The Hindu Business Line : Friday, December 22, 2006

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Knowledge is power
A MOBILE EXHIBITION to create awareness on energy sources to mark the Energy Conservation Week attracted many students in Vijayawada.

SOCIAL SECURITY
PF body may moot hike in contribution rate to 15 pc
Employer's payment on account of salary would go up by 2.6 pc More

Pension fund investments: CMs' meet soon
The Centre may soon convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of States to get everybody on board over the issue of how the funds that have been collected under the new pension scheme (NPS) be invested. "States that have switched over to NPS (15 to ... More

CEMENT
Commerce Ministry favours excise duty cut for cement sector
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has favoured a reduction in Central excise duty on the cement sector in the run-up to the coming Budget. "If cement production and demand have to increase, the duties have to be rationalised," the ... More

COURTS/LEGAL ISSUES
HC raps Southern Rly for contesting Labour Court order
Payment of dues for leave period to station masters More

ECONOMY
`RBI will aim to contain inflation at 5-5.5 pc '
The Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor, Dr Rakesh Mohan, on Thursday said the central bank would aim at containing inflation in the 5-5.5 per cent range till the year-end. This will be in line with the RBI's stated objectives. Dr Mohan, ... More

Groundswell of national pride
Today we have the opportunity to bring about transformations to a level where our children will take even greater pride in our country. More

AP revenue receipt up 21 pc
The fiscal liabilities were maintained at 35 per cent of the GSDP as contemplated in Andhra Pradesh Fiscal responsibility and Management Act 2005. More

ENGINEERING
Creating the `next practices'
What has India's growth been in the manufacturing sector from 1995 to 2006, asked the management guru, Prof C. K. Prahalad, at the recent Manufacturing Summit 2006. None came up with an answer. Prof Prahalad ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
`Indo-Chile trade likely to treble this year'
There has been a tremendous surge in Indo-Chilean trade in recent years and this is set to treble to $1.5 billion, going by the current trend, according to Dr Jorge Heine, the Ambassador of Chile in India. Dr Heine, on a two-day visit to ... More

`Indo-German trade to touch € 10 b by 2009'
Mr Bernd Muetzelburg, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in India, is confident that the bilateral trade between India and Germany will touch € 10 billion by 2009 against € 5.6 billion in the first half of the current year. ... More

HEALTH
`Most Indians lack cover against critical illnesses'
Indians are less financially protected against major illnesses than their counterparts in other South East Asian countries. According to "Health Matters Index 2006," a survey conducted by Tata AIG Life, around 71 per cent of Indians are not ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
IDBI, LIC to co-finance infrastructure projects
Bank gets queries for Rs 55,000-cr funding More

BSNL to invest Rs 2,000 cr in broadband infrastructure
To roll out Wi-Max towers in 30K villages More

PSU
BHPV may be merged with BHEL
The ailing Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd here is to be merged with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and the Union Government has taken a decision to that effect, according to a note issued by Mr N. Janardhana Reddy, member of the Lok ... More

PETROLEUM
Essar Oilfields buys rig for $220 m
Essar Oilfields Services Ltd (EOSL), a subsidiary of Essar Shipping & Logistics, Cyprus, said that it had taken delivery of a semi-submersible rig. This acquisition cost the company $220 million, said a statement from the company. The buy is in . More

Great Offshore debuts at Rs 702
Great Offshore Ltd, born out of the demerger of Great Eastern Shipping's offshore business, was listed at Rs 702 on the BSE. The company touched an intra-day high at Rs 800 before closing at Rs 727.05. Total of 45,65,383 shares were traded on ... More

POWER
Cabinet nod for Electricity Bill 2005 timely
Theft of electricity now a cognisable offence More

ABB to acquire Raman Boards
ABB has agreed to acquire the Mysore-based Raman Boards Ltd (RBL) to strengthen its insulation products' business. In a statement on Thursday, ABB said that the acquisition will complement its global insulation components' capacity, which ... More

STEEL
Orissa Govt signs pact with Mittal Steel for 12-mt plant
The Orissa Government on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with Mittal Steel Company N.V., an Arcelor Mittal company, for the setting up of a 12-million-tonne per annum capacity mega steel plant in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district ... More

