Storage position less than last year but better than the average storage of last ten years
The Water Storage available in 85 important reservoirs of the country as
on 25 September 2014 was 123.26 billion cubic meters (bcm) which is 79%
of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This storage is 93% of
the storage of corresponding period of last year and 105% of storage of
average of last ten years. The present storage position during current
year is less than storage position of last year but better than the
average storage of last ten years.
Central Water Commission monitors live storage status of 85
important reservoirs of the country on weekly basis. These reservoirs
include 37 reservoirs having hydropower benefit with installed capacity
of more than 60 MW. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is
155.046 bcm, which is about 61% of the storage capacity of 253.388 bcm,
which is estimated to have been created in the country.
Region Wise Storage Status
Northern Region
The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab
and Rajasthan. There are six reservoirs in this region having total
storage capacity of 18.01 bcm. The total storage available in these
reservoirs is 14.86 bcm, which is 83% of total storage capacity of these
reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was
92% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period
was 81% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during
current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but
better than the average storage of last ten years during the
corresponding period.
Eastern Region
The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West
Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs in this region having total
storage capacity of 18.83 bcm. The total storage available in these
reservoirs is 15.45 bcm, which is 82% of total storage capacity of these
reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was
83% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period
was 77% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during
current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but
better than the average storage of last ten years during the
corresponding period.
Western Region
The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
There are 22 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of
24.54 bcm. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 20.37 bcm,
which is 83% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage
during corresponding period of last year was 83% and average storage of
last ten years during corresponding period was 80% of storage capacity
of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is equal to the
storage of last year and better than the average storage of last ten
years.
Central Region
The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs in this region
having total storage capacity of 42.30 bcm. The total storage available
in these reservoirs is 35.68 bcm, which is 84% of total storage
capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of
last year was 89% and average storage of last ten years during
corresponding period was 66% of storage capacity of these reservoirs.
Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year
but better than the average storage of last ten years.
Southern Region
The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 30 reservoirs in this region having
total storage capacity of 51.37 bcm. The total storage available in
these reservoirs is 36.92 bcm, which is 72% of total storage capacity of
these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year
was 83% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding
period was 80% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage
during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year
and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the
corresponding period.
States having better storage than last year for corresponding
period are Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and
Chhattisgarh. States having lesser storage than last year for
corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan,
West Bengal, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Unique combination of strengths: democracy,
demography and demand which will help us transform India, Let us make
development a mass movement-PM's address to Indian Community
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, unveiled a series of
facilitation initiatives aimed at making travel from America to India
easier, while addressing the Indian diaspora at a historic event at
Madison Square Garden in New York:
Noting that there are certain differences between the PIO (Person of
Indian Origin) and OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) schemes, the Prime
Minister said PIO cardholders will be granted visa for life, and a new
scheme will be announced soon, merging the two schemes.
He said there would be no need for long-stay visitors to India to visit police stations.
He also announced long term tourist visas for American citizens and said
visa on arrival for American tourists will be announced soon.
The Prime Minister exhorted Indians to join in the development effort as
a mass movement. "I am going to make an India of your dreams". The
Prime Minister said as he exhorted the Indian American community to join
in the development effort for India.
The Prime Minister said that following the election results, there has
been a renewed sense of hope and expectation about India. He said all
Indian Americans today wanted to renew their links with India.
The Prime Minister highlighted the unique combination of three great
strengths that India has: democracy, demography and demand. He said that
for India, democracy is not just a system of governance, but an article
of faith.
Shri Narendra Modi said winning the election is a huge responsibility
and he will leave no stone unturned to make India a developed country.
He said that with the blessings of 125 crore Indians, he was confident
that the common man`s hopes and aspirations will be fulfilled. "I will
do nothing to make you feel ashamed," the Prime Minister said. He said
that the country now had the capability, the possibility and the
opportunity to make the 21st century India`s century. He said India is
both the youngest nation and oldest civilization on earth.
Saying that development is ultimately achieved through public
participation, the Prime Minister said he wants to make development a
mass movement, just like Mahatma Gandhi had made the freedom movement a
mass movement. He highlighted various initiatives that have been
initiated by the new Government including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojana, Make in India, Swachh Bharat and Clean Ganga.
