by Shaheen Raaj

Impressed by the wide range of polymeric films that Flex Films manufactures and associated R&D capabilities that the company is globally recognized for,

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had approached the company earlier in Sept, 2017 with a requirement of specialized film for passive thermal control of spacecraft components.
Flex Films at Noida is Indian Film Manufacturing Arm of India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials & solution company Uflex Limited.

Taking this requirement in its stride, the engineers at Flex Films India developed a solution for ISRO in a record time period of 6 months.

Talking more about this specialized film, Anand Prakash Gupta from Speciality Films & R&D Department at Flex Films, Noida avers, “ISRO approached us in an endeavour to achieve its vision to self-reliance in Indian Space Programme which aims at engaging more Indian Industries in producing Space worthy products/technologies for its specific applications. Their desired specifications were in electro-optical & physical terms like Solar Transmittance, IR Emittance, Thickness of Coating in nano-meterson both sides of the substrate & wide spectrum working temperature of -150 to +120 degrees Celsius to name a few. The real challenge was to convert these specifications into our measurable norm. For this we sent an A4 sized sample to ISRO to get everything measured and tested in their terms. When ISRO reverted to us with their requirements in parameters that they recognize, we extrapolated that information to our measurable norm. Performing metallization in conventional metallizer was fraught with high risks of getting scratches & other aberrations (anomalies which were absolutely unacceptable for a high precision job that we were processing for ISRO). Further we developed some specialized coatings & applied on the substrate to ensure flawless metallization as required by ISRO.”

Talking more about this major break-through Jagmohan Mongia, President of Flex Films India averred, “The specialized metallized film that we supplied to ISRO was subjected to space environmental tests and passed through all parameters/tests qualifying for space application. Here I would particularly like to acknowledge the unrelenting & hard work by metallizing team of Flex Films India without which it would not have been possible for us to accomplish this goal. After this major break-through we now look forward to working with ISRO more closely in other research areas & technologies. This is just the beginning.”

Expressing delight on this breakthrough, Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman & Managing Director, Uflex Limited said, “The most gratifying part of this whole engagement is that Uflex has been able to contribute to ISRO’s endeavour of indigenization and becoming self-reliant in space technology applications. This is a perfect example of an Indian polymeric film manufacturer meeting & exceeding the performance parameters set by Indian Space Research Organization. This is a major win for Make in India and a moment of truth for Made in India.”

Uflex is India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials & Solution Company & an emerging global player. Since its inception back in 1985, Uflex has grown from strength to strength to evolve as a truly Indian Multinational with consumers spread across the world. Uflex today has state-of-the-art packaging facilities at multiple locales in India with installed capacity of around 100,000 TPA and has packaging film manufacturing facilities in India, UAE, Mexico Egypt, Poland & USA with cumulative installed capacity in excess of 337,000 TPA.

All Uflex plants are accredited with ISO 9001, 14001, HACCP & BRC certifications. Uflex caters to markets spanning across the globe in over 140 countries like USA, Canada, South American countries, UK and other European Countries, Russia, South Africa, CIS, Asian & African nations. Integrated within its core business profile are allied businesses like Engineering, Cylinders, Holography & Chemicals which further give Uflex a superior edge above competition.

Uflex Limited is also a part of the D&B Global Database & winner of varied prestigious national & international awards for its products’ excellence. Uflex offers technologically superior packaging solutions for a wide variety of products such as snack foods, candy & confectionery, sugar, rice & other cereals, beverages, tea & coffee, dessert mixes, noodles, wheat flour, soaps & detergents, shampoos & conditioners, vegetable oil, spices, marinades & pastes, cheese & dairy products, frozen food, sea food, meat, anti-fog, pet food, pharmaceuticals, contraceptives, garden fertilizers & plant nutrients, motor oil & lubricants, automotive & engineering components et al.

China on Monday said it has clinched a deal with India on the reduction of import duties on Indian medicines including anti-cancer drugs, which are highly expensive in the country.

