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Most of roads in the state were blocked by putting up stones, wood and burning objects as protestors against the Citizenship Bill voiced their opposition today.
As hundreds of women started sleeping at the main market areas police resorted to heavy firing last evening resulting in injury of six old women.
People came out in the streets and sat down blocking the roads.
MANPAC the apex body formed against the Bill had called for a 36-hour shut down beginning 5 am today.

MANPAC convenor Yumnamcha Dilipkumar said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh were simply saying that the CAB 2016 will not affect the region when the ground reality was different. The region is witnessing decline in population of indigenous population and increase of population of illegal immigrants.
Members of six student bodies namely, AMSU, MSF, DESAM, SUK, KSA and AIMS, hoisted black flags at most households as a sign of protest. The students of the state were preparing to hand over all the Hindi textbooks to the Governor and the Chief Minister N Biren Singh tomorrow.
Massive security arrangements were taken up as it was feared that protestors may target houses of legislators. Additional forces were rushed to the residences of Ministers, MPs and MLAs today.

All educational institutes were closed down and all inter and intra passenger services were also cancelled today. No shops were opened and the state looked like a deserted place with people remaining indoors.(UNI)

FICCI’s latest Quarterly Survey on Manufacturing presents a better outlook for hiring and production in Manufacturing.
The survey portrays a better outlook for the manufacturing sector in Q-3 (October-December 2018-19) as the percentage of respondents reporting higher production in third quarter were much higher than those reporting higher production in Q-3 of 2017-18.
The proportion of respondents reporting higher output growth during the October-December 2018 quarter was 54 per cent as compared to 47 per cent in Q-3 of 2017-18. The percentage of respondents reporting low production was only 13.5 per cent in Q-3 2018-19 as compared to 15 per cent in Q-3 of 2017-18.
Similarly, on hiring front the outlook for the sector seems to have slightly improved for near future.
While in Q-3 of 2017-18, 70 per cent respondents mentioned that they were not likely to hire additional workforce, this percentage has come down to 65 per cent for Q-3 of 2018-19. Going forward it is expected that hiring scenario will improve further, noted the Survey.
FICCI’s latest quarterly survey assessed the sentiments of manufacturers for Q-3 (October-December 2018-19) for eleven major sectors namely automotive, capital goods, cement and ceramics, chemicals, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals, electronics & electricals, leather and footwear, metal & metal products, paper products, textiles, textile machinery and tyre. Responses have been drawn from over 300 manufacturing units from both large and SME segments with a combined annual turnover of over 2.2 lakh crore.
In terms of order books, 43 per cent of the respondents in October-December 2018 are expecting higher number of orders against 42 per cent in October-December 2017-18.
The outlook for exports is somewhat stable as 36 per cent of the participants are expecting a rise in exports for Q-3 2018-19 and 32 per cent are expecting exports to continue on same path as that of same quarter last year, observed the Survey.
However, rupee depreciation has not led to any significant increase in exports as 78 per cent of the respondents reported that the exports were not affected much by rupee depreciation. Thereby, emphasising that there were other global factors that are restricting the growth of exports of the country.(UNI)

