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Chevrolet Spark, equipped with a 1000 cc petrol engine, would be available in four models and has been priced in a range of Rs 3.09-3.89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
"We have not been represented in the small car market in India and we want to increase our presence in this segment, which is the fastest growing segment in the country," General Motors Corp Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner told reporters here today.
He said the small car segment is critical for the company's growth in India and introducing Spark, one of GM's most successful models worldwide, was a part of the company's growth strategy.
Chevrolet Spark would compete with Maruti Suzuki's Zen Estilo and Hyundai's popular hatchback Santro. While Spark would be Rs 12,000 cheaper than the Zen, it would come at a premium of Rs 39,000 over the base model of Santro, which is being sold at Rs 2.7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The company is initially aiming at selling 2,000-3,000 units Spark in a month, which will be rolled out from its Halol facility in Gujarat.
"There will be initial capacity constraints and depending on the demand we will rearrange the product mix to effectively utilise our existing capacity," GM India President and Managing Director Rajeev Chaba said. PTI
India possible global hub, sourcing of $1 bn in 5 yrs: GM
New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) India is a potential "future candidate" for housing the global manufacturing hub of world's largest car maker General Motors, which expects to source components worth a billion dollars annually from here in the next 4-5 years.
"Our supply base has been expanding. In future, you could see exports out of India... We would probably need extra capacity and India would be a candidate," GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said here.
He said the company, which was currently shutting down plants in North America, was focusing more on fully leveraging the emerging high-quality, low cost supply base in India for its future strategy.
"We are not only increasing our local sourcing for local usage, we are also looking to source more parts out of India for our global operations," he said, however, adding at present GM's focus in India would be to increase its market share in the domestic market.
GM Asia Pacific President D Nick Reilly said the company plans to increase sourcing from India "over the next 4-5 years to one billion dollars annually".
"We have been increasing localisation content and with volumes set to rise, we expect to raise sourcing from India. Sourcing for other global operations from India is also expected to increase," Reilly said.
Wagoner, who earlier in the day called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said GM expects India to become the second fastest growing car market in the next decade and saw it as a country that should continue to significantly outperform. PTI
Reliance to invest Rs 8,000 cr in gas pipeline to West Bengal
Kolkata, April 17 (PTI) Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd plans to invest over Rs 8,000 crore to lay a gas pipeline from KG basin on the eastern coast to West Bengal by 2009-10.
The investment would be finalised once the pipeline capacity was discussed with the West Bengal government, RIL president (LNG business) R P Sharma said here today on the sidelines of a summit.
"It will cost around Rs 8,000 crore for connecting the 1,100 km pipeline between KG basin and the state," he said.
Sharma said the company would ask the government about its projected demand of natural gas in the state before deciding on the capacity of the pipeline.
The pipeline would be built as a common carrier basis and the state government has issued notfication for use of the pipeline.
"The timeframe for informing intention to use the pipeline by any party is one month. After that we will freeze the capacity of the pipeline," Sharma said.
He said the gas pipeline would cover Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Hoogly, Howrah, Midnapur and Burdwan in West Bengal, which were on the priority list of Reliance.
"The additional investment to connect each of these districts would cost between Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,000 crore," Sharma said.
RIL plans to supply 80 mmscmd gas to the country by 2011-12 which is similar to the current national utilisation.
The company needed to carry a minimum 10 mmscmd of gas to make the pipeline viable. Sharma said that demand would not be a problem. PTI
TRAI rules out fresh hearing to Nimbus on channel price
New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) Telecom regulator TRAI has ruled out giving a fresh hearing to sports broadcaster Nimbus which sought a review of the prices fixed for its cricket channels.
During proceedings held at broadcast tribunal TDSAT, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India contended that prices were fixed after completing due process and it would not start the process again.
TRAI also said it had the powers to fix prices and it was ready to argue the matter further in the tribunal.
Later, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal bench headed by Justice Arun Kumar posted the matter for hearing on April 30.
TRAI had on January 12 directed Nimbus to reduce the price of its channel to Rs 21.25 in non-CAS areas and Rs 5 in notified CAS areas. Nimbus had originally priced its channels Neo Sports and Neo Sports Plus at Rs 49.50 a month each and Rs 58.50 for both.
The sports broadcaster, which bought telecast rights for matches featuring the Indian team from BCCI for 612 million dollars, had contended that TRAI fixed the prices without giving it proper representation.
It has also prayed the tribunal to direct TRAI to disclose the material based on which the price was fixed.
