Since high-yielding varieties of seeds are crucial for increasing the output level, the ICAR has invested about Rs 50 crore in seed production in 2008, according to Rai.

The research institute has spent roughly 10 per cent of a planned budget of Rs 200 crore in developing new variety of seeds, he said.

Seeds play a seminal role in agriculture on which the efficacy of other inputs are contingent. According to a scientific estimate, seeds can enhance the productivity by 15-20 per cent, depending upon the crops. The yield can also be raised as high as 40 per cent through the optimum use of this essential farm input.

The Conference also aims to address the issues of land, water and biodiversity conservation along with enhancing competitiveness and livlihood of small land holders, he said.

More than 100 delegates, including policy makers, farmers, scientists and private sector, from 23 African countries are expected to participate in the Conference.

The Conference is jointly organised by Indian Farmers Fertliser Cooperative Foundation (IFFCO) with Agricultural Ministry, External Affairs Ministry and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

According to Conference Steering Committe member R B Singh, efforts should be made to identify specific ares of cooperation like soil testing, soil health management and integrated nutrient management through water conservation, watershed management and post harvest handling.

Both India and Africa share common history of fighting apartheid and poverty and now there is a need for both to cooperate and share technology to produce more food to provide food security, said Republic of Mozambique High Commission Carlos Agostinho Do Rosario.

"Thanks to Governor Sanford's strong leadership and the work of the Department of Commerce, Duke Energy and local officials, ATW is pleased to select South Carolina for its titanium manufacturing facility and Tech Center. The attentiveness and assistance from government and local businesses, including Senator Graham, Senator DeMint and Congressman Barrett, helped us conclude that South Carolina was not only a good choice, but the best choice for our business. This titanium facility will mark a breakthrough in the evolution of the titanium industry with the co-location of state-of-the-art equipment and technologies that will lower costs and delivery lead times. The combination of lower costs and reliable delivery will create new market opportunities throughout the world. ATW is confident in the ability of the state's workforce to execute our production needs and we look forward to establishing and growing our business in South Carolina," said Mr. Sax.

ATW also announced today that it will establish its applications development and engineering technical center in Greenville County at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus. ATW's Tech Center will create 40 applied engineering jobs that will specialize in prototype development and fabrication techniques for multiple industry sectors.

"At the suggestion of Commerce officials, we chose to look at CU-ICAR for our research and development facility. Commerce officials recognized the synergies that existed between our product and CU-ICAR. Additionally, it was important that we locate the Tech Center in close proximity to the manufacturing facility and we are pleased to accomplish this goal with the selection of Laurens and Greenville Counties," added Mr. Sax.

Titanium has twice the strength-to-weight ratio of steel, is resistant to corrosion and can be worked like other metals.

By producing melted and rolled titanium products through innovative processes, ATW will reduce the costs and lead times associated with traditional titanium production, thus making the product desirable to a broader range of industries including defense, industrial, commercial, consumer and emerging markets. Specific market drivers for titanium include chemical processing, high-performance machinery including racing, aerospace, biomedical, power generation and energy efficiency.

"As South Carolina works to compete in a global economy, it is critical that we make strategic decisions when working to recruit large investors. By focusing our efforts on improving the business climate here with fundamental reforms that attract entrepreneurship and innovation, we have yielded substantial dividends. As well, our state's focus on regulatory reform, like workers' comp reform, tort reform and lower taxes, creates an environment that allows our existing businesses to be more competitive and successful while rewarding entrepreneurs like ATW. ATW is not only a start-up company, but it is also an innovator in its field and we believe production of rolled titanium in South Carolina will attract major titanium users throughout North America and the world to our state," said Gov. Mark Sanford.

"Highly efficient, rolled titanium holds great promise for the Department of Defense and other industries, because of the metal's strength and light weight," said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). "ATW's Tech Center in Greenville County and manufacturing facility in Laurens County will play an important role in developing new titanium applications and partnerships in a variety of industries. We are proud to have them in the Upstate."

"ATW's production of rolled titanium in South Carolina presents tremendous opportunity to grow existing industries in our state and attract new industries and investors from throughout the world. ATW's production efficiencies are unique and the company's focus to target a broad industrial base including defense, energy, automotive and aerospace is an incredible complement to the diversity and skill of our workforce, business community and research and development capacity. This investment will truly benefit the entire state. We welcome ATW to South Carolina and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them in the years ahead," said Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

The manufacturing facility will incorporate proprietary technologies and process innovations enabling ATW to convert a wide variety of inputs into alloyed and commercially pure ingots, rounds and slabs of various sizes. Rolled product will be available from 0.1875" to 4.0" in thickness, widths up to 96" and lengths in excess of 240". ATW will also offer scrap blending, melting and rolling services each on a toll basis.

