The development of Cryogenic Upper Stage for Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) has crossed another milestone (on 30 March) with the successful test firing of the indigenous cryogenic engine for a duration of 12 minutes. The test was carried out at the Mahendragiri complex in Tamil Nadu. This hot test was preceded, in the last few weeks, by four shorter duration tests of 10, 40, 40 and 200 seconds.
The cryogenic engine development has been a challenging task with breakthroughs needed with respect to many disciplines including analytical tools, material characterization, fabrication processes, test facility establishment, handling of cryogenic fluids and finalisation of test sequence.

Fifteen months after big-time film financier and diamond trader Bharat Shah was incarcerated due to his alleged connections to the underworld, the Supreme Court garanted him bail yesterday.

Shah was arrested on 8 January 2001 for his alleged links with underworld mafia don Chhota Shakeel under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The Supreme Court directed Shah to furnish a bail bond of Rs 100,000 and two sureties of like amount and directed him to surrender his mobile phone to investigating agencies. Shah‘s passport, which was surrendered to the trial court, will not be released without the court‘s permission.

The Supreme Court has ordered an expeditious trial in the case.

At that time of his arrest, the Mumbai police exposed his alleged connections with Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel in the making of the film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke.

Shah‘s links to B4U Multimedia, in which he had a 92 per cent stake, forced B4U to transfer all its assets and functions to another group company B4U Television Networks on 1 April 2001.

Hinduja TMT Ltd has announced that a meeting of its board of directors is scheduled to be held on 11 April, 2002 to take on record the unaudited (provisional) financial results for the year ended 31 March, 2002.

Will Jeena Isi Ka Naam hai be Sandeep Goyal‘s KBC?

He seems to have got his charge‘s act together this time. After a disastrous Roosevelt-type 100-hundred day relaunch of Zee TV, group broadcast CEO Sandeep Goyal went back to the drawing board as it were and completely reworked his strategy.

He hired a new creative team, which was headed by Tara wiz Vinta Nanda and left her to handle the process of getting Zee back on track while he chose to whiz around globally, making a pitch for the Indian television industry, and projecting himself as the face of Zee TV, marking his presence at many a fora.

Proof that the strategy is working is the show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hain (JIKNH), which marks its third week on air this Friday. If the first two episodes are anything to go by, Zee TV has a winner on its hands. The tide seems to have turned at last.

Goyal and Nanda seem to have done the right thing by plumping for the show. Produced by NDTV for its channel NDTV World, which never got to see the light of day, JIKNH is just what the TV doctor would have prescribed for the ailing Zee.

Sandeep Goyal went back to the drawing board as it were and completely reworked his strategy

It has great ingredients: film star celebrities, who while they are adored and swooned over, are little known excepting what appears in film magazines which focus on their extramarital affairs and mistakes rather than their positive aspects. In noted film actor Farouque Shaikh they have a presenter who is pretty amiable. Viewers get to know more about their stars through lesser known people - like you and me - who momentarily, because of their associations with the stars, become stars themselves.

Additionally, the show has the slickness that was missing on other Zee TV shows. Finally, it appeals to advertisers and media planners and buyers in ad agencies, which greatly influences whether they buy or not.

Tara wiz Vinta Nanda was given the task of handling the process of getting Zee back on track

Zee TV also seems to be doing well on the marketing front with good creative and slickly produced
billboards and promos. The creative suggests that we are getting to see the real face behind the star‘s mask on JIKNH.

To Zee TV‘s advantage is the fact that Star has not been able to replicate the mind-boggling viewership numbers it used to generate (with its earlier shows) for its new shows. It has a window of opportunity to leap into. Now it‘s over to Team Goyal and Nanda.