MINISTRY OF COMMERCE

• 7.1. START UP INDIA
• To build a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and startups in the country.
• The Action Plan is based on three pillars – Simplification and handholding, funding support and incentives, industry-academia partnership and incubation. Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal trade (DPI&IT) (formerly DIPP) is the implementing agency.
• • Simplification and Handholding:
• o Simple Compliance Regime for startups based on Self-certification
• o Launch of Mobile app and Portal for compliance and information exchange
• o Startup India Hub to handhold startups during various phases of their development.
• o Legal support and fast-tracking patent examination at reduced costs
• o Relaxed norms of public procurement for startups
• o Faster exit for startups
• • Funding support and Incentives
• o Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) has been setup with a corpus of Rs. 10,000 crores managed by SIDBI. Government participates in the capital of SEBI registered Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs), known as daughter funds, who in turn invest in Indian startups through equity/equity-linked instruments.
• o Credit guarantee fund for startups through SIDBI
• o Tax exemption
• ✓ on capital gains arising out of sale of residential house/plot if the amount is invested in eligible Startup for purchase of asset
• ✓ on long-term capital gains if it is invested in a fund notified by Central Government (maximum investment is Rs. 50 lakh)
• ✓ Income tax exemption- for any 3 consecutive years out of 7 years since incorporation
• ✓ On Angel tax: on Investments above Fair Market Value of startup. Under the new rules, the overall consideration for shares issued by a start-up has been increased to Rs 25 crore from the earlier limit of Rs 10 crore.
• o With recent amendment in Income Tax Act, condition of minimum holding of 50% of share capital or voting rights in a startup has been relaxed to 25%.
• • Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation
• o Organizing Startup Fests to showcase innovations and providing collaboration platforms
• o Launch of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with Self –Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU) Program of NITI Aayog
• o Harnessing private sector expertise for setting up incubators
• o Setting up of 7 new research parks modeled on the Research Park at IIT Madras
• o Annual Incubator Grand Challenge to promote good practices among incubators.
• Definition of start-up broadened: An eligible start-up would be one that is registered with the government and has been incorporated for less than 10 years (from previous 7 years), and has a turnover that has not exceeded ₹100 crore over (earlier 25 crores) that period. Moreover, the entity should be:
• • A private limited company or a limited liability partnership
• • Incorporated on or after 1st April 2016 but before 1st April 2021, and
• Products or services or processes are undifferentiated, have the potential for commercialization and have significant incremental value for customers or workflow. 
• 7.2. CHAMPION SERVICES SECTOR SCHEME (CSSS)
• • Address sectoral and cross-cutting issues including regulatory reforms, service standards, data protection etc.
• • Promote innovation to enhance competitiveness and productivity
• • Boost services exports across broad range of services
• • Skill training and employment creation
• • It is a Central Sector, umbrella scheme of Department of Commerce for the period 2019-20 to 2023-24.
• • 12 Champion services sectors have been identified to give focused attention on their promotion. Example: IT & ITeS, tourism, legal services, financial services etc.
• • Ministries/Departments concerned with these sectors have been directed to finalize and implement the Action Plans for the identified Champion Services Sectors which in effect would be their sectoral schemes operating under the umbrella scheme CSSS. Example: nodal ministry for CSSS: IT & ITeS is Ministry of electronics and technology.
• • The respective line Ministries/Departments will also finalize a monitoring mechanism to monitor implementation under the overall guidance of the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) under Cabinet Secretary.
• • A dedicated fund of Rs. 5000 crores has been proposed to be established to support initiatives for sectoral Action Plans of the Champion Sectors. 
• 7.3. MAKE IN INDIA
• To promote India as an important investment destination and a global hub in manufacturing, design and innovation.
• • The “Make in India" initiative is based on four pillars:
• o New Processes: It recognizes 'ease of doing business' as the single most important factor to promote entrepreneurship.
• o New Infrastructure: Government intends to develop industrial corridors and smart cities, create world class infrastructure with state-of-the-art technology and high-speed communication. Innovation and research activities are supported through a fast paced registration system and improved infrastructure for IPR (intellectual property right) registration.
• o New Sectors: FDI has been opened up in Defence Production, Insurance, Medical Devices, Construction and Railway infrastructure in a big way.
• o New Mindset: In order to partner with industry in the economic development of the country Government shall act as a facilitator and not a regulator. An Investor Facilitation Cell (IFC) dedicated for the Make in India campaign was formed in 2014 with an objective to assist investors in seeking regulatory approvals, hand-holding services through the pre-investment phase, execution and after-care support.
• • Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal trade (DPI&IT) coordinates action plans for 15 manufacturing sectors while the Department of Commerce coordinates 12 service sectors. 
• 7.4. TRADE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EXPORT SCHEME (TIES)
• • To enhance export competitiveness by bridging gaps in export infrastructure, creating focused export infrastructure, first mile and last mile connectivity for export-oriented projects and addressing quality and certification measures.
• • It would provide financial assistance for setting up and upgradation of existing infrastructure with export linkages like border haats, cold chains, dry ports etc.
• • The Central and State Agencies, including Export Promotion Councils, Commodities Boards, SEZ Authorities and Apex Trade Bodies recognised under the EXIM policy of Government of India; are eligible for financial support under this scheme.
