Popular Articles

Chandrayaan-I develops malfunction, its life may be reduced
India"s maiden moon probe Chandrayaan-I has developed a malfunction that puts some experiments in jeopardy and raises questions on completion of the mission that was intended to last two years.

Political hardsell shortage
Is the Doha Development Round (DDR) dead, as the anti-globalisation activists claim? Not yet, said trade ministers of the 153 member-countries of the Word Trade Organisation at the seventh Ministerial Conference at Geneva last week. They ended the Conference with a general agreement to recommence the stalled negotiations of the DDR and take it to conclusion by the end of next year. Even such broad agreement was in sharp contrast to the acrimony and bitterness that characterised the earlier failed trade talks at Cancun and Hong Kong.

News of the day

Govt to announce uniform telecom licence fee
The government today said it will soon come out with a uniform and single licence fee for telecom service provider, which is currently between 6 and 10 per cent of the revenue of these companies.

International Business

Ex-MPCC chief Deshukh demands Dy CM post for Vidarbha region

Former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ranjeet Deshmukh has urged the newly elected Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and incumbent Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to give the post of deputy chief minister to an MLA from Vidarbha region.

Dhule chants two \'I\'s - irrigation and industry

It is a city where a few of the country’s most strategic roads like National Highways 3, 6 and 211 crisscross each other. And for their political inroads, all election candidates in Dhule are chanting two “I”s — irrigation and industry.

Drug makers vie to supply antidote

Large and small Indian drug manufacturers are flocking the offices of various state governments to secure manufacturing licences to supply cheap versions of Tamiflu (oseltamivir), the drug to treat the fast spreading swine flu, anticipating huge demand for the drug in the coming weeks.

Centum Learning to set up campuses in 20 cities in India

Centum Learning, the education and training arm of Bharti group, is expanding its footprint in India by setting up skill development centres and mini-campuses for offering professional degrees to students. The company will cater to the entire spectrum of students from - low end to high end.

Shankar Acharya: A month to remember?

Shankar Acharya / New Delhi October 08, 2009, 0:59 IST

Finance executives say US in recession still: Survey

Finance professionals in America consider that the country is still in recession, despite the economy showing signs of stability in recent months, a latest report has found.

Jalandhar rubber industry affected by rising Jalandhar rubber industry affected by rising Vijay C Roy / New Delhi/ Chandigarh September 16, 2009, 0:38 IST

Sensex pares gains; Hindalco up 4%

Ramesh to hold meetings on Bt brinjal across the country

Environment Minsiter Jairam Ramesh will from Wednesday hold a series of public meetings across the country on the controversial Bt brinjal which was cleared by the country"s bio-technology regulator last year for its commercial cultivation.

Tim Morse to be new Yahoo! CFO

Internet major Yahoo! has appointed Tim Morse as its Chief Financial Officer with effect from July 1, ending more than three months of search.

Maytas Properties looking at stake sale: Govt director

Maytas Properties, the real estate firm promoted by Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju’s younger son B Rama Raju, is looking at offloading a stake in the Maytas Hill County residential project. The company needs about Rs 150-200 crore to complete the project.

India to take up with Pak spoofing of ultras\' satellite phones

India today indicated that it would take up with Pakistan the issue of spoofing of terrorists" satellite phones which hamper efforts to track them.

Look for a breakout above 4,625

The intermediate trend is weak despite the net gains last week

UPDATE:Steel ind demands early imposition of anti-dumping duties

The domestic steel industry has demanded early imposition of safeguard and anti-dumping duties on imports of steel fearing rise in shipments of cheaper alloy from China, which has announced sops on export of such items.

UN Security Council agrees on tough new sanctions on NKorea

After two weeks of tough negotiations, the five permanent members of the Security Council have agreed on a draft resolution to impose tough new sanctions against North Korea for its second nuclear test, diplomats said.

Petronet to set up power plant in Kerala

Petronet LNG will be setting up 1,068 Mw capacity power plant at nearby Puthuvypu at an estimated cost of Rs 3,250 crore, a top official said.

