7-Apr-2021: ICAR-IVRI transfers Technology - CSF & Sheep Pox Vaccine through Agrinnovate
The ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh transferred the Technology - CSF & Sheep Pox Vaccines to M/s Hester Biosciences through Agrinnovate India Limited in a ceremony held here today.
In his address, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) congratulated the team, ICAR-IVRI for moving in the direction of providing the country with two important Vaccines at a cheaper price and longer immunity. Dr. Mohapatra applauded the Agrinnovate India for commercializing around 150 technologies during 2021 and fetching a gross realization of over Rs. 4 Crores. The Director General stated that the development of Vaccines using indigenous strains is a step towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. He emphasized that due to the cheaper prices of the Vaccines, a greater return can be achieved with lesser investment which will enable production enhancement in animals. He also urged for looking out the ways for supplying the indigenous vaccines to other countries as well.
Dr. Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR regarded the Vaccines to be a great problem-solver for the farmers or people involved in animal husbandry practices. He accentuated that the commercialization of the Vaccines a great achievement for the ICAR-IVRI. Available at affordable prices, the Vaccines can be utilized effectively.
Dr. Praveen Malik, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India stressed on scaling-up the technology and providing it at a cheaper price in the markets. Dr. Malik also emphasized on the need for quality assurance of the technology.
Dr. B.P. Mishra, Director, ICAR-IVRI informed about the 4 Patents that have been recently granted to the Institute. He stressed that 3 out of 4 Patents are on Vaccines.
Shri Rajeev Gandhi, C.E.O., M/s Hester Biosciences regarded the transfer of technologies as a historical event. He emphasized that the two Vaccines are the first indigenous Vaccines to be developed in the country. He stressed that the Vaccines will be a game-changer for the Swine-rearing people.
Dr. S.K. Singh, In-charge, ITMU, ICAR-IVRI, Izatnagar briefed about the Vaccines highlighting their affordability, higher efficiency.
Earlier, in her welcome address, Dr. Sudha Mysore, CEO, Agrinnovate India briefed about the Agrinnovate’s recent achievements and indicated that the company strives to build sustainable public private partnerships through ‘non-exclusive’ technology transfers.
Live Attenuated Indigenous CSF Cell Culture Vaccine (IVRI-CSF-BS)
The Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is an important disease of pigs that causes 100% mortality. In India, the disease is controlled by a lapinized CSF vaccine (Weybridge Strain, U.K.) produced by killing large numbers of rabbits. To avoid this, the ICAR-IVRI earlier developed a Cell Culture CSF Vaccine using the Lapinized Vaccine Virus from foreign strain.
The Indigenous CSF Cell Culture Vaccine (IVRI-CSF-BS) developed by using an Indian field isolates has a huge export potential. Due to its very high titre (1x109.5 TCID50 / ml), the Vaccine can produce a large number of doses (60 Lakhs approx.) easily from only one 75 cm² Tissue Culture Flask. The country’s yearly requirement of 22 million doses can be prepared in just four 75 cm² Tissue Culture Flasks.
Costing around less than Rs 2/- per dose as against Rs. 15 to Rs. 25/- of Lapinized CSF Vaccine, the high titre vaccine would be the most economical CSF Cell Culture Vaccine. The vaccine has been extensively tested for safety and potency. The vaccine has been found to induce protective immunity from day 14 of the Vaccination till 18 Months.
Indigenous Live Attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine [SPPV Srin 38/00]
Sheep pox is a severe viral disease in sheep which is economically important in small ruminants. A live attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine using indigenous strain was developed by the Institute for preventive vaccination in the sheep population.
The developed Vaccine uses indigenous Sheep Pox Virus Strain [SPPV Srin 38/00] and is adapted to grow in the Vero cell line which makes the Vaccine production to be easily scalable. The Vaccine is innocuous, safe, potent, and immunogenic [efficacious] for sheep aged more than six months of age. It has been evaluated both in-house and field. It protects the Vaccinated animals for a period of 40 months.