Erigo Technologies LLC of Enfield, New Hampshire initiated the formation of ATW and recruited the ATW management team. "We look forward to beginning ATW's research and development operations in Greenville. South Carolina has numerous resources to meet our Tech Center's needs, including a deep pool of engineering talent and extensive innovation occurring throughout the state. We are thrilled to be coming to an area where university researchers are actively involved with the industrial community," said Nabil Elkouh, Ph.D., President of Erigo Technologies LLC and Chief Technology Officer of ATW. Dr. Elkouh will lead the ATW Tech Center in Greenville.

The ATW team includes Gordon Willett, Chief Operating Officer; Scott Jackson, Executive Vice President of Melting Operations and Sales; Richard Dykast, Executive Vice President of Mill Operations; and Stuart E. Schwartz, Chief Financial Officer.

ATW has selected SMS Demag as its rolling equipment supplier. Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. is arranging financing. McCallum Sweeney Consulting was retained to assist with site selection.

"It is pleasing to witness the state and community where one resides experience prosperity and success. The impact that this project will have on the entire region in terms of jobs, research and economic development opportunities in other industries is especially gratifying. This was a very competitive project that South Carolina won, not because our firm is located in Greenville, S.C., but because the Department of Commerce, the Governor, Laurens County, Greenville County, Duke Energy and CU-ICAR pursued this project aggressively and with purpose," said Ed McCallum, senior principal, McCallum Sweeny Consulting Inc.

Construction is scheduled to begin by 2010. A ground-breaking ceremony will be held at both at a future date. Information regarding ATW may be obtained by contacting info@amtiwks.com.

SOURCE: S.C. Dept. of Commerce

S.C. Dept. of Commerce 
Kara Borie, 803-737-1998

   Location:  AT&T Auditorium within the Carroll A. Campbell Graduate
              Engineering Center
              4 Research Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
   Date:      Monday, December 8, 2008
   Time:      1:00 pm EST

The press conference will be followed by a town-hall discussion of the 'E7' and its impact on law enforcement, budgets, and local communities.

On the heels of successful tour stops in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and California, including the 115th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference where over 17,000 senior law enforcement professionals gathered from all over the world, the Carbon 'E7' has received an overwhelmingly positive response across the country. Law enforcement officials, community leaders, and citizens have welcomed an opportunity to provide first responders with world-class equipment to secure our homeland, creating new American jobs, and reducing both operating expenditures and the country's reliance on foreign oil.

Based on the overwhelming response to the vehicle thus far, Carbon Motors is now accepting Production Slot Reservations for the Carbon 'E7' at www.carbonmotors.com/takeaction/order. This no-obligation reservation will help the Company assess which cities and states will first have units in operation. Additionally, it will provide law enforcement agencies not only priority but also preference for the pre-production test fleet when they become available.

Carbon Motors is weighing its options for the site location of the Company where it intends to create 10,000 new direct and indirect American jobs and have a greater than $3 billion positive economic impact on the selected region over a period of ten years. "We are pleased to announce that the State of South Carolina, and specifically the CU-ICAR campus, is of keen interest to Carbon Motors," said Li. "The technical expertise available to Carbon Motors at CU-ICAR and the extensive, diverse automotive supply base in the region make this an attractive location for us to consider," he added.

Carbon's 'E7' was designed by law enforcement, for law enforcement. To date, over 2,000 law enforcement professionals, representing all 50 US States and each functional discipline of law enforcement, have volunteered their time to serve on the Carbon Council, which provides direct and unfiltered interaction with the Carbon Motors team. As a result, the vehicle will come fully equipped with a comprehensive suite of purpose-built, state-of-the-art performance and safety features utilizing the latest advancements in defense and law enforcement technology.

The vehicle will display a robust collection of world-class technological and design enhancements, including an ergonomically correct cockpit inspired by jet fighters and helicopters, a high powered clean-diesel engine capable of running on biodiesel (that will provide up to 40 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and will meet or exceed the driving performance of current vehicles), integrated external and internal surveillance capabilities, radar, LoJack, an automatic license plate recognition system, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) threat detectors. In addition, the 'E7' debuts Carbon's proprietary On-board Rapid Command Architecture(TM) (ORCA(TM)) with a large touch-screen display providing world-class data communication and human-machine interface. The 'E7' will serve as an integrated homeland security platform enhancing security capabilities for the nation's 800,000+ law enforcement first responders, while substantially lowering their current operating costs and lessening the burden on taxpayers nationwide.

About Carbon Motors Corporation

Carbon Motors Corporation is a homeland security company with a specific mission to design, develop, manufacture, distribute, service, and recycle at end-of-life, the world's first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle. Learn more at www.carbonmotors.com.

About CU-ICAR

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), strategically located in the rapidly growing southeastern automotive and motorsports region, is an advanced-technology research campus where university, industry and government organizations engage in synergistic collaboration. With more than $200 million in commitments, it represents the ultimate public-private partnership, directly fueling a knowledge base critical to the automotive industry. More information is available at www.cuicar.com.

SOURCE: Carbon Motors Corporation

Carbon Motors Corporation 
Stacy Dean Stephens, 404-806-9906, ext. 712