The Hindu Business Line : Monday, October 18, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
`Weather still best guide to rural demand'
Companies have to redefine almost on a routine basis their marketing strategies and sales promotional efforts to district/zones which are expected to have deficit rain and design contingency plans. More

LOTTERY
Errant lotteries put on notice in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government will move decisively against online and paper lotteries that violated the Lotteries Act, according to the Lotteries Director, Mr E. Ayyappan. An official quoted Mr Ayyappan as saying that the ... More

ANTI-DUMPING
Anti-dumping duty mid-term review
A MID-TERM review of the anti-dumping duty in force on D (-) Para Hydroxy Phenyl Glycine base (PHPG base) imports from the European Union has been initiated by the Designated Authority in the Commerce Ministry. PHPG base is imported into the ... More

ENVIRONMENT
KMML refutes layoff reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The public sector Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) has refuted reports about the likelihood of a layoff in the company in the wake of a Supreme Court panel directive to close down industrial units without ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
`Focus on commodity groups for Asean export target'
IN order to attain the targeted level of $30 billion exports with Asean by 2007, India should focus on commodity groups such as drugs and pharmaceuticals, healthcare, engineering goods, auto components, leather, gems, jewellery and processed food ... More

HEALTH
DePuy launches hip replacement device
HYDERABAD: DePuy, a Johnson and Johnson company, has launched a metal-on-metal hip replacement device that could `revolutionise' the replacement procedure offering more convenience and comfort for patients. The device, Articular Surface ... More

PETROLEUM
India initiates moves for Asian crude price marker
THE Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry has got a positive response for its push for a Brent-like Asian marker for crude oil prices. The Ministry expects to host a conference of Asian petroleum buyer and seller countries in January 2005 to discuss . More

Aiyar hits out at Karnataka, ONGC on SEZ pact
OIL and Natural Gas Corporation's recent investment plan in Karnataka has drawn flak from the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar. ONGC had, on August 30, signed an MoU with the Karnataka Government to develop a ... More

Shell may not supply LNG to Maharashtra
SHELL India is unlikely to sell liquefied natural gas imported at its Hazira terminal to customers in Maharashtra. Industry sources cite delays in laying GAIL's Dahej-Uran pipeline as the reason for Shell's decision. Shell, however, "hopes that ... More

POWER
NTPC issue attracts $15b, 260 FIIs
THE offering of NTPC shares created the highest ever demand for any equity issue in India in value terms and attracted the largest number of foreign institutional investors. The NTPC sale of over 86 crore shares comprising 10.5 per cent of the ... More

APGenco technical directors
HYDERABAD: Mr G. Adiseshu, Mr G. Vijay Kumar and Mr U.G. Krishna Murthy have assumed charge as directors of hydel, thermal and technical divisions respectively of APPower Generation Corporation Ltd (APGenco) here. Addressing the staff ... More

STEEL
INDIAN STEEL & STEEL MAKING RAW MATERIALS CONFERENCE — A BUSINESS LINE FEATURE
`Compete through brand-building'
A SPECIALIST raw material sourcing agency, MetalJunction.Com Pvt Ltd is best suited to take a bird's-eye view of the emerging complexities in raw material sourcing. According to the company's Managing Director, Mr ... More

Still going strong
The Indian steel industry has been witnessing only moderate growth of late. But, according to experts, things can only get better. Kohinoor Mandal surveys the scene. More

SUGAR
European Commission to appeal against WTO sugar ruling
EVEN as the World Trade Organisation on Friday made public the panel reports in the dispute brought out by Australia, Brazil and Thailand against the EU sugar regime, under which the EU has been exporting more sugar with export subsidies than it ... More

TEXTILES
US move to clamp down on Chinese textile imports may benefit India
INDIAN textile exporters could well be looking at the possibility of a clean sweep of the global markets from January next year. Indian suppliers could gain market share at the expense of their Chinese counterparts, with the US and another 50 ... More

Textile trade team for US
MEMBERS of the cotton and textile industry are due to visit the US between October 17 and 26, to meet leading US trade associations and the importing community there to familiarise them with the capabilities of the Indian cotton textile industry ... More

SSI
Rs 5.65-cr subsidy for SSIs in Dakshina Kannada dist
MANGALORE: The Kanara Small Industries Association (KSIA), Mangalore, has said that the Karnataka Government has released an investment subsidy of Rs 5.65 crore for small-scale industries (SSI) in Dakshina Kannada district. A release by ... More

TYRES
Truck, bus tyre output slips in Aug
TRUCK and bus tyre production slipped in August 2004 to 8.91 lakh units, against 9.53 lakh units recorded in July 2004. Production of truck and bus tyres stood at 9.00 lakh units in August 2003. Truck and bus tyres segment accounted for over ... More

EDUCATION
Grading maritime institutes — DG Shipping takes the plunge
IF THE indications are anything to go by, the government decision to grade maritime training institutes by rating agencies is expected to go a long way in improving the quality of education in this field. The three ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE
Chidambaram for `healthy debate' on job reservation
THE Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, has called for a "healthy debate" on the issue of reservation of jobs in the private sector and appealed to all not to "become emotional and take extreme positions." Speaking at a `Conference of ... More

Lok Satta to launch `Post Card to PM'
THE Lok Satta, a non-governmental organisation, has decided to launch `Post Card to Prime Minister' from October 25 to November 10 to bring pressure on the Government to bring out the Right to Information Act. In a resolution passed at the ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
PM to inaugurate village resource centre today — ISRO-MSSRF project to provide satellite-based rural interface
THE stage is set for the beginning of a unique satellite-based rural interface meant to serve a variety of community needs. The interactive project will start on Monday with three towns in Tamil Nadu and provide locale-specific information to ... More

EVENTS

Agenda for the week

In Hyderabad Today

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
FIEO wants move to tax profits on sale of DEPB licences scrapped
TAXATION of Duty Entitlement Passbook (DEPB) licences continues to be a vexed issue, whether it is for income-tax or sales tax purposes. Exporters are unhappy that the United Progressive Alliance Government is doing little to help them tide ... More

PEOPLE
More members on TTD board
THE Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, which met here on Saturday, has decided to increase the number of members of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board from the existing 13 to 15. The new members to be included will be the Chairman of the Tirupati ... More