After Calcutta, it’s Bangalore who is the next city to benefit from the 4G technology by Bharti Airtel.
The 4G technology allows the users to access wireless broadband services at 30-40 mbps speeds compared to 3-4 mbps on 3G platforms.
The company has invested around 1.5 billion € in the state of Karnataka to introduce this technology.
Mangalore and Mysore will be the next cities to benefit from this new service.
The service will then be launched in Pune (Maharashtra) and Chandigarh (Punjab).
 

Indian low cost carrier, SpiceJet, plans to fly this year to more international destinations. To this effect, it has obtained the necessary approvals from the Indian aviation authorities to add 6 new international destinations to its current itinerary.
With these additional routes, SpiceJet’s weekly international flights will move from 14 flights /week to 64 flights/ week.
SpiceJet, whose primary shareholder Mr. Kalanithi Maran holding 43.60% of shares, will add Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Male, Kabul, Dubai and Bangkok to their existing international destinations, Colombo and Kathmandu.
The new destinations are expected to increase the carrier’s revenues from international operations from 2.75% to 4.5%.
 

LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU and LISA sponsor the symposium
on Spray Dried Dairy Products

LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU, a leading French manufacturer of infant formulas together with LISA, an expert in manufacturing processes for powdered milk formulas for infants, are sponsoring the 5^th edition of the International Symposium on Spray Dried Dairy Products (SDDP) being organized by IDF (International Dairy Federation) and INRA (the French National Institute for Agricultural Research) from 19th to 21st June 2012 in Saint-Malo, France. The main aim of the symposium is to update researchers and manufacturers on scientific advances in the field of Spray Dried Dairy Products.

LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU and LISA present their know-how during the international symposium on SDDP

The SDDP symposium gathers research professionals and industry leaders from around the world to present the most advanced spray drying techniques able to preserve the integrity of dairy components. It is an opportunity for LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU and its spin-off LISA, diamond sponsors of the event, to present their expert knowledge in the production of infant milk powder.

With steady investments in R&D, the two companies are equipped with undisputed expertise in optimizing manufacturing processes. By being committed to the understanding of raw material behavior during each industrial stage, these processes control impacts and guarantee expected functional and metabolic product properties. 

They also assess new technologies and innovative manufacturing configurations, so that the native properties and nutritional components of infant milk can be maintained.

Their expertise includes a patented spray drying mathematical model, giving them outstanding competitive advantage. In this way, the cost and time of their industrial pilot assays are reduced. They also comply with the most stringent product quality standards in the world.

LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU and LISA thus strive to help manufacturers and distributors meet the quality standards of health and sanitary authorities throughout the world, by bringing them technical and industrial expertise.

Infant milk powder quality : a public health issue

As a matter of fact, infant milk quality is an issue for governments and public health authorities. It is the result of various industrial factors: quality of the raw materials, mechanical and thermal treatments, way of blending, interaction between components, etc.

A milk protein that has been subjected to shocks during the industrial process may suffer structural modifications. This may distort its biological value and lead to outbreak of new components potentially harmful to children.

Metabolic safety will become a point of vigilance for the world sanitary authorities, hitherto focused on microbiological and quantitative aspects.

The boom in infant formula demand

The  infant formula market is estimated to be 12 billion €* and is indifferent to economic cycles: the worldwide demand is increasing by 11% per annum, particularly in the emergent markets, targeted by LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU, Asia and Latin America. In 2011, export accounted for 45% of the turnover for LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU.

*According to LISA, 2012

About LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU and LISA : 

LAITERIE DE MONTAIGU is a French independent family company. It was established in 1932 and has been investing in R&D and technological excellence; it produces white-label custom-made infant milk powders, according to the most demanding international standards.

LISA is the only engineering firm in the world specialized in infant milk powder, offering not only feasibility studies, selection of partners and strategic advice, but also and above all, technology and know-how transfer for infant formula production.

New Delhi, April 2012: For the past 152 years, CHEVILLOTTE has turned the manufacture of billiard tables into an art form. The know-how of five generations, combined with the talent of its designers and cabinetmakers, has made CHEVILLOTTE the world leader in prestige billiard tables, present in over forty countries. Already present in Bengaluru and Delhi, CHEVILLOTTE is now looking for distributors in Mumbai as well as Kolkata to establish a strong presence in the major metropolitan cities in India.

The company first distinguished itself in the competition circuit as its models are regularly chosen, even to this day, for major international competitions. Now the main focus of its business has become the consumer market, and CHEVILLOTTE has been awarded the EPV label (Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant - Living Heritage Enterprise). This label is awarded by the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry to recognize companies in the country with excellence in artisanal know-how.

