The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, February 22, 2005

DRDO research spins off commercial applications
THE Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has lined up a series of spin-off initiatives that have been productised and are likely to be commercialised. One such product, a typhoid-detecting kit, would be commercially launched by ... More

ECONOMIC SURVEY

Economic Survey on February 25
The Economic Survey will be tabled in Parliament on Friday (February 25). Originally it was to be tabled on Saturday (February 26) after the presentation of the Railway Budget. The Survey would be tabled when both the Houses meet after the ... More

CHEMICALS

Chemicals expo opens tomorrow in Hyderabad
FOLLOWING the successful launch in China last year, ChemSpec, the dedicated global fine and speciality chemicals exhibition, is now coming to India for the first time at Hyderabad from Wednesday. Announcing this at a press conference here on ... More

ECONOMY

World Bank report finds pitfalls in AP reforms process
A constrained and inflexible industrial labour market; an uncompetitive market structure in agriculture; low level of national and international integration; inadequate dissemination of policy changes involving administrative and regulatory barriers; and socio-economic rigidities have resulted in a skewed distribution of opportunities. More

EXCISE AND CUSTOMS

A case for Govt to hike Customs duty on gold
FOR the Finance Minister straining to raise revenue for the exchequer, gold may come in handy. There is a case for raising Customs duty on gold imports. Currently, the duty is Rs 100 per 10 gram. The Finance Minister can potentially mop up a ... More

HEALTH

Cadila launches new drug to control cholesterol
ZYDUS Cadila Ltd today announced the launch of a new drug to control cholesterol. The drug, Pitavastatin, will be available under the brand name `Pitava'. This new launch strengthens Zydus Cadila's cardiac-care portfolio comprising ... More

Widex launches new hearing aid
WIDEX India Private Ltd has introduced in India a `user-friendly' digital hearing aid having certain features to meet the needs of people with hearing loss that are not available in the relatively cheaper versions. The company, which imports ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE

Friendlier regulatory environment in infrastructure sector: Govt
THE Government is committed to strengthening the regulatory environment in infrastructure sector such as roads, airports, seaports, Railways and the petroleum sector to create a business and consumer-friendly environment for attracting domestic ... More

PETROLEUM

IOC to have 150 more distributors in AP in 2 years
INDIAN Oil is planning to appoint 150 more Indane distributors in Andhra Pradesh during the next two years in addition to the existing 303, according to the General Manager, Mr I.K. Padmakar. He was speaking at a press meet here on Monday ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS

Domestic firms await USFDA decision on arthritis drugs — Green signal could lead to reintroduction of rofecoxib
IT IS not just Merck or Pfizer that are awaiting a final word from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the controversial arthritis drugs — Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra. Indian pharmaceutical companies too feel that a favourable ... More

TAXATION

Traders down shutters, demand VAT postponement
TRADERS on Monday demanded the immediate postponement of the value added tax (VAT) introduction date, stating that the VAT design in the present form was not acceptable to the trading community. The nationwide trade bandh called on Monday by ... More

Partial response to bandh in Madurai
MADURAI: The trade bandh called on Monday to protest the implementation of VAT evoked a partial response. While those affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Vanigarsanga Peravai joined the bandh, members of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and ... More

Duty drawback rate hiked on furnace oil for EoUs/SEZs
THE Government has raised the all-industry rate of duty drawback for furnace oil supplied by domestic companies to export-oriented units (EOUs) under the deemed export scheme. Against the prevailing rate of Rs 925 per tonne, the ... More

Traders protest
Shops downed shutters at the Mulji Jetha market in Mumbai on Monday in protest against the Government's decision to implement VAT from April 1.

`VAT' closure
Shops at the usually busy Chandi Chowk in the Capital pulled down their shutters on Monday in protest against the introduction of VAT from April 1.

