The second big bang of the IPL dhamaka will take place at 11.40 am on Sunday, when the league’s bosses will open the bids from two more aspiring franchises. The running really is between Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Pune, though the offer is for 12 franchises.
While it is interesting to see which two bidders will pitch for two of the 12 franchises on offer, the bigger story is on how IPL has grown in just three years.
From scratch, IPL honcho Lalit Modi has built up a brand whose value is estimated by UK-based Brand Finance at $4.1 billion (Rs 1,876 crore).
The standards for Sunday’s bidders are way higher than in the first auction in 2008.
This time, sources say, Mr Modi has allowed entry only for groups with a net worth of $1billion (Rs 4,578 crore). This would mean that the bidders would need a cash turnaround of Rs 10,000 crore.
By this standard, in 2008, only Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries (Mumbai Indians) would have qualified among the current franchisees, with Vijay Mallya of the Kingfisher group (Bangalore Royal Challengers) and N. Srinivasan of India Cements (Chennai Superkings) close behind.
Current franchisees are watching the bids as it will push up the valuations of their own teams.
IPL facts
* IPL netted Rs 37.4 crore in application fees alone
* IPL brand value estimated at $4.1 billion (Rs 1,876 crore)
* All bidders have to give a bank guarantee for bidding amount
* Bidding is for two of the following cities: Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Pune, Kanpur, Vizag, Dharamsala, Indore, Cuttack, Gwalior, Baroda, Rajkot, Kochi
* Rumours have it that Gujarat Group, Videocon with Abhi-
shek Bachchan, Sahara group with Big B, and Poonawala Group are likely to bid
* IPL press meet in Mumbai at 11.40 am on Sunday
Showing posts with label Pune. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pune. Show all posts
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Google India to host its Developer Fest in Hyderabad and Pune
Google India is organising DevFest 2010, a developer conference, in Hyderabad on February 27 and in Pune on March 3.
Google DevFest would be a one-day developer gathering of in-depth, technical sessions on how to build the next generation applications with open web technologies, including Google products and services, the search engine said in a statement.
It would also include presentations by partners such as Lepton Software, Impetus Technologies and OrangeScape that have built solutions on Google APIs.
Google DevFest would focus on sharing latest offerings for Google developers that include: App Engine, Maps APIs, Chrome Extensions, Orkut APIs and the new HTML standard which has already been adopted by a wide variety of browsers.
Google DevFest would be a one-day developer gathering of in-depth, technical sessions on how to build the next generation applications with open web technologies, including Google products and services, the search engine said in a statement.
It would also include presentations by partners such as Lepton Software, Impetus Technologies and OrangeScape that have built solutions on Google APIs.
Google DevFest would focus on sharing latest offerings for Google developers that include: App Engine, Maps APIs, Chrome Extensions, Orkut APIs and the new HTML standard which has already been adopted by a wide variety of browsers.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Pune blast toll climbs to 11
With one more person succumbing to injuries, the toll in the blast here has risen to 11, hospital sources said today.
Aditya Mehta (21), who hailed from Delhi, passed away on Tuesday night. He was admitted to Jehangir hospital in a critical condition after the terror attack on the German Bakery in Koregaon Park area on February 13.
Mr. Mehta was a student of Bharati Vidyapeeth.
Over 50 people were injured in the blast.
Aditya Mehta (21), who hailed from Delhi, passed away on Tuesday night. He was admitted to Jehangir hospital in a critical condition after the terror attack on the German Bakery in Koregaon Park area on February 13.
Mr. Mehta was a student of Bharati Vidyapeeth.
Over 50 people were injured in the blast.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Pune blast: Two persons detained
Two persons with suspected links to Indian Mujahideen were detained by police early Tuesday morning in connection with the February 13 German Bakery blast here.
The suspects were picked up from Janwadi area in Pune and Kudalwadi in the neighbouring industrial township of Pimpri, police sources said.
One of the suspects who were nabbed from Kudalwadi area is believed to have been associated with Indian Mujahideen leader Riyaz Bhatkal during his stay here, they said.
The other suspect from Janwadi locality was reportedly associated with Shabbir Gangawali, a cleric linked with Indian Mujahideen. He was also involved in a fake currency racket.
Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh had on Monday said that investigations into the blast which left nine dead and 60 injured was on the “right track”.
The suspects were picked up from Janwadi area in Pune and Kudalwadi in the neighbouring industrial township of Pimpri, police sources said.
One of the suspects who were nabbed from Kudalwadi area is believed to have been associated with Indian Mujahideen leader Riyaz Bhatkal during his stay here, they said.
The other suspect from Janwadi locality was reportedly associated with Shabbir Gangawali, a cleric linked with Indian Mujahideen. He was also involved in a fake currency racket.
Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh had on Monday said that investigations into the blast which left nine dead and 60 injured was on the “right track”.
India signals change of tack by agreeing to talk despite Pune
Amidst growing conviction about LeT's link to the Pune blast, BJP's criticism as well as misgivings in the Congress, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Monday decided to go ahead with talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, indicating a significant shift in India's attitude towards bilateral talks.
