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The Hindu
05-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
RERA can grade real estate promoters to increase credibility, feel industry experts
The Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA) could start grading the promoters based on their good practices, Jayaprakash Padmanaban, senior partner, Fox Mandal & Associates said at The Hindu Tamil Nadu Real Estate Summit 2025. While speaking at a session on 'Policy to Prosperity: RERA, Ease of Doing Business & Regulatory Outlook', he said, grading the promoters will help the public. 'One of the critical aspects of RERA is to ensure the accountability and credibility of the promoters. They can also be incentivised for such practises. The list of promoters could be published, making the process transparent. It will also encourage people to follow good practices and will benefit the public significantly,' he said. Sanjay Chugh, city head and director, ANAROCK Property Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, said, over the last eight years, RERA has been carrying out a fantastic job in Tamil Nadu by executing its regulatory role. 'Now, RERA can take on a larger role, like enforcing green building norms or safety audits. They could get more involved in sustainability. Now, RERA can spread its wings to a larger cause protecting home buyers,' he added. With respect to redevelopment of apartments, Mr. Chugh said, the challenge the developer faces is that there is a lot of confusion within owners of properties about the issue. 'Developers spend a lot of time talking, engaging with them. Some of the projects take a long time for redevelopment. RERA can play an important role in educating, setting certain guidelines which one has to follow,' he said. He noted that Chennai has potential for vertical growth and the time has come to focus on it. Sridharan Swaminathan, chairman, Sabari and LYRA Properties Pvt. Ltd. and Executive Committee Member, CREDAI National, New Delhi, said, if a city has overgrown and has to grow further, then vertical development is the way forward. Otherwise, people must move to satellite towns. 'The focus should be on giving the best infrastructure available to the extended areas of the city. Greater concentration on infrastructure and transportation will make it a success. Now, Metro Rail is coming up on Rajiv Gandhi Salai. But if there is no Metro Rail connectivity to that area, then, commuting to OMR will be a nightmare,' he added. Kunal Shankar, Deputy Business Editor, The Hindu moderated the event. The event is presented by Casagrand and co-presented by G Square. The green energy partner is Swelect and the sports ecosystem partners are SDAT and Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation. The event is supported by CREDAI Tamil Nadu, Lancor, Namma Family Group. The strategic partner is MMA (Madras Management Association). The TV partner is Puthiya Thalaimurai and the digital partner is The Federal.
The Hindu
27-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Delhi govt.'s move to amend labour laws will strip lakhs of workers of their rights, say experts
Trade union leaders and experts have criticised the Delhi government's move to amend at least two labour laws as part of its 'Ease of Doing Business' policy, saying the amendments will strip lakhs of workers in the city of several rights. The first pertains to changing the applicability of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954, to establishments with 10 or more employees. Currently, the Act, which includes several safeguards for employees, such as leaves, weekly holidays, and a month's notice for dismissal, is applicable even to establishments with one employee. The government is also planning to amend the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which protects workers in cases of lay-offs and closure of units employing 100 or more workers, by raising the minimum threshold of employees to 300. Directions were issued to senior officials at a review meeting on June 30, chaired by Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena and attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, to make these changes, said a source. However, the government is yet to release any official statement on the matter. 'No protection' Anurag Saxena, CITU general secretary (Delhi), said introducing a threshold in the law will leave employees working in smaller establishments without any protection. 'Right now, if a person working at a small bakery or garment shop is fired illegally, he or she can file a complaint under the Act. Once the minimum threshold is increased to 10, workers at thousands of establishments with fewer than 10 employees will be placed outside the ambit of the law and left without any protection,' he said. A senior Delhi government official said once the four Labour Codes, which were passed in Parliament in 2019 and 2020, are implemented, workers in smaller establishments will be provided with 'some level of protection'. However, Mr. Saxena said, 'The labour codes could provide protection to employees in case of wages, but there is no safeguard for workers at a small establishment who are fired illegally.' Concurrent List The government is also looking to make changes to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which applies to commercial units across the country, as labour is part of the Concurrent List, which includes subjects over which the Union and State governments share legislative responsibilities. Currently, the Act provides protection to workers in the event of retrenchment and closure of firms employing 100 workers or more, as prior permission is required from the government or notice is to be given for such actions. The Delhi government plans to amend the Act to cover only establishments employing 300 or more workers. Professor Surajit Mazumdar at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, said an employee's rights do not depend on the size of the establishment. 'As things stand, many labour laws meant to protect employees are not enforced properly. And now if you remove the workers from the ambit of the law itself, the workers won't be able to even fight for their rights,' he said. The threshold in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 has already been raised to 300 by the Bharatiya Janata Party governments in Gujarat (2021) and Assam (2018). The same change has also been proposed in the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, which is part of the four labour Codes, which have not been implemented amid resistance from labour unions across the country. Mr. Mazumdar said raising the threshold to 300 would be a way of introducing the labour Codes 'through the back door'. Gujarat had also amended the Gujarat Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2019 (the equivalent of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954) six years ago to cover units employing only 10 or more workers. 'The total number of employees in establishments with less than 10 workers in Delhi, who will be affected by the change in law, will be in the range of 7 to 20 lakh and the actual figure will be closer to 15 lakh,' said Mr. Mazumdar. He used the data from the Economic Census, 2013-14 and Delhi Economic Survey 2023-24 to arrive at the conclusion. Brijesh Goyal, chairman of Chamber of Trade & Industry, said the figure will be around 18-20 lakh workers, and Sucheta De, AICCTU national vice president, said the figure will be around 15-17 lakh workers. 'The entire practice is to keep most workers outside the scope of any legal protections,' Ms. De said. When reached out, the CM's office did not offer any comment.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
