Andhra registers 48 percent growth in IT exports

By IANS

Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh has recorded 48 percent growth in IT exports in 2006-07, up to Rs.185.82 billion ($4.5 billion) from Rs.125.21 billion the year before.

India keen to boost economic ties with Gulf nations

By IANS

Mumbai : Underlining the importance of the Gulf countries to India, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath Tuesday invited companies from the region to invest in this country, especially to tap the $300 billion opportunity in infrastructure development and oil refineries.

Oman concerned over delays in India-GCC trade pact

By IANS

Mumbai : Expressing concern over delays in negotiating a free trade pact between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Oman's Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan Tuesday hoped it will now be inked by September.

Tata Steel inks deal with Vietnam Steel Corporation

By IANSNew Delhi : Indian steel conglomerate Tata Steel Tuesday signed an agreement with Vietnam Steel Corporation (VSC) to set up a 4.5 million...

UAE to invest $20b in airport expansion

By Xinhua

Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will invest around $20 billion in the development and expansion projects of its six airports, Khaleej Times reported Tuesday.

British-led consortium reveals counter-bid for ABN Amro

By DPA

Amsterdam/London : A European consortium led by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Tuesday unveiled its proposed counter-bid for the takeover of Dutch group ABN Amro, worth 71.1 billion euros ($95.6 billion).

Indian farming faces ‘technology fatigue’: PM

By IANS

New Delhi : Tardy farm growth is a matter of grave concern and urgent steps are needed to remove the "technology fatigue" in India's agrarian economy on which 70 percent of the population depends, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday.

Consortium makes bid on ABN Amro

By DPA

Amsterdam : Fortis, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander Central Hispano SA officially placed a bid on Dutch bank ABN Amro for 71.1 billion euros ($92.43 billion), the three banks announced Tuesday.

Industry bodies give inputs on mineral policy

By IANS

New Delhi : Industry lobbies Monday made presentations before the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the National Mineral Policy headed by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, providing inputs on the improvement of the mining sector in the country.

Bombay Stock Exchange crosses trillion-dollar mark

By IANS

Mumbai : Riding on a bull wave in Indian equities, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), one of Asia's oldest bourses, Monday created history as its market capitalisation crossed the $1,000 billion mark.

Court notice to government, Hutch on Vodaphone deal

By IANS

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Monday issued notices to the government, telecom major Hutchison Telecom India Ltd (HTIL), Hutch-Essar and its minority shareholders seeking reply to a petition alleging breach of foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in a deal involving Vodafone of Britain.

Tax officials knock at Reliance’s Jamnagar unit

By IANS

New Delhi : Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence were dispatched to the Jamnagar unit of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd Monday to "examine" some books of accounts, an official spokesperson said.

Indian Oil’s profits up 52 percent

By IANSNew Delhi : State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the country's top refiner and retailer, Monday reported a 52 percent jump in net profit...

Ashok Leyland enters used truck market

By IANS

Jaipur : Ashok Leyland, the flagship firm of the Hinduja group in India, Monday announced its entry into the used vehicles market, making it the first commercial vehicle manufacturer in the country to do so.

New trust to help overseas Indians invest in India

By IANS

New Delhi : The government Monday launched an Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC), a one-stop shop to help overseas Indians invest in India.

Come down heavily on power thieves, says PM

By IANS

New Delhi : Asking authorities to come down "heavily" on the "cancer" of electricity theft, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said a breakthrough in raising power output remained elusive and was seriously affecting economic growth.

Theft is cancer for power sector: Manmohan Singh

By IANS

New Delhi : Calling for a determined campaign against the cancer of power theft, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said a breakthrough in raising electricity output remained elusive and was seriously affecting economic growth.

Nifty touches all time high

By IANS

Mumbai : The broad-based 50-share index of the National Stock Exchange Nifty touched an all-time high of 4,295.60 points Monday morning on heavy purchases of heavyweight stocks by domestic and foreign funds.

Iran, Pakistan, India aim to sign pipeline pact in July

By Xinhua

Tehran : Iran, Pakistan and India are striving to sign an agreement in July to export natural gas from Iran to the two nations, the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday quoting an Iranian minister.