The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran on Sunday said that Iran is ready to boost uranium enrichment and its nuclear capabilities.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, the AEOI’s spokesman said “Based on a decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] and the emphasis put on this issue by head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the country is ready to increase its uranium enrichment capacity to 190,000 SWUs, Press TV reported.
Back in January, Ayatollah Khamenei ordered the AEOI to make preparations for the enrichment of uranium up to a level of 190,000 SWUs without any delay.
“It seems from what they say that some European governments expect the Iranian nation to both put up with sanctions and give up its nuclear activities and continue to observe limitations [on its nuclear program]. I tell those governments that this bad dream will never come true,” the Leader said.
US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington in May 2018 from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
Under the deal, reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Kamalvandi said Iran is also ready to increase the level of its uranium enrichment form 3 to 20 percent if necessary.
He added that Iran has drawn up plans to start re-designing the Arak heavy water reactor given the fact that the signatories to the nuclear deal have failed to fulfill their commitments.
The official further stated that the AEOI plans to use new machines to enrich uranium and has made required preparations in this regard.
Kamalvandi added that the latest achievements of Iran in the field of nuclear technology will be unveiled in the first month of the forthcoming Iranian calendar year (starts March 21, 2019), one of the most important of which is the mass production of Oxygen-18.
Noting that production of Oxygen-18 is a long stride in the country’s nuclear chemistry, Kamalvandi said, “At the present time, increased production of stable atoms of this substance to be used in medicine and treatment of diseases has been put on the agenda [of the AEOI].”
He added that only five countries in the world are capable of producing Oxygen-18, noting that every kilogram of heavy water containing Oxygen-18 is sold for about $30,000, which indicates the high value of this advanced technology.(UNI)

Hyderabad-based CredRight,one of the first FinTech start-ups, focused on chit fund sector , has announced to lend Rs 200 Crores to Indian MSMEs in the next 3 years.
CredRight, the data-driven lending platform partners with chit funds and use a reverse auction to distribute pooled funds across India to acquire customers and to underwrite loan for a customer.
In the coming fiscal year 2019-20, the company plans to further invest in technology and grow from the strength of 13 to 35 in addition to lend Rs 50 crores to MSMEs by December 2019, the company said in a release.
The total size of the chit fund business in the country is estimated to be around Rs 70,000 crores with about 75-80 lakh customers.
There are an estimated 1.6 million registered MSMEs in India, as per Ministry of MSMEs 2017-18 report; but they face a major problem in terms of getting adequate credit for expansion of business activities, the release said.
The report pointed out that the MSMEs received only 17.4 per cent of the total credit outstanding. It is very saddening that in a progressing country like India, only 33-34 per cent of firms from MSME sector have an access to banks and institutional financing channels while rest of them resort to informal channels like friends, family and other personal channels for raising loans, says ASSOCHAM report.
“There are around 50 million registered and unregistered MSME businesses in the country that face a nearly $300 billion credit gap. The lack of adequate finance due to shortage of organized lending from banks and other formal institutes along with absence of transparency poses severe challenges in front of MSMEs to obtain loans”, said Neeraj Bansal, CredRight Co-founder and CEO.
“We are looking to provide loans of above Rs 5 lakh to retailers/small businesses like chicken or barber shops and above Rs 10 lakh to SMEs.
In the last year, the loan band ranged from Rs 1 lakh to maximum of Rs 35 lakh with an average of Rs 9.5 lakh,” Neeraj added.
Collateral-based lending models will have to become more flexible and thoughtful, based on cash flows and commitment of the entrepreneur towards the business, he said.
CredRight has experienced a huge credit pull from small vendors, start-ups, shopkeepers, agencies dealing in commodities and those engaged in numerous other trades in the unorganised sector. The growth of unsecured loans is a reason for hope for the new entrepreneurs, particularly high-skill professionals and those who can part finance their businesses.
By tapping the huge database and strength of the chit fund sector, the Hyderabad-based CredRight is expanding rapidly in extending loans to the small and medium enterprises.

The United States would likely to withdraw its troops from Syria in weeks, General Joseph Votel, the chief commander of US Central Command overseeing troops in the Middle East and Afghanistan, made the remarks while speaking to the media on a military airplane heading to the region.

“Probably weeks. But again, it will all be driven by the situation on the ground,” he said, adding “In terms of the withdrawal … I think we’re right on track with where we wanted to be.”

“Moving people is easier than moving equipment and so what we’re trying to do right now is again to kind of clear out those materials, that equipment, that we do not need,” he added, warning however that the exact timing is still not settled.

Votel told the media that the overall US troops’ number in Iraq “is going to remain more or less steady.”