TEXTILES

To meet burgeoning demand — Textile exporters seek longer working hours
WITH the textile order inflow growing by leaps and bounds, many of the country's large textile exporters are seeking an extension of the daily working hours to keep up with the burgeoning demand. Orient Craft Ltd, one of the country's largest ... More

TRAVEL & PLACES

Iran eases visa, stay permit rules for businessmen
IRAN on Monday announced its decision to grant multiple-visit three-year visas to Indian businessmen and investors and also liberalise stay permits for increasing business ties between Iran and India. The visiting Iranian Minister for Foreign ... More

WATER

Call to change outlook on water
THERE is an urgent need to completely change the way we think about water, said Mr Ramaswamy R. Iyer, former Secretary, Water Resources, Government of India. Mr Iyer, who is scheduled to address a technical session of `Prithvi 2005' — ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING

Kolkata corporation to set up Rs 30-cr meat processing unit
AFTER a gap of six years, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has revived its proposal to replace all its four abattoirs in the city by setting up a Rs 30-crore modern meat processing plant at the upcoming Calcutta Leather Complex (CLC). ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

BPO redefining rules of building design in Mumbai
THE landscape of suburban Mumbai is undergoing a sea change as business process outsourcing (BPO) companies are redefining the rules of design. As the demand for buildings with swanky ambience rises, Mumbai's suburbs seem to be getting ready to ... More

BIO-TECH & GENETICS

`Future is bioinformatics'

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

EDUSAT to provide satellite linkages
EDUSAT would provide satellite linkage to one thousand classrooms in the second phase in different regions across the country. It will be able to support about 5,000 terminals in the third phase, according to the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and ... More

SMALL SAVINGS

EPFO defers decision on raising additional funds
THE Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday postponed a formal decision on the modalities of raising additional resources for paying 9.5 per cent interest on provident fund deposits for ... More

EVENTS

Meet lays stress on advanced welding process
THE country's power generation capacity now estimated at 1.1 lakh MW is expected to double by the year 2012 offering immense scope for advanced welding technologies and new generation equipment, according to Mr B. Ramachandra Rao, Executive ... More

National Youth Festival inaugurated
Artistes belonging to the Changa tribe of Nagaland wave to a helicopter hovering over the venue of the inaugural function. The five-day festival will display a variety of youth activities from across the country. ... More

Meet on exports
HYDERABAD: The Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) in association with the Small Industries Development Bank of India, is organising a three-day training programme on `Exports', beginning February 24. ... More

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

`Nutty' idea proves a hit
FOR many people in the neighbourhood of Venginissery in Kerala's Thrissur district, Mr Anikar K.R. is the "engineer who's crazy about coconut shells." This chemical engineer-turned-entrepreneur runs a small company that designs and manufactures ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS

Rubber sector should tap export market, says CII
INDIA is the third largest producer of natural rubber in the world and has immense export potential and the industry should seize the opportunity to tap at least $500 billion foreign trade available for it, according to Mr T.T. Ashok, Chairman ... More

NATURAL CALAMITIES

Tsunami: A big blow to the business community
IT would be an exaggeration to call Port Blair a ghost city; it is not that yet. But it is certainly a battered and desolate city. There were over 5,000 tourists in Port Blair - a large number for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which have a ... More

Bill to set up disaster management authority referred to GoM
THE Union Cabinet on Monday referred a Bill that proposes to set up a disaster management authority to a Group of Ministers (GoM), which is expected to be set up soon. The Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament during the forthcoming ... More

Contributions to The Hindu Relief Fund

TOURISM

Heritage fest in Karaikudi
MADURAI: The State Tourism Department is organising the Chettinad Heritage Festival at Karaikudi from March 3 to 5. The programme will showcase the Chettinad tradition, architecture and culture. Depending on the response, the fest may be ... More

Kerala gearing for boom in business tourist arrivals
AS the surge of the tsunami waves have receded from the Kerala coastline, tourists have begun to flock back to God's Own Country in ever-increasing numbers, senior sources in the hospitality sector said. "We have not seen occupancy like this ... More

BIMSTEC meet pitches for tourism revival
THE Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical & Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) tourism ministers' conference opened here on Monday with a call for greater co-operation among member-nations in the area of tourism. The three-day ... More