Priority areas for research in water sector during XI Five Year Plan

The Ministry of Water Resources has identified the following priority areas for research in water sector during XI Five Year Plan keeping in view the important issues related to Water Resources:

· Efficiency studies for completed major and medium irrigation projects; 

· Effect of climate change on water resources;

· Studies in respect of adaptation as a consequence of effects of

climate change on water resources, including, simulation studies for selected water systems duly incorporating the features of changed scenario,;

· Reservoir sedimentation studies;

· Post facto evaluation and management plan for optimal benefit from the resources; and

· Initiation of benchmarking of irrigation projects for performance improvement etc. 

Ministry of Water Resources proposes to take up research with active involvement of various research and academic institutions in the country which include Water and Land Management Institutes (WALMIs, all Central Research Institutes (related to water sector), all Research Institutes of State Governments (related to water sector), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi / Kanpur / Mumbai / Chennai /Kharagpur / Guwahati, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, all National Institutes of Technology and all Universities recognized by UGC. 

The Ministry of Water Resources may provide support in this regard under its plan scheme “Research and Development Programme in Water Sector”.

STC records highest ever turnover during Apr-Jun.08

The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd (STC) has achieved the highest ever first quarter turnover of over Rs 4200 crore as per the provisional unaudited financial results for the period Apr-Jun ’08 taken on record by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in its meeting held on 30.07.2008 at New Delhi. The total turnover reflects a growth of 53% over the quarter a year ago and has also surpassed the proportionate MOU target despite there being no imports of wheat during the quarter 

During the period, the Corporation earned a trading profit of Rs 39 crore which is 47% higher than the quarter a year ago. The Profit before Tax of Rs 23 crore is also marginally higher than the previous year. STC continued with its domestic operations involving direct procurement of tea from small growers and processing thereof. These operations are being extended further by enlisting more growers and taking another processing unit on long term lease. STC is also undertaking paddy procurement operation on minimum support price on behalf of FCI under Custom Milled Rice (CMR) scheme announced by the Govt. of India. 

STC has made significant progress in developing bio fuel business. It is planning an entry in mining and power generation activities very shortly. Thus, as the year progresses, the business activities of STC are likely to accelerate further.

MoU for Renewable Power Generation joint Venture Company

NTPC Limited, Asian Development Bank [ADB], GE Energy Financial Services [GEEFS], Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. [Kyushu] and Brookfield Renewable Power Inc. [BRP], have signed a MoU to form a Joint Venture Company for undertaking the renewable power generation activities. According to the MoU NTPC will hold 40% equity in the proposed JV Company while the balance will be equally shared by the other constituents. 

The MoU document was signed by Mr. R.K. Jain, Director (Technical), NTPC; Mr. S. Chander, DDG, ADB; Mr. Raghuveer Kurada, MD, GE Energy Financial Services; Mr. Kiyoshi Ogawa, Group Manager; Kyushu Electric Power Co. Ltd., Mr. Ralf Rank, VP, Brookfield Renewal Power Inc. today in New Delhi in the presence of Mr. Anil Razdan, Secretary, Power and Mr. R. S. Sharma, CMD, NTPC. Senior officials of Ministry of Power and NTPC were also present on the occasion. 

The Chairman of the JV Company shall be nominated by NTPC Limited. The proposed JVC, over the next three years will develop greenfield and under utilized potential sites to establish and hold a portfolio of about 500 MW of renewable power generation resources in India. The JV Company would initially develop projects in India and may consider having a regional and global outlook as a major investor and facilitator of renewable energy. Initially the JVC will primarily concentrate on wind power, mini and micro-hydro electric power.

DOE Project Starts CO2 Sequestration in New Mexico Coalbed

Washington, D. C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its Southwest Regional Partnership (SWP) recently began injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) in a large coalbed while simultaneously recovering valuable natural gas.

The SWP plans to inject up to 35,000 tons of CO2 in a 6-month demonstration at the San Juan Basin near Navajo City, N.M. Unlike other enhanced coalbed methane recovery projects, this demonstration will develop ways to maximize permanent storage of the injected CO2, a process called geologic carbon sequestration.

Many coalbeds in the United States are saturated with natural gas (methane), but the gas is difficult to produce because methane chemically binds to coal. However, CO2 shares this same tendency to bind to coal. Injecting CO2 into the coalbed essentially displaces the methane and makes the gas easier to produce. This process is called enhanced coalbed methane recovery.



The San Juan Basin was selected for the project because it is considered one of the top-ranked basins worldwide for coalbed methane recovery and thus is also a prime candidate for value-added CO2 sequestration. Its advantages include favorable geology, high methane content, available CO2 from nearby power plants, low capital and operating costs, and well-developed natural gas and CO2 pipelines.


The San Juan basin contains coals that are exceptionally permeable, at least compared to other regional coalbeds. Due to the tendency of coal to swell when in contact with CO2, high initial coal permeability is required to maintain effective CO2 injection rates (high injectivity) over time. DOE has established high injectivity as a sequestration program goal for large-scale, low-cost CO2 sequestration in coal.


The injection site consists of three coalbed methane–producing wells and a centrally located injection well. The coals, which occur at depths of approximately 3,000 feet, are about 75 feet thick and are split among three seams over a 175-foot interval. This area of the San Juan coalbed fairway had previously undergone significant coalbed methane production.


