The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, March 18, 2008

DESI to take EmPower project to 10 more locations
Decentralised Energy Systems India Pvt Ltd (DESI) plans to expand its ‘100 village EmPower’ partnership programme to 10 more locations across India. Launched in 2005, the programme was first set up in Araria district, Bihar, where ... More

Solar water heating potential ‘untapped’
Chennai, March 17 Solar water heaters have a miniscule market share in the country despite its zero running cost and quick pay-back period, said Mr A.K. Rathi, Managing Director - Merloni TermoSanitari India Ltd (MTSIL), in an interview with ... More

Tata BP Solar in deal to raise $78 m for 128-MW project
Bangalore, March 17 Tata BP Solar on Monday announced that it has signed an agreement with Calyon Bank (Credit Agricole CIB) and BNP Paribas to raise $78 million to fund its 128-MW Solar Cell Expansion Project, which is in the advanced stages ... More

KSEB inks pact with wind energy promoters
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has signed agreements for purchase of power with four promoters of wind energy projects in the State.The wind energy projects are coming up in Palakkad and Idukki districts. A total of 33 wind ... More

AUTOMOBILES
Satyam to beef up auto, aviation services
Coimbatore, March 17 While gearing up to commence operations at its campus in Chennai by end September, Satyam Computer Services, according to its Director and Senior Vice-President (Manufacturing and Automotive Business Group), Mr Subu D ... More

BUDGET
Rs 75-cr tax proposals in Bengal Budget
Kolkata, March 17 The West Bengal Finance Minister, Dr Asim Dasgupta, presenting the State Budget for 2008-09 here today at the Assembly, projected a total expenditure of Rs 52,092.73 crore, against total receipts of Rs 52,015.73 crore, ... More

ECONOMY
‘US sub-prime crisis impacting India in a moderate way’
New Delhi, March 17 The Union Finance Minister, Mr P Chidambaram, on Monday said that the US sub-prime mortgage crisis has impacted India in a moderate way. “Our assessment is that impact on India is second order impact and a ... More

Reading the worry lines
At Terminal 7 of the JFK Airport where one has a three-hour wait to board a United Airlines flight, the mood is certainly subdued. There is no great rush at the shopping area, the book store and the food counters either; and this is certainly ... More

AP announces loan waiver
Hyderabad, March 17 The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, today announced another major loan waiver scheme of Rs 1,690 crore that covers women, minorities, disabled persons, backward and scheduled castes.In a statement in the ... More

ENGINEERING
Spiralling raw materials prices hit engg units
Coimbatore, March 17 The sharp rise in prices of major industrial raw materials, especially the iron and steel prices, in the last one year has affected the working of industries, causing slow-down in industrial and construction activities, ... More

ENVIRONMENT
IFC signs carbon delivery guarantee
IFC, the private investment arm of the World Bank Group, has signed its first carbon delivery guarantee agreement in India. IFC signed a deal for 8.5 lakh carbon credits from Rain CII Carbon (India) Ltd (formerly Rain Calcining Ltd), an IFC ... More

EXCISE AND CUSTOMS
Rumours of cut in Customs duty
The edible oil markets were agog with rumours of cut in Customs duty on edible oil imports again on Monday. The market had been looking forward to a cut in the Budget proposal but the Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, left it ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Indian cos urged to invest in South Australia
Chennai, March 17 The economy of South Australia is in a major transformation, and its premier Mr Mike Rann urged Indian companies to invest more in the region.“Like India, South Australia’s economy is gaining pace with more ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Rs 850-crore Kinfra projects under way
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar. 17 The Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) is implementing 11 projects, which are expected to attract private investments to the tune of Rs 850 crore, according to the Industries Minister, ... More

PETROLEUM
Crude, metals prices set to rule firm for now
Deficit seen in aluminium during Q2; nickel likely to gain More

PHARMACEUTICALS
‘Create talent pool to tap contract research potential’
Hyderabad, March 17 There is a need to create a talent pool to tap the growing potential in contract research in pharmaceuticals and biotech industry, according to Dr Sivalinga Prasad Vasireddi, Managing Director, Vimta Labs Ltd.In his ... More

POWER
Nuke deal: UPA-Left panel to meet again in April
New Delhi, March 17 The Government and its Left allies on Monday decided to hold another round of discussions in April on the draft India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Left parties ... More

NTPC begins 500 MW unit in Bihar
National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) has commissioned a 500-MW unit of a thermal power plant in Bihar, taking its total generation capacity in the country close to the 30,000 MW-mark. In a communication to the BSE on Monday, NTPC said ... More

Power demand to rise in 9 districts
The requirement of electricity of the nine southern districts in Tamil Nadu will increase to 13,700 million KWh (kilowatt hour) by 2011-12 and rise further to 21,200 million KWh by 2016-17. Currently, the consumption is around 8,700 million KWh, ... More

STEEL
Govt urged to rein in steel prices
New Delhi, March 17 Pointing out that steel prices have gone up by over 30 per cent in the last three months, the Indian forging industry on Monday said it would become uncompetitive if the steel prices are not reined in. In this ... More

Steel traders flay RINL for price hike
Visakhapatnam, March 17 The steel traders here have blamed Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) for the huge hike in steel prices and also for “artificial scarcity” in the local market created by the “faulty policies” of ... More

TAXATION
AP cabinet okays sales tax cut on ATF
Hyderabad, March 17 The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Monday approved the lowering of sales tax (ST) from 33 per cent to 4 per cent on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) along with bringing down professional tax from 14 to 4 per cent. The professional ... More

RADIO/TV
‘Counter productive policies affecting Indian cable TV growth’
New Delhi, March 17 At $55, the average revenue per pay TV household in India is below most other markets, including the mature markets of the US ($985), the UK ($912) and even those of the Philippines ($127), Thailand ($117) and Korea ... More

KNITWEAR & HOSIERY
‘Extend interest subvention’
Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) has called upon the Finance Ministry to extend the four per cent interest subvention on export packing credit for one more year. The association has made the request as the interest subvention on pre- ... More

MINING & QUARRYING
Girijans protest against bauxite mining
Visakhapatnam, March 17 Tension prevailed on the premises of the Visakhapatnam District Collector’s Office here on Monday morning, when Girijans held a demonstration against the proposal of the State Government to take up bauxite mining ... More

IPR
Do the lacunae in IP protection deter investors?
More

HUMAN RESOURCES
‘We recruit for attitude and train for skills’
A global mindset is necessary for aspiring management graduates, as what is happening in the world is happening in India today, according to Mr M.M. Murugappan, Managing Director, TI Cycles of India, Chennai.Activities today carry a ... More

EVENTS
Kareem calls for focus on domestic market
Kochi, March 17 The State Industries Minister, Mr Elamaram Kareem, called upon the industries to focus more on domestic market than exports in order to achieve better growth. He said this would also ensure social progress in a more equitable ... More