Gujarat - Projects and Development

[GJ10]

Originally Posted by vibrant

Has Toyota hit road to Gujarat?

Originally Posted by chirag9090

Mahindra And Mahindra To Set Up New Plant Outside Maharashtra

Originally Posted by karkal

The Peugeot comeback that never was

Yet more Auto-gossip, seems like it might be a rumour designed to blackmail the Maharashtra Govt, but who knows, would be great if something comes of it. Either way, doubt anything will be confirmed before Vibrant Gujarat 2013

Volkswagen joins convoy to Gujarat

Automakers seem to be heading for Gujarat en masse, encouraged by the ‘investment-friendly' environment in the State.

Volkswagen is the newest addition to a growing list of carmakers that are either already present in, or looking to move into the State. While GM and Tata Motors have operational plants in Gujarat, Maruti Suzuki has slotted mega expansion in the State.

Peugeot Citroen and Ford Motor have already been given tax breaks and have signed ‘state support' agreements.

Recently, a few officials from Volkswagen evaluated sites near Ahmedabad and Vadodara, State Government officials told Business Line.

“They (Volkswagen) saw multiple sites as part of their due diligence process. It's still in the early stages and they are supposed to soon meet the Industries Department officials again,” a Gujarat Government official said.

A Volkswagen Group India spokesperson said the company is “not as yet” looking at other States to set up a new car plant. Asked further about investment plans, he added: “We are looking at various options and, as and when we firm up our plans, we will share them with you.”

Though Volkswagen currently has two plants in Maharashtra (Chakan and Aurangabad) with a combined 1.3 lakh-unit annual capacity, a wrangle with the State authorities over discontinued VAT benefits may force it to seek alternatives. Maharashtra used to refund VAT paid on all vehicles made in the State, a practice modified last year to include only those vehicles sold within the State.

“Till we get the final proposal from the Government of Maharashtra, it will be difficult for us to decide on further investments,” the company official said.

Till date, the Volkswagen Group has invested Rs 3,800 crore at the Chakan plant (near Pune) in India, with another Rs 2,000 crore in the pipeline.

However, expansion is currently on hold, following the in the VAT decision, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India, Dr John Chacko, has reportedly said. The Chakan plant makes cars for the Volkswagen and Skoda brands, while the Aurangabad plant additionally assembles premium Audi models. Other group brands present in the domestic market are Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti. These are imported as completely built units.

[CivilEngineer079]

Other group brands present in the domestic market are Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti. These are imported as completely built units.

If they set new plant then Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti will be assembled in new plant.

Eagerly waiting for January-13

[CivilEngineer079]

Gujarat invites tariff bids for intra-state aviation services

The Gujarat government has invited companies to start intra-state passenger and cargo aviation services. The government has identified 5 circuits and 11 airstrips across the state for offshore and onshore service. The move has come at a time when regular airlines like the Air India and Kingfisher Airlines are facing turbulence.

Earlier, Deccan Charters of Deccan Airways fame Captian Gopinath was to start intra-state service but had to shelve the plan as it could not get approval from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulatory body for the aviation sector in the country. Now the state government has come out with a bidding process and a policy.

A recent government bid mandates that the aircraft for intra-state service should be 9 to 19 seater. "A study conducted by State aviation department found operations feasible. We also studied similar services operational elsewhere. We are working on a strategy to ensure long term sustainability of the service," state Tourism and Aviation principal secretary Vipul Mitra told ET.

The state government move is in tune with central government's idea of promoting intra-state aviation.

The government also wants to promote tourism through intra-state aviation service that will cover routes like Ahmedabad-Surat-Bhavnagar, Bhuj-Rajkot-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Porbandar-Jamnagar, Kandla-Mandvi-Amreli-Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad-Keshod-Diu.

The department has initiated process of providing viability gap funding scheme for the operators who will operate minimum two aircraft and connect major cities of Gujarat with its centre at Ahmedabad.

It has also identified 11 airstrips for the purpose. These include Ambaji, Palitana, Ankleshwar, Dwarka, Mandvi (Kutch), Morbi, Rajkot, Parsoli, Rajpipla, Dholavira and Dahej.

