Airlines
`One of my styles is empowerment...of employees'
IN a freewheeling 40-minute interview, the first to an economic daily, over lunch in the fourth-floor office of Jet Airways in suburban Mumbai, the newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the airline, Mr. Steve Forte, fielded a range of question
s on the aviation industry. Excerpts.
Automobiles
Two auto web sites & One promoter
INTRIGUING are the ways of the Web. Quite so if last week's equity structure shifts at two automotive Web sites are looked into.
Banking and Finance
Bankers await fresh package to push reforms
THE banking industry is expecting the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, to unveil a package of measures in the forthcoming Union Budget for 2000-01 to push ahead with the second generation reforms in the financial sector.
Corporate
Matsushita: A sleeping giant awakens
AFTER years of slumber in the Indian marketplace, a recharged Matsushita Television and Audio India Ltd (MTAIL), which sells the Panasonic and National brands of consumer electronic products, has charted out a programme aimed at turning it into largest c
onsumer electronics firm.
Cos calling Cupid to court customers
IT'S that time of the year again when the air is filled with Cupid's arrows of love... It's Valentine's Day, and corporates have opened their bag of tricks and goodies to woo young hearts.
Economy
Relax FDI rules: Camdessus
COUNTRIES should liberalise rules for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) first instead of liberalising capital flows that might attract destabilising short-term inflows as was demonstrated in the case of the East Asian economies, the outgoing Man
aging Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Michel Camdessus, has said.
`Allow flexibility in policy-making: Maran
INDIA today cautioned the global community that in the name of promoting coherence of Bretton Woods institutions such as the World Bank and IMF with WTO, ``we do not create a networking behemoth which puts pressure on developing countries through cross-c
onditionalities''.
Environment
Plea to exempt foundries from EIA approval
THE Indian industry should change its mindset and invest in quality facilities to survive in a fiercely competitive environment, Mr. C.R. Swaminathan, President, Institute of Indian Foundrymen, has said.
Infrastructure
`Rate of return not final word for rail projects'
IT could be ``mission accomplished'' for Members of Parliament pushing for new railway line projects in their respective constituencies, with the Railway Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee's recent stance that projects should not be viewed from the ``prism of
crass commercialism''.
Kalam stresses on infrastructure development
IF India were to attain the status of a developed nation, infrastructural development must be given the highest priority, according to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.
Miscellaneous
ICAI seeks steps to boost capital market
THE Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has suggested various measures to the Government to bring about a further improvement in the country's capital markets.
Shram awards
THE Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee will give away Shram Awards, 1998 on February 14. Seventeen Shram Awards are being shared by 31 workers in recognition of their contribution in production and innovative abilities of high order.
Sharjah free zone team in India
THE Sharjah Free Zone General Authority has embarked on a major promotion drive in India, with its Chairman, Sheikh Tariq bin Faisal Al Qasimi, visiting India at the head of a delegation.
Utkal Alumina's community project
UTKAL Alumina International Ltd (UAIL), which is to set up a major alumina project in Orissa, has established an autonomous body called Utkal Rural Development Society (URDS) for the sustainable development on a long-term basis of the project area. The p
roject is to come up at Doraguda, with its mines at Baphlimali Hills of the Koraput block.
Four former PMs for TERI meet
AT least four former Prime Ministers, two Nobel Laureates, several CEOs of multinational corporations and senior officials of multi-lateral agencies will assemble in India to participate in an international meet on ``Global sustainable development in the
21st century'' organised by the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) during February 19-21 in the Capital.
W.Australia eyes mining ventures
WESTERN Australia is interested in investment opportunities in mining, agri-business and other areas, and had expressed its intention to promote joint ventures in India. Discussions had been initiated with the Tamil Nadu Government expressing Western Aus
tralia's interests, particularly in mining, according to Mr. Hendy Cowan, Deputy Premier and Minister for Commerce and Trade.
Fundamentals strong: Sinha
THE Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, has said revenue collections so far have been on expected lines and that the inflation rate will be substantially lower at the end of the current fiscal compared to last year due to the opening up of the economy.
The inflation rate stood at around 6.9 per cent at the end of 1998-99.
Excise dept launches `Train in a chain'
THE Central Excise Department has recently launched a novel exercise labelled ``Train in a chain'' to train the maximum number within the department on the new Canadian International Development Agency-based Excise Audit - 2000 programme.
Power
PSEG willing to wait for escrow cover
PROSPECTIVE Independent Power Producers (IPPs) should ``wait patiently for the escrow account facility and support the State Governments, rather than drag them to the court'', according to Mr. P.B.Vanchi, Managing Director, PSEG India Pvt. Ltd.
SSI
Minister leads SME team for US
THE Minister for Small-Scale Industries, Agro and Rural Industries, Ms. Vasundhara Raje, is to lead a 25-member delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) small and medium enterprises mission to the US.
States
Project on child labour in Tirupur garment sector
A TWO-YEAR pilot project for abolition of child labour employed in the knitwear industry in Tirupur has been launched under the International Labour Organisation-sponsored `Integrated Area-Specific Approach' programme.
Pollution by tanneries in Vellore Dist - Report on compensation for ryots by May end
THE Loss of Ecology Authority is likely to present its award on compensation for Vellore district farmers affected by tannery pollution by the end of May.
S.M. Krishna to consult industry on tax issues
The Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, has allayed apprehension of Government not being sensitive to the industry's hardship and said he would discuss with them on the eve of the State Budget the problems on various issues including the uniform
taxation as mooted by the Union Finance Minister. He also assured that he would consider amending the anomalies in rates, if necessary.
Malabar farm sector facing crisis: Forum
THE agricultural sector in Kerala, particularly the plantation economy of the Malabar region, was facing a grave crisis, according to Karshaka Munnetta Samithi (Farmers Development Forum), an NGO working amidst farmers.
Telecommunications
Telecom staff token strike tomorrow
THE 4.5 lakh telecom employees in the country will go on a one-day token strike on Tuesday in protest against the proposed corporatisation and privatisation of the department, Mr. P. Ashok Babu, Assistant General Secretary of the All-India Telecom Employ
ees' Union, has said.
