Govt looks to source cancer drugs at a discount

from cos
NEW DELHI: The government is in talks with drugmakers for sourcing medicines to treat cancer at a
discount to be sold at its low-cost pharmacy chain Jan Aushadhi stores at affordable prices, a senior
government official said.

Launched in 2008, about 230 unbranded generic medicines are sold at 44 Jan Aushadhi stores
across state-owned hospitals and health centres at hefty discounts to branded counterparts.

“We are motivating companies that make cancer drugs to supply medicines at a minimal rate to Jan
Aushadhi stores,” Srikant Jena, minister of state for chemicals and fertiliser said on the sidelines of a
seminar organised by industry body CII.

There are an estimated 25-lakh patients suffering from different types of cancer. Most can’t afford
treatment as a month’s dosage of some of these medicines cost as much as `2-3 lakh. Mr Jena said
the modalities of procurement and pricing of drugs will be decided next week.

This follows the government’s ongoing initiatives to reduce price of cancer medicines and make it
affordable for local patients. Indian drugmaker Cipla is also in discussions with the department of
pharmaceuticals to share the technological knowhow for making cancer drugs to state-owned
companies. Besides, the government is exploring various ways to cap prices of cancer medicines.

Cipla looks to acquire 25% stake in South African co

NEW DELHI: Drug major Cipla said it could take a decision to buy stake of up to 25 per cent in a unit
of South Africa-based, Cipla Medpro in its next board meeting in October.

Cipla Medpro is a partner of the Indian firm and is the third biggest drugmaker in South Africa but
Cipla does not hold any stake in the company.

The Indian firm exports around 35 per cent of its production, mainly HIV-AIDS drugs, to the African
continent and around 15 per cent of its export revenues are through Cipla Medpro.

"Our board will take a decision (on stake acquisition in Cipla Medpro unit) in the next board meeting,
which will happen in a month and half," Cipla Chief Financial Officer S Radhakrishnan said.

Cipla is looking to acquire around 25 per cent in the manufacturing arm of Cipla Medpro.

The deal size could not be ascertained but Radhakrishnan said: "The investment won't be significant
as its just a unit of Cipla Medpro."

The Mumbai-based pharma major, which is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the
country, said the SA company's board has already approved the stake sale.

"There (Cipla Medpro) board has already given a go ahead," he said.

Cipla's board recently approved to acquire domestic pharma company Meditab Specialties for Rs
133.35 crore. The board also announced a special dividend of 80 paise per share to mark its 75th
anniversary.
Shares of Cipla were trading at Rs 308 on the Bombay Stock Exchange in the late afternoon trade, up
0.90 per cent from its previous close.

3 SEP, 2010, 03.53PM IST,AGENCIES

Carrefour to open first Indian outlet by Nov

TEEKLI: French supermarket giant Carrefour said on Friday it would open its first wholesale store in
India by November, as it joins other foreign firms trying to break into the nation's vast retail sector.

The world's second-largest retailer after US-based Wal-Mart hopes the outlet in New Delhi will
eventually lead to a string of hypermarkets for consumers in the fast-growing emerging market.

"We plan to open a cash-and-carry store (in New Delhi) by November," Carrefour India spokesman
Franck Kenner told AFP at a news conference in Teekli village near the capital.

"We hope it (the opening) will be the beginning of something larger," Kenner said.

Foreign players such as Carrefour, Wal-Mart and Britain's Tesco have been pushing for a government
green light that would fully open up India's 500-billion-dollar retail sector to outside operators.

India's tight foreign investment rules allow no overseas chains in the retail sector -- except for single-
brand outlets such as Nokia or Reebok -- to protect local retailers, mainly family-run corner stores.

Foreign groups can currently only run as wholesalers in India.

Kenner said Carrefour, which recently swung to a first half net profit as growth in emerging markets
helped offset weakness in Europe, is going it alone in the wholesale business unlike Wal-Mart.

"We are in talks with partners," he said, but declined to reveal any names.

Wal-Mart has teamed up with India's Bharti telecoms group and Tesco has an alliance with the tea-to-
steel giant Tata Group.

India's Future Group, the largest retail chain with outlets such as Big Bazaar, has been most
frequently named as a potential partner for Carrefour.

2 SEP, 2010, 05.04PM IST,REUTERS

Apollo Hospitals plans 11 new hospitals in 2 yrs

KOLKATA: Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd plans to invest 18 billion rupees to set up 11 hospitals in
the country over the next two years, a top official said on Thursday.

"Right now, our main focus would be India, where 90 percent of our capital would be utilised," Preetha
Reddy, managing director, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

India's largest hospital chain operator has no immediate plans to partner the Mayalsian government
fund Khazanah, which owns more than 12 percent of Apollo, in South-East Asia operations, she said.

In July, Khazanah had won a battle against Fortis Healthcare, Apollo's rival, to gain control of
Singapore-based hospital operator Parkway.
"Right now, we are only a knowledge-partner with them (Khazanah), but if a good opportunity comes
up, we would definitely look into it," she added. Shares of Apollo Hospitals closed at 411.50 rupees on
Thursday, down 0.51 percent in the Mumbai market that ended up 0.18 percent.

Infosys, Wipro, HCL, TCS created wealth out of

human beings
ET Bureau

Infosys is one of India’s premier software company, which has contributed greatly to India’s global reputation as a
powerhouse of IT exports. It has also been a pioneer in the concept of giving away its shares to its employees in
the form of stock options.

This employee perk has made many of them multi millionaires, even in dollar terms. Even if you were not an
employee and had bought 100 shares of the company in its IPO of 1993, those shares would be worth about Rs
5 crore today. Your investment would have multiplied by almost 5000 times.

Infosys also was a pioneer in transparency and disclosure in their published financial accounts. In recent years
their annual report is thicker than a dictionary, and some people say that it reads like a PhD thesis.

Of course other IT companies like Wipro, HCL, TCS, Iflex (to name a few) have similar stories of spectacular
wealth creation for their employees as well as shareholders.