All these routes are within 50-190 nautical miles of each other. According to a government data, the air cargo traffic grew 19% last fiscal compared to 10% in shipping and 9% in railways. The state government is also encouraging the private sector to build tourist infrastructure near airports.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/13392315.cms


Its strange that they have missed Baroda

[CivilEngineer079]

Gujarat Maritime Board to woo investors for ferry service

Gujarat Maritime Board will woo foreign investors and operators for country's first major ferry service for vehicles, cargo and passengers across the Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat. The construction of the terminals is already on and the board is now scouting for companies to operate the service. It is looking at companies from Europe, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia.

"We are conducting roadshows in Mumbai (June 11) and London (June 28). We will meet the investors from Europe and the US in London, while investors from South East Asia and Australia will participate in Mumbai. We expect to get Expression of Interest from close to 40 investors. Construction of terminals at Ghogha (Saurashtra) and Dahej (south Gujarat) is likely to be completed in about 18 months. By that time we want to finalise the operators so that they can buy ferries and the service can be rolled out on time," GMB vice chairman Pankajkumar told ET.

London-based consultant Beckett Rankine's India head Siddharth Shah said this is first of its kind of project in India so care is being taken at each stage. "We are also exploring the possibilities of a joint venture between Indian companies in the port and shipping sector as well as foreign companies with first hand experience in operating ferry service. We will be approching Essar Shipping, GVK, Adani group, Tatas and a few others for the operations.

A similar workshop was conducted last year but the companies were found wanting in terms of capacity," he told ET. As a part of the Roll On Roll Off (RO-RO) service, terminals are being constructed at Dahej in south Gujarat and Ghogha in Bhavnagar of Saurashtra. Infrastructure company Essar Projects began the work about two months ago.

According to a study by Beckett Rankine, 1059 cars, 777 buses, 367 light commercial vehicles, 2018 trucks and 444 multi-axle vehicles plied daily between south Gujarat and Saurashtra in November 2008. This could be tapped for RO-RO service. The time for the journey will be reduced from over 7 hours to one and a half hours and the distance can be reduced by about 300 kms.

The project is taken up on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, modelled along the air traffic. The terminals will be handed over to and managed by Gujarat Maritime Board, while the ferry services will be provided by private operators. GMB has identified four routes for to-and-fro ferry service. In the first phase Gogha in Bhavnagar will be connected with Dahej in Bharuch with an estimated investment of Rs 296 crore. In subsequent phases, it will connect Mundra (Kutch), Okha, Porbandar, Pipavav (all Saurashtra), Hazira-Suvali (south Gujarat) and Mumbai.

Similar ferry service is operational in Dover (England) to Calais (France) across the. About 8-10 ferries are operated daily. Other places where such a service is operational include Baltic Sea, Mediterranean sea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia. All these countries have lot of ferry operators.

[aks_sky]

Madhya Pradesh formula: Gujarat government to subsidize regional air service

GANDHINAGAR: Following the Madhya Pradesh model, the Gujarat government has offered to subsidize the private players who are interested in providing regional air services in the state. Well-placed Sachivalaya sources said, the model was first adopted in the neigbouring state recently, where the government offered to pay for three seats on an average for 16-seater small turbo prop aircrafts taking flights between selected spots, including Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Khajuraho.

"Earlier efforts to rope in private players failed to materialize because the private players found the cost of running short-distance flights too costly. This time, we have decided to subsidize the private players, though slightly changing the formula adopted by the Madhya Pradesh government. Under the formula, the government will be paying for specified seats per flight under a complex calculation which includes distance and the flight route", a senior official said.

Tenders to run regional air services in Gujarat have been floated. Preliminary discussions ahead of the tenders suggest that the interested parties include Air One, Akash Ganga, SpiceJet, Ventura, Deccan Charter and Luan Airways. "We will select only those who agree to get lowest amount of viability gap funding from the state government", the official said, adding, "Once finalized, the selected parties will carry out their own feasibility study and work out ticket fare."

The official said that the state government has set aside a "token amount of Rs 10 crore" as subsidy to the private players wanting to ply aircraft within Gujarat's selected cities. "In Madhya Pradesh, for the six routes they have selected, it is Rs 1.5 crore subsidy per month against three seats. In Gujarat, much would depend on the selection of routes by the private parties. But the subsidy would be about the same on an average for the eight spots that we have offered", the official added.

