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Strategies & Market Trends : India Coffee House -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mohan Marette who wrote (9362)	11/4/1999 10:59:00 PM
From: Mohan Marette	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12475

Skoda (A dvn of Volkswagen) unit in Aurangabad to manufacture Octavia Deepak Joshi/HT correspondent (New Delhi, November 4) CZECH AUTOMOBILE giant, Skoda, plans to manufacture its Octavia model at a greenfield site in Aurangabad with an initial indigenisation of 25%. The project will be implemented through a wholly-owned subsidiary - Skoda Auto India Pvt Ltd. The company plans to dilute its stake by 8 per cent to 10% over the next 2 to four years. The car will be in a wide range of engines ranging from 1.6 litre to 2 litre, both in petrol and diesel versions. The car will have an initial indigenisation level of 25%. The company plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the director-general of foreign trade (DGFT). Skoda hopes to achieve the indigenisation level of 70% within five years. The automobile major has assured the government that it will achieve exports to the tune of Rs 1,785 crore ($397 million) within the first six years of commencing production. It is confident of starting exports from the third year. Skoda, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group, will be investing US $10 million in the first year of production and raise it to US $56 million over three years. The company has assured the government that it will invest US $16 million in the second year of setting up shop here and another US $30 million in the third year. The Czech automobile major hopes to sell 45,000 cars in the first five years of full production. The company is confident of selling 6,000 cars in the first full year of manufacturing and gradually raise the capacity to 10,000 units per annum within three years. Referring to the slump in premium segment cars, Skoda states in its application approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), "In view of the current stagnancy of the passenger car markets in India, Skoda has planned to implement the project in a slow start-fast growth mode, especially to tune with the market realities and the growth calibration being adjusted to market expansion. This will ensure that no significant idle capacities are generated in the country." On the technological fee, Skoda has suggested a payment of US $1,000 per unit. It has contended that this is reasonable for a high-tech Euro-II compliant car (US $45 million). The fee will be paid in five installments spread over a period of two to three years. Later on after the induction of domestic capital, royalty payment on the basis of 6% of the cost of manufacture has been suggested . In case of exports the royalty payment proposed is 8% of production.

To: Mohan Marette who wrote (9362)	11/5/1999 5:08:00 PM
From: Mohan Marette	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 12475

PopeWatch: A swami's open letter to Pope The Times of India News Service NEW DELHI: In an open letter to Pope John Paul II, Swami Dayananda Saraswati has requested him, on behalf of the "non-aggressive religions", to put a freeze on conversions and create conditions in which all religious cultures can live and let live. Welcoming the Pope to India, a country with a unique religious culture which accommodates many religious traditions, the noted scholar of Hindu theology says the Pope can play a significant role in defusing religious conflicts and preserving the world's rich cultures. The letter says, "I am appealing to you here to accept that every person has the freedom to pursue his or her own religion." On the basis of reason, says the letter, no non-verifiable belief is going to fare better than any other non-verifiable belief. According to reason then, there is no basis for conversion in matters of faith. A second important issue: some religions convert, some do not. Among the latter, non-aggressive, ones are Hinduism, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. Religions committed by their theologies to convert are necessarily aggressive, since conversion implies a conscious intrusion into the religious person. "Religious conversion destroys centuries old communities and incites communal violence." In many, religion is woven into the fabric of culture so destruction of a religion amounts to the destruction of a religious culture. "The Mayan, Roman and many other rich cultures are all lost forever and humanity is impoverished for it." In any tradition, it is wrong to strike someone unarmed. Since certain religions and cultures do not convert, attempts to convert them are one-sided aggression. "We don't believe in conversion, even though certain Hindu organisations have taken back some converted people. Thus conversion is not merely violence against people, it is violence against people who are committed to non-violence. In converting, you are also converting the non-violent to violence." Protest against religious conversion is branded persecution because the argument is that religious freedom is curbed. But the other person also has the freedom to practice his or her religion without interference. "Religious freedom does not extend to having a planned programme of conversion. timesofindia.com