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Tag: MoU

  • Isro renews MOU with Andhra Pradesh on Sat-Com applications

    Isro renews MOU with Andhra Pradesh on Sat-Com applications

    BANGALORE: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh have renewed their July-2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the application of satellite based communication. A Bhaskaranarayana, director, Satellite Communication Programme of Isro and T V Parthasarathi, director, IT and Communication Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, signed the renewal of MOU in Hyderabad.

    Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy and chairman, Isro Dr G Madhavan Nair were present during the signing ceremony.

    Under the renewed MOU, which also includes new applications, Andhra Pradesh will use Insat capacity for satellite based communication in the areas of distance education, telemedicine, agricultural extension, self-help groups, etc. While Isro provides the transponder capacity on board its Insat and the technical support, Andhra Pradesh Government operates the satellite communication network for these applications, states an official release.

    Soon after the signing of the original MOU in July 2000, experimental transmissions had started in November 2000 from Isro’s Master Control Facility at Hassan and subsequently, in April 2002, a satellite Hub station was established at Dr B R Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad. Following this, a satellite based “Andhra Pradesh Net” was set up in March 2003. At present, a full-fledged Mana-TV is operational with a state-of-the-art studio. Mana-TV has over 2,000 terminals and has 5 television channels and one data channel catering to the requirements of educational institutions like schools and colleges (including engineering colleges). It is used for both formal and non-formal educational training.

    Mana TV is now being upgraded to include more interactive terminals as part of Edusat. In the recent years, under the Edusat programme, an exclusive network has been established connecting top fifty technical institutions/engineering colleges in India under Indo-US cooperation for transmitting lectures by invited US experts delivered from Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetam, Coimbatore. Four of these colleges are located in Andhra Pradesh, the release adds.

    In the field of telemedicine, the first pilot project was started in Andhra Pradesh in 2000 connecting Apollo Hospitals at Chennai and Aragonda village and Isro’s hospital at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota, in Nellore District. The telemedicine network will now be extended to eight more hospitals.

    Andhra Pradesh is also one of the foremost in the utilisation of remote sensing technology for management of land and water resources and disaster management. For example, remote sensing technology is used for watershed management in drought prone districts of Adilabad, Ananthapur, Kurnool, Mahaboobnagar, Nizamabad and Ranga Reddy. Management plans for major irrigation projects like Srirama Sagara and Nagarjuna Sagara have been planned using remote sensing data. More than 35,000 bore wells have been drilled using remote sensing data with better than 90 percent success rate.

    As part of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation Network, a Village Resource Centre (VRC) has been set up at Adakkal, Moosapet with an Expert Centre located at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Another 16 locations have been identified for setting up of VRCs to connect the Expert Centre through Byraju Foundation.

    Thus, Andhra Pradesh has been extensively using Isro satellites for societal applications and today’s renewal of MOU reiterates its commitment to extend these applications with Isro’s help.

  • Toonskool signs MOU with Karnataka State Open University for animation course

    Toonskool signs MOU with Karnataka State Open University for animation course

    MUMBAI: Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) signed an MOU with Toonskool Advanced Animation Academy Bangalore yesterday for a three year degree program in Animation. 

    With the signing of this MOU, Toonskool becomes the first accredited institute in the country to train students for a B.Sc. Degree to be awarded by KSOU in the field of Animation.

    Announcing the program, KSOU vice chancellor Prof. K. Sudha Rao said, “India has tremendous opportunity to be an animation outsourced country. This Degree program in Animation has been thoughtfully and timely launched by KSOU to enable the students to be a part of the growing animation industry. Even if one student from each village becomes an accredited animator it will add to the pool of much needed reservoir and bring in financial support. Besides the advent of this programme adds to the avenues available to them and they can now look beyond the traditional B.A, B.Com degree courses.”

    Explaining the nature of animation, KSOU IT director Viswanatha Rao said,” Animation is both an art and science. While the end result achieved can be defined as art, the process of achieving it is science.” He added, ” From $250 million in 2005, the Indian animation industry is anticipated to soar upto $950 million by 2009. With the industry flourishing at such a rapid pace, by 2008, a minimum of 3,00,000 animation professionals will be required to fill the vacuum.” He also commended the efforts of Shri Govardhan CTO Toonskool in spreading animation awareness in the country.

    Speaking at the occasion, Toonskool MD Ashwin Ajila said, “In India, animation today is no longer merely a pursuit. Animation has globally evolved into a $70 billion industry, playing a vital role in all disciplines of life ranging from medicine, to sports, interactive media to defence. It entails systematic academic procedures and studies to attain a professional level as demanded by the industry. India has begun to attract high end, complex animation projects that can only be executed by highly qualified animators. It is therefore essential for aspiring animators to go through a long term industry-supported course in animation. With this MOU, aspirants can become graduates and attain the desired level of proficiency to face the competitive global market in animation.”

