Popular Articles

A V Rajwade: SDR as reserve currency?
A V Rajwade / New Delhi November 2, 2009, 0:32 IST

Good progress in talks with states on GST: CBEC
As deadline draws closer for implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Centre today said discussions on various issues have made "considerable progress".

News of the day

BofA shareholder opposes insiders as CEO candidates
One of the shareholders of Bank of America (BofA) has opposed the firm"s idea to zero in on an insider to replace its outgoing CEO Kenneth D Lewis and has described the current management team as "tainted and not credible".

Corporate

Asian markets end positive; Nikkei up 3%

The Hang Seng advanced 203 points or 1% at 21,902.

Voltas jumps on decent results

Shares of Voltas spurted 20.55 per cent to Rs 118.2 on announcement of decent FY09 results. Net profit for the year ended March 31, 2009, increased by 21 per cent to Rs 251.40 crore, while total income rose 34 per cent to Rs 4,361.72 crore during the period.

Voltas FY\'09 net up 21% at Rs 251.40 cr

Tata group company Voltas today said its net profit for the year ended March 31, 2009, rose by 21 per cent to Rs 251.40 crore, over the same period last year.

Pre-market: Bias still negative

The markets are likely to open on a flat note this morning on the back of mixed global cues. The indices yesterday attempted a pullback but eventually ended with marginal gains as selling pressure persisted on every rise.

Hamara Bajaj to fade into oblivion

Bajaj Auto, once known for its scooters which revolutionised the two-wheeler market in the country, today said it will exit the segment by the end of the fiscal to focus exclusively on motorcycles.

Importance of Raja for DMK can lead to more tension in UPA

Why is Tamil Nadu politician, DMK leader and MP from Perambalur, A Raja, the DMK’s man for all seasons?

Daimler to launch Mitsubishi Fuso trucks in India

German commercial vehicle maker Daimler today said it would introduce lightweight trucks from Mitsubishi Fuso stable in the Indian market by 2010 as part of its expansion strategy in the country"s auto mart.

Coca-Cola announces launch of \'Burn\' in India

Beverages maker Coca-Cola today announced its foray into the energy drink segment in India with the launch of "Burn".

Markets open in the green

The Sensex is quoting at 17,013, higher by 30 points and the Nifty is at 5,076, up 9 points.

US markets end mixed

The US markets ended on a mixed note. Dow Jones closed at 10,390, higher by one point, Nasdaq ended at 2,189, lower by four points and the S&P shed two points or 0.25% at 1,103.25.

Rathore granted interim bail till Jan 7

Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, against whom fresh cases involving serious charges have been registered, was today granted interim bail till January 7 by a local sessions court hearing the Ruchika molestation case.

\'JNNURM has taken on a whole-slum approach\'

Vandana Gombar / New Delhi November 26, 2009, 1:00 IST

Campaign bags award

The ‘Incredible India’ campaign, an initiative by the Indian government to promote tourism, has won the World Travel Award 2009 for being the best campaign of the year.

Wall Street fat cats see frugal compensation diet in \'09

The bailed out fat cats on the Wall Street woke up to stringent compensation norms this year sans hefty bonuses, as the Obama regime cracked down on excessive risk-taking ways of financial chieftains.

Asian market ends positive; Shanghai Composite Index up 2%

Asian markets ended on a positive note.

Seeds to be given to states if sowing fails: Pawar

Accepting that monsoon has been inadequate in several parts of northern India, the government today said that in case sowing failed due to lack of rains, it would make additional seeds available to the states.

Kingfisher rallies on GDR, rights issue plans

Kingfisher finally ended with gains of 7.2% or Rs 3.8 at Rs 57.25. Around 12.53 million shares changed hands on the counter today.

Air traffic grows 25%

Domestic air traffic continued its growth momentum in October and witnessed a passenger growth of 25 per cent to 4 million from 3.2 million during the same period last year.

Porsche expects 20% sales jump in India

An expected dip in its global sales notwithstanding, luxury car-maker Porsche is hoping for a nearly 20 per cent jump in sales in India this year. Working towards that direction, the company had earlier introduced the premier sedan, Panamera, in the country in the price range of Rs 1.4-2.05 crore.

