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KNOWLEDGE |
Aurobindo Pharma Inks Marketing Deal With Pfizer For Finished Dosage Products
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Pfizer Inc., a global leader in pharmaceuticals, has inked licensing and purchase agreements for several solid dosage and sterile products Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., an integrated pharmaceutical company in India, The Hyderabad-based company said the agreement allows access to Prizer's newly formed Established Product Business Unit The current agreements are targeted towards US and European markets.As per agreement, Pfizer will take on license, an array of generic pills and injectible medicines, The company estimates that the deal with
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Aurobindo would boost its revenue by $200 million until 2014.
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Volkswagen signs contract with TCS
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India's largest information technology (IT) firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has signed a five-year contract with UK-based automobile maker Volkswagen Group to deliver IT transformation and support services. TCS will support Volkswagen in its business transformation programme to meet its aim to "sell more cars, sell more parts, drive down costs".
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The IT major will support all the brands - Audi, SEAT, koda, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles - within the group as they move to a consolidated, standardised business platform. This will increase the geographic mobility of Volkswagen Group's UK employees, increase flexibility and lead to cost reduction. The company did not disclose the deal size.
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EU countries approve Blue Card scheme for highly- skilled foreign workers
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The European Union has approved the Blue Card, a special residence and work permit for third-country citizens for the purpose of highly qualified employment in Europe. Skilled workers will receive a single multi-year visa to work and move freely in the EU. Britain, Ireland and Denmark are not participating . The aim of the Blue card visa is to draw workers such as engineers, doctors, IT workers and scientific researchers from India , China and other regions to meets shortages of highly educated workers . The Blue Card will facilitate access to the labour market to their holders and will entitle them to a series of socio-economic rights and favourable conditions for family reunification and movement across the 27-member EU. The Blue Card holders will enjoy equal treatment with nationals of EU member states issuing the Blue Card, as regards: working conditions, including pay and dismissal; freedom of association; education, training and recognition of qualifications.
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INDUSTRY AND TRADE |
Alcatel-Lucent bags $150m Unitech deal
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France-based Telecom firm Alcatel-Lucent has bagged a five-year contract of about $150 million from Unitech Wireless, a telecom venture of real estate major Unitech, to support
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the launch of the company's GSM mobile services. According to the five-year contract, worth $150 million, Alcatel-Lucent would deploy GSM/Edge networks for Unitech in Kerala and Orissa circles, a company spokesperson said. Unitech Wireless, in which Norwegian telecom group Telenor has a majority stake, has licences to operate in all 22 circles in India. However, the company is yet to launch its services. Alcatel-Lucent will build Unitech Wireless' network and provide operations management under a comprehensive services contract.
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EU-India trade exchanges fall
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Exports from the 27-member European Union to India in January-February 2009 totalled 3.6 billion euro, a drop of 31% from 5.3 billion euro for the same period in 2008, according to figures released by Eurostat, the EUs statistical office.
Indian exports to the EU fell by 12% from 5.0 billion euro in January-February 2008 to 4.4 billion euro for the first two months of this year.
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Paradip port to re invite bids for coal handling berth
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Paradip Port will re invite price bids from the five shortlisted bidders for the coal handling berth at Paradip port. The five bidders are Rio Tinto India, Mundra Port , L&T -TM international Logistic combine , Essar Shipping and a consortiumof Noble Group , Gammon Infrastructure and MMTC.
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IFC to invest $1 bn in India next fiscal
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International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's lending arm, plans to invest close to $1 billion in India in the next fiscal (July 2009-June 2010). "One billion dollar in India as a whole was done in the last year (July 2007-June 2008). This fiscal also we expect to do about the same amount.. IFC South Asia Manager-Infrastructure Advisory Vipul Bhagat said. He further said that IFC is focused on investing in the country's infrastructural projects and close to 50 per cent investment would be in this sector.
