Hey guys please include your sources when quoting articles from newspapers. Thank you! :cheers:

Project to deliver potable water takes off

Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants have been installed in several villages in order to provide good drinking water to the citizens of the state's hamlets. The project, jointly organised by Tata Nano and Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO), includes setting up RO plants in 20 villages, for a start.
A Nano official said: "Water is available in villages near Sanand but it contains high amount of total dietary fibre (TDF), which is harmful for health. We want to provide pure drinkable water to the villagers and so we have installed RO plants free of cost in the villages where we found high TDF content."
With a capacity of 500 litres per hour, the water purified by RO plants is sufficient for a village where each household would get 20 litres of water per day for drinking purposes. This initiative has helped ameliorate the drinking problems of thousands of villagers, for neither can they afford RO plants in their homes nor buy the water.
"We have already installed RO plants in eight villages and will add four more soon. The RO plants have been installed by Indian Ion Exchange Company. We will complete the project in phases. By this December, we will cover three more villages," said Vandana Pandya, manager, WASMO.
Regarding the negligible amount charged from the villagers, Agarwal said, "It is just the maintenance cost, which the villagers are paying for using the plant and the pure water. A mere amount of 10 paise per litre is charged, which is practically nothing. In short, for 20 litres of water per household, only Rs 2 will be charged, which will go towards the maintenance of the plant. Apart from that, we have asked villages to provide for the room where the RO plant will be running."
The villagers are happy and satisfied with the project. Stated Govindbhai Goyal of Jhaap village, "Around 100 bottles of water are drawn from the plant by the villagers. They didn't charge us any money for the first month. Now they ask us to pay a negligible sum."

Source: DNA Epaper- 24th sep

Hello ppl.. just something i came across..if you havent really been on this website before, it has got some development news with some pics, vids, reports etc. Catchy name of the website btw lol.:righton:

https://www.namoleague.com/index.aspx

Sorry if have reposted this!

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Gujarat to lead India s petrochem sector contributing 75% production: ASSOCHAM report (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/09/24/gujarat-to-lead-india-s-petrochem-sector-contributing-75-production-assocham-report/)

A recent report by the industry body, Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) & PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) noted that the State will witness a robust growth in petroleum production in coming years with its share in the country’s total production rising from the current 62% to over 75%. Further the report also noted that the State will export 15% of the total Chemicals produced in the country.

Gujarat accounts for more than 51% of Indian production of major chemicals and it has eight Chemical Product Clusters, which are identified at Vadodara, Bharuch, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Anand, Valsad.

The State has a total capacity of 1180 KTPA (Kilo Tonnes Per Annum) for chemicals production and it has the highest share of polymer capacities in the country. The major driver for the state has been the availability of feedstock, with 1230 KT/A of Ethylene capacity & 1475 KT/A of propylene capacity.

ASSOCHAM maintained that the key concerns of the Indian Chemical Industry are small capacity of plants, higher input costs of raw materials, power, fuel etc and lack of world class infrastructure facilities specially roads, ports and power supply, lack of competitiveness, cost disadvantage and also stringent labour laws.

Expressing concerns about the various free trade agreements, which India is signing with other countries to phase-out trade barriers, the industry body maintained that unless the labour laws, power supply and infrastructure are improved, it would be very difficult to compete globally with rapidly declining duty differentials and appreciation in the value of rupee.

ASSOCHAM paper also emphasized for the strategies to be more focused on core competencies including innovations, which are increasingly becoming an important factor to become a leading player in specialty products.

Also, the trade body demanded to improve production processes and products by investing resources in technology development. Technological development may be achieved by the chemical industry at two levels. In addition, the industry needs to invest in technological resources that would lead to specialized product development, the report noted.

Indian chemical industry has a good record of management expertise. This could be further leveraged with techniques such as Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Laboratory Practices, Total Quality Management, Total Production Management and Risk Management.

According to the report, Indian chemical industry needs to focus on R&D in one or multiple areas. The basic chemical sector should focus on process innovation and product development and strengthen their competitiveness through improvements based on performance and quality of products.

Firms in knowledge based chemical sector should focus on R&D with the objective of achieving product leadership and process innovations. The petrochemical sector should focus on application R&D, as new applications have to be identified to increase use and application of polymers.

The chemical industry needs to enhance their collaborative efforts in order to improve competitiveness. Collaboration amongst players in the chemical industry could happen both at cluster level (for sharing of common infrastructure) as also at firm level (for sharing of knowledge and technology).

Collaboration with firms across borders for technology and investment would also give a boost to the industry. In addition, the players should also achieve greater levels of industry-institutional partnership for knowledge development and sharing.

Addressing the need of the IT applications in the industrial activities, ASSOCHAM report noted that chemical firms in India can gain a lot by making their manufacturing process IT-enabled. Information Technology (IT) can bring a good change in entire process cycle from technology, engineering and procurement to manufacturing by integrating them with business processes in all these areas.

This will eventually result in higher efficiency for the industry. Increasing use of IT to transact business will also help the sector, as most of the products in the chemical sector are commoditised.

For transforming ideas into new products, partnership between industry and academia is a must. Thus, Indian chemical industry should leverage the potential of educational and research institutions to source intellectual as well as human capital. Such linkages may be effectively used for setting up of in-house R&D facility or for outsourcing R&D activities, the report said.

Source: Gujarat Money

http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4422687



Gujarat today invited investments from Punjab in tourism-related infrastructure development, having project size of over Rs 13,000 crore, even as the highly industrialised state is eyeing tourists inflow of 2 crore in current fiscal from across the country.
"We are seeking investments in infrastructure development for tourism from this state (Punjab) as well," Vipul Mittra, Secretary, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Gujarat, told reporters here today.
The Gujarat government has prepared feasibility report for 53 tourism projects worth Rs 13,000 crore to be developed at various places in the state in line with its plans to develop them in participation with private players.
Prominent among tourism projects are development of Suvali beach, new lake at Saputra and an island in Surat.
"We are developing Suvali beach at Surat over an area of 2000 acres which will involve an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. The state has also proposed to develop a new lake, adventure sports at Saputra hill station which will also require infusion of Rs 1,000 crore," he said.
Another mega project is the development of an island called Aliabet at Surat spread over 20 square km and it is going to involve an investment of Rs 500-700 crore, said Mittra.
So far Gujarat state has received interest from Mumbai, Dubai, Seychelles for tourism development projects, he said.

http://www.telecomtiger.com/Wireless_fullstory.aspx?storyid=9961&passfrom=vasstory&section=S216

Virgin Mobile announced the launch of its GSM-based mobile services in Gujarat thereby marking rollout of its GSM services in 17 circles.

As a launch offer, subscribers will be offered a special tariff proposition of STD @ 40p/min which allows Virgin Mobile customers to call anywhere in India, across any network, at a flat rate of 40p/min. This flat call rate of 40p/min is applicable to all local and STD calls made anywhere in India with no conditions, no hidden charges like daily rental and no pack purchase required, according to a press release.

Virgin Mobile GSM services will be available in Gujarat through more than 7,500 Re-charge Voucher (RCV) and 5,813 Start Up Kit (SUK) outlets.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/the-gujarat-mc-donalds-tie-up-1389458.html

McDonald's (McD), one of the popular fast food joints is creating awareness about its products along with re-engineering its operations. Interestingly, all the products sold at McD are outsourced.

"Gujarat is a major contributor to our products with French fries being outsourced from Mehsana. Also, sesame seeds are outsourced from the state," said Abhijit Upadhye, senior director (national supply chain), Mc Donald's India, on Tuesday.

Keeping consumers sensitivities in mind, Mc Donald’s has introduced a consumer awareness initiative, 'Hum Alag, Tum Alag' where the concept of separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian kitchens was described to customers. Upadhye was in Ahmedabad as part of the initiative.
Upadhye added, "The concept of different kitchens already existed since conception. The purpose for holding the event is consumer awareness."

The company currently has around 190 outlets spread across 40 cities in the country. Its nine outlets in Gujarat are spread over Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Vapi.

Upadhye added, "We would be adding 10 more outlets by 2010 taking the total to 200. We wish to add 40 new outlets every year.Gujarat being an important growth driver for the company, we would be adding more stores in the state in coming years."

With the company growing at around 40%, Gujarat has been one of the driving forces for the company. With Gujarat consuming vegetarian food heavily, almost 65% of total sales fall under the vegetarian category against a national share of 50%.

Striving to provide a fillip to the industry and tourism, Gujarat is seeking investment from private players.

Vipul Mittra , Secretary Tourism and Civil Aviation revealed the state was seeking investment ranging between Rs 200 crore to Rs 1000 crore per project for various tourism development related activities across Gujarat which included management of beaches by private players.

Government of Gujarat has formed a new company in association with IL&FS, named Gujarat Tourism Project Development Company Limited, to undertake various tourism development projects.


The total investment potential in the state for creating tourism assets is to the tune of Rs 48,000 crore out of which nearly Rs 18,000 crore is expected in next 2-3 years, Vipul Mittra added.

Gujarat government was also in process for privatizing three airports in Gujarat viz Dwarka, Ambaji and Ankleshwar . Gujarat has 12 airports out 8 are domestic and 4 international.

Gujarat has set up a new aviation company Gujarat State Aviation Company (GUJSAC) to help the privatization of the airports in the state. Vipul Mittra maintained they have received interest from few players looking to participate in the airport privatization.

Vipul Mittra was here to participate in the road show organize by Gujarat tourism to promote the upcoming local festivals including Navratris, Global Bird Watchers’ Conference, Rann Utsav, and International Kite Festival,

Gujarat is also exploring the possibilities of signing a memorandum of understanding with the Punjab Tourism, for promoting tourism amongst each others. Mittra said that both Punjab and Gujarat has highest number of NRIs and both can showcase the tourist potentials to them abroad as well as within their own states.

Last Gujarat received 1.75 crore domestic tourists and two lakh foreign tourists and is targeting 2.5 crore domestic tourists in the current fiscal.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gujarat-joining-handsprivate-players-to-promote-tourism/409061/

Hmm couldn't find a tourism related thread so posting it here. The video is part of the "exploring rural india" campaign and it has several scenes from Gujrat...

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Thai paint major TOA Group eyes Gujarat to set up $ 70 million plant (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/09/26/thai-paint-major-toa-group-eyes-gujarat-to-set-up-70-million-plant/)

Bangkok-based global paint major TOA Group would be shelling out close to $100 million (around Rs 460 crore) to have its Indian operations up and running targeting a sales turnover of Rs 150 crore by 2013 with market share of 6% to 8%, and set a target of Rs 500 crore by 2015. The investment spread over in five years’ time would see the company spanning out pan-India with two manufacturing facilities being set up one each in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

The paint major, which launched its India operations on Friday in Chennai, would initially import all the products from Bangkok until its first facility in Tamil Nadu goes on stream by 2013. The parent company, TOA Group, a Rs 5,000 crore company with 5,000 employees globally, exports to more than 40 countries.

The company is in the look out for a suitable location in industrial areas such as Sriperumpudur and Orgadam to set up its Tamil Nadu facility and the investment towards this would be close to $30 million. The one being planned in the western part of the country would be in Gujarat entailing an investment of close to $ 70 million. “The Chennai facility would provide employment to around 200 people and the Indian head office here would soon be the hub for South Asian and Middle East market”, Brijesh Menon, country head, TOA Paint India Ltd said.

Initially, the products are being launched in Chennai only and by December the products will be made available across the state. Company will have pan-India by 2013. TOA would be selling ultra-premium eco-friendly paints only in India and products would be offering warranty up to 10 years. It would also be rolling out 6 brands with eco-friendly paint in premium grade including, Supershield, Supershield Duraclean, and Nanosilicon.

RIL plans Rs40,000 cr investment (http://www.livemint.com/2010/09/27002648/RIL-plans-Rs40000-cr-investme.html)

Ahmedabad / Mumbai: India’s most valuable company, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), plans to invest in excess of Rs. 40,000 crore by 2014 to expand the world’s biggest refining complex it runs in Jamnagar, Gujarat, according to two RIL executives familiar with the plan.

The company, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has earmarked Rs. 16,000 crore to set up a cracker unit as part of a proposed petrochemicals project in Jamnagar. The cracker will produce ethylene, propylene, low-density polyethylene and monoethylene glycol that have a wide range of applications in industry, said the two persons. Both declined to be named.

A further Rs. 15,000 crore will be invested in a coke gasification plant that will fuel power plants in the complex. It plans to spend Rs. 6,850 crore on a plant to produce paraxylene, used in the production of fibre and film, and a unit to manufacture butyl rubber that has applications in industries, including adhesives, agricultural chemicals and personal care products.

Various supporting and ancillary projects would cost Rs. 4,000 crore. They include a fifth crude distillation unit (CDU) that would utilize crude from Cairn India Ltd’s Mangala oil field in Rajasthan. A CDU is a front-end process in the refinery to separate crude oil into products such as naphtha, kerosene and light gas oil, among others.

It’s the first time that RIL executives have specified the investment on the petrochemical projects in Jamnagar as part of an expansion drive called J3, which denotes the third phase of expansion of the complex. An e-mail query sent to an RIL spokesperson on Wednesday remained unanswered.

Apart from the proposed investment in the Jamnagar domestic tariff area (outside the special economic zone), RIL is also exploring the option of constructing a 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) floating re-gasification terminal for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which isn’t a part of J3. Half the imported LNG would be used for the firm’s own expansion. The investment the LNG terminal would require isn’t immediately known.

RIL is likely to announce the plans publicly at the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ conference for global investors to be held in January.

The firm has so far invested at least Rs. 1 trillion in its Hazira, Vadodara and Jamnagar facilities in Gujarat, with Rs. 70,000 crore being spent on the two built-from-scratch refineries in Jamnagar alone. The refineries have 1.24 million barrels per day of crude processing capacity, equivalent to about 2% of global capacity or one-third of India’s capacity.

The planned investment is a step in the direction of realizing Ambani’s ambition of doubling the enterprise value of the firm to Rs. 7.4 trillion in less than 10 years—a target he outlined in June.

As part of the growth plan sketched out to shareholders at RIL’s last annual general meeting, Ambani said the firm would diversify into new businesses such as power generation and broadband wireless and build upon its current strengths in plastics and petrochemicals through capacity addition.

One of the executives cited above said RIL would be able to finance most of the investment from its internal resources. “The entire money isn’t needed at once. There is already more than Rs. 20,000 crore of cash on our balance sheet and in the next two years this can more than double. Some part of the funds required for the expansion may need to be borrowed.”

RIL is likely to generate $18 billion (Rs. 81,900) in cash between 2011 and 2014, according to a Goldman Sachs estimate.

In the proposed cracker project, the residual gases generated as by-products from the two existing RIL refineries in Jamnagar can be used as feedstock to produce petrochemical products. The gas is currently being utilized to fire captive power units in the Jamnagar complex.

“I had announced the setting up of an off-gas cracker at Jamnagar in 2007. We are accelerating the implementation of this cracker. This off-gas cracker with over 1.5 mtpa of olefins capacity with matching downstream capacities will be one of the largest facilities in the world,” Ambani said in the June meeting.

The project also envisages the gasification of pet coke, generated as a residue of refining crude, or imported coal to be used as fuel for the power plants in Jamnagar. The project, which aims to generate about 13 mmscmd of natural gas equivalent will also produce sulphur that can be sold in the open market. RIL produces about 15,000-16,000 tonnes of pet coke daily, which is sold in the open market.

“We are exploring various expansion plans at Jamnagar, including the setting up of a 2,000MW power plant. Things can change if there is a drastic change in market dynamics like a sharp drop in crude prices,” said one of the two executives.

The state government has tied-up with corporate groups like Tata and Toyota, besides central institutions like National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to generate industry responsive workforce of two lakh persons per annum over the next five years in Gujarat.

"For creation of industry responsive workforce in Gujarat, we have tied-up with 15 groups including Tata, Toyota and Apollo, besides some regional and central institutions," Director Centre of Entrepreneurship Development Chandan Chatterjee told media.

"Tata Motors has agreed to mentor ITI Sarkhej for creation of skilled manpower for automotive sector, while the state's contribution will be towards equipment upgradation," he said, adding that the target was to reach 50 such tie-ups with industrial groups on public-private partnership basis.

To begin with, the state has identified seven priority sectors such as Chemical, Plastic and Packaging, Garment, Auto and Engineering, Gems and Jewellery, besides Textiles and Infrastructure.

It aims to train personnel through the network of polytechniques and Industrial Training Institute's (ITI) across the state. To ensure quality training to them in accordance with industries requirement, it has coined the concept of Anchor Institutes.

"The seven institutions including NIFT, Gandhinagar and few regional institutes designated as Anchor shall recommend curriculum in line to industry demand, besides imparting training to faculty for each one of the identified sectors," Chatterjee said.

"NIFT will be responsible for generation of skilled workforce in Garment Engineering, CEPT University for Infrastructure, Central Institute of Plastic Engineering Technology (CIPET) for plastic and packaging," he said.

SVNIT Surat will be training workforce for Auto and Engineering sector, Indian Diamond Institute for Gems and Jewellery, while Dharamsinh Desai University Nadiad and LD Engineering for Chemical, he added.

"These measures, undertaken by the department, will help create a dedicated, specialised skilled manpower in line to industry requirement," said state Industry Commissioner B B Swain.

Gujarat has sanctioned Rs 60 crore to partly fund projects on upgradation of training centres for the development of skilled workforce in state or towards establishment of new ones, Chatterjee said.

The state industry department in FY 2009-2010 created a skilled workforce of around 15,000 persons through various initiatives.



http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/Gujarat-ties-up-with-corporates-institutes-for-skilled-workforce/articleshow/6634475.cms

GESIA set to expand operations in state (https://www.namoleague.com/Gujarat-Development-Business-Details?page=133)

Having already attracted over 250 IT companies from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the Gujarat Electronics & Software Industries Association (GESIA) now intends to expand its operations in the state.

According to Jaimin Shah, the newly elected president of GESIA and founder director, Dev Information Technology Pvt. Ltd., the association intends to begin operations in other cities like Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot.

“We are growing positively in Gujarat but we need to constantly change our strategies. And in order to attract more IT companies from other areas of Gujarat, we are expanding GESIA by starting a Vadodara chapter. Once set up, we will follow up with more number of chapters in other cities like Surat and Rajkot,” said Shah.

Apart from expanding by opening more number of chapters, GESIA is also taking steps to attract IT companies from outside Gujarat. “We will also meet IT players that are not in Gujarat and invite them to the state. We hope to attract some of them in the near future,” said Shah.

Having pegged IT exports worth Rs 800-900 crore, GESIA is expecting an average growth of 20 per cent for the financial year 2010-11.

In addition to that, the association is also intending to go global. Recently, GESIA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ICT Davao Inc of Philippines for sending delegations to assist in trade fairs and buyer-seller meets, organize and participate in seminars and provide advisory support for projects.

The association also hosted a delegation of IT buyers from Asean countries like Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines, among others.

On the domestic front, GESIA is also working on robust curriculum in technical institutes and colleges.

Shah, who recently took the mantle from his predecessor Nirav Shah, said, “We will be engaging with technical institutes, colleges and students to promote new areas and opportunities in IT sector in Gujarat. There is a growing need to generate employable manpower in the industry and such collaboration is one of the steps to meet it.”

While the US may continue to be a focus market for the IT industry in Gujarat, the firms are nevertheless widening their export destinations to new territories.

Countries like Japan, Denmark, Sweden and South Africa have caught the fancy of IT companies in Gujarat in the recent times. Apart from offering deals in euros, pounds and Australian dollars, these territories are also helping ease the pressure of dwindling orders from the western market.

“The US will continue to be a focus market for IT companies in Gujarat. Moreover, currency fluctuations have relatively stabilised. But the US and many European markets have been under economic pressures. Some of the new markets are emerging who are looking at outsourcing for the first time. This is helping, in a way, to reduce our dependence on the US market,” says Rajan Vasa, chairman and managing director of Contech BPO Services Private Limited.
According to Jaimin Shah, the newly elected president of Gujarat Electronics & Software Industries Association (Gesia) and founder director of Dev Information Technology Pvt. Ltd., countries like Japan, Australia, Denmark and South Africa are some new markets that Gesia member firms are exploring.

“These new territories deal in euros or pound where there is less currency fluctuation. Moreover, too much dependence on the US market can cost dearly since the market has been under pressure,” says Shah.

However, the shift in market share to Indian companies in these markets is around five per cent. “But even a five per cent change in market share is worth billions of dollars,” argues Vasa.

In the case of Vasa’s Contech BPO, a 100 per cent export oriented unit (EOU) which catered completely to the US market for last two years, the share has come down to 55 per cent to the US and 45 per cent to 12 other countries including Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and Australia. “Similarly, while the US used to contribute about 65 per cent to IT exports in Gujarat, it may have come down to 55-60 per cent, but even that is significant,” Vasa adds.

The other factor that is working in favour of the new markets is the growth. “Orders have been pretty much stable or even dwindling from the US as of now, though there is still lot of scope for India to grab quality orders from the country,” says Pranit Banthia, CEO, Hi-Tech Outsourcing.

Rather, according to Vasa, the new growth is coming from other countries. “It is also because some of them have just begun outsourcing so that they can focus on their core competencies,” he adds.

http://www.theoutsourceblog.com/2010/09/it-firms-in-gujarat-eye-new-export-markets/

Vibrant Gujarat takes solar flight (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Vibrant-Gujarat-takes-solar-flight/articleshow/6655326.cms)

VADODARA: When the world's first manned solar powered airplane took off from a Switzerland airfield recently, Gujarat had a role to play in its maiden flight. Some special polymers used in this airplane were manufactured at the Panoli plant of Solvay Specialities India Pvt Ltd in Bharuch. The company is the Indian arm of Belgium-based Solvay group, whose consolidated sales clocked 8.5 billion euros last year.

A prototype of the plane will be showcased at the Vibrant Gujarat summit scheduled in January 2011 at Gandhinagar.

India is set to contribute more towards Solar Impulse, a project to prove the business viability and profitability of renewable energy. As a technology partner of the project, Solvay plans to carry out further research on specialised polymers at it R&D centre in Savli near Vadodara.

"One of the most sophisticated speciality polymers produced at our Panoli facility, (polyether ether ketone, or PEEK) was used for this project," said Roger Kearns, region general manager Asia Pacific and member of the executive committee of Solvay group.
The high temperature metal replacement polymer is light yet tough and was used in throttle housing of the airplane, he said.

The solar plane, which is currently on display at World Expo at China, will leave Shanghai on November 1. "The goal is that this solar plane should take a world tour," said Kearns.

The group plans to invest around Rs 650 crore in Gujarat, including Rs 120 crore for research and development in Savli and Rs 500 crore towards upgrading its existing units at Panoli plant.

The Gujarat government and the Centre have planned to invest around Rs 2,400 crore in the next two-three years on revamping heritage sites connected with Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace and the freedom movement.

After years of neglect, Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad -- from where Gandhi led the freedom movement -- will get a facelift.

The Gujarat government has initiated the around Rs 200-crore 'Revitalization Plan for Gandhi Ashram Area' with the Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology University and architect B. V. Doshi's Vastu Shilpa Foundation.

State tourism minister Jaynarayan Vyas said: "We will build a new road to divert vehicle movement from Gandhi Ashram and make the area a silence zone. At present the Sabaramati Ashram lacks tourist facilities." The government also plans to strengthen the long-neglected Dandi Bridge from which Gandhi started his famous Dandi March. According to the new plan, parking lots, kiosk, information centre, market and a Gandhi learning centre will be set up.

Vyas said a customised Gandhi tourism circuit was also being provided to help tourists visit all the important Gandhi heritage sites. The central government has proposed to build the 386.78- km long Rs 2,013.32-crore heritage route.

"We are developing heritage sites such as Kochrab Ashram where Gandhiji lived first and Gujarat Vidyapith, the university established by Bapu. His birthplace in Porbandar and school in Rajkot will also be part of the circuit. Along with the Centre, we are developing a Dandi heritage route from Ahmedabad to Dandi," he added.

The Gujarat government is also developing chief minister Narendra Modi's Rs 100 crore dream project -- the Mahatma Mandir project in Gandhinagar.

Real estate consultants from Gujarat have invited their colleagues from all over the country to Ahmedabad ahead of Vibrant Gujarat. Ahmedabad Realtors Association and Vadodara Realtors Association have convened National Realtors Association India's meeting in the city on October 28, 2010.

"We have invited around 7,000 to 8,000 real estate consultants across India to come to Ahmedabad and know about the market and government's real estate policy in the state, so that they can bring in their big clients to the city," said Sachin Shroff, the president of Vadodara Realtors Association. He said that they want to project Ahmedabad as a realty destination.

The realtors' meet is also aimed at providing education to the real estate brokers to take them on the path of professionalism. Moreover, NAR-India has also organised five road shows in various cities including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Surat.

Pravin Bavadiya, the president of Ahmedabad Realtors Association, said that the aim of such shows is to create awareness among realtors about activities carried out by NAR-India. The meet will provide a platform to local realtors to have interaction and network with the fraternity in the other cities. "We need to unit the entire realty consultant fraternity to combat multi-national companies entering into this business," said Bavadiya.

Moreover, the association has also invited NAR-USA's trainer, Marcus Walley, who will conduct a workshop on sales and marketing of property.

NAR-India is also mulling to get accreditation from real estate developers body such as Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) for their members.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_realtors-to-market-vibrant-gujarat_1446372

Any pictures available of the "recent developments" in Gujarat?

Statue of Unity

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On the eve of entering 10th year of his rule as Gujarat Chief Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed a press conference in Ahmedabad’s GLS auditorium on Wednesday, and announced state government’s plan to install Sardar Patel’s 182 meter high ‘Statue of Unity’ 3 km away from Narmada dam at a place known as Sadhu bet.

Proposed statue will be double in height compare to America’s Statue of Liberty, and five times higher than Reao Di Janero based Jesus Christ statue. It will be the highest statue in the world, The Chief Minister in his video presentation said, there will be surveys conducted for environmental and other issues related to this project. He said, a research centre for good governance will come up in the statue complex. One would be able to reach the statue through boat ride in the river.

Just as I said a few pages back that hopefully not everything is named after SVP, they are thinking of making a statue. Ugh! When will this trend go?

Israeli co's participation in Gujarat Summit will enhance ties (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_israeli-co-s-participation-in-gujarat-summit-will-enhance-ties_1449392)

The participation of large number of Israeli companies in the vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit here is expected to enhance ties between the state and Israel, consul general of Israel Orna Sagiv has said.

"We see huge potential in increasing ties between Gujarat state and Israel, especially in the fields of innovation, biotechnology, nano technology, energy among others," Sagiv said after inaugurating a photo exhibition here on 'Israel Through Indian Eyes' by Ritam Banerjee.

The vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit is scheduled to be held in Januray 2011.

"I visited Amul factory at Anand yesterday and met the officials there. Israeli companies will be willing to help increase in production of milk in the stateas average cow milk yield is about 12,000 litres per year in Israel as against the yield of 2,000 litres per cow in India," she said.

The consul general said that Israel has been successful in managing water, create more water resources, purifying waste water for agriculture and industry. "Ninety fiver per cent of water is recycled and sued in Israel," she said.

"The same technology can be used in Gujarat. We have been able to make the deserts bloom in Israel, and it can also be done in this state. Agricultural technology transfers can also take place," Sagiv said.

Israeli companies such as Netafim and Makhteshim-Agan were already making investments in Gujarat and there was a high possibility of more Israeli investment coming in the state, she said.

"There is considerable increase in trade between the two countries which is likely to reach five billion USD by December this year while negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) going on between the two countries, is expected to result in touching a figure of about 14 to 15 billion dollar in the next couple of years," Sagiv added.

Just as I said a few pages back that hopefully not everything is named after SVP, they are thinking of making a statue. Ugh! When will this trend go?

They have decided to put Patel's statue as the name of the dam is sardar sarovar...

Dont you know about the 100 crore mandir being made in Gandhinagar called mahatma mandir ???

Thats where the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 will be held.

^^

Nope. No idea.

Just as I said a few pages back that hopefully not everything is named after SVP, they are thinking of making a statue. Ugh! When will this trend go?

Your original complaint was about this exact same project as well... (it was a statue then too)

Taking a step towards educating and enhancing the employment potential of youth in Gujarat, Core Projects and Technologies Ltd. (CORE) has joined hands with Gujarat Knowledge Society (GKS) to impart job-oriented skill up-gradation courses to students from various disciplines in colleges across Ahmedabad and Surat districts.

Core plans to roll-out skill development courses across 18 verticals in 2 zones – Ahmedabad and Surat – which have over 400 colleges. In total, these colleges cater to a student population of about 80,000-100,000. Core will be able to deliver its courses and technology-led training modules to these students. The company will extend full support to GKS in the implementation of its skill enhancement goals for government sponsored candidates, especially those from economically backward areas.


"This collaboration is as an opportunity to cater to the demands of the job market by empowering the youth with requisite skills leading to excellent job opportunities", said, Sanjeev Mansotra, chairman and managing director, Core Projects and Technologies Limited.

The association with GKS will help Core create visibility in the vocational industry and position itself as a multifaceted, quality-oriented training institution committed to the cause of bridging the skill-gaps across various industry segments at a national level.

The association is being given great importance by Core within its national plan for vocational training and education as it will provide the company a right platform to demonstrate its employability enhancement and skill-building programs in Gujarat.

The Government of India in recent years has laid a lot of emphasis on vocational education to fulfill the emerging need of the market by focusing on employability skills. On a pan-India level, Core intends to roll-out career oriented training programs across several sectors, including banking and financial services, retail and health care.

"The emphasis will be on quality placement opportunities generated by leveraging CORE’s strong industry linkages. The quality of a workforce drives standards of living and economic growth. We at core want to provide the youth of our country with choices that match their skills and passion with career opportunities", the company said in a statement.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/core-projects-ties-upgks/411124/

Hi Friends,

You all have heard recently about “Statue of Unity” project from Gujarat Government. This will be giant statue of Hon’ble Shri SARDAR VALABHBHAI PATEL”, 182 foot tall (almost 60 floor building) near Sardar Sarovar Dem site.

But here I am talking about project declared by Govt of Gujarat previous to “Statue of Unity”. This is a “MAHATMA MANDIR”,Gandhinagat project which was announced during last year. This will be not only temple, but going to be a tourist place, giant auditorium, life darshan and many more. Though this project was announced last year only, construction work is going on in full pace.

Narendra Modi has announced that this is his dream project and next Vibrant Gujarat Summit (Jan-2011) will going to take place at the same “Mahatma Mandir”.


So here I am putting some snaps, taken early morning today to get idea of progress. There is only two month left (Nov-Dec) for the event as Vibrant Gujarat is scheduled in January-2011. It seems that construction work is little bit difficult within two months but I do have faith Modi led Gujarat Govt unlike Sheela dixit & central Govt’s CWG mess. Vibrant Gujarat will surely going to take place from this “Mahatma Mandir” only whatever the current situation.
I have seen almost more than 500 hundred workers going to construction site early morning, there were so many at the site already. Work has been taken up by L & T and Govt has provided all the required support for early completion. Some roads have been blocked, temporary residence provided to thousand of worker near the site and many more.

See here for full project profile of Mahatma Mandir:

http://www.vibrantgujarat.com/mahatma-mandir/mahatma-mandir.aspx

And for Vibrant Gujarat event till date:

http://www.vibrantgujarat.com/Default.aspx
Over and out from Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar


I am not able to insert images, kindly visit below link for full article with photos

http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2010/10/construction-work-report-of-mahatma.html

GANDHINAGAR: All roads lead to Gujarat. In a major boon to the state's road sector, a high-level World Bank team, visiting Gujarat last week, indicated it would provide $350 million loan to strengthen and widen 1,500 kilometres of arterial state highways out of the state's 6,300-km-long core road network. The eight-member team, led by senior WB official Arnab Bandyopadhyay, told state officials that it will "go ahead" and "prepare" a techno-feasibility study, identifying the state roads they will take up. Officials showed special interest in four-laning or widening to 10 metres of such roads like Rajkot-Morbi, Mehsana-Vijapur, Rajkot-Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad-Modasa as also the eastern state highway, apart from roads connecting Mundra, Hazira, Pipavav and Magdalla ports. To be called Gujarat State Highways Project II, WB decided to take keen interest in taking up more roads, after praising, in a top report, Gujarat State Highways Project-I as "highly satisfactory" and "exemplary" for other states to follow. The $550-million first phase covered 2,000 km of roads — strengthening or widening of Ahmedabad-Viramgam-Maliya, Rajkot-Jamnagar, Velavadar-Jamnagar, Surat-Olpad, Bharuch-Dahej, Mehsana-Palanpur and Shamlaji-Halol — from 2001 to 2007.

The WB team, which met senior officials in roads and buildings, transport and finance departments, and made on-the-spot inspection of state highways postmonsoon off Rajkot, Morbi, Bhavnagar, Mehsana, Chanasma and Satlasana, submitted a concrete programme to take up the new project.

While the techno-feasibility report will be ready by March 2011, the final project clearance is expected by February 2012. The state government had submitted a proposal for $500 million to WB to strengthen and widen 1,800 km of roads, especially because of fresh possibilities of industrialisation along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project, special investment regions and special economic zones. A WB team led by institutional specialist Ernst Huming visited Gujarat in December 2009 to make preliminary inquiry about the state's needs.

Based on its report, the WB sent its second mission last week, and took reports from the state government on the roads that can be taken up. Officials showed special interest in four-laning or widening to 10 metres of such roads like Rajkot-Morbi, Mehsana-Vijapur, Rajkot-Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad-Modasa as also the eastern state highway, apart from roads connecting Mundra, Hazira, Pipavav and Magdalla ports.

The WB team insisted that it would like to take up a special component on road safety, including traffic information system, licensing, patrolling, toeing and provision of equipment for all this. The WB, in its report, had found that the road safety was "unfortunately subdued largely due to lack of political and bureaucratic championship".



Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Guj-highways-to-get-350m-boost/articleshow/6732914.cms

Whole GUJARAT model needs to be replicated all over India. It is clear win of Leadership with larger Vision and development in all the fields. Take it agri, financial planning, law & order, industry, road, water any

See here how GUjarat was before 2001 (deveoped but missing many things)

http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/04/gujarat-till-2001.html

then how it become in 2009 :

http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/04/2-gujarat-as-on-2009-after-2001.html

and read it here, how this transformation happened (all round development )

http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/04/list-of-some-initiative-taken-by.html

but before seeing that accept this as fact:

Most of the people know/see Gujarat through lens of Biased Media/Print Please read this post without any prejudice/Purvagraha. You just read first than compare it with half hearted truth/propaganda spread by media. Now you will see something that you might not know or you know only some portion of it. In coming posts I will try to accommodate all the ground level facts with Government initiative and results with substantial evidence/reports. But first be clear on below mentioned facts;

· There is a difference between development on paper and ground level situation. Like you say
Gujarat is developed before 2001, Yes some extent it is so, but mostly on paper and in some areas only.
· Make your belief only after substantial facts/evidence, don’t go on simple figures on paper or given by anyone specially media. Because you now know vested interest of this media/persons.
· Goals/Schemes without any action is dream only. -à You will clearly see this in coming posts
· Action also needs to be in right direction and with some kind of mentoring. — In coming post.
· Gujarat has developed more in recent years -à Even media is accepting it. We will see it with facts in coming posts.
· With only government schemes, success cannot be achieved, you will require public-private participation also. And finally
· Strong Leadership is required, which can motivate people, employees and have clear vision.

Friends,

you might have question why this VIBRANT word is stick with Gujarat.

Here you will see why, at Vibrant Navaratri organised by Gujarat Govt and Private biggies, over one lakh people, so many theme pavilions, adventure sports, kids zone, handicrafts and of course with Giant Garba trek.

read the report here;

http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-gujarat-is-so-vibrant-report-of.html


one main thing:
Guj Gov has created special RAM JANAMBHOOMI model there, with mandir built and location map with ram rasoi, sita kund and many more.

Any recent development in Kalpasar Project...This project is of special interest to me as this is one of its kind project in India and will be a model project once started and also the benefits it will provide to Gujarat.
:ohno::ohno::ohno:

Any recent development in Kalpasar Project...This project is of special interest to me as this is one of its kind project in India and will be a model project once started and also the benefits it will provide to Gujarat.

Does anybody has any clue about the latest development in this project???

Any recent development in Kalpasar Project...This project is of special interest to me as this is one of its kind project in India and will be a model project once started and also the benefits it will provide to Gujarat.

Does anybody has any clue about the latest development in this project???

Friends,

I have some inputs from the sources in the Government of Gujarat regarding Kalpasar project.

First of all be clear about some points;

* There are more than 25000 employees working in SSNL (Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited) directly and indirectly.

* Kalpasar project is somehow similar project to SSNL. Currently only study reports from consultants and other primary work is going on which does not require much manpower.

* SSNL is the only seperate department in the Gujarat Gov which has very large number of employee for the specific project.

Now, lets focus on current situation:

* study report of Kalpasar and realignment has been done. There is also possibilities for further modification till the project starts actually.

* SSNL project is on the verge of completion by max 2013. There is only minor canal network work remaining, for which tendering process has been completed. Land grabbing and Khedut mandali making process has been completed already.


Now the main point:

If you have visited SSNL department website OR actual location at Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar (block-12), they have attached Kalpasar tag with them already.

Finally, we may expect Kalpasar project kick-started within 2 years as of when SSNL staff (25,000) got released. Because they have got expertise for the same. It has been started already, but slowly.

Now some extra information regarding SSNL project:
Gujarat Govt is talking about Jyotigram, it is very good project, but if you analysis deeply you might have question that there is no substantial increase in our electricity generation against demand (urbanization and industry)??

So for you information.

Our Gujarat's electricity consumption is like this

5-7% --domestic
30-35% industry
55-60% -Agriculture

Now due to SSNL, Sujalam SUFLAM and Checkdam revolution, this 55-60% agriculture got down to interestingly around 40-45%.

Now we have surplus power of 10-15% which can be utilized for uninterrupted supply, new connections and if needed to other states also.

I do hope that you will have now clear idea, please let me know your reactions in comments. I can also elaborate on that 10-15% power thing.

For more details on other Gov projects do visit hims30482.blogspot.com

^^ can you get more info on GIFT?

Friends,

@Desi -- In coming posts, I will surely give updates on GIFT project (my favorite one). Please give you comments.

We are keep talking about new developments and new projects in this forum. But it is importantly necessary to know about some pioneer Gujarat Govt Projects since decade. I have some knowledge about the some IT projects as I had worked in some of the projects. Here is detail about projects and links;

SICN (Sachivalaya Integrated Communication Network): This is the mini-BSNL owned by Gujarat Governement. This is a telecom project implemented whole Gandhinagar govt offices in year 2001 at the cost of some 11 crore, which saves 50 crore annually for Gujarat Government on telephone bills. Just consider how much money has been saved by Govt till date.

Project details and its impact on Govt:
http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/09/sicn-true-e-gov-project-money-saving.html or short link http://is.gd/g1W5N

http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/09/technical-and-implementation-detail-of.html

You will find technical details as well as Govt and Media reaction for this project in above post. There are separate links.


GSWAN (Gujarat State Wide Area Network): this is the purely network project and IT backbone of Gujarat Govt, spread across the state, even in 14000 villages. All the Govt offices across the state has been connected with network. Common platform for networking, applications, mailing, Video conferencing and many more. Govt has plan to integrate this GSWAN And SICN, so that calling from any govt office even from villages to anywhere in state is totally free. Famous SWAGAT runs on this network.

Project Details:
http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/12/gswan-backbone-of-guj-govt.html or short link http://is.gd/g1W8b

and finally,

IWDMS (Integrated Workflow and Document Mangement System): This project has been implemented and wind up in two states aka tamilnadu and AP within 2 years, but it is still running in Gujarat since 2005 with good progress. It is basically paperless office project, no physical files, no tappals everything online which integrates all 26 departments of Gujarat Govt. Key benefits transperancy, e-file trekking, payroll, leave management and more than 300 department specific applications got integrated in this single project.


Project details:
http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/12/iwdms-failed-twice-in-other-states.html or Short link http://is.gd/g1W2K



Any person interested in knowing more about above projects can contact me on himanshu.acharya@gmail.com

Gujarat will attract Rs.900 bn for ports sector: Study

AHMEDABAD (Commodity Online): The Gujarat government’s policy on ports will attract 30 fresh port investments on the State’s 1600 km long coastal belt at an investment of around Rs.90,000 crore over the next five years, an ASSOCHAM report said today.

The proposed policy of Gujarat, facilitating the landlocked states of the Northern and Central regions viz, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, U.P., Uttarakhand, M.P., Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, to develop new ports of its coastline is likely to see the development of thirty new ports across its coastline, the report noted.

DS Rawat, ASSOCHAM Secretary General, pointed out that with the development of modern production and trading systems, ports have become an integral part of logistics system.

The report has brought out that one of the major attractions of investing in minor ports is that they are excluded from the jurisdiction of Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP).

ASSOCHAM’s report has highlighted the presence of a number of capacity constraints in the ports sector that include inadequate draft availability, low level of mechanization of operations, usage of outdated and inadequate cargo handling equipment and poor connectivity with hinterland are affecting the functioning of ports.

Involvement of multiplicity of agencies and complex administrative procedures too are mentioned to hamper India’s overseas trade. They call for revamping of port management system in the country.

ASSOCHAM has strongly recommended adopting a strategy similar to that of Gujarat for the development of ports sector in other coastline states.

It was mentioned that there exists a scope for the development of about thirty new ports along the Gujarat coast not only by the land locked states of North and Central India regions but also by the private enterprises from these regions.

Going by the present industry norms, the development of a fully fledged port initially requires an investment of about Rs.3000 crores. Therefore, the state would see an additional investment to the tune of Rs.90,000 crores in the coming five years.

This investment would be supplemented by matching investments in the development of concomitant infrastructure in both Gujarat and land locked states.

If we consider the additional employment opportunities generated due to this, they said, an average port provides regular jobs to about 500 employees and the indirect employment in the port related services and logistics would be in the range of three times to the direct employees.

