Larsen &Toubro project for Heera rig: Construction and engineering company Larsen & Toubro is set to execute a $74.07-million project for the Heera oil rig of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation by supplying a process platform, living quarters on the platform and a bridge connecting the platforms. While process platforms have been fabricated at the L&T's Hazira works earlier, it is for the first time that living quarters or building platform has been fabricated in the country. All the three constructed and assembled works -- the process platform, living quarters and the bridge were loaded on a special barrage at Hazira last week, which will be installed at the Heera rig off the western coast in the next two months.AI plans Singapore-Hyderabad service: Air India will introduce a direct non-stop flight between Hyderabad and Singapore from March 29, managing director MP Mascarenhas has said. The flight would be operated on Sundays and Tuesdays with an airbus A-320 aircraft. AI was prepared tooperate the Jumbo 747 aircraft at the airport here if the runway was made into a bigger one, he added.
Chamber calls for new ministry: The PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry has proposed a separate ministry for the small-scale industry to evolve policies and programmes specific to this sector. In a memorandum forwarded to the new BJP-led government,the chamber has also called for an increase in the resource base of the special funding institutions for the small-scale sector, including the Small Industries Development Bank of India and the National Small Industries Corporation. An increase in the funds allocated by the banking sector for the small-scale industry was also demanded. For the tiny and micro enterprises, the chamber has asked for a hike in the investment limit and increased availability of concessional finance, "without collateral security".
Chamber caution on swadeshi: The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce has said that any stress by the BJP-led government on"swadeshi" might backfire and put the country on reverse gear. The chamber, which held its executive committee meeting over the week-end here, urged the new government to desist from cold-shouldering multinationals in non-priority sector. Its president M R Rajeswara Rao urged the government to take advantage of "swadeshi" sentiments for "constructive" purposes such as improving the quality of Indian products and encouraging Indian firms to compete globally for products and services, making the "made-in-India" label globally acceptable.
Multinationals unmoved: Despite the BJP's attempts to delineate between priority and non-priority areas for foreign investment, multi-national companies here are putting up a brave front and going ahead with their business plans. Amadeus India, the 100 per cent subsidiary of global tourism giant Amadeus, is all set to consolidate its base in the eastern region, a senior company executive said. "We are not too much concerned about what they (the BJP) havesaid and all set to boost up our central reservation system network for the region," he said. "The differentiation between priority, non-priority areas won't affect us since the BJP had already said 100 per cent subsidiaries of foreign companies would be allowed to operate," he added.
Bureau of Indian Standards: The electrical laboratory of the Bureau of Indian Standards has been granted accredition by the National Accredition Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, the apex body for accrediting Indian laboratories under the department of science and technology.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
