55 TH REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA

26 th January 2004 will mark the 55 th Republic Day of India.

On the occasion, High Commissioner, H.E. Mr. Dinesh Kumar Jain, will unfurl the National Flag at a function that morning at India House lawns, followed by the singing of the National Anthem and national songs, and the reading of the President's Republic Day Address to the nation.

ll Indians, as well as all friends and well-wishers of India , are cordially invited to join the Flag-hoisting ceremony at 8.am. on the 26 th January 2004 , at India House (13, Tumbawe Road , Oysterbay).

Minister for Health Visits India

H.E. Ms. Anna Abdallah, Minister for Health, led a Tanzanian delegation to India from December 13-20 at the invitation of two prominent Indian pharmaceutical companies, Ranbaxy and Cipla. These companies would be supplying anti-retroviral drugs to Tanzania at reduced prices as per the recent arrangement worked out by the Clinton Foundation. The main objective of the visit was to strengthen the existing bilateral cooperation between Tanzania and India in the field of Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, with an emphasis on seeking collaboration for R&D against HIV/AIDS. The two countries had signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine during the visit of H.E. Mr. Benjamin William Mkapa, President of Tanzania to India during December, 2002. Presently, India ranks among the largest supplier of pharmaceuticals to Tanzania . Moreover, a good number of Tanzanians visit India regularly for medical treatment, check-up and for serious cases such as open heart surgery. During her visit, H.E. Ms. Abdallah called on her Indian counterpart Hon'ble Mrs. Sushama Swaraj and had substantive discussions on matters of mutual interest. She and her delegation also visited some hospitals in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi , which have been involved in the treatment of Tanzanian patients. Upon her return to Dar es Salaam , she expressed her pleasure and satisfaction on the successful conclusion of her visit.

Now British Patients Turn to India

After call centres, private Indian hospitals are likely to be the next attraction for business from Britain . Due to long waiting lists on the government-run National Health Service, British patients are unable to get speedy treatment for ailments. Taking recourse to private - and speedier - medical care in Britain is prohibitive, and out of pocket of most patients. In this backdrop, India 's private health facilities have begun attracting British patients for treatment at a fraction of the cost of going private in Britain . Some leading Indian hospital chains such as Apollo have been attracting British patients who travel to India , get operated upon or receive the appropriate treatment within a day of landing and return to Britain at an affordable cost. The latest example is of James Campbell from Aberdeenshire, who feels he got his life back after undergoing operations on his knees in Ahmedabad recently. An arthritic, Campbell , 69, made the journey to India rather than wait two years for treatment on the NHS. He could no longer face the crippling pain in his knees. Returning home, he said: "It's the best thing I've ever done. I've finally got my life back. I was treated like royalty in the hospital over there. The staff and facilities were absolutely second to none. The place was so clean you could have eaten food off the floor. I don't think you can say that about many UK hospitals". Campbell said all his life he paid national insurance and taxes, but said his having to go out of Britain for treatment was "a damning indictment of our health service". He was considering going for an operation in a private hospital in Britain that would have cost him £20,000. His treatment in India cost him about £8,000. Campbell booked into the Krishna Heart Institute in Ahmedabad for surgery after researching it on the Internet. He and his wife Pam travelled there in October where he underwent two 45-minute operations, before spending three weeks recuperating. The former shop manager said: "Flying over there for treatment may sound daunting to people but it's something I would highly recommend. Making that journey has allowed me to make the most of my retirement, instead of spending time cooped up in the house waiting for an operation."

Another Prestigious Indian Institution in Tanzania

An Indian organisation has embarked on a prestigious project for starting an engineering college to be known as St. Joseph 's College of Engineering and Technology. The new college will be registered under NACTE and will offer 4 years' Bachelor Degree and 3 years' Diploma in Engineering. The necessary approval of the competent Tanzanian authorities has already been sought and the college is likely to start its first batch in a few weeks. The founders of the College have mentioned that their focus will not be on education alone, but on overall personality development of the students. The College would offer the Bachelor Degrees in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Communications, Computer Science and Information Technology. The eligibility criteria for this will be a pass in minimum 3 subjects in FORM VI with a Science subject in English medium. The Diploma programmes will also be offered in the above streams and also in Mining, Food Processing and Printing Technology. The eligibility criteria for Diploma will be a minimum pass in 3 subjects with English as medium of instruction. For further information, contact address is Mr. TXA Anand, P.O. Box 11007 , Flat No. 7, Plot No. 720, Mfaume Street , Upanga, Dar-es-Salaam. E-mail: jpc-dar@yahoo.com . This will be second Indian institute in Tanzania after Indian Medical & technological University (IMTU) which started a Bachelor degree course in medicine in 1997.

Indian Radio for East Africa

The External Services of All India Radio (AIR) include dedicated programmes daily in 16 foreign and 10 Indian languages including in Kiswahili. These broadcasts are meant for listeners overseas, and for the Indian Diaspora, living in over 100 countries. The programmes cover aspects of culture and tourism, besides topical subjects, matters of national and international importance, and India 's socio-economic milieu.

The following is the latest schedule and frequencies, valid from 26 October 2003 to 28 March 2004 , for the AIR services available in Tanzania and of interest to the people here:

Pak Should Give up 'Attitude of Enmity'

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said that ties between India and Pakistan can improve only if Pakistan is ready to give up its 'attitude of enmity'. He said a 'good beginning' could be made to improve Indo-Pak ties from next month's SAARC summit in Islamabad . " Pakistan 's conduct in the SAARC summit starting in Islamabad early next month will only show whether it wants to improve its relations with India ," Vajpayee said in an interview. Vajpayee, who would be attending the four-day summit of the seven-member grouping from January 4, said good talks have been held earlier too. "But the basic question is whether Pakistan is prepared to give up its attitude of enmity towards India . If yes, a good beginning can be made to improve the ties from the SAARC summit," he said. Asked whether Pakistan 's intention to improve ties was clear, Vajpayee said, "We will only know in Islamabad whether there is any basic change in Pakistan 's attitude." He, however, wanted to know why Pakistan has not granted the Most Favoured Nation status to India whereas New Delhi has already taken such a step. "If the trade between the two countries grows, the flow of people begins and becomes easier and Pakistan sheds its anti-India attitude in national and international fora, then a change in the present situation can be possible," he said. Asked how far India was prepared to go in view of President Pervez Musharraf's statement that old attitudes needed to be shed to resolve problems, Vajpayee said, "It is not a question of going how far. The question is India wants good relations with Pakistan ." He also reiterated that bilateral talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad were linked to terrorism. "The basis for any talks with Pakistan would have to be that they end cross-border terrorism and dismantle terrorist infrastructure and training camps in that country," Vajpayee said, adding, however, that he was willing to discuss economic ties with Pakistan . Vajpayee said since the ceasefire along the India-Pakistan border, infiltration across the Line of Control had reduced considerably. He said Pakistan should also put an end to the feeling of enmity towards India and work towards normalising relations.

On the eve of the SAARC Summit, Mohammad Shehzad of Friday Times , Pakistan's independent and respected weekly newspaper, interviewed External Affairs Minister (EAM) Yashwant Sinha, in New Delhi, on December 25. To a question on Pakistan 's stand that the core problem between the two countries is Kashmir , EAM was emphatic that the differences over the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir are rather a symptom of the problems between India and Pakistan . The real problem is Pakistan 's compulsive hostility towards India … There is no problem or issue between India and Pakistan that cannot be resolved bilaterally and with goodwill. It is India 's firm belief that greater economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts would create an environment in which all issues, including that of J & K, could be addressed. India does not believe there is a dispute. The legal validity of the state's accession to India cannot be questioned. It is an integral part of India . The Simla Agreement between the two countries provides the framework for addressing this question, and also identifies bilateralism as the mechanism to resolve all issues. However, no issue can be resolved in an environment of hostility. There are two aspects to the J&K issue. One involves the people. Finding solutions to the grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is entirely India 's internal responsibility. The other is the ‘final settlement of Jammu and Kashmir ' referred to in the Simla Agreement. This is a matter purely for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally through negotiations. EAM had no doubt that solutions are possible to all problems provided the parties concerned adopt a pragmatic attitude and eschew violence. In fact, between 1972 and 1990, Pakistan avoided any discussion of the issue. It called for talks only after it began using terrorism in J & K as an instrument of its policy and with the hope of leveraging this tool. Pakistan should realise that it cannot hope to obtain through proxy war and terrorism what does not belong to it legally and what it has failed to achieve through repeated wars.

