A Facilitation Mela for registration and licensing procedures of FSAA was conducted under the aegis of the The Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cochin here. Dr G Srinivasan, Deputy Director, FSSAI, Chennai who has jurisdiction over all the States in South India made a detailed presentation on the salient features of the FSS Act and narrated the nuances of getting registration and licenses easily. He was accompanied by other FSSA officials Ms Uma, in charge of Kerala State and Ms Geethu who overseas Karnataka. The mela was of immense benefit for many Traders and manufacturers in SME sector to know more about the Licensing procedures. As many as 40 licences were generated online and handed over to applicants across the counter at the spot.
The doubts were clarified and one could get the licenses within minutes, which otherwise would have taken a long time, said a senior official of Hindustan Lever who was one among many others who took part in the Facilitation Mela. It was a great occasion to get a clear picture about various procedures involved and it was very simple process to get the license issued.
Indian Chamber is very happy to be associated with organising the event and many such programs will be organised in the coming days which will ultimately benefit the trade, according to Nishesh Shah, President of the Chamber. National level head Ujwal Kumar and other executives of CQM Techno, Bangalore based consultants were present to augment the licensing and registration activities.
For favour of publication through your esteemed media.
PS: Photograph attached. Caption: Dr G Srinivasan, Dy Director, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in charge for Southern States making a presentation at the Facilitation Mela held under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also seen are Ramakrishnan, Secretary of Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, President of the Indian Chamber
Mrs. Sheela Thomas exhorted the youth to take up professional career in Agriculture sector, instead of going after traditional careers. Also, the professionals in Agriculture should reach out to farming levels directly. There are many professional courses in the sector. She was speaking after inaugu
Jun 22, 2012
Mrs. Sheela Thomas exhorted the youth to take up professional career in Agriculture sector, instead of going after traditional careers. Also, the professionals in Agriculture should reach out to farming levels directly. There are many professional courses in the sector. She was speaking after inaugurating the Agri Wisdom seminar focusing on the development and sustainable growth of agriculture sector in Kerala, organised under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with ICICI Bank, Coir Board and Rubber Board. Adding that the State is poised for a resurgence in the sector, Sheela Thomas mentioned that there is substantial delay in making available the products of Research Institutes to the farm level. If the trend is reversed, productivity would increase which will lead to quality products.
In his Keynote address, former Kerala Agriculture University VC K R Vishwambharan said the non-availability of land for cultivation is one of the biggest challenges faced by the farmers. “The government should take steps to make sure that the price for the land for agriculture purpose is fixed in a reasonable way. The policies of the government should be changed in this regard”, he said.
ICCI President Prakash James and ICICI Bank Zonal head T V Narayanan also spoke. A motivational session was handled by Dynamic Results Managing Director Christopher C Doyle. Senior journalist Sreekumar Raghavan moderated a panel discussion on the topic – Kerala, a hub of agri products. The panellists included Philip Kuruvila, Chairman, World Spice Organisation, Kumaraswamy Pillai, Director – Marketing, Coir Board, Sasi Varma, Executive Director, Cashew Export Promotion Council, and Ganesh, South Zonal Head, ICICI Bank.
Seminar on Food Safety & Standards Act 2006
Jun 22, 2012
Lack of Awareness about various provisions of the FSS Act 2006 is the major hurdle faced by the constituents in the food supply chain. Understanding the Act has become inevitable for the consumers as well as for the food business operators. It is imperative that they register or get licence for their trade under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, before August 4, 2012. said Dr. G S Rajorhia, Principal Consultant of Indian Registrar of Quality Systems, New Delhi, while inaugurating the Seminar on Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (FSSA) and its impact on food Industry organised under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cochin. The Act will affect various sectors of food industry.
All Food Business Operators (FBO) from transporters to sellers will need to comply with the rules under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a single reference point for all matters relating to Food Safety and Standards, Regulations and enforcement. Under this FSS Act, 2006, it is mandatory on all FBOs including big hoteliers, small canteens, road side hawkers, wholesalers, retailers, stockists and food item sellers including grocers to obtain licenses under this Act.
With the implementation of the act, the quality of the food items is expected to be enhanced and accountability will be set to the Food Business Operators. Under the new provisions of Act, an application for registration or for license will have to be acted upon within two months, pointing out deficiencies if any.
A help centre will be opened soon at the Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said Mr. Prakash James, President, ICCI. This will be immense benefit to the trade.
CQM Quality Management Country Head, Mr Ujjwal Kumar, Mr. Nishesh Shah, Vice President ICCI and Mr. S Ramakrishnan, Secretary ICCI also spoke on the occasion.
For favour of publication in your esteemed media
Photograph attached
Caption: Indian Chamber President Prakash James speaking at the Seminar on Food Safety & Standards Act 2006. Also seen are Ujwal Kumar, country Head, CQM, Dr Rajohria, Prinicipal Consultant, Indian Register of Quality Systems, Nishesh Shah, Vice President ICCI and Ramakrishnan, Secretary ICCI.