There are two types of tenders - offshore and onshore. Offshore tenders require nine-seater amphibian planes which can land in dams, in rivers in lakes and even on runways, and these will be purely tourist ventures. "For this, only foreign parties will be interested, but they will have to come with a foreign partner. These planes can land off Dwarka, in the sea, for instance, or off Somnath, or even in the Narmada dam reservoir", the official said.

As for the onshore tender, these can attract businessmen. "The selected spots that have been offered are Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Deesa and Kandla. While the government may subsidize flights between any of these places, the selected parties will be free to extend the flights to, for instance, Diu, Jamnagar, Mandvi, Mundra, Amreli, even Mumbai and Delhi. We expect diamond merchants to use the flights to and from Surat to Saurashtra areas", the official said.

[Meeeet]

Gulf of Khambhat Development Project (Kalpasar project)

B.N. Navalawala
Advisor to Hon. Chief Minister,
Gujarat State

Necessity of the Project:
Gujarat is water deficient state since its surface water resource is only 2% of the country against 6.4% land area and 5% human population. The per capita water availability of 990 m3 per annum in the state is much lower than minimum 1700m3/per capita/per annum requirement. Every year 38000Mm3 average surface water is available in the state. However including Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), only 22000 Mm3 water is possible to store. No dam site on land is now available for storing surplus/untapped 40% surface water. Gulf of Khambhat is only a site to construct dam which can store 10,000 million cu.m (25%) water inflows of the rivers (Narmada, Dhadhar, Mahi, Sabarmati and Saurashtra rivers). Because its location under consideration, this project would obviously be free from any interstate angle. The fresh water reservoir of this project requires minimal land acquisition and rehabilitation of people. This project will serve as a lifeline of Saurashtra region as well as an accelerator for the growing economy of Gujarat State.

Studies undertaken:-
The Government of Gujarat has investigated the possibilities of the Gulf of Khambhat Development Project since 1988 through various studies such as Reconnaissance study (1988-89), Pre-feasibility study (1996-98), Six Specific studies (1999) and feasibility study onwards 2000. The outcome of all 20 years studies conclude that fresh water Resources Project is technically feasible and economically viable.

Present status and activities:
Govt. has accorded the Administrative Approval amounting to Rs.84 crore (year 2002) for the preparation of this the feasibility report. New Kalpasar Depart-ment has been formed in 2003. The past desk studies succinctly underlined several significant concerns with respect to the project framework which revolved around the issues of (i) Combining saline tidal power basin with fresh water reservoir (ii) Full economic Evaluation of tidal power generation and addition and alternation if any be made in the project (iii) Implications of poor foundation strata at mouth of Narmada estuaries & sedimentation & erosion near Luhara point (Dahej) and (iv) Port inside the fresh water reservoir. The two reports of group of nine national level consultants on the above mentioned issues were discussed in fifth meeting of the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) on 21-23, April,2008 & EAG recommended (i) Delinking tidal power component so as to develop Project as a fresh water reservoir project;(ii) Northward shifting of dam alignment at Kalatalav- Aladar line & (iii) Construction of Bhadbhut barrage on the river Narmada as "stand alone" project & diversion of Narmada river water into reservoir through Narmada diversion canal and (iv) Development of ports down stream of dam. Government of Gujarat, on 22/9/2009, approved above mentioned recommendation of EAG & accordingly to prepare final detailed Feasibility Report and Final Bankable Detailed Project Report for Project.

In addition, Government of Gujarat has decided to carry out the work of Barrage on River Narmada at village Bhadbhut as a “Stand alone Project” on PPP mode looking to the benefits available from Water, Land and Transport area. The tender for consultancy service for preparation of designs, estimates, draft tender papers, is already invited. Physical modeling of Bhadbhut barrage is also entrusted to the GERI, Govt. of Gujarat. EIA/SIA study is entrusted to National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, (NEERI), Nagpur.