Meanwhile, TDSAT also issued notice to TRAI on another petition related to the same matter filed by one Pune-based NGO Grahak Hitvardhini Sarvajanik Sanstha.
The NGO has challenged the price fixed by TRAI describing it as exorbitant and unaffordable for common people. PTI
Chaudhry to file petition against Presidential reference
K J M Varma
Islamabad, Apr 17 (PTI) Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry plans to file a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Presidential reference against him and the composition of a five-judge panel hearing charges that he misused his authority.
With the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) headed by Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwan Das set to resume the hearing on charges against Chaudhry, Aitjaz Ahassan, the lawyer of the suspended judge, said he would file a petition in the apex court questioning the President Pervez Musharraf's reference based on which he was suspended.
Several opposition parties and lawyers' organisations have again announced to organise a protest in front of the Supreme Court here tomorrow against the suspension of Chaudhry. The protests have now become a norm whenever Chaudhry attends the SJC hearing, posing a major challenge to Musharraf's regime.
Ahassan told reporters that the petition would also challenge the decision of the government to make a "non-functional" Chief Justice and asserted that an action against a delinquent judge can be taken only after the SJC gives its final verdict.
The draft petition, details of which were circulated to the media here today, challenges the SJC's composition with the argument that an Acting Chief Justice cannot head its meetings and no "biased" judge can be its member.
Chaudhry had earlier accused three of the SJC's five judges of bias against him. PTI
79 people hospitalised due to food poisoning in China
Beijing, Apr 17 (PTI) Over 79 people, including 19 middle school students were hospitalised due to food piosoning, the third such incident within a week, local officials said today.
Over 60 migrant workers in the eastern metropolis, Shanghai were hospitalised after eating at a construction site cafeteria yesterday, local food safety authorities reported today.
The workers fell ill after eating supper and were taken to hospital today morning after being diagnosed with food poisoning. All are reported to be in a stable condition.
The cause of the food poisoning is still unknown and an investigation is in progress, Xinhua news agency reported.
The incident follows hot on the heels of two other mass poisonings in the country this month. 19 middle-school students were hospitalised yesterday with suspected food poisoning after eating lunch in a school cafeteria in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province.
On April 9, one person died and over 200 people fell ill in Harbin in northeastern China after they ate a hospital breakfast suspected of being contaminated with rat poison. PTI
Bhutto, Musharraf reach agreement: report
Islamabad, Apr 17 (PTI) Exiled former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto has agreed to support President Pervez Musharraf's re-election in return for the country's National Accountability Bureau dropping a host of corruption cases against her, a media report today said.
Quoting a draft agreement reached between top emissaries of the two leaders, the report said, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) will first support Musharraf's re-election by the present assemblies which will be endorsed by the new houses after the general elections.
In return, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which was pursuing a host of corruption cases against Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari in Swiss courts, would drop them, 'The Daily Times' reported.
According to the report, the emissaries of the two leaders gave the finalised draft of the deal on Sunday night after four rounds of talks held in Dubai and Islamabad in less than a week.
A close relative of Benazir is said to be brokering the deal on her behalf, while a six-member team, headed by Tariq Aziz, National Security Council Secretary and top aide of the President, represented Musharraf at the talks.
Bhutto's close associate and PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim was also involved in the talks, it said.
During the fresh round of talks in Dubai last Friday and Saturday, the president's uniform that is his continuation as Army Chief remained the bone of contention. PTI
India emerging as Surgical tourism destination
Toronto, Apr 17 (PTI) India is emerging as an important destination for Canadian patients who are tired of long surgical wait time and are increasingly prefer to have their operations performed in the country.
Clarke, 34, affected with severe chronic back pain likely caused by work injuries, found no one in the Canadian health care system able or willing to ease his suffering.
"I've seen three to four surgeons over almost three years," he said. "Each time, I've waited a year to see these surgeons and once I did see them, they had nothing to offer. Nothing at all." He then decided to try out a television ad offering surgery in a matter of weeks at a hospital in India. The ad was for a company appropriately called Surgical Tourism Canada, a Vancouver-based company founded in July 2005. The company offers surgery overseas for about USD 15,000, with four weeks of rehab in a five-star hotel.
Clarke remembered what his first thought was when he saw the ad: "If I don't have something happen within the next year or two, I could be in a wheelchair and there won't be anything that can be done about it. So this opportunity, I have to grab it." Clarke left for the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, India. There, tests quickly showed he had two severely damaged discs. PTI
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