South Africa and India held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi to strengthen co-operation in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries between the two developing nations. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana, and Indian Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Parshottam Rupala, held a meeting with an agenda on crop and animal production, research, food and nutrition security, agro-forestry, aquaculture and agro-processing. 

The department’s spokesperson, Khaye Nkwanyana, informed that the bilateral meeting was a consequence of technical discussions that took place at the fourth Joint Working Group on Agriculture between the two BRICS nations.Last week, rejuvenating the partnership between India and South Africa took centre stage as President Cyril Ramaphosa was welcomed to New Delhi as a State guest of honor for India’s 70th Republic Day celebrations.

Both department ministers recognized the importance of agriculture to the economies of their respective countries, and committed to continue deepening bilateral trade in agricultural commodities. South Africa gained market access for mangoes in 2016 and work is now at an advanced stage to gain market access for avocados, litchis, pickled sheep and goat skins.

 

The major areas in the work plan are crop breeding, silk production, agricultural biotechnology, post-harvest technologies and agriculture education and training. Further agreements were made on working together on mutual food and security initiatives directed towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, with specific reference to addressing poverty and hunger.

 

Both ministers further noted the importance of the soil-water-energy relationship and committed to intensify initiatives in this nexus to address sustainable agricultural systems.They also discussed the importance of the use of extension services in the Fourth Industrial Revolution to ensure revolutionary agricultural development.
 

They agreed on convening an inaugural bilateral seminar on extension. This event will be a platform to share best practices and set a new bilateral agenda on extension and technology transfer.

 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar for the heads of states of Rwanda, Malta, Uzbekistan, Czech Republic and Denmark who are expected to attend the biannual Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which begins on January 18 for three days. 

According to the state government, 15 countries have officially come on board as partners for the 9th edition of the investor summit. This year’s event will also see 11 international organisations participating in the event. Further, around 22 countries, including Australia, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, Germany,  Denmark and Canada will be represented at the event with their own seminars and pavilions. 

Gujarat chief secretary JN Singh told reporters on Friday that the Prime Minister would also hold an exclusive round table interaction with the heads of sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and institutional investors, during the event. 

For the first time ever the summit will also have a dedicated ‘Africa Day’. The January 19 event will provide a platform to discuss opportunities for strategic partnerships, trade and investments and to enhance bilateral trade relations between India and Africa. Special seminars will be held exclusively to showcase investment opportunities for Indian investors in the African countries. 

According to the state government, an important topic that will be focused on is the immense potential of medical tourism that Gujarat provides to Africa. Additionally, an exclusive Africa Pavilion will be set up to showcase products and services of mutual interest. More than 40 of the 54 African nations have already confirmed their participation and several countries are still expected to join in the coming days.

Indian pharma industry, worth $34 billion in 2018, has displayed huge prospective and possibility and is likely to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent.

During the considerations at the ongoing India Pharma 2019, an international forum on the pharmaceutical industry in Bengaluru, many representatives of the pharma majors suggested that Indian pharma players should look at different geographies for exports.

Out of the total pharma exports, around 55 per cent of exports are to the developed and balanced markets.

 Dr Sanjit Singh Lamba, who is the managing director of Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Limited, mentioned that, “Global exports by pharma companies in India have grown and expanded, and other then the US and Europe, which have seen depletion in drug prices, there are also markets like Africa, Indonesia and China that can be utilized by the pharma companies. Japan, though is a highly rewarding market but is also a high risk market. Around 20 per cent of international market for formulations are met by Indian players. However, Indian pharma players should also demand on highest quality of products.”

 Where as, other experts also noticed that there was huge export opportunities and chances to countries such as China and Latin America.

 While China had big market capacity and potential and was highly policy driven, each and every Latin American market was different from each other. 

 Chetan Bangera, who is a regional head Latin America for Cipla, further explained that, “In China, it takes time to build trust and what succeeds in China doesn’t succeed in India and on the other side the one that succeeds in India doesn’t succeed in China. What the government in China decides the companies accomplish. Right now there have been policy changes to control corruption in China in the pharma sector, particularly with a two invoice system that completely abolishes and removes the role of a middle-man in drug purchase and distribution.”

 Experts such as Gautam Swaroop, VP and Head—Geographies, EM, Portfolio and S&M at DRL Laboratories pointed out that the Latin American pharma market presented a huge opportunity for Indian companies as it is a $80 billion market. 

 Manoj Kamra, vice president corporate affairs, Zydus Cadila Healthcare also noticed that there was massive potential to boost the exports by Indian pharma companies.  He said that pharma exports from India had touched around $17.27 billion a 2.9 per cent Y-o-Y growth and 3.68 per cent CAGR for a period from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

 Manoj Kamra, further continued saying, “It is very important and necessary for pharma players to think of emerging and prominent markets as currently 35 per cent of exports are to the developed US market alone. We need to look strongly and positively towards other emerging and prominent markets such as Africa.”