Driven by the pursuit of aesthetics and design, CHEVILLOTTE nurtures values centred on innovation and boldness, while maintaining its know-how and the excellence of its craft. All manufacturing is done exclusively in France, in keeping with tradition and using the noblest of materials on the basis of a rigorous selection process.

CHEVILLOTTE has launched Verytables, the first-ever dining table that turns into a billiard table, by means of a patented system which truly represents a remarkable technical achievement. CHEVILLOTTE also specializes in antique billiard tables. This expertise led the company to be selected by the Château de Versailles to recreate the billiard table used by King Louis XVI.

CHEVILLOTTE has recently set up an Entertainment Room concept. It can now offer complete, fully laid-out game rooms, designed according to each customer’s specific requirements. These include carpeting, seating, lighting, wooden panels, bar, billiard tables, casino multigame tables, juke-box, pinball machines, foosball tables…

For further information, please visit: www.chevillotte.com  

Construction will begin in the next few weeks on this plant designed to be fully energy self-sufficient. The Indian public authority in charge of water and wastewater services in the capital New Delhi has signed a contract with Veolia Water to design, build and operate an innovative wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 91 million liters/day.

This 13-year contract covers an initial two-year construction phase followed by an 11-year operation and maintenance phase. The contract is worth cumulative total revenue of 40 million euros. The plant will boost the capital’s wastewater treatment capacity at a time when the development of the city, which already shows the country’s highest population growth rate (26.4% increase from 2001 to 2011), is accelerating. The wastewater treatment used by Veolia Water will ensure the recovery of energy from the biogas produced by the sludge treatment process (digestion stage).

This innovation will reduce the Nilothi wastewater service’s environmental footprint and also cut its energy bill.The treatment sludge will be recovered in the form of highly standardized compost for use by the region’s farmers. The treated wastewater will be discharged into the Yamuna River without any impact on the natural environment.

AREVA Solar is a subsidiary of the AREVA Group and specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of steam generating solar systems for its global power generation and industrial customers. Reliance Power is India’s leading private sector power generation company. The company has the largest portfolio of power projects in the private sector based on coal, gas, hydro and renewable energy, with an operating portfolio of 1200 MW.

Alstom’s share of the contract will be approximately €125 million. As per the tender conditions, ABFPL is also expected to get awarded an additional order for three units of 660 MW for the Nabinagar site from Nabinagar Power Generating Co. Pvt Ltd (NPGCPL), a JV between NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB). NTPC or National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd is the single largest thermal power producer in India.

ABFPL is currently constructing a manufacturing facility at Mundra, Gujarat which should start operations by 2013. The plant will manufacture supercritical power plant equipment and have an annual production capacity of 5000 MW, This will be one of the largest integrated facilities for turbines, generators and auxiliaries manufacturing in India.

The U.S. car maker has an Indian joint venture with China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp and sells models including the Chevrolet Spark, Beat, Sail and seven-seater Enjoy. GM has Indian plants near the western city of Mumbai and Halol, in Gujarat.

Peugeot exited India in 1997 after the failure of an earlier joint venture, Premier Automobile Ltd., and had been seeking to re-enter the fast-growing market for at least two years before announcing the plant investment in Gujarat state last September.’

Amid mounting European losses, Peugeot flagged unspecified "timetable adjustments" to the project in January, two months after breaking ground at the factory site. GM and Peugeot announced their broad-based alliance in vehicle development and production on Feb. 29, along with a 1 billion euro Peugeot share issue that saw Detroit-based GM acquire a 7 percent stake in Europe’s second-biggest automaker.’

 A charter signed with the French Ministry for Industry in September 2011 lists the ten commitments which industry professionals must make when offering low-carbon vehicles and related products and services to consumers, featuring high performance benefits, quality, ease of use and safety. Highway companies, parking operators, traders and dealers have also signed up to the effort.

1-       France’s fleet of electric passenger and lightweight utility vehicles is the largest in Europe (15,000 units) and the third-largest in the world, after the United States and Japan[1].
PSA launched the Peugeot 3008 hybrid in 2011, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid diesel car. In spring 2012, the Citroen DS5, operating on the same technology, is arriving on the market, along with the top-range Peugeot 508 RXH. In 2012, Toyota will produce a hybrid version of the Yaris III, in Valenciennes (Nord-Pas de Calais region). For city use, Venturi (Eclectic), Goupil G3, Lumeneo (Smera and Neoma), MEGA, Micro Vett (Fiat), Tracetel (Whoop), and Courb (C Zen) are developing engine-powered tricycles and quadricycles, while Gepebus (PVI), Tecnobus, Irisbus and Gruau are bringing out buses, and Renault-Trucks a line of trucks.

