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India Taps Poland for Access to European Markets
NEW DELHI (ET): India this Monday urged Poland, the east European country which holds the rotating European Union presidency, to help resolve trade obstacles for Indian agricultural exports to 27 EU countries as the two countries gear up to expand their economic and strategic ties. The issue of access for agriexports figured in discussions between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski , who arrived here Monday morning on a three-day visit “The EU can play an important role in resolving several of our market access issues with the EU including in respect of arbitrary SPS (Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary) standards and CCC (chemical residues) in grapes, honey, rice, fish and fishery products,” a statement from the commerce ministry said. Indian agri-exports to the EU face a clutch of hurdles on the
continent on account of use of some chemicals to preserve the products. In 2010, Indian grape and honey consignments were rejected by the European authorities over the presence of a chemical and heavy metals in the products. The two ministers reviewed the progress of the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), a free trade area pact for which 13 rounds of negotiations have been held since June 2007. “The India-EU BTIA negotiations are in their final leg. Both the sides have intensified negotiations with a view to closing negotiations in 2011,” the statement said. The EU is India’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade estimated to be over $75 billion. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will hold talks with Sikorski Tuesday on a wide array of issues, including trade and investment, defence, terrorism, the EU and the UN reforms.
Sikorski has an old connection with India and wrote for The Statesman, an Indian daily, from Afghanistan where he worked as a journalist. At the talks, Poland is set to reiterate its support for India’s claim for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and seek a closer collaboration in combating terrorism emanating from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. “The UN Security Council should reflect the co-relation of forces in the world and India, the most populous democracy in the world, is a natural member of the Security Council,” Sikorski told The Hindu, an Indian daily, in an interview ahead of his visit. Bilateral relations have been on an upswing, with trade crossing over $1 billion. Top Indian companies, including Tata Consultancy Services , WIPRO , Reliance and Zensar, have set up their business in Poland.
Poland Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski during a meeting with India’s Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Anand Sharma in New Delhi on Monday. Several market access issues relating to Indian agri-products are to be resolved along with trade investment agreements to be reviewed and signed. Photo: S. Subramanium
Poland, home to some of the most picturesque landscapes, is also a hot draw with Bollywood producers looking to shoot their films in exotic
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, july 15
locales. Indian cuisine, specially Tandoori chicken, has found a fanatic following in Poland.
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28 Indo American News • Friday. July 15, 2011
Indian Oil Among World’s Top 100 Corporations NEW DELHI (DNAI): Eight Indian companies have made the cut in the list of world’s 500 largest companies compiled by Fortune magazine, with Indian Oil finding a place in the top 100 and Reliance Industries in 134th spot.
(369). Fortune’s global list of world’s 500 largest companies for 2011, compiled on the basis of latest annual revenue figures, is topped by retail giant Wal-Mart Stores. The retailer had annual revenues
(442). Wal-Mart Stores is followed by Royal Dutch Shell ($378,152 million) and Exxon Mobil ($354,674 million) at second and third positions, respectively. According to the latest rankings, Indian Oil raked in annual revenues of $68,837 million while that of Reliance Industries stood at $58,900 million. B h a r a t Petroleum had revenues of $34,102 million, while State Bank of India netted $32,450 million in revenues. The revenues of Hindustan P e t r o l e u m ’s stood at $28,593 Indian Oil has jumped to spot 98 from 125 in just one year and that is another reason m i l l i o n , Ta t a for other Indian corporations to aspire to be within the first 100 global companies. Motors ($27,046 Many other Indian companies like Tata, ONGC, State Bank of India and Hindustan million), ONGC Petroleum rank within the first 500 global corporations ($26,945 million) Out of the eight, five are state-run of $421,849 million. and Tata Steel ($26,065 million). The 2010 list also featured the entities. Indian Oil has cornered the The list features 61 Chinese 98th spot, up from 125th place last same eight Indian companies. In companies. year. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance the latest ranking, except State Meanwhile, other companies Industries has also improved its Bank of India, all other entities have in the global top 10 are BP (4), ranking from previous year’s 175. improved their positions. Sinopec Group (5), China National Last year, State Bank of India Petroleum (6), State Grid (7), Other Indian companies in the list are Bharat Petroleum (271), State was at the 282 spot, followed by Toyota Motor (8), Japan Post Bank of India (291), Hindustan Bharat Petroleum (307), Hindustan Holdings (9) and Chevron (10). Petroleum (335), Tata Motors Petroleum (354), Tata Steel (410), (358), ONGC (360) and Tata Steel ONGC (413) and Tata Motors
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UK Anti-Bribery Law to Encompass Indian Firms By Dipankar De Sarkar LONDON (HT) : A sweeping anti-bribery act — the “most draconian”, according to its architects — came into force in Britain on Friday, with the jurisdiction to pursue suspects worldwide. Now, all eyes are on the lokpal bill. Lord Tom McNally, minister of state in the justice ministry, who briefed an Indian business team on Thursday, said, “We will be watching the progress of India’s draft anti-corruption bill with interest. Bribery picks the pocket of every Indian.” The Bribery Act, 2010 makes ‘commercial bribery’ punishable with unlimited fines and up to 10 years in jail. Its enforcer, the Serious Fraud Office, can take action, civil or criminal, against any firm that has at least part of its business in Britain. Between 600 and 700 Indian firms have a presence in Britain Companies will be held accountable for not only the acts of individuals but also for failure to stop bribery. It doesn’t matter if these actions take place in Britain or on foreign soil.
