Tata Motors unveils Advent at Geneva
Mumbai: Tata Motors has unveiled the Tata Indigo Advent and showcased the new Indica hatchback at the 74th Geneva Auto Show. Powered by a turbo-charged inter-cooled diesel engine, the Advent is a contemporary crossover offering a combination of attractive features of a sports utility vehicle and a station wagon, a company release has said. Tata Group Chairman, Mr Ratan Tata has said that the new Indigo Advent continues to demonstrate the company's ability to explore and harness the versatile car platform. He has also said that the thrust of the company would be to continually innovate and provide cars best suited for the changing needs of the customers worldwide. According to the company the new Indica hatchback, and the Advent would be available in Europe later this year.
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ABB India: Turnkey orders from Tata Steel
New Delhi: ABB India has been awarded turnkey orders worth Rs 60 crore to provide automation and electrical solutions for projects related to Tata Steel's one million-tonne expansion programme. These orders include complete automation and electricals for a new six-lakh-tonne per annum `rebar' mill at Jamshedpur. According to ABB, the project, assumes significance as it is the first industrial IT application for a primary metal process in the country.

The other projects where ABB is supporting Tata Steel's modernisation and expansion plans include crane electrics, the recently installed pickling and tandem cold mill, continuous galvanising, recoiling as well as the electrolytic cleaning lines.
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Ranbaxy: Blood sugar tests at half the cost
Mumbai: As part of a joint-initiative between Aventis Pharma Ltd and SRL Ranbaxy to raise the awareness on diabetes, diabetes patients can avail of the A1C test to monitor their blood glucose levels at almost half the cost. The above initiative seeks to provide the test at Rs 240, as against the original cost of Rs 500. The A1C standard is accepted worldwide as the "gold-standard" of determining long-term blood glucose control in diabetes patients.
Tests would be done at a subsidised cost against coupons provided by Aventis and SRL Ranbaxy. And the coupons will be made available to patients through diabetologists and endocrinologists. According to a communiqué, samples can be submitted at any of the 250 SRL Ranbaxy diagnostic centres in the country.
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P&G slashes prices
Mumbai: Procter & Gamble Home Products Ltd has decided to reduce prices of its Tide and Ariel brands by 20-50 per cent. Having reduced prices of the sachets by 50 per cent last year, the extra volumes generated by the company have led it to adopt a similar reduction for its detergent bags as well. The price of the one kg pack of Ariel will now be reduced from Rs 135 to Rs 99, while the Tide price has been slashed from Rs 85 to Rs 46 for 1 kg. The prices of the 200 and 500 gm packs have also been reduced to Rs 22 for Ariel and Rs 10 for Tide (earlier Rs 30 and Rs 20 respectively) for the 200 gm pack and Rs 50 for Ariel and Rs 23 for Tide (earlier Rs 70 and Rs 43 respectively) for the 500 gm pack.
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New pack sizes for Coke's summer campaign
New Delhi: Coca-Cola India will be launching its mango drink Maaza in 200-ml and 250-ml pack sizes across the country. It will launch the Maaza in 125 ml cartons and introduce a 600 ml pack size for Coke and Fanta. The 600-ml packs are being priced at Rs 15.Along with the new packaged Maaza, an integrated marketing campaign is also being planned.
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Electrolux signs up OMS
New Delhi: Electrolux Kelvinator Ltd has announced the appointment of Optimum Media Solutions , the media specialist company of Mudra Communications Ltd, as its media planning and buying agency. Stepping up on its marketing initiatives this year, Electrolux India would be targeting the Indian woman, whom the company categorises as `Hope Managers', through its advertising.
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Mount Shivalik and Narang tie up
New Delhi: Mount Shivalik has partnered with Narang Hospitality Services to conduct the marketing, logistic and distribution activities of premium water brand Evian and energy drink Red Bull in North, East and Central India.

Mount Shivalik, which has a presence in the liquor business, currently manufactures and markets brands such as Stroh's, Golden Peacock and Thunderbolt Super Strong. The company has also stepped into the hospitality business with `Thunder Point', a chain of highway restaurants and `O' Briens', a leading Irish chain of sandwich bars that has opened its first outlet in Delhi. Mount Shivalik also imports, distributes and markets Blue Nun Wines in India.
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MRF launches broadest tyre
Chennai: MRF has recently launched the broadest radial car tyre ever manufactured in India. This `broad tyre competes with imported brands, which were the only tyres available in India in this segment until recently. The MRF ZVRL tyres are available at select MRF Authorised Outlets including MRF T&S franchisee and exclusive showrooms.
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Dettol skincare soap launched in Kerala
Kochi: Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd has launched new Dettol skincare soap in the Kerala market. The product has been priced at Rs15 for a 75gm pack which is at parity with the existing Dettol original soap.
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Hyundai Motors: Sales up 68 pc in Feb'2004
Chennai: Hyundai Motor India Ltd has sold 15,508 cars in February. While11, 590 units have been sold in the domestic market, another 3,918 units have been exported. Domestic sales accordingly have recorded a 68 per cent increase over February 2003 when the company had sold 6,887 units. The company says that it has sold a total of 12,522 Santros, 2,851 Accents, 101 Sonatas and 34 units of the Terracan for the month of February.
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Toyota: 56 per cent rise in Feb sales
Bangalore: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) sold a total of 3,511 vehicles in February posting a 56 per cent increase in sales compared with the same period a year ago. While the Corolla sold 759 units in February, the Qualis sold 2,676 units. TKM's luxury car, Camry, sold 76 units TKM is a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation and the Kirloskar Group. TKM has invested nearly Rs 900 crore in its plant at Bidadi, and employs over 2,300 people.
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Ayurvedic drug trial by Nagarjuna group
Kochi: Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Group has executed an agreement with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, to conduct assessment studies of Cardo Guard tablet, a new anti-hypertensive combination drug that it has developed. The agreement envisages the assessment of the safety of the drug through toxicity studies; study of the effect of the drug on myocardial mechanics as well as its effectiveness in the regression of hypertrophy. The project is jointly funded by the Department of Science and Technology, the Nagarjuna Group and SCTIMST.
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IA package for Indo-Pak one-day series
New Delhi: Indian Airlines is offering a `three-nights four-days' package for the forthcoming Indo-Pakistan cricket series. The package will cost Rs 34,405 from Chennai, while those purchasing the package in Bangalore will be charged Rs 34,120. From Delhi the package will cost Rs 18,800, while from Mumbai it will cost Rs 29,610. The package does not include the cost of a ticket to watch the match. At present, the package is being sold in Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata and Jaipur.
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ONGC to drill at 28 spots for Coal Bed Methane
Chennai: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has identified 28 locations for drilling of coal bed methane, as part of its plan to drill 56 CBM wells in three years from last August. The company is in the process of hiring an international turnkey contractor for this purpose. Coal bed methane is the natural gas obtained in the coal seams.The company officials said that ten international companies have responded to its tender for a turnkey contract for CBM extraction.
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