L&T may bag civil contract for Bangalore airport

L&T may bag civil contract for Bangalore airport

India's largest infrastructure firm L&T could bag the civil contract for construction work and cargo handling at Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) from the Air India-Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) consortium. While the total cost of the cargo-handling project is Rs 81 crore, the civil construction works project that is likely to be bagged by L&T is estimated at Rs 50 crore. It is reported the potential of BIAL is expected to be between 2,00,000 and 3,00,000 tonnes in the next few years.

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Bids invited for 35 non-metro airport projects

Bids invited for 35 non-metro airport projects

Bids are being invited from five short listed consultants for the selection of joint venture partners for city-side development of 35 non-metro airports, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said. The airports listed for modernisation are Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Guwahati, Jaipur, Udaipur, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Goa, Madurai, Mangalore, Agatti, Aurangabad, Khajuraho, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Vishakapatnam, Trichy, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Patna, Port Blair, Varanasi, Agartala, Dehradun, Imphal, Ranchi, Raipur, Agra, Chandigarh, Dimapur, Jammu and Pune, Patel informed the Lok Sabha.

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Audi looking to boost India sales

Audi looking to boost India sales

Audi has announced plans to assemble the Audi A6 in India from next year. The cars will be assembled at Skoda Auto India inAurangabad in Maharashtra. Around 300 cars will be assembled in the first full year of production, 2008. The company said the step is the first part of a major new sales strategy targeting emerging markets. In addition to establishing assembly in the country it will also expand its dealer network to at least eight exclusive dealerships in major cities. At the moment there are just three Audi dealers, in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.

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High-speed rail link for Hyderabad airport

High-speed rail link for Hyderabad airport

Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have cleared a proposal for a modern rail system linking the existing Begumpet airport to the heart of the city's central business district and the proposed Hyderabad International Airport (HIAL) at Shamshabad. The GMR group that is currently implementing the international airports project came up with the idea of the rail link.

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Gujarat has emerged as a new shipbuilding destination

Transport Info
Port of call
Gujarat has emerged as a new shipbuilding destination

Gujarat, which has the longest coastline in the country, is all set to become a major world center for shipbuilding, thanks tofirms queuing up to establish shipbuilding and repair yards. Players like L&T, Adani, Pipavav Shipyard and ABG Shipyard - order book position at $510 million, including 48 ships under construction - have already made their presence in the state and several others are eyeing the turf.

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CNG buses for Hyderabad

CNG buses for Hyderabad

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is planning to purchase 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses for operation in the state capital Hyderabad. It is reported tenders have been called for and if things go as per the plan, the buses would be plying on the city roads by March next year. The buses, which are fuel efficient and have pollution emission levels less than conventional diesel operated buses, are expected to cost around Rs 17 lakh each.

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IOC to spend Rs 2000 crore for retail boost

IOC to spend Rs 2000 crore for retail boost

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has lined up Rs 2,000 crore to boost its retail-marketing infrastructure across the country. The investment to be place by March 2007 will involve the creation of 1,000 fully automated retail outlets (ROs), 200 auto LPG stations and conversion of petrol pumps into branded retail outlets. The oil marketing major has also set a target of creating 2,000 automated ROs by March 2008.

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GSPC steps up KG basin hunt

GSPC steps up KG basin hunt

Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) is looking to increase its activities in the Krishna Godavari basin by acquiring its second rig Atwood Beacon. Six more exploration wells will be drilled at the Krishna Godavari basin block, KG-OSN-2001/3, next year. The third rig will join the project in July 2007. A three-month delay in delivering Atwood Beacon led to cost overruns of up to $100,000 per day.

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India China MOU for oil and gas exploration

India China MOU for oil and gas exploration

India and China have inked a major pact for joint exploration, production and acquisition of oil assets in third world countries. The pact has the potential to substantially reduce the two nations` energy costs, report agency sources. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Murli Deora disclosed that the two major oil consumers recently concluded a joint bid in Columbia and Syria, quoting this to be a historic moment in Indo-China relations.

