Ahmedabad, 16th June, 2021: ART Fertility Clinics, a leading global institution in Reproductive Medicine, today launched its exclusive clinic in Ahmedabad, Gujarat at Sun Avenue, Manek Baug Road.  The center will provide highly specialized IVF treatment to patients from Ahmedabad and the areas.  ART Fertility Clinics launched its first two clinics in Gurgaon and Delhi in May 2021 and the Ahmedabad clinic is its first foray into western India.

 

ART Fertility Clinics follow the doctrine of evidence-based medicine and provide personalized treatment plans for all its patients. Treatment plans at ART Clinics are personalized on the basis of its proprietary research which takes into account ethnicity, social and cultural mores, previous medical history. This holistic approach of combining science, nature and geographical factors has enabled ART Fertility Clinics to achieve the highest successful pregnancy rates globally of 69%.  ART Fertility Clinics aims to transform IVF (In-vitro fertilization) technology sector in India by implementing the most stringent IVF protocols (ESHRE) across all its centers.

 

Speaking at the occasion of the launch, Mr. Vinesh Gadhia, CEO, ART Fertility Clinics India said, “ART Fertility Clinics, Ahmedabad is the most technologically advanced center for  reproductive medicine in the city.  The clinic provides finest infrastructure and the latest technology to ensure that our patients have the best environment for a successful pregnancy.  Ahmedabad center is our third clinic in the country and is a part of our India expansion plan.  ART Fertility Clinics is about science assisting nature and we aspire to be an essential bridge in helping couples attain their dream of parenthood.”

Launched in early 2015 in collaboration with IVI RMA Global, ART Fertility clinics is now an independent and leading provider of Fertility treatments with the highest success rates internationally (69% Pregnancy rate: 1.3 Embryos per transfer, no donor eggs or sperm).  The institution deploys the most advanced infrastructure and technologies in all its clinics, some of these technologies and equipment are being introduced in India for the very first time.  Having achieved over 60000 + pregnancies in less than five years, globally, ART Fertility Clinics’ success is driven by the scientific and personalized approach of highly skilled physicians, embryologists and the support medical team. With a focus on original research and publications, ART Fertility Clinics has become an international referral center for patients seeking advanced treatments especially after multiple failed cycles using their own eggs.

As a part of its India expansion plan, ART Fertility Clinics will be launching 15 more state-of-art centers over next two years across India.

About ART Fertility Clinics

ART Fertility Clinics was started as an extension IVI RMA Global in 2015 under the brand name IVI Middle East. In Jan 2020, IVI RMA divested its ownership to Gulf Capital and the entity was rechristened as ART Fertility Clinics. Since its inception, ART Fertility Clinics has been led by Mr. Suresh Soni, Chief Executive Officer and Prof. Dr. Human Fatemi, Group Medical Director (MD, Ph.D. at the University of Brussels, Belgium).

In the past six years, ART Fertility Clinics has established Clinics in Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Dubai and become the leading institute for Human Reproductive Medicine in the Middle East.

As part of the global expansion initiative mandated by Gulf Capital, ART Fertility has expanded its presence India, commencing operations in eight clinics across India in 2021 with an additional ten clinics to begin operations by Mid-2022. ART Fertility Clinics will be announcing the launch of several clinics in Europe and Asia during the second half of 2021.

May : Today, India is among the worst-hit countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The data of infected, affected and death cases has been rising at an alarming pace. To make matters worse, the global pandemic has impaired the Indian economy to such an extent that it has gravely impacted the lives and living of not just the poor but of everyone else alike. As family incomes shrink, we will see a sharp rise in child marriages and child labour leading to children dropping out of the education system completely.  

