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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The European Union is aiming for an October signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) with India, trade chief Karel de Gucht said on Thursday, which could open up new export opportunities worth $9 billion for India.

As a bloc, the 27-nation EU is India's largest trading partner and the two have been negotiating an FTA since 2007.

But talks have snagged over differences about market access, procurement and the EU's efforts to link trade with issues such as child labour.

"We share the view ... Our aim should be that this deal is done by the next summit meeting between the European Union and India which is due to take place in October," de Gucht told reporters in the Indian capital.

"This will mean that we will speed up the negotiations, so the negotiators have some busy weeks and months before them."

India has in the past emphasised that what New Delhi sees as extraneous issues, such as child labour or India's environmental performance, be kept off the table in free trade discussions with the EU that have gone through eight rounds so far.

De Gucht said India needed to address the issue of child labour, though he did not see the topic as a "deal-breaker".

"We have told our Indian counterpart repeatedly in the past that this is a topic that has to be addressed," he said, when asked if issues such as child labour were still key to the talks.

"European parliament will never agree, I think, to a deal that would remain silent on these topics," he added.

Trade between India and the EU currently stands at 78 billion euros ($107 billion), but is still less than one-fifth the value of the EU's trade with China.

De Gucht wrote in the Economic Times daily on Thursday that a free trade deal could create new export opportunities worth $9 billion for Indian industries.

DOHA'S HEAVY WATERS

De Gucht said he hoped for a conclusion of the Doha round of global trade talks by the year-end and the Group of 20 (G20) major economies ought to give their negotiators the flexibility to achieve this goal which they have endorsed.

But he has said the talks may spill over into 2011.

"At this moment in time, the Doha negotiations are in heavy waters," he said. "If the G20 leaders are tasking us to come to a deal, then there should also be the necessary margin of maneuvering, negotiation margin, to come to a deal."

The Doha talks were launched in the Qatari capital in late 2001 to free up world trade and help poor countries by opening up markets and cutting tariffs and subsidies in rich countries.

The 153-nation talks collapsed in 2008 over a dispute between the United States and Europe, and India and China, on protection for farmers in rich economies and shields for industrial goods coming from developing nations.

Many political leaders say concluding the talks would provide a much needed boost to the global economy.

Against the backdrop of slow progress on Doha, both the EU and India have pushed ahead with negotiating and signing several bilateral trade deals in recent years.

After a visit from De Gucht, Singapore on Wednesday announced it would start free trade talks with the EU, also its largest trading partner.

(Editing by Bill Tarrant)

EU trade chief says aiming for India FTA by October
 
India to require 1,030 aircraft worth USD 138 billion over 20 years:

Airbus Global Market Forecast
By TBM Staff | Mumbai

According to Airbus's Global Market Forecast between 2009 and 2028, carriers in India will require 1,032 aircraft valued at USD138 billion to serve strong demand for passenger air travel and freight and to replace ageing fleets with new more fuel-efficient aircraft. Out of these, 993 are new passenger aircraft valued at USD 131 billion and 39 are new freighters valued at USD seven billion. The number of new aircraft required by Indian carriers is the world's fifth biggest.

The new passenger aircraft consists of 638 single aisles such as the A320 Family, 287 twin aisles such as the A350 XWB and A330/A340, and 68 large aircraft such as the A380. The freighter requirement is for 39 new aircraft such as the A330-200F. By 2028, Indian passenger fleet will almost quadruple to 1,163 aircraft. As well as an additional 993 new passenger aircraft, 170 will remain in service. The freighter market will grow nearly 20 fold by 2028, mushrooming to 210 aircraft comprising of 39 new freighters and 171 conversions from passenger aircraft.

India will be the fastest growing country for air travel for the next ten years with domestic traffic increasing by an average 12.2 per cent per year. Traffic growth will also be amongst the world's highest averaging 7.3 per cent over the next 20 years compared to 4.7 per cent world average.

