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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.

PMO calls meeting on BSNL on Jan 6
The Prime Ministers" Office (PMO) has convened a meeting with the Telecom Ministry on January 6 to discuss the issues plaguing the state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL), including its declining revenues and market share.

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JSW to set up 10 power plants in Barmer
JSW Energy will set up 10 power plants with a capacity of 1,350 mega watt (Mw) in all, in Rajasthan"s Barmer district.

Management

Srivastava takes over as Nalco CMD

Abhay Kumar Srivastava, the chairman and managing director of Cement Corporation of India (CCIL) today took over as CMD of navratna public sector unit, National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco).

Nalco to foray into energy sector

National Aluminium Company (Nalco), a leading producer of aluminium in the country, intends to enter the energy sector as an independent power producer.

Nalco granted bauxite mining lease in Andhra

The Centre has approved the proposal for grant of mining lease (ML) to the state-owned National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) over Gudem and Katamraju Konda bauxite blocks in Andhra Pradesh. The AP government had earlier sent its recommendations in favour of the company to the Centre for the same property. The two deposits are estimated to have 85 million tonne of bauxite.

The great synthesiser

Business Standard / New Delhi December 15, 2009, 0:24 IST

Udyog Software in talks with SEZ developers in Gujarat

Mumbai-based Udyog Software, is in talks with Special Economic Zone (SEZ) developers in Gujarat for its tax software solutions. Udyog Software, which provides technology solutions to number of businesses in areas of Payroll Solutions, Tax Compliance Solutions, Integrated Solutions and ERP implementations, now plans to tap both SEZ developers as well as the upcoming units in it.

Punjab govt to review 18 IT SEZ projects

After having launched a new IT policy this month offering incentives to attract investments in the sector, the Punjab government will now review the proposed 18 IT SEZ projects and IT parks in a meeting tomorrow to decide on "serious" IT players.

Udyog Software in talks with SEZ developers in Gujarat

Mumbai-based Udyog Software, is in talks with Special Economic Zone (SEZ) developers in Gujarat for its tax software solutions. Udyog Software, which provides technology solutions to number of businesses in areas of Payroll Solutions, Tax Compliance Solutions, Integrated Solutions and ERP implementations, now plans to tap both SEZ developers as well as the upcoming units in it.

Indo-China border differences can be resolved: Pranab

India has said it does not visualise any conflict with China on border issues and that the two countries have agreed to resolve their differences through dialogue.

Ahluwalia Contracts bags four orders worth Rs 242 cr

Construction firm Ahluwalia Contracts India today said it has bagged four orders worth Rs 242 crore from various vendors for construction-related works.

Mamata moots rail coach factory in Singur

Setting up of a rail coach factory in collaboration with the West Bengal government or on the public-private-partnership model at the abandoned Tata Motors’ Nano project site at Singur was today mooted by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Gulf in Dubai

Business Standard / New Delhi November 30, 2009, 0:40 IST

India Eco Summit: \'National panel to tackle pandemics needed\'

Coordination at the national level will help in the screening of suspected influenza patients.

Car sales jump 34%, bikes up 14% in Oct

Domestic passenger car sales have recorded 33.88 per cent increase at 1,32,615 units in October from 99,052 units in the same month last year.

Rajdhani hijack: CRPF files FIR against Maoists

In an apparent damage control in the Rajdhani Express hijack drama, a second FIR naming Maoists and a group backed by them has been filed by the Central Resreve Police Force (CRPF) after the Railway Police Force (RPF) filed the first report against “unknown persons”.

Bharti Airtel rejigs top management

Bharti Airtel, in a major management restructuring today, appointed Sanjay Kapoor as CEO of India and South Asia operations. Kapoor replaces Manoj Kohli, who will now be the CEO of newly created entity International Business Group of Bharti Airtel and joint managing director.

Koda aides fail to show up as I-T deadline ends

The deadline set by the Income Tax (I-T) Department to record the statements of at least six associates of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda today expired without them appearing.

Gulf Oil\'s rights issue likely in Dec

To raise Rs 80 crore for working capital requirements

ONGC-Hinduja JV loses rights to dev Iran\'s oilfield to China

In a major setback to India"s oil diplomacy, the ONGC-Hinduja Group alliance has lost the rights to develop Iran"s South Azadegan oilfield to CNPC of China.