Auto industry needs creative leaders: Kalam

By IANS

New Delhi : President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Sunday said the automobile industry needs creative leaders who can visualise a change from the traditional role of one who demands respect to one who facilitates self-respect.

India, Libya sign economic, cultural pacts

By IANS

Tripoli : India and Libya have signed several agreements, including one on promoting investments, during Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to this north African nation.

Bilateral investment focus of meeting with Gulf states

By IANS

New Delhi : A major push to enhance bilateral investments will be the focus of a two-day meeting between India and six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Mumbai from May 29, officials said Sunday.

Reliance seeks land, tax breaks to promote Jharkhand’s ‘haats’

By IANS

Ranchi : India's private sector behemoth Reliance Industries has sought land and tax benefits to expand its retail business and promote the rural "haat" market of Jharkhand.

Dubai Ventures buys stake in Suri-owned Bharat Hotels

By IANS

Dubai : Dubai Ventures has signed an agreement for an equity investment of $40 million, approximately five percent, stake in Bharat Hotels Ltd., one of India's largest hotel companies.

Coke not to close Kerala plant: official

By Arun Kumar

IANS

Atlanta : Coca-Cola will not close its plant in Kerala where it had to suspend operations two years ago following an agitation against it for allegedly misusing ground water resources, a top company official said here.

CII to name ombudsmen on affirmative action soon: Mittal

By Arvind Padmanabhan and Nayanima Basu

IANS

New Delhi : Maintaining that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remark on corporate salaries had been taken well by India Inc, Sunil Bharti Mittal, the new president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said the lobby group will soon appoint ombudsmen to monitor progress on affirmative action.

Things go better for Coke in India

By Arun Kumar

IANS

Atlanta : Things seem to be going better for Coca-Cola in India with the world's largest beverage maker hoping to turn the country into its third largest market in the none too distant future.

PM’s call for equality scientifically not possible

By K.S. Jayaraman

IANS

Bangalore : Economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who yearns for redistribution of wealth may be up against the laws of physics.

Paper industry cautions against customs duty reduction

By IANS

New Delhi : The Indian paper industry has strongly cautioned the government against reduction of customs duties, levied on import of machinery and equipment required for the sector, under free trade agreements (FTAs) with other countries, says a leading industry body.

SEBI to educate market investors in India

By IANS

Agartala : Market watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will soon launch a nationwide campaign to educate investors to make the market more disciplined and transparent, SEBI chairman M. Damodaran said here Sunday.

US Chevron to produce oil, gas in Cambodia in 2008

By Xinhua

Phnom Penh : The US oil giant Chevron has finished its exploration at offshore Cambodia and will start oil and gas production in 2008.

Construction to become $120 bn industry by 2012: Assocham

By IANS

New Delhi : The booming Indian construction industry, currently worth $70 billion, would soar up to a value of $120 billion by 2010, giving rise to a demand for manpower of over 90 million, says a leading industry lobby.

Jordan signs exploration accords with two Indian firms

By DPA

Amman : The Jordanian government has signed agreements with four foreign firms - including two from India - for the exploration of oil in various parts of the country, Energy Minister Khalid Shraydeh said Saturday.

Indian company, Tanzania speed up railway concession

By Xinhua

Dar es Salaam : India's RITES Limited and the government of Tanzania have signed a pact to speed up the concession of the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC).

Shantha Biotechnics to triple vaccine filling capacity

By IANS

Hyderabad : Shantha Biotechnics, the first Indian company to develop, manufacture and market a recombinant human healthcare product in the country, Saturday opened its new state-of-the-art high speed vaccine vial filling facility.

Tata Teleservices CEO resigns

By IANSNew Delhi : Darryl Green has resigned as CEO of Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL), one of India's leading CDMA technology telecom service providers,...

TCS strengthens Brazil business

By IANS

New Delhi : Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of India's leading IT services firm, Saturday announced the consolidation of its Brazilian operations with the acquisition of 49 percent stake of its joint-venture partner Grupo TBA.

Orissa okays budget

By IANS

Bhubaneswar : The Orissa cabinet has formally approved the Rs.250 billion budget for the 2007-08 financial year.

The approval came at a meeting of ministers Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Indian equities end higher for second straight week

By IANS

Mumbai : Despite heavy profit taking on two successive days, Indian equities ended higher for the second straight week Friday, helped by some heavy buying by foreign funds and notable gains by metals and consumer goods stocks.