The Prime Minister referred to the talent of Indian youth, as
exemplified by the success of Mars Orbiter Mission. The Prime Minister
also highlighted his stress on skill development and said India could
soon emerge as a global supplier of skilled workforce like nurses and
teachers. The Prime Minister invited the Indian diaspora to share their
suggestions through the platform MyGov.in He said one of his key
initiatives was to remove redundant laws, and he would be happy if he
could do so at a pace of one a day. He said governance should be for
aspirations of common man. People didn`t make me PM to do easy things,
he remarked.
He said 2015 marked a century since the return of Mahatma Gandhi to
India. He invited all Pravasi Bharatiyas to join in the celebration, and
contribute towards developing India. He said Indians must present
Swachh Bharat as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th anniversary in
2019. Referring to his effort for a Clean Ganga, he said the Indian
diaspora across the world revered the River Ganga. He said a clean Ganga
would improve economic prospects for upto 40 percent of India`s
population, for which the river was like a lifeline. He also referred to
his vision of "Housing for All" on the 75th anniversary of
Independence.
Festive sales to be better than in past two years, with consumers renewing interest in big-ticket durables
ZyFin Research's Consumer Outlook Index continues its uptrend in
September 2014, showing significant improvement in consumer confidence
over the previous month. This increase removes any concerns of waning
positive sentiment, prompted by the sudden dip in the August score. The
COI, while maintaining its uptrend since April, has recovered to 45.2, a
1.6-point increase over the previous month. Since April 2014, the
average index level has been at 43.9, as compared to 40.9 for the same
time last year.
The Consumer Outlook Index, a barometer for consumer confidence,
reflects current and future spending plans, employment and inflation
outlook of urban Indian consumers. It is based on a monthly survey of
4,000 consumers in 18 cities across India. A score above 50 reflects
optimism, while below 50 is an indication of pessimism. In September
2014, of the 18 cities surveyed, 13 showed improvement in consumer
confidence as compared to the previous month. The five cities with the
highest scores were Hyderabad, Mangalore, Delhi, Guwahati and Bengaluru.
Key Highlights of the ZyFin Consumer Outlook Index for September 2014:
· The ZyFin Consumer Outlook Index of India (COI) has
registered a score of 45.2 in September 2014, as compared to 43.6 in the
previous month. The uplift in sentiment this close to the festive
season is an encouraging sign, particularly after two lacklustre years.
· The COI comprises three major components, measuring consumer sentiment on spending, employment and inflation.
· The Spending Sentiment Index assesses willingness to make
big-ticket purchases such as homes, home appliances, four- and
two-wheelers in the next six months. The index has improved to 32.3 in
September 2014 from 30.8, with improvements in every product category
surveyed.
· The Employment Sentiment Index is a tracker of the employment
situation as perceived by consumers. The index moved up to 53.1 in
September 2014 from 50.9 in August 2014. Consumer outlook on personal
job security and the unemployment rate has shown a healthy increase over
the previous month.
· The Inflation Sentiment Index is based on the largest
inflationary expectations survey in the world. In September 2014, the
index dropped by 0.9 points to 25.8, from 26.7 in the previous month,
reflecting that consumers are still significantly aggrieved by
inflationary conditions, and do not expect price levels to come down in
the near future.
Giving his views on the ZyFin Consumer Outlook Index numbers for the
month of September, Mr. Debopam Chaudhuri, Chief Economist, ZyFin
Research, said, “After accurately predicting muted festive season sales
in 2012 and 2013, the latest readings of the index point towards a
departure from this trend. A steady uptrend in the Spending Sentiment
Index strongly suggests that the 2014 festive season would result in
higher sales within categories like homes, two- and four-wheelers as
well as home appliances.”
