Karnataka signs MoU with Amazon India to help MSMEs export goods

Commerce

Amazon will conduct training, webinars and onboarding workshops for exporters from key MSME clusters like Ballari, Mysuru, Channapatna and others.

TNM Staff

The Government of Karnataka on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global e-commerce giant Amazon India to help drive e-commerce exports from the state. As part of the MoU, Amazon will train and onboard MSMEs from the state on Amazon Global Selling, its Exports Program, enabling them to sell their unique Made in India products globally to millions of Amazon customers across 200+ countries and territories.  “Karnataka has a vibrant agro, textile and garment, biotech, and toys/handicraft sectors which are held together by lakhs of MSMEs. Our partnership with Amazon India will encourage our MSMEs to leverage Amazon's global presence and showcase their products to customers across the world,” Jagadish Shettar, Large and Medium Industries Minister said during the signing of the MoU.  “This is also an effort to display the strength of the state's manufacturing and innovation prowess. Our government remains committed to making Karnataka an attractive business and investment destination,” Shettar added.  Under the newly signed MoU, Amazon will conduct training, webinars and onboarding workshops for exporters from key MSME clusters like Ballari, Mysuru, Channapatna and others. The workshops will focus on sharing knowledge and imparting training to MSMEs about B2C e-commerce exports and selling worldwide through Amazon's 17 international marketplaces to over 300 million customers worldwide.  These workshops aim to enable MSMEs with the knowledge and tools to launch their brands and grow their business in international markets through Amazon Global Selling.  “E-commerce companies like Amazon have complemented government’s efforts in not only meeting the needs of customers by safely delivering essentials but also MSMEs which moved online to grow and expand their business during the Covid pandemic,” Gaurav Gupta, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Karnataka said.   Karnataka has a rich cultural and traditional heritage. Karnataka has multiple Geographical Indications products like Bidriware, Channapatna toys and Kinnhal craft. Mysore Silk, Udupi cotton and Ilkal sarees are world-famous. This will go a long way in helping the livelihoods of artisans, weavers and craftsmen from the state, Gupta added. The event was attended by Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary - Commerce and Industries, Commissioner for Industrial Development, Gunjan Krishna Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director of Industries and Commerce, Abhijit Kamra, Director – Global Trade, Amazon India, Manish Tiwari, Vice President, Amazon Consumer Business, Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President Public Policy,  Satish Managing Director, Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre, Revanna Gowda Managing Director, Karnataka Udyog Mitra.

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Bengaluru CA student arrested with Rs 35 lakh worth hashish oil, marijuana

Arrest

The Bengaluru police seized 1.2 kg of hashish oil and 3 kg of marijuana was seized from the student.

TNM Staff

Image for Representation

Continuing the crackdown on drug peddling in the city, the Bengaluru police on Thursday arrested a person and seized hashish oil and marijuana, valued around Rs 35 lakh from him. According to the city police's southeast subdivision, 1.2 kg of hashish oil and 3 kg of marijuana were seized from Vishrut. Deputy Commissioner of Police Srinath M Joshi told reporters that the accused is a commerce graduate but he is presently pursuing a Chartered Accountant's course. "During his study, he developed a very vast network of professional course students such as engineers, medical and other professionals as well. His area of operation included posh areas like Jayanagar, JP Nagar, Koramangala, BTM. Layout and other adjoining areas," he said. The DCP said that preliminary investigations suggest that Raj used to procure these banned substances from the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mico Layout division, Sudheer M Hegde said that the accused was in touch with Guntur-based peddler Praveen aka Mummy and procured banned drugs from him. "He purchased these drugs at Rs 5 or Rs 6 lakh and the same used to be sold at a premium rate. He used to sell it for at least the double the amount," he said. The ACP added that Raj used to work in a Chartered Accountant firm, which was also used to increase his customer base in a clandestine manner. This is not the first time that students and aspiring professionals have been arrested by the police for dealing with banned drugs. In November 2020, a 25-year-old computer programmer based in Bengaluru was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB). He was buying drugs on the darknet from foreign dealers. After the Narcotics Control Bureau began a crackdown on major celebrities of Bollywood, a similar raid was conducted in Bengaluru. Actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjana Galrani were arrested for alleged procuring and consuming drugs. They were in judicial custody and were recently released on bail.

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RSS’ Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat compares Mangaluru’s Ullal to Pakistan

Controversey

Veteran RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat’s statement comes just six months after he made a similar statement.

