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TCS opens global delivery centre in Argentina
Tata Consultancy Services, a leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing firm, announced the opening of a new Global Delivery Centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina - the first company to officially inaugurate its facilities in the new Technology District of the city of Buenos Aires.

Dehoarding, selective import may help reduce inflation: Kaushik Basu
Measures like de-hoarding and selective import of certain items could help tame the soaring food inflation, said Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the finance ministry.

News of the day

Striking difference in groundnut output estimates by SOMA, SEA
Confusion seems to shroud the groundnut industry as production estimates by two of the leading associations in Gujarat show a huge difference of about four lakh tonnes for 2009-10.

Online Business

Indian FMCG players again look for buys, in niche segments

Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) players are once again on the prowl to acquire companies, as the economy picks up.

GCPL: Well done

A better reach in rural markets has helped both the soaps and hair colours businesses.

Sara Lee buy to benefit Godrej Group

Indian company has first right of refusal to buy partner’s stake.

Dabur alleges US firm of infringing on its trademark

FMCG major Dabur has alleged that US-based firm Aveda, which manufactures and sells Ayurvedic cosmetic products, is infringing on the trademark of its skincare range.

\'These are teething pains\'

Kalpana Pathak / New Delhi December 01, 2009, 1:30 IST

20 million handsets without IMEI to go inactive

About 20 million mobile phones without International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) will be non-functional from tomorrow as the government’s deadline to ban mobile handsets without the unique identification number came to an end today.

Around 8,000 CAT students affected in 3 days, admit IIMs

Experts say problem easily avoidable, HRD ministry orders inquiry.

Reliance MF to launch Islamic fund in Malaysia soon

Reliance Mutual Fund will shortly launch an Islamic fund in Malaysia, a top company official said.

Wrong CPI

Sitaram Yechury, the CPI(M) leader, had a tongue-in-cheek explanation for Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee ripping into Brinda Karat during the discussion on inflation in Parliament. According to Yechury, “The FM was talking about the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) but we were telling him to talk about the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which showed a sharp rise in food prices. As we mentioned CPI, he thought we were talking about the political outfit CPI. That might have angered him.”

50% quota for women in urban local bodies

The government today sought to increase the representation of women in urban local bodies by providing 50 per cent reservation to them instead of the existing 33 per cent.

Bank of Maharashtra Q4 net jumps two-fold

Public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra today said its net profit grew over two-fold to Rs 137.33 crore during the fourth quarter of 2008-09 over the corresponding period a year ago.

DB Corp to raise Rs 450 cr via IPO

DB Corp, the publisher of Dainik Bhaskar, which is planning to enter new markets, would tap the capital market next week to raise around Rs 450 crore through an initial public offer.

Food inflation at 19.95%, RBI may hike rates

Food inflation touched more than a decade"s high of 19.95 per cent as of December five, driven by costlier vegetables, pulses, milk, wheat and rice, even as economists said they expected Reserve Bank to hike rates to tame price rise.

Essar\'s Shell acquisition may cost $1.2 billion

Ruias-controlled Essar Oil (EOL) is looking to seal a deal with Royal Dutch Shell at $1-1.2 billion (between Rs 4,670 and 5,600 crore) for acquiring the global petroleum giant’s three refineries in Europe. EOL has presented its valuation of assets to the Shell management and the negotiations are on verge of completion, said banking sources close to the development.

DLF eyes better cash flow by biz integration

Realty major DLF today said its board has approved integration of DLF Assets with DLF Cyber City Developers, a move that will enhance its cash flow through rental income.

Markets rebound

The markets have rebounded into the positive zone owing to fresh buying. The Sensex is now up eight points at 16,927. The Nifty is up two points at 5,045.

UPDATE:NVP invests over Rs 120-cr in Shriram City, owns 8% stake

Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), today said that it has invested over Rs 120-crore into Shriram City Union Finance Limited through a secondary-market block purchase of shares in the company.

IndiaSkills to invest Rs 200 cr for training 1 mn people

IndiaSkills, a joint venture between India"s leading higher learning organisation Manipal Education and UK-based City & Guilds, will invest Rs 200 crore over the next five years to offer vocational training courses across sectors like hospitality and retail.

Developers in state rate draft above final township policy

Disappointed with factors like FSI and NA clearance, real estate developers in Gujarat find draft better than final township policy that has been announced by the state government. After much deliberations, the Gujarat government finally announced the much-awaited regulations for residential townships.

\'Varsities not to be controlled remotely\'

Union minister for human resources development Kapil Sibal on Monday said the university education system in India was set for a major change to promote the habit of research on their own. Congratulating winners of the Infosys Prize 2009 instituted by Infosys Foundation via video conferencing from Delhi, Sibal said the government was taking steps to maintain independence of the universities so that they could not be ‘controlled remotely by any one’.