\'We will come out with a vision statement soon\'

Business Standard / New Delhi October 07, 2009, 1:12 IST

Centre for renewable energy plan in Ladakh

The Centre is preparing a development plan for harnessing renewable energy in Ladakh keeping in mind the expected load and hydro power potential of the region.

JLR recalls 40 Land Rover vehicles in India

Tata group owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) today said it is recalling 40 Land Rover vehicles from India to fix a technical fault as part of an ongoing global process that started in July.

Gateways to our cities

India’s new airports use an international architectural language, but a local twist might have been interesting, suggests Anand Sankar

Congress may retain CMs in three states

As the Congress held its fort in the key industrial states of Haryana and Maharashtra and strategically important Arunachal Pradesh, the three incumbent chief Ministers — Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Chavan and Dorjee Khandu — are likely to retain their place in the new governments.

Twitter, Facebook \'costing British eco 1.38 bn pounds\'

In today"s world, popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are without a doubt the best way to stay connected with friends and share what is happening right now.

Any deviation at lower level will be dealt with: Raja

Telecom Minister A Raja today said any deviation by lower-rung officers from the government’s policy decision on spectrum allocation would be dealt with.

Rupee drops to two-week low

Rupee dropped, completing the biggest two-day loss in two months, as declines in local stocks spurred speculation capital inflows will slow.

GPL confident of converting minor port into deep water one

Hoping to bag environmental clearance by this month end, Gopalpur Ports Ltd (GPL) is confident of converting the minor port in south Orissa into an all weather deep water one within 24 months, two years ahead of the stipulated timeframe.

e-registration of land transfer soon

The Orissa government has decided to introduce e-Registration of land transfer replacing the present system of manual registration.

A more disciplined approach

PROFILE

Bill Clinton to lead trade mission to Haiti

Former US President Bill Clinton would be leading a trade delegation to Haiti in October, in his capacity as the UN Special Envoy for Haiti.

MMRCA trials to begin in Bangalore next week

India"s quest to buy 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) will shift gear when the flight trials of the six global contenders will begin in Bangalore next week with US major Boeing"s warplane F/A-18 being the first contender.

Chiru asks party MLAs to withdraw resignation

Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) President K Chiranjeevi has appealed to his party MLAs to withdraw their resignations after 11 of his 18 party legislators quit their assembly membership in protest against the Centre"s decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.

Shinde asks power cos to start work on coal blocks in two yrs

Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today threatened action against companies that do not start work on captive mines within two years of allotment.

Equally expensive

Though the Congress party had allocated Saifuddin Soz a seven-seater helicopter for campaigning in far-flung areas of Jammu & Kashmir, he chose to use road transport. It was only when someone pointed out that the idle chopper was also costing his party a lot that Soz decided to use it to go to Ladakh.

Pulses import rises by 20% during Apr-Oct

India imported 20 per cent more pulses during the April-October period this year at 1.59 million tonnes to bridge the demand-supply gap in the domestic market that has led to a sharp rise in prices.

Wheat export ban to stay

India, the world’s second-biggest producer of wheat, won’t end a ban on exports of the cereal to avoid food shortages after drought and floods damaged crops of rice and sugar cane.

Seven developers eye solar panel manufacturing units

After allotting capacities to 34 developers for generating a total of 716 Mw of solar power, as many as seven developers have come calling to the state for setting up solar panel manufacturing units here.

Sensex gains 186pts on F&O expiry

After yesterday"s massive 520 points rally, the Sensex today opened on a flat note. It slipped into the negative zone for a while and touched a low of 14,078.

ISRO to map tea gardens in to improve yield

In a path-breaking development for the tea industry of Assam and West Bengal, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has offered its remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) facilities to tea gardens in the two states.

Making money from games people play

Indian animation and gaming training institutes are gearing to scale up their businesses and open up new avenues for professionals who are passionate about animation and gaming technologies.

