The Hindu Business Line : Saturday, September 24, 2005

Mid-Sept surge helps cut monsoon deficit
THE revival phase during the last two weeks has helped southwest monsoon cover much of the lost ground and bring down the overall deficit to two per cent as on September 21 (from five per cent of previous week). A weekly update by India ... More

AUTOMOBILES

Japanese auto cos step on the gas in India — To introduce commercial vehicles and tractors too
THE Japanese automotive brigade seems all set to go full throttle in the Indian market over the next few months. Not only have major Japanese firms lined up huge investments for the Indian market, the companies are sprucing up their local product ... More

CHEMICALS

Alkali makers seek sops on captive power
THE Alkali Manufacturers' Association of India (AMAI) has demanded that the State Governments encourage captive power generation by alkali manufacturing units and not impose heavy taxes such ascess, electricity duty and other State levies that ... More

ECONOMY

Inflation up 3.53 pc due to higher fuel, food prices
THE annual wholesale price index-based inflation rose 3.53 per cent during the 12 months ending September 27, accelerating from the previous week's annual rise of 3.16 per cent. The rise in the year-on-year inflation was largely on account of ... More

On how much is spent and how it is spent
Growing public expenditure is a persistent problem, both in the developed and the developing countries. In the following review, D. Murali highlights the main factors contributing to expenditure growth and alternatives to improve and sustain expenditure management, based on `four pillars' — rules and fiscal responsibility legislation, risk identification, transparency and accountability, and infrastructure development. More

FOREIGN TRADE

Kamal Nath to lead business team to US
THE Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, is to lead a high-powered business delegation to the United States for the Focus India Show— India-US Business Partnership to be held in Chicago from September 27-29. An official ... More

Hong Kong invites Indian entrepreneurs
INVEST Hong Kong (InvestHK), a Hong Kong Government agency, has called upon entrepreneurs from India to set up their operations at the HK Special Administrative Region that opens the gates for Mainland China and other global markets. Addressing ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE

Five cos participate in GAIL's pre-bid meet for technical advisors
Five companies participated in the pre-bid meet called by GAIL (India) Ltd for the appointment of technical consultants to undertake pre-feasibility study for the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline project. The companies that participated in ... More

PETROLEUM

Failure to curb black marketing — Order to regulate LPG distribution in for review
THE Petroleum Minister, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, today said that the Government plans to review the order to regulate liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution, as it has not been able to check diversion of subsidised fuel. The Minister accepted ... More

Oil blocks: Separate bidding norms mooted based on category
Production sharing pacts signed with 14 companies
The Minister said the report submitted by Petrofed on the changes needed in the exploration policy would be circulated among the industry members and their comments would be considered. More

`Investment in technology vital to tap oil, gas reserves'
EVEN as oil and gas are likely to continue to dominate the world's energy supplies for several decades, meeting the rapidly rising demand will call for major investment in modern technologies to tap the reserves in the ground. Accelerated ... More

Crude oil, natural gas output down in August
CRUDE oil and natural gas production in August this year saw a dip when compared to the corresponding period last year. Production of crude oil was down 16.1 per cent in August this year to 2.412 million tonnes (2.874 million tonnes). Natural ... More

`Natural gas supply vital for India's energy security'
THE future energy security of India is critically dependent on the supply of natural gas at reasonable prices, said Dr K. Narayanan, a former Chairman of Hydrocarbon Council of India. Speaking on `Energy security in India with special ... More

PLASTICS

Plastics body firms up 36 investment plans in Bengal
THE Indian Plastics Federation (IPF) has firmed up a total of 36 investment proposals with a combined capacity of 60,000-tonne polymers per annum for setting up units at the proposed Poly Park at Sankrail near Kolkata. The 50-acre park will be ... More

POWER

Tiruchi to see Rs 1,200-cr `energy' investment
THE public sector power equipment monolith BHEL, other private sector equipment producers such as Cethar Vessels and G B Engineering, windmill tower manufacturers such as Anand Engineering and the 150-odd fabrication units will together invest Rs ... More

TRAVEL & PLACES

Rural passport applicants outnumber urbanites
IT is not just the urbanites who are setting their eyes on greener pastures abroad. Illiterate rural Indians, who are perceived to be blind to the world of opportunities, are in the race too. About 80 per cent of passport seekers at the ... More

EDUCATION

ICICI PruLife ties up with American College for insurance course
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has tied up with American College to provide the LUTC (Life Underwriter Training Council) certification course for its top-performing life insurance agents. The course, which consists of six modules on ... More

CONSULTING

PwC India advising over 130 potential carbon credit projects
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS (PwC) India is currently advising more than 130 potential clean development mechanism (CDM) projects that can sell carbon credits. The projects are at various stages of development - from conceptual to ... More

MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS & HOSPITALS

Apollo to expand clinic network
THE Apollo Healthcare and Lifestyle Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of the Apollo Group of Hospitals, will set up 10 franchise clinics overseas and an equal number of outlets in Andhra Pradesh. The overseas clinics would come up in West Asia, ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Construction boom in Bangalore
A view of a building under construction in Bangalore. The Karnataka Government's decision to raise the guidance value of properties will hike the city's property rates. Since the guidance value is far below the market value at present, the ... More

KNITWEAR & HOSIERY

India Knit Fair from Oct 5 at Tirupur
THE 21st edition of India Knit Fair for the autumn/winter/mid-summer collection 2006 will be held in Tirupur from October 5 to 7. About 40 knitwear exporters are expected to participate in the fair to be visited by many buying houses and their ... More

TEA to set up bonded warehouse in Antwerp
KNITTED garment exporters from Tirupur have sought to beat the off-season blues in marketing in foreign lands by opening bonded warehousing. Their first such venture is likely to begin next year with an offshore bonded warehouse, sponsored by ... More

BIO-TECH & GENETICS

Biotech strategy in 2 months: Sibal
THE National Biotechnology Development Strategy, which promises concessions to industries and chart out a roadmap to fuel the biotechnology sector's growth, would get the Union Cabinet nod in two months. Stating this at a `Biotech CEO Summit' ... More

Cabinet nod for Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training
THE Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its approval for the establishment of a Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training and Education under the auspices of UNESCO, at an estimated cost of Rs 30.95 crore. The functions of the Regional Centre ... More

Animal resource facility
HYDERABAD: The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal, said a National Animal Resource facility for bio-medical research would be opened in Hyderabad. Mr Sibal conveyed this to the Andhra Pradesh Chief ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE

Japanese grant for two Indian NGOs
THE Embassy of Japan in India, under its scheme `Grant Assistance for Grassroots Project,' on Thursday has decided to extend grant assistance of $168,339. The grant would be given to two non-governmental organisations to support education and ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Rs 504-cr Nabard aid for AP
THE National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard) has sanctioned Rs 504.24 crore to Andhra Pradesh under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF-XI). With this, the total Nabard assistance to the State has gone up to Rs ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES

Study on globally distributed workforce: Findings soon
FOR HR managers and top leadership, it will be worth the wait. By next year, some early results of a study on `how to make globally distributed workforce (GDW) more effective and productive' will be out. This massive study by a consortium of ... More

EVENTS

Govt keen on private sector role in defence
THE Centre is keen on private sector participation in the defence sector, allowing 26 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI), while inviting 100 per cent domestic sector participation. The restricted FDI will be with certain checks and ... More

Seminar on occupational safety at Vizag
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Visakhapatnam chapter of the Computer Society of India (CSI) is organising a one-day seminar on occupational and safety aspects for computer users on Saturday at Hotel Green Park here at 9.30 a.m. Mr M. Ganeswara Rao, ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS

Edible oils turn bearish on imports, better crop
HOPES of better than expected oilseeds crop, cut in the vegetable oil tariff rate and increasing imports have brought in a bearish outlook to the edible oil scenario in the country, according to industry players. "The entire oilseed belt in ... More

SEA call to raise customs duty on vanaspati imports
THE Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) has urged the Government to raise customs duty on vanaspati imports to at least 80 per cent to provide a level playing field to the domestic vanaspati industry. Speaking at the 34th annual ... More

CO-OPERATIVES

Cooperatives' meet on Sept 27
A STATE-level convention of Souharda Sahakari Cooperatives — formed under the Karnataka Souharda Sahakari Act 1997 — will be held at Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district on September 27. Addressing newspersons here on Friday, Mr S.R. ... More

NATURAL CALAMITIES

Bitter crop
Vast tracts of sugarcane fields lie submerged at Gunadala due to floods in Budameru in Vijayawada on Friday. (Below) Activists of Left parties, TDP and BJP help out residents of Rajarajeswaripet fetch drinking ... More

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES

Ayurveda varsity taking shape at Pandalam — Defunct sugar mill's brush with health
THE picturesque 130 acres of land near Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district, which housed Kerala's largest sugar mill for about two decades until the mid 1980s, is now in the process of being converted into an Ayurveda University (deemed) with ... More

ECONOMIC OFFENCES

Banks, coops get more time to file quarterly returns of deposits
ONE of the two anti-tax evasion measures introduced by the Government through the Union Budget for 2005-06 appears to be facing implementation problems. The Finance Ministry has once again extended the due date for filing of quarterly return ... More

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