Category Archives: Science & Technology

Granules India looks at further expansion

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Granules expects to post a turnover of over Rs 1,000 crore this financial year as against Rs 764 crore in 2012-13

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 Hyderabad-based drug maker Granules India Limited, which recently acquired Auctus Pharma for Rs 120 crore, is looking towards further expansion of its business through both organic and inorganic routes.“We strongly believe in growing our businesses and we are looking at organic growth. But if something comes up by the way that fits into our model, we may be looking at it (acquiring that company),” Granules managing director, C Krishna Prasad, told Business Standard.Granules is looking at further expansions even though its executive director, Harsha Chigurupati, feels that the company will be able to “easily” achieve a turnover of Rs 2,000-3,000 crore with its existing products.Granules expects to post a turnover of over Rs 1,000 crore this financial year as against  Rs 764 crore in 2012-13. In the first half of the current fiscal, its turnover stood at Rs 490 crore.According to Chigurupati, the company is not going to acquire to add more molecules. It will acquire to add more capacities. However, as the Granules business model is volume driven, there are very few companies in the market that can cater to its capacities. Hence, Granules is forced to go for greenfield investments.

“We are laying very strong foundations for the future and the results will be seen four years from today,” Prasad said. Meanwhile, the company would continue to maintain its annual growth rate of  20-25 per cent, he added.

He said the real benefit of Auctus acquisition would be realised 3-4 years down the line. During the same period, Granules Omnichem Pvt Ltd would be fully operational.

GOPL is a joint venture between Granules and Belgium-based fine chemicals maker Ajinomoto Omnichem. The new facility, being set up at a cost of Rs 185 crore in Visakhapatnam, will be operational next year. However, it had to secure USFDA approvals to realise its full potential. This is expected to take 3-4 years.

Granules will be entering the contract research and manufacturing services (CRAMS) space through the JV.  It intends to manufacture high value active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, CNS and oncology.  Additionally, the JV will work on second generation manufacturing processes to increase manufacturing efficiencies.

“The advantage with Ajinomoto Omnichem is that it is all about quality and there is no price pressure. The second advantage is that this gives us access to the type of management and companies that we do not have traditionally. That access opens up a lot of doors for us,” Chigurupati said.

With regard to Auctus, he said the main advantage was that it had FDA approved products. With these products, backed by Granules marketing strength, “the customers we get are significantly different. So, margins and revenues will improve.”

Prasad is not worried about global pharmaceutical majors setting shop in India and their likelihood of competing with domestic companies in future in exporting products to the regulatory markets.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / by Prashanth Chintala / Hyderabad – November 28th, 2013

AP postal department goes hi-tech

Records, All, Science & Technology

The Andhra Pradesh circle of the postal department has drawn up plans to improve public services by adopting modern technology. For the first time in the country, it is set to implement a pilot scheme that facilitates the electronic monitoring of letter box clearance.

Developed by the software section of the postal department, the technology involves a handheld device which will transfer the data electronically to the Central Data Centre, providing details of the number of letter boxes opened and those cleared at any given time.

Each time the letter box is opened, the information is transmitted to the Data Centre, indicating the time and the number of times the letter box has been opened, the Chief Post Master General of the Andhra Pradesh circle, B V Sudhakar said.

The department had conducted a survey and found that there were several letter boxes which were almost empty while some others were overflowing with letters for want of clearance on time.

The hand-held devices will be given to postmen who, while clearing the letter box, will feed the data, the official explained. Earlier, the department had no way of knowing whether a letter box had been opened or not. There have been complaints from the public that letters did not reach on time.

The scheme, currently undergoing trials with satisfactory results, will be launched in the second week of December. The postmen will start using these handheld devices. Once it is successful, the technology will be replicated across India, Sudhakar said.
At a later stage, solar panels will be fitted to the letter boxes, which will record the movement of the door whenever it is opened. On opening, a signal will be transmitted to the central data centre.

Nearly 75 lakh mails are cleared all over the state every day, including 20 lakh in the city. Majority of them are business mails.

Across the country, 1.72 crore mails are cleared daily. The state circle is handling Speed Post, registered post, money orders, besides others. In addition, it is also handling Aadhaar cards and has delivered approximately 5.5 crores of Aadhaar cards statewide.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / DHNS – Hyderabad, November 28th, 2013

Navy official visits NSTL in Visakhapatnam

Records, All, Science & Technology
Commander-in-Chief Strategic Forces Command Vice Admiral SPS Cheema with Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Anil Chopra in Visakhapatnam on Friday. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Commander-in-Chief Strategic Forces Command Vice Admiral SPS Cheema with Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Anil Chopra in Visakhapatnam on Friday. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

As part of the three-day visit to Eastern Naval Command, Commander-in-Chief Strategic Forces Command Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, arrived in the Port City on Thursday.