Swapnil Tawde, Deputy General Manager – West & Myanmar, Magic Bus said, “We have been working in Jagadia & Viramgam blocks in Gujarat for over 2 years now with more than 12000 children and their families. When the vaccination drives started in Gujarat we noticed that villagers had vaccine hesitancy even though cases were rising. They had many misconceptions regarding the vaccine. It was a struggle to convince them. Through consistent awareness building campaigns we successfully changed perceptions. We have been instrumental in moving these blocks from zero vaccination to more than 11,000 people being successfully vaccinated.”

Alpa Chauhan, Regional Director – West, Magic Bus added, “Our initiatives be it emergency relief or long term programmes, aim towards building resilient communities. Resilience is the base of how we all respond to and emerge from hardship. Currently, we are attempting to tackle the more immediate and urgent fallouts of the pandemic. While food security, awareness on the infection, community engagement and welfare continue to be paramount to helping families cope, what is absolutely necessary is to continue learning engagements for the children on our programme. This will be a prime marker in ensuring they are connected to learning while schools are closed and do not drop out of the education system, even as their families see a fall in incomes. ”

In this hour of global calamity, the children, young people and their communities need the ability to cope with this crisis. For over two decades, Magic Bus through its life skills education, has been building resilience among its children to help them face struggles and hardship at every stage of life. 82% of children reported that our life skills sessions had helped them to cope with the uncertainties of the pandemic, as reported in a Magic Bus COVID-19 Impact Survey in 2020. Now more than ever, resilience is what is needed to help deal with the crisis and Magic Bus’s emergency COVID-19 second wave responses are purposed towards saving lives and building resilience among communities, families and children.

As one of the initiatives of the COVID-19 second wave response, the Magic Bus team in Jagadia & Viramgam blocks in Gujarat, initiated a vaccination awareness campaign for families, designed to create awareness on the importance and benefits of the vaccine. Magic Bus Youth Mentors worked closely with the Block Health Officer and village level Primary Health Centres to create awareness through events, community meetings, and door-to-door visits.  Joint meetings were also conducted with the Block Health Officer, Primary Health Centre and Medical Officer to devise a plan to share information and create awareness. The team reached out to over 10,000 households across 100 villages in Jagadia & Viramgam to create awareness and guide them on the process of taking the vaccine. As a result, 11,131 people have successfully been vaccinated till date. Many elderly were not able to reach the vaccination centres, and so youth mentors facilitated vaccinations in their homes.

Magic Bus’s presence across 22 states enables them to reach out to large numbers in need of help. Magic Bus is committed to providing medical support such as life-saving medication, oxygen concentrators, cylinders, etc. in partnership with government health systems, local organisations and agencies specialised in providing such support. So that the children are safe, the organisation will reach out to their families with awareness on COVID-19 prevention, vaccination and create linkages to government entitlements that ensure food security and also distribute ration to the most marginalised, where needed.

May, 2021: India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade and industry, have recently donated one ventilator to the Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (SRLC) Hospital in Dharampur, Valsad District, Gujarat, in continuation of their CSR efforts to provide support and relief in rural India during the Covid-19 pandemic. IPGA has been working to strengthen the hands of the frontline workers by donating a ventilator to treat COVID patients especiallythe disadvantaged tribal people of South Gujarat under the Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care program. This is an initiative for and beyond COVID to serve the people in rural areas for years to come.

The SRLC hospital, a 100-bedded facility in Dharampur town of Valsad district, is the only equipped and multi-specialty hospital amidst 100 villages in the area. As the second wave of Covid-19 began spreading rapidly in southern Gujarat, SRLC immediately converted one wing into a 50-bedded Covid-19 special ward equipped with ICU and BiPAP machinery, high-flow oxygen support and an experienced team of doctors and started treating patients from the under privileged tribal communities in rural areas free of cost. IPGA responded to these efforts by donating a ventilator to their ICU for treating critical Covid-19 patients.

Mr. Jitu Bheda, Chairman – IPGA said, “IPGA is honoured to support a noble cause of providing quality and critical healthcare to the less privileged citizens of Gujarat and step up the fight against COVID-19. As the nodal body of the pulses trade, we are proud of all the CSR work done so far. We will always step up to support all the state and central government efforts in this time of crisis. This ventilator will be useful for years to come beyond COVID. We hope that our effort encourages other similar Associations to come forward and contribute.”