Next on list of India’s exports to Trinidad – steelpan

By IANS

New Delhi : With relations between India and Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) growing, India might just add one more item to its list of exports to the Caribbean nation in the days to come - the steelpan!

Ailing state-run companies to be revived

By IANS

Kolkata : The Centre has approved the restructuring of four ailing Public Sector Enterprises (PSE) in West Bengal.

SEZs to soon receive $25 bn investment: official

By IANS

New Delhi : India has already received $8 billion worth of investment in special economic zones (SEZs) and $25 billion more will be invested soon, said a senior official of the Commerce and Industry Ministry.

Indian shares recover riding on technology stocks

By IANS

Mumbai : Technology stocks Friday pulled back Indian shares after a two-day downward trend, taking the weekend closing of a key index up by 0.84 percent.

Tatas to sell stake in Energy Brands for $1.2 billion

By IANS

New Delhi : Tata Sons, India's largest private sector group, Friday said it was selling the 30 percent stake it held in the US-based Energy Brands Inc. for $1.2 billion and thereby make a neat profit of $523 million.

Tata AIG set to open 120 branches across India

By IANS

Kolkata : Eyeing the huge insurance market, Tata AIG Life is set to open 120 new branches in India by the end of 2007. This will increase company's distribution network to 200 branches across 102 locations in India.

Indian oil assets in Iraq may come under scrutiny

By IANS

New Delhi : A consortium led by ONGC Videsh, the overseas investing arm of the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), would now have to bid for an oil asset in Iraq that was almost awarded to it by the previous government.

Mittal bats for overall growth, affirmative action

By IANS

New Delhi : Sunil Bharti Mittal, who took over as president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Friday reiterated the need to adhere to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 10-point social charter for Indian industry, and focus on overall growth and affirmative action.

Nasdaq to merge with OMX group

By DPA

Stockholm : New York based Nasdaq and the OMX group that operates stock exchanges in the Nordic and Baltic region Friday announced plans to merge their operations.

Negotiators resume trade talks to resolve issues

By Prensa Latina

London : India's Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and three other key negotiators will meet Friday in Brussels in an effort to salvage global trade talks mired in controversy over farm subsidies and market access.

India chosen for launch of first global IT qualification

By IANS

London : India has been chosen for the launch of the world's first qualification for financial services IT staff working in operations.

ICICI opens branch in Birmingham

By IANS

London : ICICI Bank, India's fastest growing private bank, has opened its sixth branch in Britain in Birmingham with plans to services the financial needs of several companies in the West Midlands that have collaborations and branches in India.

World Trade Center insurance dispute settled for $2 bn

By DPA

New York : A group of seven major insurance companies has agreed to a $2 billion payment to settle a long-running dispute over insurance claims for New York's destroyed World Trade Center, clearing the way for the redevelopment of the iconic site, reports said Thursday.

Airtel ties up with Hong Kong-based telecom firm

By IANS

New Delhi : Bharti Airtel, one of India's leading private telecom firms, Thursday announced a tie-up with Hong Kong-based PCCW Global Ltd to offer enhanced services in international connectivity.

OECD retains 9 percent growth forecast for India

By IANS

Paris : India and China would continue to witness "buoyant economic activity", the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Thursday, while predicting soft landing in the US and strong recovery in Europe.

Asian boom to aid global economy: OECD report

By DPA

Paris : The latest OECD economic outlook report released in Paris Thursday forecasts a sustained recovery in Europe, a "soft landing" in the US and a solid world growth trajectory fired by the Asian boom.

Indian shares drop by 1.01 percent

By IANS

Mumbai : The downward trend in Indian shares continued for the second day Thursday, with banking sector stocks and blue-chip equities dragging a key index down by 1.01 percent.

India’s telecom density now 18.7 percent

By IANS

New Delhi : With a net addition of 4.9 million telecom subscribers into the network last month, India's telephone density has touched 18.7 percent, even though the number of fixed-line phones declined by 230,000 connections.

Organised crime is hurting economy: Chidambaram

By IANS

New Delhi : Organised crime such as money laundering, terrorism and drug-peddling is hurting the economy more than petty thefts, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday, and warned of dire results if it were left unchecked.