Lord Tom McNally, Minister of State in the Justice Ministry, London, is one of the foreign diplomats watching India’s progress as it drafts the anticorruption bill with great interest. With corruption rampant in India, foreign nationals are not keen on playing the under the table game with Indian officials and promoting the practice of bribery. The government of India has started its serious crackdown on bribery since 2010.
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Contest dates: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 – Friday, August 12, 2011 Please submit to essay@hafsite.org Winning entry announcement date: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 REQUIREMENTS Essays must be: • Between 700 and 1000 words • 12-point type, double-spaced, 1-inch page margins, and in PDF format • Titled • Original pieces of work Authors must be between 14 - 27 years old Sources must be credited in a bibliography A short bio of the author (1 paragraph max) must be included at the end of the essay. Please do NOT submit a separate bio pdf. The above information can be found online at www.hafsite.org
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Energy Crisis, Riots and Inflation Leave Pakistan Textiles in Tatters FAISALABAD (Dawn): Spinning yarn into cloth used to be a path to fortune in Pakistan, but a story of decline encapsulates how far a crippling energy crisis and rocketing inflation are suffocating the economy. Power cuts sometimes lasting more than 12 hours a day have forced factory owners in the country’s cloth capital Faisalabad to switch off the lights and sell their looms for scrap, leaving tens of thousands of workers jobless. The country is the world’s fourthlargest producer of cloth and the industry accounts for 60 per cent of export revenue according to official data. But the shortages are heaping pressure on Pakistan’s crippled and debt-ridden economy. Malik Ammanullah Mani, 31, used to be a leading light on the party circuit. As manager of his family’s textile factory, he belonged to a small, rich cabal that regularly graced private members’ clubs and dined at fivestar hotels. But in the three years since Pakistan returned to elected rule, the energy crisis has steadily worsened amid poor investment and rampant theft from the grid, causing daily cuts and a sharp rise in the cost of power. Inflation has also hit the price of thread — leaving Mani no option but to sell most of his family’s weaving looms. “Electricity and yarn prices have become unaffordable, for most of the time there is no power to run our looms, so we had to sell half of them to a scrap dealer,” Mani
said, as other workers sat idle in his closed factory. The former rich kid now works a loom in his father’s factory and says he gets by on pocket money of just 500 rupees ($6) a week. “In good times, I was manager
filled with broken machinery while workers wait idle in weaving factories, plunged into darkness until the power resumes. Industry leaders in Faisalabad, which is situated in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab,
“Around 500,000 workers lost their jobs in the province — about 100,000 in Faisalabad alone due to the closure of the factories,” he said. The country faced a total shortfall of 7,739 megawatts of electricity in
A Pakistan citizen hard at work at his textile factory in Pakistan where the future looks bleak for now. It’s an uphill climb with no power that leaves valuable production time wasted. Violent riots and clashes also disturb productivity and leaves its citizens relying on this industry a struggling lot.