Speaking about IPGA’s support, Dr Bijal Mehta, Trustee, SRLC Hospital, said, “The ventilator has been installed in the Critical ICU Ward installed at our hospital last week and is working well. IPGA’s donation was very timely and has helped us to extend much needed Covid care to underprivileged patients. We are very grateful to IPGA for joining hands with us to serve the less fortunate, and I thank IPGA on behalf of the hospital and all the Covid-19 patients.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit India last year, IPGA has decided to dedicate certain resources to fighting the pandemic and supporting frontline workers as well as victims through it. Last year, IPGA contributed a sum of INR 21 lakhs to the PM-CARES fund, as well as provided 11,000 food grain ration bags to migrant families and families stuck in containment zones.

Ahmedabad,7th April 2021: Anant National University, India’s first design University continues to promote 21st-century living and learning in a global context while keeping its academic core rooted in the Indian milieu by adding the ‘Centre for Visual Arts’ and ‘Centre for Urbanism and Cultural Economics’ at the University.

The courses, research and outreach at these centres will catalyse the relationship between creativity, critical thinking, and analytical thinking. These programmes will help transform imagination into reality, enabling students to understand the journey from conceptualising to executing real-world projects.

Focusing on the role of creative education, the Centre for Visual Arts at AnantU reinforces the practical learning of the visual form through domain-specific materials covering a wide range of media across contemporary studio art practices. The interdisciplinary curriculum draws on perspectives from aesthetics, philosophy, feminism, gender and post-colonial theories, as well as theories of globalisation and new technologies. Thislayered-engagement between studio practice and theory is fundamental to linking visual thinking with architecture and design. The Centre for Visual Arts is led by Dr Bindu Bhadana (Transcultural Studies – Arts & Culture).

The Centre for Urbanism and Cultural Economics (CUCE) by AnantU will focus on the interdisciplinary fields of urban and development studies and cultural economics in India. These take on increasing policy and practice relevance in the light of the UN’s agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly around sustainable cities and communities, in the post-pandemic world. The Centre for Urbanism and Cultural Economics (CUCE) is headed byDr Ashima Sood (Urban Development) and Dr Shubhalaxmi Mohapatra (Micro, Macro, and Behavioural Economics).

The Centre will analyse and develop holistic and sustainable models of urbanism that are attentive to India’s rich tangible and intangible heritage. Building upon the guiding principles of the School of Creative Practice and Entrepreneurship, AnantU (SCoPE), the Centre focuses on research-informed praxis. Preparing a new generation of enquiry-led practitioners and practice-attentive researchers in the field of local, urban and regional development studies, and cultural economics, the Centre aims to establish AnantU as a centre for excellence in the urban built environment and cultural economics in India and the Global South.

Speaking on the launch of the centres, Dr Anunaya Chaubey – Provost, AnantU said, “We envisioned programmes like these for years and it is exciting to see it come to fruition. The courses at AnantU seeks to nurture smart solutionaries, equipping them with analytical, design, and communication skills to drive change. We aim to establish community engagement through a multidisciplinary approach in the fields of design, built habitat, and sustainability.”

About Anant National University:

Anant National University (AnantU), India’s first Design University, is located on a lush green campus in the World Heritage City of Ahmedabad. It was established as a private university in 2016 by an Act of Legislature of the State of Gujarat. AnantU aims to bridge the gap between contemporary socio-economic challenges and sustainable solutions through design thinking. Its widely acclaimed, international, and national faculty facilitate a holistic design education with a liberal arts perspective. The academic experience at the university focuses on developing the self, while simultaneously building domain expertise and providing industry exposure.

