Pune investment & industrial development

[adam_india]

Samson Controls sets up new plant in Pune

Germany-based valve manufacturer Samson Controls Pvt Ltd has set up a plant at Ranjangaon in Pune.

It will manufacture products such as globe control valves, conventional positioners; self operated pressure and temperature regulators. The company has invested Rs 225 crore to expand its business in India.

Samson India also manufactures differential pressure meters for cryogenic storage tanks for liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon for a major Indian tank supplier in Gujarat State. The field of expertise extends from chemicals, petro-chemicals, oil a gas as well as food & beverage applications.
Speaking on this, Atul Raje, managing director, Samson Controls said, " We will be focusing on growing Indian and Asian markets for the products and service that we offer. The company will be making huge investment in to develop new technology and equipments. Offering customised solutions to our customers has always been our prime focus.

The company has shifted its base from Thane to Ranjangaon and has completely refurnished as green field facility. It is operational in India since 1991. Over 200 people are employed for this plant.

Factories using Samson equipment produce plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, petroleum products, and paper. According to Raje, Samson equipment air-conditions buildings and distributes heat. Samson products users which includes Thermax, BHEL, Praj Industries, Inox, BASF, Bayer, Linde ,Uhde, Lurgi, Evonik, TetraPak and GEA. Worldwide, Samson has a 21 per cent market share of the industry.

Samson Controls is a 100 per cent subsidiary of SAMSON AG, manufactures of SAMSON products of Germany.

[adam_india]

Cummins India lines up Rs2,000 crore capex for the next five years

Engine-maker Cummins India Ltd (CIL), part of the Indiana, US-headquartered $13.2billion engineering major, posted impressive numbers in 2010-11. Net profit rose 33% to Rs591 crore on a 32% growth in revenues to Rs1,050 crore. The company has ambitious plans in the coming years to consolidate its position in the automobile & industrial engine segment and the genset market by investing RsD2,000 crore for capacity expansion near Pune. CIL’s chairman and managing director Anant J Talaulicar, who’s also the president of the components business of Cummins Inc, spoke to DNA on the way ahead for the company and how research and development is integral to its growth, among other things. Excerpts:

There has been a lot of talk about a slowdown in investment demand in the last two quarters, especially in the capital goods sector. How has CIL been affected, if at all?
We’re seeing some impact in the short term. But we have not seen a slowdown in our auto business. There is a deceleration in compressors used in water well rigs and in power generation there have been deferrals in some large projects like malls. People are putting off their capex plans, but we’re well-diversified and not dependent on any one sector.

Even global markets, especially Europe, have been a cause for concern. Your exports more than doubled last year and you’re looking at a 15% growth this year.
Overseas markets are a bit tepid now, but not as bad as during the downturn when they tanked. So I think we’ll be able to achieve our target.

Your domestic auto business accounts for just 7% of your topline. Has the number dropped over the years?
No, it’s been in the 5—10% range in the last few years. Commercial vehicle engines are a fairly new business for CIL though we have been there since 1995 through Tata Cummins. When Tata Cummins develops a product, CIL takes that product, customises it and supplies it to other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Tata Cummins has developed what is called the 3.9 litre B series engine and a 5.9 litre engine that we fit with various parts and which is used in equipment such as backhoe loaders.

How about exports?
Domestic and export businesses have been at 70:30. It keeps varying a bit but this ratio will largely be maintained. Both will grow but we don’t see a dramatic shift in the domestic business in the next five years.

You mentioned there is no slowdown in auto. What are your plans in the segment?
The automobile segment continues to be exciting for Cummins India and we are very excited with the way the market has been growing. The growth in Indian economy will boost the overall commercial vehicle segment. With infrastructure improving, there is strong demand for bigger vehicles; hence there is a lot of scope for a company like us to grow. Currently, Cummins is the strongest player in the CV segment; along with this our component group company supplies to almost every OEM in the country. We sell in excess of 100000 engines every year in the Indian market. We are also working on exhaust gas recirculation. These are emission solutions which will be offered to automobile manufacturers. As 13 cities come under the bracket of Euro IV norms, there is a huge demand for such emission solutions.

What are the other projects you are currently working on, especially on the automotive side?
Cummins, in India, is currently working on the L series engine. Conventional truck engines are up to 6 litre. However, as the size of the trucks expands, there is a demand for higher end engines - up to 9 litre. Currently, we are working on an 8.9 litre engine for CV usage. It is a major project that we are working on at the new TCL (Tata Cummins) plant at Phaltan.It’s a unique product offering from Cummins. We are currently prototyping the product and will be offering the product soon.

