Tata Motors begins E-bus pilot-runs in Guwahati

Mumbai: Tata Motors, which today began a pilot-run of its 9-meter electric bus in Assam, claimed that it’s become the first automaker to get Arai and homologation certifications for its 9-m and 12-m electric buses.

The company, which bagged a 350 units order from the EESL to supply e-cars earlier this month, today signed an agreement with the Assam State Transport Corporation to run 9m e-buses that can carry 26-34 passengers.

The trial-run will last for seven days, the company said in statement. The company has already completed trials for these bus in Shimla and Chandigarh where these buses ran for 165 km and 143 km on a single charge, respectively. Voltas elevates Pradeep Bakshi as MD& CEO from Feb

The board of Voltas has announced elevation of Pradeep Bakshi, executive director & chief operating officer as MD & CEO, to succeed the incumbent Sanjay Johri who superannuates next February.

It also said elevated Anil George, executive director (finance & corporate affairs), as deputy managing director, Noel Tata, chairman of the board said. Voltas is the market leader in refrigeration market enjoying a 22 per cent market share in the room AC business.

“The appointments of Bakshi and George mark the culmination of a formal succession process at Voltas, in which Johri and the board were engaged for two years to groom the leadership team,” Tata said. Cooper Corp to supply diesel engines to Navy & Coast Guard

The Pune-based diesel engine maker Cooper Corporation has signed an agreement with the state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers to supply small and medium diesel engines for marine applications for the Navy and the Coast Guard.

Farrokh N Cooper, chairman of Cooper Corporation said his company will supply these diesel engines with a capacity ranging from 50-500 kw, which the PSU will integrate at their diesel engine plant in Ranchi and subsequently to the Navy, Coast Guard and also other shipbuilders in the country and outside. Catlin picks 20% in Mahindra Insurance Brokers

Mahindra Insurance Brokers has said global insurer and reinsurer XL Catlin has picked up a 20 per cent stake including the 15 per cent the minority investor LeapFrog Financial Inclusion Fund, for an undisclosed sum.

LeapFrog Financial Inclusion Fund, through its subsidiary Inclusion Resources, holds 15 per cent stake in MIBL valued at around Rs 1300 crore.

Catlin will purchase an additional 5 per cent stake in MIBL from Mahindra Finance, taking its total equity stake in MIBL to 20 per cent and immediately sell the entire capital of LeapFrong to XL Group, a company statement said.

XL Group will help support MIBL’s endeavours to increase insurance awareness and penetration in under-penetrated markets and across under-served customers in rural markets.

“The investment by XL Group will help increase insurance penetration and drive positive change in the lives of rural India,” Ramesh Iyer, vice-chairman and managing director, Mahindra Finance, president-financial services sector and member of the group executive board of the Mahindra Group said.

Mumbai: As many as eight firms including domestic and international have bid for the 12-km and Rs 998 crore phase 1 (DN Nagar-MTNL in BKC) of the DN Nagar-Mandale elevated corridor.

Companies like JMC Projects, Afcons Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro, SEL-SPSCPL Joint Venture, CHEC-TPL Joint venture, J Kumar Infrastructure, Simplex and IL&FS have expressed interest in developing the first phase of the 23.643 km long and over Rs 10,900 crore metro 2B corridor with 22 stations.

PTI