Latest news with #Rs850
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Illegal HT cotton seeds make deep inroads into agriculture markets, hits legal traders
Nagpur: The prohibited herbicide-tolerant (HT) seeds — genetically engineered to survive toxic weed killers — have made deep inroads into the market, and it may end up leaving a major dent in the legal trade of BG2 cotton seeds this sowing season, say dealers in agricultural inputs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Farmers are buying the HT seed at nearly double the price at which the legitimate BG2 cotton is available, said sources. Farmers told TOI that HT seeds are being sold for as much as Rs1,200 to 1,500 a packet, whereas the permitted BG2 seeds are being sold for Rs850. Rates of the latter are fixed by the govt. CD Mayee, former director of Central Institute of Cotton Research, said at least 30% of the area under cotton is expected to have HT cotton. HT seeds were developed by multinational agriculture giant Monsanto in alliance with the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco). It has an additional gene that can survive even if weed-killers (herbicides) are used. It does away with the need for manually clearing farms of weeds before and after sowing. Just spraying glyphosate-based herbicide helps, as the weeds are killed and the HT cotton survives. The BG2 cotton is only resistant to the bollworm pest. However, the variety could not get formal approval from the govt as the trials were stopped midway by the Mahyco-Monsanto combine. Yet, as the seeds were pilfered, Gujarat emerged as the hub for illegal cultivation, said sources. Pankaj Bothra, a dealer in Yavatmal, said traders have to book their quota of cotton seeds by paying in advance. There are chances that many may not be able to even recover their costs due to the rampant sale of HT seeds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now There are chances that some may even ask for a refund from seed companies due to substantial stock remaining unsold. Sharad Chandak of Nagpur Agro Dealers Association also acknowledged that HT seeds are hitting their business. Farmers are preferring the HT seeds, which the peddlers claim have dual protection covering both pests and herbicides. In fact, the grey market dealers start operations much before the official sales are allowed. The govt does not allow the sale of cotton seeds before June 15, a source said. Sources said the packets are transported in passenger buses from Gujarat, with dealers bringing small quantities to avoid detection. In a recent trend, loose seeds are brought to Vidarbha and then packed by local agents. So far, the agriculture department has seized 1,800 packets and over 1.7 tonnes of loose HT seeds in Nagpur division. Farmers say this is just the tip of the iceberg. The real action must happen in Gujarat — where the source lies. Meanwhile, even as BG2 seeds sales are down, dealers are also stocking glyphosate-based weed killers anticipating demand due to the HT seeds. Legally, glyphosate cannot be used in cropped areas but it is easily available in stores, said sources.
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Starlink to complement, not compete with Airtel & Jio says Centrum's report
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): According to the recent report by Centrum, it believes that SpaceX's satellite internet division, Starlink, is not positioned to compete directly with major telecom operators like Reliance Jio, Airtel, or VIL. The reports say that instead of this, Starlink is strategically positioned to complement India's existing connectivity landscape, specifically targeting remote and hard-to-reach areas where traditional network infrastructure is currently unviable. Starlink is preparing for its highly anticipated launch in India following conditional approvals from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This significant regulatory stride, marked by a Letter of Intent (LoI), enables Starlink to operate under stringent compliance and localisation mandates. Centrum says that this initial network capacity is estimated to serve approximately 50,000 users at launch. Even with projected improvements, a total bandwidth of 3 Tbps by 2027 will restrict usage to select high-need zones and high-tiered plans. Pricing is expected to be in a premium range, with a basic plan at around Rs850/month for 50GB and Rs2,500-Rs3,400/month for unlimited data. User equipment costs, ranging from Rs21,000 to Rs43,000, may pose challenges for adoption in rural areas without subsidies. Urban and metro areas are likely to see low uptake due to the availability of low-cost fibre broadband options. However, Starlink's presence is not expected to disrupt existing ISPs or mobile operators in the near term, but rather add value by addressing India's digital access gaps. Due to high terminal and plan costs, it is likely to remain a premium offering focused on specific use cases, rather than widespread consumer adoption. Long-term expansion and cost reductions, coupled with a favourable regulatory framework, could enable broader impact. The report also believes that as a strategic connectivity tool, Starlink could support national goals like Digital India and BharatNet, especially where fibre deployment is impractical. Recently, Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said Elon Musk's Starlink will be the third satellite internet company to be given a license for providing services in India. (ANI)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Starlink to complement, not compete with Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea: Centrum Broking
New Delhi: According to the recent report by Centrum, it believes that SpaceX's satellite internet division, Starlink , is not positioned to compete directly with major telecom operators like Reliance Jio , Airtel , or VIL. The reports say that instead of this, Starlink is strategically positioned to complement India's existing connectivity landscape, specifically targeting remote and hard-to-reach areas where traditional network infrastructure is currently unviable. Starlink is preparing for its highly anticipated launch in India following conditional approvals from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This significant regulatory stride, marked by a Letter of Intent (LoI), enables Starlink to operate under stringent compliance and localisation mandates. Centrum says that this initial network capacity is estimated to serve approximately 50,000 users at launch. Even with projected improvements, a total bandwidth of 3 Tbps by 2027 will restrict usage to select high-need zones and high-tiered plans. Pricing is expected to be in a premium range, with a basic plan at around Rs850/month for 50GB and Rs2,500-Rs3,400/month for unlimited data. User equipment costs, ranging from Rs21,000 to Rs43,000, may pose challenges for adoption in rural areas without subsidies. Urban and metro areas are likely to see low uptake due to the availability of low-cost fibre broadband options. However, Starlink's presence is not expected to disrupt existing ISPs or mobile operators in the near term, but rather add value by addressing India's digital access gaps. Due to high terminal and plan costs, it is likely to remain a premium offering focused on specific use cases, rather than widespread consumer adoption. Long-term expansion and cost reductions, coupled with a favourable regulatory framework, could enable broader impact. The report also believes that as a strategic connectivity tool, Starlink could support national goals like Digital India and BharatNet, especially where fibre deployment is impractical. Recently, Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said Elon Musk's Starlink will be the third satellite internet company to be given a license for providing services in India.