NRI deposits grow to Rs.85 bn in Kerala bank

By IANS

Thiruvananthapuram : NRI deposits in Kerala's State Bank of Travancore (SBT) have grown by 9.14 percent to touch Rs.85.95 billion ($2 billion) in the last fiscal.

Etihad Airways wants to expand in India

By IANS

Abu Dhabi : Etihad Airways has said it is working to add more destinations in India to its flight network targeting the major cities in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The world is looking at us with respect: PM

By IANS

New Delhi : India Inc has every reason to celebrate the success of the country's growth that has been the result of some prudent economic policies and has grabbed global attention, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday.

Videocon wants to set up LCD plant in Poland

By Surender Bhutani

IANS

Warsaw : Videocon Industries, which had bought a TV tube and screen plant from the French group Thompson in 2005, is now poised to expand its presence in the European market from its base in Poland.

Manmohan Singh’s 10-point social charter for India Inc

By IANS

New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday presented a 10-point charter to make the country's growth process inclusive and invited the corporate sector to become the government's partner in creating a "culture of caring, sharing and belonging".

Bangladesh’s Grameen bank can raise funds from market

By IANS

Dhaka : Bangladesh's pioneering rural banking network Grameen has been given government approval to open branches in cities and raise money from the market through bonds and debentures but it would have to stick to distributing rural credit.

Pakistan suspends wheat exports due to hoarding

By IANS

Islamabad : Pakistan has suspended its wheat exports, including to India, with immediate effect following protests from flour mill owners and the provincial governments over a sudden surge in prices blamed on hoarders and speculators.

Microsoft urges Singapore to be centre for innovation in Asia

By DPA

Singapore : Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has urged Singapore to become the "nerve centre for innovation" in Asia.

FICCI for doing business with Iraq

By IANS

New Delhi : Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Wednesday signed a memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with three Iraqi business chambers as part of its efforts to facilitate smooth flow of business between India and Iraq.

Reliance lowers call tariffs to Gulf by 36 percent

By IANS

New Delhi : One of India's leading mobile service providers Reliance Communications Wednesday announced a drop in the calling rates to Gulf countries by 36 percent.

NIIT Tech’s profit soars by 95 percent

By IANS

New Delhi : India's leading IT firm NIIT Technologies Ltd. Wednesday registered a 95 percent rise in its profit for the financial year 2006-07 at Rs.1.29 billion.

Britain eyes India’s financial services industry

By IANS

Kolkata : Showing keen interest in West Bengal's financial services industry, a high-level British delegation has suggested that the Calcutta Stock Exchange can be reorganised with foreign capital.

India shares fall slightly in choppy trade

By IANS

Mumbai : Shaky trades in auto and banking stocks and some hammering of heavyweight stocks weakened Indian shares Wednesday, with a key index falling 0.62 percent.

HCL to set up 100 career development centres

By IANS

Bhubaneswar : HCL Infosystems, a leading information enabling company, Wednesday said it was setting up 100 career development centres across the country in the next 12-15 months.

Airtel now has 40 mn mobile phone subscribers

By IANS

New Delhi : India's leading mobile service provider Bharti Airtel now has over 40 million customers, making it the first Indian firm to reach that figure.

Dubai to host Asia’s largest airport industry show

By IANS

Dubai : Asia's largest airport exhibition that opens here next week will showcase major airport expansion projects and a booming aviation industry across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Videocon wants to set up LCD plant in Poland

By Surender Bhutani

IANS

Warsaw : Videocon Industries, which had bought a TV tube and screen plant from the French group Thompson in 2005, is now poised to expand its presence in the European market from its base in Poland.

US, India technology majors meet in Washington

By IANS

Washington : More than 70 technology companies, including leaders like IBM, Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, participated in one of the year's biggest summits held to bring industry and the government together on a common platform.

Outlook for Indian economy is buoyant: Dun & Bradstreet

By Mohammed Shafeeq

IANS

Hyderabad : The outlook for the Indian economy remains buoyant but the risks of rising interest rates and appreciating rupee remain, says Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), the world's leading source of global business information, knowledge and insight.