    This joint programme facilitating B.Sc. Degree in Animation will be made available through the KSOU approved study centres all over the country. To begin with the first degree program will be launched from August 2006 in three colleges; NITTE Education Trust-NITTE Institute of Technology-Bangalore, Thakur College- Kandivli Mumbai and H L Sonawane College- Kalyan Maharashtra who are already the approved Study Centres, states an official release.

    The content devised by Toonskool comprises script to screen processes. The course is holistic in nature and covers all the aspects ranging from identification of individual aptitude to specialization in the areas of interest. The program structure is academically and professionally streamlined to put the student on a definite growth path through the semesters. The course curriculum involves foundation art, classical animation, production process, digital techniques and creative ideation.

  • Nuance Group, Shopper’s Stop sign MOU for duty free retail market at airports

    Nuance Group, Shopper’s Stop sign MOU for duty free retail market at airports

    New Delhi, June 10, 2006 – The Nuance Group is teaming up with one of India’s leading retailers Shopper’s Stop Ltd. (part of the K. Raheja Corp. – Chandru. L. Raheja Group) in a joint venture designed to enter the Indian airport retail market. The JV Company will be equally owned by both partners and plans to offer a comprehensive range of services, from operating master concessions to distribution for international brands.

    The MoU was signed by the companies’ representatives in Hyderabad today.India, is currently one of the most promising markets as far as development in airports and its marketing is concerned. This process is further accelerated by the upcoming privatisation of several major airports across the country as well as by the fast expansion of various airline companies in the country. The Nuance Group has defined India as one of its key strategic expansion areas.

    Shopper’s Stop Ltd., has built up a strong competence in department stores and operates 20 Shoppers’ Stop stores all over India, which carry a mix of both national and international brands. The company has been paramount in bringing to India some of the best names in fashion and cosmetics. Shopper’s Stop Ltd. (a part of K. Raheja Corp.- C.L. Raheja Group) group company has a 100% subsidiary Crossword, which sells books, music CDs, stationary, newsprint, toys and games at 33 locations. K.Raheja Corp- .- C.L. Raheja Group also owns and operates Inorbit Malls one of the most successful malls in the country in Malad a suburb of Mumbai.

    In early 2006, the K. Raheja Corp. – C.L. Raheja Group has introduced their value retail concept Hypercity which is the country’s largest hypermarket at 118,000 sq.ft.

    Teaming up in a 50/50 joint venture, the two companies offer a perfect combination in expertise of international airport retailing and retailing to the Indian customer. The objective of the joint venture is to offer a wide range of services for Indian airport retail both on the duty free side and the domestic side as per applicable regulations, from the operation of master concessions, duty-free, and food & beverage concessions to the franchise of concepts developed by Nuance or third parties as well as distribution of international brands of wine and liquor to hotels and other wholesalers as may be permitted by Foreign Direct Investment Regulations.

    Carlo Bernasconi, EVP Business Development & Strategic Marketing, The Nuance Group, comments: “The signing of this MoU with Shopper’s Stop Ltd. is a first milestone for The Nuance Group’s entry into the dynamic growth market India. We are convinced that together we will be able to create a truly unique offer perfectly tailored to the needs of the customers at Indian airports.”

    Mr. B.S. Nagesh, MD, Shopper’s Stop Ltd., comments: ” We believe with this partnership we will extend our unique shopping experience to the airports and touch the lives of millions of travelers. This will also help us create a larger footprint across the country”.

    The Nuance Group – The Nuance Group (www.thenuancegroup.com) is the world’s leading airport retailer, operating 330 outlets at 59 airports in 17 countries and employing 4 500 personnel. The Nuance Group is jointly and equally owned by its two Italian shareholders, GECOS/Gruppo PAM (www.gruppopam.it) and Stefanel (www.stefanel.it).

    Shopper’s Stop Ltd. – Shoppers’ Stop Ltd., is a leader in the Indian Retail Sector and one of the pioneers in setting up large format department stores chain in India.
    Shopper’s Stop Ltd has a national presence, with 950,701 square feet of retail space and stocks over 200 international and Indian brands.
    India’s premier shopping destination with stores in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Chennai and Ghaziabad, Shoppers’ Stop is today India’s largest retail chain of department stores. Shoppers’ Stop Ltd., is the only Indian member of IGDS (Intercontinental Group of Departmental stores) along with 29 other experienced retailers from all over the world. Shoppers’ Stop has been awarded Superbrand status 2003-2007 by an independent Super brands Council comprising of the most eminent professionals from Marketing and Advertising out of a national list of 711 brands across 98 categories.

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