BSNL may roll out 3G in city in November

State-run telecom operator BSNL is eyeing November as the date for the launch of 3G mobile services in Bangalore. The company is testing the technology and expects sizeable subscriber base from the city. Post its launch, the company plans to start with a capacity of 200,000 3G users.

Air India pilots defer strike by six days

Air India pilots, protesting management"s moves to cut their salaries and allowances, today deferred their strike threat from November 24 by six days, even as the conciliation talks remained inconclusive.

Air India to resume pay cut talks

Air India is to again start the process of negotiations on productivity-linked incentives (PLI) in pay with the staff unions. Earlier meetings held to agree on an amount to cut from salaries have not yielded satisfactory results.

Yes Bank, India Infoline to offer banking, brokerage services

Private sector lender Yes Bank and equity broker India Infoline (IIFL), today entered into a strategic alliance to offer premium brokerage services to the customers of Yes bank and a superior proposition of savings account for IIFL customers.

SpiceJet to be transformed into professional carrier: CEO

Enthused by a 12 per cent growth in traffic in contrast to a decline in the aviation industry, the new CEO of SpiceJet Sanjay Aggarwal has said he would transform the airline from a casual business entity to a professionally-run company within a year.

Ku Klux Klan cartoon in Indian paper angers Australia

A cartoon in a Delhi newspaper, which allegedly depicted a Victoria policeman as a member of hate group Ku Klux Klan in the wake of attacks on Indians, has sparked an outrage in Australia with acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard condemning it as "deeply offensive".

Nissan to export components worth $20 million from India

Sohini Das / Mumbai December 15, 2009, 0:33 IST

2000-09: The game changers

TECH TONIC

The business of education

Business Standard / New Delhi November 23, 2009, 0:54 IST

\'India can do without low-grade Chinese equipment\'

Sudheer Pal Singh & Jyoti Mukul / September 30, 2009, 0:41 IST

Higher project costs force IOC to raise capex by 22%

Spending target raised to Rs 53,000 crore for 2007-12.

Hiring activity may see upward trend in Q3

Hiring activity is likely to see an upward trend in the third quarter of the current fiscal year, especially in sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing and services other than IT.

Range finder!

Jaguar-Land Rover cars are now officially here. We drive the Range Rover Sport to celebrate it ROHIN NAGRANI

F&O OUTLOOK: Support in new series is expected at 5,000-5,100

The market is likely to be volatile on the last day of the expiry of the December series as rollovers in index and stocks futures on the penultimate day were substantially lower than the same time last month.

Maruti to launch new family car Eeco at Auto Expo

The car major Maruti Suzuki will launch a new family car "Eeco" with a 1,200cc petrol engine in the under-Rs 4 lakh segment, at the upcoming Auto Expo in the capital.

Honda\'s global unveiling of new small car concept at Auto Expo

Japanese auto maker Honda today said it will hold the world premiere of the concept model of a new small car that has been developed keeping the Indian market in focus at the Auto Expo here next month.

Viceroy Hotels to raise Rs 70 cr via QIP

Hospitality firm Viceroy Hotels today said it has approved the proposal for raising up to $15 million or Rs 70 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP).

Bangalore may face oversupply of luxury rooms

This is one luxury Bangalore can afford not to have. The city is set to add the highest number of “keys” in the upscale rooms category at a time when demand is not so certain.

SMEs take to tele-conferencing

IT services company Solutions Enterprise Pvt Ltd’s offices in Mumbai and Ahmedabad used to be connected with its partner companies in Britain over the Internet and a virtual private network (VPN). However, the quality of communication had always been poor.

AstraZeneca, Nektar Therapeutics sign license agreement

AstraZeneca, an international healthcare company engaged in research, development and manufacturing of prescription medicines, and Nektar Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered at California with research and development operations in Hyderabad, have entered into an exclusive license agreement for two drug development programmes.

Elitecore eyes Rs 100 crore overseas acquistion

In a bid to become a $ 50 million within two years, Elitecore Technologies is mulling to take the inorganic route. The Ahmedabad-based company is looking at a Rs 100 crore acquisition in the US or European markets in the network security segment.

Wheat sowing up on favourable climate

The area under wheat rose a marginal 2 per cent this year on favourable climatic conditions. Late monsoon left adequate moisture content in the soil that suited the wheat sowing for this rabi season.

