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Tata Steel raises capacity target to 30mn tonnes by 2015
Calcutta: Tata Steel aims to increase its capacity to at least 30 million tonnes (mt) in the next 10 years.

Tata Steel officials said that they are discussing their production target for the next 10 years, and are looking at a 30-mt capacity by 2015. Till now, the company had been looking at capacities of 15 million tonnes, to be achieved by 2010. These capacities were to be added at an investment of Rs25,000 crore.

At present, its annual production is seven million tonnes with the Jamshedpur plant producing five million tonnes. The acquisition of Singapore-based NatSteel has also increased its capacity by two million tonnes.

NatSteel has plants in six countries in Asia and Australia.

Tata officials said that Indian companies must step up capacity to stave off competition from China, which might produce 500 million tonnes steel by 2015, and would have the potential to swamp the domestic market. The officials said that new capacity addition will be dispersed among many countries.

The company is currently eyeing a gas-based plant in Iran. Its talks with Bangladesh are also at an advanced stage. NatSteel gives the Tatas access to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Phillipines, Australia and China.

Tata Steel is also wrapping up deals with many states. While it is augmenting capacities at Jamshedpur, its new facilities are in various stages of development in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

These three eastern states put together have the bulk of domestic iron ore reserves.
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Tata's Bangladesh deal likely to be inked by November
Dacca: Negotiations with the Indian conglomerate Tata for setting up of three gas-based industries in Bangladesh will be finalised by August 31, according to newly appointed energy advisor Mahmudur Rahman. The final agreement is expected to be signed in November.

Tata proposes to set up three gas-based industries — a steel mill, a fertiliser factory and a power plant in Bangladesh at an investment of approximately $2bn.

Mahmudur Rahman told journalists that the government has decided to appoint a foreign consultant to prepare a gas pricing formula on Tata's proposal. The consultant would suggest price of gas at par with the price in the international market, upon which gas price will be fixed for the deal, he said.

Negotiations with the Tata team, currently in Bangladesh, have been going on with the Finance Secretary leading the Bangladesh side. The meeting has discussed the land, mining, smooth gas supply and purchase of power agreement as proposed by the Tata's.

According to reports, the Tata team has accepted Bangladesh's offer in principle for allowing 1,800 acres of land near the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant project in Iswardi for establishing steel and power plants.

Alan Rosling, the head of a 20-member TATA negotiation team, said that the talks have made good progress, without elaborating on details.

A follow up meeting is likely to be held in the third week of this month.
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IT growth: W. Bengal govt. to develop Sector-V, Salt Lake city
Kolkata: The West Bengal Government is planning comprehensive development of the Sector-V area in Salt Lake city in order to usher in further investment in IT and IT enabled sectors (ITES). Sector-V has come to be recognised as the home of the IT industry in Bengal.

According to govt. officials, the West Bengal Government was planning declare the sector-V as an industrial zone, and was planning a comprehensive development of infrastructure in the area through private-public partnership.

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Agency (KMDA), which is acting as a nodal agency for the proposed development, will soon be inviting expression of interests (EoIs) from private parties for participation in several projects in the area. The projects include, development of underground sewerage system, building a bus terminus, underground water reservoirs, creation of food plazas and road maintenance and beautification.

Officials said that the State Government is working to create an additional 13.3 million square feet building space for IT industry in next two years.
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IDC study: India, China to boost growth for BI tools software
New Delhi: Fuelled by growth in China and India, the Asia Pacific business intelligence (BI) tools software market is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3 per cent to touch $417.3 million by 2009, according to an IDC study.

The BI tools software market was valued at $233.2 million in 2004, according to research firm International Data Corporation's (IDC) report on business intelligence market outlook for 2004-2009 in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan).

Much of the growth in the region is expected to come from China and India. The more robust economic conditions in these countries and the increasing application deployments are setting the stage for BI tools adoption in the next five years.