and distributing wages among my workers. Now I myself work on the looms we have left because I have nothing to pay workers,” said Mani, kitted out in a black t-shirt and jeans covered in chemical marks. Faisalabad’s textile district has now become a haven for metal dealers who buy looms from closing factories and sell them as scrap. Those dealers’ warehouses are
say the shortage of electricity and gas has forced hundreds of units to shut down, with unknown numbers more in line to fall. “Almost 800 units of a total of around 2,000 factories in Punjab province have closed down and many more are likely to be shut,” said Sheikh Abdul Qayyum, former head of the city’s chamber of commerce and a factory owner.
the peak summer month of June, before monsoon season, while the overall shortfall in the gas supply to industry is around 400 million cubic feet per day. The authorities manage the shortages by cutting supply for hours at a time to industrial and domestic users. Towns and cities across Pakistan are rocked by daily summer
protests against the crisis and the government’s perceived inaction, sometimes leading to violent clashes with riot police. Despite a wealth of natural resources, Pakistan produces only 80 percent of its electricity needs and even some of that comes from imported fuel. “Lack of political will, bad governance and administrative inabilities pushed us into the crisis. If the situation stays the same, I have no hope things will improve,” said Fazlullah Qureshi, former top bureaucrat at the country’s planning commission. Punjab’s industrialists blame politicians for exacerbating the crisis, accusing the government of giving preferential treatment to the textile industry in southern province of Sindh, the home of President Asif Ali Zardari. A constitutional clause approved by parliament last year gives each province first right to use the natural resources they produce, putting Sindh ahead of Punjab in the queue for gas, which in turns fuels electricity generation. “We want a uniform policy in the country as everybody should share the burden and opportunities,” said Shabbir Ahmed, a senior member of Faisalabad’s chamber of commerce. But the prospect of respite is so remote the Water and Power Development Authority acknowledged last week that power cuts would continue for at least another seven years. A cheaper alternative, long term, would be to invest in Solar energy that would help Pakistan’s people.
Indian Tea Companies’ Africa Expansion to be Delayed KOLKATA (ET): The African safari of Indian tea companies has suffered a jolt as local governments have delayed the privatization of tea gardens. The South African government, which was supposed to come out with bid documents in January-February this year, has now decided to scrap the process and plan a separate authority that deals with the privatization of estates. Some of the Indian companies that have already entered Africa are McLeod Russel India and Jay Shree Tea & Industries. These two companies have plans to expand their footprints in the continent. Dhunseri Petrochem & Tea and Rossell Tea are also exploring opportunities in Africa. Talking to ET, DP Maheshwari, managing director of BK Birlacontrolled Jay Shree Tea, said: “The entire process has slowed down in Africa. Though we are
keen to acquire more gardens there, the present situation does not allow us to do so. A new government has also taken over, which is further delaying privatization. However, we are hopeful that things will start looking up within the next few months.” The rules of the game have changed in South Africa. Earlier, private parties were offered 90% stake in a tea company but now this has been reduced to 60%. The government will keep 30% and 10% will be offered to the cooperatives that run the estates. Maheshwari said the Rwandan government has one garden and five factories, which it will privatize soon Rwanda has privatized 8-9 gardens. “Burundi is another region looking at privatization. It produces 10 million kg tea annually . Burundi is expected to follow the same shareholding matrix for private parties.” The likes of Rossell Tea,
McLeod Russel India, Jay Shree Industries, Dhunseri Petrochem & Tea, Rossell Tea are all exploring opportunities in Africa. Politics plays an important role as governments change, so do rules in the tea estate business. Africa is slow in development because of the red tape procedures that the governments impose on interested indian investors who want to start tea businesses in Africa.
which are keen to make a foray into Africa, are keenly watching the developments. “The Rwandan
government has planted teas across the region. Now it plans to invite private parties for handing over
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, july 15
these estates. Private parties will get the control of the tea estates but they have to build the infrastructure. However, it will take some time to happen,” said C S Bedi, managing director, Rossell Tea. Both Maheshwari and Bedi say acquisitions will be costly as tea prices are going up across the globe. “We will only acquire gardens if we get them at a right price,” Bedi added. McLeod Russel India Ltd. (MCLR), the world’s biggest tea grower, is scouting for acquisitions in Africa after making five purchases in as many years to boost output as demand for the beverage exceeds supply. McLeod, which owns 38,000 hectares (93,900 acres) in India, Vietnam and Uganda, is seeking state estates in countries such as Rwanda, Managing Director Aditya Khaitan said.
