Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) – Future fuel for Locomotives of Indian Railways

In a move to adopt environment friendly and cost effective alternate fuel, the Indian Railways has taken up various projects on utilization of natural gas as fuel for its fleet of diesel locomotives. Under this, Research Design & Standard Organisation (RDSO), a research wing of the Ministry of Railways based at Lucknow, is actively working on development of a prototype of locomotive based on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Once the prototype is proven on field, Indian Railways plan to build another 20 LNG based locomotives on the same concept. With the introduction of such technology, there is going to be 50% reduction in operating cost of locomotives even at the current enhanced LNG prices. In addition, there is an elimination of visible smoke from these locomotives and significant reductions in other regulated and unregulated emissions like NOx etc. Once Indian Railways switches over completely to natural gas as fuel for its diesel locomotives, it would amount to only 2.2% of India’s annual natural gas consumption of 81 million tons and therefore commercially feasible. At present, Indian Railways are running its fleet of locomotives on predominantly two fuels, i.e. diesel and electricity. Prices of both these fuels have been rising rapidly due to increasing prices of crude oil/imported coal, devaluation of Rupee etc. Natural gas is emerging as a promising fuel of the future. This natural gas is availablein the form of conventional natural gas, shale gas, gas hydrates etc. With the introduction of economical processes of extraction of shale gas, exploitation of shale gas reserves has become a commercial reality. India also has substantial reserves of natural gas in the form of conventional natural gas, shale gas and gas hydrates. According to an estimate, India has 1241 billion cubic metres of conventional gas, 7462.5 billion cubic metres of recoverable shale gas reserves and 1890 trillion cubic metres of gas hydrates. USA and Canada have become the world’s highest exporters of natural gas on account of their shale gas reserves. To make use of global reserves of natural gas, India is setting up infrastructure for import of LNG into the country. Even LNG terminals are in various stages of setting-up on the east and west coasts of India, all with railway connectivity.

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STAR Gold to simulcast first and final match of Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty 2013

MIKA Singh to perform at the opening ceremony in Jaipur

Last chance for cricket fans to catch greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni in a T20 tourney

New Delhi, September 19, 2013 —Sports broadcaster STAR Sports today announced that STAR Gold will simulcast the first and the final match of the Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20 2013. All the matches of the tournament will be showcased on STAR Cricket with Hindi commentary while STAR Sports and STAR Cricket HD will showcase the tourney in English.

The forthcoming Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20 is the last time when cricket fans will be able to watch greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni together in a T20 tourney. STAR Sports also announced that famous singer Mika Singh will perform at the opening ceremony of the tournament in Jaipur on September 21.

Speaking on the occasion Vijay Rajput, Chief Operating Officer, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said, “We are very confident about the success of Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20 2013. Cricket followers can expect some scintillating, mouth-watering T20 cricket over the next 3 weeks as we have representation from top 4 IPL teams and the champion teams from leading cricket playing nations across the world.

Moreover, the forthcoming tourney is also special because it will be the last time when cricket fans will be able to watch greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni together in a T20 contest. This will add to overall euphoria around Karbonn Smart CLT20.

The Indian cricket team has not been action for almost two months now and cricket fans are eagerly looking forward to some interesting action on ground. This gap of cricket, we believe, will also attract more viewers to the CLT20 fold.”

STAR Sports has launched a high decibel marketing campaign based in the tournament promise - “Dekhiye Indian Champions ka saamna ab Duniya ke Champions se”. STAR Sports has roped in some of the biggest names from Bollywood to bring the power of passion and emotion of the fans to life in a unique campaign. The anthem, ‘Ragad, Ragad’ has been sung by Mika; Music Director Shantanu Moitra has composed the same while Prasoon Joshi has penned the lyrics. It is based on the ‘Abol Tabol’ genre of music which originates from West Bengal literally meaning weird and random.

The campaign captures the high energy of a global T20 tourney like Karbonn Smart CLT20. The theme video has pulsating music, interesting visuals to capture the imagination of Cricket fans.

Speaking on the Marketing Campaign, Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer McCann Worldgroup India said, “Champions League is a unique property of Star Sports and Ragad Ragad concept is an attempt to create excitement around it through a very underground muqabala feel musically and cinematically, it has an infectious quality to it.”

Singer Mika Singh, said, “I am honored to be a part of this beautiful concept – to have sung the anthem for a global sporting property like Karbonn Smart CLT20. I am a huge fan of cricket and this is the first time that I am associating with this beautiful game which is no less than a religion in our country.

The Karbonn Smart CLT20 anthem is a celebration of cricket.  The music and lyrics are peppy and interesting – it is infectious and will catch the attention of the public. Shantanu Moitra and Prasoon Joshi have done a wonderful job. I am sure cricket fans will love it.”