Naturally, such a big shift wouldn't happen without a debate within the government. As it happens, the decision comes in the face of divisions within the government, and marks a victory for the approach of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his new NSA, Shivshankar Menon. It would appear the government has now come round to the view that pulling out of talks because of Pune would be counter-productive.
New Delhi had suspended all talks with Pakistan since 26/11, and after a gap of 15 months - during which it has insisted that it will talk only if Islamabad was seen to be acting against those in Pakistan mounting attacks on India - has agreed to scheduled secretary-level talks in New Delhi on February 25.
Nothing tangible may emerge from this round of talks, but they will nonetheless have symbolic significance. By clarifying that India will talk, New Delhi has conveyed a maturity of approach and a reasonableness that is bound to be appreciated by its western friends and allies.
At another level, the willingness to talk could be seen as New Delhi's acceptance of Islamabad's argument that to call off talks now would be playing into the hands of the terror-mongers who are determined to sour Indo-Pak ties. However, implicit in this acceptance is also a new official admission of ``non-state players'' in Pakistan who are independent of the government, or even if they form some parts of the official machinery, are outside the government's control.
It's felt that Pakistan-based terrorists would continue to attack India with or without talks, so the government did not feel there was any deep case against talking to Pakistan. As a corollary, India doesn't really believe that Pakistan can or will take any significant steps against its terrorists, with or without talks. In this situation, it was felt that talking was a better option, because stopping them would only hand a PR victory to the terror constituency.
After Saturday's blast in Pune, events have taken a sharply different turn, testing India's new approach. India will keep the talks going, but Pakistan can expect a more robust focus on terrorism and almost no room for discussions on Kashmir and water that they want. Pakistan now finds itself forced to agree to "terror talks" as its foreign office spokesperson admitted on Monday.
The talks will also give India the upper hand in leveraging action on terror for talks on issues close to Pakistan's hearts, through sustained engagement. India now intends to hold Pakistan's feet to the fire to take action against terror groups, including LeT and its mother organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).
In 2009, the UN Security Council proscribed JuD which prompted a name change - it became "Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool" and then as "Falah-e-Insaniyat" overseeing relief operations during the Swat operation - but its activities continued unhindered. By 2010, that fig leaf was dispensed with, and last week, JuD was back in action, threatening attacks against India, and operating under its own name with impunity.
Pakistan is likely to conclude two things from India's decision to go ahead - first, this would set a precedent for delinking talks from terrorism, and second, they could be absolved from responsibility of actions by what they call "non-state actors".
That would be a mistake, say Indian sources. Nobody in the Indian system believes that LeT is totally a non-state organization, because it continues to receive substantive support from the state agencies. But LeT has been protected even from the US, despite its growing linkages with the Al Qaeda, partly because it has not attacked Pakistani interests and focuses a lot of its activities against India.
India's decision to stay with the dialogue is also related to the fact that Pakistan has been refusing to cooperate on Afghanistan unless tensions with India are defused and Kashmir is resolved. This line, that the road to Kabul runs through Kashmir, is now more or less an accepted truth in the US. By agreeing to talks with Pakistan, India will also rob Pakistan of this excuse.
The earlier Indian strategy was more binary in nature - talks or war. But the new strategy has evolved to a more finely nuanced position, largely due to the experience that Menon brings to the table.
Naturally, such a big shift wouldn't happen without a debate within the government. As it happens, the decision comes in the face of divisions within the government, and marks a victory for the approach of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his new NSA, Shivshankar Menon. It would appear the government has now come round to the view that pulling out of talks because of Pune would be counter-productive.
New Delhi had suspended all talks with Pakistan since 26/11, and after a gap of 15 months - during which it has insisted that it will talk only if Islamabad was seen to be acting against those in Pakistan mounting attacks on India - has agreed to scheduled secretary-level talks in New Delhi on February 25.
Nothing tangible may emerge from this round of talks, but they will nonetheless have symbolic significance. By clarifying that India will talk, New Delhi has conveyed a maturity of approach and a reasonableness that is bound to be appreciated by its western friends and allies.
At another level, the willingness to talk could be seen as New Delhi's acceptance of Islamabad's argument that to call off talks now would be playing into the hands of the terror-mongers who are determined to sour Indo-Pak ties. However, implicit in this acceptance is also a new official admission of ``non-state players'' in Pakistan who are independent of the government, or even if they form some parts of the official machinery, are outside the government's control.
It's felt that Pakistan-based terrorists would continue to attack India with or without talks, so the government did not feel there was any deep case against talking to Pakistan. As a corollary, India doesn't really believe that Pakistan can or will take any significant steps against its terrorists, with or without talks. In this situation, it was felt that talking was a better option, because stopping them would only hand a PR victory to the terror constituency.
