ABB, a leader in power and automation technologies, on Wednesday announced the opening of its greenfield automation products facility near Bangalore.

The inauguration of latest facility is one of many initiatives that company has taken up in India to build and expand capacity to meet the needs of the future.

With the aim to strengthen its presence in the Indian market, Skoda, a Czech automobile maker and part of the fourth most established automotive company in the world, has decided to launch four new models by the coming year.

The company said that it will make foray into the small car, MPV and SUV segments with its new launchings.

Moreover, Skoda plans to increase local content in its cars to bring down their cost of production by 2010.

It is also looking to terminate the Octavia by the next few years.

Bangalore-based Strides Arcolab, a global pharmaceutical company, has announced that it has got tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a combination drug containing Lamivudine and Stavudine, which is used in the treatment of AIDS.

In an announcement, the company said that the sanction for lamivudine and stavudine in 150-milligram/30-mg dosages in tablet form, was expedited under the provisions of the President`s Emergency Plant for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Tata Communications has announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with the USD 4.5 billion specialist IT services and solutions provider Dimension Data.

The leading provider of the new world of communications said that it inked the pact in order to support the Cisco Systems Telepresence suite of products on a worldwide basis.

Dimension Data designs, installs and supports Cisco Telepresence in 47 nations.

After finalizing a $200 million buyout transaction with French bigwig Groupe Danone - for its equal stake in biscuit major Britannia – the Wadia group will get complete control over Britannia Industries. Danone will sell its complete 25.48 percent stake to Leila Lands, a Wadia group firm which indirectly holds a similar stake in the biscuit company.

The takeover of the biscuit joint venture company, Britannia Industries, by Wadia will bring to an end the rancorous three-year scuffle between Wadia group and Danone, as the deal will mark the complete exit of the French foods’ company.

Hyderabad based IVRCL Infrastructures & Projects has informed the market that it has bagged project orders worth Rs.359.52 crore from different agencies for construction related works.

In a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the company has received the first order of Rs 164.64 crore from Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. Under the project, the company will construct Vivekananda Road flyover on turnkey contract basis in Kolkata in a period of 18 months.