The Hindu Business Line : Friday, December 07, 2007

INVESTMENTS
‘Household savings: Banks trail realty, gold in appeal’
Hyderabad, Dec. 6 Despite their expanding reach, banks still need to tap a larger share of household savings in India and compete with lucrative investment options such as real estate in the process, if the findings of a study by McKinsey ... More

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Icrisat gets $1.5-m funding for bio fuel research
Hyderabad, Dec. 6 Bio fuel research at Icrisat got a shot in the arm with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) of the United Nations announcing $1.5-million funding over a period of three years.Ethanol ... More

SOCIAL SECURITY
‘Gratuity Act is applicable to establishments covered by Factories Act’
Notwithstanding non-applicability of Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 to units having less than 10 workmen, units covered by the Factories Act, 1948, were to apply the gratuity law to their workers, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ... More

ECONOMY
Picture of misery
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ENVIRONMENT
‘Green accounting standards vital for development projects’
Kochi, Dec. 6 Appraisal of development projects and ‘green’ accounting standards are important as appraisal from the environmental angle has assumed a major significance.Speaking on Management Accounting — Driving ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
SEZs: Board of Approval meeting postponed
New Delhi, Dec. 6 The meeting of the Board of Approval on Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has once again been postponed. Official sources said that the meeting would now be held on January 2 and not on December 12 as planned earlier. The ... More

Visakhapatnam airport development project delayed
Defence Ministry clearance yet to be obtained More

Highway projects worth Rs 16,680 cr cleared
New Delhi, Dec. 6 Construction of ring roads, bypasses, flyovers, that are a part of National Highways under the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP)-VII, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 16,680 crore have been approved by the ... More

In full swing
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PSU
Damodar Valley Corp looking at IPO
To appoint consultant for organisation restructuring More

PETROLEUM
‘ONGC to shut down 2 facilities off Mumbai’
New Delhi, Dec. 6 ONGC plans to shutdown two key facilities at its gas field off the Mumbai shore. Sources said, “There is a proposal to shut down two production facilities at the Bassein field early next year (January-February ... More

ONGC relinquishes water block in Mahanadi basin
Rig shortage delays drilling in prospective acreages More

GoM on commodity, oil prices to meet on Dec 14
New Delhi, Dec. 6 The recently constituted Group of Ministers (GoM) on commodity prices, including petroleum products, headed by the External Affairs Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, will meet for the first time on December 14. Speaking ... More

Reliance Petroleum back in limelight
FIIs offload stock futures More

POWER
Skoda Power scouts for nuclear biz in India
Hyderabad, Dec. 6 Czech major Skoda Power is keen to pitch for a pie of the nuclear power business in India, as and when opportunities for private sector are opened up. In preparation for this, Skoda Power has joined hands with ... More

KSEB restructuring deadline extended
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Hike in penal charges for grid overdrawal proposed
Central power panel issues draft regulations More

TEXTILES
Gap, other US cos may seek ‘child labour-free’ tag
New Delhi, Dec. 6 With big-ticket fashion labels in the US under fire for sourcing from vendors using sweatshop labour in Asia, clothing major Gap Inc and other US-based buyers of textiles and clothing products from across India and other ... More

Textile mills seek cut in cotton import duty
Moratorium on Iran repayment urged More

CARS
‘Car makers must adopt fuel-efficient technology’
Strategies, roadmap for efficiency norms being formulated More

MEDICAL & SURGICAL EQUIPMENTS
GE Health launches new ultrasound systems
Hyderabad, Dec. 6 GE Healthcare, the $17-billion healthcare and life sciences solutions arm of General Electric, has launched two breakthroughs for its Vivid e and Vivid 7 Dimension cardiovascular ultrasound systems here. ... More

MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS & HOSPITALS
Medical services accreditation workshop in Mumbai
Demand for health services is burgeoning. Rising incomes, heightened awareness and demographic pressure have combined to create a massive market for medical services. Medical tourism is booming too. However, many stakeholders including service ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Kerala Govt moves to recover land from Harrisons Malayalam
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec.6 The State Government will take stringent measures to recover the land held by Harrisons Malayalam Plantations after the expiry of lease rights. The State Cabinet took a decision to this affect on Thursday. ... More

Big names line up for UP expressway project
New Delhi, Dec 6 Several big companies that include DLF, GMR, Reliance Energy, JP Group, GVK Constructions, Nagarjuna Construction and Omaxe have lined up for the Rs 30,000-crore project of the UP Government to build 8-lane road between ... More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
‘Nanotechnology will play key role in unknown future’
Bangalore, Dec. 6 Ruing the shortage of technical expertise and young talent in the country, Prof C.N.R. Rao, Chairman, Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Honorary President, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ... More

EVENTS
‘Best practices can take Indian business far’
Labour, tax reforms put in focus More

Dietetic Association meet
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IPE staff development plan
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Book on first generation entrepreneurs of TN
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi, will be releasing a book on 108 select successful first-generation entrepreneurs in the State, brought out by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in March, according to Mr R. Ramaraj, ... More

INCOME TAX
Govt hints at tax rates review as revenues, compliance rise
Increase in maximum rate on personal I-T unlikely More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Chilli exports set to top 2 l tonnes
New Delhi, Dec. 6 Export of chillies during the current financial year is expected to touch 2,00,000 tonnes as against the Centre’s target of 1,35,000 tonnes, according to a survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of ... More