Beijing, which earlier announced a cut on import duties on over 8,500 Indian items, said it will relax taxes on more goods from India and other countries as its trade war with the US heats up.

As discussed between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Wuhan summit in April, China has granted more access to Indian pharmaceutical companies.

“We believe the expansion of imports and slashing of tariffs on anti-cancer medicines will usher in great opportunities for India and other countries in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

She referred to a recent popular Chinese movie about a leukemia patient, who imports and sells less expensive generic anticancer drugs from India for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in China.

“There is a popular movie ‘Dying to Survive’ about zero tariff imposition on anti-cancer medicines in China,” Hua added.

She was responding to a question about India’s decision to cut levies on 3,142 items from the member countries of Asia Pacific Trade Agreement. China is a signatory to the accord.

“According to the outcome of the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement, we agreed to slash tariffs by 33 per cent… So the slashing of tariffs by the Indian side is also part of this negotiation,” Hua said.

She added that China will also impose a negotiated agreed tariff rate on relevant items in accordance with its regulations.

“We have decided to expand our imports as well as opening up. This is what China needs in order to uphold the free trade and work against protectionism. It is also in keeping up with our own pace of development and opening up,” Hua said while referring to the ongoing trade war between China and the US.

The two countries slapped tariffs on each other’s products to the tune of $70 billion last week.

Unable to get further allocations from the Finance Ministry under the Nirbhaya Fund, Indian Railways is exploring the loan route to raise Rs 2,500 crore to install CCTVs at all stations and coaches to ensure state-of-the-art surveillance systems in the entire rail network across the country.

The loan is to be raised through Indian Railways Finance Corporation (IRFC), the finance arm of the national transporter. It raises financial resources for expansion and running from the capital markets and other avenues.

There is a total requirement of Rs 3,000 crore for the CCTV project, out of which Rs 500 crore has already been allocated by the Finance Ministry under the Nirbhaya Fund.

“While 436 stations are being equipped with CCTVs, 547 more stations would be covered under the Nirbhaya Fund this year,” a senior Railway Ministry official told IANS.

Giving top priority to safety and security at rail premises, the Budget for 2018-19 had approved CCTV systems in 58,276 coaches and 5,121 stations in the Indian rail network.

However, the Railways could not get the Finance Ministry’s nod for further allocation under Nirbhaya Fund and was told to raise resources on its own.

So it has been decided to raise Rs 2,500 crore through IRFC, with Railtel repaying the loan. Railtel, the telecom wing of the Railways, is responsible for executing the CCTV projects.

Raising loan through IRFC will be preferable for the Railways as against taking market loan.

According to a revised plan, 42,000 coaches and about 5,000 stations would be equipped with CCTV system to strengthen safety and security of passengers.

“We will begin with AC coaches and subsequently other coaches would also be covered,” said the official. “While each coach will have eight CCTV cameras covering the entry gates, aisle and vestibules, all crucial points at stations will have the systems.”

Railways has identified 10,349 coaches of suburban trains, 4,038 coaches of premier trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi, and about 27,000 coaches of superfast and express trains to be covered under the CCTV surveillance system.

All mail, express and premier trains, as well as local passenger services, will be equipped with the modern surveillance systems in the next two years as per the plan.

China launched two satellites for Pakistan on a Long March-2C rocket on Monday.

The PRSS-1 is China’s first optical remote sensing satellite sold to Pakistan and the 17th satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) for an overseas buyer, reports Xinhua news agency.

A scientific experiment satellite, PakTES-1A, developed by Pakistan, was sent into orbit via the same rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 11.56 a.m.

This is second time space cooperation between China and Pakistan since the launch of PAKSAT-1R, a communication satellite, in August 2011.

The PRSS-1 will be used for land and resources surveying, monitoring of natural disasters, agriculture research, urban construction and providing remote sensing information for the Belt and Road region.

