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☆ Modi's Party Set to Bring Contentious Common Civil Laws in India Through States
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Framing a national common law has been one of the three core, decades-old promises of Modi's Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). The northern state of Uttarakhand, nestled in the Himalayan foothills, is expected to unveil a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill next week, officials said. A committee set up in Uttarakhand in 2022 to draft the code will submit its work to the state government on Friday. "Several state governments across India are looking at whether a uniform civil code could be implemented," Nalin Kohli, a national BJP spokesperson said. Personal laws can be legislated by both federal and state governments, and other BJP-ruled states have said they could use the Uttarakhand UCC draft as a template.

Persons: Krishn Kaushik, Rupam Jain, Saurabh Sharma, Narendra Modi's, Modi's, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nalin Kohli, Pushkar Singh Dhami, Ram, Biswa Sarma, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Sumit Khanna, Jatindra, Lincoln Organizations: Saurabh Sharma NEW DELHI, Janta Party, BJP, UCC, Kashmir, Uttarakhand UCC, Reuters Locations: Indian, Jammu, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, India, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar

[1/6] Ola electric scooters are seen outside the Ola Electric Service Centre, in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, October 25, 2023. Aggarwal's Ola Electric, which he likens to Tesla in the West, is zipping towards a stock-market listing after going from zero to 338,000 e-scooter sales in about two years. But he acknowledged service capacity issues and said Ola was "aggressively" bolstering its service network by adding 100 new centres and hiring more technicians. 'TESLA FOR WEST, OLA FOR REST'Aggarwal often declares, "Tesla is for the West, Ola for the rest", and he's a man in a hurry. "Electric vehicles are new to people so they aren't aware of how to ride the vehicle to maximise optimal output," he said.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, it's, Elon Musk, Aggarwal's Ola, Tesla, Ola, Devendra Ghuge, Aggarwal, Ola EVs, Ravi Bhatia, Bhatia, Japan's SoftBank, Ronald Radhakrishnan, Koradia, Riddhima Talwani, Aditi Shah, Rishika Sadam, Sriram, Arpan Chaturvedi, Anushree, Pandya, Francis Mascerehnas, Varun Vyas, Munsif, Jatindra, Saurabh Sharma, Sumit Khanna, Jose Devasia, Aditya Kalra Organizations: Ola Electric Service Centre, REUTERS, Staff, Reuters, JATO Dynamics, WEST, OLA, West, Singapore's Temasek, Industry, Hero Electric, TVS, EV, Ola, Fayaz Bukhari, Thomson Locations: Thane, Mumbai, India, THANE, HYDERABAD, DELHI, MUMBAI, Chennai, Bengaluru, India's, U.S, China, Kochi, New Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jose, Srinagar

Quite a few of the hospitals have seen a sudden influx of patients booked in for check-ups involving a night's stay to coincide with the most anticipated match of the World Cup. The Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association has discouraged its members from accommodating such fans. India and Pakistan head into the showdown having both won their opening two matches at the tournament. The city has been declared a 'no-drone zone' on Saturday, and 11,000 security personnel will be deployed for the high-profile match, Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik said. On their first tour of India since the 2016 T20 World Cup, Pakistan were accorded a warm welcome in Hyderabad, where they played their first two matches.

Persons: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, Amit Dave, Tushar Patel, Bharat Gadhavi, Hemish Patel, Patel, Airfare, Narendra Modi, Donald Trump, Anthony Albanese, GS Malik, Shaheen Afridi, Jasprit, Liyakat Khan, Samiya, Hasan Ali, Khan, Amlan Chakraborty, Ken Ferris Organizations: Cricket, ICC Cricket, Pakistan cricket team, India, India REUTERS, Ahmedabad Medical Association, Reuters, Nursing Homes Association, THREE, Control, BCCI, Australia, Pakistan, Asia, Indian Express, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, DELHI, AHMEDABAD, Pakistan, Indian, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Sri Lanka, New Delhi

Poli Devi, whose 11-month-old daughter Janvi was among the children who died due to kidney injury after consuming contaminated cough syrup, holds a photo of her at their house in Ramnagar on the outskirts of Jammu, India, March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - India's drug regulator has found that a cough syrup and an anti-allergy syrup made by Norris Medicines (NORI.BO) are toxic, according to a government report, months after Indian-made cough syrups were linked to 141 children's deaths worldwide. Koshia said Norris used to export the cough syrup, but did not say where. "We are aware of the CDSCO report and have communicated with that agency to ascertain where the products... have been exported," said a WHO spokeswoman. The CDSCO also found three batches of COLD OUT syrup made by Fourrts (India) Laboratories contaminated with DEG and EG.