With the help of renowned premium institutes of Central and state government like NIOT(Chennai),NEERI(Nagpur),NIO(Goa),NGRI(Hydrabad),NIH(Roorkee),IIT(Roorkee),IIT(Delhi),CSMCRI(Bhavnagar),GERI(Vadodara) various studies like bathymetric survey, geo-physical, regime modeling, earthquake analysis, traffic assessment, water availability, water quality of fresh water reservoir, impact on existing and new ports due to project, environmental impact assessment & social impact assessment, effect on proposed dam due to tsunami, storm surge, sea level rise, etc are already commenced for the full feasibility report.

http://www.indiatribune.com/index.ph...ics&Itemid=488

[CivilEngineer079]

Maruti to sign agreement with Gujarat government for proposed facility in Mehsana

Maruti Suzuki India, India's largest carmaker, is set to sign an agreement with Gujarat government on June 2, ending a five-month-long uncertainty over its proposed facility near Mehsana in north Gujarat.

Maruti is expected to set up an initial capacity of 2.5 lakh cars per annum that would gradually be scaled up to feed demand from domestic market and export commitments. Under the proposed agreement, Gujarat government will allocate 500 acres to the carmaker for setting up its first facility outside Haryana, one senior official in the state industries department said. "The June 2 agreement will enable the company execute its strategic plans in the state," the official said.

Maruti plans to develop a capacity to produce 20 lakh cars per annum in Gujarat in phases and will initially invest Rs. 6,000 crore initially along with its vendors and suppliers. The Bechraji facility will be the Maruti's seventh manufacturing unit and is expected to start production in next five years. It currently operates three plans from its principal facility in Gurgaon and two more from Manesar where one more plant is coming up.

The Narendra Modi government in Gujarat wants to make the state an auto hub. Auto firms like General Motors, Asia Motor Works and Tata Motors have facilities in the state. Tata's Nano was launched two years ago within one year of its signing a state agreement. Ford Motors too has started work on their car project in the neighbourhood of Tata's Nano plant in Anand near Ahmedabad.

It was on May 31, 2011 that Maruti Suzuki India chairman RC Bhargava announced the choice of Gujarat for future expansion. However, in January this year, there were speculation that Maruti might go slow on its expansion plans in Gujarat. The speculation will end with the June 2 agreement. "Over 500 acre is in possession of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation for setting up an industrial estate. However, the plan never materialised and now it will be sold to Maruti Suzuki India for its expansion plans in India," said another official in the Gujarat industries department.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/13499545.cms

[CivilEngineer079]

Maruti gets 494 acres land for R 133 crore at Hansalpur

Ahmedabad: The much-awaited news has finally come. India’s largest car-maker, Maruti Suzuki Ltd, has bought 20.70 lakh square metres (i.e., around 494 acres) of land at Hansalpur in Ahmedabad district.

The company has purchased the land from the Gujarat Government at the rate of Rs 643 per square metre, which means the auto-maker paid around Rs 133.10 crore for the plot.

Maruti Suzuki has bought 494 acres under survey no. 293. The piece of land, though located near Bechraji, falls in Ahmedabad district. The company has already paid Rs 62 lakh to the state government; the rest of the total amount is yet to be paid.

DNA was the first to report (on May 18, 2011) that Maruti Suzuki India Limited was scouting for land in Gujarat to set up a car manufacturing plant. Officials of the company were not available for comment at the time but in mid-April this year (during the launch of Ertiga in Ahmedabad), SN Burman, the company’s general manager, Commercial Business Head of west zone, said that Maruti is likely to announce a major development before June 2012.

Confirming the development, sources in Gujarat Government said on Friday that Maruti had even paid stamp duty for the land.

“However, the deal will be considered ‘final’ only after approval by the state cabinet,” said a source. Seven months back, Maruti Suzuki had officially announced that it would be setting up a car manufacturing plant in Mehsana district of Gujarat.

The car maker, which commands more than 50% market share in the country, had announced on October 29, 2011, that the company would purchase land for its new facility in Gujarat. The company could invest up to Rs 18,000 crore in the state. It becomes the fifth automobile manufacturer after General Motors, Tata Motors, Ford and Peugeot to come to Gujarat.

In October 2011, Maruti Suzuki announced plans of investing up to Rs 18,000 crore for future expansion.
It would invest Rs 6,000 crore for a manufacturing plant with a capacity of 10 lakh cars per annum, and a similar amount in the second phase for another plant with similar capacity.

It also plans to build a vendor park and supporting infrastructure with a further investment of Rs 6,000 crore.

At that time, the company had claimed that it would require 500 to 600 acre of land for the plant, and a further 500 acre for vendors. The company appears to have made just a beginning by purchasing 494 acres of land.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ...r-3321438.html

[GJ10]

Good to see final confirmation on the Maruti deal seems to be in, initial capacity is same as what was originally announced.

