Hyderabad Small & Large scale Industries updates

[stormmaker]

‘Hyderabad - Bulk drugs capital of India’

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh is recognised not only as the pharmaceutical hub but also as the bulk drugs capital of India, according to J Geeta Reddy, minister for major industries, sugar, commerce & export promotion.

“We have more than 266 bulk drug manufacturing companies in the state of which more than 90 per cent are small and medium enterprises.

AP also registered pharma exports worth `20,000 crore and the industry is growing at about 20 per cent,” Geeta Reddy said. Delivering the inaugural address at the eighth edition of BioAsia 2011 here on Tuesday, she said, “Several pharma companies are investing in the state.” According to Geeta Reddy, at least three companies have already announced plans to set up facilities in Hyderabad with investment of `3,000 crore.

Dr Roger Williams, CEO, US Pharmacopeia, in his keynote address said it was in the process of preparing standards for the Indian pharmaceutical industry. “These standards can be used by companies for exports, to seek regulatory approvals and to market the products overseas,” Williams said adding that Indian biologics with its scientific and manufacturing expertise can lead the world.

Meanwhile, Geeta Reddy unveiled the plaque for four facilites, Alexandria Innovation centre, Lonza R&D and manufacturing facility, Lepakshi Knowledge Hub Pvt Ltd and Transcell Gene Pvt Ltd.

Geeta Reddy also presented the Genome Valley Excellence award to Dr K Anji Reddy, founder & chairman of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd and Beijing Institute of Genomics, China for their independent contribution towards life sciences.

[stormmaker]

Industrial growth records a dismal show

HYDERABAD: Despite a series of proactive measures by successive governments to make Andhra Pradesh the most favoured destination for setting up new industries, the state lost three lakh jobs and an investment of Rs 1.12 lakh crore since the introduction of the `industrial policy' in 1991.

According to a fact-sheet of the industries department, as annexed to the socio-economic survey report for 2010-2011, only 3,012 of the 6,910 proposals for large-scale industries has gone into production. These proposals worth Rs 63,482 crore generated an employment of 4.55 lakh and another 1.25 lakh jobs are expected from the 505 proposals worth Rs 92,334 crore that are at various stages of implementation.

The saving grace has been the establishment of 11,000 micro, small and medium enterprises in the last 21 months (before September 2010) that provided employment to 1.81 lakh people and involved an investment of Rs 7,500 crore.

Similarly, the employment created in the 113 approved (74 are notified and 27 are operational) SEZs in the state was 82,606, against a projected direct employment generation of 8.5 lakh. Only Rs 12,000 crore of the Rs 1.05 lakh crore projected investments has been achieved so far.

The socio-economic survey report, which was tabled in the assembly on Wednesday, encapsulates the social and economic change in the state during 2010-11. Besides this, the report captures the main macro-economic aggregates and indicators of physical performance under various schemes/programmes implemented during the year by government departments.

The per capita income of Andhra Pradesh at current prices is estimated at Rs 60,224 in 2010-11 as against Rs 51,025 in 2009-10. While at constant prices, it has gone up from Rs 36,345 in 2009-10 to Rs 39,240 in 2010-11 registering a growth of 7.97%.

The overall exports from the state fell from Rs 77,605 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 73,143 crore in 2009-10, the report said. However, exports in the IT sector reached a new peak of Rs 33,482 crore in 2009-10. Computer software contributed 45 per cent of the total exports from the state while other major exports were drugs and pharmaceuticals, animal, marine and leather products, minerals and mineral products, handlooms and handicrafts.

As per advance estimates, the area under foodgrains during 2010-11 is expected to be 78 lakh hectares against 66.66 lakh hectares during 2009-10. The total production of foodgrains for 2010-11 is estimated at 190 lakh tonnes as against 156 lakh tonnes during 2009-10.

The report points out that the state economy as measured by growth in the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), on an average grew at 7.93% at constant prices during the first four years of the 11th five-year Plan period (2007-08 and 2010-11) was almost catching up with the all-India GDP growth of 8.16%, for the same period.

[stormmaker]

Creamline Dairy plans Rs 10 cr tetra pack plant in Hyd

Creamline Dairy Products Limited, which retails its products under the Jersey™ brand, is planning to set up a tetra packaging plant in Hyderabad with an investment of Rs 10 crore by 2012.