Voting underway in Shimla civic polls

By IANS

Shimla : Voting was underway Wednesday in the Shimla municipal corporation elections contested mainly by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Looking beyond Bangalore: IT to be developed in secondary cities

By Fakir Balaji

IANS

Bangalore : With Bangalore choking, the Karnataka government is offering land and other incentives to investors to set up IT firms in smaller towns and cities in a bid to ensure that the southern Indian state remains a prime destination in the knowledge sector.

Bhutan’s Tala power project exceeds generation forecast

By IANS

New Delhi : The 1,020 MW Tala hydroelectric project in western Bhutan, the biggest joint project between India and the Druk kingdom, has already exceeded the power generation forecast for 2006-07, a year ahead of its official commissioning.

Intel and STMicro unite to form flash memory company

By DPA

San Francisco : Intel and STMicroelectronics are uniting to form a new company that will be the world's largest maker of chips that store software in mobile phones.

US wants China to increase imports

By DPA

Washington : Americans are "impatient" to see China import more and slim its huge trade surplus which is fuelling anti-China sentiment in the United States, a top US finance official has said.

NDTV Q4 profits up

By IANS

New Delhi : Leading media house NDTV Tuesday announced its revenues for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2006-07 at Rs.676 million, a growth of 27.5 percent over the Rs.530.30 million in the same period of the previous year.

High growth set against inflation and poor farm output: PM

By IANS

New Delhi : Even though robust economic growth and a high investment rate were the highpoints of the Indian economy during the past three years, poor agricultural performance and high inflation have been prime reasons for concern, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

Surge in Indian equities

By IANS

Mumbai : Indian shares Tuesday continued the upward surge buoyed by buying in select banking stocks and blue-chip shares with a key index rising 0.24 percent.

Reliance slashes roaming rates by 70 percent

By IANS

New Delhi : Reliance Communications (RCOM) Tuesday announced 70 percent reduction of roaming rates for its mobile subscribers.

SpiceJet eyes six million passengers with increased fleet

By IANS

New Delhi : Domestic low cost carrier SpiceJet entered its third year of operations Tuesday aiming to double its passengers to six million in the next year with the addition of five extended range (ER) jets to its fleet of 11 aircraft.

India’s share in global trade increases: WTO report

By IANS

New Delhi : India has been able to grab a significant portion of the world trade pie with its booming economy and a billion-plus market, says a report by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

British Airways to bid for Spain’s Iberia

By DPA

London/Madrid : British Airways will join forces with the US private equity firm Texas Pacific Group (TPG) in a bid for Spain's leading airline Iberia, the carrier announced Tuesday in London.

Kerala expects Rs.15 bn tourism investment this year

By IANS

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's tourism industry is expecting an investment of Rs. 15 billion in the current fiscal, despite the ongoing demolition drive against illegal encroachments in the hill station of Munnar, State Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Tuesday.

Music giant EMI agrees to takeover bid

By DPA

London : The long struggle for the takeover of British music giant EMI has ended with the announcement that the group has agreed to a 3.2 billion pound ($6.24 billion) bid by private equity firm Terra Firma.

Thailand keen to do business in India’s northeast

By IANS

Agartala : Thailand has evinced keen interest to expand its trade and cultural ties with India by doing business in the country's northeast, officials said.

India’s middle class will reshape global markets: Newsweek

By IANS

Washington : Poised to undergo a remarkable transformation, India will surpass Germany as the world's fifth largest consumer market in two decades as its rising and unique middle class reshapes global markets, says Newsweek magazine.

S&P 500 index at all-time high

By Xinhua

New York : Wall Street continued to be bullish Monday with Standard & Poor's 500 index registering a new record high.

Parsvnath Developers’ profit surges

By IANS

New Delhi : Parsvnath Developers Ltd., one of India's leading real estate players, registered consolidated profits of up to Rs.2.92 billion and revenues of Rs.15.34 billion for the financial year 2006-07, the company said Monday.

Karnataka’s IT exports touch $12.6 bn

By IANS

Bangalore : Retaining its pre-eminent position as an infotech hub, Karnataka recorded IT exports worth $12.6 billion (Rs.517 billion) during the fiscal 2006-07, an official said here Monday.

SAIL’s Q4 net profit up 72 percent

By IANS

Kolkata : Strong demand for steel, market-driven product mix, higher value-added special steel production and improved techno-economic parameters helped state-run Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) to achieve a record turnover of Rs.115.34 billion during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006-07.

