MANAGING SUPPLY
   Date :11-Aug-2020

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WHEN the coronavirus pandemic was shaking the very foundation of the infrastructure needed to ensure basic food items, India’s role as a major player in sustaining global food supply chain has been remarkable, as acknowledged by the Indian Embassy in the United States. India successfully managed the world food supply chain with timely exports of agriculture produce much to the relief of many countries struggling with the outbreak and resultant deaths. That India’s agricultural export during the March-June 2020 period increased by 23-24% compared to last year affirms the boost in farm production in the last season. However, one thing that must be noted with immediate attention is the mechanism put in place to export the produce. It was an emergent measure during a period of crisis. Same mechanism, if made a regular part of agricultural economy, can work wonders for the farming community. One hopes that the Agri-Infra Fund created for post-harvest infrastructure takes care of this nagging issue. The Fund promises a lot of dream but all depends upon its honest implementation.
 
BLUE ECONOMY
 
THE far-end archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a big treasure for India for its strategic location that gives the country a vantage point in maritime security and an important centre in ‘Blue Economy’. Already a popular destination for tourists, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands hold massive potential of emerging as a maritime trade hub for its organic products. Making a push to turn the Islands into a key component in the self-reliant India campaign Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi might have just unlocked a wonderful growth engine for economy. The Andamans hold prime importance in India’s freedom struggle and deserve a development push in all sectors including digital connectivity. Making it a self-sustaining maritime and startup hub will turn out to be a long-term and wise investment in maintenance of a pivotal security facility in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The maritime route is a pathway into the Indo-Pacific and is set to play an important role in the security apparatus envisaged by India, United States, Japan and Australia under the Quad facility to work as a counter to China’s aggression in the Indian Ocean Region as well as Indo-Pacific.