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Key Safety Systems Acquires 50% In Abhishek Auto: The $1-billion US based automotive safety component maker, Key Safety Systems (KSS), has acquired a 50 per cent equity in Delhi-based Abhishek Auto Industries. The Detroit-headquartered KSS — a global leader in design and production of safety components like airbags, seat-belts, inflators, steering wheels and electronic systems — will invest $20 million in the next three years as part of the joint venture with Abhishek Auto. Jason Luo, KSS president and CEO, has reportedly said that they plan to have India's first integrated facility for manufacturing airbags and steering wheels and will tap many of their global OEMs, which have recently entered India and are not being sourced by Abhishek Auto.

id8 Labs acquires eDesign Tree India: id8 Labs, a Mumbai based interactive and digital marketing services company, has acquired the business franchise of eDesign Tree Inc in India, reports Indiantelevision.com. id8labs plans to invest $5 million in the next 12-18 months, which will be funded through internal accruals, promoter funding and strategic investments. The company has plans to expand its franchise in Indian and global markets through offices in Dubai, Singapore and Philadelphia. This alliance with eDesign Tree is expected to give id8labs a presence in the IT domain and also opens up outsourcing opportunities from the US market. Amit Shrivastava, co-founder of eDesign Tree, would be taking over as CEO id8labs Inc. id8 Labs was part of Webpercept earlier. They recently parted ways.
eDesign Tree was co-founded in 2003 by Raj Shekhawat and Amit Shrivastava.

Deepak Roy Picks Up Stake In BDA: Veteran liquor executive and former UB executive Deepak Roy has picked up a 5 per cent stake in Vijay Mallya's arch-rival Kishore Chhabria-led company BDA, the makers of Officer's Choice whisky brand. Besides the stake purchase, Roy will also take over the management of BDA as its executive vice-chairman and CEO from November '07. BDA is an unlisted company.
This move, according to industry watchers, might kickstart a round of competition in the liquor market. Officer's Choice is the second largest selling whisky brand in the country after Mallya's UB group owned Bagpiper. Roy, had headed Diageo's business in India and Balkan regions and staged a management buy-out of Gilbey's Green Label whisky before selling the brand to UB group. Roy has been behind the success of many UB brands .