Workshop on Trade Facilitation
Mar 06, 2012
March 3, 3012
International competition is getting intense and India needs to improve the efficiency in expediting the flow of goods at minimum time and cost according to Shashank Priya, Professor, Centre for WTO Studies, Govt of India. With 12 major sea ports, 187 minor ports, 36 functional international airports, 155 ICDS & CFS and another 100 under development, India has one of the largest number of customs clearing points in the world. He was speaking at the Seminar organized under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and FICCI New Delhi here.
The objective of the workshop was to have consultation with the stakeholders including Exporters/Importers, Freight Forwarders, CHAs, ports Authorities, Shipping Agencies etc to assess various procedural problems faced by them, which increase the turnaround time and transaction costs for Exports/Imports. The workshop also provided a forum for interaction between policy-makers and business community to address various aspects of Trade Facilitation. The well attended seminar saw participation from Krishnakumar, Deputy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust among others.
Dr. Rajiv Arora, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, Shashank Priya, Professor, Centre for WTO Studies, Federation of Freight Forwarders Association in India Vice Chairman V S Pradeep, FICCI Assistant Secretary General Manab Majumdar, Cochin Custom House Agents Association President A A Abdul Azeez, Indian Chamber President P L Prakash James, Vice President Nishesh Shah, S Ramakrishnan, Secretary also spoke on the occasion.
For Favor of Publication in your esteemed media
Photographs attached
Thanks & Regards
S Ramakrishnan
Secretary
Photo Caption:
Indian Chamber President Prakash James speaking at the Seminar on Trade Facilitation organised in association with FICCI. Also seen are Nishesh Shah, Vice President, VS Pradeep, Vice Chairman, FFFAI, Shashank Priya, Dept of Commerce, Govt of India, CP Jain, FICCI Executive Committee Member, Rajiv Arora, JDGFT, New Delhi, Adbul Azeez, President, CCHAA and Manab Majundar, Asst Secretary General FICCI.
India is at the front ranks of Australia\'s International Partnerships
Feb 10, 2012
India is at the front ranks of Australia\'s International Partnerships
February 10, 2012
Press Release
India is at the front ranks of Australia’s international partnerships, and the growing strength of partnership between India and Australia has doubled the trade from AUD 8 billion in 2005 to AUD 22 billion in 2011 with trade expected to double again to USD 40 billion by 2015 said Mr David Holly, Consul General of Australia at an interactive session organized by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin here today.
The growing strength of bilateral investment partnership between India and Australia has made Australia the third largest revenue sources for India’s IT companies, many of which are located in Kerala. That investment will also bring Western Australian LNG to Kochi’s LNG Terminal from 2014, he added. Australia has 8 active higher education tie-ups with the state of Kerala, including two from State of Western Australia.
With a population base of just 22 million, there is a dearth of about 2 million jobs in skilled and semi skilled area in Australia, where India can take advantage with its vast base of educated unemployed youths.
“We have increased the Australian government’s representation in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and opened an office in Kochi”, the Consul General said.
Earlier, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, Vice President also spoke on the occasion.
For favour of publication in your esteemed media
Photographs attached.
S. Ramakrishnan
Secretary
Photo Caption: Mr David Holly, Consul General of Australia participating in the interactive discussion with Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also seen are Nisesh Shah, Vice President, Prakash James, President and Ramakrishnan, Secretary of Indian Chamber.
Arbitration route to be encouraged to resolve Commercial disputes
Feb 02, 2012
Arbitration route to be encouraged to resolve Commercial disputes
The tendency to challenge almost all arbitration awards in the Courts should be discouraged, according to supreme court lawyer and eminent arbitrator Arvind Minocha. For a state like Kerala which is fast emerging as an investment destination, we need to have an equipped system of dispute resolution, he said while addressing an interactive session under the aegis of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mattancherry, the other day.
There is an immediate need to fill up the vacancies of Judges at various courts in the country, as this has resulted in huge backlog of pending cases. India is perhaps the only country which has a judge per hundred thousand people, while in advanced countries this is about ten thousand. He exhorted the authorities to address this issue.
The importance of Arbitration clauses/agreements, the procedural steps for initiating arbitration, matters related to arbitral awards, challenging arbitral decisions etc needs to be understood by the business institutions in India. Arbitration is vital tool to ease doing business. Arbitrators could be a technocrat or from any other fields of business depending on the case.
Earlier, Ramakrishnan, Secretary Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Jithin Varghese of Centre for Public Policy and Research spoke.
For favor of publication through your esteemed media. A Photograph is also attached.
Interactive Session with Consul General, Republic of South Africa
Jan 24, 2012
South Africa offers tremendous opportunities especially in the field of Tourism, Shipbuilding and Seafood processing which are of interest to Kerala, said Pule Malefane, Consul General of Republic of South Africa. He was speaking at the interactive session held under the aegis of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin here today.
