Flash-Headline :WIPRO SET TO TRAIN 10K EXPERTS BY 2010

INDUSTRY
WIPRO SET TO TRAIN 10K EXPERTS BY 2010
Bangalore
The Economic Times The Hindu Business Line Mint Business Standard The Hindu The Hindu Business LineWipro Technologies has teamed up with academia to launch Mission10X, an initiative that aims to enhance employability of graduate engineers in India. The programme will promote systematic changes to current teaching-learning paradigms in engineering education.
Mission10X will use the Wipro Learning Model to help faculty make a student imbibe higher levels of understanding of a subject along with development of soft skills and analytical skills. The programme involves capability-building workshops for faculty and will be rolled out across the country in a phased manner.
Wipro Technologies vice-president - talent transformation Selvan D, said, the target of Mission10X initiative is to equip 1,000 faculty in the current fiscal, 3,000 next year and 6,000 in the year after, taking the total faculty trained to 10,000 people by 2010.
After launching the programme on Teacher's Day, Wipro chief Azim Premji said, "this year, about 5 lakh engineers including 1.5 lakh diploma holders will graduate in the country. The spending on education has grown five times in the last 50 years, engineering colleges are growing at 20% a year and quality of engineering education is also getting a boost.''


MEGA TOWNSHIPS GET THE GREEN SIGNAL
R Jayaprakash, Bangalore
The Times of India A huge Rs 25,000-crore investment in the form of 11 integrated townships for IT, BT and ITES sectors is on its way in Bangalore.
In a major boost to IT and the real estate sector, the Karnataka government has given the green signal to 11 local, national and international developers to set up mega townships in the city.
The state high-level committee, headed by the chief minister, which recently sanctioned 59 big projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore, has okayed IT-related, real estate proposals, which will be spread over 100 and 200 acres each, with every company estimated to spend somewhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 crore. The projects will come up at Sarjapur Road, Whitefield, Magadi and Bidadi.
"All project promoters are keen only on Bangalore, as they want to put up massive self-contained integrated townships. The high-level committee has, in principle, agreed to the projects and a list of these companies with project details will be sent to the government for cabinet approval," said industries department officials.
The size of the projects will give a major fillip to the IT sector, which is crying for more space. "The initiative will put a check on IT companies looking outside Karnataka to set up campuses," the officials added.
Some firms have formed a consortia after tying up with US and Singapore-based companies to put up integrated townships.


OPINION
'INDIA WILL EMERGE AMONG TOP 3 ECONOMIC POWERS IN 25 YRS'
New Delhi
The Hindu Business Line Global chip giant Intel today announced an alliance of 16 companies under its 'World Ahead Program' to apply technology in health, education and rural empowerment in the country, while its Chairman Dr Craig Barrett exuded confidence that India would emerge among the top three economic powers in the next 20-25 years.
Dr Barrett, who is currently on the last leg of his India visit, said while the country had been a bit slow in bringing out semiconductor policy, thereby missing the window on Intel's manufacturing facility for now, India is still rated high on its list for future capacity building.
Asking the Government not to protect legacy technologies, he said that the company was in discussion with the Government for "including WiMax in 3G spectrum capabilities".
"My past comments on the need for Government to be technology-neutral are generic, and not targeted at India, in particular. New broadband and wireless technologies can improve connectivity for countries such as India and therefore countries need to make sure that they take a technology-neutral approach and not protect legacy technologies," Dr Barrett said at a conference here.
Responding to media queries on the company's chip manufacturing plans, he pointed out that Intel worked out its manufacturing capacity planning "years in advance".
He further asserted that India would become a strong economic powerhouse in the coming years.
"If India continues to grow at over 8 percent, one can do the maths and see how long it takes for India to come in the top three economies worldwide. Countries like India and China will have faster rate of growth than the developed nations. Depending on how you do the maths it is inevitable, in 20-25 years," he said. Separately, Barrett said Intel expected to respond soon to the US Federal Trade Commission on a likely deal with STMicroelectronics N. V. (STM).
"The FTC has requested for additional minor information. We expect a very rapid response back to FTC and then a rapid response from FTC back to us," he said.
Meanwhile, the 16 Indian companies which are a part of World Ahead Alliance include Apollo, NIIT Ltd, Comat Technologies, Digital Empowerment Foundation, Educomp Solutions, eGovServices, Fortis Healthcare, Karishma Software, Manipal University, Sankara Nethralaya, SN Informatics, SREI SAHAJ e-Village, and TCS.