10-Feb-2021: Cabinet approves Grant-in-aid of Rs.100 crore to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited, Assam
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today accorded approval to the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for Grant-in-aid of Rs.100 crore to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Namrup (Assam) to sustain operations of its urea manufacturing units.
BVFCL, Namrup is a Public Sector Undertaking formed as per Companies Act, under the administrative control of the Department of Fertilizers (DoF), Government of India. At present, the Company is operating its two vintage plants viz. Namrup-II and Namrup-III in the premises of BVFCL in Namrup, Assam. Despite being the first gas based urea manufacturing unit in India and having all the infrastructure and feedstock availability, it has been difficult to maintain reasonable production level from the existing units in a cost effective manner because of their old & obsolete technology. In order to ensure the safe, sustainable and economic operation of the plants, certain equipment and machineries need to be replaced/overhauled. The minimum functional repair to be undertaken for smoother operation of the plants with procurement of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and catalyst items etc. shall attract an estimated expenditure of Rs.100 crores and therefore, Gol approved Grant in Aid of Rs. 100 crores to BVFCL.
BVFCL is situated at North-Eastern part of India, which plays an important role of economic growth in the region. The grant in aid of Rs. 100 crore to BVFCL will restore the urea production capacity of 3.90 Lac MT per annum and ensure timely availability of Urea to Tea Industry & Farming Sector in the entire North Eastern region specially Assam. It will also continue the existing employment of about 580 employees on permanent basis and another 1500 persons on ad-hoc basis. Further, 28000 people get benefits indirectly by this establishment. This will also strengthen the 'ATMA NIRBHAR BHARAT campaign of the Government of India.
4-Jan-2021: BEML hands over dividend worth Rs 5.625 crore to Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh
Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) paid dividend worth Rs 5.625 crore to Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi today. The cheque was handed over by Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BEML Dr Deepak Kumar Hota.
The Company has declared dividend of Rs six per share, i.e.,60 per cent of the equity share capital, which amounts to Rs 24.99 crore for the financial year (FY) 2019-20.
Incorporated in 1964, BEML is Schedule ‘A’DPSU, under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and after-sales-service of a wide range of products for core sectors of economy such as coal, mining, steel, cement, power, irrigation, construction, road building, defence, railway and metro transportation system &aerospace.
The BEML is a listed Company and the Government holds 54.03 per cent of the total paid up capital of the Company. Under its Defence segment, the BEML offers high mobility &recovery vehicles, bridge systems, vehicles for missile projects, tank transportation trailers, milrail wagons, mine ploughs, crash fire tenders, aircraft towing tractors, aircraft weapon loading trolley, etc.
As on today, the Company is having an order book position of over Rs11500 crore which is under execution. This includes supply of India’s biggest designed & developed 190T Dump Trucks to CIL, Driverless Metro cars (Unattended Train Operation-UTO) to MMRDA and High Mobility Trucks for Bridge Systems and Missile systems to Defence Services.
Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Raj Kumar, other senior officials of MoD and the DPSU were present on the occasion.
31-Aug-2020: Further boost to ‘Make in India’; MoD signs contracts worth Rs 2580 Cr with Indian Companies for supply of Pinaka Regiments to Indian Army
Providing further boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative of Government of India in the Defence Sector, Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has today signed contracts with M/s. Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML), M/s. Tata Power Company Ltd. (TPCL) and M/s. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for supply of Six Pinaka Regiments to the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs. 2580 Crores. These Six Pinaka Regiments comprise 114 Launchers with Automated Gun Aiming & Positioning System (AGAPS) and 45 Command Posts to be procured from M/s TPCL and M/s L&T and 330 Vehicles to be procured from M/s BEML. These Six Pinaka Regiments will be operationalised along the Northern and Eastern Borders of our country further enhancing the operation preparedness of our Armed Forces. Induction of Six Pinaka Regiments is planned to be completed by 2024.
This project under Buy (Indian) categorisation, with 70% Indigenous Content, has been approved by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and produced by the above mentioned defence industries. This is a flagship project showcasing public private partnership under the aegis of Government of India (DRDO & MoD) enabling “Aatmanirbharta” in cutting edge Defence technologies.