However, IDC expects that Australia — with its matured IT infrastructure and developed economy - would remain the largest market for BI tools software throughout the forecast period.
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CERC threatens cancellation of licences of 13 power companies
New Delhi: The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has threatened to cancel the licences of 13 companies including Tata Power, Reliance Energy, NTPC and PTC India, charging them with non-compliance of licence agreement for inter-state trading in power.

The CERC has rapped the trading companies for not submitting the required information every quarter to the power regulator and has now issued notices to the companies asking them why their licences should not be revoked for non-compliance of licence conditions.

As per the licence agreement for inter-state trading in electricity, all the companies have to submit quarterly information to the regulator as well as to the Regional Load Dispatch Centre and Regional Electricity Board. However, the regulator observed that these trading companies have not been submitting the information regularly to the authorities and asked for their explanations.

The CERC has also questioned Delhi-based PTC India (formerly Power Trading Corporation of India Ltd) and Ahmedabad-based Adani Exports Ltd over the high trading margins being obtained by them. While trading margins in case of PTC was 30 paise per unit (kilowatt hour), for Adani it was even higher at 36 paise per unit.

The Commission has given the companies time till July 15 to file their reply.

The regulator has also issued notices to Adani Exports Ltd, DLF Power Ltd, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, Sumex Organix Pvt Ltd, Lanco Electricity Utility Ltd, GMR Energy Ltd, Chhatisagarh Electricity company Ltd and Karam Chand Thapar & Bros Ltd.
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Ashok Leyland launches indigenously engineered multi-axle vehicle
Hyderabad: Ashok Leyland Ltd has launched indigenously engineered multi-axle vehicle and plans to cater to a big chunk of this segment in the country.

Addressing a press conference here today after the launch of the vehicle 2214 BS II-25 T GvW at Automotive Manufacturers, B. Khaitan, Special Director of Ashok Leyland, said about 250 vehicles of this Hino engine powered range would be delivered.

Ashok Leyland is eyeing an all-India market share of 38 per cent, which includes other segments of tractors, where it has 50 per cent share, tippers and trucks (30 per cent).
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Swaraj Mazda to step into medium, heavy commercial vehicles segment
New Delhi: Light commercial vehicles manufacturer Swaraj Mazda Ltd (SML) is all set to foray into the medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCV) segment. The company at present manufactures vehicles in the five to nine-tonne category.

Having signed a technical assistance agreement with Japanese automobile major Isuzu, SML is learnt to be finalising a range of products for the domestic market. The company has already commenced testing of a new product, a 16-tonne single-axle vehicle. According to sources, the company is keen to develop offerings for both the carrier and passenger segment.

Products in the passenger segment could include premium buses similar to the ones Volvo is selling in the domestic market. SML will also set up an in-house facility for making bus bodies.

Further, the company aims to have a target for localisation at the level of 85 per cent for the new products in the next four to five years.

SML's facility in Punjab is also undergoing expansion, as part of an investment plan announced earlier. Last year, the company had planned to increase capacity by investing about Rs160 crore over the next three to four years. The investment would increase the company's production capacity to 36,000 vehicles from 10,000 units per year.

According to market analysts, the new launches would enable SML to cater to diverse segments of the market and increase its overall market share in commercial vehicles.
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Bentley launches the Continental Flying Spur
New Delhi: The premium luxury car manufacturer Bentley Motors has launched its latest offering the 'Bentley Continental Flying Spur' and has said it would focus on the top-end saloon market for India.

The Bentley Continental Flying Spur comes at a price of Rs1.7 crore.

Bentley, which sells cars only on regional allocation basis, plans to launch the convertible variants of Arnage and Continental GT later next year, officials said.

The Continental Flying Spur will be available through Delhi-based Exclusive Motors Pvt Ltd.

With a top speed of 312 kmph, the vehicle is hitting the Indian roads after its international debut at the Geneva Salon on March 1. It would take about six months from the date of order in India to deliver the vehicle, as it is a completely imported unit.

With the launch of the Continental Flying Spur, the company has three models in its portfolio here in India starting from the Rs3 crore Arnage, and the Continental series - GT and Flying Spur, both of which are tagged at Rs1.7 crore.
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