Category Archives: Science & Technology

Blazing a trail in MOM success

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

A little known company located on the city outskirts also played a significant role in the success of ‘Mangalyan’ (Mars Orbiter Mission or MOM) and earlier, the ‘Chandrayan’ – Mission to Moon. It had built crucial engines for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which puts satellites into their respective orbits.

“PSLV carrying MOM started and ended with our engines – two roll control ones in the first stage and both fourth stage engines. The control valve fabricated by us for the liquid apogee motor of the Orbiter was fired continuously for 520 seconds to put it into the Mars orbit,” explains Ajit Mohandas, Jt. MD, ASACO.

Founded by his father, K. Mohandas, in 1969 with just five employees to manufacture industrial machines in collaboration with European firms, it has 120 staff including engineers to make precision machine components, into material processing and likes applicable in aerospace and defence industry like fighter jets, naval ships besides launch vehicles and probes.

“My father has a fascination for technology and it’s his passion which has made us, the smallest firm among ISRO’s suppliers, to make complete engines. He put at stake everything to come this far,” avers the 42-year-old, happy over MOM’s success.

The senior Mohandas (77) had roped in ISRO’s legendary scientist K. Sivaramakrishnan Nair (led the design team for liquid propulsion engines), to help making of the crucial components. “It was a trial and error method to begin with but we managed to deliver qualitative goods on time and built trust over the decades,” he says.

ASACO located right across the upcoming IIT-Hyderabad campus in Kandi, Medak district, has supplied nearly 150 engines to ISRO for PSLV. “Our collaboration began in mid 80s with developing engine chambers. Our fabrications are based on ISRO designs and their team stationed here continuously monitors,” says the alumni of HPS-Begumpet & IIT (BHU).

Each year ASACO supplies about 25 engines and is now developing the semi-cryogenic engine for ISRO, according to vice-president S. Sreenivasan.

“We want to scale up to the level of making the entire fourth stage engine of PSLV if ISRO permits. We are also looking at strategic partnerships to grow into the international market,” says Mr. Mohandas. The world may have recognised India’s space prowess but he still struggles to get banking support!

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / V. Geetanath / Hyderabad – September 26th, 2014

Samsung Unveils Plan for Smart Hyderabad City

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

The representatives of Samsung Data Systems called on Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao here on Wednesday and explained him about the Central Clearing Housing Systems (CCHS).

A team of members led by Dongsun Choi, general manager and Young IL Kim, project director of Samsung Data Systems, India, called on the chief minister at the Secretariat. The team made a presentation to the chief minister on the Central Clearing Housing Systems (CCHS) with specific reference to Hyderabad.

The team members told Rao that in several cities of the world there is a provision for card-based CCHS system with payment method which helps their citizens to avail the best convenience in public transportation such as Oyster card in UK, Octopus card in Hong Kong, Suica card in Japan.

They said these cards can make payment to various authorities of metros, buses, taxis as well as in any retail shops. They also mentioned that CCHS is a gifted system for any metro city which would provide benefits to all.

Linking this, they said, smart cities could be better managed. The team further appraised about the intelligent manufacturing, intelligent logistics, intelligent office, intelligent home, intelligent surveillance and smart education as part of smart city system.

The chief minister told the Samsung team to come out with specific proposals for Hyderabad to make it a smart city and apply their experiences in a more meaningful way.

Rao also suggested to have a meeting with city police commissioner for further discussions. It was also agreed in principle to conduct a workshop shortly in this regard involving different stakeholders.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / September 25th, 2014

Awards Presented to Seedsmen

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

Seedsmen Association presented awards to personalities connected with the seed industry at its 19th general body meeting here on Thursday. Telangana agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy honoured them with the awards.

Following is the list of awards presented Life time achievement: K Ayyapu Reddy, founder, Nagarjuna Seeds For developing World Class infrastructure facilities for Indian seed industry: K Prasad, managing director, Prasad Seeds Pvt Ltd. Seed Entrepreneur: K Ramakoteswara Rao, managing director, Sri Sathya Agri Biotech Pvt Ltd Seed Scientist Category: Dr RS Mahala, research director, DuPont Pioneer. Late S Venkata Reddy Memorial Award for retired government officers: D Ashok Kumar, deputy director, agriculture Seed Grower: S Basawaraj Goud, cotton seed grower, Boothpur, Mahabubangar district.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / September 20th, 2014

Clinical trials of cochlear implant to begin soon

Science & Technology

CochlearTELANGANA18sept2014

The indigenously-designed and developed low-cost implant is expected to be ready for commercial production in a year. A host of DRDO labs are involved in the project-NSTL, NMRL, Anurag, RCI and DIPAS, besides the Armed Forces Medical College and Andhra University.

An indigenously-designed and developed low-cost cochlear implant is expected to be ready for commercial production in a year with clinical trials set to begin in the next few months.

An application seeking permission for clinical trials has already been filed with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on behalf of the Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) and clearance is expected in a couple of months, said V. Bhujanga Rao, Director-General (Naval Systems & Materials), Defence Research and Development Organisation.