Rice procurement up despite low kharif output

In spite of a 15 per cent decline in the kharif rice output, the government’s rice procurement in the ongoing kharif marketing season is marginally up at 14.85 million tonnes due to an increase in purchase from the ‘grain bowl’ states of Punjab and Haryana even though procurement is down in states like Uttar Pradesh (UP), Andhra Pradesh (AP).

Hyundai Motor December sales up 22%

Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter ended the year on a high note with domestic sales growing by 42.6 per cent while exports grew by 9 per cent, said a company press release. Cumulative growth stood at 22.6 per cent for the month ending December, 2009.

MRF zooms 20% on four-fold jump in net

MRF finally settled with 16.5% increase at Rs 4,454. The counter witnessed trades of 61,745 shares, as against its two-week average traded quantity of 9,607, which is a massive increase of 521,38.

$1.2 bn grant for electronic health records: Biden

As the Obama administration works to garner support for healthcare reform, about $1.2 billion in grants were announced today to help hospitals and healthcare providers implement and use electronic health records.

Kharif crop output to fall 15-20%: FM

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the production of Kharif or summer crop would decline by 15-20 per cent, as 252 districts in 10 states are drought-hit.

Government formation after NCP LP leader election: Chavan

As the Congress endorsed him for another term as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Ashok Chavan said, he did not expect any problem in the government formation exercise, which would begin after ally NCP elected the leader of its legislature party.

Mamata eyes Jharkhand votes

Buoyed by the Trinamool Congress’ success in the just-concluded Arunachal Pradesh elections in which it won five seats, party chief Mamata Banerjee has decided to field candidates in the upcoming Jharkhand elections as well. Even as the Congress is irked by Banerjee’s zeal as her party eats into its votebank, Banerjee is determined to make the Trinamool a registered national party by increasing its vote share in other states. The two parties are partners in the United Progressive Alliance but Banerjee is yet to decide if the Trinamool will support the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh or sit in the opposition. Banerjee is also looking at constituencies in the East Singhbhum area — with a considerable Bengali population — as her target constituencies in Jharkhand.

Small biscuit firms urge govt to reduce input costs

The Indian Biscuits Manufacturer’s Association (IBMA) has appealed to the government to bring down the prices of wheat, sugar, edible oil and milk powder — the ingredients used for biscuit manufacturing.

Bharat Biotech to test swine flu vaccine in 2 months

Hyderabad-based vaccines and biotherapeutics manufacturer Bharat Biotech, which is getting ready with an indigenous H1N1 swine flu candidate vaccine, would go for clinical trials in two months, according to its chairman and managing director Krishna M Ella.

RIL wins city-gas rights for 3 centres

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has bagged rights to retail CNG to automobiles and pipe gas to households in two cities of Andhra Pradesh and one in Madhya Pradesh.

Hearing in RIL-RNRL dispute may be deferred to Sept 4

The Supreme Court is likely to defer the gas dispute between Mukesh Ambani group firm RIL and Anil Ambani group company RNRL to September 4, as the chief justice may lead a Constitutional Bench the same day.

HC issues notice to Centre on non-appointment of NHRC chairman

The Delhi High Court today sought an explanation from the Centre as to why it was not appointing chairman of National Human Rights Commission, a post lying vacant since June.

Novartis raises stake in Indian arm to 76.42%

Swiss drug maker Novartis AG has hiked its stake to 76.42 per cent in its Indian subsidiary Novartis India pursuant to the completion of open offer.

Raj Oil Mills ends at marginal discount on debut

Raj Oil Mills finally settled at Rs 118 on the BSE today. The debutant touched an intra-day high of Rs 133, up 6.5% from its opening. The counter clocked a volume of over 17.3 million shares on the first day.

SC to start final hearing on gas row on Oct 20

The Supreme Court today decided to commence the final hearing on the high-profile gas dispute between the group firms of Mukesh Ambani and his younger brother Anil from October 20.

BoR ties up with Bajaj Auto to offer vehicle loans

Private-sector lender, Bank of Rajasthan(BoR) today entered into a tie-up with Bajaj Auto to offer two-wheeler loans.

Daiichi FY\'09 loss at $3.45 bn on fall in Ranbaxy scrips

Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo today reported a loss of $3.45 billion during the financial year 2008-09, and said it was on account of a steep fall in share prices of Ranbaxy, which it acquired last year.

