
VCL India to set up valve manufacturing unit in Odisha
Speaking at the inauguration of the corporate office of VCL India Pvt Ltd here on Wednesday, Frantzen said the long-term partnership and cooperation in the steel sector, which started nearly 100 years ago, have been strengthened through VCL's presence in India.
The VCL India Pvt Ltd is the Indian arm of the Luxembourg-based VCL Group, a market leader in Europe for specialised valves and equipment for the global iron and steel industry. It plans to expand its domestic operations and set up a manufacturing unit in the state in next two to three years.
Additional chief secretary of Industries and I&PR Hemant Sharma briefed the visiting dignitaries on the state's evolving industrial profile and investment-friendly policies. He welcomed VCL's entry into Odisha as a part of the state government's focus on attracting FDI.
'Odisha offers a compelling proposition for investors. This investment signifies the deepening economic ties between India and Luxembourg. It reflects Odisha's growing stature as a preferred destination for global investments,' Sharma said.
Chairman of VCL SA and CEO of SAB Group Mario Kratz said the decision to set up operations in Bhubaneswar was driven by the company's desire to stay close to its customers and contribute to the state's vibrant industrial landscape.
Director of VCL India Aswini Khuntia said the company combines advanced engineering with precision manufacturing and it looks forward to replicating the same excellence in India. 'We are committed to delivering value to our clients, forging strong local collaborations and contributing to Odisha's industrial development,' he said.
VCL's managing director and global head Rainer Zilliken and consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in India Rajat Dalmia were also present along with representatives from industry bodies including CII, FICCI, UCCI and ASSOCHAM.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sanjaya Baru interview: We've turned emigration of talented Indians into an aspiration
A record number of wealthy Indians are leaving the country. According to a recent report by Kotak Bank, one in five UHNIs is either in the process of migrating abroad or has plans to do so. Over 23,000 millionaires have left the country in the last decade, says Sanjaya Baru. In his latest book, Secession of the Successful: The Flight out of New India, the veteran journalist and policy commentator records the various phases of organised migration out of the country and examines the reasons behind the current exodus. Also read | Review: Sanjaya Baru's book does a favour to history, Congress Sanjaya Baru, an economist and political analyst, has written extensively on India's economic transformation and development. His recent book is Secession of the Successful: The Flight Out of New India. For the elite, the pull of the first-world life, especially in Dubai or Singapore, is too strong, says Baru. 'Why wait for 2047 to live in a developed economy if you can do so today?' he says. In this interview, Baru talks about how the exodus has been normalised, the political and economic factors driving it, and what it means for a country that hopes to be a developed economy by 2047. You argue in your book that India's elite aren't just leaving physically, they are slowly pulling away from the idea of India itself. So, would you call this book a warning, a lament, or a diagnosis? It's certainly not a lament. It is a warning. It's a diagnosis to begin with. The brain drain, or the export of human capital, drew attention 40 to 50 years ago when economists like Jagdish Bhagwati wrote about it. But in the last quarter century, no one is paying attention. We have normalised the emigration of talented Indians, to the point where the government actually takes pride in promoting it. So yes, it's a warning: that you're allowing more and more of your talented people to leave, and doing nothing to retain them. And it's a diagnosis, because I look at the different manifestations of emigration. You've described the secession as a flight from responsibility. The rich are also leaving Brazil, South Africa and Turkey. So, why should we be expecting something different from the elite in India? I don't expect anything different. This is not peculiarly Indian, nor is it new. If other countries don't pay attention, that's their headache. But as an Indian concerned about the economy, I worry that more and more talented Indians are leaving. You've written about the government facilitating emigration. Other countries try to curb it. Is this official encouragement a policy mistake? It is a mistake, but a recent one. Labour migration involves talent too, but given our large pool of unemployed workers, I don't worry about it as much. Highly qualified Indians leaving is something a poor, low-income, developing country like ours should worry about. Countries like China, Taiwan, or Korea had large-scale emigration 30 to 40 years ago, but now have return migration because they've become developed economies. We are not at that stage. We cannot prevent emigration. Proposals like Bhagwati's 'brain drain' tax in the 1980s were dismissed as impractical, but why should we encourage it? For example, the foreign minister recently launched the 'Global Access for Talented Indians' initiative. Why should the government get involved in sending people out? We are a capital-deficit