2009 May | IndusLatin

Agricultural commodities offer great opportunity

May 24th, 2009 Posted in Agriculture, Economics - Indicators, Policy and Trends, India

This is a good year for Indian corporates/funds to buy agricultural assets like farmland in Latin America. Feeding India/the world is not going out of style anytime soon.
FP Trading Desk

Investing in agriculture today will be like investing in oil in 2001 to 2002 when oil prices halved to US$17 per barrel says Marc Faber editor of The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report. Agricultural commodities fell by half from June 2008 highs, but fundamentals remain strong says Faber.

Faber points to a weak build in agricultural stocks (supplies) during the bumper harvest year of 2008. Low stocks, declining productivity, and increased demand persist from a long term perspective says Faber and will drive prices higher. Population growth is rising until 2030 and will have produced an additional billion mouths to feed between 2000 and 2012 alone.

Technorati Tags: population trends, India, agriculture

With $2.6bn at stake in Mexico, India Inc swings into action

May 4th, 2009 Posted in India, Investing, Mexico

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The Times of India

Indian Inc has begun taking measures to counter any possible impact on employees and operations from the outbreak that is rapidly spreading across nations. Some 15 Indian companies–from IT to pharmaceuticals to auto components–have delivery centres or manufacturing facilities in Mexico. The prominent names being Infosys, Wipro, Birla Carbon Black, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, JK Tyres, Essel Propack and Videocon.

Essel Propack, the world’s leading laminated tubes manufacturer, has a plant in Mexico and its clients include Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Set up five years ago, the Mexican unit has staff strength of 126 and contribute 6% to Essel Propack’s revenues. JK Tyre had in June 2008 acquired a tyre-manufacturing company Tornel, which has three plants, in Mexico.

Technorati Tags: india, mexico, investment

India’s Ybrant Digital acquires Argentine

May 4th, 2009 Posted in Argentina, India, M&A, Media and Entertainment

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Business Standard

Ybrant Digital, a Hyderabad-based provider of digital marketing solutions, has acquired dream ad, an Argentine advertising network company, in all all-cash deal for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition, its fifth so far, will give Ybrant access to the Latin American region by adding four more countries – Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico – to its global footprint, bring dream ad’s 39-strong headcount and 300 active clients into its fold, and help Ybrant better represent its publishers and their global traffic.

“dream ad is the exclusive sales house for Microsoft Advertising in Latin America. Besides, it is primarily into banner and keyword search space, which we will be able to leverage by selling our products through those outlets,” Suresh Reddy, chairman and managing director of Ybrant, told mediapersons here on Wednesday.

Technorati Tags: india, argentina, media

Indian engineers develop air-powered motorcycle

May 3rd, 2009 Posted in India, Science and Innovation

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This is science-fiction brought to life.
3 News NZ

A group of Indian engineering students has invented a unique pollution free bike which runs on air pressure and does not emit carbon into the atmosphere.

Where normal motorbikes use an engine powered by petrol, this runs on air.

The Air Bike, as it’s called, carries two large tanks of compressed air.

“Our professors had asked us to create something which nobody has done so far and is also pollution free. Something which is economical and affordable to a common man. So we thought of inventing a bike, which runs on air. There is no combustion in this bike as it does not use any petrol, diesel or anything,” says Air Bike co-designer, Arshdeep Singh.