GST on Jammu and Kashmir's handlooms, handicraft products may be cut to 5%, says Piyush Goyal
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday promised to recommend a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax imposed on handicrafts and handloom products to help promote the sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the FTII: Traders Conclave - 2025 in Srinagar, the Union Minister said, "The issue of GST levied on handicrafts and handlooms was brought to my attention by two or three system delegations. I have suggested that they submit an application regarding this matter to the Finance Ministry as well as to me so that we can explore what relief can be provided. We will try to reduce the GST rate from 12 per cent to 5 per cent on these items, which would help promote the handloom and handicraft sectors -- especially in Jammu & Kashmir. We will make efforts to find a way forward in this regard." "One of the topics raised was the need for packaging units where new designs and technologies could be introduced to better promote local products such as handicrafts, horticulture items, pashmina shawls, and handlooms," Goyal said. The Union Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir will soon get a Centre of Excellence for Packaging and Design. "I have directed officials to explore possibilities in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Packaging to initiate a project focused on quality packaging and design. They have been requested to identify a suitable location where this initiative can be launched at the earliest," he said Live Events Further, the Union Minster Goyal said that representatives have discussed setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) focused on storage technology, cold chain infrastructure, and encouraging startups and new talent. "The aim is to support those shifting from traditional trades to entrepreneurship, offering assistance through innovation and research. The Centre of Excellence would work on developing new products, technologies, and even new seed or fruit varieties. I will also engage with the Ministry of Agriculture to explore how they can contribute by enhancing productivity and supporting these efforts," Goyal assured the traders of Jammu and Kashmir. Goyal also assured that he will discuss with the NTPC and Solar Energy Corporation to establish a solar lighting or power generation facility in the area to help producers to export their products as a green product to get a greater prices. Goyal also assured that he would hold discussions with Public Sector energy unit NTPC and the Solar Energy Corporation to explore setting up a solar lighting or power generation facility in the region. The initiative aims to support local producers in exporting their goods as green products, thereby enabling them to fetch better prices in international markets. Separately, in an X post, Goyal added that a detailed discussion was held with the MSME Development Forum, Jammu-Kashmir, regarding various suggestions to promote local enterprises. During this, measures to enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs, improve Ease of Doing Business, and connect them to the national supply chain were discussed, he added. The Minister said he had also met with a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry and discussed on empowering local industries, accelerating economic development, and creating a favourable environment for business. Goyal also met with representatives of the Jammu-Kashmir Fruits and Vegetable Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) in Srinagar. "During this, discussions were held on strategies to sustain industrial development in the cold chain and agro-processing sectors, which are extremely important for strengthening J&K's agricultural economy and boosting exports," Goyal's X post read.
The Print
22-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
Delhi businesses will no longer need police licence for running operations
Businesses will now be exempted from having to obtain a 'no-objection' certificate from police. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the reform is a direct reflection of the government's 'visionary approach' and in line with the Centre's Maximum Governance-Minimum Government' and Ease of Doing Business policy. New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has relieved Delhi Police from the responsibility for issuing licences for business activities such as hotels, motels, guest houses, according to an official order. The exemption encompasses entities such as hotels, motels, guest houses, restaurants (eating houses), swimming pools, auditoriums, video game parlours, discotheques, and amusement parks. The licensing power will now be transferred to local bodies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, or Delhi Cantonment Board. Gupta said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has categorically said that police force should be relieved from non-core duties so that their energy and resources can be focused on law and order, security, and crime control. The subject of policing in the national capital lies under the Union Home Ministry. 'We want to make Delhi not only the political capital of India but also a model of good governance. That is the mission of our double-engine government,' Gupta said. PTI SLB VN VN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hi Dubai
03-06-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
Dubai Chambers Strengthens Thai Ties as Investments Hit $626 Million
Direct Thai investments in Dubai have reached around $626 million over the past five years, according to Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, who reaffirmed the Emirate's growing economic ties with Thailand during a recent trade mission to Southeast Asia. Speaking at the 'Doing Business with Thailand' forum in Bangkok on May 29, Lootah announced the launch of a new Dubai International Chamber office in the Thai capital. The move, part of Dubai Chambers' 'New Horizons' initiative, aims to deepen collaboration with Thailand's private sector and open new avenues for trade and investment. Thailand is already one of Dubai's key trading partners in the ASEAN region. Non-oil trade between the two reached $6.5 billion in 2024, marking a 23% rise from $5.3 billion in 2023. Lootah highlighted this growth as a clear sign of the strengthening economic momentum between the two sides. The opening of the Bangkok office coincided with a broader trade mission involving 20 Emirati companies exploring market opportunities in Thailand. The initiative is part of Dubai Chambers' wider plan to establish 50 international representative offices by 2030 to support the global expansion of UAE businesses and bolster Dubai's position as a commercial hub. Lootah underscored the chamber's commitment to empowering local companies to access international markets, forge strategic partnerships, and contribute to Dubai's long-term economic goals. News Source: Emirates News Agency