Persons: Poli Devi, Janvi, Anushree, Koshia, Norris's, Norris, Vimal Shah, S.V, Veeramani, Adani Wilmar, Krishna N, Jennifer Rigby, Andrew Heavens, Nick Macfie, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Norris Medicines, Central Drugs Standard Control, EG, Drug Control Administration, Reuters, World Health Organization, WHO, Laboratories, World Health Organisation, Fourrts, Pharmaceuticals Export, of India, Thomson Locations: Ramnagar, Jammu, India, DELHI, Gambia, Uzbekistan, Cameroon, Gujarat, Fourrts, Iraq, pharmexcil

☆ Condom-shy India arouses interest of global contraceptive makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Kashish Tandon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Such is the trend that the market is set to more than double to $1.7 billion by 2030, showed data from GrandView Research. By contrast, 19% of U.S. men use condoms every time they have sex, showed data from the National Center for Health Statistics. World Bank data showed that, in 2021, per capita gross domestic product crossed $2,000 - a threshold at which, in China in 2006, consumption jumped. Britain's Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT.L) has launched new products under its Durex brand and expanded its "Birds and the Bees" rural marketing campaign. SOCIAL MEDIAIndia's market leader is domestic manufacturer Mankind Pharma (MNKI.NS) with a 33% share, ahead of Reckitt Benckiser at 14%, TechSci data showed.

Persons: Kazuhiro Kamio, Okamoto, Arvind Singhal, Miah Kiat Goh, Dwight, Mankind, Ashita Aggarwal, Kashish Tandon, Sumit Khanna, Rocky Swift, Dhanya Skariachan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: GrandView Research, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Okamoto Industries, National Center for Health Statistics, Technopak Advisors, Reuters, United Nations, Benckiser, ., Mankind Pharma, Social, Jain Institute of Management & Research, HDFC Securities Institutional, View Research, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Europe, Japan, China, U.S, S.P, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Rocky, Tokyo

☆ Prayers, parties, student shows planned in India for moon landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Arun Haryani, an enthusiast with his body painted in tri-colours reacts as he holds up a model of LVM3 M4 which was used in launching of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the eve of its moon landing, in Ahmedabad, India. REUTERS/Amit Dave Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Excitement rose in India on Tuesday on the eve of a much-anticipated moon landing, with prayers held for its success, schools marshalling students to watch a live telecast of the event and space enthusiasts organising parties to celebrate. India's second attempt to land on the moon after a failure in 2019 is being seen as a display of the tenacity of its scientific institutions. Authorities and educators also hope it will encourage scientific inquiry among millions of students in the world's most populous country. Students have sent scores of messages wishing ISRO luck for a successful landing, the agency said.

Persons: Arun Haryani, Amit Dave, Narendra Modi, Narottam Sahoo, Srikant, Nivedita, Saurabh Sharma, Nag Choudhury, Sumit Khanna, Sunil Kataria, Krishn Kaushik, YP Rajesh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, Indian Space Research, ISRO, Reuters, Operations, YP, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Russian, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kolkata, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Lucknow, New Delhi

Visitors gather at Applied Materials and Micron Technology kiosks before the start of 'SemiconIndia 2023', India's annual semiconductor conference, in Gandhinagar, India, July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Amit DaveNEW DELHI, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Applied Materials (AMAT.O) wants its suppliers from Europe, Japan and elsewhere to set up operations in India, as the semiconductor toolmaker works to expand the local supply chain, its India head told Reuters. Applied Materials does not manufacture in India - and has no plans to - but having suppliers based locally will help its new engineering centre speed up technology development and testing. Such investment creates opportunities for Applied Materials, the world's biggest maker of tools used in manufacturing chips. Applied Materials started its India operations in 2002 and has about 7,500 employees in the country working in product development, software and other business operations.