What are the prospects for the CV market?
We have not yet experienced any slowdown; however the cost of acquiring a truck has gone up. The situation is similar to 2008, when the demand slowed down. But I feel the truck industry will grow as the economy grows. In the long term the industry has brighter prospects.

What are CIL’s capacity expansion plans?
Cummins in India is expanding operations at Phaltan. Currently, three plants are operational and we plan to take this number to 9-10 in the coming years. Our plant one takes care of mid-sized engines like B series for the automotive division. The second plant is the rebuild centre, wherein we do the rebuilding of large engines used by different industries. The third one is the reconditioning plant, wherein we refurbish the used parts and components and sell them at lower costs. Fourth is the parts distribution center, which will be operational in August this year. The plant takes care of our distribution business. Fifth will be a power gensets plant, while sixth will also be on the generator side. Seventh plant will take care of our mid range horsepower engines between - 6L to 9L. Plant number eight will manufacture fuel systems for various applications, including off highway trucks. And our ninth plant will take care of large size engines ranging from 19L to 60L.

And how much will you spend on these?
We have lined up Rs2,000 crore capex for CIL for the next five years. And currently we have utilised just 30% of that.

[adam_india]

Industries dept upbeat as investment proposals increase

With the district seeing a slew of applications to set up industries, the state industries department has put Pune on the ‘prime map’ in this sector.
With applications pending before the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for allotment of land for these proposal, the district on a whole has only seen a rise in proposals since a decade.

The number of Industrial Entrepreneurship Memorandums (IEMs) with the district industries department is nearly 2372 large scale units over a decade.

According to senior industry department officers from the Mantralaya from the this is fairly a good number and Pune is definitely being watched for the huge investments from auto and IT sector as compared to other districts Managing director of district industries centre S Surwase mentions that of the 2372 IEMs registered, 1490 have started with production with investment to the tune of Rs 3253.53 crores. The employment for these production units are to the tune of 31,009 for these large scale units.

CEO MIDC Dr K Shivaji adds that its just not investments within the country but even abroad which are keenly eyeing Pune. “It is one of our important industrial hubs in the state_the others being Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati, Thane and Mumbai among the others, he says.

In the district the approved projects under the Foreign Direct Investment too are about 769 of which 433 are already into production with an investment of nearly Rs 4718.72 crore with employment registered to about 20,400 with these production units. “These are already in operation and are doing well,” adds Survase.

While from 2006, the district has registered about 38 mega projects. Under the mega projects_there should be about nearly 250 crore to be invested for each unit and there should be about more than 250 employees. The district industrial unit has registered around 38 projects. “We have had the MoU for these projects and the investment for these projects is to the tune of Rs 38,486.77 crore and employment which will be generated with these projects will be around 57,855. Presently 24 are already into production of these mega projects which has seen an investment of 21,647 crore and employment generated is nearly 44,000.

While there are plenty of small and medium entreprises, the proposals filed under these are about 21,212 with an investment of 3513 crore and about 1.25 lakh employees. “Here there are many unorganised and small units which are not registered and so there is plenty of such units in Pune,” said Survase.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in...rease/803348/0

[cncity]

Pune, Maharashtra, July 1, 2011 /India PRwire/ -- Pune has been a preferred investment destination for several MNCs for decades owing to its vast pool of engineering and management talent. Of late, the region has become the focal point for several companies who are looking to expand their operations.

What enhances Pune's growth prospects are its proximity to Mumbai, favourable climate and cosmopolitan culture. In the last few weeks itself, Pune has attracted a plethora of gigantic investments.

GKN Driveline recently announced that it will invest Rs. 130 crore to set up a 600,000 per annum side shaft manufacturing facility in Pune by August next year. The manufacturing facility will also create trans-axle solutions. "This new facility positions GKN Driveline strongly to meet the continued rapid growth of India's automotive industry. It is the next step in our mission to remain close and accessible to our customers in west India," said Marc Vuarchex, MD, GKN Driveline Asia Pacific, in press note issued on June 21, 2011.

Apart from GKN Driveline, Pune has also witnessed the emergence of other companies in the state. Harison Motors, an Indo-overseas techno venture has launched four models of All Terrain Vehicles ranging from 50 cc to 200 cc, in Pune in June. In addition, Tata Motors and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) of Japan inaugurated an environment-friendly dual fuel-based power generation facility at the company's plant in Pune in June. Also, Germany-based valve manufacturer Samson Controls Pvt. Ltd. has set up a plant at Ranjangaon in Pune.

