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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
India-US trade deal: Commerce Ministry advised against accepting ‘unilaterally framed obligation' on digital taxes
Legal advisers to the Commerce and Industry Ministry have suggested that Indian negotiators dealing with their US counterparts should not accept Washington's proposal that prohibits India from reintroducing equalisation levy-style taxes, such as the 'Google tax', in the future, a person aware of the negotiations told The Indian Express. The advice was offered on the grounds that the provisions drafted by the US did not state that both parties should refrain from applying digital taxes on each other. Rather, they sought a legal commitment only from the Indian side and were seen as a 'unilaterally framed obligation', the source said. While the US offers a range of digital services in India and American tech companies have long lobbied against any taxes on such services, India also exports a wide range of digital services to the US — particularly in the IT sector — generating the majority share of its total services exports earnings from the US market. Another concern raised with the government was that agreeing to such unilateral provisions could set a risky precedent for future trade negotiations, where similar demands could be made by other trading partners during talks with New Delhi, thereby complicating future negotiations. In a move to assuage US concerns about India being a high-tariff nation, the Central government in March proposed abolishing the equalisation levy on online advertisements as part of the amendments to the Finance Bill, 2025. An equalisation levy is a measure to 'equalise' the tax treatment of resident and non-resident e-commerce companies. As part of the 35 amendments to the Finance Bill, 2025, the Centre proposed removing the 6 per cent equalisation levy (EL) it charges on digital ads, effective from 1 April 2025. A query emailed to the Commerce and Industry Ministry remained unanswered till press time. 'Digital taxation is typically discussed outside the framework of a trade agreement. It is a nation's sovereign right to decide on such matters, and India should reserve that right. Bringing it under the scope of a trade agreement weakens your position. We need to examine the digital trade chapters of the US and Australia, which India must study carefully. Australia has provided the US with a carve-out that allows for protections for US services. We also need to secure our IT/ITeS and technology exports from taxation in the US, our largest market' Arpita Mukherjee, professor at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) said. Notably the US has forced Indonesia to several steep terms on digital trade. Indonesia has committed to address barriers impacting digital trade, services, and investment, a White House statement said. 'Indonesia will provide certainty regarding the ability to transfer personal data out of its territory to the United States. Indonesia has committed to eliminate existing HTS tariff lines on 'intangible products' and suspend related requirements on import declarations; to support a permanent moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at the WTO immediately and without conditions; and to take effective actions to implement the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation, including submitting its revised Specific Commitments for certification by the World Trade Organization (WTO),' the White House statement read. The United States Trade Representative (USTR), in its report on non-tariff barriers, had earlier cited the 6 per cent equalisation levy as a discriminatory measure against US firms. The USTR report said that most digital services taxes are designed in ways that discriminate against US companies, often singling out American firms for taxation while excluding domestic companies engaged in similar lines of business. The US has also raised concerns about digital services taxes with a number of trade partners, particularly the EU. 'The disproportionate capture of US firms by the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) is also noted as undermining US competitiveness due to increased compliance costs not borne by EU competitors,' the USTR said. Differences between India and the US assume significance as New Delhi continues to face the risk of 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs. After Indian negotiators completed another round of discussions in Washington last week, a US team led by the US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, Brendan Lynch, is expected to visit India in mid-August to continue negotiations for a trade agreement. While India and the US have agreed on a wide range of tariff lines, the negotiations — which currently only involve market access for goods — remain stuck over sensitive sectors such as agriculture and automobiles, which are key job creators in India. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
Mint
14-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Cabinet note to be shortly moved for extending Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission till 2030