Sun Pharma to acquire Israeli firm for $454 mn

By IANS

Mumbai : India's leading drug maker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Monday said it has finalised a deal for $454 million to buy Israel-based generic drug producer Toro.

Airtel makes calling US, Canada cheaper

By IANS

New Delhi : Bharti Airtel Monday announced a 39 percent reduction in its international long distance tariffs to the US and Canada.

India, South Africa to play major global role: Anand Sharma

By Fakir Hassen

IANS

Johannesburg : India and South Africa were set to play a "major role" in the world and both policymakers and industry should work together to outdo the target of doubling bilateral trade, India's Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said Monday.

FDI policy review in 6-8 weeks: Kamal Nath

By IANS

New Delhi : The government is all set to review its policy on foreign direct investment within the next six to eight weeks, India's Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said Monday here.

China will surpass US as India’s largest trade partner: Envoy

By IANS

New Delhi : Trade between India and China is surging at great speed and will reach the 2010 target of $40 billion by next year and Beijing is likely to surpass Washington as New Delhi's largest trade partner soon, said Chinese ambassador Sun Yuxi.

Indian shares at three months high

By IANS

Mumbai : Buoyed by a steady rise in blue-chip shares, a key Indian stock market index closed at its three-month high Monday while a broad-based index recorded a new high.

India, Mexico sign investment protection pact

By IANS

New Delhi : India and Mexico Monday signed a pact to protect investments made by companies on either side in a bid to push bilateral economic cooperation.

India, South Africa can more than double trade: Anand Sharma

By Fakir Hassen

IANS

Johannesburg : Calling on policymakers and captains of industry to outdo the target of doubling bilateral trade, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said Monday India would play a "major role" in the world by joining hands with the African nation.

Emaar MGF, Leighton join hands for $ 2.5 billion projects

By IANS

New Delhi : Emaar MGF, one of India's leading real estate firms Monday announced its joint venture (JV) with Australian construction major Leighton Asia Southern for developing projects worth $2.5 billion in India.

India should open financial service sector: London Mayor

By IANS

New Delhi : Lord Mayor of London Alderman John Stuttard urged India Monday to open up its financial services sector to take advantage of the "transparency, benign regulatory environment and financial skills base" available in London.

DMK to launch two new TV channels

By IANS

Chennai : Tamil Nadu may soon get two new television channels sponsored by the ruling DMK and its leader M. Karunanidhi, with one being launched on June 3 - his 84th birthday.

India, Thailand to negotiate new round of tariff cuts

By Xinhua

Bangkok : Thailand is ready to forge ahead in new negotiations with India for a tariff reduction across many product items under the Thailand-India Free Trade Area framework.

Talks on ONGC refinery in Rajasthan to resume

By IANS

Jaipur : The state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the Rajasthan government are expected to hold fresh talks for the proposed Rs.100 billion ($2.3 billion) refinery in Barmer next month, officials said Monday.

New airlines for business travel launched in UAE

By Xinhua

Abu Dhabi : A private jet aviation company providing business charter flights was launched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Gulf News reported Monday.

Animation, engineering services will be in focus: Nasscom chief

By Papri Sri Raman

IANS

Chennai : Lakshmi Narayan, the new chief of India's IT body Nasscom, is fascinated by the animation industry and says this sector along with engineering services will be key focus areas in the future. .

UPA enters fourth year amidst calls for correction of policies

By NNN-PTI New Delhi : A sharp rise in prices that has accompanied an impressive economic growth rate is causing concern to the Congress-led UPA government as it enters its fourth year in office with calls from allies and even within for a mid-course correction in policies. Except for a dinner for UPA MPs to be hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 22, the third anniversary of the Congress-led coalition is expected to be a low-key affair.

Middle East could become a major contributor to global chemical industry

By NNN-SPA Manama : Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal, senior vice president of Refining, Marketing and International, told a recently held conference audience in Manama that as Saudi Arabia expands its petrochemical industries, "numerous other industries also flourish," not just in Saudi Arabia, but in the world. "That could make the Kingdom a major player in the world economy for something other than oil."

