BLUE IS GREEN: The Ahmedabad-based
Arvind Mills is buoyant about a new
eco-friendly trademark that has been
awarded to it for its blue denim. It is
the first Indian manufacturer to get
the Eco Tex certification from the
German Ecil Tex Consortium, The
trademark certifies Arvind's denim
as an "Ecologically Optimised
Fabric" (EOF). It is accompanied by a
special emblem symbolising the EOF
quality of the product. The certification is valid for one year and has to be
renewed annually. Environmental
stores in Switzerland such as Globus
and Jumoli will soon be marketing
garments made from EOF denim
much to the delight of the Indian
company.
SPATIAL LINKS: A US
$4 billion project to
build a global mul
timedia communi
cations satellite
system to provide
digital voice, data
and video links has
been proposed by Lockheed Martin,
an American aerospace group. The
system, called Astrolink, plans to use
a constellation of nine geostationary
satellites located in five separate
orbit positions and connected by
intersatellite links for this global
satellite network. Astrolink will provide high-data rate, digital communication services to businesses and
telephone companies worldwide.
PERFECT PCS: Wanting a stronger
foothold in India, the global computer firm, International Business
Machines (IBM), has formed an
alliance with the Tata group. The
joint venture, in which both companies have an equal stake, will be
known as Tata Information Systems
Ltd, Its objectives will include
marketing of the IBM personal computers (PC) in India, export of hardware and software education services, With the personal computer
market growing between 200 to
300 per cent, IBM sees India as all
important market.
SUBMARINE SOIREES:
Kicking off the
latest in the tourist
industry - submarines - is Marlin, a Devon-based
British motor man-
ufacturer. They have designed a
diesel-electric submarine, to be available at many resorts, to attract
tourists to underwater transport.
The submarine will offer clients a
ride from the quilyside rather than
offshore platforms and reach depths
of 300 in. Marlin, which is partly
funded by Midland Bank, says its
vessels cost only $1.1 millionas com-ared to $3 million for the existing
vessels.
FLORAL FLIGHTS: A new floriculture
project is in the offing at Nasik in
Maharashtra. Floated jointly by
Indo-Global Biotec Ambience Ltd
and Iratec, a world-renowned Israeli
agricultural consultancy company,
the project will he one of the largest
in the world, spread over 30 ha with
greenhouses on 18 ha for the cultivation of cut flowers. The company has
also joined hands with Atinarati
Architects of France, well known
promoters of health farms and
resorts, to acquire technical knowhow to bring the 'multi-theme
haven' concept to India, claimed to
enliven the vacationers.
SIPHONING SUN'S RAYS: Having developed a technology for solar
roof panels with an
energy-conWlsion
efficiency of eight
per cent, Japam's
Canon Incorporated
will soon start manofacturing them. The
company has invested US $200 million in a Michiganbased venture with Energy Conversion Devices Incorporated of the US.
Nagahama Canon Incorporated, a
subsidiary of Canon Incorporated,
will produce the solar roof panels by
June '96 with a target capacity of
IO MW per year.
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