"SME clusters in Pune play a pivotal role in the economic growth of the region. Several units in the region are directly or indirectly dependent on the automobile and auto components sector," says Sandeep Khosla, CEO - Publishing, Infomedia 18 Ltd., adding, "Many large companies usually zero in on Pune component manufacturers for localisation of its products to suit the Indian conditions. From engines to raw materials, hydraulic parts, auto components, material handling and storage equipments, everything is local. This has massively helped the local Pune industry. These projects also help generate significant employment opportunities for the local populace. They set up their manufacturing units in various industry clusters like automobile, auto components, engineering and machining, electronics, plastic and rubber components, etc., located in the satellite towns of Ranjangaon, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Talegaon."

Infomedia 18 Ltd. the publishing arm of Network 18 Ltd. organises Engineering Expo in Pune, every year since 2007. Engineering Expo is India's largest multi-location tradeshow on engineering and manufacturing. It is considered to be an ideal location for buyers to meet sellers. Besides Pune, Engineering Expo will be held in five different cities across the country namely - Rudrapur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Chennai and Aurangabad.

According to Khosla, an exhibition proves to be a bridge between new opportunities and local companies and provides assistance on how to win new business, "An exhibition is the best place for any industry to come together, meet, network, exchange ideas, generate fruitful business leads and drive growth. Engineering Expo is one such platform that can help the thriving Pune industry grow beyond measure," he says.

The industry in Pune is flourishing and the opportunities for businesses are budding. Efforts in the right direction will help the domestic industry in Pune amalgamate with the global market and become a driving force for the industrial growth of Maharashtra and subsequently, India.

http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrele...1070190890.htm

[s.yogendra]

JFE Shoji to set up steel processing center in Pune

JFE Shoji Trade Corporation has decided the establishment of steel processing center in India, which will be located at Ranjangaon industry district in the suburb of Pune city near Munbai and will be named as JFE Shoji Steel India Private Limited.

It is scheduled that it will start the operation from July 2012 and will be expected to have the sales amount of 20,000 tonne per year of steel materials, including electrical steel sheets and thin steel sheets by 2014.

Outline of the new company
1. Name: JFE Shoji India Private Limited
2. Location: Ranjangaon industry district in Pune City, Maharashtra State, India
3. Date of the establishment: January 2011
4. Capitalization: INR 685 million
5. Shareholders: JFE Shoji Trade Group - 100%.
6. Investment amount: Approximately USD 13 million
7. Representative: To be chosen from JFE Shoji Trade
8. Number of Employee: 47
9. Main business: Processing and sales for electrical steel sheets
10. Land scale: Total - approximately 42,000m2/ Works area - approximately 6,000m2
11. Main facilities: Slitter line, Shearing line and so on
12. Projected processing capacity: 34,000 tonnes per year
13. Target of sales quantity:
Year of 2012 - 5,000 tonnes
Year of 2014 - 20,000 tonnes per year

Currently, JFE Shoji is operating total of fourteen steel processing centers, including five ones in China, two ones in Thailand and one in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippine, Vietnam, Mexico respectively.

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news...ne/213167.html

[cncity]

HYDERABAD: After Bangalore and Chennai, it's Pune that seems to be beating Hyderabad in the realty race. With 'T' agitations erupting in the city yet again, investors keen on putting their money on property here are now turning to the Maratha land in the hope of better returns. Also spelling doom for the once booming sector are cash-rich investors and developers from outside the state who are fast dropping Hyderabad from their radar due to frequent disruptions. One among them is a Dubai-based group that was expected to invest a whopping Rs 100 crore in the local market this year. The firm has now backtracked on its decision, sources said.

While it remains to be seen if this big investor too heads for Pune, realtors here say that they are indeed losing a lot of business to the tier-II city, which was once way behind it in the real estate market. And apart from Hyderabad's poor industry ratings, which are now on par with small towns like Vadodara, it is Pune's impressive IT growth, affordable property prices and stable political atmosphere that's pulling investors to its shores. In fact market analysts from the city say that all corporate firms on expansion mode are now vying for space in Pune as against Hyderabad.