The Group stage of Karbonn Smart CLT20 will commence on September 21 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Pepsi IPL champions Mumbai Indians will face against Rajasthan Royals in the opening match of the season. 

Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals apart, Group A comprises of Highveld Lions (winner of South Africa’s domestic T20 competition), Perth Scorchers (KFC T20 Big Bash League runner-up), and Otago Volts (New Zealand’s HRV Cup champions)

Group B comprises of Brisbane Heat (KFC T20 Big Bash League champion), Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies T20 champion), Chennai Super Kings (runner-up in the Pepsi IPL 2013), Titans (South Africa’s domestic T20 runners-up), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (4^th ranked team in Pepsi IPL)

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	Sukriti Kalra
	Senior Management Supervisor

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19092013

Chinese premier meets Jordanian king

September 19, 2013 by sagarmedia

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Jordanian King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein here on Wednesday afternoon and called for closer win-win cooperation between the two countries.

Li said China regards Jordan as an important partner in the Middle East and stands ready to deepen mutual trust, strengthen strategic coordination and cement people-to-people friendship with the kingdom.

Li said the two sides should further tap the potential for cooperation in transportation, energy, telecommunications, infrastructure and other sectors to enrich the bilateral relationship and achieve win-win results.

Briefing the Jordanian king on China’s push for economic transformation and upgrade, the premier said the Chinese side is willing to share the opportunities for development with all other countries and make joint efforts with them to create a peaceful and cooperative environment for development.

During the meeting, King Abdullah II thanked the Chinese side for their support and assistance, saying Jordan welcomes investment from China.

The Jordanian side will step up strategic dialogue and boost friendly and long-lasting cooperation with China to elevate the bilateral relationship, and play an active role in promoting ties between China and Arab nations, said the king.

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Fresh talks on resolution backing Russia-US plan on Syria

19092013

The five UN Security Council powers have held new talks on a resolution backing a Russia-US plan to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons. Britain, France and the United States have prepared a draft Security Council resolution that would use Chapter VII of the UN Charter. However the draft of the resolution with reference to invoke chapter-7 of UN Charter has met with resistance from Russia. Britain’s UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the western powers want to use Chapter VII to make the Russia-US accord and the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical weapons, decision binding under international law. Chapter VII is invoked when the UN gives approval for economic sanctions or military action to make the measures binding under international law. 

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Mali calls parliamentary elections

19092013

Mali’s new government, on Thursday, set 24th November as the date for the first parliamentary elections since a military coup last year which led to a sweeping Islamist occupation and a French-led military intervention.

The announcement comes two weeks after Mali’s first post-war president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita appointed Prime Minister Oumar Tatam Ly to lead the West African nation’s return to stability after 18 months of political chaos. “Under the terms of the plan, the electoral college is called for Sunday, 34th November, 2013, throughout the national territory and a second round of voting will take place Sunday, 15th December, 2013 in constituencies where no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of votes cast in the first round,” the minutes of a cabinet meeting published by the government said.  Ly offered the dates on Monday to the leaders of 15 political parties represented in parliament but the announcement has angered some groups who said they had not been given enough time to consider the proposal. The United Front for Safeguarding Democracy and Republic (FDR), a grouping of 40 parties and around 100 civil society groups, said it was demanding a “consultation with the Malian political class” before agreeing to cooperate with the polls.  “Lessons from the presidential elections must be learnt and our grievances must be taken into account before credible elections can happen,” FDR senior official Djiguiba Keita told media persons. FDR vice-president Youssouf Traore said in a newspaper column yesterday he was “astonished” that the government was ignoring an agreement among Mali’s political parties to delay the polls until an exhaustive assessment of the presidential election had been carried out. Ly formed Mali’s first post-war cabinet after Keita won a landslide victory in August elections focused on law, order and ending the culture of impunity in public office.  The first presidential polls since 2007 were seen as crucial for unlocking more than USD 4 billion in aid promised by international donors who halted contributions in the wake of the coup. Army officers angry at the level of support they had received to combat a separatist Tuareg rebellion in Mali’s vast desert north overthrew the democratically-elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure on 22nd March, 2012.

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19092013

KAPIL SIBAL CALLED FOR SPEEDY E-GOVERNANCE AMONG BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF INDIA

“E- VYAPAR” PPP MODEL ANNOUNCED BY SIBAL

Union IT and Telecom Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal stressed the need of digital literacy among traders of the Country in order to upgrade and modernize the retail trade of India. While inaugurating an Orientation Workshop at New Delhi jointly organized by Ministry of IT & Communication and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Mr. Sibal lauded the contribution of trading community in national economy but equally said that with the change in business scenario not only in India but over the globe, the domestic trade needs a face lift and as such e governance among traders is the need of the hour. He announced that participant of Ministry of IT with CAIT shall be named as “E – Vyapar”.

