Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Government of India

India Led with Compassion During COVID-19, Sharing 300 Million Vaccines Globally: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal addresses World Health Summit Regional Meeting in New Delhi

India’s vaccine diplomacy and Ayushman Bharat show commitment to global health equity, says Union Minister

Govt committed towards ensuring public health, more than 620 million people are now eligible for free healthcare under the Ayushman Bharat scheme: Shri Goyal

Posted On: 27 APR 2025 8:03PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal addressed the World Health Summit (WHS) Regional Meeting Asia 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today. Shri Goyal highlighted India’s proactive and compassionate global response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India provided nearly 300 million vaccine doses to less developed and vulnerable countries — many free of cost — ensuring no nation was left behind. Shri Goyal emphasized that unlike many other nations that imposed export controls during COVID-19, India prioritized equitable access for all, staying true to its ancient ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “the world is one family.”

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Goyal expressed gratitude that the first WHS Regional Meeting in Asia was focused on “Scaling Access to Ensure Health Equity”. He noted that access to quality healthcare is a critical part of sustainable development and shared India’s journey in achieving greater healthcare access for all.

The Minister recalled personal interactions with global leaders during the pandemic, noting how India ensured the supply of critical medicines at fair prices, resisting the trend of profit-making from global health crises.

Addressing the theme of Health Equity, Shri Goyal strongly criticized attempts to extend pharmaceutical patents through minor incremental innovations, which, he said, could deprive millions of access to affordable medicines. He urged the WHS delegates to experience firsthand India’s efforts to deliver quality healthcare even in remote regions.

Shri Goyal highlighted that more than 620 million people are now eligible for free healthcare under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the world’s largest government-sponsored health insurance program, emphasizing that India’s commitment was never driven by profit but by compassion.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shri Goyal said, “For us, healthcare is not just curing a sick patient. Healthcare is preventive healthcare, it is wellness, it is mental healthcare, and it means bridging society under the umbrella of a better lifestyle and a better future.”

He elaborated on India’s holistic approach to human welfare, highlighting the Swachh Bharat Mission which ensures dignity and sanitation, especially for women; the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, with over 40 million homes already built and millions more underway; the Jal Jeevan Mission, which has expanded tap water access from 30 million to 160 million rural homes; the Ujjwala Yojana, providing free cooking gas connections to protect women from indoor air pollution; and the distribution of free food grains to 800 million citizens during and beyond the pandemic.

Shri Goyal asserted that physical health, mental wellness, clean environments, quality education, digital connectivity, and economic empowerment together form the basis of a truly healthy society.

He closed by reaffirming India’s commitment to the global health agenda and called upon all nations to work together towards a healthier, more equitable future for every citizen of the world.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijjith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas

(Release ID: 2124745) Visitor Counter : 109

Source: Government of India

APEDA and the Government of Odisha organises Capacity Building Programme to ‘Boost Agricultural Exports from Odisha’ in Bhubaneswar

GI products like Koraput Kalajeera Rice, Nayagad Kanteimundi, Brinjal, Ganjam Kewda Flower Products, Koraput Coffee and Kandhamal Haldi, showcased at the event

Posted On: 27 APR 2025 8:09PM by PIB Delhi

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Government of Odisha organized a Workshop cum Capacity Building Programme to Boost Agri Products’ Exports from Odisha at Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Hall, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar on the 25^th April, 2025.

The event exhibited over 10 stalls represented by Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO)/ Farmer Producer Companies, women agripreneurs, departments of the Government of Odisha and exporters from all across Odisha. Several GI Tagged and Agri-Products from the state such as Koraput Kalajeera Rice, Nayagad Kanteimundi, Brinjal, Ganjam Kewda Flower Products, Koraput Coffee, Kandhamal Haldi Powder, Kendrapada Rasabali, Salepur Rasagolla, Khajuri Gud, Dhenkanal Magaji Ladoo and Mayurbhanja Kai Chutni were displayed at the University.

Chief Guest and Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Government of Odisha, Shri Kanak Bardhan Singh Deo, in his keynote address, highlighted the initiatives of the State Govt. for increasing agricultural exports, particularly of Organic products, from the State. He encouraged exporters to explore the array of products, including GI products from the state for promotion in the global marketplace. He appreciated the active collaboration of APEDA with the State Govt. towards increasing Agricultural exports from the State.