On the so-called ‘third option' – of an independent Kashmir, EAM was equally categorical that t he State is an integral part of India, and there was no question of secession of J&K or any other part of India from the Indian Union. The people of J&K have repeatedly reposed their faith in the Indian democratic system. They braved the bullets of terrorists to participate overwhelmingly in the elections to the State Assembly in October last year. The economy of the State is picking up. Tourism has revived in a big way. The people are clearly aware that their interests are best served by their partaking of the benefits of India 's rapid economic development and her emergence on the world stage as a major power. On the recent ceasefire, he said it is an indication of a new approach and mindset on the part of Pakistan that involves moving away from violence to cooperation. If continued, this approach could lead to the creation of an environment in which all issues could be better addressed. India 's approach to relations with Pakistan is underpinned by our desire to establish peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with all our neighbours. Whether third-party mediation was needed in the face of too much distrust, EAM responded that w hat is required to solve the problems is a willingness on the part of Pakistan to abjure the use of violence as a negotiating instrument. If Pakistan is willing to take decisive steps in this direction, India is ready to expend all her energies to ensure that there is a new dawn in our relations.

About Indian secularism and safety of minorities in India particularly in light of what happened in Gujarat , EAM stated that s ecularism is the backbone of Indian democracy. It is guaranteed by the Constitution. No Government can go against it. The Indian Constitution provides adequate safeguards for the rights of minorities in India . India has an impartial judiciary and a Minorities Commission that thwarts any attempt to curtail the rights of the minorities. The National Democratic Alliance is totally committed to preserving and strengthening the secular character of Indian society. The so-called ‘intensifying trend of Hindutva' people talk about is nothing but a myth. The recent State elections in India were fought on the plank of development and not religion. On the thrust of India's policy vis-à-vis Pakistan and so-called conflicting signals of Indian foreign policy, EAM responded that conflicting signals are seen only by those who look for conflicting signals…there is no lack of coherence or consistency in India's foreign policy. Our goals remain the same. India seeks peace and friendship with Pakistan . But it cannot be a peace dictated with the gun of terrorism pointed at our head all the time. In the aftermath of the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament, India had taken some diplomatic and political steps to send a clear message that we would not tolerate the menace of cross border terrorism. This message had an impact. On January 12, 2002 , President General Pervez Musharraf committed himself and Pakistan to bringing to an end cross border terrorism and dismantling the infrastructure of terrorism on a permanent basis. Following Prime Minister Vajpayee's April 18 initiative, India has provided Pakistan with yet another opportunity to end its attitude of hostility towards India . The peace initiative can succeed, only if there is an end to cross border infiltration and if Pakistan dismantles the infrastructure of terrorism.

Earlier India welcomed the announcement by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that his country would lift the ban on Indian flights over its airspace. Later, the c ivil aviation authorities of the two countries met in New Delhi and took the decision to restore air links from January 1, a fter a gap of two years. India had snapped the links after the December 13, 2001 , Parliament attack , which was blamed on Pakistani terrorists. A statement released at the end of the meeting said: "As per the request of Government of Pakistan, Government of India agreed to the removal of restriction on the type of aircraft up to Boeing 747 capacity to be used by the designated carriers of the two countries. Both sides agreed to hold further discussions to update the existing bilateral air services agreement at a mutually convenient date." Following this Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced that it would start direct flights to Delhi and Mumbai from January 1, restoring aviation links snapped after December 13, 2001 terror attack on Parliament. The PIA would operate 12 flights a week five between Mumbai and Karachi , three on Delhi-Karachi and, four on Delhi-Lahore sectors. Later Indian Airlines announced commencement of its own flights between the two countries from January 9.

Separately former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto publicly acknowledged that Islamabad took a conscious decision to launch a low-intensity proxy war against India in the late 1980s to draw the world's attention to Kashmir . Bhutto's admission of Pakistan 's direct involvement in terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir came at the Hindustan Times Leadership Initiative conference in New Delhi . A joint politico-military decision was taken (by Pakistan ) in 1989. The view was that low-intensity operations will help focus attention on Kashmir ," she said during a question-answer session after her keynote address. The acknowledgement confirms what has been generally known but never admitted by Islamabad . Pakistan has always denied involvement in J&K insurgency, arguing that it is an indigenous struggle. Bhutto said during her two stints as PM, the violence engineered in Kashmir was "limited", suggesting that insurgency was a controlled and carefully calibrated affair restricted to the "disputed area". "The violence was limited in its intensity. It was also limited to the Kashmir Valley . There were few attacks on women and children. The targets were mainly military," she said, repeating that "there were no attacks outside the Valley. But with the change of leadership in Pakistan , the intensity of violence in Kashmir increased. It spread outside the Valley. Mumbai blasts, the attack on Indian Parliament occurred during my stint in the Opposition”. Spreading the proxy war outside the "disputed area" was not on the original agenda, she claimed. She gave Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee the credit for pursuing peace with Pakistan despite the failure of the Agra Summit and said President Pervez Musharraf's statements for normalisation of ties with India "must be put to the test." Speaking at the conference, Bhutto said Vajpayee has indicated that his upcoming visit to Islamabad will include meetings with "everyone", including Musharraf. "This is just as well, as the Pakistani premier's position is presently ceremonial and will remain so until power is transferred to Parliament," Bhutto, who was dismissed as prime minister in 1996, said. Bhutto pointed out all three wars between the two countries had taken place under military dictatorships.

Speaking later at the same forum, Richard Haass, a key foreign policy adviser to the Bush administration, said Pakistan is a "threat to the entire South Asian region and the world" as nothing has been done to dismantle terrorist camps operating from its territory. He also cautioned against getting too sanguine about the recent Indo-Pak ceasefire. Haass, President of the Council of Foreign Relations, New York , said "we welcome it. But let us not lose sight of reality. Nothing has been done by Pakistan to dismantle terrorist camps that still characterise the situation." Presenting the US perspective on "Securing South Asia", he described Pakistan as one of US toughest foreign policy problems and that the challenge was to make Pakistan a modern, functioning democracy. Haass said a stable and secure Pakistan was in India 's interest and "in the long run, we see India and Pakistan as partners with their future intimately intertwined." Participating in the discussion, Pakistan 's Awami Action Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan said madrasas in Pakistan are still being funded by petro dollars from the Middle East . "Unless the funding is controlled, no power will be able to contain fundamentalism which is feeding international terrorism," he said. Khan is the grandson of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan better known as Frontier Gandhi. He said timely action in Afghanistan had prevented the country from becoming an Arab colony and the Taliban was just a front for the Arab-dominated Al Qaeda.

Peace Dividend for South Asia

Inaugurating the conference, "Hindustan Times Leadership Initiative - The Peace Dividend: Progress for India and South Asia", in New Delhi, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee confessed to some sadness that over half a century after all the countries of the region attained independence, this truth still needed to be emphasized. The peace dividend for South Asia as the creation of new hope and opportunity for its billion and a half people is the strongest justification for peace. The investment inputs required to reap this dividend are pragmatic policies, rational economics and popular participation. There can be no argument about our inherent advantages, common interests and complementary strengths, which present a tremendous opportunity for our region to realize its full potential: South Asia's rich and varied human resources; its younger populations which will therefore constitute an increasing proportion of the global workforce in the future; the technological advances that have put us at the vanguard of today's Knowledge Economy; the size and increasing purchasing power of our collective market create economies of scale for cost-effective production; efficient exploitation of our synergies with potential to vastly enhance intra-regional trade; the region's massive untapped capacities for hydropower and unexploited hydrocarbons; the rich diversity of our bio-resources; and our combined political weight and economic strength. The peace dividend lies in converting this exciting potential into vibrant reality. PM urged the region to recapture the ethos of its centuries old tradition of tolerance, pluralism and creative interaction, in the modern context.

