The Hindu Business Line : Saturday, May 08, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Cyclone not to affect monsoon prospects: Met
THE cyclonic storm over Southeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm even as it headed further out seawards to the north of Lakshadweep. On Friday morning, the system was stationed 150 km to the north-northwest of Amini ... More

Welcome relief!
Rain clouds eclipse the moon over Hyderabad on Thursday night. The unexpected rains brought relief from rising temperatures in the city.

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Renewable energy workshop in Kochi
KOCHI: A one-day workshop on the role of technical institutions in harnessing renewable energy sources organised by the Research Centre of the Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology was inaugurated by Prof K.V. Thomas, the State ... More

ECONOMY
Plan panel to work out debt relief measures
THE Planning Commission is working out a comprehensive debt relief package to States in order to alleviate their burgeoning debt burden particularly at a time when several State Governments had exhausted their revenue receipts in meeting interest ... More

HEALTH
Cells to monitor encephalitis in affected AP dists
THE State administration has established epidemic cells at all district medical and health offices to monitor and prevent the spread of the Japanese encephalitis (JE) disease. The Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the Health Minister, ... More

PETROLEUM
Post-poll, no major hike in petrol, diesel prices likely
THERE will be no major hike in prices of petrol and diesel immediately after the elections, according to the Petroleum Secretary, Mr B.K. Chaturvedi. Even as the price of the raw material, crude oil, remains inflamed, Mr Chaturvedi said that a ... More

Only tax cuts can help reduce LNG price: Petroleum Secy
VOICING the demand of the power sector, the Power Secretary, Mr R.V. Shahi, today said at a conference organised by the Confederation of India Industry (CII) that Regassified Liquefied Natural Gas (R-LNG) should be made available at no more than ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
Indian pharma cos' shopping spree timely, say analysts
INDIAN pharma companies are out with their shopping bags in the European market, but Wockhardt Ltd's acquisition of German pharma company esparma GmbH could not have come at a better time, observe analysts. And here's why. "The German generic ... More

POWER
Karnataka Power plans to raise Rs 1,680-cr term loan
KARNATAKA Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL) will soon raise rupee term loan to the tune of Rs 1,680 crore, with the help of a consortium of 21 lenders. The deal has been syndicated by SBI Capital Markets Ltd (SBICAP) and Punjab National Bank, the ... More

STEEL
Steel subsidy pact not acceptable, OECD told
A TWO-MEMBER team from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) met representatives of the steel industry here on Friday to discuss the proposed steel subsidy agreement that envisages phasing out of all State subsidies ... More

TEXTILES
Quality crucial for textile exports in post WTO-quota era
BETTER quality standards, upgradation of technology in the Indian textile sector coupled with branding as a tool could help garner a larger share of the global export opportunity in the post WTO-quota regime, according to experts in the ... More

WATER
Focus on water harvesting in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government proposes to launch water harvesting as a popular programme before the monsoon, according to the Chief Minister, Mr A.K. Antony. Briefing newspersons after a routine meeting of the Cabinet on ... More

RADIO/TV
Ministry exploring ways to encash FM cos' guarantees
THE Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry is holding talks with banks to explore the possibility of encashing the bank guarantees of FM radio companies operating out of Mumbai which have defaulted in payment of the annual licence ... More

Broadcasting, TV channels to have separate policies
THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI ) will come out with separate national policies on broadcasting and distribution of television channels and FM radio in a month's time, according to Mr Pradip Baijal, Chairman, TRAI. Mr Baijal ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Singapore-style housing in Chennai soon
A joint venture, Singapore Realty Private Ltd, has got the State Government's go-ahead to set up an integrated township at Siruseri on the Old Mahabalipuram Road, about 20 km south of Chennai. With 6,000 two- and three-bedroom apartments built ... More

Kumar Builders keen to enter more metros
Five more projects are being taken up in Mumbai and plans are to move on to Bangalore and Hyderabad soon. More

Green is cool
The concept of green building, being promoted by the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad, is yet to catch the imagination of the corporate and domestic sectors. According to the CII, the concept has great potential. It ... More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Geo info system for Kochi mulled
THE National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) will soon prepare a geographical information system for urban areas in Kochi, which is expected to boost developmental activities. Kochi has been included in the list of cities identified for preparing ... More

Award for NGRI scientist
HYDERABAD: Dr G. Parthasarathy, Scientist, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad has been selected for the PRL (Physical Research Laboratory) award for the year 2003. The award carrying a medal and cash prize, given ... More

MINERALS
McKinsey to map out mineral wealth of eastern States
THE Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Eastern Region (ER) has commissioned McKinsey to carry out a study to map out the strength and the minerals, metals and manufacturing potential of the Eastern States. The study will also highlight the ... More

DISINVESTMENT
Oil cos' sell-off sees ad spurt
Petronet tops the list of advertisers that took the IPO route to divestment. It had a 14 per cent share, higher than the biggies ONGC, Gail and IPCL, which occupied the next three slots. More

EVENTS
Chemplast Sanmar duo wins Business Line Quiz
THE Chemplast Sanmar duo of Mr A.H. Kesari Prasad and Mr Ramkumar Shankar finished a perfect day of quizzing, first winning the Chennai city finals and then clinching in style the grand finale of the Business Line Quiz 2004, presented by ... More

Tagore birth anniversary fete
HYDERABAD: Marking the 143rd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha is presenting a full-length dance ballet `Bhanu Singher Padabali', one of the earliest works of the Nobel laureate, on Saturday. "For ... More

Roadshow by school

In Hyderabad today

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Spices export loses flavour, down Rs 182 cr
SPICES export declined by Rs 181.63 crore during 2003-04 fiscal on drop in shipments of mint products, pepper, cumin and some other items. Total spices export slipped to Rs 1,905.08 crore in 2003-04 from Rs 2,086 rore the previous year. Though ... More

DGFT digital signature facility in Chennai
THE Union Government's goal is to bring down transaction costs for the Indian exporter and its move to allow digital signatures and bring in paperless transactions is a step in this direction, the Director General of Foreign Trade, Mr L. ... More

Seafood exporters seek separate ministry for marine sector
SEAFOOD exporters are disappointed with the Union Government's indifferent policy towards marine food exports, which have a high demand in the international market, according to Mr A.J. Tharakan, President of the Seafood Exporters' Association of ... More

NATURAL CALAMITIES
Talks on drought relief
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Central team, headed by Mr Sateesh Chander, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, on Thursday wound up the evaluation of losses inflicted by the recent drought on standing crops in the State. Ironically, ... More

Relief for coastal villagers in Kerala
KOCHI: The district administration has launched a massive relief programme to rehabilitate hundreds of families from the coastal villages of Kochi and Kanayannur taluks who have been rendered homeless by sea erosion. More than 600 ... More

TOURISM
AP Tourism on hard-sell drive
AFTER consolidating its brand, Andhra Pradesh Tourism is going for a high-pitched promotional campaign, which includes converting Kuchipudi into an international tourist attraction and to sell the tourism potential to national and global ... More