Secretary IT Mr. J.Satyanarayanan, Mr. Rajiv Gauba, Additional Secretary, Dr.Rajendra Kumar, Joint Secretary in the Ministry, Dr.Ashwini Kumar Sharma, Managing Director, National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Dr. Rajiv Arora, Director, NeGD , Delhi VAT Commissioner Mr. Prashant Goyal and other senior officials were also present at the Workshop. CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal, its Delhi State President Ramesh Khanna, State General Secretary Vijay Pal and Rajesh Goyal, Chairman, E Governance Committee of CAIT were also present at the Workshop.

Ministry of IT & Communication and CAIT are contemplating a joint project for encouragement of digital literacy and adoption of IT skills among business community of the Country. The project in association with CAIT is being executed by National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology and is funded by Department of Electronics & Information Technology. The workshop is first step to spread awareness among  the traders and series of such workshops will be held in different states .

While addressing the traders, Mr. Sibal said that adoption of e governance among traders of the Country will not only improve business prospects but will also have  an empowering effect on the common man who is the end consumer. He further said that e-Governance promotes transparency and provides smooth conduct of business operations and also have higher government accountability. There is a need to create an enabling eco system among the domestic trade of India for its sustainable development in a holistic and integrated manner.

Dr. Ashwini Kumar Sharma, Managing Director, NIELIT, said that very soon such Workshops shall be organized in State Capitals and in second phase it will be carried in different cities & villages across the country in association with Trade Federation & Associations.

CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that in the wake of rapidly changing government policies and transforming the entire system on e-Governance, there is an immediate need to encourage traders to adopt computerization and IT skills coupled with modern business techniques to keep pace with the ongoing development. He hoped that the partnership of CAIT and Ministry of IT will prove to be a milestone in empowering the traders of the Country with digital literacy which will facilitate retail trade management, compliance of Tax and other governing laws, marketing etc. He cautioned that this transformation should be executed in phased manner keeping into consideration the diversity of business system in India.

The Indian retail accounts for around 15% of the GDP with more than 5 crore small shopkeepers and more than 22 crores people dependent upon them throughout the country excluding low cost kiosks, push cart and foot path vendors. India has the highest density of retail outlets in the world – for 1000 persons there are 15 retail outlets in India. The overall size of retail market in India at present is estimated at Rs. 20 lakh crores. About 5% of the retail trade is in the organized sector and the balance 95% is self-organized. The country’s retail trade is expanding 15% every year with an addition of 25 million middle class consumers.

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19092013

NACE CORCON 2013-Industry forum on new technologies and elimination of Corrosion

New Delhi, 18th September 2013: In an order to strengthen and to protect people, assets and the environment from Corrosion in India, NACE International Gateway India Section (NIGIS) is organizing International Conference and Expo on Corrosion and its Control, “CORCON 2013″ from 30th Sep. 2013 to 3rd Oct. 2013 at New Delhi. With the cost of corrosion worldwide being over US$ one trillion today, NACE International believes that at least a third of this cost can be saved by using available practices and technologies in our routine working environments. Further costs can be reduced by incorporating corrosion prevention technologies and practices in the design stage of the asset.

CORCON is chaired by Dr. Samir Degan, also Chairman NACE International Gateway India Section.  Other key spokesperson at the event includes Dr. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr. Srikant Kumar Jena, Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Mr. Sudhir Vasudeva CMD, ONGC, Mr. BC Tripathi, CMD, GAIL, Mr. A K Purwaha, CMD, EIL, Mr. Tushar Jhaveri, President, NACE International.  The event will see some of the major names from the industry including Dr. A K Balyan, CMD, Petronet LNG, Mr. Prabhat Kumar, CMD Bhavini, Dr. R K Malhotra, IOCL, Mr. TSG Narayannen, Secretary Central Boiler Board, Mr. O P Bhutani, BHEL, Dr. Baldev Raj, Former Director, IGCAR and many more.  CORCON provides an ideal platform for these interactions amongst professionals from large PSUs or Governmental agencies and the private industries and also spread the awareness among the masses.

Corrosion is a worldwide menace affecting every asset for which measures are taken to retard or eliminate it.  Dr. Samir Degan, Chairman, NACE said, “The menace of corrosion affects everyone, no one is spared.  In todays environment any saving in this field provides for a saving in materials, energy and ultimately the environment.  It is time we take cognizance of this problem and address it in an appropriate manner”

NACE International is the global leader in the corrosion engineering and science community. It is recognized around the world as the premier authority for corrosion control solutions.  Built upon more than six decades of knowledge and expertise from over 32,000 dedicated members all over the world, NACE International is involved in every industry and area of corrosion prevention and control, from chemical processing and water systems, to transportation and infrastructure protection.  As a non-profit society, NACE International’s education programs, peer reviewed technical standards and certification are well accepted and prescribed in most technical documents. 

