ENVIRONMENT
Flyash has many uses, but few takers: Expert
FLYASH has many uses, but few takers and this situation has to be changed as several thermal power plants are churning out huge quantities of flyash in the country, Dr Vimal Kumar, the adviser to the Union Ministry of Environment in the ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Australia keen on improving business ties
THE Australia-India Business Council sees a clear opportunity for Canberra and New Delhi to come together in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector and bid for projects in third countries. "Clearly, there is a big ... More

HEALTH
A rural healthcare revolution in the making in Bengal
AT a time when the Left Front Government is West Bengal faces public ire over lack of proper healthcare at the city's government-run hospitals, an experiment in providing rural medi-care through female health assistants might well bring about a ... More

PSU
IPO allotment drags PSU stocks
SHARES of IPCL, CMC and IBP have been witnessing selling over the last few days despite the public offers of these companies being oversubscribed. Brokers said selling is mainly from investors, who were allotted shares from the recently concluded ... More

PETROLEUM
Poll factor: Oil companies hold prices
FOR all those wondering what's there in the elections for you, here's something to think about. Global crude oil prices have been rising in the last three months yet you are paying the same for filling up your petrol tank as you did in January ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
Himachal woos pharma majors with tax sops
THIS summer, the major draws in Himachal Pradesh for corporate India may not be the pleasure spots, as quite a few are headed to the hill State solely for investment purposes. Lured by the tax sops on offer as part of the Himachal industrial ... More

POWER
NTPC Kayamkulam unit to resume generation soon
NATIONAL Thermal Power Corporation's Kayamkulam plant has resumed pumping water for generation purposes after flushing the base feed clean of intruding seawater in two days of salvaging operations. This was achieved by first letting out ... More

STEEL
NMDC price revision irks sponge iron units
A NUMBER of sponge iron units are complaining that the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has discriminated in its latest round of ore price revision. As a result, the final price of iron ore available to various units from the ... More

TEA
Bengal to supply tea through ration shops
THE West Bengal Government has taken a policy decision to distribute through ration shops, the tea produced by the crisis-ridden tea gardens in the State, which would be run through workers co-operatives if the workers were prepared. This was ... More

TEXTILES
Texprocil flays US, Turkish bodies plea for more time
A BROAD coalition consisting of the American Textiles Manufactures Institute, American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association and Ready-to-wear Garment and Clothing Manufacturers Association of ... More

TYRES
Tyre cos cry foul over Chinese imports
THE domestic truck and bus tyre manufacturers are crying foul over what they consider to be a Chinese onslaught. They are undertaking a three-pronged approach to counter the offensive pricing on imported Chinese truck and bus tyres. Feeling the ... More

WATER
Water crisis is mostly man-made
SHORTAGE of drinking water right from February onwards and till the onset of southwest monsoons in June seems to have become a recurring phenomenon in the State, despite its receiving on an average copious rainfall of 3,000 mm almost every year. ... More

COAL
Coal washery contract to be finalised soon
THE Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGENCO) will be shortly finalising the contractor for setting up an 11 million tonnes per annum coal washery in Talcher area of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) in Orissa. The contract is for ... More

MANAGEMENT

RADIO/TV
AIR, DD to highlight `Shining India'
THE Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Corporation, Mr M.V. Kamath, has said that All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) will depict positive aspects of the country to the globe. Inaugurating a colloquium on "Rediscovering radio in India" ... More

EDUCATION
Mangalore varsity to provide consultancy service
MANGALORE University is planning to offer consultancy service in the areas where it has developed special knowledge. The recent academic council meeting approved the draft statute governing consultancy services of Mangalore ... More

CONSULTING

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

HANDLOOM
Gurjari showroom in Mumbai to close down
THE Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd has decided to shut down its prestigious `Gurjari' showroom in Mumbai. This is the second showroom being closed by the corporation that has provided thousands of artisans in ... More

CYCLES & ACCESSORIES
Bicycle makers' concern over rising steel prices
MAJOR bicycle manufacturers have raised their concern over the rising steel prices at the inauguration of the first-ever focussed trade show on the bicycle industry, Indo Bike Expo 2004, and urged the Government to take effective measures to ... More

CINEMA
Organised funding edges up in Hindi films
One factor likely to catalyse inflows from private investors would be the emerging taste for global themes in Indian film content. More

Indo-UK co-production in films proposed
EVERYONE wants to work with the world's biggest film industry. But how do you check its low production cost from eroding business back home? The UK, base to a large number of NRIs, is tackling this dilemma as it forges a long-proposed film ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

EVENTS
Commonwealth Travel Mart begins today
THIRTY nations, including India, will participate in the inaugural Commonwealth Travel Mart (CTM) 2004 to be held in Kuala Lumpur between March 18 and 21. According to an official statement, the travel mart will be held in conjunction with the ... More

ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE
Reliance broadband network in test phase
THE Reliance Group, which is emerging as an important stakeholder in the Indian entertainment industry, should be rolling out its digital distribution platform - the broadband network - in 12 to 24 months. "We are in an intensive phase of ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Silk exporters sore over move to tax DEPB credit
The Income-Tax authorities not only demand tax on DEPB but also threaten to reopen past cases where DEPB credit was availed of by exporters, causing hardship to exporters. More

NATURAL CALAMITIES
Kerala CM plans to tour drought-hit areas
THE Chief Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, has said that he would tour the drought-affected areas of Wayanad, Palakkad and Idukki districts and the Kuttanad area in Alappuzha to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. Briefing newspersons ... More

PEOPLE