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Iraqi oil beckons Indian firms

Iraqi oil beckons Indian firms

The Iraqi government is holding talks with India's largest state-run and private-sector oil firms and Algeria's Sonatrach over the joint development of a field in Iraq. Looking to secure suppliers for its surging energy demand, India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp. and rival Reliance Industries are in discussions to develop the Tuba oilfield in southern Iraq jointly. "The new Iraqi Parliament, with the backing of the US, is likely to enact an oil law that allows renegotiation of oil contracts with foreign investors. We are trying to get back the Tuba oilfield," an ONGC official was cited as saying in the Press Trust of India.

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Dubai firm for 500 MW power plant in India

Dubai firm for 500 MW power plant in India

ETA-Ascon Group is studying the possibility of entering India's power sector with a 500 MW power plant on the country's east coast. "We are looking at starting with a build, operate and transfer (BOT) project on India's east coast. The project is currently under study," Hameed Salahuddin, director of the Dubai-based group said. "India's power needs are mounting every year and we would like to contribute to the sector's growth," he added.

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Power theft makes officials lodge police complaints against consumers

Power theft makes officials lodge police complaints against consumers

Authorities in Maharashtra are planning to lodge First Information Reports at police stations in a bid to check rising cases of power theft in the state. Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) will initiate proceedings against consumers indulging in power theft of more than 3 KW load or whose power theft has been assessed at more than Rs 20,000, according to the company's managing director A. Pandey.

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Profit from surplus land

Profit from surplus land

The Railways Ministry is exploring options to develop 44,000 hectares of surplus land in its possession. Apart from 100 budget hotels and 7,500 farm outlets which it is planning to set up on this land it is hoping to get big players like Reliance, Bharti and RPG Enterprises to set up their retail, hospitality and commercial real estate projects.

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Banks to go slow on realty lending

Banks to go slow on realty lending

Some public sector banks are contemplating revoking loans already sanctioned to real estate companies. This follows concerns raised by the Reserve bank of India at the pace of growth of bank credit to real estate companies. The apex bank had recently raised the risk weightings for capital adequacy purposes and provisioning requirements for such exposure. Finance Minister P Chidambaram too has touched on the subject in his meeting with public sector bank chiefs.

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Zooming high

Zooming high

Mumbai based realty firm Zoom Developers has plans to build the country's tallest commercial building in Kochi and is currently in talks with the state authorities. It is reported the 300 metre tall building will accommodate offices and will also house an exhibition centre.

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Building plans go online

Building plans go online

Civic authorities in Pune have achieved a first of sorts for the country by going online for approving building plans. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has so far approved 3,600 building permission plans after the system was introduced a year ago. The new facility allows architects to get their approved plans within 24 days.

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Market cap of real estate companies to grow to $160 billion in ten years

Market cap of real estate companies to grow to $160 billion in ten years

Edelweiss Securities in its recent report has predicted that the market capitalisation of real estate companies in India will grow from $16-18 billion at present to $50 billion by end 2007 and to over $160 billion in ten years. "Real estate in India is in a breakthrough phase and is poised to be an important part of the country's growth trajectory, leading to significant market creation," the report says. It is estimated investable real estate of $480 to $600 billion will be created in the country in ten years.

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Biotech 2007, to be part of IETF India

Biotech 2007, to be part of IETF India

Biotech 2007, the 3rd International Exhibition on Biotechnology is going to be organised at IETF 2007. Biotech India 2007 is a unique fair covering all technology and business aspects of biotechnology in India. The exhibition is one of ten concurrent fairs being organized under IETF 2007 and is scheduled from 13th -16th February 2007 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. It is being promoted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as a showcase for thriving Life Sciences industry in India. The exhibition aims to bring together all leading players of the Biotech Industry and provide a platform for sharing of technologies, ideas and experiences. Biotech India 2007 intends to create a comprehensive blueprint for growth of Indian Life Sciences industry.

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SentryGlas Plus

SentryGlas Plus

DuPont has launched DuPont SentryGlas Plus in India. The company plans to use the DuPont Secure Technology to popularise usage of glass not just in facades and windows but in more challenging areas like stairways, walkways, bridges and floorings. SentryGlas is 100 times stiffer and five times stronger than traditional safety glass interlayers and this helps thinner glass laminates meet specified wind loads or structural requirements. It acts like an engineered composite, with low mechanical strain under loads and outstanding post-breakage resistance to creep and collapse.