India to increase advertising expenses by 2010: Assocham

By IANS

New Delhi : India is likely to increase its advertising expenses to 0.55 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) from the current 0.52 percent within the next three years, says an industry lobby.

Gilead’s AIDS drug awaits patent in India

By Murali Krishnan

IANS

New Delhi : American bio-pharmaceutical major Gilead, which has entered into generic licensing deals with 10 Indian pharma firms to distribute its HIV drug Viread, is hoping to get a patent in India soon.

Gilead’s AIDS drug awaits patent in India

By Murali Krishnan

IANS

New Delhi : American bio-pharmaceutical major Gilead, which has entered into generic licensing deals with 10 Indian pharma firms to distribute its HIV drug Viread, is hoping to get a patent in India soon.

New water trade route beckons India, Bangladesh

By Syed Zarir HussainIANSGuwahati : The Brahmaputra river is expected to once again come alive with vessels carrying fuel sailing to Bangladesh. India's decision...

India Inc. to reel under manpower crunch: industry body

By IANS

New Delhi : Corporate India would undergo severe manpower shortage in the next five years due to gap in the demand and supply of skilled human capital, says a leading industry body.

Brazil will help India in civilian nuclear energy

By Manish Chand

IANS

New Delhi : India and Brazil, despite being continents apart, are ready to add more "economic and strategic" muscle to their growing ties, a process that is likely to include civil nuclear cooperation that will be discussed during President Lula Da Silva's visit here in June.

Exporters look for alternatives as rupee appreciates: survey

By IANS

New Delhi : With the rupee appreciating day by day and putting consequent pressure on companies' bottomlines, Indian exporters are gradually shifting their focus in doing business with euro-denominated trade opportunities, says an export survey.

Infosys launches campus in Kerala

By IANS

Thiruvananthapuram : India's IT major Infosys Technologies Ltd Saturday began construction of its first campus in Kerala, apart from a leases facility here, with plans to invest Rs.3.06 billion (nearly $75 million) for expansion in the state.

Reliance Energy to build mega power plant in Haryana

By IANS

New Delhi : The Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Energy Ltd's engineering, procurement and construction arm is all set to build a 1,200 MW thermal power plant near Barwala in Hisar district of Haryana. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the project Saturday.

S Kumars brings luxury brand Dunhill to India

By IANS

New Delhi : British luxury goods major Alfred Dunhill marked its foray into the Indian retail market with the launch of its first store in the capital Saturday and said it will launch four more stores in the next two years in the country.

Royal Enfield rolls out 500cc Machismo in India

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Indian equities register sharp gains

By IANS

Mumbai : Cheer once again returned to India's share markets, as a key index ended higher during the trading week ended Friday after a drop in the week before, riding on robust performance by banking and manufacturing sectors.

Most corporate houses inaccessible for disabled: study

By IANS

Kolkata : Nearly 60 percent corporate houses in eastern India are still inaccessible for the disabled with regard to employment while 73 percent of the companies do not have any Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy to employ physically-challenged people.

Bhilai plant rolls out TMT bars for quake-prone areas

By IANS

Raipur : India's largest public sector steel plant Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) has rolled out two new grades of thermo-mechanically treated (TMT) ribbed bar for construction of buildings in the country's quake-prone areas.

Ranbaxy gets FDA approval for allergy drug

By IANS

Washington : India's drug major Ranbaxy Laboratories has received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market a pill to treat rhinitis, one of the most common illnesses in the US.

NXP eyes Indian e-passports order

By IANS

Bangalore : The world's leading microchips maker NXP Semiconductors is pitching for a multi-million dollar order from the Indian government to supply chips for electronic passports (e-passport), according to official sources.

India should invest more in Fiji: Mahendra Pal Chaudhry

By Nayanima Basu

IANS

New Delhi : India should increase its investment in key industries in Fiji and garment companies in particular would be more than welcome to sell Indian dresses there, says Mahendra Pal Chaudhry, finance minister and a former prime minister of the South Pacific islands.

Silicon Valley companies provide technology for latest ‘Shrek’ film

By Xinhua

Los Angeles : US computer giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) and chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have jointly provided technology to help DreamWorks Animation SKG create what they call the digital magic in the latest "Shrek" film.

Software piracy in India drops by one percent: study

By IANS

Mumbai : India recorded a one percent drop in software piracy last year but this was lower than the rates achieved by China at four percent and Russia at three percent.

