TDSAT orders Zee to provide signals to Tata Sky
New Delhi: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed Zee-Turner, distributors of Zee and other channels, to provide signals to Tata Sky, a direct-to-home (DTH) service provider. It said that respondent (Zee-Turner) would supply all its 32 channels from all bouquets to the petitioner (Tata Sky) within 48 hours.

During the proceedings, Tata Sky requested the tribunal to direct Zee-Turner to provide signals and fix subscription rate somewhere in between the price demanded by Zee (Rs150) and that proposed by the company (Rs118).

Accepting the plea, TDSAT directed both companies to finish their pleadings before November.
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BHEL gets Rs1,224-crore order in UP
New Delhi: Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has received a Rs1,224 crore contract for setting up a 500 MW thermal power plant in Uttar Pradesh.

Bhel said the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (UPRVUNL) placed an order with the company for two units of 250 MW for the expansion project of the Harduaganj Thermal Power Station. Both the units would be commissioned in 2009-10, it said. BHEL's scope of work in the contract entails design, engineering, manufacture, supply and commissioning of the main plant package along with associated auxiliaries and civil works for the main plant package. BHEL's Haridwar, Tiruchy, Ranipet, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhopal and Jhansi plants would supply the equipment for the project.

The company had earlier received a similar contract from UPRVUNL for two units of 250 MW each at Parichha thermal power station extension project. BHEL has so far commissioned more than 9,000 MW of power generating sets in the State. These include thermal, gas-based, nuclear and hydro units of various ratings, it said.

Both the units would be commissioned in fiscal 2009-10.
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UK-based IBS to set up R&D unit in India
Mumbai: UK based British software solutions company Intelligent Business Systems (IBS) which implements computational and artificial intelligence solutions for business intelligence is planning to set up a research and product development centre in India. The centre will develop systems and solutions for the global market, and will start operations in three months.

IBS is planning to tap the growth potential in the banking and retail industry in India.
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Jet Airways defers plans to raise $800 million
Mumbai: Jet Airways has deferred its $800 million capital-raising plans until market conditions improve. The airline had planned to raise the money through FCCBs/ GDRs/ ADRs to fund the acquisition of 30 new narrow-body and wide-body aircraft over the next three years.

The company has taken short-term loans from IDBI Bank, State Bank of India and ICICI Bank towards the pre-delivery payment on the new aircraft.

Jet is said to be losing Rs22 lakh per day as interest on the frozen Rs1,500 crore escrow account created for the merger between Jet and Air Sahara. Jet's attempt to acquire Air Sahara for Rs2,300 crore was called off in June this year, with Jet citing lack of requisite approvals.
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Maruti to launch two new models this fiscal
New Delhi: Maruti Udyog will launch two new models later this fiscal and the company expects sales to be up by 18 per cent in the April to September period. This includes an all-new model of its compact car, Zen as well as a 1.3-litre diesel variant of its premium hatchback, Swift.

The company sold 527,038 units domestically last fiscal a growth rate of 8.1 per cent over the previous year. Including exports, the growth in 2005-06 was 4.8 per cent at 561, 822 units.

….to launch Nissan's model in 2008-09

MUL has said it would start rolling out the export model for Japanese car maker Nissan in 2008-09 as part of the agreement its parent Suzuki had entered with the latter for contract manufacturing in India.

Nissan would export the models to Europe.
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VSNL rubbishes Reliance Communications' allegations
Mumbai: Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) has said that Reliance Communications' allegations against it contain "false and disparaging imputations", and not "justified or supported by facts".

In a filing with the BSE late yesterday night, VSNL said announcements made by Reliance Communications alleging monopolistic and anti-competitive practices by VSNL indicated a clear malafide on the part of Flag Telecom.

It said that, "Repeated statements made by Flag Telecom through its holding company Reliance Communications that VSNL was acting or engaging in alleged monopolistic and anti-competitive practices appear to have been made with sole intent to bring disrepute to VSNL.

The allegation that ultimate users of international capacity will be harmed due to exorbitant prices is patently false and only made to create the facade of public concern," it said.

It also said the allegation that VSNL was in "violation of its commitment is incorrect".
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Hewlett targets retail, healthcare
Bangalore: Hewlett-Packard (HP) is targeting the healthcare & pharma verticals and the retail segment for its Nonstop server systems.

