According to the Defence Ministry, the acquisition of these major ICG platforms is aimed to boost the ICG’s capability and reinforces the increased focus of the Government towards Maritime Security…reports Asian Lite News
The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, on December 20, 2023, for the procurement of six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVS) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
“The contract was made under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category at a total cost of Rs 1614.89 Crore. Out of the six vessels being procured, four would replace the existing ageing OPVs and the other two would augment the ICG fleet,” the Defence Ministry said.
According to the Defence Ministry, the acquisition of these major ICG platforms is aimed to boost the ICG’s capability and reinforces the increased focus of the Government towards Maritime Security.
These modern and high-tech Ships will play a critical role in enhancing surveillance, Law enforcement, Search and Rescue, Maritime Pollution Response, and other important capabilities including humanitarian assistance by the ICG, the statement said.
Ministry said that along with several high-tech advanced features and equipment, these 115m OPVS would be equipped with Multipurpose Drones, AI capability, and Wirelessly Controlled Remote Water Rescue Craft Lifebuoy, etc. enabling greater flexibility and operational edge to the ICG to face new age multidimensional challenges.
These Multi-role State-of-the-Art vessels will be indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured by MDL, Mumbai, and will be delivered in a total period of 66 months.
“The contract achieves the objectives of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ to boost the nation’s indigenous shipbuilding capability, bolstering maritime economic activities and fostering the growth of ancillary industries, especially the MSME sector,” the ministry said. (ANI)
The center seeks to increase the density and number of these forests through afforestation projects in order to achieve the Saudi Green Initiative goals…reports Asian Lite News
In parallel with the launch of the “International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem” event in Jubail Industrial City, the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification announced the signature of four afforestation contracts for a duration of two years each.
The purpose behind the contracts is to produce and plant 2,200,000 mangrove trees on the northern coasts and south of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, in addition to providing other services, such as fencing and care.
The contracts are part of the center’s afforestation efforts in the coastal environment of the Kingdom, where mangrove forests are considered one of its most important natural resources. The center seeks to increase the density and number of these forests through afforestation projects in order to achieve the Saudi Green Initiative goals.
The center has announced the afforestation of about 1 million mangrove plants under the projects of the Heritage Village and Al-Sawarimah in Jazan. The Kingdom aims to plant more than 100 million mangrove trees in the coming years, as part of Saudi Vision 2030.
In total, AstraZeneca is supposed to deliver 300 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to the EU…reports Asian Lite News.
The contract between the European Union (EU) and vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca is valid until all the delivery of the the required Covid-19 doses, a spokesperson of the bloc announced here.
“The contract remains in force until the last doses are delivered,” Xinhua news agency quoted Stefan de Keersmaecker, the European Commission’s spokesperson for health, as saying citing a clause of the contract.
The Commission took AstraZeneca to court last month over its failure to respect the commitment to deliver Covid-19 vaccine doses to EU member states.
In total, AstraZeneca is supposed to deliver 300 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to the EU.
So far, the company has only delivered 30 million doses in the first quarter of 2021, rather than the 100 million doses originally promised for that period, according to the spokesperson.
AstraZeneca has promised to provide 70 million for the second quarter of 2021.
European Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer clarified that the current contract with AstraZeneca covers the 2020-2021 period.
The Commission negotiated with several vaccine manufacturers in Europe, investing in their production capacity in exchange for a promised number of vaccine doses.
Vaccination rates are increasing across the EU, but therapeutics are vital to treat those people who are still falling ill & to reduce the rate of severe and long COVID. ➡️This is why we present today COVID-19 therapeutics strategy https://t.co/Wsx6Y91YIbpic.twitter.com/XxYEoB74Ua
Unfortunately, AstraZeneca was not able to honour the terms of its contract and fell behind schedule, said the Commission.
Reiterating that the Covid-19 vaccine from the company was “very important” for the EU’s inoculation strategy, the bloc said that it doesn’t wish to end the current contract, but wants to see the promised doses delivered.
“We are not saying that we want to terminate the contract… We just want to make sure that we can get to a situation where the company delivers the doses that have been set in the contract,” said Mamer.
The deal envisages the creation of more than 6,500 jobs and over 533 million pounds of new Indian investment into the UK, reports Asian Lite News
Ahead of the virtual summit between PM Narendra Modi and UK PM Boris Johnson, the British government announced a trade and investment deal worth 1 billion pounds with India.
The two leaders are expected to formalize the Enhanced Trade Partnership during their talks later on Tuesday. The ETP will set the ambition to double the value of the bilateral trade by 2030 and declare a “shared intent” to work towards a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
As per Downing Street, the deal envisages the creation of more than 6,500 jobs and over 533 million pounds of new Indian investment into the UK.
The deal comes amidst reports that the two countries are close to signing a “migration and mobility partnership”, which could see thousands more Indian students enrol at UK universities in exchange for illegal Indian migrants being sent back.
“London and New Delhi are on the cusp of signing a ‘migration and mobility partnership’, which is part of a wider move towards bolstering relations that aims at securing a mini trade deal later this year,” a report in ‘The Daily Telegraph’ claims.
“Government insiders say the talks are still live and final details are yet to be ironed out, but the deal represents an important step on two key sticking points that have hampered bilateral relations in recent years. There are hopes that the agreement could be clinched as early as this week, when Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, is in London for multilateral talks with the G7, hosted by Dominic Raab,” it notes.
SII to invest 240M in UK
The Serum Institute of India (SII) will invest 240 million pounds in the UK to expand its vaccine business and create multiple jobs in the country. The investment is part of the 1 billion-pound India-UK Enhanced Trade Partnership that will create nearly 6,500 jobs in Britain.
The investment by the Adar Poonawalla-run SII will also see opening of a new sales office in the UK.
The SII has also begun phase 1 trials in the UK of a nasal vaccine against coronavirus, in partnership with Codagenix INC.
“The sales office is expected to generate new business worth over 1 billion pounds, 200 million pounds of which will be invested in the U.K. Serum’s investment will support clinical trials, research and development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines,” said the official statement from the Downing Street.
“Serum’s investment will support clinical trials, research and development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines. This will help the UK and the world to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and other deadly diseases. Serum has already started phase one trials in the UK of a one-dose nasal vaccine for coronavirus, in partnership with Codagenix INC,” the statement added.
The SII investment came after news reports claimed that India has not placed fresh orders for Covid vaccines with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat BioTech since March.
The Indian government and the SII refuted the reports.
Poonawalla said his company has received orders for 26 crore doses from the Indian government.
“As of today, we received total orders of over 26 crore doses of which we supplied more than 15 crore doses. We have also got 100 per cent advance of Rs 1,732.50 crore by GoI for the next tranche of 11 crore doses in the next few months. Another 11 crore doses would be supplied in the second channel for states and private hospitals in the next few months,” Poonawalla said in a statement.
The Financial Times had reported Poonawalla as saying that vaccine shortage could continue in India till July.
The production is expected to increase from about 60 million-70 million doses a month to 100 million in July, Poonawalla was quoted as saying in the report.
Poonawalla said that his comments may have been “misinterpreted”.
