The Hindu Business Line : Thursday, August 25, 2005

Isolated rain forecast for North, Northwest
THE western end of the monsoon trough continued to track an alignment along the Himalayan foothills confining the scope of rainfall to isolated places in the entire north and northwest over the next 4-5 days. A weather update by the National ... More

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY

Maharashtra announces new non-conventional energy policy
THE Maharashtra Government announced its new policy for non-conventional energy. Jatropha plant from which bio-diesel is produced would be promoted on a large scale and its cultivation would be encouraged in the State. The country's first ... More

ECONOMY

Chidambaram tables quarterly review in Parliament — `Subsidies will add to fiscal burden'
THE Government said on Wednesday that the fiscal situation is likely to come under strain in the coming months due to a rising subsidy bill and the need to fund the food-for-work and employment guarantee programmes. "Major fiscal challenges ... More

7-8% growth rate must to sustain job scheme: PM
THE Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today said it was essential to maintain a 7-8 per cent growth rate to finance the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and make it more effective. Intervening in a discussion on the National Rural Employment ... More

ADB aid for Uttaranchal
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help the Government of Uttaranchal prepare a plan to improve the State's road network with a technical assistance grant of $3,98,000. According to a press release issued by ADB, ... More

`No cause for alarms on economy'
The Chief Economic Advisor, Dr Ashok Lahiri, addressing a press conference in the Capital on Wednesday.

ENVIRONMENT

Plastic bags on their way out in Maharashtra
PLASTIC bags, in all likelihood, will be the first casualty after the July 26 rains and the resultant flooding in Mumbai and the other parts of the State. The Maharashtra Government has set in motion the process to ban the use of plastic bags in ... More

HOTELS

Travel, hospitality sectors bullish for the next 6 months
TRAVEL and hospitality industry players are upbeat about business prospects in the next six months. Growth would be driven by an increase in the air traffic capacity in the country, they said. Domestic air travel is expected to maintain a ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE

Move afoot for better infrastructure in AP
Dr Reddy said commuting on the city roads has become a nightmare and improving traffic flow has become imperative and a top priority issue. More

Kerala Govt prioritises 10 projects
AN international container trans-shipment terminal at Vizhinjam, the Kochi metro rail system, the Kannur airport and the low-cost Kerala Airlines are among the 10 projects prioritised by the Kerala Government. . The other projects in the list, ... More

PETROLEUM

`Govt working on pricing plan to ensure oil cos' capex is not hit'
THE Petroleum Minister, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, today said the Government would have to come out with a pricing policy for petroleum products to ensure that investment plans of the bleeding oil marketing companies (OMCs) do not suffer. Speaking ... More

Pipeline project: 3 in race for financial consultant
The consultant would be required to suggest project models for the execution of the project. More

PHARMACEUTICALS

`Brand-repair' a major issue for drug cos: KPMG
DRUG companies are indeed having a bad PR (public relations) day, if the Vioxx-aftermath is any indicator to go by. Not surprising then, `brand repair' is one of the major risks identified by global consultants KPMG for the drug industry, in ... More

POWER

CERC to grant `in-principle' cost approval for thermal projects
THE Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) on Wednesday announced that it would grant in-principle approval to the estimated financial cost of thermal power projects. The move is aimed at expediting financial closure of generation ... More

STEEL

Costly burden
The rising steel prices have not deterred the builders, but have sent budgets haywire in the construction sector. In Hyderabad, the branded variety is hovering over Rs 32,000 a tonne and the local recycled steel is priced at Rs 28, ... More

TAXATION

VAT panel may consult Ministries over monitoring price movements
DISTURBED by the reluctance by some manufacturers to pass on the benefits arising from reduced VAT rates to consumers, the VAT panel has sought the Union Finance Ministry's intervention in convening a meeting between the panel and the Central ... More

Gross tax collections rise 26 pc in Q1
GROSS tax collections of the Union Government has recorded a 26 per cent increase in the first quarter of the current fiscal to Rs 52,283 crore as against Rs 41,151 crore in the same period last year. After transferring Rs 181 crore to the ... More

TEXTILES

Focus on designs, artisans told
HANDICRAFT artisans should set overseas market as their prime goal and pay adequate attention to design to withstand international competition, the Additional Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, Mr Sandeep Srivatsava, has said. Mr ... More

RADIO/TV

The medium and the message
SMS and interactivity are now synonymous in the context of TV channels. Right now, SMS is one more way of keeping in touch with the audience but can go on to rake in more moolah for them. More

Prasar Bharati still relevant, says Reddy
THE national broadcaster continues to play an important role in a developing society, said Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B), Mr S. Jaipal Reddy. Speaking at the inauguration of New Broadcasting House and Doordarshan Bhawan .. More

EDUCATION

Education, training co Career Launcher's gesture to IIM aspirants
`We will give deserving candidates the best possible preparation to make it to the best B-schools.' More

PRECIOUS METALS

GFMS launches Hindi version of Gold Survey
GOLD Fields Mineral Survey (GFMS) has released the Hindi version of the Gold Survey 2005. The publication is getting presented by Mr Paul Walker, CEO, GFMS Ltd, at the India International Gold Convention 2005, which is currently taking place ... More

OFFICE EQUIPMENTS & SUPPLIES

An expression of faith
ITC, which is establishing itself as the second largest player in the greeting cards and stationery market, is betting on innovation and quality for success. More

READYMADE GARMENTS

Brandix Lanka to begin work in Sept
BRANDIX Lanka, which signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Government in July for establishing a garment unit in the proposed special economic zone at Atchyuthapuram in Visakhapatnam district, is planning to start civil works next ... More

MINERALS

Bengal-Jharkhand meet today to settle ore linkage issue
THE West Bengal Government hopes to sort out differences with the Jharkhand Government over iron ore linkage to the proposed Rs 12,000-crore steel plant of the Jindal group. Talking to presspersons at the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Posco to pump in $50-m FDI
SOUTH Korean steel-maker Pohang Steel Company (Posco) is planning to pump in around $50 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) within the next few months, after which it would apply for prospecting licences for iron ore, the company's chief ... More

Left will oppose FDI in retail: Yechury
THE Left would oppose tooth and nail the entry of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector, said Mr Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau Member, CPI (M) and Member of Parliament, here on Wednesday. Addressing a seminar on `Poverty ... More

EVENTS

AIMS convention from Aug 28
THE Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) comprising about 400 B-Schools is set to host its 17th Annual Convention in Hyderabad focussing on `Management 2025- New Paradigms for India's Competitiveness.' AIMS is a national network of ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS

Garlic exports gallop on access to Pak, Bangla
IF what the famous French Chef X Marcel Boulestin (1878-1943) has said several decades ago is translated into reality in the Indo-Pakistan context, the recent upsurge in shipments of garlic to our neighbourhood should accelerate the peace process ... More

ECGC settles claims on insolvency of large importer
EXPORT Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd (ECGC) has settled claims aggregating to Rs 10.46 crore, in favour of three exporters of diamond and gold jewellery on account of insolvency of a large buyer in the US. This buyer who used to ... More

OUTLOOK

India Inc upbeat, says FICCI survey
SEVENTY seven per cent of the 478 companies that participated in the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Q1 Business Confidence Survey have rated the present state of the economy as "moderately to substantially" better as ... More

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