Bhupesh Bhandari: Online tracking

Bhupesh Bhandari / New Delhi December 03, 2009, 0:30 IST

United Spirits PE deal unlikely to sail through

United Spirits, India’s largest spirits firm from the stables of UB Group, efforts to raise Rs 1,000 crore through the private equity route is unlikely to sail through. United Spirits, owned by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya has been in discussions with global private equity giants including KKR and Capital International to raise resources to largely settle the huge debt pile of the firm.

Air India focussing on cutting cost and increasing revenue

Cash-strapped Air India is focussing on cost reduction of Rs 1,500 crore and revenue enhancement of Rs 1,200 crore as per its turnaround plan and the government would infuse equity into the airline in the next few years, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Reliance Insurance launches 17 ULIPs

Reliance Life Insurance has launched 17 new unit-linked plans to cater to individuals of all age groups.

SpiceJet open to acquisition opportunities

It may be troubled times for the airlines business, but low-cost carrier SpiceJet sees an opportunity in this and is keeping its antenna up to see if some worthwhile carrier comes its way at "right price".

Biscuit makers say they may be forced to raise prices

Rising sugar prices are pushing biscuit manufacturers to plan a rise in their prices. The industry says commodity prices have reached a level beyond which it would be impossible to sustain the pressure and there is no other choice but to pass some of it on to consumers.

Gunning forward

A new “old” Royal Enfield is born. We ride the Enfield Classic.

Mahindra to launch mini truck Maxximo at Auto Expo

Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra today said it will launch its mini truck Maxximo-- the first product from its new facility in Chakan -- at the Auto Expo here during January 5-11.

M&M enters heavy CV segment in partnership with Navistar of US

Farm equipment and utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra today announced its foray into heavy commercial vehicle segment in partnership with Navistar Inc of the United States.

Panel to look into Bhagirathi projects

The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday asked the newly-constituted Ganga River Basin Authority to set up an expert committee to decide the fate of the three key hydel projects on river Bhagirathi.

Aditi sharpens focus on services; to double headcount

Aditi Technologies, an outsourced product and application development firm, is increasing its focus on intellectual property (IP)-led domain services for which it plans to double its headcount to over 2,000 people over the next 18 months. The company hopes this move will help it cross the $120 million mark in revenues during the same period.

Yamaha gears up for new launches next year

Japanese two-wheeler company Yamaha today said it would introduce a new version of its super-bike YZF-R1 in the country next year, and a range of other models and variants from its stable to strengthen its position in India.

Industry wants ban on handsets with cloned IMEI number

Indian Cellular Association (ICA) has demanded counterfeit mobile handsets with cloned International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of other genuine handsets be banned in the country.

Fake IMEI numbers worry DoT, asks telcos not to carry calls

The government has asked mobile operators to comply with national security norms by not carrying calls from fake mobile equipment identification numbers (IMEI) embedded handsets latest by November 30.

Bharat Forge seeks shareholders\' nod to raise $150 mn

Auto component maker Bharat Forge today said it will seek shareholders" approval to raise $150 million (nearly Rs 720 crore) by issue of warrants or bonds.

Shriram Pistons to invest Rs 225 cr to set up plant

Auto component maker, Shriram Pistons & Rings is planning to invest Rs 225 crore for setting up a new manufacturing facility at Pathredi, Rajasthan.

Bharat Forge June qtr net dips 96% to Rs 96 lakh

Auto component maker Bharat Forge today reported 96.38 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 96 lakh for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, over the same period last year.

Fiat aims to sale 50,000 units in next fiscal

Car maker Fiat India is targeting sales of 50,000 units in the next financial year apart from planning a few variants of both its model — Grande Punto and Linea within the next two years.

UTV Software Communications June qtr net loss at Rs 23 cr

Media company UTV Software Communications today reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 23.33 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, against a net profit of Rs 19.88 crore in the same period last year.

Bajaj Hind EGM on Dec 16 for raising Rs 2,000 cr

The country"s largest sugar manufacturing firm, Bajaj Hindusthan, today said its shareholders will meet on December 16 to consider and approve raising of Rs 2,000 crore from domestic and international markets.

Amara Raja to invest Rs 95 cr

Industrial and automotive battery manufacturer Amara Raja Batteries is planning to invest Rs 95 crore in 2009-10 to enhance its manufacturing capacity among others.

Facebook, for those who came in late

It’s simply impossible not to have heard about Facebook. For over five years, this highly successful social networking site has become the definitive place for young adults to upload details about their day-to-day life.

Mumbai civic body to raise Rs 2,000 cr

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is mulling raising funds to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore as India"s richest civic body struggles to overcome a financial crunch created by a projected shortfall in revenue collection and massive expenditure on projects.

Gaining strength

Business Standard / New Delhi October 13, 2009, 0:04 IST

Hiring to pick up in Q3 due to economic recovery: Naukri.Com

Hiring activity particularly in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors is expected to pick up in the third quarter of this fiscal on the back of the country"s economy showing signs of recovery, a top official of online recruitment portal Naukri.Com said.

