Category Archives: Science & Technology

Boy from Mahimalore navigates his way to success

Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Leaders, Science & Technology

Hyderabad:

The ICBM test-fired from the Interim Test Range (ITR), Balasore, Orissa on April 19 was on target 5,000-km into the Indian Ocean. The missile’s accuracy, which hit within double-digit metres of the target, pleased the defence scientists.

“Advanced countries with a superior technology have reportedly achieved accuracy within three-digit metres but Agni-V has achieved what no other country could do before,” a senior DRDO scientist said.

The villagers of Mahimalore in Atmakur mandal of Nellore district have joined the country-wide celebrations of the success, because their boy has made India proud by developing a navigation system that helped Agni-V reach its target.

Soon after the Agni-V test-firing, flexis and posters of  Gundra Satheesh Reddy, associate director and outstanding scientist, Research Centre Imarat, appeared in his hometown hailing his achievement. Such honours are generally reserved for filmstars but what Satheesh Reddy and his team achieved was not of the filmi variety but real and rare.

As technology director (Navigation) for Agni-V, Satheesh Reddy provided a navigation system which had very high level reliability. The Ring Laser Gyro-based Navigation System (RINS) and the Micro Navigation System ensured that the missile could simply not fail.

“Em Debba kottinaranna (What a shot that was, brother),” callers from Mahimalore and Atmakur said appreciating Satheesh Reddy after the ICBM’s successful launch. They may not know much about the missile but they knew one thing: Gundra Sitarami Reddy and Rangamma’s son had done the country proud. The agricultural family had dreamt of Satheesh Reddy becoming an engineer and he realised not just that but a dream of the country to get into the ICBM club.

“Perhaps because of my village background, I developed a fascination for aeroplanes and during the course of time got into missile technology,” Satheesh Reddy told STOI. When the DRDO job came his way, he lapped it up. “It was not like any other job right from the beginning. I wanted to do something for the country,” Satheesh Reddy said. That was the reason why he stayed on in DRDO while most of his friends left the country for greener pastures. Quite of few of those who joined DRDO along with him may have left the job and gone for what they felt were better opportunities, he decided to stay and be faithful to his calling.

Satheesh Reddy has been involved in the navigation system of all the missiles developed by DRDO and the ‘Outstanding Scientist’ that he is now, has set his sights on achieving something much higher in the missile technology – all for the country’s sake.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / April 29th, 2012

Private industry’s contribution to Agni-V success huge, significant: Saraswat

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Hyderabad:

Nearly 40 private industries from Hyderabad and almost 150 industries from all over the country contributed to the success of Agni-V, the long-range Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that was test-fired successfully on April 19.

Director general of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and scientific advisor to defence minister, V K Saraswat on Saturday said the role of private industries was significant in the development of the missile that put India in an exclusive club. The private industries contributed major sub-systems as required by the DRDO.

Saraswat was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ‘luminary sessions’ organised by the Aeronautical Society of India, Hyderabad branch. The Agni-V team, including Saraswat, Avinash Chander, chief controller, R&D (missiles and strategic systems) and others were felicitated on the occasion.

Even in so far as the production of the weapon systems that the DRDO develops, Saraswat said he favoured a partnership with the production agency, right from the time the product is developed by the DRDO. This, he said, facilitates better transfer of technology. “Our strong opinion is that DRDO should have an important say in who the production partner should be,” he said. In reply to a question, he said defence minister A K Antony had also felt so.

Saraswat said, several countries had shown interest in buying the Akash missile but it would not be possible to make the supplies because of the limited production facilities available in the country. Declining to name the countries which had shown such interest, he said these were countries which were friendly to India. “It is not possible to make supplies without our own requirement being met,” he said.

The DRDO chief said the ongoing missiles programmes in the country were worth Rs 40,000 crore and if other programmes also included, it could go up to Rs 80,000 crore. He described the private participation in the success of missile as “huge significance.”