Thus, in the ports and logistics sector itself 60,000 new jobs are estimated to be created from this endeavor. The ASSOCHAM’s study has also recommended the following policy measures for the development of Indian ports sector.

Presently, ports sector falls under the jurisdiction of both centre and states and lacks a single window approach.

A number of parallel agencies at both centre and states exercise their powers to regulate the industry. As a result, all the sub-nodes of ports sector are growing independently and often incoherently.

The government must set up a single body with the mandate for the comprehensive development of the sector, the report noted.

In India’s major ports, port authority involves in port operations as well. However, it has been demonstrated globally that separation of port authority from port operations is necessary for realizing the growth potential of this sector. Therefore, ideally, port authority needs to restrict itself to the policy implementation aspect while the private sector plays the role of service provider.

Further, the report noted that presently, private investors in the ports sector have no recourse to an independent regulator. There is no regulatory recourse for investors or users for matters such as dispute resolution, performance standards and consumer protection; hence the government must address this issue for attracting private investment and providing quality services to the customers.

Capacity addition in shipping is greatly hindered by the incidence of numerous direct and indirect taxes that evolved since the introduction of the tonnage tax system.

The shipping companies have to pay service tax at the prevailing double digit rates on various services rendered to them such as cargo handling, clearing and forwarding, general insurance, clearing and forwarding agent service, port services, repair and maintenance, steamer agents, storage and warehousing, survey, manpower recruitment and professional services.

The government has to address this issue in order to see increased share of Indian owned ships in the transportation of Indian cargo, ASSOCHAM demanded.

The apex industry body also suggested that focused discussions need to take place between the government and industry at various levels on each of these key issues.

The report ‘India’s Ports, Shipping & Maritime Logistics’, was released by Sunil Kakkad, Chairman, ASSOCHAM Gujarat Council and Bhagyesh Soneji, ASSOCHAM Gujarat Council Co-Chairperson besides the Secretary General of the organization.


source (http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Gujarat-will-attract-Rs900-bn-for-ports-sector-Study-32599-3-1.html)

Instead of another statue in this statue-crazy country, we should use the money to build an administrative training institute for government workers from all over India - lower-level clerks and supervisors, etc. who desperately need to be trained to be honest, efficienty, IT-savvy and customer service-centric. Patel stood for efficiency and honesty. A concrete monstrosity in his honor is a waste of money. Stop this statue mania.

Instead of another statue in this statue-crazy country, we should use the money to build an administrative training institute for government workers from all over India - lower-level clerks and supervisors, etc. who desperately need to be trained to be honest, efficienty, IT-savvy and customer service-centric. Patel stood for efficiency and honesty. A concrete monstrosity in his honor is a waste of money. Stop this statue mania.

+1

+1

Completely agree my friend
As a country we should first focus on improving the civic services... and then only we can or we should plan for all such things

Gujarat government to put Dahej PCPIR on fast track

The Gujarat government has decided to put the Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) at Dahej on the fast track.
As against the union government's target to achieve US $20 billion in investments in the PCPIR by 2020, the state government aspires to achieve this figure by 2015, and double it in another five years.
Stating this at an Assocham conference on 'Gujarat: The petrochemical hub' on Saturday, Maheshwar Sahu, principal secretary of the industries department, said that all preliminary work has been completed in Dahej.
"Preliminary work has been completed over a 453 sq km area in the region. Rs3,200 crore will be spent on infrastructure development, while another Rs70,000 crore will be invested in other establishments," Sahu said.
Sahu, assuring full government support, said that the last few years have seen the state transform completely and compete with developed nations.
The Assocham suggested that two major elements for the success of PCPIR are the decision to allow 100% FDI, and establishment of a series of Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
The Chamber's secretary general, DS Rawat, said that the additional availability of naphtha, on account of increased refining capacity, has prompted petrochemical majors to announce major downstream expansion in naphtha crackers.
The petrochemical capacity growth rate, which has been 3% to 4% per annum over the last five years, is expected to increase 4 times to 12%-15% p.a. over the next 5 to 7 years.
Sunil Kakkad and Bhagyesh Soneji, chairman and co-chairperson respectively of Assocham, announced that the chamber shall organise a Green Revolution - II and food processing training programmes for farmers in the state.

Source: DNA epaper 17/10

State to promote coastal townships (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/State-to-promote-coastal-townships/articleshow/6765909.cms)

AHMEDABAD: In order to promote the planned development on coastal areas of the state, the Gujarat government may come up with a special scheme to encourage builders to develop integrated townships near the seashore.

While addressing a gathering at the inauguration ceremony of the Godrej township on SG Road, chief minister Narendra Modi said that coastal development through townships is still in the conceptual stage.

"The Gujarat government envisages self-sufficient townships on the coastal areas, complete with desalination and solar power plants, solid waste management, waste water treatment and rain water harvesting systems. I would like to call it Panchvati scheme," said Modi.

He asked captains of the real estate industry present at the function to provide useful suggestions to form a comprehensive policy as the government is trying hard to boost coastal tourism in the state.

Adi Godrej, chairman of Godrej Properties Limited (GPL), insisted on the need for single-window clearance and more floor space index (FSI) for the development of townships in Gujarat. He said apart from the Ahmedabad project, the company may launch a project in Surat too.

Meanwhile, Godrej Garden City, the largest township project in India being developed within a municipal corporation limit on 250 acres, was launched on Sunday. Booking for two phases has already been completed, said Godrej, adding that booking for the third phase will be open during Diwali.

The Godrej township, which is the largest project in the GPL portfolio, will be competed in 10 years and it will house around 20,000 residential units of different sizes, said Pirojsha Godrej, executive director of the company.

The master plan has been created by world-renowned architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) and the project's construction will be carried out by L&T. The project has been selected as one of the 16 projects from around the world to partner the Clinton Climate Initiative for creating a climate-positive development. The project will be constructed under a joint venture development model with local firm Shree Siddhi Group

Guj to have nat’l institute for urban managers

The central government has sanctioned Rs50 crore to the Gujarat government for the setting up of a national institute to train people in urban development.
The Centre's grant is perhaps in recognition of the fact that Gujarat leads among states in creating urban infrastructure and in its management.
The proposed institute will be known as Gujarat Urban Development Institute (GUDI) and will be based near Gandhinagar. It will train manpower for civic bodies and carry out research in related areas. GUDI will also focus on technology and capacity-building in urban local bodies and start courses in urban development. Apart from Gujarat, the Centre has chosen Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for similar institutes. In Gujarat, the state urban development department will be responsible for setting up GUDI.
"It is going to be a national institute. The prime objective of GUDI will be capacity building, research in urban development, and training of staff of municipal corporations and municipalities,'' said additional chief secretary, ports and transport department BK Sinha.
Sinha also heads the urban development department. Sinha said GUDI is going to play a pivotal role in urban development by providing trained and skilled manpower at a time when the country is witnessing rapid urbanisation

Source: Dna epaper

This vibrant word came from first Vibrant Navaratri organised in year 2002 or 2003 and till date this vibrant navratri has been celebrated in either Gandhinagar or Ahmedabad at very large scale.

Just read it here, how it celebrated, scale of celebration etc;

http://is.gd/g7E9W & http://is.gd/g0n9n

Now do read gujaratinformation.net for daily updates from Governemnt. All newspapers got any govt news from this site only. It has been updated evening after 6PM.

Gujarat to give other states a lift at VGGIS

Invited states can pitch for investments at summit; around 70 countries expected to come.
The upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit (VGGIS) in January 2011 will go beyond the state boundaries. The event will see participation of a number of states, which will also present their salient features and pitch for investment during the course of the event.
"The idea behind inviting other states to take part in Vibrant Gujarat Summit is to project it as the premier investment event of the country. Gujarat is already well recognized as a dynamic state for investments. The Summit in January 2011 will provide a platform to other states to invite foreign investment," BB Swain, industries commissioner, told DNA.
Officials said that while previous editions of the event were Gujarat-centric, with the focus only on attracting investments to the state, this time, the event was "Going beyond Gujarat".
According to officials, the idea has excited many foreign companies, who are keen to invest in India. Officials said that states such as Karnataka, Goa and Rajasthan have already confirmed their participation in the event, while Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, MP, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Orissa and Haryana are among the other states likely to take part.
The participating states will be able to make presentations to prospective investors, and also sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) during the Summit.
Asked if such a move would not affect the number and size of MoUs signed by Gujarat with investors, an iNDEXtb official said, "We are looking at the bigger picture. We have to compete with the world, not with other states. If some other state is getting foreign investment on account of its participation in Vibrant Gujarat Summit, we will be more than happy as the benefit will ultimately come to the country."
He said the idea of inviting other states was of chief minister Narendra Modi.
The Vibrant Gujarat Summit was first held in 2003, and the upcoming edition to be held on January 12 and 13, will be the fifth one. It is slated to be held at Mahatma Mandir coming up in Gandhinagar. According to officials in state industries department, the number of countries taking part in the upcoming Summit will also be much higher than that of the previous years.
"A total of 40 countries had taken part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in 2009. We are expecting the number to be around 70 this time as there is a lot of interest in the event now.
All leading countries, including leading economies, will take part in the event," officials disclosed.
Highly placed officials in the government also said that there will be a lot of focus on the knowledge sector in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Source: Dna

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has accepted an invitation from the Gujarat government to be a ‘partner organisation’ in the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit.

UNIDO is the specialised agency of the United Nations that promotes accelerated industrial growth in developing nations and countries with economies in transition.
It is the third organisation after the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) to partner the fifth edition of the global summit to be held Jan 12-13, 2011.

B.B. Swain, state industries commissioner, said: ‘This partnership will play a crucial role in giving technical inputs to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). It will also focus on encouraging investments and participation in the summit. We are confident that UNIDO will bring important lessons to the summit about best practices internationally in sustainable economic development.’


Source: http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/10/20/un-agency-to-partner-in-vibrant-gujarat-2011-summit/
_______________________________________________

For all Gujju food lovers --http://is.gd/g93tW & http://is.gd/g93uo

Interview of paid national news channel’s reporter...http://is.gd/g93xP

It’s not just the usual trade and industry Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) that the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit will focus on.

The state government, realising the importance of knowledge enhancement, has decided also to focus on knowledge MoUs during the event.

“The previous Vibrant Gujarat Summits were focused on attracting industrial investment in the state. That will continue this time too, but we are also focusing on the knowledge sector,” an official in the state industries department said.

Good governance, emerging geographies, green energy & environmental technology, inclusive growth, balanced urbanisation, industry responsive manpower creation and skill development are some of the areas which will be focused on during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

“With fast industrial development, we need to act, and act fast, in these areas. These issues will be discussed at length during the Summit with the participants, and we will see how we can take them forward,” said state industries commissioner BB Swain.

Officials said that availability of manpower for industries is not a problem in the state, but finding skilled and trained workforce is tough.

Similarly, the state has taken several steps for environmental conservation and balanced growth, but a lot more needs to be done. According to officials, a number of discussion forums, seminars panel discussions, dedicated to these key sectors, have been organised by the state government as part of the event.

Source : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_vibrant-meet-to-focus-on-knowledge-economy_1455800

Gujarat, the state which pioneered the concept of the Special Investment Region (SIR), will establish 12 new industrial hubs in the next 5-6 years and expects the private sector to play a leading role in facilitating the process.
"We have 12 more such projects in the pipeline, including four which have already been notified by the government. They will all be operational by 2015-16," a senior official of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) said here.
Gujarat passed an act for the SIRs and set up the first such hub -- Petroleum Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) spread across 4.53 lakh square hectare-- in Bharuch last year.
The state government now plans to set up the SIRs to act as industrial hubs for various sectors including auto ancillaries, chemicals, healthcare, electronics and so on.
Investment worth over Rs 70,000 crore has already gone into PCPIR and the official said similar expenditure is likely to be incurred in other SIRs as well.
ONGC Petro Additions Ltd is the anchor tenant or major investor in the PCPIR and has put in around Rs 19,000 crore into the project.
"We are looking at similar participation by the private sector in the upcoming SIRs also," the official said.
Of the new dozen SIRs, 10 would be built by the GDIC, a PSU under the state government, while the rest two are being built by the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) and the Gujarat Maritime Board.
SIRs are special regions spread over a minimum 50,000 hectares where industries can buy lands directly from local owners. However, they are not offered concessions like tax benefits as in SEZs.
"However, the main benefit of SIRs is that they provide quality infrastructure and development even before units become operational. In every SIR, 55 per cent area is to be set aside for residential townships and other non-processing units," the official said.
SIRs are regulated by Regional Development Authorities which plan, regulate and develop the zones.
Santalpur SIR of 1.86 lakh hectares (which will focus on agro industries and solar energy), Halol Savli SIR of 1.22 lakh hectare (auto ancillaries and electronics) and Viramgam-Sanand SIR of 1.38 lakh hectares (auto, engineering and healthcare) are among upcoming SIRs in the state over next 5-6 years.
"Even a small SIR like the one being built by GIDB at Dholera is of 50,000 hectares, much larger than the world''s largest SEZ in Shenzhen (China) which is of 32,700 hectares," the official said.

Source : http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4484005

Work on Rs 1,100 crore first phase of the metro rail project in Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar will start by next year and the line is expected to be operational within 2-3 years, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) CEO A K Sharma said today. Sharma said the state government was in talks with private sector players to involve them in the metro rail project.

“A company has been set up for undertaking the metro project, MetroLink Express Ahmedabad Gandhinagar and a newly appointed Managing Director(name not revealed) would join later this month. Work on the first phase of the project would start in the middle of 2011,” said GIDB Chief Executive Officer A K Sharma.

The first phase of the metro rail project will cover a distance of 32.65 kilometre in the north-south direction between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and 10.90 kilometre east-west corridor between Kalupur and Thaltej.

The GIDB CEO said that though no official time frame has yet been formally announced for completion of the first phase, the metro service is likely to be operational within 2-3 years.
Sharma, who is also secretary to the state”s Chief Minister Narendra Modi, added that the metro line in its second phase will connect Ahmedabad with Dholera, the site of a Special Investment Region. This will add another 125 kilometre to the north-south line.

Source: http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/10/21/work-on-first-phase-of-ahmedabad-gandhinagar-metro-rail-project-to-start-by-next-year/

_______________________________________________


Indian Media Reengineering ---http://is.gd/gaR5F

Question – Why Japan, Singapore has made stunning ---- http://is.gd/gaR8P

Interview of most secular Indian news channel’s ultra secular reporter on Ayodhya verdict ----- http://is.gd/gaR7X

the metro service is likely to be operational within 2-3 years.

2015 or 2018 i think is what they mean.

Vibrant Gujarat Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/vibrantgujarat

Aluminium major Nalco on Friday said it will set up a nuclear power plant in Gujarat in association with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at a gross investment of Rs 12,600-crore.

"The project will be undertaken by our joint venture company in which NPCIL will hold majority stake. The JV agreement for the same is expected by October-end," Nalco CMD A K Shrivastava told PTI in an interview.

The two state-owned entities had last year entered into a pact to explore possibilities of collaborating in the field of nuclear power. The proposed power project will have an annual production capacity of 1400 MW and would come up in Surat, Gujarat. Two separate units of 700 MW are likely to be built.

For generating one mega watt of nuclear power, an investment of about Rs 9 crore is required.

"We are now betting big on the power sector. We have joined hands with NPCIL to foray into the business of generating nuclear power for commercial use," he added.

The proposed project is to be funded jointly by both the companies in proportion to their equity holding in the joint venture entity. Nalco, at present, has a cash reserve of around Rs 4,400 crore, Shrivastava said.

"NPCIL has the capability of setting up nuclear power. For us, it is an attractive avenue," he added.

Nalco, at present, operates 1,200 MW coal-based power unit at its existing aluminum operations in Orissa.

Meanwhile, the navratna company has also announced independent Rs 6,000 crore capacity expansion projects in the aluminum space, which can also see creation of additional 1,250 MW unit in Orissa.

Moreover, the PSU also plans to set up a super critical thermal power plant of 1,980-MW capacity (3X660-MW) in Dhenkanal district of Orissa.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/metals--mining/Nalco-NPCIL-to-set-up-Rs-12600-cr-power-plant-in-Gujarat/articleshow/6793503.cms

Interlink Petroleum strikes oil reserves near Ahmedabad

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Interlink Petroleum Ltd (IPL) today said it has discovered oil reserves in an area, 40-km from Ahmedabad.
Interlink said it "made an oil discvoery in the recently drilled Baola-8 well," the company said in a statement here.
The well, which was spudded on August 28, is located in IPL''s small onshore Baola block, about 40 kilometres from the Ahmedabad, in Gujarat.
Baola-8 well was drilled to a depth of 1009 meters and several hydrocarbon bearing sections were identified.
"Initial estimates indicate the gross pay to be 23.5 meters with a net pay of 9 meters. Preliminary analyses indicate that the specific gravity of the oil is approximately 12 degrees API," the statement said.
Interlink holds 100 per cent interest in Baola and Modhera blocks, located onshore in the highly prospective Cambay Basin in Gujarat.
The company has also plans to drill a well in Modhera Field this financial year.



source (http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4485305)

Gujarat shows global dreams to petro majors

Ahmedabad The state government has fixed an investment target of $20 billion by 2015 and double it in the next five years with a view to putting petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR) on a fast track in Gujarat, which has already emerged as India’s petrochemical hub, accounting for 62 per cent of the country’s total petrochemical production.
Speaking at a conference on “Gujarat: the Petrochemical Hub” organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) here on Saturday, principal secretary (industries and mines) Maheshwar Sahu said all preliminary work had been completed in the state’s PCPIR spread over 453 sq km at Dahej in Bharuch district.

He said a total of $632 million would be invested in infrastructure development in the PCPIR and another $ 13.7 billion would be invested for other developmental activities. He said the state government was also giving priority to issues pertaining to labour laws to create an investor-friendly atmosphere to enable the industry compete globally.

Sahu said in the last few years, the state has emerged as a virtual petrochemical hub of the country with the state government playing a pro-active role and trying to compete with developed nations. Stating that Reliance, Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited, Gujarat State Petronet Limited, Welspun and Indofil were among the existing companies in PCPIR, Sahu said the anchor tenant in the Dahej PCPIR was ONGC Petro-additions Limited(OPaL), a joint venture between ONGC Limited and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), which have invested $2.6 billion in a world-class 1.1-MMPTA multi-feed cracker plant. The construction has already commenced.

Stating that the two major elements in the growth of petrochemical industry in India were the decision to allow 100 percent foreign direct investment in this sector and the establishment special economic zones (SEZ) and PCPIRs, Assocham secretary general D S Rawat said the refining capacity in India was expected to rise from 135 MMPTA in 2006-07 to 210-225 MMPTA in 2011-12. He said the increased availability of naphtha had prompted petrochemical companies into announcing setting up of naphtha cracker plants.

Rawat said the petrochemical capacity growth rate, which was 3-4 per cent in the last five years, was expected to increase four times to 12-15 per cent over the next five to seven years. This growth in downstream production, he said, would be supported by growth in domestic consumption as well.

Rawat said the growth in key end-use sector for chemicals like textiles (fibres), auto (plastic parts, accessories) and personal lifestyle products were likely to further boost the domestic demand for petrochemicals. In the next five to six years, he said, India was expected to become a regional petrochemical hub.

Assocham managing committee member Rajiv Vastupal said domestic industries were trying to tie up with international players to tap into opportunities in the manufacturing of speciality chemicals.

source (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/gujarat-shows-global-dreams-to-petro-majors/698586/)

:cheers:

IIT conclave, entrepreneurs’ meet to star ahead of Vibrant Guj (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/education/IIT-conclave-entrepreneurs-meet-to-star-ahead-of-Vibrant-Guj/articleshow/6809404.cms)

AHMEDABAD: The upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be preceded by an IIT conclave and a young entrepreneurs’ meet slated for January 10-11, 2010. The focus of conclave 'The Technology and Development in Gujarat' is to deliberate use of technology as a tool for development of respective industries and society. The Pan IIT Alumni (Gujarat) Association is co-partner of the event with Gujarat government .

While the Young Entrepreneurs’ meet 'Enterprising Gujarat 2020: The way forward' will focus on encouraging more youth to turn entrepreneurs and help the budding entrepreneurs grow bigger. Young Indians (YI), a body of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) will organise the meet.

"The focus of the conclave will be on development and technology. There will be six speakers who will present 'way forward papers'. Universities of Gujarat may join hands with foreign universities during the event," said Mukesh Kumar, chairman of Indext-B.

With countdown to the biannual event 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit' beginning, organisers are busy fine tuning various events to be organised before and during the summit. With the government taking a comprehensive view of the development, sector specific seminars are planned and efforts are made to apprise the local industries to the prevalent trends in the technological and managerial side globally. "The IIT conclave will give insights into the challenges ahead for the state and how technology can be leveraged upon to meet them.

The focus will be on how technology can be harnessed for innovation, pollution control, green energy, energy saving. Experts from abroad will guide the local industry in using technology to their advantage," said Sunil Parekh, chairman of Pan IIT Alumni (Gujarat) Association, which is in-charge of the conclave. The Association formed in 2006 with 100 founding members has grown its membership to 450. It consists of IIT pass outs presently working in Gujarat. Of the 450 members, 200 are in Ahmedabad, while the rest are in Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch and Saurashtra.

Similarly, the Young Entrepreneurs’ meet 'Enterprising Gujarat 2020: The way forward' will focus on opening up Gujarat to entrepreneurs of rest of the country and world. "As Gujarat is rising on the national map as a manufacturing hub, the meet will help set goals for the coming 10 years. We see tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurship in financial, social, environment as well as other emerging sectors and create a mechanism for entrepreneurs anywhere in the world to realise their dreams in Gujarat," said Madhur Todi, chairman of CII YI
(Ahmedabad chapter).

Mukesh Kumar added that second generation entrepreneurs will come together in the Young Entrepreneurs' Meet (YEM). They will put their views and vision about Gujarat and India in the year 2020. "This exercise will help us to know their ideas and expectations," he said.

Facilitating the business, will be a number of B2B and B2G networking, CEO dinner, SME convention, catalogue show, sector specific dinner and international buyer seller meets.

As a part of making the event truly global, the state government has tied up with Japan and Canada as partner countries, while Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Commonwealth Business Council, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) are partner organisations. Various Research and Development institutes and Universities have also been roped. About nine delegations from the state comprising of government and private sector officials to countries in Europe, North America, East Asia, Africa, South America and Middle east.

Gujarat plans first over-the-sea dam (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-plans-first-over-the-sea-dam/articleshow/6811046.cms)

NEW DELHI: In a first, Gurajat is planning to build an over the sea dam in the northern portion of the Gulf of Khambat (Cambay) with an investment of over Rs 50,000 crore.

The 35-kilometre dam project named Kalpasar Dam Alignment would lead to a sweet water reservoir. Besides, it will also have a road and rail overbridge, which will reduce the distance between Bhavnagar and Surat by 200 kilometre.

While, the main dam help generate tidal power, the reservoir is expected to supply water for drinking and agricultural purposes.

"The project envisages dam and road and rail overbridge from just north of Bhavnagar in the west coast of Gulf of Cambay to Alandar in Dahej in the east coast. Though final cost is to be worked out in detail, it will be over Rs 50,000 crore," a senior state government official said.

The timeframe will be decided once the environmental and other clearances come.

The Gujarat government has already set up a dedicated department for the project -- the Kalpasar department.

"Besides creating a fresh water reservoir in the northern portion of the Gulf of Khambat, the road and rail overbridge will reduce the distance from Bhavnagar and Surat to 150 kilometre from the existing 350 kilometre," the official said.

Travelling between Bhavnagar in Saurashtra and Surat in South Gujarat currently require a long detour through Ahmedabad.

The dam is also expected to take thousands of square kilometre in the northern coast of the Gulf of Khambat out of Coastal Zone Regulation (CZR) rules.

"This will allow development activity in a zone, which has high salinity and also create fishing opportunity in the envisage area," he said.

With the construction of the dam, which is 160 kilometre from the Pipavav port, the nearby port of Bhavnagar is also likely to be upgraded as a prime port. The Dholera Special Investment Region lies close to the proposed dam area.

"The State Maritime Board is studying the proposal for upgradation and expansion of the Bhavnagar port," the official said.

Thats one shot of a news.... cheers
Reducing distance by 200 KMs is a big big big deal

Gujarat plans first over-the-sea dam (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-plans-first-over-the-sea-dam/articleshow/6811046.cms)

Dont you think TOI reported this a bit too late. I mean Kalpasar dam thing has been out for a while now. but hey finally TOI did report something.

Gujarat Tourism targets to attract Rs 75,000 crore investment at Vibrant Gujarat– Investors’ Summit 2011 (http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/gujarat-tourism-targets-to-attract-rs-75000-crore-investment-at-vibrant-gujarat-investors-summit-2011-11848)

Gujarat Tourism is hopeful of attracting Rs 75,000 crore investment for the state’s tourism sector at the Vibrant Gujarat – Investors’ Summit, to be held on January 12-13, 2011 at Gandhinagar. The investment will be used to create infrastructure near beach destinations, to develop Saputara hill station as a tourism hub and for constructing airports.

Vipul Mitra, Secretary – Tourism, Gujarat government said that Gujarat Tourism is keen to bring in private investors for developing airports in the state. It has created a company called Gujarat Civil Aviation Infrastructure Ltd. to take the process forward. He said that the state is planning airports at Ankleshwar, Ambaji, Dwarka, Vapi, as well as a second airport in Ahmedabad at Dhulera.

The state tourism department has also started the process of converting heritage palaces into hotels. When asked about the new products, Mitra said that Gujarat will now become a major competitor of Bihar in attracting Buddhist pilgrims from South East Asia.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Tourism Project Development Company Limited, a joint venture company of Tourism Corporation of Gujarat (TCGL) and IL&FS, will develop wayside amenities in the state with private investors support. According to Manish Rege, Assistant Vice President, IL&FS Infrastructure, bidding for setting up wayside amenities will begin soon and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit next year.

^^ if tourism alone will be this amount then there should be no doubt that this year investments will be more than 12lac crore or roughly around $ 300 billion

that is a very very huge amount for a single state and i am sure it will be in every media in the world....:cheers:

EDIT: last time MOU's for $ 241 billion were signed :nuts:

Dont you think TOI reported this a bit too late. I mean Kalpasar dam thing has been out for a while now. but hey finally TOI did report something.

In the last month or so, there has been renewed coverage of Dholera SIR, Dahej PCPIR, GIFT, Ahmedabad Metro, 10 other SIRs, various Tourism devt projects and now Kalpasar.

Maybe 10% of it is new information, but from my perspective, the real message of it all is that it would indicate that all these projects, despite lack of progress so far, are still very much alive... especially significant as the next Vibrant Gujarat summit is only 2months away.

Theres no doubt that the global financial crisis has badly affected these projects, but, on the flipside, whilst the investors have been addressing their own problems, economic growth in Gujarat has remained robust and outpaced that of rival destinations (in India and Abroad), making Gujarat relatively even more attractive than it was 2yrs ago, so, I am extremely excited to see what happens at Vibrant Gujarat 2011.

Bring on January :cheers:

^^ for sure, and from the sounds of it this January sounds huge with all those investments lined up. Also we will get to catch a glimpse of the Mahatma Mandir. :)

Solar power producer Azure Power said it will invest about Rs 180 crore ($40 million) in Gujarat to develop a 15-MW (mega watt) solar photovoltaic power plant.

"We are excited to work with the Gujarat state government for our upcoming project and expect to develop several additional projects in this progressive state," Azure Power CEO Inderpreet Wadhwa said at Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference here.

The company has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Gujarat for the Rs 180-crore project, which is expected to be commissioned by mid-2011.

"We have set up a target of 1,000-MW established solar power generation capacity by the end of 2012 and 3,000 Mw in next five years. We are happy to welcome Azure to the state of Gujarat," Gujarat Principal Secretary for Energy and Petrochemicals D J Pandian said.

Azure claimed that the proposed plant once fully operational, will employ most advanced solar photovoltaic technology and eliminate as much carbon dioxide pollution, as 2.5 million trees would do in an year.

The project will be financed by Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the United States Government that helps US businesses invest overseas and promotes economic development in new and emerging markets, Azure added.

Other investors in the project include International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank group, Bangalore-based Helion Advisors and a California-based venture capital firm.

Azure Power has already operationalised India's first private MW-scale solar power plant in Punjab in 2009.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/Azure-Power-to-invest-Rs-180-cr-in-Gujarat/articleshow/6827916.cms

Check these out! I guess they are not as big as CWG but here are some more sporting events from our very own Gujarat.

http://www.narendramodi.in/news_letter/images/oct/mailer28oct2010/header.jpg

Here is the official website : Link (http://khelmahakumbh.org/showpage.aspx?contentid=1)

I am sorry but there are no english versions or any english language support on the website so far. So if you can read Gujarati then you can have a look or have a look anyway.

Games include Athletics, Football, Kabbadi, Kho Kho, Boxing, Skating, Volleyball, Badminton, Chess, Hockey, Archery, Judo, Table tennis, Basketball (wow), Swimming, Yogasan.

But yes i know that this would probably go in another thread but just wanting to know who would be interested then i can maybe translate things and post it in another thread.

Peace.

Edit: Games start 20th - 29th November

Friends,


Gujarat wins two awards, one for water management which is international recognization while second is for energy management (national level), 4th time in last 5 years.


Narendra Modi, Nitin Patel congrats WASMO for winning CAPAM award

Gujarats Chief Minister Narendrabhai Modi and Water Supply Minister Nitinbhai Patel today congratulated the staff of Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO) of the State Water Supply Department for winning the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration (CAPAM) international award.
The prize was received by Principal Water Supply Secretary H.K. Dash on behalf of the Gujarat Government at Malta in Europe recently.
The award was in recognition of the WASMOs achievement in the field of peoples participation in water resource management.
It may be mentioned here that Gujarat Government won a CAPAM award for the second time. Earlier, the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) had won the CAPAM Gold Medal in 2004 for its achievement in disaster management.


Source: http://www.gujaratinformation.net/news/english/27102010.htm

Gujarat bags power award
Gujarat has won the Power India Excellence Award 2010. The award, constituted by India Tech Foundation, was given to Minister of State Saurabh Patel by President Pratibha Patil in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Gujarat-bags-power-award/703711/

_______________________________________________

Gujarat Govt Initiatives. (http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/04/list-of-some-initiative-taken-by.html)
Gujarat unknown tourist places. (http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2010/10/part-3-places-worth-to-see-at-least.html)
Gujarati Food lovers delight. (http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2009/12/for-all-gujju-food-lovers-part-2.html)

^^
Wow.......Gujarat is a happening state....:cheers:

Gujarat FDA to sensitise pharma industry on 'Vibrant Gujarat 2011' (http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=58092)

With a view to sensitise the pharma industry on 'Vibrant Gujarat 2011' starting on January 12, the Gujarat State Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) in collaboration with CII is organising a one-day seminar on November 27. The seminar is a part of Vibrant Gujarat global investors summit 2011 aimed to attract investors of pharma and boitech industry to the state.

The main aim of the seminar is to sensitise and create awareness about the investment opportunities that Gujarat holds for future investors. According to Hemant Koshia, commissioner, FDCA, "Gujarat has a lot of untapped potential and we plan to bring these into focus so as to provide lots of investment opportunities for companies. With this seminar, we want to inform our potential investors about the opportunity that Gujarat can provide them."

It would be an ideal ground to meet the potential investors who would be interested in entering into memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government. He adds that through this seminar the government plans to sustain and enhance the image of Gujarat as a hub of pharma industry by pro actively informing the industry about the benefits of investment in Gujarat.

In 2009, the Gujarat government had signed 26 MoU's with pharma companies which resulted in about Rs. 27,000 crore to be invested in the state. Koshia informed that out of the 26 MoUs the government has already completed its work on eight plants which are functioning at present, where as for the others work is under progress. "The government is having high expectation from the upcoming event and is hopeful to cross the target of 26 MoUs that was achieved in Vibrant Gujarat 09," he said.

The main hubs of pharma based activities in Gujarat is clustered in and around Ankleshwar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and the Bharuch-Vapi-Valsad belt and are home to many domestic and international pharma and biotech companies. At present there are 2322 pharma manufacturing units and 115 units manufacturing medical devises that are operational in Gujarat. National share of Gujarat's pharma industry is approximately 42 per cent, I.V. set/BT set manufacturing is approximately 80 per cent, orthopaedic implants is approximately 50 per cent, intraocular lenses is approximately 35 per cent and cardiac stent is approximately 30 per cent. The state also has five AC-GET projects coming up exclusively for pharma industry which is attracting a lot of inquiries from other parts of India for setting up units in Gujarat.

Govt puts Kalpasar project on fast track (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Govt-puts-Kalpasar-project-on-fast-track/articleshow/6855375.cms)

GANDHINAGAR: In a major step towards putting the Kalpasar project on fast track, the Gujarat government last week commissioned a bathymetric and geotechnical study of the entire oceanic space in order to ascertain its different layers, including fault-lines.

The study, to be completed by January 2012, will closely study tidal currents and the type of sediments found in the base and how they would impact the dam, to be built across the Gulf to create the huge lake, which will receive waters from dozen-odd rivers, including Narmada.

To be carried out by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, for Rs 29 crore, official sources said, the study will be "highly technical in nature", in which three ultra-modern vessels in possession of NIOT - Sagar Manjusha, Sagar Purvi and Sabar Pashchimi - will be used.

All three vessels are specialised in research-cum-buoy operations. They are built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), each for Rs 40 to Rs 50 crore. "Sagar Manjusha is already on way to the Gulf to kick-start the survey along the proposed dam site", the sources added. As many as 24 tidal observatories are proposed to be set up along the entire Gulf to help carry out the survey. "Once over, the study will finally help clinch the new dam site for smaller Kalpasar, about which a decision was reached in September 2009", a senior official said.

The dam is now proposed to be built from Kalatalav in Bhavnagar district in Saurashtra to Adalar in Bharuch district in South Gujarat, which is 15 km north of the place where the dam was earlier envisaged, from Ghogha to Hansot. "This is for the first time that the NIOT, Chennai, be undertaking such a huge survey", the official added. Significantly, the study will not just be confined to the 4,400 sq km area which will form part of the sweet water lake, but a 18,000 sq km area, going beyond the Gulf.

Based on the study, the NIOT will be able to carry out a hydro-dynamic model of the Gulf, a sedimentation transport model, a model showing river waters flowing into the Gulf, a model showing the amount sweet water flows into the Gulf even as quantifying the sea water, a model for creating a new barrage on the Narmada water to divert Narmada waters into the Gulf, and the type of dam required to be built across the Gulf.

New Ad Video:

PaXxOB8v1Mo

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/dnaahmedabad/epaperimages%5C02112010%5Cd28709054-1Ahm%20Main%20Edition-pg4-0.jpg

Source: DNA

What beach is shown in the picture? I love how many of our editors import any picture for "illustration purposes only" but don't credit the photographer or what the picture is about?

^^ I have no idea which beach it might be :ohno:. They never put a name on these pics, which they should. I first thought it was an artist's view but on second thought its real.

Gujarat takes the lead among states in solar power (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/sunday-et/special-feature/Gujarat-takes-the-lead-among-states-in-solar-power/articleshow/6855821.cms?curpg=4)

When his design didn’t find takers nationally, Narendra Modi went local. A few years ago, the Gujarat chief minister was at an international summit. When a session on energy crisis cast light on solar power , Modi thought of the Rann of Kutch in his home state, where the land was endless and the sun’s heat relentless. He wondered: could countries blessed with sunlight form a solar alliance, led by India, to mainstream this promising source of power?

He wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with a broad concept of such an entity. He called it ‘Sun-Son’ — offspring of the sun. The Prime Minister’s Office acknowledged the proposal, but left it at that. So, Modi turned inwards. He asked his trusted lieutenants, energy minister Saurabh Patel and principal secretary S Jagdeesan, for a plan to turn the state into a hub in solar power.

The maiden expression of that vision came in January 2009, when Gujarat became the first Indian state to launch a solar-power policy. Several states followed suit. Like Gujarat, they also showed a long list of companies interested in generating solar power. But, unlike them, Gujarat is following through with an unmatched sense of purpose.

This June, it signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) — an operational and financial commitment from both the state and the developers — with 21 companies to generate 365 MW of solar power. At an estimated capital cost of Rs 15 crore per MW of solar capacity, that’s a likely investment of about Rs 5,500 crore. And supply is expected to begin by December 2011.

By all markers, Gujarat is the clear leader in solar power. Other states, notably Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, have installations or commitments of a capacity in double digits. At an all-India level, the National Solar Mission, launched by the Centre in November 2009, has set a target of 1,000 MW target for 2013. In other words, Gujarat is on its way to rolling out one-third, probably more, of what the Centre is targeting for all of India in the next three years.

“Gujarat has the most aggressive plans,” says Ratul Puri, executive director, Moser Baer India , a sister company of which is setting up three solar plants of 15 MW each in the state. The plans also have a big idea: integrate solar into Gujarat’s power ecosystem by simultaneously smoothening both the demand and the supply sides.

On the supply side, Gujarat is incentivising developers by announcing solar tariffs for 25 years. The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), the state distribution arm, has fixed tariffs for the two kinds of solar technologies. And, many say, the rates are generous to developers.

The first technology is photovoltaic (PV) cells. Here large, solar panels made of silicon are erected on land in such a way that sunlight falls directly on them, and gets converted into power. Solar producers in Gujarat using the PV technology will get Rs 15 per unit for the first 12 years and Rs 5 per unit from year 13 to year 25. By comparison, thermal and hydro cost Rs 4-6 per unit.
The second technology is solar-thermal power. Here, the sun’s energy is used to fire a steam turbine, and generate power. For solar-thermal producers, GERC has fixed the tariff at Rs 11 per unit for the first 12 years and Rs 4 per unit from year 13 to year 25. “The long-term benefits far outweigh the initial cost of setting up a plant,” says Gujarat energy minister Saurabh Patel.

Both technologies have their pros and cons. The investment in solar thermal is lower, which means a faster payback. But solar thermal needs greater maintenance and is less effective in winters. By comparison, the PV cell technology is quicker and easier to install. It’s mostly a matter of transporting the PV cells to the plant site and wiring them up. PV cells have a long life — at least, 25 years — and their operating cost is lower than solar-thermal. Of the 21 companies that have signed PPAs in Gujarat so far, 20 have opted for PV technology.

On the demand side, Gujarat is placing new conditions on companies that generate and distribute power, which will nudge them towards solar. So, power-distribution companies have been asked to source 5% of their energy requirements for 2010-11 from renewable sources (3% in 2009-10). This will increase to 6% in 2011-12 and 7% in 2012-13. Of this, solar will have to account for 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%, respectively. An allocation of 0.25% means an assured offtake of about one-fourth of the upcoming solar capacity.
Similarly, power developers in Gujarat have been told that for every 10 units of energy they generate from non-renewable sources like coal, they will have to generate one unit from renewable ones — in Gujarat, that means solar, wind, bagasse and hydro. Given the total power capacity of 10,000 MW in the state, that’s about 1,000 MW from renewable sources.

Of the four renewable sources, solar and wind are expected to account for a lion’s share. Gujarat has signed PPAs for about 1,000 MW of wind energy. “An equal capacity is expected in solar,” Anmol Singh Jaggi, director, Gensol Consultants, an Ahmedabad-based consultancy that specialises in renewable power. The state government is learnt to have received applications for about 800 MW for the second round of solar PPAs, which are likely to be signed this month.

Developers are rushing to Gujarat because of the favourable terms it offers. GERC has estimated the average cost of solar-power generation to be Rs 12.40 a unit, including a 14% margin. “The IRR (internal rate of return, calculated for a 25-year operating cycle) works out to 19% from the first year,” says Ravi Surapaneni, vice-president, Solar Semiconductor, which is setting up a 20 MW plant in the state. “Once you pay off your debt, you own it at practically zero cost. It’s like putting your money in a bank and getting returns for perpetuity with great predictability.” Sebastian Morris, an expert on energy, says Gujarat might be offering too much to developers — at the expense of consumers and the state exchequer. Disagreeing with Gujarat’s approach to fix uniform tariffs, the professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, says the state should have fixed the capacity it wanted to put onstream and asked companies to put in tariff bids. “The per unit cost would have been a maximum of Rs 8-10 then, instead of a high of Rs 15 at present.”

The increasing share of solar in Gujarat’s power basket will increase the purchase price for distribution companies — and, by extension, for consumers. “In 2012, once solar enters the grid, consumers will have to pay at least 7% more,” says KK Bajaj, director of the Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), an Ahmedabad-based consumer forum. Morris also expresses reservation over the 25-year commitment period. “A technology should not outlive the tariff period,” he says, expressing fears that India may emerge as a dumping ground for old solar technologies.

Meanwhile, companies have their own challenges to overcome, as they turn their plans into plants. Solar plants based on PV cells — the technology of choice — need a lot of land. Typically, it’s five acres per MW — or the size of five football fields. “Companies will have to get the land themselves,” says energy minister Patel. “The state will only recommend places where projects could come up.”

Moser Baer’s Puri says land acquisition is “a challenge”, but not as much as, say, buying a coal mine or building a dam. “For solar, you are not tagged to a site (unlike, say, a thermal plant, which has to be close to a coal mine or a rail head). You can set it up on fallow, unused land.”