Mfg slows down in Aug, domestic demand drives growth: PMI

The growth in domestic manufacturing sector slowed down in August though the domestic demand continued to drive recovery despite lower margins. The HSBC Market Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a seasonally adjusted headline index designed to measure the overall health of the manufacturing sector, stood at 53.2 last month down from 55.4 in July.

Wockhardt gets award for patents

Drug maker Wockhardt today said it has been chosen as the pharmaceutical company for the maximum number of patent filings and grants from India.

46 monuments in Delhi to be spruced up before CWG

The government has identified 46 monuments in Delhi for elaborate sprucing up before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Sensex regains 17K in early trades

The Sensex opened 44 points higher at 16,893 on the back of positive global cues. The index soon crossed the 17,000-mark, and is now up 154 points at 17,003.

High carryover in range-bound market

A breakout is more probable, since the market rarely range-trades inside 150-200 points for extended periods.

Shoppers Stop gets board\'s nod for raising funds

Fashion and lifestyle retail chain Shoppers Stop today said its board of directors has approved raising funds by allotting 40 lakh shares to qualified institutional buyers.

Shoppers Stop gets board\'s nod for raising funds

Fashion and lifestyle retail chain Shoppers Stop today said its board of directors has approved raising funds by allotting 40 lakh shares to qualified institutional buyers.

PM may discuss freeing auto fuel prices on Jan 13

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may deliberate on freeing auto fuel prices when he reviews the financial health of state-run oil firms with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Oil Minister Murli Deora on January 13.

SRK paints, Big B sings as B\'wood recalls 26/11

From Shahrukh Khan who turned painter for the occasion to Amitabh Bachchan joining a chorus of singers, India"s film fraternity paid tribute to the heroes and victims of the 26/11 terror attacks.

DTH industry: A glimpse of profits at last!

Things are looking up for the DTH business. Why, then, is everybody so glum?

Bengal promotes new tourist destinations

Although the West Bengal government is reluctant to admit that the political turmoil in the Hills has affected the tourism industry in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas, it is attempting to aggressively market other destinations within the state to ensure a steady inflow of tourists.

Glenmark recovers partial losses

The stock recovered some of its losses to finally end at Rs 258, down over 2% from the previous close. Around 691,753 shares were traded on the BSE as compared to the two-week daily average traded volumes of 698,158 shares on the BSE.

Future Group expects Rs 100 crore from media business next year

Kishore Biyani to revamp existing print media business, introduce tailor-made packages for TV advertisers

TTSL, RCom, others owe Rs 603 cr; Airtel pays highest revenue

Tata Teleservices, Reliance Communications and other private mobile telecom operators owe over Rs 603 crore to the government towards outstanding spectrum charges and licence fee for the last three years.

RNRL renews attack

Anil Ambani-controlled RNRL told the Supreme Court today that Mukesh Ambani’s RIL had put it in a disadvantageous position in terms of price, quantity and tenure in their Gas Supply Master Agreement (GSMA).

Amid telecom tariff war, PMO looks for best option

Cheaper mobile tariffs across the country has even attracted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to explore the various plans offered by the service providers and to have the best option, specific to its requirement.

\'Rlys unlikely to get $13-bn PE funds in 11th Plan\'

The Railways has so far raised a platry $84.8 million through private equity investments against a target of $13 billion for the 11th Plan period as it is yet to roll out investment-friendly models, a study by an industry chamber said here today.

Sumit Bose takes charge as Disinvestment Secy

Sumit Bose, former 13th Finance Commission Secretary, today took charge as Disinvestment Secretary, at a time when the government is expected to come out with a roadmap for its equity sale in PSUs next month.

Life insurers put a lid on losses

Better control on management expenses and income from investments helped top five life insurance companies pare losses in the third quarter of the financial year.

JSPL to set up 1,600 Mw plant in Arunachal

Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) today said its subsidiary, Jindal Power, would set up a 1,600 Mw hydro electric power project on the Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh.

Beware of fraudulent customer calls: Airtel

The largest mobile services provider Bharti Airtel today warned mobile users to avoid responding to suspicious/fraudulent calls which ask for personnel information.

Trent changes gear

Trent is trying hard to make up for lost time. Consider this: In the last 10 years, the retail arm of the Tata Group set up only 68 stores with around one million sq ft of space.

JLR acquisition a terrific decision: Ratan Tata

Tata Group Chief Ratan Tata today termed the buyout of Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) as a "terrific decision" and hoped to bring back glory for the luxury brands.

Small wonder

Little Nano made a big splash last year. Not surprisingly, it tops the Brand Derby ranking as the most successful launch

\'TRAI must keep off price wars\'

Rajya Sabha MP and telecom entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekar on Thursday said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should not intervene in the ongoing price war between mobile telecom service providers.

Golden oldie

Kumar Gallery in Delhi turns 55.

SAIL net profit doubles to Rs 1,676 crore

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), the country"s second largest producer, reported Rs 1,676 crore net profit for the quarter ended December 31, nearly double the Rs 843 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, at the back of rising demand from auto and construction sectors.

