600 F&B importers from 50 countries likely at Indusfood 2019: Ministry
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Around 600 food and beverage (F&B) importers from about 50 countries are likely to participate in Indusfood-II, touted as the world's food supermarket, in January 2019, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday.
"The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is expecting around 600 global buyers from 50 countries and over 350 Indian exporters and producers to participate at this World Food Supermarket in Indusfood-II," the Ministry said in a statement.
The second edition of Indusfood will be held on January 14-15, 2019 in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR). Indusfood-I, held in early 2018, saw importers from 43 countries generating an estimated business of $650 million, it said.
Following a recent meeting between TPCI Director Ashok Sethi and India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (IBCCI) President Abdul Matlub Ahmad in Dhaka, IBCCI has confirmed its participation with a strong contingent at the F&B trade fair.
"Bangladesh is already doing business with North Eastern states of India and in Indusfood-II, their contingent will be looking forward to meeting new exporters from the North East region, including the horticulture departments of these states," it said.
Some of the key products that Bangladesh is likely to source from India are fruits, spices, confectionary, agri produce, dry fruits and mustered and soya oil.
"TPCI is working to attract maximum buyers from the SAARC countries to source their food and beverage-related requirements from India," the Commerce Ministry said.
Some big buyers, including supermarket chains, from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including Iran and Russian Commonwealth countries (or CIS) have already pledged their presence in Indusfood-II, the statement added.
"(At Indusfood-I,) international buyers and Indian sellers from 12 categories of F&B industry experienced a unique opportunity of a B2B dialogue and insight into the large basket of brands, private labels and bulk purchase of raw items that India could offer to the world," the Ministry said.
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Right to life extends to all: SC questions Assam on detention of foreign nationals
New Delhi: The Supreme Court criticised the Assam government on Wednesday for failing to justify the detention of foreign nationals in transit camps and demanded an explanation from the state’s chief secretary, who has been asked to appear via virtual mode during the next hearing.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and N Kotiswar Singh emphasised that the fundamental right to life extends to all individuals, including foreigners. The court directed the state to take immediate steps to deport the detainees to their respective countries.
The bench was hearing a case concerning 270 individuals held in detention centres or transit camps in Assam. It observed that some detainees had been languishing in the camps for over a decade. "The affidavit submitted by the state fails to provide reasons for detaining these individuals and does not detail the steps taken for their deportation. This is a gross violation of the court's orders," the bench remarked.
The court had previously granted six weeks for the state government to file a compliance affidavit. Dissatisfied with the lack of a detailed response, the court instructed the chief secretary to clarify the non-compliance.
The Assam government’s counsel informed the court that the deportation of illegal migrants is coordinated through the Union government. He explained that the state is responsible for providing complete details, including contact information, to the Ministry of External Affairs, which verifies the identities of the migrants via diplomatic channels.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the Assam State Legal Services Authority to inspect the Matia transit camp, focusing on hygiene and food quality standards.
