The Hindu Business Line : Wednesday, September 06, 2006

`Govt must take initiatives to promote use of blended fuel'
Long-term contracts for ethanol, a duty structure similar to that of oil, manufacturing of cars that can take in a mix of ethanol and petrol, are some of the initiatives that the Indian Government would have to take, especially when there is ... More

AUTOMOBILES
`Auto cos must invest in IT for better efficiency'
Automation in an automotive company can help reduce required manpower by up to 10 per cent in certain routine functions, according to Mr N. Mohanakrishnan, Executive Director (Internal Audit), Ashok Leyland Ltd, and Chairman, Autotech ... More

CEMENT
Cement: Floods may affect dispatch
Floods in key States may impact growth in dispatches for some cement companies, marketmen say, while referring to figures recorded recently by majors such as ACC, Gujarat Ambuja, UltraTech and Grasim. While ACC's dispatches for August grew by 3.8 ... More

EXCISE AND CUSTOMS
CBEC unveils scheme to avoid adjudication
Assessees must pay entire amount within 30 days More

Customs duty collections up 34 pc in April-Aug
The Centre's customs duty collections continue to be buoyant in the current fiscal. The latest data available with the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) show that customs duty collections have surged by 34.05 per cent during April-August ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
India raises visa issue with Netherlands
Invites SME delegation from the Netherlands to improve trade More

PETROLEUM
Cairn says it has complied with DGH norms on gas reserves
Oil regulator wants E&P cos to announce gas finds only after consulting it More

Ministry still hopeful of SLR status for oil bonds: Deora
The Petroleum Ministry is still hopeful that the Finance Ministry would grant Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) status to the oil bonds that are proposed to be issued by the Government to state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) to compensate ... More

TAXATION
Tax revenues of VAT implementing States up 26 pc in April-July
Tax revenues of the value added tax (VAT) implementing States have recorded a 26.02 per cent growth in the first four months of the current fiscal to touch Rs 36,484 crore compared with Rs 28,951 crore in the corresponding period last year. ... More

New Director-General for CBDT
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has a new Director-General, International Tax, in Mr G.C. Srivastava. Mr Srivastava, who was earlier Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax in Delhi, would also oversee issues relating to ... More

TEXTILES
Textile cos sore over suspension of loans under TUFS
`Ministry must tie up with banks for performance audit' More

TRAVEL & PLACES
Hyderabad vying to host travel meet
Hyderabad is vying with Delhi to host the next edition of PATA (Pacific-Asian Travel Association) meet scheduled to be held in 2008. Encouraged by the huge success of TAAI's annual convention held here last week, the travel ... More

RADIO/TV
Reliance ADA to launch radio station
The Reliance ADA Group is to soon launch its radio station — Big FM. In a statement the company has said that in the first phase of the roll out would see the radio station covering Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, ... More

EDUCATION
ISRO to set up EDUSAT station
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) on Tuesday for setting up an Edusat up-linking station and a studio at the RCI building. The move will ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
Kerala to develop agro food processing park at Wayanad
The Kerala Government proposes to develop an agro food processing industrial park at Wayanad as a world-class infrastructure facility with the support and assistance of Union Ministry of Food Processing and Industries, Mr Elamaram Kareem, the ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Shriram Properties proposes residential project in Coimbatore
Investment put around Rs 120 crore More

Prestige Group to invest Rs 2,500 cr in malls
The Bangalore-based real estate developer, Prestige Group, will invest around Rs 2,500 crore in malls across South India in the next couple of years. A value mall, housing factory outlets of all leading brands, will be thrown open to ... More

Gera Developments joins Citigroup for $125-m project
The project would be coming up at Kharadi, located on the eastern part of Pune. More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Buyers unfazed by ITA outlook
Say move aimed at jacking up prices More

HANDLOOM
Centre's gesture to weaver co-ops
In an effort to help weaver cooperatives, the Centre has re-introduced the scheme for reimbursement of one-time rebate at 10 per cent on sale of handloom products by the handloom agencies for a three-year period from April 2006. ... More

MINING & QUARRYING
CPI(M) flays move to set up tribal battalion in Vizag
More

MAUP opposes proposed uranium ore mining
Activists say project is detrimental to people's health More

IPR
Japan to offer IPR courses in India
The Japanese Patent Office and the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation will offer training and awareness programmes in intellectual property protection in India. Ms Brinda Mohan, a senior partner in the law firm Mohan ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Citigroup takes award beyond India
The Citigroup Micro Entrepreneur Award programme, launched in India in 2004, is now being expanded as a global initiative to over 20 countries, including Mexico, Brazil, China, South Africa, Venezuela and the Philippines, said a release. The ... More

Tsunami-affected village to manufacture bio fertilisers from March
Tsunami-affected fishing village Pattipulam in Kancheepuram district will manufacture bio-fertiliser and bio-control agents from March next year. The unit will come up about a km from Pattipulam employing about 100 women from Pattipulam ... More

TRADE & LABOUR UNIONS
Oil PSU officers drop strike plan
Following an appeal from the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and an assurance that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas would look into their demands, the officers of the 12 state-owned oil companies decided to withdraw their proposed ... More

EVENTS
`Source of sustainable business is energy of its people'
To run a successful business in a sustainable manner a company should have clarity in strategy, operational efficiency, attachment to the society and should be sensitive to the changes in its surroundings. This appeared to be the overwhelming ... More

SSIM seminar on Sept. 8
The Siva Sivani Institute of Management (SSIM) is organising a seminar on "HR as a Strategic Tool for Corporate Excellence" on September 8. Mr Vepa Kamesam, Director, Institute of Insurance and Risk Management, Hyderabad, will ... More

ICAI to hold meet in Mangalore
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will organise a seminar on `Practice Management' in Mangalore on September 7. A press release by the Mangalore branch of the Southern India Regional Council (SIRC) of ICAI ... More

Electronic industry expo opens
The 2nd ELCOMP INDIA 2006, an exhibition and fair conducted by the electronic industry, opened in the Capital on Tuesday. Singapore is the partner country for the show this year. The show is a platform for companies to showcase electronic ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Notification on wheat import duty for private trade soon: Pawar
A day after the Union Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, announced that the Government had allowed private parties to import wheat at zero duty, as against the current 5 per cent, there was all-round confusion over the ... More

ECONOMIC OFFENCES
Anti-money laundering norms hit rural insurance
Seeking identity proof, address for low premium policies cumbersome More

PEOPLE
Stamp on L.V. Prasad released
A commemorative postage stamp of late L.V. Prasad, a noted film personality and founder of the Prasad Group, brought out by the Department of Posts (DoP), was released here today by the Union Minister of State for Communications and IT, Dr ... More