The event featured three technical sessions focusing on key areas for boosting Odisha’s agricultural exports. The first session addressed the promotion of organic exports under the revised National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), emphasizing organic certification, value chain development, and market access. The second session discussed strategies to enhance rice exports from Odisha by leveraging unique varieties, improving logistics, and tackling export challenges. The third session explored opportunities for value addition and export promotion of agri-processed and GI-tagged products, with a focus on strengthening logistics, cold chain infrastructure, and market linkages.

The program witnessed the participation of more than 400 stakeholders including the officials from State Government department, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, FPO’s, FPC’s, and progressive farmers.

On the Sidelines of the event, APEDA being the Secretariat for the National Programme for Organic Production(NPOP) organised a stakeholder interaction with more than 30 Organic grower groups of the State and Organic Certification bodies operating in the State of Odisha. The discussions cantered on the revisions in the NPOP (8^th Edition), which was recently launched on 9^th January 2025, and clearing doubts and queries of the growers with respect to the new provisions.

Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi, Member of Parliament and Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee-Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing in his address emphasized on ODOP, use of Agri-Infra fund to support agri exports from the state of Odisha. He further emphasized that the dream of Vikshit bharat by 2047 is possible by developing the overall agriculture export ecosystem which will help to gain competitive advantage, drive economic growth, create better jobs, and generate foreign exchange earnings.

Chairman of APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev in his welcome address highlighted the export-oriented strategy for agricultural products with special emphasis on organic products. He emphasized on the untapped potential of the State in terms of agriculture exports, particularly in Organic products, owing to huge diversity and quantum of output. He assured that more such programs and export Conclaves will be conducted in future which are highly important paradigms for boosting agricultural exports. He encouraged the FPO’s and FPC’s from the state for participation in key national and international Trade Fairs for market access, promotion and outreach.

The Workshop cum Capacity Building Programme followed by the Technical Sessions brought together key policymakers and experts from the Union and State governments, Industry and Academia aiming to build a robust export ecosystem in the state in the times to come.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2124747) Visitor Counter : 81

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (April 28) the establishment of an Expert Panel on Project CargoX (the Expert Panel) to enhance the digital ecosystem for trade finance by harnessing the power of cargo data.

Riding on the HKMA’s Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) (Note), Project CargoX is a multi-year, public-private collaboration, focusing on three key areas:

• leveraging cargo data to streamline and enhance trade finance processes;
• developing digital solutions to improve accessibility to trade finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and
• exploring connections with international data partners to facilitate the trade financing use case for banks in Hong Kong.

To achieve these objectives, the HKMA has established an Expert Panel comprising industry experts and key stakeholders from cargo data providers, trade associations, banks, credit reference agencies and government agencies. The Expert Panel will formulate a roadmap for digitising cargo data (encompassing sea, road and air transportation data), and integrating relevant cargo data sources across jurisdictions with CDI, by the end of 2025. A list of the Expert Panel members can be found in the Annex.

With the guidance and recommendation from the Expert Panel, the HKMA will conduct proof-of-concept (PoC) studies and develop new solutions with strategic partners such as the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) as well as pilot banks to improve digital trade finance through the use of cargo data and CDI in 2025 and 2026. 

     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “In today’s complex global trade landscape, many businesses, in particular SME traders, need more digitalised and efficient trade finance solutions to transform their business models and supply chains. By uniting a diverse group of experts from public and private sectors, the Expert Panel will play a pivotal role in driving the advancement of our digital trade finance ecosystem, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a premier trade finance hub and fostering the growth of SMEs. Leveraging cargo data and our next-generation CDI data infrastructure, CargoX will help resolve some long-standing pain points in trade finance for banks, ultimately boosting efficiency and driving industry-wide innovation.”