ED to visit 5 countries on Koda wealth trail

The court of the special judge, Ranchi, has allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to visit Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Sweden and Liberia to conduct further investigations into money laundering and hawala case involving over Rs 2,000 crore against the former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and his aides.

Training for terrorists comes from Pakistan: Clinton

Expressing concern over series of arrests of US nationals as terror suspects, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said much of the training and direction for terrorists comes from Pakistan and the border area with Afghanistan.

Telcos divided on delinking spectrum, licence issues

Airtel, Vodafone-Essar favour delinking; Reliance, Tata oppose.

Taste the waters

The shop shelves are starting to fill up with fine waters, each claiming to be better and “purer” than the other. Gargi Gupta dips into what’s available.

BSNL, MTNL directed to continue propping up loss-making ITI

The Union government has directed state-run telecom majors, BSNL and MTNL, to continue placing 30 per cent of their product orders with ITI, the loss-making government undertaking.

Maharatna title likely tomorrow

The Cabinet is expected to clear tomorrow the proposal to grant the coveted "Maharatna status" to public sector blue-chips like ONGC, SAIL, BSNL, NTPC and CIL giving them increased autonomy.

Tech heart sets his mind buzzing

Dr Kushagra Katariya, CEO and chief cardiothoracic surgeon of Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, thinks that YouTube can be the smartest way to reach millions in the field of medical science. So long as he is not reading about electricity-generating solar panels, he has no gadget wish-list, and buys whatever he likes, whenever he likes.

Bollywood fans in the US can now watch free films

Anil Ambani-promoted BigFlix and Hulu have teamed up to offer this free service and make money through online advertisements

Transport ministry to use tweeting to bring down accidents

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the International Road Federation (IRF) find the social networking site twitter.com an innovative medium to bring down road fatalities.

Aviva Plc posts profit of 747 mn pounds in H1 2009

Insurance major Aviva Plc returned to the black with profits of 747 million pounds for the first six months of this year on the back of strong contribution from its general insurance business, among others.

India adds 15 mn new wireless users in Aug

A record addition of 15 million wireless telephone user in August has catapulted the total subscriber base in the country to 494.07 million, closer to the government"s 2012 target.

Bharti to buy Bangladesh mobile operator

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is set to buy the majority stake in Bangladesh"s fourth-largest mobile phone operator Warid from its Abu Dhabi-based owners.

BSE Brokers to approach PM, Sebi on market hours extension

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) brokers plan to take up extending trading hours with the Prime Minister and market regulator Sebi.

Goldman plans to expand charity programme: report

Financial services major Goldman Sachs plans to expand a programme that would require executive and top managers to give a certain percentage of their earnings to charity, as it tries to soften criticism over bonus issue, says a media report.

Bharati abides by Sebi advice, revises open offer

Bharati Shipyard said its open offer to acquire 20 per cent stake in Great Offshore was being revised, and it was now under Section 10 of the Takeover Code as advised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

Controversial sugarcane law gets Parliament nod

Parliament today passed a bill that introduces a new sugarcane price regime, after government allayed concerns of Opposition that the states will not be required to pay the difference between the Central and the State Advised Price to farmers.

Work starts to check oil spill from sunken vessel

Work on checking oil spill from MV Black Rose, the sunken vessel, has taken off a day after the visit of the high-level expert team from the Centre.

Nalco up on hike in prices

Nalco closed at Rs 392, higher by Rs 16 or 4.5%, on the BSE.

Haldia Petro expansion viable, says report

Lender have agreed to fund Haldia Petrochemicals" expansion plan, which had suffered cost and time overrun, as a study has found the project viable.

UPDATE:Phase-I of ONGC\'s Brazil project starts

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation"s deep-sea project in Brazil has begun crude oil production and output is projected to touch 1,00,000 barrels a day soon.

Healthy gains for Smart Portfolios

The markets rose steadily for the better part of the week on news of robust GDP numbers and allaying of fears on the Dubai repayment crisis. The S&P CNX 500 index rose over 4 per cent to 4,239, thereby taking the benchmark’s portfolio value higher to Rs 11.04 lakh as against Rs 10.60 lakh in the preceding week.

Centre agrees to form Telangana state

Home Minister P Chidambaram has said the process for forming the new state will be initiated.

\'Passport Seva Project\' to be rolled out in January

After much dilly-dallying, the ‘Passport Seva Project’, which aims at expediting the process of issuance of passport by digitising the passport services, would be rolled out by early 2010.

I don\'t have to worry about Muslims In India

Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi January 31, 2010, 0:21 IST

Oil India net profit up 23%

Oil India Ltd (OIL), the country’s second-largest state-owned explorer, has posted a 23 per cent increase in net profit for the quarter ended December 2009 on the back of higher price realisation due to a reduced subsidy outgo.

Insurers wait yet another year for increase in FDI

The year 2009 saw insurance firms waiting for easing of foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, just as they have done every year for the last five years, but there is promise of the law being amended to this effect next year.