A host of DRDO labs are involved in the project-NSTL, NMRL, Anurag, RCI and DIPAS, besides the Armed Forces Medical College and Andhra University.

Talking to The Hindu here on Wednesday, Dr. Bhujanga Rao, who is the chief designer and principal investigator of the project, said the cost of the indigenous implant named ‘Sravan’ would be between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.1.5 lakh as against an imported device that could be between Rs.7 lakh and Rs.8 lakh.

Cochlear implant, also called ‘bionic ear’, provides hearing perception to people suffering from profound hearing loss.

Bio-compatibility tests completed
With successful completion of bio-compatibility tests, he said multi-centric clinical trials across the country would be conducted for about six months to one year after receiving the nod from DCGI.

They include Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Army Hospital Research and Referral Centre, Delhi, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institution, Chennai and Apollo Hospital, Bengaluru. He said some private practitioners from Delhi and Bengaluru would also be involved in the trials.

He said the implant developed in India would be the world’s cheapest, without compromising on quality.

After the successful completion of clinical trials, the technology would be transferred to an Indore-based company for series production.

Technology can be shared
In case the volume becomes high, the technology could be given to more companies. He said nearly one million people in the country suffered from profound hearing loss, while every year 10,000 infants are born with the same problem.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Y. Mallikarjun / Hyderabad – September 17th, 2014

Enrich Energy to set up 60 MW solar power project in Telangana

Science & Technology

The solar park will be set up under open offer to supply power to meet the state’s renewable power obligations

Enrich Energy, a Pune-based renewable energy firm, has announced setting up a 60 MW solar power plant in Telangana.

“The company has got the approval for setting up 60 MW solar power project under ‘Solar Park Concept’ in the newly formed state of Telangana,” Enrich Energy said in a statement.

The solar park will be set up under open offer to supply power to meet the state’s renewable power obligations.

“APTRANSCO (Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh) has issued a ‘Letter of Intent’ for setting up a 60 MW capacity solar park to Enrich Energy under the power purchase agreement at preferential tariff of Rs 6.49 per kWh (kilo-watt hour) as per the open offer,” the company said.

“We at Enrich Energy are committed towards developing the renewable energy sector in India and are happy to partner with the government of Telangana in their clean energy initiative,” Kanchal, Director, Enrich Energy said in the statement.

Enrich Energy has developed and commissioned the first turnkey private solar park of India in Maharashtra at a single location with an installed capacity of 40 MW.

The company has two ongoing projects of 25 MW and 50 MW in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The company also provides innovative solutions for small retail investors for setting up private projects with the smallest 1 MW capacity.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / Press Trust of India / New Delhi – August 28th, 2014

Google Search Over, to Set Up Campus in Hyderabad

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Internet search giant Google Inc has reaffirmed its commitment to set up its first campus outside the US in Telangana, while TCS, the country’s largest software services exporter, will set up a 25,000-seat facility at Adibatla, KT Rama Rao, Minister for IT & Communication, said.

IPR PolicyTELANGANA12sept2014

Google already employs 3,000 at its Hyderabad facility. Typically, a campus will be based on walk-to-work concept and will have several recreational facilities. Stating that California-based Google’s executives during their recent visit had reiterated interest in setting up a campus, Rao said, “There are some issues with the land allocation. We are sorting it out.” He added several other existing IT companies such as HSBC will expand their operations in the city.
The then State government in 2007 had allotted Google 20 acres at Kokapet but it ran into legal trouble. Similarly, online retail giant Amazon was given 10.57 acres at Nanakramguda in 2005 to build a 1.6 million square feet facility, touted as its biggest facility outside its headquarters in the US. The project is yet yo take off. Amazon currently employs 4,000 at its leased facility in Hyderabad. Interacting with media after signing pacts with three institutions to get his marquee initiative — Telangana Hub (T-Hub) — off the ground, Rao said the first phase will be ready in six months and house 700-800 start-ups and later 1,500 or more.

The three institutions namely IIIT-Hyderabad, Indian School of Business (ISB) and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research are jointly working with the government on the T-Hub, which promotes entrepreneurship and aims at building a startup ecosystem in the State. “The incubation centre will be a top class facility, not just for Telangana but also the world,” said Rao. The first phase will operate in six months from an 80,000 sft facility at IIIT-Hyderabad. Gradually, it will move into a standalone unit with 3 lakh sft in two years. “We have already started looking for a possible site,” he said

Rao will be meeting the Union IT Minister on September 15 to get a perspective on the Centre’s plans on ITIR. The IT department will soon issue a request for proposal from service providers for the proposed wi-fi connecitivty project. Meanwhile, two companies — one each from the UK and Japan — have shown interest in setting up units at the electronic manufacturing clusters.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by ENS Economic Bureau / September 10th, 2014

FRSC honour for IICT scientist

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Dr B Mahipal Reddy, chief scientist & head of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad has been honoured with the Fellowship of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), London in recognition of his outstanding research contributions to chemical sciences.

Dr Reddy has been selectedfor his more than two decades of research efforts in basic and applied science which resulted in the development of new catalysts for air pollution control, bio-mass conversion to value-added products, synthesis of fine chemicals, production of solar fuels, and conversion of greenhouse gases into useful chemicals.