30 Indo American News • Friday. July 15, 2011
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India’s 10 Most Expensive Hotels Match European Comfort
The Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda, Kerala promises a lush experience touring Kerala’s backwaters cruise style, all luxuries on board
By Aanchal Sethi (Femina): Is time playing a spoil sport between your dreams of vacationing in Europe and you? Fret not. Live it up in India and in full luxury! Aanchal Sethi brings to you the ten most expensive hotels in India that have taken pampering to an unimaginable level. 1.Wildflower Hall, Himachal Pradesh Zoom to Wildflower Hall in the midst of the Himalayas for some relaxation and rejuvenation. Managed by the Oberoi group, this quaint resort boosts of teak floors
4.The Leela Palace Kempinski, Udaipur If you can’t make it to Venice, head to Udaipur and live it up Maharaja Style! Located on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, The Leela Palace Kempinski has breath-taking views. Shell out whooping Rs 26,000 ($565.21) going up to Rs 2 lakhs ($4,347.82) a night for this ‘royal’ break. 5. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra Imagine opening your eyes every morning to see the sun rising at the epitome of love, The Taj Mahal! Make this dream yours at the Oberoi
Gurgaon with its contemporary Indian art gallery and the country’s only exclusive cigar lounge extends towards you a taste of high life. At Rs 30,000 ($652.17) for a single deluxe room and an indulgent Presidential Suite at Rs 3 lakhs, ($6,521.73) experience a slice of ultra-luxury! 9. Amanbaugh, Jaipur This dramatic desert palace combines cultural experience with the ultimate in pampering. Domed copulas and pink sandstone havelis with private courtyards along with a jade-coloured infinity pool that
Babulbhai
Garden view from a suite at the Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur. India is now competing globally in the hotel industry, living it up with the top hotels in Europe by offering the best in amenities to its tourists
and colonial furnishings. At around Rs 41,000 ($891.30) a night this will give Switzerland hotels some tough competition! 2.The Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda, Kerala Sail through the backwaters of Kerala amid lush greenery and past paddy fields, ancient temples, churches and fishing villages. The Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda at around Rs 1770 ($38.47) per minute is an experience of a lifetime! Personalized menus, entertainment and plush rooms make this cruise the best Kerala has to offer! 3.Taj Exotica, Goa Is the sun, sand and the sea your idea of a perfect vacation? Book a villa at the Taj Exotica at around Rs 1.25 lakhs ($2,717.39) per night. Swim in your own private pool and get spoiled ridiculous by your own private butler. Tempting, isn’t it?
Amarvilas, Agra. A private view of the Taj in super luxe-comfort comes at Rs 35, 000 ($760.86) and can go up to Rs 2.5 lakhs ($5,434.78) for some real Mughal era feel! 6. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur Voted as the most romantic hotel in India, The Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur is where romance meets luxury. Starting from Rs 36,000 ($782.60) and going up to Rs 6 Lakhs ($13,043. 47) a night, The Taj Lake Palace is a real life dream! 7. The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur Experience exotic and ancient Rajput charm at the Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur. This princely treat comes priced at Rs 35,000 ($760.86) for a premier room and goes up to Rs 2.3 lakhs ($5,000) for a suite with your own little private pool! 8. The Oberoi, Gurgaon Want to be in the city and yet experience a luxurious getaway? The Oberoi,
allows you to immerse in an era where luxury and royalty preceded everything. Priced between Rs 32,000 to Rs 59,000 ($695.65 to $1,282.60) you can relive the Mughal era in a haveli suite or a pool pavilion here. 10. The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore This is one of the most expensive tent hotels in the world with teak floors, rich canopies, a four-poster bed and DVD players. An apt place for hearing a tiger growl right next to you for Rs 28000! ($608.69) With so many exclusive luxury vacations to choose from, doesn’t the hassle of visas, bookings and long flights seem vain? Instead, discover India and experience luxury like never before! With so many tourist destinations all over India, hotels are offering the best luxuries life has to offer for tourists visiting India.