NonStop servers run on a system which keeps working without failure and is scalable to the needs of enterprises. HP NonStop servers comprise about 10 per cent of HP's total server business. According to IDC, the server market in India currently stands at $550 million.

Sources said traditionally the adoption of HP NonStop servers was significant in the banking and finance, stock exchanges and telecom companies, the company had started looking at healthcare, retail and government enterprises.

In India, HP has 17 banking customers, two stock exchanges, two telecos and one PSU as customers for its Integrity NonStop server systems.

The HP Integrity NonStop NS1000 server is designed for new market segments such as the healthcare, financial services and telecommunications.

Currently, HP has one customer each in the healthcare and retail sector - GE Healthcare and Pantaloon, one of the largest retail chain in the country, for its NonStop servers.
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German Remedies launches inhaler for asthma patients
Ahmedabad: German Remedies, a part of the Rs1,800 crore Zydus Cadila Group, has launched Novolizer, an inhaler for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The technology for the product has been provided by Meda Pharma of Sweden. German Remedies has also got exclusive rights to manufacture and market the product in India.

Novolizer is a third-generation refillable, breath-activated multiple dose dry powder inhaler device and can be used by patients suffering from asthma and COPD. Asthma is a chronic, debilitating respiratory condition with sudden, unpredictable and potentially life-threatening effects. India has more than an estimated 20 million asthmatics, the company said in a release here on Wednesday.

Several clinical studies have revealed limitations in the development of inhalation devices, which prevent almost half of all asthma patients from inhaling correctly. This leads to poor asthma control despite effective substances being available to treat asthma.

An ideal inhaler effectively delivers the drug that a patient requires through the airways which are usually narrowed in an asthmatic condition. It also helps in the exact dose being deposited in the lungs irrespective of the inhalation technique. Zydus Cadila said Novolizer fulfils all the elements of an ideal inhaler and is currently the only third-generation inhaler available across the world.
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Fiat announces enhanced warranty
Mumbai: Fiat India has announced a special offer of an "enhanced warranty" scheme for all Fiat Palio and Adventure vehicles sold through Fiat and Tata-Fiat network.

Through this enhanced warranty, Fiat car customers now have an option of extending the warranty on Fiat cars (Palio and Adventure) up to a total of three years (one year Fiat Warranty + two years enhanced warranty) or until 100,000 km, whichever is earlier.

This enhanced warranty will cover mechanical as well as electrical breakdowns and has to be availed at the time of sale of the car.
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Alstom group gets orders worth Rs330 crore
New Delhi: Power equipment maker Alstom Projects India said the group has secured four orders worth Rs330 crore from NTPC Ltd, Tata Power, Nalco and GEA Energy Systems (India) for equipment supplies, renovation and modernisation work.

The contract from NTPC is worth Rs114 crore and has been awarded to a consortium of Alstom for executing the renovation and modernisation programme for boilers at the Tanda project in Uttar Pradesh, Alstom Projects India has said.

The Nalco project is worth Rs81 crore to supply pollution control equipment for its smelter project at Angul, Orissa. The order relates to turnkey supply, erection, commissioning and testing of Gas Treatment Centres for the second phase of the smelter expansion project.

Tata Power has placed a Rs105-crore contract with Alstom for supply of two units of a 2x230 tonnes per hour (TPH) blast furnace gas-fired boilers to be installed at Tata Steel at Jamshedpur. The Rs30-crore contract from GEA Energy Systems (India) Ltd entails the design, engineering, supply and erection and commissioning of heat recovery steam generators for the Valathur Phase II expansion scheme for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.
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Gabriel India to sell Mumbai property
New Delhi: Automotive components maker Gabriel India has decided to sell its property situated at Mulund in Mumbai for Rs85 crore. As part of the arrangement, a portion of this property will be licensed to the company for its use for an agreed term.
The company has also decided to demerge its Engine Bearings division from its main line of Ride Control Products.

The proposed demerger, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, will be a vertical demerger by way of a scheme of arrangement under the Companies Act, 1956.

Federal-Mogul Corporation of the US, which was the original collaborator for Engine Bearings and currently holding 5.146 per cent of the equity holding in Gabriel India, has agreed to take up a majority position in the demerged Engine Bearings entity. The entire process of demerger is expected to be completed within six to seven months.
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Chettinad Cement to set up plant in TN
Chennai: Chettinad Cement Corporation plans to set up a
2-million tonne a year cement plant at Ariyalur, near Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu. The company's board has given an in-principle approval for the proposal, according to a communication from the company to the stock exchange.

