Category: Science & Technology

** HAL scales new peak, sees revenue of over Rs 24K crore

Aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has recorded the highest ever revenue of over Rs 24,000 crore (provisional and unaudited) for the financial year ending March 31, 2022, registering a 6 % revenue growth over the previous financial year. The corresponding figure for the previous year stood at Rs 22,755 crore.

“Despite the challenges of the second wave of Covid-19 during the first quarter of the year and the consequent production loss, the Company could meet the targeted revenue growth with improved performance during the balance period of the year”, said R Madhavan, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL.

HAL achieved record revenue with the production of 44 new helicopters/aircraft, 84 new engines, overhauled 203 aircraft/helicopters and 478 engines.

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** Dr. Reddy’s acquiring Novartis cardio drug Cidmus for $61 m

Given the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, this acquisition will allow Dr. Reddy’s to make a trusted portfolio of medicines available to the patients

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has entered into an agreement with pharma giant Novartis AG to acquire cardiovascular brand Cidmus in India for $61 million.

Under the agreement, it will be assigned and transferred the Cidmus trademark in India from Novartis AG. Cidmus sales in the country was around ₹136.4 crore for the most recent 12 months ending in February 2022, Dr. Reddy’s said on April 1, citing IQVIA MAT numbers.

The Cidmus brand will be affixed on the pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of Valsartan and Sacubitril (currently under Novartis patent) which is indicated for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. The tablets were available in three strengths, the company said.

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** Sri Lanka hands over three wind farm projects to India

Sri Lanka has decided to hand over to India the development of three wind farms that was originally awarded to a Chinese firm. The decision was announced on Tuesday, after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed in the presence MEA S Jaishankar in Colombo.

The USD 12 million project, to be built on three small islands (Nainativu, Analaitivu and Delft) in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, was awarded to a Chinese firm in 2019, with funding from Asian Development Bank (ADB). India had been protesting against the project citing its proximity to its coast. Due to various reasons the work didn’t commence and the project had to be shelved. 

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** 65-yr-old breathes free after India’s 1st BTVA procedure

For the first time in India, the procedure of Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapour Ablation (BTVA), which is an endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) treatment was done at the Yashoda Hospital. The procedure is known to help reduce hyperinflation and improve respiratory mechanics in patients with severe emphysema. 

Emphysema is a sub-type of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) wherein the air sacs within the lungs are destroyed. The patient who received the procedure at Yashoda Hospital was a 65-year-old man, previously a chain-smoker, who was nearly bed-ridden due to a lack of oxygen absorption 

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** Doctors at Apollo perform two heart valve procedures simultaneously

Doctors at the Apollo Hospitals have performed procedures to address critical problems in the mitral valve and the aortic valve of the heart at the same time on a 75-year-old patient from Sri Lanka.

While a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was performed to address the narrowing of the aortic valve, a clip was placed to repair the mitral valve to address mitral valve regurgitation.

Sai Satish, senior interventional cardiologist, who has performed over 450 TAVRs, said it was the experience of performing mitral valve clip procedures and TAVR in the recent years and the infrastructure available at Apollo Hospitals that made the simultaneous procedures possible.

Pointing out that the hospital was the first to perform a mitral valve clip procedure in the country in 2018 and it was among the highest in the number of TAVRs performed, she said the achievement was not about the numbers but about how these procedures helped so many patients lead a quality life.

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** India successfully test-fires army version of MRSAM missile system

India successfully test-fired the Army version of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) from a defence facility off the Odisha coast on Sunday demonstrating the system’s high killing efficiency.

The state-of-the-art missile was flight tested in full operational configuration from the launching complex – III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur at about 10.30 am. The missile intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle achieving a ‘direct hit’.

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** MP to be first to offer MBBS course in Hindi

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh is set to become the first state in India to impart medical education in Hindi medium.Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Sunday, “This year, MP will become the first state to start the MBBS course in Hindi.

The books for the MBBS education in Hindi are being readied and the new Hindi based system will commence. It will soon be followed in engineering education and other professional courses. This new system will help remove inferiority complex among our students from middle class and lower economic class who come from Hindi speaking backgrounds.”

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** Defence Ministry, Goa Shipyard Limited sign contract for construction of eight Fast Patrol Vessels

 Adding to the steps involving indigenous manufacturing in construction of the defence equipment the Ministry of Defence on Monday signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for construction of eight Fast Patrol Vessels for Indian Coast Guard at a total project cost of Rs 473 crore.

These surface platforms will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by GSL under Buy (Indian-IDDM) Category.

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** Indian power project replaces Chinese venture in Sri Lanka’s northern islands

India will set up hybrid power projects in three Islands off Jaffna, effectively replacing the Chinese venture cleared by Colombo last year.  

The MoU for the project was among those signed during a meeting between visiting External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris late on Monday. It is the third Indian energy project coming up in Sri Lanka’s north and east, after the recent agreements for National Thermal Power Corporation’s solar venture in the eastern Sampur town, and the Adani Group’s renewable energy projects in Mannar and Pooneryn in the north.

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