PM said in the post-Cold War world of globalisation, conflict has given way to cooperation; dialogue moderates differences, whereas there is a clear recognition that hostility only stunts economies, inhibits trade and retards progress. It encompasses, COMESA and SADC and other such regional economic groupings; South Asia needs the wisdom to heed these lessons. We must discard the myth that, because of the asymmetries in our economies, the smaller countries do not benefit from closer economic integration within South Asia . Energy is one area with the greatest promise of mutually enriching partnerships. The optimum management of our regional water resources for irrigation, navigation and flood control can have a multiplier effect on infrastructure, development and growth in our entire region. Our region sits astride the land routes and sea lanes that connect the worlds' big energy sources of the Middle East to the expanding energy markets of East and Southeast Asia . It does not require much imagination to envisage how close regional cooperation can cash in on the strategic importance of our location. Our most important common war today is against poverty, disease, hunger and under-development. We can share experiences and promote intra-regional linkages for economic and social development. As we develop greater economic stakes in each other, we can put aside mistrust and dispel unwarranted suspicions. We will also develop mutual sensitivity to each others' concerns and promote more of our common interests. Once we reach that stage, we would not be far from mutual security cooperation, open borders and even a single currency. We can sense this in the outpouring of popular sentiment after our initiatives. The increased travel between India and Pakistan of Parliamentarians, businessmen, artists and sportsmen show the intense desire for amity and goodwill. We have to respond to this desire by seeking every possible way to banish hostility and promote peace. If we in South Asia look back objectively at the experiences of our freedom struggles and of our nation-building, the one stark lesson that stands out is the imperative of forging a unity based on our commonalities. Our search for pragmatism, maturity and wisdom will have to involve both governments and civil society. It will also require a wide-spread understanding that in today's context, collective regional interest is an expression of enlightened self-interest.

Indian Eyes for Pak Boy

Mohammad Talha Shahzad was born blind in Rawalpindi 15 months ago. He saw his parents for the first time at a Chennai hospital, looking through the eyes of an Indian woman. It was a corneal transplant at Agarwal Eye Hospital that did the trick. ‘‘My child stopped crying. His eye balls were moving. We knew he was seeing us and the world for the first time,'' said Talka's father Khuram Shahzad. For Dr J. Agarwal, chairman of the hospital, the surgery shows a way beyond political boundaries. Pakistani businessman Khuram Shahzad and his wife Kanwal had heard about Dr Agarwal's hospital from a relative in Dubai , and got in touch with him in November by e-mail. They took the bus from Lahore to Delhi and flew to Chennai, reaching the hospital on December 14. ‘‘We waited to get a good eye. We received a call that 61-year-old Maragatham Venkatesh had donated her eyes. We wheeled Talha into the operation theatre,'' Dr Amar Agarwal said. ‘‘The surgeons told us it was a difficult job. The iris was stuck to the cornea in the child's eye. They had to move the cornea without damaging the iris and then implant the new cornea,'' he said. Four hours later, the team of surgeons walked out smiling.

India at Abuja Commonwealth Summit

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said in a statement, on his departure from New Delhi for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Abuja ( Nigeria ) on December 4, “The Commonwealth is a group of countries which share political values of democracy, human freedoms and rule of law. Most Commonwealth members are also developing countries with common concerns about development and the promotion of rule-based international trading and investment regimes. As democracies, we face similar transnational threats from terrorism, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and money laundering, all of which are closely interrelated. Commonwealth leaders will exchange views on these issues at the Summit . The special theme of the Abuja Summit – Democracy and Development – provides an opportunity for the Commonwealth to ponder on the important developmental questions which today engage developing democracies as they grapple with the challenges of globalization. A Summit of this nature also provides occasion for formal and informal bilateral discussions with a number of other world leaders. Though I will not be in Abuja for the entire duration of the Summit , I expect to have the opportunity to interact with a fairly wide cross-section of Commonwealth leaders. I am happy that Nigeria is hosting the Commonwealth Summit, and look forward to meeting President Obasanjo in Abuja . Nigeria is one of India 's most important friends in Africa , besides being our largest trading partner in the continent. We have had a long-standing association in the Non Aligned Movement and in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid in the second half of the twentieth century.”

Earlier, External Affairs Minister of India Yashwant Sinha delivered a speech in Abuja at a Commonwealth Business Forum, on “Expanding International Trade : Key to Sustainable Development”. Excerpts follow :

“Sustainable development encompasses important cross-cutting issues of trade, investment, technology, good governance and responsible market behaviour. The laudable goals of liberalization and privatization are incomplete without specific initiatives to ensure that the entire society benefits from it. Sustainable development implies continued economic growth, with business and industry acknowledging and taking responsibility for the impact that development creates on society and the environment. Free and fair trade is a far more effective tool for poverty eradication and economic development than foreign aid. Export earnings worth a million dollars will have a multiplier effect on national income and this effect is twice or three times greater than a similar amount of aid. According to recent World Bank estimates, a truly liberalized international trading regime will take around 150 million people in various parts of the developing world out of poverty by 2015. Free trade encourages productivity and creates jobs. Trade also acts as a stimulant to institutional reforms that encourage development. Trade creates opportunities for technology transfers. And, last but not the least, it acts as a conduit for new ideas and innovations on a global scale. But development resulting from any expansion of international trade, if it is to be ‘sustainable', implies continued and accelerated development that is enduring. Thus expansion of international trade cannot be an end in itself, nor a means towards greater economic growth alone. It has to be seen as a means for human development. Liberalization of trade must therefore include policies that address societal needs and integrate the development dimension of developing countries into its framework. Hence, it is imperative that the international community should create a fair, equitable, rule-based multilateral trading system, which is responsive to the needs of developing countries. A rule-based system is particularly important for the weaker participants for without it, the stronger ones can simply use their economic power to achieve their ends. The World Trade Organization, which is the forum to administer such a system, is unique in combining a set of binding rules with a powerful mechanism for dispute settlement and the possibility of imposing economic sanctions to enforce compliance. This explains the strong support for the WTO – and especially for its core principles of non-discrimination, predictability, stability and transparency – among developing countries and economies in transition. Countries are willing to pay a heavy initial price in order to become members of the WTO because they see long-term benefits from such membership.

“The developed world, comprising nations who are richer and have the lion's share of global trade, has a major role to play in sustaining global growth and sustainable development through trade. Rich nations must take the lead in making global trade fairer. Greater market access for developing countries in areas such as agriculture and labour-intensive manufacturing and services are critical to achieving and sustaining higher levels of growth in their economies. It is believed that a liberal trade regime in agriculture that allows greater market access for developing countries will result in gains of more than US$ 80 billion for such economies. The corresponding figure for all merchandise trade is US$ 130 billion. Protectionist tendencies in the developed countries are bad for everyone, as they will only impede global growth. It is estimated that one job lost in the developed countries due to trade flows from developing countries, creates 35 new jobs in the developing economies accessing the benefits of such increased trade. Sustained levels of growth through trade in developing economies will create new demand for goods and services that will benefit rich developed economies, thus making trade and sustainable growth a virtuous circle. It is important in this connection to note that developing countries are not free riders of the multilateral trading system. They have significantly contributed to expansion of international trade. In 1973, at the start of the Tokyo Round, developing countries accounted for 18 per cent of world trade. This figure had gone up to 22 per cent by 1986, at the start of the Uruguay Round and to 30 per cent in 2001, at the start of the Doha round. Developing country imports increased almost twenty fold between 1973 and 2001. Moreover, what these figures do not reveal is that the benefits derived from this process by developing countries in terms of greater economic growth and development have not been commensurate with the onerous obligations that they have been made to assume. International trade can lead to sustainable development only if human development is put at the center of the existing multilateral trade regime. A human development-oriented trade regime would give governments the space to design policies that embody these principles. Such a regime would also help developing countries build their capacity to gain from trade.