The expansion will take its capacity to 5-million tonnes a year. The details of the cost and funding were yet to be worked out. They expected the project to be commissioned in about 30 months once all approvals were obtained and funding worked out.

Earlier this year, Chettinad Cement announced the acquisition of two unlisted companies — Sabari Cements (Chennai) and High-Tech Lime Products — for the limestone bearing lands that these companies owned. Chettinad also merged two subsidiaries - Alagappa Cements and Valliammai Mines - with itself.
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NTPC to sell fly ash to cement, construction firms
New Delhi: NTPC has been selling fly ash to customers like the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), IOC, construction firms DLF and Unitech, and cement manufacturers including ACC, Grasim, Lafarge and L&T.

NTPC is promoting the use of fly ash in cement concrete, mortar and reinforcing material as an ingredient for mine fills and even for the improvement of soil condition for agriculture and is targeting 100 per cent utilisation of ash produced at its plants over the next few years.

With demand increasing, the company is going in for improved methods like dry ash extraction system for supplying large volumes of ash. Its is also making efforts to utilize 100 per cent of ash procured at its plants.

Cement manufacturers like Grasim Cement, Lafarge India, L&T Cement, Jaypee Cement and ACC and asbestos-cement product manufacturers such as Hyderabad Industries, UP Asbestos, Utkal Asbestos and Assam Asbestos Ltd are already using substantial quantity of fly ash from NTPC power stations.
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LG Elec India turnover set to cross Rs10,000 crore
New Delhi: LG Electronics India has launched 11 new models in its flat panel display (FPD) television segment. The FPD television range is priced in the Rs30,000 and Rs2.5 lakh, range depending on the screen size and technology of the set.

LG said that it would cross the Rs10,000-crore turnover mark next year, as a result of a growth rate of over 220 per cent in the flat panel display (FPD) television segment. Company officials said 32 per cent of sales would come from the sales of colour television sets.

The company plans to achieve a turnover of Rs2,500 crore from sales during the festive season beginning September 21 to October 21 and has fixed marketing expenses for the season at Rs100 crore. During the festive season LG would offers gifts that range from Fastrack sunglasses to 26" LG LCD television sets.
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Apollo Tyres sees improvement in margins
New Delhi: Apollo Tyres expects its operating margins to improve this year due to the recent softening of natural rubber prices. The board of directors of Apollo Tyres had, earlier this month, approved a proposal to raise Rs365 crore through placements to qualified institutional buyers and preferential allotment of securities to the promoters even while calling off its earlier planned rights-cum-public issue. The tyre maker is eyeing acquisitions in Europe and South-East Asia.
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MTNL Mumbai cuts ISD tariffs
Mumbai: The state-owned telecom behemoth Mahanagar Telecom Nigam (MTNL) has slashed its international call (ISD) tariffs on its GSM services in Mumbai, effective from today. The company operates two services, Dolphin and Trump, in Mumbai and Delhi.

Under the revised tariff structure, call charges to countries like US, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia would be around Rs6.67 per minute. This comes to about a 50 per cent reduction from the existing charges of Rs12, MTNL said in a release here today.

MTNL Mumbai has reduced call charges to Europe, Gulf, Asia, SAARC and African countries to around Rs10 per minute, from the earlier Rs15.

The company has fixed Rs240 per minute for its Immarsat services, a new offering from the company.
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Tatas in tie up with Woolworths
New Delhi: After tying up with the UK-based retail major Woolworths, the Tatas are working out an aggressive foray into the consumer durables retail segment in India. The Tata's durable venture with Woolworths called Value Electronics, has already initiated an aggressive drive for the acquisition of real estate in various parts of the country and is in talks with consumer durables majors, LG and Samsung, for supply of goods.

The first of the retail stores would begin operations in Mumbai by the end of the year.

According to sources, the company will also develop its own store-brand durables, and is already in talks with few big Indian electronics manufacturers, including Videocon, and may ink a sourcing deal with them later this year. The in-house brand will be marketed under the Millenia brand, according to sources.

While the Tata Group is in talks with big mall developers in larger cities, its durable chain will primarily operate through stand alone formats in smaller cities.
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