Speaking to mediapersons at its silver jubilee celebrations here today, K Bhaskar Reddy, managing director, Creamline Dairy, said, "Tetra pack has one to three months shelflife. So, our focus would be more on cultured and long shelflife products."

The plant, work on which is likely to start this year, would have a production capacity of 100,000 litre per day, he said. The plant would come up on 10 acres.

Creamline has tied up with Tetra Pak, the processing and packaging major, to bring the UHT (ultra high temperature) technology to its plant. Around 50 per cent of the proposed investment would be raised through loans from financial institutions, he said.

[bhag]

Andhra Pradesh manages to attract several public sector undertakings, including a refinery complex by HPCL, with a total estimated outlay of about Rs 50,000 crore,

The Chief Minister's Office in a statement mentioned that six PSUs have already submitted proposals to the State Government, indicating a total investment of about Rs 44,800 crore.

HPCL alone has a proposal to invest about Rs 40,000 crore in a refinery complex at Visakhapatnam as a part of the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR).

BHEL and BEL have come up with a proposal to develop a solar photovoltaic modules unit in the FAB City with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore. BDL has expressed interest to set up two units in the State, including a missile unit at Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district and another in Anantapur with an outlay of Rs 500 crore each.

BDL has sought for 438 acres and 634 acres of land for these two projects. The Bangalore-based HAL has come forward to set up helicopter manufacturing unit with an outlay of Rs 625 crore and ECIL with a plan for electronic equipment making unit with an outlay of Rs 500-crore investment and BEL with a radar testing facility in Anantapur seeking 1,000 acres.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, laid the foundation stone for the Rs 6,000-crore NTPC-BHEL joint venture project to manufacture power equipment at Mannavaram in Chittoor district of the State, which has potential to create scores of ancillary units.

Referring to the recent State Investment Promotion Board meeting, the CMO mentioned that on one day, 25 investment proposals with total outlay of Rs 25,672 crore, which includes seven cement plants, three automotive units were cleared.

The investment policy of the Government would help attract more investments into the State as new units are offered power at lower tariffs.

[rizwan3]

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/bioc...ufacturing-934

Biocon to spend Rs 200 cr on R&D, manufacturing

Healthcare products manufacturer Biocon plans to spend $100 million in its efforts to develop insulin drugs over the next 3-4 years, said its chairperson and managing director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

Further, the company is also looking at investing around Rs 200 crore towards stepping up its manufacturing and research capabilities in the domestic market this fiscal, she said.

Of this, the company plans a capital expenditure of around Rs 100 crore towards the Research & Development centre in Bangalore, which would be operational in the next six months, said Shaw.

“The R&D centre would house 500-600 scientists. Apart from the capex, we would also be investing in drug development. For instance, we are hopeful to put in $100 million in the next 3-4 years towards research on insulin products,” she told reporters in Hyderabad on the sidelines of an international conference on patient safety.

The company has already invested Rs 50 crore in its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients facility in Hyderabad. “We would further invest another Rs 50 crore in a couple of years,” she said.

The Bangalore-based company, which has a major thrust on diabetes drug development, feels that the increase in sales of human insulin due to the 18 per cent hike in the price allowed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), will be reflected in its balance sheets in the first quarter of current financial year. “Increase in insulin prices is a positive sign. It will have an impact on our balance sheet from this quarter (April-June),” she said, without giving details.

[Prodigist]

“Akash”, world's cheapest tablet PC being manufactured in Hyderabad

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle2519486.ece

QUAD Electronic Solutions is manufacturing these on behalf of Datawind

The world's cheapest tablet Aakash is being manufactured in Medchal.


A city-based company, QUAD Electronic Solutions, which has a two-acre campus in Medchal, on the outskirts of the State capital, is assembling the now world famous tablet PC using components imported from China and other South East Asian countries.

Costs Rs. 2,276
QUAD Electronic Solutions is manufacturing these seven-inch touch screen devices on behalf of Datawind, a company from the United Kingdom.
Aakash which costs Rs. 2,276 per unit is being further subsidised by the Government of India and is being offered at Rs. 1,200 to students.
The tablet PC which hogged the limelight across the world for being the cheapest tablet PC to be made, was unveiled by Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal recently.