DoP to install GPS in NE for faster mails, parcels

To overcome the difficulties and challenges faced in smooth and timely movement of mails and parcels across North-East due the region’s hilly and thickly forested routes, the department of post (DoP) has decided to install Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to track the movements of its mail motor vehicles in the region.

OBC retains loan growth target of 22%

Indicating an improvement in credit pick-up, State-owned Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), on Thursday said it expected the loan book to grow at 20-22 per cent this financial year.

BSNL places order with Huawei for expansion; no fresh bids

State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) today said it has placed purchase order for mobile equipment for 20 million GSM lines for the south zone with Chinese firm Huawei and will not call for any fresh bids.

Telecom users cross 500-mn mark before targeted date

The total telecom subscriber base in India crossed 500 million at the end of September, taking the overall teledensity to 43.5 per cent. India is the second-biggest and fastest market for wireless services, behind China, which has over 600 million users.

Govt denies ombudsman for telecom sector

The government today ruled out appointing an ombudsman to redress the complaints of poor mobile telephony services, like call drops, saying state-run BSNL and MTNL were taking effective steps to upgrade technology.

Shyamal Majumdar: To Asia, with love

The days of hardship allowance are passé. For a growing number of MNCs, the most effective way to develop global talent is long-term assignments in countries such as India.

Govt studying use of hydrogen as alternative fuel

Government today said it was carrying out research and development for using hydrogen as an alternative fuel for running transport and other power generation applications.

Indecisiveness spreads to stocks futures

The Nifty traded in the positive territory for most part of the day. The index made an intra-day high of 5,167 but closed at 5,103, indicating caution at higher levels. This means the 5,182 level has acted as a strong resistance for the last four days with crucial support remaining at 5,080. It is difficult to predict when the market will move out of the current trading band as indecisiveness has now spread to stocks futures — most traded Nifty components, such as Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, Unitech, DLF, Tata Motors and Suzlon Energy, closed in a Doji pattern today.

Subir Roy: A historic opportunity for SAIL

- Mittal plans 6 mt plant in Karnataka - PSUs to lose out on interest - Capex spending slows in Q2 - Disinvestment of 4 PSUs likely to be completed in two months - SAIL again delays Rs 70,000-cr mega expansion plan - Maoists explode bomb in SAIL mine

Suzlon inks 42 MW contract with Australian firm

Suzlon Energy, one of the leading wind turbine makers, has entered into an agreement with Australia"s Infigen Energy to provide 20 units of wind power generators aggregating to a capacity of 42 MW.

Over 60% employees ready to quit work: survey

If you thought a job is something people are dying to hold on to when the going in the market is tough, you couldn"t be more wrong as a survey has found that more than half are ready to quit work, switch professions or take a break.

Low investment, low returns

Most people think that small investments will lead to lower risks. But the returns are adversely impacted.

Investors lap up DB Corp IPO

This is one of the few IPOs to be oversubscribed in the retail category this year.

Mahesh Vyas: India Inc\'s Prowess

Mahesh Vyas / New Delhi January 2, 2010, 0:54 IST

Auto component sales to rise in 2010: Fitch

Auto component sales in the country are likely to rise in 2010 on the back of positive outlook for cars sales but overseas demand will continue to be sluggish, global rating firm Fitch said.

US cautions its citizens to threats of attacks in India

Apprehending Mumbai-type terrorist attack in various parts of India, the US today alerted its citizens to be cautious during their visit to that country and asked them to defer their travel to Andhra Pradesh as violence continues over issue of separate Telangana state.

RIL discovers third gas reserves in KG basin

Reliance Industries (RIL), the country’s largest private sector company, has announced its third successive gas discovery in the exploration block KG-DWN-2003/1 (KG-V-D3), of NELP-V. The deepwater block KG-DWN-2003/1 is located in the Krishna basin, about 45 kilometers off the coast in the Bay of Bengal. The block covers an area of 3288 square kilometres. RIL holds a 90 per cent participating interest (PI) and Hardy Exploration and Production India Inc holds the rest.

Bank of India Q3 net dips 53% to Rs 405 cr

Public sector lender Bank of India (BoI) today said its net profit declined by 53.50 per cent to Rs 405.50 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, over the same period corresponding fiscal.

Sonata software appoints Venkatraman as head of Strategic Finance

Sonata Software announced the appointment of N Venkatraman as Head-Strategic Finance and Risk Management.

Indian retailers\' earnings to come under pressure: Macquarie

A stuttering GDP growth and high-base effect are likely to push same store sales (SSS) growth and profitability of Indian retailers in the red zone for the January-March 2009 quarter, research firm, Macquarie, said.

IMF inks pact with Sri Lanka on $2.5 bn loan

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached an agreement with Sri Lanka to provide the island nation with about $2.5 billion, to help it in its reconstruction efforts.