Taking inflation into account, China to see the highest salary increase in the region
Salaries across Asia Pacific are set to rise by an average 7% in 2015 as
per the Towers Watson 2014-15 Asia-Pacific Salary Budget Planning
Report which included 2,900 sets of responses received from over 300
different companies across a range of industry sectors and job grades
from 20 countries. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam are set to lead the
way with over 11% overall salary increases while India is placed at
number 4 with an increase of 10.8%. However, a corresponding rise in
inflation in the region implies that pay increases in 'real terms' will
be eroded in the coming year. Interestingly, China rises to the top with
a real salary increase of 5.2% after allowing for inflation, trailed by
Pakistan (4.5%), Bangladesh (4.3%), Vietnam (4.1%) and Sri Lanka
(3.8%). India drops down by two places to #6 with a corresponding real
increase of 3.5%.
In what is a clear indication of a positive economic sentiment,
all 20 surveyed countries will witness an increase in 'regular salary
reviews' in 2015 with a noteworthy reduction in the number of companies
that opted for a 'salary freeze' or 'postponement' in the previous year.
Timed to coincide with companies' budget planning process for 2015, the
reports helps one understand the salary movements across various
sectors and markets and provide companies with guidelines for their
annual salary forecasting process. "We foresee an increased economic
growth in Asia Pacific in 2015 in light of a declining unemployment rate
and rising GDP in the region. This, in turn, will lead to inflationary
pressures that affect real salary increases. Indians will only see an
effective salary increase that is one-third of the overall salary
increase due to such pressures," said Sambhav Rakyan, Data Services
practice leader, Asia Pacific at Towers Watson.
China (5.2%) and Vietnam (4.1%) will lead the way in East Asia
for salary increases in 2015 after taking into account inflation, while
Japan (0.6%) will see the smallest raises. Across the region, employees
will have pay raises equal to or higher than last year in percentage
terms, with the exception of Taiwan, where the rate of increase will
drop from 2.8% to 1.7% after inflation. In real terms, however,
increases will be lower for 12 out of the 20 Asia Pacific countries
covered in the survey. Hong Kong and Singapore are both set for an
overall increase of 4.5% in 2015, unchanged from 2014, but after
accounting for inflation, Singaporean employees will see a higher
increase of 2.2% as compared to 0.9% in Hong Kong.
The Towers Watson survey illustrates the challenge faced by
businesses in the region as they seek to balance the effect of growing
inflationary pressures and managing costs, while continuing to offer
salaries sufficient to attract and retain skilled staff. "Our research
demonstrates that salary continues to be the number one factor for
attracting and retaining talent. As a result, a majority of employers
across Asia Pacific plan to allocate a larger portion of salary budget
increase to high performers," added Sambhav Rakyan.
Sector trends in India
Analyzing the findings by employee groups in India reveals that
all employees – from production workers to executive directors – are set
to have higher pay raises than last year.
The pharmaceutical sector across the region, including in India,
will continue to have amongst the highest salary increases. Vietnam
(12%), India (11.5%) and China (8.9%) will see the highest pay increases
in this sector. "Patent expiries, increasing demand and encouragement
for genetics have continued to put pressure on companies to attract and
retain talent, particularly for jobs such as in regulatory affairs,
clinical strategy, project management and qualified researchers," said
Sambhav Rakyan.
The financial services sector in India has traditionally seen
higher comparative pay increases, but at a modest 10%, the projected
salary increase for 2015 is the same as the previous year and not as
high as other sectors. "Compensation at financial institutions has
become a major concern for governments and the general public as a
consequence of the recent global financial crises," said Sambhav Rakyan.
"Discussions have been raised to regulate bankers' compensation,
especially for those whose daily job tasks include risk taking that can
have a significant financial impact on the bank."
The region's high-tech sector is expected to see raises on
average of 6.6%, up from 6.3% in 2014. Across all job levels, salaries
are expected to rise. In India, the sector is set to see an increase of
10.7% in 2015, up from 10.5% the previous year. Interestingly, Indian
employees at both ends of the hierarchy - top management and blue collar
staff – are likely to see the highest comparative pay increase in 2015.
"It's an indication that the high-tech sector is emerging from the cost
pressures of the past with new-age technology companies wooing the top
talent with high salaries, flexible and "cool" work environments.