To make it cheaper
“Our ultimate aim is to bring down the price of the tablet to $10. It is not impossible and we can do it. It is also high time that the Indian manufacturing companies stand-up and prove that we are capable of doing it,” says Raminder Singh Soin, Managing Director of QUAD Electronics.

One lakh units
QUAD, which stands for Quality Under Able Dynamics, is handling the task of manufacturing one lakh units of the cheapest tablet.
“Once we completely indigenise the product, we will be able to bring down the price further. The team from Datawind, which designed the product, has worked closely with us,” says Mr. Raminder Singh Soin. It all started in April this year when a technical team from Datawind visited the two-acre manufacturing facility of the company at Medchal.
1,000 workers
The fabrication unit employs close to 1,000 technical workers, mostly youngsters with ITI diploma or class 12 qualifications. “We have 65 engineers, a majority of them from IITs, who train these youngsters. With over a decade of experience in this sector our infrastructure is best in the business. The Datawind officials liked what they saw,” Mr. Soin said.

700 units a day
At present, the fabrication unit of QUAD Electronics is capable of manufacturing 700 tablets a day. The company has plans to ramp up production to 1,500 tablets per day. “We wanted to prove that it is not just companies form China or South East Asia that produce quality and durable products. India has already made its mark in software and it is about time Indian manufacturers too did the same,” believes Mr. Soin.

[ranga]

Originally Posted by Prodigist

“Akash”, world's cheapest tablet PC being manufactured in Hyderabad

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle2519486.ece

QUAD Electronic Solutions is manufacturing these on behalf of Datawind

Most of the components are imported from china and south east Asian countries.Its mere assembly a typical case of screw driver technology.we can take pride only if the indigenization of the components making the PC Tablet is atleat more than 60%.

[Prodigist]

Originally Posted by ranga

Most of the components are imported from china and south east Asian countries.Its mere assembly a typical case of screw driver technology.we can take pride only if the indigenization of the components making the PC Tablet is atleat more than 60%.

The article explicitly says it.. Now we donot have chip fabs nor do we manufacture LCD panels in India because frankly we are not ready yet but does it mean that we will never be able to do it?? Ever heard about "babysteps"

[Sienna]

Originally Posted by Prodigist

The article explicitly says it.. Now we donot have chip fabs nor do we manufacture LCD panels in India because frankly we are not ready yet but does it mean that we will never be able to do it?? Ever heard about "babysteps"

Prodigist Well said.
Our Banker Rangajee forgot that, a plants/trees are growm from seed stage. It is obvious that, manufacturing has to follow assembling at later stages. Once the demand grows either in Akash tablet form or other form, automatically local manufacturing will grow, so that, assembling and selling becomes sustainable.

[Gudavalli]

Originally Posted by Sienna

Prodigist Well said.
Our Banker Rangajee forgot that, a plants/trees are growm from seed stage. It is obvious that, manufacturing has to follow assembling at later stages. Once the demand grows either in Akash tablet form or other form, automatically local manufacturing will grow, so that, assembling and selling becomes sustainable.

You've echoed what I was thinking

[Prodigist]

Monarch plans manufacturing unit in Hyderabad

Source: http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/mona...nit-andhra-424

Modular office furniture and seating solutions provider Monarch Ergonomics, which imports furniture and supplies to domestic clients, is planning to set up a manufacturing unit near Hyderabad. The unit will be a joint venture between Monarch and its principal partner, Merryfair of Malaysia, which currently supplies the company with workstations and office furniture.

Typically, it takes six weeks for the orders to be honoured due to the imports. Once the manufacturing unit is set up here, Monarch will be able to reduce the service time by two weeks, its managing director Kotesh Jagannathan told Financial Chronicle. “The manufacturing unit set up will be preceded with by launch of new range of products from Merryfair in the Indian markets,” he said.

The manufacturing unit will also help the company bring down the prices, as it would save the existing 28 per cent import duty on products. Monarch is now serving the domestic markets with a huge inventory. “We can now deliver 1,000 workstations with chairs in four weeks,” he said, adding that the company now has a huge warehouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The Hyderabad-headquartered company also has operations in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, Mumbai, Pune and Trivandrum and last year has clocked Rs 90 crore. “We anticipate Rs 250 crore revenues in three years on the back of new products and clients,” said Jagannathan, adding that the company has been growing around 40 per cent a year. Repeat sales also contribute significantly to growth as the average life of furniture is around seven years, he said.