IANS

Veteran RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat has once again compared Ullal in Mangaluru to Pakistan, in less than six months after he made a similar comparison. "The Ullal Assembly constituency has become a mini-Pakistan in Mangaluru. Unless Hindus in the region don't rise above the Muslims, they will continue to dominate a majority of the Hindus," he said, without ant context, as he exited an event. The RSS leader also urged the voters of the Ullal Assembly constituency to elect a Hindu legislator instead of always electing a Muslim legislator. Post the delimitation exercise, the Ullal Assembly constituency was renamed as the Mangalore constituency, which is represented by former Karnataka Minister UT Khader. He has won on a Congress ticket four times in a row. The constituency was represented by his late father UT Farid, who won the seat for Congress four times since 1972. Of the 20 seats in Mangaluru and Udupi districts, Mangaluru (Ullal) is the only seat where the Congress has succeeded in retaining it. Speaking to the media, Bhat said that only in Pakistan such a thing happens where Muslims elect people of their community and even win in Hindu-dominated seats. "Unfortunately, in India, this does not happen. Even where Hindus are dominant, leaders of other communities sweep to victory," he said. In November last year, Bhat had stoked a controversy by comparing Ullal to Pakistan. He had then urged the Hindus in the state to "produce more children in order to protect the Hindu culture." At the time, he had said, “Who will protect our temples and who will protect our traditions? Our numbers reduced and their numbers increased and that is why we got Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you go to Ullal pete (town), isn't it Pakistan?" The RSS leader is no stranger to controversy. In December 2019, students at a school managed by him enacted the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The video of the enactment was shared on social media following which Dakshina Kannada police booked Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat.

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Novavax says its Covid-19 vaccine is 89 percent effective, but less so against South African variant

The mixed results came on the same day that the United States announced it had found its first Covid-19 cases linked to the South African variant.

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New York undercounted nursing home deaths by as much 50 percent, report finds

The report adds a new layer to the criticism Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has faced over the state’s handling of Covid-19 in long-term care facilities.

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First known cases of Covid variant from South Africa identified in the U.S.

Public health officials in South Carolina said they identified two cases on Thursday.

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JD(S) to back anti-cow slaughter Bill in Karnataka Council, claims MLC

Politics

This is contrary to the regional party's earlier stand to oppose the Bill.

TNM Staff

Senior JD(S) Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Basavaraj Horatti on Thursday said his party will support the contentious anti-cow slaughter Bill in the Karnataka Legislative Council, where it is yet to be tabled. This is contrary to the regional party's earlier stand, to oppose the Bill. Both JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy, who is the legislature party chief, had repeatedly said that they were opposed to the anti-cow slaughter Bill. "Now, there's no question of defeating the Bill," Horatti told reporters in response to a question about JD(S) supporting it. "Naturally, in the Council, whenever the government changes, it's a question of the majority. If important Bills are there, they'll be passed...JD(S) and the BJP have a total of 43 members (in the 75-member Council), so no question of defeating the Bill. We will support the Bill 100%," he said. This statement by Horatti about supporting the Bill comes a day after JD(S) came to an understanding with the ruling BJP for the Legislative Council Chairman and Deputy Chairman post. As per the arrangement, the BJP will support the JD(S) for the Chairman post, while the regional party will return the favour by ceding the Deputy Chairman post. While Horatti will most likely be the JD(S) candidate for the Chairman post, BJP's nominee MK Pranesh on Thursday filed his nomination for the Deputy Chairman post. According to sources, the ruling BJP agreed to support JD(S)' Horatti for Chairman post, in return for the regional party's support to its no-confidence motion to oust incumbent Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty of the Congress and passage of certain key Bills, including the land reforms Bill. The government last month promulgated the anti-cow slaughter ordinance that provides for punishment for killing of cattle and offers protection to those "acting in good faith" to save them, as the Bill to this effect is yet to be cleared by the Legislative Council. Under the ordinance, slaughter of cattle will lead to imprisonment of up to three to seven years and a fine ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh, and subsequent offences will attract imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. According to it, cattle is defined as a cow, calf of a cow, bull and bullock of all ages and 'he or she buffalo below the age of 13 years', while beef has been defined as the flesh of the cattle in any form. The government had to opt for the ordinance route, as the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill that was passed by the Assembly last month amid a din with stiff opposition from the Congress, has not yet been approved by the Legislative Council. The Council was adjourned sine die even before the Bill was tabled. For a Bill to become law, its passage in the Council, followed by assent by the Governor is necessary. According to sources, BJP, which had hurriedly tabled the Bill and ensured its passage in the Assembly during the winter session, did not table it in the Council sensing that the numbers were not in its favour with combined opposition Congress and JD(S) against it at the time.

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