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) enables talented aspirants, deserving students avail scholarship for Classroom and Hybrid courses at their convenience through its – instant Admission-Cum-Scholarship Test (iACST)

iACST

Vadodara, March, 2021: Known in the industry for its innovative and student friendly initiatives,Aakash Educational Services Limited, the pioneer in test preparatory services for aspiring doctors and engineers with more than 215 centres across the country, has launched a unique instant scholarship — the instant Admission Cum Scholarship Test Exam (iACST). The specially crafted test enables talented and deserving students from Class 7-11 gain upto 90% scholarship from the safety of their home, online as per their convenience.

DETAILS OF THE EXAM   The iACST exam is online with a duration of 60 minutes. Students can write the test any time from 10 AM to 6 PM on the selected exam day.Deserving students can get upto 90% scholarship.Students from Class 7-11 can appear for the scholarship.Class 12th Passed Students have an option to opt for Special Repeater Courses.  

With gradual reopening of schools and institutes post Covid, students are eager to go back to classrooms. iACST will give them an opportunity to start their journey early post a 60-minute test, enabling them to take the first step towards achieving their goals of becoming doctors and engineers. The scholarship enables students from different social and financial backgrounds take advantage of quality teaching at Aakash.

The test will allow students to take the exam online and provide them with details of the scholarship earned immediately. With iACST, students can even take instant admission and prepare under the expert guidance of Aakash Faculty. For more information log on tohttps://iacst.aakash.ac.in/iacstexam.

Thescholarship will be for admission to Medical, Engineering & Foundation Courses for both the Classroom and Hybrid learning programs. Class 12th Passed Students have an option to opt for Special Repeater Courses. Students can opt for any time between 10 AM and 6 PM on the selected exam day.

2020 was yet another year when Aakash Institute produced excellent results for both JEE and NEET. AakashianChiragFalor from Delhi became the National Topper by securing AIR 01 in the JEE Advanced 2020 competitive examination, while the top 3 ranks in NEET 2020 were also secured by Aakashians (SoyebAftab AIR 01, Akanksha Singh AIR 02 and Snikhita T AIR 03), exemplifying the excellent academic training provided at Aakash. 

Commenting on the launch of iACST, Mr AakashChaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), said, “AESL is introducing the online instant Admission Cum Scholarship Test (iACST) for the convenience and comfort of thousands of talented students. Covid – 19 and the following lockdown made us work on a tailor made offering which is more convenient and digitally accessible for the students. This will give the students the opportunity to take the test from the comfort of their home and get instant result and admission. We are offering up to 90% scholarship for deserving candidates. I am sure the students will take the best advantage of the opportunity.”

Aakash Institute aims to help students in their quest to achieve academic success. It has a centralized in-house process for curriculum and content development and faculty training and monitoring, led by its National Academic Team. Over the years, students from AESL have shown proven selection track record in various Medical & Engineering entrance exams and competitive exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads.

February , 2021, Gujarat: Leugong India's Gujarat dealer Amurutlal Desai & Sons, handover key of new state-of-the-art Lugong 926EHD excavator machine to Vrah Infra limited.  Also a wide range of modern equipment was introduced at Kismat Kathayawadi Hotel, Sayla, Gujarat. On this occasion, Mr. Pijus Dutta (Regional Sales Manager), Mr. Somak Chaudhary (Regional Service Manager), Mr. Neil Desai (Partner, Amrutlal Desai & Sons), Officers of Leugong India  and  more than 150 people connected with industry from Rajkot and Ahmedabad were present. Leaugong India, Gujarat’s dealer Amrutlal Desai & Sons key handover to Varaha Infra Ltd. 
On this occasion, Mr. Neil Desai (Partner, Amrutlal Desai & Sons) stated that, The meet was organized in view of the constant demand of the customers after the time of pandemic. In which LeuGong has been handover the machine key to Varaha Infra limited. The Liugong 926EHD excavator delivers high performance, durability and reliability in swing design to ensure safe and easy operation in confined spaces. At the insistence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Lugong India is committed to fulfilling the dreams of Local Pay Vocal and Make in India. And a full range of construction equipment is being developed at the plant at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh. Using 100% Indian products, Lugong manufactures its own machinery and exports it to markets in and outside India. The company is among the fastest growing CE companies in the world and overseas Its performance in the markets is good. Our customer dedicated, experienced and trained sales and service team remain forever to serve the needs of the customer's automotive and earthwearing spares and systems.
Along with this, Kismat Kathayawadi Hotel Sayla was showcased with a 6 tonne loader, a 31 tonne extravator and a 7 tonne extractor as the main attraction of the during program. Which received good response from customers of Sayla and Surendranagar.  Liugong operates 20 manufacturing facilities globally. This adheres to six methods of sigma quality.
Liugong supports a world class R&D function, and the company has a team of more than 8,000 employees, including 1,000 engineers behind each machine it builds.

