The Hindu Business Line : Thursday, November 17, 2005

Outlook for monsoon revival maintained
MODEL predictions continue to indicate the commencement of a fresh round of rainfall activity over Tamil Nadu and adjoining states around Saturday with the low-pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal intensifying and moving closer to coast. ... More

Western disturbances herald winter in North India
COME winter, weather events over northwest and north India come to be influenced by low-pressure systems originating in the Mediterranean Sea or the west Atlantic, which slide past Iran and western Pakistan to make their way in. These are ... More

ECONOMY

Inflation: Govt will take fiscal measures if required
THE Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, said today that the Government would keep a strict vigil on inflation and fiscal measures could be taken if undue pressure builds up on the price front. "The Government will stand by and watch the ... More

Karnataka's debt service estimated at Rs 385 cr
KARNATAKA's debt service on Central borrowings and State development loans falling over the next three months (between November and January this fiscal year) is estimated at Rs 385 crore. The repayment schedule included both principal and ... More

HEALTH

WHO banks on pvt sector to wipe out 5 tropical diseases
The cost of permanently treating one person affected by these tropical diseases works out to barely 40 cents a year, compared to $7-10 per HIV- or malaria-infected person each year on a long term. More

HOTELS

The business of hospitality
Five-star hotels are getting their act together, but room rates should get more rational. More

Bengal to sell 90 pc stake in Great Eastern Hotel to Bharat Hotels
THE Government of West Bengal has decided to sell 90 per cent of its equity stake in Great Eastern Hotel to Bharat Hotels Ltd owned by Mr Lalit Suri. This was stated here today by the West Bengal Minister for Industries, Mr Nirupam Sen. Mr Sen ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE

AP plea to Centre on Nagarjunasagar works
THE State Government has appealed to the Centre to support its plea for a Rs 3,000-crore World Bank loan for taking up modernisation and development works on the Nagarjunasagar project canals. Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Minister for Major ... More

PSU

Executive award
HYDERABAD: The Chairman and Managing Director of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Mr B. Ramesh Kumar has been awarded the Rajiv Ratna National Award 2005. Mr Kumar received the `Best Chief Executive Gold Award' from ... More

PETROLEUM

Ratnagiri oil field production by 2006-end: Essar
ESSAR Oil Ltd (EOL) plans to start production from Ratnagiri oil field from next year-end. A company official said it was expected that there would soon be an agreement with the Government for starting production from the oil field. Essar Oil ... More

Castrol shifts gears
Growing passion for cars and bikes drives Castrol towards an image overhaul. More

Gas flow from Reliance to NTPC expected from June 2008
THE Director General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), Mr V.K. Sibal, has said that Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) might start gas supplies to NTPC Ltd from the Krishna-Godavari Basin from June 2008. Addressing the Fifth Annual Conference on Gas in India, ... More

POWER

GVK Hydel to buy Tata Power stake in Alaknanda Hydro
TATA Power Company Ltd has announced that GVK Hydel, a GVK Group Company has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with the company to buy its entire shareholding in Alaknanda Hydro Power Company Ltd (AHPC). The company has received Rs 3.12 ... More

Power workers to press for review of Electricity Act
ELECTRICITY workers have asked for the implementation of an agreement with the Power Ministry in May this year promising to review the Electricity Act 2003. Under pressure from the Left parties, the Ministry had given a six months extension ... More

STEEL

Steel Ministry for cut in import duty on scrap
THE Ministry of Steel is in favour of reducing the import duty for scrap steel that is critical for secondary steel makers. Speaking at an interactive session on the steel industry, organised by the All India Induction Furnace Association ... More

TEXTILES

`India could get significant share of global textile market'
INDIA could acquire a significant share in the international textile market, especially in the US and European markets, according to a recent Assocham study. India's textile exports to the US and Europe have already shown a jump of 23-24 per cent ... More

TERRORISM

Bihar's continuing woes
With one more phase of polling left in the Bihar Assembly polls, the Naxal attack on the Jehanabad prison has brought into sharp focus the serious break-down of law and order in the State. The RJD chief, Mr Lalu Prasad, is widely blamed for most of t he State's ills, and of having no agenda for its economic development. But when the politicking is done and the new government is in place, will it be any better, asks Rasheeda Bhagat. More

RADIO/TV

Foreign news channels and facsimile newspapers — Downlinking norms to keep parity
FOREIGN news channels such as BBC World and CNN are studying the implications of the recently notified downlinking norms that prevent them from carrying advertisements or design content aimed at Indian viewers. A BBC World spokesperson said, ... More