Growing urbanisation, as well as the increasing number of dynamic mega-cities particularly in the Asia-Pacific region are driving demand for larger aircraft in all categories. India's proximity to fast growing economies, its relatively nascent aviation market and the county's growing economy are all factors fuelling demand for air travel. By 2028, India's gross domestic production is forecast to surpass that of the UK.

Miranda Mills, Vice President, Sales, India, Airbus said, “The Indian economy is showing signs of rebounding and this will translate to new aircraft orders by 2012. Long term, the potential for growth in India's aviation sector remains exceptional. Airbus has been a partner to the India aviation sector for longer than any other aircraft manufacturer and with Airbus' modern and fuel efficient range of eco-efficient products; we believe this partnership will continue to flourish.”

Airbus' partnership with India dates back to 1974 when the first Airbus was ordered. Today, nearly half of all A320 are produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and over 150 highly trained local engineering talent working on high end analysis and design work at the Airbus Engineering Centre India (AECI). Established in 2006, the Centre will grow to 400 by 2012. The Bengaluru Airbus Training India (ATI) will have the capacity to train up to 1,000 pilots per year. Today, Airbus wins about 70 per cent of Indian aircraft orders and represents 65 per cent of India's fleet.
 
GM to expand R&D activities in India, to hire 400 engineers
PTI, Mar 7, 2010, 07.28pm IST

MUMBAI: General Motors India will expand its research and development (R&D) activities in India for which it will be hiring 400 more engineers by the end of this year, a top company official said on Sunday.

"We have plans to hire around 400 engineers in our dedicated technical centre in Bangalore and we would like the R&D facility here to grow," General Motors, President and Managing Director Karl Slym said.

This follows its plans to export vehicles out of India over next three to four years in the country.

The company is in the process of recruiting more engineers to look after every process including transmission, engines, hybrids and controls. Over 700 engineers are already working at its power train design centre to support automatic transmission and advanced automotive design technologies at its local and global operations, he said.

GM to expand R&D activities in India, to hire 400 engineers - India Business - Biz - The Times of India
 
The IIMs have shown excellent placement records so far with most of the students being places within a week of the commencement of placements. Not just that, the highest package offered so far is more than a whooping crore!

The placement scene in IIMs A, B, C were most encouraging with students from these schools bagging record offers of more than a crore. A student of IIM C bagged the highest offer of Rs. 1.65 crore followed by an IIM A student who was offered Rs.1.44 crore and an IIM B student who bagged Rs. 1.14 crore

IIM-Bangalore showed 100% placement in just five days and also had a 41% increase in slot zero placements. Its chief recruiters were Mckinsey, Bain & Company, AT Kearney, Boston Consulting Group, Nomura, and Temasek Holdings. The percentage of different sectors offering jobs were 27% from the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector, 20% from the information technology and systems, 12% from the marketing segment and 22% from consulting. The highest salary package of course was Rs.1.14 crore.

IIM Calcutta is having an excellent run with a record highest pay package of Rs.1.65 bagged by its student. Almost 410 students have been offered jobs at the Indian School of Business (ISB), which offered packages of around Rs 90-95 lakh. Key recruiters were from the Investment banking and consulting sectors. Investment banking companies included Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and McKinsey. From the consulting sector, BCG and Bain Capital offered the best jobs. There were some big IT recruiters as well including Cognizant, Accenture, IBM and Infosys. Other big recruiters were Pepsi and Hindustan Unilever. The highest domestic pay package too is more than a handsome Rs.60 lakh p.a. The average domestic pay package is between Rs. 16-17 lakhs. The institute has already placed 260 students in four days and is expected to place the remaining students by today.

IIM Kozhikode also recorded 100% placement in 2 weeks. The top recruiters were from the manufacturing, consulting, and banking sectors with the consulting sector recruiting 30% of the 300 students. The average salary package is Rs 14 lakh p.a which is 24% more than last year. The highest salary package offered is Rs 50 lakh per year which again is up by 46% since last year.
 
speaks loud and clear about education quality in India. Education is the prime focus of India now and its working very nice and quick.
 
yeah , but surprisingly IIM-C tops this time...
 