IT PARKS/SEZ
DDA HALTS COMING PROJECTS NEAR YAMUNA
Kavita Chowdhary, New Delhi
The Indian ExpressThe Delhi Development Authority has put on hold all future projects on the Yamuna riverbed, with the exception of the Commonwealth Games Village, in view of environmental concerns.
Dinesh Rai, the DDA vice-chaiman, said the moratorium would be in place till the high-powered committee, constituted by the Centre last week, studies all environmental aspects related to the riverbed and floodplain.
As per the DDA's decision, the Games Village, the Delhi Metro depot and station, and an Information Technology park being set up by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation are out of this freeze sphere.
The DMRC is building the IT park on 6 out of 59 hectares allotted to it. The DDA has turned down Delhi Metro's request for an additional six hectares.


FASHION CITY COMING UP IN PUDUCHERRY
D Govardan, Chennai
The Economic TimesConstruction work on the Rs 3,000-crore Fashion City in Puducherry, being promoted as a SEZ for the fashion industry, is expected to start in about 30-45 days.
With Jurong of Singapore designing the SEZ, the construction process is likely to be completed in about 12-18 months, enabling the units to start operations. Meant to cater to all segments of fashion industry from apparel to accessories to leather garments, the SEZ will have an IT Park and a large residential township.
The initial development cost for the SEZ has been pegged at around Rs 3,000 crore and will be funded through a mix of debt and equity. "While a part of the equity will come from us (promoters), the rest will come from co-developers of IT Park, residential space and logisticity," he added.


VCF/PVT. EQUITY
CANARA TO INDUCT ALLY IN VENTURE CAPITAL ARM
Abhijit Lele, Mumbai
Business Standard Bangalore-based Canara Bank is considering selling a stake in its venture capital subsidiary, Canbank Venture Funds, which manages a corpus of Rs 117 crore. It has also firmed up plans to float a Rs 250 crore fund to invest in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Canbank VC Fund manages a Rs 100 crore Bharat Nirman Fund, investing in emerging business such as IT/BPO and biotechnology. Canara Bank, Vijaya Bank and Andhra Bank are core contributors to the corpus. The fund has already invested about 75 percent of its corpus and expects to invest the remaining money by March 2008. Canbank Venture provided Rs 74.43 crore of risk capital to 84 SMEs in 2006-07.


M&A
SATYAM EYES $100M BUY IN CONSULTING
Hyderabad
The Economic Times Satyam Computers is on the prowl in the global market. The Nasdaq-listed IT services major is scouting for a third acquisition in the consulting space in the US and Europe, in line with its commitment to strengthen this vertical.
It is looking at spending anywhere between $50 million and $100 million for this buy.
Satyam had flagged off acquisitions in the consulting space in April 2005 when it took over business consulting firm Citisoft with presence in London, Boston and New York. The deal was valued at around $38.7 million. This was followed up with the company buying Singapore-based Knowledge Dynamics, a consulting solutions provider in the business intelligence space, in July 2005. That was an all-cash deal involving a consideration of $3.3 million.
"We are constantly looking at different opportunities for our inorganic growth. Companies in the enterprise business consulting space are on our radar as it will help strengthen our consulting vertical," Satyam head (global marketing & communications) Hari Thalapalli said.
Satyam, which the fourth largest software exporter from India, is currently evaluating half a dozen niche players in this segment. The proposed move ties up with its strategy to offer integrated business solutions to customers. It is specifically looking at companies that will add value in expanding its expertise in enterprise resource planning (ERP) business solutions.
According to Thalapalli, the company's inorganic growth strategy would be on similar lines as that of its earlier acquisitions.
Satyam wants to weave its brand strategy with its inorganic growth plans so as to position itself as a complete business solutions provider that can add value to a customer's requirements.
Satyam is also doing business intelligence services based on simulated models. This will help customers, particularly in the manufacturing segment, to analyse future market trends and make informed decisions. The company's consolidated reserves and surplus stood at around Rs 5,974 crore at the end of the first quarter, this fiscal.


