• Sagarika' test-firing today
• Sub missile
• Union Government to promote organic farming

• Defence expo: Indin giants eye defence pie
• India to test submarine-launched missile "Sagarika"

Underwater missile "Sagarika" will be test-fired from a submerged pontoon off the coast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning. The pontoon will simulate the conditions of a submarine. The test-firing is a forerunner to the launch of the missile from a submarine in a few years from now, and later from the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine, which is under development. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been developing the missile for about 14 years.

In select league
If the test-firing is successful, it will place India in the select league of Russia, the U.S., France, the U.K. and China, which have missiles that could be launched from submarines. "Sagarika," which has a range in excess of 700 km, is about 6.5 metres long and weighs about seven tonnes. Powered by solid propellants, it has a booster that will propel it into the air from underwater. Another booster will ignite it in the air and carry it over a distance of more than 700 km. The missile, which can carry a payload of 500 to 600 kg, is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. A successful test-firing of 'Sagarika' will complete the triad of the country's minimum, credible nuclear deterrence from land, air and sea.

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, February 26, 2008

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Some Indian auto giants eye the defence pie in the country. Many including the Tatas and Mahindras are looking to tie up with existing companies to manufacture vehicles for the defence sector. From automobiles to tanks - the big daddies of Indian industry are now getting interested in heavy-duty defence hardware. The Tatas, Mahindras and Ashok Leyland cut to shots of Anand Mahindra on top of the armoured vehicle may be eyeing a piece of India's enormous defence budget. ''Indian defence budget is $30 million every year and growing. We too want to grow. We want a major say in this,'' said B Khaitan, Special Director, Specialist Vehicles, Ashok Leyland. Small and medium enterprises are too chipping away at the big pie. Das Hitachi for instance manufactures Nulcear Biological Shelter's Indian Armour manufactures bullet proof vests are just a few new face of Indian defence equipments producers receiving international attention. The Tatas have tied up with Israel Aerospace Industries and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company to make a range of defence equipment including missiles. Mahindra is exhibiting this armoured vehicle, which has already caught the attention of the Indian Army and Paramilitary Forces. ''The private sector are eager to play a bigger role in the defence sector and slowly we are getting into it,'' said Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra.

Courtesy: www.morungexpress.com, February 19, 2008

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India's defence scientists are claiming a technological breakthrough with a submarine-launched missile that is being readied for a final test before being inducted. K-15 is important for India's nuclear doctrine of "no first strike" in the event of a war because it requires the capability for a massive second strike. "We have completed all preparations and a testfiring is awaiting government clearance," DRDO chief controller, S. Prahlada, said at Defexpo 2008 today. There had been five tests earlier for separate ranges. As India does not have a nuclear submarine, the DRDO has built a submersible pontoon launcher to test it.

Courtesy: www.telegraphindia.com, February 19, 2008

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Indian submarines may soon have "Sagarika"
Buoyed by the success of the ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme, India's defence scientists will test-fire an indigenously developed submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) 'Sagarika' later in February. However, since the Indian Navy does not have a submarine capable of firing an SLBM, the test firing of the missile on February 24-25 will be conducted from an underwater launcher positioned in the Bay of Bengal. "For the test, an underwater launcher will be positioned 50 metres deep in the sea and 8 km off the coast," informed a source at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on Friday. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the missile has been test-fired twice but to no success as its trajectory deviated during the flight on both the occasions. "As such, scientists are more cautious this time and are leaving no stone unturned for its successful launch," the source said. The success achieved last year with exo-atmospheric (outside the atmosphere) and endo-atmospheric (within the atmosphere) anti-ballistic missiles, as also with the surface-to-air Akash missile, has encouraged the DRDO scientists to test the 700-kilometer range 'Sagarika'- the nuclear-capable missile, developed with Israeli assistance, the source added. Powered by a turbojet, the missile can carry a 500 kilogram payload. It is 8.5 metres long and about 1 metre in diameter. "This missile is a variant of the 'Dhanush' and an advanced clone of Prithvi's naval version. The difference is that it can only be launched from a submarine," the source said. However, a test-firing in actual conditions is still a little while away as Russia is yet to respond to the Indian Navy's request for loaning an Akula-class submarine that is capable of launching SLBMs. The navy's Russian-made Kilo-class submarines and the German-designed HDW submarines do not have the capability to fire such missiles. (IANS)

Courtesy: www.headlinesindia.com, February 16, 2008

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The Union Government will soon launch a programme to promote organic farming in the country. The programme, jointly formulated by the Ministry of Commerce with the Union Agriculture Ministry, would be implemented under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) in 92 districts of 23 states. This would cover a total of 76,000 hectares of farmland in the country. The programme will be implemented by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), an autonomous organisation attached to the Union Ministry of Commerce. Organic farming is a form of agriculture which excludes the use pesticides and chemical fertilisers in farming, thus it also cuts down the hazards posed by these chemicals. Informing on the silent features of the programme, Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh said that a total of Rs 366 crore has been alloted for the scheme for a initial period of three years. While fifty-five per cent of the total cost will be borne by the (Union) government, the rest will be payed by the farmers. "Horticulture and plantation crops will be the prime target of the programme. We have sent a proposal to Sharad Pawar (Union Minister for Agriculture) and we are awaiting for the approval," informed the Minister. He was speaking on the sidelines of a function organised by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in the Capital on Friday. Ramesh said that the main emphasis of the initiative would be on north-eastern sates and tribal areas of the country, as farmers in these areas have been growing organic products since time immemorial. He further informed that a total of Rs 43 crore out of the total allocation has been allotted for the eight north eastern states. Underlining the importance of processing of organic raw materials, he informed that the first medicinal plant processing zone was set up by the government at Damtari in Chattisgrah on a public-private partnership basis. "We export herbal medicines worth Rs 700 crore every year, but 70 per cent of it are in the form of raw materials. So we should emphasise on the value edition in it and also the government is offering incentives for that," he said. The Commerce Minister also reiterated the need to establish more certification agencies for organic food products so the export could be made hustle-free. At present, there are only 12 certification agencies in the country out of which only five are of domestic origin. On the limitations of organic farming, he said, "Though it is risk free and gives more net return to the farmers, it cannot be implemented for every crop in toto. As we can't afford to reduce our farm produce in the present circumstances," said Jairam. He also pointed-out that relatively high prices of organic products in market is hampering demand of it.

Courtesy: www.headlinesindia.com, February 15, 2008

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