|
Biz News
November 2008 |
Consulate General of |
|||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
A Monthly News Digest on |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Indian biotech to be a US$ 5 billion industry by 2010 |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
According to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and consultancy firm KPMG, the Indian biotechnology sector is projected to become a US$ 5 billion industry by 2010. The report says that the sector has tremendous potential and that "India is ranked among the top 12 biotech destinations in the world and is the third biggest in Asia-Pacific in terms of the number of biotech companies." The sector has been attracting major investments, which have been growing at the rate of about 38 per cent for the last three years, and had touched US$ 560 million in 2006-07. Within the sector, biopharma is an important segment and constitutes about 70 per cent of the domestic biotech industry. More than 40 per cent of the total 325 biotechnology companies in India are in the biopharma segment. The availability of talent pool is a big advantage for Indian companies, and according to the report, the sector employs about 20,000 scientists. However, the educational infrastructure needs to be upgraded to bring about further progress in the industry, says the report. "India needs to invest in building a strong capability base in order to leverage large opportunities going forward. There are no shortcuts," the report quoted Biocon CEO and MD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw as saying. Leading institutes such as the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Centre for cellular and molecular biology (CCMB) have made noteworthy contributions to this industry. Courtesy: IBEF |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
| India's tech spending seen growing 17-24% by 2010 | ||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Asia Pacific's IT spending is expected to grow about 10-16% till 2010, beating developed markets, according to a study by consulting firm Zinnov. India and China, in particular, represent large untapped markets in the region. While India's IT spending is likely to grow between 17.6-24% by 2010, China would grow 10-13%, according to the study. This is in comparison to the 3.3-6.5% increase expected in global IT spending. Expenditure on hardware, software and IT-BPO services comes under IT spending. "With the shrinking IT budgets of the developed world set to shrink further, IT services companies have been working on realigning growth strategies and looking at opportunities in countries such as India and China," said Zinnov advisory services engagement manager Chandramouli CS. India's IT spending currently totals $17 billion, while China's IT spending stands at about $21 billion. Zinnov says North America would see its IT spending grow about 5% and Europe, 4-5%. Spends in the US would move in the range 2.5-6%, reflecting a dip in the nearer future and then picking up towards 2010. Mr Chandramouli says companies in emerging markets, which are in their growth phase, have a greater requirement for building IT infrastructure. A recent CIO survey in India showed that most domestic companies don't have scalable IT systems. The opportunity in India and China is also highlighted by the large presence of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in these emerging markets. According to IDC, about 23.4 million SMBs - nearly one-third of the global total - are located in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan. These also represent an untapped market with a large potential. For instance, the SMB share of IT spending in India is forecast to grow from 38% per cent currently to over 50% by 2015. Courtesy: The Economic Times |
||||||
|
|
||||||
| Spice export up 14% to touch Rs 2,660 crore | ||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Spice exports from the country have registered a 14% increase to touch Rs 2,660.75 crore in the April-September period of this fiscal as compared to the same period of the previous year. The quantity of exports increased by 8% to 2,53,550 tonne during the period. In dollar terms, the exports increased by 9% to $624.15 million during the first six months of the current year. Spice oils and oleoresins including mint products contributed 40% of the total export earnings. Chilli contributed 22%, followed by cumin 9%, pepper 8% and turmeric 5%. During the April-September 2008, the export of most of the major spices have shown an increasing trend both in terms of quantity and value as compared to the same period previous year. However, the export of pepper and mint products have declined both in terms of quality and value as compared to the previous year. During the period, the exports of ginger and nutmeg have declined in quantity only. During the period, India has exported 1,09,000 tonne of chilli valued at Rs 581.18 crore as against 1,08,760 tonne valued at Rs 590.37 crore of the previous year. Apart from the traditional buyers of Indian chilli like Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, Pakistan was active in the market. Courtesy: IBEF |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
AP Auto Park attracts Rs 2,000 cr investments |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
The
Auto Park coming up about 40 km from here has attracted over Rs 2,000 crore
investments from about 34 automotive ancillary units.