\'One should not expect a blockbuster year\'

Rajesh Bhayani / Mumbai January 5, 2010, 0:06 IST

No immediate plan to take Nano abroad: Irani

Tata Motors has no immediate plan to export the Nano, the world"s cheapest car, as it is currently concentrating on meeting the domestic demand, Tata Group Director Jamshed J Irani has said.

Tata displays vehicles across segments

Tata Motors today lined up a slew of new vehicles across categories at the 10th Auto Expo here. These included Tata Aria, Jaguar XJ, Tata Venture, Tata Magic Iris and the ‘Prima’ range of trucks, trailers and special application vehicles.

Auto: Full steam ahead

Auto sales numbers for almost all companies in October 2009, are in. With growth ranging between 15-60 % and teamed with impressive quarterly top line and bottom-line growth, the sector is a poster-child for the domestic growth potential.

\'Our focus remains on bigger and sportier bikes\'

Swaraj Baggonkar / Mumbai November 10, 2009, 1:10 IST

ICMR to launch low-cost swine flu diagnostic kit

A low-cost diagnostic tool kit that can detect the swine flu virus in just five minutes is being developed by the Indian Council for Medical Research, a top official has said.

Swine flu scare in Team India

A day after paceman S Sreesanth was diagnosed with swine flu, comprehensive preventive measures were today put in place to ensure that other members of the Indian cricket team were not affected by the dreaded virus.

Indian, Abu Dhabi investors looking to bid for British Land

A consortium of Indian and Abu Dhabi investors, which is believed to include steel czar Lakshmi Mittal, is planning to bid for UK property company British Land, says a media report.

Home loans for nris

Indians living abroad are equally eligible for housing loans from banks here but with some riders.

Commotion at India-Pak peace conference

Commotion broke out today at a conference aimed at promoting peace between India and Pakistan when a section of the audience objected to the presence of JKLF leader Yasin Malik as a speaker.

ITC posts 26% rise in PAT at Rs 1,009 cr

ITC has posted a 26 per cent rise in net profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 1009.91 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2009 as compared to Rs 802.7 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.

Tata Steel invests Rs 5 cr on Keonjhar sports complex

Tata Steel has invested Rs five crore on developing the Dharani Dhar sports complex at Sankarpur in Keonjhar.

Trai asks DoT to refer uniform licence fee to regulator

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has urged the government to consult it before deciding on a uniform license fee for operators, saying it has implications on the Centre’s revenue, as well as on service providers.

TRAI asks DoT to refer Uniform license fee to regulator

Telecom regulator TRAI has urged the government to consult it before deciding on a uniform license fee for operators, saying it has implications on the Centre"s revenue as well as of the service providers.

DoT allots RCom new series for Maha, Goa circle

On account of exhausting mobile phone numbers starting with the digit 9, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has allotted Reliance Communications (RCom) a new series beginning with the digit 8(055) for its Maharashtra and Goa circle (M&G).

Hyundai workers insist on strike

A third strike in nine months loomed large over Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) with a section of workers today saying that they will go ahead with a tools-down agitation if the management or the state labour department do not act positively on their demands.

Mahadayi Tribunal comes as a rude shock for farmers

The constitution of a tribunal to settle the dispute over Mahadayi’s waters between Karnataka and Goa, where it is called Mandovi) has come as a rude shock to the farmers of North Karnataka who were eagerly waiting for the completion of the Kalasa-Banduri nalla project.

Not high enough

Business Standard / New Delhi August 26, 2009, 0:58 IST

Plan panel for bold disinvestment programme

The Planning Commission today called for a "bold and clear" disinvestment programme that would help in meeting the resource gap for the plan expenditure in the next two years.

Sugar firms to help calm prices

Producers meet agriculture minister, agree to increase supply of the commodity

Economy will clock 6% plus growth rate this fiscal: FM

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today expressed optimism that it would be possible to clock over six per cent growth rate in the current fiscal and said there is no scope for anxiety in pursuing reforms in financial sector and disinvestment.

Spread fiscal deficit target over 5-6 yrs: Govt

The government has put forward a proposal to do away with the yearly fiscal deficit target from the next financial year (2010-11). Instead, it wants to fix the target as an average over an economic cycle of five to six years.

ECB leaves key interest rates unchanged

The European Central Bank (ECB) today retained the benchmark rates, continuing with its low interest rate regime to boost the region"s economic recovery.