Maruti to invest Rs 4000 Cr for new plant in Gujarat

The country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, said on Saturday that it will invest Rs 4,000 crore to set up new manufacturing facility in Gujarat by 2015—16.

The company said the new plant at Mehsana will be set up in a phased manner with overall capacity of 2,50,000 units in the first phase.

MSI today “signed State Support Agreement (SSA) with the Government of Gujarat for purchase of land near Mehsana to set up an all new manufacturing facility”, the company said in a statement.

The Gujarat government has allocated around 700 acres for the proposed plant, it added.

“This land purchase by the Company is in line with long term management view on expansion of its manufacturing facilities in India to meet future market demand,” MSI said.

Based on the market demand, the manufacturing facility near Mehsana will be added to the company’s existing plants at Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana, it added.

When the Gujarat plant is commissioned, the total production capacity of the company will be 20 lakh units.

So in 2015-16, Gujarat is looking at a car production capacity of 850,000.

250,000 Tata Motors
250,000 Maruti
240,000 Ford
110,000 GM

Hopefully another company can come in to replace Peugeot to push the total closer to the 1million mark. Recent reports suggest that M&M are scouting for land in "several states", two of those appear to be Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, hopefully Gujarat is one of the others.

[GJ10]

Hero Motocorp to set up Rs 1100 Cr plant in Gujarat, to produce 1.2million units per annum

India’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp today said it will invest Rs 1100 crore in Gujarat to set up its fifth plant with a capacity of 1.2 million units. The Gujarat plant will be commissioned by the second quarter of 2013-14, the company said.

“The fifth plant of Hero MotoCorp will be set up in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 1,100 crore. This will have a capacity of 1.2 million units, he said, adding that the plant would be commissioned by the second quarter of 2013-14,” Hero MotoCorp Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Pawan Munjal told reporters here.

Before Gujarat plant, the company will be setting up its fourth plant at Neemrana in Rajasthan with an investment of Rs 400 crore which will have an installed capacity of 7.5 lakh units per annum. The plant will be commissioned in the first quarter of FY 2014. The company will be setting up a research and development (R&D) centre with an investment of Rs 400 crore at a 250-acre location near Jaipur in Rajasthan.

According to Munjal, once Rajasthan and Gujarat plants are commissioned, Hero MotoCorp’s total manufacturing capacity will be over 9 million units a year from the current about 7 million units. The company presently produces 70 lakh units annually from its three manufacturing plants at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana, and Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

[chennaidesi]

Originally Posted by CivilEngineer079

Maruti gets 494 acres land for R 133 crore at Hansalpur

Ahmedabad: The much-awaited news has finally come. India’s largest car-maker, Maruti Suzuki Ltd, has bought 20.70 lakh square metres (i.e., around 494 acres) of land at Hansalpur in Ahmedabad district.

The company has purchased the land from the Gujarat Government at the rate of Rs 643 per square metre, which means the auto-maker paid around Rs 133.10 crore for the plot.

Maruti Suzuki has bought 494 acres under survey no. 293. The piece of land, though located near Bechraji, falls in Ahmedabad district. The company has already paid Rs 62 lakh to the state government; the rest of the total amount is yet to be paid.

DNA was the first to report (on May 18, 2011) that Maruti Suzuki India Limited was scouting for land in Gujarat to set up a car manufacturing plant. Officials of the company were not available for comment at the time but in mid-April this year (during the launch of Ertiga in Ahmedabad), SN Burman, the company’s general manager, Commercial Business Head of west zone, said that Maruti is likely to announce a major development before June 2012.

Confirming the development, sources in Gujarat Government said on Friday that Maruti had even paid stamp duty for the land.

“However, the deal will be considered ‘final’ only after approval by the state cabinet,” said a source. Seven months back, Maruti Suzuki had officially announced that it would be setting up a car manufacturing plant in Mehsana district of Gujarat.

The car maker, which commands more than 50% market share in the country, had announced on October 29, 2011, that the company would purchase land for its new facility in Gujarat. The company could invest up to Rs 18,000 crore in the state. It becomes the fifth automobile manufacturer after General Motors, Tata Motors, Ford and Peugeot to come to Gujarat.