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Kanishka Victims Reject Canada’s Ex-Gratia Offer for the 1985 Bombing
TORONTO (PT): Air India Kanishka victims’ families have rejected the Canadian government’s offer of $24,000 each for the 1985 bombing that killed all 329 people on board the plane near the Irish coast.
action at the Golden Temple in June 1984. The Canadian government announced the $24,000 ex-gratia during a meeting with families – as recommended by the Air India inquiry commission, headed by
The total offer amounts to $7.9 million offered by the Canadian government in the ill-fated Air India Kanishka bombing in 1985, but the victim’s families claim it as an insult to the memory of their loved ones as the $24,000 ex-gratia payment for each family is but a pittance compared to the grief and loss each family suffered.
The Kanishka flight 182 to Delhi from Montreal was blown off mid-air by a bomb planted by Vancouver-based Khalistani radicals to avenge the Indian army
former Canadian chief justice John Major, which submitted its report last year. A government spokesman said since most victims’ families were
compensated in the early 1990s, the $24,000 ex-gratia is just “a demonstration of solicitude and recognition for the administrative disdain families experienced over the years following the tragedy”. But the offer – which amounts to $7.9 million in total – enraged victim families who called it insulting to the memory of their loved ones. “Once more we are treated with disdain. It seems that Indian life is cheap in the eyes of Canadian politicians. This is so degrading,” Melbourne-based Anil Singh Hanse, whose father Narendra Singh Hanse was the pilot of the ill-fated plane, said. He said the victims’ families will “pursue this (issue) in an international court as Canada is biased. This is xenophobia at its worst. Canada’s politicians need to wake up and stop being in denial”. Hanse denied his family receiving any compensation from Canada. “Let me be clear that we received not even 10 cents from Canada for the gross negligence which saw 329
innocents blown up. The spokesman is making misleading statements by saying most were settled.” Amarjit Bhinder, whose husband Satinder Bhinder was the co-pilot of the flight, said the ex-gratia payment is “an extreme insult to our loved ones. Canada killed, rather murdered, our 329 loved ones with its negligence. We will fight as long as it takes us to get justice… we will explore the possibility of approaching the human rights commission (international) and whatever other options are available to us”. Bhinder said, “Had Canada allowed my husband to live an average life, he would have flown the planes till November 2008 and earned 24,000 Canadian dollars in
less than 45 days. I cannot allow anyone to insult my husband.” Toronto-based Shipra Rana, whose sister Shyla Juju was the Kanishka flight attendant, said, “Please do not dishonour the memory of our loved ones. It is better not to offer anything than an offer of 900 dollars per year for being treated as offenders instead of victims.” She said since the overseas victims’ families were not compensated in the 1990s, Canada should hold meaningful consultations with them for proper compensation. Only one person – Inderjit Singh Reyat – has been jailed for what is known as the second worst aviation disaster after 9/11.
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Indian Community Leaders to Form Group COSRA to Help Students Living in Australia MELBOURNE (HT): Following several incidents of violence against Indian students in Australia, community leaders here have teamed up to help new migrants from India to adjust to a new life in this country. A team of prominent community leaders in association with the Indian Consulate here have formed ‘Committee on Student Related Activities’(COSRA) that would hold workshops for students educating them about several issues vital for any new migrants to start a living in the country. Several incidents of violent attacks against Indian students were reported in the country that prompted Indians to take to the streets seeking more security and safety. The community realized that some homework was needed from the students’ end as well. The inception of COSRA took place after realizing that need. “I believe that the positive impact of
COSRA’s activities will go well beyond individual students in Australia and will assist with increasing enrolments in educational institutions in Melbourne in the longer term,” said Primus Australia CEO Ravi Bhatia, coordinator of the group. The organization is formed with the sole objective of assisting Indian students and making a direct positive contribution to the Melbourne education sector. It will assist new students from India in settling down in the country. The group would also provide them personalized help in dealing with emergencies. COSRA will extend emergency assistance as “point of last resort” for medical advice, legal advice, bridging accommodation and employment advice. A large group of volunteer doctors, lawyers and other highly skilled professionals are also part of this organization.