This is in addition to Rs 1,200 crore greenfield project being set up by MLR Motors near the park, according to Ms J. Geetha Reddy, Minister for Major Industries, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Speaking after the inaugural session of the Hinduja Foundries here today, Ms Reddy said, "Most of these units have tied up finances already and are at various stages of implementing them. Once they come in, we will be able to attract more car companies and also offer jobs to local youth." With MLR Motors and Hinduja Foundries taking up work, this will provide the necessary momentum for more projects to come up in the State, she said. Courtesy: The Hindu Business Line |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
UK firm to invest £5 m in freight station near Ennore port |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Eredene Capital Plc, a UK-based company that invests in infrastructure projects in India, will invest £5 million in a new Container Freight Station (CFS) close to the Ennore port. The investment is for an initial 85 per cent equity stake in a Special Purpose Vehicle to develop and operate the CFS located near Ponneri town, 18 km north of Ennore port. This is Eredene’s ninth investment in India and its third in a CFS. The investment is a joint venture with the Sattva Business Group (Sattva) with which Eredene has invested in a separate revenue-producing CFS at Vichoor, which serves the nearby Chennai port. Eredene’s stake in the new CFS will be brought down gradually from 85 per cent to 74 per cent, linked to achievement of certain agreed business milestones, the last one being the payment of the first dividend to shareholders, according to a press release. The land will be purchased for the new CFS in phases with an initial acquisition of around 35 acres. The Eredene Group is also bidding for the Ennore Container Terminal project in a consortium headed by Spain’s leading port operator, Barcelona-based Grup Marítim TCB SL, Spanish construction group Obrascón Huarte Lian SA, and GE Mauritius Int Holdings, a subsidiary of America’s GE Equipment Services. The consortium is one of the six bidders selected for a new 1,000-metre container terminal with an estimated capacity of 1.5 milion twenty-foot equivalent units a year. Eredene holds a 22 per cent interest in this consortium. The same consortium has also applied for short-listing to build and operate a new 330-metre container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) near Mumbai – the Eredene Group has a 22 per cent stake in that consortium, says the release. Courtesy: IBEF |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
WiMax players make beeline for India to set up software centres |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
After making itself an attractive destination for both mobile networks manufacturing and related R&D, the country looks set to offer similar opportunities for WiMax. All leading players in the WiMax sector such as Alcatel-Lucent, Alvarion, Telsima, Beceem, Wavesat and Motorola told ET that they are increasingly looking at India as one of the bases for WiMax software development and also to house their manufacturing facilities in the near future. According to industry estimates, network majors who have manufacturing and R&D facilities have already led a combined investment of close to $2 billion in India towards WiMax. The C-DoT Alcatel-Lucent Research Centre (CARC) in Chennai, which completed India’s first live WiMax IEEE 802.16e-2005 (also called Rev-e) field trial using Aircel’s licenced spectrum, way back in 2007, will use the country as one of its key bases for this technological platform. This technology has already been jointly patented by Alcatel-Lucent and C-DoT is being commercial deployment at present. Importantly, Alcatel-Lucent has decided to utilise India for manufacturing broadband and WiMax equipment through a transfer of technology and contract manufacturing arrangement with state-owned ITI. This will happen at the ITI plant at Naini. Other global firms too are on a similar path. “Almost 33% of Beceems total chipset production happens in India. We are also looking at tying up with OEMs,” said Beceems regional director Sunil Kumar. Beceem employs more than 130 engineers in its India R&D center at Bangalore. Beceems is a leading global player for semiconductor chips, solutions and technology and in the fast growing WiMax mobile market. The company’s chipsets are increasingly being used to build commercial mobile WiMax networks in Asia. Aricent, one of the significant players in the industry has invested close to $400 million in its R&D centre at India. The company has tagged along more than 200 engineers to develop base station software as well as ASN gateway and has plans to ramp up the headcount to about 500 till next year. “Almost 80%-90% of our total operations happen from India. The country contributes about 30% to the global market for WiMax equipment and softwares. India is a large market and we are keen on driving investment here,” said Aricent Head (wireless & convergence datacom) Ajay Gupta. The wireless market research firm, Maravedis estimates that India’s decision to award WiMax spectrum 3.3 and 3.5 GHz frequency bands, equipment opportunities will rise rapidly from a mere $25 million at present. WiMax Forum’s India chairman, C S Rao estimates that currently, close to 2,000 engineers are already employed across the industry to develop WiMax enabled devices, application software while adding that that about 50% of global software development for WiMax is taking place in India. Apart from global players, several WiMax-related start-ups have also emerged. US-based Telsima is working with Tata Teleservices on its WiMax deployment; Sloka Telecom, a start-up based here, which has been building WiMax networks in France, Brazil and Indonesia, is also eyeing the Indian market. “More than 60% of software development is happening in India. About 50 people work at our facility and once the spectrum is available and roll out starts the number is expected to increase,” said Telsima’s VP for manufacturing Raj Iyer. Courtesy: IBEF |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Rs.100cr Biotech Pharma IT park planned |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
:The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited has been asked by the Orissa government to develop a Rs 100 crore Biotech Pharma IT park at Andharua near Bhubaneswar. The park will be developed over 64.86 acres in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. The project is expected to promote biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and information technology industries in the state, official sources said. Bharat Biotech has significant experience in the development and successful commercialization of technology parks in India. It has also successfully developed an integrated food biotech park in Bangalore. The government has allotted 54.96 acres for the project which will be handed over in two phases. The land will be given in the form of a long term lease basis and the company will be required to make commitment on time bound development of infrastructure and facilities in the park. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed by the company to implement the project which will execute the lease cum development agreement of the company with Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO). "The project is expected to be completed in about 8 years and the state government and IDCO will provide all external infrastructure such as road connectivity, water supply, power supply with 33 KVA sub-station", a senior official of the state science and technology department said. A Biotechnology Incubation Centre (BIC) will also be developed over 10 acres of land within the park. This facility will be used by researchers, entrepreneurs and students. The department of biotechnology, Government of India, has assured funding for the equipment or instrumentation of this 'Centre of Excellence' within the park. Courtesy: Business Standard |
||||||
|
Some Important Websites |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Directory
of Official Websites of Government of India: www.goidirectory.nic.in ; National
Portal of India: www.india.gov.in ;
Ministry of External Affairs: www.meaindia.nic.in
; Ministry of Finance: www.finmin.nic.in
; Ministry of Commerce & Industry: www.commin.nic.in ; Ministry of
Tourism: www.incredibleindia.org ;
India Brand Equity Foundation: www.ibef.org ; Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII): www.ciionline.org ; Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commence & Industry (FICCI): www.ficci.com ; Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry: www.assocham.org ; Federation of Indian Exporters Organization: www.fieo.com ; India Trade
Promotion Organisation (ITPO): www.indiatradepromotion.org
; Indo-Arab Chamber of Commerce &
Industry: www.iacci.org ; Trade-India.com: www.trade-india.com ; Indian Exporters: www.indianexporters.com ; Exporters
India: www.indiamarkets.com
; India Mart: www.indiamart.com
; Financial Express: www.financialexpress.com
; Economic Times: www.economictimes.com
; Business Standard: www.business-standard.com |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Edited by:- Mr. Cyril Tigga, Consul (Commercial) & HOC
Prepared by:- D.P. Pramod Kumar Consulate General of India, Jeddah |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