In October 2011, Maruti Suzuki announced plans of investing up to Rs 18,000 crore for future expansion.
It would invest Rs 6,000 crore for a manufacturing plant with a capacity of 10 lakh cars per annum, and a similar amount in the second phase for another plant with similar capacity.

It also plans to build a vendor park and supporting infrastructure with a further investment of Rs 6,000 crore.

At that time, the company had claimed that it would require 500 to 600 acre of land for the plant, and a further 500 acre for vendors. The company appears to have made just a beginning by purchasing 494 acres of land.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ...r-3321438.html

4 Acre for 1 crore in Ahm dist. Is it market rate or govt giving in subsidized price?

[GJ10]

Recent reports for acq of more land in the area suggest that the going rate is around Rs10 lakh/Bigha (2873sq m) (link)

Rs 10.0 lakh/Bigha works out to Rs 14.3 lakh/acre or Rs 353/sqm
Rs 18.2 lakh/Bigha works out to Rs 26.0 lakh/acre or Rs 643/sqm = What Maruti paid

So def doesnt look like a subsidised rate. Despite being in Ahmedabad district, the location is actually quite remote and backwards.

[GJ10]

Nalco gets nod for Rs 12,000 Cr investment for JV with GMDC

Gujarat government, last week, okayed the Rs 12,000-crore investment plan by National Aluminium Company in Gujarat to set up an alumina and smelter plant. The approval has cleared the way for Nalco and state-owned Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation to set up a joint venture, a senior official from Gujarat's department of industries and mines said. GMDC will have a 26% stake in the joint venture.

The project is expected to be set up on the lines units installed by the UK-based Vedanta group in Orissa, but will use better technology, the GMDC official said.

The project will be set up in two phases. In the first phase, Nalco will invest Rs 4,400 crore in an alumina plant with a capacity of 10 lakh tonnes per annum. The remaining investment will come in the second phase that will also see setting up of a five lakh per annum capacity smelter plant. GMDC will supply 30 lakh tonnes of bauxite sourced from Gadshisa and surrounding mines in Kutch to Nalco. In addition to the price of bauxite, GMDC will also get a 26% share from the profit, earned by Nalco from the sale of the final product.

"Till now bauxite mined from Gujarat was sold to buyers outside the state. Now, the mineral will stay in the state and generate employment through value-addition," said GMDC mnaging director VS Gadhvi.

Kutch has 63 million tonnes of non-plant grade bauxite reserves. GMDC has 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.

Bauxite miner and exporter Ashapura Minechem had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with GMDC for the plant but did not execute it. Fresh EoIs were then invited. Companies who had expressed interest include US-based AluChem Inc, Russia-based UC RUSAL, Dubai-based Dubai Aluminium Limited (DUBAL), and Indian companies like Adani Enterprise, Aditya Birla group, NALCO, JSW steel and Jaiprakash Industries.

The proposals were examined by Nagpur-based Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre of the Government of India. After a comparative analysis, NALCO was selected for the project.

Great to see another major investment in Kutch.

[GJ10]

Essar Oil completes Vadinar refinery expansion

Essar Oil, India’s second largest private refiner with 10% of the country’s capacity, has completed expanding its Vadinar refinery in Gujarat to 20 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA) or 405,000 barrels a day, incurring a capital expenditure of Rs1,700 crore.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that the nameplate capacity addition from 18 MMTPA to 20 MMTPA had been completed four months ahead of schedule, taking the total investment in the Vadinar unit to Rs24,000 crore.

“With this commissioning, our capex cycle has now come to an end and we are fully geared to deliver the value of our investments to all our stakeholders,” said Lalit Gupta, Essar Oil’s managing director.

The refinery expansion will enable Essar Oil to process heavier -- and cheaper -- crude oil varieties and earn a higher margin in refining oil into high quality fuels. The overall share of heavy and ultra-heavy crude will go up to 80% of the refinery’s total crude basket, added the company statement.

The refiner will be targeting newer markets such as Australia, New Zealand, north-west Europe as well as countries in the Indian subcontinent for exporting these fuels although it will continue selling a majority of products in the domestic market.

Current refining capacity of Jamnagar is now 82mmtpa

[gandhi.rushabh1992]

One more....

