Hindustan Lever to enhance its capacity to 2.4 lakh tpa
Mumbai: Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL) is reportedly implementing a major capacity expansion programme, which will increase its soap and detergent manufacturing capacity by additional 2.4 lakh tonnes per annum (tpa).

As a part of the expansion plan, HLL is setting up a new plant in Goa for premium quality soaps, a new detergent bars plant in Silvassa and another detergent bars plant at Sumerpur in Uttar Pradesh, with a total investment of Rs 150 crores.

The new Goa plant, with a capacity of 6,000 tpa will be versatile to produce a full range of products. The proposed Silvassa plant will have a capacity of 1.2 lakh tpa, while the capacity of the Sumerpur plant will be 60,000 tpa. All the new factories will be commissioned by the end of the year. The three new plants can together produce products, which will have a minimum value of Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,300 crore.

The company already has six toilet soap factories, six detergent bar factories and three detergent powder factories in the country. It is the second largest detergents maker after Nirma.
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Merloni set to enter air-conditioner market
Pune: Merloni TermoSanitari (India) Ltd. (MTS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Merloni TermoSanitary SpA, Italy, is entering the air-conditioner (AC) market with its Ariston range of split AC in the 1.5 to 2 tonne range. According to Mr. AK Rathi MTS managing director the product launch will take place during March 2001.

MTS is the largest manufacturer of water heaters in India and the latest foray will be a diversification of company’s business in India. The parent company entered the AC business four years ago and is now launching this product in the Asia Pacific market. The AC will be assembled at the Rs.30 crore Chakan plant of MTS.

The company is also launching several other new products such as hydromassage baths, shower cubicles and vapour systems, stainless steel kitchen sinks and gas hobs. MTS has also launched solar water heaters, kitchen conditioners, enameled steel bathtubs and shower trays, electric and gas water heaters in the Indian market.
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Fortis Healthcare to set up Rs 155 crore project institute
New Delhi: Fortis Healthcare, which is setting up a state-of-the art heart institute at Mohali has tied up with Wipro GE Medical System to implement the world's most advanced integrated Hospital Information System (HIS) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS).

Fortis Heartcare, a Rs 155-crore project with 200-bed heart care centre is expected to commence operations in April this year.

The system set up by Wipro GE Medical Systems will be state of the art facility that will integrate all hospital functions on line, in real time, creating a seamless patient work flow in a filmless environment.
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United Breweries hikes its stake in Inertia
New Delhi: The Bangalore-based United Breweries group has decided to hike its stake to more than 51 percent from 31 percent in the beer manufacturing company Inertia. Mr. Ravi Jain of Millenium Alcobev also holds a part of the majority stake in Inertia.

Coupled with a spate of other brand acquisitions, UB group’s hold on the beer market is now complete with all major brands such as Kingfisher, Black Label, London Pilsner et al under its fold. The UB commands a 53 percent share of the mild beer market in the country.

Inertia's acquisition brings in two more beer brands, Sandpiper and Turbo, along with Inertia’s brewery plants in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and Daru Hera (Haryana). The UB group plans to strengthen its presence in the Northern and Western markets, particularly Maharashtra.
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Glenmark Pharma plans to launch three new products
Mumbai: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals plans to launch three more obesity management products in the next three months, in a bid to diversify its revenue streams. The company currently derives its revenues from five segments with dermatology being the major component contributing 35 per cent to the turnover.

The new obesity drug - Sibutrim will be sold at Rs 15 per 10 mg capsule, which will a 85 per cent discount to the imported price.

Currently, Knoll Pharma has introduced obesity products in the market, under the brand name Meridia, which is imported. Though no specific data is available for the market on obesity drugs, industry sources say, around 20 per cent to 40 per cent adults who suffer from obesity in India use such drugs.
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DuPont and Paul Hartmann to enter pharma business
Mumbai: Paul Hartmann GmbH of Germany and DuPont Inc of the US, two overseas pharma and healthcare majors are entering India.

Paul Hartmann, the second-largest healthcare company in Germany with sales of over DEM1.6 billion, has forged an alliance with Elder Pharmaceuticals Ltd for distributing and marketing a series of healthcare products in India. The German firm has already received the Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval for setting up a healthcare products manufacturing facility at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 100 crore.

DuPont is finalising an agreement with Unichem Laboratories for co-marketing its healthcare products in India. Mr. PN Balasundaram, general manager of Foreva, women's healthcare division of Unichem Labs, has said that his company was negotiating with DuPont Proteen Technical Inc, the pharma division of chemical major DuPont of the US for co-marketing its world-famous women's health drink Supro, under the brand name Nutreva in India.
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Tata-AIG gets nod for life insurance foray
Kolkata: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has issued the licence to Tata-AIG General Insurance Company Ltd. for life insurance products, closely following the issue of licence to Birla Sun Life Insurance.

Tata-AIG had filed its application a couple of months back to enter both life and non-life segment of the Indian insurance market with an authorised capital of Rs 200 crore each and initial equity of Rs 125 crore each. Though Tata-AIG had planned to launch products by January, delay in procuring the licence have pushed the launch schedule and officials from Tata-AIG say will not be before April that the company can enter the market.

The company initially plans to enter the market with products from AIG both in life and non-life segments and will be using the Tata group companies network to sell them. Tata-AIG will gradually introduce all of AIG's products over a period of time.

The life insurance side will include savings products, along with pension and medical benefits. General products will include corporate professional liability, directors and officers’ liability, accident and health, export credit insurance, along with traditional products like household, fire and automobiles.

Tata AIG Life is targeting premium income worth $100 million during the initial five years, while Tata AIG General Insurance hopes to have a premium income of about Rs 600 crore during the same period.
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