The Hindu Business Line : Thursday, August 19, 2004

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Tiruchi Corporation to generate power from waste
THE Tiruchi Corporation has plans to set up a 2.5-MW plant for generation of power from the waste collected in the city. The Institute of Energy Studies (IES) of Anna University, Chennai, has come up with a detailed report on the project. ... More

ECONOMY
Maharashtra, richest State
MAHARASHTRA is the richest State in India. It has the largest GDP, besides ranking the highest in per capita GDP. However, the picture is not so tidy in other States. Uttar Pradesh (with Uttaranchal), for instance, occupies the second place in ... More

HEALTH
FIEO healthcare team leaves for S-E Asia
A DELEGATION of representatives from 12 hospitals in India have left on a three-nation business tour on Wednesday. The delegationthat is going under the auspices of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) will market India's ... More

Human trials for Ranbaxy-MMV malaria drug soon
HUMAN clinical trials of the anti-malarial drug developed by Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd in collaboration with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Geneva is expected to commence shortly. The pharmaceutical company has already obtained ... More

Apollo Hospitals holds demonstration of pranic healing
APOLLO Hospitals' Wellness Centre in Chennai today witnessed a demonstration of pranic healing by Grandmaster Choa Kok Sui. Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Apollo Hospitals Chairman, provided the audience with a background to the Wellness Centre and said ... More

Award for LV Prasad Eye Institute
HYDERABAD: LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has won the Carl Zeiss Award for Excellence for the year 2004 in "recognition of its initiatives and contributions towards eye care in India and the developing world". Mr Ulrich Krauss, ... More

PSU
Board-level appointments in PSUs — CVC dismayed at lack of `sanctity' to its clearance
THE Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has expressed concern over the lack of "sanctity" to its vigilance clearance on board-level appointment in public sector undertakings (PSUs), diluting its importance as an apex anti-corruption body and ... More

PETROLEUM
Duties on petrol, diesel cut — Consumers spared of price hike
THE consumer will be spared any hike in prices of petrol and diesel following today's decision to reduce the duties on the petroproducts. In the case of LPG and kerosene, the Government does not intend to allow oil companies to raise prices, even ... More

What the reductions mean
TODAY'S succour of duty reductions for the consumer and petroleum industry could not have come at a better time. Crude, the raw material for the petroleum industry, on Wednesday touched an all-time record high of $47 per barrel. A cut in ... More

Petronet seeks sops for Kochi LNG project
PETRONET LNG Ltd has sought the State Government's support for the proposed LNG terminal in Kochi. A team of officials from Petronet, headed by the Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Suresh Mathur, met the Chief Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, here ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
NPPA to monitor prices of drugs with Rs 1-cr turnover
IN a bid to prevent the unusual price hike of essential drugs, the Government has decided to monitor the price hikes of drugs with a turnover of Rs 1 crore. Currently, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) monitors the prices of ... More

POWER
`Power cos can gain from microwave technology'
LEGISLATION is perhaps the only way out to make power distribution companies see reason and abide by the World Bank prescription that they set up networks to monitor, track and contain theft and leakage. Left to themselves, they would not be ... More

Plea against KSEB unbundling
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Electricity Workers Federation, an affiliate of the AITUC, has demanded the Centre that the State Electricity Minister be restrained from going ahead with a proposal to break up the Kerala State Electricity ... More

TAXATION
VAT panel chief meets Chidambaram
THE Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Value-Added Tax (VAT), Dr Asim Dasgupta, on Wednesday met the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, to apprise him about the state of preparedness of the States in implementing ... More

Revised DEPB rates on marine products in abeyance
THE Government has decided to keep in abeyance until further orders its decision concerning the retrospective applicability of the revised 5 per cent duty entitlement passbook (DEPB) rate on certain marine products. The Directorate General of ... More

TEXTILES
`Indian textile industry less cost competitive than China, Brazil'
THE Indian textile industry's lack of cost competitiveness could well be the biggest constraining factor preventing it from grabbing the export opportunities once the global textile markets open up in January next year. Even as a recent WTO ... More

SSI
Call for exclusive SSI policy
THE Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Industries Association has pleaded for tabling the policy for small-scale industries by the Central Government during the current session of Parliament. In a resolution adopted at its annual general body ... More

WATER
Logo invited for rainwater harvesting campaign
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Jalanidhi project, instituted by the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (KRWSSA) and aided by World Bank, has invited entries for a logo competition for popularising the rainwater harvesting ... More

RADIO/TV
MSOs withdraw cable strike citing Olympics
MRS Gayathri Rathore, along with several sports lovers may have missed viewing her husband, Mr Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, win the first-ever silver medal at the Olympic Games, but here's some good news. The multi-system operators, who had called ... More

