Greece offers Logistics hubs, Airports to Indian investors

NEW DELHI: PM Shri Narendra Modi‘s visit to Greece this week, the first by an Indian PM to the country in 40 years, will see bilateral ties upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Looking to benefit from the strong convergence of interests with India on regional and global issues, Greece wants to emerge as India’s gateway to Europe.

PM Modi will pay a day-long visit to Athens on August 25, on his way back from South Africa where he will be participating in the Brics Summit.

Several agreements are likely to be signed after his meeting with Greece

PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in which the two leaders will focus on a range of issues including trade and investment, shipping, migration, culture and defence cooperation.

The Prime Minister will also address an Indian community event later in the day

“We really want to act as India’s gateway to Europe. And we’re ready for i t , o f f e r i n g a c o m p r e h e n s i v e privatisation scheme that includes seaports and airports and logistics hubs for Indian investors to start the gateway,” said Greece Charge d’affaires Alexandros Boudouris.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Greece in 2021 saw the two sides expressing commitment to the idea of a strategic partnership between the 2 countries Greece is looking to attract more investment and talent from India and the 2 countries last year signed a Declaration of Intent on Migration and Mobility Both sides share their commitment to multilateralism and rules-based international order and hold similar views on complex issues related to Afghanistan, Ukraine and the contested eastern Mediterranean where Greece is involved in a dispute with Turkey

DGFT issues final notice regarding mandatory electronic filing of Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin (CoO)

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry has issued a final notice regarding the mandatory electronic filing of Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin (CoO) through the e-CoO platform. The notice emphasizes the importance of onboarding to the electronic platform by the 31st of August 2023 and outlines consequences for noncompliance.

Analysis Mandatory Transition to e-Filing: The DGFT has provided an extended transition period up to 31st December 2023 for the mandatory filing of applications for Non-Preferential CoO through the e-CoO platform

The emphasis on online submissions reflects a broader governmental push for digitalizationandefficiency

Final Onboarding Deadline: D e s p i t e s e v e r a l n o t i c e s , s o m e agencies/chambers have not initiated the onboarding process, necessitating this final notice. The deadline of 31st August 2023 has been set to ensure a smooth transition to the online system. Failure to comply may result in denotification from Appendix 2E.

A s s i s t a n c e a n d S u p p o r t : The notice provides details of support available for those needing help with the registration and application s u b m i s s i o n p r o c e s s , i n c l u d i n g t h e D G F T H e l p d e s k s e r v i c e , email support, and toll-free numbers

Conclusion: The notice from DGFT represents a firm commitment to advancing the digitization of trade processes in India. By setting a clear deadline and providing ample support, the DGFT is facilitating the transition to a more streamlined and contactless system for managing the Certificate of Origin (CoO) related processes Agencies and chambers must comply by the stated deadline to continue enjoying the benefits of being part of this crucial trade system. This movement towards an electronic platform underscores the Indian Government’s ongoing effort to modernize and simplify its trade and commerce mechanisms.