“All countries, developed and developing, have a vital interest in the success of the Doha round of trade negotiations. Our response to the developments at Cancun should not be desponding or cynicism. Instead, we need to redouble our efforts in pushing forward the process of trade liberalization. There is a need to strengthen and revitalize the Geneva process where discussions take place at the technical level. Nothing can be gained by apportioning blame. The way forward now is to listen to one another, to appreciate and take on board our mutual concerns, and to find solutions that are multilaterally acceptable in conformity with the Doha mandate. We need to draw the right lessons from the mistakes of the past or there is the danger that we may not only repeat them but also compound them. The negotiating process requires sustained determination, greater realism and considerable political will by everyone to ensure the success of the Doha Development Agenda.
The emergence of the G-21 at Cancun also showed that it is no longer possible to ignore the voice of those whom the decisions will affect.

India Sets up IT Centre for Ghana

On the occasion of the inauguration of the India-Ghana Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence for Communications and IT, in Accra, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in a message to President Kufuor of Ghana, said that it was apt that this Centre is named after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who is a great son of Ghana and a distinguished citizen of Africa. It was his original idea to set up such an institution of empowerment in Ghana , to serve the entire West African region. It was only over a year ago, during President Kufuor's landmark visit to India , that the two sides signed an Agreement on cooperation in Information Technology. The remarkable speed with which this centre has been completed is a tribute to President Kufuor's personal interest in the project and the dedication of the project team, and the institution is a symbol of the strong and enduring partnership between India and Ghana . It is a partnership forged during our struggle for independence, cemented during our joint campaign against colonialism and apartheid, and sustained by our shared aspirations for democracy and development. PM reiterated India 's desire to further enrich this relationship by strengthening and diversifying our bilateral cooperation in mutually beneficial directions. Capacity building is an important catalyst of the development process. This institute will develop capacity in an area of technology, which is central to today's knowledge economy. The world market for IT products this year is estimated at 3 trillion dollars, marking a growth of 20 per cent over last year. This market will grow exponentially in the years to come. India 's IT exports crossed 10 billion dollars this year, and India hopes to raise this figure to 50 billion dollars by 2008. Many factors contributing to India 's success also exist in Ghana . PM said, “You have a high quality education system, a young English-speaking work force and a strengthening telecommunications infrastructure. This Centre can help Ghana increase its presence in the global IT market. India is equally committed to human resource development in other fields in Ghana . Thousands of students from Ghana have, over the years, studied in Indian training centres or institutions of higher education. We would welcome more. Under our international technical and economic cooperation programme, 30 seats are allotted annually in Indian institutions to Ghanaian students and professionals for training in a variety of scientific, technical, economic, commercial, management and other disciplines. In response to increased demand, we have now decided to double this figure to 60. India also offers five scholarships annually to students from Ghana , who may wish to study in Indian universities. We are progressing in other areas of development cooperation. Small and medium enterprises, agriculture, irrigation, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications are promising areas. We have already extended a line of credit of 15 million dollars for mutually identified projects. We can extend its scope to include purchases of equipment. We are finalizing arrangements for further enhancing the quantum of this credit. There are many more vistas of India-Ghana cooperation yet to be opened. Our bilateral efforts are directed towards exploring them.”

Concern Over Rich Nations Farm Subsidies

Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley has expressed concern over developed countries distorting global trade by highly subsiding their farm produce. "The weakening of dollar is creating a challenging situation in which exporters are trying to cope...Indian farmers are victims of trade distortions by developed countries". In view of the high subsidies being given by developed nations, agriculture produce gets dumped in the domestic market, which results in price depression, he said. The World Trade Organisation agreement has opened new vistas of trade opportunity for developing countries like India . Removal of distortions in agri-trade is likely to provide a level-playing field for all players alike, which would also provide access to hitherto protected markets, Jaitley said, adding, Indian agriculture has come a long way from shortages to surplus…"Now, our challenge is how to manage those surplus". Exporters could play a crucial role in managing the surplus by means of export through which farmers would be hooked to the global markets, the Minister said.

Iran Ties Set to Strengthen

Mr. Yashwant Sinha, Minister of External Affairs, visited Iran from December 13-14 to co-chair the 13th Session of the Joint Commission Meeting. Before the JCM, he met Iran 's Foreign Minister and reviewed the close and friendly ties existing between the two countries and discussed issues of mutual interest. In his address to the Joint Commission, he recalled the age-old friendly ties between the two countries and underscored the recent visits of Prime Minister Vajpayee to Iran and of President Khatami of Iran to India , which consolidated the diplomatic and political ties, setting the ground for a strategic engagement. He expressed satisfaction over growth of bilateral trade, especially in the non-oil segment of the bilateral trade. However, he added, the vast potential in commercial and economic engagement is yet to be realized. He suggested India and Iran entering into a framework agreement for a free trade area. He also referred to the potential advantage of a common market between India , Iran and Pakistan in the context of widening economic cooperation in the region. The Iranian FM concurred with these views. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the conclusion of the 13th JCM, which covers a wide range of areas of cooperation including petroleum and natural gas, railways, shipping, communications, and textile, power and SME, cement, health and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sectors. The discussions were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. The Indian Minister later called on President Sayeed Mohammad Khatami , and other top leaders of Iran . President made a special gesture by interrupting a Cabinet Meeting to meet the Minister owing to advancement of the return programme of the Minister. EAM conveyed to President Khatami greetings from President APJ Abul Kalam and Prime Minister Vajpayee. Khatami underscored the abiding links between India and Iran , which have developed over many centuries through interaction between the two great civilizations, and the deep imprint left on Iranian thinkers by Indian culture, philosophy and mysticism.

India Grew at 8.4% in Q2

India could not have asked for better on the last day of 2003 with economic growth shooting up to record 8.4 per cent during the second quarter of 2003-04, thanks to bumper agriculture production coupled with impressive performance by the industry. Not to be left behind, services sector led by trade, hotels, transport and communication chipped in significantly with over 7 per cent growth to push up the GDP, according to the data released by the government on December 31. The combined effect of the three important components - agriculture with 4.1 per cent, manufacturing 6.8 per cent and service, led to an overall 7 per cent growth in GDP during April-September 2003-04, amid predictions of further improvement in the economy. It is for the first time in almost a decade that economy grew by over 8 per cent to break the psychological barrier to give confidence of attaining the 10th Plan target of eight per cent annualised growth. The high growth comes amid booming stock markets and burgeoning foreign exchange reserves, which have crossed $100 billion mark, and high inflow of foreign capital both direct and portfolio investments.

Forex Reserves Cross $100 bn

India 's foreign exchange reserves crossed $100 billion on December 19, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh confirmed, "I am glad to share that this is an historic high. Such a level of reserves never having been reached earlier by the country ever….This level of forex reserves reinforces my conviction that our aim of self-reliance for which we have worked for several decades since independence, has now comfortably been reached at this point of great confidence. The nation is on a much higher growth path." He added the level was "noteworthy" as India 's forex reserves had increased by about 94 billion dollars since 1991, while the external debt had gone up only by 20 billion dollar. The minister said as a result of the healthy foreign exchange reserves India has decided not to seek any assistance from any country. When the balance of payments crisis that triggered off economic reform in the country struck in 1991, India 's reserves had dipped below $1 billion. Reserves have soared since then, as a symbol of both domestic economic health and international confidence in the country. The accretion to the surging reserves is set to add greater momentum to “bolder economic reforms” and translate into higher levels of investment and growth, Singh said in a statement.  The comforting factor of the surge in forex reserves has been through non-debt creating inflows, Finance Secretary D.C. Gupta said. Strong FII inflows coupled with the increase in banking capital have helped shore up the country's forex  reserves. This makes India 's forex hoard the fifth largest, after those of China , Taiwan , South Korea and Hong Kong . Ashok Lahiri, Chief Economic Advisor, said, “What is important is that our net international reserve position is also quite strong”. The historic $ 100 billion mark has been reached despite and after prepayment of $5 billion of external debt for calendar year 2003, payment of $ 5.5 billion on account of the redemption of RIBs during the year, contribution of $ 498 million towards financial transactions plan of the IMF and taking measures to curb arbitrage practices. 