Monarch has Axis Bank, ABN Amro, HSBC, Dr Reddy’s, ITC Park Sheraton, Vanenburg IT Park and others as its clients.

[ygvjs2000]

Dear Ranga,

That is what innovation and leadership is about. Collaborate and get the things done. Even Companies like Apple and Google become innovative. In fact the first design of the Apple's IPOD was developed in Hyderabad then they later sold that company.

Originally Posted by ranga

Most of the components are imported from china and south east Asian countries.Its mere assembly a typical case of screw driver technology.we can take pride only if the indigenization of the components making the PC Tablet is atleat more than 60%.

[Gudavalli]

Source: http://www.groundreport.com/Business...cross-/2941991

Reliance Digital, an all-in-one multi-brand electronics retail chain from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is set to launch four new Reliance Digital stores in four cities of the country. The quadruple launch will take place in Phoenix Market City Mall, Bangalore; Madinaguda, Hyderabad; Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh; and Avani Riverside Mall, Kolkata on 15th of October 2011.




Each of these four new Reliance Digital stores will occupy between 10,000 sq.ft. to 13,000 sq.ft. of space. Borne with qualities parallel to Reliance Digital pedigree, these new stores will offer customers an added chance of indulging in a wide assortment of electronic products and brands at affordable prices. The launch festivities will see Reliance Digital host exciting offers and deals for customers to make the most of this festive season.

[Gudavalli]

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...ry-and-economy

Hyderabad, Oct. 19:
Petroleum will drive growth in the country's key states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra in the next five years.
Over the past decade engineering and chemical industries have witnessed the highest growth and petroleum has emerged as the largest industry, according to a study by Knight Frank India.
The study on the country's manufacturing sector identified Andhra Pradesh among the five leaders with manufacturing capabilities. The others being Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharastra and Karnataka.
The output of major manufacturing industries of these top five states would touch Rs 49.40 lakh crore by 2016 with a land requirement of 1.72 lakh acres. The scene for Andhra Pradesh would be Rs 5,99,500 crore from the present Rs 2,31,800 crore. It would also translate into a land requirement of 23,475 acres.
Metal and metal fabrication in Gujarat and automobile in Tamil Nadu will be the torch bearers in terms of the growth there. Knight Frank India with presence in seven metros, has done over 1,500 consultancy assignments in different sector.
The Executive Director Knight Frank India, Mr Prakrut Mehta, said analysis shows that Andhra Pradesh will witness a growth of 28 per cent CAGR during the next five years in the petroleum industry. It will surpass the 17 per cent growth of food processing industry.
The study indicates that the industrial landscape in Andhra Pradesh is poised to witness a transformation as the lead of food processing industry will be taken over by petroleum industry in 2016.

[Gudavalli]

Source: http://www.contactlenses.co.uk/conta...-.html?catid=4

The Indian Vision Institute has opened in Hyderabad, offering the opportunity for people to learn how to diagnose problems such as myopia and prescribe contact lenses.

It is hoped that the creation of the institute will provide the 100,000 optometrists that India needs.

More optometrists are needed as in urban areas there is just one to every 600,000 people and in rural areas this ratio jumps to one eye doctor per 1,000,000.

The $180 billion vision industry is currently dominated by Chinese, US and European manufacturers, but the creation of the Hyderabad institute aims to help Indian firms get involved in the multi-billion dollar sector.

An increase in the number of practicing optometrists in India would mean that people have access to cheaper solutions to their eye problems, as well as the benefit of accessing modern technology.

Dr Rajat N Agrawal recently developed a new device to help those who have gone blind through age-related macular degeneration to regain their sight.