Ahmedabad, February, 2021: The TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) begins 2021with the launch of a new event, the Gujarat Open Golf Championship 2021 Presented by Gujarat Tourism.The tournament is scheduled to be played at the magnificent Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Clubin Ahmedabad from February16th – 19th, 2021. The tournament reaffirms Gujarat’s status as an emerging golfing hub as it is home to some of the finest golf courses in the country including the Kalhaar Blues & Greens, Kensville Golf & Country Club, Gulmohar Greens Golf & Country Club, The Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club, Aalloa Hills Resort, The Belvedere Golf & Country Club and Glade One Golf Club. There is immense potential for golf tourism in Gujarat thanks to the wide variety and high quality of golf courses on offer for the business and leisure traveler. Golf tourism has in recent years emerged as a special segment of tourism worldwide and the Gujarat Open Golf Championship 2021 Presented by Gujarat Tourismprovides the state of Gujarat a great opportunity to tap into this potential.

Mr. JenuDevan, IAS, MD & Commissioner of Tourism, said, “The state of Gujarat is home to some of the best golf courses in the country and therefore has huge potential for golf tourism. The staging of the inaugural Gujarat Open Golf Championship Presented by Gujarat Tourism in partnership with PGTI is a major step towards promoting golf tourism in Gujarat and showcasing the state as a leading golfing destination in India. We look forward to a highly successful event and an enduring and mutually beneficial partnership with PGTI.”

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We’re excited about beginning the year with a new event, the Gujarat Open Golf Championship 2021 Presented by Gujarat Tourism. We thank Gujarat Tourism for partnering with PGTI in launching this event. The tournament will help promote Gujarat as an ideal golfing destination. We’re also delighted to be back at the magnificent Kalhaar Blues & Greens after three years and thank them for their support to this event. We wish the players all the best and look forward to an action-packed year.”

Mr. Devang Shah, MD, Navratna Group, said, “It is indeed our pleasure to host the Gujarat Open Golf Championship 2021 Presented by Gujarat Tourismat Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club. The weather is just perfect for the game of golf and the course is in immaculate condition. I’m sure all golfers will enjoying playing at KBG. We heartily thank PGTI to bring the tour to Ahmedabad. It will encourage many people to play the sport in this part of the country.”

SSP Chawrasia,Indian golf legend and one of the biggest names playing the tournament, said, “I would like to thank Gujarat Tourism for supporting PGTI in launching a new event despite the challenging times. It’s a big boost for Indian golf. I’m really excited about playing my first event of the year at Kalhaar Blues & Greens which is one of the best golf courses in the country.”

Udayan Mane, the highest-ranked Indian golfer in the world at the moment, said, “I would like to thank Gujarat Tourism for their support to this event. It’s a blessing that we have a new sponsor as it enables us to play and compete even in these difficult times.Every professional looks forward to playing at Kalhaar Blues & Greens as its such a fantastic venue. It’s an exciting prospect for me as Kalhaar also happens to be one of my home courses.” 

