Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Chairman and Managing Director Shekhar Bajaj hinted that the company might enhance its investment in the Nashik company in the coming years, based on market potential. “Bajaj makes 280 million units of CFLs annually now, compared 350 million units of conventional bulbs. The relatively higher prices of CFLs limit volume growth, though not revenues. During the past year we also had to contend with higher costs of most inputs like aluminium, copper and zinc.”

A change in government policy which allowed recycling of CFLs could help, Mr. Bajaj felt. The future in lighting might belong to LEDs with their advantages like coloured and diffused light if the consumer wanted to, he added.

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The Democratic Front government on Friday unveiled an ambitious policy to develop Nashik, Nagpur and Aurangabad as new IT hubs in a time-bound period.

“Based on a survey conducted by Nasscom, we have formulated a new IT policy. Since there is saturation of IT industries in the Mumbai-Pune region, we will now concentrate on developing Nashik, Nagpur and Auragabad as new IT hubs,” said industries minister Narayan Rane.

“We have drafted a new policy. We have taken into consideration the regional imbalance, the need to grant more FSI to units in Nashik, Nagpur and Aurangabad as well as such districts, which have very poor human resource index,” Rane said.

A few years ago, Nasscom had conducted an intensive survey on the present status of the IT sector. It was found that 90% of the IT units and BPOs were concentrated in seven cities, including Mumbai and Pune. Then Nasscom had recommended to the Centre the need to encourage promotion of IT industries in underdeveloped areas. “We expect our new policy will attract more investments in Nashik, Nagpur and Aurangabad,” Rane said.

Rane said besides development of the new areas, it has been proposed to give more emphasis on the AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comics) areas. Steps will be taken to ensure that along with the development of the IT sector, there will be no adverse impact on the environment, encouragement for setting up more incubation centres and above all, more efforts will be made to develop Maharashtra as a brand in the IT sector, Rane added.

For effective implementation of the IT policy, a 12-member committee headed by the chief secretary has been set up. Besides ex-officio members of the industries, urban development, finance, higher and technical education departments, nominees of Nasscom and manufacturers association will be special invitees.

On the infrastructure facilities, a senior industries department official said it has been proposed to grant 100% FSI after charging 10% premium, while in districts of poor human resource index, there will be no premium.

Highlights

• More FSI for new IT units in Nashik, Nagpur and Aurangabad
• Setting up more incubation centres for enhancement of knowledge
• Develop Maharashtra as a brand in IT sector

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its nod for four-laning of Panikoili-Keonjhar-Rimouli, Rimouli-Roxy- Rajmundra and Chandikhole-Duburi-Talcher stretches in Orissa totalling 402 km to be executed with an estimated cost of Rs 2,989.27 crore under National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) phase-III A on build operate, transfer (BOT) basis. 

CCEA approved four/six laning of Madhya Pradesh/ Maharashtra Border-Dhule section and six-laning of Pimpalgaon-Nasik-Gonde section of National Highway-3 under NHDP phase-III A on BOT basis. 

The Committee also gave it nod for two-laning of paved shoulder of Karaikudi-Ramanathapuram section of NH-210 in Tamil Nadu NHDP phase-III. The 80-km project is estimated to be executed at a cost of Rs 530.33 crore. 

The CCEA also approved four-laning of Armur-Adloor- Yellareddy section of NH-7 in Andhra Pradesh under NHDP phase-III on BOT basis. The 60.25 km project is expected to be completed at a cost of Rs 531.67 crore. 

All the projects will be developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) through private sector concessionaires who will be selected by NHAI following two-stage bidding process, Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said here.

Earlier on November 18, the management had proposed temporary production cuts to four days a week to control and rationalize the production at both these plants

Dr Sandeep Chatrath, Centre Head of Nasik unit of Wockhardt Hospital said that e-one emergency four-wheeler van is fully equipped with one doctor to take care of emergency cases and in this concept the treatment starts from the time the person calls to ‘e-one ICU on wheels.’

He said that the hospital having posh building, well equipped operation theatres, high-tech diagnostic equipments and services like 4d eacho and ‘digital x-ray, pathology, surgical and other health-related systems.

The hospital is also providing health services at reasonable charges when compared with other hospitals in Nashik, bypass surgery at Rs 1 lakh, and also other operations like engioplasty, engiography and harnia, Dr Chatrath added.

The hospital in Nashik has invested Rs 70 crore to provide quality infrastrucre backup, professional consultants, state-of-the-art technology.