COMPANIES

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to collaborate with National Thermal Power Corporation on power projects
National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.(NTPC) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARCwill undertake collaborative research to develop and deliver automated boiler tube inspection system for coal-based thermal power plants.

This is a project to develop a prototype crawler for automated boiler tube inspection in coal-based power stations. NTPC Ltd. will supply inspection probes. BARC will develop the technology and assemble the prototype automated boiler tube inspection system in their robotic lab at BARC. The prototype will be tested in one of the NTPC power stations.

Preliminary estimated cost of this collaboration research project is Rs170 lakh and the total time envisaged for completion of this project is 26 months. Power minister Sushilkumar Shinde said this in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Back to News Review index page  

TDSAT rejects BSNL's plea on additional revenue share
Mumbai: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has rejected a plea by state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) for additional revenue share from incoming national and international roaming calls of subscribers belonging to private operators.

"We are unable to persuade ourself to approve the manner in which the appellant (BSNL) has tried to introduce revenue sharing in the mutually arrived interconnect agreement," the telecom tribunal said.

BSNL had demanded 50:50 share on national and international roaming calls as these were routed through BSNL's network and terminated on other companies' networks.

It had entered into interconnect agreements with other operators and was charging from them. However, the sector regulator TRAI, after receiving complaints, had on September 11, 2006 fixed revenue sharing among operators at 30 paise per minute. This prompted BSNL to approach the tribunal.

The Cellular Operators Association of India had also filed a different petition in the same matter seeking refund of the extra amount charged by BSNL after TRAI's decision.
Back to News Review index page  

Matrix to acquire residual holding in China's Mchem group
Mumbai: Matrix Laboratories Ltd has executed definitive agreements to acquire the residual holding of Mark Gao, the erstwhile promoter of Mchem group of companies of China. The company had earlier acquired 60 per cent equity in Mchem group as a part of its backward integration strategy to secure the supply chain for intermediates.

This acquisition would be subject to various approvals that are required to be obtained, the company said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
Back to News Review index page  

GENERAL

Emphasis on coal-based thermal power projects in Eleventh Plan
Out of the proposed capacity addition of 78,577 MW, in the Eleventh Five-year Plan, 52,905 MW is proposed to be coal-based, of which projects totalling 1350 MW are envisaged to use imported coal, said power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

He said that the ministry of power has launched an initiative for the development of coal-based ultra mega power projects (UMPPs), each of about 4000 MW capacity. Under the initiative, the Central Electricity Authority in consultation with the concerned states has identified four pithead sites and five sites at coastal locations.

Shinde informed the house that the UMPP at Mundra in Gujarat was one of the coastal sites and the developer, Tata Power Company Ltd, had been selected through a tariff-based competitive bidding process.

He said, "The special purpose vehicle, Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL), which had been set up for the project had also been transferred to the developer".

CGPL has said that contracts have been entered into for supply of boiler and steam turbine generator packages. The project is expected to give full benefits during the 12th Plan, Shinde added.
Back to News Review index page  

Inflation rate up marginally to 4.10 per cent
Mumbai: The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) went up marginally to 4.10 per cent for the week ended August 11, from 4.05 per cent in the previous week, on account of higher food and manufactured product prices.

The annual rate of inflation was 5.07 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, official figures showed.
Back to News Review index page  

India, Japan to launch joint research programmes
Mumbai: India and Japan have agreed to launch joint research projects in various areas in attempt to boost academic cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries opened an `academic dialogue' of educational directors of the two countries during the recent visit of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and also resolved to kick-start a host of activities, including embarking on students' and faculty exchange programmes soon.

The dialogue saw participation of 12 vice chancellors and presidents of top universities of Japan and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences. The Indian side was represented by directors of IITs, IIMs and the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The two sides agreed on advancing university and academic exchange programmes, including exchange of students and faculty members and conduct of joint research programmes.
Back to News Review index page  

Government sees fiscal deficit at 3 per cent of GDP by 2008-'09
Mumbai: The government is confident of cutting its fiscal deficit to 3 per cent of gross domestic product by 2008-'09, and hitting its target of 3.3 per cent in the year to March 2008, finance minister P Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha.

He said the govrernment would not hesitate to take more fiscal and monetary steps to check inflation.
Back to News Review index page