Persons: Amit Dave NEW DELHI, Srinivas Satya, Narendra Modi's, Satya, Modi, Gary Dickerson, Munsif, Acharya, Sumit Khanna, Aditya Kalra, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Materials, Micron Technology, REUTERS, Reuters, U.S, Applied Materials, Devices, Micron, Applied, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Europe, Japan, Bengaluru, Applied Materials India, South Korea, U.S, Gujarat, Washington, New Delhi

REUTERS/Amit DaveGANDHINAGAR, India, July 28 (Reuters) - India wants to become a trusted partner for the semiconductor industry and a chip maker for the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, as global companies including Foxconn (2317.TW) announced investment plans in the South Asian nation. "To expedite the growth of the semiconductor sector in the country, we are continuously undertaking policy reforms," said Modi, who has made chipmaking the top priority of his economic policy. Modi was speaking at the government's SemiconIndia annual conference in his home state of Gujarat which is being attended by top semiconductor industry executives. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Liu said Foxconn had yet to find another partner for its India chipmaking venture. At the event, Micron Technology (MU.O) CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said a planned $2.7 billion semiconductor testing and packaging unit in Gujarat would help create about 5,000 jobs in the state.

Persons: Mark Papermaster, Young Liu, India's, Narendra Modi, Amit Dave GANDHINAGAR, TW, Modi, Foxconn, Liu, Modi's, Sanjay Mehrotra, Munsif Vengattil, Sumit Khanna, Indranil Sarkar, Aditya Kalra, Jacqueline Wong, Muralikumar Organizations: Devices, REUTERS, Foxconn, CNBC, TV18, Vedanta, Semiconductor, Reuters, Hai Technology, Micron Technology, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Gujarat, Bengaluru, Tamil, Taiwan, Foxconn

[1/3] Visitors gather at Applied Materials and Micron Technology kiosks before the start of 'SemiconIndia 2023', India's annual semiconductor conference, in Gandhinagar, India, July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Amit DaveGANDHINAGAR, India July 26 (Reuters) - Top executives from Foxconn and semiconductor firms Micron and AMD will this week attend a conference in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, as the government tries to lure investments into India's nascent chip industry. Modi will inaugurate the annual SemiconIndia conference in Gandhinagar, in western state of Gujarat, on Friday. The event comes just weeks after Foxconn backed out of a $19.5 billion chips joint venture with Vedanta, saying "the project was not moving fast enough". Which explains the skepticism of global chip giants to come here and set shop," said Arun Mampazhy, a former India manager of U.S.-based chipmaker GlobalFoundries.

Persons: Amit Dave GANDHINAGAR, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Young Liu, Sanjay Mehrotra, Mark Papermaster, Foxconn, Arun Mampazhy, Munsif, Sumit Khanna, Aditya Kalra Organizations: Materials, Micron Technology, REUTERS, Micron, AMD, Vedanta, Devices, Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Taiwan, Gujarat, Bengaluru

IRSHALWADI, India, July 20 (Reuters) - The death toll from a massive landslide in western India rose to 16 late on Thursday, as rescue operations were suspended with around 100 people still feared trapped, officials said. Rescue workers recovered 16 bodies before night fell and local authorities advised they suspend the search, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Atul Karwal, told Reuters. Rescuers searched for over 12 hours in heavy rains and fog, dodging large boulders that tumbled down the mountain slope, a Reuters witness and local media reported. [1/3]Members of rescue teams prepare graves to bury the victims after a landslide following heavy rains in Raigad district in the western state of Maharashtra, India, July 20, 2023. MORE RAIN COMINGA landslide in a nearby village killed more than 80 people two years ago.