And realtors squarely blame the government for this shift. They rue that it is the government's inability to take a conclusive decision on the Telangana issue that has pushed Hyderabad's once booming realty story towards the graveyard. "It is the uncertainty over the Telangana issue that is resulting in our loss in business to Pune," said D Sreedhar Reddy, president, Andhra Pradesh Realtors Association ( APRA) stressing how the city has already lost several clients to Bangalore and Chennai over the last two years, since the time the 'T' turmoil first hit Hyderabad. "This time around too, a chunk of our clients who were supposed to pick up commercial space here have put their decisions on hold. Their numbers will further rise if this situation persists," Reddy said. In fact, in the last few days alone, several investors with elaborate business plans in the city have shelved their proposals owing to the unrest, sources claim.

And it's not the commercial market alone that has taken a beating. Even the residential segment is down in the dumps, say industry analysts. From being among the top six metro cities in India not too long ago, Hyderabad has almost dropped to the level of tier -III towns now. "If the prices here were once compared to cities like Chennai and Bangalore, there are now compared to cities like Baroda. There has been no rise in price for over four years," said real estate consultant B V P Raju of Ghar4U adding how the recent troubles have negatively impacted the sentiment of builders here.

Home-grown firms apart, even `outstation' developers seem to be feeling the `T' jitters. Terming the current state of realty in Hyderabad as "most unfortunate", these builders say that they would have to give their future projects in the city a second thought if the political crisis is not addressed. "We will definitely fulfil our commitments made to clients in Hyderabad. But whether we would continue here post the completion of our current ventures, is now debatable," said a senior executive of a leading Bangalore-based construction firm with a significant presence in the city.

Though some like Mantri Developers, also from Bangalore, are still optimistic because of the recent spurt in recruitments in the local IT industry, they do agree that a decision on the Telangana issue should be taken at the earliest. "It will only help in stabilizing the market as nobody enjoys uncertainty. But, that does not mean we are withdrawing from Hyderabad anytime soon. Our ventures here will go on as planned," said Sushil Mantri, chairman and managing director of the firm.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...ow/9130346.cms

[One_among]

Pune, July 7:
An amendment in the Maharashtra Value Added Tax (MVAT) Act earlier this year is being viewed as reneging on a commitment made to investors, and the resultant dent in the credibility of the State government is cited as the reason why at least three auto OEMs have driven away from setting up plants in Maharashtra.

Earlier this year, auto majors — including Peugeot, Ford and Maruti Suzuki — that were close to inking a deal for setting up Greenfield plants in Maharashtra, involving investment of over Rs 8,000 crore, began scouting for locations outside the State.

MVAT amendment

The prime cause is believed to be the Finance Department's decision to amend the MVAT Act in March.

The amendment was aimed at addressing a perceived double payment of incentives to ‘Mega Projects'.

It was under the Mega Project Scheme of 2005 that the concept of Industrial Promotion Subsidy (IPS) was introduced, applicable for 7-12 years.

As the payment of IPS was linked to taxes payable to the State, the scheme was an instant success and prompted large companies such as Volkswagen and General Motors to set up manufacturing bases here.

The March 11 amendment disallows input VAT credit on sales outside the State to dealers buying goods from these Mega Projects, effectively putting the units at a disadvantage against those that come under a regular incentive scheme.

More painfully, it was made effective retrospectively from 2008.

impact

Seeing the move as “reneging on a commitment,” a senior official from an auto company, who did not wish to be named, said the mid-course amendment would seriously impact the projections and financial planning of these companies.

According to an industry observer, the investment decisions were based on the customised packages of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives offered by the Government, as well as provisions of the MVAT Act.

“Many existing OEMs will now opt to implement their expansion plans outside the State,” he said.


HITTING A ROADBLOCK

The amendment was
aimed at addressing a perceived double payment of incentives to ‘Mega Projects'.
The March 11 amendment
disallows input VAT credit on sales outside the State to dealers buying goods from these Mega Projects, effectively putting the units at a disadvantage.
The mid-course amendment
would seriously impact the projections and financial planning of these companies and many existing OEMs will now opt to implement their expansion plans outside the State.

Ref: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2208634.ece

[One_among]

Pune, July 8:
A little over 18 months from the start of serious production at its greenfield plant at Chakan, Volkswagen India rolled out its 100,000th car from here today. The company makes variants of the VW Polo and Vento, as well as the Skoda Fabia at this plant.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr John Chacko, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd, said this was an important milestone that marked the completion of the first phase of development for the company. The next phase will see plans for feasibility for new projects being put into place, he added.