SKNL Q3 net profit up 74% to Rs 81 cr

Textile and apparel group SKNL today reported 74.6 per cent jump in its net profit to Rs 80.7 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2009, compared to the same period last fiscal on the back of robust growth in its domestic business.

'We have support of US government, unions on Asarco'

NRI billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Resources today said it would not offer more than the already announced $1.87 billion to buy bankrupt American mining firm Asarco but is confident that it can clinch the deal with the support of the US government and the trade unions.

NKorea\'s defiance warrants international action: Obama

Accusing North Korea of "directly" and "recklessly" challenging the global community by conducting a second nuclear test, US President Barack Obama today said this defiance "warrants action" internationally.

Auto cos report record sales in January

Major auto companies, including Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and General Motors, today reported record sales for January, signalling that the worst is behind for the industry that was battered by the global economic meltdown.

Hope for Spic\'s Tuticorin plant

With the India Oil Corporation (IOC) expressing keenness to supply naphtha again, chances of debt-ridden Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (Spic) resuming operations of its fertiliser plant have increased.

Institutes to enrich Infosys BPO\'s insurance vertical

Infosys BPO, the outsourcing arm of Infosys Technologies, today said it has partnered with the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and the Insurance Institute of America (the Institutes) to enrich its insurance vertical.

Max New York Life launches ULIP plan Shiksha Plus

Private sector life insurer Max New York Life today launched Shiksha Plus, a Unit Linked Plan, to facilitate a child’s aspirations and goals over different phases of student life.

Nifty to find stiff resistance above 5,300

The Nifty futures moved in a narrow band and closed higher at 5,239 on poor volumes in both cash and derivates segments. The trading volume in Nifty January futures declined to 11.86 million shares from around 42 million shares on the first day of the December series. It is difficult to predict the market movement in the near future due to extremely poor volumes. However, the intra-day trading pattern in Nifty futures and options suggested that traders booked profits while bears built short positions at higher levels.

Wen walks \'tightrope\' as overheating threatens China

China’s growth probably exceeded the economy’s speed limit in the fourth quarter, escalating pressure on Premier Wen Jiabao to withdraw stimulus measures even as the government seeks to strengthen domestic demand.

Gained in translation

Keisuke Uno proves that language is no barrier when it comes to cooking.

Hunger on the rise, warns UN

With over one billion people going to bed hungry, the United Nations has warned that the hunger index is rising and appealed to governments and civil societies to "leverage every tool" to combat it.

1 in 3 applications for news channels from Reliance ADAG

Most are for regional languages.

ArcelorMittal moots Rs 30K cr K\'taka steel proj

Steel magnate L N Mittal is today believed to have proposed setting up a Rs 30,000 crore integrated steel plant in Karnataka when he called on the southern state"s Chief Minister B S Yeddyyurappa.

India proposes bilateral talks with EU, US on climate change

India has proposed bilateral dialogue with the US and EU on the issue of climate change on the lines of one it is set to hold with China later this month, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said.

ONGC inks pact for sourcing LNG from Iran

ONGC and ONGC Videsh (OVL), the overseas investment arm of ONGC, in association with the Hinduja Group and Petronet LNG, have entered into two broad enabling agreements with Iranian authorities for participation in development of gas fields and liquefaction facilities in Iran, in return for assured minimum six million tonnes a year of LNG on long-term basis. ONGC made an announcement on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today.

Europe\'s new President this week, but no one\'s sure of outcome

The European Union is holding its collective breath going into Thursday, when a conclave of the heads of its 27 member-states is expected to decide once and for all on the first ever European president.

Jt Secy (Judicial) to depose on sanction to prosecute Kasab

The 26/11 court has issued summons to Shashi Bhushan, Joint Secretary (Judicial) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, to appear as witness to throw light on sanction given to prosecute Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two others on charges of "waging war against the nation".

M J Antony: Punishing the farmer

M J Antony / New Delhi November 25, 2009, 0:06 IST

IIFCL funds also set aside for rly, power

No takers for road, port projects.

India, World Bank sign $4.2 bn loan deals

Assistance will be used to for infra projects, recapitalsation of PSU banks

Sachin\'s bat on eBay auction

All Sachin Tendulkar fans, who are already on a high celebrating the master blaster"s 20 years in international cricket, have another reason to rejoice as they now have a chance to own a bat autographed by him.

India agrees to allocate extra funds for \'Gorshkov\' refitting

India and Russia have finalised a new price for the aircraft carrier "Admiral Gorshkov" after months of protracted negotiations and the refitted warship would be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2012, top Russian officials said today.

Bharti Airtel disappointed with 3G auction delay

Country’s largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel today said it was disappointed by 3G spectrum auction being postponed until next financial year, but would participate when it takes place.

Religare expands investment banking operations

Religare Enterprise is expanding is investment banking division. The financial services company has started an investment banking division to tap opportunities in emerging markets. This new division will be part of Religare Capital Markets Limited (RCML).

