Solar Cell Technology - India

Source : Mint - 25 Mar, 2010

SPV: Solar Photovoltaic Cells

1st Generation:
Crystalline Silicon used
Dominates the world market - 85%+ of the total installed capacity of 6.3 GW generated using such devices
Efficiency - upto 15%
BUT in INDIA: temperatures go very high, so not perfectly suited for this region, beyond a point, efficiency drops with temp rise: 1 degree rise => 0.5% drop in efficiency

2nd Gen:
Amorphous Silicon is the leading type here
Lighter, Flexible, Cheaper
Cheaper than 1st Gen by 35% (Crystalline Si)
BUT: Efficiency is less than 1st Gen - 6.75% to 7%
Scientists endeavor to get upto 10%

Indian Company: HHV (Hind High Vacuum Co.): created 2nd Gen with 8% efficiency, a breakthrough

NSM: National Solar Mission
Initiative has announced a "feed-in tariff" of Rs. 18.44/kWh
Feed-in Tariff-is a premium, cost based compensation rate given to producers of renewable energy

SPV in India
capacity in India - 970 MW in 2008
estimated to hit 2.5 GW in 2015
Target 20 GW by 2020 (not expected to reach target)

Future Group-Biyani

Source - Mint - 25 Mar, 2010

Stakes:
Future Group (FG) has 44% in Pantaloon Retail
Has 39% in FCH (Future Capital Holdings)

9 million sq. ft. of retail space
Plans upto 12 million sq. ft.

Pantaloon Net Profit - Rs. 140 Cr. (30 million $)
Sales - Rs. 6,340 Cr. ( 1.4 billion $)

Big Bazaar - 123 stores
Foodrite is a large store format
Private label - Toothpaste - Sach

Nasscom NSR

Source: Mint - 25 Mar, 2010
NSR: National Skills Registry
Nasscom initiave
Launched in Jan 2006 and covers checks upto that period
83 companies
Covers 70% of IT workforce
Data of 593,000 individuals; fingerprints+Photo of 367,000


Number of Students in India:
490 Govt. recognised universities
2.54 million (25.4 lac) students graduate/post graduate per year
9.5 million (95 lac) SSC students/year

Abt Below Poverty Line (BPL) in India

(Mint article 19 Jan 2010)

Rejig of BPL identification per NC Saxena Committee (appointed in Aug 2008) on charts - additional marks for SC, ST, BC

Currently - a score based system (0 to 4) where score is derived from 13 socio-economic factors is used.

India-China-Africa economic diplomacy

(All from a Mint article - 19 Jan 2010)
Indias trade with Africa = $39 billion
Chinas trade with Africa= $100 billion

China gave Angola a $2 billion soft loan - which beat India's and thus it has an upper hand there

India promised $5.4 billion lines of credit to African countries
till now (19 Jan 2010) has disbursed about $1 billion