Piramal Life starts trial of new diabetes drug

Piramal Life Sciences has commenced phase I trial of a new experimental drug molecule P2202 for diabetes metabolic syndrome in Canada. P2202 is the second compound from Eli Lilly and is part of the collaborative agreement between two companies and is being developed for diabetes metabolic syndrome.

NEWSALERT-Musharraf to appear in Pak SC

Pakistan Supreme Court summons former President Pervez Musharraf to appear before it.

Spencer's to prune investments per store

Spencer’s, the retail arm of the Rs 13,500-crore RPG Enterprises, will be focusing more on large format stores this fiscal and prune down investments per store in order to beat recession blues and turn the company profitable.

Patent row: SC allows TVS Motors to manufacture \'Flame\'

The Supreme Court today allowed TVS Motor Co to manufacture ‘Flame’, the 125 cc bike which was caught in a patent row with Bajaj Auto Ltd. But the finished two-wheelers would not leave the company’s warehouse. Both parties were also restrained from using the order for any purpose, including publicity.

STPI-Berhampur fails to attract IT majors

The third Software Technology Park of India (STPI), being set up in Orissa at Ambapua on the outskirts of Berhampur, has failed to attract major IT companies even though the construction work on the STPI centre is nearing completion.

Bank of Maharashtra net down 7%

Public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra reported 7 per cent drop in net profit to Rs 112 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 as against Rs 120.6 crore in the year-ago quarter.

'Till we're viable, no one will invest in radio'

Shuchi Bansal / New Delhi July 03, 2009, 0:22 IST

Govt tables paper to prevent surrogate ads on tobacco, alcohol

In a bid to prevent surrogate advertising of alcohol and tobacco products on television, government has tabled a paper in Parliament to implement various provisions to this effect.

Failure to ink legally binding climate deal unfortunate: Japan

Japan today termed as "unfortunate" the failure of the Copenhagen climate talks to deliver a legally binding agreement to tackle global warming.

\'Accord appears to be complete betrayal of poor, weaker nations\'

Business Standard / December 27, 2009, 0:21 IST

Consultants, banks to help cos raise funds for CDM projects

Raising finance for companies eyeing renewable energy projects would no more be a tough task as banks and consultants are working on innovative solutions to help these companies.

US Senate set to pass health care bill by Christmas

After months of tough negotiations, Senate Democrats have come together to back a sweeping health care legislation, providing a powerful boost for President Barack Obama"s top domestic policy goal that promises to extend medical coverage to 31 million Americans.

Pyramid Saimira moves SAT

Chennai-based entertainment company Pyramid Saimira Theatre Limited (PSTL) has moved the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) against market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)’s order, which had banned the company in November 2009 from trading in the Indian securities market for seven years following irregularities in its initial pubic offering (IPO).

Web Exclusive: Yields in bond market expected to remain at current levels

Despite reasonably comfortable liquidity conditions, the long term bond yields have inched up significantly during the last few months. The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond surged by almost 100 basis points between April 17, 2009 and and September 10, 2009. The huge Government borrowing programme for the current fiscal to fund the mounting fiscal deficit has largely been responsible for the spike in the G-sec yields. The net market borrowing of the Central Government through issue of dated securities in FY10 is estimated to be Rs 3,97,957 crore, of which the Government has raised Rs 2,43,911 crore so far (up to September 4, 2009; including Rs 28,000 crore of MSS de-sequestering).

Novartis gains on hopes of flu vaccine order

Novartis India surged over 4% to Rs 447. The scrip touched a high of Rs 450 and a low of Rs 434 during the day. The counter witnessed a volume 13,914 shares, which is more than two-fold increase in its two-week average traded quantity of 5,919 shares.

Novartis India to quadruple its business in 5 years

Novartis India, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Novartis AG, is all set to grow its business revenues by four times in the next five years. The company"s over-the-counter business unit is looking at introducing more products in the consumer healthcare segment.

Goldman Sachs expected to post profit in March-June quarter

Wall Street investment banker Goldman, which took federal money a few months ago to save itself from bankruptcy, is expected to announce profits for the March-June period, media reports said.

Goldman Sachs loses grip on its doomsday machine

Never let it be said that the Justice Department can’t move quickly when it gets a hot tip about an alleged crime at a Wall Street bank. It does help, though, if the party doing the complaining is the bank itself, and not merely an aggrieved customer.