AVOCENT PACT
The TelegraphAvocent, the US-based solution provider for management of servers, networking components and telecom assets, has tied up with Neoteric Infomatique Pvt Ltd. Avocent plans to have a pan-India presence through the latter's distribution network.


SOFTWARE
BAJAJ ALLIANZ PICKS SAS TOOL
Mumbai
The Hindu Business LineSAS Institute (India) Ltd has said that Bajaj Allianz has selected the SAS Rate Making solution for meeting the demands of insurance market. Motor insurance has been de-tariffed since January 2007. , "SAS gives us an edge and provides us a unique ability in determining the right pricing with unmatched and increased accuracy," said. Kamesh Goyal, Chief Executive Officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.


SATYAM TOOL FOR MEDIA COS
Chennai
The Hindu Business Line Mint Business Standard The HinduSatyam Computer Services today launched an Integrated Digital Media Framework (IDMF), a software solution to improve the way media companies reuse content. It will tap traditional publishing companies looking at a Web presence. The solution will help media companies publish their content on the Internet faster and distribute products through multiple channels. The solution was launched on the sidelines of IFRA Expo 2007 here, says a press release from the Hyderabad-based software company. Kevin English, Senior Vice-President, Media & Entertainment, Satyam, in the release said IDMF was not a product, but a combination of several intellectual properties (IP) of Satyam that are in the process of getting patented. It is a framework where several technologies from partner companies have been used underlying the IPs that Satyam has developed. The opportunities to add customer value with IDMF arise out of convergence of devices, data and media and the proliferation of the Internet and devices across both business and lifestyle, said Abhijit Dasgupta, Vice-President, Media & Entertainment, Satyam.


CMC SUCCESS
The TelegraphCMC Ltd's automotive solutions group has achieved Automotive SPICE Organisational Maturity Level 3 certification under the Pathfinder assessment scheme.


INTELLIVISION, CRADLE TECH LAUNCH TRINETRA
Bangalore
The HinduIntellivision Software, a provider of self-service technologies and security solutions, and Cradle Technologies, a Silicon Valley-based semiconductor company, have announced a next generation platform, Trinetra. Developed in India, Trinetra enables intelligent video surveillance and enhanced security, Intellivision's Managing Director, S. Nair, told reporters here.


HARDWARE
INTEL TO RESPOND SHORTLY ON STMICRO DEAL
New Delhi
The Economic Times The TribuneIntel Corp, the world's largest chip maker, will quickly provide information sought by US regulators over its plans to merge its chip unit with STMicroelectronics, and expects a prompt response, its chairman said.
"As you know, the Federal Trade Commission of the US made a second request for some additional minor information before giving approval,"
Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, told reporters on Wednesday. The European Commission has already given Intel and STMicroelectronics permission for the deal, which is backed by private equity firm Francisco Partners.
"We expect a very rapid response back to FTC and then a very rapid response from them back to us," Barrett said.
Barrett is in India for a UN programme to spread the use of computers in remote areas, in which Intel is involved. Last November, he said in New Delhi that Intel was waiting for India to form its semiconductor policy before deciding on plans to begin manufacturing in the country.
"The Indian government was a bit slow in coming out with its semiconductor manufacturing proposal and missed the window of our period of time that we had to commit our next branches of manufacturing capacity. That is a fact. That is the story," Barrett said on Wednesday.
Intel said in March it would invest $2.5 billion to build a microchip plant in northeastern China, which will be its first semiconductor plant in Asia, with the production of chipsets to begin in 2010. But India remained important for the company and was a potential candidate for Intel's future investments, Barrett said.
"When we have need for capacity in future, we will get engaged in discussions with India." Semiconductor firms such as Intel, Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Freescale