economy — and by capital I mean not just finance, but also human capital. Our record in research, science, and advanced fields is poor for a country of our size. What role have political changes played, especially since 2014? The numbers show an increase in the emigration of wealthy and elite Indians over the last decade. There's an economic reason and a political reason. Economically, more Indians can now afford to buy citizenship overseas, property overseas, educate their children abroad, and live abroad. Politically, there is fear — of the taxman, the Enforcement Directorate, and harassment by the bureaucracy. Last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised an 'ease of living mission', but nothing was heard after that. Day-to-day life has become more of a headache: constant KYC forms, compliance demands. That's driving some people out. At diaspora events, overseas Indians cheer the Prime Minister and shout 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and yet they don't return. Is this performative? It is performative, but more than that, it's the politicisation of the diaspora to serve domestic political needs. Every prime minister since 1947 has met overseas Indians; what's new is using these audiences to influence the domestic political process. This risks diplomatic consequences. A Singaporean diplomat once asked me if politicisation of overseas Indians could hurt bilateral relations. Tensions among Sikhs, Khalistanis, and Hindu groups in Canada, the UK, and the US show that the diaspora can become a source of political and law-and-order problems. And yes, there is hypocrisy. If you're so proud of Bharat Mata and this leadership, why don't you come back and help build the country? Post-independence, some of India's best minds went abroad but returned. That isn't happening now. Why? In Jawaharlal Nehru's time, many high-profile Indians returned — Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, others — sometimes at his personal request. Conditions in India were modest, but they still came back. In recent decades, very few have returned. Even those who did, like Raghuram Rajan, stayed only briefly. The trend of permanent high-profile return ended in the 1980s. Can India still turn its diaspora into a national asset, as other countries have? Yes, the opportunity hasn't passed. But it depends on leadership that can inspire people the way Nehru did. Today, 22,000 Indians are professors in the US. If even 2% came to teach here, it would make a difference. Some universities like ISB, Ashoka, and Jindal have attracted talent, but not in large numbers. Have we made emigration too aspirational, then? Exactly. We're not ringing alarm bells; we've internalised it. As (economist) Devesh Kapur once noted, most of our elite — across business, politics, diplomacy, bureaucracy, the armed forces, academia — have children who want to emigrate. It's a loss of both human and financial capital. Last year, for the first time, outward FDI exceeded inward FDI. In a labour-surplus, capital-deficit economy, we should be retaining both finance and human capital. But we're not even trying.

The Hindu
16 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Accenture to buy Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX for reported $650 million
Accenture said on Thursday it will buy Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX in its largest-ever deal in the sector, with the Australian Financial Review valuing the transaction at more than A$1 billion ($650 million). A wave of devastating cyberattacks has battered Australia, including a 2022 breach at telecom major Optus that exposed the personal data of up to 10 million users, and a hack on health insurer Medibank affecting nearly 10 million customers. In July, Qantas Airways disclosed that criminals had infiltrated one of its call centres, accessing personal information of six million customers. Private equity firm BGH Capital, which is selling CyberCX, has not disclosed any financial terms. Accenture declined to provide additional details, while BGH Capital didn't respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the reported valuation. The deal underscores the surging demand for advanced digital security services as businesses worldwide face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats that disrupt operations and compromise sensitive data. Melbourne-based CyberCX was formed in 2019 through the merger of 12 smaller cybersecurity firms backed by BGH Capital. The company now employs about 1,400 people and runs security operations centres across Australia and New Zealand, with offices in London and New York. CyberCX is led by John Paitaridis, formerly managing director of Optus Business, and Chief Strategy Officer Alastair MacGibbon, Australia's former national cybersecurity coordinator. The leadership's ties to Optus are notable, given the telecommunications company's 2022 data breach, which exposed names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, email contacts and passport and driver's license numbers. Since 2015, Accenture has completed 20 security acquisitions, including recent purchases of Brazilian cyber defense firm Morphus, MNEMO Mexico and Spain-based Innotec Security. On the domestic front, the firm entered into a $700 million collaborative agreement with Telstra in February, aiming to implement AI capabilities across the telecommunications company.


Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
From Paytm to Eternal: 42 stocks where India's top performing PMS fund managers are betting on
India's sharpest money managers are placing bold bets on the market's most exciting new-age darlings and forgotten gems. The country's top 10 performing Portfolio Management Services (PMS) scheme in July made concentrated plays on everything from fintech unicorns to healthcare disruptors and speciality chemicals, shows data from PMS Bazaar. Here's where the smart money is flowing. InCred Asset Management - Healthcare Portfolio: Leading the Pack with 11.96% Returns The month's standout performer, InCred's Healthcare Portfolio, is doubling down on India's medical revolution with a 19.81% allocation to Healthcare Global Enterprises, the country's largest cancer care network. The fund's conviction play extends to diagnostics powerhouse Thyrocare Technologies (17.35%) and emerging player Krsnaa Diagnostics (11.62%). The healthcare-focused strategy also holds Jubilant Pharmova (10.04%) and RPG Life Sciences (6.81%), positioning itself to capitalise on India's growing healthcare infrastructure and rising medical tourism. Also Read | 7 multibagger stocks that FIIs are hoarding in 2025. Are you missing out? Valcreate's Digital Disruption Strategy: Betting Big on Fintech Giants Valcreate Investment Managers' IME Digital Disruption fund (up 6.34%) is making audacious bets on India's digital economy transformation. The fund has loaded up 22% in Eternal, followed by massive positions in fintech heavyweight One 97 Communications - Paytm (19.30%) and insurance aggregator PB Fintech (19.20%). The digital thesis extends to FSN E-Commerce Ventures - Nykaa (11.40%) and food delivery giant Swiggy (7.10%), capturing the entire new-age commerce ecosystem that's reshaping Indian consumer behaviour. Valcreate's Lifesciences Portfolio: Riding the Agrochemicals Wave Another Valcreate strategy making waves is their Lifesciences and Specialty Opportunities fund (8.48% returns), which has positioned itself as the go-to agrochemicals play. Leading the charge is Sharda Cropchem , with a commanding 15.85% weight, backed by pharma giant Divi's Laboratories (9.33%). The fund's agrochemical conviction deepens with Sumitomo Chemical India (8.08%), Dhanuka Agritech (7.49%), and Rallis India (7.31%), betting on India's agricultural modernisation and crop protection needs. Green Portfolio's MNC Advantage: Industrial Excellence Focus Green Portfolio's MNC Advantage fund (6.89% returns) is zeroing in on India's industrial backbone through multinational subsidiaries. KSB leads the portfolio at 12.68%, followed by engineering specialist Integra Engineering India (10.21%) and auto components player Federal-Mogul Goetze (9.42%). The strategy includes John Cockerill India (6.16%) and premium engineering brand Bosch (5.56%), capitalising on India's manufacturing renaissance and infrastructure buildout. Emkay's Pearls Strategy: Diversified Mid-Cap Play Emkay Investment Managers' Pearls fund (4.20% returns) mirrors the digital disruption theme with Eternal as its top holding (16.30%), while maintaining pharmaceutical exposure through Divi's Laboratories (9.70%). The fund balances growth with stability through Nesco (8.80%), Federal Bank (7.10%), and auto ancillary Sundram Fasteners (7.10%). Ambit's Micro Marvels: Small-Cap Specialisation Ambit Investment Advisors' Micro Marvels Portfolio (4.27% returns) is hunting for tomorrow's champions in India's small-cap universe. The fund spreads its bets across Rajratan Global Wire (7.00%), staffing services leader Teamlease Services (6.50%), and industrial plays Menon Bearings, Entero Healthcare Solutions, and Thejo Engineering (6.00% each). Wryght Research Factor Fund: Contrarian Fintech Bet The Factor Fund from Wryght Research (2.69% returns) demonstrates conviction in fintech recovery with One 97 Communications as its largest holding (7.73%). The fund diversifies across Hitachi Energy India (5.68%), Maharashtra Scooters (5.38%), fertiliser player Paradeep Phosphates (5.19%), and financial conglomerate Bajaj Holdings & Investment (4.91%). Valcreate's Growing India: Chemical Sector Concentration The Growing India fund (2.84% returns) maintains Valcreate's chemical sector thesis with Divi's Laboratories leading at 7.65%, supported by Sharda Cropchem (7.48%) and Rallis India (6.54%). The fund also holds Swaraj Engines (6.32%) and Sumitomo Chemical India (5.82%). Shade Capital Value Fund: Value Hunting Across Caps Shade Capital's Value Fund (2.87% returns) is pursuing deep value opportunities across industrial names like Kilburn Engineering (4.33%), TD Power Systems (4.15%), and wealth manager Nuvama Wealth Management (3.94%). The fund also holds infrastructure play Transrail Lighting (3.71%) and building materials company Interarch Building Products (3.36%). Brightseeds Xylem Maverick: Cash-Heavy Cautious Approach The most conservative among the top performers, Brightseeds' Xylem Maverick Strategy (2.55% returns) holds a massive 47.29% in Zerodha Nifty 1D Rate Liquid ETF & Cash, suggesting a defensive stance. When invested, the fund focuses on agrochemicals through Dharmaj Crop Guard (8.56%), Sudarshan Chemical Industries (7.00%), renewable energy via Borosil Renewables (6.37%), and steel tubes specialist Scoda Tubes (5.49%). Also Read | Share prices rise after you sell? Data from 967 retail-sold stocks confirms your worst fear The positioning of India's top PMS performers reveals a clear trend: smart money is flowing into digital disruption stories, speciality chemicals, healthcare infrastructure, and industrial champions. With 42 distinct stock ideas ranging from established pharma giants to fintech unicorns, these fund managers are positioning for India's next growth phase while maintaining selective exposure across market caps and sectors. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)