Suzlon receives 21 Mw order from Gujarat Alkalies

Suzlon Energy bagged a repeat order from Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals (GACL) to set up, operate and maintain a 21 megawatt (Mw) wind energy project in Maliya Miyana in the Rajkot district, Gujarat. The project will comprise of 14 units of Suzlon"s S82-1.5 Mw wind turbines.

Ford, Nissan, Tesla to get govt loans: AP source

The Energy Department is lending money to the Ford Motor Co and two other automakers from a $25 billion fund to develop fuel-efficient vehicles, congressional officials said.

Need to make SEZ laws error-free

Trinamool Congress leader and new Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for a review of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) policy. Whoever takes over as the Union commerce minister will have to do it in any case, as it is nearly four years since the SEZ Act, 2005, came into effect and over three years since the SEZ Rules, 2006, were put in place. A performance assessment can do no harm but certainly the SEZ developers who have already acquired land and sunk their money in developing infrastructure and the units, which have obtained approvals and started their operations, should not be left wondering for long as to whether any policy changes will affect them. They need to be assured quickly that any policy changes will affect only the intending SEZ developers and SEZ units.

F&O OUTLOOK: Resistance seen above 5,100 level

The Nifty formed another Doji pattern today after moving in a narrow band of 50 points, indicating indecisiveness among participants ahead of Christmas holidays in US and European markets. The index closed below its crucial trendline support level of 5,050, while maintaining its 50-day daily moving average (DMA) support at 5,000.

Resistance seen above 5,100 level

The Nifty formed another Doji pattern today after moving in a narrow band of 50 points, indicating indecisiveness among participants ahead of Christmas holidays in US and European markets. The index closed below its crucial trendline support level of 5,050, while maintaining its 50-day daily moving average (DMA) support at 5,000.

Growth rate could decline to 6% in Q3: Pronab Sen

The government today said economic growth rate could decline to 6 to 6.5 per cent in the third quarter (October-December 2009) on account of the impact of drought and floods on agriculture production.

BSA Motors seeks road tax waiver from Gujarat government

In its hope to see electric two-wheeler sales rising in Gujarat, Chennai-based BSA Motors, a business unit of Tube Investments of India (TII), part of the Rs 15,646 crore Murugappa Group, has submitted a memorandum with the state government seeking eight per cent waiver in road tax, reduction in VAT as well as provision of subsidy for the products. Once implemented, BSA Motors hopes to achieve 15 per cent of its total sales target from Gujarat.

Murugappa group to invest Rs 586 cr in group firms

The Chennai-based Murugappa grorup, which crossed Rs 15,500 crore in turnover, is planning to invest Rs Rs 586 crore in 2009-10 through its group companies.

Biocon hums with plans, pitches for global top 3 slot

Biocon was scouting for more strategic alliances and exploring opportunities for outlicensing its biotech drugs under development, as it pitches for a slot among the top three bio-pharmaceutical players across the globe, said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director.

Worst may be over for major Indian IT firms

Notwithstanding the growing concern over an appreciating Indian rupee against the US dollar which could eat into their operating (Ebitda) margins, major Indian IT services providers believe the worst is behind the sector.

UPDATE:Meeting of CMs of Naxal-hit states next month: Chidambaram

A meeting of chief ministers of Naxal-hit states will be held next month to discuss the menace which has assumed alarming proportions in some states.

Bajaj Auto gets European patent for ExhausTEC

Leading auto maker Bajaj Auto today said its technology ExhausTEC, which helps improve performance of a two-wheeler, has been granted a patent by the Munich-headquartered European Patent Office.

Orissa yet to decide on investing in power PROVIDERs

With the private distribution companies in the state incurring a cumulative loss of about Rs 2740 crore by the end of 2008-09, the Orissa government is yet to take a decision on the suggestion of Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) to invest about Rs 900 crore for improving the quality of power in the state.

ACYF blames officials for power crisis

The current power crisis in Orissa, which was a power surplus state till a few months back, is the fallout of the lapses of the officials of the state energy department, according to the Anti Corruption Youth Forum (ACYF).

GMR initiates plans for 800-Mw, Rs 3,200-cr coal power plant

GMR Infrastructure, the Rs 4,500-crore Bangalore-based infrastructure developer with a focus on power generation, airports development, highways and urban infrastructure, is understood to be initiating plans for an 800-Mw coal-fired power plant on the eastern coast of India.

Areva to hive off T&D biz, to sell Indian arm

French power equipment maker Areva is all set to dispose of its transmission and distribution business, including its Indian arm Areva T&D.