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Lamy reaffirmed to head WTO
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Members of the World Trade Organization re-appointed Pascal Lamy to a second term as the director general. Lamy, from France, and the former European trade commissioner, would stay on at his role for another four years, following the consensus decision of the WTO's General Council, the main organ comprised of all 153 members. Lamy ran for the post unopposed, in part, aides have quoted him as saying, "because no one else wants this job." As head of the WTO, Lamy will try to convince members to conclude negotiations on the Doha Round of trade talks which have been open since 2001. The round aims to further liberalize trade while adding in a development angle to help developing countries prosper under an open trade regime.
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Swedish Firm Consilium AB Wins Indian Navy Navigation Equipment Order
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Consilium of Sweden has received an order to deliver navigation equipment for three destroyers being built at the Mazagon yard in Mumbai for the Indian Navy. The order value is more than 4 MSEK. The order consists of navigation equipment for the naval vessels in India's new destroyer program, based on the Consilium Selux radar. The destroyers will be fitted with numerous top modern technical solutions, and will with a cruising speed of more than 30 knots also be used for protection of the Indian coast from piracy and drug trafficking. Consilium will deliver the equipment during the 2009-2011 period.
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Safeguards Technology awarded PIDS security contract for international airport in India
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Safeguards Technology, LLC, headquartered in Hackensack, NJ, has received a contract to install a perimeter intrusion detection system (PIDS), CCTV and command and control center for an unnamed international airport in India. The contract contains several of Safeguards' perimeter intrusion detection products as well as the installation and integration of the system.
As the project's lead contractor, Safeguards will work with HCL Infosystems, a large contractor based in India that will handle the video component of the system.
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$ 9.3 million IGI security contract to Singapore firm
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A Singapore-based company, ADT Security Services, has won the US$ 9.3 million contract to install security services at the IGI Airport's upcoming Terminal T3. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The firm is to make the upcoming integrated terminal secure by providing access control and video surveillance security systems. ADT Security will install a CEM AC2000 airport edition system, specifically developed for airports, and an IP video system with analytics to help secure the new terminal.The integrated security system will provide surveillance to multi-level and surface car park and the Metro. The company will deliver the systems by the end of this year.
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Global Industries Awarded US$35 Million Project in India
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Global Industries, Ltd has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Global Offshore International Ltd. has been awarded a two-year contract with The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI) for diving services, personnel, and equipment maintenance to be performed offshore India aboard three Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) vessels. The contract is valued at approximately US$35 million and has an option to be extended for up to six additional months.
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Chemical exports to face EU acid test
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The Indian chemicals industry may find it difficult to export their products to European countries after November 2010. The European Commission (EC) has recently passed a new legislation, 'Reach', making it mandatory for companies to produce animal safety data and risk management data and also to register with EC to be able to sell their products in the countries.
Indian chemical exporters will now have to make significant investments to comply with the new global norm. Chemical companies have a year to register substances under Europe's new Reach legislation. The new norm comes in the backdrop of India and the EU (European Union) locking horns over the seizure of some Indian drug consignments in ports of EU over allegations of counterfeits. The new law aims to ensure safety of people and places of production in the complete supply chain," EC environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said.
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INVESTMENT |
Telenor raises stake in Unitech Wireless
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Norway-based Telenor has announced that it has increased its stake holding in Unitech Wireless Ltd., the telecom unit of Indian real estate major Unitech Ltd., to 49% by pumping an additional Rs 11 billion. Eight units of Unitech Wireless received the funds for buying the additional 15.5% stake from Telenor Asia Pte Ltd., the Asian unit of the Norwegian telecom major.
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Oetiker opens its lone manufacturing facility in India
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Swiss auto clamps maker, Oetiker Group, has inaugurated the first phase of its lone manufacturing facility in India and its ninth globally, at Patalganga in Maharashtra. Oetiker has invested Rs 600 million in Phase-I and hope to start work on the second phase by the end of next year. The plant will have an installed capacity of manufacturing 75-million clamps a year. The company plans to make around 3-million units per month and reach full capacity by 2011. Over 12-million Oetiker clamps are being imported by Indian OEMs in a year.