Wipro gets land for second campus in West Bengal

Software major Wipro today accepted a 50-acre plot at Rajarhat near here for its second campus, two months after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stepped in to assure alternative land after scrapping the controversial Kolkata Links IT Township project.

Wipro settles land deal with West Bengal for second unit

IT giant Wipro today settled the land issue with the West Bengal government for its second unit near Kolkata and would buy 50 acre at Rs 75 crore.

Airline, hotel stocks catch cold on flu fear

The rapid spread of swine flu has hit share prices of top airline and hospitality companies as market players fear a sharp drop in travel and tourism due to the flu scare. In contrast, shares of top pharmaceutical companies have seen a sharp rise during the period.

L&T, EADS may send revised JV proposal to FIPB

After the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) rejected the proposed defence tie-up between Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Franco-German aerospace major EADS last week, the companies are discussing a revised proposal, with a new joint venture structure in which the European defence giant would hold 26 per cent stake.

Competition to heat up as biggies gear up for small-car launch

Come 2010 and the small-car market is likely to witness intense competition with at least four new players set to launch their products in the market.

Astrosat all set to be launched next year: Isro

India’s first science satellite Astrosat is all set to be launched next year, former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) Madhavan Nair said today.

Nearly 60% of state to be under UID in a year

The pilot run for the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), headed by Nandan Nilekani, could cover nearly 60-70 per cent of citizens in Karnataka within a period of one year post commencement. Karnataka would be the first state to come under the UID project that seeks to issue a unique ID number for each citizen.

Bajaj hurt by son\'s move to exit scooters

Showing the rift in two-wheeler giant Bajaj Auto, Chairman Rahul Bajaj today differed with his son and Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj’s decision to exit production of scooters saying he was not only “not convinced” but also “hurt” by it.

Subhiksha stores to reopen as franchises

Two stores to open in Chennai, hiring begins.

Deserved rap on knuckles

Business Standard / New Delhi October 15, 2009, 0:37 IST

HPCL net profit at Rs 31.4 crore

Helped by cash subsidy from the government, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), India’s third-largest refiner, managed to report a net profit of Rs 31.4 crore in the quarter ended December 2009. It posted a net loss of Rs 422 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.

Investing for retirement

I am 34 and employed in an IT company in Gurgaon. I began investing in June 2007, with a sum of Rs 2,500 a month. Gradually, I increased the SIP amount to Rs 16,500 a month. Can you help me with my financial plan? I have provided all the details below.

Centre plans frequent scan of FII holdings

Volatility in investments concern for RBI.

Food inflation rises again; RBI may hike rates

After easing for three weeks in a row, food inflation inched up to 17.40 per cent for the week ended January 16, a development that may prompt the Reserve Bank to hike key policy rates to tame the rising prices.

Hindustan Unilever gains on defensive buying

The stock surged to high of Rs 285 - up 7%. It finally ended with a gain of 5.5% at Rs 282. Around 1.05 million shares were traded on the BSE today.

Fertiliser crisis grips rabi cropping in MP

Madhya Pradesh is once again facing acute fertiliser shortage this rabi season, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has told the Centre. Soon after sowing wheat and other rabi crops urea was needed during the first watering, growers said, adding that fertiliser dealers hoarded and indulged in black-marketing to mint money from them. A few years ago, the state had faced a severe urea crisis, which had even triggered violence in some areas.

Three Indians attacked in Australia

After a brief lull in attacks on Indians in Australia, three members of the community were "brutally bashed" by a group of around 70 youths, including women, who were attending a birthday party in a bar here after making racist remarks against the trio.

MPs goodwill visit to Egypt, Greece put off as austerity step

The first foreign visit by a delegation of the 15th Lok Sabha has become a victim of austerity measure.

Krishna talks resettlement with Lankan foreign minister

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna met his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama here and discussed the issue of resettlement of over 280,000 internally displaced persons in the island nation.

