Industry Reports

Public-Private Partnerships in India’s National Highways

Sept. 15 – The Indian government foresees Rs. 50,000 crore (US$10.54 billion) in private investments in the highways sector this fiscal as it awards contracts for building 7,300 kilometers (4,536 miles) of roads.

According to India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, bids for about 4,600 kilometers have already been received or invited this year and the Ministry will award concessions for 7,300 kilometers before the year ends.

In the first four months of the current year, the government has awarded public-private partnership (PPP) projects with an investment of over Rs. 21,000 crore. The bids received are far better than estimated bids for these projects. This will give the government additional revenues of more than Rs. 10,000 crore. Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive, Business, FDI and Foreign Trade, Shipping & Logistics | Leave a comment

India’s Foreign Trade in June 2011

Exports
Aug. 5 – India’s exports through June 2011 were valued at US$29.21 billion, which was 46.45 percent superior to the level of US$19.94 billion seen in June 2010. On an expanded timeframe, the growing value of exports for the period April-June 2011-12 was US$79.00 billion against US$54.22 billion over the same period a year earlier – good for a 45.71 percent increase.

Imports
India’s imports for the duration of June 2011 came to US$36.87 billion, showing a growth of 42.46 percent over the level of imports valued at US$25.88 billion in June 2010. An increasing value of imports for the interval of April-June 2011-12 was US$110.61 billion as against US$81.20 billion over the same period in 2010 – good for a 36.22 percent increase. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy and Politics, FDI and Foreign Trade, Oil & Petroleum | Leave a comment

Ford to Invest US$1 Billion in New Gujarat Plant

Jul. 29 – U.S. auto giant Ford said yesterday it would invest US$1 billion to build a vehicle assembly and engine plant in Gujarat as it increases production to exploit the country’s burgeoning car market. The new factory will employ around 5,000 workers and will be the firm’s second in India.

“Ford has very aggressive expansion plans in India and in Asia Pacific and Africa,” stated Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive, Business, Chennai, FDI and Foreign Trade | Leave a comment

Germany’s Merkel Arrives in India

Jun. 2 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in India on Tuesday May 31 for a two day visit, accompanied by four cabinet ministers, several high-ranking officials, members of parliament, and representatives of German businesses, educational institutions and training organizations.

Merkel’s visit to India is to fortify ties between India and German and look forward to greater common cooperation in the fields of environment, energy, security, infrastructure, vocational skills and high tech areas of defense for which agreements are likely to be signed during her visit. Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Business, FDI and Foreign Trade, Markets | Leave a comment

Indian Businesses Active in Foreign Cooperation

Mar. 31 – Indian businesses have been busy recently signing new cooperations with foreign companies across the world. Here we provide a summary of some of the most important deals Indian companies have signed across several industries.

Ashok Leyland and Nissan unveil first LCV
India’s second largest heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland rolled out its first light commercial vehicle (LCV) Dost together with its partner, the Japan-headquartered automaker Nissan. As the current joint venture between the two companies covers cooperation in manufacturing, technology and power train for LCV production, in the future the two parties will likely expand their JV to include van design and development. Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive, Business, Chemical & Pharmaceutical, FDI and Foreign Trade, Retail | 1 Comment

2011 Budget Proposal May Lead to Price Hike in Luxury Cars

Mar. 23 – India’s auto companies that import parts for their assembled car manufacturing may face a cost increase due to the country’s growing customs duty on pre-assembled parts and the expanded definition of semi-knocked down (SKD) kits.

The recent Indian 2011 budget proposal says that automakers that import pre-assembled components will need to pay a 60 percent customs duty, while the import duty for completely-knocked down (CKD) kits is only 10 percent. At the same time, the new proposal also set up a wider definition of SKD kits: not only is a pre-assembled engine, gearbox or transmission mechanism considered as an SKD kit, but now a body assembly coupled with an assembled engine, gearbox or transmission installed is also counted as an SKD kit. Since those two categories were previously classified as CKD kits, the definition alteration means auto companies that produce with those imported components will bear a higher customs duty. Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive, FDI and Foreign Trade, Regulatory Update | 1 Comment

Rolls Royce to Double India Dealerships

Feb. 22 – Luxury car-maker Rolls Royce has stated they will be expanding their network in India to take advantages of the new sales opportunities in the country. India is the manufacturer’s second-fastest growing market in Asia.

“India is one of the major markets for us in Asia, the second-fastest growing after China,” Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer Torsten Muller Otvos told reporters in Delhi. “We want to be present where our customers are, so we are looking at enhancing our distribution.” Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive, Business, Economy and Politics, FDI and Foreign Trade | Leave a comment

Indian IT Companies Don’t Agree on Outsourcing Demand in 2011

Feb. 21 – Indian information technology (IT) firms have split expectations on the outlook of IT outsourcing demand in 2011, with the top three IT companies believing their revenue will keep going up and others thinking the opposite, a recent report on the Wall Street Journal said.

After a prosperous 2010, the big three Indian IT companies – Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro Technologies and Infosys – remain optimistic regarding their expected performance in the new year. N. Chandrasekaran, chief executive of TCS, India’s largest software exporter by revenue, said that he expects a greater demand for IT outsourcing services in 2011. Continue reading →

Posted in FDI and Foreign Trade, IT & Telecom | 1 Comment