The tournament, the eighth event of the 2020-21 PGTI season, carries a prize purse of Rs. 30 lakh. Gujarat Tourism has come on board as the Presenting Partner for the event.

The tournament is set to feature some of the top Indian professionals such as international winners SSP Chawrasia, Rahil Gangjee, Rashid Khan, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Chikkarangappa, Viraj Madappa and Khalin Joshi along with the highest-ranked Indian in the world Udayan Mane and PGTI Order of Merit leader Karandeep Kochhar.

The foreign challenge will be led by Sri Lanka’sMithunPerera and Bangladesh’s Md ZamalHossianMollah.

The local challenge will be led by Gujarat-based professionals Varun Parikh, Anshul Patel, Jay Pandya, Shravan Desai and Arshpreet Thind.

Sanvid, an initiative to provide equal learning opportunities in digital technology, life skills and personality development for school students in rural India

Jangral, 29th January, 2021 – Jadishwar Charitable Trust, Supported by Aarav Solutions, a pioneer in the global product engineering and IT consulting services space, today launched ‘Sanvid’, an EdTech initiative that aims to provide equal learning opportunities in computer education, digital technology, life skills, language skills and personality development for school students in rural India. The program willkickstart from the Maharana PJ High School, Jangral, Dist. Patan Gujarat the first Sanvid Champion School in Gujarat. With intent to bridge the gap between the youth and the mainstream digital world, the program’s ambition is to empower students by equipping them with computer based education.

Raj Darji, Founder & CEO, Aarav Solutions and Founder Trustee of Sanvid with Maharana Pratap High School Students and Teachers_

Sanvid, a Sanskrit name depicting knowledge, is an initiative curated with the aim of developing an edtech program which is deeply rooted in our education system and focuses on nurturing young talent.

The logo is influenced by the SaraswatiYantra, a medium through which Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge, bestows education. The program is designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels irrespective of the grade in which the students start. It will also be extended to teachers who wish to teach and learn the computer programs. The modules and courses being planned will all be certified and there is a scope for outstanding students to avail scholarships for further education in information technology and computer engineering.

The penetration of digital education into rural India is fast evolving. In the rural schools, the quality of teaching as well as learning is not competent with the evolving changes. There is zero or very basic level of computer education or knowledge of information technology across all these schools. There is also a dire need to train the teachers. Infrastructure and the Internet are other two key needs in these schools. Sanvid offers the students a unique opportunity to get access to devices and experience technology firsthand. On account of COVID-19 situation, the students will be given access to the devices and internet services.

Sanvid will offer an educational framework with life skills essential for career such as spoken English, humanities, growth mindset, financial management and career counselling for personal growth at its core. Experts like technocrats, academicians and a project manager will be involved in training young minds to excel in information technology and prepare for a better future. It will start from Maharana PJ High School in Jangral, Patan and expand to other champion schools in Patan. Sanvid is a step towards building a community of learners and teachers solely with the purpose of sharing knowledge wherein anyone from parents to students can seek help for learning.

Mr. Raj Darji, Founder & CEO, Aarav Solutions and Founder Trustee of Sanvid, said, “We are making an active choice to be the catalyst of change to more than a million lives starting today. The Sanvid initiative is a much needed and cost-efficient step towards connecting young students in rural and semi-urban regions of India to the wide world of information technology and digital through customised computer education. I am happy to launch the same in my home state of Gujarat. This will also enable schools to become Smart Schools in the truest sense. Already the way of learning and education is moving digital and online, and Sanvid will use this transition further to make rural students embrace and understand IT education better.’’

He added, “When I started living in the USA, I witnessed a phenomenal difference in the kind of educational resources available to children in the US, as compared to our schools back in India. This prompted us to come up with a solution. A program like Sanvid will not only provide an equal opportunity for these students but also benefit the society as a whole. With this program, the students will be confident and capable enough to navigate computers and their applications. As we have celebrated the 72nd Republic Day just two days ago, we would like to make a commitment of taking the Sanvid program to at least 72 rural schools across Gujarat in the next seven years.”