Monday’s launch is the 279th mission of the Long March rocket series.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday upheld the October 24, 2016 decision of the Tata Sons Board of Directors dismissing its then Chairman Cyrus Mistry, a company official said here.

The NCLT ruled that the Tata Sons Board of Directors was competent to remove the Executive Chairman and that Mistry was ejected as the board members had lost confidence in him.

The much-awaited verdict of the NCLT came on a petition filed by Mistry after he was abruptly ousted as the Tata Sons Chairman that day, creating an upheaval in the Indian corporate world.

Mistry later quit from the board of other six Tata Group companies but challenged the Group and his successor, former Interim Chairman Ratan Tata’s decisions, before the NCLT.

In a move to address traffic woes of Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today proposed in the State budget construction of six inter-connected elevated corridors at a cost of Rs 15,825 crores in the next four years.

bengaluru metro, bengaluru metro budget, krdcl, Karnataka Road Development Corporation, nammo metro, special purpose vehicle, spv, BMRCL, BMTC, bengaluru metropolitan transport corporation, BDA, BBMP Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy proposed in the State budget construction of six inter-connected elevated corridors at a cost of Rs 15,825 crores in the next four years. (Express Archives)
In a move to address traffic woes of Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today proposed in the State budget construction of six inter-connected elevated corridors at a cost of Rs 15,825 crores in the next four years.

Also, the budget proposes to establish 100 charging units to encourage use of electric vehicles along with a proposal to buy 80 electric buses for public transport.

“Bengaluru transport system has not grown on par with its development,” Kumaraswamy, who is also the Finance Minister, said, while presenting the budget in the State Assembly.

In this background, it is proposed to construct the six inter-connected elevated corridors, under hybrid annuity to provide good transport communication, Kumaraswamy said.

He said this is a good contribution to the transport system as the scheme was formulated keeping in view the elevated corridors and the Bengaluru Metro scheme.

“This scheme will be taken up through hybrid annuity through KRDCL (Karnataka Road Development Corporation). For this, Rs 1000 crores have been earmarked for this year,”
he added.

Regarding the Bengaluru Metro Rail project, the Chief Minister said the study of new schemes of the 2018-19 budget understage-III of ‘Namma Metro’, a rail scheme of Bengaluru, totalling 95-kms-long routes was being undertaken.

He said Rs 50 crores have been provided to the rejuvenation of the Bellandur Lake and action would soon be taken to provide the water in the lake for agricultural activities of rural areas through drip irrigation in partnership with Antharaganga Micro Irrigation Corporation Ltd.

Also, the budget states that the government intends to construct a 65-km-long peripheral ring road (PRR) on the outskirts of the city at an estimated cost of Rs 11,950 crore.

The government has approved to take up this work through a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which was, presently,
in operation.

Proposing to establish an integrated road transport authority under his chairmanship for the comprehensive reform of transport service, the Chief Minister said it would formulate a comprehensive action plan by coordinating with BMRCL, BMTC, BDA, BBMP and other agencies relating to land transport for establishing a hassle-free easy transport system
at affordable rates.

Stating that transport corporations intend to purchase 4,236 new buses for public use, Kumaraswamy said that with a view to using electric buses under the Karnataka Government Electric Vehicle Policy – 2017, 80 electric buses would be operated through the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

Fuel prices across the four metro cities rose for the second straight day on Friday after declining for over a month.

Petrol prices in Delhi rose by 14 paise to Rs 75.85 per litre, from Rs 75.71 on Thursday, data on the Indian Oil Corp’s website showed.

In the other major cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, petrol was sold for Rs 78.53, Rs 83.24 and Rs 78.72 per litre, up from the previous levels of Rs 78.39, Rs 83.10 and Rs 78.57 per litre.

This rise comes after prices started to decline on May 30. Also, both the petrol and diesel prices were unchanged for nine days till June 4.

In tandem with the cost of petrol, diesel prices also registered a rise for the second day in a row across the four metro cities.