A majority of the projects are expected to come up in the districts of Banaskantha, Mehsana, Patan and Surendranagar, which are largely dependent on agriculture and trading. Industrial clusters in Bharuch and Kutch districts are also in the mix. The department of energy and petrochemicals is also chalking out a ‘solar park scheme’, which offers land and connectivity to the grid.
The next challenge is funding. “A 15 MW plant will cost about Rs 200 crore, of which, about 60% is the cost of panels,” says James V Abraham, MD & CEO, SunBorne Energy Technologies, which is a setting up a 15 MW plant in Kutch.
Venture capital (VC) funds and private equity funds are beginning to close deals. For instance, VC fund Helion Venture Partners has invested an undisclosed amount in Azure Power, a solar developer that is putting up 15 MW capacity in Gujarat. “Our sweet spot for investment will be $2-10 million to get the companies started, which can then bring in large investors,” says Sanjeev Aggarwal, managing director, Helion. “We still have to see how the Indian government makes debt available at lower interest rates.”
On the positive side, economies of scale and improvements in technology are driving costs down. “There’s been a 20% reduction in costs in the last two years,” says Rajiv Jain, associate director, government affairs, India Semiconductor Association. At this rate, Abraham of SunBorne expects solar to achieve ‘grid parity’ — cost the same as conventional sources of power — in seven years. The pace of the movement towards parity will largely determine whether, in its race to become a solar hub, Gujarat gave out more than it needed to or could afford. For now, policymakers in the state are busy counting megawatts and enjoying their time under the sun.
What other states are doing

Rajasthan

Plans, Rajasthan has plenty — so far, 530 companies have registered with the state’s nodal renewable-energy agency to generate 13,000 MW of solar power. But there’s no policy yet. “It is expected soon,” says state energy minister Jitendra Singh. Meanwhile, the state has cleared 91 MW of projects, of which, 66 MW is a migration to the National Solar Mission being funded and managed by the Centre.

Singh says the state is planning to create dedicated land-banks for solar projects in districts like Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jodhpur and Nagaur. “We are offering land for solar projects at 10% of the district-level committee rates.” In the first phase, the list of companies includes Dalmia Solar Power, Integra Limited, Aston Field Solar and AES Solar Energy. Under the PPA, the purchase price will be Rs 17.91 per unit for PV plants and Rs 15.32 for solar-thermal plants. Both rates are more than what Gujarat is offering.

Tamil Nadu

Unlike Gujarat and like Rajasthan, it doesn’t have a solar policy yet; there’s one expected by the year-end. Meanwhile, it is pushing for capacity through the National Solar Mission, where it feels it has been grossly under-represented. Tamil Nadu asked the Centre to allocate 200-500 MW of the 1,000 MW earmarked for the first phase of the National Solar Mission and it forwarded applications by 129 companies.

The Centre initially shortlisted only 29 projects of about 22 MW of capacity. And the final shortlist has just seven projects, of a total of 7 MW: Amson Power, B&G Solar, Gemini Geoss Energy, Great Shine Holdings, Harrisons Power, Noel Media & Advertising, and RL Clean Power. Says Dr R Christodas Gandhi, CMD, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency: “All the 129 applicants should have been given an opportunity. They were all of competent enough to enter into this segment.”

(Himanshu Darji, Mitul Thakkar and Shelley Singh, Peerzada Abrar, Rituraj Tiwari, Sangeetha Kandavel)

Rs.300-cr new cancer hospital,medical college in 2011 in Ahmedabad (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/11/02/rs-300-cr-new-cancer-hospitalmedical-college-in-2011-in-ahmedabad/)

A new super specialty cancer hospital being built on the site of New Swadesi Mill Compound in Ahmedabad is set to begin its OPD ward from November 11. A self-financed medical college will also start enrolling from the August next year.

Talking to a press conference here at Ahmedabad Health Minister Shri Jaynarayan Vyas said that this super specialty hospital, founded by Gujarat Cancer Society on the expense of Rs.300-crore, is equipped with 320 beds. Hospital and linked research centre and medical college will be at par with the best in the country on the count of construction, facilities and medical expertise. Providing good facilities to patients as well a staff giving empathic treatment, has been given a high importance.

He said that a self-financed medical college will also begin from the next year on the same site where 150 seats will be filled in the first year. State government is in touch with Medical Council of India for the same. He added that the state government has planned to start new medical colleges in the state. This will increase nearly 7,500 beds in next five years, enabling more patients to take timely treatment.

Shri Vyas informed that around one crore people is getting affected by cancer every year and 50-lakh dies due to untimely diagnosis and unavailability of latest treatment. Lifestyle changes have also made younger people catch this life-threatening disease. A super specialty hospital in such times will like a blessing for cancer patients.

Chairman of Gujarat Cancer Society Shri Pankaj Patel, Director of M.P.Shah Cancer Hospital Dr.Pankaj Shah along with senior doctors were also present on the occasion. Dr. Pankaj Shah said that this newly built hospital will have latest facilities like trauma centre, day stay unit, four operation theaters, labor rooms, radiology department, pathology, biochemistry, microbiology lab and blood bank.

Gujarat government, a year back, had given a 25-acre land on the site of New Swadeshi Mill Compound to Gujarat Cancer Society, to start a hospital and a medical college and thus to broaden the base of medical services and education in the state. Cancer society rapidly worked upon it and has erected the most part of this super specialty hospital and medical college within a span of one year.

Same hospital as mentioned above. I am not sure about the helipad though. I guess if there is a helipad then that would be a first and that would be awesome.

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/dnaahmedabad/epaperimages%5C03112010%5Cd28713164-2Ahm%20Main%20Edition-pg4-0.jpg

Source: DNA

^^ Sketchup model.... they should have used the Vray render. It doesn't take long these days.

Beaches to be developed in Gujarat to promote tourism: Govt. (http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article866892.ece)

In a bid to promote tourism in Gujarat, the government will soon undertake development of over a dozen beaches along its 1,600 kilometre coastline, State Tourism Minister Jay Narayan Vyas said here today.

“The move is expected to attract investments both from domestic and overseas to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore in the forthcoming Vibrant Gujarat Investor Summit,” Vyas claimed.

“The idea is to encash on the naturally available maximum number of beach weather days (238 out of 365) in Gujarat. The techno—feasibility study for developing over a dozen beaches has already been conducted by IL&FS and its under scrutiny of the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board,” he said.

Suvali, near Surat district will be amongst the first beaches to be developed by the state, besides Umargaon.

“Suvali alone is pegged to attract investments of Rs 5,000 crore. The model of development is not fixed yet. Some places shall be developed exclusively by the private parties, while others will be given a facelift on Public Private Partnership model,” Vyas said.

“Initially, we shall develop the infrastructure facilities required for a beach to be lively.. like walk ways, water sports, landscaping, caravan facility, holiday home, and hawker zones,” Toursim Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) Managing Director Anoop Shukla said.

The Corporation is expected to spend anything between Rs 10—12 crore per beach on infrastructure development.

“As part of the infrastructure development, each beach is expected to have a resort at its nucleus for which we shall be providing land survey numbers to the developer so that development could gel with existing infrastructure,” Shukla said.

The newly constituted Gujarat Tourism Project Development Corporation Limited (GTPDCL), a joint—venture between the Gujarat government and IL&FS will undertake development of resorts.

“The management contracts for operating the resorts shall be awarded to private players on PPP Model,” Shukla said.

The state expects sudden influx in traffic flow from overseas through the sea route as the Delhi—Mumbai Industrial Corridor stretch passing through here is expected to spur the economic activity manifolds.

“In such a scenario, well developed beaches along the coastline would be ideal recreational spots in the state,” Vyas said.

Among the major beaches proposed to be developed are Suvali (near Surat), Pingleshwar and Mandvi in Kutch, Gopnath, Sarkeshwar, Tithal, Miyani, Ahmedpur, Nagrol, Umargaon, besides Poshitra, Shivrajpur, Okhamadi and Bet Dwarka which are part of the master plan for development of Dwarka.

State invites Gulf countries for Vibrant investors’ meet (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/State-invites-Gulf-countries-for-Vibrant-investors--meet/706915/)

The state government has invited investors from the Gulf countries to take part in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit to be held on January 12-13 next year.

A delegation comprising senior government officials and industrialists visited countries like UAE, Oman, Qatar and Egypt to brief the investors about the summit and opportunities in the state .

Sources said the state is targeting the middle east countries hoping a good flow of investments as Gulf investors are gradually withdrawing themselves from the US and European countries owing to unfavourable political conditions in the past few years.

Experts feel that though many Gulf countries have moved to Malaysia and other south-eastern Asian countries, Gujarat stands a fair chance as their economies are not as big and vibrant as India.

The state government wants to tap the opportunity as the state is growing at a fast pace and there is enough scope for foreign investors.

Modi launches Investors facilitation portal and GIS based investors support system


Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today launched Investors facilitation website portal and GIS based investors support system manual in Gandhinagar.
The portal has been launched ahead of fifth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2011 to facilitate single window online system for investors.

The GIS manual, supported by Gujarat govt agency IndextB and BISAG, will be helpful in selection of proper land scientifically, and will provide details on infrastructural facilities. An investor will be able to track the progress of his proposal through this single window website portal.
Investors facilitation website-portal has been created by Tata Consultancy.

______________________________________________
Source: http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/11/04/modi-launches-investors-facilitation-portal-and-gis-based-investors-support-system/



Gujarat Govt Initiatives. (http://hims30482.blogspot.com)
Gujarat unknown tourist places. (http://hims30482.blogspot.com)
Gujarati Food lovers delight. (http://hims30482.blogspot.com)

Some more beach news!!

Govt to levy tax on soon-to-be developed six beaches in state (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201011062010110600264938591cebd28/Govt-to-levy-tax-on-soontobe-developed-six-beaches-in-state.html)

The state government, which has planned to develop six beaches for the promotion of tourism in Gujarat, has now decided to levy tax on them. The state will soon undertake development of over a dozen beaches along the 1,600-km coastline. The move is likely to attract investments from domestic and overseas to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore during the ensuing Vibrant Gujarat Investor Summit.

“The Tourism Department has floated tender for six beaches. The beach development project will be a public private partnership (PPP) initiative. We hope to finalise the modalities in 10 days so that work can begin at the earliest. The tourists will have to pay for their visit to the beaches,” said Tourism Minister Jaynarayan Vyas.

The beaches, which will be developed 500 meters away from the sea because of the Coastal Regulatory Zone, will boast of all facilities like hotels, restaurants, boats, tents, huts and swimming pools. However, the state, upholding its prohibition policy, has no plans to make these beaches a liquor-free zone.

Initially, the infrastructure facilities required for a beach like walk ways, water sports, landscaping, caravan facility, holiday home, and hawker zones will be developed.

The government wants to make the most of the naturally available maximum number of beach weather days (238
out of 365) in Gujarat. The techno-feasibility study for developing over a dozen beaches has already been conducted by IL&FS and is under scrutiny of the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board.

Six beaches in the first phase

Suvali, near Surat, will be among the first beaches to be developed by the state, besides Umargaon. The other four are: Dwarka, Okha Madhi, Positra and Shivarajpur which will be developed in the first phase.

“Suvali alone is pegged to attract investments of Rs 5,000 crore. The model of development is not fixed yet. Some places shall be developed exclusively by the private parties, while others will be given a face-lift on PPP model,” Vyas had said.

There are 10 more beaches for which, talks are on with private players though it is in nascent stage, said sources. The beaches which will be modernized in the second phase are: Nagrod, Pingleswar, Tithal, Ahmedapur Mandvi, Madhavpur, Kutch Mandvi, Miyani, Bhavani, Dandi and Dumas.

Sea water sports

Sources in the department said that Mandvi beach will specially be developed for sea water sports. A Kutchi food mart, paragliding, cultural show and photo gallery will be the attractions at the beaches. Ahmedpur Mandvi, which will be developed in the second phase, is on a 6-km stretch of clear Arabian waters kissing the beach.

It is one of Gujarat’s lesser-known gems and finest pieces of coastline. Adjacent to the island of Diu, which lies just across a creek, it continues as Ghogla Beach into the adjoining part of mainland Diu.

From lazing on a hammock with a book to bathing in its pristine waters, this beach also offers many water sport adventures and opportunities for dolphin sightings. Situated where Gujarat and Diu come together, Ahmedpur Mandvi provides a rich blend of cultures from Saurashtra and the Portuguese influence from Diu, in several lively fishing hamlets.

Having missed the IT bus a few years ago, Gujarat is now working to get close from where it can make up for the loss.

In the last few months, the state has pegged its hopes on the upcoming IT SEZ infrastructure that is poised to provide a major boost to the damp IT sector in the state. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for instance, has kept its promise and has made quite a headway in the construction of its 35-acre IT SEZ campus, Garima Park. The campus is being developed by Tata Realty and Infrastructure.

Mindspace, promoted by K Raheja Corp. was the first IT-SEZ in the state to become operational near Koba Circle on Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar knowledge corridor. In March, Mindspace signed its first contract with USbased Kendle's group, a leading global clinAHMEDABAD: Having missed the IT bus a few years ago, Gujarat is now working to get close from where it can make up for the loss.

In the last few months, the state has pegged its hopes on the upcoming IT SEZ infrastructure that is poised to provide a major boost to the damp IT sector in the state. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for instance, has kept its promise and has made quite a headway in the construction of its 35-acre IT SEZ campus, Garima Park. The campus is being developed by Tata Realty and Infrastructure.

Mindspace, promoted by K Raheja Corp. was the first IT-SEZ in the state to become operational near Koba Circle on Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar knowledge corridor. In March, Mindspace signed its first contract with USbased Kendle's group, a leading global clinical research organisation (CRO). The state government has allotted about 93 acres to Mindspace out of which 68 acres is notified for SEZ while 25 acres is for supporting activities.

InfoCity, state's first ITES park, is in talks with TCS and Wipro for developing additional IT space for the later, as was reported by TOI earlier. Recently, 3rd Eye Voice IT SEZ, Ahmedabad's first IT/ITES special economic zone (SEZ), is all set to become operational in March 2011.

Company officials claim that close to 100 small companies functioning from different locations under Software Technology Park of India (STPI) scheme are planning to shift to the upcoming Rs 550-crore project.

"TCS's Garima Park, estimated to be a Rs 420-crore plus project, would seefour blocks of TCS facility by the later half of 2011 which will cater to the needs of government and TCS's utility sector clients. The total construction area, including basement of the park will be about 1.40 lakh sq mt. The facility would exclusively focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects being executed by TCS for its global clients. Currently, TCS operates from a rented space on InfoCity campus," says a senior Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) official.

Also after DLF and Vascon Engineering which have either scrapped or put on hold their IT infrastructure plans, talks are on for allotting land for Satyam's IT park in Gandhinagar. About three months ago, Ganesh Housing Corporation had sought extension of the validity period of formal approval beyond December, 2009 for its IT SEZ near Chharodi.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/State-pegs-hopes-on-upcoming-IT-infrastructure/articleshow/6882202.cms

Govt to free 12K ha land of Narmada command area

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government has finally begun the process of decommanding or freeing 12,812 hectares (ha) of land in Viramgam taluka from the Narmada command area. This has been done to meet the needs of massive industrialization that the government is expecting since the Tata Motors' Nano plant came up just 20 km away. Work for Narmada canal networking in nine villages in Viramgam taluka was stopped early this week with a special investment region (SIR) planned on 138 sq km of area here.

The nine villages where canal network was to be constructed, but has been halted are Jalampur, Sachana, Jakhwada, Kalyanpur, Ogan, Karakthal, Liya, Vansva and Torhi-Thambha. Canal network in the Narsinhpura branch of the Narmada canal passing through Viramgam will not happen.

Contractors, who had taken up the work, have been asked to stop work. It will mean a boon to farmers who will get back their acquired land and will be able to sell them for industrial use at three times the jantri rate.

"Two tenders were already being implemented, while two others were allotted but were not yet executed," a senior bureaucrat said, adding, "We will follow a similar pattern whether it is Dholera or Santalpur or other areas where industrialisation and urbanization will happen. Why should SSNNL waste money when waters here will not be used for agricultural purposes?" The field staff has been told to do necessary "decommanding" procedure.

Already, SSNNL has carried out a massive exercise in identifying areas which are proposed to be converted into industrial zones across Gujarat, including half-a-dozen SIRs, 60-odd special economic zones (SEZs), and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), which overlaps the 458-km-long Narmada main canal. Although officials are not ready to comment, the move will allow fore water to be transferred for industrial use, which will fetch SSNNL more than market rate.

As Narmada is the only perennial source of water, SSNNL is providing more Narmada water for industrial use than what the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award (NWDT) had envisaged. As against the envisaged 0.86 million acre feet MAF of water for industrial and domestic use, Comptroller and Auditor General of India estimated a year ago that the total usage has already crossed 3.01 MAF, mainly for industrial use. Whether state government will be allowed to provide more water to industry by the Narmada Control Authority is another story.

Read more: Govt to free 12K ha land of Narmada command area - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Govt-to-free-12K-ha-land-of-Narmada-command-area/articleshow/6897551.cms#ixzz14t2d74BS

:cheers:

State to get 2 Port Cities at Mundra & Pipavav (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/State-to-get-two-port-cities-at-Mundra-Pipavav/articleshow/6897549.cms)

After Dholera, Dahej, Changodar and Sanand, Gujarat government is planning to develop two greenfield cities. Conceptualised on the lines of port cities like Singapore and Rotterdam, the new ones at Mundra and Pipavav will be spread over an area in the range of 100 to 200 square kilometres.

According to top-level government officials, separate studies are already being carried out for both the cities by consulting firm Mott Macdonald. While Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) will be executing Mundra port city project, the one at Pipavav is being developed by Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation ( GIDC).

The Mundra port city, with an area of 200 to 250 sq km, will be bigger than the one at Pipavav, whose area would be in the range of 100 to 150 sq km.

Confirming the development, additional chief secretary for ports and transport of Gujarat, BK Sinha, said, "The final size and potential investment figure will emerge only once the study is complete, which will be in another 14 weeks." The study for Pipavav city will be completed sooner.

The cities will be developed in a phased manner and will emerge as economically independent hubs in respective regions. Both the cities will have airports and cultural centres. They will thrive on port and shipping-related industries. With Adani group-owned Mundra port emerging as the biggest private sector port in India, the city amenities will be planned keeping in mind growth in next 25 years.

Unlike the new cities at Dholera, Dahej, Changodar and Sanand, the port cities will be outside the direct influence area under Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Another major difference in case of port cities will be that the state government may not invite one company to develop the whole city at one go.


:cheers:

૧૯મી ડિસેમ્બરથી કચ્છમાં સળંગ એક મહિનાનો રણોત્સવ

આ વખતના રણોત્સવ માટે અદમ્ય ઉત્સાહ પ્રથમ ત્રણ દિવસ માટે સો ટકા બુકીંગ થયું

ત્રણ દિવસ અને બે રાત્રિ રણમાં રોકાણની આહલાદકતા માણવા ૪૦૦ ટેન્ટની વ્યવસ્થાઃ ૩૦ નવેમ્બર બુકીંગ માટે અંતિમ મુદત

કચ્છના પુરાતત્વીય અને પ્રાકૃતિક સ્થળોના નિદર્શનની દરરોજ ચાર ઓપ્શનલ પેકેજ ટુરનું રોજેરોજ આયોજન

૧૯મીએ ભુજમાં હમીરસરને કાંઠે કચ્છ-કાર્નિવલઃ પરંપરાગત કચ્છ વાદ્યોનો ભાતીગળ સાંસ્કૃતિક કાર્યક્રમ યોજાશે

ગાંધીનગરઃ શુક્રવારઃ ગુજરાત પ્રવાસન નિગમને ઉપક્રમે આગામી તા. ૧૯ ડિસેમ્બર, ૨૦૧૦ થી તા. ૧૯મી જાન્યુઆરી, ૨૦૧૧ સુધી સળંગ એક મહિનો કચ્છના રણોત્સવની ઊજવણી કરવામાં આવશે. પ્રવાસીઓના આકર્ષણનું તોરણ બનેલા કચ્છના પ્રાકૃતિક અને પુરાતત્વીય સ્થળો લોકો નિહાળી શકે તે માટે આ વખતે દેશ-વિદેશના પ્રવાસીઓ માટે ટેન્ટ બુકીંગની ખાસ વ્યવસ્થાઓ ગોઠવવામાં આવી છે. કચ્છના રણમાં ધોરડો પાસે ચંદ્રમાના અજવાળે સફેદ રણમાં કેમલ સફારી, કચ્છના સ્થાનિક કલાકારો દ્વારા પરંપરાગત સંગીત વાદ્યોના સાંસ્કૃતિક કાર્યક્રમો યોજાશે.

૧૯મી ડિસેમ્બરના રોજ સાંજે ભુજના ઐતિહાસિક હમીરસર તળાવને કિનારે કચ્છ કાર્નિવલ યોજાશે. જ્યારે ૨૦મી ડિસેમ્બરના રોજ સફેદ રણમાં ચંદ્રમાના અજવાળે કચ્છ સાંસ્કૃતિક કાર્યક્રમ યોજાશે.

પ્રવાસન સચિવ શ્રી વિપુલ મિત્રાએ કચ્છના રણોત્સવના આયોજનની વિગતો આપતાં જણાવ્યું હતું કે, સફેદ રણમાં ધોરડો ગામે નિગમ દ્વારા ૪૦૦ ટેન્ટની નગરીનું નિર્માણ કરાશે. જેમાંથી ૧૫૦ ટેન્ટ વાતાનુકુલિત બનાવાશે. અત્યાર સુધી પ્રથમ ૩ દિવસ માટે તમામ ટેન્ટનું સો ટકા બુકીંગ થઇ ચૂક્યું છે અને રોજેરોજ બુકીંગ માટે પ્રવાસીઓનો ઘસારો જોવા મળી રહ્યો છે. ૩૦મી નવેમ્બર બુકીંગ માટેની અંતિમ સમય અવધિ છે. રાહતનો લાભ લેવા દેશ-વિદેશના પ્રવાસીઓ બુકીંગ કરાવી રહ્યા છે. ૩૦મી નવેમ્બર સુધીમાં બુકીંગ કરાનારા પ્રવાસીઓ કન્સેશન મેળવી શકશે. ૩૦ નવેમ્બર પછી બુકીંગ થઇ શકશે નહી. આ ટેન્ટમાં ૩ દિવસ અને ૨ રાત્રિ દરમિયાન પ્રવાસી રહી શકશે. તેમને કાળો ડુંગર સહિત આજુબાજુના વિસ્તારો બતાવાશે. રાત્રે સાંસ્કૃતિક કાર્યક્રમો યોજાશે. તેમાં કચ્છના પરંપરાગત વાદ્યો મોરચંગ, જોડિયા પાવા, કચ્છી કાફી, કચ્છી ભજનોનો સાંસ્કૃતિક કાર્યક્રમ યોજાશે.

પ્રવાસન સચિવે કહ્યું હતું કે, આ વખતના રણોત્સવની ખાસ વિશેષતા એવી છે કે, રણોત્સવમાં ધોરડો આવનારા પ્રવાસીઓ માટે એક એક દિવસની ઓપ્શનલ પેકેજ ટુર યોજાશે. તેમાં ધોરડોથી નારાયણ સરોવર, કોટેશ્વર, લખપત, કાળો ડુંગર, ધોળાવીરા જેવાં સ્થળોને આવરી લેતી એક દિવસીય ટુર માટે બસની વ્યવસ્થા કરાશે. રણોત્સવ માણવા ઇચ્છતા પ્રવાસીઓ માટે બુકીંગની ખાસ વ્યવસ્થાઓ ગોઠવાઇ છે. આ માટે ખાસ બુકીંગ એજન્ટો નક્કી કરાયા છે. વિદેશી પ્રવાસીઓ પણ મોટી સંખ્યામાં આવવાની વકી હોવાથી તેઓ સરળતાથી ટેન્ટ બુક કરાવી શકે તે માટે ફોરેનર્સ ટુરિસ્ટ માટે ખાસ વ્યવસ્થા ગોઠવી છે.

પ્રવાસન ક્ષેત્રે કચ્છનું મહત્વ વધી રહ્યું છે. પ્રવાસીઓ માટે એક મહિનાની મુદતનો આ રણોત્સવનો લાભ લેવા અને ૩૦મી નવેમ્બર સુધીમાં બુકીંગ કરાવી લેવા અનુરોધ કરવામાં આવ્યો છે.


Source: http://www.gujaratinformation.net/press.html
A Gujarat Govt news portal........



100% booking for first three days at month-long Kutch Rannotsav to begin on December 19

Gandhinagar, Friday: Even as November 19 is the last date of availing concession, all the 400 tents, including 150 air-conditioned ones, are booked for the first three days of forthcoming Rannotsav to be held at Dhordo in the Kucth district from December 19, 2010 to January 19, 2011.

It will begin on December 19 with Kutch carnival on the banks of Bhujs historic Hamirsagar Lake, to be followed by cultural festival on December 20 in the backdrop of vast starches of silver white Rann of Kutch. Special arrangements have been made for booking 3-day-2-night stay.

According to Tourism Secretary Vipul Mitra, the popularity of the festival, also known as Rannotsav, being organized by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL), is increasing every year among domestic and foreign tourists.

A 400-tent township is being erected. The highlights include camel safari, especially to enjoy moonlit night, Kutchi bhajans, accompanied by traditional musical instruments like Morchang, Jodia Pava and Kafi by local artists.

The added attractions for the current year are four optional package tours by buses from Dhordo to natural beauty spots, religious and archeological sites at Narayan Sarovar, Koteshwar, Lakhpat, Kala Dungar (meaning Black Hills) and Dholavira.


_______________________________________________

Kutch ranotsar dec10,khel kumbh nov10,Gunotsav nov10,Vibrant Gujarat summit jan11,VancheGujarat for year....http://is.gd/gZxEs ..... it is our GUJARAT


Who is etrepreneur (default for gujjus)....http://is.gd/gZEfj

GANDHINAGAR: The latest National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report, 'Migration in India', has found Gujarat to have the highest rate of urbanisation among all other states in the country. Based on a survey carried out by NSSO across India in 2007 and 2008, the report significantly suggests that fast pace of urbanisation in Gujarat is mainly due to intra-state migration with large sections of rural people migrating to urban areas within the state instead of going out.

The report has found that 6.5% of all urban households in Gujarat are of migrants from within the state, which is the highest in the country. This is followed by Kerala (6.4%) and others. Maharashtra is on the lower side at 2.9%.

Again, 90.6% of Gujarat's rural migrants refuse to go outside the state, finding the state a better place to live in, which is the main reason for the rapid pace of urbanisation. Of these, 60.7% go to another district and 29.8% shift to another place in the same district.

Read more: Gujarat tops in pace of urbanization - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-tops-in-pace-of-urbanization/articleshow/6922494.cms

^^ Its actually a bad news.

They should do a CID: Gujarat :lol:

DFS to test for chinks in armour (http://ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?page=section&xslt=&sectid=3&sectname=City)

To shield its special force personnel with bulletproof jackets, the Gujarat government has decided to set up a ballistic firing range at the Gandhinagar Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS). Once it is set up, Gujarat will be the first state in the country to have its own centre to test bulletproof equipment including vests, helmets, glass and vehicles.

Three types of bulletproof jackets have arrived at the Gandhinagar DFS for testing
All state governments send bulletproof samples to Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL) situated in Chandigarh for testing. Armours are purchased only after they are okayed by ballistic experts.

As it is the only laboratory where such tests are conducted, states have to wait for as long as nine months for their turn. By setting up a ballistic firing range here, the government will eliminate the waiting time, get the tests done for free and also ensure transparency. The range is expected to be functional in two months.

Delay in tests

After Mumbai cops Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte died battling terrorists, Gujarat government
approved a police proposal demanding bulletproof jackets meeting protection level-III plus. The jackets are designed to deflect close range attacks by AK series of rifles including the AK 47 — a favourite among terrorists.

Most police departments in India use III A level armours, which are designed to withstand small arms fire from handguns and carbines at a range of 5 to 10 metres. But these jackets are useless against machine gun and AK series fire.

“We used to get the equipment checked at TBRL, but the delay caused problems with defence grants that have to be returned if not utilised on time. We thought of setting up a ballistic firing range at the Gandhinagar DFS to solve the problem,” said DGP S S Khandwawala.

A team comprising JCP (Sector-II) Atul Karwal and two forensic experts visited Chandigarh to check out the set-up there. Confirming this, Karwal said, “We went to TBRL where all state governments and defence wings conduct tests on bulletproof equipment. Their standard is pretty high but the waiting is long. The visit assured us that we could create replicate the facility in Gandhinagar.”

Facilities at range

The Chandigarh range was built as per specifications drawn up by US-based National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The soundproof range is computerised so that a gun can be fired automatically. The range is air-conditioned to maintain a steady temperature of 30 degree Celsius. It also has a firing table that allow a gun to be fired at various angles.

S G Khandelwal, Deputy Director of Ahmedabad FSL who will be in-charge of the Gandhinagar ballistic range, said: “We will test the jackets on plasticine mannequins to check the trauma (impact) caused by a bullet to ensure that the wearer does not suffer internal injuries. To check helmets, we will use aluminium models of heads.” The parameters specified by NIJ are so stringent that we will be able to check only one jacket a day, he added.

Open firing range

Meanwhile, plans are on to develop an open firing range at the Karai Police Academy to test bulletproof vehicles.

DGP S S Khandwawala said, “We have set up 22 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) this year which will be upped by 18 next year. Two teams, with at least 20 members, will be stationed in Ahmedabad to handle riots, terrorist attacks and control mobs. They will be armed with the bulletproof equipment checked at the Gandhinagar DFS.”

Transparent procedure

Later, the DFS plans to accept samples for testing from other states. This will reduce the load on TBRL and help the DFS earn an income.

However, officials will ensure transparency after reports of major irregularities in the purchase of bulletproof jackets for security forces emerged in January. A joint director at TBRL had allegedly rigged the ballistic trial held to shortlist vendors. Manipulations included altering the sequence of firing at ‘will’; continuation of firing in below-normal visibility; ignoring wet firing norms, and not allowing vendors to attend the test firing trial.

At Gandhinagar, officials will ensure that the vendor, the buyer and FSL experts are present when tests are being conducted. The concerned parties will have to sign assent and release forms to guarantee transparency.

What is Level III-plus?

Level III-plus is a special and recently designed range of protection level III ballistic armour that provides protection against 9mm bullet fired through Sten Machine Carbine from a distance of five metres; 12 bore shot (solid slug) fired through full length shotgun from a distance of 10 metres; 7.62 mm bullet NATO ball ammunitions fired through 7.62 mm SLR from a distance of 10 metres; and 7.62 mild steel core bullet fired through AK series from a distance of 10 metres.

Three types of bulletproof jackets have already arrived at the Gandhinagar DFS for testing. They differ in weight, capacity, design and use. The jackets can be used by personnel during rioting, terrorist attacks and gunbattle.

Now if this project kick off then it would be really good for the people who dont know what to do in the middle of the night if they have back pain or something. Hopefully they implement it soon

Gujarat plans 104 health helpline for non-emergency (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/11/18/gujarat-plans-104-health-helpline-for-non-emergency/)

After Assam and Andhra Pradesh, now Gujarat will start a health information helpline service, known as ’104′, for the people of the State.The tender process is on, and actual helpline will start working most probably next year.

Once the help line starts working, the people would no longer have to wait in queues to seek a doctor’s help or advice, as all health-related information would be readily available round-the-clock just by making a call through mobile or landline phones.

As of now, Deputy Director, Medical Services Commissionerate of Health, Medical Services, Medical Education and Research, is in process of scouting agency that would do call centre task.

An inbound domestic call centre will function as a public helpdesk providing information about queries in the following areas.

1. Pre and Post operative medical care and tracking services
2. Booking appointments with a medical practitioner
3. Managing long term conditions like diabetes, heart issues etc.
4. Response to health scares and other localized epidemics
5. Mental health advice (stress, depression, anxiety, post-trauma recovery)
6. Health and symptoms checker (initial assessment, flu advice, pregnancy related information etc)
7. First aid information
8. Any other health related services

Some of the key services include are:

• Rehab counseling (Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking)
• Psychological counseling (Anxiety, Depression etc.)
• First level medical advice and suggestive medication
• First aid
• Information regarding medical facilities- hospitals, pharmacies, independent practitioners.
• Women and child care information
• Family planning counseling
• Information regarding alternate medication (AYUSH)
• Counseling about stigmatized diseases (HIV, AIDS, Leprosy)
• Nutrition and hygiene Information
• Health alerts and warnings
• Submission of any department related grievances
• Liaison with 108 (GVK-EMRI) helpline to cater to people who may require emergency care.

The services will be available in three languages, viz. Gujarati, Hindi and English. The ratio of doctors to other staff will be maintained as at least 1 doctor for every 6 paramedics. The service provider will offer a per call rate for the services provided. A call will be defined as a phone conversation that lasts for at least one minute. Beyond one minute, all calls will be charged at a flat rate regardless of the duration of the call.

The expected outcomes of this project include:

1. Access to health information for all strata of society.
2. State would be better equipped to handle any health crisis by effectively managing the information dissemination process, and directing people to the right place in the least amount of time.
3. Reduction in the number of footfalls in hospitals.
4. State would be able to optimize the resources in the Healthcare system – funds, personnel, facilities etc.
5. Increased acceptability of confidential medical counseling services, resulting in a decrease in the number of people suffering from such conditions.

A toll free number is proposed to be used to render these services to citizens in the state.

The envisaged call routing of any call coming to the call center is the following:

1. A beneficiary dials the ‘104’ helpline number

2. The call is received by a paramedic

3. If the beneficiary needs emergency care, the call is routed to ‘108’ helpline

4. If the beneficiary needs information, counseling or medical advice, then citizen details are captured and entered in the system

5. The paramedic provides information to the beneficiary as per the data that is available with the helpdesk

6. If the beneficiary asks for medical advice then the paramedic asks for symptoms from the citizen

7. The paramedic provides advice with the support of clinical decision support system available to him/her

8. The paramedic can suggest hospitals/private practitioners to be visited by the beneficiary for further clinical advice

9. The paramedic can also provide information about nearby pharmacists in case the beneficiary needs to know where he can procure medicines etc.

10. If the beneficiary is not satisfied with the counseling, information or medical advice, or if the paramedic believes that more expertise is required to assist the beneficiary, the call is routed to an available doctor.

11. The doctor then tries to provide the relevant information, counseling or advice to the beneficiary.

Paramedic Suitable candidates will be holders of any of the following qualifications:
1. Bachelor of Pharmacy or Diploma in Pharmacy
2. Bachelor of Physiotherapy
3. Bachelor of Science (Nursing)
4. Bachelor of Science (Life Science)
5. General Nursery and Midwifery
6. Master of Social Work

Doctor
1. MBBS / MD (General Practitioner)
2. BDS
3. Clinical Psychologist
4. Degree in AYUSH medicine practices

The development of non emergency health helpline is based on the rapid technological advances that have been happening. The ability to remotely diagnose a person enables specialized care to reach a far greater number of people than it ever did. Also, the development of medical triage algorithms means that people can do highly reliable self by simply providing the symptoms observed. The following table outlines the details of the Non-emergency health helpline service project. It is widely recognized that the health infrastructure across the country is greatly stretched to beyond its real capacity. The socio economic review by the Gujarat state (2007-08) states that more than 60% of villages lie beyond 5 kilometers from the nearest PHC and more than 40% of villages lie beyond 5 kilometers from any medical/health facility (including private 20 dispensaries). This often leads to long waiting times before a person can receive medical advice. It has been also noted that Gujarat has 50% penetration as far as the mobile phone connections are concerned. The best way to provide medical advice is to reach out to people with the most widely available communication medium i.e. telephones.

Narendra Modi Draws a Crowd in Mumbai (http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/11/18/narendra-modi-draws-a-crowd-in-mumbai/)

If there were ever a doubt about Narendra Modi’s pulling power among businessmen, consider this: So many showed up at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Mumbai Wednesday for a Gujarat promotion event featuring the state’s chief minister that some had to watch it on video from another room and others had to wait in massive lines for lunch—and frequently reached the front of the line only to be met by empty serving dishes.

As the ever-gracious Taj staff rushed to refill the daal, paneer and assortment of pastries, the river of businessmen kept flowing. Almost twice the 250 expected at the event showed up, organizers said. Invitees were promised the chance to hear Mr. Modi’s address and stay afterward to talk business with his top lieutenants.

So many came that they couldn’t fit into the 250 seats set up in the Crystal Room and the overflow crowd of 200 had to watch Mr. Modi extol the virtues of Gujarat over video in another room. The state has developed a reputation for being able to do what most other regions of India cannot—streamline the process of setting up industries so they can rapidly build and expand. When the Tata Group ran into trouble building its Nano compact car manufacturing plant in West Bengal state two years ago, the company found a ready home in Gujarat.

Mr. Modi, addressing the audience intermittently in both English and Hindi, apologized to those who had to watch him on television, noting that interest in the western coastal state of Gujarat was at fever pitch compared to 2005, when only 80 people showed up at the first Mumbai event organized as a prelude to what has become a biennial business summit in Gujarat. The next one is scheduled to be held in January.

The state of Gujarat has been running a high profile media campaign called “Vibrant Gujarat,” showcasing the state as being the most business friendly in India. The state has hired a public relations firm, APCO Worldwide, with 50 people dedicated to promoting Gujarat as a business destination, company officials said.

Perhaps it was a sign of Mr. Modi’s national political ambition that he cast himself as not only looking out for Gujarat’s business interests—but also India’s.

Lapsing into Hindi, he said that he had been focusing his efforts on Gujarat but he wanted the entire country to benefit also from the summit. So he was inviting all states in India to attend the summit and he would help make business deals that would benefit them as well.

Then he returned to touting Gujarat, saying: “If you want to be with the times, you must be in Gujarat. If you want to be ahead of the times, you must be in Gujarat.”

Hyundai in communication with Gujarat govt to set up car plant here (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/11/20/hyundai-in-communication-with-gujarat-govt-to-set-up-car-plant-here/)

According to report published in Hindu Business Line, Hyundai Motors which has two plants in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, is looking at Gujarat as a location for its next plant in India.

Three top Hyundai Motors officials are reliably learnt to have made a presentation on Thursday to top Gujarat Government officials who had come to Bangalore with their road show. HBL reports that it is learnt that the Gujarat Government is keen on getting Hyundai setting up its next plant in the State and has agreed in principle to provide the infrastructure support needed.

Hyundai will require about 500 acres, and an additional 200-300 acres for vendors, for its third plant which may entail a direct investment of approximately Rs 4,000 crore.

Hyundai expects to decide on the plant location as well as capacity and investments within the next two quarters, as the new plant will take two years to go on stream. However, the company is expected to decide on its new diesel engine plant in the next two months during which the feasibility study would be completed.

Hyundai Motors, which is trying to resolve labour issues at its two plants near Chennai, is conducting a feasibility study to decide on a location for its next plant. It is learnt that while it is not against setting up another plant in Tamil Nadu itself, or even in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat would offer the car-maker better access to markets in north and western India, sources in the industry said.

Also, there is proximity to ports for exports. Another factor that may favour Gujarat is that companies here are not mandated to recognise labour unions. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, is mulling over enacting a law that requires companies to have a registered and recognised labour union as Maharashtra and West Bengal do.

Hyundai has about 20 per cent market share in the country and earns about $2 billion annually from exports. Incidentally, Hyundai is the largest exporter of cars from India.

Gujarat to set up textile parks for cotton (http://sify.com/finance/gujarat-to-set-up-textile-parks-for-cotton-news-default-klusOieajcc.html)

The Gujarat government is planning to set up separate industrial parks for spinning cotton, state industries minister Saurabh Patel said Saturday. He was speaking here at a seminar on the current status and scope of future development and investment opportunities in the technical textile sector in Gujarat.

The seminar was organised by the Gujarat government and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with the support of the Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb), Ahmedabad Textile Industries Research Association (ATIRA) and Man-Made Textile Research Association (MANTRA).

It was the first in a series of seminars that will span across November and December in a run up to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit-2011 Jan 12-13.

'The objective of this seminar is to bring together relevant government agencies, private sector players and external consultants and advisors to deliberate and gauge the investment opportunities in the Technical Textiles sector in the state,' an official spokesperson said.

Patel said technical textiles are the emerging area for investment in India, given that its potential is still untapped.'

India's technical textile industry will by 2010 be worth $12-15 billion - 12 percent of the global value. Consumption of non-wovens and technical textiles in India is also expected to grow by an additional 150 percent in 2012, in tune with the country's GDP growth.

'In the present scenario, technical textiles have been identified as a great area of potential for upgrading the Indian textile industry,' he added.

Top officials of a host of international and national companies like Gherzi Eastern Ltd, DuPont, Lenzing Fibres, Arvind Mills discussed the growth and opportunities in technical textiles at the seminar.

Gujarat's textile industry's share in the state's industrial production is six percent. It is the largest producer and exporter of cotton and is the third largest denim producer in the world, contributing to 12 percent of India's textile exports.

Construction of a state-of-the-art indigenously designed nuclear power plant unit began on Monday in Gujarat, an official said here.

The first pour of concrete, signifying the zero date (the official start of construction) was achieved at the Kakrapar 3 and 4 atomic power plant, near Surat.

Both the reactors have been designed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

They will be India’s first pair of indigenously designed 700 megawatt (MW) pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWR), the official said. The same technology has been used since 2005 in the company’s 540 MW Tarapur plant, near Mumbai.

Preparations for the Gujarat project started in January this year, after which excavation work was carried out in a record time of four months.

NPCIL has launched four such reactors – two each at Kakrapar, Gujarat and Rawatbhata, Rajasthan in January and August this year. Commercial operations are expected to commence by 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Presently, NPCIL operates 19 nuclear power reactors, with a total installed capacity of 4560 MW. These four reactors would help NPCIL generate up to 9580 MW of electricity by 2016, the official added.

Adani Power synchronizes fourth 330 MW unit at Mundra

Adani Power today announced that that it has successfully synchronized its fourth unit of 330 megawatt (MW) at Mundra in Kutch district of Gujarat.

With the synchronization of this unit Adani Power completes commissioning of all 330 MW units at Mundra and has achieved total generation capacity of 1320 MW of coal fired thermal power generation.

Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani Group said, `` We are expecting that the first 660 MW super critical unit too will be in operation in next couple of months and the subsequent units in rapid succession.``


source (http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/storyShow.php?fileR=20101124112027707&secID=fromnewsroom&secTitle=From%20the%20News%20Room&dir=2010/11/24)

With the Indian car market booming, Ford is planning to set up a second plant and has approached the Gujarat government for land.

According to sources, Ford which has announced eight new models for India by 2015, has been suggested a site near Sanand, where Tata Motors also has its factory for Nano, by Gujarat state government officials.

Ford has been riding high after the success of its Figo hatchback and wants to ramp up quickly to drive in new models and keep the momentum going. "Representatives from financial organizations that represent Ford have visited senior Gujarat government officials, though nothing has been finalized as yet," a source added.