[Gudavalli]

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2562151.ece

Hyderabad, Oct 22:
Tanishq, the $1-billion revenue jewellery brand and part of Titan Industries Ltd of the Tata group, today announced the opening up of its fourth large format fully-owned showroom in Hyderabad, this being the company’s 130th in its network of stores.
On a rapid store expansion drive, Tanishq expects to close this current financial year with about 150 stores in all including 10 large format stores. The latter will come up in major cities of the country, according to Mr Sandeep Kulhalli, Vice- President-Retail and Marketing, Titan Industries Ltd.
The showroom is spread across 9,000 sq.ft. and provides the customers with a holistic jewellery retail experience. Buyers are beginning to experience the advantage of organised retail wherein they can walk into any store across the country and deal. This is of great advantage to buyers, he felt.
Volatility in gold price
Mr Kulhalli later told Business Line that the volatile price of gold in the last month has been a cause for concern. The prices have fluctuated and customers tend to get cautious. “But we do not see this impacting the overall business during the year,” he emphasised.
“Tanishq reported billion dollar revenues last financial year. Given the current price spiral, we are confident of sustaining the growth. The higher prices alone would be sufficient to boost the overall revenues,” he said.
Consolidation
Referring to the country’s jewellery market, which is estimated at Rs 1,25,000 crore a year, he said modern retail trade is gradually picking up. What is significant is that small and medium stores have begun to feel the heat due to consolidation in the marketplace. More and more buyers may opt for organised play, he felt.
The consolidation has set in and would take sometime to realise its impact. Jewellers are betting big on the festive season, when volumes normally swell. Akshaya Trithiya in April-May and Dhanteras before Diwali in October, these two days help generate big volumes. About 1 per cent business is generated on these days, he explained.

[Gudavalli]

Source: http://www.4-traders.com/MAHINDRA-MA...-in--13882485/

To provide a boost to the pre-owned car market in the state
November 9, 2011: Mahindra First Choice Wheels (MFCW), India's largest multi-brand pre-owned car company inaugurated its first company owned SuperStore in Hyderabad. The Superstore is located at Kondapur Main Road, near HITEC City, Hyderabad's IT hub.
The new SuperStore was inaugurated by Mr. Rajeev Dubey, President (Group HR & After-Market) and Member of the Group Executive Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
"We are delighted to open our first company-owned multi-brand SuperStore in Hyderabad. This is our second SuperStore in the South, after the Chennai outlet which was inaugurated recently. With this new SuperStore, we will have five outlets in the city with further plans to expand in Hyderabad and to open at least one in each of the key towns in Andhra Pradesh."
The Store will display a wide range of cars across segments and will ensure a great customer experience. It will offer an array of services under one roof, including purchase and sale of pre-owned cars, car finance and insurance, fitment of car accessories and assistance with paperwork and documentation, in a comfortable ambience.
The SuperStore format offers a new and refreshing sales experience for customers with its innovative and customer-centric approach. It will display vehicles right from the entry level to premium cars.
The very first Mahindra First Choice Wheels SuperStore was inaugurated in Mumbai in August 2007 and the company presently has a chain of ten such SuperStores across India, with a few more to be launched in the coming months. Apart from Hyderabad and Chennai, the company plans to open several more such SuperStores in the South. The company expects to have a national network of about 180 outlets, including franchisees by the end of this fiscal.
Andhra Pradesh market
The ratio of new to pre-owned cars in Andhra Pradesh is 1:1, while the pre-owned car market in Hyderabad stands at about 4,000 - 4,500 cars per month.
Mahindra FirstChoice Wheels plans to sell over 1,000 cars in Hyderabad by the end of this fiscal. Nationally, the company plans to sell over 40,000 cars which represents a growth of 40% over the previous year.
The size of the Indian pre-owned car market is estimated to be about 2.1 million vehicles per year. This market is growing at the rate of approximately 20 per cent annually, indicating great potential for organized players such as MFCW.
The Mahindra FirstChoice value proposition
Mahindra First Choice Wheels is the country's preferred pre-owned car mart and is India's only organized multi-brand player, with 140 outlets in over 70 towns across India. The company plans to expand this number to more than 350 outlets in the next three years. This implies that customers will soon be able to choose from a range of certified pre-owned cars throughout India, including the metros and tier-2 towns and cities.
Tremendous attention to detail is required to ensure that each pre-owned car meets a high level of quality. Before purchasing the car, a trained engineer thoroughly inspects the vehicle and also sees to it that all papers are in order. After purchase, every car is refurbished and undergoes an extensive 118 point quality check by a trained engineer, as part of the company's robust certification process. The objective behind the care and diligence exercised is to present the customer with a car in mint condition.
In short, buying a pre-owned car from Mahindra FirstChoice offers several advantages, including quality assurance, safety and a hassle-free driving experience.
Mahindra FirstChoice also offers 24x7 Road Side Assistance and warranty on certified pre-owned cars. The warranty, subject to specific terms and conditions, covers the important parts of the car. The 24x7 Road Side Assistance, subject to specific terms and conditions, assures the certified used car buyer that should the car break-down, he or she will be provided assistance. This warranty and road side assistance gives tremendous peace of mind to buyers.
Mahindra FirstChoice also has retail finance relationships with major banks and NBFCs in the country.
Mahindra FirstChoice also has a website - www.mahindrafirstchoice.com - which offers consumers the luxury of buying and selling pre-owned cars from the comfort of their own homes.
About The Mahindra Group
The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, vacation ownership, rural and semi-urban financial services, etc. Mahindra has a significant and growing presence amongst others, in the automotive industry, agribusiness, aerospace, automotive components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel and two wheelers.
A US $12.5 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 1,37,000 people in over 100 countries. In 2011, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000 list, a listing of the biggest and most powerful listed companies in the world. For four years in a row, Mahindra has featured in the Forbes Asia's Fab 50 List of the 50 best publicly traded companies in the Asia-Pacific regions. Dun & Bradstreet also ranked Mahindra at No. 1 in the automobile sector in its list of India's Top 500 Companies.
In 2010, Mahindra featured in the Credit Suisse Great Brands of Tomorrow. Its flagship company Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is the only Indian automobile manufacturer to feature in the top 10 list of the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index in India - 2010, created by the Carbon Disclosure (CDP). In 2011, Mahindra acquired a majority stake in Korea's SsangYong Motor Company.

