India to join global hydrogen energy initiative
Hyderabad: India has joined a global initiative of 15 countries, with the US playing a major role, in efforts to tap hydrogen as a viable and cost-effective energy option.

India will play a significant part in evolving research and development programmes, for which it is the Co-Chair. Stating this, Dr K. Kasturirangan, Director of the Bangalore-based, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), said that while the European Union has committed $2.4 billion recently, Japan, US, UK and Germany are among those countries, which have launched big programmes.

Dr Kasturirangan, a member of recently set up, inter-ministerial National Hydrogen Board (NHB), gave his inaugural address to the international conference on `Solid State Hydrogen Storage-Material and Applications,' organised by the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials , Hyderabad. Even in India, a national hydrogen energy road map is being finalised with key inputs from NHB, he said.

Dr. Kasturirangan, is currently a MP and is also the former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Earlier, Dr R. Sundaresan, one of the convenors of the conference, said in his welcome address that experts from the US, Germany, France, China were taking part in the two-day meet, which was being jointly organised by the Asia Pacific Centre for Energy and Environment, IIT Madras and the Institute for Nuclear Technology and Energy Systems , University of Stuttgart, Germany.
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Canadian team woos Indian investors
New Delhi: A Canadian delegation, consisting of industry and Government officials, has urged Indian industry to invest in Toronto. The Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), said that Canada viewed India both as a market for Canadian goods and services and as a source of foreign direct investment.

GTMA is a point of contact for prospective international investors looking to expand or locate their business in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and has already assisted several Indian companies such as Satyam Computer and Infosys Technologies in setting up their outsourcing facilities.

Citing reasons for investing in Toronto, she emphasised on the city's superior infrastructure, low-risk business environment due to political stability and strong economic fundamentals, low rate of inflation and Government support to R&D, according to a CII statement.
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GDP growth for FY04 at 8.5 per cent
New Delhi: Government has revised upward the economic growth to 8.5 per cent for 2003-04 from 8.2 per cent estimated earlier. This was mainly due to a bumper agricultural growth of 9.6 per cent.

The high GDP growth of 8.5 per cent during 2003-04 comes on the back of a lower growth of just four per cent in 2002-03, according to the Quick Estimates of National Income released by the Central Statistical Organisation.

During the last fiscal, manufacturing also registered a growth of 6.9 per cent over 6.5 per cent in 2002-03. Transport, storage and communication sector also showed a higher growth of 17 per cent in 2003-04 as against 12.6 per cent in 2002-03. The financial services sector's growth slowed down to 7.1 per cent in 03-04 from 8.7 per cent in 02-03.

According to quick estimates, per capita income in real terms was up 7.1 per cent in 2003-04 to Rs11,799. The per capita income at current prices is estimated at Rs20,989 in 2003-04 against Rs19,040 for the previous year, showing a growth of 10.2 per cent.

Gross capital formation at constant prices increased to Rs4,49,539 crore in 03-04 from Rs3,95,163 crore in 2002-03. The rate of gross capital formation at constant prices increased to 28.7 per cent in 03-04 from 27.4 per cent in 02-03. The gross capital formation at constant prices in 03-04 in the public sector was Rs82,998 crore while in private sector it was Rs87,718 crore. In the household sector it was Rs223,007 crore.
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Chandrayan: ECIL to develop Deep Space Antenna system
Hyderabad: Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) will design, develop and install the Deep Space Network (DSN) antenna system, which will play a key role in the country's ambitious moon project - Chandrayaan.

ECIL will work with ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai to indigenously develop the 34-inch diameter antenna and other critical sub-systems for DSN.

DSN is being located on the outskirts of Bangalore and necessary land is being acquired, said the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Dr G. Madhavan Nair.

ECIL will establish the facility on a turnkey basis. It will be an important feature in future inter-planetary missions, according to an ECIL press release.

The design aspects for the Chandrayaan mission have been completed. The development process for new equipment is underway and the mission will be on schedule, Dr Nair said. European Space Agency and NASA are likely to participate with payloads.

ISRO will launch a cartography application, 2.5-metre resolution IRS satellite by the end of March or early April on a PSLV from Sriharikota. The launch of Insat 4B is also scheduled later this year.

As for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, the flight with the indigenous engine Kaveri is slated for the middle of 2006. Subsequently, we will have one launch per year, the ISRO Chairman said.
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