ADAG becomes 3rd largest biz house in recent market rally

The Reliance ADA Group, owned by Anil Ambani, has become India’s third largest business house with market capitalisation of $35.3 billion. The recent stock market surge has enabled this group with six listed companies ranging from power to telecom to movies to add as much as $10.5 billion, a surge of 43 per cent in week during May 15-22, 2009.

Mamata makes efforts for T20 WC matches\' telecast on DD

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken initiative to ensure that cricket fans in India could watch all Twenty20 ICC World Cup matches in UK which is being telecast on ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

RIL says it signed gas contract but NTPC did not

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has said it had signed a contract in December 2005 to sell natural gas to NTPC at $2.34 per million British thermal unit (mBtu) for 17 years, but it was the state-run firm that did not reciprocate.

Govt can\'t ask India Inc to give jobs to minorities

The Companies Act does not empower the government to advise India Inc to provide jobs to minorities, but the corporates should take the initiative on their own, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid informed Lok Sabha today.

Govt moves application in CLB to recall nominated directors

The government has moved an application in the Company Law Board (CLB) to recall its nominated directors from the board of Mahindra Satyam, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said on Saturday.

No cap on executive pay: Khurshid

Corporate affairs minister also rules out private sector job quota.

High Court to hear Rathore\'s anticipatory bail plea tomorrow

Disgraced former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging a sessions court order denying him anticipatory bail in two fresh FIRs involving serious criminal charges against him in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Banks can stand a bigger slowdown, finds EU stress test

A stress test of the European Union’s biggest banks showed they could withstand an even deeper recession, though with almost 400 billion euros ($581 billion) in losses, according to a report to EU finance chiefs.

Bharat Biotech secures patent for Lysostaphin

Hyderabad-based vaccines and biotherapeutics manufacturer Bharat Biotech International said on Wednesday that its anti-staphylococcal molecule Lysostaphin had secured patent rights in US, Europe, China, Australia and other nations.

Orchid Chemicals targets Rs 4900 crore in 3 years

Pharma major Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd has set a target to become a $1-billion (Rs 4,900 crore) company in the next three years, said its managing director K Raghavendra Rao. The company registered an income of Rs 1,191.44 crore in 2008-09.

Oil lower in Asian trade as energy demand concerns resurface

Oil fell in Asian trade amid lingering worries over energy demand in the United States, the world"s biggest oil user, analysts said.

Sunny side up

Business Standard / New Delhi December 02, 2009, 0:52 IST

ONGC strengthens ethical practices

The public sector Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has cleared the ground for implementing “whistle blower policy” another major voluntary initiative to promote transparency and ethics in personal conduct and decision process.

Kiri Dyes to raise Rs 150 cr via securities issue

Kiri Dyes and Chemicals today said it will raise up to Rs 150 crore through issue of securities in the domestic and international markets for expanding its business operations.

NIA to complete 26/11 probe in 6 weeks: Pillai

Barely a week before the first anniversary of Mumbai terror attack, Union Home Ministry has expressed hope of completing the investigation into the incident within next six weeks.

M J Antony: The first-charge fluster

M J Antony / New Delhi October 21, 2009, 0:30 IST

M J Antony: The cause and effect trail

M J Antony / New Delhi October 7, 2009, 0:24 IST

Siemens to merge its two Indian public listed firms

The Siemens Group is planning to amalgamate its listed company, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Ltd (SHDL), with its flagship Indian business, Siemens Ltd.

CLP to meet today

Nearly three months after Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) died in a helicopter crash, a meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has been convened on Friday to condole the death of the former chief minister and formally elect the CLP leader.

All police complaints to be treated FIRs

In a fallout of the Ruchika molestation case, all complaints received at police stations are to be treated as FIRs, while a move is afoot for automatic revoking of police and gallantry medals awarded to convicted officers.

The city of lakes

Bhopal should be known for more than the the unfortunate gas tragedy.

Emirates becomes largest Boeing 777 operator

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines has become the world"s largest airline operator of Boeing 777 aircraft with the arrival of its 78th Boeing 777.

