The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, April 01, 2008

AUTOMOBILES
Maharashtra continues to lure auto majors
Mumbai, March 31 Maharashtra’s thirst for big-ticket investments in the automobile sector is not about to be satiated.After signing three major MoUs with vehicle makers Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Fiat India ... More

ECONOMY
External debt up $ 10.3 b in third quarter
New Delhi, March 31 The country’s external debt rose to $ 201.4 billion as on December 31, 2007, an increase of $ 10.3 billion over the quarter. The increase in debt was mainly brought about by external commercial borrowing and ... More

Cabinet panel meets on price rise
New Delhi, March 31 The Cabinet Committee on Prices met late evening on Monday to review the sharp increase in prices of food items and other manufactured goods, with a view to contain runaway inflation, which had clocked a 14-month high. ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
India, Sweden agree to catalyse cooperation in trade, academia
New Delhi, March 31 India on Monday sought active cooperation from Sweden in the field of higher education, besides identifying complementarities in high-tech areas of IT, biotech, automotive industry and electronics.At the bilateral ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Work on rail freight corridors likely to start by Oct-Nov
Issue of funding sorted out; thrust to passenger traffic More

PHARMACEUTICALS
Alembic turns 100; eyes Rs 2,000-cr turnover in 4 years
Celebrating its centenary, the country’s oldest pharmaceutical company, Alembic Ltd, on Monday announced to double its turnover to Rs 2,000 crore in the next four years.The former President of India, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, was the ... More

India should produce 40% of world’s generic drugs, says Kalam
Vadodara, March 31 The former President of India, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Monday emphasised the need for India to contribute 40 per cent of the world’s generic drug production and focus on eradication of diseases such as malaria and ... More

POWER
NTPC plans geo-thermal projects
Power major NTPC Ltd announced on Monday that it plans to set up a geo thermal-based power project in Chhattisgarh in association with National Geo-physical Research Institute. Geo-thermal power projects essentially use up heat underneath the ... More

NHPC commissions Teesta hydel units in Sikkim
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (NHPC) has commissioned all the three units of 510 MW (170 MW x 3) Teesta Stage-V Hydroelectric Project in the State. Of the three units, one has already been put on commercial operation and the ... More

STEEL
Steelmakers, miners clash resurfaces
New Delhi, March 31 The clash of interest between the steel and the mining industry has resurfaced again following a recent Government move to control steel prices as part of inflation management. To bring down steel prices the Indian ... More

TAXATION
No word yet on commodity transaction tax
Mumbai, March 31 There appears to be uncertainty over the implementation of the Commodity Transaction Tax from April 1 with broking firms saying the exchanges have not notified them on the issue till late Monday evening.The Finance ... More

Meet on service tax, central excise
More

SSI
KSSIA, Syndicate Bank in credit card pact
Kochi, March 31 Kerala State Small Industries Association has tied up with Syndicate Bank for the issue of Synd Laghu Udyami credit card, which provides a maximum credit of Rs 2 lakh to the members of KSSIA Social Security Fund, a Trust that ... More

EDUCATION
ISB gets Rs 350-cr grant for IT centre
Indian School of Business (ISB) has received a Rs 350 crore grant for its Centre for Information Technology and Networked Economy (CITNE) to expand its research programmes.Mr Srini Raju, an entrepreneur from Hyderabad, has donated the ... More

‘Non-linear thinking key to marketing success’
Have marketing products or services evolved over the years? Or has the dot com era revolutionised the way business is done? Does mention of the word ‘marketeer’ evoke the same stereotypical image of a person, who indulges in ... More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DRDO scientists bag awards
More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
BSNL unlikely to get more from USO fund
New Delhi, March 31 In what could be a fresh blow to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, the Department of Telecom has conveyed that it is not in favour of giving financial support to the PSU from the Universal Services Obligation fund for rolling out ... More

Annual credit plan for Virudhunagar
Madurai, March 31 The annual credit plan for Virudhunagar district for 2008-09 envisages an outlay of Rs 1,191.53 crore for the priority sector. The allocation is Rs 91 crore more than the previous year, according to District Collector Mr V. ... More

SAIL donates mobile medical unit
The Union External Affairs Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, has dedicated to the people of Jangipur hospital equipment and a mobile medical unit donated by SAIL. He has also inaugurated a SAIL tubewell project at Mondalsar village in Khargram block ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES
Quantum jump in CAs passing out in 2010
New Delhi, March 31 The number of chartered accountants passing out from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is set to more than double by 2010 to 25,000-30,000 from the current level of 10,000-12,000 a year, with ICAI ... More

EVENTS
Buddhadeb to meet Coimbatore entrepreneurs
Coimbatore, March 31 The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and his team of officials are to meet representatives of Coimbatore-based industries and entrepreneurs here tomorrow. The meeting is designed to invite the ... More

INCOME TAX
Margadarsi chief appears before I-T
Hyderabad, March 31 The Chairman of the Eenadu Group of publications, Mr Ch. Ramoji Rao, today appeared before the officials of the Income Tax Department here. The development is in response to the summons issued by the IT department ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Duty Entitlement Pass Book scheme extended ‘till further orders’
Annual supplement to foreign trade policy on April 11 More

Exports will touch $200 b by 2009: CII
CEOs seek stable policy to enable long-term planning More