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Brand
Gujarat gets a big boost
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Brand
Gujarat is reasserting itself. Tata's
small car might become the state's
mascot- a totem-that reaffirms all
benefits Gujarat offers to industry
as well as consumers. Tata's decision
to relocate it's small car unit in
Gujarat will bring more than industrial
goodwill. Political stability, progressive
leadership and business-friendly environment
of the state-all have been underlined
by the warm words of praise from Ratan
Tata as he announced Gujarat as a
"new home for Nano". The state, which
has always been an attractive market
for manufacturing industry, did not
have much trouble convincing the Tatas
to choose it as an alternative site
for Nano. "The region has always marketed
itself well to the traditional industry,"
says Feedback Ventures vice-chairman
S Ramasubramaniam. Bringing in the
manufacturing of the world's cheapest
car to Gujarat, though, would have
a wider socio-political impact. Both
Brand Modi and Brand Gujarat are set
to improve their equity with the industry
as well as the masses. Brand Modi
moves into the politically correct
zone as Nano drives in. "It (Nano's
move to relocate to Gujarat) would
help wash out the negative image.
Association with a consumer product
(Tata Nano) that has captured the
world's imagination will also bring
in positive recognition in the international
community," says a marketeer. On the
domestic front, the lure of Nano is
bound to attract new blood. Newage
professionals who have moaned the
'dry' state of affairs might come
in with Nano. Tata's snubnosed car
is expected to create a public bonhomie
which will bring in more resources
and new sector business to the area,
multiplying the efforts of Vibrant
Gujarat campaign. "Gujarat has relatively
few consumer product manufacturers
and just even fewer of this (Nano)
stature. This investment would have
a ripple affect on the economy, bringing
ancillary units and other auto players
as well as related industry," says
IIM-A marketing professor Piyush Kumar
Sinha. The brand, which has been backed
by port linkages, infrastructure and
stable, clean governance has been
given a public vote of trust by Tata
Nano. The industry and investor are
bound to feel good, convinced with
the brand ethics. The confidence in
Gujarat as an ideal business destination
is set to touch a new high. "The quality
of leadership and accessibility to
government, especially bureaucracy,
is a refreshing change from other
states," says Mr Ramasubramaniam.
The state itself has always had a
strong equity in the business of making
money. Gujarat knows how to attract
and keep business within its borders.
"I would associate the words pioneer,
progress and rooted with this brand,"
says Ogilvy & Mather country head-discovery
& planning Madhukar Sabnavis.
Courtesy:
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com,
October 08, 2008
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Modi
moves fast to seal the Nano deal
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Nano,
the revolutionary small car from Tata
Motors has a new home. The chairman
of the Tata Group Ratan Tata on Tuesday
announced the relocation of the Rs
2,000-crore Tata Nano project to Gujarat
from Singur in West Bengal. Amid smiles
and exchange of bouquets, the Tatas
inked a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) in the form of a 'state support
agreement' at the Sachivalay premises
at Gandhinagar. The Tatas will set
up the 'mother plant' for the Nano
on 1,100 acres at Sanand, about 35
kilometers from Ahmedabad. Members
of the state cabinet and senior officials
of the Tata group were present during
the signing of the agreement. The
mother plant was earlier meant to
be located at Singur. The mother plant,
which will begin producing 2,50,000-3,00,000
cars per annum, has the capacity to
expand its production to 5,00,000
cars in the coming years. The Tatas
also have plans to build electric
cars and CNG variants from this plant.
The Tata complex at Sanand will initially
house 60 ancillary units. Tata Motors
will take at least one year to construct
the mother plant. Much of the machinery
currently located in Singur will be
moved to the new location at Sanand.
"A lot of the assets will be relocated,"
Mr Tata told ET earlier in an interview.
Mr Tata said he plans to stick as
close as possible to his deadline
for launching the Nano. Earlier, the
Tata Group had said that it plans
to launch the Nano in October-December
2008. It is possible that this might
slip to January-March 2009, a senior
Tata Motor official said. The first
batch of Nanos will be rolled from
'makeshift' facilities located in
Tata Motors' existing factories in
Pune and Pantnagar. Initial production
volumes will be lower because of the
delay caused by the events at Singur.
On
Tuesday though it was all smiles in
Gandhinagar. "This is an extremely
momentous day for us. We have been
through a sad experience, but so quickly
we have a new home. We now have a
chance (to function) in a conducive
and friendly environment," said a
visibly relieved Mr Tata while addressing
mediapersons in the presence of Gujarat
chief minister Narendra Modi. "Aapne
aanhiya na chhiye (we belong to Gujarat),"
Mr Tata said in Gujarati while trying
to trace back his roots to the state.
Tata said that the group had opted
for Gujarat because it had "already
lost a lot of time (in the Singur
controversy) and urgency was the need
of the day." "We had an urgency to
move to a new location." The chairman
said that the 'reputation of Gujarat'
and the 'speed' at which provisions
were made, forced him to opt for Gujarat.
"The land we have been provided is
well located, attractive and extremely
central," Mr Tata said while adding
that the final decision to move to
Gujarat was taken in the last couple
of days. He said that the new plant
could be bigger in size as compared
to that in Singur because the complex
is expected to house more vendors.
"We are here to stay," he said. "We
would like to be present in Gujarat
in a holistic manner. Going beyond
Nano, we are also planning to set
up a research institute in agriculture
and marine biology institute," Mr
Tata remarked. When asked what were
the tax incentives provided by the
state, Mr Tata said, "They are slightly
better than what we had previously."