Cricket sponsorship keeps some biggies in the pavilion

BCCI almost doubles base price; stiffer cut-off for bidders.

Walt Disney Q4 net income rises 18%

Media and entertainment giant Walt Disney has reported 18 per cent growth in net income at $895 million in the fourth quarter, boosted by strong performance of its network business, including cable channels ESPN and ABC family.

King Connectivity

Media/content: Connectivity is king. As painful as that admission would be for empire-building media moguls, it also looks to be true. Content may be sexy - it’s the driving force behind deals like Comcast’s possible purchase of NBC Universal, for example. But a simple look at market values or the willingness of wireless customers to pay for data services, suggests connectivity is worth more than content.

Ban slams Georgia over \'Russian blackmail\' claim

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has lashed out at Georgia"s claim that he was coerced by Russia into amending his recent report on the Caucasus nation.

IIMs may double CAT window next year

To avoid a repeat of the chaos seen this year in the first few days of the computer-based Common Admission Test (CAT), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are thinking of doubling the testing window period next year to make the process smoother.

Transport bandh hit some CAT students

A few students in Hyderabad could not reach the test centres in time to appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) today, the penultimate day of the computer-based test, due to the bandh call given by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, a political outfit fighting for a separate statehood for Telanagana.

Microsoft downloads Windows 7

Microsoft today launched its new operating system (OS), ‘Windows 7’, with a host of tools for multimedia applications for business and retail customers. The much-awaited Windows 7 promises significant improvement in productivity levels, enhanced security, reduced risk and manageability costs.

India Inc gears up for hiring, salary hikes

Corporate India is getting ready with hiring plans and higher pay packets for 2010, as signs of economic recovery are becoming visible along with a rising confidence in the economy"s growth.

Pearls before swine

They said the day a black man became president of the United States, pigs would fly. Well, lo and behold, Obama was sworn in and one hundred days later... swine flu!”

Nokia launches affordable touch devices in Gujarat

Nokia,maker of mobile devices and a pioneer in mobile telecommunications today, announced the availability of its latest touch devices—Nokia 5230 and Nokia 5530 XpressMusic in the market.

Needed a toughie

Long before the Commonwealth Games officials came to town to inspect the work being done, there was considerable disquiet in the Prime Minister’s Office over the lack of progress in the preparations. To help MS Gill, he was even given an assistant, Jarnail Singh, a former joint secretary in the PMO and a former chief secretary in Manipur. Instead of reducing the disquiet, the move has increased it. Singh is a gentleman but that’s probably the last thing you need right now. What makes things worse is that the other name doing the rounds at that time was that of V K Duggal. A go-getter, Duggal is a UT cadre officer and has served in Delhi long enough to know enough people to get work done — and being the home secretary till a few years ago also helps.

Needed: action, not words

Business Standard / New Delhi October 19, 2009, 0:49 IST

Ashok Leyland JV to produce die castings

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland’s associate company, Ashley Alteams India Pvt Ltd (AAIPL) will commence manufacturing high pressure die castings. The production of the castings, which will primarily be for the telecommunications and automotive sector, will begin next month at the company’s new facility in Chennai.

Beauty at ground level

Manit Rastogi, managing director, Morphogenesis wants nullahs in Delhi to become scenic walkways.

Chakrabarty quits PNB to take charge as RBI deputy governor

Punjab National Bank CMD K C Chakrabarty has quit his post after his appointment as RBI Deputy Governor.

Sunil Jain: Golden and other rules

- RIL gas production cost comparable with others: DGH - Move Mr Deora - RNRL wants CAG audit of RIL gas fields made public - Anil blames Mukesh for delay in Dadri power plant - Govt files fresh plea on Ambani gas dispute - SC rejects RNRL plea for final hearing of gas row on Sept 1

Big B fails to boost Bigg Boss 3 inaugural ratings

Despite Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan anchoring the third season of big-ticket reality show Bigg Boss on Colors, data from aMap, the overnight ratings agency, showed that the launch episode aired on October 4 generated an average television rating point (TRP) of just 3.