During 2010, VW India sold 53,341 units in the market, while the number in the first six months of 2011 stood at 55,257 units. “We have 115 direct suppliers on board, including 66 in Maharashtra and 61 new suppliers have been developed to export components,” Dr Chacko said, adding that the localisation levels in its cars had increased from 40 per cent when it started, to around 70 per cent now.

VW also plans to strengthen its dealer network to over 160 dealers and push to gain a higher market share than the present 5 per cent. “Worldwide our normal market share is 10 per cent, and I don't see any reason why it should not be the same here,” he remarked.

VAT issues

With total utilisation of the installed capacity of 130,000 units at Chakan imminent, Dr Chacko said it would be logical to think about capacity expansion, so also putting up of power train plant.

“There are certain hindrances to taking the next step,” he said, referring to amendment in the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act (MVAT) that came in March 2011. “We consider that the commitment (by the government) is not being kept,” he said, explaining that this caused an unstable environment and the company would adopt a wait-and-watch approach.

Ref: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2211914.ece

[One_among]

NEW DELHI, JULY 14:
DuPont to set up new innovation centre in Pune focussed on automotive industry.

It aims to facilitate knowledge exchange among scientist via real time connection to 75 other DuPont research centres. Twenty-four per cent of DuPont's revenue comes from auto/ transportation.

Its indian sale figure for 2010 is $700 million, 20 per cent of which is accounted its automotive segment. DuPont is a science-based product company offering wide range of products in agriculture and food, building and construction, communications, and transportation.

Ref: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2226558.ece

[One_among]

Pune, July 14:
Less than a week after Volkswagen India Chief, Dr John Chacko, said that expansion plans will be put into motion only after pending issues with the Government are sorted out, Bajaj Auto (BAL), the country's second largest two-wheeler in terms of numbers, has said that it will consider putting up a plant in another State.

At the core of BAL's disenchantment is the Government's failure to pay up Rs 1,100 crore in sales tax refunds that are outstanding for the last five quarters. These are refunds on account of value added tax, the last instalment of which was paid on April 30, 2010.

“If the Maharashtra Government is gong to be erratic, one has to look at other States,” the Managing Director, Mr Rajiv Bajaj, said, pointing out that another issue was the acute labour problem in the Chakan region. The Gujarat Government was proactive to industry, he said, adding, “We will consider going to Gujarat.”

The company currently has two manufacturing plants in Maharashtra at Chakan and Aurangabad, and one at Pant Nagar. With production coming close to installed capacity of around 5 million units, expansion with another plant can be a distinct requirement in the near future.

Explaining the issue of value added tax refunds due from the Government, Mr Kevin D'Sa, President, Finance, said that around 90 per cent of BAL's suppliers were from Maharashtra so VAT was paid on the supplies. The company exported 30 per cent of the production and sold only 10-12 per cent in the State leading to a gap of Rs 220 crore per quarter that the Government had to refund.

“In May, we were told to give a bank guarantee, which we did. But still no dues have been received from the Government,” he said

Ref: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2227700.ece

[Euromast]

Matheson K-Air India to invest $100 mn for air separation plant in Pune

PUNE: Matheson K-Air India Private Limited (MKI) plans to construct a 200 ton per day air separation plant in Chakan near Pune. The plant is expected to be up by December 2012, and produce liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen and liquid argon for delivery within a 300 kilometer radius.

The company states it will invest $100 Million over the next five years to expand its business and supply industrial gases throughout India. It also wants to set up gas fill plants and distribution centers in some cities.

Matheson K-Air India is a joint venture between America's Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., and K-Air India Private Limited, an Indian corporation that was established in March 2010. Matheson is a subsidiary of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation Group, among the largest suppliers of industrial, specialty, and electronics gases in the world.

Kiran Karnawat, Managing Director of MKI, stated, "The Pune plant will improve availability and reliability of gases supply that MKI can supply locally and make us competitive. Installation of our first ASU is an important step for MKI that will enable us to become a fully integrated gases supplier to the Indian market.

[cncity]

Voltas Material Handling Pvt Ltd a joint venture company of India’s Voltas Limited and Germany’s KION Group has set up a new plant in Lohegaon near Pune. The new facility will initially manufacture diesel and electric fork lift trucks. The company has invested INR 12 crore for this facility.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Daniel Signorini director of Voltas Material and senior advisor to KION Group said that "The growth will come through increase in production capacities and enlargement of product portfolio. VMH especially sees a large potential in the logistics sector which is still fairly unorganized but will change very soon in India. VMH therefore see a large potential for its warehouse equipment, of which KION Group has a full bouquet. Initially some of this equipment will be imported from Europe, but in due course will be increasingly localized in India. VMH will continue to invest in India to cater to the large demand.”

