Kerala-based firm holding trials to make turmeric a food supplement

Kochi: Arjuna Natural Extracts Ltd is pinning its hopes on clinical trials of the value-added properties of turmeric for its usage as a food supplement.
The Kerala-based company is carrying out human clinical trials on this spice with the support of Spices Board to promote its value-addition.
PJ Kunjachan, Chairman and Managing Director, said that he is confident of positive results and this would give a major boost to turmeric in developed countries in the food supplement category, which is growing at 15 per cent every year.
He said that turmeric was used usually as a natural colour pigment for food applications and there was no value addition even in the traditional ayurveda due to lack of awareness among people.
However, the good response received by the company for its turmeric extract – BCM 95 – from developed countries has prompted to go for clinical trials, he said.
BCM 95 is a patented formulation of curcumin, the bio active concept of turmeric with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, he said.
Turmeric can be converted as an ideal health food supplement with some value addition. Even the clinical trials conducted on BCM 95 in association with American and Australian universities have got good response for its usage in pharma and neutraceuticals, he said.
Apart form turmeric extracts, the company also developed amla , green tea, pomegranate, ginger, Omega 3 fatty acid from fish oils, red spinach and mustard. Arjuna is the only company in India to develop Omega 3 fatty acid catering to the requirements of pharmaceutical companies both in India and overseas, he said.
The company has invested Rs. 10 crore at its Keezhmadu R&D centre for the extraction of medicinal values for various botanicals included keezharnelli (Phyllanthus Niruri), insulin plant (Costus Pictus), Bosewellia Serrata.
Arjuna was established in 1992 for spice-related products. Eventually it moved into studying medicinal value of spices and other botanicals.
Today, it has 18 patented products out of which 11 have been commercialised globally. He said 95 per cent of the extracts have been exported to around 40 countries. On future plans, he said that the vision is to convert promising botanical extracts into drugs in association with big pharma companies.

Dr Batra's plans to open 53 clinics in India

Chennai: Dr Batra’s, a leading homeopathy chain in India, plans to open 25 company-owned clinics within the country and 10 such clinics abroad. It also plans to add 28 franchisee-owned clinics this year in India. At the moment, there are 119 company-owned clinics (including three abroad) and 22 franchisee-run clinics across the country, said founder and chairman Mukesh Batra. Through the franchisee model, the company plans to penetrate Tier-III and Tier-IV towns. “It is important to have a local partner who can understand the local sentiment. Besides, the company cannot penetrate at that level,” said Batra. He added that 11 franchisees had completed one year and they’ve recovered their investments in nine to 10 months. Over the next two-to-three years, the company plans to open 10 clinics in West Asia and one in London. Each of these clinics would cost Rs 1 crore, said Sandeep Saxena, chief executive, Dr Batra’s Group.
Saxena added that the company would invest about Rs 10 crore this year in new clinics in India in building manufacturing facility as well as adding other infrastructure. "The investments will be funded through debt and internal accruals. We have not thought about roping in an investor so far," said Batra.
Commenting on the company's performance, he said last year was the year of consolidation and the firm is ready to grow from this year onwards.
Last year, the group had started new verticals including media (to publish a magazine), hospital for pets, academy, and added a second clinic in Dubai. Today, the company's products are available across 600 outlets and the target is to take it to 4,000 outlets by 2015, said Batra.
The group has set a target to grow 40-50% in 2014-15. It had reported a turnover of Rs 152 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 135 crore in the previous year.

Gamesa India to commission 800MW of wind power projects in 2014-15

Chennai: Gamesa India, which was one of the top wind turbine makers during 2013-14, is targeting 800MW of wind power capacity addition across the country in 2014-15.
The company currently has over 200MW of windmills ready to be commissioned and has orders on hand for about 600MW.
The company commissioned 400MW of projects during 2013-14, topping the list of wind turbine manufacturers in the country during the year. Gamesa has now crossed 1000MW of installed capacity in India.
The Spanish company, which started operations in India in 2010, now contributes 22% of Gamesa's global sales. Gamesa globally had a turnover of 2.3 billion euro in 2013 and contribution from the Indian operations went up to 22% from 12% in 2012.
"The market in India will go up substantially and Gamesa India will gradually increase its contribution to the global sales," Ramesh Kymal, chairman & managing director, Gamesa India, said.
Gamesa, one of the top six wind turbine makers in the world, has invested over Rs 1,500 crore for its Indian operations over the last four years for its manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Apart from preparing for the orders on hand, Gamesa India has also developed a strong 'megawatt pipeline,' which refers to preparedness to execute orders after completing all the preparatory work such as acquiring land and approvals to set up the wind farms.

