Govt. nod for airports revamp
New Delhi: The government has said that the Mumbai and Delhi airports will be handed over for modernisation to private companies by the end of July.

"We have given time to the bidders to submit their proposals by June 30 and by July end we will start work," said Ajai Prasad, Secretary, the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Though nine companies have expressed interest in picking up seventy four per cent equity in Mumbai and Delhi airports, only two companies will finally be awarded the contract, one for each airport.

The government now wants such companies to look at other Indian airports as well. "The government would get a report on 10 non-metro airports where modernisation would begin," added Prasad. Individual technical and financial consultants are being appointed for each of the 25-30 airports that are to be modernized.

"We have to find out how much the private players will bring to the expansion plans and after that we will assess the requirement in terms of resources through market borrowings. These will be wholly debt market borrowings," said Prasad.
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Keltec develops critical components for GSLV
Thiruvananthapuram: The State-owned Kerala Hitech Industries Ltd (Keltec) has developed two major critical components for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The components, L40 tanks and L40 contour nozzle thrust chamber, are to be used in the second stage of the GSLV (Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle). They are manufactured indigenously using special alloy materials for the first time in the country.

The components were handed over to Dr G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space, here on Tuesday.

Dr Nair said that since ISRO is concentrating on solid, liquid and cryo engines, it has adopted a policy of sub-contracting to potential vendors. With two PSLVs and two GSLVs planned every year, he hoped that Keltec would be loaded with orders.

Mr G.M. Nair, Managing Director of Keltec, said the company had developed a proven product line in the form of L40 tanks, Vikas engine, contour nozzle and gas bottles.

The manufacture of L40 tanks involves chemical milling and sophisticated automatic welding. The contour nozzle combustion chamber was manufactured using high temperature-resistant satellite materials and employing hydraulic expansion process.
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