Satyam to set up a world-class development centre at Chennai
Chennai: Satyam Computer Services is expanding its Chennai operations by setting up a world-class development centre spreadover 100 acres.

According to Ramalinga Raju, Satyam's chairman, the centre would employ about 15,000 professionals.

Satyam's Chennai operations comprise six offices with about 3,500 employees and generating exports of Rs154 crore in the financial year ended March 2004.

The Hyderabad-based company has projected its exports from Chennai to grow significantly to Rs400 crore, it said, but gave no time frame for achieving the target.
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Henkel India's begins production from new soap finishing line
Kolkata: Henkel India (formerly Calcutta Chemical Company Ltd) has initiated commercial production from its new soap finishing line, installed at an estimated cost of Rs5 crore.

The new facility has the capacity to produce two tonnes per hour of Henkel India's premium soap brands Margo, Check and Fa.

With the help of the new facility, Henkel India's plant would be able to raise premium soap production capacity from 400 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes per annum.

Officials said Calcutta Chemical, acquired by Henkel SPIC India Ltd a couple of years ago from Shaw Wallace & Company Ltd, has undergone a transformation, not only in name but also in production facilities which could now be compared with the best in the industry.
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CUMI to set up production base in Europe
Kolkata: Carborundum Universal (CUMI), flagship of the Murugappa group, is planning to set up a manufacturing base in Europe, after completing a project in China in 2005-06.

The company will cater to the automobile ancillary, fabrication and
engineering units with their range of abrasives products, both in China and Europe.

The company currently services its European clients partly through Wendt GmbH of Germany and partly by itself.

Company officials said the company is likely to go it alone in China as the revised rules in that country do not insist anymore on a joint venture with a local partner.
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Tag Heuer lines up expansion in India; signs up Sushmita Sen
New Delhi: The iconic Swiss sports-luxury watch brand, Tag Heuer, says India, China and Russia are its top priority markets for the next 10 years.

Tag Heuer is part of the $7 billion luxury goods firm LVMH which has in its portfolio several best-selling brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessey and Moet et Chandon.

Tag Heuer entered the Indian luxury market in 2002, after rival Swiss watch makers like Swatch and Movado and now says it has become the second largest luxury watch firm in India.

Tag Heur has been the most aggressive player in the 120,000 units a year luxury watch market and the company has invested more than Rs10 crore on advertising alone each year.

In India watches above Rs10,000 are classified as luxury watches.Last year Tag Heuer introduced monthly installment and finance scheme for its watches. Tag Heuer currently has eight outlets in the country and the price of its watches range from Rs25,000 to Rs200,000. India currently contributes just one per cent of Tag Heuer's worldwide sales The company also signed up Bollywood actor Sushmita Sen as its second brand ambassador in India after Shah Rukh Khan. Globally, Tag Heuer has sports stars such as Tiger Woods and Formula 1 racer Kimi Raikonnen as its endorsers.
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Tata Indicom offers roaming facilities in Southern states
Bangalore: Tata Indicom has come out with roaming facilities in all southern states for a monthly rental of Rs100 and has also launched a `zonal corridor' which offers the facility to make STD calls within these states at local call rates for a monthly rental of Rs150.

Prabhat Pani, chief operating officer, Tata Teleservices, said customers will now have roaming facility in 300 towns in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The company has also launched a single rate plan for post-paid customers, catering to all levels of usage wherein customers can avail themselves of discounts ranging between 5 per cent and 20 per cent depending on the usage. The single rate for local calls to any phone is Rs1.25 per minute.
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Reliance Info introduces LG camera phone for Rs6,999
Mumbai: Reliance Infocomm has launched an LG camera phone, LG 6130, priced at Rs 6,999. LG 6130, which weighs 95gm, incorporates a high-resolution VGA Camera and is the first handset from Reliance to offer click-n-send MMS, enabling transmission of pictures, sounds and ring tones.