Persons: Atul Karwal, Devendra Fadnavis, Francis Mascarenhas, Singh, Mahal, Mahatma Gandhi, Francis Mascerenhas, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Rajendra Jadhav, Sumit Khanna, Robert Birsel Organizations: Response Force, Reuters, REUTERS, Indian Express, India Meteorological Department, Thomson Locations: IRSHALWADI, India, Irshalwadi, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Raigad district, Gujarat, New Delhi, Red, Rajghat

Reuters GraphicsIndia is among the world's top exporters of services, doubling its share in global services trade to over 4% from 2% in 2005, according to WTO estimates. Sunil Talati, president of government-aided Services Export Promotion Council, said total services exports could overtake goods exports in the next five years to $750 billion. A report by Knight Frank consultancy last week said demand for office space has risen sharply in smaller cities, driven by expanding operations of global accounting and multinationals, pushing up rents by up to 10%. Domestic accounting firms are also moving to smaller towns and raising wages. "With the Big Four and other global firms coming to our cities, we are going even deeper to open offices in smaller cities."

Persons: Ernst & Young, Diksha Mehta, Debasish Mishra, PwC, Padmaja Alaganandan, Narendra Modi, Sunil Talati, Swagatika Parmanik, Knight Frank, Kshitij Patel, Shah, Manoj Kumar, Kripa Jayaram, Sam Holmes Organizations: Business, Diksha, Reuters Graphics India, Deloitte, KPMG, Export Promotion Council, Reuters, PwC, IBM, Manubhai, Shah LLP, Thomson Locations: BHUBANESWAR, India, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Vadodara, Kochi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Australian, Europe, New Delhi, Asia, Odisha, Bhubaneswar, Gujarat, Ahmedabad

☆ India's Gujarat in talks with Foxconn for its semiconductor plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AHMEDABAD, India July 12 (Reuters) - India's Gujarat state is holding talks with Foxconn over a semiconductor plant, a top government official told Reuters, days after the Taiwanese giant broke off a $19.5 billion joint-venture plan with India's Vedanta. "We are in touch with multiple prospective investors, including Foxconn ... Gujarat is uniquely positioned to attract top chipmakers," said Vijay Nehra, secretary of the science and technology department in Gujarat. Foxconn (2317.TW) this week exited its project with Vedanta (VDAN.NS), which was also planned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, citing issues such as slow progress. The breakup of the JV was a setback for Modi's vision to establish India as a semiconductor manufacturing hub. Its talks with Gujarat come weeks after Micron Technology (MU.O) said it will invest up to $825 million in a semiconductor testing and packaging facility in the state.

Persons: Vijay Nehra, Narendra Modi's, Foxconn, Modi, Lee, Munsif Vengattil, Aditya Kalra, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Vedanta, JV, IGSS Ventures, ISMC, LinkedIn, Micron Technology, Thomson Locations: AHMEDABAD, India, Gujarat, ., Foxconn, Singapore

REUTERS/Amit Dave/File PhotoNEW DELHI, July 8 (Reuters) - An Indian court rejected PepsiCo Inc's appeal against an order that revoked a patent for a potato variety grown exclusively for the New York-based company's popular Lay's potato chips. The authority removed PepsiCo's patent cover after Kavitha Kuruganti, a farmers' rights activist, argued that the company cannot claim a patent over a seed variety. PepsiCo petitioned the Delhi High Court against the revocation of the patent cover. In its order dated July 5, Delhi High Court judge Navin Chawla dismissed PepsiCo's appeal against the authority's decision. In 2019, PepsiCo sued some Indian farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety, accusing growers of infringing its patent.