Sanvid Champions are our partner schools, who are truly upholding the movement of Sanvid. In India, there are thousands of schools that make efforts to provide high-quality education to their students in spite of constraints. Sanvid partners with such schools to empower them with the knowledge, framework and practical approach towards information technology education. It will also enable these partner schools to transform into well-equipped digital classrooms. The Sanvid program by Aarav Solutions at the Maharana PJ High School in Jangral will set up the infrastructure, train the staff for coordination and manage the physical lab, and run the program for the students. A certification course for teachers will be provided for effective transition. For more details log on to www.sanvid.org

Preview of the last year:

The benchmark indices gained around 14.58 percent on YoY basis. Nifty recovered around 86.72 percent since its March lows in the year 2020.

Ahmedabad, Jan2021 – Supporting the Digital India campaign launched by the Government of India by making the country digitally improved in the field of technology,CapitalVia is taking a step in upgrading the Investment Advisory Space by introducingits customer portal “CapitalVia” App.It is designed to enable seamless customer experience by providing real time advice & solving grievance through mobile application.

On this Gaurav Garg, Head of Research, CapitalVia Global Research said “The application will largely help the Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities to upgrade themselves on the right investment options and stock market by providing knowledge center and consumption ofrecommendations through one click. The digital portal will act as normalizing the digital investments in the state and build trust amongst the investors. “

Choosing Gujarat for the Launch of the CapitalVia App for the EquityMarket:

1. 18% Demat: Second highest contribution towards total Demat accounts (after Maharashtra which is 22%)

2. Highest Growth: CAGR of around 13% over last 5 years.

3. Per Capita Income: 55% higher than India’s per capita

4. Richest State: Gujarat has achieved the distinction of being one of the most industrially developed states. It accounts for 5% of the total Indian population and contributes about a quarter of India’s goods export.

5. Penetration: 11% demat holders against India average of 3%

The Upcoming Union Budget 2021 will act as a cherry on the cake in driving the market sentiments and spread the investments across equity and debt fund categories. The investors &traders should expect the below from the market in 2021 ahead of Budget announcement.

Budget expectations and its impact on market

The present scenario calls for a budget that is inclusive, stimulating and growth oriented. The prolonged lockdown in 2020 has taken toll on GDP and plunged the economy into technical recession. The street seems to be gauging the upcoming budget in line with the stimulus packages announced in the last calendar year. One can expect a fair amount of aid and relief to the priority and core sector, along with it. Banking sector must also be taken care of as the effect of moratorium will be evident in the upcoming days, NPAs may prove to be a problem again and therefore this issue must also be considered.

Budget has always had an impact on the markets either long term or short term, but the upcoming Budget will be a crucial one with the humongous hopes of the investors and common people alike. If the Budget is not as perceived, then the market may correct itself significantly.

-Equity Market View

The Indian benchmark indices have put up a stellar performance last year. Out of eleven months, Indian markets received net foreign inflows in seven months the previous year. Nifty generated more than 14 percent return. Indian market valuations seem expensive as of now. Therefore, there are possibilities for the benchmark to consolidate. We’re expecting a double-digit rally in Nifty by the end of 2021 on the back of increased retail participation, favourable policies by the government, demand resumption and fresh foreign inflows. However, the pace of growth might not be same as 2020. Intermittent corrections cannot be ruled out as there is a risk of the new virus strain and thus sustenance of economic recovery holds the key.

      – Debt Market View

The bond prices raised in the year 2020 as RBI has cut the interest rates. So, debt mutual fund investments across the spectrum benefited. Long-dated bonds like gilt, long duration and dynamic bond funds double digit returns. The expectations should not be the same for the CY2021. Interest rate cycle has seemed to bottomed out and scope for further rate cuts is less because of rising inflation and higher government borrowing. Therefore, investors can gradually book profits from mutual funds holdings and long-dated bonds like gilt and long duration funds. Though interest rates may not fall further, they are not expected to rise any time soon either. Investors may look at corporate FDs and secondary market bonds for chasing slightly higher returns after considering the credit risk involved.