Unitech Wireless raises Rs 5,000 cr for network roll out

Unitech Wireless, the joint venture between realty major Unitech and Norway"s Telenor, has raised Rs 5,000 crore as loan from State Bank of India to finance the roll-out of its network as the firm will be launching mobile services in next three months.

RIL\'s Q2 tax provision may rise by Rs 263 cr: Auditors

Corporate giant Reliance Industries (RIL) today said its auditors have pointed out a possible increase of Rs 263 crore in its current tax provisions for quarter ended June 2009 due to the budgetary proposals of the central government.

RoC gives clean chit to RIL-Reliance Petro merger

The Registrar of Companies has given a clean chit to Reliance Industries, while disposing of complaints that its merger with Reliance Petroleum would benefit only promoter Mukesh Ambani.

RIL plans to sell Rs 4,250 cr of treasury stock

Reliance Industries (RIL), India’s largest private sector company by market capitalisation, plans to offload a part of its treasury stock, held through the Petroleum Trust, which is controlled by the promoters.

ICICI Bank for doubling returns; to be in top-5 listed cos

Unsatiated by trebling of its share price to Rs 750 since March, ICICI Bank has embarked on an ambitious plan to double return for investors in three years and be counted among the country"s top five valuable entities, CEO and Managing Director Chanda Kochhar has said.

Gold demand to slip by 15 per cent worldwide in 2009: GFMS

Jewellery fabrication business worldwide is likely to fall in 2009 on high gold prices with offtake forecast to slip by 15 per cent compared to the year-ago period, a latest report says.

Don't be bold on gold

- Getting rid of government controls - For the risk-takers - High on expectations - Commodity to the rescue - Policy to guide infra growth - Betting on bonds

Japan in transition

Business Standard / New Delhi September 11, 2009, 0:53 IST

IIM-B selects SunGard Education\'s Banner UDC

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B), has selected SunGard higher education"s Banner Unified Digital Campus (UDC) solution to help increase its efficiencies in course administration, improve student services and enhance capabilities for collaboration with institutions in India and abroad.

Finance panel clears seven IIMs, 10 NITs

The process of setting up of seven IIMs, 374 degree colleges and 10 NITs has been set in motion with the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) approving the proposals in this regard.

Naveen yet to clear Rs 73,000 crore investments

Investment proposals of more than Rs 73,000 crore in steel, aluminium and power sectors are awaiting approval of the chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Stamp duty in urban areas reduced to 5%

The Orissa government today approved an amendment to the Orissa Development Authority Act and Orissa Town Planning and Improvement Act, reducing the stamp duty in urban areas to 5 percent from 8 percent at present and waiving the collection of additional 3 percent as town area surcharge.

BJP, Left mull House co-ordination

After voting with sworn political enemy Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against its one-time ally, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) last year, the Left is again considering floor co-ordination with the saffron brigade in Parliament.

India Eco Summit: \'Affordable innovation needed\'

Kirtika Suneja / New Delhi November 11, 2009, 0:35 IST

GE Capital Business Process Management Services bags award

GE Capital Business Process Management Services has bagged "Asia"s Best Mature Captive Services Delivery" award for credit card operations.

Key messages

GE Capital: GE Capital is taking on the doubters. General Electric’s finance arm on Tuesday addressed investors sceptical of its fit within the industrial conglomerate. Chief among the messages: the business is adequately funded; it has enough capital to handle potential loan losses; and it is basically above average in what it does relative to big US banks. But if that’s all true, why does GE Capital need the special treatment it is fighting for on Capitol Hill?

Sigma-Byte to focus on education, goverment sectors

One of the largest network cabling integrator in the country, Sigma-Byte Computers Pvt. Ltd., launched its network cabling services in Gujarat recently. With its new branch set up in Ahmedabad, the company, in association with Commscope Enterprise Solutions, intends to cater both large enterprises and small and medium businesses (SMBs).

