Trademark registration backlog due to doubled filings and staffing shortfalls; administrative measures aim to speed processing.
Registration of trade marks is a quasi-judicial process involving examination, show-cause hearings and opposition proceedings; as of 31 March 2012 the Trademarks Registry reported substantial pendency across examination, objection and opposition stages. The backlog is attributed to a near doubling of applications since 2001-02 and inadequate staffing. Administrative measures proposed include expedited recruitment, free search facilities, digitisation of records and procedural streamlining to improve efficiency and hasten registration.

Condolence statement: Minister expresses sorrow on demise and highlights the deceased's administrative leadership and public service.
Expression of condolence by a senior government minister on the passing of a prominent political leader, emphasizing the deceased's administrative capabilities and public service and acknowledging his role as a former chief executive of a state.

Amendment to registration and licensing rules enables Central Government to appoint interministerial committees and invites public comments.
The draft substitutes rule 10(2) to empower the Central Government, by Gazette notification, to appoint one or more committees comprising members representing specified Central Ministries or Departments - Industrial Policy and Promotion; industries in the Act's First Schedule; Home Affairs; Commerce/Director General of Foreign Trade; and Micro, Small and Medium Industries - and to include other departmental representatives at its discretion; the draft was published in the Gazette, invites objections or suggestions to the Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion within thirty days, and will come into force on final Gazette publication.

Exports decline prompts lower monthly and cumulative trade figures, with provisional balance of trade data subject to revision.
The release reports a year on year decline in July 2012 exports alongside lower July imports, yielding a monthly balance of trade figure; it also provides cumulative April-July 2012 export, import and trade balance figures compared with the prior year and states that the trade data are provisional and subject to revision.

Wholesale Price Index shows a modest monthly rise with mixed sectoral movements across primary, fuel and manufactured groups.
Wholesale Price Index for July 2012 (Base 2004 05=100) rose to 164.8 with annual WPI inflation at 6.87%. Primary Articles increased (index 218.8) led by Food and Non Food Articles; Minerals declined. Fuel & Power fell to an index of 175.5 due to lower petroleum product prices. Manufactured Products rose to 145.7 with varied subgroup movements. The release details month over month, build up and year on year rates, provides itemized subgroup percentage changes and six month inflation trends, and records that May 2012 final indices remained unchanged from provisional estimates.

Industrial production slowdown due to manufacturing and mining weakness prompts policy and legislative measures to revive investment.
Index of Industrial Production contracted in April-June 2012-13 due mainly to manufacturing and mining weakness; manufacturing was affected by global uncertainty, sluggish domestic demand and higher interest rates, while mining was constrained by regulatory and environmental clearances and reduced international demand. Government measures include the National Manufacturing Policy with National Investment and Manufacturing Zones, facilitation of foreign investment, skills development, promotion of private and foreign participation in oil and gas, and the Mines & Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2011. A Working Group will review IIP methodology and base-year revision.

Patent examination backlog persists for food and pharmaceutical inventions, with procedural and staffing measures to improve processing.
As of 31 December 2011 a backlog of 12,690 patent applications for food products and medicines awaited examination at the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks. The grant process is a quasi-judicial process involving publication, requests for examination, substantive examination and pre-grant oppositions; increased filings and examiner shortages have driven delays. Administrative responses include recruitment of additional examiners (selection completed and partial joining reported) and adoption of an electronic processing module to improve accuracy, efficiency and transparency in examination.

Special category state incentives limited to specified hilly states; government will not extend similar packages to others
An Inter Ministerial Task Group identified districts for regional imbalance relief and the Backward Regions Grant Fund was launched; no study has been done to identify industrially backward regions. State wise IEM/LOI/DIL filings and implemented IEMs for 2009-2012 (June) are tabulated. Financial disbursements under the Package for Special Category States (capital subsidy, interest subsidy, insurance) for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are itemised with employment figures; the Government maintains it will not extend similar incentives to other States.

Single Brand Retail Trade approvals published listing authorised foreign investors and their permitted corporate vehicles for entry.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry published an administrative list of foreign investors whose proposals for Single Brand Retail Trade were approved, identifying each approved investor and, where applicable, the subsidiaries, affiliates or group companies authorised to undertake single-brand retail operations in India; the announcement records executive approvals and the intended corporate vehicles without detailing specific conditions or obligations.