He along with the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra visited the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory and went around the naval ships and related establishments, here on Friday. Vice Admiral SPS Cheema is scheduled to leave the city on Sunday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Staff Reporter / Visakhapatnam – November 30th, 2013

Award for Icrisat scientist

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Hari D. Upadhyaya, Principal Scientist (Groundnut) and Head of Gene Bank at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, has received the Crop Science Research Award from the Crop Science Society of America.

He received the award at the society’s annual meeting held at Tampa in Florida (the USA) recently.

He received the award for his “significant and original basic and applied research contributions in crop science and total impact of contributions on crop science”, an Icrisat statement said here on Thursday.

Upadhyaya is a practical plant breeder and has developed a large number of early-maturing, high-yielding, drought tolerant, and aflatoxin contamination resistant groundnut breeding lines.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by The Hindu Bureau ,  kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in / Hyderabad – November 28th, 2013

Hyderabad schools turning tech savvy

Education, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

Teaching is no more just about textbooks and blackboards, as tablets, smart boards, laptops and other internet-based gadgets are steadily making their way into classrooms. Several schools are now incorporating digital media into their teaching methods in an attempt to stay tech savvy while make learning more interactive and experiential.

The Chirec Public school recently kicked off a pilot project under the city-based IGNITOR platform wherein students of class XIII, IX and X, have been provided with tablets in lieu of the textbook. The prescribed course material is already embedded in the tablet which also gives the added advantage of providing additional links for further reference.

“Gadgets are now the preferred mode of communication and it also saves the children the pain of lugging books to school. The tab also doubles up as an assessment tool as assignments are given on the device,” said Iffat Ibrahim, principal of Chirec Public Schools.

Tech experts estimate that close to one lakh out of India’s 2.6 lakh private schools have invested in some form of teaching technology. India’s market for digital learning systems is currently estimated to be around $500 million a year.

Many city-based tech firms are collaborating with the schools to build customized modules and even devices which are teacher-student friendly. Studio classrooms and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are concepts that are fast replacing the standard lecture technique.

Creya Learning, an experiential learning platform initiated in Hyderabad schools, is also implemented in schools in Bangalore. It works primarily on studio-based learning where real life problems are solved using interdisciplinary and hands on approach.

Concepts such as the Laws of Newton or theories in astronomy are explained using props, technology, discussions and debates.

Digitisation is not limited to the elite schools with technology coming to the aid of even government by just enabling student teacher interaction. One of the first schools in the city to have web based classes was the Red Cross Government School.

After classes were getting stalled due to lack of teachers who were unable to travel to the school, a tech firm arranged for internet connection in the school to make web classes available. “We managed to set up a class with basic equipment and internet speed. Teachers can be located anywhere, all they need is a webcam and internet,” said Rama Krishna, chief engineer with PurpleTalk which initiated the idea.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / November 28th, 2013

Shell, GDF Suez to be part of LNG floating terminal project

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

In-principle agreement has been reached with the two international firms for the FSRU at Kakinada Deepwater Port

An in-principle agreement has been reached to resolve the peculiar situation where two reputed international companies are interested in constructing the first Floating LNG Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) in the East Coast at Kakinada Deepwater Port.

The AP Gas Distribution Company had tied up with the GDF Suez LNG UK Ltd., as its strategic partner through international bidding and signed an MoU with Kakinada Seaport Ltd., the concessionaire of the Kakinada Deepwater Port for the execution of the Rs.5,000-crore project in May this year.

However, the State government later realised that the Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, had also been working on building a floating LNG of up to five million tonne per annum capacity off Kakinada. Since two projects in the same location were not viable, a meeting was held in New Delhi recently where it was tentatively agreed to involve both the multinationals.

Minister for Infrastructure Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the issue was cleared by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy who ordered a Special Purpose Vehicle to be constituted for executing the unit.

Stakes

Meanwhile, sources said that it had been agreed that the public sector APGDC would have 44 per cent stake in the floating terminal project, Shell and GDF Suez would have 30 per cent and 26 per cent stake respectively and the Kakinada Seaport Ltd., three per cent.

