In what could be termed as a prelude to Satya Nadella’s visit, the Microsoft (India) chairman Bhaskar Pramanik has met with CM KCR on Monday. Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao was present at the meeting. The meeting discussed Microsoft’s expansion plans in Hyderabad. Pramanik briefed Rao of the activities of Microsoft in India and also discussed the tax policy being followed in the country. A statement from the chief minister’s office said Pramanik announced that Microsoft will further expand its operations in Telangana. The global software major has its India development centre here. Set up in 1998, it is the largest R&D centre of Microsoft outside its Redmond (US) facility. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will be visiting Hyderabad next month. In fact, when ...

Ashok Hinduja of Hinduja Group met with CM KCR today and the chief minister asked his company to abide by the power purchase agreement arrived years ago with composite AP and supply power to Telangana as per AP Re Organization Act. In an earlier news item, we reported that Telangana staked claim for nearly 550 MW of power from the Vizag plant being commissioned by Hinduja National Power Corporation Ltd (HNPCL). The AP Re Organization Act allots 53.89% of 1040 (520 * 2)MW capacity, which would be around 550 MW, to Telangana and with AP refusing to abide by the Act b y citing some reason or the other for each of the projects, Telangana proactively asked it’s DisComs to draw up ...

Suresh Chanda, Principal Secretary Energy to Telangana Government, has directed the southern and northern power distribution companies  to finalise and sign the power purchase agreements with Hinduja National Power Corporation Ltd, which is at the advanced stage of commissioning the 1,040-MW thermal power project near Visakhapatnam. The erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State had earlier entered into an agreement. Now, with the state division, power generated from the project will be shared in the ratio of 53.89 and 44.11 between the two states. AP Transco has been called upon to sign up with the two discoms in accordance to the sharing formula between the two states. The Hinduja project is nearing completion after 15 years of its initial plans and is expected to ...

 Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India, closed down mining operations at 3 mines in the Jagannath area in Angul district of Odisha following protests by villagers. At least 122 people in the Hensmul village in the area have refused to vacate, despite resettlement offers from the company. Closure of mining operations at Jagannath Area would mean snapping off fuel supplies to the power plants in Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It will also hinder operations of the Bhubaneswari and Ananta open cast projects in Odisha. Quarters were given to 79 of the 122 villagers, and, the rest were assured of interim arrangements. However, the villagers refused to hand over their possessions over concerns of their livelihood. The halted ...

The Hyderabad – Warangal highway is at last set to be a 4 lane highway, thanks to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA)’s approval yesterday. The 145 KM highway, part of the national highway 163 leading to Chhattisgarh, will be expanded to 4 lanes. The Yadagirigutta to Warangal stretch would be expanded and in a later phase Warangal to Godavari road works could be taken. Rs 1,487.95 crore has been allotted for this 4 laning. After the completion of this expansion, the high traffic Hyderabad - Warangal stretch could get a little safer as there is high incidence of accidents every day on the single lane. The Hyderabad- Yadagirigutta has recently been converted to 4 lane with Rs 300 Cr and with the completion ...