TAXATION
VAT awareness camp in Coimbatore
The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Coimbatore, in association with the Commercial Taxes department, will organise a value added tax (VAT) awareness camp at its premises from December 22 to 30 (except on December ... More

SSI
ITC's NE-based vendor for agarbattis bags quality cert
Sets new trend for tiny units More

Keltron, SAP plan tie-up
Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) is set to sign an agreement with SAP of Germany for providing enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions to small and medium companies. According to officials in the State Industries ... More

RADIO/TV
Time Broadband's Net TV service
Time Broadband Services Pvt Ltd (TBSL) launched its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services, My Time. The company is positioning itself as a bridge between content producers and telecom operators. My Time will provide ... More

EDUCATION
Stock Holding Corp plans to set up institute
Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd is negotiating with the Maharashtra Government for 15 acres of land at Patalganga to set up a Capital Market Institute. This Institute will tie up with the International Capital Market Institute to ... More

Toonz Animation to open 7 academies
Toonz Animation is all set to expand its presence in the animation training market. The company, which now operates animation schools in Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata, is planning to start seven new animation academies over the first quarter ... More

Great Lakes plans post-doctoral course with Yale in `08
Great Lakes Institute of Management plans to start a post-doctoral programme with Yale University in the academic year 2008. The programme would involve teaching and research at Yale University followed by an India-specific thesis at Great Lakes, ... More

Institute for artificial intelligence to be set up
An investment close to Rs 100 crore is being utilised by the Intelligent Business Systems for the setting up of the first artificial intelligence focussed institute. The institute would provide graduate and post-graduate level degrees: M.Sc., ... More

PG diploma course in insurance
The Institute of Insurance and Risk Management (IIRM) here has decided to start post-graduate diploma courses in insurance through the distance learning mode from March 2007. Admissions would be open up to January 31, for the ... More

`Ideas, not just money can fuel biz growth'
"It is absolutely possible to make money with ideas, money itself is not required to make money," said Mr C.K. Ranganathan, Chairman and Managing Director of Chennai-based FMCG company CavinKare Pvt Ltd. Speaking at a Business Line Club ... More

B-school students' gesture
The students of a business school - Srinivasa Institute of Management Studies (SIMS) - at Madhurawada near here conducted a programme for visually impaired children. Dr P. Srinivasa Rao, Director of SIMS; and Mr Kasim S. ... More

MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS & HOSPITALS
Space Hospitals to widen services in TN
Space Hospitals Ltd, a Chennai-based telemedicine service provider, plans to add 126 telemedicine centres, 38 satellite medical centres and 9 regional associate hospitals in Tamil Nadu by the end of March 2007. Mr A. Sivakumaran, Chief ... More

MINERALS
Ministry's clearance for garnet sand mining legal: Madras HC
The Madras High Court has held that when a firm has been engaged in garnet sand mining in Tirunelveli district for the past two decades after obtaining requisite permission from both Central and Tamil Nadu Governments, it was not open to any ... More

DISINVESTMENT
Govt to sell residual stake in Maruti
Competitive bidding likely More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Grameen tricks to the rescue
The amazing story of a Bangladeshi woman who arrived in war-ravaged Kosovo to help seed the micro credit programme among women living on the edge of despair. More

Pilot project on rural connectivity
Canada-based developer of wireless web access devices and services Data Wind Corporation and Nasscom Foundation have started a pilot project for providing Internet connectivity in rural areas in the country. The project has ... More

Underdeveloped areas should be given more focus: Minister
Maharashtra Govt keen on giving clearances required for setting up sites More

HUMAN RESOURCES
`Communication is key to employee relations'
Communication at various levels within an organisation is a must for improvement as manufacturing industries move from cost-based approach to people-based systems, according to Mr S. Nagarajan, Executive Director, Ashok Leyland. Delivering the ... More

LABOUR REFORMS
Measures for unorganised sector
The Government is working on modalities to provide relief to a large number of workers in the unorganised sector through legislative measures. Speaking at the 41st Meeting of the Standing Labour Committee here on Wednesday, ... More

EVENTS
`Software, construction sectors have great demand'
The third annual convocation of the National Institute of Construction Management and Research saw parallels being drawn between software and construction industries. Mr Nandan Nilekani, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Exporters urge Govt to continue with DEPB, textile upgradation fund
To ensure global competitiveness of Indian exports More