Himachal firm plans agro-food unit in Gujarat

October 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday called for a national food processing policy for the rapid growth of the sector. "The policy to be effective will have to be comprehensive and adopt a number of legislative, administrative and promotional measures," the prime minister said while inaugurating the first conference of state ministers of food processing industries here.

September 22nd, 2009 SHIMLA - The central government has sanctioned projects worth Rs.243.43 crore that would help strengthen the rural road network in Himachal Pradesh, an official statement said Tuesday. "In order to strengthen the rural road network in the state, the central government has approved Rs.243.43 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana," Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Thakur Gulab Singh said in the statement.

September 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Over 24,000 people have asked big manufacturers of processed foods in India, including Nestle, Britannia and Hindustan Unilever, not to use genetically modified (GM) foods after Greenpeace put up a list of companies that could be using GM products. The NGO put up a list on the internet 11 days ago mentioning firms that did or did not say they used such foods.

September 6th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh wants higher import duty on apple juice concentrate from China, saying this was necessary to save the domestic industry. Apple concentrate is used for fruit juices, nectars and drinks.

September 4th, 2009 SHIMLA - Amway India Enterprises will invest Rs.55 crore (Rs.550 million) to treble capacity at its Himachal Pradesh manufacturing unit by the end of this year, a senior company official said here Friday. "We have plans to treble the capacity of our Baddi manufacturing plant by December-end," Amway India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer William S.

August 24th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh-based knitting and weaving products firm Winsome Textile has outlined a Rs.143-crore expansion programme after banks approved its debt restructuring plan, a top company official has said. "After getting clearance from banks for debt restructuring, we have plans to invest Rs.143 crore in three divisions -- spinning, dyeing and power," managing director Ashish Bagrodia told IANS.

July 27th, 2009 SHIMLA - Pharmaceutical major Ranbaxy and fast moving consumer goods manufacturer Proctor and Gamble (P&G) are among nine companies that have been allowed to set up units in Himachal Pradesh, a senior official said Monday. "Ranbaxy and Procter and Gamble (P&G) Monday got permission from the state government to set up units in the state," industries director Manoj Kumar told IANS.

June 29th, 2009 Sangla (HIMACHAL PRADESH - A unique festival showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh concluded in the Sangla Valley on Sunday. Jointly organised by the Department of tourism of Himachal Pradesh and Sangla Valley Sustainable Development Society (SVSDS), the two-day festival served tourists with a variety of local dishes.

June 5th, 2009 TORONTO - The Canadian province of Manitoba has signed an agreement with Punjab to set up a food development centre in the Indian state. Punjab Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah, who is leading an eight-member delegation to the Canadian province, signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday with Manitoba's Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk in Winnipeg.

April 10th, 2009 SHIMLA - Food products major Nestle India wants to set up a food and beverage manufacturing unit in Himachal Pradesh, according to a senior government official. 'Nestle has shown keen interest in establishing a unit here, and plans to invest about Rs.400 crore,' Principal Secretary (Industry) S.C.

March 19th, 2009 AGARTALA - PRAN Group, a Bangladeshi food processing firm, will set up agro-processing plants in Tripura, Orissa and Tamil Nadu, officials said Wednesday. 'Setting up of agro-processing plant with an investment of $5 million in Agartala is now in an advanced stage,' said Amjad Ali Khan Chowdhury, chief executive officer of the PRAN Group.

March 14th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will announce its candidates for the 26 Lok Sabha seats from Gujarat by March 17, the party's state unit president Purshottam Rupala said Friday. The state unit had shortlisted the candidates and the final list would be prepared by the central leadership, he said.

March 5th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) wants to field candidates from seven significant Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat even as negotiations are on with the Congress, which wants to fight on all the 26 seats in the state. The key Lok Sabha seats being demanded by Sharad Pawar's NCP are Rajkot, Dahod, Anand, Godhra, Bharuch, Ahmedabad (East) and Kutch.

January 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Singapore-based Universal Success Enterprises Ltd (USEL) Monday said it has signed three agreements with the Gujarat government and will invest about Rs.87,000 crore (Rs.870 billion) in various infrastructure projects. USEL, a diversified group in the field of infrastructure development, real estate, energy trading, hospitality and manufacturing, has identified thermal power generation, seaports, and mixed-use industrial and urban development as focus areas in West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

December 24th, 2008 SHIMLA - Dabur India Ltd, with business interest in healthcare, personal care and food products, has got the green signal from the Himachal Pradesh government to set up another medicine manufacturing unit in the state, a senior official said here Thursday. 'The state government gave Dabur the permission to set up one more manufacturing unit in the state.