 11 per cent over the same period last year,” Tarun Garg, COO, Hyundai Motor India, said in a statement.

On the other hand, Kia India recorded sales of 21,300 units in June 2024, compared to the 19,391 units sold in June last year. The newly launched Sonet emerged as Kia’s best-selling model for the month, with 9,816 units sold.

The company also sold 126,137 units in H1 2024, marking a 6 per cent growth over the previous half-yearly sales.

“Our superior product offerings have consistently attracted customers to our showrooms throughout the year, maintaining a strong sales position,” said Hardeep Singh Brar, Senior VP and National Head of Sales & Marketing.

The automaker also witnessed significant international demand for ‘Make in India’ vehicles, exporting 3,206 units to the overseas market. For H1 2024, the company’s export figure stands at 12,026 units.

–IANS

shs/dan