After taking over as AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh east, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hit the campaign trail as she embarked on her maiden visit to Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

Priyanka will begin her four-day trip to Uttar Pradesh on Monday during which she will be holding a roadshow with Rahul and newly appointed AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh west Jyotiraditya Scindia and also interact with party workers at the state Congress office in Lucknow.

Ahead of the visit by Priyanka, who will be accompanied by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia, there is a huge enthusiasm among local Congress workers, who feel that her active role in campaigning in the state will boost the party’s prospects in the state, as it takes on the formidable challenge posed by BJP and SP-BSP alliance.

In a message to Congress workers ahead of her visit, Priyanka said, ‘I am coming to Lucknow to meet all, of you.. I have a desire in my heart that all of us together will begin an era of New kind of politics where all of you will be stakeholders.

Priyanka will begin her four-day trip to Uttar Pradesh with a roadshow with Rahul and Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday.

The road show will start from Lucknow Airport Mod, passing through Shaheed Path, Tiraha-Avadh Chauraha , Natha Hotel Tiraha – Hussainganj Chauraha , Lalbagh Tiraha-Hazaratganj Chauraha and Vikramaditya Chauraha before reaching the Congress office .

Ahead of the visit, Rahul said he was excited over his meeting with party workers in the state.

‘I am coming to Lucknow, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia will be accompanying me. At around 1200 hrs, a roadshow has been organised from Lucknow airport to the party office. I am very excited over my meeting with all of you,’ Rahul said in a tweet.

Priyanka and Jyotiraditya Scindia will interact with party workers at the state Congress office in Lucknow on February 12, 13 and 14.

Priyanka, who has been made In-charge of 42 of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in UP, will meet the office bearers of various constituencies .

Party sources said that Priyanka’s appointment as the AICC General secretary for Uttar Pradesh east, which encompasses key constituencies like Prime Minister Modi’s seat Varanasi and the state Chief Minister’s stronghold Gorakhpur as well as Congress strongholds Amethi and Rae Bareli, has charged up the local Congress workers, who feel that her active role in campaigning will boost the party’s prospects in the state, as it takes on the formidable challenge posed by BJP and SP-BSP alliance.

An upswing in fortunes of the congress in the state,where Congress won just two Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, will be Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s main political challenge.

The visit by Priyanka, her first to the state after taking over as AICC General secretary for Uttar Pradesh east, is being seen as a virtual launch of the Congress campaign in the key state, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.(UNI)

Kuwait registered a Guinness Book of World Records with world’s longest national flag.

More than 4,000 school students and teachers carried the 2,019-meter-long national flag to claim a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, as part of the Kuwaiti celebrations of the 58th anniversary of the Independence Day, QNA said in a report on Monday.

The ceremony took place with the participation of the various state bodies, including the defense ministry, interior ministry, fire department, Municipality, ministry of public works, information ministry and other institutions.

Kuwait previously set a record for the world’s longest flag in Feb 2016, after a remote-controlled plane pulled the flag during a show held in Mina Abdullah. Kuwait has recently set other flag-related world records.

In December last year, three Kuwaiti army officers broke a Guinness skydiving world record after leaping 13,000 feet while carrying a 63-sq-m Kuwaiti flag. In the same month, Chevrolet achieved a Guinness World Records title for the largest flag flown by a vehicle after a pickup pulled a Kuwaiti flag measuring 433 sq. m for more than 100 m without any part of it touching the ground(UNI)

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) of Karnataka unit demanded a through probe, monitored by the Supreme Court of India, over the alleged bribe offer made by Opposition Leader in the Legislative Assembly B S Yeddyurappa to lure a JD(S) MLA to join the Saffron party.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, AAP State Joint Secretary Darshan Jain said that with the Audio tape released by the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, also mentioned Judges and the Speaker is a worrisome and needs a through inquiry monitored by the Supreme Court.

“This is the first time in the history of the state that a Chief Minister has made such a serious charges against the Opposition leader in the Assembly and the Chief Minister had also complained it to the Speaker” he added.