M&M banks on Bolero brand to increase Maxi Truck reach

Utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra(M&M) is banking on leveraging its popular Bolero brand to expand its presence in the pick-up segment, where it is currently the market leader with an 85 per cent market share.

Shree Renuka at new 52-wk high on overseas acquisition

The stock touched a high of Rs 233 and finally settled 4% higher at Rs 228. The counter clocked volumes of 1.93 million shares on the BSE.

Sensex in red in opening trades

The Sensex has opened down 22 points at 16,826. The index is now down 25 points at 16,825.

Sweet sugar?

While sugar prices are likely to stay at high levels, stock valuations reflect most of the positives.

Wipro rises 2%

The Wipro scrip rose two per cent amid falling market to Rs 604.15 after the net profit of the company rose 19 per cent to Rs 1,162 crore in the second quarter of the current financial year, as compared to the same quarter a year ago.

GTL Q2 net up 31% at Rs 50.22 cr

GTL today reported a 31 per cent growth in net profit at Rs 50.22 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. In the year-ago period, the company had a consolidated net profit of Rs 38.30 crore, GTL said in a filing to the BSE.

UBS aims $14.7 bn profit annually in next 3-5 yrs

Swiss banking major UBS today said it aims to achieve the target of about 15 billion Swiss francs (around $14.7 billion) pre-tax profits per year over the next three to five years.

Tata Steel erases losses, ends flat

The scrip rebounded into the positive to touch a high of Rs 553 and finally ended flat at Rs 545. The counter clocked volumes of 4.67 million shares as compared to the two-week daily average traded volumes of 2.44 million shares on the BSE. _____________________________________________________

Tata Steel: Disappointing performance

The losses can be attributed to costlier raw material, higher restructuring cost and operating pressure at its Teesside operations.

\'India Inc may witness high attrition in 2010\'

With the revival of the job market India Inc is all set to witness a significant jump in attrition levels as well, especially in sectors like aviation, information technology and business process outsourcing, executives search firm GlobalHunt India said today.

Bharti\'s share in Singtel Q2 profit rises 26%

Singapore"s leading telecom firm SingTel today said contribution of Bharti Airtel, in which the company holds nearly 32 per cent stake, to its profit rose by 26 per cent to 236 million Singapore dollars (around $170 million) for the July-September quarter.

Mfg likely to get boost during Reddy's 2nd term

Expectations are on the rise that the second term of chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy would give a boost to the manufacturing sector with the state bagging four major projects, including two manufacturing units, involving an investment of Rs 8,750 crore in the past fortnight.

CBI seeks govt nod for full probe on Sibal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused V K Sibal of colluding with private parties during his term as oil regulator and has sought government permission for a thorough investigation.

RBS to get virtually nationalised; govt to hike stake to 84%

The British government is planning to pump in an additional capital of up to 19 billion pound into the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and hike its stake to as much as 84 per cent, a move that would virtually nationalise the bank.

Maha CM meets Sonia Gandhi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today held discussions with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a day after the party sealed a deal with ally NCP to form government in the state.

NCP agrees on power sharing in Maha: Patel

NCP has "broadly agreed" with its ally Congress on power sharing in Maharashtra and a new government would be in place in the state shortly, party leader Praful Patel said.

Govt re-introduces Companies Bill

The government today re-introduced Companies Bill in the Lok Sabha to replace a 52-year-old law and simplify regulations dealing with formation, mergers and acquisitions and winding up of companies.

Change of guard at SBI Cards

SBI Cards, the 60:40 joint venture between State Bank of India and GE Capital, has a new CEO. Abhay Singh, who used to be chief general manager of SBI’s Mumbai circle, has taken over from Diwakar Gupta.

FMCG cos new mantra for modern retail growth

Driving consumption among middle and lower income consumers, collaboration between retailers and suppliers, understanding consumers is the mantra to grow modern retail in the coming days as the sector comes out of slowdown blues, say fast moving consumer companies (FMCG) and organised retail chains.

Ebony Gautier to invest Rs 100 cr for expansion

Home furnishing retail chain Ebony Gautier is planning to invest Rs 100 crore over the next three years to expand its retail business and set up 20 large format speciality outlets across the country.