International rating agency Standard & Poor's has revised India's long-term foreign currency rating from ‘negative' to ‘stable' on the back of improving external finances. Indian companies like IDBI and Reliance, planning to raise $500m and $750m, respectively, through overseas borrowings, stand to gain from the outlook revision. Bankers viewed it as a ‘feel good factor,' which buoyed government bond prices. S&P has also revised its outlook on the foreign currency ratings assigned to ICICI Bank, IDBI and Bank of Baroda to stable from negative. The outlook indicates the possible direction in which a rating may move over the next two to three years. A stable outlook indicates that the rating is unlikely to be revised. “Rapidly increasing external liquidity, sustained by growing foreign exchange reserves (exceeding 700% of short-term debt), and modest debt service payments sparked the revision in the foreign currency outlook,“ said Takahira Ogawa, S&P's Director in the Asia Pacific Sovereign Ratings Group.

Further Economy Success Stories

India 's Billionaire Club is fast expanding. There are now 51 Indian companies with over $1-billion market capitalisation as on December 12. This is the first time so many companies have market cap over $1 b. In February 2000, Wipro was no. 1 with a market cap of $34.4 b, followed by Infosys with $16.3 b and Zee Tele about $12 b. Now ONGC is the most valued company with a market capitalisation of $21.6 b, followed by Reliance Industries with $15 b and IOC with $10 b. Other billion dollar companies are Hindustan Lever $9 b, Wipro $8.2 b, Infosys $7.3 b, State Bank of India $5.5 b, ITC $5.2 b and Ranbaxy with $4.4 b. SAIL is the biggest gainer in market capitalisation during this period from just a $800 million in March'03, the company is now valued at $3.9 b. The billion dollar club is dominated by government companies - 15 PSUs figure in the billionaire list and except for 3 MNCs all other are domestic corporates. Apart from the oil PSUs, government companies like Neyveli Lignite, National Aluminium, BHEL, Mangalore Refinery, MTNL, Shipping Corporation Bharat Electronics, and National Mineral Development Corporation, have market capitalisation over $1 b. There are now 22 companies with a market cap between $1 and 1.9 b, 12 companies between 2 and 2.9 b, and six companies between $5 b and $10 b.

Net investment by foreign institutional investors in the Indian stock market for 2003 stood in December at $7.1 billion. This was more than double the previous best of $3.05 billion in 1996. Of the $7.1 b in net foreign institutional investment (FII) till December 16, 2003 , investment in equity was around $6.05 b, while the rest was in debt. In the previous one month, FIIs poured nearly $1 billion into the Indian capital market. October saw the highest monthly net flow into the market at $1.47 b. Also, there was an exponential rise in inflow between September and October. Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex struck a 44-month closing high on December 16. The index was up 60.4 per cent in 2003 and was Asia 's second best performer.

Incredible though it may sound, only 2 out of every 100 person in the country is unemployed, according to a recent survey by a central government agency. Terming this as a 'proportionate' unemployment rate, B K Giri, Director of NSSO's Kolkata-based Survey Design and Research Department said this implied that "nobody in the country can afford to stay unemployed, although one may not be earning enough." In India , a person can still be called 'employed' even if he or she lives below the poverty line since the money earned by him or her may not be sufficient for requirements, Giri added, and the rate was not changing for the last 3-4 years. Although the proportionate rate was put at 2 per cent, if the unemployment rate was calculated only among the total work force of the country, it was slightly higher at around 3 per cent, he said.

India has recorded the fastest growth in mobile telephony in the world with as many as 1.3 million cellular additions every month. Disclosing this, Minister for Communications and IT, Arun Shourie also said India has earned $13 billion this year through software exports.

M/s A.T. Kearney's latest report, for September 2003, concerning India includes the following observations of interest on the current state of India 's economy: India , China and Russia are likely to be among the fastest growing economies of the world in 2003. Global investors upgraded India to 6 th most attractive FDI destination worldwide in 2003, from 15 th in 2002. Indian ranking was 7 th in 2001, 11 th in 2000, 6th in 1999, 7th in 1998, and 15th in 1998. US and British investors ranked it 3 rd and Canadian investors placed it at 4 th most attractive globally. Manufacturing investors ranked India among the top 6 most preferred investment locations while the services sector investors ranked India as the 4 th most attractive destination this year, up from 14 th place in 2002. 21% of the investors showed optimism in the Indian economy. India is a prime off-shore location for low and high-tech activities. For IT support, back-office functions, R&D, call centers and manufacturing and assembly, India – and China - is likely to capture the bulk of the off-shore wave.

The World Development Indicators 2003 released by the World Bank ranks India 's services sector among World's Top 5... India 's services sector clocked an average 7.9% per annum growth between 1990 and 2001 beating the global rate of 3.1%.

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has emerged as a globally competitive powerhouse by winning 145 US patents and topping the list of Top 50 entities in the developing world

India Brand Equity

The India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) is an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of India, with the objectives: to promote Indian brands in overseas markets with the primary objective of brand promotion and not export promotion; to make the "Made in India" label a symbol of quality, competitive price, reliability and service to the target audience; to project India as a reliable supplier of quality goods and services; to facilitate dissemination of knowledge of our products and services, obtain feedback on our products and services, and sensitize the stakeholders on improvements required in them; to guide industry associations, commercial and public sector organizations concerned in identifying and pursuing strategies and measures for promoting India's image; to encourage interaction among intellectuals, industry, trade (both domestic and foreign) and Government in promoting India's brand image; to promote a program for countrywide awareness of the global imperative for quality and high business ethics; and to provide a forum in which a vision of India as a reliable global player is conceived, developed and disseminated. The IBEF to achieve its desired objectives is involved in the following: to finance the activities linked to the objective of brand promotion as distinct from export promotion; undertake international promotions to project India as a nation, as well as specific production sectors viz., Industry, agriculture, services etc.; support sectoral promotions (eg: within specific industries like engineering, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, software etc.); support product group promotion within each sector (eg: with engineering products, segments like cycles, automobiles etc.); support particular brands, which have achieved world-class quality and performances standards; and support domestic awareness generation program directed at quality and high business ethics. The management of the IBEF is entrusted with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). It is difficult to imagine any book or magazine, and indeed any visitor or Indian fully and accurately capturing the rapid change India has been undergoing since it started the process of integration into the global economy, and especially since India (and the world) got plugged into the Internet. At the India Brand Equity Foundation, they are continuously analyzing these changes. The IBEF is presently carrying out several activities, one of which is a weekly newsletter. This newsletter is an effort to capture the proverbial "Icing on the Cake" that finds shape in our news dailies. The newsletter is available freely at the IBEF website http://www.ibef.org . They would also appreciate your feedback.

Leading Indian Corporations, Spreading Wings

IT major Infosys Technologies, petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries, and two-wheeler company Hero Honda Motors, have been ranked as the top three companies in India for 'overall leadership' in the Far Eastern Economic Review 's annual company survey, The Review 200: Asia 's Leading Companies . Infosys Technologies took the top honours in three of the individually ranked leadership categories for 'high quality services/products,' 'management with a long-term vision' and 'a company that others try to emulate.' Reliance Industries, for the fourth year running, ranked No. 2 in the survey for 'overall leadership'. Reliance was also ranked No.2 in 'long-term vision,' 'financial soundness' and 'companies that others try to emulate.' The survey, now in its 11th year, was conducted by ACNielsen International Research ( Hong Kong ) and included more than 150 multinational corporations, which were chosen based on their market capitalisation and the strength of their presence in the region. The other five Indian companies in the top 10 list include HDFC Bank (6th), Ranbaxy Laboratories (7th), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (8th), Indian Oil Corporation (9th), and ICICI Bank (10th). In all, 2,806 people responded to the survey. In the 12 country polls, 10 of last year's No. 1 companies retained their rankings in the 2003 survey. For the ninth year running, computer software giant Microsoft topped the list for the leading multinational company doing business in Asia .