Not many buyout opportunities in India: Tata Steel

Asserting that the steel maker has substantial investment plans in India, Tata Steel has said, however, there are not many acquisition opportunities here.

Sunil Jain: Throwing money at the problem

India has a huge infrastructure problem and the solution so far appears to be to throw more money at the problem, without much effort to fix the core issues. A McKinsey analysis suggests India could lose up to around 10 per cent of GDP in the year 2017-18 due to shortage of infrastructure. While this is not a startling result, what is worrying is that the quality of expenditure has gone down with more money being spent. So, in the power sector, actual expenditures have fallen from 75 per cent of those planned in the 9th Plan period to a mere 58 per cent in the 10th one — roughly speaking, the 9th Plan was the NDA period and the 10th Plan the UPA’s first term.

MNCs campaigning against Indian generics in Africa: Sharma

India"s growing share of pharma exports in Africa have caused "concern" among MNCs, which are campaigning against generic medicines from the country, Commerce and Industry minister Anand Sharma said today.

Govt to compensate states\' losses on account of GST

The government has decided to compensate states for any revenue loss on account of the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a move that will encourage states to go in for the new tax structure scheduled to be implemented from April 1, next year.

\'It\'s a mistake, but glacier melting is real\'

Kalpana Jain / New Delhi January 24, 2010, 0:44 IST

MSME ministry to fund innovative entrepreneurship ideas

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has commenced a programme to promote the transformation of novel entrepreneurship ideas into business ventures by funding the projects.

Yeddyurappa confident of hanging on

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Sunday vented his ire on the legislators engaged in “political games” and said the party was seriously viewing the activities of “some legislators who are on jolly trips” at a time when they should be providing relief to the flood-affected.

Milking it

While housewives across the country are complaining about high inflation levels, Mother Dairy has come up with a great advertising idea. It has put out advertisements saying it has not hiked prices of its toned milk and full cream milk. The move comes at a time when some of its competitors (like Amul) have raised prices. Mother Dairy says the advertisement has been issued in the public interest.

Clock makers exit due to high taxes

Faced with a heavy tax burden, the small-scale wall clock makers of Morbi (Gujarat) are diversifying into ceramics, stationery items and retail. Besides, the industry is also losing ground to the metros and cities like Bangalore, where clock manufacturing has started picking up and taxation levels are lower, Morbi players claim.

Steel cluster withers under power shortage

Entrepreneurs in Mandi Gobindgarh blame the state government for not taking concerted steps to support industry.

Parle eyeing 15 per cent growth in UP

India’s largest manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery, Parle Products is eyeing 15 per cent growth in turnover from Uttar Pradesh in the current fiscal.

Parle plays its \'health\' card to take on PepsiCo, ITC

It’s no longer just a war over prices. ‘Health’ appears to be the new proposition from snack makers. PepsiCo recently added a ‘health’ proposition to its bevy, with Aliva. Now Parle Products is performing a similar act with ‘Smart Chips’.

No laws would be imposed on broadcasters: Soni

Allaying fears of broadcasters over content regulation, the Central government today said any regulatory mechanism would be formed only after consultations with stakeholders and the industry"s larger interests will be taken into consideration.

Sops likely for services sector in Foreign Trade Policy

The government is considering extending incentives to the services sector, battling demand recession in Western economies, in the Foreign Trade Policy to be unveiled next month.

India will not accept any change in approach to Doha talks: Sharma

Outlining its stand on the negotiations for finalising the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) talks, the government today said any new approach proposed for discussions would not be acceptable to India.

Sharp fall in Indian exports arrested, says Minister

The government today said in the Lok Sabha that though there were no signs of recovery in the global economic scenario, the sharp fall in Indian exports seems to have been arrested.

ADR, GDR shouldn\'t decide a bank\'s nationality: Kochhar

ICICI Bank has asked the government not to take into account overseas securities such as American Depositary Receipt (ADR) and Global Depositary Receipt (GDR) while deciding on a bank’s nationality.

Centre, state plan solar SEZ in Gujarat

Clinton Foundation"s proposed "Solar Integrated City" project may come up in a special economic zone. The Central government has recently approached the state to consider setting up a solar SEZ in Gujarat.

Fundamental learning, please

A call to Airtel IPTV’s helpline number turns out to be a weird experience

Surajeet Das Gupta: So what's a brand between friends?

MTNL will be one of the few big telecom companies in the world to allow competitors to offer their brand on its network.

BSNL mobile service draws flak in LS

Poor quality mobile services of state-run BSNL today came under sharp attack in the Lok Sabha, even as the government said it was the only operator which has taken maximum load for providing connectivity to rural areas.

SMEs listed on BSE see 11% fall in five years

Contribute a daily trading turnover of around 10 per cent.

New trading hours: No big impact on day one

Equity derivatives volumes on NSE fall, but traders say it’s too early to see a trend.

BHEL bags Rs 91 cr contract from UK firm

State-run BHEL today said it has bagged a Rs 91 crore order from UK-based Power Engineers Contracting company to supply gas turbine generating unit for its Nasiryah power project in Iraq.