Ford would be the third major auto company to enter Gujarat after General Motors and Tata Motors. Sources said the company is keen to begin the project soon. "They have indicated huge investment plans and if everything goes well, they could be coming in within two to three months to finalize things."

A spokesperson for Ford said, "We have announced aggressive growth plans with our eight new products. We have nothing else to say or add at this time." Ford currently has its factory near Chennai that has a peak capacity of around 2 lakh units. A source said the company also wants to "de-risk" its business by moving out of the Chennai region, which is facing labour union problems. "It will also get locational advantage by moving out of the southern region. A plant in the West will help the company cater to markets faster and more efficiently."

Gujarat looks to be a safe bet for the company, considering the government's efforts to promote the state as a new automobile hub. Also, the entry of Tata Motors and GM has brought in component vendors in big numbers, which is a positive factor for Ford

Source : TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Ford-plans-second-plant-in-India-Gujarat-on-radar-/articleshow/6985617.cms)

Friends,

Yesterday, I met one of the official of the GIFT city in his office situated at Khanij Bhavan, Ahmedabad.

According to him, there will be one special presentation during the next Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2011 about GIFT status.

Now everything has been finalized (plan, vendors, layouts, agencies, structure etc). Bottom line was like:

** Actual Construction work will be started immediately after Vibrant Summit**

Fortunately, I am working in the same premice, so I will knock him repetedly in future also & as I have connection with Gandhinagar, I will visit on the ground also and keep updating you guys.

Over and out.


_______________________________________________

Gujarat unknown Tourist places..........http://is.gd/hLQnX (http://is.gd/hLQnX)

Report of recent developments, khelkumbh-sabarmati marathon-vibrant summit-gunotsav & more...........http://is.gd/hLSCp

Friends,

Yesterday, I met one of the official of the GIFT city in his office situated at Khanij Bhavan, Ahmedabad.

According to him, there will be one special presentation during the next Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2011 about GIFT status.

Now everything has been finalized (plan, vendors, layouts, agencies, structure etc). Bottom line was like:

** Actual Construction work will be started immediately after Vibrant Summit**

Fortunately, I am working in the same premice, so I will knock him repetedly in future also & as I have connection with Gandhinagar, I will visit on the ground also and keep updating you guys.

Over and out.


_______________________________________________

Gujarat unknown Tourist places..........http://is.gd/hLQnX (http://is.gd/hLQnX)

Report of recent developments, khelkumbh-sabarmati marathon-vibrant summit-gunotsav & more...........http://is.gd/hLSCp


Thanks Man ... :banana:

thousands of Gujarati youths settled outside the state for IT related job, this could be a good development.

Patni Computers, a leader company in IT outsourcing and Business Process Outsourcing(BPO) is going to announce its plans for activities in Gujarat today in a press conference.

Patni’s CEO Mr. Jeya Kumar is going to address a press conference in this regard today.

The select press meet has been organized at Gandhinagar based Mindspace SEZ near Koba. The SEZ is developed by Rahejas.

It would be intersting to know about Patni’s future plans in Gujarat. The state really need good number of IT companies and various types of IT related activities here.

Compare to Pune, Bangalore, Gudgaon, and Mumbai, the IT industry is minimal in Gujarat. And many Gujarati youths have to leave the home state to find suitable job in IT sector outside.

Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/11/26/patni-computers-to-announce-gujarat-plans-todayceo-jeya-kumar-in-gandhinagar/)

Buoyed by the infrastructure and talent pool available in and around Gandhinagar, Patni Computer Systems Limited, leading global IT services provider is planning to move all its new BPO business to MindSpace Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Gujarat. So far the company's BPO business used to run from its Noida SEZ even as Patni Computer launched its offshore development centre (ODC) at the MindSpace SEZ in Gandhinagar.

"The inauguration of our new facility in Gandhinagar demonstrates our sustained commitment to this region. We are looking at strengthening our presence in this burgeoning IT delivery hub and expect Gandhinagar to play a crucial part in this delivery expansion strategy. We are doubling our capacity in Gandhinagar from the current 400 seats in the STPI to 770-800 with the launch of ODC facility in the SEZ. Moreover, all our new BPO work, which currently happens in Noida, will move to Gandhinagar because what makes the city attractive is the infrastructure here," said Jeya Kumar, chief executive officer, Patni Computer Systems Limited.

While BPO forms only 15 per cent of Patni Computer's total business of $ 656 million (Rs 3,000 crore approx.) as on financial year 2009, the company expects a growth of 45 per cent in its BPO business.

The move to set up an ODC in the MindSpace SEZ in Gandhinagar is triggered by a recent deal signed by the company to provide product engineering services (PES) and Application Development Management (ADM) services to a leading UK-based enterprise. While the phase one of the SEZ ODC comprises 15,263 sq ft of planned area, the second phase consists of 18,244 sq ft.The headcount of the existing centre stands at 400 at the STPI unit and the new centre at the SEZ plans to hire an additional 350, taking the total to over 750 employees in the next one year.

While in 2009 the company didn't hire anyone, in 2010 Patni has hired 4,000 so far, taking the total strength of the company to 17,000. Patni Computer is also facing a higher attrition rate this year. "Last year the attrition rate was 13 per cent while this year it is 22 per cent. However, while the industry average of tenure is 3.5 years, the same at Patni Computer is 7.5 years," said Kumar. Patni, which opened new delivery centres in Mexico, Texas and China, expects to grow by seven per cent for the year 2010 and 15 per cent by 2011.


Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/patni%5Cs-new-bpo-biz-to-flow-into-gandhinagar/416267/)

Gujarat to churn out two lakh skilled workforce every year

With the state experiencing rapid industrial development and the need for industry responsive skilled manpower ever on the rise, the state government has set an ambitious goal to provide specialised training to two lakh people every year, starting from 2013.

Senior state government officials said the state government has taken up various initiatives under the 'Scheme of Enhancement of Technical Competence & Manpower' to prepare skilled manpower to cater to the demand of different industries.

"By December 2012, we aim to set up 300 skill development centres across the state to prepare skilled workforce for various industries. We aim to build a capacity to train 2 lakh workers every year, once the 300 centres are in place," Dr Chandan Chatterjee, director, The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, told DNA.

With an average funding of Rs1.50 crore for each of the centres, the ambitious project will entail total expenditure to the tunes of Rs450 crore. The state government will bear 50% of the funding.

Of the 300 planned skill development centres, 100 centres will come up in GIDCs and 100 other in existing ITIs. Fifty centres will be set up within premises of various industries, while 50 more centres will come up in public private partnership.

Chatterjee said, "Twenty-two centres have already started imparting training, while construction of 50 more centres has been completed and will start operations soon."

According to officials, more than 15,000 workers were provided skill development training in 2009-10. The number is expected to be much higher this year.

"The skill development project will ensure that the existing and fresh workforce have the required skills to get proper employment in their respective industries," said a senior industries department official.

source (http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_gujarat-to-churn-out-two-lakh-skilled-workforce-every-year_1472948)

Related to ^^

Gujarat govt signs MoU with Tata Motors for Skill Development Center (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/11/27/gujarat-govt-signs-mou-with-tata-motors-for-skill-development-center/)

In presence of Minister of State for Industries Shri Saurabh Patel, the Employment and Training Department on Friday signed a MoU with Tata Motors. Prudent policies of State to help the youth, launching a new initiative to give the youth exposure to industry, Tata Motors would now partner the skill enhancement programme with Sarkhej ITI. Employment and Training Department in collaboration with Industries Department entered in to an agreement to commission the Skill Development Centre at Sarkhej ITI. Director Employment Shri R.M.Jadav and Commissioner of Industries Shri B.B.Swain singed the agreement papers with Vice President Government Affairs Shri A.S.Puri.

Gujarat is fast emerging as an auto-ancillary hub and requires skilled force to sustain development. Tata motors made solemn pledge to support the skill enhancement programme. New vocational courses are to be commissioned on PPP mode. State visualizes around 300 skill development centres across Gujarat by Dec-2012, out of that 22 are already functional. India Can, Team Lease, Gurukul on Line, and other national level trainers have shown their readiness to partner the project. General Motors, Apollo Tyres, Well spun; Toyota Motors have pledged their support.

Gujarat Pavilion wins Gold award at IITF 2010 (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/11/27/gujarat-pavillion-wins-gold-award-at-iitf-2010/)

30th edition of India International Trade Fair is concluding today at Pragati Maidan,New Delhi. The theme for this Fair which was held during November 14-27, 2010 was CLEAN AND EFFICIENT TECHNOLGY, PRODUCTS & SERVICES. Gujarat Pavilion won Gold Award for the excellence in display of the theme prescribed by India Trade Promotion Organization. The Gold Award was presented today by Smt. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister, Government of NCT Delhi in an impressive function held in Delhi. On behalf of Government of Gujarat, this award was received by Shri HC Desai, Advisor(Inv. Promotion), iNDEXTb.

In Gujarat Pavilion, the progress made by Gujarat in the recent years in the area of Clean and Green Energy was exhibited with the help of 3-D live models of solar wind mills, extraction of ethanol from maize, biogas plant, eco Chula, LNG Storage & Distribution network, BRTS bus and station, etc. In addition, all the subjects were treated with related back-lit panels. The project details of Sabarmati Riverfront Development and the initiatives of the Government for water harvesting and recharging were impressively projected through back-lit panels. The display in the Pavilion proved to be star attraction for the visitors to the fair, numbering about 20 lakhs during the course of last two weeks.

Earlier, Gujarat Pavilion received Gold Award in 2005 and 2008 also.

Davos of India? (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/davos-of-india/717331/0)

When it comes to hard selling, perhaps no politician does it better than Gujarat’s chief minister Narendra Modi. The brain behind the Vibrant Gujarat biennial investment jamborees, which has spawned me-too investment melas in several other states as well, has decided to widen the canvass to encompass the whole world.
Slated for January 10-11 next year, Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit (VGGIS), 2011, actually promises just that—a ‘Davos in Action’ kind of destination, where global deals can be struck. This is in stark contrast to the earlier three avatars of VGGIS, which were limited to projecting Gujarat as the ultimate investment destination in the country. What Modi has in mind is a networking event on the lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos or the Global Entrepolis, which Singapore plays host to.

Perhaps one of the reasons the master strategist has chosen to re-invent these high-decibel investment blitzkriegs is the fact that at the last four summits, Gujarat has been able to attract mind-bogglingly large amounts of proposed projects—on last count, during the VGGIS held in 2009, nearly 7,000 MoUs worth an astronomical $240 billion were signed. Unfortunately though, implementation has not been as impressive and over 60% of the proposed projects, ever since the first VGGIS was kicked off amidst much fanfare in 2003, have turned out to be duds. Still, almost every conceivable project on the industrial spectrum has made its appearance in Gujarat.

And so, this time around, come January 2011, Gujarat is all set to give Davos a run for, or rather on, its money. As an inclusive investment hub, Gujarat is set to provide a conducive environment for the striking of deals between international and domestic investors, and with other states as well. In the words of the CM himself when addressing a gathering not so long ago, “Earlier, our focus had been for the benefit of Gujarat (alone) but now we feel the event should help all our Indian states to seek investment. If any state wants to come and sign an MoU with any global company, we will be happy to facilitate this through the event.” Further, domestic companies are being invited to use the Vibrant Gujarat platform to network with other companies and sign agreements with foreign firms.

But that’s not the only aim of the re-invented VGGIS. The Gujarat CM has an audacious agenda with which he hopes to “give a new direction to the country’s investment landscape” by providing countries a platform to interact with each other as well. “For instance, if Sri Lanka wants to invest in Nepal, they can come to Gujarat to commit to one another. We will provide a platform for the whole globe,” this is Modi’s publicly stated vision. The marketing plank, formulated with the assistance of no less than the Washington-based Apco, a top-of-the-rung event management and PR firm, is to remodel the summit as a global business hub where deals are made. Emphasis will be laid not so much on the number of MoUs inked or proposed investment figures running into billions of dollars, but on providing an ideal platform for facilitating investment alliances and exploring business opportunities in Gujarat, in India and across the world. Not surprisingly, the positioning of the event has managed to get Gujarat a host of international partners for 2011, including Japan, Canada, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, the Japan External Trade Organisation and the Commonwealth Business Council.

Roadshows are being planned meticulously by Modi himself, who believes in micromanaging the VGGIS summits down to the minutest details. The CM is not only leading delegations to various countries but also from state to state. The efforts are already reaping dividends, with states like Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh confirming their participation. Talks are in advanced stages with Tamil Nadu, Punjab, MP and Chhattisgarh.

At VGGIS 2011, more than 20,000 delegates from about 80 countries are expected to participate, which would include 100 eminent political leaders and diplomats. But it’s not like the Gujarat CM is completely overlooking his regional constituency’s aspirations either. Gujarat is still being projected as the ideal destination for investors. But here too, Modi is in overdrive to move beyond the conventional catchment areas for investment. So, going beyond the concepts of industrial estates, special economic zones and special clusters, the CM is now working on a much bigger concept for attracting investment into the state. This includes the special investment regions or SIRS, which will involve massive urbanisation of areas where residents would have the advantage of walk-to-work.

One such SIR is being developed at Dholera, located about 140 km from Ahmedabad in the Gulf of Khambhat. As part of its integrated development, it will have an international airport and a metro rail line connecting it to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

Modi is also banking heavily on the advantages that will, in all certainty, accrue to Gujarat by virtue of the fact that 30% of the ambitious Indo-Japanese Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project will pass through Gujarat and over 60% of the state’s geographical area will fall under its influence. Working at breakneck speed, Gujarat has commenced work on six industrial nodes to encash on the opportunities that will be thrown up because of this.

Clearly then, Gujarat is at the threshold of yet another development milestone. A senior state government official succinctly sums it up as, “We are past the stage where we need to run after investors. Investors are queuing in to enter Gujarat. It’s therefore time to spread our wings and take the next big leap into the future by welcoming the whole world to experience the phenomenon called Gujarat.” January 2011 will reveal whether his confidence is misplaced or Gujarat is ready to don the mantle of the Davos of India.

Gujarat: Pharma Summit was held in Ahmedabad (http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowBussinessNews.asp?id=22688)

Ahmedabad: As a run-up to the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit on 12 and 13 January, the Pharmaceutical Seminar & 8th edition of The Pharma Summit was held in Ahmedabad today with the objective of bringing national and international private sector players, advisors and experts together on one platform. The summit was organised by the Government of Gujarat & the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) with the support of the Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb).

Speaking at the seminar, the Chief Guest,Mr Jay Narayan Vyas, Hon’ble Minister of State of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat, said that, “If India wants to become a pharmaceutical power hub, more and more research institutions need to be developed. R&D institutions should have special courses focusing on life sciences. And for making this happen, the pharmaceutical industry needs to sponsor and promote the real time research and R&D. This will in turn help the industry achieve quality and skilled manpower which is the need of the industry today.”

A joint report by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was released today on “India Pharma Inc. – Capitalising on India’s Growth Potential”. The report is an attempt to understand Indian pharmaceutical industry’s trends and recognize the challenges to address them. It looks at the developments in the branded generics market, over the counter products (OTC), vaccines and rural markets, and analyse what lies ahead for the industry as it aims to capitalize on the promise of the domestic market place. The domestic Indian pharmaceutical market has a positive growth trajectory but will also face major transformational challenges in the next decade. The report addresses some of these challenges and identifies key imperatives to accelerate the domestic market’s growth. The report also bets high on Indian pharmaceutical industry being in top 10 of the world by 2020”

The event saw gracious presence of Dr Surinder Singh, Drugs Controller General of India who gave a government perspective on Indian Pharma industry who gave a special address to the Gujarat’s pharma industry and Mr Sultan Ghani, Director, Drug Information Association, India who spoke on Regulatory & Scientific Perspective for Storage & Transportation.

The highlight of the summit was the CEO’s Interactive Roundtable where eminent thought leaders who are leading players in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, consultants and government agencies teamed up to discuss the opportunities for growth in the domestic pharma market. The panel included Dr Surinder Singh, Drugs Controller-General of India; Ranjit Shahani, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Novartis India Ltd; Pankaj Patel, Chairman & Managing Director, Cadila Healthcare Ltd; Dr Rajiv Modi, Managing Director, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Dr Parizad A Elchidana, Managing Director, Apotex Research Pvt. Ltd; and top officials Credit Analysis & Research Ltd, and Apotex Research Pvt. Ltd. Each of the panelists shared their views on the critical areas of concern and challenges that need to be addressed by Indian and foreign pharma companies as they continue to expand operations in the domestic market.

The seminar saw a host of international and national companies participating including GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd; J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Shalby Hospitals.

The Pharma Summit 2010 revealed the colossal potential of India’s domestic market for branded generics, over the counter drugs and in the expanding rural markets and discussed various strategies for the way forward. The audience heard that companies need to suitably adapt their business models to capitalise on this potential and convert these opportunities into success stories. Giving his perspective on the pharma industry, Mr Maheshwar Sahu, IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat, said “The industry is witnessing trends such as acquisition activity, increasing investment, deeper penetration into the rural markets, growth in insurance coverage, innovation in healthcare delivery, the rapid growth of the chronic segment and changes in taxation policies. Taken together, these trends are leading to increased patient affordability and access to quality medical care. Many experts believe that the industry has the potential to grow at a scorching 20% CAGR for the next 10 years to reach US$75 billion by 2020.”

The pharmaceutical summit is the second of 10 sectoral seminars which the Government of Gujarat has planned in the run-up to the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit. The next 8 seminars will be held in the months of November and December 2010 on sectors as diverse as Tourism, Agro & Food Processing, Healthcare, Mineral-based industries, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Information Technology and Biotechnology. The first seminar on Technical Textiles was held in Ahmedabad last week.

Vadodra-Surat-Mumbai Expressway Approved (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=67905)


NHAI has approved the alignment of the proposed Vadodra-Surat-Mumbai Expressway passing through the State of Gujarat, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and the State of Maharashtra. The alignment of Vadodra-Mumbai Expressway passes about 35 km east from Surat city. Feasibility study of the proposed Vadodra-Mumbai Expressway has been completed. Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the proposed Vadodara- Mumbai Expressway is underway. The initial land plan schedule has also been prepared and submitted to the respective Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA) for Vadodra, Bharuch and Surat districts.

The State Government of Gujarat had frozen a width of 600m land along the proposed alignment of the Vadodra-Mumbai Expressway in the year 1993. On completion of the DPR, action will be initiated for procurement of a Concessionaire under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

This information was provided by the Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Kamal Nath to the Rajya Sabha today,

In reply to another question about six laning of a road in the same region, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Shri R P N Singh informed the House that 6 laning between Vadodara and Surat section of NH-8 has already been completed. The six laning between Surat and Dahishar is under implementation since February, 2009 which is likely to be completed by August, 2011. NHAI has initiated the process of appointment of Consultant for preparation of feasibility study for six laning of NH-8A & 8B from Ahmedabad to Rajkot. The process of implementation would be initiated after completion of feasibility study and approval of the project.

If the national highway between Mumbai and Surat is already undergoing 6-laning process, just out of curiosity, why would they need an expressway connecting the same cities on pretty much the same route.

If the national highway between Mumbai and Surat is already undergoing 6-laning process, just out of curiosity, why would they need an expressway connecting the same cities on pretty much the same route.

Expressways doesn't have U Turns, stops, cities intervening (outside city) and doesn't allow heavy trailers and motor cycles. Moreover, this would ensure 100Km/Hour speed that way one can reach Ahmedabad to Mumbai in 5.5 hours rather than like 7 hours from train (offcourse we need rest too)

Farmers eager to sell land for Dholera SIR (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/farmers-eager-to-sell-land-for-dholera-sir/417068/)

There is a good opportunity for corporate houses, entrepreneurs, land buyers and others for making investments in lands in the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), which is emerging as one of India's biggest economic hub.

"The Gujarat government has already declared 43,000 hectares land of 22 villages of two talukas of Dhanduka and Barwala of Ahmedabad district to the special investment region known as DSIR through a gazette on June 4, 2009," said Jayendra Makwana, President of the Dholera Industrial Welfare Association (DIWA) told reporters here on Friday.

Development of processing industries, warehouses, solar power plant, housing sector, international airport among others are to take place in the DSIR, Makwana said.
"The members of the villages falling under DSIR have formed this association and decided to undertake visits to Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch, Dohad, Bulsar, Navsari and in north Gujarat and Saurashtra region for selling their lands to the prospective buyers," he said adding that would help them in signing MoUs with the state government during the 5th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit (VGGIS) scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar on January 12 and 13, 2011. Many MoUs signed during the last four VGGIS held between 2003 and 2009 could not be implemented due to non-availability of land.

"Availability of land in this DSIR is at cheaper rates and is expected to shoot up later giving the example of Sanand town where land prices shot up after Tata Motors shifted its Nano project from Singur," Makwana added.

Report:Ferrari in talks with Gujarat govt (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/12/04/reportferrari-in-talks-with-gujarat-govt/)

According to an article published in Mint today, the Gujarat govt and Italy’s iconic luxury sports car maker manufacturer company Ferrari S.p.A are in talks for setting up of an assembly unit in the state.The report suggests that representatives of the car maker company had a meeting with Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of setting up a plant.

The car will be launched in India possibly next year, and one of the possible locations that the government wants to show Ferrari is close to the Nano plant at Sanand, about 25 kms away from state’s commercial capital Ahmedabad according to report.

The state govt is already in talk with Ford and Hyundai for possible set up of car plants in Gujarat.

Industrialization era in Gujarat seems to be increasing day by day. Way to go.

Mr. Narendra Modi has proved that democracy can work. People admire china, but what Mr. Modi has done is far better than China. And that too in a democratic system. I wish he would be the next prime minister.

JnNURM Best City Awards:Vadodara gets 3 and Surat 1 (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/12/03/jnnurm-best-city-awardsvadodara-gets-3-and-surat-1/)

Vadodara city today got 3 National awards and Surat 1 under the Government of India’s JnNURM schemes. Awards were received by Vadodara Municipal Commissioner Shri M.K. Das and Surat Mayor Shri Ranjeetbhai Gilitwala and Surat Municipal Commissioner Ms. S.Aparna from Union Urban Development Minister Shri Jaipal Reddy at a function of National Conference on Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. These awards were received in the presence of Gujarat Urban Development Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel and Addl. Chief Secretary Shri B.K. Sinha here.

Vadodara city has been awarded for outstanding improvement in water supply & waste water sector, implementation of the project by commissioning 43 mld. sewerage treatment plant based on power generation and best city in implementation of the three pro-poor reforms together while Surat awarded for best Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) city

After receiving the awards, Vadodara Municipal Commissioner Shri M.K. Das appraised that Vadodara has reached to supply the drinking water to 95% population of the city which was 80% in 2005-06. In the next year, 100% population of city will be covered including the area recently merged in the city. He also added that VMC enhanced the 100% sewerage treatment capacity by installing 3 new sewerage treatment plants. Some of treated sewerage water will be used for gardening. VMC has been providing sewerage facility to the 85% population of city which was 65% four years back.

Under the category of best city for implementation of the project, VMC commissioned 43 mld sewerage treatment plants on Upflow Anerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) process which had generated 15.60 lakhs kwh power units last year against its design capacity of 15.24 lakhs kwh which saved Rs.91 lakhs per annum.

The third award was given to Vadodara on best city in implementation of the three pro-poor reforms together. Mission city Vadodara has set the vision of slum free city. City has taken number of steps for upliftment of urban poor, with provision of 10000 job placement under UMEED scheme including construction of 18428 houses and various other steps in education and health improvement programme for urban poor.

After receiving the award, Surat Municipal Commissioner Ms. S.Aparna stated that Surat city has been awarded for best Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) city for the year 2009-10 along with 1.5 lakhs cash award. Surat has completed 25584 dwelling units out of sanctioned 46312 units. The rest of units are in progress. More than 13000 dwelling units are already allotted to slum dwellers and more than 12000 dwelling units have been occupied by slum dwellers. Till today, SMC has completely rehabilitated 27 slum pockets which were located at Tapti river bed, along the creek, BRTS/Canal corridor etc. Also, more than 35 such slum pockets were partially rehabilitated.

AMC has been selected for the award under the category of Best New Innovation Project under JnNURM for Excellence in Urban Transport for the year 2009-10.

Shri F.J.Charpot, Exe. Eng., Shri P.M. Patel, Exe. Eng. of Vadodara Municipal Corporation and Dy. Commissioner Shri C.Y. Bhatt and Exe. Eng. Shri D.M. Patel from Surat attended the function.

Soon you can drive on Airport-G'nagar expressway

State also has plans to convert Sarkhej- G'nagar Highway and Sardar Patel Ring Road into expressway corridor

The state government has come up with a plan to control the traffic menace on three of Ahmedabad's busiest and posh road patches — Airport-Gandhinagar Road, Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway and Sardar Patel Ring Road.
The state government plans to convert these three important roads into the expressway corridor thus restricting the haphazard traffic movement through a special dedicated expressway. Highly placed sources in the state government said that the proposal for the Ahmedabad airport to Gandhinagar Expressway Corridor has been sanctioned.
"The one for SG Highway and SP Ring Road are in the final stages of approval and is likely to be cleared very soon," the source said. He further said that a feasibility study has been awarded to a leading firm for the expressway corridor between Gandhinagar and the airport through Koba-Hansol and for SG Highway and SP Ring Road.
The Urban Development Department, Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority (GUDA), Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) and state revenue department has been instructed to allocate available land for the road. They have also been asked to make appropriate provisions in their development plans/town plans so that the process can be smoothened, the source said.
"The feasibility report is expected soon. The cost estimate will only be available thereafter," he said. The source further said that the expressway corridor will ensure faster traffic movement and also reduce the number of accidents.
The road often sees several accidents due to uncontrolled crossovers by nearby villagers. "Throughout the road, barricades will be installed and all circles will be removed. New underpasses or bridges will also be made," said the source.
He said that once the report is finalised, the government will start the biding process and the work is likely to begin from mid of 2011. Sources in the state government also said that the technical tender for the Rs2200 crore Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway has been received.
"Tenders from nine companies are under scrutiny at present and financial tenders are also likely to be cleared by the end of the month. The project is likely to kick off by January-February," said the source. He said that the land acquisition and mapping for the express way will start soon. "The 110 km road will cover the proposed international airport at Fedra. The expressway will be completed by 2013. The project was announced by the government last year,'' said the source.

Source : Dna

After getting Tata Motors Ltd to relocate its Nano small-car factory near Ahmedabad, Gujarat has now invited Ferrari SpA to build an assembly unit in the state.

Representatives of Italy’s iconic luxury sports car maker met Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of setting up a plant, according to a state government official familiar with the development.

“One of the possible locations that the government wants to show Ferrari is close to the Nano plant at Sanand, about 25km away from Ahmedabad,” the bureaucrat said, requesting anonymity. “The chief minister is projecting the area as the next auto destination of the country.”

A Ferrari executive declined to comment on the matter, but said cars sporting the famous prancing horse logo will be launched next year in India, which will make it the 58th nation where the brand is sold locally.

Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company manufactured racing cars and sponsored drivers before producing street-legal cars as Ferrari SpA in 1947.

Indians who own Ferrari cars, which currently have to be imported, include cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata and UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya.

Tata Motors relocated its plant to produce Nano, the world’s cheapest car, from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in 2008, because of protests by farmers over land acquisition.

Gujarat a few months ago declared Sanand as a special investment region that offers tax holidays and single-window clearances, among other benefits.

Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation has acquired land from farmers at market rates in Sanand to facilitate industries to hasten setting up industrial facilities in the area. Accusing Gujarat of starting a rat race by attracting industries from other states, Congress member of Parliament K.S. Alagiri this week sought the Central government’s intervention in stalling the reported moves of Ford India Pvt. Ltd and Hyundai Motor India Ltd to locate plants outside Tamil Nadu for expansion projects.

“We are in advanced stages of talks with Ford and they are also looking for land near Sanand. The discussion with Hyundai is at a very initial stage.” another state government official said. He, too, declined to be named.

“All the names of locations that are being mentioned at present are speculative,” Ford India president and managing director Michael Boneham told PTI last week. “We will announce when a decision is finalized.”

The state government is planning to develop Saputara hill station as a prime tourism hub with an investment of Rs 150 crore to create basic infrastructure like connecting roads, power supply, drinking water and others.

Lying in a densely forested plateau in the Sahyadri Range in the Dangs district, Saputara holds the distinction of being the only hill station in Gujarat. This tranquil small town is situated at an altitude of around 1,000 metres above the sea level and has a climate that is consistently pleasant throughout the year.

Sources said the state government to start with has decided to build hotels to do away with the accommodation problem there. There are around 13 hotels, which is not enough to accommodate tourists during the peak season like Diwali, Christmas and summer holidays.

The state government has now identified nine plots each measuring 5,000 sq m, which will be auctioned to build hotels and guesthouses in the township, which is easily accessible from major cities like Ahmedabad (409 kms), Mumbai (250 kms), Vadodara (310 kms) and Surat (164 kms).

Dangs district collector P K Solanki said the plots will be auctioned any time before the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit-2011. “As the real estate prices have shot up in the last couple of years, the state government expects to raise Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 crore from sale of plots only.”

He added that the total investment in the tourism hub may go up to Rs 1,000 crore once the hotels are constructed and commercial activities begin there.

The Saputara hill station, according to tour operators, has better panoramic view and provide better opportunity than hill stations like Mount Abu. “Tourists like to spend time in the natural surroundings. Similarly, Mount Abu in Rajasthan lacks proper hotels and existing ones are very expensive,” one of the tour operators said.

But Solanki feels that the tables will turn in the next couple of years with coming up of more hotels and creation of infrastructure facilities by the state government.

He said the state government is also constructing a new lake and also planning to widen the road between Navsari and Saputara for smooth flow of traffic, a power substation, an ATM centre and an underwater aquarium. Other facilities to come up include an amusement park, adventure park, water park and a floating restaurant in the new lake. A total of 20,000 sq m of land has been provided for these facilities in township’s masterplan.

Gujarat setting up 8,000-crore solar power park (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/Gujarat-setting-up-8000-crore-solar-power-park/articleshow/7050766.cms)

AHMEDABAD: Charanaka, a village nestled in a remote corner of Patan district in north Gujarat is destined to become the state’s hub of solar power generation . Solar panels will be laid on close to 3,000 acres of land in this village, where the state government is going to set up a 'Gujarat Solar Park' at an investment of Rs 8,000 crore.

The apex state utility, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL), is currently in the process of entering into long term power purchase with agreements with 80 solar power project investors to commission almost 1,000 MW of generation capacity. This capacity will help procure 1,700 million units of environment friendly electricity per annum.

Many of these 80 developers will set up their generation facilities ranging from 1-45 MW units at Gujarat Solar Park. In first phase, developers will commission 500 MW of generation capacity at the park. The Centre's National Solar Mission aims to install 1,000 MW of grid solar power by 2013, and 20,000 MW by 2022.

Interestingly, Gujarat is the lone state which is in the process of inking power purchase agreements to procure 965 MW of solar power from 80 project developers to attract investments of Rs 15,000 crore in the next couple of years.

The state government has already acquired 2,500 acre of land for the park. It is expected to have basic infrastructure in place by December, just ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, 2011 (a state-sponsored biannual event for attracting investments in Gujarat).

The project is part of the Solar Power Policy-2009, which proposes to encourage generation of green power. Parts of North Gujarat, Kutch and Saurashtra regions have been identified to have optimum solar power plant load factor.

Charanaka in North Gujarat will be the first site to be developed. According to the state Power ministry, large parts of the state have solar insolation of 5.8-6.0kWh per metre square per day. Insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time. The chosen site of Charanka has an insolation of 5.9kWh per metre square per day, said a state government official.

Developers have already started work at the site as the government intends to showcase the site to the participants of the Vibrant summit, said a state government official.

US, Russsian cos join fray for Gujarat's Rs 10K cr GMDC project (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/steel/US-Russsian-cos-join-fray-for-Gujarats-Rs-10K-cr-GMDC-project/articleshow/7018818.cms)

AHMDEDABAD: The Expression of Interest (EoI) for the Rs 10,000 crore alumina refinery and aluminium smelter by state PSU Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) turned global when global players US based AluChem Inc , Russia based UC RUSAL and Dubai based Dubai Aluminium Limited (DUBAL) entered the fray. The day also witnessed local giants Adani Enterprice and Aditya Birla group jumping the ring.

Earlier, national players like National Aluminium Company (NALCO), JSW steel and Jaiprakash Industries had already responded to the (EoI), which is a part of GMDC's recent policy of adding value to minerals before it is transported out of the state's boundries. The project is to come up in Kutch district of the state.

GMDC has huge reserves of plant grade and non plant Bauxite at Gadhsisa in Kutch and Kalyanpur in Jamnagar (Saurashtra region). While Gadhsisa has a potential of mining one million TPA Bauxite, Kalyanpur has a capacity of 1.25 million TPA. Plant grade bauxite is used in refractories and chemical industries, while non plant grade bauxite is exported. The bids stipulated that companies should have executed an alumina refinery or aluminium smelter or a power plant or a cement plant or steel plant with a minimum investment of Rs 1,500 crore.

"After extending the deadline to November 29, 2010, we have seen international players displaying interest for the project. The latest in the fray are Sinsinati based AluChem Inc., Russia-based UC RUSAL and Dubai-based Dubai Aluminium Limited (DUBAL). The evaluation of bids will take about 2 months and approval as well as associated process will take about 4 months. So we expect the project to take off in about six months," said V S Gadhvi, MD of GMDC.

AluChem Inc. is one of the largest specialty alumina producers in the United States. producing a broad range of high quality calcined, reactive, tabular and activated Aluminas as well as activated bauxites, zircon flours, and other refined mineral products. Entirely state-owned, DUBAL is the industrial flagship of the UAE and one of the largest non-oil contributors to Dubai's economy. While UC RUSAL has tied up with local company Gujarat Foils . The total investment for the project would be about Rs 14,000 crore.

Earlier in November 2009, the state government came out with a policy of adding value to raw minerals within the state instead of exporting them in raw form. As a part of this policy GMDC was given sweeping rights over the mines in the state.

It was on October 5 when first major project was awarded under the policy when GMDC awarded London-listed Vedanta group, a project for mining of non plant grade bauxite in Gadhsisa and Kalyanpur. With ample supply from Gujarat mines, The Anil Agrawal-owned company can run its Odisha-based refinery with the fullest capacity.

Gujarat has 171 million tonnes of reserves of bauxite of which Mandvi, Abdasa and Nakhatrana in Kutch district have combined reserves of 40 million tonnes, Kalyanpur (Jamnagar) has 60 million tonnes, Porbandar has 20 million tonnes, while the rest is shared by Amreli, Kheda (central Gujarat) and Sabarkantha (north Gujarat).

Gulf of Khambhat development project (includes Kalpasar dam)

2XjbNvOWHGk

Friends,

First of all let me give you updates about Vibrant Gujarat 2011 location site Construction report. Yesterday I had visited the place at Gandhinagar and found it little bit disappointing. Here are some facts;



This project has been declared just during 1st may GUJARAT DIN and work has been started immediately.
Now after 6 months, they have speed up well, but seems lacking. Though Vibrant Gujarat summit 2011 is going to be held in small portion (phase-1) of Mahatma Mandir project, but that also still under construction.
Road condition were too bad, three were dumpers working round the clock.
Still making roof is remaining, only wall part has been completed, but I am confident that Gujarat Govt will do it.
I had seen color work from the bottom of the structure going on with some test patch.
Main part is nearby Zopadpatti, there are almost 100-200 houses in that slum area, and they are still there.


Else work was going on in full pace, let hope for the best. I still believe that Gujarat University's newly built Exhibition Center might be a best choice for this event.


Now lets see some other things going on now a days.

Vanche Gujarat, gunotsav, GIFT city, Kalpasar, Krishi Mahotsav, vibrant Gujarat, Karmayogi, Khel Mahakumbh, Kutch ranotsav,Vibrant Navaratri Sanskrit Mahakumbh and Internation Bird watching event at this location (http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2010/12/updates-2-vanche-gujarat-khel-mahakumbh.html) and this one (http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2010/11/vanche-gujarat-gunotsav-gift-city.html)


_________________________________________________________________________


What is entrepreneurship-----http://is.gd/iitwK
Ranki Vav Patan strange thing------------http://is.gd/iitOt

Thanks for the updates, although photos (even off a mobile) would be amazing if you are there again!

To be honest, even on the plans, if you actually see what is meant to be ready for Vibrant Gujarat ie phase Ia (not even entire phase I!!!)... its practically nothing more than a big warehouse with a seperate service building.

All the features that make the project even remotely interesting are part of phase Ib or phase II.

Gujarat to grow at 12.46% in next five year at 3rd best after Goa, Orissa:Finance Commission (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/12/07/gujarat-to-grow-at-12-46-in-next-five-year-at-3rd-best-after-goa-orissafinance-commission/)

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi may have to felt satisfied with the 3rd position for Gujarat in the GSDP(Gross State Domestic Product) growth projected by the country’s apex finance panel-13th Finance Commission for next five years(from 2010-11 to 2014-15) in the country after Goa(in the first position) and Orissa(2nd position).

The panel has projected that Gujarat’s GSDP will grow in next five years at average 12.46%(projection based on the base year 2007-08) while the highest growth has been projected for Goa(13.06%) and Orisssa(12.63%). While others states to grow at 12% plus are Haryana(12.30%) and Chattisgarh(12.28%). The other states which are projected to grow at 11% plus are Jharkhand(11.5%), Assam(11.32%) and Meghalaya(11.9%).

States with 10% plus growth projections are Karnatka(10.53%), Rajasthan(10.33%), Kerala and Himachal Pradesh(10.30%), Jammu & Kashmir(10.25%), Uttrakhand(10.17%) West Bengal(10.04%) and Andhra Pradesh(10.03%). Maharashtra, Taminadu and others state are expected to grow at 9% or below that.

Though projections have been made for Gujarat in top three GSDP growth states but the incremental growth(year to year improvement) rate has been projected as one of the lowest. For the same period incremental growth of Gujarat has been projected at 2.04% while for Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh its has been projected at 4.57, 4.46, 4.47, 4.24, 4.20 and UP 4.01% respectively.

A very senior state government official who was associated with the preparation of the state memorandum for the finance commission told that,“Gujarat is expected to grow at more then the projection of 12.46%, even if we consider 6 to 7% inflation we will grow by around 18% p.a. which will probably highest in the country.’’

The source further told that,“Gujarat’s economy has now crossed Rs.4 lakh crore size while the economy of other growing state are very small in size compare to Gujarat so the scope of higher growth in terms of percentage will be higher however compare to Gujarat’s stable 12% plus will fuel high growth of state’s economy. Like USA and other bigger economy there size are 15 times bigger then many other economy so naturally the scope of high growth will be less still there will be sizable growth in terms of value.

Gujarat’s growth in comparison large economy state(like Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh) will be higher while other small economy state like Goa, Orissa has agriculture based economy which can fluctuate according to the monsoon while Gujarat’s economy is mix of manufacturing, service sector and agriculture so compare to other state Gujarat will achieve more stable growth in next five years even better then projected by the finance panel. The panel itself has projected year wise GSDP growth of Gujarat during 2010-11, 11-12, 13-14 an 14-15 respectively as 13.95 , 14.25 and 14.50% in last three years which is quiet impressive and highest in the country.’’

Gujarat Tourism Booming Thanks To Amitabh Bachchan

Gujarat Tourism is booming since Amitabh Bachchan became its brand ambassador. Amitabh Bachchan increased tourists flow to Gujarat tourism by 1.3 million this year.

Ever since Amitabh Bachchan started shooting advertisements for Gujarat Tourism in April, tourist arrivals in the state has increased. Gujarat is not just attracting domestic tourists, but also foreign tourists since May.

According to the Gujarat tourism officials during May-September, tourist arrivals in Gujarat increased by 1.3 million comparing to same period last year. Foreign tourist arrivals alone increased by 65 per cent. Last year 84,442 foreign tourists visited Gujarat during May to September where this year 1,42,175 have visited Gujarat.

We have already mentioned that how thanks to Amitabh Bachchan Gir Forest received record numbers of tourists this year which created accommodation problems.

Even though the first ad featuring Amitabh Bachachan was showed in October, the media coverage and blogs of Amitabh Bachchan about interesting description of shooting in various regions of the state helped in raising awareness.

State Tourism Department is hopeful that Gujarat will attract more tourists in the months to come. However officials warned that Gujarat will need to improve the tourism related infrastructure in order to sustain the tourism boom.

source (http://www.easydestination.net/blog/index.php?itemid=1444)

Gujarat to spend INR 115000 crore on infra projects

Mr Saurabh Patel state industry minister said that over INR 115,000 crore will be spent in the coming years on development of infrastructure facilities in Gujarat to attract more industries. The amount would be spent on development of ports, roads, power and other facilities.

Mr Patel said that despite the state not offering any incentives to the industrialists or corporate bodies for setting up units here, it was still attracting more industries due to its better infrastructure facilities.


source (http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Gujarat_to_spend_INR_115000_crore_on_infra_projects/179526.html)

Bullet train project gets closer to realisation
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Bullet-train-project-gets-closer-to-realisation/articleshow/7067940.cms)
AHMEDABAD: The dreams of Amdavadis to reach Mumbai in less than two hours have moved a step closer to realisation. The detailed project report for the bullet train between Ahmedabad-Pune has been finally submitted to the railway board.

The report has pegged the cost of the project, which covers nearly 530 km between Ahmedabad-Pune, at around Rs 56,000 crore. Of this, around Rs 50,000 crore will be used for the construction of tracks and other infrastructure alone. Officials in the western division said that once the detailed project report gets a clearance, the fund sharing will also be decided between the Maharashtra and the Gujarat governments. The bullet train, which is capable of running at 350 km per hour speed, aims to reduce the travel time between Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune to less than three hours.

The current travel time for the 450 km distance between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is six hours and thirty minutes by the non stop Duronto train. The same for the 100 km Pune-Mumbai is three hours. The report has also suggested alignment, fare structure and volume of passengers in the proposed high-speed corridor, the first of its kind in the country.