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Indian Customers Still Love Nokia NEW DELHI (TOI): Even as the Finnish handset maker Nokia is facing tough competition, it is still the most trusted and popular brand among Indian customers as it topped ‘The Handset Hotlist’ for July 2011, according to a survey. As many as 12 handsets of Nokia made it to the list of 25 most exciting mobile phones, that were searched and viewed the most by consumers online, the survey by ‘The Mobile Indian’ website said. Samsung was second with six of its models, including one CDMA phone, making it to the list. While Micromax and Sony Ericsson stood at the third position with two of their models figuring in the list, a model each from Dell, HTC and iPhone completed the list
of 25 most exciting handsets, the survey added. “The Handset Hotlist’ will give marketers a monthly insight into changing consumer preferences,”
BANGALORE (TOI): The Indian IT services market will grow 18% in revenue terms to reach $9.5 billion in 2011. India’s domestic IT services market ranks third in Asia/Pacific and is forecast to grow to $15 billion by the end of 2014, research firm Gartner said in a report. India’s IT services market is still small when compared to large markets such as the US or the UK, but it offers a growth opportunity to the service providers because of the buoyant market conditions.
The Mobile Indian Director Sreekant Khandekar said. Nokia C5-03, priced at Rs 8,600, was the most searched for and viewed handset, followed by Nokia
C6 (Rs 12,200) at the second spot, the survey revealed. It was followed by another stablemate Nokia X7 priced at Rs 18,000. Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 priced at Rs 14,700 was at number four, followed by Nokia X3-02 (Rs 7,500). Interestingly, the list is dominated by international brands and barring Micromax none of the popular Indian brands features in the top 25, the survey revealed. Apart from Nokia and Samsung, the only other brand to feature in the top 10 is Micromax whose models A70 and X560 figure at eighth position and tenth positions respectively, the survey added. “Presumably, buyers of handsets marketed by Indian players, who usually make low-cost mobile
phones, tend to seek information from the dealer rather than surf for information online,” Khandekar said. Interestingly, consumer interest is not dictated by price, though Nokia Oro and iPhone priced at Rs 50,000 and Rs 34,000 respectively, they rub shoulders with Nokia X2-01 which costs a mere Rs 3,500, As many as 17 of the handsets are priced below Rs 10,000, the survey said. “Blackberry is a notable absentee too, probably because the models are few and potential buyers of the brand know what they want. Also, many get a Blackberry on office account and have a lower need to check for it online,” Khandekar added.
Gartner analysts said the market had a critical mass that is worth tapping and has the potential to expand further with “as a service”type service offerings. “Coupled with other factors such as openness to adopt technology, and a maturing sourcing approach, India represents an attractive target potential for providers of all sizes. The top 10 providers have a cumulative market share of just 42 per cent, indicating a highly fragmented market served by many small players with no
large, dominant, well-entrenched player. However, this scenario varies widely by submarket such as by industry vertical,” Arup Roy, principal research analyst at Gartner said. India’s growth fundamentals are on relatively solid footing and can support sustainable growth and development in the near future. High GDP growth rate leading to growth across industries is the key to sustained IT services growth potential. Gartner sees government infrastructure projects strongly
driving IT, in conjunction with the expansion of the financial services and manufacturing subsectors. At present only four industry verticals make up the bulk of the market (85 per cent of all IT services spending) namely banking, financial services and insurance; telecommunications; manufacturing; and government, the report said. This means that other industry verticals offer a good opportunity of growth as they start opening up and start engaging with external service providers (ESPs).
Indian IT Services to Touch $9.5 Billion in 2011
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HP’s India Team Creates e-Print Solution across Printers Hard on the heels of the midJune executive realignments at Hewlett Packard, Vyomesh Joshi, Executive Vice-President, Imaging and Printing Group who was additionally charged with “cross-business initiatives focused on expanding HP’s market share in India”, paid his first visit to this country last week. He was here to kickstart what the company sees as a 120 billion pages opportunity in India in the next three years. A central message at the media event in Delhi was his affirmation of the innovations flowing from HP’s India-based developers. “I am proud to say that some of the critical innovation around webconnected and cloud printing are being done by our engineers in India”, he said. The company’s India R&D hub for imaging and printing is leading critical innovation around web connected and cloud printing. The team has made significant contributions to the web-connected printer program, including key innovation such as the development of email printing capability (ePrint) a year ago. Since July 2010, the R&D team has worked on enabling a PrintApp ecosystem and ePrint on most of HP’s printer lines.
