Biocon launches human insulin
Bangalore: With the launch of Insugen, the recombinant human insulin (r-DNA), Biocon is upbeat about capturing a 20 per cent market share of the Rs 220 crore human insulin market within the next two years. This was stated by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, managing director, of the company during a press meet in Bangalore.

Insugen is being priced lower than similar products from Wockhardt and multinationals like Ily Lilly and Nova Nordisk. It has 'pichia expression', a powerful proteins producing micro organism.

Biocon has invested Rs75 crore on the project spread over four years, including R&D and manufacturing facility in Bangalore.

With an estimated 30 million diabetics, India is one of the largest global markets. The other markets include China, Indonesia, the US and Korea. The company will export Insugen first to unregulated markets like West Asia, Asia, South East Asia and Latin America, though it product was being registered in 20 countries.
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New Ford Mondeo due for launch in Jan '05
Bangalore: Ford India is likely to put its 'nextgen' premium mid-size sedan, Mondeo, (See: http://www.domain-b.com/automotive/models/ford/ford_mondeo.htm) on Indian roads in January, close on the heels of its launch in Europe last month.

A company executive indicated this during the lunch of the 'crossover' Ford Fusion - a combination of a sports and multi utility vehicle (See: http://www.domain-b.com/automotive/features/20041020_time.htm) The new Fusion was introduced in Europe early this year.

Uunveiled in Europe this October, the new Mondeo, comes with two new power trains including a 1.8 Duratec direct injection Sci petrol engine, which is claimed to deliver 8 per cent better fuel efficiency than a conventional 1.8 litre engine.

The other variant, with a 2.5i V6 engine and six speed manual and / or automatic transmission. The new Mondeo also offers a 2-litre Duratorq TDCi common rail diesel engine.

The earlier Mondeo variant in India had only limited appeal, selling barely 1,100 units since its launch in 2001.

The company hopes the new Mondeo will atteract stronger customer appeal like the reengineered Honda Accord, after the old version was replaced with the new.
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M&M plans to pick up stake in Amforge
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is planning to pick up equity in the Mumbai-based automobile ancilliary company, Amforge Industries —close on the heels of its announcement of a JV with with China's Jiangling Motors to buy out its 12,000-capacity Jiangling Tractors of China.

Amforge Industries with an annual capacity of 75,000 tonnes is the second largest auto forging company in the Indian automobile ancilliary industry after Bharat Forge. M&M is also believed to be in talks with a Rajkot-based gear maker.
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ITC set to enter personal care products
ITC Ltd is all set to join FMCG majors Hindustan Lever and Procter & Gamble to introduce its own range of personal care products.

The decision to enter this Rs15,000 crore segment will be finaliosed only after December 22, when the results of the mandatory ballots mailed to shareholders on the proposal to change its memorandum of association, are counted.

Analysts are divided on the company's move. While one view is the company's decision to enter the personal care segment at a juncture when the two market leaders are locked in a bitter price war in a bid to increase their market share is significant, the other is that the price wars have created an opportunity for the new entrant. In the last three years the segment is estimated to have been growing at 8-9 per cent.

ITC already has a presence in the estimated Rs45,000 crore Indian FMCG segment through food products and is considered amongst the most healthy FMCG companies.
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Shell petrol station by year end
Shell India, the subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell Company, become the first multinational to begin

fuel retailing in India after the opening up of the sector.
The company has permission for 2,000 petrol stations across the country and has announced that it would open its first petrol station by the end of the year.

Shell will complete the construction of the 2.5 million tonne LNG import and regasification terminal at Hazira befor the end of this calender year, estimated to have cost over $500 million and begin importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first quarter of 2005.

It has the option to import from West Asia and South East Asia where it has liquefaction facilities.
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Ashok Leyland Oct sales skid 16 pc
New Delhi: Ashok Leyland's October 2004 sales dropped 16 per cent to 3,356 from 3,993 units in the same month last year.

Production also declined 23.7 per cent to 3,109 units compared to 4,078 units in October 2003, a company statement said. - PTI
The company is a prominent manufacturer of trucks and buses
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Reliance Info offers NLD calls at Re 1 a minute
Mumbai: Reliance Infocomm has launched its Re1-a-minute Reliance India Card that facilitates calls from its mobile or fixed wireless phone to any Reliance phone anywhere across the country at that price and all other calls at Rs2 per minute irrespective of peak and non peak hours or the circles the call is made to.

Available in denominations of Rs110 and Rs220, the card is available to pre- and post-paid subscribers a Reliance Infocomm press announcement stated.

The card works on RIM phones with outgoing call facility, ends all confusion over the multitude of tariff structures, , the release added. - PTI
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PIB approves Rs9,475 cr IA fleet plan for 43 planes
The Public Investment Board (PIB) has cleared Indian Airlines' (IA's) proposed Rs 9,475-crore plan to purchase 43 aircraft. The board has also decided to ask the government to provide the state-run carrier a sovereign guarantee to raise funds for the acquisition.

After cabinet approval, the airline will start negotiations with Airbus, the lowest bidder, for the aircraft. IA plans to buy a mix of Airbus 319s, 320s and 321s.

The PIB has also decided to recommend to the government that IA's equity base be increased to
Rs430.19 crore from the present Rs105.19 crore to help the airline raise debt in the international market.

As per the plan, about 90 per cent of the required funds will be raised from external corporate bodies while the rest is expected to come as assistance from the government.
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