The Hindu Business Line : Friday, June 25, 2004

SOAPS & DETERGENTS
Consumer body digs up dirt on detergents
LALITAJI's clever pitch `Surf ki kharidari me hi samajhdari hain' (buying Surf makes sense) may not wash. And, it could well apply to a host of other detergent brands. Tests done by a consumer organisation suggest that multinational brands ... More

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
BHEL sets up solar power plant in Bengal
BHARAT Heavy Electricals Ltd has installed a stand-alone solar power plant in Mousuni island, West Bengal. The 105-KWp solar power plant, the country's largest such plant, was commissioned in association with the West Bengal Renewable Energy ... More

INTERIORS & HOMES
Interior-exterior expo in Chennai
THE latest edition of the Zaks Interior Exterior Expo has attracted exhibitors from Pakistan, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia and Sri Lanka and from all over India. Mr Syed Zakir Ahmed, Managing Director, Zak Trade Fairs & Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, said .. More

BUDGET
AP Govt to curb `unproductive' expenses to curtail Budget deficit
THE State Finance Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, proposes to bridge the revenue gap of Rs 1,970 crore in the 2004-05 Budget by curbing unproductive expenditure, improving tax compliance and focusing on revenue buoyancy. The Government will not spend ... More

ECONOMY
Reforms must create more jobs, benefit all people: PM
SIGNALLING a distinct Centre-Left tilt in the economic priorities of his United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Thursday said reforms were "not just about freeing private enterprise from the ... More

HEALTH
Rare surgery saves heart patient's life
DOCTORS of Care Hospitals have performed a rare cardiac surgery and saved the life of a 53-year-old patient suffering from aortic dissection (splitting of the wall of the main blood vessel of the body). ``This is the most lethal form of disease ... More

Heritage offers elder care assistants programme
INCREASING pressures of lifestyle forcing people to seek help forhome care nursing assistants has opened the vista in Bangalore for the Hyderabad-based Heritage Elder Care Services (HECS) to try its experiment here. Announcing the launch of its ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Nanguneri park may get new lease of life
THE Nanguneri hi-tech park project in Tirunelveli district seems to see the lights again. The project would be implemented in three or four years with the co-operation from the State Government, the Union Minister of State for Commerce and ... More

PETROLEUM
New gas find off Orissa coast
RELIANCE Industries today said it has struck gas off the Orissa coast in its NEC-OSN-97/2 block. Initial estimates indicate in-place reserves of four to five trillion cubic feet, Mr Mukesh Ambani, CMD, said today. He said the company would ... More

ONGC threatens to cut off gas supply to Gail — Demands GSA with take-or-pay
OIL and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has served a notice for termination of supplies to the Gail India Ltd and has asked the gas transporter to sign a Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) with take-or-pay commitments. ONGC currently has only a memorandum ... More

OVL to invest $200 m in Sudan pipeline project
THE Government on Thursday accorded approval to ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), to invest $200 million in laying an oil pipeline in Sudan. OVL will be paid back for its investments in crude oil. ... More

Dear gas
An LPG supplier getting ready to deliver gas cylinders on his tricycle in Chennai. The recent price increase has affected LPG users all over the country.

POWER
APGenco to implement MS Navision package
NAVISION India said that Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGenco) has decided to implement a `Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision' package. "APGenco has decided to implement Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision ... More

TAXATION
State Finance Ministers meet on VAT tomorrow
AFTER arriving at a broad consensus last week on implementing the value added tax (VAT) regime from April 1, 2005, State Governments are to meet here on Saturday to discuss the finer aspects relating to the transition to a VAT regime that would ... More

Timber importers in Karnataka strike against `heavy taxes'
TIMBER importers in Karnataka, who are opposing heavy taxes being imposed by the Government, are on a strike for the past 20 days. They stopped activities related to timber transportation to sawmills in the State on June 5.People in the timber ... More

SSI
Govt may raise threshold limit for SSI sector
THE Government may consider a proposal for increasing the threshold limit for the small-scale industry from the existing Rs 1 crore level, official sources said here on Thursday. Sources said that the decision had already been forwarded by the ... More

COAL
NCL's coal price hike piques NTPC
A PIQUANT situation has developed over the implementation of revised coal prices by Northern Coalfields Ltd, a profit making subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, with National Thermal Power Corporation refusing to accept unilateral price increases. ... More

ELECTRICAL GOODS
Electrical industry seeks import duty sops on inputs
The Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA) has urged the Union Government to peg the import duties on raw materials used by the domestic electrical industry at the same level of those imposed on finished electrical ... More

BEVERAGES
Final product norms for soft drinks being delayed: CSE
IN the on-going controversy surrounding the presence of pesticides in colas, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has alleged that the process of setting final product standards for carbonated water has been put off for the time ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
World of Food India 2004 fair in Hyderabad
WORLD of Food India, organised by Koelnmesse Germany and their Indian subsidiary CIDEX Trade Fairs Pvt Ltd will be held in Hyderabad during December 10-13, 2004. The 4-day event is being supported by Apeda and CIFTI, two of the industry ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
FAPCCI against further waiver of power dues
THE Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) has asked the State Government not to go for yet another waiver (of power dues). "The waiver of outstanding arrears of Rs 1,244.40 crore as promised in the manifesto ... More

Maditssia office-bearers

WTO
WTO chief to meet Commerce Minister today
THE Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, is scheduled to meet the new Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, here on Friday. This is the first visit of Dr Panitchpakdi to India after the new ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES
Demand for HR personnel up
IT'S the hirer who's being hired first. With more jobs moving to India, new companies being set up and older ones making huge expansion plans, the recruiters are being recruited in large numbers. Ms Nirupama V.G., Executive Vice-President, ... More

EVENTS
Seminar on exports
COIMBATORE: A conference on `Driving exports through lean manufacturing' will be held here on Friday. Lean manufacturing seeks to eliminate waste by focussing on production costs, product quality and delivery, and worker involvement. ... More

Serenading the media
An army band prepares to perform prior to a panel discussion aimed at better understanding between the army and the media in Hyderabad on Thursday. The coverage of army in the media was the main theme of discussion. ... More

Bangalore to host IIM seminar tomorrow
THE IIM, Calcutta Alumni Association, Bangalore Chapter, is organising here a daylong seminar on `Achieving sustainable success in global market — Challenge India' on Saturday. The seminar will focus on the key trends and opportunities ... More

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
US to discontinue domestic visa service for 6 categories
IN a move that will affect thousands of Indians residing in the United States, the State Department has announced that it is discontinuing domestic visa service for six categories of visas. The groups are E (Trader/ Investor), H (Speciality ... More

TOURISM
Bank guarantees for visas: Malaysia assessing travel agents' views
THE Malaysian Government is keeping open all communication channels with travel agents in India in an effort to compile and assess their point of view on furnishing bank guarantees with the Malaysian Government while applying for visas, said a ... More