Assorted articles and Information

India and Sri Lanka are working on a plan to lay a transmission line under the sea to connect the power distribution networks of the two countries so that electricity can be supplied by one when the other is running short. An initial report prepared by the Indian state-owned transmission utility PowerGrid has pegged the cost of the project at Rs 2,292 crore and said it could be completed within 42 months of getting investment approvals.

The report projects laying a power cable under the Gulf of Mannar between Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar on the left flank of the Mannar islands in Sri Lanka. On the Indian side, the undersea cable will be connected to the southern grid at Madurai through an overhead transmission line. On the Sri Lanka side, the underwater cable will be linked to that country’s network at Anuradhapura through an overhead line. The undersea link will be laid on the sea bed just as telecom and internet cables run across ocean beds around the world. It will have safeguards on both sides against electrocution in case of damage from ship anchors or sharks. An optic-fibre cable will also run alongside the main power cable to keep an eye on the link and also provide extra telecom capacity between the two countries.

The report prepared by PowerGrid says the power supply scenario between India and Sri Lanka will allow them to exchange about 500MW of electricity in the short term, or by 2009-10. Once the two sides settle down with this quantity, the flow of power can be ramped up to 1,000MW, roughly one-third of Delhi’s present consumption, in the medium-to-long term of 2011-12 through 2015-16. These are the time frames when the generation capacities in both countries are projected to improve, with surplus in the Indian southern grid.

At present, India is facing a 16% electricity shortage, with a peak demand of 1,07,000MW. The government plans to add 78,500MW capacity by 2012, with more envisaged in the captive and merchant segments by private investors. Though it has plans to add 3,080MW capacity by 2016, it faces a tough situation. Almost half of the total hydel potential of 2,000MW has been tapped and new projects will be difficult to implement due to social and environmental problems. The existing hydel projects run low during poor monsoon and in the dry season. It is clear that the planned interconnect between the two countries will provide hydel support to Sri Lanka, while India can seek thermal support from its neighbour in winters. The link will help Sri Lanka reduce use of expensive fuels and import cheaper power.

India have invited investment from Saudi Arabia, particularly in infrastructure and power generation sectors, to raise the longstanding economic cooperation to greater levels. “India and Saudi Arabia have a long tradition of economic cooperation which is being enhanced today with the pursuit of ties in areas such as energy, information technology and telecommunication,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at an Indian community reception on 19th April.

Indo-Saudi joint ventures are increasing as businesses continue to identify new areas for partnership, he said, specifying IT sector in which companies like Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy are already flourishing in this country. He said that many Indian entrepreneurs have shown interest in setting up joint venture operations in Saudi Arabia in sectors like construction, pharmaceuticals and industrial processing. Similarly, India too is looking towards Saudi Arabia for investment in our infrastructure, power generation and other mega projects,” said the External Affairs Minister added.

Earlier, he noted that India would need investment to the tune of 600 million dollars over the next five years in these critical areas to sustain its high economic growth. Referring to India’s energy security, he described Saudi Arabia as an important component in this aspect as 26 per cent of its fossil fuel requirement is sourced from this hydrocarbon-rich country.

India through its explosive growth in mobile communications and by variety of wireless technology is aiming to reach 500 million subscribers by 2010. Its current level of 240 million will be doubled within less than two years thanks to the policies being implemented by the Union Government especially universal access in rural and suburban areas.

B K Syngal, former chairman, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) said that India is well on its way to becoming the largest telecom market after China. However, we cannot be complacent. About 70 per cent of the Indian population was in semi-urban and rural areas and 60 per cent of the Indian population was employed in agriculture. We are growing at the rate of seven to eight million consumers a month. The appetite for cellular connection is going up not down, he added.

Dell founder Michael Dell has said that his firm would focus on India and China to become the number one PC maker in the world. Michael Dell had taken over as the company’s CEO after the firm was pushed behind by Hewlett Packard, which is now the number one PC maker in the world. Since he took over, the sales of Dell PCs have touched 19 per cent from 11 per cent. The turnaround strategy charted by Michael Dell involves tapping first time users in developing markets. The company is also planning to sell its computers through stores by changing the traditional model of delivering on orders. Michael Dell added that the company would also be focusing more on design rather than stressing on utility alone.

In an effort to boost bilateral ties, India and Iran have inked an MoU for cooperation in the field of railways and start work on the India-Iran-Russia railway line. The agreement apart from initiating the work on the proposed rail line involving India, Iran and Russia will also promote a joint effort to increase cooperation with International Union of Railways.

Iran also sought India’s partnership and cooperation for a new track which will connect the Free Trade Zone of south eastern Chabahar and the city of Fahrej situated in central part of the country, Tehran Times said, adding the agreement will incorporate investment plans for the track. Iran is also keen to cooperate with Indian Railways in its port connectivity plan and will accept the offer after examining the financial viability of the proposed projects in Iran, it said.

The MoU was signed by Indian Railway Board Chairman K C Jena and Hassan Ziari, the managing director of Iran’s Railway Company on 13th April, 2008. The agreement also deals with issues of technical training of the personnel, railroad signaling projects, supplying locomotives and spare parts, as well as setting up a joint working group between the two countries.