INFRASTRUCTURE
Expressway - A road of discord that divides the State
THE proposed `express highway' connecting both ends of Kerala has had people of the State literally divided on its two sides: lined up on one side are those who oppose it; on the other are those who want it. Over the past couple of months, the ... More

PSU
`Bail out HMT Bearings'
HYDERABAD: The Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), Hyderabad, has urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry to recommend to the Centre for providing sufficient working capital to help the HMT Bearings, Hyderabad, tide over a ... More

PETROLEUM
Oil cos' subsidy burden may double in Q2 — ONGC, GAIL, OIL to bear Rs 2,300 cr
THE Petroleum Ministry is actively considering a proposal to nearly double the LPG and kerosene subsidy to be borne together by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, GAIL (India) Ltd and Oil India Ltd during the second quarter of the current ... More

ONGC to ramp up crude production
OIL and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) today said that it would ramp up domestic crude oil production to 28-29 million tonnes per annum by 2007 from the current level of 26 million tonnes. Addressing a press conference here today on the ... More

`Oil prices at $50 not sustainable'
THE World Economic Forum today attributed the rather high $50-a-barrel oil price to stockpiling by various countries and indicated that prices would soon drop. The price would come down to a more reasonable level since the $50-a-barrel level ... More

POWER
CCEA defers decision on investment panel — Kahalgaon transmission stage-2 project gets nod
THE Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the Rs 1,771.93-crore transmission system for the 1,000-MW Kahalgaon Stage II project in Bihar but deferred any decision on setting up an Investment Commission. The cost of the ... More

Consumers can buy meters on their own, says KSEB
THE Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to allow the consumers to buy meters on their own. Besides, the board will simplify the procedures for giving service connections. These decisions were taken at a full-board meeting of KSEB ... More

WATER
`Water projects on stream soon'
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Minister for Water Resources, Mr Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, has said that all ongoing drinking water projects in respect of which the local bodies had deposited money with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) would be ... More

BREWERIES
Mallya claims deal with Chhabria on control in Herbertsons Ltd
THE UB group Chairman, Mr Vijay Mallya, has claimed to have reached an agreement with Mr Kishore Rajaram Chhabria in a 10 year-old dispute regarding control over Herbertsons Ltd and said that he was ready to merge the company along with Triumph ... More

RADIO/TV
Centre says BCCI is a `state'
ZEE Telefilms, which has challenged the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to cancel the telecast rights tender, today found an ally in the Government. Supporting Zee Telefilms on the issue of maintainability of its petition, ... More

EDUCATION
IIM-A plans research centres for retail, insurance sectors
THE Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has decided to set up two new research centres for retail and insurance sectors in partnership with industry. While Hindustan Lever Ltd would pay Rs 15 lakh each year for the next five years ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Leading retailers form association
THE country's leading retailers have come together to launch an association — Retailers Association of India (RAI) — with a vision to develop, facilitate and propagate practices and processes that will grow the Indian retail industry. ... More

NEWSPAPERS & PUBLISHING
Group of Ministers to review print media policy
THE Cabinet on Wednesday decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to undertake a comprehensive review of the print media policy. Speaking to newspersons, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, said that the ... More

Deccan Chronicle plans IPO — Proposes three editions in TN
DECCAN Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL), publishers of Deccan Chronicle, plans to start three editions in Tamil Nadu — one each at Chennai, Tiruchi and Coimbatore — and to raise funds of over Rs 100 crore from the capital market. ... More

DISINVESTMENT
SAIL trying to keep SSP divestment alive, say unions
SAIL is trying to keep alive the issue of divestment of Salem Steel Plant (SSP) by extending the validity of Jindal Strips Ltd's price bid by three months, according to the Save Salem Steel Committee. The umbrella forum of the united SSP ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
Bengal open to FDI in greenfield projects, says Buddhadeb
THE West Bengal Government has mounted special efforts to attract FDI in greenfield projects in the State, particularly encouraged by the investments so far from the Japanese corporates. Clarifying the Government's stand vis-à-vis investments ... More

WTO
PSBs shaping up for bigger global push
`The new WTO regime from 2005 will throw open a lot of opportunities for banks to finance importers-exporters and other corporates for trade. We foresee a lot of trade relationships being formed with India.' More

SOCIAL WELFARE
Commission soon for welfare of backward sections in minorities
THE Union Cabinet has decided to set up a National Commission to recommend measures for the welfare of socially and economically backward sections in religious and linguistic minorities, including reservation in education and Government ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
AP Govt mulls merger of DWCRA and Velugu
THE State Government is considering the amalgamation of DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) and Velugu (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty - SERP) to strengthen self-help groups (SHGs). Announcing this here on ... More

TRADE & LABOUR UNIONS
Bengal bidi industry calls off strike
THE five-day industrial strike called by the Federation of Biri, Biri Leaves and Tobacco Merchants and other associated bodies from September 27 was called off on Wednesday following a request from the Chief Minister's office. The strike was ... More

E-COMMERCE & E-BUSINESS
MetalJunction plans high-sea trading in nickel, tin soon
METALJUNCTION.com Pvt Ltd — the Tata Steel-SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd) joint venture in e-commerce — is planning to commence high-sea trading of nickel and tin in India. The project, expected to eliminate the hedging cost for ... More

EVENTS
The Hindu Opportunities Fair from Oct 15
COMPANIES are looking at cutting costs of recruitment and retaining staff. Jobs fairs are becoming increasingly popular with both companies and job aspirants. The Hindu Opportunities Fair is expected to draw over 30,000 job seekers and ... More

Chidambaram for Fund-Bank meet
THE Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, would be leaving for Washington D.C. on Thursday to attend annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During the visit, Mr Chidambaram would also attend meetings of the ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
UP mills contract 40,000 t sugar imports
AFTER Maharashtra, it is the turn of mills in Uttar Pradesh to get into the duty-free raw sugar import act. The Indian Sugar Exim Corporation (ISEC) has contracted a fresh raw sugar cargo of 40,000 tonnes of Brazilian origin scheduled for ... More

DGFT withdraws abeyance order on DEPB rate on fish products
THE Government has withdrawn its August 2004 order that placed the retrospective applicability of the revised 5 per cent Duty Entitlement Passbook (DEPB) rate on certain marine products in abeyance. Informed sources said that the withdrawal of ... More

TOURISM
`Set up Coastal Tourism Circuit'
ESTABLISHMENT of "Coastal Tourism Circuit" is the need of the hour to provide better facilities to the tourists visiting the region, according to the President of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mr A. Srinivasa Rao. ... More

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