Page 4 - Amitabh Kant

No shortage of funds for startups with strong business models: Amitabh Kant

The innovation and startup ecosystem is strongly positioned to find solutions to challenges facing the world today, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Monday, asserting there is no shortage of funds for good startups, with strong business models. Speaking at 'Startup20 Shikhar' event, he advocated a multi-pronged approach of 'fund of funds', credit enhancement schemes, and a sharp focus on good governance for a robust startup ecosystem. Indian startups have successfully demonstrated the power of population-scale solutions at low cost, he said. Kant said that there is no funding winter in startup space, and pointed to "spring" of capital availability for good startups. The world is flushed with funds looking for well-structured good projects, he pointed out. Kant spoke about the success of India's digital public infrastructure, biometric ID, digital payments, and the strength of its startup ecosystem, and added that the country has demonstrated the huge power of digital ...

Don't depend on govt procurement, explore domestic, export markets: Kant

India's G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant on Wednesday asked startups not to get "dependent" on government procurements but instead focus on the opportunities presented by the domestic and export markets. Speaking at a youth conference organised by IMC Chamber of Commerce, Kant also asked men to change their attitudes towards women and transfer wealth in the name of women to address the issue of gender disparity. Both the Union and many state governments have a positive outlook on helping startups on procurements from startups. The government e-marketplace (GEM) has a dedicated 'startup runway' showcasing startups' offerings, while there in many cases, there are relaxations in rules to accommodate buying from startups. "I am personally against governments getting into too much of startups...the dynamism of startups should be in the marketplace. the startups should not get themselves too dependent on govt procurement," Kant said. He said the startups should focus on the large domestic market

India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant lauds Goa for showcasing rich culture

India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Monday complimented the Goa government for showcasing the rich and diverse culture and heritage of India. Talking to reporters on the side lines of the ongoing Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI20) summit of G20, Kant said the venue displayed the character of traditional artisans from all over India and gave a unique flavour of not just Goa, but of the entire country. India is steering the agenda for G20 and has been successful in holding meetings in Goa, he said. Goa is not only a spectacular destination for hospitality, but also a master of curation. The gift they have prepared for the G20 visitors is truly outstanding, Kant said. Preparations for G20 capture the great flavour and all the unique products of Goa, from the works of great artist Mario Miranda to the small little things that make Goa special, he said, adding that these gifts will leave a lasting memory on the minds of all G20 visitors. He further said that Goa's natural beauty, its ..

AI offers new opportunities, also brings threats to privacy: Amitabh Kant

India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Monday said while artificial intelligence (AI) offers exciting new opportunities, such technologies also bring with them new risks, threats to personal privacy and concerns about fake news. He was speaking at the second G20-SAI Summit of the SAI20 Engagement Group here. Kant said the world is interconnected today with technology. It plays a crucial role in the functioning and the transformation, and helps to collect, process and disseminate information more quickly and efficiently. "And with this vast data, we are seeing the emergence of generative artificial intelligence. These are playing a very critical role in the lives of citizens, they have both a positive as well as disruptive potential," he added. India's G20 Sherpa further said there is a need to realise that the future rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, and, in particular, the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence, offer exciting new opportunities for

Southern states have to play critical role in India's growth story: Kant

The country's economic growth should rise from the current seven per cent to at least 10 per cent, which would result in overall increase in the per capita income, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Friday. The compounding rate is so powerful that if India grows at 9 per cent, the per capita income would be USD 20,000 and if the growth stood at 10 per cent, the per capita income would be USD 30,000, he noted. "For this growth (7% to 10%) to be achieved, I believe every State should be champions. We need 10 to 12 States to grow at 10 per cent plus to enable other states to also grow.Southern states have to play a key and critical role as they are the best in competition," he said at an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Regional Council Meeting here. Elaborating, he said in every index that have been conducted -- be it health, education and tourism sector, southern states have always ranked 'Number One'. "India's growth story has to be driven b

For the first time, India setting agenda for G20: Sherpa Amitabh Kant

"This is the first time that India is setting an agenda for G20, which accounts for about 85 per cent of the global GDP," he said

Kashmir finest destination for film shooting: India's G20 Sherpa Kant

Kashmir is the finest destination for film shooting, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Monday, as the three-day third tourism working group meeting of the powerful grouping kick-started here. He said the Kashmir Valley has been attracting filmmakers due to its unique nature, which has something for everyone. "Kashmir is not just a destination but a unique experience. Kashmir is an amazing destination because of Alpine forests, streams etc. There is no better destination than Kashmir as it has something to offer to everyone. It has everything," Kant said. He was addressing the delegates from the G20 countries on the side event 'Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation'. The event is a part of the third Tourism Working Group Meeting of the G20 countries being held in the city. "We believe in peace and prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes tourism has a multiplier effect and it is a job creator. This destination is unique because no Bollywood movie was ...

