During last six months, raw material cost for Kraft paper increased 25 percent. Labour costs and price of Kraft paper too increased by an average 20 percent. The Indian Corrugated Case Manufacturers Association (ICCMA) has asked government to reduce customs duty on imported kraft paper from its present rate of 10 percent. The 10 percent customs duty makes it very difficult to import kraft paper.

Currently imports are negligible as the present average price of kraft paper is Rs 26,000 per ton. The Hyderabad based manufacturers too source inputs from Maharashtra and Gujarat. The price of kraft paper increased by 25 per-cents. Cost of all other inputs like adhesives, wire, labour and power too increased. Production cost went up by 30 percent. The international market trends determine prices.

Sharma expresses optimism for improving opportunities of investment between the two countries. This is because India and US are together working to formulate a mechanism to integrate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of both countries. Now, it has become evident that the two countries have launched an initiative for integrating U.S. and Indian SMEs in the Global supply chain. This means that new opportunities will open up for SMEs of both the nations.

The bilateral trade between the two countries crossed USD 30 billion during the period April-December 2010-11. India’s export to US during this period also remained USD 17,629.72 million and the growth in export remained to the tune of 27.9%. The items that are being exported from India are Gems & Jeweller, Cotton, Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals, Drugs, and Machinery & Instruments.

India-US Trade policy Forum (TPF) is a milestone in itself for it is a good arrangement between two governments to find solutions to problems confronting trade and investment between the two countries.

India and US have jointly agreed to work on India-US Technology Trade Agreement Proposal that will help to foster improvements in Logistics Infrastructure and Services in India. This will also simulate the US private sector to deliver Urban Infrastructure in India.

The salt farms would demonstrate to salt workers the methods of producing quality salt with higher yields. The model farms make it feasible for adoption of new technology by salt workers. On demonstration, farms will learn different salt-making techniques, harvesting methods and mechanisms of washing.

Salt-making is a labor -intensive industry where 95 percent of salt-producers are in unorganized sector that produces 40 percent of India’s total salt output. The 5 percent who are in the organized sector produces the remaining 60 percent output. This industry has Rs 2,000 crore turnover and a major portion of which is contributed by salt industry of Gujarat.

The production of salt is vulnerable to climatic variations. Excessive rains lead to salt panes dilution that further leads to delays in harvests. Another limitation is manual nature of the industry. To meet these issues, ISMA has submitted a memorandum to the salt committee in-order to discuss on challenges that confronts the salt industry.

Gujarat is the only state where land is still available for salt production. However, there are pending applications for grant of one lakh acres of land on lease terms for salt production with the Gujarat government. Rajasthan on the other hand has a large area under desert and requires attention for the growth of salt industry. Here, there is the option for exploration of subsoil brine that has high sodium sulphate content. But then NaSo4 crystallizes along with the salt, rending it inedible. Thus, there arises the need to improve on technology so as to make high-grade subsoil edible salt. Thus salt testing laboratories need to be modernized and services extended to industry at nominal fee.

Consumer sentiment remained on a high in 2010. On an average, the improvement remained 65 percent. Many chemical units have also reported growth in sales of over 20 percent in 2011. More than half, 53.3 per cent of respondent, have also reported 20 percent in export in 2010.

But price hikes of raw materials also seem to be inevitable, as fifty percent of respondents have found input prices to increase in 2010. Hence, product prices too increased according to 33.3 percent of respondents.

The platform is meant to create a mechanism that allows mainstream financing of energy efficiency projects by providing instruments such as bankable project reports and other risk-mitigation measures to enhance comfort for lenders towards these projects.

Such projects and energy service companies often find it hard to source funding, according to BEE secretary Saurabh Kumar.

“Essentially, banks have a high risk perception about such unsecure lending. More than a mindset, it requires a skill-set to understand such project reports, which is missing,” said Kumar. “But just to give you a signal on how this is gaining importance, last year the Japan International Cooperation Agency loaned Rs1,500 crore to Sidbi exclusively for energy efficiency in the small and medium enterprise sector.”

BEE has estimated the near- and medium-term energy efficiency market potential to be around Rs74,000 crore, with investments in such programmes recouped in less than five years while increasing productivity.

Energy service firms provide solutions for improved energy efficiency in buildings, utilities and offices, with profits tied to the savings achieved.

Coupled with Green Ratings which have been launched by SMERA in India, this will give a major boost to green projects in India. With SMEs comprising a major chunk of manufacturing space in India, it can help to make the industry greener.

The perform, achieve and trade scheme will make a huge difference in the business of energy service firms as well as small and medium enterprises, according to V. Raghuraman, principal adviser at industry lobby group Confederation of Indian Industry, and chairman of the World Energy Efficiency Association.