South Africa with its cent percent FDI policy with repatriation, lowest tax rates with incentives and first class infrastructure facilities offers sound investment avenues to a prospective businessman. South Africa is the wealthiest nation in the world with natural resources in abundance, including diamond, gold, platinum and other high value metals, and acts as a gateway to other nations in the continent.
Earlier, Seema Sardah, Consul Economic made a presentation showcasing the economic parameters and other information useful to an Indian investor. Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Ramakrishnan, Secretary also spoke on the occasion.
For favour of publication in your esteemed media. Photographs attached.
S. Ramakrishnan
Secretary
9388166274
Interactive Session on Ban of Plastic Carry Bags of less than 40microns
Jan 12, 2012
Interactive Session on Ban of Plastic Carry Bags of less than 40microns
An Interactive session with the office bearers of various Resident’s Association of Kochi was organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Chamber Auditorium. Cochin Corporation Health Standing Committee Chairman Shri T K Ashraf in his inaugural address mentioned that the decision to implement the ban of plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns from January 16, 2012 is based on the judgement of the Apex Court. He expressed hope that all residents of the city would extend their co-operation for this project, which will ultimately benefit them in the long run. As part of spreading awareness among the masses, Corporation has chalked out plans to engage the services of about thousand students from city schools who will be divided into fifty groups. Plans are also in the offing to incorporate a campaign in schools from next academic year including rewarding the students for collecting plastics. All the development projects will be successful only with the support of public, he added.
Cochin Corporation Health Officer Dr C Santha in her remarks added that excess use of plastics by households create great hindrance in the environment. The plastic wastes which are disposed by the public into drains leads to clogging and increase mosquito breeding in stagnant water leading to various health hazards. She lauded the involvement of the Indian Chamber by donating twenty five bicycles to the Corporation in its effort to conduct efficient fogging in interior areas of the city.
The Interactive Session was chaired by Chamber President Shri P L Prakash James. Also, Councillor Smt B A Rejula of Cochin Corporation, Office bearers of Residents Association in Kochi spoke. Chamber Vice President Shri Nishesh Shah proposed the vote of thanks. Photograph attached.
Thanks and Regards
S. Ramakrishnan B.Tech, MBA
Secretary
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Cochin 682002
Phone: 0484 2225966/4335
Cell: 93881 66274
Email: rama.krishnan@iccicochin.com
Kindly visit www.iccicochin.com for more updates on our activities
Photo caption: TK Ashraf, Chairman, Standing Committee for Health, Kochi Corporation speaking at the interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin. Also seen are, Rejula, Councillor, Dr Santha, Health Officer, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, Vice President.
Interactive Session on Ban of Plastic Carry Bags of less than 40microns
Jan 12, 2012
Interactive Session on Ban of Plastic Carry Bags of less than 40microns
An Interactive session with the office bearers of various Resident’s Association of Kochi was organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Chamber Auditorium. Cochin Corporation Health Standing Committee Chairman Shri T K Ashraf in his inaugural address mentioned that the decision to implement the ban of plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns from January 16, 2012 is based on the judgement of the Apex Court. He expressed hope that all residents of the city would extend their co-operation for this project, which will ultimately benefit them in the long run. As part of spreading awareness among the masses, Corporation has chalked out plans to engage the services of about thousand students from city schools who will be divided into fifty groups. Plans are also in the offing to incorporate a campaign in schools from next academic year including rewarding the students for collecting plastics. All the development projects will be successful only with the support of public, he added.
Cochin Corporation Health Officer Dr C Santha in her remarks added that excess use of plastics by households create great hindrance in the environment. The plastic wastes which are disposed by the public into drains leads to clogging and increase mosquito breeding in stagnant water leading to various health hazards. She lauded the involvement of the Indian Chamber by donating twenty five bicycles to the Corporation in its effort to conduct efficient fogging in interior areas of the city.
The Interactive Session was chaired by Chamber President Shri P L Prakash James. Also, Councillor Smt B A Rejula of Cochin Corporation, Office bearers of Residents Association in Kochi spoke. Chamber Vice President Shri Nishesh Shah proposed the vote of thanks. Photograph attached.
Thanks and Regards
S. Ramakrishnan B.Tech, MBA
Secretary
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Cochin 682002
Phone: 0484 2225966/4335
Cell: 93881 66274
Email: rama.krishnan@iccicochin.com
Kindly visit www.iccicochin.com for more updates on our activities
Photo caption: TK Ashraf, Chairman, Standing Committee for Health, Kochi Corporation speaking at the interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin. Also seen are, Rejula, Councillor, Dr Santha, Health Officer, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, Vice President.