Mr Tata said that the 'new agreement'
has been signed on an auspicious day
when the chief minister Narendra Modi
had completed seven years in office.
The Tatas are also planning to build
an auto academy and put up ITIs (industrial
training institutes) for the development
of human resource needed for the plant.
Mr Tata, however, did not specify
any time period when the new plant
will start functioning. "It is too
premature to say anything. We have
to relocate equipment and have a lot
of civil work," he remarked. "There
is a good M and a bad M," is how Mr
Tata chose to equate his experience
with Mr Modi and Trinamool Congress
leader Mamata Banerjee. When asked
about the future of the employees
hired for the Singur plant, Mr Tata
said that the employees will be given
a chance and will be accommodated
into the company's nearby units. After
having stolen the limelight from states
like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and
Uttarakhand, Mr Modi said: "We are
entering the automotive industry in
a big way. I am not seeing this development
as inflow of investments, but I feel
that the coming of the Nano to Gujarat
will begin a new chapter of partnership
which will propel the state in a new
direction of growth." "I welcome him
(Ratan Tata). For me, this project
entails nationalistic spirit," Mr
Modi remarked while emphasising that
the 1,100 acres allocated to Nano
were at the prevailing market rates.
This project, which will help Gujarat
create it's own space in surface transportation,
Mr Modi said that the state is already
known for the ship-breaking industry
and had the likes of Bombardier at
Vadodara which manufactures deluxe
train coaches. The chief minister
also related a 100-year-old incident,
when Ratan Tata's grandfather, Jamshedji
Tata had helped Gujarat by donating
Rs 1,000 during a famine to save cattle.
Courtesy:
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com,
October 08, 2008
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US
business hails $150 billion 'opportunity'
in n-deal
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The
US-India Business Council (USIBC)
has hailed Congressional approval
of the India-US civil nuclear deal,
saying the "historic vote" would open
a "wide vista of opportunity" worth
more than $150 billion. "The benefits
will be many and the impact profound,
beckoning a new era in US-India relations,"
said Ron Somers, president of the
industry association comprised of
300 of America's top US companies
committed to a long-term partnership
with India. "By enabling US-India
civil nuclear cooperation, India not
only joins the international nuclear
non-proliferation mainstream, but
now has the opportunity to achieve
energy security, while protecting
the global environment," he said.
"A massive scope for commercial opportunity
between US and Indian companies will
also be the result, valued at more
than $150 billion over the next 30
years, spurring a revival of the nuclear
power industries of both countries
that will create as many as a quarter
million high-tech US jobs for generations
to come," Somers said. "Passage of
today's legislation clears the way
for US companies to participate in
India's civil nuclear opportunity,"
Somers, said. "This sets US-India
relations on a course that will shape
the democratic and economic destiny
of the 21st Century." USIBC hailed
the "historic vote ending 34 years
of a 'technology denial regime' imposed
against India, opening a wide vista
of opportunity for US-India collaboration
in commerce, civil nuclear research,
technology transfer and nuclear fuel
supply - essential inputs to power
India's dynamic, fast-growing economy."
On the operational level, the Congressional
ratification of the implementing 123
Agreement sets the parameters for
US Industry participation in India's
civil nuclear build-out, but on a
symbolic level represents a historic
breakthrough, it said. It would shore
up "a durable foundation upon which
US-India relations will flourish and
America's partnership will deepen
with the world's largest free-market
democracy," the business advocacy
organisation said.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, October
02, 2008
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GE
Healthcare To Invest $200 In India
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GE
Healthcare, a subsidiary of General
Electronics will invest $200 million
in India in healthcare infrastructure.
The amount will be utilized in India
to tap the rural market for diagnostics
and disease monitoring equipments.
Under the scheme investment would
be on tools and machineries such as
ultrasound, CT scanners, magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays.
Commenting on the new venture, GE
Healthcare South Asia president V
Raja said that as per the agreement
GE Healthcare would try and usher
in radiological technologies and experts
to provide services to patients. He
opined that the rural market for diagnosis
still remains largely untouched; his
firm's idea is to develop the ways
to reach the masses and make it affordable.
Mr Raja viewed that GE Healthcare
has earmarked an investment of around
$60 million for equipments under this
program. He informed that in Gujarat,
the company has already installed
devices in five medical colleges.
Other than Gujarat, GE Healthcare
has signed agreements with Madhya
Pradesh government to outsource radiology
equipments in government hospitals.
Courtesy:
www.india-server.com, October 01,
2008
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Madhya
Pradesh To Get $5 Billion Aviation
City In Gwalior
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India
will soon get its first aircraft repair
and maintenance facility and cargo
hub at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
Such type of aviation city is present
in Singapore. Thus to have an indigenous
aviation centre the government has
planned to invest Rs 200 billion ($5
billion). The sate government of Madhya
Pradesh has announced to provide 7,000
acres of land for the aviation city.
According to state minister and government
spokesperson Kailash Vijayvargiya,
the new aviation city will be set
up in Dabra district of Gwalior. The
proposed project is supposed to be
completed by next five years. The
land which will be provided for the
project also belongs to Dabra Sugar
Mill. The remaining portion of land
will be provided by the state government.
Meanwhile, report says that in order
to implement the project smoothly
the government has planned to enter
into a joint venture with Singapore-based
Company that runs the Singapore aviation
city. Vijayvargiya claimed that the
setting up of the first aviation city
in Madhya Pradesh will provide jobs
to 25,000 people at the initial stage.
Courtesy:
www.india-server.com, October 01,
2008
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