Officer\'s Choice crosses 10 mn cases mark

Allied Blenders and Distillers today said its heritage whisky brand, Officer"s Choice, has crossed the 10 million cases mark to become the fastest growing whisky brand in the country clocking a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31 per cent over the last three years.

'Should the investment allowance be brought back?'

Using tax rebates to induce investment will favour sub-optimal projects that are not related to either local or global demand - it"ll take India back to the "80s.

A K Bhattacharya: No escape from a \'fiscal holiday\'

A K Bhattacharya / New Delhi June 17, 2009, 0:28 IST

Sensex to rise 14 per cent, says Nomura

Post the market rally, returns expectations will need to be tempered.

Infra push on slippery track

Outlay on setting up new lines, gauge conversion down by 11.55 per cent.

MNCs plan sugar imports to cash in on price boom

Prices of the sweetener may go up by 15-20 per cent.

Vizag port to invite fresh bids for two berths

Visakhapatnam Port will soon invite fresh bids for construction of two berths under public-private partnership.

Sensex opens weak on global cues

The Sensex opened at 16,339 and then slipped to a low of 16,182 on weak global cues. The index is now at 16,233, down 129 points and the NSE Nifty is at 54,847, down 35 points.

Chandigarh fastner units for uniform MSMED Act

Chandigarh Industrial Fastener Association (CIFA) has sought the implementation of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Act 2006 in letter and spirit.

NHPC issue overbid by 3.5 times

The initial public offer (IPO) of NHPC Ltd, the state-run hydropower producer, was subscribed 3.54 times what was on offer today, the opening day.

Kronos in talks with Gujarat firms for workforce management

Eyeing the scope among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as big firms in Gujarat, workforce management solutions provider Kronos is in talks with manufacturing, pharma, ports and logistics firms in the state for its next version solution "Workforce Central Suite 6.2"

MS wants excise duty on packaged software

Software giant Microsoft’s representatives will soon meet finance ministry officials trying to persuade them to impose excise or countervailing duty instead of service tax on packaged software.

The Axe effect: Competition acquires an edge

Axe angels are working overtime these days. Ever since Hindustan Unilever launched the ‘Call Me’ campaign that shows a girl giving her phone number to a boy doused in Axe, the angels (as the girls in the commercials are called) have received 3.5 million calls. And the phones just don’t stop ringing these days.

Orissa SMEs unhappy over state level banks' functioning

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Orissa have expressed their resentment over the functioning of the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), which meets at regular intervals to monitor the flow of credit to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.

Textiles Ministry demands change in Drugs and Cosmetics Act

The Textiles Ministry is pushing for amendments in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to ensure that quality standards are set for new medical textiles used in products like baby diapers, contact lenses and surgical gloves to promote their sales.

Govt imposes stock limit on bulk sugar consumers

The government today imposed stock limit on bulk sugar consumers, allowing them to keep quantities sufficient for only 15 days of their consumption at any point of time. The stock limit would be in force for six months and would be applicable to consumers whose monthly sugar consumption is at least one tonne, the government said in a statement. The move will affect confectioneries, large biscuit and beverage producing units.

CLB allows Maytas Infra to file FY10 results by June 30

Crisis-hit Maytas Infra today said the Company Law Board (CLB) has allowed it to report quarterly accounts for the current financial year by June 30, 2010.

FM has done good job in govt borrowing: Kochhar

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee holds a couple of Master of Arts degrees, but banker Chanda Kochhar rates him as a great financial engineer for designing the government"s borrowings taking care not to hurt the credit needs of the industry.

Mega expansion of NREGS today

As vast parts of the country reel from the effects of a drought, the second UPA government will unveil a mega expansion of its flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) on August 20, which coincides with late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

Govt to ban all wheat, non-Basmati rice exports

As contingent measures to deal with the deficient rainfall, the Centre today said it will stop all exports of non-Basmati rice and wheat, and bear half of the subsidy on diesel offered to farmers by the states.