The DRDO chief said the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ would be inducted into the Indian Air Force this year. He said a naval variant of the LCA was successfully test-fired on Friday. He said the first ship-fitted with Long Range Cruise Missile (LRCM) would also be rolled out in 2013-14.

In reply to a question, Saraswat dismissed the ‘Tatra’ trucks issue as an aberration’.

Explaining about the future projects, he said among the many things he visualised were a solar-powered aircraft by 2040. About Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD), he said the tracking from the mission control centre as part of defence would have to be done in real-time communication network.

For many projects to materialise, Saraswat said self reliance was important and there was a need for nearly 500 engineers to join the defence establishment for acceleration of the current projects.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / April 27th, 2012

CA sets up Asia innovation centre in Hyderabad

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

US software and solutions company CA Technologies has set up its Asia innovation unit at its development centre here in partnership with the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H).

The centre is the company’s third innovation centre in the world after the US and Israel. It will work in areas like cloud technology, big data technology, mobile security and management.

“This will become Asian innovation centre where we come together with IIIT to create an environment to add to the technologies that support what is happening in the industry today,” Chief Executive Officer William McCracken told reporters.

IIIT-H Director Rajeev Sangal said: “We are looking forward to working with CA Technologies to help develop strategic software solutions that can address the most pressing business needs of their customers and the enterprise industry.”

Terming India as big business opportunity for the company, McCracken said the CA increased its investment in India by over 25 percent for last several years. “We will continue to do that because it is already starting to show returns. In the past year as a revenue India has grown well beyond what we have known as a corporation.”

The CA has already invested $60 million in creating the infrastructure for its operations in India. McCracken also said CA was looking for acquisition of technology companies in India.

source: http://www.TwoCircles.net / by IANS / April 24th, 2012

NuZen launches OrthoZen herbal syrup

Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology
Chennai, APRIL 19:

NuZen Herbals Pvt Ltd, part of the Hyderabad-headquartered B.R. Naidu Group, has launched OrthoZen herbal syrup, developed in house, for arthritic patients.

The syrup “is purely herbal and is highly beneficial in conditions of low back pain, osteoarthritis knee joint pains and other inflammatory joint pains, without any side affects”, says Mr B. Ravindra Nath, Managing Director of the company.

The Rs 500-crore B.R. group, which has business interests in travel and forex, real estate, media (it owns the Telugu news channel TV 5), forayed into the herbal products business in 2010 with the launch of Nuzen Gold Herbal hair oil. “Encouraged by its success, we launched shampoos and hair colouring products in quick succession. And, OrthoZen marks our foray into the healthcare segment,” Mr Nath said.

According to him, the company managed establish a network with over 2,000 distributors pan India, in the last two years. While its hair-care products have national presence, and also being exported to West Asian countries and Malaysia, OrthoZen is currently made available in three states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, now. The plan is to take this product to Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata in the next two-three months, before it goes pan India.

The company has 200 acres of land in and around Hyderabad where it cultivates medicinal plants for its captive consumption, and a manufacturing facility in Hyderabad. It also intends to expand its product portfolio by adding herbal cosmetic products. Research is on and “we are in the process of acquiring land to grow specific herbs for the purpose,” Mr Nath said.

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Companies / Hindu Bureau / April 19th, 2012

Antarvedi water tank is home to rare sea fish

Business & Economy, Nature, Science & Technology

Antervedi (East Godavari):

The famous pilgrim town of Antervedi in East Godavari district, is all set to secure a berth on the global map, not for any religious reasons, but for production of ‘Silver Pampano’, a rare marine white fish, in salt water tanks.

Silver Pampano is available only in seas abutting countries like East Africa, New Zealand, North Japan and South Australia.

Vadapalli Srinivasa Raju, an aquaculturist from Palacole, produced the rare fish in his one acre saline water tank in Antervedi. Raju, who had released 3,400 fingerlings into the tank some six months ago, harvested one-and-half tonne of catch here on Tuesday.

The pilot project taken up by the Central Marine Research Fish Institute (CMRFI), Cochin in association with Raju, has resulted in a good yield. The institute has been experimenting with the project for several years but has tasted success only after tying up with Raju.