Wholesale Price Index revision to review commodity basket and weight allocation, affecting food articles' price measurement.
Wholesale Price Index measurement for food articles under the WPI series (base 2004-05) is presented with item-level indices and fixed weights for specified periods; consumption trends are reported separately by NSSO and do not correspond one-to-one to WPI items. A Government Working Group has been constituted to review the commodity basket and weight allocation for revising the WPI series.

Generic drug user fees after US enactment may be applied, but no additional levy is proposed on Indian manufacturers.
The Generic Drug User Fee Amendments Act of 2012 authorises the USFDA to charge a registration fee for generic drugs to streamline application review and inspections and reduce review time; the USFDA's Indian office clarified the measure applies to national and international manufacturers but stated no additional fee specifically targeting the Indian pharmaceutical industry is proposed.

Industrial assessment: minister convenes stakeholder consultations and a task force to review output decline and propose remedies.
The Union Minister will review recent declines in industrial output, hold consultations with major industry chambers and export bodies, and convene the Government-Industry Task Force to evaluate the industrial situation and propose remedial measures, following interministerial discussions.

Foreign Direct Investment inflows show India's share among developing economies increased, reflecting higher annual FDI receipts and ranking.
Foreign Direct Investment inflows into India in 2011 amounted to US$ 31,554 million, up from US$ 24,159 million in 2010, and are reported alongside comparable FDI figures for other developing economies per UNCTAD's World Investment Report, 2012; this information was communicated by the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha and published as a government press release.

International trademark registration streamlines cross-border filings and designates registry office to handle international applications under the Protocol.
The registered proprietor or authorised user may pursue civil or criminal action against trademark infringers, while the Central Government does not maintain centralised statistics of such infringements. Proposed accession to the international filing Protocol and amended rules will enable single application international filings and allow foreign applicants to file in India within a prescribed priority period, with the Trade Marks Registry head office or notified branch designated to handle international applications.

Retail investment attractiveness remains high as market growth and macroeconomic factors bolster investor interest.
India is identified as a highly attractive destination for retail investment, ranked fifth among developing markets in a global retail index, with projected accelerated retail market growth over the next five years. This investment appeal is attributed to supportive macroeconomic conditions-steady GDP expansion, rising disposable incomes, and rapid urbanization-factors cited as reinforcing demand and sector scaling, as reported by the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry in a parliamentary written reply.

Foreign direct investment in multi brand retail: limited state support while central policy continues to restrict permission.
Written support for opening foreign direct investment in multi brand retail has been received from the NCT of Delhi, Manipur, Daman & Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli; current policy permits FDI with prior government approval for single brand retail but does not permit FDI in multi brand retail, and data on single brand retail operations is not centrally maintained.

Trade cooperation via industrial linkages in the diamond sector to boost training, grading capacity and bilateral manufacturing benefits.
Institutional linkages between the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and Indian diamond facilities are proposed to enhance collaboration in grading, sorting, certification, cutting and polishing and to establish training in gemology and polishing, aimed at raising Indian manufacturing capacity and productivity while also benefiting the Antwerp diamond industry; complementary cooperation is sought in pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing, agro processing, vocational training, advanced engineering, and application of Belgian expertise in water, waste and energy to National Manufacturing and Investment Zones.

Foreign investment from Pakistan now allowed under government route, excluding defence, space and atomic energy sectors.
Policy amended to permit investment by a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan only under the Government route, with investment prohibited in defence, space and atomic energy; the amendment to Paragraph 3.1.1 takes immediate effect.

Due date extension for income tax returns: returns originally due in July now extended to end of August.
The due date for filing income tax returns that were originally due on 31st July for the relevant assessment year is extended to 31st August, and the extension applies to all returns irrespective of the mode of filing; this clarification corrects reports suggesting the extension was limited to e filed returns.

Trade balance dynamics: exports and imports diverge by currency valuation, narrowing the quarterly trade deficit.
June 2012 trade statistics show exports down in Dollar terms but up in Rupee terms, while imports fell in Dollar terms yet rose in Rupee terms; oil imports rose cumulatively though June oil was lower year-on-year, non-oil imports declined, and the April-June trade deficit narrowed in Dollar terms. The release presents provisional monthly and quarterly aggregates by commodity grouping and currency denomination.