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Indo American News • Friday, July 15, 2011
Pakistan Defiant, Says It is Capable of Operations without US Aid ISLAMABAD (TOI): Pakistan’s military has said that a cut in US aid will not affect its anti terror efforts as Washington confirmed that it would withhold some $800m in assistance to the country’s armed forces. Pakistan has long been considered by Washington as a vital ally in the war against terror but their relationship moved towards decline since the unilateral US raid that killed the al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, just next door to the military academy, in Abbottabad town in May. Pakistan’s military suffered a huge blow to its reputation when bin Laden was found hiding at a two-hour distance from the capital, Islamabad, and its inability to detect US helicopters as they flew into hunt the world’s top fugitive. In a sign of strained relations, Pakistan expelled more that 100 US military trainers, restricted visas for US officials and halted CIA operations from its airbase in Baluchistan province. Responding to a cut in military aid, Pakistan’s military spokesman major general Athar Abbas said: “This move would have no significant effect on Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts. We will continue our operations against militants as before.” Gen Abbas said that the army had received no formal notification of any aid being cut but he
General Athar Abbas
pointed out that the army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, had already declared that cash reimbursements to the military, known as coalition support funds, should be redirected to the civilian government, where it was more needed. He said that two major military operations currently under way in the Mohmand and Kurram tribal regions were being run without external support and would continue. “The al-Qaida and other military groups operating in Pakistan were not only a threat to us but to others,” he added. The White House Chief of Staff, Bill Daley admitted on Sunday
that the relationship between the two countries was experiencing difficulties and that some of the aid flow would now be stopped. “It’s a complicated relationship in a very difficult, complicated part of the world,” he told ABC’s This Week programme. The $800 million in military aid and equipment is almost onethird of the total US aid of over $2 billion. The New York Times said some of the curtailed aid is equipment that the US wants to send but which Pakistan now refuses to accept, like rifles, ammunition, body armor and bomb-disposal gear that were withdrawn or held up after Pakistan ordered more than 100 Army Special Forces trainers to leave the country in recent weeks. Pakistan’s daily The News reported on Monday that a 10-point list was given some time back by the US to the GHQ, compliance of
which would determine how much and when the flow of money would restart. The report said that Pakistan had taken positive action on two points and had failed to act on another two while the rest of the demands were pending. The two points Pakistan complied with were providing access to US and CIA officials to the family of Osama bin Laden and allowing the US experts to visit and inspect the Abbottabad compound where Osama was killed and taken away. The main point where Pakistan failed to comply was with the US demand to act against factories where explosive devices were being manufactured, delaying the matter so long that people involved in it managed to escape. All this happened while the US was watching these compounds through satellites, it said.
US Drone Strike Kills 10 Militants in Tribal Belt MIRANSHAH (TOI): A US drone strike targeting a compound in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt on the Afghan border on Monday killed at least 10 militants, local security officials said. The unmanned aircraft fired four missiles, hitting the compound and a vehicle parked in the Gorwaik area of Datta Khel town, 45
kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, a senior official based in Peshawar, the regional capital said. “Two missiles struck the compound and another two hit a vehicle,” the official said. “At least 10 militants were killed in this American drone attack.”
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, july 15
33 Pervez Musharraf
online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
Pervez Musharraf Has Rs 8 crore, Farmhouse ISLAMABAD (TOI): Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has over Rs 8 crore in banks and a farmhouse, authorities have informed a court which had declared the expresident a proclaimed offender. The Federal Investigation Agency ( FIA) informed an antiterrorism court that Musharraf, who was declared a proclaimed offender in the assassination case of former premier Benazir Bhutto, has over Rs 8 crore (Rs 80 million) in various bank accounts and owns a farmhouse, the Express Tribune reported on Sunday. The five-acre farmhouse of Musharraf is in Chak Shahzad, the report said. Earlier this year, the trial court had declared the former Pakistani strongman a proclaimed offender as he refused to appear before the court after it issued an arrest warrant against him in the controversial assassination of Bhutto on December 27, 2007. The report said Musharraf has 15 banks accounts, details of which were provided by the State Bank of Pakistan.