The meeting also reviewed pending issues related to Petronet LNG project at Gangavaram port, a joint venture project between Petronet and the Gangavaram Port Ltd. The Rs. 5,000-crore project would have initial capacity of five million tonnes per year. The gas to be supplied by the floating terminals to power and fertilizer plants would generate Rs.5,000 crore revenue annually to the State through VAT, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to convene a coordination meeting within 10 days to resolve all the pending issues for the key I&I projects including Machilipatnam port and Chittoor drinking water project.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – November 28th, 2013

Shell to join GAIL’s Kakinada LNG project with 30% stake

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Sources privy to talks said Shell, GAIL and the AP government are talking about the possible equity structure

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Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, is likely to take a 30% stake in state-owned GAIL India Ltd’s proposed floating liquefied natural gas import terminal project at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

Shell last year had announced plans to build a floating LNG of up to 5 million tonnes per annum capacity off Kakinada coast in a JV with Anil Ambani Group firm  Reliance Power .
But Reliance Power earlier this year exited the project and now Shell has decided to join the GAIL-led project which was announced in 2011.
Sources privy to talks said Shell, GAIL and the AP government are talking about the possible equity structure.
Shell, they said, may take 30% stake. Europe’s largest LNG importer GDF Suex UK with whom GAIL originally planned the Kakinada terminal will take 26%.
The remaining 44% will be held by Andhra Pradesh Gas Distribution Corp Ltd a company jointly promoted by GAIL Gas Ltd and Andhra Pradesh Gas Infrastructure Corp Pvt Ltd.
GAIL Gas is wholly-owned subsidiary of GAIL India.
When contacted, a Shell India spokesperson said: “Shell can confirm that the company is in exploratory discussions with GAIL and other potential partners on the Kakinada LNG project. As the discussions are still preliminary, we cannot comment on any specifics at the moment.”
Sources said the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit in offshore Andhra Pradesh will be commissioned by 2015.
The import terminal would have a 3.5-5 million tonnes per annum capacity and will be used to cater to gas demand in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states.
While Shell already operates a 5 million tonne LNG import facility at Hazira in Gujarat, GDF Suez is present in India in the natural gas business since 1997, with a 10% stake in Petronet, the owner of LNG import terminals in Dahej and Kochi.
FSRU is a faster and low-cost solution for LNG importation. This is the first of its kind in India.
Kakinada is also the landfall point of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries’ flagging KG-D6 gas fields in the Bay of Bengal, and a near 1,400-km line carries the fuel from to consumption centres in the west.
The continuing fall in KG-D6 output has triggered a rush for setting up of LNG import facilities to meet the growing energy demands.
Petronet LNG – the nation’s largest importer of gas in its liquid form in ships– too is building a 5 million tonne facility at Gangavaram in Andhra Pradesh by 2016.
In intervening period to the construction of the Rs 4,000 crore Gangavaram terminal, Petronet plans to hire a floating LNG terminal to begin imports of fuel immediately.
State refiner Indian Oil Corp also is doing a front-end engineering and design study for a terminal at Ennore in Tamil Nadu.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / by Press Trust of India / New Delhi – November 24th, 2013

“Visakhapatnam port mechanisation will bring about a lot of change”

Business & Economy, Science & Technology
A cargo handling at night at Visakhapatnam Port./ Photo: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
A cargo handling at night at Visakhapatnam Port./ Photo: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu

‘We are gearing up to overcome its shortcomings’

Admitting that there was delay in initiating measures to face challenges posed by ultra modern ports coming in its neighbourhood during pre-2008, Visakhapatnam Port Trust Deputy Chairman G.V.L. Satya Kumar said massive mechanisation was under way to put the port back on the track.

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu on Saturday, he said two deep draft private ports – Gangavaram, 10 km. south of Visakhapatnam and Krishnapatnam, between Chennai and Kakinada with Cape class vessel handling facilities were commissioned during late 2008.

This threatened the hitherto sway of Visakhapatnam Port in the vast hinterland, he pointed out.

The single buoy mooring (SBM) by IOC at Paradip and augmentation of deep sea port at Kakinada ensured faster discharge of cargo making a dent on the performance of Visakhapatnam Port.

The commissioning of Dhamra and impending start of Gopalpur has aggravated the challenge ahead for VPT.

Mr. Satya Kumar said with already lost time, with superior capability ports having sprung up in the vicinity, Visakhapatnam Port pursued the modernisation initiatives with utmost vigour using the instruments of Public Private Partnership Policy Guidelines of 2008.

