green signal: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has granted permission to Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited for launching anti-ulcer drug "Ranitidine" in the US. The company is expected to file nearly 10 more additional new drug applications with the FDA. Ranbaxy is also planning to introduce at least 12 more products in the US. Drugs such as Phenobarbital, Seconal Sodium, Amytal Sodium, Trinal, Morphine Sulphate, Opium Tincture, Codeine Phosphate and Nalfon will be launched by June 1998. The company plans to launch Cephalexin, Propoxyphene and Netriphylline in the US market.
life-saving vaccine: India's first genetically engineered hepatitis-B vaccine is now commercially available. Hyderabad-based company, Shantha Biotecnics has developed the vaccine. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has also assisted for developing the product called Shanvac-B. Varaprasad Reddy, managing director of Shantha Biotecnics, says that India would not only save foreign exchange worth US $14 million, but also earn a forex through exports of the vaccine to countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Shanvac-B would cost Rs 190 for an adult dose as against Rs 480 for the imported vaccine procured from Belgium. The Paediatric vaccine is priced at Rs 140.
hydel project on card: Himachal Pradesh government has agreed to entrust development of small hydropotential on the Ravi river basin to National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) . There are nearly 49 small hydro projects identified on the river and its tributaries in the Chamba district of the state. Most of these projects, are set up near the Baira Siul and Chamera projects of NHPC.
mega merger: Enron has tied up with the Qatar Gas Petroleum Corporation (QGPC) for importing five million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into India. The first ship carrying LPG from Qatar is expected to reach Dabhol, Maharashtra, in the year 2001. Of the five million tonnes of LNG that Enron plans to import in this country, two million tonnes would be consumed by its power plant at Dabhol. Rest would be sold to other consumers in the Dabhol-Mumbai-Hazira belt. Enron plans to invest around US $5 billion in the LNG project, which includes a liquefaction plant in Qatar and tankers for shipping LNG to India.
project water: Eight companies including Humes Industries of Malaysia, Thames Water and Biwater of the UK, GVK Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bovis India and Larsen & Toubro have been shortlisted for the Rs 2,000-crore Bangalore water supply project. The project will be part of the second phase of the Cauvery Water Supply Stage Four Programme. The first three stages of the Cauvery Programme have already been implemented and involve the daily supply of 540 million litres to residents. The Bangalore water supply project is the first of its kind in the country.
pact for knowledge: India and Germany will exchange researchers under a memorandum of understanding signed by V S Ramamurthy, secretary, department of science and technology and Theodor Berchem, president, German Academia Exchange Service. The new agreement was signed recently and it will help expose Indian students to international working standards. This will benefit them when they return home to work in industries here, Ramaurthy said.
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