Providing a regional perspective on the high-tech sector, Sambhav
Rakyan added "Noteworthy here is that only in China will pay increases
in this sector be lower in 2015 (8%) from this year (8.3%), suggesting
an oversupply of talent in this sector or that the sharp increases we've
seen in recent years are beginning to slow down. It also reflects the
efforts of companies to move manufacturing and R&D deeper into
China's hinterland, such as Chengdu, Zhengzhou and other such cities,
where salaries lag those of the eastern seaboard."
Commenting on the overall findings, Raghav Datta, Rewards Leader,
India at Towers Watson said: "As the salary-increase budgets stabilize,
companies need to carefully evaluate where to spend their limited
funds. Differentiating between your crucial skill talent, high
potentials and average performers is becoming more essential than ever
to ensure best use of your budget. We believe that a well-defined
employee value proposition (EVP) is increasingly important as cost
pressures and the talent shortage become more acute. This EVP should
articulate how an employer is unique, offers a great workplace, and why
the company attracts and retains great people."
Top Management Salaries in India
In 8 out of the 10 sectors surveyed, the pay raises for Executive
Directors and Senior Management in India are expected to be higher than
or equal to 2014 with the Professional Services sector particularly
standing out at 4.5%.
Government is confident of meeting its target of fiscal deficit of 4.1% this year
Dr Arvind Mayaram, Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance exuberated
confidence on achieving a growth rate in the range of 5.7 to 5.9% during
the current fiscal year 2014-15. Dr Mayaram was speaking at a function
organized by the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry to celebrate
their Chamber Day at Chennai today. He said that an upgrade by S&P
in the overall outlook from negative to stable reaffirms the fact that
the health of the economy is in a much better condition than it was a
year ago. Finance Secretary Dr Mayaram said that the indices in H1 of
2015 appear to be more robust, with the first quarter GDP growth numbers
coming in at 5.7%, significantly low rates of inflation and a healthier
external account balance. He said that investments are higher compared
with the levels in the previous year.
Finance Secretary Dr Arvind Mayaram said that the new Government
through its General Budget 2014-15 indicated the overall direction in
which the Indian economy would move. He said that infrastructure
development is one of the foundations on which the present Government
wants to accelerate growth and create employment opportunities. In the
past, large projects had come to a standstill and many others were
stressed on account of slow decision-making and paralysis.
Finance Secretary said that signs of recovery are visible in the
sector, albeit slowly. Dr Mayaram said that the investment data in
September 2014 shows an uptick with a growth of 9.8% as against 6.7%
growth during the corresponding period in the last fiscal year. He said
that he is confident that the steps taken by the Government to distress
projects and simplify decision-making will show increasingly better
results in the coming quarters. He further said that SEBI has already
notified the guidelines on REITS and InvITs. FDI limits have been
enhanced in Railway infrastructure and defence, he added.
Finance Secretary Dr Arvind Mayaram said that the Government is
confident of meeting its target of fiscal deficit of 4.1% this year.
While addressing the issue of quality of expenditure, Dr Mayaram stated
that the Government has already constituted the Expenditure Management
Commission (EMC), which would give its first report by the end of this
year.
Finance Secretary Dr Arvind Mayaram said that Current Account
Deficit (CAD) has been brought down substantially and this has also been
acknowledged as of the key credit strength by S&P in its recent
report. Dr Mayaram said that this Government is committed to an early
rollout of GST, providing gainful employment to its youth through its
skill development programme, fast tracking work on Industrial Corridors
and bringing in the requisite amendments in the Land Acquisition Act to
expedite project clearances. The WPI is at the lowest level since
October 2009 and CPI is less than 8%, which is the target for this year
according to the Dr Urjit Patel Committee Report. Conditions are
becoming favourable for a more benign monetary policy going forward in
this year, the Finance Secretary added.
On ease of doing business, Finance Secretary Dr Mayaram said that
whereas some of the Central Government policies and processes need to
be changed and the revision is underway, most of the action lies with
the states. He suggested that the Chamber must recommend laws under
which the State Governments can move towards self-certification or third
party certification for giving clearances and approvals.
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