In another development, Indian software major Infosys Technologies Ltd has signed a deal to acquire Australia-based Expert Information Services for $22.9 million. Expert Information, an IT services provider, achieved total revenues of $34.6 million for the financial year ended June 30, 2003 , with a net profit of $5.2 million. Infosys plans to complete the acquisition in January, 2004.

Also, Mumbai-based banking software product company, i-flex Solutions, has acquired US-based software company, SuperSolutions Corporation, for $11.5 million in an all-cash deal. i-flex has already bought 60% of the holding from Darshan Karki, its promoter and founder, and will acquire the remaining 40% in the next two weeks from Financial Data Resources. Rajesh Hukku, CMD of i-flex, said, “By opening up the consumer finance market segment for us, SuperSolutions will create another growth engine for the company.”  i-flex shares rose 1.74% to close at Rs 861 versus a 1.41% gain for the sensex. The acquisition is expected to add around $4m to the topline and $1.5m to the bottomline of i-flex.

In another chapter to India Inc's global story, pharmaceuticals major, Ranbaxy, announced the acquisition of RPG Aventis SA, the France-based generic pharma company of Aventis. It was understood that Ranbaxy would be paying about 70 million euro for the buyout, which would make it the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian pharma company. This would, however, be the third largest overseas acquisition deal by an Indian company, the first two being Tata Tea's acquisition of the UK-based Tetley group for £271 million in a leveraged buyout in February '00, and the recent announcement by the Reliance group to acquire Flag Telecom, reportedly for $211 million. Ranbaxy's acquisition of RPG Aventis would also include the latter's wholly-owned subsidiary, OPIH SARL.

India to Assist South Africa and Brazil

India has extended a hand of support to developing countries that are lagging behind in information technology growth. How to offer funding and assistance to poor countries struggling to keep up with the digital revolution has been a hot topic of discussion at the Summit, with countries divided on how such assistance should be given. Indian Minister for Information Technology, Communications and Privatisation Arun Shourie said: "Indian firms have set up training centres in 55 countries. Just a few days ago the Indian Prime Minister opened an IT training centre in Accra , Ghana . We are very keen to set up information centres and cyber cities in other countries." Speaking at the Indian exhibition, bedecked with posters boasting of India 's progress in bringing the benefits of technology to rural communities, Shourie said India has benefited greatly from ICTs and is therefore willing to help other countries do the same. He also suggested that New Delhi would continue to strengthen its already close ties with Brazil and South Africa . "These are both very important countries in each of their regions and we all see the benefits of this co-operation, especially in trade negotiations," he said. Shourie emphasised that New Delhi would also contribute to a fund, but only if it is legitimised by the UN. The idea of such a fund, which would assist poor countries with ICT development aid, was proposed by Senegal during the PrepComs (preparatory committee meetings) for the Summit - where it was the source of considerable debate. Shourie said, "if the fund is set up, we will contribute according to whatever formula is collectively arrived at. But we don't have to wait for these funds to be set up. We are already doing work in transferring skills, and we will redouble those efforts."

Indian Vehicles for Italy

Making a foray into the European market, automaker Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has launched its SUV models Scorpio and Bolero at Bologna Motor Show in Italy . The company has partnered with Eurasia Motors for distribution of its vehicles across 25 centres in Italy , M&M said in a release. The models showcased at the show include the three variants of the Bolero - the Bolero GLX, Bolero Double Cab, and single cab Scorpio which would be launched in Italy as 'Mahindra Goa' and MM540, it said. The distribution focus for the Bolero platform vehicles would predominantly revolve on smaller towns as opposed to big cities, keeping in mind the nature of terrain in semi-urban Italy while the Scorpio would focus on big cities. All the five models have enjoyed tremendous success in India with the Scorpio having sold 29,000 units in first 18 months and Bolero having clocked sales of 18,000 units during the past seven months, it said. "This launch marks our entry into the continent and we soon hope to take our models to countries such as Spain , Portugal and France ," M&M Executive Director & President, Automotive sector Alan Durante said.

India Reaching for Space

India 's space agency, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has said it has mastered the rocket technology needed to launch high-altitude satellites and send a man to the moon. The technology also can be used to deliver a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, scientists say. The cryogenic engine, which uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, was successfully fired for 1,000 seconds on the ground, exceeding the 721 seconds required for space flights. The long-duration test marked the conclusion of the qualification of the cryogenic engine. The successful test was the final of several trials needed to prove the engine's capability, and puts India in a league with the US, Russia, France, Japan and China as the only countries able to build cryogenic engines. "It is a great milestone. I was never in doubt it would happen and I am happy it has happened now," said Rakesh Sharma, who in 1984 became India 's first astronaut in space. Sharma said the technology was "crucial to the ultimate moon shot," alluding to India 's plan to send a manned mission to the moon before 2015. Cryogenic engines are capable of launching 2.5-tonne satellites into an orbit of up to 36,000 km from Earth. The homegrown technology could also give India the capability to build ICBMs by modifying the launch vehicle and replacing the satellite with a bomb.

Dual Citizenship for PIO Okayed

Parliament has passed a bill to grant dual citizenship to persons of Indian origin. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2003, will "enable both Bharatvasis and Bharatvanshis to contribute together to the cause of India 's development", Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani said while replying to a short debate on the legislation. Advani said the passage of the bill would also fulfil the government's promise to the PIOs made at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January this year and would be announced at the next celebrations on January 9-10. Among other things, the bill simplifies the procedure to facilitate the reacquisition of Indian citizenship by persons who are children of Indian citizens and former Indian citizens. The bill provides for grant of overseas citizenship of India to PIOs belonging to 16 countries and Indian citizens who choose to acquire citizenship of any of these countries at a later date. It also makes acquisition of Indian citizenship and naturalisation more stringent and prevents illegal migrants from becoming eligible for Indian citizenship.

Tougher Fake Drugs Law

Health & Family Welfare, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, said after a Cabinet meeting, that the Cabinet favours death penalty for those who make fake drugs. Consumer groups say such drugs carry legitimate brand names but have incorrect ingredients. Parliament will be asked to amend an existing drugs law following the recommendations of an experts' panel. The experts' panel had urged the Government to increase the punishment for manufacturing and selling counterfeit drugs, from life imprisonment to the death penalty. Opposition MPs and the pharmaceutical industry are expected to back the cabinet decision. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also launched a campaign against fake drugs, saying the worldwide use of fake drugs had increased because they were easy to make and sell cheaply. WHO estimates up to 25% of medicines consumed in developing nations are counterfeit or substandard. Swaraj called the fake drugs industry "mass murder purely for profit".

Karnik is Forbes 'Face of the Year'

Acknowledging him as the person trying to direct the path of the offshoring movement, US magazine Forbes has described, Nasscom president Kiran Karnik, as the 'Face of the Year'. "As president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, Karnik is in a unique position to do just that," the magazine said in its latest issue. Pointing out that its readers voted offshoring – the movement of traditionally high-paying jobs from rich countries to poorer nations - as the most significant trend of 2003, Forbes said a lot of foreign companies are doing just ôhat and over the last few years many crucial white collar tech jobs like application development, database design, integration and services have moved to India. Technology currently accounts for three per cent of India 's GDP, or $16.5 billion, up from just $1.7 billion nine years ago and the big driver is exports of software and services to US, it said. Offshore outsourcing was triggered by the intention to cut costs, but now it is not just driven by cost factors, the magazine said quoting Karnik.