Resolve commuter’s woes before moving to Mobility Hub
Nov 02, 2011
The decision to divert long distance KSRTC buses to vytilla mobility hub is welcome, but at the same time, the issues faced by the commuters need to be resolved before implementation. The present system should be allowed to continue till a proper alternative is in place so that commuters are not put to difficulties.
Presently, these buses ply through Thoppumpady and reach its destination at Ernakulam. The decision to end the trip at Vytilla Mobility Hub should also be followed with the same route. Also, circular bus services should be introduced from the Hub to the interior parts of the city covering mofussil areas. The commuters from the West Kochi are the hardest hit especially at night, when they have to depend on the auto and others and have to pay exorbitant rates to reach home.
The Indian Chamber is ready to co-operate with KSRTC or others in reaching a suitable solution, according to Prakash James, President of the Chamber. We have taken up the matter with the Chief Minister, Transport Minister and others, he added.
Workshop on Challenges and Opportunities for SMEs
Nov 02, 2011
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with FICCI ladies Organisation (FLO), a wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), New Delhi organised Two-day Workshop on Challenges and Opportunities for SMEs for the benefit of the small scale entrepreneurs as well as the prospective entrepreneurs.
Mrs Bhadra Satheesh, Deputy Mayor, Cochin Corporation inaugurated the workshop. There were different sessions on topics of interest to SMEs, like opportunities in Technology sector, Manufacturing, Service Industry, Outsourcing, Source Finance schemes, etc handled by experts in the field. Mr. Thomaskutty, Executive Director, KSIDC, Mr SR Nair, MD, Teamfrontline, Mrs. Sushama Srikandath of AVT McCormick, Mr. Mohan Namhisan, Asst. Director, MSME Development Institute, Thrissur, Mr Damodar Avanoor, Gen Secretary, KSSIA, Mr Sukumar, AGM, SIDBI, Mr Sajith Gopinath, Faculty, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad led different sessions. The highlight of the program was an experience sharing session on ‘Secrets to Success’ led by three leading lady entrepreneurs who have been successful in their ventures viz, Mrs.Sheela Kochouseph, MD, V Star Creations, Mrs. Parveen Hafiz, MD, Sunrise Hospitals, and Mrs. Jyoti D Aswani, MD, My Kingdom.
Earlier Mrs. Shipra Chatterjee, Executive Director, FICCI FLO, New Delhi, Prakash James, President Indian Chamber, and Ramakrishnan, Secretary also spoke.
The participants were really benefitted by the diverse views on various topics of relevance to them.
We are attaching few photographs of the program and request you to kindly give good coverage through your esteemed media.
Photocaption: Dy Mayor Mrs Bhadra Satheesh inaugurating two day workshop on Opportunities and Challenges in SME Sector organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly with FICCI Ladies Organisation. Also seen are Ramakrishnan, Secretary, Indian Chamber, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Surendran, New Delhi Resident representative
Trade Seminar on Fast Track to expand business with China and International markets via Hongkong!
Oct 13, 2011
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) jointly organized a business seminar on “Fast track to expand business with China and International markets via Hong Kong” on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at Hotel Le Meridian.
“Hong Kong is the ideal partner for Indian companies to explore partnership opportunities ranging from international trading, sourcing, manufacturing to fund-raising and a well regulated banking system are among the advantages that Hong Kong offers for those who wish to expand their business” – Ms Loretta Wan said while inaugurating the seminar.
The Indian Companies could easily explore the growing demands for business services and technologies in Hong Kong, she said. The Government of China offers an investor friendly approach to the investments made in their home ground. Hong Kong plays a vital part in the emerging business environment in China.
There are 747 Million Mobile users and 300 Million internet users in China. The GDP growth rate measures a 10.2% increase every year and the Industry Growth rate shows an increase of 20.8%. HKTDC is the only official trade promotion body in Hong Kong, organising about thirty international trade fairs in Hong Kong annually. Hong Kong Trade Development council has about eleven offices functioning in Hong Kong which offers services to the investors, she added.
Ms Loretta Wan, Regional Director, South East Asia & India and Mr. Rajesh Bhagat, India Consultant, HKTDC made presentation on international trade opportunities and the practical assistance that HKTDC can offer to assist Indian businessmen. ICCI President Mr. P L Prakash James, Vice President Nishesh Shah spoke.
For favour of publication through your esteemed media.
S. Ramakrishnan
Secretary
Photograph attached:Ms Loretta Wan, Regional Director speaking at the trade seminar. Nishesh Shah, Prakash James and Rajesh Bhagat are also seen
Processing of Visa application at US Consulate within a business day reaches 97%.
Oct 03, 2011
The US Consulate for South India processes almost 97% of visa applications within a business day of receipt of application, according to Mr. Peter Lohman, Visa Consul, US Consulate, Chennai. He said the efforts are on to reach the full level of processing. He was speaking at an interactive session organised under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, here today. If the credentials and the intentions of the applicant are honest and transparent, there is no room for delay in clearing the visa.