The camera also has a speaker phone and supports Hindi user interface and SMS. Its flash can also be used as an emergency torchlight, said a press release from Reliance Infocomm.
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Idea launches auto theft protection device
Thiruvananthapuram: Idea Cellular has introduced a new product in the Kerala market designed to prevent vehicle theft. Called I-guard, the product, launched in association with Micro Technologies, will provide customers with complete control over their vehicles wherever they are.

The device works by sending an alarm call over SMS to the mobile phone of the car owner the moment the door of the vehicle is opened by an unauthorised person. The owner can then immediately immobilise the engine at the press of a button. The reach of the system extends to any place within the mobile phone range.

The device, called `Micro Vehicle Black Box', is designed for high-segment cars, with installation cost upwards of Rs16,000.

A less expensive device to suit low segment cars is also being developed. All Idea post-paid customers can subscribe to a Rs99 plan and get the I-guard solution.
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Juniper to expand set up in India
Hong Kong: Juniper Networks Inc, the networking products and solutions provider, is expanding operations in the Asia Pacific region and will expand its research centre in India.

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) market has witnessed a steady growth and this has led to Juniper acquiring about 25-30 per cent of its business from the Asia Pacific region.

The vice-president of Juniper Networks, Adam Judd, India has continued to reflect steady growth for Juniper and the acquisition of Netscreen and its security-related products hade expanded the scope for business in the region. The company's R&D centre based at Bangalore has emerged as the largest engineering centre for Juniper and the company intends to continue to recruit at the center.
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Levi Strauss' new campaign targets women
Mumbai: Levi Strauss India is now targeting women with its new advertising campaign, scheduled for launch next month. This is as the women's segment of the apparel in India has seen a double digit growth while the men's segment has logged a mere seven to eight per cent growth.

The market for branded denim and casual pants is pegged at Rs 1200 crore and about 12 million units of denim and eight million units of casual pants and khakis are sold in the top six towns in India. While the women's market in the country is almost one-fourth the size of the men's market in the last few years, this has been growing at double-digit rates of growth as young Indian women have adapted to western lifestyles.

Levis plans to grow organically in the country and expand the category of jeans, t-shirts, shirts, etc.

Levi's entered the Indian market in 1995. Since then the Indian market for Levi is growing at a rate of 25-30 per cent.
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Ranbaxy puts non core businesses up for sale
New Delhi: Ranbaxy Laboratories is putting its non-core businesses including animal healthcare, diagnostics and fine chemicals up for sale.

The three allied businesses contribute roughly Rs125 crore to the drug major's total turnover.

Sources said, Ranbaxy has given the mandate to scout for buyers for the three divisions to investment bankers, Ernst & Young, YES Bank and Mape Advisory Group.

Sources said the exit from allied businesses is in line with the company's strategy to focus exclusively on its core business.

Ranbaxy produces and markets generics, branded generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients.In 2003, the company clocked a turnover of Rs3,782.46 crore with net profits of Rs794.77 crore.
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Star Group's Asian programmes to be launched in US
New Delhi: Digital television service provider in the United States,
DirecTV, has launched South Asian programming from the Star Group in the US.

With this, four channels from the Star India bouquet-Star Plus, Star One, Star News and Vijay TV-will be available on the DirecTV platform. The digital platform is also launching a season-long subscription TV package for international cricket and DirecTV customers will be able to get cricket matches from around the world.

Mitchell Stern, president and CEO, DirecTV said the South Asian population in the United States, with more than two million people, is one of the fastest growing communities and will now have access to the same top-rated, high-quality programming that is available in India.

The US logos for Star Plus and Star News would incorporate the word "India" to denote the Indian origin of the programming.
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GM India makes new plan for small car
New Delhi: General Motors India is drafting a fresh proposal for locally producing a small car either at its existing facility in Gujarat or at a new location. This is as its negotiations for buying Daewoo India's idle car-making assets in UP have been stuck in legal and bureaucratic hurdles.

The company is planning to ready the proposal over the next one month and will be put up before the General Motors Corporation board in December for clearance.
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