ONGC opposes FinMin directive to park surplus funds with PSUs

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has opposed finance ministry directive of parking its surplus funds with only PSU banks saying it is losing Rs 360 crore of interest revenues annually as state-run banks offer lower interest rates when business is given to them on nomination.

Indiabulls Power IPO subscribed 6 times on Day 1

Indiabulls Power IPO was subscribed 5.95 times on combined (BSE +NSE) basis.

Networth of Rs 4 crore must to raise funds via short-term NCDs

Companies must have a minimum net worth of Rs 4 crore for raising resources through non-convertible debentures (NCDs) with maturity of less than a year.

Listed banks\' bad debt rises by Rs 4,000 cr

Gross non-performing assets up 23% in 12 months.

Govt initiates anti-dumping probe against acetone imports

The government is mulling imposing anti-dumping duty on imports of acetone, a chemical used in drugs and explosives, to protect domestic players from cheap shipments from Japan and Thailand.

Too early to exit economic stimulus: FM

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said it is premature to "exit" the fiscal stimulus as the global economy is not showing robust recovery, but was optimistic about economic growth.

CM hints at action against dissident ministers

As the three dissident ministers continued their defiance against him, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa today talked tough, hinting at "stern action" against them. "These people cannot cow me down. They are worried about my popularity graph," Yeddyurappa told reporters here, as he hit back at the three ministers who had launched a strong attack on him at a function in their home district of Bellary yesterday.

Private steel makers follow SAIL lead, cut flat prices

A day after Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) reduced flat steel prices, private steel makers — JSW Steel, Essar Steel and Ispat Industries — have followed. Ispat has cut prices by Rs 1,000 a tonne, while Essar Steel has reduced by Rs 700-1,000 a tonne.

Fortis to start two affordable hospitals

Fortis Healthcare is likely to come up with two low-cost hospitals in two years in an effort to test its affordable health care model. Although the firm is reluctant to divulge the exact locations of these greenfield ventures or the total investment into the project, the health care major is likely to open these hospitals in north and western India while attempting to cut down its capital expenditure there by about 50 per cent.

Get out of herd mentality

Upon the advice of many people, I liquidated all my investments to book profits by June-end. I was waiting for markets to correct and now I am cursing all those who gave free advice to book profits. My money in a savings bank account is earning 3.5 per cent. Should I invest right now or wait until the bears take over? -Manjunath

Invest in MIPs for 3-4 years

My broker has advised me to invest a lumpsum amount in a Monthly Income Plan (MIP). In the current scenario where interest rates are expected to rise, should I do so? Also, should I invest in more than one MIP for diversification?

High assets reduce arbitrage funds\' returns

Is it better to invest short-term money in an arbitrage fund instead of liquid funds? The returns from the former, being equity-oriented, are tax-free after a year, while those of a liquid fund, which is a debt fund, would be taxable. More, in a falling interest rate scenario, liquid funds are not expected to return 8 to 9 per cent as earlier. On the other hand, arbitrage funds can comfortably return 7 per cent. Suggest some good arbitrage funds.

Choosing well-rated funds is a sensible selection

I had invested Rs 25,000 each in HDFC Top 200, HSBC Equity, Reliance Growth and Magnum Taxgain in April 2009. At the time of investment, all these funds were 5-star rated, but now I notice their ratings have come down to 4-star. Have I chosen the correct funds? And, should I remain invested or withdraw? Also, please guide me where I should invest Rs 2-3 lakh for a period of around three years.

MF assets up 24% on income, liquid funds inflows

Significant inflows into income plans and liquid funds boosted net assets of domestic mutual funds in July, according to data posted by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on its website.

1320 Mw TTPS expansion by 2010

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plans to start the expansion work of its 460 Mw Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) at Talcher by the middle of the next year. The capacity of TTPS will be expanded with addition of two units of 660 Mw each.

NTPC plans 100 Mw solar projects in Gujarat

Powering its way ahead in tapping renewable energy sources for power generation, public sector power utility NTPC (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation) has set the ball rolling for its two solar thermal units of 50 Mw each in Gujarat. The company has firmed up its plans to initially install a solar power generation capacity of 100 Mw in the state, which may go up to 300 Mw at a later stage.

