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Government evaluating 'data exclusivity' demand of pharma companies
New Delhi: The industry ministry, which had earlier rejected the multinational drug companies' demand for "data exclusivity," is now saying that it was studying various options to meet the demand.

"For India, to turn into an R&D hub, we need protection of data in addition to patent cover," said Ajay K Dua, secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), addressing a workshop for implementation of intellectual property rights (IPR) regime on Friday. The pharma MNCs have been pitching for data exclusivity-protection from third party reliance on the data on new drugs submitted by them before the regulators for "unfair commercial use."

Currently, a committee headed by secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemocals is examining the issue that has created a seemingly unbridgeable divide between the local drug companies and the MNCs.

Usually, under data exclusivity, a pharma company enjoys monopoly on manufacturing and marketing a registered drug for anywhere between five and ten years. Local pharma industry argues that data exclusivity is a ploy by MNCs to extend the period of patent rights on drugs.

The secretary said government was also preparing a list of resource personnel on patents.

The country's patent examiners would ensure that an innovation is original before granting a patent. He said India had sought for collaborations with countries including Japan and the US to impart training to its patent examiners.
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TVS Motor targets sale of 8.5-lakh motorcycles for the fiscal
Chennai: TVS Motor Company expects to sell 8.50 lakh motorcycles in the current year, compared with 6.7 lakh last year, company officials said on Friday.

Achieving its target would ensure that the company will have a market share of about 15 per cent. On Friday, TVS Motor launched new versions of three of its two-wheelers Victor, Star and Scooty.

The Victor EDGE has an upgraded engine of 125 cc capacity and other enhancements such as gas-filled shock absorbers, alloy wheel disc brakes and higher torque.

The StaR City, a 100-cc bike, has upgraded feature such as `roller cam follower' technology for better mileage.

The Scooty Pep+ incorporates features such as an upgraded 90-cc engine, mobile charger, light under seat storage and fluorescent ignition key slot.
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Maruti Udyog gets commendation award from Japanese ministry
New Delhi: Maruti Udyog Ltd has received a commendation from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, for its role in promoting Japanese brands in India.

The award was given by the Japanese Ambassador to India, Yasukuni Enoki, on behalf of the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Shoichi Nakagawa, to the Maruti Udyog Managing Director, Jagdish Khattar, at a ceremony here.

In all, six companies have been awarded the commendation this year. While four are Japan-based, Maruti is one of two companies outside Japan to receive this commendation.
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ISRO-Boeing plans for collaboration on 2-tonne satellites dropped
Bangalore: Plans by ISRO and Boeing Satellite Systems to jointly make two-tonne communications satellites have been shelved.

Barely a few months after the two announced in June 2004 their intent to collaborate and tap the multibillion-dollar global satellite market, Boeing, in an "informal communication", told ISRO that it had shifted its business plan towards making larger four-tonne satellites. ISRO's current expertise is in two-tonne and three-tonne satellites.

Boeing has indicated it was not interested in these small-to-medium size satellites. ISRO chairman, G. Madhavan Nair, has also been quoted by news agency reports as confirming the development. "They (Boeing) are not doing small satellite business anymore; they have recast their business plans. So, it (the ISRO-Boeing collaboration) is not going forward at this moment."

Boeing has put the blame on the extremely long and complex US Government procedures even to reach the stage of TAAs (technology assistance agreements).

ISRO, which has perfected its satellite making technology, has hopes of selling them in the regional market for broadcast and telecom uses. Each two-tonne satellite costs US$50-60mn.
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TRAI clamps down on misleading titles for tariff plans
New Delhi: The telecom regulator has directed all operators to stop tariff plans with misleading titles. It has also asked them to be more transparent by putting all monthly fixed recurring charges under one sub-head.

"The direction has come about because tariff plans with misleading titles like 'zero rental' have flooded the market," the telecom regulatory authority of India (Trai) said.

The directive says if the title of a plan suggests zero monthly fixed charges, it must not have any mandatory fixed charge that is not linked to usage.

Also, titles which suggest unlimited usage will be treated as misleading, if they restrict usage in any manner. The regulator's directive implies that operators will have to end the practice of splitting monthly fixed charges.

"Tariff plans offered in the market today have monthly fixed charges levied under different sub-heads. When all fixed charges are clubbed under one head, it will be easier for a subscriber to choose from plans available in the market," Trai added.
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ONGC mulling buyout of SPIC's petrochemicals buisness
New Delhi/Chennai: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd may undertake a due diligence exercise towards acquiring the petrochemicals business of SPIC (Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd), according to sources.

According to sources, the company was considering a complete buy out of SPIC's petrochemical project, which has got stuck after SPIC was involved in a legal wrangle with Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd. The two companies had a joint venture to execute a similar project.

According to sources, MRPL, in which ONGC has a 51 per cent stake, has been asked by the Petroleum Ministry to explore investing in SPIC Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of SPIC's, set up to execute the petrochemical project. SPIC Petrochemicals was set up to put up a purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and polyester filament yarn (PFY) project at Manali, north of Chennai.

There have been several attempts to revive the project, with almost Rs1,000 crore of funds locked up in the project.
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Rourkela Steel Plant blast furnace-4 ready
New Delhi: The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of Steel Authority of India Ltd has recommissioned its blast furnace-4 on Tuesday.

The furnace was rebuilt at a cost of Rs118 crore and would enable RSP to achieve annual capacity of 2 million tonnes of hot metal for the first time, according to a company release.

The hot metal output from this furnace alone is expected to go beyond 2,000 tonnes per day and the daily hot metal production from all the four blast furnace shops is expected to be 6,000 tonnes.

Higher hot metal production would increase the availability of adequate feedstock for the downstream units, which produce high value items such as silicon steel, electrolytic tin plates, hot-rolled plates and plate mill plates, thus enhancing the profitability of the steel plant.

The blast furnace-4, which is the largest among all the blast furnaces of RSP, had been taken down in April, with a view to introducing various technological upgradations to enhance its performance.
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