M&M unit in tie-up with Belgian fresh produce firm UNIVEG

Mumbai: Giving a fresh impetus to its agri-business, Mahindra ShubhLabh Services, which is a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, has entered into a 60:40 joint venture with UNIVEG, a Belgium-based €3.2 billion fresh produce company, in which it will have a majority stake.
The joint venture company would be investing Rs. 30 crore in the first two years, with additional investments made by logistics and supply chain partners.
Focus on quality
The joint venture company would focus on developing a fresh fruit supply chain to provide high quality fruits for domestic and international markets.
Other than grapes, the venture would focus on select fruits such as bananas, apples, pears and citrus fruits.
Pawan Goenka, Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra said: “This joint venture would enable both companies to leverage each other’s strengths by further improving the fresh produce supply chain through various interventions and investments across India.”
In November 2013, Mahindra ShubhLabh Services launched its fresh fruit brand Saboro, for the health-conscious Indian consumer. Fruits from the new venture would also be marketed under the Saboro brand.
Right mix
Hein Deprez, Executive Chairman and major shareholder, UNIVEG Group added: “We consider this association the right mix of market presence and farmer connect. Mahindra’s reach, together with our proven technical expertise across six continents and 32 distribution centres in Europe, would be beneficial for all stakeholders”.

P&G to invest Rs. 244 crore in Indian arm

Mumbai: World’s largest consumer goods manufacturer Procter and Gamble (P&G) plans to invest about Rs. 244 crore in its unlisted Indian arm P&G Home Products this year.
This investment is a part of its overall commitment to take on competitor and the country’s largest fast-moving consumer goods firm Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) in terms of product portfolio and reach.
While, P&G India’s overall sales are estimated at Rs. 6,000 crore, HUL is almost four times bigger at Rs. 26,000 crore.
But they both compete in several key segments such as detergents, hair and skin care where HUL by far is the market leader.
P&G India, in a board meeting held last month, had decided to issue 31.68 lakh of shares of 10 each at a premium of Rs. 760 to its $32-billion parent company.
The fresh funds earmarked for India takes P&G's total investment in the country to around Rs. 1,000 crore in the fiscal ended March 2014.
While the company declined to comment on the development as it was in a silent period, it is understood that the funds would be used for capital expenditure, increasing the company’s marketing activity, innovation and expanding its distribution network in the country.
Mass offerings
P&G India has reported double-digit growth consistently in the last few years with its brands Whisper, Pantene, Oral B, Vicks, Gillette, Ariel and Tide.
But still, it has not been able to catch up with HUL due to its premium offerings.
Analysts feel P&G is more into the value game unlike HUL, which has products in the mass-end such as Wheel and Lifebuoy.
P&G's increased investments could be to enter the market with more mass offerings and also to raise its advertisement spends. The company also plans to revisit its ‘Project 2-3-4’, which is aimed at doubling the number of Indians who use its products, trebling per capita spending by Indians on its products and quadrupling net sales in India by 2015.

Oriental Cuisines to open 50 French Loaf, Le Chocolatier outlets in FY 2014-15

Chennai: Oriental Cuisines Private Ltd will open 50 outlets of its bakery brands French Loaf and Le Chocolatier by the end of this financial year, taking the total number of the outlets to about 200, a statement from the company said.
The company has started franchising its bakery brands and will expand its outlets in states where the company currently has a strong clientele and also in tier 2 cities.
"We are happy to announce OCPL's entry into the franchise model of our bakery formats - The French Loaf and Le Chocolatier. We see a rich potential in the market and expansion will help us further increase our market share. Of the 50 outlets, 10 will be company owned and the rest will be franchise run formats," said Narendra Malhotra, CEO, Oriental Cuisines.
The French Loaf is the largest bakery chain in the country. It offers premium products ranging from snacks, savouries, pastries, breads and quick snack meals at affordable prices.
Le Chocolatier, a standalone chocolate boutique, offers premium chocolates which are imported from Belgium to meet the international standards and customer expectations.
Apart from these, Oriental Cuisines owns Benjarong, Teppan, Ente Keralam, China Town, Z The Tapas Bar & Restaurant, Wang's Kitchen, Planet Yumm, Kebab House and Hotel Oriental Inn.

Ambuja Cement draws up Rs. 800-cr capex plan for ongoing projects

Mumbai: Ambuja Cement, part of the Holcim Group, plans to invest Rs. 802 crore this year in various ongoing projects. The company has proposed to fund the entire capex through internal accruals, said Ambuja Cement in its annual report. It had invested Rs. 725 crore last year.
The company had announced a significant cement capacity addition of 4.50 million tonnes (mt) last year. It proposed to set up an integrated greenfield cement plant of 1.5 mt a year with 2.17 mt a year clinker facility at Marwar Mundwa, in Rajasthan.
Eco-clearance
The project involves clinker grinding units of 1.5 mt a year each at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and Osara in Madhya Pradesh. These projects involve a cumulative investment of about Rs. 3,500 crore. Environmental clearances for the project were obtained but the Ministry of Environment and Forests had kept approval for Marwar Mundwa project in abeyance, said the company.
“We are in the process of tying up water sources required for construction and operations. Full-fledged construction work is expected to commence in the later part of 2014,” it added.
Last year, the company had taken up 13 new projects at different locations worth Rs. 272 crore to optimise and enhance efficiency.
These projects have a quick payback of two-and-a-half years to four years. Most of these projects are likely to be completed this year.
A new brownfield expansion project to set up a roller press at Rs. 70 crore at the Rabriyawas unit in Rajasthan, will add 0.80 million tonnes grinding capacity in the first half of 2014, it said. Ambuja Cement is also setting up a Waste Heat Recovery plant at Rabriyawas with an investment of Rs. 75 crore to optimise power costs and meet renewable power obligation.
Railway project
In order to strengthen logistics capability, the company has taken up a new railway siding project at its Rabriyawas unit in Rajasthan.
The total project cost is estimated at Rs. 250 crore.
“So far 40 per cent work of the railway project is over and is expected to be completed within the second quarter of 2016,” it said.
The company expects demand to gradually revive over 2014 and 2015 with a new government and recovery in construction activity.
“We expect the capacity utilisation rate of the industry to improve gradually from the current 73 per cent to 80 per cent by 2018 given the slowdown in pace of capacity addition and gradual recovery in demand,” it said.