NTPC to appoint merchant banker for S Africa coal mine

State-run power producer NTPC, which is eyeing coal mines in South Africa to meet the gap in domestic fuel supply, will appoint a merchant banker next month to do the due diligence of those properties.

Infosys up 2% on growth outlook

The stock of Infosys Technologies rose nearly 2 per cent to close at Rs 2,235, a level not reached in over two years.

HSBC InvestDirect\'s S\'pore arm to give up dealing rights

HSBC InvestDirect today said its Singapore-based wholly owned subsidiary IL&FS Investmart Asia Pacific will surrender the capital markets services license granted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Hike in SLR not to have significant impact, say top bankers

Bankers today said that the increase in the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) limit would not impact the liquidity in the banking system in any significant manner.

GST to subsume central excise, VAT among other levies

Various central levies such as excise, value added tax and service tax are proposed to be subsumed in the the Goods and Services Tax (GST), making it a lot easier for the business and industry.

Excise collections fall by 49% in North India

The excise and custom collections from the northern region declined by 49.14 per cent and 18.21 per cent, respectively, in the first six months of this fiscal.

'EOU-made goods sold in DTA must pay 3.09 pc excise'

On clearance of goods manufactured by an Export Oriented Unit (EOU) from an EOU to the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) under 3 per cent Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme, please advise whether: (i) excise duty of 8.24 per cent needs to be paid; (ii) Terminal Excise Duty (TED) refund of 3.09 per cent can be claimed under deemed export benefits; (iii) the buyer can take Cenvat Credit of 3.09 per cent; and (iv) 3.09 per cent duty can be paid from Cenvat Credit balance?

Govt may defer stake sale fund

Facing a fiscal deficit of 6.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product for the current financial year, the government is likely to delay for a year or two the National Investment Fund (NIF), a move that will enable it to keep disinvestment proceeds in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI).

Indian real estate sector to witness recovery from end-2009

The Indian real estate is expected to enter the recovery phase by end-this year and macro-economic and sector-specific factors will act as catalysts in this recovery, a leading real estate consultancy said.

Economy grows by 6.1% in Q1, vs 7.8% yr ago

The country managed a reasonable economic growth of 6.1 per cent during the first quarter of the current fiscal despite the global financial crisis impacting manufacturing and certain services like hotels.

Divestment answer to India\'s eco concerns: Moody\'s

The government plan to sell stakes in state-owned enterprises would help it address many of India"s existing economic concerns and alleviate the current "fiscal stress", according to Moody"s.

Pricol back in black with Rs 6.29 cr profit

Pricol has reported a net profit of Rs 6.29 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2009 as compared to net loss of Rs 8.10 crore, a year ago.

Govt widens tax net for perks, applicable right away for entire year

Your tax burden has just gone up, with the government today issuing the new guidelines for taxation of perquisities. In fact, it could be a double whammy, as you have to pay the additional tax liability for the whole of this financial year over the next three months.

Road map for PSU disinvestment in 3-4 weeks: Finance Sec

The Finance Ministry today said a road map for disinvestment in public sector units will be brought out in three-four weeks, but there would be no strategic sale.

Good progress in talks with states on GST: CBEC

As deadline draws closer for implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Centre today said discussions on various issues have made "considerable progress".

Rupee nosedives further by 46 paisa to 46.90/$

The Indian rupee dropped further by 46 paisa to 46.90 against the greenback on persistent demand for dollar from oil companies amid sharp fall in equity market.

Jaihind Projects bag Rs 14 cr pipeline contract from BPCL

Engineering and construction firm Jaihind Projects today said it has bagged an order worth Rs 14.05 crore from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for a pipeline project.

The worker-run enterprise fiction

When the West Bengal government intervened by setting up Operating Managing Committees (OMCs) of workers in closed and sick tea gardens in the state, it was done to also alleviate the basic problems of the workers’ families. But this seems to have only given rise, as reported in the earlier parts of this series, to a section which makes money by exploiting other workers in collusion with local contractors. There is little evidence of any intervention, either by the district administration or political bigwigs, to curb this.

India Inc takes the sale route to beat crisis

After many denials and protracted bargaining with several buyers, pharma major Wockhardt sold 10 of its hospitals to Fortis last week. The hospitals sale came within two months of the company selling its German business Esparma for an undisclosed amount.