The inquiry should also cover the sources of funds, which was allegedly offered by the BJP leader, mentioned in the audio tape, he stated.

Zee Café is all set to premiere the most awaited battle between home chefs, ‘The Chefs’ Line’ season two from February 11.

The never back down attitude of the amateur chefs will be put to test against the professionals.

‘The Chefs’ Line’ is a direct ticket to change the fortune of our home chefs, but it comes with a price.

Our home chefs will go up against the master chefs from the industry.

With a new cuisine every week, the culinary war between the two will have exciting twists and turns.

Four amateur home cooks will fight head on against an entire Chefs’ Line, from one of Australia’s finest restaurants, in the hopes that their determination will triumph over professionals.

Judging the contestants, will be celebrated stars in the culinary industry like internationally renowned Chef Dan Hong, popular food writer Melissa Leong and famous indigenous chef Mark Olive.

Speaking about the show, Chef Mark Olive adds, “The Chefs’ Line is not a show to look at faults, scripted for drama or to feel deflated if something goes wrong, but is an outlet to encourage, support and showcase these techniques they bring from around the globe for all to see.”

Celebrating the diversity, ‘The Chefs’ Line’ will take viewers on a journey of various cuisines as they present varied cultures, people and history associated with them.

The show will premiere from February 11, weeknights at 2100 hrs on Zee Café.(UNI)

Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra on Saturday appeared before Enforcement Directorate for the third time in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering in purchase of foreign assets.
Vadra reached probe agency’s office at Jamnagar House around 1050 hrs.
The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.
He was questioned by the probe agency on February 6 and 7 for several hours.

During his last round of questioning on February 7, the investigating team has shown him some property documents and exchange of electronic mail which indicated that he owns the property in London, a reliable source in the agency said on condition of anonymity.

However, he denied having any link with the property in question, the source further said.
His statement would be recorded under section 50 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as it was done on last two occasions.
Vadra is also expected to depose before the ED on February 12 in Jaipur in an another money-laundering case related to a land scam in Bikaner. The Rajasthan High Court has directed him to cooperate with the agency in the case.
He was granted interim bail till February 16 by a Delhi Court.(UNI)

With the death of one more person on Saturday, the death toll in Uttar Pradesh hooch tragedy has climbed to 70.
The victim died at a hospital in Kushinagar.
Report quoting official sources from Saharanpur said that postmortem of 11 bodies has been carried out while family members of seven others performed the last rites without informing the authorities.
The incident came to light on Friday morning after five deaths were reported in Saharanpur’s Umahi village and 19 people were hospitalised in serious condition. Later, 13 others succumbed.
Locals said that they had consumed spurious liquor. Many were taken ill and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. The condition of the other admitted remain critical, a doctor said.
Swinging into action, the district administration and local police have begun investigation, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of those who died and Rs 50,000 for those undergoing treatment.
The authorities have suspended more than 20 excise and policemen in both the Saharanpur and Kushinagar district besides the district excise officers of both the districts have also been put under suspension.
The Chief Minister has ordered departmental action against district excise officers of Kushinagar and Saharanpur from where deaths have been reported. He has ordered a 15-day joint drive by excise and police officials against those involved in the spurious liquor trade.
A total of 11 people were killed in a similar tragedy in east UP’s Kushinagar, prompting district administration to suspend nine officials, including local SHO and excise inspector. A case was filed in this connection and one person was arrested. The villagers had consumed spurious liquor during Mauni Amavasya mela.(UNI)

The shooting of movie PM Narendra Modi, a biopic of the current Prime Minister and former Gujarat Chief Minister, was held in Prag Mahal here.

Noted Director Omung Kumar B, who has directed biopics like Mary Kom and Sabarjit is directing the film, He had visited various locations in Gujarat earlier last month.

Actor Vivek Oberoi is playing the role of the Prime Minister.

The shooting of the film was done in Ran area in the last two days and today, it was done here.