[Prodigist]

Amazon to set up facility in Hyderabad

Source: Economic Times

HYDERABAD: The world largest Internet retailer Amazon will set up a facility here, which would provide employment to over 3,000 people, Andhra Pradesh government said today.

"Amazon will set up its operations in Hyderabad in a two lakh sq ft facility and provide employment to 3,300 people," Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology Ponnala Lakshmaiah told reporters here, after a meeting with Amazon delegation led by Vice-president (Global Real Estate and Facilities) John Schoettler.

The facility would also create a lot of indirect employment here, the minister added.

However, the land that was supposed to be allotted to Amazon at Cyberabad here has run into legal trouble.

"But that will be sorted out soon," Lakshmaiah said. Amazon would invest Rs 500 crore over the next three years to expand its operations, the IT Minister said, adding that it would lead to creation of more jobs.

Replying to a query, Lakshmaiah maintained that the political turmoil in the state over the Telangana issue would not hinder investments into the state.

"Hyderabad has world-class infrastructure facilities and the government has classified IT sector into an emergency service. The arrival of Amazon is a good sign," he added.

[Gudavalli]

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfee...ad/965052.html

Hyderabad, Feb 17 (PTI) Yakult Danone India, a 50:50 JV between Danone of France and Yakult Honsha, Japan today launched its pro-biotic health drink Yakult in the city. The drink, which was introduced in India in 2007, and is presently available in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Punjab, will be available in retail stores in the city from February 19, the company said in a press release issued here. Speaking on the launch, Kiyoshi Oike, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India said awareness about probiotic foods is fast catching up in India and Yakult has seen wide consumer acceptance in the metros. "We have established a strong presence in North India and are now focusing on the Southern markets with the aim to educate and propagate the health benefits of probiotics among consumers. Innovation and information dissemination on probiotics has been fundamental to our growth across geographies making us global leaders," Oike said in the statement. Jochen Ebert, Managing Director, Danone Food and Beverages said the Yakult Danone alliance in India is a result of the teamwork of two global giants in the probiotic industry. "Faced with the formidable task of introducing a new market for probiotics in India, the JV company has established a strong probiotic category in a remarkably short span of time," Ebert said.

[rizwan3]

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle2959531.ece

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday launched the “King-I Tablet PC” in the Indian market.

He congratulated R. Tenneti, marketing head, India, King-I Tab Trading Private limited, on the launch and presented the Tatblet PC to Government Whip T. Jayaprakash Reddy.

Mr. Tenneti said that they were the manufacturers and suppliers of a wide range of Tablet PCs that come in 25 different models and in four different sizes.

Mr. Tenneti has also informed that King-I Tab is ready to set up a manufacturing unit at Hyderabad.