India is becoming a major constituent in the business agenda of American Small and Medium enterprises in the States. Among the forthcoming programmes the US Consulate co-ordinates in the coming months include a delegation consisting of 21 important Universities visiting Chennai on the 12th October to study prospects of collaboration. Also on the anvil are diverse delegations in the field of Bio technology, renewable energy resources, Medical industry scheduled to visit South India in the next two months.
The Indian Chamber is keen to pursue the possibility of commencing a virtual technological hub to disseminate information on commercial matters, in the Chamber premises very soon with USIS, according to Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
NEW OFFICE INAUGURATION
Sep 13, 2011
The new Office of the Indian Chamber at New Delhi was inaugurated by Mr. KV Thomas, Hon’ble Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution at a function organised on July 23, 2011 at the Indian Chamber Auditorium, Mattancherry.
Interactive Session on Opportunities for Higher Education in USA on May 8, 2013 at Indian Chamber Hall.
Kindly Contact the Chamber office for Registration or forward your details to info@iccicochin.com
National Seminar on 500th Year of the Arrival of Jews in Kochi was held on March 7, 2013.
FSSAI Harmonisation Workshop was held on March 11, 2013 at Hotel Avenue Regent, Ernakulam.
Flowershow Fortkochi was organised by ICCI in association with Cochin Horticultural Forum from February 23 to March 3, 2013 at Veli Grounds, Fortkochi
The Flowershow Fortkochi will be inaugurated by Mr. K V Thomas,Hon\'ble Union Minister at 5.30 PM on Friday, February 22, 2013 at the venue.
SME Summit 2013 was held on February 27, 2013.
Budget Bytess-Analysis of the Union Budget 2013-14 was held on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Gokulam Convention Centre, Kaloor, Cochin.
Multi Sector Trade Mission to Cochin was held on February 6, 2013 at Hotel Le Meredien, Cochin.
A Facilitation Mela for registration and licensing procedures of FSAA was conducted under the aegis of the The Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cochin here. Dr G Srinivasan, Deputy Director, FSSAI, Chennai who has jurisdiction over all the States in South India made a detailed presentation on the salient features of the FSS Act and narrated the nuances of getting registration and licenses easily. He was accompanied by other FSSA officials Ms Uma, in charge of Kerala State and Ms Geethu who overseas Karnataka. The mela was of immense benefit for many Traders and manufacturers in SME sector to know more about the Licensing procedures. As many as 40 licences were generated online and handed over to applicants across the counter at the spot.
The doubts were clarified and one could get the licenses within minutes, which otherwise would have taken a long time, said a senior official of Hindustan Lever who was one among many others who took part in the Facilitation Mela. It was a great occasion to get a clear picture about various procedures involved and it was very simple process to get the license issued.
Indian Chamber is very happy to be associated with organising the event and many such programs will be organised in the coming days which will ultimately benefit the trade, according to Nishesh Shah, President of the Chamber. National level head Ujwal Kumar and other executives of CQM Techno, Bangalore based consultants were present to augment the licensing and registration activities.
For favour of publication through your esteemed media.
PS: Photograph attached. Caption: Dr G Srinivasan, Dy Director, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in charge for Southern States making a presentation at the Facilitation Mela held under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also seen are Ramakrishnan, Secretary of Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, President of the Indian Chamber
Lack of Awareness about various provisions of the FSS Act 2006 is the major hurdle faced by the constituents in the food supply chain. Understanding the Act has become inevitable for the consumers as well as for the food business operators. It is imperative that they register or get licence for their trade under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, before August 4, 2012. said Dr. G S Rajorhia, Principal Consultant of Indian Registrar of Quality Systems, New Delhi, while inaugurating the Seminar on Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (FSSA) and its impact on food Industry organised under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cochin. The Act will affect various sectors of food industry.
All Food Business Operators (FBO) from transporters to sellers will need to comply with the rules under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a single reference point for all matters relating to Food Safety and Standards, Regulations and enforcement. Under this FSS Act, 2006, it is mandatory on all FBOs including big hoteliers, small canteens, road side hawkers, wholesalers, retailers, stockists and food item sellers including grocers to obtain licenses under this Act.
With the implementation of the act, the quality of the food items is expected to be enhanced and accountability will be set to the Food Business Operators. Under the new provisions of Act, an application for registration or for license will have to be acted upon within two months, pointing out deficiencies if any.
A help centre will be opened soon at the Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said Mr. Prakash James, President, ICCI. This will be immense benefit to the trade.
CQM Quality Management Country Head, Mr Ujjwal Kumar, Mr. Nishesh Shah, Vice President ICCI and Mr. S Ramakrishnan, Secretary ICCI also spoke on the occasion.
For favour of publication in your esteemed media
Photograph attached
Caption: Indian Chamber President Prakash James speaking at the Seminar on Food Safety & Standards Act 2006. Also seen are Ujwal Kumar, country Head, CQM, Dr Rajohria, Prinicipal Consultant, Indian Register of Quality Systems, Nishesh Shah, Vice President ICCI and Ramakrishnan, Secretary ICCI.