Batteries are produced in France by SAFT (Lithium-Ion) and Batscap-Bolloré (Lithium Metal Polymer). Renault will start producing electric engines in Cléon (Haute-Normandie region) in 2013, and batteries (after Nissan NEC paves the way) in Flins (Paris region) in 2014. Pivotal to BMW’s partnership with PSA is a hybrid components plant in Mulhouse for 2014 (Alsace region). Parts manufacturers such as Valeo are involved in the electrification of the powertrain, power electronics and vehicle weight reduction.

2- A government-backed environment. The French government’s Automobile Bonus, in place since 2008, has channeled a total of €2.3 billion into the market, fostering the acquisition of 3.9 million new low-pollution vehicles. The 2012 scale maintains ambitious support through incentives ranging from €2,000 to €5,000 per low-carbon vehicle. An incentive scheme from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME also exists for quadricycles and certain heavy-duty vehicles.
Significant funding (€100 million) has been allocated to emission reduction and low-carbon vehicles, within four innovation clusters dedicated to automobiles and transport solutions (Mov’eo, Id4Car, Vehicles for the Future and Lyon Urban Truck and Bus). More general support for R&D is also available through France’s Research Tax Credit and the innovation agency OSEO.

Initiated in 2009, France’s Plan for the Development of Rechargeable Electric and Hybrid vehicles illustrates the commitment of the French government to promote low-carbon vehicles.

The Multi-Year Land Transport Program (“Predit N°4”, backed with €400 million of funding) allocates an average 50% of its funding to electric and hybrid vehicles. Two technological platforms are running today: Steeve Grenoble & Amiens (energy storage, piloted by the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission CEA and the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks INERIS) and Movéo’DEGE Saclay (piloted by the French Institute of Petroleum IFP). French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME’s first two research demonstration funds on “low greenhouse gas road vehicles” have been approved (€108 million). They also support experimental efforts such as Kléber (rechargeable hybrid vehicle in Strasbourg), SAVE (Seine Aval VE), CROME (CROss-border Mobility for Evs) with Germany, VERT (in Réunion). BMW meanwhile experimented with a French fleet of Mini E cars up to the end June 2011, and will launch an operational fleet with ActiveEs in 2012.

In order to guarantee fully-safe electric vehicle deployment, in particular in underground parking lots, tests have been carried out on electric vehicle battery safety, in conjunction with government authorities.

The Recharge Infrastructures Working Group for electric vehicles (GT IRVE), placed under the supervision of the Ministry for Industry, is responsible for consultation and coordination with sector professionals (Schneider Electric, Legrand, Parkéon, DBT, Saintronic, Sagem.com, EDF Sodretel, Hager, etc.) on all national government issues: provisions introduced under the Grenelle II Act (municipality consortia, building permits, office or apartment block parking lots), Green Paper recommendations on recharge infrastructures accessible to the public, a common definition of the “safe electric vehicle”, standardization, support (French Government Investment Bank CDC or the French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME) for experiments and recharge infrastructure deployment (eco-cities and pilot metropolitan areas having signed a charter in 2010).

The French government’s “National Investment Program” has helped boost support for electrochemical storage, through the “low-carbon energies” segment of its activities. The “Vehicle of the Future" segment meanwhile focused on advanced electric powertrain and hybrid techniques as well as recharge stations, while also opening up a unit dedicated to funding recharge infrastructures on public highways. Already-published multilateral investment agreements (AMIs) have been granted a budget of over €500 million. Furthermore, the French government has announced an accreditation program and €54 million in funding for the VEDECOM Institute for Excellence in Low-Carbon Energies, specifically in the field of land transport and eco-mobility, which will set up a venue in Satory (Paris region) where transport players can work together to deploy new systems and new vehicles.

Lastly, the Orders Consortium steered by La Poste and coordinated by state procurement body UGAP announced in October 2011 the outcome of a call for tenders on the acquisition of 2,000 vehicles for four years. The UGAP has also signed partnerships with various representatives of the local authorities and plans to launch a new call for tenders in 2012.

David Appia, Chairman and CEO of the Invest in France Agency (IFA) stated, “France offers a world-class platform for foreign industrial players who wish to develop low-carbon vehicles, taking advantage of an environment highly conducive to innovation and boasting top-tier training for engineers. France’s innovation clusters and government incentives dedicated to the automotive sector enhance France’s investment attractiveness in these technologies building the future”.

