Soft drinks: SC issues notice to Centre
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking a thorough examination of the contents of soft drinks.

The petition took exception to the fact that the soft drinks were being marketed vigorously by the manufacturers despite they being 'health hazards'. The petitioner requested the apex court to direct the Centre to constitute an expert technical committee to evaluate the harmful effects of soft drinks. It also called for a regulatory regime to control and check the contents of particular chemical additives in foods and soft drinks.

It further requested the court to make it mandatory for the soft drink manufacturers to disclose the contents and the quality of their products. This must include appropriate warning about ingredients and their harmful effects.
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SC orders Reliance Info to pay up within a week
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed BSNL to disconnect Reliance Infocomm if it did not receive the outstanding payment of Rs84.7 crore towards access deficit charges (ADC) within a week.

Rejecting a plea from Reliance to make the payment in the form of a bank guarantee, the apex court said that it could not reverse its December 3 order, which asked the company to pay up the entire amount of Rs182 crore. BSNL had alleged that the Reliance group company had evaded revenue by re-routing international calls as local ones.

The private telecom operator has already paid Rs98 crore and wanted to pay the remaining amount in the form of bank guarantee. They even opposed the extension of time for the payment of Rs84.7 crore but the Bench said that if Reliance Infocomm did not pay it up within a week, BSNL would be free to take action, including disconnection of services.
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ECIL in tie up for inspection systems
Hyderabad: Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with OSI Systems Inc of the US for transfer of technology pertaining to electronic cargo inspection systems (ECIS).

ECIL and the US-based company formed a joint venture called ECIL Rapiscan Ltd, a decade ago, for the supply and after-sales maintenance of X-ray baggage inspection systems installed at various airports and other places in the country.

The $500-million OSI Systems is stated to be a global leader in ECIS with technologies such as X-ray, gamma ray, thermal neutron and pulsed fast neutron.

According to OSI, the MoU is a turning point in the manufacture and supply of these systems in India for Customs, civil aviation, Defence, paramilitary forces and Ministry of Home Affairs.

With the transfer of technology, ECIL would manufacture them at cost-effective prices, maintain them and overcome any embargo. ECIL is currently implementing a pilot project at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai.

It has also commissioned one of the mobile gamma systems at the place eight months back, which scans about 150 containers a day. An X-ray based system would also be installed at the port by the month-end. At least 10 ECIS would be produced in the first phase following the transfer of technology. It would take 20 months for fully absorbing the technology.
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GM sales up 73 per cent for '04
Bangalore: General Motors has posted a 73 per cent increase in sales during 2004 to 26,166 units compared with the same period last year. A press statement from General Motors (GM) said the company expects to post sales of 38,000 units during 2005, a 45-per cent increase over 2004 from three products alone.

With the production capacity expected to go up to 60,000 from this year, General Motors' line-up for 2005 may see the launch of more new models. Last year, GM launched its multi-purpose vehicle Tavera.

In 2004, the company sold 9,191 Chevy Optras, 8,369 Opel Corsas and 8,417 units of Chevrolet Tavera. During 2005, General Motors expects to sell 21,000 Taveras, 9,000 Optras and 8,000 Opel Corsas.

The statement said General Motors is working on several programmes this year that will enable the launch of special editions and newer marketing events.
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Maruti sales up 18 per cent in Dec.'04
New Delhi: Maruti Udyog Ltd has reported an 18 per cent rise in vehicle sales in December, helped by a sharp increase in exports and a firm domestic demand.

The company sold 43,828 vehicles last month, up from 37,091 units in December 2003. While domestic sales increased by 11.4 per cent to 37,153 units, exports saw a jump of 78 per cent to 6,675 units.

Meanwhile, sales of Maruti 800 fell by 42 per cent to 7,885 units in December. The total sales of Maruti's three compact cars - Alto, Zen and Wagon R - jumped 49 per cent to 20,759 units while the combined sales of its Omni and Versa vans rose 21 per cent to 5,237 units.
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TVS Eletronics steps into the laser toner market
Chennai: TVS Electronics Ltd, the Chennai-based computer peripheral manufacturer, has stepped in to the laser toner market with the introduction of recycled laser toners in India.

Through this launch, TVS Electronics aims at capturing a 3-5 per cent share in the Rs400-crore laser toner market by the end of 2005, according to a press release.

The laser toners would be launched across the country with focus on Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
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Cipla launches Mobix cream for arthritis
New Delhi: Cipla Ltd has launched a new treatment for arthritis in technical collaboration with California-based Cymbiotics Inc.
The company will market Mobix capsules and Mobix topical cream for treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In a company statement, Cipla said, "The medical profession desires safe and effective treatments for chronic diseases such as arthritis. Recently, the withdrawal of some cox-2 inhibitors from the pharmaceutical marketplace has created a real need for products that will safely relieve the pain and debilitating effects of arthritis. Mobix is filling this need."
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