Big News

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurates power projects worth over $1 billion; Karnataka approves a $1.37 billion waiver for existing farm loans; Tata Trusts signed an MOU with the Nagaland government to roll out a cancer care program in collaboration with the public healthcare system of the state; Jammu and Kashmir releases a draft of its maiden Environment Policy; and more

Center – State relations

The government has approved the launch of "Scale Up of Access to Clean Energy" to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by improving access to reliable and affordable renewable energy for rural productive uses in the states of Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. Source: Mercom In detail: Scale-up of Access to Clean Energy for Rural Productive and Domestic Use (2015-2019)

Andhra Pradesh

China's Holitech Group announced it will set up a production facility in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of $200 million to supply mobile phone components like camera modules and touch panels to smartphone major Xiaomi. Source: Financial Express In detail: Press Release

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched a high energy density storage device developed by Bharat Energy Storage Technology Pvt Ltd (BEST) at Praja Vedika in Amaravati. Source: The Hindu Business Line

The Andhra Pradesh state cabinet approved the State Mega Seed Park Policy 2018 and the Textile, Apparel and Garments Policy 2018-23 to boost employment in the state. Source: Fibre2Fashion In detail: Andhra Pradesh Seed Policy

Azure Power, one of India's leading independent solar power producers, announced it won the largest allocation of a rooftop solar power project in a bid conducted by New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd. Azure Power will provide 5 megawatts (MW) of the total 15 MW tender. Source: Energy Infra Post In detail: Press Release

Bihar

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated power projects worth over $1 billion and expressed confidence that each household in the state would be electrified by the end of this year. Source: Economic Times

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that the state government would directly transfer $145 and a 68 inch frame loom to all the weavers to provide a working capital to them. Source: Financial Express

The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited and the South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited to install smart meters in 130 towns and rural areas of the state, covering nearly 1.8 million consumers. Source: Times of India In detail: Press Release

New Delhi

Nothing critical to report this week.

Gujarat

The Gujarat government announced eight schemes to provide financial assistance for jobs and education to 58 economically backward classes that are currently not entitled to any reservation quota benefits. Source: Live Mint

Haryana

Haryana emerged as among the top five states of the country in exports, registering exports of $2.4 billion in the first two months of the current financial year. Source: The Tribune

Haryana government has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the United Nations Development Programme to establish the Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Center in the state. Source: The Statesman In detail: Press Release, Sustainable development goals budget allocation 2018-19, Government of Haryana – Vision 2030

Karnataka

Karnataka became the fourth Indian state to get an energy calculator developed by the United Kingdom. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy launched the Karnataka State Energy Calculator 2050, a first-of-its-kind web-enabled tool that promises to help the government attain energy security and plan projects in the sector. Source: Deccan Herald In detail: Karnataka State Energy Calculator 2050 Portal

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced that the Karnataka cabinet approved a $1.37 billion waiver for existing farm loans with cooperative banks. Source: News 18

Madhya Pradesh

Nothing critical to report this week.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced concessions of $53.6 million in power tariffs to the textile industry in the state in order to revive sick textile mills and generate jobs. Source: Business Standard

In order to expedite the construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), the Maharashtra cabinet has approved the joint venture policy between the Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (MHADA) and private land owners. Under this new policy, private land owners can transfer land to MHADA, which will build affordable houses for economically weaker section and lower income group beneficiaries of PMAY-U. Source: CNBC In detail: Cabinet Decision

The Maharashtra government approved allotment of 20 acres of land at the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur Special Economic Zone (MIHAN SEZ) for setting up a defense equipment manufacturing cluster. This initiative is slated to result in creation of 50,000 jobs at MIHAN SEZ. Source: Business Standard

Rajasthan

The World Bank has approved $250 million for electricity distribution reform in Rajasthan, aimed at advancing the Government of India's 'power for all' campaign to provide 24 hours electricity supply to each household by 2019. Source: Energy Infra Post In detail: Press Release

Tamil Nadu

Nothing critical to report this week

Telangana

Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd won a project announced by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board to supply cooking gas to 10 rural districts of Telangana. Source: Times of India In detail: Press Release

Italian motorcycle-maker Benelli signed an MOU with Telangana government and Adishwar Auto Ride International, a subsidiary of Mahavir Group, to establish a manufacturing facility in the state. Source: Money Control

The Telangana State Information Technology, Electronics and Communication department signed an MOU with Tech Mahindra to launch India's first Blockchain district to foster growth of Indian blockchain start-ups and companies. Source: Business Standard In detail: Press Release

Telangana launched Rythu Bheema, a life insurance scheme for farmers, wherein farmers in the 18-59 years age bracket will get an insurance cover of $7,230 each at a premium of $33. Source: The Hindu Business Line In detail: Rythu Bheema Website

Uttar Pradesh

Amazon India signed an MOU with the Uttar Pradesh government to support micro, small & medium enterprise entrepreneurs across nine districts as a part of the state's One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. Source: First Post