After Saturday's blast in Pune, events have taken a sharply different turn, testing India's new approach. India will keep the talks going, but Pakistan can expect a more robust focus on terrorism and almost no room for discussions on Kashmir and water that they want. Pakistan now finds itself forced to agree to "terror talks" as its foreign office spokesperson admitted on Monday.
The talks will also give India the upper hand in leveraging action on terror for talks on issues close to Pakistan's hearts, through sustained engagement. India now intends to hold Pakistan's feet to the fire to take action against terror groups, including LeT and its mother organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).
In 2009, the UN Security Council proscribed JuD which prompted a name change - it became "Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool" and then as "Falah-e-Insaniyat" overseeing relief operations during the Swat operation - but its activities continued unhindered. By 2010, that fig leaf was dispensed with, and last week, JuD was back in action, threatening attacks against India, and operating under its own name with impunity.
Pakistan is likely to conclude two things from India's decision to go ahead - first, this would set a precedent for delinking talks from terrorism, and second, they could be absolved from responsibility of actions by what they call "non-state actors".
That would be a mistake, say Indian sources. Nobody in the Indian system believes that LeT is totally a non-state organization, because it continues to receive substantive support from the state agencies. But LeT has been protected even from the US, despite its growing linkages with the Al Qaeda, partly because it has not attacked Pakistani interests and focuses a lot of its activities against India.
India's decision to stay with the dialogue is also related to the fact that Pakistan has been refusing to cooperate on Afghanistan unless tensions with India are defused and Kashmir is resolved. This line, that the road to Kabul runs through Kashmir, is now more or less an accepted truth in the US. By agreeing to talks with Pakistan, India will also rob Pakistan of this excuse.
The earlier Indian strategy was more binary in nature - talks or war. But the new strategy has evolved to a more finely nuanced position, largely due to the experience that Menon brings to the table.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Top cities vulnerable to terror attacks, says PC
He also expressed the government’s demand to interrogate suspected Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) operative David Headley.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, the home minister said, “Any city with a population of six million or 10 million is vulnerable to attack. We are just as vulnerable as any other city — London, New York, Tokyo or Madrid. We must adopt a sense of vigilance, a sense of alertness. Citizens should also be alert. Despite the best level of alertness, such incidents could occur, for which we are sorry. But let’s not get carried away thinking that Indian cities are more vulnerable.”
He added that the Central intelligence agencies had clues about the Osho Ashram and the Chabad House being targets.
“It is a fact that Headley had surveyed Chabad House. Whether this particular incident is related to the blast at German Bakery remains to be seen. It is premature to comment on that right now. We have to find out who is responsible for this incident,” he said.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, the home minister said, “Any city with a population of six million or 10 million is vulnerable to attack. We are just as vulnerable as any other city — London, New York, Tokyo or Madrid. We must adopt a sense of vigilance, a sense of alertness. Citizens should also be alert. Despite the best level of alertness, such incidents could occur, for which we are sorry. But let’s not get carried away thinking that Indian cities are more vulnerable.”
He added that the Central intelligence agencies had clues about the Osho Ashram and the Chabad House being targets.
“It is a fact that Headley had surveyed Chabad House. Whether this particular incident is related to the blast at German Bakery remains to be seen. It is premature to comment on that right now. We have to find out who is responsible for this incident,” he said.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Chidambaram denies intelligence failure
Dismissing "intelligence failure" in the Pune blast, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday said the terrorists have hit a "soft target" like the German bakery which is frequented by foreigners and Indians alike.
He maintained that the "hard targets" like the Osho Ashram and the Jewish Chabad House located near the bakery had been surveyed by U.S. Lashker-e-Taiba suspect David Headley during his visit to India and the area was "in the radar" of security agencies for some time.
"But apart from hard targets, there are soft targets... All these (the German bakery where the blast took place yesterday and an Italian restaurant nearby) are soft targets where foreigners and Indians congregate especially during the peak hours," he told reporters here after visiting local hospitals to meet the injured in the terror attack.
The Home Minister said the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has taken over the case and constituted teams to investigate the blast.
He announced a compensation of Rs. five lakh to the families of those killed in the attack.
'Bomb was kept in backpack'
After an early morning visit, Mr. Chidambaram told reporters that the terrorist who brought the bomb to the German bakery on Saturday evening may have posed as a customer.
“The bomb was apparently planted in a backpack and left there. The person apparently came there as a customer, unlike the usual gun-wielding terror attacks,” he said.
Mr. Chidambaram said forensic experts were trying to determine what explosives were used and how the bomb was triggered.
"All the information available to us at the moment points to a plot to explode a device in a place that is frequented by foreigners as well as Indians,'' Mr. Chidambaram said.
The deafening blast also injured nearly 60 people, some of them critically.
Unless these soft targets also adopt strict security measures, it would be difficult to detect things, he said.
He said whether the German bakery had put in place any such measures would be probed.
It was the worst terror attack in India after November 2008 when a group of Pakistani terrorists went on a killing spree in Mumbai leaving 166 Indians and foreigners dead.