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Cairn India to sell Rajasthan crude at discount
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Cairn India Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of UK-listed Cairn Energy Plc, will sell 1.97 million tonnes per annum (39,400 barrels per day) of crude oil from its northern India fields to Indian Oil Corp at a discount of $2.47 a barrel to Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil (the grade to which ONGC's Mumbai High crude is benchmarked).The company was also in negotiations with Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corp to sell crude from its Rajasthan block.
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Danone, Wadia scrap ties in Britannia
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Ending a 13-year old association, the Wadia Group and Groupe Danone have terminated their joint venture in biscuit major Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL), with the Indian partner buying out the French food giant. The two partners have also agreed to end their dispute over the intellectual property of BIL's Tiger brand of biscuits. In a joint statement, the two firms said Danone has sold its 50% interest in ABI Holdings Ltd (held through Britannia Brands Limited) to Wadia Group. ABI
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Holdings Ltd holds an effective 50.96% interest in Britannia Industries Ltd, a leading bakery company in India. By concluding this agreement, Groupe Danone is pursuing its strategy of divesting its biscuit activities and concentrating on its four strategic business lines, it said. The French firm is concentrating on areas, including dairy and pro-biotic products, in India.
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Hero group exits JV with Daimler
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In light of the current economic downturn and declining market conditions, Hero Group has decided not to pursue the 700-million Euro joint venture with Daimler , the worl's largest commercial vehicle maker. Daimler will now buy the Hero group's 40% stake in the JV for 16 million euro. "I really regret the Hero Group's decision, but Daimler will nonetheless enter the truck volume market in India," said Andreas Renschler, Daimler AG Board of Management
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Swiss Re to form a health insurance joint venture with Religare
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Swiss Re, the world's second largest insurer, has entered into a non-binding agreement with Religare Enterprises, India's leading financial services group, to form a health insurance joint venture (JV) company in India. Under the arrangement, Swiss Re would provide actuarial, risk management and underwriting expertise in the venture, while Religare would offer distribution space through its financial services business.The new venture is expected to be operational by 2010.
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Overseas Investment
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Apollo acquires Dutch tyre maker Vredestein Banden
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India's largest tyre maker Apollo Tyres has acquired Dutch tyre maker Vredestein Banden, a subsidiary of Russia's largest tyre manufacturer Amtel-Vredestein, which went bankrupt last
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month. Vredestein has a capacity to produce 5.5 million tyres annually, which takes Apollo's total tyre capacity to 16.8 million. This strategic acquisition will give Apollo a foothold in the lucrative European tyre market.. The Dutch firm, with an estimated annual revenues of 300 million euro ($403 million), will be integrated with BSE-listed Apollo in the next few months and renamed Apollo Vredestein.
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Reliance Industries owned Trevira Gmbh files for bankruptcy
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Trevira GmbH, the German textiles company, which Reliance Industries bought five years ago, has filed for bankruptcy as the steep slowdown in the European markets takes its toll on a landmark acquisition of India's biggest conglomerate. Trevira has filed an application in Augsburg Court in the state of Bavaria, Germany for the commencement of insolvency proceedings with a restructuring plan. The European textile manufacturers are currently facing a severe drop in demand for their products, while the cost of production and employment is increasing and competition from Asian and eastern European industries is stronger than ever, RIL has stated . Trevira, the 53-year old brand, has been supplying high-value branded polyester fibres and filament yarns to the automotive industries and home textiles. It has production units in Germany, Denmark, Poland and Belgium.
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Member responsible for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses. Daimler Trucks' said it would invest more than 700 million euro over the next four years, and added that it has already invested 24 million euro.
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TOURISM |
Chandigarh expects a million tourists in 2009
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The tourism industry in Chandigarh is booming, apparently untouched by global recession, and officials say they expect tourist arrivals to the 'city beautiful' to cross the one million mark in 2009. According to tourism officials , 960,912 tourists visited the centrally administered city in 2008. Of these, 32,074 were foreigners. This year, the tourism department is expecting more than one million tourists. The city, with its wide, clean roads and large gardens, was designed by legendary French architect, Le Corbusier in 1950s.