Persons: Amit Dave, Kavitha Kuruganti, Navin Chawla, Kuruganti, Mayank Bhardwaj, Sumit Khanna, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, PepsiCo, New, ' Rights, Authority, Court, Monsanto, drugmaker Bayer AG, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, DELHI, New York, Delhi, PepsiCo India, U.S

☆ Micron signs preliminary agreement for India chip facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AHMEDABAD, June 28 (Reuters) - U.S. memory chip firm Micron Technology (MU.O) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian government to build a semiconductor plant, its first factory in the country. Micron said last week it will invest up to $825 million in the facility. With support from the Indian central government and the state of Gujarat, the total investment will be $2.75 billion, it added. The facility will be constructed in Sanand, near the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Reporting by Sumit Khanna; Writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sumit Khanna, Tanvi Mehta, Jan Harvey Organizations: Micron Technology, Wednesday, Micron, Thomson Locations: AHMEDABAD, Gujarat, Sanand, Ahmedabad

☆ Coastal areas of India's Gujarat state return to normalcy after cyclone
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AHMEDABAD, June 17 (Reuters) - Some 1,500 villages were still without electricity in India's western state of Gujarat, officials said on Saturday, as coastal areas recovered from the impact of this week's cyclone Biparjoy. In many villages, power had been cut off as a precautionary measure to avert any dangerous incidents during the storm, Gujarat Energy Secretary Mamta Verma told Reuters. A drone view shows dark clouds over Mandvi beach before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 15, 2023. More than 700 homes in the eight coastal districts of Gujarat suffered full or partial damage, according to the state government. Authorities in India and neighbouring Pakistan evacuated more than 180,000 people from vulnerable areas as the cyclone approached.

Persons: Mamta Verma, Port, Francis Mascarenhas, Kamal Dayani, Swati Bhat, Frances Kerry Organizations: Gujarat Energy, Reuters, REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: AHMEDABAD, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kutch, Mundra, India, Pakistan

☆ Trees uprooted, roofs blown off by cyclone in India's Gujarat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A man rides a motorcycle through a waterlogged street in Mandvi before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasAHMEDABAD, India, June 16 (Reuters) - Roofs were blown off houses and trees and electric poles uprooted in several parts of India's western state of Gujarat as a severe cyclone made landfall overnight and heavy rain continued to lash the coast early on Friday. India's weather department warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat and the neighbouring state of Rajasthan through Friday. Pakistan's weather department said moderate to heavy rain was expected in the Hyderabad, Nooriabad and Thatta regions. Local television showed visuals of uprooted trees, people sheltering against strong winds and debris lying on roads in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Biparjoy, Mohapatra, Sumit Khanna, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, Thomson Locations: Mandvi, Gujarat, India, Francis Mascarenhas AHMEDABAD, Pakistan, Jakhau, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Nooriabad, Thatta, Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD, India, June 16 (Reuters) - Early warnings, accurate identification of vulnerable areas and timely evacuations helped India to avert major casualties from cyclone Biparjoy, which battered the west coast near Pakistan late on Thursday, authorities said. India and Pakistan evacuated more than 180,000 people from the coastal areas to safety ahead of the cyclone. In 1998, a major storm in Gujarat killed about 4,000 people, according to local media, while in 2021, close to 100 people died in an 'extremely severe cyclone' named Tauktae. "Early identification of areas that were likely to be impacted by the cyclone and timely evacuation of people living within 10 km of the coasts are the biggest reasons" for low casualties, said Kamal Dayani, a senior Gujarat official. [1/5] A drone view of a broken bridge during the aftermath of Cyclone Biparjoy after it made landfall, along the Naliya-Bhuj highway, in the western state of Gujarat, , India, June 16, 2023.

Persons: Kamal Dayani, Francis Mascarenhas, Atul Karwal, Dayani, Sumit Khanna, Sudipto Ganguly, Kevin Liffey, Conor Humphries Organizations: Biparjoy, REUTERS, Authorities, Force, Thomson Locations: AHMEDABAD, India, Pakistan, Gujarat, Bhuj, Kutch, Ahmedabad, Mumbai

He warned that contaminated medicines could still be found for several years, because adulterated barrels of an essential ingredient may remain in warehouses. Cough syrups and the ingredient, propylene glycol, both have shelf-lives of around two years. Unscrupulous actors sometimes substitute propylene glycol with toxic alternatives, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, because they are cheaper, several pharmaceutical manufacturing experts told Reuters. The WHO said it has also offered help to Liberia and Cameroon – which recently signalled that it too may have contaminated cough syrups for sale. The contaminated syrups in Liberia were made by India's Synercare Mumbai, according to the Nigerian regulator.