March 3, 3012
International competition is getting intense and India needs to improve the efficiency in expediting the flow of goods at minimum time and cost according to Shashank Priya, Professor, Centre for WTO Studies, Govt of India. With 12 major sea ports, 187 minor ports, 36 functional international airports, 155 ICDS & CFS and another 100 under development, India has one of the largest number of customs clearing points in the world. He was speaking at the Seminar organized under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and FICCI New Delhi here.
The objective of the workshop was to have consultation with the stakeholders including Exporters/Importers, Freight Forwarders, CHAs, ports Authorities, Shipping Agencies etc to assess various procedural problems faced by them, which increase the turnaround time and transaction costs for Exports/Imports. The workshop also provided a forum for interaction between policy-makers and business community to address various aspects of Trade Facilitation. The well attended seminar saw participation from Krishnakumar, Deputy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust among others.
Dr. Rajiv Arora, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, Shashank Priya, Professor, Centre for WTO Studies, Federation of Freight Forwarders Association in India Vice Chairman V S Pradeep, FICCI Assistant Secretary General Manab Majumdar, Cochin Custom House Agents Association President A A Abdul Azeez, Indian Chamber President P L Prakash James, Vice President Nishesh Shah, S Ramakrishnan, Secretary also spoke on the occasion.
For Favor of Publication in your esteemed media
Photographs attached
Thanks & Regards
S Ramakrishnan
Secretary
Photo Caption:
Indian Chamber President Prakash James speaking at the Seminar on Trade Facilitation organised in association with FICCI. Also seen are Nishesh Shah, Vice President, VS Pradeep, Vice Chairman, FFFAI, Shashank Priya, Dept of Commerce, Govt of India, CP Jain, FICCI Executive Committee Member, Rajiv Arora, JDGFT, New Delhi, Adbul Azeez, President, CCHAA and Manab Majundar, Asst Secretary General FICCI.
India is at the front ranks of Australia\'s International Partnerships
February 10, 2012
Press Release
India is at the front ranks of Australia’s international partnerships, and the growing strength of partnership between India and Australia has doubled the trade from AUD 8 billion in 2005 to AUD 22 billion in 2011 with trade expected to double again to USD 40 billion by 2015 said Mr David Holly, Consul General of Australia at an interactive session organized by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin here today.
The growing strength of bilateral investment partnership between India and Australia has made Australia the third largest revenue sources for India’s IT companies, many of which are located in Kerala. That investment will also bring Western Australian LNG to Kochi’s LNG Terminal from 2014, he added. Australia has 8 active higher education tie-ups with the state of Kerala, including two from State of Western Australia.
With a population base of just 22 million, there is a dearth of about 2 million jobs in skilled and semi skilled area in Australia, where India can take advantage with its vast base of educated unemployed youths.
“We have increased the Australian government’s representation in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and opened an office in Kochi”, the Consul General said.
Earlier, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, Vice President also spoke on the occasion.
For favour of publication in your esteemed media
Photographs attached.
S. Ramakrishnan
Secretary
Photo Caption: Mr David Holly, Consul General of Australia participating in the interactive discussion with Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also seen are Nisesh Shah, Vice President, Prakash James, President and Ramakrishnan, Secretary of Indian Chamber.
Arbitration route to be encouraged to resolve Commercial disputes
The tendency to challenge almost all arbitration awards in the Courts should be discouraged, according to supreme court lawyer and eminent arbitrator Arvind Minocha. For a state like Kerala which is fast emerging as an investment destination, we need to have an equipped system of dispute resolution, he said while addressing an interactive session under the aegis of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mattancherry, the other day.
There is an immediate need to fill up the vacancies of Judges at various courts in the country, as this has resulted in huge backlog of pending cases. India is perhaps the only country which has a judge per hundred thousand people, while in advanced countries this is about ten thousand. He exhorted the authorities to address this issue.
The importance of Arbitration clauses/agreements, the procedural steps for initiating arbitration, matters related to arbitral awards, challenging arbitral decisions etc needs to be understood by the business institutions in India. Arbitration is vital tool to ease doing business. Arbitrators could be a technocrat or from any other fields of business depending on the case.
Earlier, Ramakrishnan, Secretary Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Jithin Varghese of Centre for Public Policy and Research spoke.
For favor of publication through your esteemed media. A Photograph is also attached.
South Africa offers tremendous opportunities especially in the field of Tourism, Shipbuilding and Seafood processing which are of interest to Kerala, said Pule Malefane, Consul General of Republic of South Africa. He was speaking at the interactive session held under the aegis of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin here today.