LINK

Korea’s Hyosung set to vroom into Ahmedabad

Bikemaker Plans To Set Up . 300-cr Plant


Ahmedabad: Gujarat’s Detroit dream seems to be on a fast lane. After Hero MotoCorp announcing a Rs 1,100-crore plant in the state, Korea’s Hyosung superbikes are all set to get a madein-Gujarat tag.

Pune-based DSK group, which has taken over assembling, distribution and servicing business of Hyosung superbikes in India from Garware Motors, is planning to set up Rs 300 crore plant in Gujarat, preferably near Ahmedabad.
Korean S&T Motors’ Hyosung entered the market with its 650 cc bikes in 2011. Garware Motors assembled bikes at a unit in Wai in Satara district of Maharastra.The current plant at Satara has a capacity to assemble 10 bikes a day.

“We are looking for a 100-acre land plot around Ahmedabad. Initially, we decided to base ourselves around Pune but because of little government support, we have decided to move out,” said Shirish Kulkarni,
managing director, DSK Motowheels, the DSK group’s new entity for the bike business.

The company is looking at a capacity of over 10,000 bikes per annum by 2015. Kulkarni said they will source components from local firms in Gujarat. Industry observers say such plants will boost the state’s component making industry.

Times View
Ahmedabad has come a long way since attracting the Tata Nano to Sanand in 2008. The large labour force that the numerous upcoming auto units are bound to attract will test the city's infrastructure. The government should ensure more housing, schools, hospitals and entertainment zones to meet the rush of automakers to the ‘Detroit of the East’.

[gandhi.rushabh1992]

One more....



LINK

Korea’s Hyosung set to vroom into Ahmedabad

Bikemaker Plans To Set Up . 300-cr Plant


Ahmedabad: Gujarat’s Detroit dream seems to be on a fast lane. After Hero MotoCorp announcing a Rs 1,100-crore plant in the state, Korea’s Hyosung superbikes are all set to get a madein-Gujarat tag.

Pune-based DSK group, which has taken over assembling, distribution and servicing business of Hyosung superbikes in India from Garware Motors, is planning to set up Rs 300 crore plant in Gujarat, preferably near Ahmedabad.
Korean S&T Motors’ Hyosung entered the market with its 650 cc bikes in 2011. Garware Motors assembled bikes at a unit in Wai in Satara district of Maharastra.The current plant at Satara has a capacity to assemble 10 bikes a day.

“We are looking for a 100-acre land plot around Ahmedabad. Initially, we decided to base ourselves around Pune but because of little government support, we have decided to move out,” said Shirish Kulkarni,
managing director, DSK Motowheels, the DSK group’s new entity for the bike business.

The company is looking at a capacity of over 10,000 bikes per annum by 2015. Kulkarni said they will source components from local firms in Gujarat. Industry observers say such plants will boost the state’s component making industry.

Times View
Ahmedabad has come a long way since attracting the Tata Nano to Sanand in 2008. The large labour force that the numerous upcoming auto units are bound to attract will test the city's infrastructure. The government should ensure more housing, schools, hospitals and entertainment zones to meet the rush of automakers to the ‘Detroit of the East’.

[gandhi.rushabh1992]

Thought it was forgotten, but here it is...

US firm roped in for Sardar statue project

Turner Construction To Oversee 2500 Cr Initiative


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Gandhinagar: Leading US based construction firm, Turner Construction has been roped in to oversee the ambitious Rs 2,500-crore project to build world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel off Narmada dam.

A Gujarat governmentsponsored trust, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), has handed over project management consultancy to Turner Construction, which has built global landmarks such as the new Yankee Stadium in New York and the world’s tallest and second-tallest buildings, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Taipei 101 in Taiwan, to name a few.

To be called Statue of Unity, the 182-metre tall statue will be built on Sadhu Tekra in the midst of the river, about 3.2 km downstream of the dam. “Turner will be involved in the project right from the beginning, which is the predesign phase and floating the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) bid for the project, to construction supervision and handing over of the project”, a senior state bureaucrat, who is handling the project, told TOI.
Turner’s contract is for a period of 56 months. “It has agreed to charge Rs 61 crore for the entire process,” he said. Turner was awarded project management consultancy in an international bid, in which Parsons Brinckerhoff and IOSIS International also participated.