Officials said the pre-feasibility study by a French rail transport company reveals a travel time of 1 hour 52 minutes between Ahmedabad-Mumbai without any stops at a speed of about 350 km per hour. The same from Mumbai to Pune is estimated to be around 40 minutes.

The study has also predicted that 26.6 million passengers would travel by the bullet train every year with 2021 as the horizon year.

Officials said that the major issue would be the fund sharing between Mumbai and Pune. Gujarat wanted the train to run only till Mumbai, but on the request of the Maharashtra government the project was extended till Pune.

Officials said that the railways have already made it clear that the entire project would be on a public-private-partnership. Earlier this year, a French rail transport company was awarded the contract for conducting pre-feasibility study.

Mundra coal terminal to be operational by March

The 60 million tonnes dedicated coal terminal at Mundra Port and SEZ is in the final stage of completion and is expected to be operational some time in February to March 2011.

According to sources, the Adani Group-promoted terminal will handle about 40 million tonnes of imported coal for two power stations of TATA Power 4,000 MW and Adani Power 4,620 MW at Mundra, Gujarat, and the balance may be used either to supply imported coal to other power stations, under implementation by Adani Power or for trading purposes.

The completion of the dedicated coal handling facility will also free capacity from the existing multi-purpose terminal in MPSEZ, part of which is now being used to meet the requirement of the existing 1,320 MW (4 X 330 MW) capacities of Adani Power Ltd.

The capacities are slated to increase to 1,980 MW in a few weeks with the commissioning of the first 660 MW unit. The entire 4,620 MW facility is scheduled to be operational in 2010-11, requiring 22 million tonne of coal, mostly imported, annually.

source (http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Mundra_coal_terminal_to_be_operational_by_March/179732.html)

Gujarat has new land acquisition policy

The policy also addresses the issue of post-sale sources of income for farmers who sell their entire land holding.

Gujarat announced a new land acquisition policy on Wednesday, a month ahead of a biennial event to attract industrial investment to the state. The new policy, which comes into effect immediately, offers a series of incentives, including purchases at market price, to farmers willing to sell land to the government. The policy also addresses the issue of post-sale sources of income for farmers who sell their entire land holding. "With a lot of industrial development taking place in the state, GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) needs to acquire huge land that includes land from farmers also," said Saurabh Patel, the state's industries minister. "However, we don't want to buy the land without consent of the farmers, so we have come out with the new policy." The Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit 2011 is scheduled to take place 12-13 January. Under the new land policy, GIDC will not acquire any agricultural land without the consent of farmers.

The government will purchase the land at market price. "To decide the prevailing market prices of the land, we will consult the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University, have negotiations with farmers and then pay them the price," Patel said at a conference. Until now, the state's farmers have been mostly paid market rates for their land, but they sometimes tend to feel shortchanged as prices typically rise after the government acquires it. "To address this issue, we have decided to give the farmers 10% of the differential amount between allotment price and price at which we acquired the land," Patel said. "For example, if we acquired a piece of land at '100 crore and sold it to industry at Rs. 500 crore after developing infrastructure, then the farmers will be paid 10% of the differential amount, which is '400 crore." According to M.K. Sahu, Gujarat's industries secretary, this new policy will be applicable only to new purchases. "So far (since the formation of the state in 1960), GIDC has acquired 30,000 hectares of land, of which 5,000 hectares were acquired in the last two years," Sahu said. Land acquisition has been a sensitive issue in parts of the country where farmers have protested the takeover of their land by the government for industrial and infrastructure projects.

source (http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Gujarat-has-new-land-acquisition-policy/5017051578)

Surat to host ‘Sparkle 2011′, the 4-day long Gem and Jewelary festival in January (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/12/12/surat-to-host-sparkle-2011-the-4-day-long-gem-and-jewelary-festival-in-january/)

Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), state government, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Surat diamond industry will jointly organize the gems and jewelery show ‘Sparkle-2011′, the four-day gems and jewelery show in Surat from January 6.

International buyers and participants from US, Hong Kong, China and Europe are invited to this show. About 225 firms/organizations are likely to participate in Sparkle 2011.

According to SGCCI President Ajoy Bhattacharya, Sparkle – 2011 will be held at Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre(SIECC).

The show has been parted in three sections. The first section is B2B where 84 stalls will be set up. The other section B2C will have 91 stalls, while Machinery section will have 47 stalls.

The curtain raiser event was held today morning at hotel Taj Gateway in Surat in presence of state Industry minister Saurabh Patel.

:cheers:

Not really clear images but something about Mahatma Mandir

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9969/94612739.jpg

Source: Dna epaper

it looks work is on fast track. It was announced in may only.

it looks work is on fast track. It was announced in may only.

Yea they need to finish it before january otherwise they all get in some big trouble.

Stable economic policies needed to attract fresh investments to India (http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=58849)

The eighth Pharma Summit organised by the Gujarat State Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) on November 27 in collaboration with CII and supported by Government of Gujarat (GoG) to sensitise the prospective investors about the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 focused on identifying the potential areas of growth in the domestic market.

The summit, as part of Vibrant Gujarat 2011, which is aimed at attracting investors of pharma and biotech industry to the state, agreed that the Government needs to be pro active to attract more investors to India as there are chances of many investors preferring China as investment destination over India.

The government was asked to deliberate on the issue regarding stable policies as the present policy environment is very unstable and planning should be at least for 10 years so that companies can in turn plan accordingly. The industry believes that unless a commercially viable distribution model is in place, the industry cannot achieve a proper growth.

Dr Surinder Singh, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) who was also present at the summit acknowledged that Government needs to adopt a more comprehensive long term policy approach and minimise frequency of policy changes. He also expressed the view that dialogue between the Government and the industry is required to strike the right balance for future developments. He also conveyed that looking at the current scenario he is expecting sweeping changes in next 1-2 years which will plug the policy and system gaps.

The summit focused on many issues like the need to find ways to reduce prices and make drugs affordable to the larger number of population, and removing the other barriers to medicine access by focusing on proper infrastructure, etc. apart from that another there is a huge difference in potential and market size estimates in different reports making it necessary to have new business model is to be introduced in the industry for which it is essential to develop the rural market.

Hemant Koshia, commissioner, FDCA informed that over the time there is a change in the way foreign counties look at India. Earlier the MNC's used to mostly have alliances or JVs with Indian companies rather than innovative companies coming to India. However he expressed that with increased understanding, more and more innovative companies are expected to come in.

By 2020 India is expected to be among the top countries in the world in pharma sector. According to Koshia, this summit was aimed at providing a platform to highlight opportunities and challenges faced by the industry and how to tackle this issues.

He added, "We expect Vibrant Gujarat 2011 to be more successful than last year and go beyond MoU signing procedures to disseminate knowledge and do business in more comfortable way and to take business of interested parties forward."

Compared to last years VG 2009 event which had13 events planned, the VG 2011 will have 32 events mostly aimed to assemble people to think, suggest way forward and act.

Gujarat govt forms Dholera International Airport Company (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/12/15/gujarat-govt-forms-dholera-international-airport-company-limiteddicl/)

Gujarat cabinet today took important decision of formation of a special purpose vehicle(SPV) for development of Dholera International Airport. The new SPV has been named as Dholera International Airport Company Limited(DIACL).

According to state government spokerperson ministers Jaynarayan Vyas and Saurabh Patel, the works for special investment region(SIR) are in progress in Dholera under the Dholera Regional Development Authority. This would attract global players and industrialists here and eventually they would need a state-of-the-art airport in this area. Thus the government has taken a decision to develop greenfield international airport in Dholera.

The ministers said that while Defense ministry has already given no objection certificate, the Civil Aviation department has also given site clearance to proposed new airport.

The state cabinet today also approved the names of board of directors and modalities of capital structure of new special purpose vehicle as per the company laws.

The ministers said that proposed airport would be developed in public private partnership(PPP) mode. The special purpose vehicle will carry out all needed tasks like approvals, master plan, infrastructural facilities, global tender, and land acquisition.

The ministers also said that initially the state government will own the airport completely, but there is a provision that eventually the Airport Authority of India, DMC Development company and other companies would become equity share holder.

Some info on the Khel Mahakumbh. So far so good it went well and I am sure a lot of people who wanted to take part in such sport events did take part and in the near future we might see some of them take part in games such as CWG, Asiad etc.

Khel Mahotsav to become an annual affair in Gujarat:Narendra Modi (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/12/15/khel-mahotsav-to-become-an-annual-affair-in-gujaratnarendra-modi/)

The 24-day long Swarnim Khel Mahakumbh, in which nearly 1.3-million sportspersons participated in 16 games in at 1,100 venues across Gujarat, concluded at the Police Stadium here today with fanfare and clat.

Describing it as India’s largest sports meet at its closing ceremony, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that now on the ‘Khel Mahakumbh’ would be held every year. He expressed his resolve to start a Sports University in the state.

He said sports and games formed part of his ‘Panchmrut Yojna, launched earlier for all round development of the people and the state. He wished this unique event started to mark the golden jubilee of the state’s formation, create a new sports temper in the state and subsequently across India.

He distributed prizes, trophies to winners and runners-up in different categories, including one for the physically challenged, worth Rs.20-crore. He also honoured the 19 best national-level sportspersons with cash prize of Rs. one-lakh each.

Mr. Modi had declared the Mahakumbh on November 24, which progressed from the taluka level to district and then state-level semi-finals and finals. A few more events would be added next year, he said.

He congratulated nearly one-lakh sports managers, participants, spectators and other for making a grand success of the historic event. The beauty of the event was participation of sportspersons from each of the 18,000-odd villages, besides 160 cities and towns, in the state.

Sports and Cultural Activities Minister Fakirbhai Vaghela also expressed hope the Khel Mahakumbh would prompt more youth to participate in sports and earn laurels for the nation in international events.

Info on the sports university mentioned above.

In 50 years' time don't be surprised if Gujarat is recognised by its sportspersons instead of its business honchos. Chief minister Narendra Modi has promised to build a Sports University in the state that will produce champions in future.
Modi made this announcement at the closing ceremony of Khel Mahakumbh 2010 at Police Stadium in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
"Gujarat has been contributing a lot to the country's progress. Now let us produce sportspersons also. To make it happen, we plan to build a sports university in Gujarat where our national star performers over the years will be faculty members," announced Modi, who received thundering applause from the 10,000 plus sports aficionados who had gathered for the grand finale of the state's sports extravaganza.
Modi admitted that till date sport was neglected in the wealthiest state of the country. "Generally sports used to be last of all the priorities (in government). But enthusiasm of these youngsters have now put it at the top and we would like to take it to next level," he said.

Source: Dna epaper.

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Img source: Deshgujarat.com

Gujarat may see Rs 60,000-cr investment in cement

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat plans to treble its cement production capacity in 3-5 years. Proposals have been invited from cement companies like ACC , ABG, Ambuja Cement, Emami , Indiabulls, Adani group, Ultratech and L&T and the state hopes to raise its capacity from 20 million tonnes per annum to 70 million tonne.

The state will host the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January 2011 and a government official said cement sector could see investment proposals worth Rs 60,000 crore.

Gujarat has 12,000 million tonnes of reserves of limestone, the mineral used as raw material for manufacturing cement. Leveraging on this natural resource, the department of industries and mines had recently asked for specific plans from the companies willing to invest
in the sector.

"We will make Gujarat cement capital of India by adding 50 million tonnes of capacity in next five years," said Saurabh Patel, minister of state for Industries and Mines during a conference organised by Industrial Extention Bureau (iNDEXTb), the investment promotion agency of Gujarat and industry body Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

With annual capacity of 20 million tonnes Gujarat ranks fourth in the country in terms of cement production. The major producers include Larsen and Tubro (4 million tonnes at Mahuva), Sanghi Cement (5 million tonnes), Ambuja Cement (4 million tonnes), Saurashtra Cement (1.5 million tonnes), Grasim (2 million tonnes at Jafrabad), Siddhi
Cement (2 million tonnes).

Jaypee Group is coming up with a 4 million tonnes plant and ABG will set up a 2.5 million tonnes per annum plant. Ambuja Cements is also expanding its capacity and Indiabulls proposed setting up of 8 million tonnes per annum cement plant in Kutch with an estimated investment of Rs 4,000 crore.

Recently new reserves for limestone have been discovered in Kutch district. "The new reserves have created an opportunity for setting up new projects. Responding to our initiatives a number of companies, including ACC, ABG, Ambuja Cements and others have expressed their interest," said a senior official in the department.

"We are contemplating a 3 million tonnes per annum capacity plant at Abdasa in Kutch district. We will be investing Rs 700 crore in the project," said Shivamurthi Swamy, DGM of Ambuja Cement Limited.

As per the new limestone policy, cement companies are mandated to return 3% of their annual production to the state government for building social infrastructure in backward areas. This will release additional 1.5 million tonnes of cement in the social sector.

source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/Gujarat-may-see-Rs-60000-cr-investment-in-cement/articleshow/7118323.cms)

As a run-up to the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit, the Government of Gujarat in association with Gujarat Chemical Association (GCA) today kicked off the Global Chemical Leaders’ Summit 2010 (GCLS 2010) in Ahmedabad. The first day of the 2-day summit, organized with the support of the Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb), focused on showcasing Gujarat’s perspective to the global competitiveness agenda in the chemicals, petrochemicals, agrochemicals, dyestuff and specialty chemicals sectors while green manufacturing services was given priority.

The seminar bought together relevant government agencies, private sector chemical units, leaders in chemical manufacturing and trade, academicians and advisors from various parts of the globe. Diplomats of 9 international missions from United Kingdom, South Africa, Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, Ghana and Peru participated during the day. A 2-day international exhibition was inaugurated today which saw participants from various spectrum of the sector. A 2-day Vendor Development Program, designed to increase competitiveness among the vendors to face the growing challenges in the liberalization and globalization began today at the summit.

Gujarat Chemical Association (GCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indo-African Chamber of Commerce and Industries (IACCI) for promoting bilateral trade /information technology and mutual interest especially for SMEs. The MoU will also serve as a platform for promoting technology transfer, Joint Ventures and investment in the chemical sector.

During the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Guest, Shri Saurabhbhai Patel, Hon’ble Minister of State for Industries, Government of Gujarat, said “Gujarat nearly constitutes 52% of the national chemical production with the presence of big players such as ONGC, Reliance, Essar, TATA Chemicals, Indian Oil and GAIL. GCLS 2010 demonstrates the wealth of opportunities open for the small and medium chemical units in the state to supply to these giants. The exposition would be a great turning point for both the vendors and the marketers to source new chemical products build strategic alliance and strengthen them as well as anticipate emerging market trends”.

Special addresses were given by Mr. Pankajbhai Patel, Chairman, Zydus Cadila Group, Ahmedabad; Mr. Jaimin Vasa, President, GCA and Mr Harish Davey from Reliance Industries Limited. The CEO conclave which discussed the opportunities, challenges and future roadmap for chemical and petrochemical industries saw the participation of eminent panelists – Mr. Maheshwar Sahu, Principal Secretary, Department of Industry and Mines, Government of Gujarat; Mr.Haresh Davey, President, Reliance Industries Ltd; Mr. Girish Shah, CMD, Chemcrux; Mr. Dangayach from Sintex Ltd; Mr. Deepak Padia from Osho Pharma; Mr. Manish Kiri from Dyestar Group and Mukesh Jain from Dena Bank.

The second day of the summit will highlight and showcase the role of SMEs and MSMEs as growth engines in the sector. The Government of Gujarat will be organising seminars on Information Technology and Biotechnology on 20th and 22nd December 2010 respectively. In December, the Government has already conducted seminars on pharma, textiles, tourism, agriculture and healthcare sectors.

Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/12/17/gujarat-chemical-association-signs-mou-with-indo-african-chamber-of-commerce-and-industry/)

‘Why can’t we do a Gujarat here?’ (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Why-can-t-we-do-a-Gujarat-here/Article1-639801.aspx)

Gujarat’s development model has a new admirer in Nationalist Congress Party chief, Sharad Pawar. Bitter about the criticism the Lavasa hill city project that he had promoted has received, Pawar on Thursday praised Gujarat for the progress it has made while lashing out at the media and activists for blocking development in Maharashtra.

He did not specifically speak about Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Pawar was speaking at the annual general meeting of Vasantdada Sugar Institute at Manjri near Pune.

The Union agriculture minister whose party is an important ally in the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre said Maharashtra should imitate Gujarat for successfully executing developmental projects, some of which are facing protests from various organisations in the state.

“If we look at Gujarat, the government, the Opposition and the media, all are together encouraging development there. I think you should also do a similar thing here,” Pawar said.

In 2008, the Tata group chose Sanand in Gujarat as the site for its Nano plant after the project faced violent protests in West Bengal.

The Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat has always marketed the state as an investment destination where business houses will not face any hindrances when setting up shop.

“Today, the media and some organisations just don’t want anything to happen here,” Pawar said about Maharashtra.

“The state is facing a shortage of power and we have to produce more electricity.” Pawar was referring to the proposed power projects in Konkan — the Jaitapur nuclear power plant being the prominent one — and Vidarbha. Activists like Ulka Mahajan have opposed the Jaitapur power plant at Ratnagiri district. The Shiv Sena too has lent support to protesters.

Political observers see Pawar’s comments about the media and activists in the context of his displeasure with protests against Lavasa.

The Union agriculture minister has been one of the supporters of the private hill station, and had chosen the site himself. Lavasa is under the Union environment ministry’s scanner for allegedly violating environment norms. “If projects do not come up, how will development take place? I want to see Maharashtra going forward,” Pawar said.

Pawar has been defending the project saying the proposed hill city was being built according to a government policy to promote hill stations. The project’s initial promoters included Pawar’s daughter, member of Parliament Supriya Sule, and son-in-law, Sadanand Sule. The Sules surrendered their stake in the project in 2004.

Ahmedabad hotels full up for Vibrant, tariffs rise by 20% (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ahmedabad-hotels-full-up-for-vibrant-tariffs-rise-by-20pct_1482875)

Ahead of Vibrant Gujarat 2011, the hospitality industry in Ahmedabad is chock-full of bookings. All star hotels are fully booked and vacancy for the period duringthe biennial summit in January is just a no-no.

According to industry sources, almost all five-star, four-star and three-star hotels are booked for January 12-13, and in some cases from January 9.

The hotels are unable to entertain further enquiries for accommodation. “We are overflowing with bookings because many people from across the world are keen to attend the summit either for business or for investment in the brand-building event of the state,” said Narendra Somani, CMD of The Grand Bhagwati.

When compared to Vibrant Gujarat 2009, there has been an increase in the number of rooms and hotels in the city this time but still the demand is high.
“As many as 500 rooms have been added in the city in a span of two years. Still the demand is on the higher side,’’ said Somani, who is also president of Gujarat Hotels and Restaurant Association.

The Gateway Hotels are 100% booked. Its general manager Darius Merchant said, “Even in the previous summit in 2009, we were fully booked.’’

Looking at the huge demand for rooms, some hotels in Ahmedabad have also increased their tariff by up to 20% while some others have discontinued with their discount offers. Sanjeev Thadani, AGM (marketing and communication) of Neesa Group, said: “Our tariff has gone up and it is now in the range of range of Rs6,500-Rs8,000 from the regular range of Rs4,500-Rs6,000 per room per day.’’ He said they are fully booked for the summit period.“The infrastructure available in Ahmedabad makes it attractive for delegates to reside in the city.”

Hi Friends,

I had posted some photos of Mahatma Mandir from Backside in earlier posts, this time here are some latest photos from the front.

Please visit here (http://hims30482.blogspot.com/2010/12/vibrant-gujarat-summit-2011-mahatma.html) for it.

Today I have visited Gandhinagar and above place and made some observations, which are as below;

* Road work is still pending, however main road is in good condition which leads to the location.
* Actual location has not still ready, still some finishing work is going on (construction)
* They have demolished some Govt 4 storied building to make new road for Mahatma Mandir.
* I had visited the same place in past many time, but now it is totally different scenario.
* They have cut lots of trees and replanted it at some distinct location through some latest mechanism truck ( I have seen that truck)
* They have demolished some hundred zoggies from backside of the site which I had talked earlier.
* There have started some local news for traffic diversion and other arrangements in advance.
* Looking at the scale of arrangement and time remaining, they will surely make it, no doubt about it, but they have to do lots of firefighting work.


I will update finally around first week of January. Till then bye and keep visiting and keep clicking on google ads as earning will help the mentally retired people.

Have some latest news of Kutch ranotsav here (http://www.gujaratinformation.net/press.html).


રણમાં કંડારાયેલું કચ્*છ

ટેન્*ટ સીટિમાં આધુનિક અર્વાચિનનો અદ્દભૂત સંગમઃ થિમ પેવેલિયન અને કેલિડોસ્*કોપ ગેલેરીનું નવું આકર્ષણઃ એમફી થિયેટર સાથે વોલીબોલ-બાસ્*કેટ બોલના મેદાનો

કચ્*છ હવે વિશ્*વના નકશામાં પર્યટનધામ તરીકે અંકિત થઇ ગયું છે. તેમાંય મહાનાયકે જાહેરખબર દ્વારા રણને શરદપૂનમના એક નહીં ચાર ચાંદ લગાવી દીધા છે. જો કે દર વર્ષે ઉજવાતા રણ મહોત્*સવમાં કોઇને કોઇ નવીનતા અવશ્*ય જોવા મળે છે. જેમ કાર્નિવલની શોભામાં હમિરસરનું પાણી વધારો કરશે તેમ રણમાં આધુનિક, અર્વાચિન યુગનો અદ્દભૂત સંગમ ઊભો કરવામાં આવ્*યો છે.

દર વર્ષે નવીનતા આપવાની તકેદારી રાખતા પ્રવાસન અને સ્*થાનિક વહીવટીતંત્ર દ્વારા રણોત્*સવ-૨૦૧૦માં થીમ પેવેલીયન, કેલિડોસ્*કોપ ગેલેરી દ્વારા સમગ્ર કચ્*છ અને ગુજરાતને જાણે રણમાં લાવી શણગારી દીધું હોય એવો માહોલ સર્જાયો છે. આમાં ગ્રામમેળો અને ક્રાફટ બજાર તેની સુંદરતામાં વધારો કરે છે.

કેલિડોસ્*કોપ ગેલેરી અદ્દભૂત રીતે શણગારવામાં આવી છે. કચ્*છની કલાના કણકણ કંડારવામાં આયોજકો દ્વારા મહેનત લેવામાં આવી છે. કચ્*છની તમામ કલાઓ મૂકવામાં આવી છે. ભરતગુંથણ, હાથશાળ, કાષ્*ટકામ છે તો બીજી તરફ ધોળાવીરાએ સિન્*ધુ સંસ્*કૃતિ દ્વારા આપેલા વારસાને ખૂબીપૂર્વક રજૂ કરવામાં આવ્*યો છે.

આખે આખું ભુજ આ ગેલેરીમાં આવી જાય છે. પ્રાગમહેલ, જૂનો મહેલ, આયના મહેલ, રામકુંડ, ભુજિયો ડુંગર, હમીરસર તળાવ તેમજ ભુજના અન્*ય જોવાલાયક સ્*થળો દર્શાવવામાં આવ્*યા છે. માત્ર ભુજનો જ નહીં માંડવીનો વિજય વિલાસ, લખપતનો ફોર્ટ, ગુરૂદ્વારા તેમજ માતાનામઢ સ્*થિત મંદિર મૂકવામાં આવ્*યું છે. સૈયદપીરનો કુબો, ફલેમિંગો અને ગ્રેટ ઇન્*ડિયન બસ્*ટાર્ડનો મહત્*વનાં સ્*થળોમાં સમાવેશ થાય છે.

કચ્*છમાં જોવા મળતાં જુદાં-જુદાં વિશિષ્*ટ પક્ષીઓ દર્શાવવામાં આવ્*યા છે, જયારે ગેલેરીના કોર્નરમાં કચ્*છના ભૂંગા, ધોળાવીરા, માંડવીબીચ અને વાઇલ્*ડ લાઇફની પ્રતિકૃતિ મૂકાઇ છે.

થિમ પેવેલિયન પણ આકર્ષણનું કેન્*દ્ર છે. જેમાં ગુજરાતએ દેશના વિકાસમાં આપેલા સિંહફાળાને ફિગર અને ફેકટ સાથે રજૂ કરવામાં આવ્*યા છે.૧૩ હજાર મેઘાવોટ વીજળીનું ઉત્*પાદન, ભારતનાં કુલ નિકાસમાં ગુજરાતનો ફાળો, બંદરો, ગેસ ઉત્*પાદન, ગુજરાતનો દરિયા કિનારો, ઔદ્યોગિક વસાહતો, ઔદ્યોગિક વિકાસ તેમજ સિંચાઇ, પ્રોસેસ્*ડ ડાયમન્*ડ વોલ અને મહત્*વના ઉત્*પાદન તથા વિશાળ અને લાંબી સિંચાઇ કેનાલ તથા ડેનિમ ઉત્*પાદનનો સમાવેશ થાય છે. પેટ્રોલિયમ રિફાઇનરી પણ દર્શાવવામાં આવી છે. આખું પેવેલિયનમાં ગુજરાતની સ્*વર્ણિમ ગાથા રજૂ કરે છે.

પ્રવાસન નિગમના કન્*સલ્*ટન્*ટ શ્રી જયેશ પારખના જણાવ્*યા અનુસાર ગેલેરીમાં વચ્*ચેની જગ્*યાએ દિવાલો ઉપર કચ્*છના કલાકારોએ તૈયાર કરેલા પેન્*ટિંગ લગાડવામાં આવશે.

આ ઉપરાંત ટેન્*ટસીટિમાં પ્રવાસીઓ આરામથી બેસીને દસ્*તાવેજી ચિત્રો નિહાળી શકે એ માટે ગ્રિસની સંસ્*કૃતિને અનુરૂપ એમફી થિયેટર બનાવવામાં આવ્*યું છે. થિયેટરમાં એલ.ડી.સ્*ક્રિન મૂકવામાં આવ્*યું છે. પાછળ તળાવ છે. જેમાં ફલેમિંગો તરતા દર્શાવાશે. થિયેટરની બાજુમાં અને નવા બનાવેલ ભૂંગા પાસે વોલિબોલ અને બાસ્*કેટ બોલનું મેદાન પણ પ્રવાસીઓનાં રમવા માટે બનાવવામાં આવ્*યું છે.

સ્*પોર્ટસ ઓથોરિટી ઓફ ગુજરાત ઝોર્બિન, પેરાગ્*લાઇડીંગ અને બલૂનના શો રજૂ કરશે.

થિમ પવેલિયનમાં ગુજરાત અંગ્રેજી જોડણી સાથે જોડાયેલા મૂળાક્ષરોનાં નામ પ્રમાણે થિમ પેવેલિયનના વિભાગો દર્શાવવામાં આવ્*યા છે. સાત વિભાગમાં ગુજરાતનો પ્રથમ જી એટલે ગ્*લોબલ, યુ. યુનિક, જે. જયુબિલન્*ટ એ. એગ્રોરિડ, આર-રિન્*યુઇંગ, એ-એકેડેમિક, ટ્રાસ્*ફરિંગનો સમાવેશ થાય છે

સાંજે રણમાં ભવ્*ય ૧૧૪ કલાકારોનો સાંસ્*કૃતિક કાર્યક્રમ પણ મનમોહક હોવાનું આયોજકોએ જણાવ્*યું હતું.

Gujarat eyes $1 bn investment for pharma industry (http://www.sify.com/news/gujarat-eyes-1-bn-investment-for-pharma-industry-news-national-kmtlOecggcf.html)

Ahmedabad, Dec 19 (IANS) Gujarat, which accounts for nearly a half of the Indian pharma industry's turnover, is betting big on making the state a global hub as it eyes deals worth over $1 billion at the upcoming business conclave here next month.

'Our government is proactive. We have systems in place. The discretionary mechanism in the system is less. That's why we're a preferred destination for industries, including the pharma sector,' said M. Sahu, Gujarat's principal secretary for industries.

'Anything to be done is put through a policy in our state. Obviously, a combination of things has helped industries prosper -- good regulation, enough credit and a visionary leadership have ensured that growth is unhindered,' Sahu told IANS in an interview.

He said if the previous edition of the conclave 'Vibrant Gujarat' in 2009 was able to attract investment in the pharma industry worth $500 million via 26 pacts, this edition will certainly see it doubling, if not more, going by the interest generated thus far.

The two-day conclave every two years will be held here Jan 12-13. It is being personally overseen by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has asked investors from overseas to personally visit the state, see the environment and then invest.

According to government and industry officials here, the size of the Indian pharmaceuticals industry is estimated at around $20 billion currently, of which exports account for $9 billion. Gujarat accounts for 45 percent of this turnover and 22 percent of exports.

'A lot of pharma businesses have been largely entrepreneur-driven. But in Gujarat, the conducive environment created by the government has helped greatly,' said Sharvil Patel, deputy managing director of Zydus Cadila, India's fifth-largest pharma company.

'That is why you see so many companies that have origins or manufacturing facilities in the state,' Patel, whose company also has Gujarat as the hub for pharma manufacturing, told IANS.

Both Sahu and Patel gave the example of the state Food and Drugs Control Administration to drive home the point on how an enabling environment in terms of regulation and control has helped nurse the pharma industry.

The watchdog, they said, monitors both chemists and drug manufacturers and has digitised its entire processes, operations and records, making Gujarat the first state to be able to issue licences online.

'All our records and process are digitised. We monitor and coordinate with all district-level officials online. The result is we can do things much faster,' said H.G. Koshia, commissioner of the Food and Drugs Control Administration.

'Subjects like issuing new licences to manufacturers or asking our officials to take a drug off the market are all done online in our state and this process is instantaneous,' said Koshia.

'The same can take anywhere between two-three months in other states by which time the drug's stock that has come under some suspicion will be sold to the public, defeating the entire purpose of withdrawing it.'

The state -- which is four-fifths the size of Britain-- has also been showcasing its overall achievements to attract investments. It has been registering a double-digit growth for over a decade.

Officials said the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit was expected to attract more than 20,000 delegates from nearly 60 countries, including 100 eminent political leaders and diplomats.

Lanco completed its first 5MW project in Gujarat. The project located in Patan, Gujarat is one of the largest solar power plants (SPP) in the country and the first for the state. Lanco Infratech Limited is developing an overall of 35MW in Gujarat under Gujarat State Policy.

“We are very excited with the recent developments in the sector in India and the way our project pipeline is taking shape in solar “said Mr. Sai Baba, CEO, Lanco Solar,

“Lanco stands at the forefront in solar in India with its completed 5MW in Gujarat and another 5MW targeted for commissioning in Gujarat by April, 2010. The recent wins under NSM especially 100MW in solar thermal, goes well with our strategy to develop 200-300MW over the next two years across the nation and emerge as a leading developer in the country and globally.”

Lanco is also offering turnkey EPC services to other Solar power developers and is looking to build 300-500MW of Solar Thermal and Solar PV plants over the next 2-3 years.

Source: http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Lanco-Infratech-to-develop-5-MW-Solar-PV-project/5024501944

Gujarat has potential to lead next wave of growth in IT: Mittal

AHMEDABAD: The IT apex trade body Nasscom said that Gujarat has the potential to lead next wave of growth in the IT/ITeS segment amidst the pack of 44 cities identified by it for future growth in business.

"I think we have just started touching the IT space in Gujarat. In the wake of demand, we see business growing in 44 cities of the country, out of which Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat have clearly emerged on the top," Nasscom President Som Mittal said, while speaking at IT Summit-2010 organised here.

Mittal said, it seems that two or three big names in the IT sector are looking to establish base in Gujarat, which could build up the momentum as in the case of Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune in past.

Erstwhile, Satyam Computer Services (SCS) now Mahindra Satyam today indicated that it will be establishing a base in Gujarat, after getting a strong recommendation from an joint internal panel.

"A combined internal panel of Satyamites and Tech Mahindra have recommended that we grow in Gujarat. Its too early to comment. I could be talking to private sector for growth or I could be talking to Gujarat government," Mahindra Satyam CEO C P Gurnani told media.

SCS, had proposed to set up a IT Park in Gandhinagar in December 2006 near the TCS project, but after the multi crore fraud came out in the compnay, it had abandoned the project and surrendered the land.

"A study conducted by Nasscom reveals that the current revenues in this year will be in excess of $70 bn, including the services sector," Mittal said.

Nasscom has projected the revenues to touch $225 bn mark by 2020.

source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/gujarat-has-potential-to-lead-next-wave-of-growth-in-it-mittal/articleshow/7133950.cms)

Gujarat to double power generation capacities in 2 yrs

Taking a major leap towards increasing power generation capacities, Gujarat is poised to double its existing installed capacities over next two years, a top government official informed today.

Speaking at the fourth international conference on 'India Energy Conclave 2010' organised by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in Ahmedabad today, DJ Pandian, principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals department, government of Gujarat mentioned that the state has achieved 12,000 MW of installed power generation capacities so far, while many more power projects are under commissioning stage, the capacity would double in next two years.

“The state has achieved rapid growth in setting up power generation capacities over past decade. In 2001, the state had an installed capacity of around 4,000 MW, which has increased to 12,000 MW now. With many more projects under development, we expect the installed capacity to rise to 24,000 MW in next two years,” Pandian said adding that the state has achieved self-sufficiency in power generation.
Taking the note of wide-spread development of power plants across the state, Pandian said, “Earlier, power plants were limited to the southern region of the state, while presently we see major power plants coming up in Saurashtra and Kutch region, showing a wide-spread presence across the state.”

Some of the major power plants he noted were 4,000 MW ultra mega power plant (UMPP) by the Tata Group, a 4,000 MW plant by Adani Group both in Kutchh. A 1000 MW power plant is being set up by GSPC Pipavav Power Company Ltd at Pipavav in Saurashtra, while two power projects worth 1200 MW each are being set up at Jamnagar and Sikka respectively.

Speaking about the power sector woes, industry captains noted that innovation in the fields of fuel cost management, transmission & distribution, equipments and government policy was required to make it more commercially viable.

While, some of the industry players supported a subsidy-based development of power infrastructure in the country, some leaders proposed for more private sector inclusion in the power sector. JM Pathak, chairman and managing director, Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd said, “Power sector will continue to remain subsidized as it is one of the key infrastructure sector.”

Meanwhile, industry leaders also recognized the need to increase the demand potential for power. However, most of them opined that Gujarat has a fairly higher per capita consumption of power in the country.

Some of the majors in the power sector including Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd, Adani Power, Jindal Power and power sector consultants participated in the conclave.

source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gujarat-to-double-power-generation-capacities-in-2-yrs/418926/)

Does anybody know what is the status of the project? Is it alive? when is it going to be kicked off?

Gujarat has potential to lead next wave of growth in IT: Mittal

source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/gujarat-has-potential-to-lead-next-wave-of-growth-in-it-mittal/articleshow/7133950.cms)

Few more articles that have come out from the same IT related meeting.

Infosys, Mahindra-Satyam to boost Vibrant Gujarat (http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_infosys-mahindra-satyam-to-boost-vibrant-gujarat_1484176)

IT next big leap for Gujarat (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-IT-next-big-leap-for-Gujarat-/727392/)

Gujarat to lead IT growth in next decade: NASSCOM (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gujarat-to-lead-it-growth-in-next-decade-nasscom/418925/)

KS Alagiri may need new chaddis/lungi after reading these... :lol:

Interestingly, reports in Tamil section (Tamil language media) seem to suggest that Hyundai have already decided to set up in Gujarat.

Watch this space I guess.

Does anybody know what is the status of the project? Is it alive? when is it going to be kicked off?

Hey man, welcome to the forum!

There is a search function for stuff like this, but cos ur new its not a big deal, anway, prev post is here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=66355079&postcount=818)

- Detailed study is going on, will take another year (Jan 2012) before the report is completed, nothing is likely to be known until then.

I read one month old article where it was written that govt. of gujarat is thinking of reducing power generation since its demand is 5000 mw while production is 12000 MW. Moreover around 12000 MW plants are under construction, 15000 MW plants proposed and 5000 MW due if Kalpasar Dam got realized.

So much power, but of no use. According to energy minister, Maharastra Govt. is not keen to purchase Gujarat Electricity even though Maha. face several power cuts.

I read one month old article where it was written that govt. of gujarat is thinking of reducing power generation since its demand is 5000 mw while production is 12000 MW.
...
So much power, but of no use. According to energy minister, Maharastra Govt. is not keen to purchase Gujarat Electricity even though Maha. face several power cuts.

This is the article. They never said they will reduce power generation.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/no-takers-for-pricey-gujarats-power/718458/0

:)

Russian giants joint venture with RIL to feed tyre industry (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/russian-giant%5Cs-jvril-to-feed-tyre-industry/419153/)

Attracted by the boom in the automobile sector, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has formed a joint venture with Russia’s biggest petrochemical company, SIBUR, to jointly invest $450 million (Rs 2,040 crore) to set up a 100,000-tonne butyl rubber factory, said a company release. RIL will have majority stake.

The agreement was signed against the backdrop of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s ongoing visit to India. The unit would cater to the rubber demand of domestic tyre makers. To be commissioned by 2013, it is to be located at RIL’s integrated refining-cum-petrochemical site at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

It is to initially produce regular butyl rubber and then go on to make other butyl rubber specialities, the statement said. SIBUR will provide its proprietary technology for butyl rubber polymerisation and finishing; RIL will supply monomers and provide the JV with ‘world-class’ infrastructure and utilities.

N R Meswani, executive director, RIL, said, “This is a significant step towards Reliance’s commitment to service India’s growing automotive sector, by bringing in complex technologies, available with only a very few companies globally. The setting up of domestic manufacturing of butyl rubber will fulfil a long-standing demand of the Indian tyre and rubber industry and this investment is part of Reliance’s vision of emerging as a significant global player in the synthetic rubber business.”

“We are satisfied with the dynamics of the joint venture and hope to begin construction soon,” said SIBUR’s president, Dmitry Konov. “SIBUR has unique technologies for the production of synthetic rubber, which in partnership with Reliance will cater to the growing needs of the Indian tyre industry, with high-quality raw material.”

Finolex intends to invest Rs 100 crore for PVC pipes unit in Vadodara
(http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/12/23/finolex-intends-to-invest-rs-100-crore-for-pvc-pipes-unit-in-vadodara/)
Pune-based Finolex Industries is planning to set up Rs 100 crore PVC pipes manufacturing plant with a capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum in Vadodara to reach out to the northern parts of India at reduced transport costs according to Business Standard report. The plant will come up over 31 acres land, out of which 21 acres agricultural land has already been purchased. However Gujarat Pollution Control Board and NA land approvals are awaited.

The company intends to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government during the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit (VGGIS) 2011, and expects to commission the plant in next two years from commencement of construction.

Gujarat aims to lead biotech industry in India (http://gujaratmoney.com/2010/12/23/gujarat-aims-to-lead-biotech-industry-in-india/)

The Government of Gujarat in association with the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) and Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission (GSBTM) today organized the 6th edition of BioInvest 2010 in Ahmedabad. With the support of the Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb), the summit brought together relevant government agencies, biotech and life science companies, institutional investors, investment bankers, external consultants, and advisors, on a common platform to explore investment opportunities in Gujarat’s high-potential biotechnology sector.

Bio-Invest is a flagship national event of ABLE and since last 6 years, it has been hosted at Mumbai, the financial capital of India. For the first time, this event has been shifted from Mumbai to Ahmedabad which is a consequence of mutual efforts of Bio-Invest and GSBTM, Department of Science & Technology under the umbrella of Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit. The objective of Bio-Invest is to provide an annual platform to biotech industries, bankers and investors from the country to discuss the issues pertaining to development and growth of biotechnology.

Mr Ravi Saxena, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, said, “Driven by new enterprises and innovation in recent years, the biotech sector in Gujarat is witnessing accelerated growth in all directions. Gujarat’s strong base in various industries like pharmaceutical, chemicals, and food and beverages provides the ideal ecosystem for Gujarat to succeed in the biotech arena. With the current landscape already comprising of more than 127 Biotechnology companies and many support organizations, the Government is committed to developing the biotech sector in Gujarat in a holistic way, by creating not only a conducive environment, but also by providing good infrastructure and support. The Government of Gujarat is dedicated to the development of the industries of the future and biotechnology has a key role to play in that regard.”

Addressing the seminar, Dr M K Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of on Biotech Vision 2020 said, “Government of India is very keen on supporting states like Gujarat in terms of R&D and budget allocation for its flourishing biotechnology industry. Many Gujarat’s pharmaceutical companies already have and will be diversifying into biotechnology business which gives a further thrust to the industry. There is a huge opportunity which waits for the biotechnology sector in medical healthcare, agri-biotech and modern sciences. And to tap this opportunity, the industry needs technologies like genomics and biosimilars. I see Gujarat well in the league of leading biotechnology states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.”

The program had key presence of Mr K V Subramaniam, MD, Reliance Life Science which is into stem cell cord blood, molecular medicines, shared his views on newer Paradigms in Biotech business and Dr. Vijay Chandru, President, ABLE. The event was driven by panel discussions, roundtable led by eminent speakers like Dr. Avinash Shejale from SBI Capital Markets; Nitin Deshmukh from Kotak Private Equity; N Suresh from Biospectrum; Sudhir Vaid from Concord Biotech; Dr. Arun Chandavarkar from Biocon among others. The speakers from Private Equity and Venture Capital firms shared their outlook on recent investment trends and highlighted key investment criteria. The speakers from the industry highlighted several emerging trends and investment opportunities in industry verticals including Agribiotech, Vaccines and Platform Technologies.

The event saw a special message from Dr Kiran Shaw Mazumdar, CEO, Biocon. The event witnessed participation from nearly 100 biotech companies. Of which around 60 companies were mainly from Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore while nearly 40 companies from Gujarat. The program included 3 panel sessions on “Investment opportunities in Biotech “The excitement, driving Force & the Players”, Building a successful Biotech Industry on Innovation and Globalization, Emerging technology; Newer Horizons of Business, Capital Markets and strategizing Biotech Business. There was on “Government Initiatives and Investors perspective”. There was a dedicated discussion on Gujarat focusing on “Government Initiatives and Investors perspective”.

Rail journey between Porbandar and Somnath to be possible next year (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/12/23/rail-journey-between-porbandar-and-somnath-to-be-possible-next-year/)

Travel between coastal Saurashtra’s Porbandar and Somnath will be possible through railway early next year.