Reliance, Essar, Shell for freeing petrol, diesel prices

With global oil rates stabilising at around $70-80, Reliance Industries, Essar Oil and Royal Dutch/Shell today joined the chorus for freeing petrol and diesel prices to give private sector a level playing field as also lower government"s subsidy burden.

IOC to increase R&D spend to Rs 200 cr

Public sector oil major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will double its spend on research and development (R&D) to Rs 200 crore from the next financial year to help the company explore new opportunities and technologies.

IOC shows Rs 284 cr Q2 profit on cheaper crude, drop in losses

Riding on lower crude oil prices and a reduced under-recovery, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s largest oil marketing company, has reported a net profit of Rs 284 crore for the quarter ended September 30, compared to a loss of Rs 7,047 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Net sales, however, declined 18.7 per cent to Rs 60,392 crore on account of lower prices of petroleum products.

Support around 4,300-4,400 in near future

The Nifty closed below its support zone of 4,400-4,500 on weak global cues and profit-booking. Worries about the pace of the global economic recovery and poor monsoon added to the gloom. Metals, realty and oil & gas stocks led the sell-off. By the close of the Indian trading session, European markets were down over 2 per cent. The 158 declines in Dow futures indicated a weak opening.

Sensex ends up 148pts

The Sensex has ended (provisional) at 16,844 - up 148 points. The Nifty ended (provisional) at 4,997 - up 44 points.

An Open Letter to the American People...

Nobel Laureates / October 11, 2009, 0:06 IST

Maruti cashes its chips with some care, to analysts' approval

Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest manufacturer of cars, is also quite cash-healthy, markedly so in comparison to many of its competitors.

Large-scale faculty positions in IITs, IIMs

Centrally-funded technical Institutions, including IITs and IIMs, are suffering due to about 25 per cent shortage of faculty, the Lok Sabha was told today.

CAT day 4 sees less turmoil

Glitches continue, lack of feedback still an issue; IIMs assure ‘damage control’.

Raju\'s hospital care: Hearing on wife\'s plea today

The petition filed by Nandini Raju, wife of Satyam Computer Services’ jailed founder, B Ramalinga Raju, seeking the court’s permission for her to bear his medical treatment expenses, has been posted for tomorrow.

Govt\'s stock mkt kitty zooms by Rs 6.5 lakh cr in 2009

The government could be among the least active investors in the stock markets, but it appears to have come out the winner in terms of returns--its equity portfolio appreciated by about Rs 10 crore in every minute of trade in 2009 resulting in a total gain of Rs 6,50,000 crore.

High-level committee to probe IOC fire

A high-level committee of the Petroleum Ministry will probe the causes behind the fire at the IOC fuel facility on the outskirts of the city and suggest future safety measures at oil and gas depots.

3 Idiots set to rake in Rs 65 cr in first 3 days

3 Idiots has passed the cinegoer’s test with flying colours. The Aamir Khan-starrer raked in Rs 12.5 crore on Friday. Experts estimate the movie to net Rs 40 crore over the first weekend from the box office, with gross collections of Rs 65 crore. Khan’s last release, Ghajini, earned around Rs 40 crore net in the first four days, since the movie released on a Thursday. Aamir Khan said: “The response is huge, we are still gathering the enormity of opening collections. To match Ghajini’s opening day collections is something, to surpass Ghajini is completely overwhelming.”

Amend petition against NTPC in two weeks: HC asks RIL

The Bombay High Court today directed Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) to carry out amendments in its petition against PSU NTPC on a gas supply deal within two weeks.

3Idiots makes smart moves on marketing

Imagine walking into a washroom at one of the multiplexes and being welcomed with a message that terms you “the Fourth Idiot”. Don’t feel offended as you are just watching the promotion of 3Idiots, an Aamir Kan-starrer to be released this Friday.

World\'s fastest train link starts operation in China

China today started operation on its fastest rail link in the world with a high-speed train connecting the modern cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 350 kilometres an hour.

Corps to ignore Bollywood in favour of Hollywood: study

The Indian entertainment and media (E&M) corporates will prefer Hollywood over Bollywood in terms of investment in the near future, as over 90 per cent of the Bollywood movies flop annually, a study said.

Allegation that FBI working on co\'s case false: Citi

Troubled financial services firm Citigroup has said that any allegation that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is working on a case involving breach of the company"s systems resulting in millions of dollars losses is false.