Express Tribune
14-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM hopes for resolution of Rs400b tax cases
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed confidence that the pending tax cases of Rs400 billion will be resolved, as reflected in a recent Sindh High Court ruling, which has resulted in a relief of Rs23 billion for the government. While discussing the government's achievements in a recent cabinet meeting, the PM highlighted the key reforms introduced over the past year. For the first time, Pakistan has successfully implemented e-governance, digitalised the Federal Board of Revenue and improved foreign exchange reserves from $4 billion to $12 billion. He, however, termed the country's state-owned enterprises "bottomless pits" due to their accumulated losses of Rs850 billion and stressed the need for overhauling the entities to bring efficiency and reduce losses. The premier declared that once terrorism was eradicated, investment would flow into Pakistan, enabling it to regain the lost stature on the global stage. He took pride in the fact that for the first time in Pakistan's history all state institutions were aligned, working together for national prosperity. He emphasised the importance of increasing income, attracting investment and reducing dependence on loans to secure a brighter future for the country. Turning to the economy, the PM recalled that when his government took office, Pakistan was on the brink of financial collapse, with the looming fear of default. However, through dedicated efforts, his administration successfully stabilised the economy. He praised cabinet members and government officials for their role in the turnaround, including a sharp drop in inflation, reduction in policy rate, rise in foreign remittances, growth in foreign investment and higher foreign exchange reserves. He asserted that even greater effort was required to maintain the momentum and transition from stabilisation to sustained economic growth under the "Uraan Pakistan" programme. With policy continuity, he projected, Pakistan could become a $1 trillion economy by 2035. The PM acknowledged Saudi Arabia's recent extension of a $1.2 billion oil facility and the UAE president's rollover of $2 billion in financial support. He noted that friendly countries had helped arrange $5 billion to meet an IMF financing condition and credited the army chief for playing a key role in economic improvements as they worked together to secure international support. Despite challenges, Sharif said, Pakistan was on the path to economic recovery and long-term stability.
Express Tribune
10-02-2025
- Express Tribune
PHC seeks govt replies in missing persons' cases
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC ) has sought replies from the federal and provincial governments in two missing persons' cases, including a jeweler. PHC Chief Justice Ishfaq Ibrahim heard the petitions on Monday. In the first case, petitioner informed the court that Sikandar Khan is his son-in-law, who was taken away from Charsadda several months ago and has not been produced in a court. He said that he is a school teacher and due to the case hearing, he was absent from school, which affected his students' studies. Chief Justice Ishfaq Ibrahim stated that representatives of the federal and provincial governments are present in court and will submit a report. Additional Attorney General Muhammad Inam Yousafzai argued that an FIR has been registered in the case, and therefore, the court should dispose of the petition. However, the CJ directed that the report should be submitted. The court remarked that it will not dispose of the petition. The court also issued notices to the federal and provincial governments. In a similar case, the lawyer for missing person Umar Shah from Tal, Abdullah, informed the court that his client was taken away from Tal a year ago. The petitioner alleged that the kidnappers are demanding money in exchange for his brother's release and have also taken possession of goods worth Rs850 million. He stated that the kidnappers claim that they will release his brother only after payment of extortion. They also refused to return the seized goods. The chief justice inquired about the petitioner's occupation, and he replied that he is a goldsmith. His brother was also kidnapped, and the kidnappers took possession of gold. The court expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of a government report and stated that a judgment will be issued once the report is received. Subsequently, the court sought a response from the federal government.