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Avon launches electric bikes

Launches
Avon launches electric bikes

The Ludhiana based Avon Cycles has introduced new generation battery operated electric bikes in the Kerala market. Priced at Rs 16,930, the electric bikes provide local point-to-point transportation. Having brakes, lights and horns like regular bikes, the electric bike is operated on a battery that can be recharged within or outside the vehicles.

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Lanco Globolec to borrow Rs 13,000 crore for Sasan

Lanco Globolec to borrow Rs 13,000 crore for Sasan

Lanco Infratech-Globeleq consortium which won the competitive bid for the 4,000 megawatt Sasan ultra mega power project recently will resort to borrowing around Rs 13,000 crore for the project. The partners had the lowest bid of Rs 1.19 per unit for tariff-based project. According to Lanco Infratech chairman L Madhusudhan Rao, 80 per cent of the total project cost of Rs 16,000 crore will be funded through loans and the remainder through equity.

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RelCom to invest $1.5 bn for undersea cable

RelCom to invest $1.5 bn for undersea cable

Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Communi-cations will invest Rs 7,000 crore to lay a 1.15 lakh km-long under-sea cable covering 60 countries for providing bandwidth. The three-year project, named Flag Next Generation Network, will be completed by December 2009 and would be the world's largest Internet Protocol network over submarine cable systems, RCom chief Anil Ambani said in Mumbai. The project is to be funded through internal accruals and debt. The company could has already secured assurance from various financial institutions.

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GNA to invest Rs 130 crore for expansion

GNA to invest Rs 130 crore for expansion

GNA Group, the Hoshiarpur based manufacturer of automotive components is planning to invest up to Rs 130 crore for expanding its manufacturing capacity and to technologically grade existing units. The amount will be invested in phases over three years. The company is also eyeing overseas markets. The company has manufacturing facilities in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur and is an original equipment supplier to automobile majors, besides having a strong presence in the replacement market.

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Eye on ruralia

Finance Info
Eye on ruralia

The world biggest bank is now targeting the Indian countryside
Citigroup has ambitious plans to expand into the Indian countryside to tap the millions of people living in rural areas. Towards this end it has sought permission from the Reserve Bank of India to open branches in smaller communities to target farmers and small entrepreneurs, the bank's country head, Sanjay Nayar, has said. The world's biggest bank is betting on an increase in purchase power thanks to the increase in agricultural output and retail chains buying up more produce from rural areas. It is thought this is the right time to expand the Indian banking market beyond large cities because close to 58 percent of farm households and 70 percent of non- farm households in the countryside lack access to banking services. "There's going to be huge demand for financial services and consumer durables and we would love to be there," Nayar said.

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Realty firms battle it out for six cities

Realty firms battle it out for six cities

Ten realty players, including two from abroad, are in the race to bag contracts to prepare master plans for six cities in the east of the country. Six of these 10 firms will be selected to prepare details for improving amenities in Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh and Deoghar. Some of the prominent bidders who have submitted tenders for the task include UK-based Arup London, Singapore-based Meinhert and national companies Hudco, Metro Infrastructure, DHV India and Superior Global Infrastructure.

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Amdavad padharo

Amdavad padharo

The Union government has approved construction of a new international Terminal Building along with city and airside development at Ahmedabad Airport at an estimated cost of Rs. 290.92 crore. The total project cost of Rs. 290.92 crore includes foreign exchange of Rs 27.35 crore in Phase I at 2005-06 prices, which would work out to Rs 313.22 crore after considering inflation. The new terminal will take care of the pressure from passengers. International passenger traffic at the airport during 2004-05 was 3,73,000. Peak hour passenger traffic was 450 whereas the handling capacity of the existing building was only 400. International traffic at Ahmedabad Airport is predicted to grow at a rate of 15 per cent up to 2006-07, 10 per cent up to 2011-12 and 7 per cent beyond 2011-12.

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Clean up or face closure, Assam oil companies told OIL’s not well with Brahmaputra

Clean up or face closure, Assam oil companies told OIL’s not well with Brahmaputra

A seismic survey of the river basin has been put on hold.

