The Hindu Business Line : Saturday, January 19, 2008

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Sikkim to begin work on glacier inventory
Gangtok, Jan 18 Sikkim will soon begin work on preparing an inventory on glaciers and an assessment of its retreat mechanism.This was announced by Prof SI Hasnain, Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and Chairman of the ... More

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Bio-diesel meet to draw roadmap for future
Mumbai, Jan. 18 A two-day convention on ‘Climate Change and Bio-diesel 2008’ will be held in New Delhi during February 1-2. Organised by the Bio-Diesel Association of India (BDAI) with the support of the Union Ministry of Rural ... More

COURTS/LEGAL ISSUES
SC stays HC order on sugarcane pricing
UP Govt’s order on recovering dues stands revived More

Calcutta HC Bench upholds land acquisition by State in Singur
All PILs challenging acquisition dismissed More

ECONOMY
Growth and environment protection: Is there a trade-off?
More

Minimal fuel price hike imminent
New Delhi, Jan. 18 A minimal increase in fuel prices seems imminent. The Petroleum Minister, Mr Murli Deora, today hinted that if at all the Government does decide to raise fuel prices, the hike would be minimal. A decision to this effect is ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Remove non-tariff barriers, Indonesia told
New Delhi, Jan 18 India has asked Indonesia to consider removing non-tariff barriers on the import of Indian pharma products into Indonesia as such a step would help Indonesia to avail itself of India’s cost-effective drugs and source ... More

Trade across LoC likely by mid-July
Attari (Wagah Border), Jan. 18 Trade across the Line of Control (LoC) is expected to commence by mid July this year, with India and Pakistan coming to a basic understanding on the list of items that could be traded across the LOC. ... More

SAFTA ministerial to be held in Delhi
Ahead of the SAFTA ministerial, India plans to formally announce a set of next steps it intends to take to deal with non-tariff barriers (NTBs) so as to enhance trade flows within the SAARC region.“We would like to go to SAFTA ... More

PETROLEUM
Reliance plans to invest $1.14 b to develop gas finds in Orissa
New Delhi, Jan. 18 Reliance Industries Ltd plans to invest $1.14 billion to develop six gas discoveries in NEC-25 block in offshore Mahanadi basin. The company plans to produce 35-40 million standard cubic metres per day of gas from six finds ... More

Govt asks States to cut sales tax on ATF
New Delhi, Jan 18 The Centre on Friday asked the States to consider lowering sales tax on aviation turbine fuel. Addressing the first national Civil Aviation conference, the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel pointed out that ... More

HP upbeat on oil, gas sector with high performance solutions
Exploration firms’ drive to innovate fuelling demand More

‘Prepare natural gas use plan for Karnataka’
Mangalore, Jan. 17 Considering the energy requirement of Karnataka in the coming years, the Mangalore-based Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has made an appeal to the Karnataka Government to host the creation of facilities to ... More

POWER
Darby Overseas invests in Bhoruka Power
Mumbai, Jan. 18 Darby Overseas Investments Ltd, the private equity arm of Franklin Templeton Investments and a leading provider of private equity and mezzanine capital in emerging markets, announced that its Darby Asia Mezzanine Fund II (DAMF ... More

STEEL
Joint study to assess steel demand in rural areas
Kolkata, Jan 18 The Union Ministry of Steel and the Institute for Steel Development & Growth (INSDAG) will jointly commission a study to assess the demand for steel in the rural areas up to the year 2020. The study will be conducted by a ... More

TAXATION
Direct tax collections up 42%
New Delhi, Jan. 18 Higher net direct tax collections continued in the first fortnight of 2008, grossing over Rs 2,17,149 crore during the April 2007-January 15, 2008 period. The increase worked out to 41.93 per cent over last fiscal same ... More

COAL
Coal India sets Rs 5,000 cr capex in 11th Plan
Kolkata, Jan. 18 Coal India has lined up Rs 5,000 crore capital expenditure in the Eleventh Plan to acquire continuous miners, longwall faces, and other machineries to enhance the production from underground mines from the existing 43 million ... More

Coal India to consider IPO only after getting Navratna status
Kolkata, Jan. 18 Coal India Ltd may consider proposing an IPO in 2008-09, depending on the availability of Navratna status. The first meeting for considering awarding the coveted status to the central public sector undertaking, is ... More

RADIO/TV
Hyderabad to get Digital Entertainment City
Animation firms, production houses partner with AP Govt More

Radio Mirchi in Kerala capital
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EDUCATION
RBI slashes risk weights on education loans
Mumbai, Jan. 18 The RBI has reduced risk weights on education loans under the Basel II framework.“Under the Basel II framework, educational loans, no longer being a part of consumer credit, would be treated as a component of the ... More

Meet on management education
Top academicians from business schools across the globe will gather here tomorrow at the Asia Graduate School of Business (AsiaGSB)’s founding conference to discuss several key issues pertaining to management education.The conference is ... More

Symbiosis, Savvion tie up
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FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
Govt in talks with Dole Food for cold chain facilities
Looking to ease infrastructure hurdles More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
HDIL to set up cyber city in Kochi
Kochi, Jan. 18 Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) has announced its plans to set up a cyber city in Kochi at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. The project, to be implemented through Blue Star Realtors Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary ... More

PAPER, BOARD & NEWSPRINT
Paper cos seek rationalisation of excise, customs duties
Mumbai, Jan. 18 Paper manufacturers have demanded rationalisation of customs and excise duties on paper and paperboard.Mr R. Narayan Moorthy, Secretary-General, Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA), the apex body of the large ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
CII brand summit in Hyderabad
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will organise the fourth edition of Brand Summit 2008 on February 1 and 2,here. The summit would focus on the theme ‘The brand is dead. Long live the brand’ and would address various issues ... More

EVENTS
Volvo Ocean Race will pull in at Kochi in December
Stopover agreement signed; yachts will stay on for 10 days More

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
TiECON award for entrepreneurs
Chennai, Jan. 18 Eight Chennai-based entrepreneurs today received TiECON ‘annual entrepreneurship awards’ under different categories. The awards were given away by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr M. Karunanidhi.TiECON ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Focus to be on 4 agri-export zones
New zones won’t be sanctioned now More

No plans to import more wheat: Pawar
New Delhi, Jan. 18 The Union Government has no immediate plans to import wheat as the buffer stock is satisfactory and the production this season is expected to be near the targeted level, the Union Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad ... More

TOURISM
Tourism dept to focus on north Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 17 Kerala Tourism will take steps to develop several locations in north Kerala as major tourist destinations. Addressing a press conference in the city today, the State Tourism Minister, Mr Kodiyeri ... More