Relaxation on Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT)

India is a developing economy, and this is the fact that commodity exchanges are themost organized setups for the price discovery of the many agriculture commodities. Inabsence of commodity exchanges, there may be a gap between buyer’s and seller’sexpectations. Also, India has the potential to lead the world in determining the fairmarket price for many commodities like Jeera (Unja), Soybean (Indore), Rubber (SouthIndia) etc.

There has been a lot of steps which had been taken to increase the participation ofinvestors in the commodity market. FPI had been allowed in Commodity market since2014 and Mutual funds were also allowed to launch dedicated commodity funds in2017. Lately, exchanges have also come with new products like options and indices.

Despite of these measures, participation in commodity market is low as compared to theequity market. In fact, we have seen a fall in trade volume in the commodity exchangeswhen the trade volumes have increased significantly in equity market.To improve on this, the government might announce certain relaxation to theexisting Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) structure.To trade 1 lot of Copper (Contract value of around 15 lakhs, margin required is around71,000), CTT would be around 150 Rs and total taxes would be around 320 Rs which ishighest in comparison to overseas exchanges.

This can be one of the reasons why traders are not involved in formal tradingecosystem. Any relaxation on this, would bring cheer to commodity traders and we canexpect the shortfall of tax to be recovered through increased participation and volume.

Import duty on Gold

Import duty is very high on gold as compared to other industries and commodities. Theindustry is expecting the same to be placed at 7% so that formal and organized playersare rewarded, and it can lead to a level playing field for them.

Gujarat based Aarnav Fashions Limited (AFL) is going to merge with 5 group companies namely, Gopi Synthetics Private Limited (GSPL), Aarnav Synthetics Private Limited (ASPL), Aarnav Textile Mills Private Limited (ATMPL), Symbolic Finance and Investment Private Limited (SFIPL) and Ankush Motor and General Finance Company Private Limited (AMGFCPL), the management announced on Saturday, January 23rd 2021.

Post-merger, AFL will be the single listed entity on the stock exchanges and the promoter holding will be around 72.47%, while the remaining 27.53% will be held by the public. As per March 2020 figures, the combined turnover and networth of all the six companies were around Rs.500.00crore and Rs.165.00 crore respectively.

The appointed date has been fixed as October 01, 2020. After this merger arrangement, Aarnav group would be one of the largest integrated textile processing houses of India located on around Ten acres of land at Ahmedabad City.

India’s textile sector is one of the oldest and important in Indian economy. The future for the Indian textiles industry looks promising withthe proposed National Technical Textile mission, national logistic policy and Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks, which will help in creating robust demand and opportunities.

The Promoter of Aarnav group, Shri ChampalalGopiram Agarwal, is with an experience of more than 40years in textile and is also president of Narol Textile Infrastructure &EnviroManagerment (NTIEM) (which is an Association of Entire Ahmedabad based Textile Processors) spoke on the occasion of announcement and said “The textile and apparel market is expected to grow to US$ 223 billion in 2021 and is fuelled by new and upcoming trends. The amalgamation will provide a stronger base, improved capital allocation and infrastructure for future growth. This in return will give enhanced value for all stakeholders including shareholders, lenders, customers and our employees. We have taken this step while Domestic textile players are getting extra export business as global brands are finding it risky to depend on China”.  

As the companies to be merged have similar business operations (i.e., Processing and trading of Textile),the merger will enable significant consolidation of thebusiness operations of all the companies into a single entity which will create a stronger listed companywith larger capital and assets base resulting in availability of larger resources, improved credit rating, enhanced visibility, availability of finances on favourable terms and realize operational synergies. Over and above all these, the saving in time and cost is also the major positive factor due to such proposed merger.