MONEYMAKERS
eco-friendly truck: J Sainsbury Plc of the uk has developed the world's first solar photovoltaic-cooled food distribution truckthat aims at increasing the commercial use of the eco-friendly solar energy and reducing operating costs. Ample power for the refrigeration unit is generated by solar panels mounted on the trailer's roof. This trailer is on a trial run and is carrying fruits and vegetables from Sainsbury distribution depot in southeast London to the nearby counties like Kent and Sussex over a year. The system is being monitored 14-hours a day with data being transmitted to Sainsbury and its project partner, the sustainable Energy Research Group, Southampton University.
pollution monitor: A student at the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, has devised a low-cost mobile pollution monitor.The monitor has established that commuters in Bangalore are exposed to a high dose of carbon monoxide which can affect a healthy adult. The experimental project revealed that at busy junctions on certain routes carbon monoxide concentration exceeds 100 parts per million (ppm). Otherwise the average concentration along the route varies between 10 to 25 ppm depending upon traffic and the time of the day.
mercury-free: Lakhanpal National Limited, manufacturers of Novino brand batteries, has decided to enter the cadmium-free, mercury-free and zinc chloride paper-lined battery segment. These batteries, which are eco-friendly, will be manufactured at its Baroda and Pithampur plants, a company spokesperson said.
anti-epileptic drug: Glaxo-India has launched an anti-epileptic drug, Zondan, in the Indian market. The drug helps to overcome nausea-associated with chemotherapy given during cancer treatment. The company is also planning to launch Combivir, an anti-viral drug used while treating aids patients. The product is currently awaiting completion of registration formalities, Glaxo managing director Homi Khusrokhan said at a press conference in Mumbai recently. The projected sales of Zondan this year is around Rs 2 crore. The product will be marketed by Glaxo's Allenbury division.
ayurvedic appetiser: Charak Piramal Healthcare Limited (CPHL) launched its latest ayurvedic-based product "Mom, I am Hungree' in the Indian market. It is a natural appetiser for children and aims to increase the production of digestive juices which signal hunger. It not only develops a taste for food, but also helps in improving digestion, absorption and assimilation of food within a period of 10 days, Raj Shroff, managing director of the company said to reporters recently at a press conference.
emission trading: Pricewaterhouse Coopers and EcoSecurities Limited will jointly develop products and services related to climate change and greenhouse gases. The company is anticipating a huge demand for products and services related to this phenomenon, said Ross Herron, lead partner at Pricewaterhouse's energy and mining industry group, Australasia. Pricewaterhouse said the alliance with EcoSecurities, a specialist greenhouse gas mitigation company, will focus on financial advisory services such as the impact of emission caps on corporate valuations.