SEPTEMBERASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9NEWSROOMThe Union cabinet is expected to approve this week 12 new industrial cities in different states on the lines of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and Dholera in Gujarat to boost domestic manufacturing, an official said.Out of the 12 industrial cities, two are coming up in Andhra Pradesh and one in Bihar, the official said.The government in the Budget has announced the development of 'plug and play' industrial parks in or near 100 cities in partnership with states and the private sector to boost manufacturing.The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh earlier told PTI that eight such cities are already under different stages of implementation. Trunk infrastructure has been created in four cities - Dholera (Gujarat), Auric (Maharashtra), Vikram Udyogpuri (Madhya Pradesh) and Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and allotment of land plots is underway for the industry.Similarly, in the other four, the government's special purpose vehicle is in the process of constructing the basic infrastructure like road connectivity, water and power supply. With eight already under the development stage and the announcement of 12 new in the Budget, the total count of these cities in the country will reach 20. INDIA TO PASS BILL FOR CREATION OF NEW INDUSTRIAL CITIESSEPTEMBERASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9An Asian industry group that includes Google, Meta, and X has called on the Malaysian government to pause a plan requiring social media services to obtain a license. The proposed regulation, announced in July, mandates that platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia apply for a license starting this month, aiming to tackle cybercrime.The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), which also includes Apple Inc, Amazon, and Grab, argues that the licensing regime is "unworkable" and could stifle innovation by placing undue burdens on businesses. The group also notes the lack of formal public consultations on the plan, leading to uncertainty about the specific obligations for social media platforms.The AIC was formed in 2010 to advocate for the understanding and solving of Internet policy matters in the Asia Pacific area. The goal is to advocate for the internet industry and engage in fostering a conversation between public and private sectors, exchanging expertise and thoughts on internet technology and the digital economy.In an open letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, AIC Managing Director Jeff Paine stated that no platform could realistically register under the current conditions. The communications ministry declined to comment, and the prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment. MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT MANDATES LICENSES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
< Page 8 | Page 10 >