Hero MotoCorp, Natco Pharma and HCL Technologies to see some action today

Further strengthening its digital initiatives for enhanced and contactless customer experience, Hero MotoCorp, has commenced online bookings of its latest motorcycle XPulse 200 4 Valve. The company has started accepting bookings for the second batch after the first lot was completely sold out.

Natco Pharma has signed a non-exclusive licenses agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), Switzerland. MPP had taken license from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (MSD), USA for the same. The company with this license agreement can manufacture and sell molnupiravir Capsules 200 mg. for Indian market, which will be sold under brand name MOLNUNAT for treatment of Covid 19 infection with Sp02>93% and who have high risk of progression of the disease including hospitalization or death.

HCL Technologies has expanded its strategic transformation partnership with ams OSRAM to digitize one of the optical solutions leader’s key business processes and drive enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems standardization across the organization. HCL will also continue to lead IT infrastructure operations integration for the client.

Data Patterns (India) has received a development order worth Rs 27 crore from Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the next generation wide band RF front end units for Electronic Warfare (EW) receivers.  This is for a new program which will allow next generation wide band EW receivers to be configured for Naval, Land and Aerial platforms. The wide band RF front ends allow faster scanning of enemy emitters to enable better electronic intelligence with enhanced detection and avoidance. The specifications not only allow faster scan rate but also better dynamic range providing better detection. This contract enhances the continuing leadership of Data Patterns in home grown EW market with EW products comparable to international specifications.

SMS Pharmaceuticals has received a non?exclusive license through the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to manufacture molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral COVID?19 medicine, to increase broad access of treatment in 105 low? and middle? income countries (LMIC). MSD, a trade name of Merck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA., has entered into an agreement to license this pill for wider distribution with patent group.

Fermenta Biotech (FBL) has signed a definitive agreement with Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services (APSL), a stepdown subsidiary of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL). In this arrangement, FBL will exclusively license its proprietary biocatalytic technology for synthesis of Molnupiravir and supply its enzyme Candida Antarctica B Lipase (CAL B) to APSL, and APSL will exclusively procure the enzyme from FBL.

Ceat has decided to prune and postpone its capital expenditure by 40% or Rs 500 crore in FY-23 after a sharp fall in demand for tyres from road transporters. To add to the operational woes, the soaring commodity prices has put sustained pressure on its cost, compelling the company to pass on the price increase, with Q3 slipping into red on steep rise in cost. The company will be taking price hikes to the tune of 2-3% over the ongoing quarter to aid its margins.