The Hindu Business Line : Friday, July 16, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Floods put brakes on Delhi-Patna refrigerated van
Traders in Delhi say that moving green vegetables from Patna to Delhi may not make sense. More

Shut-off
A contract worker steals a nap on Wednesday with there being no respite from the heat in the Capital.

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Jayalalithaa for package to promote bio-fuels
THE Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, has asked the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to evolve a comprehensive support package for the accelerated development of bio-fuels. Full import duty exemption on import of technology and ... More

ECONOMY
Purchasing power problems & GDP
THE share of agriculture in the gross domestic product (GDP) has declined from 44.5 per cent in 1970-71 to 22.2 per cent in 2003-04. But more than 72 per cent of Indians still live in rural areas; and according to the Interim Report of the RBI's ... More

Policy-makers told to follow Chinese socio-economic model
NOBLE laureate Professor Amartya Sen has advised Indian policy-makers to follow the Chinese socio-economic growth model to improve the quality of life, in general, and also provide India with a competitive edge in the global market. Prof Sen ... More

India at 127th slot in UNDP human development index
THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has assigned India among the medium human development countries putting it in the 127th slot, a notch higher than Botswana but lower than Namibia among the 177 countries in tracked progress in human ... More

Experts call for policy curbs on brain drain, profligate spending in Kerala
THE Kerala Government must think of formulating a policy for moderating brain drain caused by migration and better utilisation of remittances for its own development, according to expert demographers. "Emigration needs to be kept at a ... More

Germany unveils key economic reforms to bolster growth
THE German Parliament introduced key economic reforms, which had dodged Chancellor Schroeder's coalition Government for some time. The current economic malaise has been highlighted by four years of consistent and embarrassing economic ... More

FERTILISERS
Phosphoric acid group favours new formula for input subsidy
CITING several constraints for survival in the volatile market conditions, the Indian phosphatic fertiliser industry players, under the leadership of the Phosphoric Acid Consumer Group (PACG) has asked the Government to subsidise inputs at the ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Thailand highlights scope for Indian cos
INDIAN businesses in the area of software, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals qualify for the recently announced `skilled technology and innovation' project promotion programme by the Board of Investment (BoI), Thailand. Speaking at an ... More

HEALTH
New self-diagnostic kit for diabetics
LIFESCAN, a division of the Johnson & Johnson Ltd on Thursday announced the launch of an indigenously developed self-testing kit for diabetes patients. Offered at a price of Rs 1,500, the blood glucose monitor has been developed by LifeScan, in More

Call for venture funding in diagnostics
BIOTECH enterprises have generally berated venture capital funds for being indifferent or tight-fisted with them. Of the lot, diagnostics takes the cake for neglect over decades, but not any more. As the biotech industry perks up globally, now ... More

Cap on medical aid for poor lowered in Kerala
THE State Government has been forced to effect a cut in the maximum assistance given out to the poor for various major surgeries from Rs 50,000 to Rs 20,000. Responding to a calling attention motion in the State Assembly on Thursday, the ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Kochi LNG project in a limbo again
There are chances that the terminal will be shifted to Kayamkulam where the NTPC has its power plant, which would be expanded to 2,300 MW using LNG in the next Plan. More

PETROLEUM
Retail, shipping business — Govt turns down ONGC's joint venture proposal
THE Government has turned down public sector undertaking (PSU) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) proposal to operate its retail and shipping business through joint ventures where it holds 49 per cent. It has argued that such joint ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
Award for Anji Reddy
DR K. Anji Reddy, Chairman of Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, has been selected for `Lifetime Achievement Award' by Hyderabad Management Association (HMA) for his outstanding contribution to the pharmaceuticals industry. The Chief Minister of ... More

POWER
PowerGrid to float tenders for $1-b infrastructure project
POWER Grid Corporation will set in motion the process for launching the $1-billion infrastructure project to cater to the power needs of the western region. "Tenders would be floated in a month," Mr R.P. Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of ... More

Reliance proposes mega power plant in Kakinada
The company mooted the idea of a power plant in the region in view of the huge gas find. More

DVC's Mejia plant sets higher target
WITH the fourth unit of the Mejia Thermal Power Station (MTPS) of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) set to be commissioned within this year, the corporation's newest power plant is also set to emerge as its biggest unit, overtaking Chandrapura ... More

SUGAR
TN move to promote sugar beet crop tickles industry
THE Tamil Nadu Government's decision to promote sugar beet cultivation for ethanol production has enthused the sugar industry, which, however, feels that there is a need to proceed with caution. The decision is a step in the right direction ... More

TEXTILES
Removal of additional excise — Textiles sector could attract Rs 60,000-cr investments: Vaghela
THE Budget proposals that do away with additional excise duty on textiles, besides giving textile units the option to choose the excise exemption route, could see investments of around Rs 60,000 crore flow into the sector over the next five ... More