Indian Whisky in the Land of Scotch

Can Indian whisky send spirits soaring in the land of the Scotch? An Indian whisky maker is doing just that - and even the Scots cannot tell the difference from the real thing! Amrut Distilleries, a Bangalore-based unit, is preparing to ship in 10,000 cases a year to Scotland . The initial target market: serve 'Amrut' in the Indian restaurants that anyway sell Indian drinks such as Cobra and Kingfisher beers. The whisky maker did a trial run for some time and fooled regulars in Glasgow . Ken Storrie, owner of the Pot Still bar in Glasgow , has been serving the whisky for some time to regulars. He said, "The response is remarkable. "They all automatically think it's a Speyside. I think it's very close to a 10-year-old Ben Nevis - similar in flavour, a pleasant whisky, sweet with a nice nose." The managing director of the company, Neelakanta Rao Jagdale, is an enthusiast of single malts and conducted market research in Glasgow and Newcastle , famous for their Indian restaurants. He discovered a market for whisky made in India . The first commercial batch of Amrut whisky is due to arrive within weeks after lengthy delays due to European Union import regulations. The manufacturers will first ship 2,000 cases to Britain 's curry capital, Glasgow , before more booze batches and dispatched to other parts of Scotland , followed by Newcastle and Birmingham . Alistair Sinclair, Glasgow-based agent for Amrut, said: "There's a great desire to have all things ethnic in Indian restaurants. Indian beers - Cobra and Kingfisher - are brewed in the UK under licence and are little different from Tennents, yet people pay more for them.” "We hope to get up to 10,000 cases per year in Britain after four years, through the country's 28,000 Indian restaurants."

Glory on Sports Field

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee congratulated the Indian cricket team on their victory over Australia in the second Test match at Adelaide . "I send my hearty congratulations to the Indian cricket team for its spectacular victory in the Adelaide Test. This first win in Australia after 22 years is the result of great team work and inspiring tenacity in the face of a seemingly impossible task. My special praise for Rahul Dravid for his dependable play in both innings and, especially, his record-breaking double century." India defeated Australia by four wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the four Test series. Rahul Dravid top-scored the run chase with 72 runs and aggregated 304 runs for the Test. Quite fittingly he bagged the man of the match award. Dravid batted on four of the five days in this Test exemplifying his endurance, skill and concentration. Befittingly, the two heroes of the Test, Ajit Agarkar and Rahul Dravid, were at the crease when the winning run was scored. Dravid smacked MacGill to the fence, kissed the Indian crest on his cap and hugged Agarkar. India had won a truly memorable game against all odds. India turned into a raucous cauldron of happy emotions at Indian cricketers scripting a historic victory over the 'invincible' Australians on their home soil. In many cities, immediately after the winning stroke, hundreds filled the streets. They beat drums and tin containers and danced with joy. Victory marches were taken out at many places. The merrymakers smeared each other with red vermilion. Several clubs distributed sweets.

Arjun Atwal of India annexed the Asian PGA Order of Merit title at the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia golf tournament in Bangkok , to add yet another feather to his cap this year. Atwal, who last week became the only Indian ever to qualify for the US PGA Tour, finished the lowest among the Indians in fray at the $500,000 event played at par-71 Bangkok Golf Club course. It is the second time in a row that an Indian took home the coveted title as Jyoti Randhawa had achieved the feat last season. India-born Swede Daniel Chopra also earned a US PGA Tour card last week at the PGA Tour Qualifiers.

Simarjeet Singh and Manav Das led India to a convincing three-stroke victory over hosts Malaysia at the World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship 2003, held at the par-72, 6,900-yard, Arnold Palmer designed Damai Golf & Country Club in Sarawak. The Indian team, comprising Simarjeet Singh, Manav Das, Amit Luthra and Vikrant Chopra, tallied a winning aggregate of 226.  Malaysia were placed second at 229, while South Africa finished third at 231. Manav Das and Simarjeet excelled for the winners with cards of two-over 74 and three-over 75 apiece, while Luthra and Chopra contributed 77 and 78 each.  The best three cards formed the team's score. "It was a tough week and we were faced with some of the best amateurs in Asia ," said the 28-year old Simarjeet.

Trade Enquiries from India:

Company Name: V.S.T. Tillers Tractors Limited, Post Box 4801, Whitefield Road , Mahadevapura Post, Bangalore-560 048
Telephone: 91-80-2851 0805-7 / 2851 0275; Fax: 91-80-2851 0221
E-Mail: vstgen@vttlhq.com
Contact person: Mr. K. Selvakumar, Officer-Corporate EXIM
Business Interest: Manufacturers of Power Tillers (Two-Wheel Tractors) and Compact Tractors – both Two-Wheel & Four-Wheel Drives.

Company Name: International Biological Laboratories, Cross Road 8, Ambala Cantt-133 001
Telephone: 91-171-2641604 / 2642604; Fax: 91-171-2643484
E-Mail: interlabs@sancharnet.in
Contact person: Ms. Shubhra, Director-International Operations
Business Interest: Exporters of Apparatus, Instruments, Equipment, Kits, Disposable Needs for Schools and Colleges.

Company Name: Amit Blocking Manufacturers, Umakant Udyognagar-5, Patel Estate, Rajkot-360 004, Gujarat
Telephone: 91-281-2388318; Fax: 91-281-2386005
E-Mail: abindia@rediffmail.com
Contact person: Mr. Amit Patel
Business Interest: Exporters of Agricultural Diesel Engines, Equipment, Spares, Farm Hand Tools, etc.

Company Name: A.T.E. Marketing Pvt. Limited, A-19, CTS No. 689, Veera Desai Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai-400 053
Telephone: 91-22-5676 6238 / 6100; Fax: 91-22-2673 2445
E-Mail: s_c_patil@ateindia.com; Website: www.ateindia.com
Contact person: Mr. Santosh Patil
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Textile Engineering Products, viz Spinning Machines/Accessories and Processing Machines.

Company Name: Mahavir International, 203, Harekrishna Complex, Pritamnagar, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad-380 006, Gujarat
Telephone: 91-79-6577694 / 9298; Fax: 91-79-6577943
E-Mail: mahavirad1@sancharnet.in; Website: www.mahavirchem.com
Contact person: Mr. Naresh Kothari, Partner
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Dyes and Pigments

Company Name: Dhruv International, 26-G.F., H.I.G. Flats, Rajguru Nagar, Ludhiana-141 004
Telephone: 91-161-2450374 / 4407; Fax: 91-161-2449590
E-Mail: dhruv_boy@sify.com; Website: www.ateindia.com
Contact person: Mr. Dhruv Aggarwal
Business Interest: Exporters of Bicycles & their Spare Parts, Steel Balls, Bolts & Nuts, Fasteners, Auto Parts, Auto Belts & Bearings, Garden Tools and Green House Equipment

Company Name: Deeyem Export Enterprises, 39, South Street , Karur-639 001 T.N.
Telephone: 91-4324-240575 / 775 ; Fax: 91-4324-240375
E-Mail: kru_deeyem@sancharnet.in
Contact person: Mr. D. M. Murugesan, Proprietor
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Cotton Fabric Varities and all kinds of Home Furnishing Made-ups.

Company Name: Aman International, Jain Colony, Moti Nagar, Sherpur, Ludhiana-141 010
Telephone: 91-161-2666816; Fax: 91-161-2492408
E-Mail: sona@satyam.net.in
Contact person: Mr. Amit Bansal, Partner
Business Interest: Exporters of Bicycles & Bicycle Spare Parts

Company Name: Sharma Exports, B-16, Sports & Surgical Complex, Jalandhar-144 021
Telephone: 91-181-2650010 /1153 ; Fax: 91-181-2650011
E-Mail: provin-india@vsnl.net ; Website: www.provin.net
Contact person: Mr. Amit Kumar, International Marketing
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Footballs (Soccerballs), Rugbyballs, Handballs, Beachballs, Volleyballs, Netballs, Promotional Balls, etc.

Company Name: Haldia Petrochemicals Limited, 1, Auckland Place , Kolkata-700 017
Telephone: 91-33-2281 2615 / 2283 1640 ; Fax: 91-33-2283 1646
E-Mail: Parthasarathi.Bagh@hpl.co.in
Contact person: Mr. Parthasarathi Bagh, Sr. Officer, Value Added Exports.
Business Interest: Manufactures of HDPE, LLDPE and PP and other Petrochemical Liquid Products.