Last year, Voltas has produced 1700 units of forklifts from its Thane plant.

The new plant in Pune will have the same production capacities by the end of this year, effectively doubling the capacities of VMH. Voltas had already exported to Middle East and Africa from its Thane plant before and that will continue.

He added that this plant has an efficient manufacturing set up and will be critical to VMH operations.

Mr Sanjay Johri MD of Voltas said that "KION Group has unrivalled know how and technological leadership in the forklift truck business, thus the partnership will help VMH further consolidate its leading position in India."

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news...ne/217848.html

[cncity]

Hager India sets up a corporate office in Pune

PUNE: Hager India, a subsidiary of the Euro 1.4 billion provider of electro-technical solutions and services for buildings, has set up a corporate office in Pune. This follows the setting up of a production plant at Lonikand, near Pune, three years ago. The Pune office will focus on studying market trends and new product and solution introduction into the Indian market, according to a statement issued here.

The company now plans to enter the Indian home automation market by the end of the year, with plans to work with system integrators to provide solutions for lighting management in homes and commercial buildings. It plans to ramp up production capacities and setting up its own molding unit.

The statement quoted Benoit Lecuyer, managing director, Hager India, as saying, "The Hager Group has identified India as a strategic country to grow its market share and invest in future growth plans. We have a local warehousing facility which allows on time delivery for our clients."

[cncity]

Global conglomerate General Electric (GE) has selected Pune in Maharashtra for setting up a $200 million (Rs.989.2 crore) integrated manufacturing facility, a top official said on Monday.

"Our 200 million dollar integrated manufacturing facility is coming up near Pune on a 60 acre plot for making products for the Indian market," GE chief executive Jeffrey R. Immelt said.

The high tech facility will create 2,000 jobs and focus on increasing localising of GE products for the domestic market.



Read more at: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/ge-...lity-179652?cp

http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/ge-...acility-179652

[cncity]

Pune has became a favourite destination for German companies. Small, medium and large sized firms have made invested in Pune in sectors like automobile, manufacturing, pharma, health care and education especially in the last five years.

According to Zubin Kabraji, regional director, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Pune is the single largest hub for German companies from the last 60 years. Over 225 German companies have set up their businesses in Pune. The total investment made by these companies in Pune is around 650 million Euros.


By end of July 2012, this figure will cross the mark of 300 companies who will be investing around 200 to 300 million Euros more in Pune.

With major investments in the manufacturing and automobile sectors, there are over 175 JV that are engaged in Pune. Companies like Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Siemens, Thyssen Krupp and Schaeffler are some of the key German companies engaged in Pune.

Recently, Volkswagen Group India has introduced a mechatronics apprenticeship programme in Pune which provides apprentices the key competencies which are necessary to adapt to the fast changing industrial requirements in Pune.

"There are many German language aspirants in Pune and over 75000 students from the city have picked up the German language in the last 50 years. Even the German language was first introduced in India in 1911 in Deccan College at Pune. Every year around 2000 students are learning German language from Pune," said Michael Flutch, director, Goethe Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune.

As a part of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Germany and India, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany will be showcasing a programme series all over India and also at Pune.

It will showcase a broad spectrum of Indo-German collaboration in politics, business, culture, sports, education, science, technology and research. Most projects will be realised in collaboration with Indian partners and will reflect different facets of urban life and development.

http://www.business-standard.com/ind...panies/450515/

[cncity]

Netherlands-based automobile navigation system maker TomTom has announced its entry into the Indian market with a range of devices for car owners in the country. The company has unveiled three navigation devices, namely Via 100, Via 120 and Via 125, which are scheduled to hit shelves next month.

Related Stories
MapMyIndia launches CarPad, a 7-inch Android-based navigation & infotainment tablet
Garmin-Asus releases Android navigation phone for Rs. 18,990
Olive Telecom unveils the OlivePad, a 3G Android 2.1 tablet phone, at Rs. 25,000
Nokia subtracts two features - GPS & 3G - from Nokia 5230, and calls it Nokia 5228TomTom has spent the last several years preparing maps of Indian streets. It has further set up its headquarters in Pune and aims to increase its manpower later this year. TomTom's Via series products come with its new Voice Control Functionality and Landmark Navigation facility. The Landmark Navigation feature enables drivers to search for the nearest landmark, and plan the journey accordingly. While all three models feature turn-by-turn voice navigation, the Via 120 and Via 125 devicess also feature Voice Control functionality.