Speaking to Express, Raju said that the CMRFI provided the fingerlings and feed and helped in pumping salt water into his one acre tank from the sea.

“I wanted to set an example for the aquaculturists along the coastline in the state. My success will inspire them to take up the fish culture as a serious venture,” he said.

The Silver Pampano (Trachinotus blochii) can be cultivated twice in a year. Aquaculturists can get a production up to 20 metric tonnes every year by releasing 40,000 fingerlings in 10 acres of salt tank and earn up to `40 lakh, said the Palacole aquaculturist. The salt density should be between 5 PPT and 30 PPT for good growth of the fish.

Each fish weighs about one to two kg and is sold for 10 US dollars per kg in the international market. The white fish is in demand for its high nutritious value, he added.

source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / South> Southern News> Andhra Pradesh / by S S Chary / The New Indian Express / April 18th, 2012

 

New ISRO centre in Sriharikota will control spy satellite launch

Science & Technology

Chennai:

The Indian rocket that will carry the 1,850 kg indigenous surveillance satellite – Radar Imaging Satellite (Risat-1) – to the skies this month will be controlled by the new mission control centre at Sriharikota, said a senior official of Indian space agency ISRO.

“The second mission control centre was inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil this January. The forthcoming rocket launch would be controlled and monitored from the new mission control centre. The rocket will fly off the first launch pad,” S Satish, director (publications and public relations), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told IANS.

ISRO has its rocket port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh around 80 km from Chennai.

A senior ISRO official not wanting to be named told IANS: “The new mission control centre is modern and has larger area to accommodate more space scientists, officials, VIPs and others.”

The satellite would be used for disaster prediction and agriculture forestry, and the high resolution pictures and microwave imaging could also be used for defence purposes.

ISRO officials told IANS that the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carrying remote sensing satellite Risat-1 is slated for launch from 25-30 April.

“The exact launch date depends on the readiness of the rocket and satellite systems. Normally it will take 12-14 days for the rocket launch after carrying out all the tests,” an ISRO official told IANS.

ISRO officials told IANS that Risat-1 systems are being checked at Sriharikota and it will be mated with the rocket later.

Once the satellite is loaded on to the rocket, the entire rocket systems would again be tested.

The PSLV rocket is in a fully assembled condition and is waiting for Risat-1, the heaviest microwave remote sensing satellite to be built by India. The satellite has all weather, day and night imaging capability.

The satellite would be used for disaster prediction and agriculture forestry, and the high resolution pictures and microwave imaging could also be used for defence purposes.

The satellite’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can acquire data at C-band. In 2009, ISRO had launched 300 kg Risat-2 with Israeli built SAR enabling earth observation in all weather, day and night conditions.

Remote sensing satellites send back pictures and other data for use. India has the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the world providing imagery in a variety of spatial resolutions, from more than a metre ranging up to 500 metres, and is a major player in vending such data in the global market.

According to ISRO officials, the rocket that would sling Risat-1 would be PSLV’s upgraded variant called PSLV-XL.

The rocket would weigh around 320 tonnes at lift-off and would be the third such expendable rocket to be sent up by ISRO.

IANS

source: http://www.firstpost.com / April 09th, 2012

Cairn India’s second oil discovery in a Krishna Godavari basin block

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

New Delhi:

Cairn India today said it has made an oil discovery in a Krishna Godavari basin block, the second find in the onland block.

“Cairn Energy India Pty Ltd, wholly-owned subsidiary of  Cairn-India Ltd has notified the Management Committee of an oil discovery in the Nagayalanka-SE-1 well, in the onshore block KG-ONN-2003/1, in the Krishna-Godavari Basin on the east coast of India,” the company said in a statement issued here.

CEIL is the operator of the block with 24 per cent stake while Cairn India holds 25 per cent. The remaining 51 per cent is with state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC).

Management Committee is an oversight committee comprising representatives of upstream regulator Directorate General of Hydrocarbons and the Petroleum Ministry besides the three partners.

