FOREIGN TRADE
Australia makes pitch for new business avenues in Bengal
SOUNDING bullish on new growth opportunities in the eastern part of India specifically in engineering and mining & metals, the Australian Government is pursuing a vigorous trade and investment agenda for new business opportunities in West Bengal. More

HEALTH
Efforts on to evolve special cardiac package for children
TWO weeks after the death of 14-year-old T. Shoban at a protest rally by children suffering from heart disease, the Government is still grappling with the vital issue of mopping up resources to meet the gigantic task. The Health Ministry ... More

Workshop on telemedicine
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Telemedicine is fast becoming an integral part of health care system and this is becoming true of India, too, according to Dr K. Ganapathy, neurosurgeon and Medical Director, Department of Tele Medicine, Apollo ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
KCCI, Govt to sign pact on Mangalore SEZ on Aug 30
TWO years of hard work of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) to set up a coastal special economic zone (SEZ) in Mangalore seems to be yielding results. The State Government has invited the KCCI to sign a memorandum of ... More

PETROLEUM
Oil stocks firm as crude prices fall
OIL and gas companies stocks, especially PSUs, shot back in limelight on Friday due to fall in international oil price, brokers and analysts said. International oil price which had peaked to cross $49 per barrel last week eased to below $43 per ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
Pharma units seek duty sops for R&D
TO maintain and improve the competitiveness of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, the Government needs to consider abolishing customs duty on research and development (R&D) expenses and consumables, according to the FICCI Pharmaceutical ... More

Penicillin makers curtail production — Fall in prices of end products
PENICILLIN production in India has been reduced significantly this month largely on account of developments in the international market. A sharp fall in prices of penicillin's end products abroad has slowed Indian exports and, thereby, brought ... More

PLASTICS
Plastics export council to set up warehouse centres in US
EYEING the attractive $200-billion consumer plastic product market in the US, the Plastics Export Promotion Council proposes to set up warehouse-centres in Los Angeles and New York from where Indian companies can cater to the market ... More

POWER
`Nuclear power can be as cheap as Rs 3.22 a unit'
THE country's nuclear establishment has promised to make available electricity at a much lower cost than power from conventional sources. The 500-MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), under construction at Kalpakkam, will produce power for ... More

PGCIL to advice power system
BANGALORE: Power Grid Corporation has secured a consultancy assignment for power system interconnection between Ethiopia and Djibouti. The assignment comes as recognition of PowerGrid's ongoing initiative to globally market its expertise ... More

TAXATION
Tax withdrawal on NRE, FCNR accounts welcomed
THE passing of the Finance Bill by Parliament on Thursday with an amendment withdrawing the proposed tax on NRE, FCNR and RFC accounts till April 2005 has been welcomed by the UAE-based welfare organisation, Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust. The ... More

Tour operators threaten stir against service tax
TOUR operators have threatened to go on an agitation against the Centre's move to impose a service tax on their foreign exchange earnings. Urging the Government to reconsider the move, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said they ... More

WATER
Policy on mandatory groundwater recharge for industries soon
THE Centre will draft a policy to make groundwater recharge mandatory for Coca-Cola India, PepsiCo and other aerated drink manufacturers and also industries depending on groundwater resources. A policy paper on the subject is expected to be ... More

EDUCATION
Marriott, Kuoni Academy tie up for tourism diplomas
MARRIOTT International and Kuoni Academy of Travel have announced a partnership for incorporating Marriott's Hotel Excellence programme into Kuoni's academic curriculum. In a bid to recognise talent among travel professionals, Marriott ... More

MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS & HOSPITALS
Apollo Hospitals installing Rs 30-cr scanning device
APOLLO Hospitals is setting up a Rs 30-crore PET-CT scanning device next month, in association with the Singapore-based Gleneagles group, at its Hyderabad centre. It is the first such installation in entire Asia. Announcing this here on Friday, ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Delhi realtors for licensing of agents
IN a bid to streamline property investment business, the Delhi Real Estate Development Council on Friday asked the Delhi Government to bring about a legislation that would authorise the council to issue licences to real estate brokers. "After ... More

Now property purchase in Pune comes with warranty
PROPERTY buyers in Pune will soon be in a position to buy a property of their choice with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the brand they put their money is backed with a warranty. Gera Developments, one of the city's oldest ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Sakthivel re-elected TEA President
Mr A. Sakthivel has been re-elected President of Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA) for another 3-year term (2004-07). He has been its President since 1990. According to a release, Mr S. Duraiswamy and Mr N. Chandran have been elected as ... More

GRANITE & MARBLE
Govt amends norms for import of rough marble blocks
THE Government has modified the guidelines for import of rough marble blocks and slabs to enhance the import entitlement of such blocks for those processing units that imported these items when they were under the special import licence (SIL) ... More

CINEMA
Bollywood hits paydirt with light entertainers
LIGHT-HEARTED entertainment as a theme has once again come to the rescue of Bollywood as is evident in the pan-Indian success of Main Hoon Na and Hum Tum in 2004. Main Hoon Na, with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, has ... More

WTO
`India to push for legal sanctity of Geneva proposals'
INDIA will consolidate its gains achieved in the framework agreement concluded in the WTO negotiations at Geneva by ensuring sanction of legal strength to the modalities negotiations coming up in end-2005 to make developed countries stick to ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE
Haryana to offer concessions for labourers
THE Haryana Labour Welfare Board has decided to give a slew of incentives and concessions to the labourers and their wards including an increase in the ceiling of monthly salary up to Rs 10,000. This was decided at a meeting of the board held ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES
Pharma, biotech the new draw for overseas Indians
YOU could say it's the Return of the Native-Part II. If it was information technology that started bringing overseas Indian professionals back home in recent years, the mantle now passes to biotechnology and pharma companies, the country's ... More

EVENTS

INCOME TAX
Why rubbish a `standard' for the salaried
The Kelkar suggestion to eliminate standard deduction for salaried assessees is flawed, says T. N. Pandey More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Rubber export subsidies may be slashed 50 pc
The Union Commerce Ministry is expected to make an announcement shortly. More

Are port curbs on edible oil imports desirable?
MUCH on expected lines, the suggestion to impose port curbs on edible oil imports (Business Line, August 26) with the objective of closely monitoring arrivals so as not to compromise on both revenue and quality, has generated protests from ... More

North tops in hardware exports
NEW DELHI: The Northern region has topped in the export of electronic hardware from the country during 2003-04, with an export turnover of Rs 2,870 crore, according to the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council ... More

TOURISM
2-day CII expo on Madurai from today
IN an effort to promote Madurai as an international tourist destination and to highlight the investment opportunities in tourism, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is organising a conference and an exposition. The second edition of ... More

ECONOMIC OFFENCES
`Injustice done to innocent can set back fight against corruption'
THE Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Friday advised investigating agencies to lay greater emphasis on preventive measures rather than post-facto investigations and cautioned them against adopting such methods and procedures during probes ... More

PEOPLE