Company Name: Nadhini Fabs, 6-E, Ramanujam Nagar-South, (Anna Nagar, West), Karur-639 002
Telephone: 91-4324-248601 / 8582
E-Mail: nanhini@sancharnet.net
Contact person: Mr. G. Balakrishnan, Proprietor
Business Interest: Cotton Home Furnishing Fabric varieties and all kinds of Household Textiles and Made-ups

Company Name: ETRADG-II, 281-A, Vikas Puri, New Delhi
Telephone: 91-11-2550 4021
E-Mail: etra@vsnl.com
Contact person: Mr. R. Sharma
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Public Address Systems and Engineering Products.

Company Name: Eagle Press Pvt. Ltd., 1/5, Vaidyanathan Street , Tonidarpet, Chennai-600 081
Telephone: 91-44-2595 2098 / 6321 / 0265 ; Fax: 91-44-2595 6881
E-Mail: eppl@md4.vsnl.net.in
Contact person: Mr. Bonnie J. Wilson, Manager-Customer Relation
Business Interest: Security Printers for Speciality Security Printing.

Company Name: SQL Star International Ltd., 4 th Floor, Kohli Villa, 130, SV Road , Adj. To Shoppers Stop, Andheri (West), Mumbai-400 058
Telephone: 91-22-2623 9320 / 24 ; Fax: 91-22-2623 9326
E-Mail: mmmb@sqlstarintl.com
Contact person: Mr. Srikanth Bellary
Business Interest: Looking for companies associated with Information Technology in Tanzania in the areas of Information Techology Training and Consulting.

Company Name: Whirlpool ( India ) Limited, New Delhi
Telephone: 91-11-5168 8119
E-Mail: indranil_sinha@email.whirlpool.com
Contact person: Mr. Indranil Sinha, General Manager – Exports
Business Interest: Exporters of Refrigerators and Washing Machines

Company Name: Ratnakar Enterprises, 8/579/11A, Near Shkshak Path Sanstha, Sangali Road , Ichalkaranji-416 115, Maharashtra
Telephone: 91-230-2431834 / 2336263 ; Fax: 91-230-2430105
E-Mail: akudche@yahoo.com / akudche@rediffmail.com ; Website: www.ratnakarentp.com
Contact person: Mr. A. T. Akudche
Business Interest: Manufacturers of Material Testing Machines.

Company Name: Maxwell Inc., Ludhiana
Telephone: 91-161-5026962 / 3 ; Fax: 91-161-2670932-33 / 5026920
E-Mail: exports@maxwellinc.biz
Contact person: Mr. Aman Singal (Proprietor)
Business Interest: Exporters of all kinds of Consumer Products.

Company Name: Bloc India Pvt. Ltd., # 17, Jala Chambers, No. 201, 2 nd Floor, Kumara Krupa Road, Bangalore-560 001
Telephone: 91-80-3061 1467
E-Mail: airoflife@blocindia.com
Contact person: Mr. Ashish Singh. Marketing Manager
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Oxygen Cylinders

Company Name: Royal Forgings Pvt. Ltd., 18, R.N. Mukherjee Road , Kolkata-700 001
Telephone: 91-33-2248 9039 / 1696 ; Fax: 91-33-2240 9599
E-Mail: holdwellho@vsnl.net
Contact person: Mr. Shreyans Jain
Business Interest: Manufacturers/Exporters of Railway Track components & fasteners and total track solution products.

Company Name: Crescent Exports Limited, 113, Mittal Chamber, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400 021
Telephone: 91-22-2204 1074 ; Fax: 91-22-5635 3436
E-Mail: hemantgodha@vsnl.com
Contact person: Mr. Hemant Godha, Director
Business Interest: Exporters of Goods from Engineerinf and Apparel Industries.

Company Name: Lathia Exports, 906, Dhanlaxmi Complex, 6, Yamuna, New Colony, G.I.D.C., Ankleshwar-393 002, Gujarat
Telephone/Fax: 91-2646-226622
E-Mail: info@lathiaexports.com / lathiaexports@yahoo.com
Website: www.lathiaexports.com
Contact person: Mr. Manoj Lathia
Business Interest: Suppliers of Bulk Drugs, Pharmaceuticals (API), Dyestuffs, Food Colours, Agate Stone and Agro Products.

THIS IS INDIA TODAY – THE MNCs CONNECTION …

•  FICCI's list of companies looking upon India as a research hub includes over 70 MNCs. Delphi, Eli Lilly, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Heinz and DaimlerChrysler, have set up R&D facilities in India in the past five years. Together with laboratories set up before 1997, 100 of the Fortune 500 have set up R&D facilities in India .

•  The scale of these operations also tells the tale. Just four years ago, Intel had a mere 10 persons working in India; today it has over 1,000. GE's John F Welch Technology Center in Bangalore is the company's largest outside the US. With an investment of $60 million, it employs 1,600 researchers. GE's R&D centre in China by contrast employs only 100.

•  The Indian centre devotes 20 per cent of its resources to fundamental research having a five to 10 year horizon in areas like nanotechnology, hydrogen energy, photonics and advanced propulsion. With 17 clinical trials (10 of them global), the Eli Lilly research facility at Gurgaon is its largest in Asia and the third largest in the world.

•  Two-thirds of GE Plastics' 300-member research team in India is doing fundamental research on molecules. GE Plastics has contributed to the development of a family of polycarbonates of engineering plastics that are being used in auto headlamps and CDs. It has also developed heat resistant monomers for applications in aircraft bodies and high-end medical equipment.

•  GE Motors India has developed an almost noiseless motor for GE's most sophisticated washing machine lines in the US ; it is the sole sourcing point for a million of these motors every year.

•  Monsanto has been in India for over 50 years. After examining China and India , it set up its first non-US research facility in Bangalore in 1998. This facility is responsible for Monsanto's R&D for Asia . The company is researching ''promoters'' - accelerators that improve crop productivity.

•  Whirlpool's Pune Research Lab develops refrigerators and air conditioners for Asia (including China ) and Australia . Forty per cent of this facility's resources are devoted to its core research on global projects.

•  The DaimlerChrysler Research Centre in Bangalore is engaged in fundamental and applied research in avionics, simulation and software development.HP Labs India has built a prototype that can scan handwritten mail through a small handheld device instead of a scanner. It has also built the prototype of a computer for unsophisticated users.

Indian Scholarships for Tanzanian Students for the year 2004-2005

As in the past years, Government of India scholarships will be available to Tanzanian students for studies in India for the academic session 2004-2005.

Administered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations on behalf of the Government of India, a total of 9 scholarships will be available for Tanzania , 6 under the General Cultural Scholarship Scheme and 3 under the Commonwealth Scholarship/ Fellowship Plan. There is one further scholarship, called Africa Day Scholarship, which is for the whole of Africa including Tanzania .

The terms and conditions of the scholarships, inter alia, include monthly living allowance, contingency grant, accommodation charges, tuition fees, medical benefits, study tour expenses, and thesis and dissertation expenses as applicable. Awardees of scholarship under the Commonwealth Scholarship/ Fellowship Plan, and Africa Day Scholarship Schemes, will be entitled to return airfare in addition to the above.

Interested Tanzanian nationals are invited to send their applications on plain paper giving relevant particulars including full physical residential address and contact telephone number(s) as well as details of their educational qualifications, courses sought and universities/institutions desired- along with alternatives, and a short resume, to the High Commission of India, 1349, Haile Selassie Road, Masaki, PO Box-2684, Dar es Salaam ( contact person: Mr. P. R. Nayak, Tel. Nos. 2600714-5, 2600683). The High Commission has a handbook detailing names of all recognised Indian Universities with details of courses offered by them. Interested students can visit the High Commission on any working day to get required information.

Applications must reach the High Commission by 6 th February 2004 . Applicants are advised to contact the High Commission on the above mentioned phones between February, 11-13 to enquire about their applications and for any further procedural requirements.

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