Anil Agarwal ready to buy out govt in HZL, Balco

Vedanta Resources Chairman Anil Agarwal today said he is ready with Rs 8,000 crore for buying the government’s residual equity in Balco and Hindustan Zinc, for which he will meet the finance minister this month.

\'Low-cost mobile devices will bridge digital divide\'

Gartner, Inc. has evaluated and highlighted technologies that will have an impact on Indian enterprises as they look at increased technology adoption to support growth and competitive differentiation. The Gartner Hype Cycle for ICT in India 2009 is the company’s most comprehensive to date, featuring 31 technologies and topics such as massive array of idle disks (MAID), fibre channel over ethernet (FCoE), video telepresence in India, x86 server virtualisation, and software as a service (SaaS) in India.

Attrition rate Indian BPO industry\'s biggest challenge: Book

The BPO industry in India has undoubtedly been a very popular field of employment in recent years but one of the biggest challenges it is facing is a phenomenal rise in attrition rate, says a new book.

Satyam BPO on hiring spree

The BPO arm of Mahindra Satyam seems to be on a hiring spree with plans to recruit additional 300 persons by next month even as the parent is rationalising its headcount.

Govt to introduce e-passports

In an effort to check forgeries and misuse of passports, the government is rolling out e-passports that will carry biometric information in a chip.

Firstsource Solutions says no plans to list in US

Clarifying on the reports that Firstsource Solutions is planning to list in the US, the company said that it has "no immediate plans" to do so.

Govt not to roll back incentives given to exporters: Sharma

The government today ruled out any possibility of rolling back the incentives given to the export sector saying the country has yet to fully recover from the impact of the global financial meltdown.

JSW Energy to hit capital market in third week of October

JSW Energy plans to hit the capital markets in the third week of October to raise around Rs 3,000 crore by diluting 10 per cent equity stake.

Hero Honda steps up rural touch-points

Over 500 rural sales executives of Hero Honda dealers are now busy meeting the sarpanch, the headmaster and the anganwadi workers in villages all over the country. They are also visiting potential customers at their homes, inviting them to drop in at the company’s dealerships which might be located a few kms away.

US, Canada issue travel alerts warning of terror attacks

The US and Canada have issued fresh travel alerts to its citizens in India, warning them of possible terrorist attacks ahead of Independence Day.

Dish TV gains on fund raising plans

Dish TV has advanced nearly 2% to Rs 44. The stock has touched a high of Rs 45 and a low of Rs 43 during the day. The counter saw trades of 2.56 million shares as against its two-week average quantity of 3.8 million.

Govt decision on IHFL sale likely in 3 months: Official

Public sector lender IDBI Bank expects government"s decision on the sale of its Pune-based home loan subsidiary -- IDBI Home Finance (IHFL) -- in the next three months, a top official said.

Subir Roy: Dogs will be dogs

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JP Associates to invest Rs 4,500-cr in cement project

Jaypee Group firm Jaiprakash (JP) Associates today said it will invest Rs 4,500 crore to take its cement manufacturing capacity from 20 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 33 mtpa by 2012.

Airtel not affected by global slowdown

Telecom company Airtel today said it is not affected by the global slowdown as the sector still had growth prospects and that the recessionary trends are showing signs of ending in many countries.

Jaiprakash Q3 net down 39% at Rs 103 cr

Jaiprakash Associates posted a 38.9 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 103.02 crore for the third quarted ended December 31, 2009.

Local response to a global spread

Pandemics are global, but political calculation to confront them is decidedly local.

Panel to look into vendor complaints against BSNL

To probe the limited issue of disqualification of Nokia Siemens Networks from the 93-million GSM lines tender.

Madhucon hits upper limit on Rs 196 cr order

The stock was locked ta the same upper circuit with buy orders of 22,895 shares pending. Around 4,319 shares were traded on the BSE today.

Simplex Infra Q2 net declines marginally

Simplex Infrastructures profit during the second quarter fell marginally to Rs 27.92 crore from Rs 28.07 crore during the same quarter last year.