     The Commissioner for Maritime and Port Development of the TLB, Miss Amy Chan, said, “The Transport and Logistics Bureau is developing the Port Community System for completion by end of this year to provide cargo track-and-trace across sea, road, and air transport, which is expected to lead the maritime, port, logistics and trading industries to new heights of digitalisation. The Port Community System makes use of blockchain technology to record cargo flows, hence ensuring the integrity and reliability of cargo flow information. We look forward to working with the Expert Panel and strategic partners to unlock the enormous potential of the Port Community System in facilitating trade finance, supporting SMEs, and strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a global maritime hub.”

     Executive Director, Commercial of the AAHK, Ms Cissy Chan, said, “The AAHK is committed to driving innovation and digitalisation in the air cargo industry. Since launching the HKIA Cargo Data Platform in 2021, we have been working with a vast range of ecosystem partners in enabling efficient information and cargo flow via Hong Kong International Airport. The successful use case co-created with the HKMA’s CDI further synergises the capital flow and exemplifies the benefits on trade financing leveraging cargo data and cross-industry ecosystem collaboration. We welcome the HKMA’s effort to continue this momentum through CargoX initiative and look forward to working with like-minded organisations to continue contributing to the development of Hong Kong’s digital trade finance ecosystem.”

Note: Launched by the HKMA in October 2022, CDI is a consent-based financial data infrastructure that aims to enhance data sharing by facilitating financial institutions’ retrieval of enterprises’ commercial data, in particular the data of SMEs, from both public and private data providers.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Government of India

WAVES Animation Film-makers’ Challenge brings to the fore 42 amazing animation films

Animation Films: 18 short films, 12 feature films, 9 TV series and 3 AR/VR projects make it to WAVE Summit

Posted On: 28 APR 2025 2:41PM by PIB Mumbai

Mumbai, 28 April 2025

 

The 42 finalists of the Animation Film Makers Competition (AFC), held as part of the ‘Create in India Challenge Season-1’ of World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025, were declared in the second week of April. Dancing Atoms Studios, which collaborated with the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in organizing the national level challenge since its inception, has brought out a comprehensive creative catalogue on the best 42 projects to be showcased in the WAVE Summit to be held in Mumbai from May 1-4, 2025. This unique initiative aims to connect talented creators with like-minded individuals, producers, and distributors, fostering collaborations between creators and the industry that transcend geographical boundaries. 

These best 42 projects that came up from after a rigorous nine-month evaluation process of the competition, have shown a focus on original storytelling across the entire spectrum of animation, encompassing traditional animation, VFX, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR), and virtual production. The creative catalogue features a diverse range of innovative projects, including – 12 feature films, 18 short films, TV Series: 9 TV/Limited Series and 3 AR/VR experiences. All 42 shortlisted film projects will be showcased to industry stakeholders through this unique initiative. 

The shortlisted 18 short animation film creators and their projects are as follows:

1) Shreya Sachdev – Vani

2) Shrikant S Menon – Odiyan

3) Prasanth Kumar Nagadasi – Best Friends

4) Shweta Subhash Marathe – MELTING SHAME

5) Anika Rajesh – Achappam

6) Martand Anand Ugalmugle – Chandomama

7) Kiruthika Ramasubramanian – A Dream’s Dream

8) Harish Narayan Iyer – KARABI

9) Triparna Maiti – The Chair

10) Arundhati Sarkar – So close yet so far, 

11) Gadam Jagadish Prasad Yadav – Symphony of Darkness

12) Vetrivel – The Last Treasure

13) Gargi Gawthe – Godva

14) Shreeyaa Vinayak Pore – Kali (Bud)

15) Harshita Das – Luna 

16) Sandhra Mary – MISSING

17) Richa Bhutani – Climatescape

18) Hirak Jyoti Nath – Tales From The Tea House

The 12 finalists of animation feature films creators and their projects are:

1) Catharina Dian Wiraswati S – Fly!

2) Shubham Tomar – Mahzun 

3) Srikanth bhogi – Rudhra

4) Anirban Majumder- BABAR AUR BANNO – A friendship saga

5) Nandan Balakrishnan – The Dream Balloon

6) Jacqueline C Ching – Lykke and the Trolls

7) Rohit Sankhla – Dwarka The Lost City of Shree Krishna

8) Bhagat Singh Saini – RED WOMAN

9) Abhijeet Saxena – Arise, Awake

10) Vamsi Bandaru – Ayurveda Chronicles – Search for the Lost Light

11) Piyush Kumar – Wrong programming..the unleashed wars of ai.

