Thailand's Siam Cement plans to set up production unit in India

Thailand-based  The Siam Cement Public Company Limited (SCG), makers of Smartboard fibre cement sheets and Smartwood fibre cement based wood alternatives, is planning to set up a manufacturing plant in India. "SCG is expected to set up the manufacturing facility within two years involving an investment of about $ 50 million", Harsha Bhutani,managing director Hydrobaths Ramco Marketing Private Limited  which is a joint venture partner of SCG in India, told Business Standard.

(Source: Business Standard)

Gold funds back in the league of top performers

Gold funds are back in the league of top performers. The asset class which was under performing equity class for major part of the last one year is now the second most performing category in the last three months.At a time when stock markets are showing signs of weakeness post Bernanke's announcement of tapering liquidity, mutual funds having gold as their underlying asset class are on fire. Gold prices have surged from a level of around Rs 26,000 for 10 grams to currently above Rs 33,000 in India's bullion market on the back of steep depreciation in Indian currency against US dollar.

(Source: Business Standard)

Bhutan seeks investments from India in various sectors

Bhutan seeks investments from India in different sectors such as infrastructure, power, education, healthcare, IT and financial services to further enhance economic ties between the two countries. Bhutan's Prime Minister Tobgay said India continues to be the largest trading partner of Bhutan."Hydro power has emerged as a major industry. Today, we have a number of mineral based industries like cement. Other sectors for cooperation include education, healthcare, tourism, IT and financial services," he added.

(Source: Business Standard)

India, Japan to resume negotiations on civil nuclear pact

After nearly a gap of three years, India and Japan will resume their negotiations on the civil nuclear pact tomorrow in Tokyo where the officials, directed by their respective leaders to accelerate the talk process towards an early conclusion, will meet for the fourth round. Launched in 2010, the nuclear-energy negotiations have been on hold since theFukushima nuclear accident in March 2011. The last round was held in November 2010.

The fourth round comes nearly three months after the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Tokyo in May where they decided to direct their officials to "accelerate the negotiations of an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy towards an early conclusion".

(Source: Economic Times)

Economic Section 

Royal Thai Embassy