SSI
CII to set up four industrial clusters for SMEs in South
GIVING a big thrust to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the South, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has decided to start four industrial clusters in four States. These clusters, coming up in Pondicherry, Karnataka, Kerala and ... More

`Small sector neglected'
MADURAI: The small-scale industries (SSI) sector feels that it has been neglected in the Budget. Mr A. Selvaraj, President, Confederation of Southern Small Industries Association (Conssia), in a statement here has said that while the ... More

RADIO/TV
DD acquires Olympics rights for Rs 24 cr — Expects only Rs 10-cr revenue
THE forthcoming Athens Summer Olympic Games may be a huge media event for broadcasters in the West, but in India this event is just not generating revenues for the Government-owned Doordarshan. So even as the public broadcaster acquired the ... More

EDUCATION
Macmillan contest for school children
MACMILLAN India has tied up with the University of New South Wales to have an annual national skill and aptitude contest for school-going children in the country. New South Wales University has been conducting such nation-wide assessment tests ... More

Sona Institute ties up with George Mason University
SONA Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS), a member of the Sona Valliappa Group with diversified interests in textiles, IT and plantation businesses, has entered into a tie-up with George Mason University, Washington (GMU), to offer courses in ... More

AUTOMOBILE COMPONENTS
Auto component makers seek clarification on R&D benefits
THE Automotive Components Manufacturers' Association (ACMA) has sought a clarification from the Government on whether components manufacturers are eligible for the proposed tax break on R&D expenses. The Budget said that 150 per cent of what a . More

LEATHER
Kolkata leather complex set to take off
WITH 15 tanneries getting the State pollution control board's nod, the Calcutta Leather Complex (CLC) is now ready to commence operations. Of the 15 tanneries which have received the pollution clearance, nine are new units while six are ... More

CLE undertakes 2 projects for better cattle upkeep
WITH a view to addressing environmental and animal rights issues that have been raised, the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has taken up two projects for better handling of cattle and housing them in a better environment. These upgraded ... More

WOOL
Woolmark, Resil pact for new technology
WOOLMARK, the quality assurance company for textiles, has entered into an accord with Bangalore-based Resil Chemicals Pvt Ltd to propagate and market Sensory Perception Technology (SPT), a new finishing knowhow for textiles and garments. The ... More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Kasturirangan gets `Brock Medal'
THE Rajya Sabha MP and former ISRO Chairman, Dr K. Kasturirangan, has been awarded the prestigious Brock Medal of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS). He is the first Asian to receive the medal, given in ... More

NEWSPAPERS & PUBLISHING
Printing foreign publications may need prior Govt nod
PUBLISHERS wishing to print foreign newspapers and periodicals in India may have to seek prior permission from the Government. After the recent controversy surrounding the printing and publication of the International Herald Tribune ... More

EVENTS
Seminar on business school upgradation in Bangalore
BANGALORE: A two day-seminar on enhancing competitiveness of Indian business schools will be held here on July 26. The seminar is being organised by prominent business schools suh as Xavier Institute of Management Education, T.A. Pai ... More

In Thiruvananthapuram today

In Hyderabad today

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
RBI under attack for curbs on gold import
RBI has advised banks to open LCs for direct import of gold for a maximum period of 90 days against the previous 360 days. Only nominated agencies, approved banks and EOUs/SEZ units can import gold. More

Poor promotion hits tea exports to Russia
A MONTH and a half since the Russian tea delegation promised to get back after testing the south Indian tea samples in the home water, the tea industry is still waiting for confirmed orders. Meanwhile, the exporters for the Russian market are ... More

Exporters may get rebate on education cess
EXPORTERS may have some good news coming their way. The Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) intends to rebate the education cess payable by the exporters on their inputs or finished goods to ensure that taxes are not exported from the ... More

Govt waives stamp duty on usance bills for exporters
IN an export friendly move, the Finance Ministry has decided to refrain from exacting the whole of the stamp duty chargeable on the usance bills of exchange executed by an exporter in an export transaction. This move, which has come into effect ... More

BoI unveils gold card for exporters
IN a bid to make credit easily available to exporters, Bank of India has launched `Exporters Gold Card'. `The exporters gold card' can be availed of by exporters with a good track record, satisfactory financials and cash management, said Mr M. ... More

`Ignored' exporters want `something' to be done
UNHAPPY that "the Budget has completely ignored" them, exporters have reiterated their demand for a bouquet of tax breaks and simplification of procedures. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations is hoping that "something would be done ... More

TOURISM
Antony inaugurates renovated Mascot Hotel
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chief Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, formally inaugurated the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation's (KTDC) flagship Mascot Hotel at a function here this evening. Addressing the gathering, he pointed out that good ... More

ECONOMIC OFFENCES
FIR filed against Top Line Shoes directors
THE Registrar of Companies (RoC), Vadodara, has filed a complaint against six directors of Top Line Shoes for siphoning off public funds. The police have filed an FIR in this regard and an investigation has commenced against the six directors ... More