State-owned defense companies are investing heavily in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Ordinance Factory Board, Bharat Electronics Limited, and Bharat Forge invested in the corridor, which includes the cities of Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, and Jhansi. Source: Economic Times

The rollout of Uttar Pradesh's smart meter project began from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency of Varanasi. As per the plan submitted by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation to the electricity regulator, installation of 4 million smart meters in the state's power theft-prone areas will be completed between July 2018 and March 2021. Source: Financial Express

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the One District One Product Summit (ODOP) organized by the Uttar Pradesh government to promote traditional industries in every district of the state. The ODOP scheme seeks to promote traditional industries synonymous with their respective districts to spur local economy and create jobs. Source: Times of India In detail: Press Release

West Bengal

Nothing critical to report this week

Best of the Rest

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh's 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri plant, 412 MW Rampur Hydro Electric Project, and 1,000 MW Karcham-Wangtoo Project, which had closed for four days due to abnormal rise in silt in the Satluj river, have resumed power generation. Source: Economic Times

Jharkhand

The Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved to transfer the Central Hospital at Karma, Jharkhand under the Ministry of Labour & Employment along with its land and building to the Jharkhand Government free of cost to establish a new Medical College. Source: Education Medical Dialogues In detail: Press Release

Jammu and Kashmir

After years of delay, the Jammu and Kashmir government has finally released a draft of its maiden Environment Policy and is soliciting feedback from the public. The policy recommends measures to protect and conserve critical ecological systems and improving the quality of life through sustainable management and use of natural resources. Source: Greater Kashmir

The State Administrative Council has privatized electricity metering in the Jammu and Kashmir, and has asked the Rural Electricity Corporation Power Distribution Company Limited to undertake a smart grid project, ranging from power meter procurement and meter reading to billing and maintenance. Source: Greater Kashmir

Kerala

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced an immediate relief of an additional $14.4 million in flood relief to Kerala. Source: Indian Express In detail: Press Release

According to remittance data released by the Reserve Bank of India, Kerala accounted for 19 percent of total inward remittances, followed by Maharashtra at 16.7 percent and Karnataka at 15 percent. Source: The Hindu Business Line In detail: India's inward remittances in 2016-17

Manipur

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh inaugurated the Manipur Start-up Conclave 2018 held at the City Convention Center in Imphal, which will offer financial assistance of $21.6 million to start-ups over the next five years. Source: North East Today

Meghalaya

The state government of Meghalaya approved the free drug policy through which the government will provide 72 medications free to the people of the state. Source: The Shillong Times

Nagaland

The Tata Trusts signed an MOU with the Nagaland government to roll out a cancer care program in collaboration with the public healthcare system of the state. The program will integrate with the existing plans of the state on cancer screening, palliative care, and tobacco control with a three-tiered model of treatment delivery. Source: The Telegraph In detail: Press Release

Odisha

State-run Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd was granted the approval to establish a second-generation ethanol plant in Odisha with an investment of $108 million. The ethanol bio-refinery, with a capacity of 100 kiloliters per day, will be set up at Baulsingha village in Bargarh disrict. Source: Economic Times

Odisha's revenue collection has jumped by 33 percent to $1.8 billion till July end this fiscal compared to $1.4 billion during the corresponding period last year. Source: TheHindu

The state government signed an MOU with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to undertake an ambitious $166 million ground water recharge project in 15 water-stressed districts. Source: Times of India

The Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha signed two MOUs aimed at improving advanced mental health and de-addiction services in the state. The first MOU has been signed with National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, to provide tele-mentoring and capacity building to medical officers overseeing mental illness cases and basic emergency psychiatric care. The second MOU has been signed with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Center at the All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, to upgrade nine de-addiction centers. Source: Pragativadi

Punjab

Spain-based food processing company Congelados De Navarra will invest $43 million to set up a food processing unit at Ludhiana in Punjab. The company signed an MOU with Punjab Bureau of Industrial Promotion (PBIP) for the project, which has been facilitated by IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative) under the Invest Punjab scheme. Source: Business World In detail: Press Release

The Punjab government has withdrawn a policy to release more than 250,000 agricultural pumpset connections announced by the previous SAD-BJP government, amid concerns over depleting groundwater due to excessive extraction. Source: Times of India

The Punjab government has decided to restart operations at two thermal units at the Ropar power plant to meet the state's rising demand, which is expected to cross 13,000 MW. Source: Times of India

Tripura

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched various digital initiatives, including the Digital Classrooms project and MyGov Tripura portal, along with Union Minister of Law and Justice, and Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad. Source: North East Now In detail: Press Release

Uttarakhand

According to data released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, per capita income in the Uttarakhand increased by 10 percent, while economic growth increased from 6 percent in 2016-17 to 6.79 percent in 2017-18. Source: Times of India In detail: Provisional Estimates for 2017-2018 of State Domestic Product of Uttarakhand

The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat approved certain amendments in the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act 2018, outlining that any institution found involved in religious conversion will face cancellation of their registration with the state. Source: Times of India