Export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs
Export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs is a scheme oriented Council and has been step up in 2003 by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry specifically to service the export promotional needs of EOUs & SEZs in India.
EPCES represents the EOU/SEZ Sector which has over 7000 operational EOUs/SEZ Units spread all over the country. EOU/SEZ Sector contributes over US $ 124 billion in the export basket of India. The EOUs/SEZ Units cover major industrial sectors, like textiles, garments & yarn, gem & jewellery, leather goods, food & agro products, electronics & software, pharmaceuticals & chemicals, engineering, minerals, granites & other stones, plastic & rubber goods etc. This sector provides direct employment to over 25 lakh people.
The main activities of the Council is to do export promotional activities abroad like participating in trade fairs/exhibitions abroad, organizing Buyer-Seller Meets, publishing monthly bulletin to appraise its members about the latest international market trends and trade enquiries, disbursing Market Development Assistance (MDA) to EOUs/SEZ Units for exploring new markets for Indian exporters.
EPCES has published the Indian Special Economic Zones Act & Rules book incorporating all the amendments. The said book is very useful and provides all the necessary information about Rules & Regulations about setting up of SEZs and SEZ units, benefits and procedural provisions. The soft copy of the SEZ Act & Rules can be accessed through the link placed below:
http://www.epces.in/updated-sez-act-rules.php
INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE TOURISM IN INDIA : Government of India has launched web based e-ticketing for important monuments such as Taj Mahal in Agra and Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi. Further Archaeological Survey of India has identified 25 model monuments for e-ticketing as well as for making free public wifi available therein. Free wifi zones are already available in some touristic places of India such as Khan Market and Connaught Place, New Delhi; Shivaji Park, Navi Mumbai and Metro Station in Mumbai; MG Road, Brigade Road, Shanti Nagar, Yashwantpur and Indira Nagar in Bangalore; Kankariya Lake, Gandhi Ashram, Iskon Mall, Science City and Madhopura Market in Ahmedabad and between NIT Patna and Dunapur in Bihar. Google has announced to partner with Government of India to make free wifi available in 500 Railway Stations in India. Further information is available at www.incredibleindia.org
ELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT FUND POLICY : To promote electronics manufacturingin India, Government of India has launched a policy that envisages setting up an Electronics Development Fund (EDF) to foster R&D and innovation in electronics, IT and nano electronics. CANBANK Venture Fund Limited is the designated Fund Manager for EDF. Under the policy, there are also various other schemes such as Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) Scheme, Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) and Semi-conductor Wafer Fabrication Manufacturing Facilities. EMC Scheme supports creation of world class infrastructure for attracting investments in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Sector. The M-SIPS provides subsidy for investments in capital expenditure in the ESDM Sector.
Further details are available at www.deity[dot]gov[dot]in/electronicsindia