NACE International Gateway India Section (NIGIS) was established in 1992 and is the local section of NACE International.   It has become one of the largest and most active sections of NACE International through its significant contributions for the promotion of corrosion awareness in India.  It has done this by organizing annual conferences / seminars as well as education programs and workshops every year. NIGIS is committed to enhance the quality and range services and activities promoting awareness and control of corrosion. To commemorate Corrosion Awareness Day every year NIGIS presents awards to meritorious professionals and institutions for the contributions to corrosion awareness and developments in the field of corrosion science and technology. 

 For registrations write to support@corcon.org / admin@corcon.org

For any further information please contact:

Neeraj Shorya, Team Leader, 9310333595, neeraj@impactpr.in

Sujoy Kumar Chowdhury, Manager Media, 9310333597, sujoy@impactpr.in

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19092013

International Seminar for Promotion of Exports of indian  Handicrafts& International Craft Exchange programme.

17-18 SEP-2013

On the first day of  International  seminar for promotion of exports of indian handicrafts & international craft exchange programme chief guest  union Minister of state for Textiles minister k.sRaoon 17 th September, 2013 at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi amidst The presence of international Expert in the field technology and craft along with craft persons and Artisans from China Ireland, japan,  Philippines and vietanam. Craft persons and experts from india were also participated in the seminar.

During the event Mr. Rakesh Kumar( Director of EPCH) mentioned that the event is first of its kind under the patronage of Government of India. The event aims to provide a platform to handicraft sector for sharing latest knowledge on Manufacturing Techniques, Design innovation, Skill enhancement, New Product Development and Quality packaging. He also asserted that interaction between international and domestic experts will be conducive to the objective of the event. He suggested that the industry requires development of cluster for focus products and focus market.

Mr. S. S. Gupta (NCDPD’s Chairman & Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) said India has rich cultural heritage which translates to innumerable handicraft. Various handicrafts from across India represents collective ethos of our country. Unfortunately this sector is facing stiff challenge due to traditional technology, rising labour cost and competition from cheap machine made products. He suggested that India has the potential for development of this sector due to large base of skill ed craftsman and diverse raw material. He also suggested that there is contact need for design and technological up-gradation in the manufacturing techniques. Earlier Handicrafts were decorative items, now it has evolved into household and utility products.  Experts from Vietnam, Ireland and Japan presented case study, showcased their manufacturing techniques and shared personal experience by way presentation.

The experts from Vietnam was – Nguyen Thuy Chi, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The expert from Ireland was Mr, Paschal Meehan, Head of school of science, Engineering and information technology (SEIT), Limerick Institute of Technology. Mr. Meehan researched and mapped existing technology which is being utilised in the handicraft sector and suggested improvement measures for the same. Mr. Nobu Yuki Fujiwara, Associate Professor, Tokyo Craft University, Japan, showcased the products developed at their university and also informed about the the techniques that is utilised for making Japanese Handicrafts.

Mr. David Rasquinha, Executive Director, Export Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) elaborated about Exim Bank’s activities with respect to supporting Handicraft manufacturers by way of providing financial assistance and marketing their products in domestic and overseas market. He also informed that to achieve aforementioned objectives Exim Bank partners with like minded organizations such as NCDPD. This association with similar organization will assist in design intervention for making the product more marketable in international market. He suggested that Exim Bank organises workshop which help in ancient craft fusing with modernity and coming up with utility products. Mr. Rasquinha stressed that if we assess the impact of Exim Bank activities undertaken, the work of Exim Bank encourages younger generation and women in particular to develop a sustainable livelihood in rural areas and it also converts to economics of the locality.

Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi said that handicraft sector is very important for generating employment in India. This also helps in promoting the tourism. She suggested that handicraft exports of India has grown between 15-20% every year since last 2 decades. However, some Asian countries are doing much better compared to India. Event like craft exchange programme and international seminars on handicrafts are steps in the right direction for Indian handicraft sector. She also said that keeping in view the role of handicraft sector it is necessary to take adequate measures for new product development and technological up-gradation. She also suggested that UPA government has rolled out National Skill Development Corporation, aprogramme to train people during the 5 year plan.

During the event, Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) and National Centre for Design and Product Development (NCDPD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assist Indian handicraft manufacturers and artisans in their design and product development to cater to the needs of changing taste and design concepts of international buyers. The MoU was signed by Exim Bank’s Executive Director, Mr. David Rasquinha and NCDPD’s Chairman & Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Mr. S. S. Gupta in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 17, 2013. The MoU was signed in the presence of State Minister of Textiles, Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi, Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and Mr. LekhrajMaheshwari, Chairman, EPCH.