New Delhi: The health ministry will shortly circulate a cabinet note for extending the tenure of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) till 2030, a government official said. The five-year term of the scheme that aims to create a national digital health ecosystem ends in March next year, with only a third of the initial ₹1,600 crore allocated for the current phase having been spent. An Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) note will be first moved, following which the cabinet note will be circulated. The National Health Authority (NHA), which implements the mission, recently held discussions with states and union territories on the next phase of ABDM, which will focus on covering more people, onboarding private healthcare providers, and using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve healthcare. ABDM, which was launched in September 2021, has three components—Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), a digital health ID for each person, and a Health Facility Registry (HFR). 'Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is making efforts to connect healthcare services across the entire country digitally. With the first phase of ABDM set to finish in March next year, the NHA conducted theconsultation with States on ABDM 2.0" last week, the official said, adding states had a vital role to play in building a collaborative and inclusive digital health ecosystem under ABDM. The official said thatthe focus was on shaping ABDM 2.0 for a 2026-2030 roll-out. 'The talks covered important areas like how to make better use of allocated funds and encourage more people to sign up for digital health records keeper, known as ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account)." More than 790 million ABHA health IDs of have been created under the platform till date and 638 million health records linked to the system. Discussions also touched upon how new technologies like AI could be used to improve healthcare and the need for closer teamwork with states. The main aim is to speed up the pace at which both government and private healthcare providers adopt digital ways of working. 'The NHA is now going to evaluate all the ideas and suggestions, following which they will seek the Expenditure Finance Committee approval for the funds needed to upgrade the digital health initiative, following which Cabinet note will be circulated," the official said. To be sure, only about a third of the initial ₹1,600 crore budget for the current phase has been used so far. The recent meeting is a critical step in building a more efficient and widely available digital healthcare system for everyone in India, making this one of the central government's key initiatives. Notably, 414,864 health facilities and 666,956 healthcare professionals have been verified and are on board ABDM. Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time. Arpita Mukherjee, professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, said the Indian healthcare system is fragmented and so is the healthcare data. "So, we have to prioritize digitization. The under utilization of the funds in ABDM may be because government health portals are not interconnected," she said. Dr. Harsh Mahajan, founder and chief radiologist, Mahajan Imaging & Labs, said the next phase of the mission will be even more important than the first one. "Bringing private healthcare providers on board and using technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can improve how we diagnose and treat patients. In diagnostics, for example, AI can help doctors read scans more quickly and spot problems earlier. 'When this is supported by easy access to a patient's health records, it leads to better decisions and faster treatment. This is not just about technology. It is about making healthcare more connected and more focused on the patient," he said.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Roadmap to address vitamin D deficiency in India
India, the world's most populous country, suffers from widespread micronutrient deficiencies, with Vitamin D deficiency emerging as a silent epidemic. It affects individuals across all age groups, income groups and professions, from children, sportspersons, and outdoor workers to health care workers, leading to severe health conditions such as rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Beyond its health impacts, it threatens national productivity, diminishes workforce efficiency, and contributes to rising health care costs. Given this, the objective of the study is to create a roadmap to eradicate Vitamin D deficiency and help India achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 2030, particularly SDG 3 of good health and well-being and SDG 2.2, of eradicating all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The study is based on secondary data and information analysis, systematic and meta-analysis of literature, key informant interviews (KIIs) and a stakeholder consultation. After examining the initiatives taken by international organisations, the best practises of other countries and a comprehensive review of literature on Vitamin D deficiency with a focus on its economic and health impact and the impact of policy interventions, this report presents an overview of the status of the deficiency in India, identifies the reasons behind the deficiency, examines existing policies, and makes recommendations for the Centre and states. The report presents a structured framework to address the Vitamin D deficiency, through strengthening inter-ministerial and Centre-state coordination. It presents innovative ways for affordable testing and treatment, options to scale up food fortification and Vitamin D supplementation programmes, enhance public awareness, and multi-stakeholder's engagement and collaborative partnerships to create a 'Vitamin D Kuposhan Mukt Bharat'. This paper can be accessed here. This paper is authored by Arpita Mukherjee, Aashish Chaudhry, Latika Khatwani, Trishali Khanna, Pallavi Verma – ICRIER, New Delhi.