Without giving reserves the discovery may hold, Cairn said a gross 57-meter hydrocarbon column was tested as oil bearing. It flowed 70 barrels per day of oil and 0.6 million standard cubic feet per day of gas during testing.

“Further appraisal will be required to establish the commerciality of the Nagayalanka-SE discovery,” the statement said.

Nagayalanka-SE is the second find in the KG-ONN-2003/1 Block. The Nagayalanka SE-1 well was spud on November 25, 2011 as an exploration well, to test the hydrocarbon potential of Cretaceous Golapalli sands.

The extended second phase of exploration for the block ends on August 7 this year, it said adding the minimum work committed for the second phase has already been completed.

source: http://www.Economictimes.Indiatimes.com / ET Home> News> News by Industry> Energy / April 03rd, 2012

Malta participates for the first time in IndiaSoft 2012

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Malta participated for the first time in IndiaSoft 2012 held in Hyderabad, India through two local companies – Alert Communications Ltd and Key IT Group.

Both participants, Managing Director of Alert Communications Ltd Claudine Cassar and Director of Key IT Group Marcel Cutajar were pleased with the outcome of their participation, which they termed as “a very successful visit” and in particular the extensive networking opportunities that Indiasoft provided.

Participation in the Fair was made possible by the High Commission of Malta in New Delhi, who with the help of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry identified the two Maltese companies interested in exploiting this opportunity. To facilitate participation from Malta, the organisers sponsored the return trip to and from Hyderabad.

The High Commission in New Delhi entrusts that Malta’s participation in this annual Fair will be sustained in the coming years, in order to help build commercial bridges of benefit to both sides. In this regard, the High Commission encourages Maltese IT companies to express interest in participation when the call for participation in IndiaSoft 2013 is issued later on this year, around October-November.

source: http://www.di-ve.com / Home> Business & Finance / April 01st, 2012

How Richcore is spinning money out of waste to cut cost for clients like ITC

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology

In a small laboratory, tucked away in Bangalore’s Electronics City, which houses major IT companies such as Infosys and Wipro, a team of scientists are working on microbes to produce enzymes that are used to conserve food, energy and water.

The scientists at the biotechnology start-up Richcore Lifesciences have developed a futuristic technology that involves the production of special enzymes from microbes that can catalyse, or increase the speed of, chemical reaction. This product is now being used by multibusiness conglomerate ITC  for effluent water treatment at its factories.

A Das, general manager at ITC’s paper manufacturing facility at Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh, said his company – a first-time user of this technology – expects to treat water effluents without disturbing existing infrastructure. Richcore’s enzyme-based technology breaks down pollutants in industrial waste water in just one week – a process that normally takes months to complete.

“The technology reduces overall waste water management costs by up to 30% and increases water recyclability and reuse considerably,” said Subramani Ramachandrappa, CMD of Richcore, who has filed more than five patents in the last two years. He estimated their potential market at $7-8 billion per annum.

The firm is in talks with companies in Chile, Japan, Middle East, Brazil and many European nations for providing its waste water treatment technology. It has already completed a project in Indonesia for one of the largest paper mills there, which makes around 7,500 tonne pulp a day. The idea to make a customised solution came up when Richcore scientists visited textile company Gokaldas Exports to sell enzymes for washing denims.

In a market already saturated with industrial enzyme-makers such as Novozymes and Genencor, there was little chance for Richcore to grab market share. It was then that Gokaldas came up with a unique request – to make enzymes to treat their effluents. The Richcore team then started collecting microbe samples from waste water treatment plants across several industries, regions and came up with a novel, low-cost enzyme solution.

Richcore soon realised that to survive, the start-up would have to differentiate itself by making customised enzymes in collaboration with its customers. Richcore is now helping Dubai-based firm AquaChemie to treat the toxic waste produced in Oil and Gas industry.

“We chose Richcore as there are not many players who can produce enzymes related to oil and gas,” said Subrato Saha, director at AquaChemie. The company has also bagged contracts from customers such as Premier Mills and Balrampur Chini Mills for different applications.

