HOC registers record sales: Hindustan Organics Ltd (HOCL) has recorded its highest-ever production (2.71 lakh million tonnes) and sales volume of 1.85 lakh tonnes during the year 1998-99. The corresponding figures for the previous year were 2.69 lakh tonnes and 1.695 lakh tonnes respectively, acompany release said in New Delhi on Monday. Capacity utilisation was 94 per cent, compared to 91 per cent in the previous year.

Honda City posts 125 % growth: Honda Siel Cars India Ltd (HSCI) sold 1,359 units of its mid-size sedan 'City' during March 1999, which represents a 125 per cent surge over February and is the highest sales by the company in a single month since its launch in January 1998. With this, the company closed its first full fiscal 1998-99 with a sales figure of 9,631 units. HSCI has, since its launch, sold 10,971 units, a statement issued here said.

RCF signs pact with Centre: Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the financial year 1999-2000 with the Government of India. The MoU is a scheme evolved by the Government with the twin objective of imparting greater authority in the functioning of PSUs and at the same time making them more accountable.

Motorola wins $219m, 3-year defence contract: Motorola Inc has won acontract valued as much as $219 million from the United States defence department, for phones, pagers, and airtime on the global mobile phone system operated by Iridium LLC, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. People familiar with the deal told the newspaper that the contract is likely to add several thousand users to Iridium's 66-satellite network. The deal could also result in increased marketing of Iridium by Motorola, which built the Iridium system and owns about 19 per cent of Iridium LLC. The three-year contract with the Defence Information Systems Agency allows for a maximum of 28 million minutes of airtime a year.

SRG Infotech, BITS sign pact: SRG Infotech Ltd and Bureau of Information Technology Services India (BITS) have entered into an agreement for pooling of mutual resources towards developing qualitative educational material and continuous assessment of the needs of the education industry. They will set up a virtual university, launch an educational satellite channel which shallsupplement the CBSE courses. SRG Infotech is part of the Delhi-based Rs 300-crore SRG group.The company focuses on software development and exports as well as internet solutions. BITS is a computer education company having more than 100 centres across the country.

PCS launches Siirus: PCS Industries Ltd has launched a high-powered server SiiRUS. Certified from Novell as an enhanced security server, the product is ideal for small and medium sized enterprises, graphic workstations. The server is suited for the internet. The server is powered by an Intel Pentium II processor and has an integrated Intel Ether Express LAN controller for 10 base T/100 base TX connectivity. It has an integrated Adaptec AIC 7890 ultra wide SCSI controller for enhanced data interchange besides PCI bus master IDE controller for IDE services.

IIPL develops Automate: IIPL, the Delhi-based software company has developed Automate, an automatic workshop and inventory management software. The product is deployed at over 275Maruti dealers and service stations across the country. The software is fully Y2K compliant and enables 151 reports covering financial, management and shop floor operations for automobile workshops.

BT Teleconsult to help Lanka telecom Y2K audit: BT Teleconsult, a unit of British Telecommunications Plc, will help Sri Lanka conduct an audit of the Y2K compliance of the country's telecommunication sector, a senior official said on Monday. "BT Teleconsult will conduct a workshop in May and thereafter help us conduct an audit," Rohan Samarajiva, director general of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, told a news conference. He said Sri Lanka's telecommunication companies are expected to provide contingency plans for the millennium bug by April 23.

HCL Infosystems orders: HCL Infosystems Ltd, a systems integrator major, on Monday announced that the company has booked orders worth over Rs 105 crore in March 1999. A company release said the company has gained the highest valueof orders from central and state governments, which includes Department of Forestry, National Informatics Centre, Department of Customs and Excise, the Office of CAG and Directorate of Technology. Another highlight of company's performance in March are orders received from the defence sector, including the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard. The company has received several orders from private and public sector banks.

Baan launches ERP module: Baan Infosystems on Monday launched "India localisation", a customised enterprise resource planning (ERP) module, which it claims, simplifies four key areas of statutory Indian legislation. The new ERP module addresses central excise, sales tax, octroi and income tax - including tax deduction at source (TDS). "Indian tax laws are complex, requiring a multitude of documents and compliance reports at each step of the process. In most cases, the process cannot be supported by a generic ERP software taxation module," said CEO D Bharath.

Rs 4250-cr IBRD loanfor AP electricity board

Efforts are on to strenghten the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board (APSEB) with a World Bank assistance of Rs 4250 crore, as part of the state government's strategy to generate 8,000 mw power by 2005 AD, state power minister K Ramachandraraju said on Monday. Talking to newsmen in Hyderabad, he said the APSEB would enlist theservices of leading corporate power generating firms for this purpose, besides drawing power from the national grid. The other measures to strengthen the board included major changes in the billing system, laying of underground cables, computerisation and filling up of vacancies. The erection of new power lines in the state was under progress with a Rs 1000 crore assistance from the United Kingdom and Japan. A 5000-mw line was being laid from the NTPC unit in Orissa to its Gajuwaka unit in Visakhapatnam district, he said.

HPSEB to set up composite transmission system

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said on Monday that theHimachal Pradesh state Electricity Board (HPSEB) had finalised a proposal to develop a composite transmission system with the help of Power Grid Corporation of India to facilitate wheeling of power from generation sites to other states. He was moving a motion in the state Assembly to seek discussions on the budget estimates for 1999-2000 and the revised estimates for 1998-99 of the state electricity board which were already laid on the table of the House on March 26 this year. He said that the private and state-run projects would thus have access to a developed evacuation system and they would be able to sell their power to neighbouring states. Dhumal said that according to the study about Rs 2300 crore would be required for developing this system. The board was considering various facets of this scheme including means of financing it, he added.

Raichur plant to be designated as super thermal power station

The Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) will become a super power station with thecommissioning of its fifth unit, Karnataka Power Corporation Limited's chief engineer L Sreeranga Raju said in Bijapur on Monday. A total amount of Rs 1,500 crore was spent for the fifth and sixth units and the sixth unit would be completed by the end of July this year. Raju said that foundation stone would be laid for the thermal unit to be installed at a cost of Rs 520 crore. He said completion of the fifth unit within 28 months against the target of 36 months was a record achievement.

Moily wants Central scrutiny on Bi-Water project

Former Karnataka chief minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday called for Central government scrutiny of the state's decision to prefer UK-based transnational Malaysian subsidiary, Bi-Water, to execute a drinking water supply scheme to Bangalore from Cauvery river, alleging that the `deal was shrouded with mystery and against all cannons of public policy'.Speaking at a press conference in Bangalore, Moily alleged the state government had violated all norms in finalisinga policy decision of privatising drinking water supply sector, the first of its kind in the nation, without regard to study on its consequences. He alleged the state government had bypassed the high-power infrastructure committee set up in the state to scrutinise such projects and approved the project under pressure from certain international forces.