12) Khambor Batei – Kharjana – Lapalang – A Khasi Folklore Reimagined

The 9 shortlisted animation TV/Limited Series creators and their projects are: 

1) Jyothi Kalyan Sura – Jackie & Jilal

2) Tuhin Chanda – Chupi : Silence behind laws

3) Kishore Kumar Kedari – Age of the Deccan: The Legend of Malik Ambar

4) Bhagyashree Satapathy – Pāśa

5) Rishav Mohanty – Khatti 

6) Sukankan Roy – Sound of Joy

7) Atreyee Poddar, Sangeeta Poddar and Bimal Poddar – MORAY KAKA

8) Prasenjit Singha – The Quiet Chaos

9) Segun Samson,Omotunde Akiode – Maapu.

The 3 AR/VR experience creators and their projects are:

1) Sundar Mahalingam – Ashvamedha – The Unsealed Fate 

2) Anuj kumar Choudhary – Liminalism

3) Isha Chandna – Toxic Effect Of Substance Abuse On Human Body. 

For the first time, bringing all 42 projects together in one creative catalogue is a testament to the sheer talent we have discovered, stated Saraswathi Buyyala, Founder and CEO of Dancing Atims Studios. The Waves Advisory Board, comprising industry veterans and influential figures in media and entertainment, will play a crucial role in evaluating the potential of these projects and guiding them towards production and distribution, she added. Ms. Buyyala also informed, the global revenue generated by these dynamic verticals underscores the immense potential within the animation industry. In 2024, the global animation market witnessed substantial growth. Short Films contributed an estimated $20 billion in revenue through various platforms including online streaming, festivals, while educational content is projected to reach $70 billion USD by 2032. Feature Films, which represents the largest segment, generated approximately $30 billion USD to $32.3 billion USD at the global box office and through ancillary markets. Animation TV Series experienced a boom driven by streaming services, accounting for around $512 billion USD in production and licensing revenue. AR/VR and immersive entertainment market, including AR/VR animation is a burgeoning sector. It reached an estimated USD 22.12 billion and USD 79.36 billion, with significant growth projections. AR/VR technologies are transforming sectors including gaming, healthcare, retail, education, and manufacturing, fueled by demand for immersive experiences and substantial investment. While North America holds a significant share, the Asia Pacific region is anticipated for the fastest growth, she added. 

For more details on the WAVES 2025 Animation Filmmakers Challenge, please see: 

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2122837

Click here to view the catalogue on the 42 finalists of Animation Filmmakers Challenge. 

 

About WAVES

The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

Have questions? Find answers here  

Stay updated with the latest announcements from PIB Team WAVES

Come, Sail with us! Register for WAVES now. 

 

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PIB TEAM WAVES 2025 | Sriyanka/ Darshana | 111

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(Release ID: 2124840) Visitor Counter : 39

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 28 APR 2025 3:27PM by PIB Delhi

A two-day interactive workshop on adoption of Industry 4.0 & Quality Assurance (QA) 4.0 for Defence Production was conducted by Ministry of Defence (MoD) & Department of Defence Production (DDP) on April 24 & 25, 2025 at HQ Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA). The workshop was aimed at brainstorming the nuances for implementation of automation in different Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSUs) and learning from each other’s experience.

The workshop was inaugurated by Joint Secretary (Land Systems) MoD/ DDP, Dr Garima Bhagat. Dr Bhagat highlighted that MoD is committed to working with DPSUs and the Industry to use niche technologies like loT, Big data Analytics, Al & Block Chain etc. for Adoption of Industry 4.0 and QA 4.0 towards producing World Class Defence Products. During the interactive workshop, Director General, DGQA Shri N Manoharan, informed that a National Level Defence Quality Conclave is scheduled on May 08, 2025 wherein the vision document of Adoption of Industry 4.0 & QA 4.0 will be released and an expert panel discussion on the subject will be held.

The workshop was conducted under the ‘Year of Reforms’ initiative as per the directions of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar.

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SR/KB

(Release ID: 2124847) Visitor Counter : 74