July opening for Rs.170 crore titanium sponge plant

Titanium sponge plant- India the fifth producer in the world

Thiruvananthapuram, March 11 : A Rs. 170 crore titanium sponge plant in Kollam is expected to be commissioned in July, making India the fifth producer in the world of what is considered the metal of the 21st century and which has immense space and defence applications.

Being funded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) the plant is being set up by Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) and will annually produce 500 tonnes of titanium sponge.

"Initially the plant was envisaged to cost Rs.100 crore, but due to the cost escalation it will now cost Rs.170 crore," Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem told IANS.

"The raw material for production of titanium sponge would be supplied by KMML and it would be titanium dioxide, which would be processed from the mineral-rich sand found in the coastal areas of the state," Kareem added.

The Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is now in the last stages of separating magnesium from titanium dioxide.

"This is vital because for the titanium sponge plant to be commercially viable, magnesium has to be separated from titanium dioxide and what we are told is that the DMRL is expected to make this separation soon," Kareem said.

Titanium is described as the metal of the 21st century, known for its high strength, light weight and non-corrosive and non-reactive properties. It finds immense use in space and defence applications. Titanium also finds use in surgical transplants, atomic energy and jewellery.

Kareem also said the state government had given the nod to set up a Mineral Research Institute at the KMML campus.

"Research in this area is of vital importance because we have all the natural resources and the need of the hour now is value addition. For that, this new institute, which would also have a state-of-the-art laboratory, would be helpful," said Kareem.

A meeting of experts will be held here next month to discuss the setting up of the institute.

Representatives from DMRL, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, the Science and Technology Department and vice chancellors of the Kerala and Cochin University will attend the meeting, Kareem said.
 
Currently travancore titanium is producing titanium dioxide which is used in pigment industry,any way happy to here kerala is utilizing its natural resources
 
commonly referred to as “black sand”. This sand is mixed with heavy minerals like monazite, ilmanite, rutile and zircon, which gives it its characteristic black colour. And their uses are as exotic as their names: ilmanite and rutile are used in the production of white pigment, titanium metal and as flux for welding electrodes; zircon is used in the ceramics and refractory industries, as a raw material for the production of metal, and as an alloy for use as structural material in nuclear power reactors. Monazite is radioactive because it contains thorium and uranium. It is estimated that the heavy mineral content in the area is 17 million tonnes out of a total raw sand reserve of 242 million tonnes (the ilmanite content itself is an impressive 9 million tonnes).

it is found in The four panchayats of Chavara, Neendakara, Ponmana and Alapada, which include the villages of Pandaraturuthu, Cheriazhikal, Alapada, Kuzhithari, Parayakadavu, Sriyikkdu and Azheekal in Kollam district of coastal Kerala
 
India enters league of top-10 industrial producers

New Delhi, March 11

The continued buoyancy in the country's industrial production in the current fiscal has got appreciation from the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) which has commended it for having emerged as one of the world's top-10 countries in industrial production in 2009.


In its latest Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2010, the Vienna-based UN body said in 2009 India overtook developed countries such as Canada and Mexico and emerging economies such as Brazil to move up to the ninth slot among the world's top-10 industrial countries.

India has forged ahead three places from the twelfth position it held in 2008. The top-10 in 2009 are the US, China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, France, Italy, the UK, India and Brazil.

The sectors in which India figures among the world top-10 include textiles, leather, leather products and footwear, coke, refined petroleum products, nuclear fuel, chemicals and chemical products, basic metals, electrical machinery and apparatus and other transport equipment, other than motor vehicles, trailers, semi-trailers.

In the face of the world financial crisis and its aftermath, India maintained its industrial growth and as a result, it overtook major competitors in the developing world. But, manufacturing value added (MVA) per capita of India is still lower compared to Brazil and Mexico, the UNIDO said. India's MVA per capita, according to the Yearbook, is $283, compared to $631 of Brazil and $1,093 of Mexico.

The Hindu Business Line : India enters league of top-10 industrial producers
 
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