Persons: Rutendo Kuwana, Kuwana, –, syrups, Naresh Kumar Goyal, QP Pharmachem, India's Synercare, Synercare, It's, Jennifer Rigby, Krishna N.Das, Edward McAllister, Stanley Widianto, Sumit Khanna, Sophie Yu, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Reuters, Pharmaceutical, Marshall, Indonesian, –, PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries, AFI, Pharmaceuticals, Marion Biotech, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Thomson Locations: LIBERIA, CAMEROON, Liberia, Nigeria, Gambia, Uzbekistan, Micronesia, Indonesian, – Timor Leste, Cambodia, Senegal, Philippines, Cameroon, syrups, Marshall Islands, India's Synercare Mumbai, Nigerian, Liberian, India, Panama, Delhi, Dakar, Jakarta, Ahmedabad, Beijing

☆ Fast approaching cyclone forces evacuation of 75,000 people on India's west coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A man carries a child from a truck during an evacuation before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in Jakhau in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasAHMEDABAD, India, June 15 (Reuters) - Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat evacuated more than 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities as cyclone Biparjoy was expected whirl in from the Arabian Sea to make landfall by Thursday evening. Early on Thursday, the cyclone was centred 180 km (112 miles) off Jakhau port in Gujarat and 270 km (168 miles) off Karachi in Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department said. "We have evacuated more than 75,000 persons from the eight coastal districts in Gujarat that are expected to be impacted by the cyclone," Kamal Dayani, additional chief secretary in Gujarat’s revenue department said. (This story has been refiled to fix a typographical error in the headline)Reporting by Sumit Khanna; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Kamal Dayani, Sherry Rehman, Sumit Khanna, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, IMD, Thomson Locations: Jakhau, Gujarat, India, Francis Mascarenhas AHMEDABAD, India's, Karachi, Pakistan

[1/3] A police officer patrols Mandvi beach after it was shut because of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 14, 2023. Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, Biparjoy was situated about 280 km (174 miles) from Jakhau Port in Gujarat and was expected to make landfall around Thursday evening. "As of now, our forecast is it will cross as a very severe cyclonic storm. Eight districts in coastal Gujarat are expected to be affected, the state government said. The evacuation operations will continue till today (Wednesday) evening, mainly in Kutch," said Kamal Dayani, a senior official in the Gujarat state government.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Manorama Mohanty, Kamal Dayani, Sudipto Ganguly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, IMD, Ships, Wednesday, Disaster Management Authority, Thomson Locations: Gujarat, India, Francis Mascarenhas AHMEDABAD, MUMBAI, Pakistan, Jakhau Port, Kutch, Saurashtra, Mandvi, Karachi, Jakhau, Pakistan's

[1/3] A man with a mobile phone takes a picture of rising waves before the arrival of the cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea, in Karachi, Pakistan, June 14, 2023. The cyclone is likely to cross Saurashtra, Kutch, and neighboring Pakistan coasts on Thursday noon with winds of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. "As of now, our forecast is it will cross as a very severe cyclonic storm. After crossing, its intensity will fall and become a cyclonic storm and depression." In neighbouring Pakistan 62,000 people were evacuated from high risk areas, according to the country's National Disaster Management Authority.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, gusting, Sherry Rehman, Manorama Mohanty, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Mohapatra, Alok Kumar Pandey, Sumit Khanna, Rajendra Jadhav, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Sudipto Ganguly, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, IMD, Gujarat's, Disaster Management Authority, Ships, Rajendra, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Akhtar Soomro AHMEDABAD, MUMBAI, Jakhau Port, Indian, Gujarat, Pakistan's, Saurashtra, Kutch, Mandvi, Jakhau, India, Ahmedabad, Mumbai

