Newsletter - October 2020

Economic

Focus Issues	High Impact News
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Six Major Projects in Uttarakhand to make River Ganga Nirmal & Aviral On 29 September 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated 6 mega development projects in Uttarakhand under the Namami Gange Mission, including the Ganga Avalokan Museum, through video conference. He also released the new logo for the Jal Jeevan Mission and unveiled the Guidelines for the Village Panchayats and Water Committees).	Virtual Bilateral Summit between India and Sri Lanka Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi and Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka held a Virtual Bilateral Summit on 26 September 2020. Both leaders agreed that the current situation presented a fresh opportunity to give added impetus to bilateral relations. India and Sri Lanka pledged to work towards facilitating an enabling environment for trade and investment between the two countries in the backdrop of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered a virtual speech at the UNGA On 26 September 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 75th UN General Assembly session. In his statement, he observed that stability in the United Nations and its empowerment are essential for the welfare of the world.	High Commissioner of India called on the Hon. Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma On 2 September 2020, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglay called on the Hon. Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma and discussed an offer for a US$ 100 million Line of Credit (LoC) for three solar projects announced during the International...
Delhi-Meerut Corridor: Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed $500 million loan for RRTS corridor On 8 September 2020, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $500 million loan agreement to build a high-speed 82-kilometer Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor that will improve regional connectivity...	High Commissioner of India Shri Gopal Baglay called on Hon. Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardhana On 3 September 2020, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri GopalBaglay called on the Hon. Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardhana. During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on ways to further develop the strong and mutually beneficial trade and investment ties between India and Sri Lanka.
Coal India Limited (CIL) to invest over Rs 1.22 lakh crore by 2023-24: Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi On 1 September 2020, Coal Minister of India Shri Pralhad Joshi addressed a stakeholders’ meet through video conferencing and stated that Coal India Limited will invest Rs 1.22 lakh crore on projects related to coal evacuation, exploration and clean coal technologies by 2023-24, to achieve 1 billion tonnes of fuel output target.	High Commissioner of India, Shri Gopal Baglay calledon Hon. Ports and Shipping Minister P. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana On 4 September 2020, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglay called on the Hon. Minister of Ports and Shipping P. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana. During the meeting, both exchanged views on various matters of mutual interest and agreed...
Ministry of Tourism celebrated World Tourism Day in virtual mode On 27 September 2020, Ministry of Tourism celebrated the World Tourism Day through a virtual platform. Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Minister of India Shri Dharmendra Pradhan was the chief guest of the event. Meanwhile,the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has designated 2020 as the Year of “Tourism and Rural Development” to promote the potential of tourism to create jobs and opportunities.	HCL Technologies inaugurated its first Global Development Centre in Sri Lanka On 7 September 2020, Indian IT services major HCL Technologies has opened a Global Development Center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and expects to hire over 3,000 people in the next few years for the facility. Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa participated as the Chief Guest and High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglay attended the event as a Special Guest.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation 3 key projects related to petroleum sector On 13 September 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation three key projects related to the petroleum sector in Bihar via video conferencing. The projects include the Durgapur-Banka section of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project and two LPG Bottling Plants.	High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglaycalled on Hon. Minister of State for Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation, Dr. Seetha Arambepola. On 15 September 2020, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglaycalled on Hon. Minister of State for Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation,Dr. Seetha Arambepola...
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for National Highway Projects worth about Rs 14000 Crore in Bihar On 20 September 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for nine National Highway Projects worth Rs 14000 crore in Bihar and also launched the project to provide internet services through Optical Fibre in the state through...	High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglay called on Hon. Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi On 7 September 2020, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglay paid a courtesy call on Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi at the Ministry of Health, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the health sector.
AYUSH Ministry inks MoU with herbal industry bodies for plant cultivation On 24 September 2020, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH signed an MoU with major AYUSH and herbal industry bodies to promote medicinal plant cultivation.The bodies which signed the MoU are Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturer's Association, Mumbai; Association for Manufactures of Ayurvedic Medicines, New Delhi; Ayurvedic Medicines Manufacturers Organisation of India, Thrissur; Association for Herbal & Nutraceutical...	Indian Nationals repatriated from Sri Lanka on special flights Around 324 Indian nationals were repatriated from Sri Lanka on special Air India flights AI 1284 from Colombo-Mumbai-Delhi and AI 1284 from Colombo-Bangalore-Delhi on 24 & 17 September 2020 respectively. These flights were scheduled as a part of ‘Vande Bharat Mission,’ an Indian Government initiative to undertake the largest ever repatriation from all over the world for return of Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.