Sun Pharma makes open offer for Zenotech stake

Mumbai: Sun Pharma has evinced its interest in buying Hyderabad-based biotech company Zenotech Laboratories, through an open offer to buy 28.1 per cent worth Rs 18.41 crore ($3 million). The former recently bought out Ranbaxy in a $4-billion deal.
Currently, Ranbaxy owns 46.84 per cent stake in Zenotech, while its parent Japan's Daiichi Sankyo holds 20 per cent.
A mandatory open offer for Zenotech has been triggered following the Sun-Ranbaxy deal. If it acquires the 28.1 per cent stake, Sun would own around 74.9 per cent of Zenotech.
Zenotech's former promoters, led by Jayaram Chigurupati, own 24.9 per cent of the company. On Friday, Zenotech shares were up 4.9 per cent at Rs 22.20 on the BSE.
Up to 9.6 million shares of face value of Rs 10 each of Zenotech, constituting 28.1 per cent (at Rs 19 an offer share aggregating to Rs 18.4 crore), can be bought by Sun, according to the latter.

Nasscom to build start-up warehouses

Bangalore: Information technology (IT) industry body Nasscom is in talks with the governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to set up ‘start-up warehouses’ for incubation of start-ups.
According to sources close to the development, the centres expected to come up in Mumbai and Chennai are likely to be operational by December this year.
The industry body has received similar interest from Kerala, too, but talks with the state government are still at a nascent stage, the sources added.
Under its ‘10,000 Start-Ups’ initiative, Nasscom had launched its first ‘start-up warehouse’ in August 2013 in Bangalore in partnership with the Karnataka government. Under the partnership, the state government had provided 10,000 sq ft of space for housing the warehouse, while Nasscom has brought in programmes, expert teams and mentors for start-ups. The warehouse has a capacity of around 70 seats with round-the-clock power back-up, a leased Internet line and four meeting rooms.
The warehouse provides start-ups office space (up to five people per start-up) for up to six months, which can be renewed for another six months.
According to sources, the warehouses in Mumbai and Chennai would be bigger than the one in Bangalore. "The one at Chennai would be around 20,000 sq feet and the one in Mumbai is expected to be around 24,000 sq feet," a source close to the development said.
Nasscom has been running the '10,000 Start-ups' programme for one year in partnership with Google, Kotak, Microsoft and Verisign. The initiative is aimed at providing necessary support to technology start-ups and create 10,000 domain specific start-ups in the country.
The industry body had invited first round of entries for the programme in April 2013, and the short-listed companies were provided with funding ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 2 crore through leading angel investors. Some of these start-ups were also offered incubation at some leading incubators in the country. The second phase of applications were called for in October last year.
"I am open to any state that wants to do it; we will help them," said Ravi Gururaj, chairman of Nasscom's Product Council, which is looking after the 10,000 Start-Up programme.

Philippines keen on tie-ups in rubber sector

Kochi: Rubber is poised to emerge as a growth driver for economic relations between India and the Philippines, which have remained muted over the years.
A 35-member delegation from Philippines including government officials, rubber and products manufacturers visited India and held wide ranging talks with Rubber Board, Rubber Research Institute of India and All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA).
According to Niraj Thakkar, President, AIRIA, the Philippines has identified India as a key partner for reinvigorating its rubber sector as India has strengths across the entire rubber spectrum including rubber farming, processing and manufacturing which are unmatched by any other country. Besides discussions with the Rubber Board on developing high-yielding clones of rubber trees, the delegation visited rubber manufacturing units and machinery manufacturers.
In the comity of rubber producing nations, he said the Philippines has so far remained a fringe player. In the nine-member Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, Philippines was eighth in rubber production last year with a production of 1,16,400 tonnes. The Philippines has now sharpened its focus on expanding rubber production. The area under rubber has gone up from 1,78,600 hectares in 2012 to an estimated 2,11,600 hectares now.
The visit to India focused on increasing competitiveness in production, processing and manufacturing of rubber so as to increase domestic and export sales, attract investments in the rubber sector and create jobs, he said. Yokohama Tire Philippines is a major consumer of rubber but sources only 5 per cent of its rubber requirement from domestic sources. Like many other South-East Asian rubber producers, the Philippines wishes to move up the value chain by strengthening domestic rubber manufacturing besides improving quality of rubber produced, he said.