In the national capital, diesel was sold at Rs 67.66 per litre, up from Rs 67.50 on Thursday.

Rise in diesel prices gains significance as the fuel is used in the transportation of agriculture and food products, in turn affecting food prices in the country.

In Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the key transportation fuel was sold at Rs 70.21, Rs 71.79 and Rs 71.42 per litre respectively against the previous levels of Rs 70.05, Rs 71.62 and Rs 71.24 per litre.

National Geographic explorer Mike Libecki and his 14-year-old daughter Lilliana are essentially travellers who have been to several remote corners of the world. But it is not just the high-ranging mountains or far-flung seas that have a distinct pull for the American father-daughter duo; in fact, most of their travels are humanitarian- and- philanthropy-based expeditions.

In their latest venture, they collaborated with Dell as a part of its Give Back Project and worked in a remote village of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

At Jhamtse Gatsal’s Children’s Community, which is home to about 90 children, the father-daughter duo, along with Dell employees, have installed 20 new laptops, new printers, internet access and are imparting computer education to kids and teachers in Tawang.

They have also installed new solar power panels and solar generators for the computer centre and other buildings in the community.

“We worked closely with the community. All of the kids at the community are orphans or they have come to live there because they have family issues. They are all first-generation learners, none of the families of these kids have had an education.

“We came here to provide solar energy, a new computer lab with computers and internet installed, because the goal of the orphanage is to provide education to the kids. They want the children to go to college; without having computers and internet, they will lag behind and not be able to do. In the times that we live in, we need to be technologically advanced and savvy to make progress,” Mike told IANS.

Maintaining that progress is not possible without access to technological tools such as computers and the internet, Mike explained that all the equipment was shipped from the United States to Tawang and Dell employees were on ground to help in the installation process.

“But just installing the computers wasn’t enough. We needed to ensure that the children are able to use them… that they are trained properly and, whenever the situation arises, they should have help from technicians. We also had to ensure that these systems run on solar power because remote areas like these do not have electricity running most of the times,” he said.

And so when they set out on what turned out to be a very enriching and satisfying experience, there was a lot of anticipation in the air as many of the kids at Jhamtse Gatsal’s Children’s Community were seeing computers for the first time.

When the young children saw Lilliana, who at the age of 14 has already been to 26 countries, all seven continents, five major expeditions and has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, helping her father set up the computers and teach not just the kids but also the teachers and other workers at the community on how to go about using the computer and accessing the internet, their faces lit up with brightness and, in Mike’s words, “They learnt to aspire.”

“Everytime we connect with a community and we try to give back, we get more than we give. We have opportunities that they don’t and making a little impact on their lives really leaves us with a great feeling of satisfaction. We are giving them computers and internet.

“Think about you and I, we have access to these technological boons but we take it for granted every day. We never think what our lives would be had we been unfortunate too. We just have these at our disposal. So why should other human beings not have them too?” he asked.

Mike said that just like the word “technology” comes from the word “tool”, they envisaged a similar approach towards this project.

“We are using technology as a tool. These kids want to go to college, just like anybody else. Why shouldn’t the most remote and poor kids have the same opportunity that you and I have? So we want to do our part. If we are doing our part and impacting one community may be we are impacting thousands of people because initiatives like these create a ripple effect. The one who has been benefited will, some day, if he/she has an opportunity to, make a difference in the lives of others,” Mike said.

Jhamtse Gatsal’s Children’s Community is located in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The nearest town is Lumla, less than half an hour away by car, or an hour or two by foot. It is a community, a school, and a home for about 90 children ranging in age from toddler to adolescent.

Most of the children at the community have a background of adversity and the driving goal of the community is to provide these children with better lives, helping them to achieve their fullest potential.

An Indian expatriate won a 7 million dirham ($1.9 million) lottery for a ticket he purchased at the Abu Dhabi International Airport just before boarding a flight for India, a media report said on Wednesday.

