Assocham seeks private entry in nuclear power generation

November 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Job creation dipped by 12.1 percent in India's tier III cities in the first seven months this fiscal, indicating that the benefits of the government's stimulus measures are yet to reach such areas, according to an industry lobby survey. Job opportunities in the tier I and II cities grew 5.71 percent and 29.58 percent respectively during the April-October period, said the survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of india (Assocham).

September 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee n Tuesday said that India should consider nuclear energy as a ource to overcome power shortage and fuel economic growth. Mukherjee said this while addressing an international conference n 'Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy' in the national capital.

September 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With private companies barred from the country's atomic energy generation industry, the state-run Nuclear Power Corp is signing pacts with two other government firms to fund its new projects, a top company official said Friday. We are going in for public partnership.

September 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With private companies barred from the country's atomic energy generation industry, the state-run Nuclear Power Corp is signing pacts with two other government firms to fund its new projects, a top company official said Friday. "We are going in for public partnership.

July 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) has urged the government to restrict Chinese power equipment imports as the domestic industry is badly hit by the cheaper availability of Chinese products. In a note submitted to the finance ministry, Assocham said India's power equipment manufacturers lost business worth Rs.2.5 lakh crore ($52 billion) as power producers turned to cheaper Chinese products.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's Economic Survey for 2008-09 released here Thursday has called for allowing private players - both domestic and foreign - to invest in the country's nuclear power sector. The survey, tabled in parliament by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, said the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap should be fixed at 49 percent.

June 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Coaching institutes must be brought under the tax net as they seldom disclose their earnings, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has said. In a note submitted to the revenue department of the finance ministry Wednesday, Assocham said coaching institutes were charging "astronomically higher fee without submitting proper accounts of their income to tax authorities".

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) Wednesday called on the government to bring down tax on household purchases to less than 20 percent from over 45 percent now to spur domestic demand. "Although the annual income of an average Indian is growing significantly, it is not resulting in increased savings because the government takes away over 45 percent on household purchases in terms of indirect taxes alone," Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said in a statement.

April 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) has urged the government to set up a 'separate infrastructure financing fund' worth $90 billion to finance infrastructure projects in the next three years. In a note submitted to the Planning Commission and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Assocham secretary general D.S.

April 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - China has started the construction of its first third-generation pressurized water reactors using AP 1000 technologies developed by US-based Westinghouse. The reactors, located in Sanmen of east China's Zhejiang Province, will also be the first in the world using such technologies.

April 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the infrastructure sector in various states will provide a Rs.200,000-crore stimulus for the Indian economy, a study by an industrial lobby released Wednesday said. According to the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), the PPP projects - especially roads, real estate, power, ports and transport - have tremendous potential to unleash higher growth rate if the investment outlays are utilised effectively.

March 24th, 2009 MUMBAI - Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) Monday inked two separate deals with GE-Hitachi to build nuclear reactors for power generation in India. GE-Hitachi is a joint venture between the General Electric Co of the US and the Japan-based Hitachi Ltd.

March 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With efficient recycling technology, India can generate about 2,500 MW of electricity from the metro's waste in the next three years at a cost of Rs.3 billion (Rs.300 crore), according to an industry lobby report. The study, jointly carried out by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) and auditing major Ernst and Young (E&Y), said about 1,500 MW of power could be generated from urban wastes, while an additional 1,000 MW could be created from industrial wastes by 2012.

February 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's leading power producer NTPC Ltd Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) to jointly produce nuclear power plants. As per the proposal, the power majors will set up a joint venture company in which NPCIL will hold 51 percent stake and NTPC will own the rest, a government statement said.

January 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hailing India as an 'El Dorado' for nuclear business, the government Monday ruled out the participation of the private sector in the country's burgeoning civil nuclear industry for at least five years. Announcing an ambitious plan to expand atomic power generation to 50,000 MW by 2040, the government also underlined that India would not only be an importer of nuclear equipment but could also be an exporter of fast-breeder and thorium-based reactors.