The Hindu Business Line : Friday, July 23, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Normal rain in three districts in Kerala
THE latest update on seasonal rainfall (June 1 to July 21) in Kerala reveals that Idukki, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts received `normal' precipitation. But, according to the Agromet Advisory dated July 22 issued by the Met Office, ... More

`IMD does not have world-class equipment'
THE Minister of State for Science & Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal, today admitted that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) did not have the world-class equipment required to make reliable monsoon forecasts. "We don't have world-class ... More

BUDGET
Karnataka: Reconsider sales tax hike on IT industry, says Moily
THE former Chief Minister and Chairman of the Tax Reforms Commission, Mr Veerappa Moily, has suggested the Karnataka Finance Minister, Mr S. Siddaramaiah, to reconsider his decision to increase the sales tax rate on information technology ... More

ECONOMY
Indian voters favour more reforms: IMF official
A TOP official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is of the view that the outcome of India's recent parliamentary elections reflected a "message" in favour of "more reforms" instead of being a mandate against the "spread of markets" and the ... More

Cement, steel slowdown hits core sector growth
A SLOWDOWN in cement and finished steel production has led to core sector growth floundering in June. The official index of six infrastructure industries during the month registered a year-on-year increase of 3.2 per cent, as compared to the ... More

Bengal to address developmental issues in `campaign mode'
ACTING on the recommendations of economists, academicians, government servants, non-governmental organisations and people's representatives at the district level, the West Bengal Government will soon address select developmental issues in ... More

`Investment panel, a positive step'
THE proposed Investment Commission is a positive initiative that could improve the investment climate in the country, Mr H.S. Singhania, former President, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, and President, JK Organisation, has said. ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Internal reforms vital to gain from FTAs, says FICCI
THE Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has urged the Government to accelerate the pace of internal reforms so that the country could be better positioned to maximisegains from free and preferential trade agreements ... More

HEALTH
Bengal to seek Centre's clarification on allocation to health sector
THE West Bengal Government will seek the Centre's assurance on higher allocation to the health sector and also a clarification on actual budgetary provisions. Dr Surya Kanta Mishra, State's Health Minister, said here on Thursday that he would ... More

Natco Pharma launches anti-cancer drug
NATCO Pharma Ltd has announced the launch of Chlorambucil in 2 mg and 5 mg tablets form. The drug, launched under the brand name Clokeran, is useful in the treatment of chronic lymphatic (lymphocytic) leukaemia as well as in malignant ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Tata Steel to pick 50% stake in Dhamra port
TATA Steel is close to picking up a 50 per cent stake and team up with Larsen & Toubro for building and operating the Rs 1,500-crore Dhamra Port in Orissa. The minor port will now be developed as a 50-50 joint venture between Tata Steel and ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
India left out of 6-nation pact for low-cost AIDS drugs
By not being part of the alliance, India has missed the bus in terms of solidarity with developing countries. More

New ERP tool for retailers
COIMBATORE: Bersoft Infotech is set to launch a package for the retail and pharmaceutical sector. According to Mr Nishant V. Berlia, CEO, Bersoft Infotech, the company proposes to introduce `PowerShoppe' - the ERP software for retail ... More

TRAVEL & PLACES
US vows to speed up processing of green card applications
IN a message that could be somewhat reassuring to thousands of Indian nationals who are awaiting their "green card" or wondering what happened to their applications, a senior official of the Bush administration has said that efforts are under way ... More

WATER
Desalination tech can produce water at 25 paise a litre: Sibal
EVEN as the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, has proposed the setting up of the country's first large desalination plant near Chennai with a 300 million litres per day (lpd) capacity - in the Union Budget - the Government today said ... More

MANAGEMENT
JSB programme on biz leadership skills
JANSONS School of Business (JSB), Karumathampatti near Coimbatore is organising Management Development Programmes in July and August that would focus on specific subjects and conducted by senior academicians. The programme on `Business ... More