Gets warning against \'illegal mining\'

The Centre today warned the Vedanta group that it can be prosecuted if it resorts to “illegal mining” of bauxite at Niyamgiri in Orissa since it has been given only in-principle approval. “They have got environmental approval in-principle. They have not got full forest clearance. If mining is taking place in Niyamgiri, then it is illegal,” Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said in the Rajya Sabha.Replying to a debate on the working of his ministry, he said the ‘in principle’ nod given to the group would not mean sanction for the mining operations.

KEC Int hits 52-week high on Rs 471cr order

The stock zoomed to a new 52-week high of Rs 470, up 12% from the day"s low. It finally closed with a huge gain of 9% at Rs 461. The volumes rose more than three-fold to 59,646 shares from its two-week daily average trade of 18,153 shares on the BSE.

Newsmaker: David Smith

S Kalyana Ramanathan / New Delhi January 29, 2010, 0:51 IST

Tata Motor begins distribution of Prima World Trucks

Tata Motors has started distribution of its Prima range of World Trucks, unveiled in May. The first product, the Prima 4028 S, is a 40-tonne 266-PS (Cummins ISBE engine) tractor with a 9-speed ZF transmission, a matching trailer with new generation brakes, ABS and specialised axles for heavy-duty and high-speed application. The tractor’s air-conditioned cabin includes reclining seats, adjustable steering wheels and arm rests for driver comfort. It has got sleepers to facilitate long-distance travel.

Sona Koyo Steering Q2 net at Rs 3.71 crore

Auto component maker Sona Koyo Steering Systems reported an unaudited profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 3.71 crore for the quarter ended September 30.

RIL pumping out over 50 mmscmd gas from KG Basin: Govt

Reliance Industries (RIL) is currently producing over 50 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) of natural gas from the KG Basin D-6 fields, the government said today.

Power traders make a pitch for higher trading margin

Power traders have opposed a Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) draft suggesting trading margin of 7 paise per unit if the sale rate is more than Rs 3 on a short-term trading market.

Markets recover losses; IT index up 1%

The Sensex after moving in the negative terrain for quite some time has rebounded into the green on the back of buying in the IT shares. The Sensex is now at 16,898, up 21 points.

Toyota may launch Prius by Jan

Likely to kickstart its hybrid plans for India by a preview at Auto Expo 2010

FIIs expect a strong pullback

The Nifty closed in a Doji pattern on the last day of this month’s expiry today, indicating continuation of indecisiveness in the next series. Global cues are strong and hence the Nifty is likely to trade above 4,800 with strong support at 4,820.

External debt repayment up 7% in H1

The country paid over 7 per cent higher amount in repaying its external debt at $7.67 billion during the first six months of this fiscal over the year-ago period, despite a soft interest rate regime globally.

Srei Infra to raise up to $200 mn through ECBs

The country’s largest power generator, NTPC Ltd, will be officially powering the Commonwealth Games being held next year. It has got marketing rights for the games that will held in New Delhi next year, in return for a Rs 50-crore sponsorship.

IDBI Bank zeroes in on Federal Bank for acquisition

State-owned IDBI Bank is believed to have zeroed in on Kerala-based private sector lender Federal Bank for acquisition.

Low rates help banks post robust growth

Low interest rates helped banks report healthy growth in the third quarter of the current financial year.

IMF warns of excessive capital inflow in Asian economies

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned today against excessive capital inflow in some Asian countries although he said the IMF sees no imminent threat of asset price bubbles.

PM asks bureaucrats to be innovative and quick

Talking to the civil servants, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked them to be innovative and quick, saying people resent "apathy, sloth and corruption" at any level of government more than ever before.

Policy review: Banks with funds to emerge winners

India is clearly showing strong growth, as outlined by the RBI which stated that the output gap is narrowing with economy operating close to potential and raised its baseline projection for GDP growth in FY10 to 7.5 per cent from 6 per cent forecast in October 2009 in the monetary policy announced today.

BJP, not Yeddy, likely to take legal action against Gowda

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is not likely to initiate any legal action against former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda for using unparliamentary language against him but the state unit of BJP has threatened to file a suit against the JD(S) Chief.

Darling tells bankers to do their jobs

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said bankers should stop complaining and get to work.