Gujarat government has been in talks with South Korea's Samsung Construction & Technology for the project’s actual implementation. Last year, executives from Samsung C&T took geo-technological data, including rock condition, weight bearing capacity of the river pit and hydraulic capacity. They have submitted a go-ahead report.

Both Turner and Samsung C&T were part of the team which built the world’s tallest, Burj Khalifa, which stands 828 metres tall.

The SVPRET meeting, chaired by chief minister Narendra Modi, also discussed connecting Vadodara with the Statue of Unity with a metro rail and a six-lane highway.

[tryindiffdrugsngirls]

Do they expect that many people to turn out to see the statue and the dam that they need a metro rail? they would need say about 50,000 tourists every day and up to justify the metro.

Initially, we decided to base ourselves around Pune but because of little government support, we have decided to move out

God damn Gujarat is emerging as every ones fav

[gandhi.rushabh1992]

Combined with the dam, it will generate a huge amount of tourists, but I dont think they need a metro for that. A six lane highway would be more than enough.

If they do want to build a metro in that region, then why not build one in Vadodara or Surat?

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Initially, we decided to base ourselves around Pune but because of little government support, we have decided to move out


Or you can say other state governments are getting lazy and not grabbing the oppurtunities, thereby making Gujarat the only choice.

[gandhi.rushabh1992]

BOOSTER DOSE

World Bank raises funds for state roads to $550m



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Gandhinagar: In a major boost for Gujarat’s roads, the World Bank (WB) has agreed to a state government request to revise upwards its proposal to fund Gujarat State Highways Project (GSHP-II) from $350 million to $550 million. A WB note, made available here, says “improvement of about 1,100 km (650 km widening and 450 km strengthening) would be accommodated within this amount.”

The Gujarat government hadearlier askedfor the amount to be raised to $600 million. It applied for GSHP-II loan in 2009 after successfully executing the $550 million GSHP-I project between 2001 and 2007. WB had characterized the GSHP-I project as “highly satisfactory” and “exemplary” for other states to follow. A senior official said the government expected to get the WB funding in early 2013. About 20 per cent of the amount would be used for roads in tribal areas. Now, solar panels along Gujarat highway project? World Bank May Fund Initiative On Mehsana-Himmatnagar Stretch



Solar Highways



Gandhinagar: The World Bank (WB) has said that “good potential” exists to introduce a set of green measures, more particularly by introducing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, along selected locations of the 1,100 to 1,500 km road stretch proposed under the 550 million dollar Gujarat State Highway Project (GSHP)-II, which is in the final stages of the top bank’s clearance.

A WB note, prepared on the basis of the WB mission’s visit to Gujarat in May this year, said, “Among the many green measures, the use of solar panels to generate renewable power along the linear road network emerged as having significant potential and needed to be demonstrated as apilot.”

Calling it a “Green Highway (GH)” measure it may be interesting in funding, the note said, “The mission visited Gondal-Atkot to explore its appropriateness. Following deliberations, it was agreed that a selected section of Mehsana-Himmatnagar would be suitable as a pilot.”

The mission, led by Arnab Bandyopadhyay, discussed installing solar PV panels with officials of the state roads and buildings department, Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) and Gujarat Energy Research & Management Institute (GERMI), and identified, in all, seven “possible locations” where panels could be put.

The note said, “It was gathered that a similar initiative was being done as a pilot along a 1 km stretch of the Narmada canal. Back-of-the-envelope calculations revealed that about 15 KW or about 70KWh/ units per day per km of the road corridor could be generated from installations along the median in a typical four-lane road.”

The note further said, “The power so generated could be gainfully used at the intersections and along habitations for street lighting. This would consume about 20-30 per cent of the power generated and the rest could be fed back into the grid. This would result in making road corridors as renewable power producers. Apart from the medians, it is also possible to consider installations in public buildings alongside the road corridor.”

Saying that the solar PV suppliers are “accustomed to choosing their locations and making their own investments (aided at times with capital subsidy)”, the note underlined the importance, in this context, of the Gujarat government’s “power purchase agreements for the sale of renewable power to the electricity boards at a preferential rate”.

Apart from solar PV installations, other GH initiatives discussed included use of construction technologies which emit fewer greenhouse gases, use of warm mix technologies, recycling the existing pavements, use of alternative materials like fly ash, storm water harvesting, roadside tree plantation and creating green tunnels.