Sara Lee to exit from bakery business in India
Chennai: Sara Lee Bakery India (SLBI), one of the JV involving $20-billion Sara Lee, has exited from bakery business in India. The Singapore-based group had made a high-profile entry into the country in 1998 by acquiring the biscuits business of confectionery major Nutrine, its JV partner. Presently, Sara Lee has two other joint ventures with Godrej and TTK Group.

The decision to exit follows poor performance SLBI, which posted a net loss of Rs 7.36 crore on a total sales of Rs 59.98 crore for the year ended March 31, 2000. Though JV enjoyed excellent distribution network built by Nutrine, it could not stand up to stiff competition from aggressive players like Britannia, Parle and Kwality. Sara Lee has announced that it would hand over the business to a new firm, Vasana Agrex & Herbs Ltd., of the Vasana group.
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Tata Liebert to focus on global markets
Chennai: Tata Liebert Ltd. (TLL), a power protection equipment manufacturer, is gearing up to enter the global market, with a range of high-end technology products. TLL a market leader in the Indian high-end power protection equipment market, manufactures and markets a whole range of power protection systems including UPS, and precision air-conditioning systems. The company’s product range cuts across all segments of the market.

TLL recently launched the `Ultra Care' range of products and plans to roll-out several new high-end technology products, that match global quality standards. The company incorporated in 1993 has already set benchmarks in both financial and quality fronts. The company's turnover has touched Rs 1-billion mark as on last financial year.

Tata Liebert is a 50:50 joint venture between the Tata and the Liebert Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Emerson Electric of the US, a Fortune 500 company.
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Allied Domecq chalks out 2-yr growth plan
New Delhi: Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine has drafted a four pronged strategy for expansion and consolidation of its Indian operations over the next two years. The strategy highlights include out-performing the budget and previous year’s revenue and profit of Rs 8.4 crore by atleast 20 per cent; broadening its product portfolio to serve the demands of Indian consumers, , pre-position global brands in anticipation of lifting Quantitative Restrictions (QRs), and grow faster than the overall market for Bottled in India Scotch (BISS), to increase its market share.

The international liquor major is planning to launch its global brands, Ballentines Scotch whisky, Kahlau coffee liquor and Beefeaters gin in the country. The company claims 50 per cent share of BIIS market with its Teacher brand whisky. The group has so far invested Rs 300 million in the country and plans to start exporting Teachers whisky from India.
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Conoco to set up marketing subsidiary in India
New Delhi: The US-based oil and lubricant major - Conoco Petroleum - is planning to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary to market petroleum-based industrial lubricants in India. The US major has been planning entry into the Indian market after it had done a market study, which revealed that there is a huge market for industrial lubricants in the country. The company has already applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to commence operations in India.

Conoco has a range of lubricants for meeting special needs such as viscosity, rust and oxidation, operating temperature and washability etc. It has created a strong portfolio of worldwide refining assets, processing low-cost feedstock and producing high-value products, such as specialty petroleum cokes and lubricants.

The company's products include Power-D Engine Oil, Super All Season AW Hydraulic, EP Gear Oil, Diamond Class Compressor, Multi-Purpose R&O and Diamond Class Turbine and synthetics. Conoco will be introducing its new Hydroclear Diamond Class Turbine Oil in the country, which is a major step in Conaco's strategy to tap the power-generation market.
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Paul Hartmann to set base in India
Mumbai: The $1-billion Paul Hartmann, a German healthcare company with a global presence in wound management and incontinence products is setting up its manufacturing operations in India, as a part of its global outsourcing strategy. The company plans to commission a greenfield manufacturing unit in Coimbatore, involving an investment of under $10 million.

A major chunk of its output will be exported to group companies worldwide and about 25 per cent of the output will be sold in the domestic market out of the combined projected turnover of $100 million. The company will also import certain products into the country and sell them through a local partner.
Hartmann is the market-leader in bandages in Germany and controls 20 per cent of the European market, where it features among the top-five in the line. Hartmann has entered into an agreement with Elder Pharmaceuticals for marketing its products in India. Elder has commenced marketing Hartmann's patient care products, including adult diapers for those suffering from incontinence, since December 2000. The proposed manufacturing unit which will be owned by Hartmann's wholly-owned subsidiary KOB Medical Textiles, will only make bandages for wounds.

Hartmann has about 50 basic types of bandages that it had developed through its research that can not only protect the wound but also accelerate the healing process.
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Tata Teleservices to raise Rs 1, 000 crore debt for AP venture
Mumbai: The Rs 2,000-crore Tata Teleservices Ltd., the basic telecom service provider for Andhra Pradesh is mobilising Rs 1,000 crore of debt, through the syndication route to achieve financial closure during the current fiscal. TTL, a venture incorporated by Tata Industries Limited is developing, owning and operating the fixed line telephone services in Andhra Pradesh. The Tata Group company has mandated both SBICAP and Industrial Development Bank of India to arrange the debt component, which is almost 50 per cent of the total projected investment in the project.

TTL signed a license agreement with the Government of India in November 1997, which has been revised for a period of 20 years, after the introduction of the New Telecom Policy 1999.

TTL, in its business plan has targetted to cover the state in a phased manner and its network is already operational in the cities of Hyderabad and Vijaywada, where it has more than 48,000 subscribers. On achieving financial closure, the company expects to accelerate its network roll-out in the state. Based on a conservative approach, the company expects to achieve approximately one-third of the Andhra Pradesh telecom market share.
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Bhandari Industries to enter US and European market
Pune: Bhandari Industries Ltd., a leading medicine packaging supplier in the country, is set to enter the US and European markets after having recently obtained global accreditation from the US Food and Drug Administration, for its flagship division, Bilcare.

USFDA Drug Manufacturers File Record (DMF) registration is mandatory to market products in the US and European markets. The certification signifies compliance to current good manufacturing practices in the area of medicine packaging and makes it the only company in the country to get such registration. The certification will enable the company to reach markets, which were hitherto untapped due to non-USFDA compliance.

The company is also currently expanding its operations with the setting up of a satellite unit in Singapore for servicing the South East Asian markets.
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