Yamaha plans to invest Rs 100 crore in India
New Delhi: Yamaha Motor, reports say, is planning to invest Rs 100 crore this year in India. This is to strengthen its operations and it will also launch two new models. The two-wheeler company will also upgrade its dealer network and provide technical support to its vendors to become a major player in the Indian market. "To be able to introduce new products and meet the anticipated incremental sales volumes, we are planning to invest Rs 100 crore in product development and expansion of our production capacities," says M Shibuya, managing director, Yamaha Motor India.

He says Yamaha will launch two new models in India in 2004: the Fazer and the Libero Lx. The Fazer, a 125-cc, four-stroke bike, is developed keeping in mind the economy-conscious customers and will be launched in the middle of the year. The new Libero variant will launched at the Auto Expo. It will be priced at Rs 39,800 (ex-showroom Delhi).
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ProSoya to roll out low-carbohydrate soyamilk
Hyderabad: ProSoya Foods (India) will soon launch low carbohydrate soyamilk in selected cities of India under the brand name Staeta. Company presiden Rashmi Rekha says the Indian outfit has licensed the technology owned by ProSoya Corporation of the US and ProSoya Inc of Canada and improved it substantially to suit the tastes of the local people. This technology is in use in over 40 countries.

At a price of Rs 12 per pack of 200 ml, Staeta will be offered in five varieties - natural, original, malt, chocolate and kesar-pista. The company is also planning to introduce one-litre packs with re-closable plastic caps, Ms Rekha stated in a press release.
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ICSA income increases at Rs 1.79 crore
Hyderabad: ICSA (India) Ltd has recorded an income of Rs 1.79 crore and a net profit of Rs 0.28 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2003, as against an income of Rs 1.37 crore and a net profit of Rs 0.07 crore for the corresponding quarter last year.

During the financial year ended March 31, 2003, the company recorded a total income of Rs 4.14 crore and a net profit of Rs 0.5 crore.
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EID Parry may sell acetic acid unit
Chennai: EID Parry is thinking about selling its acetic acid plant at Nellikuppam, about 160 km south of Chennai, says a news report. The plant was set up in 1996 at an investment of about Rs 20 crore to produce 10,000 tonnes of acetic acid a year, from the alcohol derived from the company's Nellikuppam sugar unit.

But now there are factories in the western region that can produce the acid cheaper from petroleum derivatives. According to EID Parry sources, the 'petroleum route' was not allowed when the company set up the acetic acid plant. The officials said while selling the plant is one option, they are also trying to find out if some equipment could be put to any other use.
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Jindal Stainless, Nisshin in technical pact
New Delhi: Jindal Stainless Ltd has got into a technical pact with Japanese stainless steel major Nisshin Steel for improving the production process. The collaboration is for two years, which may be extended, and involves an outflow of about Rs 18 crore, says company finance director Mr Arvind Parakh. Jindal Stainless is the largest stainless steel maker in India with more than 40 per cent of the market share and the technical collaboration move will help the company in bringing down costs as well as increase its offer range, he says.

He, nevertheless, says that there is no possibility of Nisshin picking up a stake in the company. N C Mathur, director, Jindal Stainless, says the domestic stainless steel market is growing at a much faster rate than the global industry and it is expected to go up further over the next few years with the major thrust coming from sectors such as transport, infrastructure and metro rail.
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Tata Power seeks to spin off broadband unit
Mumbai: Tata Power Company is seeking for an approval from its board of directors to convert its broadband division into a separate company. The company's board of directors will meet on January 20 to consider the transfer of the division into a private limited company, the company told the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

Tata Power will seek approval from shareholders once the company board accepts the resolution. The resolution will then be adopted by means of a postal ballot. "The transfer (of broadband) from division to subsidiary shows that the management has a clear focus when it comes to business. It is good corporate governance and is a demarcation to ensure individual focus on the power and broadband businesses," said Rahul Chaudhry, chief executive officer, Tata Power Broadband.
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Godrej to up soap prices
Mumbai: Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) has decided to increase the prices of its soaps due to the shooting raw material prices, say reports. Hoshi K Press, executive director and president, GCPL, said: "The price hike is on the cards. We have taken a decision to this effect as oil prices have been moving up."

GCPL is said to be in the process of rolling out the revised prices. On the import duty reduction and other sops announced by the finance minister in the mini-budget, Press said these will provide a breather to the company, but were not enough to avoid a price hike. HLL, last month, had hiked the price of its leading soap power brand Lux, which seems to have triggered other toilet soap makers to consider hiking their product prices too.
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Sri Adhikari in pact with US, W Asia TV channels
Mumbai: Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network Ltd (SABTNL) has entered into a collective $3-million programming supply deal in the US and in West Asia. In the US, it has entered the deal with TV Asia, which will cater to the major programming requirement of the channel `TV Asia', say reports.

The programmes include the library of SABTNL, comprising SAB TV and DD programmes. In West Asia, the company has entered the programme supply deal with Pehla Channel, which is on the DTH platform. The company will cater to the prime-time programming requirement of the Pehla channel. The company said while having its own channel in the UK, it has entered into a very premeditated deal in the US and West Asia to increase the bottomline by way of exploring its library strength.
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