TomTom will provide its Indian users a new feature called “Help Me”. This is an emergency menu through which users can keep local emergency service numbers at their fingertips.

The prices for the TomTom devices start from Rs. 15,000.

"There is no doubt that the navigation market in India is growing briskly and looking for high quality, easy to use navigation solutions. With the extensive experience that TomTom is bringing to the region coupled with its global quality standards and processes we can change the current regional landscape," says Jocelyn Vigreux, Managing Director, TomTom India.

TomTom will be facing a competition from navigation service providers such as MapMyIndia and Garmin. MapMyIndia recently launched seven-inch Android-based navigation and infotainment tablet called CarPad. The device runs on Android Froyo and is priced at Rs. 22,990.

http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-PD...-Via_7644.html

[cncity]

Pune-headquartered Franke Faber India Limited (FFIL), part of the Franke Artemis Group, is setting up a greenfield manufacturing plant at Sanaswadi in Pune to enhance its production capacity.In the first phase, the company would invest about Rs50 crore. The plant would be expanded in the second and third phases.

Moreover, the Franke Artemis Group has decided to relocate its design centre from Sweden to Pune to upgrade and improve the technological know-how.

The group, celebrating its centenary year, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of kitchen appliances, food services, coffee system and washroom systems with a portfolio of 70 companies spread across 40 countries.

The FFIL is involved in manufacturing and marketing of kitchen hoods, hobs, cook tops, cooking range, built-in ovens and dishwashers under the brand name ‘Faber’ at its Pune set up, besides kitchen sinks, taps and biowaste disposers under the brand name ‘Franke’ in Aurangabad.

The group’s owner and chief executive officer, Michael Pieper and the managing director of FFIL, Ravi Gupta, told reporters that the company would strengthen its bond with Indian households by offering products with cutting-edge technology and reliable after-sales service.

“The new plant would meet the global standards of Franke Faber on productivity, quality and safety. It would be the export hub for Asia Pacific and Middle East regions,” added Gupta.

He said the new plant will have an annual production capacity of 9 lakh units, 5 lakh hoods, 3 lakh hobs and 1 lakh other appliances. “The plant will use the futuristically designed state-of-the-art equipment and will be the export hub for Asia and Middle East,” he added.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/repor...-plant_1595695

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Pune The state government has received investment proposals worth Rs 50,000 crore in Pune, which is expected to generate over 4 lakh jobs in the next few months across sectors like Information Technology (IT), automotive and forging industry. The proposals were made even as the industry body, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), cites shortage of land as a main deterrent to industrial growth in the city. Government officials, however, said they are looking to develop new industrial areas to lure investment.
General Manager, district industries centre, Pune, S S Survase said, “We have received proposals of investment worth Rs 45,000 crore in various sectors, which will generate over 4 lakh jobs. Though the major chunk of investment will come through foreign direct investment (FDI), there are also proposals in the mega project development scheme.” He said 90 per cent of proposed investment is in the FDI sector.

The proposals include that of General Electric (GE), which recently announced an investment of Rs 1,000 crore to set up a plant for manufacturing healthcare equipment and gas engines at Chakan in Pune. On October 2, Frobes Marshall began the construction of a plant in Chakan with an investment of Rs 260 crore in the first phase.

According to its corporate communication department, the plant, which is coming up on over 50 acre of land, will manufacture products for pollution monitoring and clean energy technology. Also in the list of investors is the German Company, Fibro, which will begin construction on its plant worth Rs 10 crore at the MIDC phase-II in Chakan on a land area covering 4,000 square metre, next week.

The company will manufacture the standard parts at the new site and is planning to reach a sales figure of 3 million euros in 2013. Director Business Area Standard Parts Fibro Henning Klempp said the plant will be functional by October 2012. He added that the company is investing in Pune due to the presence of a large trained manpower in the city and also because it is home to a number of automotive companies. “Standard parts form a major chunk of company product line and since Asia is a big market for us, our investment in Pune will push up our sales figures,” he said.