L&T bags Rs 6,897-cr order from Mahagenco

One of the largest contracts for thermal power.

Delhi Metro speeds past Kolkata\'s

Kolkata Metro still in red, but DMRC is making operating profits

Exploit low volatility in range-trading market

- FIIs infuse Rs 24,800 cr in Dec quarter - FIIs net buy Rs 516cr, DIIs net sell Rs 472cr - FIIs net sellers Rs 278cr in F&O on Wednesday - FIIs net buyers Rs 695cr in F&O on Tuesday - FIIs net sellers Rs 900cr in F&O on Thursday - Positive returns on the cards, but no sharp surge

Eicher Motors gains on strong Q1 performance

The stock extended gains and surged to a new 52-week high of Rs 360 - up 6.5%. It finally ended at Rs 355, up 4.7%. The counter clocked comparatively heavy volumes of 15,401 shares as against its two-week daily average trade of 3,486.

Bharat Biotech\'s \'INDIRAB\' vaccine sales doubles

Bharat Biotech, a leading manufacturer of vaccines and biotherapeutics, expects its Anti-Rabies vaccine INDIRAB to more than double its sales within the next two years as sales crossed the one crore doses sales mark.

5 more swine flue deaths, 480 outlets to sell Tamiflu

The surge in swine deaths in the country continued today with five more people succumbing to the deadly virus, raising the death toll to 208 even as the government said Tamilflu drug will be available in 480 select chemist outlets.

Sensex strong in opening trades

The Sensex started the day on a very strong note mirroring international cues and on expectation of a good earning season. The Sensex is now at 17,660, up 120 points. The NSE Nifty is 33 points higher at 5,278.

Daiichi Sankyo to raise $1 bn through bonds issue

Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo, the majority shareholder in Indian pharma major Ranbaxy Laboratories, plans to raise 100 billion yen (about $1.04 billion) through public issue of bonds.

Barun Roy: Another lost frontier

Barun Roy / New Delhi December 31, 2009, 0:27 IST

India to unveil strategy for low carbon emission soon

To combat threats of climate change, India will soon unveil a detailed roadmap for a low-carbon growth strategy, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said today.

Novartis: Puppy power

The puppy has come to life. Calcium Sandoz, the 40-year-old calcium supplement brand for kids from Novartis, has long been synonymous with its cute ‘puppy’ packs. The company has now rolled out a television commercial which for the first time features the puppy in action — it helps a kid do his everyday tasks and activities with ease.

The business of waste

Businessstandard / New Delhi December 27, 2009, 0:14 IST

Anti-Posco activists burn letter from Posco

The efforts of Posco India to generate public support for its integrated steel project near Paradeep have aroused the wrath of the anti-Posco activists.

TDP wants AP govt to review its SEZ policy

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today asked the Andhra Pradesh government to review its policy on special economic zones (SEZ) and safeguard the interests of farmers and fishermen while implementing them.

Sanofi Pasteur buys majority stake in Shantha Bio

French pharma major Sanofi-aventis today said its vaccine division Sanofi Pasteur has acquired majority stake in Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotechnics, which has been valued at euro 550 million (over Rs 3,770 crore).

JSW Steel zooms on robust growth in steel prod

JSW Steel ended the day at Rs 1134, stronger by Rs 110 or 10.8%, on the BSE.

Protesters hold blockades, transport hit

Even as Union Home Minister P Chidambaram appealed to political parties in Andhra Pradesh to restore peace, transport across the state was crippled on Tuesday.

DRL net doubles to Rs 217 cr

Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd (DRL) more than doubled its net profit to Rs 217 crore during the July-September quarter compared to Rs 105 crore in the same period last year, its consolidated results announced today show.

SAIL Q3 sales grow 23% on construction demand

The country"s largest steel maker, Steel Authority of India (SAIL), today reported a 32 per cent growth in sales at 1.3 million tonnes in December 2009.

Bosch develops diesel engine for Nano

The German auto component major Bosch today said it developed a special diesel engine in partnership with Tata Motors, the makers of the Rs 1-lakh car Nano.

Nano vendors will shift to Sanand by March

Nearly 60 vendors will move to the vendor park at Tata Nano’s Sanand plant by March next year. The rollout of the car is set for the January to March quarter, and vendors will feed the plant at existing locations till they shift.

RInfra bags Rs 1,725 cr road project

Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Infrastructure today said its consortium has bagged a project worth Rs 1,725 crore for building roads in Maharashtra from the National Highway Authority of India.

Centre to develop plastic parks

The Centre, in a bid to help the Indian plastic industry increase economies of scale to take on the US, China and other countries, plans to set up plastic clusters or parks across the country.

Letters: Pay farmers their due

The Allahabad High Court’s judgment quashing the land acquisition for the ADAG group power plant is more than just the issue of the UP government not following proper procedure. At the heart of this is the reluctance of Indian industry to pay farmers the correct price for their land.