Some of his contributions are already implemented in the chemical industry and some more are at different stages of exploitation. His outstanding research contributions in the areas of nanomaterials and green chemistry have already been well recognized worldwide and received several national and international awards.

He has published 230 research articles in high-impact international journals, wrote eight book chapters, completed 10 research projects, is the inventor of eight patents, and guided 30 Ph D degrees. He is the recipient of CSIR Young Scientist Award and CSI Young Scientist Award in addition to several other awards and honours. For his outstanding contributions to chemical sciences and technology, he has already been conferred with the fellowships of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (FNAE), the National Academy of Science (FNASc), and the Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences (FAPAS). Dr Reddy is also in the Editorial Boards of various International journals which include Journal of CO2 Utilization and Applied Petrochemicals Research published by Elsevier and Springer, respectively. Dr Reddy has visited and worked in several countries namely, USA, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Hungary, South Africa, and South Korea on various prestigious invitation fellowships.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / Ch. Sunil Rao, TNN / September 05th, 2014

Chronic child care centre launched

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

St. Jude Child Care Centres inaugurated their first facility in Hyderabad to help the families of the children suffering from chronic ailments.

The centre will accommodate 19 paediatric patients, who are being treated at Mehdi Nawaz Jung Institutes of Oncology, Basavatarakam Indo American hospital and other local cancer treatment centres.

Located in Banjara Hills, the centre is being supported by the family of Premlata Vandravan Shah and Dr. Reddy’s Foundation.

During the inauguration, Usha Banerji, CEO, St. Jude’s Centres, said, “It is our goal to provide a safe environment and holistic care to every child. The centre will provide free accommodation along with nutritional support and transportation to children and their parents.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – August 28th, 2014

SUCCESS STORY – A trip down memory lane

Business & Economy, Leaders, Science & Technology, Travel
Capt. S.N. Reddy / The Hindu
Capt. S.N. Reddy / The Hindu

Capt. S.N. Reddy, former Director of Air India, was the first to operate an Avro flight to Vizag. Capt. Reddy took a trip down memory lane as he recalled his eventful career in Air India. “As Regional Director (Southern Region) of Air India I had introduced 14 international flights from various airports in south India like Chennai and Coimbatore to international destinations.

The Vizag Airport has come a long way since the introduction of Avros during the 1970s to expansion of the runway to 10,500 feet and introduction of Boeings and launching of international flights a couple of years ago.

“I was the first to operate an Avro flight to Vizag and the first to operate a Boeing during the early stages of expansion of the runway (from 6,500 feet to 7,500 feet in the mid-1980s),” recalled Capt S.N. Reddy, former Director of Air India, who is presently CEO Telangana Aviation Academy (formerly AP Aviation Academy) in Hyderabad. He was in the city to participate in a seminar on ‘Regional air connectivity and export of cargo by air’, organised by the Air Travellers’ Association (India), on Sunday.

Capt. Reddy took a trip down memory lane as he recalled his eventful career in Air India. “As Regional Director (Southern Region) of Air India I had introduced 14 international flights from various airports in south India like Chennai and Coimbatore to international destinations. I sought permission from our headquarters to make optimum use of the aircraft at our disposal to operate to international destinations.”

“It was a record in the history of Air India that so many international flights were introduced in a span of six months. Indian Airlines, which was incurring losses for seven years, achieved profits in the southern region due to these operations. I received a cash award for my contribution,” he recalled.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by B. Madhu Gopal / Visakhapatnam – August 24th, 2014

Pioneer of transportation engineering dead

Records, All, Science & Technology

RaghavachariTELANGANA24aug2014
Doyen of traffic & transportation engineering in the country and author of the pioneering ‘Hyderabad Area Transportation Study (HATS)’ in the 1980s S. Raghavachari died in Hyderabad on Tuesday. He was 76 and was suffering from cancer.

Born in 1939 in Chetla Mupparam village in Warangal district, he did his civil engineering from Osmania University. Prof. Raghavachari, also post-graduate from University of Roorkee, was also part of faculty of the Regional Engineering College of Warangal, now National Institute of Technology (NIT), training or guiding three generations of engineering students in highway engineering and urban transportation planning. His most notable contribution is the HATS study, conducted between 1983-88, which became a benchmark for urban transportation planning for Indian cities. His comprehensive integrated transportation planning for Mumbai Metropolitan Development Region (MMRDA), also known as Transform or Transportation Study for Mumbai covering more than four thousand square kilometres of area, is another landmark study leading to metro rail, mono-rail and bus rapid systems projects underway.

As an advisor to the Central and State Governments, he had chaired several expert committees and made path braking suggestions to improve urban and inter-city transportation in the country. Hyderabad Metro Rail MD N.V.S. Reddy points out that the light rail system plan for the city proposed by the professor has led to the current metro rail project. He advised GHMC in flyovers building and executing several other traffic & transportation works. Prof. Raghavachari is survived by a son and a daughter.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – August 21st, 2014