EDUCATION
Course in animation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Toonz Animation Academy, the training division of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd, is launching a one-year diploma course in both 2-D and 3-D animation. The course, which is scheduled to ... More

BEVERAGES
Coke, Pepsi hike prices by a rupee in select markets
SOFT drinks have become costlier by a rupee after both, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, effected the hike across select markets earlier this month. Both companies said on Wednesday that prices have been increased to generate value growth since the ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
Ministry pulled up for delay in drafting new food law
A Parliamentary standing committee has pulled up the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for the delay in submitting a draft of the integrated Food Law, asking the Ministry to present the draft in Parliament "at the earliest". Expressing ... More

METALS
German nanotech cos looking for tie-ups in India
GERMAN nanotechnology companies are hunting for Indian customers for their products. Representatives from nanotechnology companies such as NTC NanoTech Coatings GmbH and Nanogate Technologies GmbH and Thomas Oesterwinter KG are visiting the ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
CII alliance to check piracy, counterfeiting
THE Confederation of Indian Industry has announced the formation of an anti-counterfeiting/piracy alliance with the objective to spread awareness among stakeholders, enforcement agencies and consumers and sensitise them to the need for ... More

DISINVESTMENT
Govt to wait for CAG report on Centaur deal: Chidambaram
THE Government will wait for the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India's (CAG) report on the disinvestment of Centaur Hotel in Mumbai before deciding on the `discomforting aspects' of the sale concluded during the previous NDA regime, said the ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Microsoft tech initiative to empower women
IT major Microsoft on Wednesday rolled-out its global `Unlimited Potential' initiative in India by announcing a cash grant of about $261,500 to two non-profit organisations, which would be utilised towards empowering women through the use of ... More

`Extend micro-finance to rural areas'
It is high time the nationalised banks shifted their focus to the rural hinterland and contributed to its development. More

EVENTS
2-day convention on gold from tomorrow
WITH a view to focusing India as the emerging world market for gold, a two-day seminar - `India Gold Convention 2004' - will be held on August 20-21, in Mumbai. Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) is participating in the convention as ... More

Delhi to host meet on consulting services
THE International Council of Consultants (ICC) is organising a national conference on `Emerging opportunities for consulting service providers in the context of globalisation' in January 2005 in New Delhi. "Globalisation and emerging regional ... More

CII-AP to hold HR programme
The Confederation of Indian Industry, Andhra Pradesh (CII-AP) is organising a two-day management development programme on `Understanding strategy-human resources (HR) linkages for maximising HR's contribution to the overall performance of a firm' ... More

Expo on garment technology in Bangalore
BANGALORE: An exhibition `ZAK Garmentech South 2004' showcasing new sewing and knitting technologies will be held in the Palace Grounds, Bangalore from 26-29 August, a news release said. Products from the sewing, knitting, laundry, ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
IOB gold card for exporters
IOB has introduced the IOB Expo Gold Card that entitles the holder access to faster sanction of credit on liberal terms including interest concession. The card is aimed at simplifying access to credit by exporters, particularly small and medium ... More

Mills seek total ban on wheat exports
CAUGHT in a piquant situation of rising prices even while the supply is not so tight, flour mills in Karnataka have urged the Centre to ban the export of wheat to neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh. This would ensuresupply to millers at ... More

NATURAL CALAMITIES
Kerala CM to discuss calamity relief with Pawar
THE Chief Minister, Mr A. K. Antony, is leaving for New Delhi tomorrow to meet with the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, in a bid to sort out the fracas resulting from the Centre's rebuff to Kerala's repeated entreaties on calamity ... More

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES
New Ayurvedic treatment centre gaining popularity in Coimbatore
THOUGH the Ayurveda hospital - Arya Vaidya Sala - in the heart of Coimbatore is popular among the tourists, the recent entry of a non-Keralite into this space has caught the attention of health conscious youngsters, who have started looking ... More

TOURISM
`Sagara Rani' ready for backwater cruises
SAGARA RANI, the refurbished, air-conditioned cruise vessel owned by the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), is all set to sail through the backwaters this Onam season to offer various types of cruises. Sagara Rani is an ... More

Hong Kong eyeing Bollywood films to promote tourism
KEEN to showcase Hong Kong as a travel destination and a location for filming, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) had recently organised a Bollywood Movie Magic evening here. The event was attended by, among others, celebrities from Bollywood and ... More

`Payasamela' from Aug 23
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The `Payasamela' being organised by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) in connection with the Onam festival season will commence at 3 p.m. at the Hotel Chaithram premises here on August 23. ... More