South Africa with its cent percent FDI policy with repatriation, lowest tax rates with incentives and first class infrastructure facilities offers sound investment avenues to a prospective businessman. South Africa is the wealthiest nation in the world with natural resources in abundance, including diamond, gold, platinum and other high value metals, and acts as a gateway to other nations in the continent.
Earlier, Seema Sardah, Consul Economic made a presentation showcasing the economic parameters and other information useful to an Indian investor. Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Ramakrishnan, Secretary also spoke on the occasion.
For favour of publication in your esteemed media. Photographs attached.
S. Ramakrishnan
Secretary
9388166274
Interactive Session on Ban of Plastic Carry Bags of less than 40microns
An Interactive session with the office bearers of various Resident’s Association of Kochi was organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Chamber Auditorium. Cochin Corporation Health Standing Committee Chairman Shri T K Ashraf in his inaugural address mentioned that the decision to implement the ban of plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns from January 16, 2012 is based on the judgement of the Apex Court. He expressed hope that all residents of the city would extend their co-operation for this project, which will ultimately benefit them in the long run. As part of spreading awareness among the masses, Corporation has chalked out plans to engage the services of about thousand students from city schools who will be divided into fifty groups. Plans are also in the offing to incorporate a campaign in schools from next academic year including rewarding the students for collecting plastics. All the development projects will be successful only with the support of public, he added.
Cochin Corporation Health Officer Dr C Santha in her remarks added that excess use of plastics by households create great hindrance in the environment. The plastic wastes which are disposed by the public into drains leads to clogging and increase mosquito breeding in stagnant water leading to various health hazards. She lauded the involvement of the Indian Chamber by donating twenty five bicycles to the Corporation in its effort to conduct efficient fogging in interior areas of the city.
The Interactive Session was chaired by Chamber President Shri P L Prakash James. Also, Councillor Smt B A Rejula of Cochin Corporation, Office bearers of Residents Association in Kochi spoke. Chamber Vice President Shri Nishesh Shah proposed the vote of thanks. Photograph attached.
Thanks and Regards
S. Ramakrishnan B.Tech, MBA
Secretary
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Cochin 682002
Phone: 0484 2225966/4335
Cell: 93881 66274
Email: rama.krishnan@iccicochin.com
Kindly visit www.iccicochin.com for more updates on our activities
Photo caption: TK Ashraf, Chairman, Standing Committee for Health, Kochi Corporation speaking at the interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin. Also seen are, Rejula, Councillor, Dr Santha, Health Officer, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, Vice President.
Interactive Session on Ban of Plastic Carry Bags of less than 40microns
An Interactive session with the office bearers of various Resident’s Association of Kochi was organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Chamber Auditorium. Cochin Corporation Health Standing Committee Chairman Shri T K Ashraf in his inaugural address mentioned that the decision to implement the ban of plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns from January 16, 2012 is based on the judgement of the Apex Court. He expressed hope that all residents of the city would extend their co-operation for this project, which will ultimately benefit them in the long run. As part of spreading awareness among the masses, Corporation has chalked out plans to engage the services of about thousand students from city schools who will be divided into fifty groups. Plans are also in the offing to incorporate a campaign in schools from next academic year including rewarding the students for collecting plastics. All the development projects will be successful only with the support of public, he added.
Cochin Corporation Health Officer Dr C Santha in her remarks added that excess use of plastics by households create great hindrance in the environment. The plastic wastes which are disposed by the public into drains leads to clogging and increase mosquito breeding in stagnant water leading to various health hazards. She lauded the involvement of the Indian Chamber by donating twenty five bicycles to the Corporation in its effort to conduct efficient fogging in interior areas of the city.
The Interactive Session was chaired by Chamber President Shri P L Prakash James. Also, Councillor Smt B A Rejula of Cochin Corporation, Office bearers of Residents Association in Kochi spoke. Chamber Vice President Shri Nishesh Shah proposed the vote of thanks. Photograph attached.
Thanks and Regards
S. Ramakrishnan B.Tech, MBA
Secretary
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Cochin 682002
Phone: 0484 2225966/4335
Cell: 93881 66274
Email: rama.krishnan@iccicochin.com
Kindly visit www.iccicochin.com for more updates on our activities
Photo caption: TK Ashraf, Chairman, Standing Committee for Health, Kochi Corporation speaking at the interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cochin. Also seen are, Rejula, Councillor, Dr Santha, Health Officer, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Nishesh Shah, Vice President.
The decision to divert long distance KSRTC buses to vytilla mobility hub is welcome, but at the same time, the issues faced by the commuters need to be resolved before implementation. The present system should be allowed to continue till a proper alternative is in place so that commuters are not put to difficulties.
Presently, these buses ply through Thoppumpady and reach its destination at Ernakulam. The decision to end the trip at Vytilla Mobility Hub should also be followed with the same route. Also, circular bus services should be introduced from the Hub to the interior parts of the city covering mofussil areas. The commuters from the West Kochi are the hardest hit especially at night, when they have to depend on the auto and others and have to pay exorbitant rates to reach home.