Trai contemplating regulations for telecom tower biz

Telecom regulator Trai is mulling to bring the tower business of telecom companies under the ambit of regulations so that the Department of Telecom can consider a separate policy for the segment at a later stage.

DoT seeks MHA\'s views on security clearance by telecom firms

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has opposed general security clearance to few major equipment vendors like Ericsson, Nokia-Siemens, Motorola and Huawei and has sought Home Ministry"s view on the issue, a move that could delay execution of expansion plans of telcos.

Ball to start rolling for 3G auction tomorrow

Finally starting the process to auction 3G spectrum to potential telecom operators, the government is likely to issue guidelines giving details about the number of blocks to be sold and other related information.

Vedanta plans steel plant in state with L&T

After committing an investment of Rs 60,000 crore on various projects in Orissa including an aluminium smelter plant, an alumina refinery unit and a mega university project, London-based Vedanta Resources Plc has now evinced interest in setting up a steel plant in the state.

Early birds on a high post profits spike

Some big boys disappoint, but India Inc’s Oct-Dec show has been impressive.

KVB net profit jumps 28%

Karur Vysya Bank has reported a net profit of Rs 75.87 crore for the quarter ended December 2009, registering an increase of 28 per cent over the corresponding period previous year. The bank had reported a net profit of Rs 59.25 crore in the same period last year, Karur Vysya Bank said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

R-Infra wins Rs 11,000 cr Mumbai Metro-II project

Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra), part of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has won Mumbai Metro Line–II project from Maharashtra government. The estimated cost of project is around Rs 11,000 crore.

Lessons to learn from markets

There is money to be made. But remember the basics

Markets remain weak

The Sensex is quoting at 16757, lower by 102 points, and the Nifty is at 4996, down 39 points.

BofA appoints Brian Moynihan as President and CEO

Financial services major Bank of America today said its consumer banking chief Brian T Moynihan will replace Kenneth D Lewis as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company on January 1, 2010.

Reliance Power profit rises 26%

The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s Reliance Power today reported a 26.45 per cent rise in its third quarter consolidated net profit at Rs 133.64 crore, against Rs 105.68 crore in the year-ago period.

Big TV ties-up with real estate firms to market DTH services

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company Reliance Big TV today said it has reached deals with real estate developers to market its Direct-To-Home television services in their residential building projects.

Yahoo! logins into black; posts $153 mn Q4 profit

Internet giant Yahoo! has posted a profit of $153 million (Rs 693 crore) in the quarter ended December 2009 on the back of improving advertising market.

Not the change he wanted

Business Standard / New Delhi January 27, 2010, 0:46 IST

Acquisition cost of Bollywood films falls 30-60%

Broadcasters are increasingly opting for non-exclusive rights of films this year.

Dip in foreign tourist arrivals in September

Notwithstanding the high voltage overseas road shows and Incredible India campaign, the decline in foreign tourist arrivals in the country continues.

LG sets up brand shop

LG Electronics, the global manufacturer and marketer of consumer electronics and home appliances, today opened one brand showroom ‘LG Shoppe’ at Samantarapur in Bhubaneswar. Arvind Kumar, the branch head of Orissa, inaugurated the premium brand showroom.

LG aims to sell 3 lakh units by 2010

South Korean consumer durables major LG today said it plans to give a push to its LED TV sales by launching more advanced versions of it in 2010 and expects to sell up to 3 lakh units by the end of next year.

OECD jobless rate unchanged at 8.8% in Nov

The unemployment rate in the OECD region — a grouping of 27 developed and developing nations — stood at 8.8 per cent in November 2009, amid the global labour market slowly witnessing signs of stabilisation.

AV Rajwade: OTC vs exchange-traded

AV Rajwade / New Delhi December 21, 2009, 0:43 IST

Exports still in red, at $14.1 bn in Oct

Month-on-month decline arrested; figure expected to turn positive from Jan

Gold strikes fresh peak of Rs 18,550

Gold continued its rising spree today to set a fresh record at Rs 18,550 per ten gram in the bullion market today as dollar remained weak.

India imports nearly 18 tonnes gold in May

India"s gold imports stood at about 18 tonnes in May, nearly two tonnes less than that in April, on account of high prices and low demand in domestic markets.

India\'s climate change stand invited criticism in 2009

Challenges posed by climate change hit centrestage in 2009 which saw the government doing a flip-flop ahead of the crucial Copenhagen summit even as the Opposition and experts alleged that India succumbed to pressure from rich nations on emission cuts.