The Invest in France Agency (IFA) is the national agency responsible for promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It also coordinates initiatives to promote France’s economic attractiveness. The IFA network operates worldwide. In France, the IFA works in partnership with regional development agencies to offer international investors outstanding business opportunities and customized services.
For further information, please visit www.investinfrance.org;
 

“French touch” in digital design in and around Lille

Mobile phone applications, special effects, video games, touch pads, 3D animation, serious game, … digital design is now all around us! If the “French touch” is known and recognised across the globe for the expertise and creativity that it brings to the industry, it is thanks to Lille and the surrounding region in the north of France. Lille stands out in terms of digital design thanks to its state-of-the-art training programmes, its technoparks dedicated to companies that work in this field, and the dynamics of an industry boosted by a regional cluster devoted to image technology, the “Pôle Images ”.                                                                                                                   

Schools recognised as far away as India for their excellence

The Lille region boasts of a number of internationally renowned institutes in the digital sector like Supinfocom, Supinfogame, Higher Institute of Design and so on. Today, this cluster of schools trains some 1,200 students in animation, video games and industrial design. On finishing their studies, the young professionals are immediately snapped up by major animation studios like PIXAR and DREAMWORK or by games companies of international repute such as GAMELOFT, UBISOFT and HYDRAVISION.

Supinfogroup’s reputation now reaches as far as India, where the group of schools has been selected by private investors to set up a campus dedicated to multimedia and video games at Pune, near Mumbai. Pune, presented as the Oxford of South-East Asia, attracts students from across the world. Built and financed by an Indian real estate magnate, the brand-new campus has already welcomed 350 students. The investors were particularly impressed by the quality of films presented by the students and by the prizes that they have won at several international festivals, a resounding endorsement for Supinfogroup’s expertise and excellence! 

Two unique sites that contribute to the excellence of the Pôle Images.

However, the ambitions of the Lille region are not limited to training the digital elite. The area also intends to develop highly innovative projects across a region that is blessed with exceptional sites for just this purpose.

From “Plaine Images ” in the town of Tourcoing…

The Plaine Images business park has its roots in the desire to promote the development of a world-class centre of excellence dedicated to images and to support the convergence of expertise, businesses, screens and formats. Housed in a group of buildings occupying a exceptionally restored former industrial site of 5 hectares, Plaine Images promotes the development of its on-site businesses and the synergies between the different sectors of the images industry. In order to create links between artistic projects, companies and research laboratories, Plaine Images is home to a business incubator and nursery that means that it can host up to 50 companies and 1,000 employees.

One of the most notable new ventures on this site dedicated to images is the Imaginarium, a platform where businesses, artists, training structures and research teams can meet and collaborate to boost their creativity and generate new content. At the end of 2012 the Imaginarium will become home to a research-innovation-development space that will be unique in France and Europe. It will be backed by the University of Lille and CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and will concentrate on the field of Visual Studies. It will provide state-of-the-art equipment such as a virtual-visit platform, a perception/action laboratory and workshops for artistic experimentation.

… to the “Serre Numérique”- “Digital Greenhouse”- in Valenciennes

In September 2013 the schools in the Supinfogroup will move to the “Serre Numérique” which is structured around a simple idea: “Digital design in all its forms”. Occupying 15,000m², the Serre Numérique will bring together business leaders, designers, researchers, teachers, students and artists with the aim of embracing every area of digital design: video games, animation, virtual worlds, industrial simulation, urban design and product design, 3D, etc. and, in particular, serious games. It will be a place where training, finance and research will create a stimulating environment for carrying out projects with high added value.

The Images Pole: backbone of the digital region

The regional Images Pole cluster is made up of 120 companies, 27 specialised training schemes and schools, 22 research bodies and 9 professional associations. Its role is to stimulate growth in the sector by facilitating partnerships between businesses, training centres and researchers who operate in the field of images. It is developing a European perspective by establishing cross-border links as well as encouraging synergies for generating creative content. All in all, enough to give the Lille region the resources to match its ambitions.

Contact information:

Marie-Hélène Cauchy
Communications Manager
Tel.: +33 (0) 359 562 336
Email: mh.cauchy@nfinvest.fr
Website: www.nordfranceinvest.fr

The objective is to meet and network with the leading players and decision makers from the Indian boating industry and to forge business opportunities.

India represents a burgeoning market with substantial growth potential. Fascinated by India’s growth rate of 8-9%, international luxury brands of repute are flocking to India for business development. The French Pavilion gathers leading companies specializing in yacht charter services, construction of luxury catamarans, safety & surveillance systems and dual energy desalinating machines. The French Pavilion offers an ideal occasion for these companies to promote their state-of-the-art, luxury boats and share their technological expertise with professionals in Indian boating industry.