However, MCCIA says the investment in industry would be higher if adequate land is made available. The Director General (DG) MCCIA, Anant Sardeshmukh, said, “Many of the special economic zone projects didn’t take off in Pune. The government must provide that land for the development of new industries.” Survase added that the government is looking for new land to develop industries. “We are developing the Chakan-Talagaon industrial corridor. At Chakan, the third and fourth phase of the project is partially complete, while other phases are coming up at Talagaon,” he said. Regional Officer Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Neelash Gatane, said the demand for land is very high in Pune.” Pune caters to 25 per cent of the land demand in the entire state,” he said.


Stumbling Blocks

* Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture cites shortage of land as a main deterrent to industrial growth

* Pune caters to 25 per cent of the land demand in the entire state

* Government is looking for new land to develop industries

* 90 per cent of proposed investment is in the FDI sector

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-n...r-pune/859725/

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The company is investing Rs 10 crore for this facility and it is likely to be functional by Oct 2012.

Fischer-Brodbeck GmbH (FIBRO), Germany based manufacturer of standard parts for the sheet metal and moulding industry would be setting up a manufacturing unit at Chakan near Pune. The company is investing Rs 10 crore for this facility and it is likely to be functional by October 2012.

Fibro GmbH has been present in the Indian market since 1996 with its authorised distributor 'Nitoo Sales' based in Pune.

Looking at the growth opportunity, the company decided to expand its operations in India and formed an Indian subsidiary Fibro India Standard Parts Private Limited in the year 2008.

"Currently, we are focusing only on standard parts and looking at only one business area at a time. Asia is the biggest market for us and in future all the major OEMs from Europe or USA will source their products at a local level. We have seven manufacturing sites across the world. This upcoming manufacturing unit reiterates our commitment to Indian market; of bringing the best class German quality products to Indian tooling and die casting industry", said Henning Klempp, director, business area standard parts, Fibro.

"We have chosen Pune for setting up the manufacturing plant due to its profile of being one of the most important automobile hubs in the country and due to presence of most of our European customers here," he added.

Sagar Jog, managing director, Fibro India said that this plant will help the company to build capacities for catering to the growing demand from the Indian auto, electronic and home appliances industry.

Apart from reducing the lead time, the company would now also be able to offer the high quality German parts at competitive pricing. The new plant will also enable Fibro to start manufacturing more types of parts in India. The company is expecting business of Rs 15 crore from India market.

After this new plant becomes fully operational, Fibro would also be exploring the possibilities of exporting to Asian countries apart from sourcing the parts from here for the European markets.

The company has wholly owned subsidiaries in countries like France, USA, Canada, India Switzerland, Singapore and China. Its total revenue for the year 2010 was 90 million Euros

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Mumbai, Nov. 2:
Finnish industrial crane maker Konecranes is setting up a 1,000 units a year plant at Jejuri (near Pune) after acquiring erstwhile domestic partner, Mumbai-based WMI Cranes.

This facility will more than double Konecranes' capacity from 400 units a year.

The renamed company, WMI Konecranes India, will invest €15 million into the plant, which will be operational by late-2012. In 2010, the size of the cranes market was at around 10,000 units, which is expected to grow to 20,000 units by 2013.

“With the demand expected to double by 2013, India needs factories and investment for cranes. All our facilities will now be concentrated in one location – Jejuri,” said Mr Sami Korpela, Country Manager, Konecranes India, adding that the pricing will be on a par with domestic players.

WMI Konecranes is also planning to start a research facility in Pune. It has 100 people at its engineering centre, which designs cranes for project-specific applications. The company makes large electrical overhead travelling cranes from 250 kg to over 1,000 tonnes.

“We will concentrate on port equipment. We already have an order from Vizag and enquiries from others. We're also making a 1,000-tonne crane for Rs 300 crore,” Mr Gopal Vazirani, non-executive Chairman, said.

The company will focus on long-time service contracts with users in industries such as steel, power and automotive, where it will cover products of other competitors. Globally, service accounts for 40 per cent of its global business.

“In India service account for 10 per cent of the business, but it will definitely grow. We will offer a one-service contract to minimise downtime in factories, we want to offer preventive maintenance for all cranes. Globally, 75 per cent of cranes under service contract are of competing companies,” Mr Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO, Konecranes Plc said.

With plans for high localisation to keep costs low, the plant at Jejuri will now be used for machining of components. The company has facilities in Sanaswadi, near Pune, and Bhandup, Maharashtra, as well. It also plans to export to West Asia, South-East Asia and Africa

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...ue&ref=wl_home