Tojo Mathew, a 30-year-old Abu Dhabi-based civil supervisor, had the winning ticket number on Tuesday at the monthly Big Ticket raffle draw conducted at the airport, reports Khaleej Times.

“I bought the ticket at the Abu Dhabi airport just before boarding the flight for India on June 24. I was leaving the UAE for good to join my wife, who got a job in New Delhi. I still cannot believe I won,” Mathew told the daily over the telephone from Delhi.

Mathew and his friends received the news on Tuesday morning when they checked the Big Ticket website.

Mathew said his big dream was to own a house in his home state Kerala. “That has been my long pending dream. Now it can be a reality with the raffle money.”

Nine others won 100,000 dirhams at the draw on Tuesday. They included five Indians, one Pakistani and a Kuwait resident.

A UK High Court judge has issued an implementation order in favor of a consortium of 13 Indian banks, seeking to recover funds owed to them by beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya who is fighting extradition to India on fraud and money laundering charges worth nearly Rs 9,000 crore.

The order grants permission to the UK High Court Enforcement Officer to enter the 62-year-old tycoon’s properties in Hertfordshire, near London. It permits the officer and his agent’s entry to Ladywalk and Bramble Lodge in Tewin, Welwyn, where Mallya is currently based. However, it is not an instruction to enter, which means the banks have the option to use the order as one of the means to recover estimated funds of around 1.145 billion pounds.

“The High Court Enforcement Officer, including any enforcement agents acting under his authority, may enter Ladywalk, Queen Hoo Lane, Tewin, Welwyn and Bramble Lodge, Queen Hoo Lane, Tewin, Welwyn, including all outbuildings of Ladywalk and Bramble Lodge to search for and take control of goods belonging to the First Defendant (Mallya),” notes the order by Justice Byran, dated June 26. “The High Court Enforcement Officer, including any Enforcement Agent acting under his authority, may use reasonable force to enter the Property if necessary,” it states.

According to legal experts with knowledge of the case, the latest order by the High Court’s Queen’s Bench Division is the granting of permission, should it be required, while the banks consider “all the enforcement options available to them”.

The order relates to the UK’s Tribunal Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 and follows a UK High Court ruling in May, which refused to overturn a worldwide order freezing Mallya’s assets and upheld an Indian court’s ruling that the Indian banks were entitled to recover funds. It marked the first recorded case of a judgment of the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in India being registered by the English High Court, setting a legal precedent.

The victory for the 13 Indian banks which include State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Corporation bank, Federal Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co. Pvt Ltd enables them to enforce the Indian judgment against Mallya’s assets in England and Wales.

Mallya has made an application in the Court of Appeal seeking permission to appeal against the order, which remains pending. Mallya, who is separately fighting extradition to India on fraud and money laundering charges worth an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, had recently issued a media statement condemning the charges against him as politically motivated.

He then took to social media to clarify that he made the statement “after a long period of silence” because he had filed an application before the Karnataka High Court on June 22, setting out available assets of approximately Rs 13,900 crores.

“We have requested the Court’s permission to allow us to sell these assets under judicial supervision and repay creditors, including the Public Sector Banks such amounts as may be directed and determined by the Court,” he tweeted.

“If the criminal agencies such as ED or CBI object to my proposal, and object to the sale of assets, it will clearly demonstrate that there is an agenda against me ‘the Poster Boy’ beyond recovery of dues to Public Sector Banks, he added.

Meanwhile, the former Kingfisher Airlines boss remains on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He will return for his extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on July 31, when closing arguments are expected from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), acting on behalf of the Indian government, and Mallya’s defence team. A judgment is expected in the case at a later date.

While the CPS claims it has successfully established a prima facie case of fraud against the businessman, Mallya’s lawyers have sought to establish that the criminal charges against him are “without substance”. They have also challenged the case on human rights grounds, questioning the conditions at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, where the businessman is to be held post-extradition.