The Hindu Business Line : Monday, July 19, 2004

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
India scores over China as global R&D hub: Survey
HERE comes some good news for our vast intellectual capital. India is not only emerging as a global research and development (R&D) hub, it is now ahead of China in the race. Worldwide corporate heads — top executives from firms with over . More

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Cloud seeding in 10 AP districts from Wednesday
THE Andhra Pradesh Government has announced that arrangements were made for initiating the cloud seeding programme, `Megha Mathanam', from Wednesday onwards by contracting two aircrafts of the Agni Aviation. According to the State Agriculture ... More

ECONOMY
AP public enterprise reforms yield Rs 485-cr revenue
THE public enterprise reforms initiated in Andhra Pradesh have led to major benefits for the State Government in the form of savings, improved returns for farmers for their produce, while regenerating economic activity in units that were either ... More

ENVIRONMENT
Environment: Study finds firms keen to boost exports
A recent FICCI survey assessing the interest companies in the environment sector have in exports has found that many of them are interested in promoting their products, technologies and services overseas. The survey was conducted among 187 ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Exim Policy to become Foreign Trade Policy
Exporters who felt bypassed by the Budget 2004-05 are now looking forward to the changes being proposed in the new FTP by Mr Kamal Nath. More

Double taxation pact with Lanka may be reviewed
INDIA is likely to review its double taxation avoidance agreement with Sri Lanka, besides looking at providing a line of credit to the island nation. This was indicated by the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, after a meeting with the ... More

PETROLEUM
ONGC in talks with Coal India for coal gasification projects
AS part of its strategy to find out alternative sources of gas, ONGC Ltd is actively considering exploitation of coal gas from virgin coal deposits by introducing "underground coal gasification (UCG)" technology. If it turns out to be ... More

POWER
Work on Nagarjuna Udupi plant to begin by year-end
WORK on the 1,015-MW thermal power plant of Nagarjuna Power Corporation Ltd (NPCL) is likely to begin at Padubidri in Udupi district by the end of this year. The plant will comprise two units of 507.5 MW each; the first unit will be ... More

PowerGrid to rope in pvt firms for new facilities
POWER Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), the public sector transmission entity, has sought private sector participation in setting up new transmission facilities for evacuation from new power projects. This included setting up transmission ... More

TAXATION
`Govt confident of revenue targets'
THE Finance Secretary, Mr D.C. Gupta, on Saturday expressed confidence about achieving the projected revenue targets for the year. "Corporate tax gave a growth of about 36 per cent last year, and with the corporate fundamentals being very ... More

WATER
Neyyar water level rising
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The public have been warned about the possibility of opening of the Neyyar Dam shutters "any time" with water level recording substantial increase in recent days. An official quoted the Executive Engineer, Water ... More

BREWERIES
First quarter fails to cheer beer companies' sales
THE beer industry came off a sedate first quarter, which also happens to be the peak summer consumption period for the highly seasonal drink in the country. Market leader United Breweries (UB) Ltd has indicated that industry depletions may ... More

PERSONAL PRODUCTS
FMCG sector looks to rain gods
"For an FMCG company, the well being of a rural economy plays an important role as almost 50 per cent of topline comes from rural India. Poor monsoon will, therefore, have a negative impact." More

EDUCATION
Private effort to end child labour
Ample support is needed from the State Government and local business community to make social initiatives succeed. More

Indo-German project at Kancharapalem
VISAKHAPATNAM: Gayatri Engineering College here has been chosen to be the implementing agency for the Rs 23-crore Indo-German Institute of Advanced Technology (IGIAT) to be set up in the industrial estate at Kancharapalem. This was ... More

Bio-informatics course

MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS & HOSPITALS
SUT to introduce hospice concept in Thiruvananthapuram
THE Thiruvananthapuram-based SUT Super Speciality Hospitals intends to introduce the `hospice' concept to the capital city as an adjunct to the SUT Oncology Institute, which is fast nearing completion. Hospice is a concept of caring derived ... More

Lister Metropolis lab coming up in Chennai
JEEVAN Blood Bank location here has been demolished and the site will house Lister Metropolis' high-end diagnostic laboratory. The proposed laboratory is to be completed by September 2005. Dr G.S.K. Velu, Managing Director, Metropolis Health ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
ISO certification AP real estate co
HYDERABAD: Sreemithra Developers (P) Ltd, the city-based real estate player, has announced that it has achieved the rare distinction of becoming the first Indian real estate company to be awarded the ISO-9001 certification. In a press ... More

MANPOWER
AP Govt to bear redeployment expenses for 4,000 VRS staff
AS part of its proactive initiatives of economic reforms with human face approach, the Andhra Pradesh Government has now decided to expand the retraining and redeployment assistance to cover 4,000 employees who had availed themselves of VRS. ... More

BIO-TECH & GENETICS
Clear-cut biotech policy needed: PHDCCI
TO generate $5 billion revenues and over one million jobs in the biotech sector over next five years, India needs to have a clear-cut policy "fast" for the sector; and remove incoherence in its intellectual property rights (IPR) regime. Even ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
BJP firm against 49 pc FDI in insurance
THE BJP is firm on its decision to oppose amending the IRDA Act, 1999, to raise the FDI limit, Mr Jagdish Shettigar, Convenor of the BJP's Economic Affairs Committee, has said.. The Government might have to amend the Act before tabling it or ... More

IPR
And, Delhi is also the patent capital
APART from being the national capital, New Delhi could well also lay claim to being the patents capital of India. With 678 claims from individuals and organisations, New Delhi has emerged top among Indian cities/States in the filing of patents ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE
BPL Mobile gesture to Kumbakonam fire victims
IN an effort to reach out to the families of victims of the Kumbakonam school fire tragedy, BPL Mobile, a mobile telephone service provider in the Tamil Nadu circle, has launched a fund raising initiative called `Idayathilirundu ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
`Banks must ensure viability of self-help groups'
FROM self-help groups (SHG) to sustainable self-help groups. Having expanded the numbers of women SHGs, banks now need to ensure their long-term viability. A two-day consultation by leading bankers, officials and beneficiaries at the M.S. ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES
Keralites among abused workers in S. Arabia: Human Rights Watch
The report is an indictment of unscrupulous private employers and sponsors as well as Saudi authorities. More

EVENTS

In Hyderabad today

Engagements

ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE
Now, co secys look for role in entertainment sector
ALONG with aspiring talent, the Indian entertainment industry is now attracting hardcore professionals too. Company secretaries are one such lot. "There are a number of factors that make the Indian media and entertainment industry an ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Electronics hardware export up 37%: ESC
ELECTRONICS hardware exports have registered a record growth of over 37 per cent in rupee terms and 44.6 per cent in dollar terms during 2003-04 to touch Rs 7,700 crore compared to Rs 5,600 crore the previous year, the IT export promotion body, ... More