List of companies participating at the French Pavilion:

Bateaux Archambault, for over 50 years has been producing character sailing yachts appreciated all over the world. 60% of the production is exported through an international network of distributors. Located near Châtellerault, close to main transport routes, the ship yard is just 1h30 from Paris and 2hrs from the Atlantic coast. Website: www.archambault-boats.eu

Catana is a French boat builder of top-of-the-range luxury catamarans. CATANA catamarans, the ultimate experience of speed, are among the fastest selling catamarans in the global market. The brand value proposition consists of performance/safety, high technology construction, luxury and semi-custom built to owner’s specifications.
It is one of those boat builders who include standard carbon fibers, twaron aramid fiber and infusion process in the construction of the boats. Its range includes 42 to 80 feet long boats (42’, 47’, 50’, new 59’, 65’ and customs units 75’ & 80’). Website: www.catana.com

CSO Yachts specializes in charter, brokerage and management of luxury yachts. Based in Cannes, the heart of the French Riviera, one of the world’s most praised cruising grounds, CSO Yachts offers the best of its expertise to its customers for successful completion of their yachting projects.
With over 50 years of experience in providing consultancy services, CSO YACHTS’ has made its mark in the global yachting industry. Website: www.csoyachts.com

Dessalator, for over 30 years has been manufacturing reverse osmosis systems for many shipyards such as Amel, Beneteau Group, Alliaura Marine, Outremer Yachting, X-Yachts, Hanse Yachts, Princess and so on.  Around 8,000 water management systems are already installed around the world. The one of its kind, DUO models,  are patented dual-energy desalinating machines produced by Dessalator. Dessalator manufactures a wide range of these products with output capacities from "60 L/H to 1,000 L/H". Website: www.dessalator.com

Nautitech  is one of the major players in world of catamaran. Renowned for its pleasing aesthetics, Nautitech boats are high in quality, fast and secure. In 2011 and 2012, two new units were launched, the Nautitech 542 and the Nautitech 482 reflecting the latest luxury trends and best performance levels. Website: www.nautitech-catamarans.fr,  www.ocean-voyager.net

Seagull-Security has made its mark as a major player in the market of products and services dedicated to safety and surveillance at sea. Their new beacon, the most compact and ergonomic on the market, has instantly established itself as a leading product. Thanks to the miniaturization of its electronic components and it’s ingenious design, which differs from existing beacons, it has overcome many technical and operational barriers to offer maximum safety and comfort when using it. It offers innovative responses to the limitations of traditional beacons. Website: www.seagull-security.com

In 2011, the Mumbai International Boat Show welcomed about 100 exhibitors and 15,000 visitors over the duration of the show. Following this success, the sixth edition of India’s largest international boat show will offer a platform for world-class conferences, great networking opportunities, and state-of-the-art technology exhibits from national and international players. The French companies from boating industry are committed to identify new opportunities and chalk out strategies for business collaborations.

Come and meet them at Stand A3, MMRDA Grounds, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai!

About The French Nautical Industries Federation (FIN)
The French Nautical Industries Federation represents and promotes different sectors of the French nautical industries both at home and abroad. The FIN currently has more than 600 members, representing more than 80% of the industry’s turnover. In collaboration with the authorities at the regional, national, and European level, the French Nautical Industries Federation assists and advises companies in a number of domains: legal, social, economic and technical, and plays a role in providing information to the public and media.
The Federation organizes the Paris International Boat show, Cannes International Boat and Yacht Show, and Maritima, a trade show dedicated to the global maritime industry.

About Ubifrance:
UBIFRANCE is the French agency for international business development, a key public partner in export for French companies. It’s complete range of services include providing information (on markets, legal, regulatory, international financing, calls to tender, sector watch), export consulting, sales actions (prospecting missions, partnership meetings, trade events abroad, communication in the international press, etc.) and the Volunteers for International Experience (Volontariat International en Entreprise – VIE) for the international deployment of skilled human resources. To support French companies of all sizes and all sectors in their development on foreign markets, UBIFRANCE mobilizes the expertise of 2,500 persons in France (Paris and Marseille) and in 120 other countries through its Missions Economiques, clubs and associations, and a network of Press Services.

For further information, please contact:
Shilpa PATIL
Trade Advisor
Lifestyle, Consumer Goods & Healthcare Department
French Trade Commission
Consulate General of France, Mumbai
Tel: +91 22 66 69 40 83
Email: shilpa.patil@ubifrance.fr

Press Contact:
Deepika PRAKASH
Press Officer
French Trade Commission
Embassy of France, New Delhi
Tel: +91 11 43 19 63 51
Email: deepika.prakash@ubifrance.fr