Oil India Limited (OIL) has put on hold its proposed seismic survey of the Brahmaputra basin following a meeting with All Assam Students Union (AASU). The decision was taken at a meeting in Guwahati after the company chairman M R Pasricha ruled that the Rs 100-crore survey would be kept in abeyance till scientific experts gave their opinion on its effects on the river's eco-system. AASU is reportedly holding consultations on the impact of the survey with experts in geology, geography and life sciences from the IIT here and the Gauhati and Dibrugarh Universities. AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said: "OIL agreed to keep its till experts gave their opinion as it was a sensitive issue for the people of Assam with the Brahmaputra being their lifeline. After we apprised (OIL) of the possible negative impact of the survey, Pasricha assured us that no step would be taken against the interests of the state". Ecological, social and students groups have criticised the proposed seismic survey while the banned ULFA has warned it would launch a "people's resistance" to the move.

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RelCom to invest $1.5 bn for undersea cable

RelCom to invest $1.5 bn for undersea cable

Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Communi-cations will invest Rs 7,000 crore to lay a 1.15 lakh km-long under-sea cable covering 60 countries for providing bandwidth. The three-year project, named Flag Next Generation Network, will be completed by December 2009 and would be the world's largest Internet Protocol network over submarine cable systems, RCom chief Anil Ambani said in Mumbai.

For more such project news, visit
http://www.constructionupdate.com/products/projectsinfo/2007/jan1to7-2007/002.html

GNA to invest Rs 130 crore for expansion

GNA Group, the Hoshiarpur based manufacturer of automotive components is planning to invest up to Rs 130 crore for expanding its manufacturing capacity and to technologically grade existing units.

For more such project news, visit
http://www.constructionupdate.com/products/projectsinfo/2007/jan1to7-2007/002.html

The world biggest bank is now targeting the Indian countryside

Finance Info
Eye on ruralia
The world biggest bank is now targeting the Indian countryside

Citigroup has ambitious plans to expand into the Indian countryside to tap the millions of people living in rural areas. Towards this end it has sought permission from the Reserve Bank of India to open branches in smaller communities to target farmers and small entrepreneurs, the bank's country head, Sanjay Nayar, has said.

The world's biggest bank is betting on an increase in purchase power thanks to the increase in agricultural output and retail chains buying up more produce from rural areas. It is thought this is the right time to expand the Indian banking market beyond large cities because close to 58 percent of farm households and 70 percent of non- farm households in the countryside lack access to banking services.

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http://www.constructionupdate.com/products/projectsinfo/2007/jan1to7-2007/002.html

Rs 20,000 cr township from Ansals

Rs 20,000 cr township from Ansals

Ansal Properties & Infrastructure is planning to set up a Rs 20,000 crore integrated township, housing an IT park and a bio-technology park near Noida. It has been allotted 2,504 acres of land for the township to be called Greater Noida II. A MOU has been signed in this regard between the Sushil Ansal-promoted consortium, which is a majority stakeholder, and the Uttar Pradesh government.

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OIL’s not well with Brahmaputra

Clean up or face closure, Assam oil companies told
OIL’s not well with Brahmaputra
A seismic survey of the river basin has been put on hold

Oil India Limited (OIL) has put on hold its proposed seismic survey of the Brahmaputra basin following a meeting with All Assam Students Union (AASU). The decision was taken at a meeting in Guwahati after the company chairman M R Pasricha ruled that the Rs 100-crore survey would be kept in abeyance till scientific experts gave their opinion on its effects on the river's eco-system. AASU is reportedly holding consultations on the impact of the survey with experts in geology, geography and life sciences from the IIT here and the Gauhati and Dibrugarh Universities.

AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said: "OIL agreed to keep its till experts gave their opinion as it was a sensitive issue for the people of Assam with the Brahmaputra being their lifeline. After we apprised (OIL) of the possible negative impact of the survey, Pasricha assured us that no step would be taken against the interests of the state". Ecological, social and students groups have criticised the proposed seismic survey while the banned ULFA has warned it would launch a "people's resistance" to the move.

For more details visit http://www.constructionupdate.com/products/projectsinfo/2007/jan1to7-2007/001.html