Central Advisory Council discusses legacy stalled real estate projects

The Central Advisory Council constituted under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act on Tuesday discussed issues like legacy stalled projects and uniformity in rules framed by states and Union territories under the provisions of the Act. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri chaired the CAC (Central Advisory Council) meeting where participants were informed that 32 states/UTs have set up real estate regulatory authorities. It was informed that Ladakh, Meghalaya and Sikkim are yet to establish any such authority, while six states/UTs (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry) are yet to establish permanent regulatory authorities. The CAC also discussed the issue of legacy stalled real estate projects. HUA secretary Manoj Joshi asked members to submit their suggestions to the committee chaired by G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. The panel was set up to examine all issues related to legacy stal

Former CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant loses blue tick on Twitter

Twitter CEO Elon Musk recently suspended blue checkmark from all the legacy accounts

India will use G20 narrative to push its digital growth story: Amitabh Kant

India's G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said India will use the G20 narrative to push its digital transformation story to the rest of the world with an objective of transforming the lives of people in the Global South. Addressing the 8th National Leadership Conclave held by All India Management Association (AIMA) here, he highlighted that globally there are 4 billion people who are without a digital identity and two and a half billion people do not even have a bank account. There are 133 countries in the world which do not have digital fast payments, he said. He said India has been able to transform the lives of citizens and become a more productively efficient economy because of digitisation. "... How do we take this model of India to the rest of the world is the challenge and we will use the G20 narrative to push this digital transformation story of India to the rest of the world and see how we can use this opportunity to transform the lives of citizens in the Global South and

Amitabh Kant to lead panel to examine stalled real estate projects

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has set up a 14-member committee headed by former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to examine issues related to stalled real estate projects and recommend various ways for their completion. According to an order issued by the ministry on March 31, the committee will submit its report within six months from the date of its first meeting. The 14-member panel will deliberate on the issues of legacy stalled projects and suggest ways to complete and hand over these projects to homebuyers in a time-bound manner, the order states. The Central Advisory Council chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had decided on forming such a committee about a year ago. The committee comprises top central and state government officials, including the secretary in the department of financial services in the Union Ministry of Finance, the principal secretary of the housing and urban planning department of Uttar Pradesh and the chairper

Culture, cuisine and crafts on sherpas' menu at G20 meet in Kerala

From 'lagoon lake' conversations to caparisoned 'elephant walk', the meet had many touristy elements

Consensus on 99% issues, readying first draft by July: G20 Sherpa Kant

"India is looking to evangelise its successes in digital public infrastructure through its G20 Presidency to all 133 nations that do not yet have fast digital payments"

Developed world will slow down, emerging markets will grow: Amitabh Kant

India will play a lead role during its G20 presidency in redefining and reshaping the world which is facing multiple challenges, Indian Sherpa Amitabh Kant said here on Sunday. Talking about the trend in the past 10 years, Kant told PTI that the developed world would slow down and emerging markets would grow. Resources should therefore flow from the former to the latter so that emerging markets improve, he said. The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of global GDP, over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population. Spelling out the challenges being faced by the world, Kant said this included slowdown affecting growth, 75 countries getting into global debt, millions of people becoming jobless and several millions falling below the poverty line. "All these require very accelerated action by G20, and when G20 acts, the multilateral institutions act. Therefore, India will use this opportunity to redefine and reshape the world in many ways. And that

G20 Sherpas hold deliberations in traditional attire on houseboats

Wearing traditional Kerala dress and enjoying a taste of Kerala's hospitality, G20 Sherpas held deliberations on land and water at this scenic lakeside Kerala village. While the Sherpas held meetings in the conference hall on top of a moving houseboat in the evening, other delegates from guest countries went on a cruise on the backwaters, enjoying the scenery and a hi-tea spread onboard. Three big houseboats with conference halls were arranged for the cruise of the Sherpas and delegates through Kumarakom Lake, a major tourist destination of the country. Police in separate boats escorted the guests on the two-hour long ride. The majority of the Sherpas and delegates dressed up in traditional Kerala attire before getting on the houseboats. While women delegates wore frilled skirts with zari borders and shawls, men wore the traditional mundu (also known as veshti). They were helped by employees of the event management team. Many of the delegates also posed for photos with India's Sh

Govt turns optimistic on forging G-20 consensus on Russia-Ukraine war

India's top G-20 negotiator, Amitabh Kant, said that the group still isn't close to reaching a settlement over the language in a joint statement at the leaders meeting in September

G20 issues bigger than the Russia-Ukraine war, says Amitabh Kant

Kant said that India had presented its deliverables to G20, and negotiations had begun on the text of these deliverables

G20 nations need to push for growth amid debt crisis: Amitabh Kant

Kant said that governments can, at best, be facilitators and catalysts, and eventually, growth has to take place through production and productivity by the private sector

India should aim for 100% electric two-, three-wheelers by 2028: Kant

Former Niti chief dwells on need for first-loss guarantees and blended finance to boost private capital flow; calls for installing 5 mn fast chargers, urges battery swapping and PLIs for localised mfg

World needs new institutions to drive climate action, SDGs: Amitabh Kant

The world needs new institutions to drive climate action and sustainable development goals (SDGs) as organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are not designed to address these challenges, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday. Participating in a discussion on "India's G20 Presidency - Forging Actionable Agenda for Global South" at the Vivekananda International Foundation, Kant talked about the challenges as India holds the presidency of G20 -- an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). He said the challenges are "external" and referred to the Ukraine war and the prevailing situation in the West. "We have seen the war going on for one year, we don't know how it will shape up in the coming days. G20 is essentially a consensus building platform," he said. He said geopolitics in Europe is not improving as the Ukraine-Russia war has been going on for a year and is worsening. Kant said G20 is important a