GST: Exemption list of panel shows error

If something is not taxable at all, can one exempt it? Obviously not. If one does it, it is conceptually meaningless and even absurd. Taking an excise example, it is like saying that free air is exempt. If free air is not taxable, it cannot be exempted by the government. Precisely this type of conceptual error is visible in the exemption list suggested in the Report of the Task Force of the 13th Finance Commission .

BSE suspends short selling in four scrips from July 31

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today said short selling in four scrips, including Corporation Bank and IndusInd Bank will not be available on the bourse with effect from July 31.

Venture funds turn to entrepreneurs-in-residence

What do Cannan Partners and Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad have in common? They have both appointed an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR).

PricewaterhouseCoopers makes a new beginning, with caution

Vishesh Chandiok, the national managing partner of Grant Thornton India, now spends a lot of time while signing on new clients. He runs thorough background checks on any new company that comes to him – is the management too aggressive, what is its attitude towards financial reporting? Even old clients who want to renew the contract are put through the tests. “In the last one year, we have dropped 15 clients,” says Chandiok. “Some of them for this reason.”

Centre to announce national manufacturing policy by June

The government today said it would come out with a national manufacturing policy by the end of June this year to attract overseas investment and promote industrial activity in the country.

Tanla calls off city expansion plans

Tanla Solutions Limited, a city-based telecommunications software and services provider, has called off its plans to set up a new development centre in Hyderabad and a backup/ disaster recovery centre in Bangalore. The company had earmarked Rs 77.26 crore and Rs 12.78 crore respectively for its Hyderabad and Bangalore expansion.

Life insurance industry death claims payout rises 21% in Q1

The Life Insurance industry paid 20.74 per cent higher death benefit to its policy holders at Rs 1,717 crore during the first quarter of the current fiscal.

Miners seek graded royalty on ore

India exports 100 million tonnes of iron ore to China.

A year on, mobile banking yet to buzz

RBI wonders if banks are doing enough to push the service.

Bank provisioning norms remain reactive, says BIS

The financial supervisors in Asia have tightened the norms to make provisions for non-performing loans after the crisis hit many countries in late 1990s. But the provisioning stance still remained reactive to shifts in the business cycle, according to a Bank of International Settlements (BIS) study.

Soren to move confidence motion on January 7

JMM chief Shibu Soren was today sworn in as chief minister of Jharkhand for the third time at a ceremony which was skipped by top leaders of coalition partner BJP, and will take a floor test in the Assembly on January 7.

GHCL AGM ascertains promoters at the helm

Promoters aim to hike stake; Dalmia’s stake over 25%

Markets snap four-day winning streak

The markets ended their four-day winning streak as global indices closed lower. The Sensex closed at 17,343, weaker by 57 points, and the Nifty closed flat at 5,169. The broader indices, however, outperformed the benchmark indices. The consumer durables pack was the leading sectoral gainer for the second day in a row while FMCG and metals showed weakness.

PSUs ONGC, SAIL, NTPC get Maharatna status

Mega public sector undertakings ONGC, SAIL and NTPC got greater financial and operational autonomy after the government today accorded the Maharatna status to these firms to help them emerge as global giants.

Citibank launches first universal mortgage account

Citibank today launched CitiHome One, a first-of-its-kind universal mortgage product, that would enable customers to get a home-loan as a combination of a conventional term-loan and credit line.

\'Disabled employees to get equal insurance benefits\'

The Centre today informed the Delhi High Court that differently-abled government employees will be eligible for equal benefits for the postal life insurance policy with maximum limit of Rs five lakh.

Assocham for reforms in Hry land laws

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has urged the Haryana government to reform its land laws in a bid to attract companies to invest in the state.

Selling 10% coal through e-auction checks malpractices

The government today said selling 10 per cent of coal through e-auction by the Coal India Limited has helped checking malpractices, corruption and black marketing.

Consumers peeved at inferior coal quality

The coal consumers drawing coal from the Basundhara coal block under the command area of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) continue to grapple with the problem of inferior quality of coal supplied to them.

Markets remain subdued

Markets continue to trade subdued.

Future Value Retail to start functioning from Jan 1

Kishore Biyani-led Pantaloon Retail India Ltd (PRIL) will hive-off its value segments--Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar-- into a separate company called Future Value Retail from January 1.

