India wants strong economic partnership with Uzbekistan: Prabhu
New Delhi, Sep 28 : India is committed to build a strong economic partnership with Uzbekistan, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.
Addressing the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum here organised by the industry chamber Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) ahead of the upcoming state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prabhu said India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the service sector has huge potential to play an important role in India-Uzbekistan partnership.
"Uzbekistan was once part of the ancient Silk Route linking the Far East to Europe. We would now like to make it part of the Silicon Route," Prabhu said.
"India and Uzbekistan could cooperate to foster the development of new and advanced technologies and with that create the new Silicon Route."
Describing Uzbekistan as a bridge between Asia and Europe which is going to be a thrust area in India's trade policy, the Minister offered to set up skill development training centres in the Central Asian nation.
India-Uzbekistan trade relations are governed by the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation signed in May 1993.
This agreement provides for mutual most favoured nation (MFN) treatment, promotion of economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation, including active participation of small and medium-size enterprises in bilateral economic cooperation, a Commerce Ministry release said.
Both countries signed an agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation in 1993, and for Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection in May 1999, it said.
While India's exports to Uzbekistan include pharmaceutical products, mechanical equipment, vehicles and optical instruments, it imports fruits and vegetables, services, fertilisers and lubricants from the Central Asian nation, the statement added.
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Maharashtra government reduces Ladki Bahin Yojana stipend for 8 lakh beneficiaries: Report
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has reportedly cut down on the stipend received by eight lakh beneficiaries of the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.
Under the revised structure, the beneficiaries will receive Rs 500 instead of Rs 1,500 per month because they already receive Rs 1,000 under another government scheme, the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi (NSMN), as reported by the Times of India.
The Ladki Bahin scheme has the stipulation that its beneficiaries can avail other government schemes only if the benefit is capped at Rs. 1,500 per month.
“There has been an ongoing scrutiny. First to scan the applications that were sent by the districts to the state headquarters. And then to re-scrutinise the eligible cases,” TOI report quoted an official as saying.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said he expected the number of beneficiaries to reduce by 10-15 lakh after the scrutiny process. "We are not changing criteria or funding, just ensuring only eligible ones get the stipend," he claimed.
The Opposition remarked that the state government is cheating the women who voted them to power.
The Mahayuti government had launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana in July 2024, where it provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women under the scheme. In its poll manifesto ahead of the state Assembly elections, the Mahayuti had promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100. However, this commitment has not been fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s debt projection is Rs 9.3 lakh crore for 2025-26. The outlay for the Ladki Bahin scheme was reduced from Rs 46,000 crore to Rs 36,000 crore in the 2025-26 budget.