• • The Central Government funding will be in the form of grant-in-aid, normally not more than the equity being put in by the implementing agency or 50% of the total equity in the project. (In case of projects located in North Eastern States and Himalayan States including J&K, this grant can be upto 80% of the total equity). 
• 7.5. TRANSPORT AND MARKETING ASSISTANCE (TMA) SCHEME
• To provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.
• • All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.
• • Export categories which are not eligible include:
• o Products exported from SEZs/ EOUs/ EHTPs/ STPs/ BTPs/ FTWZs
• o Exports through trans-shipment, i.e. exports that are originating in third country but trans- shipped through India;
• o Export of goods through courier or foreign post offices using e-Commerce
• • Assistance under TMA would be provided in cash through direct bank transfer as part reimbursement of freight paid.
• • The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea (both normal and refrigerated cargo).
• • The scheme would be included in the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20).
• *FTP has been extended by 1 year.
• 7.6. OTHER SCHEMES
• Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops
• • To protect plantation growers (tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom and tobacco) from the twin risks of weather and price arising from yield loss due to adverse weather parameters, pest attacks etc. and from income loss caused by fall in international/domestic prices through crop insurance mechanism.
• • It is being implemented on a pilot basis for two years from September 2016 in eight districts in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu by the Commodity Boards through selected insurance companies.
• Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL)
• • The Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme, which at present is available on export of garments and made-ups, will now be extended to all exports in a phased manner. The new scheme will replace the extant Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), which was challenged by the US last year in WTO.
• • The new scheme will allow reimbursement of duties on export inputs and indirect taxes through freely transferrable scrips. Scrips are incentives that can be used to pay duties.
• Scheme for Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP)
• • Government has introduced a new Scheme for Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) for exporters for re-imbursement of taxes and duties paid by them such as value added tax, coal cess, mandi tax, electricity duties and fuel used for transportation, which are not getting exempted or refunded under any other existing mechanism.
• • RoDTEP is a WTO-consistent scheme under which indirect taxes on inputs are consumed in the production process.
• • It will also work to fill in the void left by MEIS.
• Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS)
• • It was launched under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2015-20 replacing the earlier scheme 'Served from India Scheme’.
• • SEIS shall apply to `Service Providers’ located in India instead of `Indian Service Providers’. Thus, SEIS provides for rewards to all Service providers of notified services, who are providing services from India, regardless of the constitution or profile of the service provider.
• • Under SEIS, the service providers of notified services are incentivized in the form of Duty Credit Scrips at the rate of 3 or 5% on their net foreign exchange earnings. These SEIS scrips are transferrable and can also be used for payment of a number of Central duties/taxes including the basic customs duty.
• Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme
• • It allows import of capital goods (except those specified in negative list) for pre-production, production and post-production at zero customs duty.
• • Import under EPCG Scheme shall be subject to an export obligation equivalent to 6 times of duties, taxes and cess saved on capital goods, to be fulfilled in 6 years reckoned from date of issue of Authorisation.
• Niryat Bandhu Scheme
• Announced as part of Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14 in 2011 to focus on mentoring the first generation entrepreneurs in the field of international trade.
• eBiz
• • It will serve as a 24X7 online single-window system for providing efficient and convenient Government to business (G2B) services to investors and businesses, by reducing the complexity in obtaining information and services related to starting businesses in India, and dealing with licenses and permits across the business life-cycle.
• • It is being implemented by Infosys Technologies Limited (Infosys) under the guidance and aegis of Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal trade (DPI&IT).
• Scheme for IPR Awareness – Creative India; Innovative India
• • It aims at raising IPR awareness amongst students, youth, authors, artists, budding inventors and professionals to inspire them to create, innovate and protect their creations and inventions across India including Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas in the 2017-2020.
• • It has been launched by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal trade (DPI&IT).
• Project Monitoring Group
• • It is an institutional mechanism of DPIIT for resolving a variety of issues including fast tracking the approvals for large Public, Private and Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Projects.
• • A Project Proponent with an anticipated investment of Rs. 1000 crore in case of domestic investments and Rs. 500 crore in case of FDI projects and facing delays in obtaining approvals from the public authorities, can upload any issue on the PMG’s e-suvidha portal
• • Projects with anticipated investment less than the above monetary threshold can be uploaded on the PMG portals of the respective State Governments where such projects are located.
• • DPIIT is mandated as the nodal body for the review of public and private projects facing challenges and facilitates their resolution through PMG. PMG is situated at Invest India.
• o Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency that helps investors looking for investment opportunities and options in India. It is set up as a non-profit venture under DPIIT, MoC&I.
• Integrate to Innovate Programme
• • Invest India under Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in partnership with energy companies has launched Integrate to Innovate Programme for startups in energy sector.
• • It is a 3-month corporate acceleration programme for energy startups housed at the corporate premises.
• • The selected startups will receive a cash prize grant of upto ₹ 5 Lakh per startup along with an opportunity to pilot their product with corporates.
• Invest India business immunity platform
• • Invest India has designed this platform as a comprehensive resource to help businesses and investors get real-time updates on India’s active response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
• • It keeps a regular track on developments in the control of the virus, provides the latest information on various central and state government initiatives, gives access to special provisions, and answers and resolves queries through emails and on WhatsApp.
• ‘SWAYATT’ initiative
• • SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through e-Transactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM).
• • It will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace, the national procurement portal.