T N Ninan: Good to great

T N Ninan / New Delhi December 5, 2009, 1:54 IST

Emission cut will fuel more eco-friendly cars

Welcoming the government’s plan to cut down carbon emission intensity by 20-25 per cent by 2020, India’s automobile industry said it will compel manufacturers to produce greener cars with improved mileage.

US markets end flat

US markets ended flat on Tuesday. The Dow dropped two points to 10,545 while the Nasdaq slipped three points to 2,288.

Sovereign guarantee to NHAI on per case basis

Providing a sovereign guarantee to the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) borrowings will be decided on a case-to-case basis by the finance ministry.

Opto Circuits\' US arm in supply pact with European firm

Bangalore-based medical diagnostics products maker, Opto Circuits (India) Ltd (OCI) has announced that its wholly-owned US-based

Japan PM promises to link rupee with yen to boost FDI

In yet another move to increase the flow of Japanese investment into India, visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama today assured India’s leading industrialists and bankers to look into the option of directly linking the rupee and yen.

Indian drug makers maintain pace of US marketing approvals

Twenty five Indian generic drug makers got a little over 200 approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009, half a dozen more than the number approved in 2008.

Sensex ends down 201pts

The Sensex finally ended (provisional) with a loss of 201 points at 16,993. The NSE Nifty was down 59 points at 4,983.

Sensex slips again; realty index down 2%

The Sensex after attempting recovery has once again slipped into the red. The index is now at 16,677, down 108 points. The NSE Nifty is at 4,947, down 42 points.

RIL\'s Haryana SEZ, 10 others asked to seek fresh licence

The Centre has refused to extend the in-principle approvals to as many as 11 SEZ projects, including the Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Haryana SEZ, Posco India and Indiabulls Infrastructure, stating that the rules do not allow giving them more time for implementation.

Caraco shock: Sun Pharma to revise guidance

Sun Pharma today said it would revise the revenue guidance for 2009-10 as the company was not sure when its US subsidiary, Caraco Pharmaceuticals, would be able to meet the regulatory standards of the Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

Rolls Royce rolls out Ghost

Will be available from next year for Rs 2.5 cr.

Who\'ll ride the Ghost?

Rolls-Royce thinks India will be a good market for its new luxury car, the Ghost

Investors gain Rs 25 lakh-cr in just five months

Investor wealth has increased by over Rs 25 lakh crore in just over five months from the beginning of the current financial year, on improving sentiments in the domestic and global markets.

Oil rises above $78, extends week-long rally

Oil prices continued a weeklong rally today in Asia, jumping above $78 a barrel, after US gasoline inventories unexpectedly fell.

Festive season fails to revive paint sales

The sale of paints and colouring items for households is witnessing almost 25 per cent fall compared with last year despite the ongoing festive season.

EdServ Softsystems to raise $25 mn to fund expansion

Education and placement company EdServ Softsystems today said it plans to raise $25 million through Global Depository Receipts or Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds to fund its expansion in the school and online tuition services markets.

Top 6 cos lose Rs 68,000 cr in m-cap last week

Of the top-10 most valued firms, six lost a combined sum of over Rs 68,000 crore from their market capitalisation last week, while the rest including the country"s most valued firm Reliance Industries (RIL) and oil major ONGC saw rise in their valuation.

Sunanda K Datta-Ray: It\'s payback time

Sunanda K Datta-Ray / New Delhi November 21, 2009, 0:08 IST

\'2010 to be a tough year for British retailers\'

The year 2010 is going to be another tough year for the retailers in the UK, who are likely to cut more jobs driven by low consumer demand and weakness in the economy, says a survey.

Army warms up to Akash missile

India’s long-criticised Akash anti-aircraft missile is now blazing towards success. Its counterparts in the DRDO’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, the Prithvi and Agni ballistic missiles, were on target from the start; the anti-tank Nag missile will also enter service shortly; the Trishul short-range anti-aircraft missile was abandoned unceremoniously. Now, after years of rejection from the military, the Akash is being accepted as a world-class missile.

No special favour given to Mahindra Satyam: Khurshid

The government today said it has shown "no favour" to Mahindra Satyam by extending the deadline for restating of accounts by six months to June 2010.

Satyam gets notices for Rs 1,230 cr worth claims

Mahindra Satyam today said it has received legal notices for claims totalling Rs 1,230.40 crore from as many as 37 companies, to whom it has replied terming these claims as "legally untenable".