In the coming days, the shooting is likely to be done at other locations, including Ahmedabad and Vadnagar, the birth place of Modi.

Over 3000 vehicles, mostly trucks, are stranded following closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only all weather road connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, for the fourth day on Saturday due to landslides and shooting stone, official sources said.
A massive rescue operation was going on at Jawahar tunnel, where one policeman was still missing after a snow avalanche hit a police post on February 7. Bodies of seven persons were recovered while two were rescued alive.
The Ladakh region remained cut off from Kashmir since December last year as the Srinagar-Leh National Highway remained closed due to accumulation of snow while historic 86-km-long historic Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads remained shut due to accumulation of several feet of snow and slippery road conditions.
Traffic on the highway remained suspended on the highway for over three weeks in 2019, leading to shortage of essentials, including vegetables, meat, chicken besides petrol and diesel in the Kashmir valley, which is totally dependent on imports from different northern states.
Sources said over 3,000 vehicles, majority of them trucks, are stranded on the highway for the past over a week. Several thousand Kashmiri passengers are also stranded in Jammu due to closure of the highway.
Traffic could not be resumed on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to fresh landslides and slippery road conditions, a traffic police official told UNI.
There were fresh landslides and shooting stones at Peedah and Cafeteria Mode this morning, he said, adding that frequent shooting stone and landslides has forced authorities to suspend traffic.
He appealed to people not to undertake foot journey in the avalanche prone area which could prove dangerous.
Two people were killed and three others were injured when they came under landslide at Ramban in Jammu region, after they tried to cross the danger area on foot yesterday.

He said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, are working round the clock to make highway traffic worthy. However, he said, frequent landslides and shooting stones are occurring at several places on the highway between Ramban and Ramsu.

The National Highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, also remained closed since December last year. There was fresh snowfall on the highway, particularly between Sonamarg-Zojila pass-Zero point-Meenmarg, which was already under several feet of snow.
Fresh snowfall was also received on historic 86-km-long Shopian in south Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region. The road is also closed since December last year due to accumulation of several feet snow and slippery road conditions. The Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed for the past over two months.(UNI)

Russia’s first ever manned lunar mission is expected to land on the Moon in 2031, according to a document prepared by the Russian Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash) and obtained by Sputnik.
“The purpose of the mission is to carry the crew to the Moon,” the mission plan for 2031 says, adding that the crew members will be practicing certain operations related to “the cosmonauts’ activities on the Moon” and perform tasks set by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to the document, a heavy lunar rover capable of transporting cosmonauts, as well as the second manned expedition, are expected to be delivered to the Earth’s natural satellite by 2032. The second crew will be charged with testing vehicles designed to travel on the surface of the Moon.
In 2033, cosmonauts are scheduled to undertake long-distance trips on the lunar rover to conduct scientific research and test robotic systems.
The construction of the first Russian lunar base is set to begin in 2034 and continue in 2035, the document says.

India, as a strong supporter of the multilateral trading system, supports reforms of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) provided that the process is inclusive and addresses the developmental concerns of developing and least developing countries.
Official sources said the WTO and the global trading system are facing serious challenges in terms of unilateral measures and counter measures by some members, deadlock in important areas of negotiations and ongoing impasse in the appointment of members of the Appellate Body of WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism.
These challenges have necessitated a discussion among members for reforms in the WTO, with a view to plug the gaps in the WTO rules and procedures, the sources added.
There has been an impasse in the matter of selection of members of the Appellate Body Members of the WTO. The robust Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO ensures that the rules of global trade agreed at the forum are not breached by members.
India has been engaging with several WTO Members on the way forward at the WTO. India has recently co-sponsored a proposal with the European Union and other members on reform of the dispute settlement mechanism addressing various challenges such as the proposal, inter alia, addresses various imperative issues of timelines, the appointment process of the Appellate Body members, their tenure and other conditions so that the Appellate Body and the Dispute Settlement Mechanism work more efficiently.