NEW QUAD-CORE PROCESSOR TO BE LAUNCHED ON THURSDAY
Hyderabad
The Economic Times The Times of IndiaIntel Corporation will launch its latest quad-core Xeon processor on Thursday. The chip-based server platform in the 7300 series has been code-named 'Tigerton' for the processor and 'Clarkboro' for the chipset with data traffic optimisation.
Earlier, the platform was known as Caneland. "A real OEM quad-core MP (multi-processor) platform was first demonstrated in October last year, with two real-world applications at 2.66Ghz," an Intel India spokesperson said.
The Caneland-based platform will be compatible with 45 nm (nano metre) next-generation Intel core-based processors to be released in 2008. The new chip went from design to production in record time, making it the fastest multi-processor schedule in Intel's history.
"The core micro-architecture introduced a year ago brought energy-efficient performance leadership for us in volume servers. We built on that lead by introducing quad-core into the volume line in November last," the official said.


INT/E-COMM
STATE BANK OF PATIALA LAUNCHES E-TRADING FACILITY
Mumbai
The Economic Times State Bank of Patiala (SBP), in association with SBICAP Securities Ltd (SSL), today launched a 3-in-1 account e-trading facility for their account holders.
The facility envisages SBP account holders investing in secondary equity markets through the on-line trading facility provided by SBICAP Securities Ltd, State Bank Group's broking affiliate.
This facility will allow the account holders of State Bank of Patiala to trade on BSE and NSE equity and derivatives segments without the hassles of running around to a broker's office for placing orders or transfer of stocks by filling up physical delivery instruction slips for their demat accounts.
SSL will provide both the demat account as well as the trading account to the SBP account holders, it said.


BSNL SET TO OFFER NET TELEPHONY
Joji Thomas Philip & Deepshikha Monga, New Delhi
The Economic TimesSoon, BSNL broadband users will be able to make international calls to any part of the world for as low as Re 1 per minute through their fixedline phones. The PSU is all set to float a global tender for technical tie-up to offer Internet telephony services across the country.
BSNL is looking to offer Internet telephony, or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), by the yearend, a top company official told ET on condition of anonymity. That may make BSNL the second telco after MTNL to offer VoIP, where subscribers can enjoy ultra-cheap ISD calls without even having a computer at home.
The PSU had invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from all interested companies latest by August 31, the official said. "However, the EoIs are expected to come in only by September 14-15 as BSNL received too many pre-bid enquiries seeking a lot of clarifications on the tendering process. The tenders will be released by September 15," the source said.
Last month, MTNL, which offers telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai, had launched Internet telephony in these metros by utilising its broadband network. MTNL had tied up with Aksh Optifibre to be its network and technical partner to offer VoIP services. As per the deal, Aksh will invest about Rs 110 crore towards enabling MTNL's VoIP service during the next three years.
The MTNL offer is open to those who did not have a PC at home. Such customers are required to subscribe to MTNL's broadband connection (which comes for monthly rentals starting at Rs 199) and buy an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) for Rs 1,500.
The adaptor converts the fixed line phone into an IP (Internet protocol) device so that the user does not have to use a computer and carry it over the broadband Internet line. Globally, this kind of service, which is fixed to one location, is generally offered by broadband Internet providers such as cable and telephone companies as a cheaper flat-rate equivalent to the traditional landline service.
Sources said that BSNL, which has one million broadband users, too would offer similar schemes to its subscribers. Tariffs too are expected to be on similar lines. This implies, for those who make PC-to-PC calls, the tariffs are likely to be as low as 10 paise per minute, while a call made from a PC to a landline or mobile abroad would cost a little over Re 1 per minute on account of the termination charges. At the same time, BSNL also plans to open up its Internet telephony services to its 2.5 million plus PCOs in the country.
While private operators have so far refrained from matching MTNL's move, BSNL's entry into this segment is set to change the market dynamics and force other operators to follow suit. So far, all major telcos have not ventured into Internet telephony as they fear it will eat into their revenues from traditional mobile and fixed line calls.


