AUTOMOBILES
`Northern auto cos upbeat on biz prospects'
THE automobile and auto components industry with units in North India has expressed optimism about the improvement in business prospects in the next six months. This has been the finding of a business perception survey for auto and components ... More

ECONOMY
Does culture impact development?
The notion of `progress,' which cannot be limited exclusively to technical `progress' alone, implies a positive change for a better, more successful and more just system. Quoting from the Indian Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and German ... More

ENVIRONMENT
Measures to curb dioxin emissions mooted
DIOXINS might be tiny. Their concentration in the ambient might be in the pictogram (trillionth of a gram) level. But they are a harmful group of `environmental residues' that cause health concerns, a leading environmentalist has said. Dioxins ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Exim Bank finds high trade potential with SADC nations
THE latest study conducted by the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has indicated high potential for increasing bilateral trade and investment between India and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries. In a ... More

HEALTH
Cut in cost of HIV tests urged
THE Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society has called for drastic reduction in the cost of HIV tests to improve turn out at the Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCTCs) set up at all the teaching hospitals, district hospitals and areas ... More

PETROLEUM
Petronet LNG resorts to distress sale of gas
THE public sector oil companies that have the rights to market the gas imported by Petronet LNG have been resorting to distress sale to urea manufacturers over the past few days. This is an outcome of the fertiliser manufacturers' refusal to ... More

POWER
Lenders discuss Dabhol recast
BANKS and financial institutions that have funded Dabhol Power Company (DPC) today met in Singapore to negotiate a financial restructuring package that may include the Indian lenders taking over foreign loans at a discount. Institutional ... More

TEXTILES
Higher interest discount likely for textile wet processing plants
THE investors in modern textile wet processing plants are expected to be greeted with a higher dose of interest subsidy, say an 8 per cent interest reimbursement on their term loans as against the present 5 per cent interest reimbursement ... More

Top garment exporters adopt global supply chain standards
LEADING garment exporters such as Arvind Mills, Madura Coats, Gokuldas Images, Nahar Industries, TCNS Clothing and Jay Gee Fashions have adopted the international EAN.UCC supply chain standards. This follows international buyers such as ... More

SSI
Kerala plans interface cells to promote SSIs
The teams will interact with existing and potential entrepreneurs as also with experts and consultants so as to promote projects proposed by them. More

GEMS & JEWELLERY
Gems and jewellery exports up 31 pc at $11.9 b
EXPORTS of gem and jewellery for 2003-04 have peaked at $11.9 billion, up 31 per cent from $9.1 billion in 2002-03. In rupee terms, this means that the country's export earnings from this segment — 17 per cent last year — stood at ... More

PAPER, BOARD & NEWSPRINT
Elections bring no cheer for Paper industry
ELECTION time. Grist for the mills no longer - at least in India. Come elections, paper demand usually spurts. And with elections in more than 70 countries this year, mills are looking forward to heavy orders. But not in India, where ... More

Printing, writing paper prices may go up
PRICES of printing and writing paper are set to increase by about Rs 500 a tonne from May. The large mills are contemplating this increase against the backdrop of increase in raw material prices, according to industry sources. However, the ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Travel agents want Malaysia to withdraw bank guarantee norms
THE Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has threatened to stop promoting Malaysia as a destination if it did not address travel agents' concerns regarding a recent notice from the Office of the Assistant Commissioner for Malaysia in ... More

READYMADE GARMENTS
Quota utilisation of readymade garments down 13.7% in Q1
THE rising appreciation of the rupee vis-à-vis the dollar has taken its toll in the export of garments, as quota utilisation of readymade garments went down by 13.71 per cent during the first quarter of the calendar year 2004. Reacting to the ... More

INTERVIEW
`Naidu failed to understand rural situation'
Urban growth and development as well as the progress in information technology have been his strengths. His weakness is that he doesn't give enough importance to rural areas and agriculture. More

EVENTS
`Evolve ways to identify hazards'
MANGALORE: The Director of Factories and Boilers, Mr K.G. Krishnappa, has said that every industry should evolve methods for identification of hazards through risk analysis. Inaugurating a workshop on "Risk assessment and process safety ... More

TOURISM
Tourism Ministry seeks extension of open sky policy by 3 years
THE Ministry of Tourism has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeking a long-term extension of the open sky policy being followed by the Government at present. "We have again written to Civil Aviation seeking an open sky policy during ... More

ECONOMIC OFFENCES
Chennai I-T seizures put at Rs 52 cr
THE Investigation Directorate, Income Tax, Chennai, seized unaccounted assets worth Rs 52 crore (Rs 31 crore) and concealed income of Rs 85 crore (Rs 49 crore) in Tamil Nadu during the year ending March 31, 2004. The seizure of Rs 52 crore ... More