The emotive ‘sons and daughters of the soil’ vis-a-vis threats from outsiders issue has come to the fore yet again in Mizoram as social organisations and political class have decided to intensify their opposition to the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
“We are emotional people and also committed to the interests of the natives. Therefore, Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC) – a common conglomeration of church bodies – would offer a mass prayer on Saturday and Sunday (Feb 10) to ensure that the Bill is defeated in the Rajya Sabha,” a senior church leader told UNI over phone.
Initially the proposal was to hold the prayer meeting on February 16 – but now the special prayer session will be held on Saturday and Sunday as the Narendra Modi government has decided to push the draft law in the Upper House of Parliament on February 12 and 13.
There has been a strong opposition in all northeastern states against the Bill, which got the nod in the Lok Sabha on January 8. The opponents to the same – especially in Assam say that if the Bill is made into a law and implemented, it will endanger the identity of indigenous people of the region.
The draft law – now pending in the Rajya Sabha – envisages granting citizenship to ‘persecuted’ non-Muslims – Hindus, Christians, Jains, Parsis and others – who have entered India till December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of continuous stay in the country.
The stakeholders including BJP legislators in states like Meghalaya and Manipur have condemned the Modi government for its alleged ‘undemocratic push’ to pass the Bill in Lok Sabha on January 8 much against the strong opposition of the whole northeast.
The Bill may be taken up in the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passing on February 12 and 13 and the BJP is reaching out to regional outfits like BSP and Samajwadi Party to enlist their support to the draft law.
The major developments on the legislative front come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a rally in Vijaypur in Jammu region – “There are so many children of Maa Bharti who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. We will stand with those who were part of India at one time, but got separated from us” – in reference to Partition in 1947 and their persecution in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.
In his January 31 address to the Joint Sitting of Parliament, President Ram Nath Kovind said categorically that those people who were ‘compelled’ to seek refuge in India cannot be blamed and clubbed with infiltrators since they were victims of circumstances.
“These people cannot be blamed since they were victims of circumstances,” said the Presidential address giving a clear indication of the NDA government was not at all willing to shelve The Citizenship Amendment Bill.(UNI)

State-owned State Bank of India has just joined digital invoice discounting marketplace – Invoicemart, as a financier to help in unlocking working capital for more than 1,400 MSMEs that are a part of the platform.
MSME-driven initiatives like Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) has enabled working capital finance to MSMEs and is expected to become a major channel of financing for the MSME segment. Currently, Invoicemart has 22 financiers on the platform, which is expected to grow to 25 by the end of February 2019.
SBI Chief General Manager (SME and Supply Chain Finance) Narayanan Sadanandan said: “Elevating the MSME segment has been a prime focus at State Bank of India, and TReDS has been substantial in helping this segment with easy financing options. We have taken several steps to ensure timely delivery of credit to MSMEs through other initiatives and this association is another step towards the process of digitisation.”
Commenting on the initiative, TReDS Ltd CEO and MD Kalyan Basu said, “We are glad that India’s largest and oldest bank – State Bank of India has come on-board the Invoicemart platform. State Bank of India has had a huge franchise in supporting MSME financial inclusion and this association will not only help with formalising and digitising the MSME lending process but will also pave a way for MSMEs to find cheap financing options in a transparent and easy manner via TReDs.”
MSMEs are the cornerstone of the Indian economy as they are pivotal in creating a large number of employment at meagre cost of capital in comparison to larger industries. With the recent announcement on 2 per cent subvention for MSMEs for loans up to Rs 1 crore in Budget 2019 along with the extension of GeM platform to support domestic services and trade, the government has tried to support this segment immensely.
A number of scheduled commercial banks and public sector banks have registered themselves on the TReDS platform since the positive push from the government in 2018. This has helped pave a way towards MSME inclusion through a transparent bidding mechanism that ensures faster financing at competitive market rates.
Invoicemart was launched in 2017 and has since crossed Rs 2,020 crore in business volumes.(UNI)