BEVERAGES
Hard campaign against soft drink giants
ACTIVISTS belonging to a network called Stolen Generation and those from Plachimada villlage, Kerala, waging a battle against Coca-Cola have given a call to the public, the youth in particular, and the intelligentsia to realise the harm being ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
Exporters concern over new European food law
AFTER the US bio-terrorism law, Indian exporters are now dreading the European General Food Law, which comes into effect from January 1, 2005. According to a statement by EAN India (a non-profit organisation under the Ministry of Commerce), ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
New theme-based mall by Jan 2006
CHENNAI Citi Centre is the name of the city's newest shopping mall that is coming up on Radhakrishnan Salai. Construction is under way and the mall is slated for completion in January 2006. The mall's promoters say that this will be the ... More

Dalmia group to launch real estate fund
THE Delhi-based Dalmia group is raising the country's first real estate venture capital fund called Fire Capital. A press release from the group said the Securities and Exchange Board of India had permitted it to operate a $50-million fund that ... More

GOLD & SILVER
Gold may test support levels
GOLD prices moved lower on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve Chairman speaking to congressional committee painted an optimistic picture about the US economy and dismissed recent signs of fragility and reiterated that the central bank would ... More

PAPER, BOARD & NEWSPRINT
Paper price increase unlikely to impact textbooks this year
EVEN as a few large paper companies have increased their prices by around 3-4 per cent citing increase in production costs, it is not likely to result in an increase in the prices of paper-based stationery such as notebooks and textbooks since ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Tackle drought, States urged
THE Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has urged the State Governments to take up immediate steps to tackle the looming drought. The retarding monsoons have pushed back the prospects of the agriculture sector with ... More

BIO-TECH & GENETICS
Biotech cos all set for commercial production
BIOTECH biggies Biocon India, Bharat Biotech and Shantha Biotechnics seem to be on the journey of commencing commercial manufacture of their new discoveries. The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which gives clearances to proposals ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
Matrix Labs among 28 FDI proposals cleared
MATRIX Laboratories' proposal to bring in further foreign direct investment (FDI) worth Rs 5.14 crore from Mauritius-based India Newbridge Partners FDI Ltd was among the FDI proposals cleared by the Government today. A total of 28 FDI proposals ... More

WTO
WTO: Consensus draft framework still elusive
EVEN as the WTO members broadly hailed the first draft of a package of "framework" agreements when they met in Geneva on July 19-20, serious reservations still exist over some parts of the text, making the task of cobbling a consensus text a ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Nabard sets up `kora grass cluster' in Alappuzha
THE Regional Office of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has launched the `Kora Grass Cluster' in Alappuzha district. Nabard has been supporting 100 such clusters in the country and this is the third in Kerala. ... More

Canara Bank to form SHGs in Kerala

EVENTS
`Value-addition in agriculture must'
THE Chief Executive Officer of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, Mr H.G. Shivananda Murthy, has stressed the need for according priority to value-addition in agriculture. A press release by the Nertravati Grameena Bank said on Thursday ... More

Meet on captive power in Hyderabad

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Iran lifts ban on India tea; exports set to resume
WITH the Iranian Government lifting the ban on import of Indian tea, a delegation from that country, which is visiting India, has expressed interest in buying orthodox tea. According to sources in the domestic tea industry, the ban was lifted ... More

Spices export doubles in Q1
EXPORT of spices during the first quarter of the current fiscal has more than doubled in terms of volume, while, in value, it has increased by Rs 172.55 crore. Chilli continued to perform well with a substantial increase in exports by 25,250 ... More

FIEO concerned over delay in issue of Gold Cards
THE Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) is concerned over the inordinate delay in issuing Gold Cards to credit-worthy small and medium exporters by banks, especially after RBI had worked out the scheme after discussions with select ... More

STANDARDS & BENCHMARKS

Workshop on Six Sigma

ECONOMIC OFFENCES
Top Line Shoes: Ministry seeks details from RoC
THE little master Sunil Gavaskar could be pushed on the back-foot this time. The Ministry of Company Affairs is closely monitoring the case of the vanishing footwear company Top Line Shoes Ltd, where Gavaskar's name figures in a police complaint ... More