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URBAN EXCELLENCE |
Rs 250 billion bonanza likely from World Bank
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Indian cities are in for a Rs 250-billion bonanza from the World Bank to develop urban infrastructure over the next five years, according to an urban
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development ministry official. The World Bank will start disbursing the amount from the beginning of next fiscal, and that his ministry was sorting out the heads under which it could be disbursed. India already has a flagship urban development programme running, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which too committed Rs 250 billion during the last five years.
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French firms to redesign Mumbai CST station
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Indian Railways has chosen a French firm to redesign the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus as a world class station. AREP, a subsidiary of the French Railway (SNCF), will conduct the architectural and feasibility study for redesign and redevelopment of the terminus as a world class station on Public-Private-Partnership mode, a senior railway ministry official said. The French engineering and architectural agency will be paid about Rs 100 million by the Railways for carrying out the study and to suggest a new design for the station, which is a World Heritage Site, by the end of 2009. According to the proposed redevelopment plan, the station, popularly known as Victoria Terminus, will undergo a massive transformation with facilities like underground parking, better passenger amenities, food plazas and separate terminal for arrival and departure among others.
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Delhi to recreate the glory of Chandni Chowk
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The Municipal Corporation of Delhi wishes to recreate the glory of Chandni Chowk , designed as the most prominent boulevard in the Mughal times . The MCD has invited expression of interest from agencies for the redevelopment of the LALA Quila -Fathpuri Mashji Stretch at Chandni Chowk . The redevelopment includes augmentation and upgradation of infrastructure roads and pavements, water supply , sewerage and security systems; restoring the urban quality and public façade restoration and signage.
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Volvo eyes entry into Indian cities under JNURM
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Volvo Bus Corporation was planning to enter major cities of the country under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM). Under JNURM, the Centre would fund buses for 63 cities across the country for improving urban transport. Volvo city buses were already plying in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Mysore. In 2008, the company sold 400 vehicles, including
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inter-city and city buses. In 2009, the company is expecting a growth of 25 percent.
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Porbander to get JNURM aid
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Considering the long pending demand, the central government has included birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, Porbandar, in its list of cities eligible for Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission(JNURM). With this now there are five cities of Gujarat under JNURM. The cities are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot besides newly added Porbandar. Mahatma Gandhi's birth place has been added in the list as a city of historic importance. In the entire country 56 cities are in the JNURM list of which 28 are of historic importance.
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Ministry clears JNURM for Imphal city
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Ministry of Urban Development has given clearance for the Nambul river and Naga rivulet development projects as well as the plan to cover up some portions of Naga nullah to make parking space.The Nambul river and Naga rivulet development projects were conceived as a part of the State Government's grand project to develop Imphal to a clean and modern city under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).
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World Bank seeks consultants for Maharashtra cities under JNRUM
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The World Bank has sought expression of interest from consultants to help provide practical guidance to 12 JNNURM cities of Maharashtra to develop an
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action plan to improve credit worthiness over the medium time frame and develop a fiananciing plan for projects . The cities are divided into3 groups for viable project progress. The World Bank intends to finance the assignment under the sub -national technical assistance programme.
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TERI launches a study on making Indian cities sustainable
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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in partnership with SUI (Sustainable Urbanism International) and Arghyam with the support of Dr. Nandan Nilekani and Mrs. Rohini Nilekani has launched a study to make Indian cities more sustainable. With the rapid pace of urbanization, worldwide urban sustainability has become a very important issue today. The study on exploring sustainability in the provision of basic urban services in Indian cities, as a
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step towards making cities more sustainable, was initiated by TERI. TERI, which has been recognized by the Ministry of Urban Development as a Centre of Excellence in Urban Development , hopes that the recommendations emerging from this study will influence public policy and become part of urban development policies and programmes in India.
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