INDIA BACKS WIMAX TECH ON 3G NETWORKS
Sreejiraj Eluvangal
MintIndia has joined a growing list of countries supporting the inclusion of Wimax, an emerging wireless telecom technology that promises high data output, in the so-called 3G or third-generation telecom standard.
A certification by the International Telecommunications Union (or ITU, the international industry body that approves the use of various technologies in telecom, among other functions) of Wimax as a 3G technology will enable mobile telecom companies to deploy mobile Wimax networks, if supported by enabling rules in countries such as India that are yet to roll out 3G networks.
Wimax is short for worldwide inter-operability for microwave access, a standard that is capable of data speeds of 10 megabits per second (mbps), up to 2km away from a radio transmitter.
The technology, which promises citywide coverage with a few transmitters, promises enough wireless capacity to support Internet telephony or voice over Internet protocol. 3G is a data-friendly evolution of the existing cellular networks and promises data throughput of 2mbps, but is seen less efficient in use of frequencies than Wimax. Currently, the ITU definition of 3G doesn't include Wimax.
R.N. Agarwal, former wireless adviser to the government of India, said the move would have far-reaching commercial ramifications. "Wimax will also become one of the technologies that a mobile operator can deploy using the 3G spectrum... As far as the operators are concerned, it will give them greater choice," he said.
India's recommendation was made last week in Seoul at a working party meeting of the ITU. If accepted by ITU, Wimax will become the first fully IP (Internet protocol)-based wireless technology to be accepted by the body on a radio-based network.


E-GOVERNANCE
E-GRAM SAMPARK CENTRE OPENS IN KAIMBWALA
Chandigarh
Hindustan Times (Chandigarh edition)UT administrator Gen S. F. Rodrigues (retd) today inaugurated the e-Gram Sampark Centre at Village Kaimbwala on the pattern of the Jan Sampark Services being offered free of cost in the urban areas.


STATE TO OPEN E-POLICE STATION
Mateen Hafeez, Mumbai
The Times of India Maharashtra is finally getting its own full-fledged, cyber crime police station. City police sources said the rising number of cyber crimes as well as the need to protect the growing Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry has made it imperative for the state to get its own committed cyber crime-fighting unit with access to state-of-the-art technology.
The police station has been sanctioned by the home department and is expected to be functioning within three months. It will be the third such police station in the country after the ones in India's IT meccas of Bangalore and Hyderabad. The cyber police will also tackle financial terrorism, which involves money-laundering and hawala, and the online flesh trade.


IT TRAINING
NIIT TO OFFER IT TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN CHINA
Mumbai
Mint The Tribune The Times of India The Hindu The TelegraphLeading IT learning solutions company NIIT Ltd on 5 September said it has entered into an agreement with ChongQing Information Industry Bureau (CQIIB) to provide IT training programmes for universities and colleges in the city of ChongQing.
In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between NIIT CEO Vijay K. Thadani and Secretary General of the Communist Party of ChongQing Wang Yang.
CQIIB is a Chinese government department responsible for growth and development of IT industry in ChongQing.
NIIT would offer training programmes in the areas of software engineering and application, network administration and management, game design and development. The training programmes would be offered in both English and Mandarin.
NIIT would also train and certify the faculties at the institutions apart from training the workforce in IT and non-IT companies in ChongQing, the firm said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.


GOVT SCHOOLS TO GET COMPUTERS
Patna
The Times of IndiaIt may be a dark reality that schools are run in the open and without blackboards, but there is also a growing need to catch up with the modern and urgent necessity of computerisation. The government has decided to make the students of government secondary schools computer-friendly.
"Each of the 2,300 secondary schools will be provided with 10 computers. And each of the 600 schools, which have been upgraded as Plus Two, will get 20 computers," HRD principal secretary Madan Mohan Jha told TOI on Wednesday. This means, the government will procure 35,000 computers for its schools.
CM Nitish Kumar while inaugurating the Teachers' Day function at S K Memorial Hall made brief reference of this scheme. He also announced pension scheme for the newly-recruited teachers in collaboration with UTI. He said under the scheme the teachers would be required to pay nominal premium. The CM said to monitor the recommendations of Common School System (CSS) panel, a committee of secretaries under the chief secretary has been constituted.