In addition to the CO2 injection, the SWP intends to make use of the project's produced water. Coalbed methane production typically results in a great deal of produced water. The SWP plans to take some of this produced water, desalinate it, and use it to irrigate nearby riparian areas stressed by prolonged drought. Resulting vegetation growth should induce additional CO2 uptake, another form of carbon sequestration.

DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Program, managed by the Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), includes seven partnering regions established to determine the best approaches for capturing and permanently storing CO2, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. The partnerships are made up of state agencies, universities, private companies, and nonprofit organizations that form the core of a nationwide network helping to establish the most suitable technologies, regulation, and infrastructure needs for carbon sequestration. The partnerships include more than 350 organizations, spanning 42 states, three Indian nations, and four Canadian provinces.


The SWP is led by the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and includes the states of Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and portions of Arizona, Kansas, Texas, and Wyoming. The partnership is currently conducting five field tests—three geologic and two terrestrial—all at various stages of planning and execution. Each is designed to validate the most promising carbon sequestration technologies and infrastructure concepts. 

Orchid receives EU approvals for Piperacillin Tazobactam injection

Product to be launched through Hospira soon

 The Chennai-based generic pharma major, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Orchid) today announced that it has received approvals of its Marketing Authorization (MA) for Piperacillin and Tazobactam for Injection for marketing in the EU countries.

 Orchid filed the MA for this product with the UK MHRA through the DCP (de-centralised procedure) route enabling the company to launch the product across EU countries.

 “This is a very important milestone in our regulated generics plan. Through this approval, we are expanding into a new product range of premium Penicillin Injectables and also foraying into the EU generics market. We are launching this product through our exclusive marketing alliance with Hospira for the EU market and given the limited competition envisaged in this product we are confident of a robust market share and revenue stream”, said Mr K Raghavendra Rao, Managing Director, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.  

ArcelorMittal announces acquisition of Koppers' Monessen Coke Plant

Luxembourg, 4 August 2008 - ArcelorMittal, the world's leading steel company, today announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the Koppers’ Monessen Coke Plant from Koppers Inc. for $US 160 million. 

Koppers’ Monessen Coke Plant, located in Monessen, Pennsylvania produced 320,000 metric tons of metallurgical coke in 2007. The transaction is subject to receipt of relevant regulatory approvals. 

Commenting, Sudhir Maheshwari, Member of ArcelorMittal's Group Management Board with responsibility for M&A, Project and Business Development, said: 

“This acquisition is an important step towards increasing our upstream self sufficiency in metallurgical coke production during a time when metallurgical coke demand on a global scale remains strong. ArcelorMittal currently purchases all of the coke produced by the Koppers’ Monessen Coke Plant” 

India quick facts

India has the fourth largest billionaire population in the world, according to the Forbes list of world billionaires.

India's financial capital Mumbai ranks as the seventh largest city, in terms of billionaire population, according to Forbes.

Five Indian companies have made it to the Top 10 global outsourcing leaders list, compiled by International Association of Outsourcing Professionals.

Mobile phone production in India will grow at a rate of 28.3 per cent - from 31 million units in 2006 to 107 million in 2011

India's market for business intelligence (BI) platforms grew by 35.6 per cent in 2005-06, making it Asia's fastest growing BI geography, says Gartner.

Indian cement industry is poised to add 111 million tonnes (MT) of annual capacity by the end of 2009-10 (FY10), riding on the back of an estimated 141 outstanding cement projects.

India's steel production, growing at 15 per cent in the first half of 2007, is expected to touch 124 MT by 2011-12, going beyond an earlier official estimate of 80 MT.

India's fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry has seen the launch of 251 new products up to October CY07, against 191 in the same period last year. 

 India's telecom industry is expected to reach a size of US$ 87.33 billion by 2012, with a growth rate of over 26 per cent.

 The Indian biotechnology industry is growing 37 per cent annually, and is expected to become a US$ 5 billion industry by 2010.

 India remains the undisputed leader in offshore services, accounting for about 65-70 per cent of the global offshoring pie, according to a recent research from Gartner Inc.

 The Indian animation industry is expected to touch US$ 950 million by 2009, as global players like Walt Disney, Imax, and Warner Bros tie up with Indian animation companies. 

 With 27 per cent growth in 2007, India's IT-enabled services (ITeS) sector is set to cross the US$ 25.43 billion mark in 2008, says IT research company IDC (India).

 According to Nasscom, India's gaming segment touched US$ 48.26 million in 2006, is likely to cross US$ 427.35 million by 2010.

 The Indian healthcare IT market is the fastest growing in Asia - with an expected growth rate of 22 per cent - says a Springboard Research report.

 India's food and beverages sector, growing at 9 per cent, is expected to touch US$ 117.25 billion by the year-end.

 India's foundry industry, the world's fifth largest producer of castings, is on a growth curve with an estimated potential to produce 10 million tonnes by 2012.

 India is rapidly emerging as one of the world's media powerhouses. With 54 per cent of its 1.1 billion people aged under 25, it is potentially one of the world's largest markets for TV.

 India's food service entrepreneurs are executing massive expansion plans, with the industry expected to grow 48 per cent - to US$ 667.49 million - in the next two years.

 India's life insurance sector is expected to grow by around 30 per cent, to over US$ 50 billion, in this financial year.

 India has overtaken the US to become the second largest cotton producing country in the world, as per the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Application

 Times lists the Tata Nano along with legendary cars - like Ford Model T and Volkswagen Beetle - in 'The dozen most important cars of all time starting from 1908 to the present'. 

 According to a PriceWaterhouseCoopers report, India could grow to almost 90 per cent of the size of the US economy by 2050.