The Indian Chamber is ready to co-operate with KSRTC or others in reaching a suitable solution, according to Prakash James, President of the Chamber. We have taken up the matter with the Chief Minister, Transport Minister and others, he added.
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with FICCI ladies Organisation (FLO), a wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), New Delhi organised Two-day Workshop on Challenges and Opportunities for SMEs for the benefit of the small scale entrepreneurs as well as the prospective entrepreneurs.
Mrs Bhadra Satheesh, Deputy Mayor, Cochin Corporation inaugurated the workshop. There were different sessions on topics of interest to SMEs, like opportunities in Technology sector, Manufacturing, Service Industry, Outsourcing, Source Finance schemes, etc handled by experts in the field. Mr. Thomaskutty, Executive Director, KSIDC, Mr SR Nair, MD, Teamfrontline, Mrs. Sushama Srikandath of AVT McCormick, Mr. Mohan Namhisan, Asst. Director, MSME Development Institute, Thrissur, Mr Damodar Avanoor, Gen Secretary, KSSIA, Mr Sukumar, AGM, SIDBI, Mr Sajith Gopinath, Faculty, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad led different sessions. The highlight of the program was an experience sharing session on ‘Secrets to Success’ led by three leading lady entrepreneurs who have been successful in their ventures viz, Mrs.Sheela Kochouseph, MD, V Star Creations, Mrs. Parveen Hafiz, MD, Sunrise Hospitals, and Mrs. Jyoti D Aswani, MD, My Kingdom.
Earlier Mrs. Shipra Chatterjee, Executive Director, FICCI FLO, New Delhi, Prakash James, President Indian Chamber, and Ramakrishnan, Secretary also spoke.
The participants were really benefitted by the diverse views on various topics of relevance to them.
We are attaching few photographs of the program and request you to kindly give good coverage through your esteemed media.
Photocaption: Dy Mayor Mrs Bhadra Satheesh inaugurating two day workshop on Opportunities and Challenges in SME Sector organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly with FICCI Ladies Organisation. Also seen are Ramakrishnan, Secretary, Indian Chamber, Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber and Surendran, New Delhi Resident representative
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) jointly organized a business seminar on “Fast track to expand business with China and International markets via Hong Kong” on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at Hotel Le Meridian.
“Hong Kong is the ideal partner for Indian companies to explore partnership opportunities ranging from international trading, sourcing, manufacturing to fund-raising and a well regulated banking system are among the advantages that Hong Kong offers for those who wish to expand their business” – Ms Loretta Wan said while inaugurating the seminar.
The Indian Companies could easily explore the growing demands for business services and technologies in Hong Kong, she said. The Government of China offers an investor friendly approach to the investments made in their home ground. Hong Kong plays a vital part in the emerging business environment in China.
There are 747 Million Mobile users and 300 Million internet users in China. The GDP growth rate measures a 10.2% increase every year and the Industry Growth rate shows an increase of 20.8%. HKTDC is the only official trade promotion body in Hong Kong, organising about thirty international trade fairs in Hong Kong annually. Hong Kong Trade Development council has about eleven offices functioning in Hong Kong which offers services to the investors, she added.
Ms Loretta Wan, Regional Director, South East Asia & India and Mr. Rajesh Bhagat, India Consultant, HKTDC made presentation on international trade opportunities and the practical assistance that HKTDC can offer to assist Indian businessmen. ICCI President Mr. P L Prakash James, Vice President Nishesh Shah spoke.
For favour of publication through your esteemed media.
S. Ramakrishnan
Secretary
Photograph attached:Ms Loretta Wan, Regional Director speaking at the trade seminar. Nishesh Shah, Prakash James and Rajesh Bhagat are also seen
The US Consulate for South India processes almost 97% of visa applications within a business day of receipt of application, according to Mr. Peter Lohman, Visa Consul, US Consulate, Chennai. He said the efforts are on to reach the full level of processing. He was speaking at an interactive session organised under the aegis of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, here today. If the credentials and the intentions of the applicant are honest and transparent, there is no room for delay in clearing the visa.
India is becoming a major constituent in the business agenda of American Small and Medium enterprises in the States. Among the forthcoming programmes the US Consulate co-ordinates in the coming months include a delegation consisting of 21 important Universities visiting Chennai on the 12th October to study prospects of collaboration. Also on the anvil are diverse delegations in the field of Bio technology, renewable energy resources, Medical industry scheduled to visit South India in the next two months.
The Indian Chamber is keen to pursue the possibility of commencing a virtual technological hub to disseminate information on commercial matters, in the Chamber premises very soon with USIS, according to Prakash James, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The new Office of the Indian Chamber at New Delhi was inaugurated by Mr. KV Thomas, Hon’ble Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution at a function organised on July 23, 2011 at the Indian Chamber Auditorium, Mattancherry.