Gauge conversion work of Porbandar-Vansjaliya-Jetalsar route has been completed, and a goods train was recently put on this track for testing purpose.

Distance between Porbandar and Somnath is 120 kms, and traveling by road on coastal Saurashtra highway is the only option to travel this distance. Due to proximity to Arabian sea, this road remains in poor condition most of the time during year.

According to sources in Western Railway, works for Rs. 319 crore Vansjaliya-Jetalsar 90 kms broad gauge has been completed and a new passanger train is likely to be launched on 26th of January next year on Porbandar-Junagadh-Jetalsar-Somnath route.

The new railway line will be good for Bhayavadar, Upleta, Moti Paneli, Dhoraji etc. places that are known for onion and other agricultural products. It is projected that good platform of Upleta and Bhayavadar will be instrumental in transportation of agricultural goods from this area to the other parts of the country.

Tata Power to develop 25 MW solar power project at Gujarat (http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Tata-Power-to-develop-25-MW-solar-power-project-at-Gujarat/5028032702)

This plant is likely to be one of the largest of its kind in the country and is targeted for commissioning by December 2011




Tata Power Company Ltd is developing a 25 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power project at Mithapur, Gujarat under the State's Solar Power Policy 2009. A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the project was executed with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited. This plant is likely to be one of the largest of its kind in the country and is targeted for commissioning by December 2011. The project is being set up through a subsidiary Company.




Spread over 100 acres of land, the solar plant will be located along the coast of Gujarat. Crystalline Silicon Photo-Voltaic Technology, which is modular, proven, and widely deployed, is the choice of technology for this project.




The Company had set up its first solar power plant of 100 kW, way back in 1996 at Walwhan in Lonavla and is currently executing a 3 MW solar photo-voltaic plant at Mulshi, one of the largest grid-connected solar projects in the State of Maharashtra.




The Company's strategy emphasizes the development of clean energy generation from renewable sources to balance the carbon emissions from fossil fuel based generation capacity while contributing towards energy security of the country.

I read one month old article where it was written that govt. of gujarat is thinking of reducing power generation since its demand is 5000 mw while production is 12000 MW. Moreover around 12000 MW plants are under construction, 15000 MW plants proposed and 5000 MW due if Kalpasar Dam got realized.

So much power, but of no use. According to energy minister, Maharastra Govt. is not keen to purchase Gujarat Electricity even though Maha. face several power cuts.

totally wrong info!!! GJ had a deficit of 6% (http://www.cea.nic.in/power_sec_reports/executive_summary/2010_11/24-25.pdf)

totally wrong info!!! GJ had a deficit of 6% (http://www.cea.nic.in/power_sec_reports/executive_summary/2010_11/24-25.pdf)

Brother not sure. I just read news, and reported it.

It might be not availability of electricity due to grid lines. But again not expert to say that.

^^ hmm... since it was only in one article may it could be wrong?

Only a couple of weeks till Vibrant Gujarat 2011... promotion is stepping up another gear...

This awesome page has a lot of information all in one place:

Our Vibrant Gujarat - Presentations/Documents (http://www.slideshare.net/ourvibrantgujarat)

Many of the presentations have been put together especially for the summit and will probably be unseen by most. Def worth checking out!!!

Secondly, as tourism will be one of the focus areas of the summit, Gujarat Tourism have all the Amitabh Bachan videos + other really good vids on their Youtube page.

Gujarat Tourism - Youtube Page (http://www.youtube.com/user/gujtourism#p/u)

Last of all, if all that doesnt keep you occupied till the summit starts, you can even check out some pics of Gujarats biggest and best Infra/Industrial acheivements:

Our Vibrant Gujarat - Flickr Stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourvibrantgujarat/)

Enjoy :cheers:

Govt says no to chem units in Dholka (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Govt-says-no-to-chem-units-in-Dholera/articleshow/7180979.cms)

In an important decision, the Gujarat government has decided to put off the plan to set up a private chemicals complex in Dholka region in Ahmedabad district. Proposed on a 2,054 hectares (ha) land, the complex included a special economic zone ( SEZ) for the chemical sector.

The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has written a letter to the developer, Gujarat (Bhal) Construction Ltd, which said that "highly toxic" and "effluent -generating industrial units" cannot come up in the area.

Government officials cite the decision as an example of state's efforts to "encourage" non-polluting sectors ahead of the forthcoming Vibrant Gujarat business summit, to take place in mid-January.

"Environment department officials will guide the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to be signed at the summit, so that there is a clear understanding of the type of units that are proposed in Gujarat," a senior official said. The project was proposed just outside the Dholera special investment region (SIR), next to the airport site at Federa.

While the developers and the state industries commissionerate have been told that units other than chemicals and related sectors can be put up in the proposed complex, there is a clear view in the state industries department that the decision to put off the complex will tell adversely on the state's efforts to attract investment in an area which is Gujarat's strength.

Gujarat accounts for over 50 per cent of India's investment in the chemical sector, according to a Vibrant Gujarat document .

A senior industries department bureaucrat told TOI that the decision to put off the chemical complex was taken on the basis of a public hearing, carried out jointly by Ahmedabad district collector and GPCB on October 30.

"Acting under political pressure, rich farmers of 33 villages opposed the project that was cleared by former chief secretary D Rajagopalan three years ago after it got environmental clearance. Current chief secretary AK Joti reversed the decision," the official complained.

Significantly, an environment impact assessment (EIA) report prepared for the GPCB said that there would be "no major impact on environment" if the project went ahead.

The EIA report said, there is "no human settlement" in the area, "major part of the area is barren", with "sparse vegetation of woody plants or hardy grass" and "thorny thickets."

In all, 712 units had planned to set up chemical, pharmaceutical, pesticide, dye stuff, paints, oil and food processing units in the complex.

Reassuring to know that environmental considerations are being taken seriously especially at a time when MoEF isnt taking prisoners.

Hopefully these 712 units can be relocated to more suitable locations elsewhere in the state.

SEZ in question would seem to be the "Dishman Pharma & Fine Chemicals SEZ", that according to Govt of Gujarat SEZ lists was in the process of acquiring land near Bhamsara, Kalyangadh and Gangad in Dholka Taluka of Ahmedabad District.

Modi to inaugurate 500-MW solar park at Charanka village in Patan (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/12/28/modi-to-inaugurate-500-mw-solar-park-at-charanka-village-in-patan/)

Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate Solar Park at Charanka village in Santalpur taluka of Patan district on December 30. This is considered as Gujarat’s huge step to tackle the issue of climate change.

The project will produce 500-MW of power with the use of renewable energy source. Use of solar energy will decrease the CO2 emission by 8 lakh million ton and save the bio-fuels like coal and gas. This is a first-ever project in entire Asia and with 500-MW of power production through solar energy, Gujarat will be the first state in the country to take such measure.

The solar park is likely to get solar energy for 330 days in a year amounting 5.5 to 6.0 KW per Sq.km solar radiation every day. Gujarat government has agreed upon buying 933-MW of power under its new solar power policy, which is a remarkable move in the solar power sector of India.

The solar park at Charanka village will be constructed on the land of 2000-hectare for the phase-1. Out of which 1000-hectare is a waste land. Land acquisition process is still in progress. Works for the transmission of the power produced on the site have been started by Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Ltd (GETCO).

All the resources needed to produce electricity will be provided to the producer on the site ensuring a saving of time and money both for government and the energy-producers. In the phase-1, land will be acquired mainly by GPCL. Plots will be separated out and will be given to energy-developers for the lease of 30 years. Facilities like water, electricity, roads, rain water drainage, power transmission facility and others will be provided to power producers. Government is done with the onsite studies like topography survey, geotechnical survey and others.

State government will also establish projects like solar plant machinery manufacturing, research and development and others. Government will also work for training and research in order to provide technical manpower.

The project will also develop the remote villages like Charanka. Besides, the state will see an investment of around 7500-crore. The park will also have a need for assembling, civil works, electrical wiring, solar panel cleaning and others and thus will give employment to large number of local people.

It is worth noting that Gujarat is taking initiative in the use of wind energy, solar energy, hydro power and tidal energy. Gujarat has brought out its solar power policy in 2009 and it got unprecedented response. Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit held in 2009 saw MOUs with 57 companies for the production of 9606 MW. The new solar policy will likely to fetch an investment of Rs.65,000-crore in coming three to four years. Use of solar and other renewable energy will ensure low carbon emission, clean environment and an employment for around 40,000 people.

^^ http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3183/20101231al013100006.jpg

^^ Thats great :cheers:

x-posted in seaports/shipping thread

GMB accord priority to develop Marine Shipbuilding Parks at Dahej & Bhavnagar (http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4761207)

Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) today said it will accord priority to develop Marine Shipbuilding Parks (MSPs) at Dahej and Bhavnagar in Gujarat, out of the five identified here, a GMB official said here today.

"Gujarat aims at a share of 3 million Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) of the national target of 5 million DWT in the shipbuilding arena. Priority will be accorded to cluster-based development of two MSPs proposed to come up at Dahej and Bhavnagar," GMB Vice Chairman and CEO Pankaj Kumar said.

Five locations were identified along the coast of Gujarat in May this year to be developed as a MSP, of which layout plans for the parks at Dahej and Bhavanagar have been prepared, he said.

As per the 11th Five Year Plan, India''s target is to build annual tonnage of 5 million DWT.

"Central PSU Mazagon Dock is likely to set up a shipyard at one of the proposed MSP's in Gujarat for building war ships, at an investment of Rs 1,000 crore," another GMB official said.

The locations for the five MSPs are North bank of Narmada river in Dahej region, Old Bhavnagar port area, coastline in Bhavnagar district in the Gulf of Cambay, coastline between Navlakhi to Jodiya in Jamnagar and area near Mandvi in the Gulf of Kutch.

The forecast for new shipbuilding requirement up to 2015 is nearly 1000 million DWT. The share of India in the global order book is close to 1.12 per cent, a GMB official said

Rail journey between Porbandar and Somnath to be possible next year (http://deshgujarat.com/2010/12/23/rail-journey-between-porbandar-and-somnath-to-be-possible-next-year/)
Can't they make it till Okha parallel to the route NH 8E

Now, Criminal Database only a click away (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/125814/now-criminal-database-click-away.html)

Database of lakhs of criminals will now be a click away for Gujarat Police as the state Directorate of Forensic Science has taken up an ambitious project to link all police stations across the state, in what is being seen as a watershed project in crime detection.

The pet project of the Home department being implemented for the first time in the country has been launched in Ahmedabad in the first phase and will be implemented in other parts of the state by next year-end, DFS officials said.

"The database of criminals will be a click away for police officials of the state, once this project is complete," Deputy Director of DFS M S Daihya told PTI.

"Through this project police will save a lot of crucial time in obtaining criminal background of the offender, it will be of great help in detection of new crime and also help in updating our data of new criminals online," Daihya said.

"We have started installing 'live scan device' in police stations of Ahmedabad city. This device can scan the finger prints of the criminal caught by the police and transmit it to our server here online where we have stored the database of over four lakh criminals," he said.

"In a few minutes, our server will revert and provide detailed criminal background of the person to the police official," Daihya said.

"If a crime is committed, be it homicide or theft or any other kind of crime, DFS officials go to the spot and collect details including fingerprints. Once the fingerprints are fed to our server we will be able to know who is involved in the crime if he is a repeat offender," DFS Director of finger prints S M Joshi said.

"After we made available criminal backgrounds of offenders in digitised format, we have solved about 200 cases by pointing out to police in a very short time that such and such person or persons were involved in that particular incidence of crime," Joshi said.

The other great advantage of this project will be that our database of criminals will be constantly updated as first time offenders caught by the police will get recorded automatically when police will send fingerprints of those arrested by them online. We will seek the details of the person if he is proved guilty and update it on our server, Joshi said.

Till now, all these processes were conducted manually and fingerprints were sent to DFS by post to which they used to reply and send the criminal background by post to police stations, he said.

"The earlier process used to consume a lot of time, and by the time the police used to receive information on who were involved in the crime, offenders would have escaped. In case of those arrested, they used to be released on bail as the police would not be able to prosecute them well due to time lost in receiving their background," Joshi said.
"This project will revolutionise detection of crime in the state," he believes.

"We have linked up 12 police stations of Ahmedabad so far and provided them live scan device. All the 36 police stations of the city will be covered by the month end," Joshi said.

"We plan to link up all the police stations of the state by the end of next year," he added.

:cheers:

River Pollution emerges as biggest threat to Kalpasar Project (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/01/04/river-pollution-emerges-as-biggest-threat-to-kalpasar-project/)

Gujarat government has put Kalpasar project on fast track and has intended to start the works in year 2012 with target to complete the project before year 2020, however there are pollution related obstructions that are now delaying the final report of the project.

According to sources, Kalpasar dam will have waters of six rivers of Gujarat, however it is found that the water coming out from this river is polluted. The six rivers include Dhadhar, Mahi, Sabarmati and Narmada river.

According to insiders, Dr. M.S.Patel, Secretary of Kalpasar Project has sent a letter to state’s industry department Principal Secretary Shri Maheshwar Sahu on 8 December stating that the six rivers that meet Arabian sea in Kalpsar project’s proposed area are creating so much pollution that the issue is creating problem when the department is in process to prepare the final report. The letter states that the quality of dam water would be very important in Kalpsar project, because it would be used for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. The industries located on the banks of the rivers are dumping pollution to the rivers which ultimately mixes in the sea. GIDC does not take enough steps to prevent this and thus the body is not helpful.

It should be mentioned here that Nagpur based NIRI’s scientist Dr. S.R.Vate is leading the team of experts involved in preparation of report on Kalpsar project based on all kinds of related data.

The government has to pay Rs. 29 crore for study report of this project to Institute of Ocean Technology. Earlier the estimate of entire Kalpasar project was 1 lakh crore Rs but now, as the government has dropped tidal power project, the over all estimated project cost has come down to about Rs. 35000 crore. The works of this project will be handed over to national construction company.

Due to Kalpsar, about 200 km distance will be shortened between Bhavnagar and Surat. Kalpsar will be capable of storing 10,000 million square meter water which is double compare to the storage capacity of Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam. The project is realized, will provide irrigation facility to 10.54 lakh hector land of six districts that are located around the bay of Khambhat region. There are plans to generate wind and solar energy. The project will also provide constant water supply to more than 60 reservoirs located in nearby region.

Article in Ahmedabad Projects thread that states that Sabarmati is 2nd most polluted river in Gujarat. Its a problem that they need to sort out regardless of Kalpasar, but the last thing we wants is delays for a project thats been delayed so long already and where even the official line is that it will take 8yrs to execute!

Wheel of fortune (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Wheel-of-fortune/articleshow/7214202.cms)

AHMEDABAD: This was anticipated after Tata Motors moved out from West Bengal to Gujarat over two years ago. More than 15 years after General Motors (GM) first set up a car plant in Halol, Gujarat has hit the top gear in its journey towards becoming an auto hub. Auto giants, tyre makers and auto components manufacturers have all made a beeline in the run-up to the fifth edition of Vibrant Gujarat summit on January 12-13.

While GM India is investing Rs 500 crore to expand its existing plant, a number of auto giants from across the globe are driving into the state this year.

John Deere, a leading US-based farm equipment maker, plans to set up a tractor manufacturing unit. Mahindra & Mahindra and home-grown Captain Tractors too will set up plants in the state. Rajkot-based Captain plans to invest Rs 500 crore for expansion.

"Tractor companies are bullish on the booming agri sector in Gujarat," says an analyst. Besides GM, the state already houses units of auto giants like Tata Motors, Asia Motor Works and Bombardier Corporation.

South Korean engineering chaebol Hyundai Heavy Industries may make an announcement to set up a Rs 400-crore engine manufacturing unit during the summit. Group company Hyundai Motors, the second-largest car-maker in India, is mulling a car plant near Ahmedabad.

Ford India too may follow suit. Industry sources say Ford and Hyundai Motors are likely to announce their plans in mid-2011.

Rapidly developing ports and the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) seem to be the drivers of growth in the state. Maruti Suzuki has been exporting its vehicles from Mundra port for some time now. However, the key trigger was Tata Motor's decision to shift its small car plant from Singur to Sanand in October 2008.

Is Chevy and Opel the only GM brands in India?

Rural development has kept pace with urban growth: Narendra Modi (http://businesstoday.intoday.in/bt/story/11908/0/narendra-modi-on-gujarats-development.html)

What do you think differentiates Gujarat from other Indian states when it comes to the state's economy and doing business there?
Gujarat represents uniformity of development as well as unanimity on the issues of development. Gujarat is a state where infrastructure development has kept pace with economic growth, where rural development has kept pace with urban growth, where satisfaction of workers has kept pace with industrial growth. Not only have the multinationals and big companies done well, but a large number of medium, small, rural and domestic ventures have also prospered. Not only has industry and agriculture grown fast; but education and health services have also expanded equally fast. We are known not only for exporting quality industrial products, but for our agri- and horticulture produce. Even in those fields where India as a country has not been able to do well, Gujarat is doing well and producing a model for others.

Every state dreams of infrastructure that compares with the developed world but Gujarat is perhaps the only state that delivered. How and what are the best practices that helps your administration deliver this?
Yes, we have been very keen and committed on developing infrastructure. I personally believe that infrastructure is the enabler of development. There are a few elements that have helped us:
We have vision documents for 20 to 30 years. We plan infrastructure in an integrated manner.
On the one hand we are planning for big and robust infrastructure and on the other hand we see to it that even the remotest part of the State is benefited by that.
We are aiming to build the best of infrastructure from a global perspective. For example, Ahmedabad's Bus Rapid Transport System has not only been a successful story but has been acclaimed worldwide. The new ports that we are planning to build, the SIRs that we are planning ... all are globally benchmarked.
Gujarat is not only the pioneer in public private partnership but the state is recognised as the 'Most Admired PPP Enabler'.

The Gujarat model of attracting industries is infrastructure-led, not incentive-led. Don't you think of losing out when other states are also catching up on infrastructure?
Gujarat's infrastructure has reached to the second stage of development. We have to worry only about the best quality and global benchmarking instead of spread of infrastructure. We are now working on more futuristic social and physical infrastructure.

How is the state's 'special investment region' model different from the industrial estate and SEZ models elsewhere in the country? How did you develop the model and how do you see it delivering?
From industrial clusters, industrial estates and SEZs, now we are moving towards Special Investment Regions, which we call SIRs. These SIRs are going to be very big in size and scale. We have planned for 12 SIRs, which will be our flagship development for a few years to come. Setting up of these SIRs is in tune with the upcoming Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Industrial Corridor between Delhi 'and Mumbai (DMIC), 565 km of which will pass through Gujarat. We have enacted a new legal framework: the SIR Act of 2009. We have already allocated land for the Dholera SIR, which is going to be larger than the largest in the world. The anchor tenants are also in place.

Gujarat's rate of growth in agriculture is running at a record level - tell us milestone by milestone how this has been possible.
Very true. Gujarat's rate of growth in agriculture is running at a record level. Gujarat's growth in agriculture has been at 9.6 per cent for the last six years. This is more than three times the national average. This growth is impressive not only in economic terms, but in terms of finding solutions to our historic problems in agriculture. Earlier, Gujarat was never known for its agriculture development. It has been a perennially water-scarce state marked by recurrent droughts.
While we have implemented macro projects like Narmada, Sujalam suflam, river interlinking, we have worked equally hard on water harvesting and conservation. Today we are the only state where groundwater level is rising!
We simultaneously empowered our farmers. Through soil health cards, my farmer knows which crop to sow and which nutrient to use. We are working hard for introducing drip and sprinkler irrigation. Today there are villages in Gujarat where all farms are micro irrigated. We are also bringing more wastelands under cultivation. The enhanced quality of living in the rural areas has also contributed to the motivation of farmers, especially the young generation, to continue farming as an occupation.

How much has dairy farming played a role in this?
Dairy has been a traditional strength of Gujarat's economy in general and of the rural sector in particular. The high growth in agriculture is also partly due to high growth in livestock output and value addition on the milk products.

What are your mantras for quality governance in Gujarat?
I believe that if you set up proper systems of governance, if you have policy driven governance, if you inculcate transparency in governance, the speed is a natural outcome and corruption naturally goes. Use of technology is another key factor. We have introduced a number of initiatives in e-governance. Our one-day, governance centers are live examples of speedy and efficient delivery of public services. Besides, simplification of procedures and rationalisation of tax structures also lead to less corruption and speedy implementation. More importantly, I gave stability of tenure to my senior officials, which made a big difference.

How do you ensure your team of ministers and top bureaucrats acts absolutely along the lines that you set them on?
There is only a one liner which we strictly follow: our governance has to be policy driven, proactive and pro-people. The commitment of the top, if well meaning, does not take time to percolate. Moreover, we have devised innovative ways for sharing of ideas and information and evolving common strategies.

Builders to home in on Gujarat (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Builders-to-home-in-on-Gujarat/articleshow/7227103.cms)

AHMEDABAD: Besides investments, the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat summit is likely to boost housing supply in the state, especially in the smaller cities and towns. Around 50 members of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (CREDAI), an apex body of builders, will sign investment agreements worth Rs 15,000 crore, mostly housing projects, at the summit. Builders from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Coimbatore and Mohali have already evinced interest for realty projects in Gujarat.

"This for the first time CREDAI is participating in Vibrant Gujarat summit," says Jaxay Shah, president of CREDAI, Gujarat. Many of them may join hands with local developers. Already, national players like Godrej, DLF, Indiabulls and Rahejas have presence in the state."Gujarat is emerging as an important market," says Getamber Anand, vice-president of CREDAI. Anand's Noida-based company ATS Infrastructure is planning to invest Rs 250 crore for affordable housing projects. "Not just big cities, realtors are also looking at small towns," he says.

Incidentally, chief minister Narendra Modi had marketed Gujarat during his address at CREDAI's national convention in Delhi last month. "For most of us, Gujarat is still a new market. But, we are convinced about the business opportunities here," says Pravin Doshi, former president of Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry. Doshi's company Acme Housing will sign MoUs worth Rs 1,000 crore for housing and education projects in Ahmedabad.

Everest Developers, promoted by Nainesh Shah, who is a secretary of CREDAI, plans to invest Rs 250 crore in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat.

Dahej PCPIR to attract Rs 4000 crore investment from SMEs (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/dahej-pcpir-to-attract-rs-4000-crore-investmentsmes/420961/)

In a major lift for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in the chemicals, dyes and dyestuff manufacturing in Gujarat, the upcoming global investment congregation, Vibrant Gujarat Global Investment Summit (VGGIS), 2011 will see memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 4,000 crore being signsed between the state government and the dyes units for setting up manufacturing facilities at the petroleum, chemicals and petro-chemicals investment region (PCPIR) at Dahej in the southern part of the state.

According to industry sources, the government has recently concluded the process of inviting applications from the SME players. "The government has earmarked 500 hectares of land for the SMEs operating in dyes, pigments and intermediates. As many as 110 applications have been received from the SMEs across the state," said Shankarlal Patel, president, Gujarat Dyestuff Manufacturers' Association (GDMA). "The region would attract investments from the SMEs to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore, which will be promised during the VGGIS," Patel added.

The Dahej PCPIR has already attracted large chemical and petro-chemical players including Petronet LNG and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) to set up their facilities. Besides Dahej, the central government has planned two more PCPIRs each in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Haldia in West Bengal."The plot size for the SMEs will be in the range of 5,000 sq mt to 2-3 lakh sq mt. Jay Chemicals, Bodal Chemicals, Atul, Surat Colour were among some of the key players who had applied for the plots at the PCPIR," Patel informed. The SMEs have been awaiting the allotment of plots at the PCPIR for long. Some of the industry players are not much pleased with the government's approach towards the SMEs. "The small units have been waiting for the land allotment since long, but nothing has come so far. I am apprehensive if anything will happen even after signing the MoUs in the VGGIS next week," told Ramesh Patel, director, Meghmani Organics Ltd.
Meanwhile, the industry players are of the opinion that the sector is currently reeling under the high-cost pressure as crude prices are scaling up. The derivatives of crude oil are the key ingredients of the industry.

"China has been giving us a tough competition in the dyes and chemicals sector. They have an advantage of high scale of production, while we have limited capacities, hence can not match with the Chinese competition. But looking at the recent growth in the industry due to post-recession revival, it seems that our market share in the global market will become around 12 per cent by March 2011," said Bipin Patel, a veteran chemical industrialist in Ahmedabad. The government officials could not be reached for the comments on the proposed land allotment to the SMEs at the PCPIR.

Article in Ahmedabad Projects thread that states that Sabarmati is 2nd most polluted river in Gujarat. Its a problem that they need to sort out regardless of Kalpasar, but the last thing we wants is delays for a project thats been delayed so long already and where even the official line is that it will take 8yrs to execute!

As far as I know Sabarmati river is non existence than how it can be polluted.

Water one see in sabarmati is of none but Narmada.

The original article about it had some other crazy conclusions that I did not post, as they can generally be explained by the fact that the Sabarmati is basically a man made river now, which isnt always full of water (lack of fish, low o2 conc of water)

But the other issue is of Industries (and others) in and around Ahmedabad illegally dumping waste either directly into into the Sabarmati, or other rivers/canals that eventually join the Sabarmati.

This is the area that has already been partly tackled already during construction of Sabarmati riverfront, but clearly, upgradation of sewage/drainage network is something that will always be an ongoing thing.

GMDC to select partner for Kutch project in 2 weeks (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gmdc-to-select-partner-for-kutch-project-in-2-weeks/421070/)

Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) says it will take till January 20 to select and announce a partner for its Rs 14,000-crore aluminium project in Kutch.

V S Gadhvi, managing director, told Business Standard: “We wanted to announce the partner during the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ event which begins on January 12. However, we won’t be able to complete the assesment of the Expression of Interests (EoI) by that time. We are studying the EoIs by nine companies and will announce the decision by January 20.”

GMDC has appointed two agencies to study the EOIs, do a technical assessment and financial background checks of the applicant companies.

Added Gadhvi: “Since all the companies are of sound financial health and very strong corporate houses, we might narrow down to three companies and then ask them to furnish some more details, which will help us to select one company to partner with.”

The EoIs came from Hindalco Industries, Gujarat Foils, JSW Aluminium, Nalco, Aluchem (USA), Dubai Aluminium, Jaiprakash Associates, Adani Group and Jindal Steel and Power.

The project is for setting up a million-tonne alumina refinery and a 500,000-tonne aluminium smelter. GMDC will be the bauxite provider for the alumina production from its mines in Kutch. The company has bauxite reserves to last 25-30 years.

Gujarat Foils has tied up with the world’s largest aluminium company, Rusal (Russia)and has bid for the project. According to the company, the total investment needed would be about Rs 14,000 crore. However, B L Bagra, director (finance), Nalco, another suitor, estimates the project would cost Rs 10,000 crore.

The EoI document had no mention of a power plant, which is very important, as aluminium production needs huge quantities of power. Gadhvi said, “The companies, in their EoIs, have mentioned the power plant and they themselves will be setting it up. Also, for the water requirement, the state government is setting up a desalination plant as a long-term measure to support the industries in Kutch.” There is presently a temproary water pipeline arrangement, he said.

A Japanese government-affiliated fund will invest 10 billion yen in a smart-city project in Gujarat, India, to be built by firms including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Mitsubishi Corp. and Electric Power Development Co., the Nikkei newspaper reported, without citing anyone.

The report also said that a Japanese govt-affiliated fund will invest as much as 130 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in overseas environment-friendly projects involving Japanese companies.

The Innovation Network Corp. of Japan aims to help Japanese companies win overseas contracts to supply infrastructure equipment and facilities and will try to recoup its investment through sales of its stakes in projects, the report said.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will provide 40 billion yen for the fund in 2011, which will be supplemented by loans, the report said.

Tags: Japan, Mitsubishi

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Gujarat next Port of Call (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gujarat-next-port-of-call/articleshow/7239674.cms)

India's top companies are set to drop anchor along Gujarat's coast. Over 50 port and logistics firms will ink agreements to invest around Rs 1 lakh crore during Vibrant Gujarat summit. Over centuries, Gujarat, which has the longest coastline in the country, has been a pioneer in maritime trade.

With existing industries in an expansion drive — and new players flocking to the state — the demand for quality ports is growing. Congestion at Mumbai ports is only helping the state. Projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) are attracting manufacturing units in a big wayAuto companies, power players — a number of coal and gas fired plants are being planned — engineering firms and petrochem companies among others are bullish on the state. Among others, GVK group plans to emerge as a big investor in Gujarat. The group plans to set up power plants — 4000MW imported coal-based unit and a 2000MW gas fired plant — in the state.

Keeping in mind the fuel supplies, a group subsidiary, GVK Power & Infrastructure is setting up a coal as well as an LNG terminal near Okha in Saurashtra. The group is likely to sign MoUs worth Rs 30,000 crore for its power and port projects. Home-grown ports major Adani group plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore in various port expansion projects at Hazira and Mundra, which is the largest private sector port of the country. Expansion is being planned at another existing port at Pipavav.

Already, Gujarat's non-major ports handle 25% of the nation's total cargo and account for 80% of the total traffic handled by other non-major ports of India. In less than a decade, the overall port capacity of GMB ports has grown from 135 million metric tonnes per annum in 2001-02 to 273 million metric tonnes per annum now.

The projects in the pipeline indicate at an increased capacity of more than 500 million metric tonnes per annum by 2015. "This will be in sync with our plan to become the gateway of India by catering to the northern hinterland," said a senior official.

Engineering cos line up for projects in Gujarat (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/engineering-cos-linefor-projects-in-gujarat/421103/)


The engineering sector in Gujarat is going to get a major boost with Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit 2011 likely to see memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore for the engineering sector. Dozen of national and international companies have evinced interest in setting up their projects in the state, agreements for which are likely to be inked during the two day summit starting from January 12, 2011.

Multinational electrical equipments maker Siemens and Japanese sanitaryware maker, Toto have come up with proposals to invest in Gujarat. "Multinational companies like Seimens and Toto have sent proposals to invest approximately Rs 500 crore and Rs 700 crore respectively. Seimens will set up their electrical equipments manufacturing unit near Vadodara, while Toto will set up a sanitary ware unit," said a senior government official.

The government has received over 300 proposals to sign the MoUs in the engineering sector. This involves companies engaged in automobile equipments and ancillary manufacturing, steel pipes, ceramic, electrical equipments including switch gears and other general machinery and equipment manufacturing.

Other major players in the engineering sector likely to sign MoUs during the two-day investment summit include Mumbai-based Sezal Glass intending to invest around Rs 700 crore for glass making unit, while Tata-group subsidiary, Voltas Ltd is expected to sign an MoU for setting up a new unit for manufacturing of household durables including ACs at an investment of around Rs 150 crore. The unit is believed to come up near Vadodara.

Ahmedabad-based engineering player, AIA Engineering Ltd is expected to invest around Rs 200 crore for setting up a foundry unit around Ahmedabad. Among the big ticket projects, Delhi-based ceramic products maker, Gold Glass has filed a proposal to sign MoU worth Rs 2000 crore for a glass making unit to be set up in Jhaghadia in southern Gujarat.

General Motors and Electrotherm Limited are among those intending to expand their existing facilities in the state. The automobile major, GM will invest around Rs 500 crore towards the expansion of its existing facility located in Halol. According to state government officials, so far as many as 15 foreign companies have evinced interest for investing in the state.

Gujarat has attracted some of the key players in the steel pipes manufacturing. "In 1980s, Gujarat held around 2 per cent of share in India's steel pipes production, while currently the state holds about 10 per cent. The steel pipe industry has an annual turnover of around Rs 3,000 - 4,000 crore and is expected to increase further," said the official. The state has presence of steel pipes makers including Jindal Steel, Welspun, Ratnamani Metals and Essar Steel.

With summit in sight, ‘crore’ fever peaks (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/with-summit-in-sight-crore-fever-peaks/734987/)

With Vibrant Gujarat 2011 around the weekend, many government offices in Gandhinagar are abuzz even after dusk; some department heads have asked their assistants to stop anyone and everyone from entering their offices as they grapple with last-minute preparations, and “crores” is the new word in currency.

Investment Intention Forms are piling up, though no official would say exactly how much worth of MoUs are up for grabs. Words “approximate” or “plus” come in handy. For example, an official in charge of engineering sector expects investment proposals worth Rs 50,000 crore “plus” from 300 “plus” MoUs, with an expected generation of one lakh “plus” jobs. “Figures change every hour. So approximate figures are useful,” he says.

A top official at the Industrial Extension Bureau (IndextB), which deals with companies and countries that are showing interest in investing during the summit, said many interested parties have bypassed it and contacted individual departments on their own. The upshot: No one agency quite knows exactly how many MoUs are going to be signed at the summit. “Even the figures we have are liable to change by the time it starts,” the official says.
http://static.indianexpress.com/m-images/Sat%20Jan%2008%202011,%2002:52%20hrs/M_Id_194468_Vibrant_Gujarat_2011.jpg

Universal Success eyes Rs 2k Crore Shipbuilding Project in Gujarat (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/universal-success-eyes-rs-2k-crore-shipbuilding-project-in-state/421356/)

With an intent to foraying into shipbuilding, Prasoon Mukherjee promoted Universal Success Enterprises Limited (USE) is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the same with the Gujarat government.

The infrastructure player will sign the MoU at the upcoming two-day Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit beginning January 12.

"We are in the process of acquiring land for our thermal power project, apart from port development project in Gujarat. As a natural extension to our port development activity, we are now foraying into ship building and are looking at various coastal regions in Gujarat for the same. We will be signing an MoU worth Rs 2000 crore at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit. We are also looking at suitable partners with an expertise in ship building," said PK Modi, chief executive officer - ports and power, USE.

In power, the company is setting up a 3,960 MW thermal power plant at Bhatvadiya in Jamnagar District using the super critical technology at an overall project cost of over Rs 25,000 crore.

The project will be executed in three phases of 1,320 MW each, work on first phase of which will begin in August 2011, said Modi. "While the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the entire 3,960 MW have already been approved by the MoEF and all other regulatory clearances are at an advanced stage, we are initiating financial closure for the project. We have also signed an MoU with Ithaca Resources of Indonesia for coal import for captive consumption. Both for captive use as well commercial purposes, we are also setting up a multi-cargo port at Gojiness, near Bhatvadiya. In all, we will be investing over Rs 25,000 in thermal power and Rs 7,000 in port development in Gujarat," Modi added.

Apart from a multi-cargo port near Bhatvadiya, USE is also currently carrying out detailed feasibility studies for the re-development of Bhavnagar port terminal as a commercial port at a project cost of Rs 2000 crore.

"The objective of this exercise is to establish the commercial viability of larger commercial operations by enhancing the capability of the existing port and by developing alternative port terminal sites within the vicinity of the existing port," said Modi.

Meanwhile, once in full swing, the Bhatvadiya port will have a coal handling capacity of 30 million tonnes and another 20 million multi-cargo handling capacity.

50 towns in Gujarat to be selected for ‘rurbanisation’ this year (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_50-towns-in-gujarat-to-be-selected-for-rurbanisation-this-year_1493183)

Gujarat will implement its Rurban concept in 50 towns of the state this year and, for this, waste water treatment and solid waste management projects will be launched in the selected cities, said chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

He was speaking at a panel discussion held at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) building in Ahmedabad on the topic, 'Rurbanization-Changing Face of Modern India'. The discussion had been organized in the run-up to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2011 that begins in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.

"Waste water from the cities, after treatment, will be distributed to farmers for irrigation," Modi said. "This will reduce the overall consumption of water. Moreover, the solid waste collected from cities and villages will be used to produce fertiliser. Organic crops produced from this would be sold in the international market by the government because organic food gives better returns."

The chief minister further said that farmers should be encouraged to use organic fertilizer. Money spent on giving subsidy on urea should instead be used to give better facilities to farmers, he added.

Modi also said that he had suggested the concept to prime minister Manmohan Singh for adoption by the Union government. "But the central government did not implement the project even after getting the project plan," Modi said. "It was for this reason that I decided to implement it in Gujarat."

Under the innovative Rurban concept, rural areas would be provided infrastructure facilities and public amenities equal to urban areas.

The panel discussion on rurbanization was attended by experts and eminent people from different fraternities. Additional chief secretary, labour and employment Dr Varesh Sinha; founder and managing trustee of Sankara Eye Care Institutions, Dr RV Ramani; MD and CEO of National Spot Exchange Anjani Sinha; CEO of Vatsalya Healthcare Solutions Ashwin Naik; editor-in-chief, India Today, Aroon Purie; additional chief secretary (planning), Gujarat govt, Varun Maira; and former chief secretary, Govt of Gujarat, Sudhir Mankad participated in the discussion.

Gujarat tourism achieving new milestones: Narendra Modi (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/gujarat-tourism-achieving-new-milestones-narendra-modi/articleshow/7259740.cms)

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is witnessing a rise in tourism thanks to its effective campaigns to promote the state's culture and tradition, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday.

"Gujarat is achieving new milestones in tourism. And considering the progress we have made so far, there is no looking back," Modi said while inaugurating the 21st International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad.

According to Modi, the change-over began after his campaigns on promoting the state's culture and tradition.

"Gir national park, known for its lions, has seen a 55 percent increase in tourist visits in the last one year. This is an evidence of how effective the campaigns have been," he added.

Traditional garba dance, food festivals, and the Kite Festival have added to Gujarat's popularity, according to Modi.

State tourism ministry officials present at the kite festival said that roping in actor Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador seems to have played well for Gujarat's tourism.

"Kutch and Dwarka have seen tremendous rise in tourist visits. Amitabh Bachchan's advertisements are generating interest amongst the Indian tourists also," said an official from the tourism ministry.

Gujarat tourism , attracting 1.65 crore visitors annually, is expected to witness a 30 percent increase, added the official.

Over 37 countries, including France, Italy, Vietnam, New Zealand and Ukraine, are participating in the Uttarayan kite festival festival.

The day-long festival has eight Indian states with over 150 participants and will be followed by the Jan 12-13 Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

Canadian companies to make India their base (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Canadian-companies-to-make-India-their-base/articleshow/7255554.cms)

VADODARA: India-Canada trade ties are all set to reach new heights as presence of Canadian companies in India is expected to nearly triple, High Commissioner of Canada in India Stewart Beck said here on Monday.

Beck was in the city as chief guest at the internal conference on 'India-Canada Trade and FDI Bilateral Flows: Performance, Prospects and Proactive Strategies' jointly organised by M S University's Centre for Canadian Studies and Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI) at FGI Business Centre.

"Presently, around 250 small and big Canadian companies operate in India. My goal is to have at least 750 Canadian companies in the country," said Beck while reiterating Canada's commitment with India to raise bilateral trade to US $15 billion within next five years. The bilateral trade between the two countries is just over US $4 billion per year despite India and Canada both individually being trillion dollar economies.

The Canadian high commissioner was also upbeat about the forthcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit which will be held on January 12 and 13 in Gandhinagar, where Canada is a partner country. "Many Canadian companies will sign memorandum of understating (MoU)s at the summit in the fields of renewable energy, clean technology, infrastructure and education," Beck said.

Among other initiatives, Canada's participation at the summit will also witness seminars on investing in Canada featuring Canada's investment champions - Elizabeth McDonald and Craig Crawford. Focusing on the automotive and clean technology sectors, McDonald and Crawford will give participants an overview of various investment opportunities in Canada, as well as the benefits for Indian investors.

Stressing that Canada is a better place to do business then United States, Beck said his priority is to bring more engineering, design and procurement companies to India.

Speaking on nuclear cooperation agreement, Beck said the agreement aims at promoting civil nuclear cooperation between Canada and India. The agreement was signed in the presence of the prime ministers of the two countries in June 2010 at the G20 summit in Toronto. Now, the two governments are negotiating its administrative arrangements before it can be implemented. "Once in place, the agreement will facilitate India's access to Canadian nuclear technology, equipment and fuel," he said.

Energy boost: Gujarat to get 950 mw of solar power

Keeping in mind the increasing dependence on fossil fuels for power generation, the Solar Energy Association of Gujarat was formed on Tuesday at AMA, in the presence of Dr JJ Irani, director, Tata Sons.

Pranav Mehta, founder chairman of the association said, "Eighty companies have signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for generation of 950 mw of solar power in state. The implementation of these PPAs would help the state hold numero uno position among other states in solar power generation." All the agreements are to be implemented by December 31, 2011.

Starting with a team of 15 members, the association plans to add around 50 members in the first year. Citing the example of steel being costlier than gold at a point in time, Irani said, "Despite solar power being costlier than other energy resources, it should be viewed as an investment and not as a cost. The benefits reaped in the future would definitely be higher."

"Where Gujarat has the required potential for generating solar power, there is a need to find solutions for conservation of solar energy. Though not immediately, but the solution for conservation of solar energy would emerge by next decade," added Irani.

The association is working on options for land availability for solar development. Also present at the seminar was R Ramakrishnan, vice-chairman of the associatio

source (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_energy-boost-gujarat-to-get-950-mw-of-solar-power_1493617)

Vibrant Gujarat 2011: L&T commits Rs 15,000 cr investment on infra projects

AHMEDABAD: Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro on Wednesday said it will invest Rs 15,000 crore in Gujarat on infrastructure projects in the state.

"This year we have signed an MoU to invest Rs 15,000 crore in Gujarat in infrastructure projects," Larsen & Toubro chairman and managing director AM Naik said in Ahmedabad at the 5th Global Summit of Vibrant Gujarat.

He, however, did not specify the details of the projects and the timeline of the investment .

"The company has been investing in the state and our commitments will grow by the day," Naik added.

L&T, which set up operations in Gujarat in 1979, currently has nine factories operational in the state.

It also has a shipbuilding facility at Hazira, which is geared up to take up construction of niche vessels like specialised Heavy lift Cargo Vessels, CNG carriers, Chemical tankers, defense and para military vessels and other role specific vessels

source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/engineering/vibrant-gujarat-2011-lt-commits-rs-15000-cr-investment-on-infra-projects/articleshow/7268751.cms)

Vibrant Gujarat 2011: Investments galore, over Rs 1.8 lakh cr committed

GANDHINAGAR: In a boost to the Narendra Modi government, top corporate houses, including Anil Ambani-led Reliance and the Adani Group on Wednesday committed to investing over Rs 1,80,000 crore in Gujarat in various sectors.