But the journey was not easy for its founder Ramachandrappa. His family’s silk business had to be shut down after Rama-chandrappa’s father passed away. Ramachandrappa, a textile engineer, was compelled to take up low-paying jobs such as driver, farmworker and sales agent to pay off family debt. He later joined India’s largest biotech firm Biocon, which was selling enzymes at that time. Ramachandrappa decided to quit his salaried job and start his own firm. He founded Richcore as a marketing outfit working with clients such as Biocon and Mohan Breweries.

The company moved up the value-chain by setting up its own research and development laboratory to develop enzymes. Biotechnology being a capital-intensive business, Richcore needed funding to scale it up. As banks refused to extend loans, Ramachandrappa pitched his company at various business competitions in the US, winning many of them.

One of the judges at a competition was a venture capitalist from early-stage investor firm VentureEast, who was impressed with the technology and the team.  VentureEast immediately invested $3 million in the firm in 2008 and an additional $3 million in 2011. Richcore also provides enzyme technology to convert biomass otherwise unfit for animal consumption into animal feed, reducing pressure on food grains.

“The industrial enzyme market is already dominated by multinational companies betting on sectors such as detergents, food and beverages. So Indian companies need to find newer applications,” said Chaitra Narayan, programme manager for chemicals, materials and food at Frost & Sullivan, who estimated the global industrial enzyme market at $3.2 billion.

Today, Richcore is expecting to touch revenues of around $25 million and has 100 employees, most of them scientist

source: http://www.EconomicTimes.Indiatimes.com / ET Home> News> News By Company> Corporate Trends / by Peerzada Abrar, ET Bureau / March 30th, 2012

 

Toe transplant hailed a success

Amazing Feats, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology

Shyam Sundhar hopes to return to work soon after surgeons replaced his crushed thumb with a toe from his left foot. Lee Hoagland / The National

A carpenter who lost his thumb in a workplace accident hopes to return to work after having a toe transplanted on to his hand.

Shyam Sundhar lost the digit on his right hand in September while using a woodcutting machine at Gulf Craft, a boat manufacturer in Umm Al Quwain.

“I was totally depressed after losing my thumb as it is quite disabling for a carpenter,” said Mr Sundhar, 26, from India. “I could not grip anything with my right hand. I was wondering, ‘How will I hold the tools to do my work?’

“I went to the doctor immediately but they said it couldn’t be fixed as it was badly damaged. They advised me to go to India and get it done there as the treatment would be much cheaper and my family would be there to take care of me.”

He spent six hours in surgery while Dr K Murali Mohan Reddy, a plastic and microsurgeon at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad, removed the second toe of his left foot – along with its blood vessels, nerves and tendons – and attached it in place of the lost thumb.

“Thanks to this surgery I have recovered almost 60 per cent of the movement and hopefully in the next few weeks I might recover fully,” said Mr Sundhar, who returned to the UAE last Monday.

He still suffers some pain but can now hold most things. “I expect there will not be much problem when I start doing my work. I’m already able to write and eat food with my right hand,” he said.

Dr Reddy said Mr Sundhar first consulted him in October.

“Because the patient was not psychologically prepared for the surgery, I asked him to come back to me after a month. He came to me for surgery in November and it was performed on November 4.

“The reconstruction of an amputated thumb is a challenging option. It requires an advanced operation theatre and excellent microsurgery skills. Very few people in India, even in the medical fraternity, know that a toe can replace the amputated thumb.”

Mr Sundhar was discharged 10 days after his operation.

“His new thumb now has movement and will have sensation and nail growth in a few weeks,” said Dr Reddy. “The disability of the loss of a thumb is low compared with the loss of any other limb, but its real significance can be felt while doing daily chores like holding a cup, writing, eating food and so on.”

frahman@thenational.ae

source: http://www.TheNational.ae / News> UAE News> Health / by Fareed Rahman / March 25th, 2012