[1/2] A lifeguard patrols Juhu beach, during a red flag alert due to rough seas caused by cyclone Biparjoy, in Mumbai, India, June 12, 2023. Eight districts in coastal Gujarat are expected to be affected, the state government said. Gujarat is home to many offshore oil installations and major ports in the country and most have been forced to suspend operations. Two of India's largest ports - Kandla and Mundra - located in Gujarat, have suspended operations, the state government said. Other ports including Bedi, Navlakhi, Porbandar, Okha, Pipavav and Bhavnagar have also closed due to the cyclone, according to shipping sources.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Kamal Dayani, Bedi, Navlakhi, Jamnagar, Sumit Khanna, Rajendra Jadhav, Mohi Narayan, Sudipto Ganguly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, Force, Reliance Industries, Adani, Indian Coast Guard, Key Singapore, Oil, Gas, Vedanta Ltd, National Disaster Management Authority, Rajendra, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Francis Mascarenhas AHMEDABAD, MUMBAI, Gujarat, Pakistan, Mandvi, India's Gujarat, Karachi, Kutch, Rajkot, Pipavav, Bhavnagar, Mundra, Tuna, Kandla, Key, Dubai, Ahmedabad

☆ Cyclone likely to hit India's west coast, south Pakistan on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] A lifeguard patrols Juhu beach, during a red flag alert due to rough seas caused by cyclone Biparjoy, in Mumbai, India, June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasMUMBAI, June 12 (Reuters) - A storm off India's west coast has strengthened to become a powerful cyclone and could hit India's western state of Gujarat and southern parts of Pakistan this week, the Indian weather department said on Monday. "Rescue and relief teams of the Coast Guard, Army and Navy along with ships and aircraft have been kept ready on standby," it said. In neighbouring Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said instructions were being given to take precautionary measures in southern and southeastern parts that may be affected. A 1998 cyclone killed at least 4,000 people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in Gujarat.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas MUMBAI, Biparjoy, Rajendra Jadhav, Asif Shahzad, Sumit Khanna, Sakshi Dayal, Shivam Patel, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Philippa Fletcher, Jonathan Oatis, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, India Meteorological Department, Adani, Indian Coast Guard, Key Singapore, Oil, Gas, Vedanta Ltd, Response Force, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, National Disaster Management Authority, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Gujarat, Pakistan, Mandvi, Karachi, Fishermen, Mundra, Tuna, Kandla, Key, Dubai, Gujarat Pipavav, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu

☆ India puts coastal states on alert amid warning of strengthening cyclonic storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Sumit Khanna And Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AHMEDABAD,India/NEW DELHI June 10 (Reuters) - India's western states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and other coastal regions are on alert after meteorologists warned that a cyclonic storm over the Arabian sea would intensify over the next 24 hours. It warned of heavy rainfall at isolated places in the state of Kerala and coastal Karnataka region in next three days. In Gujarat, the 13 coastal districts of South Gujarat, Saurashtra peninsula and Kutch have been put on alert. "We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," Kamal Dayani, additional chief secretary in the state revenue department, told Reuters. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the districts likely to be affected by the storm.

Persons: Biparjoy, Kamal Dayani, Manoj Kumar, Mike Harrison Organizations: Authorities, Cyclone, Indian Meteorological Department, IMD, Reuters, Force, Thomson Locations: AHMEDABAD, India, DELHI, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kutch, Mumbai, Kerala, Karnataka, South Gujarat, Saurashtra

☆ India's Tata Group signs $1.6 bln EV battery plant deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AHMEDABAD, June 2 (Reuters) - India's Tata Group signed an outline deal on Friday on building a lithium-ion cell factory, based on investment of about 130 billion rupees ($1.58 billion), as part of the nation's efforts to create its own electric vehicle supply chain. Compared to the size of its population, India's car market is tiny. Tata Motors dominates its electric vehicle (EV) sales, which made up just 1% of India's total car sales of about 3.8 million last year. "The plant will go a long way in contributing to the development of the EV ecosystem in Gujarat and India," Vijay Nehra, an official in the Gujarat state government told Reuters. ($1 = 82.3373 Indian rupees)Reporting by Sumit Khanna and Tanvi Mehta; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vijay Nehra, Sumit Khanna, Tanvi Mehta, Barbara Lewis Organizations: India's Tata Group, Tata Motors, Solutions, Reuters, Thomson Locations: AHMEDABAD, Gujarat, Sanand, India

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