As top business leaders descended at the Mahatma Mandir, in the state capital here for the two day biennial event, Ahmedabad-based Adani Group led the pack announcing an investment of over Rs 80,000 crore in port, power generation and infrastructure in Gujarat.

"While two new ports -- one each at Hazira and Dholera are being developed, we are also expanding the existing ports at Mundra and Dahej. With this we have a goal to create 200 million tonnes per annum of port handling capacity by the year 2015," Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said.

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group also said it will invest Rs 50,000 crore in the state in the next 5-7 years on various projects in power and cement.

"We are committing to invest Rs 50,000 crore in the state of Gujarat in gas-based and coal-based power projects in the next 5-7 years," Ambani said, adding that the investments would include very large investments in the cement sector in areas like Kutch, Porbandar and Junagadh.

Similarly, diversified conglomerate Essar Group said it will invest Rs 30,000 crore in Gujarat for projects in various sectors, including power and refinery.

"Essar has committed to invest in Gujarat Rs 30,000 crore in power, refinery, ports and water infrastructure," Essar Group Chief Executive Prashant Ruia said.

Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro also committed an investment of Rs 15,000 crore in Gujarat on infrastructure projects.

Farm equipment-to-software group Mahindra & Mahindra also signed six MoUs with the state government to invest Rs 3000 crore to step up presence in the hospitality and real estate sectors in the state.

As a slew of announcements on investments continued, infrastructure major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) also said it will invest Rs 1,200 crore to set up a renewable energy project in Gujarat in the next two to five years.

source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/vibrant-gujarat-2011-investments-galore-over-rs-18-lakh-cr-committed/articleshow/7269305.cms)

Suzlon Group Signs MoU With Gujarat Govt To Develop 1,000 MW Of Wind Power

Wind power company Suzlon Energy Ltd. said its group had signed a memorandum of understanding or MoU with the Government of Gujarat to develop 1,000MW of new wind power capacity in the state of the next three years under the auspices of Vibrant Gujarat.

The MoU covers the development of new capacity in wind-farms across the state, with development planned in the districts of Saurashtra, Kutch and other parts of Gujarat.

Suzlon has signed six MoU's with the Gujarat government, committing over Rs.14,000 crore ($3.1 billion) for the development of wind farm projects, R&D centers, manufacturing facilities and in a Special Economic Zone. It already delivered 60% of the promised development, translating into investments of Rs.8,400 crore ($1.9 billion) in the state.

Founder Chairman and Managing Director R. Tulsi R Tanti said, "This MoU opens up the Gujarat market as an attractive destination for investors in India and around the world, and could drive over Rs.6,000 crore in new investments into the state, translating into hundred of green jobs. In addition to direct benefits, the projects will also create plentiful clean energy to power the state's rapid growth."

At the BSE, Suzlon Energy closed Wednesday's trading at Rs.53.65, up by 12.95% from the previous close.

source (http://www.rttnews.com/Content/IndianNews.aspx?Id=1525578&SM=1)

Mahindra Lifespaces to establish a Mahindra World City at Dholera SIR

Enters 2 MoUs with Government of Gujarat at Vibrant Gujarat
Mahindra Lifespace Developers (MLDL), the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the Mahindra Group entered into two MoUs with the Government of Gujarat at the 'Vibrant Gujarat' Summit.
The first MoU is for the development of an Integrated Business City in the Mahindra World City format at Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), located in the upcoming Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). The development will be spread across an area of around 3,000 acres, with an investment of Rs. 2,000 crores, which when fully operational can create employment for over 100,000 persons and attract investments in excess of Rs 10,000 crore. The aim is to develop a self sustaining urban centre as a part of the Special Investment Region in Gujarat under the DMIC development.
The second MoU is for the development of a high quality and professionally managed industrial park, of around 500 acres and located close to an existing industrial/commercial centre near Ahmedabad. It will cater to the infrastructure needs of Indian and international companies in Gujarat. The park, when fully developed will create approximately 25,000 jobs and attract over Rs 1,000 crore of investment.

source (http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Mahindra-Lifespaces-to-establish-a-Mahindra-World-City-at-Dholera-SIR/3481817339)

L&T inaugurates 4K crore power equipment facility

SURAT: India's first private sector facilities for the manufacture of supercritical boilers and turbine generators was inaugurated at L&T MHI Plant at Hazira here on Tuesday.

Two separate functions were held for the supercritical boilers and turbine generators facilities. The first one was attended by Union minister of power Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union minister of state for power Bharatsinh Solanki and Union minister of heavy industries Vilasrao Deshmukh. The second function was attended by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

A joint venture between L&T and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the facilities are among the largest of their kind in the world with Rs 4,000 crore investment. They have an annual capacity to manufacturing 5,000 MW of equipment which is likely to be expanded to 6,000 MW by 2012.

Addressing the gathering at Hazira, Union minister of power Sushil Kumar Shinde said, "In the 10th Five Year Plan, there were only 6 to 7 per cent of private players in the power sector. Now we have about 26 per cent which is set to go up to 50 per cent in 12th Five Year Plan."

Shinde said the JV between L&T and MHI has made a beginning and that India is expected to become the number one exporter of state-of-the-art boilers and turbines to the world.

Union Minister of Heavy Industries Vilasrao Deshmukh said "I consider the public sector company BHEL and L&T as sister concerns and together we both can deliver exponently to the power needs of the country. There is a need to bridge demand supply gap in the power sector by scaling up the power generation to more than 1 lakh MW in the 12th five year plan."

Chief Minister Narendra Modi said "I am quite busy with the Vibrant Gujarat celebrations. But I owe a great deal to L&T because of the fact that this was the only company that stood by Surtis during the devastating floods of 2006 and it cleaned up the whole of Surat. I am proud of the fact that the first private sector facilities for manufacture of supercritical boilers and turbine generators have been inaugurated at Hazira."



source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/LT-inaugurates-4K-crore-power-equipment-facility/articleshow/7262474.cms#ixzz1ApxKro00)

Nice updates SSCadict. Vibrant Gujarat has introduced several projects. Other states should also start similar progress meetings

Wonder when the rest of the states will move into an overdrive like Gujarat?

When they will have a CM like Modi

Wonder when the rest of the states will move into an overdrive like Gujarat?

karnataka,bihar and MP started this yr(all BJP states)... + this summit is also attended by at least 10-12 states

Energy sector deals worth Rs.7.38 lakh crore at Gujarat summit

Gandhinagar, Jan 13 (IANS) The energy sector bagged deals worth Rs.7.38 lakh crore with major corporates such as Reliance, Essar, Adani and Torrent signing agreements with the Gujarat government at the 5th Annual Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Power sector won investment proposals worth Rs.6.25 lakh crore with 323 deals signed, while oil and gas sector got investment proposals worth Rs.1.13 lakh crore with 26 deals.

The agreements were signed in the presence of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Conventional power sector signed 53 deals amounting to Rs.3.38 lakh crore and envisaging power generation capacity of over 60,000 megawatt.

While Reliance Power said that it will be setting up power projects of 7,200 megawatt with Rs.30,000 crore investment Adani Power proposed for an investment of Rs.38,000 crore for 6,000 megawatt projects.

Other companies including OPG Power proposed for a 5,400 megawatt project with an investment of Rs.25,600 crore, while SPR Infrastructure said that it will be investing Rs.15,000 crore for projects of 2,640 megawatt.

The renewable energy sector also attracted agreements worth Rs.2.78 lakh crore.

For solar, wind power and tidal power generation 72 deals were signed with a capacity of 7,850 megawatt with an investment of Rs.64,000 crore.

Reliance Industries Limited signed an agreement for an investment of Rs.50,000 crore at its Jamnagar refinery and for developing Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University as a world-class university.

ONGC said that it will be investing Rs.17,700 crore at its Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Ankleshwar in the next three to four years.

Essar Oil will be investing Rs.15,999 crore at its Jamnagar refinery while Gujarat State Petronet Ltd. said that it will make an investment of Rs.12,000 crore for transporting gas from Gujarat to Jammu.

Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation said it will invest Rs.5,000 crore while Oilex proposed an investment worth Rs.2,700 crore

source (http://www.sify.com/news/energy-sector-deals-worth-rs-7-38-lakh-crore-at-gujarat-summit-news-national-lbnvuefddbc.html)

Vibrant Gujarat: $5 bn committed in pharma sector

Gandhinagar, Jan 13 (IANS) Foreign and domestic companies have committed to invest Rs.26,000 crore ($5.7 billion) in pharmaceutical and healthcare sector in Gujarat, a statement said here Thursday.

Health and family welfare department of Gujarat government signed various memoranda-of -understanding (MoUs) with domestic and foreign companies during the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit here.

A total of Rs.15,600 crore investment will be in health sector and Rs.10,686 crore in pharmaceuticals, according to official statement released Thursday.

A total of 131 MoUs were signed in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The MoUs promise an investment of about Rs.15,600 crore in health sector in which 23 companies have proposed an investment of over Rs.100 crore each for their projects.

Three firms have proposed total investments worth Rs.9,900 crore.

The health department has accepted proposals of three international and 38 Indian companies/trusts.

source (http://www.sify.com/news/vibrant-gujarat-5-bn-committed-in-pharma-sector-news-national-lbnvamfjaeb.html)

Vibrant Gujarat: India Inc vows Rs 21L cr

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said the state has been able to attract investments to the tune of Rs 20.83 lakh crore during the two-day long Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2011.
Speaking at the final session of the summit, Modi said as many as 7,936 MoUs were signed by the state government with several industrial houses to invest in the state.

On the first day of the summit, the state government had said it got investment commitments totalling nearly Rs 15 lakh crore with 2,766 MoUs signed with business houses and companies.

Leading among those which announced mega investments in the state were Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group and Ahmedabad-based Adani Group.

While Adani Group said it would invest Rs 80,000 crore in port, power generation and infrastructure, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group said it would pump in Rs 50,000 crore in the state in the state in the next 5-7 years on various projects in power and cement.

Engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro also committed an investment of Rs 15,000 crore in Gujarat on infrastructure projects, while infrastructure major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) also said it will invest Rs 12,000 crore to develop a renewable energy park in the state.

Farm equipment-to-software group Mahindra & Mahindra also signed six MoUs with the state government to invest Rs 3,000 crore to step up presence in the hospitality and real estate sectors in the state.

Auto maker General Motors also said it is investing USD 100 million (Rs 450 crore) to enhance production capacity at its Halol plant to 1,05,000 units annually from 85,000 units per year at present.

According to Gujarat Principal Secretary for Industries and Mines M Sahu, major sectors which attracted investments are power, special investment regions, mineral-based industries, banks and financial institutions and oil and gas

source (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/vibrant-gujarat-india-inc-vows-rs-21l-cr/737088/0)

karnataka,bihar and MP started this yr(all BJP states)... + this summit is also attended by at least 10-12 states

A few rotten eggs still remain!! Especially most of the Commies!! Waiting for the day the last geriatric commie MLA passes away (they ALL seem to be old fossils) !! hopefully, it will be the end of communism in India!!!

I presume if all this projects are implemented Guj per capita will become $10,000.

I presume if all this projects are implemented Guj per capita will become $10,000.

never possible i checked some companies... they are somewhat starters formed in 2004-5-6 and even 2008 and they are planning investments more than 7000 cr - 10000 cr which is a bit strange because in such tight liquidity no bank will loan a new company such big loans(so i would estimate 10% or max 20% projects materialise in next 7-8yrs)

never possible i checked some companies... they are somewhat starters formed in 2004-5-6 and even 2008 and they are planning investments more than 7000 cr - 10000 cr which is a bit strange because in such tight liquidity no bank will loan a new company such big loans(so i would estimate 10% or max 20% projects materialise in next 7-8yrs)

It is like Indigo air placing orders for 180 A320 planes @ $ 16 Billions. If you look at their Current account ,it is possible,they may be using overdraft for working Capital.

Likewise most of these commitments made year after year by the same set of Industrailists is more of a hype. Huge publicity by Corporate Media satisfy the Ego of many people.

Realistically, as you said, 10 % conversion looks very reasonable if the mauritius (unaccounted money)route continues.

Whilst 100% fruition is highly unlikely, just a couple of points id like to raise,

Firstly, lets remember the figures quoted are overall project totals, when these projects (esp larger ones) are implemented, it is done in phases. So a project that is signed as a 10K Cr one is more likely to be a series of 2-3K Cr investments over a period of a few years.

So, whilst the newspapers love to publish "conversion" figures, the reality of it is that the real outcome of the 2009 summit will not be known until many years from now, yet there is some sort of peculiar consensus that using Jan 2009-Jan 2011 is somehow an accurate way of judging the 2011 summit, despite the global economic climate in 2009 being far worse than it is now.

"Conversion" figure is higher in Jan 2011 than it was in Jun 2010, is likely to be higher still in Jun 2011, not exactly rocket science, and based on the time period, its relatively poor means of gauging anything.

But, if ppl want to go by this dubious 10% mark, then the investments proposed by big Gujarat based companies like Reliance, Essar and Adani alone will produce that, not with fancy/flashy hi-tech projects but with ports, power plants, industrial installations etc nothing new for Gujarat. But, despite what the impatient tabloids may say, a person with a bit of common sense will realise all this will be acheived closer to 2018-2020 than 2012.

So personally, from a Gujarati point of view, im very pleased with what has gone on in the summit, especially the spread across various sectors and various locations in the state... especially glad to see that parts of Kutch/Saurashtra which are outside the DMIC zone of influence will see some of the largest investments.

ONGC to invest Rs17,700 crore in Gujarat

In order to intensify production, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will invest nearly US $4 billion in Gujarat in the next three to four years, a senior official of the company said.

"We will invest close to Rs18,000 crore-Rs17,700 crore to be precise, in Gujarat in the coming three to four years. The investments will be made to scale up the operations at our Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Ankleshwar assets, and Dahej and Hazira plants," ONGC executive director and asset manager of Ahmedabad, Anil Johari said.

According to Johari, the company will make the investments on a major revamp of ONGC's production and processing capacity, laying of pipelines and drilling, among others.

The country's largest producer of crude oil plans to overhaul the company's operations by investing over Rs8,100 crore which would cover 90 installations, 200 km of pipeline and 65 tanks. Consequently, it will spend Rs2,575 crore at Hazira for the extraction of value added products, enhancing gas processing capacity, and laying a naphtha line to Dahej.

ONGC will also spend close to Rs750 crore for C2-C3 extraction at its upcoming plant at the Dahej SEZ, and a further Rs700 crore for development of its Cambay blocks.

The state-owned company will allocate around Rs670 crore for laying 500 km pipelines and 350 km of flow lines, and a further Rs100 crore for well stimulation services. It will also spend Rs285 crore for 15 installations. Among other plans, ONGC will bring in additional Rs2,500 crore for development drilling, Rs500 crore for drill-site construction, and around Rs1,500 crore for installation related works.

source (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ongc-to-invest-rs17700-crore-in-gujarat_1495254)

Ahmedabad Metro rail project put on fast-track (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/01/18/ahmedabad-metro-rail-project-put-on-fast-track/)

In a push to mass rapid transit system in Ahemedabad, Gujarat government has decided to put the estimated Rs. 12,000 crore metro rail project on the fast-track.

“We have conducted site surveys with the stakeholders twice for the metro. The project has been put on fast-track and now we are weighing options for its launch,” Additional Chief Secretary, Ports and Transport Development B K Sinha told PTI.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) recently submitted its revalidated detailed project report (DPR) on the alignment of metro network to the Gujarat government.

DMRC has recommended mostly an elevated route for the first phase of metro, since there are land issues, barring the stretch from Nehru bridge to Ahmedabad junction which will be underground, sources said.

Also, infrastructure major Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has evinced interest in the multi-crore project. “L&T has submitted a proposal to the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) expressing interest for undertaking the metro project,” a GIDB official said.

The company signed an agreement with the Gujarat government to invest Rs. 5,000 crore in mono rail project for old Ahmedabad city area, on PPP model, at the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2011.

However, on being contacted, spokesperson for L&T refused to divulge any information.

For the speedy execution of the metro project, the Gujarat government has already formed a special purpose vehicle — Metrolink Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) — with authorised capital of Rs. 200 crore and initial paid-up capital of Rs. 10 crore.

The metro rail — targeted at an estimated 17 lakh commuters daily – would connect APMC Vasna to Akshardham via Ashram Road, Koba Circle (32.65 km) with 31 stations, and
Thaltej to Ahmedabad junction via Sabarmati riverfront and Delhi Darwaja (10.90 km) with 11 stations, in the first phase.

In this phase, the state government has also planned to connect the airport and Gift City to the metro rail network.

In the second phase, the government plans to lay the metro line from Sarkhej to Indroda Circle in Gandhinagar and another line from Vasna to Sarkhej.

Preparation of DPR for metro rail was initiated by the GIDB in 2003 through DMRC and RITES. The DPR was first submitted by DMRC in June 2005, official sources said.

However, the metro project was then put on back burner as the state decided to implement Bus Rapid Transit System first.

Happened to read this. Thought would post it here. Haven't gone thru all previous pages. Sorry if it's a duplicate post

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/is-it-time-to-acknowledge-the-gujarat-miracle/articleshow/7295775.cms?curpg=1

Source (http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article1102732.ece)
India is planning to install Asia’s first commercial-scale tidal power station off the coast of Gujarat. Atlantis Resources, a U.K. engineering firm specializing in underwater turbines, would install a 50MW tidal farm in the Gulf of Kutch, and begin the construction works early in 2012, the BBC reports. The Indian project would require outrunning developments at Sihwa Lake, a South Korean tidal barrage under construction on the country’s west coast, to claim the title of “Asia’s first” commercial-scale tidal power station, the report said.

A recent study by Atlantis has claimed that Gujarat has the good potential to initiate a tidal power station. “About two and a half years ago we ran a global study of tidal power resources and came up with some hotspots where resource seemed pretty well matched to load. One of them was the Gulf of Kutch - and since then we’ve had wonderful support from the government, culminating in the announcement that the project was going ahead,” Atlantis CEO Tim Cornelius said.

The proposed project is estimated to cost about 150 million dollars, and expected to be completed by 2013. D.J. Pandian, Chairman and Managing Director of Gujarat Power Corporation, said that Gujarat has enough resources in the waters of its coast to go ahead with the exploration.

“This project will be India’s and indeed Asia’s first at commercial scale, and will deliver important economic and environmental benefits for the region, as well as paving the way for similar developments within Gujarat,” Mr. Pandian added.

In October last year, a consortium including Atlantis was given the right to develop a tidal farm involving about 400 turbines in the Pentland Firth in Scotland, which is expected to be the world’s biggest.

Go Go Gujarat (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703396604576089090877113796.html)

As the curtain fell last week on India's most visible business jamboree, the clumsily named biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit, you could be forgiven for experiencing a sense of déjà vu.

As they had two years earlier, investors pledged to sink vast sums—upward of $450 billion, or about one-third of India's GDP—in the western Indian state's soaring economy. As in the past, a parade of India's top businessmen—among them Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra—lavished praise on Gujarat's progress under Narendra Modi, the state's 60-year-old business-friendly chief minister, and a leading figure in the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). And unsurprisingly, going by press reports, Mr. Modi retained his place as India's most polarizing politician: loved and loathed in equal measure.

Nine years after Hindu-Muslim riots killed more than 1,000 people, three-quarters of them Muslim, the violence continues to cast a shadow over how Indians talk about Gujarat. Mr. Modi's critics accuse him of either abetting or failing to control the bloodletting in 2002. His supporters say he is a scapegoat for events largely beyond his control.

To be sure, this larger national conversation, at its heart about morality in public life, will not disappear any time soon. (Mr. Modi says he is innocent; a team appointed by the Supreme Court is investigating the charges against him.) But it ought not to obscure another, equally important, question: What can the rest of India learn from Gujarat's economic success?

Think of Gujarat as a slice of East Asia—say Japan in the 1960s or South Korea in the 1980s—set amidst the dust and drama of the Indian subcontinent. For nearly a decade now, the state on the edge of the Arabian Sea has averaged double-digit growth rates, the only large Indian state to do so. With only 5% of India's 1.1 billion people, Gujarat accounts for almost one-third of the country's stock-market capitalization, more than one-fifth of its exports, and about one-sixth of its industrial production. Per-capita electricity consumption in the state is about twice the national average.

Twenty years ago, before the advent of economic reforms, the average Gujarati was about four-fifths as rich as the average resident of Maharashtra, the neighboring state that has long been India's industrial heartland. In 2008, according to the Reserve Bank of India's most recent figures, per-capita incomes in Gujarat and Maharashtra were virtually identical— just over $1,000 in nominal terms—despite the latter housing Mumbai, the country's business capital.

Under Mr. Modi, Gujarat has acquired a reputation for aggressively wooing both domestic and foreign investors. In 2008, it snagged the Tata Group's flagship Nano car project after political unrest forced the company to flee Communist-ruled West Bengal. The state houses India's two largest oil refineries, and one of the world's largest automated coal terminals. Its roads, ports and power plants are among the best in the country. Among its prominent foreign investors: General Motors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Canada's Bombardier.

What explains this superior performance? In a nutshell: a fortuitous mix of geography, culture and leadership. Gujarat, which has India's longest coastline, has been a trading culture for centuries. It also houses one of India's most entrepreneurial populations.

In Gujarat, wealth tends to be respected rather than merely envied. The global Gujarati diaspora—with its fingers in everything from real estate in east Africa to diamond trading in Belgium to motels and newspaper kiosks in the United States—fertilizes the state with know-how, ideas and international contacts.

Mr. Modi's supporters tend to exaggerate his contribution to the state's prosperity. Gujarat's culture and geography set it on the path to faster development as soon as New Delhi loosened the dead hand of the federal government with reforms in 1991. Nonetheless—apart from the major blemish of the 2002 riots—the chief minister can be proud of his record of governance.

Unlike much of India, Gujarat has streamlined and rationalized procedures for land allocation and environmental clearances. For instance, the Tata Nano project took just three days to get the green light in 2008. Foreign investors can use a web portal to track paperwork and make complaints.

In the business community, the famously frugal Mr. Modi has earned a reputation for not only being personally honest, but also for setting the tone for his administration. He is also perhaps the only major Indian politician—in a political culture built on government handouts—to espouse the gospel of small government. His motto: "minimum government and maximum governance."

The Gujarat council of ministers has just 20 members, remarkable for a large state. Unlike many Indian politicians, Mr. Modi, a bachelor, has no loutish offspring who expect to inherit political power by right. By appealing to pan-Gujarati pride, he has largely transcended the caste equations that marked Gujarat politics in the 1980s and still define elections—and the flawed policies that flow from them—in much of India.

In the end, most states can't hope to replicate, at least not overnight, Gujarat's entrepreneurial culture and sensible attitudes toward wealth creation. But other elements of the state's model—strong leadership, anti-corruption efforts, a streamlined bureaucracy and a welcoming attitude toward business—can travel without damage across its borders. And Mr. Modi, Gujarat's longest-serving chief minister, is proof that good governance can also be good politics. The sooner more states figure this out, the better it will be for India.

Doom to dhoom: All in a decade

BHUJ/GANDHINAGAR: The desert has bloomed after the dance of death and destruction. Kutch is a story of a decade of Gujarati resilience and enterprise etched in the sands of time.

The earthquake on January 26, 2001, helped Narendra Modi become chief minister a few months after some shoddy rescue, relief and rehabilitation work threw his predecessor Keshubhai Patel out of power. But before Modi arrived on the scene, a five-year tax holiday had been offered by the A B Vajpayee-led NDA government to boost Kutch's economy — a move that has now transformed Kutch into an industrial hotspot and a feather in Modi's vibrant cap.
What was once a vast, arid desert is now a business hub, which manufactures almost everything under the brilliantly shining sun — cement, trucks, bikes, biscuits, ceramics. Kutch is emerging as a power hub with Adani and Tata planning to generate over 8,000MW in next few years.

Since 2001, 296 projects have been made fully operational with investment of Rs 17,097 crore, while 467 projects are under implementation for Rs 2.04 lakh crore. In the past decade, Rs 2.22 lakh crore worth of industrial entrepreneurs memorandums (IEM) have been filed for setting up projects in Kutch, which is 26 per cent of Gujarat as a whole.

"The tax holiday transformed Kutch. Development in the last decade has been faster than the whole of the previous one century," says Vidyut Buch, vice-president of Gandhidham Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Many feared the concessions would bring in fly-in and fly-out operators who would pack up once the tax holiday ended. But, two growing ports – Kandla and Mundra — proved the apprehensions wrong. "When they saw profit through easy exports, they stayed invested here," said Ashok Chawla, former president of GCCI.

One of the most glowing examples of the enterprise that a new Kutch has bred is an auto company born soon after the concessions were offered. Asia Motor Works, the maker of large trucks, was drawn to the quake-ravaged land in 2002 because of the incentives.

"When we came in here first, there was hardly any infrastructure. But, in the past five years, the state government has created excellent infrastructure — airport, roads, power and even water," says Anirudh Bhuwalka, MD & CEO of AMW, which has lined up future investments in and around Bhuj.
The steady stream of investments gave a big boost to local industries as well. Ashok Sharma, 50, had raised huge debts to build a hotel in Gandhidham. The newly-built property came crumbling down on January 26. Some assistance from the government and loads of courage has seen Sharma construct a larger resort in the same town. "Traffic increased phenomenally and we get much more business than what we used to get pre-earthquake," he says.

Many investors clearly identified Kutch as the location for new projects during the Vibrant Gujarat meet earlier this month. The district was promised the maximum investments. investment of Rs 1.13 lakh crore has been pledged in projects worth Rs 5,000 crore or more.


source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Doom-to-dhoom-All-in-a-decade/articleshow/7330621.cms#ixzz1BgdgS5d3)

^^^Can sm1 post images of kutch from then and now.

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Five more govt hospitals go for costly clean-up

But questions are being raised over awarding of the contracts to the same company, Bharat Vikas Group, which specialises in mechanised cleaning

Vipul Rajput

Posted On Friday, January 28, 2011 at 03:12:54 AM



From Feb 1, 6 govt hospitals — the ones in Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara — will introduce mechanised cleaning
After Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, government hospitals in five other major cities of Gujarat have also decided to go for an expensive clean-up act. Sir T General Hospital (Bhavnagar), GGS Hospital (Jamnagar), Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Civil Hospital (Rajkot), New Civil Hospital (Surat) and SSG Hospital (Vadodara) will introduce ‘mechanised cleaning’ from February 1.

Mechanised cleaning is a maintenance approach in which equipment such as vacuum cleaners and floor scrubbers are used instead of brooms and mops.

For the first time, the six hospitals’ total annual expenditure on cleanliness will go up from a few lakhs to crores — Rs 28 crore to be precise. While their focus on maintaining their facilities is being praised, questions are being raised over such a steep hike in spending and the method behind awarding of contracts.

Strangely, the contracts for sprucing up all the six hospitals has been given to the same company, Bharat Vikas Group (BVG), which is based in Maharashtra and which specialises in mechanised maintenance work. Private firms and agencies that have been handling cleaning work at the hospitals till now allege authorities are unfairly favouring BVG.

“Some of the conditions set by hospital officials for awarding contracts clearly give an advtange to BVG,” the owner of one such company, who didn’t want to be identified, said. “For instance, one condition is that only companies that have solvency of at least Rs 1 crore will be given the contracts. This is very baffling. Should a firm be judged by its solvency or its quality of work?”

Some have also been puzzled by the huge increase in budget allocated for maintaining cleanliness. “It is good that they are taking this issue seriously. But there are other areas that need urgent attention and funds. For instance, hospitals should focus on making more medicines available on their campuses and improving facilities for patients,” a source at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said.

BVG, in its agreement, has demanded Rs 27.50 for cleaning every sq mt of built-up area. It has identified 3.87 lakh sq mt of built-up area at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital; 62,389 sq mt at Sir T General (Bhavnagar), 41,252 sq mt at GGS (Jamnagar) and 75,774 sq mt at Rajkot Civil Hospital. The built-up areas of New Civil Hospital (Surat) and SSG (Vadodara) are 29,209 sq mt and 39,267 sq mt, respectively.

Whale of a bill
This effectively means that Ahmedabad Civil will spend approximately Rs 1.06 crore a month on cleanliness; the one in Bhavnagar Rs 17.15 lakh; the one in Jamnagar Rs 11.34 lakh; the one in Rajkot Rs 20.83 lakh. Govt hospitals in Surat and Vadodara will shell out Rs 8.03 lakh and Rs 10.79 lakh, respectively.

When Mirror spoke to health commissioner Anju Sharma, she said that contract details were worked out by officials of the said hospitals. On the solvency condition, she said: “Before a tender is approved, criteria such as a company’s qualification, work history, capacity to handle work and financial health, among others, are taken into consideration. Firms that fulfil the criteria are selected.”

On the hospitals’ huge spending on cleanliness, she said that it was necessary. “Hospitals have to focus on improving facilities and cleanliness as both of them are key issues,” Sharma said.

Apart from the steep cost, there are concerns over the method used by Bharat Vikas Group to calculate the total space that needs to be cleaned. For instance, the total carpet area of Ahmedabad Civil’s three-storey trauma centre is 512.85 sq mt. The company has stated that the built-up area of the centre is 3,418.95 sq mt. Ideally, it should be a little over 2,000 sq mt.

GGS Jamnagar’s administrative officer, S G Pathak, said that clarity on the calculation of the areas had been sought. Sharma said that she would look into the issue.

Civil’s medical superintendent, M M Prabhakar, said that a committee would be formed to measure the actual carpet and built-up areas of the hospital. “Bills will be cleared on the basis of the committee’s data. We will make sure that government’s money is not wasted,” he said.

The medical superintendent of SSG Vadodara, Ranjan Vala, confirmed that mechanised cleaning would be introduced there on February 1, but refused to comment on its cost. “Everything was decided by Ahmedabad Civil,” she said.

Gujarat's astonishing rise from rubble of 2001 quake (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12309791)

Ten years on from the huge earthquake that razed swathes of India's western state of Gujarat, the BBC finds the place transformed from a pile of rubble in a neglected backwater into an economic powerhouse. How?

Kutch is a remote region in the arid borderlands of north-west India. For centuries life was brutally tough - rains often failed, there were few jobs and the enterprising would emigrate.

Then in January 2001 a magnitude seven earthquake struck, devastating a huge area, flattening cities including the district capital, Bhuj, and wrecking over 8,000 villages. Twenty thousand people were killed and more than a million others made homeless.

Those who witnessed the devastation at the time must have thought this would set back development by decades.

There was an outpouring of sympathy from around the world, much of it from Gujaratis living abroad. Some $130m (£80m) of aid poured in.

The Indian government was spurred into focusing on this much-ignored region in a way it had never done before.

The army was sent in to help with the emergency and $2bn of reconstruction money was allocated to the region.

Contrary to what many feared, aid and government grants were put to good use. In the first two years after the quake, nearly all the damaged villages were rebuilt.

Mithapashvaria, near Bhuj, is a small village that was completely destroyed. It was re-built with donations from the UK.

Families showed us the ruins of their old dark two-room house, and then took us to the new village.


Houses there were light and airy, with four rooms, running water and a toilet.

The village also had a medical centre, a temple and communal areas it hadn't enjoyed before.

Navin Prasad, of Sewa International, a non-governmental organisation, said that in village after village the reconstruction had produced a leap forward in development.

"We have taken people out of the Middle Ages and into the modern world," he said.

This progress was repeated all over Kutch, and it is most noticeable in Bhuj.

After the earthquake it was a sea of rubble.

Radical plans
Shocked and traumatised, residents fled, with many living in temporary accommodation for months.

It took several years to implement plans for a completely new city.

Houses had to be destroyed to make way for wider roads.

Ten years on Bhuj has been reborn.

It has two new ring-roads, an airport, parks and thriving shops.

Pradeep Sharma was the government official widely credited at the time with pushing through the radical plans.

"What you see is a new Bhuj," he says. "We have widened the roads, laid down water supply systems and underground drainage systems."


The success of the reconstruction effort could never have been sustained without economic recovery.

This was triggered by the Indian government creating new tax-free zones, which sparked a boom in private investment.

It is thought $10bn has come into the region, with £7bn more to come.

Business boom
Some 300 companies have established their businesses in Kutch and many more are queuing up to follow suit.

Mundra is a microcosm of the scale of development.

It was a small fishing port in the middle of a salt marsh before the earthquake.

Now it's an industrial hub, handling hundreds of tonnes of goods every day.

The Adani group which owns the port is now worth $7bn.

They've also bought a coal mine in Australia and container ships to bring the coal back to India to feed the country's biggest power station.

Mundra is expected soon to be bigger than the port at Mumbai.

They are drawing on the ample supply of land and cheap labour.

In nearby villages, the only work used to be in traditional crafts.

Now there are thousands of new jobs and Adani is taking over the work of aid agencies.

Sushma Oza is a former aid worker who now heads the Adani Foundation.

Jobs revolution
"Our own budget for social development in this region is $6m a year, so you can imagine how we are trying to change the lives of people to live in better way," she says.

Near Anjar, a city that was devastated by the earthquake, the biggest towel factory in the world was set up by Welspun in just nine months.

Its vast mechanised looms weave 250,000 towels a day.

It has taken over the British company, Christy's, the official towel-maker of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship.

The chairman of Welspun, Balkrishan Goenka, says good local governance was key in choosing Kutch.

"There were no local taxes for the first five years and no excise duties. Nor were there indirect taxes to government - they were exempted for five years," he says.

"Those were the primary benefits. More than that there was huge support from the local government so industry can come faster."

Beside the towel factory, the jaws of the Welspun steel plant's furnace spit out great slabs of metal.

Since the earthquake, over 110,000 new jobs have been created in Kutch, and there are thought to be hundred of thousands more on the way.

With two years of good rainfall and with the 400-km (250-mile) water pipeline from the Narmada River, the population is now increasing as the job opportunities increase.

The region is now a cornerstone of the Indian economy, a fact almost unthinkable 10 years ago.

Pollution monitoring stations in all GIDC estates (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Pollution-monitoring-stations-in-all-GIDC-estates/articleshow/7433847.cms)

In a major policy decision shift, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) would earmark special plots to set up Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) monitoring stations in every GIDC estate across the state. This decision was taken to tackle pollution related problems that are reported from several industrial estates in the state.

Besides this, after a long gap the GPCB has initiated recruitments across its various centres. To start with 62 personnel will be inducted before the end of next month.

Apart from these measures, eight new district centres of GPCB have been set up - the newest one being at Gandhinagar. The other seven include Ankleshwar, Navsari, Anand, Himmatnagar, Surendranagar, Porbandar and Palanpur.

... the Mahatma and the Quaid, were both Gujaratis ...


And I am a Gujarati too...:-)

........ PROUD TO BE........

A GUJARATI[/QUOTE]

^^^^^^^^^^

Me too, ... hehe .. & I too want a country to call my own a la above esteemed Bania & Khoja attorneys and have my pic on the money, literally! - Attorney Pavan C. Joshi.

Jokes aside, Gujarat has oil & ... gas. Mostly un-prospected, un-researched, un-recovered. I'm happy because this paydirt could'nt have been to a better, nicer more grounded ppl. than Gujaratis & Rajasthani's. China offers everything that Guj. offers in it's coatal investment zone cities, minus the future oil & gas paydirt.

A quick look @ neibhouring Gujarat/Sindh states in Pakistan is further proof-Pakistan's large Sui Gas field is in the area. It's given Pak. the largest, most widespread and deep gas-based economy in the world. neighbouring Rajasthan's Barmer border area hit paydirt with oil in Aishwarya, Mangla etc. Word is the disputed marshes of Indo-Pak border of Gujarat and the sea beyond are rich oil/gas basins.
Gulf of Khambat and inland Gujarat areas are already pumping oil & gas. Not to mention the deep sea beyond Bombay High towards Gujarat, Pakistan & the Gulf. Further, if the Iran pipeline comes in, it's likely to cross Gujerat via land, and if it goes sub-sea, again landfall likely to be Gujarat.

Gujarat is on to a mega boom; I feel Vibrant Gujarat is not hype, nor the tip of the iceberg; I think all investments in Gujarat will accelerate because of oil & gas + evrything else covered in this thread ... Modi, Gujaratis, Guj. Diaspora, Globalisation, Agri, Narmada, Check Dams, Micro irrigation, bT tech., peace, etc. etc. Gujarat already has the world's larger oil & gas infrastructure like refineries, ports, pipe, LNG terminal; so 1 can expect a mega off-shore tanker terminal in the future too. Why is an Ozzie Co. putting in a giant helicopter base in Guj.- helicopter's do off-shore oil site runs.

Not enough weightage is credited herein to Guj. oil & gas paydirt. I've said it before & all praise to Modi and all that; Go Modi, Go Gujarat, Go-Go Vibrant Gujarat!

Should we have a new slogan?

"Vibrant Gujarat, Vibrator Modi;)"

... or is that a :nono:

Question ?

1 set-up i really like is this Singapuri Co. putting up 1000's cr.'s plant for making water. Exciting stuff - a machine the size of a 'peti' that condences pure water from thin air, literally. Sing. have no water so on a national project basis this technology is hyper funded, getting better everyday and now India is big target market.

My question or concern is what is the China factor. What is the China investment's in Guj.

We know China is # 1 investor in developing countries. China invests mega big. Anil's ADAG Co. is big out-sourcer to China Co.'s re: infra etc. I sincerely wish China and Pakistan also turn big investors in Gujarat, any news, updates?

Sorry if it is a bit touchy, I'm just being practical.

Pakistan also turn big investors in Gujarat, any news, updates?

Sorry if it is a bit touchy, I'm just being practical.

:lol: Do Pakis have any Money ? Sorry if it is a bit touchy, I'm just being practical. :-p

No updates here at all since forever!

Guj pitches for marine research institute

The state with the longest coastline in the country is now pitching for a research institute on marine biodiversity. Gujarat has spoken to the union minister of environment and forest (MoEF) Jairam Ramesh in this regard. State forest and environment minister Mangubhai Patel in a meeting with Ramesh on Monday in the national capital sought to establish a national-level institute for elaborate research in the area of marine biodiversity, which is found in abundance on Gujarat's coast.
Ramesh has asked for a detailed plan for the proposed institute, after which he will revert. Principal secretary, environment and forest SK Nanda, who accompanied Patel to the meeting said, "He has shown inclination towards the idea and we have to give him a detailed plan."
He added, "The first marine national park of the country situated at Jamnagar has rich marine biodiversity. Moreover, it is also vulnerable as the area is surrounded by industry. Therefore we believe intense research input and conservation from an academic point of view is required to preserve the fragile ecosystem. The institution can help in better regulation and monitoring of the area."
Ramesh has been all praise for the state forest department's efforts in the area of mangrove conservation, whale sharks and the thriving lion population, even as he holds the view that some lions should be shifted to Madhya Pradesh. "We also raised the issue of fluid release of funds under CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority). Rs50 crore have been released, which is proving to be a problem," Nanda said.

Source DNA

Pretty much an addition to the above story...

State seeks `600 crore for road around Gir Sanctuary


The state government has asked the Centre to approve Rs600 crore for constructing a ring road around the Gir Lion Sanctuary for protection and conservation of lions.
State forest and environment minister Mangu Patel raised the demand when he called on his counterpart at the centre, Jairam Ramesh on Monday.
During the discussion, Patel urged that the union government should approve the funds for building the road. He also sought quick release of funds from Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority Fund (CAMPA).
The Gujarat minister said that the state government has a total provision of `485 crore for compensatory funds parked with Centre, which includes `132.63 crore towards compensatory afforestation and `349.72 crore towards net present value.
Patel said that the union government has so far released ad-hoc funds of `24.96 crore and `29.16 crore in two installments from CAMPA. He said that the released funds were grossly inadequate, and urged for release of more funds.
He also requested for release of funds for State Forest Development Agency and under the Greening India Programme. He also called for establishment of a national level biodiversity institute in Jamnagar or Kutch.
Ramesh assured that he would look into the issues and sort them out at the earliest. He also accepted the invitation to visit Gujarat.
Minister of state for forest and environment Kiritsinh Rana, principal secretary, forest and environment, SK Nanda, and principal chief conservator of forests Pradeep Khanna, were also present during the meeting.

State may replicate Lakshadweep potable water project


With demand for potable water on the rise, the state government may replicate the Lakshadweep water project, in which seawater is desalinated and used for drinking purposes.
"We will visit Lakshadweep and study the potable water project. Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country and there is growing pressure on water resources due to rising demand. We will check whether the project can be implemented in the state on a bigger scale," DJ Pandian, principal secretary, state energy & petrochemicals department, said at a conference.
The remarks came after noted earth scientist and Padma Shri recipient Prof Harsh K Gupta spoke about the pilot desalination project, which has enabled supply of clean drinking water to 10,000 residents of Kavaratti, Lakshadweep. The project has been undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
"The Low Temperature Thermal Desalination plant desalinates one lakh litres of seawater per day, which means a supply of 10 litres of potable water for each resident of Kavaratti," Prof Gupta said.
They were speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference on Unconventional Fossil Fuel Sources & Carbon Management, organised by Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) and Colorado School of Mines, at PDPU, Gandhinagar.
The eminent scientist also said that the desalination cost, at present, worked out to be around 10 - 12 paise per litre. He, however, added that the cost could be brought down significantly if the project was undertaken on a bigger scale. The project is also being replicated in some of the other coastal states of the country, such as Tamil Nadu.
During the conference, experts spoke about the potential for finding unconventional fossil fuels such as shale oil, coal bed methane, underground coal gasification, and gas hydrates among others.
Shale gas, expected to become the next big thing in India's energy sector, also came up during the conference. Experts said that the country had enormous shale gas resources which could prove to be a game-changer. Tapan Ray, MD, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), said that they had started work on pilot projects in the Cambay basin to explore for shale gas and oil.
The two-day conference will see more than 60 presentations by experts from leading oil & gas companies, research initiatives and consultants from USA, Norway and India, among others. They are deliberating on several aspects of fossil fuel demand, energy security and carbon management.