With seven awarded and two in the process of finalisation under PPP, the port will increase its current capacity from 62 to 112 million tonne by 2014-15, he said.

Coal handling facility

He said the commissioning of 10 million tonne mechanised coal handling facility in the Outer Harbour in April was the first in the port sector under the new PPP guidelines.

Other projects awarded so far include EQ-10 for liquid cargo other than POL, EQ-1 for imported coal, EQ-1A for export of coastal coal, EQ-7 for fertilizer, WQ-6 for other bulk and Ore Handling Plant (OHP) for iron ore. Essar Ports has been selected for Rs.845-crore modernisation of OHP and the price bid of Visakha Container Terminal for Rs.633-crore extension of container terminal is at present under evaluation.

VPT is taking up construction of new berths at WQ-7/8 with internal accruals. Except EQ-7 fertilizer mechanisation awarded to Alba and OHP to Essar, all other PPP projects are in advanced stage of completion. Mr. Satya Kumar said by December-end, they were confident of all three coal streams would be fully mechanised viz. Visakhapatnam General Cargo Berth Private Ltd (Vedanta berth), EQ-1 and EQ-1A along with EQ-10 for liquid cargo and WQ-6 for other dry bulk.

To a question, he admitted that the decommissioning of three existing berths in the Inner Harbour had caused some dislocation and pointed out that it was being compensated to some extent through monitoring and optimisation of existing resources.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – November 25th, 2013

TASL seeks approval to expand chopper facility at Hyderabad

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad:

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), which has a chopper cabin manufacturing facility in an SEZ owned by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd here, sought government’s approval to expand its facility to manufacture additional defence-related products.

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The Board of Approvals under the Ministry of Commerce which has gone through the request made by the Tatas advised the Department of Commerce to obtain the views of the Ministries of Home and Defence before granting the permission for product expansion.

“The Board noted that the unit has sought approval for additional products relating to defence. The Board, after deliberations decided that the views of M/o Defence and M/o Home Affairs be obtained by DoC and the matter be processed further on file by DoC after taking into account the comments so received,” the minutes of the BoA meeting held on November 8, said.

TASL, a fully-owned subsidiary of TATA Sons, has been set to address the business areas of Defence, Aerospace, Aero- Structures and Homeland Security.

In June 2009, Sikorsky and TASL entered into an agreement for production of S-92 helicopter cabins in India, and in November of the same year, Sikorsky and TASL entered into a joint-venture for production of more than 5,000 detailed aerospace components in India.

TASL requested the BoA for manufacturing and export of additional products with regard of aerostructures, equipment, systems and propulsion systems, for military aircraft (both fixed with and rotary aircraft) and military helicopters.TASL, a fully-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, has been set to address the business areas of Defence, Aerospace, Aero- Structures and Homeland Security.

In June 2009, Sikorsky and TASL entered into an agreement for production of S-92 helicopter cabins in India, and in November of the same year, Sikorsky and TASL entered into a joint-venture for production of more than 5,000 detailed aerospace components in India.

TASL requested the BoA for manufacturing and export of additional products with regard of aerostructures, equipment, systems and propulsion systems, for military aircraft (both fixed with and rotary aircraft) and military helicopters.

The JV of TASL and Sikorsky recently announced that its S-92 helicopter cabin production has become 100 per cent indigenous. The JV also said it completed another significant milestone in October by producing its 50th S-92 helicopter cabin. The TASL facility now has the capacity to produce up to four cabins a month and is responsible for future design modifications.

source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / ZEEBIZ.com / Home> Business> Companies / by PTI / November 19th, 2013

Tally Solutions ties up with Osmania University

Education, Science & Technology

Bangalore :

Tally Solutions has tied up with Osmania University to provide vocational training to students through distance education.

As part of the collaboration, students undergoing the programme will be offered a month of training, for which all the learning material will be provided by Tally, according to a company statement.

Further, Osmania University will award them with a certificate on successful completion of the course. The plan is to extend this programme to more number of colleges in and around Hyderabad under Osmania University, the statement added.

Shoaib Ahmed, President, Tally Solutions, said: “We strongly believe that providing the right vocational training will go a long way in addressing the unemployability crisis that the country is facing. Students have to be skilled enough to sustain in this competitive industry.”

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / BusinessLine / Home> Industry> Info-Tech / by The Hindu Bureau / Bangalore – November 20th, 2013