34 Indo American News • Friday. July 15, 2011
IamSports
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Sachin, Sehwag Nominated for ICC’s All-time Greatest Test Team DUBAI: Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and opener Virender Sehwag are among the list of players nominated for an online poll to select the greatest team of all-time on the occasion of Test cricket’s 2,000th match. The historic match will take place between India and England at Lord’s from July 21 to 25, and
the ICC has called on supporters from across the globe to select the greatest team of all-time. While Sehwag has found a place in the list of openers, which also has the likes of former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar has been short-listed for the middle-order batsman’s slot. However, no Indian player has
India Remains No.1 in Test Rankings
India leads in points for the test series, with South Africa and England following close behind.
DUBAI: India maintained their number one status in the latest ICC Test Rankings but lost a couple of rating points after drawing two matches in their 1-0 series triumph over a lower-ranked West Indies. Team Test Rankings Leading the points table, India now have 126 points while the seventh-placed West Indies (88) have gained two rating points despite losing the three-match series which concluded on Sunday. South Africa (117) is the secondplaced team, followed by England (116). Among the players, Harbhajan Singh has moved one place to seventh. The offie took 11 wickets and interestingly replaced teammate and Man-of-the series Ishant
Sharma, who had an impressive tally of 22 wickets in three matches. The off-spinner took six wickets in the final Test and in the process passed the 400-wicket mark. Praveen Kumar broke into the top 50 for the first time. The mediumpace bowler from Uttar Pradesh walked away with four wickets in the final Test and is now ranked 42nd. West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards achieved his career-best ranking 16th, a gain of two places. He holds the 16th place jointly with South Africa spinner Paul Harris. The top three remain unchanged with Dale Steyn of South Africa still leading the way ahead of England’s Graeme Swann in second position and James Anderson in third.
Among the batsmen, West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul rose to seventh following his match-saving 116 not out in the second innings at Roseau. The top five remain unchanged with Jacques Kallis of South Africa still leading the way ahead of India’s Sachin Tendulkar in second position. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Tendulkar, who did not play in the West Indies series, have fallen back because a player loses one per cent of his ratings points for every Test he misses. There was no change in the top five of the player rankings for Test all-rounders with Kallis leading the way, followed by New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.
found a place in the shortlist for the slot of wicketkeepers and fast bowlers, while the 1983 World Cup winning Indian team captain Kapil Dev is in the reckoning as an all-rounder. Legendary Bishan Singh Bedi and Anil Kumble have been shortlisted for the spinner’s role in the dream team. Sir Donald Bradman and West Indian great
Viv Richards are in the fray for the middle-order’s slot, while attacking wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist is pitted against South Africa’s Mark Boucher for the stumper’s position. Legendary West Indian pacers Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding and Pakistani great Wasim Akram have been shortlisted in the bowler’s category
Sehwag, Gambhir Back in Full-Strength India Squad
NEW DELHI (ESPN): Virender despite missing the first two West Sehwag, who is yet to fully recover Indies Tests with fitness issues. after undergoing surgery on his Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, shoulder, has made it to 17-man who have been among the wickets India squad for the Test series in in the Caribbean, round off the England, but will miss the first two pace attack, while Harbhajan Singh weeks of the tour to give him time and Amit Mishra make up the spin to recuperate. department. Sachin Tendulkar returned to The tour begins with a three-day the squad after skipping the West Indies tour to rest, while Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth made comebacks from injury breaks. Yuvraj Singh, who missed the West Indies tour with a chest infection, also forced his way back into the Test plans following his excellent performance in the World Cup. M Vijay and Virat Kohli, who have so far failed to impress in the West Indies Tests, Yuvraj Singh is back in the Test squad after under were dropped, going surgery on his shoulder. while Suresh Raina’s strong show in the same warm-up match on July 15, with series helped him retain his place. the first Test starting on July 21 at Abhinav Mukund, who made Lord’s. a dogged 48 in Barbados on The squad: MS Dhoni (capt/ Friday, will travel to England as wk), Gautam Gambhir (vice-capt), the reserve opener. Wriddhiman Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Saha was included as the back-up Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj wicketkeeper, edging out Parthiv Singh, Suresh Raina, Abhinav Patel. Cheteshwar Pujara is yet to Mukund, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), recover from the knee injury he Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, picked up in the IPL, and misses Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Munaf out once again. Patel, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Munaf Patel made the squad Kumar
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, July 15, 2011• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
Indo American News • Friday, July 15, 2011
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Indo American News • Friday, JULY 15, 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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Indo American News • Friday, July 15, 2011
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Indo American News • Friday, JULY 15 , 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com