Ministry bid to evolve capital restructuring plan for Prasar Bharati
IN an attempt to take forward the corporatisation of Prasar Bharati and make it financially self-sustaining, a committee in the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry is in the process of assessing the value of physical assets that could be More

EDUCATION

BL CLUB
`Innovation key to marketing'
"INNOVATION is important for sustenance in marketing," said Mr Rajendra Kumar, Managing Director of Auro Ace Management Pvt Ltd, Chennai, to students of Rao's Institute of Management Studies, Nellore, while delivering the inaugural lecture of the ... More

Hospitality course
HYDERABAD: The National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM), a joint initiative of the State and Union Governments, has announced three certificate courses — Tour Management; Travel Agency and Tour Agency; and ... More

BIO-TECH & GENETICS

Ticel Bio Park to expand; looking for partner
TICEL Bio Park Ltd, the R&D infrastructure facility for biotechnology companies promoted by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, is expanding its facility. It is also scouting for a private sector partner, according to sources in .. More

NEWSPAPERS & PUBLISHING

The Hindu to hold music festival from Nov 19-25
THE Hindu Friday Review November Fest, a seven-day music festival, will be held between November 19 and 25 at the Music Academy. Mr V. Kalidas, Vice President-Advertising, The Hindu, said at a press conference that the newspaper had in ... More

PACKAGING

Print, signage expo in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Villart Expositions will organise a three-day `International Print Pack and Sign Show-2005', beginning November 18, at the city's Hitex expo facility. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr V.V. Ramana, Managing ... More

DISINVESTMENT

Venkateshwara Hatcheries in race for Haffkine Bio-Pharma
ON the Maharashtra Government's radar for disinvestment, Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd (HBCL) is scouting for a strategic partner and Pune-based Venkateshwara Hatcheries (VH) Group is in the reckoning. The estimated Rs ... More

WTO

India appeals to WTO members to make HK meet a success
IN the face of lack of convergence in certain areas of trade negotiations under the Doha Round, India on Wednesday pleaded with all members of the World Trade Organisation to make the forthcoming ministerial at Hong Kong a success and to work ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES

On the horns of a dilemma
What is the first step to harnessing and cultivating a combined workforce? Understanding what is actually being said. More

EVENTS

India is one of the best infrastructure investment destinations: Kamal Nath
THE Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, on Wednesday urged the business community and other investors from the US to look at India as a "great opportunity" in the area of infrastructure. Inaugurating the 2nd Indo-US Economic Summit, ... More

Online registration of cos by next year: Gupta
THE Minister of State for Company Affairs, Mr Prem Chand Gupta, has said that by the end of next year, the corporate sector would no longer be subjected to filing of numerous documents for registration of their entities with the Government set to ... More

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Meet on export biz in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), an affiliate of the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh, will conduct a three-day training programme on `How to start an export business' from November 17 to 19. ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS

South-East Asia may look to India for sugar
INDIA is likely to emerge a major supplier of sugar to South-East Asia in the current season. This follows developments in the international markets resulting in a supply gap in these countries. According to Mr Narendra Murkumbi, Managing ... More

Export growth resumes pace in October
AFTER some pronounced slowdown in September 2005, presumably due to the lagged effect of torrential rains that lashed the Mumbai City in August, the country's exports picked up pace as they logged 28 per cent growth in dollar terms during October ... More

Tariff values cut for vegoil imports
THE Centre on Wednesday cut the tariff values on palm group of oils and crude soyabean oil by $1-4 a tonne. According to a notification by the Central Board of Excise and Customs, which functions under the Department of Revenue in the Finance ... More

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES

Oushadhi plans national meet in Thiruvananthapuram
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State-owned Pharmaceutical Corporation (Indigenous Medicine) Kerala Ltd (Oushadhi) proposes to conduct a session on `traditional knowledge in the health sector' here On December 4. This is being held as part of ... More

TOURISM

Higher oil prices have had little impact on tourism: WTO
HIGHER oil prices in recent months have had only a limited impact on the growth of international tourism says the World Tourism Organisation. In a report to be published next month, the organisation says that till now, the impact of high oil ... More

ECONOMIC OFFENCES

Volcker report: Reliance says it paid no surcharge for Iraqi crude
RELIANCE Industries Ltd (RIL) on Wednesday said the Volcker Committee report had stated that no payment of any surcharge was paid or committed to anybody by the company. In respect of allocations by State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) of ... More

`Info sought from cos named in Volcker report'
THE Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, has said that the Government has sought information from some companies mentioned in the Volcker Committee report on the involvement in Iraq's Oil-for-Food scam. "We have asked a few companies to come ... More