New rule raises number of poor by 100 million

Every third Indian is living below the poverty line, far more than believed earlier, according to the revised estimates of an expert group on the subject, chaired by Suresh Tendulkar, eminent economist and former chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.

State pushes for major revamp in urban administration

Fast urbanisation throwing up several challenges, the Karnataka Government has formulated an urban development policy proposing far-reaching changes in urban governance.

Haryana gets World Bank assistance for coal fired projects

A loan agreement of $180 mn (Rs 845 cr approx) was signed on December 17 at New Delhi between the World Bank and the Government of India under the Coal Fired Generation Rehabilitation Project, for the Renovation and Modernisation (R&M) of coal fired generating units located in the states of Haryana, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Paa: The mother of film promotions

From teaser ads to the Big B visiting schools – the producers are pulling out all stops on marketing.

NEWSALERT: Dish TV Q1 net loss at Rs 69.2 cr

Dish Tv India, an Essel Group Company, reported a net loss of Rs 69.2 crore for the quarter ended June 30. 2009. Its net sales have gone up from Rs 246.3 crore from Rs 164.5 crore.

Power tariffs hiked by 22% in Bengal

Rising coal prices cited as reason.

Joint panels to be set up in states for input on GST

The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers will form joint committees at the level of the states for inputs on the proposed goods and services tax (GST) before its planned introduction next year.

Videocon to raise Rs 1,245 cr via share sale

Consumer durables major Videocon Industries today said its board has approved raising Rs 1,245 crore by issuing shares on rights and preferential basis.

CIL against use of Jamuria coal bed for Videocon plant

The Videocon Group’s move to set up a 3-million-tonne-per-annum steel plant and a 1,200-Mw power project over a patch of coal-bearing area at Jamuria, near Asansol (West Bengal), has been opposed by state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL), the world’s single-largest coal miner.

NFC dispatches fuel bundles to newly-built RAPS unit 6

Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) has made history by supplying 11,016 fuel rods from the imported natural Uranium to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) in a record time of six months for three reactors.

Nalco, NPCIL ink pact for nuke power generation

The aluminium major National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) and the state owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration with each other for setting up nuclear power plants in the country.

NPCIL, Nalco ink MoU to set up N-power plants in India

Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and National Aluminium Company (Nalco) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up nuclear plants in the country.

Century Textiles, TTML, Glenmark Pharma, MRF Q1 result

Century Textiles

M J Antony: Lending public money

M J Antony / New Delhi December 16, 2009, 0:59 IST

Rupee gains 15 paise at 46.09/$ in early trade

The rupee today appreciated by 15 paise to 46.09 a dollar in early trade on sustained capital inflows into stock markets.

Rupee at month high, rises 8 paise at 46.22/$

The rupee today appreciated by 8 paise to hit a month"s high of 46.22 against the US currency in early trade, in line with other firming Asian currencies.

Bonds drop on rate-hike speculation

Bloomberg / January 5, 2010, 0:16 IST

Infosys: Value at home

Infosys Technologies intends to ramp up business in the domestic market. It recently set up an India-dedicated unit within Infosys BPO — its business process outsourcing arm. The order book has already begun to see action, inform company executives. The domestic BPO arm has won a Rs 250-crore BPO contract from the income-tax department and is soon going to sign a letter of intent for another government deal, says Infosys BPO CEO and Managing Director Amitabh Chaudhry.

Corporate heads not in favour of religious profiling of staff

The database will be used to find out whether a company has a desirable social diversity.

Sound, action & picture clarity

Airtel DTH seeks to break out of the clutter in the direct-to-home service space by banking on a Bollywood-like plot

Trai\'ing times

Sunil Jain / New Delhi November 09, 2009, 0:56 IST

Dadri land acquisition not on hold: R-Power

Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Power (R-Power) today claimed that the Allahabad High Court has not set aside land acquisition for its proposed gas-fired power plant at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

GlobalLogic expects to double revenues in 3 years

Software product development company GlobalLogic plans to double its total revenues in three years by growing at a compounded average growth rate (CAGR) of 40 per cent, through increased focus on research and development in telecom, homeland security and medical electronics.

FIIs net sellers of Rs 495 cr in cash mkt today

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers of Rs 494.66 crore (provisional) today, according to data released by BSE.