Rs 1,145.45-crore to be invested by private players in six-lane Bagodara-Tarapur highway


The Gujarat State Road Development Corporation, under the Roads & Buildings Department, has signed a concession agreement with GVK Development Project Ltd to convert the 101.9-km long three-lane Bagodara-Vasad-Tarapur into a six-lane road with the latest infrastructure facilities on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis as a Public-Private Participation (PPP).

The project connecting south Gujarat with Saurashtra region for traffic to ports In the Saurashtra-Kutch.

About 30-km of the road falls in Ahmedabad district and the remaining 71.9-km in Anand district.

The investors will invest Rs.1,145.45-cr in the project.

It will not cost the Gujarat Government anything and is estimated to fetch the government Rs.4,968-cr premium in the coming 27 years.

As per the agreement, work will begin on the project in October 2011 and complete in 30 months by April 2014. The project includes widening 130 culverts and three major bridges.

Two bypasses will be built skirting internal traffic of Borsad and Vasad towns.

Four railway bridges, 17 underpasses, retro-reflective sign boards, thermoplastic road markings will be provided to ensure highest road traffic safety.

Recharging wells ad other water conservation projects will be undertaken along either sides of the road project.

Two toll plazas, equipped with ambulance, crane, medical aid, vehicular aid posts, telephones at regular intervals and traffic condition display boards will be erected as part of modern highway transport management system.

source: GujaratMoney

From the Rail Budget, Gujarat related.

Link (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201102262011022603325657727c6dcdd/Green-signal-for-A%E2%80%99bad-Local.html)

EXPRESS TRAINS
• Ahmedabad-Yesvantpur AC Express (weekly)
• Ahmedabad-Varanasi (weekly) via Ajmer
• Bhavnagar Kochuvelli Express (weekly) via Panvel, Madgaon
• Bhuj-Dadar Express (bi-weekly)
• Porbander-Kochuveli Express (weekly) via Panvel, Madgaon
• Puri-Gandhidham Express (weekly) via Durg
• Udaipur-Bandra Express (tri-weekly) via Ratlam

SPECIAL
• Janam Bhoomi Gaurav train connecting important historical
and educational places: Mumbai-Ahmedabad-(Lothal)-Bhavnagar (Palitana)-(Alang)-Gir-Diu(Somnath-Veraval)-(Junagadh)-Rajkot-Mumbai
• Vivek Express: Dwarka-Tuticorin (weekly) via Wadi
• Kavi Guru Express: Howrah-Porbandar (weekly)

Demu & Passenger Trains
• Ahmedabad-Patan
• Bhuj-Palanpur

TO BE EXTENDED
• Valsad – Vadodara Express to Dahod
• Surat – Bhavnagar Express to Mahuva
• Sultanpur – Ajmer Express to Ahmedabad

FACILITIES FOR A’BAD
• Development of integrated suburban railway network in large cities including Ahmedabad is proposed.
• Mechanised laundry at Ahmedabad
• Extension of Rail Yatri Sevaks with modern trolleys at Ahmedabad
• Pre-feasibility study for western leg of Golden Rail Corridor with the objective of raising speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph

FACILITIES FOR OTHER STATIONS
• Multifunctional complexes with budget hotels at Bhuj and Anand
• A new polytechnic will be set up at Vadodara under MOU with ministry of Human Resources Development.
• Safe drinking water, pay & use toilets, high-level platforms to: Gandhigram, Navsari, New Bhuj, Udhna

DURONTO TRAINS
New 9
From Ahmedabad 1
• Ahmedabad-Pune AC Duronto (tri-weekly)
• Mumbai Central - New Delhi AC (bi-weekly, via Vadodara)

Frequency increased
• Ahmedabad-Mumbai Doronto Express from 3 days to Daily
• Nagpur-Ahmedabad Express from weekly to bi-weekly
• Rajkot-Porbandar Express from 3 days to daily
• Surat-Amravati fast passenger from 2 days to 3 days

BENEFITS GALORE FOR THE AAM AADMI
• No increase in passenger fares and freight rates
• The booking charges for A/C as well as non A/C seats have been slashed by 50 per cent and online ticketing is all set to get cheaper.
• More multifunctional complexes and budget hotels at 45 locations.
• Introduction of pan-India multi-purpose ‘Go India’ smart card.
• Better accessibility for physically challenged customers; extension of Rail Yatri Sevaks to six more stations.
• New portal for e-ticketing.
• Introduction of advance booking of retiring rooms.
• Introduction of new super AC class of travel.
• Mega recruitment drive on; 16,000 ex-servicemen to be inducted by end of March 2011.
• Railway sportsperson won 25 medals in the Commonwealth Games 2010 and 7 out of 14 golds won by India in the Asian Games. A separate sports cadre to be created.

CONCESSIONS
• Concession to physically handicapped persons to be extended on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.
• Facility of card passes to be extended to the parents of unmarried posthumous Param Vir Chakra & Ashok Chakra gallantry award winners.
• Senior citizen concession to be increased from 30% to 40% for men; women to get senior citizen concession from 58 years age.

Gujarat GSDP & per capita income rises (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/gujarat-gsdp-per-capita-income-rises/755187/2)

Riding on an impressive industrial growth, Gujarat's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and per capita income grew by around 16 per cent in 2009-10, while food grain and oil seed production dipped by 11.66 per cent and 23.45 per cent respectively.

The GSDP grew to Rs. 4,29,356 crore (current prices) in 2009-10, as compared to Rs. 3,67,745 crore in 2008-09, a rise of 16.80 per cent, the state's socio-economic review (2010-11) report said.

While, the state's per capita income rose by 16 per cent at Rs. 63,961 in 2009-10, as against Rs. 55,140 a year ago.

The per capita income in Gujarat is higher than India's per capita of Rs. 46,492 in 2009-10, the report stated.

As per the report, the production of total foodgrains during the year 2009-10 is estimated at 56.05 lakh tonnes as compared to 63.45 lakh tonnes in the previous year, a decrease of 11.66 per cent, it said.

While, the total oilseed production during year 2009-10 is being estimated at 30.10 lakh tonnes, as compared to 39.32 lakh tonnes in previous year, a dip of 23.45 per cent, the report stated.

During the year 2009-10, the production of fruits, vegetables, spices and flowers was reported at 69.85 lakh tonnes, 72.55 lakh tonnes, 9.38 lakh tonnes and 0.95 lakh tonnes respectively.

The production of fruits, vegetables, spices and flowers in FY 2010-11 is likely to go up marginally at 78.40 lakh tonnes, 73.59 lakh tonnes, 9.51 lakh tonnes and one lakh tonnes respectively

:cheers:

Gujarat budget snippets (http://20twentytwo.blogspot.com/2011/02/gujarat-budget-snippets.html)

As Ahmedabad completes 600 years....An expressway between Ahmedabad and Dholera-SIR, introduction of Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) ferry service between Dahej and Ghogha ports, purchase of 3000 new ST buses and widening of roads were some of the initiatives announced in the state budget on Friday.The measures are aimed at strengthening road connectivity and transportation infrastructure in Gujarat. In the budget, provisions of Rs 3,341 crore under roads and buildings department and Rs 600 crore under ports and transport department have been made.The state will also get its first express highway of 117 km (approximately) between Ahmedabad and SIR Dholera. Of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 3,341 crore for the R&B department, Rs 2,200 crore have been allocated for the express highway.The government has also proposed to convert the 151 km-long road between Rajkot-Bhavnagar into a four-lane one. Roads joining major ports and industrial areas will also be taken up on a PPP basis at a cost of Rs 746 crore. Even, villages and suburbs having population of less than 500 will be connected through pucca roads, and for this Rs 100 crore have been allotted. Also, Rs 98 crore have been provided for network of 10m wide roads linking district headquarters.Kisanpath Yojna, Pragati Path and Vikas Path Yojna will also get a total of Rs 248 crore. More engineers will be recruited in the roads and building department. Also, pucca roads will be constructed at a cost of Rs 30 crore to facilitate movement of workers engaged in salt farming.The transport department will buy 3,000 new ST buses at a cost of Rs 425 crore. Also 21 ST bus stations will be modernized.A proposed RORO ferry service from Ghogha to Dahej will also be introduced at a cost of Rs 296 crore.

GANDHINAGAR: The state has sold 2,220 million units of power to other states during the last two years, the government told the assembly on Monday.

In two different replies, the government said that the state was enjoying a surplus as far as power production was concerned. Against demand of 40,793 million units during the nine months since April 2010, Gujarat produced 43,848 million units.

Replying to Jodiya MLA Raghavji Patel's query, the government said that during the last two years the government has upgraded the installed capacity of 13,258 megawatts (MW) by another 3,488 MW. Some more solar and wind-powered electricity production units that have been set up in the state account for another 519 MW.

Minister of state for power, Saurabh Patel, said that Gujarat's industrial units enjoyed uninterrupted power supply and that this was in keeping with their development in the state. He forecasted that during the next two years installed capacity of power production would increase by another 6,181 MW while the end of December 2011 would see Gujarat's installed capacity reach 19,439 MW.

The 12 states are Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

Looks like all these secular states are buying electricity from a so not secular state.

Jubilant Life Sciences (JLS) on Tuesday said it is setting up a manufacturing plant to produce Symtet, a key ingredient for making insecticide ‘Chlorpyrifos’, at Bharuch in Gujarat, as part of its nearly Rs 350 crore capacity expansion plans for the next fiscal.

JLS will set up a manufacturing plant in the Special Economic Zone, at Bharuch, for the chemical commercially known as Symtet/TCP, which will have a capacity of 24,000 tonnes per annum (TPA), it said in a statement.

The new plant will also manufacture chlorinated pyridine derivatives with an annual production of 5,000 tonnes, it added.

“The company has earmarked Rs 350 crore for capacity expansion in 2011-12. The new project in Gujarat would be a part of this capacity expansion,” JLS Executive Director Finance Mr R Sankaraiah told PTI. The company, however, did not disclose the investment details of the project.

The facility, which is expected to be operational from the fourth quarter of FY 2012, will make Jubilant the largest producer of Symtet globally catering to more than 40 per cent of the worldwide demand, the company said.

JLS has received approvals from major customers and is in the process of firming up long-term arrangements with them. It expects to achieve additional annual revenue of $90 million from this facility, it added.

“Jubilant will be the only company in the world manufacturing Symtet through this environment friendly technology, developed by inhouse R&D having complete backward integration up to the basic feed stock,” JLS CMD Mr Shyam S Bhartia and Co-Chairman and MD Mr Hari S Bhartia said.

Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/03/08/jubilant-life-sciences-to-set-up-a-plant-in-gujarat/)

State-run power utility Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL) has narrowed down to a site in Mandvi near Gulf of Kutch for commissioning of 50 MW tidal power project according to PTI report.

The tidal power project will need huge area out of any port limits along the coastline. The area also should be free from defence clearances.

This will be the first big tidal power project to be ever commissioned in the country, as only a demonstration project for setting up 3.75 MW capacity tidal energy power plant is being executed by National Hydro Power Corporation Ltd in Sunderban region of West Bengal.

GPCL had inked a MoU with the UK based Atlantis Resource Corporation in Vibrant Gujarat Summit for commissioning of tidal power projects in the state.


Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/03/09/indias-first-tidal-power-plant-to-come-up-at-mandvi-in-gujarat/)

Govt. to start Hovercraft facility in Gujarat costal line..
As the stat minister Jai narayan Vyas announced the said hovercraft facility to be start between some of costal points across the Gulf of khambhat, the points like Dwarka, ghogha, Savli, aliyabet,etc. Hovercraft will be of 30 passengers capacity. This service will reduce the distance of 360 km beween Bhavnagar and Surat districts which would covered by roadway. Such service can benefit to travellers as well as govt.

AHMEDABAD: Chief minister Narendra Modi met CEOs from top European companies in New Delhi on Friday as part of an interactive session held between Gujarat government and the European Business Group India ( EBGI). The session was attended by about 85 CEOs of European firms, and ambassadors and trade commiss- ioners of the 27 EU member states, as well as representatives from the European Commission.

Some of the key companies that attended the session include BAe Systems, Veolia Water India, Vodafone, BP, Dassault, EDF, IKEA, Rio Tinto and Halcrow India as well as Shell Hazira and Alstom India, the co-sponsors of the event with iNDEXTb. Leading European companies which have already invested in Gujarat are Heubach, BASF, Bayer, Siemens, Linde AG, Lanxess, Duravit, Pharmacia, Perstorp, Cheminova, Sanofi Aventis amongst many others.

The chief minister's participation in the event represents a further push for investment into the state over the last decade and follows on from the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit which attracted participation from more than 1,500 foreign investors and secured MoUs valued at over Rs 20.83 lakh crore.

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/4536/epaperimages5c5c2703201.jpg

DMICDCs 2nd Power Plant at Vadnagar (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_dmicdc-s-second-power-plant-at-vadnagar-in-gujarat_1525023)

The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), the agency developing the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), has selected Vadnagar in Mehsana for setting up its second 1,000 MW power plant in the state.

The DMICDC, which had announced plans to set up two 1,000 MW gas-based power plants along the DMIC in Gujarat, had already approved Vaghel village in Patan's Sami taluka as the site for one of the plants. The agency has finalised Rajpur and Shahpur villages in Vadnagar taluka of Mehsana for the second power plant.

The two power projects, having installed power generation capacity of 1,000 MW each, will require an investment of around Rs8,000 crore.

DMICDC was also considering Vadodara district for setting up the second power plant, but has finalised Vadnagar for the project.
It may be worth mentioning that Vadnagar is the native place of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL), an undertaking of the state government, also said that Sami and Vadnagar had been selected as the sites for the two 1,000 MW power projects. In its annual report for the year 2009-10, GPCL said that the state government has identified around 132 hectare of government waste land at Vaghel village for the first project.

Gujarat chalks out development plan for shipyard cluster in Dahej (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/guj-chalks-out-development-plan-for-shipyard-cluster-in-dahej/429256/)

The government of Gujarat has prepared a development plan for building a shipyard cluster at Dahej in southern Gujarat. The government has approved a fund of Rs 500 crore to develop a marine shipbuilding park on the banks of river Narmada.

In a written reply to a query raised in the state assembly on Monday, Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi, who also holds the ports portfolio, informed that the government was proposing a shipyard cluster on the banks of river Narmada.

A marine shipbuilding park is expected to be developed under this cluster in Dahej.

The government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 500 crore for the project. The minister also informed that a development plan for setting up a shipyard cluster near Dahej had been prepared so far.

The move has come as a step towards making Gujarat the shipbuilding hub of India and a global destination in this sector. The shipyards may also attract private sector players with FDI. The govt intends to focus on development of port-based industry and increasing the capacity of ports through PPP option. An investment of around Rs 3400 crore in port-clusters like Dahej and Bhavnagar is expected in a few years.

^^ I might be wrong here and I am just being lazy to look at the map but wouldnt Dahej fall under the Kalpasar dam area. Then how are they going to get the boats out lol. Or I might be wrong.

Well its all very hypothetical at this stage since the Kalpasar project isnt really going on yet... but Kalpasar plans have been revised to shift it north of Dahej on the east side and the Bhavnagar port on the westside (planned to be redeveloped).

Article from when the Kalpasar reallignment was announced in 2009 covering the viability of shipbuilding/expansion of Dahej under the revision of Kalpasar Link (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-04/ahmedabad/28149901_1_abg-shipyard-kalpasar-narmada-river)

This time for Gujarat.
Gujarat leads the growth states. It has achieved highest growth rate at 11% followed by Haryana and Bihar.
The report introduced by Mckinsey co. at Banglore.
Gujarat also owns future... Wish it happen

financialexpress.com/news/gujarat-leads-in-growth-report/767739/

Well its all very hypothetical at this stage since the Kalpasar project isnt really going on yet... but Kalpasar plans have been revised to shift it north of Dahej on the east side and the Bhavnagar port on the westside (planned to be redeveloped).

Article from when the Kalpasar reallignment was announced in 2009 covering the viability of shipbuilding/expansion of Dahej under the revision of Kalpasar Link (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-04/ahmedabad/28149901_1_abg-shipyard-kalpasar-narmada-river)

Aha I thought i had read it somewhere. Thanks for that! It makes sense now. :cheers:

Gujarat ST starts VOLVO bus service from Ahmedabad
(http://deshgujarat.com/2011/03/12/gujarat-st-starts-volvo-bus-service-from-ahmedabad/)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5519921384_66cd4007a1_b.jpg

Gujarat State Transport Corporation today started operating seven super-comfortable A.C. VOLVO buses to connect Ahmedabad city and its airport to some major cities of Gujarat.

The new service includes buses to Vadodara, Surat,Bhuj, Rajkot and Jamnagar straight from Ahmedabad.

The VOLVO buses are owned by private players, and they are being operated by the S.T.department. While conductor in such buses are from S.T. department, the drivers are employed by the owners of the bus.

VOLVO buses are equipped with common TV, DVD player and AC and seat-wise plug for laptop and mobile charger.

Details:

Ahmedabad airport to Surat at 11:30 am daily via stoppages at Sarngpur(Ahmedabad), Gita Mandir(Ahmedabad), Express highway(Ahmedabad) and Ankleshwar GIDC

Ahmedabad airport to Jamnagar at 6.30 am daily via stoppages at Gita Mandir(Ahmedabad), Paldi(Ahmedabad), Iskcon(Ahmedabad), Sarkhej(Ahmedabad), Chotila Rajkot and Dhrol.

Ahmedabad airport to Vadodara at 9.00 pm daily via stoppages at Sarangpur, Gita Mandir, Express way, and Amit Nagar circle.

Vovlo buses from Gita Mandir S.T. station:

S.T. station to Surat: 8.00 am
S.T. station to Vadodara: 6.00, 7.30, 12.30, 17.30
S.T. station to Rajkot: 6.00, 14,00, 17.00, 23.00
S.T. station to Bhuj: 13.00




While this is all good and all, 1 simple request to ST - please clear up Gita mandir bus depot. These flash buses dont suit there.

AMW opens its first truck centre at Hazira (https://www.namoleague.com/Gujarat-Development-Business-Details?page=244)

Asia Motor Works (AMW), a Gujarat-based medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer, inaugurated its first state-of-the-art 'Truck Centre' in Hazira on Saturday.

The company, which has a modern manufacturing complex at Bhuj with the installed capacity of 50,000 trucks per annum, is planning to open more than 15 such centres in the key cities across the country in the next two years.

The truck centre was inaugurated by Gujarat's transport commissioner J P Gupta in presence of the truck dealers and owner of transport companies in Surat and south Gujarat region. Managing director and CEO of AMW Anirudh Bhuwalka said, "In a short span of time, we have become the market leaders after Tata and Ashok Leyland in the commercial vehicle segment."

Gujarat to upgrade 108 service with pathology clinic on wheels


Forget the Delhis, Mumbais and Bangalores if what you are looking for is world-class, cutting edge medical care and technology. Our very own Ahmedabad provides all that and at prices which are around one-tenth of what you would end up paying abroad. Add to this the extensive, efficient and award winning 108 service which will soon be upgraded with mobile diagnostics.
The mobile diagnostic equipment, named Accurate and developed by IITian biomedical engineer Amit Bhatnagar, interested health minister Jaynarayan Vays who was at the medical conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the city, and he emphasised that this facility would soon be added to the 108 ambulance network in the state.
The mobile diagnostic device developed by Bhatnagar for which research had been conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, can read various blood parameters including sugar, potassium and sodium levels as well as measure lipids in no time.
Bhatnagar said, "This mobile product, developed to meet local requirements, can expand blood testing services to reach the remotest of tribal areas. If added to 108 it saves 4 - 5 hours as the patient can be tested on the ambulance before he/she reaches the hospitals and the basic blood parameters are available before hand."
Gujarat is also gearing up for the launch of 104 - the Medical Emergency Call Centre -- where the citizens would be able to dial for general health problems, including non-emergency issues. The 104 service would attend the call of non-emergency medical complaints like headache, fever etc.
"The service would either prescribe the medication over phone, or give the name and contact details of the nearest medical practitioners. If the caller's condition is serious, then details would be passed on to 108 for further assistance," informed Vyas while addressing the conference held on Saturday in the city.

While this is all good and all, 1 simple request to ST - please clear up Gita mandir bus depot. These flash buses dont suit there.

5 bus depots - Ahmedabad, surat, vadodara, mehsana and maybe Rajkot - are being redesigned by a Hong-kong based Architectural firm, and they say it would be ready in 2 years... So in 5 years time at the most, I think Volvo buses will have to give way to Merc buses to suit the termini.

5 bus depots - Ahmedabad, surat, vadodara, mehsana and maybe Rajkot - are being redesigned by a Hong-kong based Architectural firm, and they say it would be ready in 2 years... So in 5 years time at the most, I think Volvo buses will have to give way to Merc buses to suit the termini.

They say work will finish in 2 years? But I just went to the gita mandir bus depot when i came there and there was no work going on yet lol. Oh well lets hope they make it look nice.

Aiming at providing human resource in the area of Petro chemicals and power, Gandhinagar based Pandit Deendayal Petrolium University will establish India’s first Education research center in Dahej SEZ.

This center will provide practical experience to the students along with their regular study. Dahej SEZ has chemicals and peto chemicals unit including a unit of ONGC.

PDPU will be able to conduct special research projects also utilizing this center.

This will be for the first time when any university will establish its center in SEZ.

Proposed center will also in capacity to conduct short time courses and diploma courses in future when PCPIR will be functional in this area.


Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/04/01/pdpu-to-establish-education-research-center-in-dahej-sez/)

State government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India in the presence of Chief Secretary Shri A.K.Joti. The MoU is regarding State Strategic Statistical Plan (SSSP) and aims at strengthening the statistical systems of the state.

Shri Arvind Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation and Shri Varun Maira, Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration Department signed the MoU on behalf of the Central and the State governments respectively.

With the signing of MoU, state government has participated in centrally sponsored Indian Statistical Strengthening Project (ISSP) and will receive a fund of Rs.54.32-cr as a part of it.

SSSP will help the state government to thoroughly study its existing statistical framework and to get the precise statistics in a timely manner, enabling the decision making process more effective. It will also provide necessary databank pertaining to state’s flagship programmes like Sagarkhedu Yojana, Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana, Garib Samriddhi Yojana and others.

Shri S.K.Das, Director General, Central Statistical Office; Shri Indrajeet Singh, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Statistic and Programme Implementation and high officials of the Central and the State government were present on the occasion.

Source (http://deshgujarat.com/2011/03/31/gujarat-signs-mou-with-goi-to-strengthen-statistical-systems/)

Gujarat adds 1570 MW power capacities in FY11 (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gujarat-adds-1570-mw-power-capacities-in-fy11/431108/)



Country achieves highest ever capacity addition in the power sector

In the year 2010-11, Gujarat added power generation capacities to the tune of 1570 MW, nearly 10 per cent of the total capacities added in the country during the year.

Sushilkumar Shinde, union minister of power today informed that the country has achieved highest ever capacity addition in the power sector at record 15,795 MW for the year 2010-11.
Of the total capacities added during the year in Gujarat, Gujarat Industrial Power Corporation Limited (GIPCL), a state-promoted power company had added 250 MW for its lignite-based power plant at Surat during the first quarter of the year.

Adani group's Adani Power commissioned a total of 1320 MW of coal-based power generation capacities at its Mundra Power plant.

In a statement issued today, the minister informed that for the first quarter of the fiscal, the capacity addition stood at 2065 MW, while in the second quarter the capacity addition was 2870 MW.

Third quarter witnessed sharp jump in the capacity addition with 4795.5 MW of new capacities being added during the period and in the fourth quarter the capacity addition was 2430 MW.

Giving further details about the new capacities added, the statement informed that 690 MW of capacities were added in the hydro power sector, while 890.5 MW of capacity addition was seen in the gas/LNG fuelled facilities.

However, in the forth quarter of the fiscal Nuclear Power Corporation commissioned had 220 MW of nuclear power facilities in Karnataka.

The prominent companies which added to the capacity included NTPC, Adani Power, Reliance Power and Tata Powe

Modi to kick off construction work of Kutch Branch of Narmada Canal (http://deshgujarat.com/2011/04/09/big-day-for-kutch-modi-to-kick-off-construction-work-of-kutch-branch-narmada-canal/)

Gujarat Chief minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the construction work of the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) today at Rapar town in Kutch district. Narmada water will be available to Kutch for irrigation by 2014, with the starting of construction work on the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC).

The Kutch Branch Canal will be 360 km in length with discharge capacity of 7,700 cusecs. More than 2.78 lakh acres of land in 182 villages of seven talukas of Kutch will benefit with water for irrigation.

Narmada’s gravity ends at Banaskantha, so three big pumping stations will be constructed to provide water by way of lift irrigation at the cost of Rs1,265 crore. The work contracts are given on EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) basis to big contractors, where there is a clause for maintenance of the canal for five years.

Some part of Kutch Branch Canal is passing through the wild ass sanctuary and Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam had to wait for two years for approval from the union ministry of forests and environment.

The government has ensured that natural movements of wild ass (gudkhar) doesn’t get affected because of KBC. We have made special structures for the wild ass to cross the canal in a 20-km area of the sanctuary. We have spent Rs7 lakh per wild ass in this area. The total cost for these special arrangements will be around Rs200 crore.

Gujarat Projects under implemantation Stats (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Guj-moves-away-from-polluting-industries/articleshow/7929665.cms)


Total investment under implementation in Gujarat as on April 30, 2010, was Rs 5.02 lakh crore, the infrastructure sector alone accounted for Rs 1.89 lakh crore - or 37.59%.

For the infrastructure sector, this is a clear shift. Till April 30, 2010, Rs 1.70 lakh crore worth of projects were commissioned and of these just Rs 4,792 crore worth of projects were in the infrastructure sector, which comes to a mere 2.83%.

A district-wise breakup suggests that Surat, Kutch and Bharuch - all situated next to the sea coast - account for 55% of all projects under implementation, suggesting most of the investment that is now coming is in the ports and ports-driven infrastructure.

Surat accounts for 22% of projects under implementation, followed by Kutch (18%) and Bharuch (15%). While Ahmedabad's share is 9%, Valsad's is 8% and Vadodara's is 7%.

^^ I remember last time someone was arguing that Surat doesnt get any projects or such. These numbers tell a different story even though the projects are under implementation at this stage.

Flyers in Gujarat have a reason to rejoice. After news that Deccan Air Charters Private Limited is starting intra-state flights, the state government has decided to establish 11 new airports and commence refurbishing work at 10 defunct strips in Gujarat.

A state government official said Dwarka, Ambaji, Palitana, Ankleshwar, Dahej, Morbi, Rajkot, Parsoli, Rajpipla, Dholavira and Dholera (Federa) will have one new airport each.

The pre-feasibility study at Ambaji, Dwarka and Palitana has been handed over to the Airport Authority of India (AAI). Of the three, the study for Dwarka has already been completed.

"We have completed the study at Dwarka and have also finished surveying Palitana and Ambaji.

We have studied the 30-year wind pattern and other parameters for setting up an airport. We will now take up study at Ankleshwar and Dahej," said a senior AAI official.

The government has already initiated the process of land acquisition for the new airports at Dwarka, Ambaji and Palitana.

Apart from the 11 new airports, the state already has nine airports under the AAI, one each at Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Porbander, Rajkot, Kandla, Deesa and Keshod.

There are three more airports under the Indian Air Force at Naliya in Kutch, Bhuj and Jamnagar.

"The state government has also decided to move a proposal to start the 10 non-operational airports in the state which include the ones at Deesa, Kandla and Keshod. We won't have to seek permission again to start these airports.

They only need to be refurbished since they have not been in operation for quite some time," a state government's civil aviation department official said.

The official said the Mehsana, Amreli and Mandvi airports are under government jurisdiction while the Mundra and Mithapur airports are privately owned.

The new airports are being planned keeping in mind the religious and tourism travel, said the official. Dwarka, Ambaji and Palitana are areas most visited by tourists, including those from abroad.

It is likely that many of these airports may not be profitable as far as daily passenger traffic is concerned, but the government plans to cover a couple of business destination along with these operations.

Citing example, the official said that during festivals like Janmasthami, the operator may be required to schedule extra flights.

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Guj-to-get-11-new-airports-renovate-10-defunct-strips/articleshow/7929661.cms)

Continuing its expansion of Radisson hotel brand in India, global hospitality and travel company Carlson today announced the signing of the the 117-room Radisson Hotel Kandla.

With this Carlson has increased its Radisson portfolio in India increases to 42 hotels.

This is Carlson”s fourth hotel in Gujarat. The USD 15 million Radisson Hotel Kandla is owned by Rajvee Resorts & Hotels Private Limited. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first half of 2012, a company statement said.

“Carlson”s robust growth in India aligns with our ambition 2015 plans — to have more than 1,500 hotels globally by 2015,” Carlson Hotels President ( Asia Pacific) Simon C Barlow said.

“This latest hotel signing brings our Radisson portfolio in India to 42 hotels, with 15 hotels currently in operation and 27 hotels under development,” he said.

The Radisson Hotel Kandla is close to Kandla port, a major maritime hub in Gandhidham city. It is an important trade centre for India, particularly with the salt industry in Gandhidham accounting for 40 per cent of the country”s salt production.

The region has been witnessing business growth and a steady influx of corporate travellers.

“We are confident that this strategic partnership with Carlson, India”s largest international hotel operator will bring a stylish, new hotel to the city,” Rajvee Resorts & Hotels Managing Director, Dhaval B Acharya said.

“We are pleased to bring our vibrant, contemporary and engaging Radisson brand to Gandhidham city,” Carlson Hotels, South Asia executive vice president, K B Kachru said.
The Radisson Hotel Kandla is designed by Alhad Raje & Associates, a leading Mumbai based architectural firm, with the interior design led by DBTA International Private Limited, a preeminent designer out of Singapore.

The Gandhidham region has a rich history and several nearby attractions such as the Rao Pragmalji palace, Sharad Baug palace and the Kutch museum.

Carlson is a global hospitality and travel company headquartered in Minneapolis, encompasses more than 1,070 hotels. Carlson operates in more than 150 countries and its brands employ about 170,000 people.

Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/04/10/carlson-to-open-fourth-radission-hotel-in-gujarat-at-kandla/)

The new airports are being planned keeping in mind the religious and tourism travel, said the official. Dwarka, Ambaji and Palitana are areas most visited by tourists, including those from abroad.

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Guj-to-get-11-new-airports-renovate-10-defunct-strips/articleshow/7929661.cms)
Nice to hear the airports developing. :cheers: What about Veraval/Somnath, I think it has many visitors similar to Dwarka, Ambaji & Palitana

Mexican multiplex giant sets its eyes on Gujarat


http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:1k6ycsm4hM8J:www.business-standard.com/india/news/mexican-multiplex-giant-sets-its-eyesgujarat/431880/+http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mexican-multiplex-giant-sets-its-eyesgujarat/431880/&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com

PLG Power signs pact for 40 MW solar power in Gujarat (http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/PLG_Power_signs_pact_for_40_MW_solar_power_in_Gujarat/200097.html)



Mumbai based PLG Power has signed a power purchase agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for 40 MW of solar power.

The cost per MW is estimated at INR 15 crore while the PPA agreement for 25 years pegs the unit cost at INR 15 for the first 12 years and INR 5 for the balance of tenure.
PV projects

The company will set up the PV projects in Patan district in northern Gujarat.

The Gujarat Government has allotted 716 MW of solar power capacity to 34 national and international project developers against the 500 MW capacity declared earlier this year under its Solar Power Policy 2009. Of the 716 MW allotted solar photovoltaic accounts for 365 MW and solar thermal 351 MW.

The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission has set the tariff for electricity generation from Solar PV project at INR 15 per kWh for the initial 12 years starting from the date of commercial operation of the project and INR 5 per kWh from the 13th year to 25th year.

The commission has decided to adopt INR 16.50 crore per MW as capital cost for solar photovoltaic power project and INR 13 crore per MW for solar thermal power projects.

PLG Power set up its crystalline solar photovoltaic module manufacturing plant in Nashik in 2008 with an installed capacity of 25 MW.

The plant built with technical collaboration of US based Spire Corporation was recently expanded to 150 MW.

PLG said the first phase of 10 MW in Patan will be connected shortly and the balance will be done before end of the current fiscal.

PLG has signed EPC agreements with the Saudi based Zamil Group for a 20 MW solar grid connected plant and Indowind Energy for a 10 MW solar PV unit. The plants will also be Gujarat.

Mr Punit K Goel CEO and MD of PLG Power said that “Assuming solar power to be a one GW market a huge EPC market opportunity exists in the space. The solar sector has become a very competitive market now but very few players have turnkey EPC services from designing to execution of a grid connected solar power plant.”

PLG is coming up with a 60 MW manufacturing unit for PV cells in Nashik and plans are on to expand the module making facilities as well.

India’s largest private sector player Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Wednesday said it was expanding its polyester manufacturing capacity in a major way to capitalise on the growing demand for such kinds of fibre.

“This is RIL’s largest capacity expansion in the sector and is aimed at consolidating its position as the world’s largest integrated polyester producer,” the company said in a statement.

Explaining the need to ramp up capacity, RIL said global supply constraints, substantial price increase and uncertain outlook for cotton availability were creating considerable substitution opportunities for products like Polyester Filament Yarn (PFY) and Polyester Staple Fibre (PSF).

It is expected that polyester will capture around 80 per cent of incremental global fibre demand of around 2.9 million tonnes per annum over the medium to long term.

Demand for Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which is already India’s fastest growing polymer, is also poised for exponential growth due to continued demand in the bottling, packaging and food and beverages sectors.

“With its strong manufacturing presence in India and Malaysia, cost leadership position and wide product range, Reliance is uniquely positioned to benefit from this market growth,” the statement added.

The expansion includes:

- A planned capacity of 2.30 million tonnes of Purified Terephthalic Acid at Dahej with the ability to increase it by another 1.15 million tonnes at a later stage.

- These plants will be integrated with the Paraxylene plants at Jamnagar in Gujarat for raw material and will in turn cater to the new polyester plants being constructed simultaneously.

- 395,000 tonnes of PFY and 140,000 tonnes of Polyester Texturised Yarn at Silvassa , Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

- 540,000 tonnes of PET at Dahej with the option to add 540,000 tonnes of PET at the same location at a later stage

- 290,000 tonnes of PSF at Dahej

- These plants will be integrated with Reliance’s captive Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG).

All the above projects are under various stages of implementation ranging from technology licensing, basic engineering and obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, the company said.

Source (http://gujaratmoney.com/2011/04/14/reliance-to-set-up-world-scale-polyester-projects-in-gujarat/)

Gopinath turns focus to linking Gujarat Cities (http://www.livemint.com/2011/04/07214512/Gopinath-turns-focus-to-linkin.html?atype=tp)

Deccan Charters Ltd, a non-scheduled carrier controlled by G.R. Gopinath, the pioneer of budget travel in India, will run chartered flights to poorly connected airports in Gujarat.

The company has signed an agreement with the state government to fly to Porbandar, Kandla, Jamnagar, Surat, Bhavnagar, Bhuj and Ahmedabad, said Gopinath, managing director of Deccan Charters.

“We will be connecting smaller airports to Ahmedabad and other airports. We will start these flights shortly using smaller planes,” he said.

The company, which charters helicopters and small planes, runs a similar service in eastern India, connecting the smaller airports of West Bengal to Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.

In 2003, Gopinath launched India’s first low-fare carrier, Air Deccan, helping millions fly for the first time, before selling it to Kingfisher Airlines Ltd in 2007.

A Gujarat government official said the state has a large number of airports, but many of these are connected to Mumbai in Maharashtra and not to other parts of the state.

“The idea behind joining hands with Deccan Charters is to strengthen inter-connectivity by air in the state, with Surat and Ahmedabad as hubs,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

The service will be jointly marketed by Gujarat tourism authorities and Deccan Charters, he said.

“These are virgin markets, and scheduled airlines don’t operate in these airports,” said Gurcharan Bhatura, chairman of Air Transport and Tourism Advisors, a New Delhi-based aviation consultancy. “This is the ideal strategy to start as a non-scheduled operator with charter flights. One can switch it to scheduled operations after seeking a licence to run (a) regional airline, if you find these markets are viable.”

Bhatura said Gopinath’s charter operations could be commercially viable as he will deploy smaller planes, which don’t have to pay landing, navigation and parking charges at airports.

Gopinath said he does not plan to launch scheduled operations in the near future and hasn’t applied for a regional airline licence or a scheduled airline licence.

While selling Air Deccan in 2007, Gopinath had also entered a non-compete agreement for five years that prohibits him from starting scheduled operations.

An official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on condition of anonymity that the regulator has not received any application from Gopinath seeking a licence to run either a regional airline or scheduled operations.

Non-scheduled carriers such as Deccan Charters do not have pre-announced schedules for flights or issue tickets to passengers the way scheduled carriers such as Kingfisher or state-owned Air India Ltd do.

Gopinath also said he doesn’t want to compete with scheduled airlines; instead his operations would help them.

“We are identifying new aspirations and new routes, where nobody wants to fly as the current business model of airlines (is) not allowing them to do so,” he said. “States are dying to get connectivity. With these operations, we are creating a new market that will feed into scheduled airlines.”


Based on the agreement with Kingfisher and other distancing comments in the article would seem as though 2012/2013 would probably be the earliest this would be possible.

Anyway, more aviation news:

Land Acquisition Process begins for Ambaji Airport (http://deshgujarat.com/2011/04/15/land-for-developing-new-ambaji-airport-identified-acquisition-process-on/)

The Government of Gujarat has initiated efforts to set up a new green field airport at north Gujarat’s busiest pilgrim town Ambaji. Ambaji is closer Mount Abu, a busy tourist place and nearest hill station from Ahmedabad. Thus local airport at Ambaji makes sense, and therefore the state government has included Ambaji in its plan that involves developing of 11 new airports.

Main thing needed to develop any airport is – right kind of land. The government has identified proper piece of land in this hilly area of Ambaji. The government land is located at Nanasada, Abhapura and Torda villages. However only government land is not enough and therefore efforts are going on to acquire private land in this area.

Gujarat government has roped in Deccan Airways to start intra-state chartered air service, however the task of acquiring land and developing an airfield is going on very slowly at various places like Ambaji and Dwarka.

Gujarat is top investment destination :ASSOCHAM (http://20twentytwo.blogspot.com/2011/04/gujarat-is-top-investment-destination.html)

With 1,445 live investment projects worth Rs 13.4 lakh crore, Gujarat has emerged among the top preferred investment destination in recent years, says a study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). The power sector has got the major share of 40.2 per cent followed by manufacturing (24.9 per cent), services (16.8 per cent) and real estate (11.4 per cent). The study titled ‘Sustained Balanced Growth in Gujarat said that close to 70 per cent of these investments were in districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Surat and Bhavnagar. However, projects involving 63 per cent of total investments were in the announcement stages and the value of projects actually implemented account for 35.2 per cent of total investments. As a majority of new investments involve high-cost projects, cost and time over-runs can throw their management haywire and make completion unpredictable, the study says. The study also says that adequate long-term finance is not being made available to small and medium industries by banks. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and state finance corporations are lending to small firms for projects involving up to Rs 10 crore outlay on plant and machinery. Large firms are raising money from the bond market. In this backdrop, ASSOCHAM suggests that state-level development finance institutes be revived to help small and medium enterprises. The study has identified engineering, biotechnology, food processing, agriculture, gems and jewellery that can make Gujarat a hub for research and development. While metro trains are now being made near Vadodara, the state is yet to create metro and rail transport services system, the study says. The state’s economy grew at a compounded rate of 10.2 per cent between 2000-01 and 2009-10. This is exceptional and much higher than what other progressive states in the country achieved during the same period, the study says. The study also mentions the state’s inability to make proper cost recoveries from public services provided and to generate adequate returns from public investments. In agriculture sector – which accounts for 11.7 per cent of the GSDP – investments in irrigation need a further boost. The services sector’s contribution to the GSDP is to the tune of 47 per cent while that of the industrial sector is a little over 40 per cent. Manufacturing is the dominant industrial activity.

Gopinath turns focus to linking Gujarat Cities (http://www.livemint.com/2011/04/07214512/Gopinath-turns-focus-to-linkin.html?atype=tp)

Based on the agreement with Kingfisher and other distancing comments in the article would seem as though 2012/2013 would probably be the earliest this would be possible.


Not enough to change my original cynicism, especially as its Aviation related! Posting for interests sake nonetheless:

Inter-City Air Connectivity for 11 Gujarat Cities from May 1st?
(DNA Ahmedabad Epaper 19 April)

,Will 11 cities in the state get better air connectivity from May 1? As per developments in this regard on Monday? There are strong possibilities that two planes will start flying between 11 cities in the state from Gujarat Day. The two planes will be stationed at Surat and Ahmedabad and will fly to other nine cities.

According to government sources, Air Deccan founder Captain GR Gopinath will visit Gujarat shortly and meet chief minister Narendra Modi to finalise the project. Gopinath runs his new company 'Deccan 360' which will run the services in Gujarat.

Under the concept of hub and spoke for the project, Ahmedabad and Surat will work as hubs while the nine other cities — Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Bhuj, Mundra, Jamnagar, Gandhidham and Junagadh — will become the spokes. Once the project is finalised with the chief minister, 'Deccan 360' is expected to begin the services of connecting 11 cities of Gujarat from May 1.

"For this, 'Deccan 360' has already bought two small planes. Both are ATR turbo 60-seater planes. One each will be stationed in Ahmedabad and Surat," said an official. He added that with this, all the cities where the airstrips have been developed will give air services to people of Gujarat.

Talking about the airfare, the official said that it would be economical as the planes are small in size. "For example, the fare for flying between Ahmedabad and Rajkot will be equal to the expense made by a single passenger travelling in his car. It could be around Rs3,000 but it would save a lot of time," he said.

According to another source, the principal secretary (tourism and civil aviation) of Gujarat government was recently in Bangalore to visit the Air show.

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/9500/epaperimages5c190420115.jpg

^^ The graphic does not accurately represent Surat being a hub as described in the article, I hope people do not read too much into this this error! (Geography is wrong too)