Essar wins Nigerian oil block

New Delhi, May 18, IRNA, Ruias-led corporate house Essar group has won an offshore oil block in Nigeria with reserves of up to 80 million barrels. Essar Energy Holdings Ltd, a unit of Essar Global, has bagged a shallow water offshore exploration Block 226 in the African country, industry sources said. Nigeria had offered 45 exploration blocks in its latest licensing round, to which no Indian company except Essar had responded, PTI said.

Microsoft buys ad-firm Aquantive for $6 bn

Seattle, May 18 (DPA) Microsoft has acquired digital marketing firm Aquantive for $6 billion in a bid to prevent Google's total domination of the online advertising market, the company said Friday. The Seattle-based agency is Microsoft's largest-ever purchase and came at a high cost to the software giant - a 66.50 dollar per share offer that is 85 percent higher than Aquantive's closing price on Thursday.

Dr. Reddy’s registers 168 percent growth

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) India's leading pharmaceuticals firm Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Friday said it has earned a revenue of Rs.65 billion ($1.5 billion) during the 2006-07 financial year as against Rs.24 billion (nearly $590 million) in the previous year. According to a company statement, the firm has achieved 168 percent growth on a year-to-year basis. It said while revenues from international markets increased to Rs.56 billion, revenues from India increased by 11 percent to Rs.9 billion.

Nine Indian companies in Wal-Mart’s honour list

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Nine Indian companies are among the 53 winners of the global retail chain Wal-Mart's 'international supplier of the year award' for 2006, it was announced Friday. Among them, Welspun won the trophy for sustainability - a new initiative of the US giant for taking environment protection to new levels, besides adhering to the general requirements of quality and on-time delivery.

India puts forward concept of ‘merchant airports’ in private hands

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) The civil aviation ministry Friday put forward a new concept of "merchant airports" in the country with the infrastructure managed by private enterprises and government agencies handling safety and security issues. "The entrepreneur is expected to set up and operate an airport on the basis of its commercial viability, subject to the safety and security oversight of the government," an official note said, after an official meeting in this regard.

30 Indian ICT majors participate at South African expo

By Fakir Hassen

IANS

Johannesburg : Thirty Indian companies participated in the annual South African international IT trade fair Futurex 2007 in the first such major foray by Indian ICT companies in this continent.

India’s growing economic clout high on Brown’s agenda

By Prasun Sonwalkar

IANS

London : Who exactly is Gordon Brown? Until January this year, except for a few, not many in India may have heard of him, for the simple reason that he had never visited the country as Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, a key post he held for a record time.

Belfast based company to set up plant in India

By Prasun Sonwalkar

IANS

London : The west Belfast-based Delta Print and Packaging company has confirmed a joint venture in India with its Chinese and Indian partners, notching yet another milestone for growing trade ties between Northern Ireland and India. The joint venture will build three factories in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.

Government hospitals to bail out loss-making pharma companies

By Prashant K. Nanda

IANS

New Delhi : Four 'sick' public sector pharmaceutical and chemical companies have been turned around with massive infusion of funds and now hospitals run by state governments, the railways and the armed forces have been asked to purchase drugs from them to make them profit making units.

Tailor made insurance for Indians in UAE

By IANS

Dubai : Two specially designed insurance schemes for Indians working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been launched taking into consideration some of the problems faced by them.

Indo-Spanish venture to offer electronic manufacturing services

By IANS

Bangalore : Two Spanish firms Electronica ITEL and DigiProces have roped in two Indian serial entrepreneurs Anil Gupta and Alok Garg to set up an electronic manufacturing services (EMS) joint venture (JV), with an upfront investment of $10 million (Rs.410 million).

Indo-Spanish venture to offer electronic manufacturing services

Bangalore, May 18 (IANS) Two Spanish firms Electronica ITEL and DigiProces have roped in two Indian serial entrepreneurs Anil Gupta and Alok Garg to set up an electronic manufacturing services (EMS) joint venture (JV), with an upfront investment of $10 million (Rs.410 million). The JV-Indic Electronics Ltd, to be commissioned by August, will provide end-to-end customised solutions, including functional testing and simulation to vendors outsourcing their product requirements.

MP CM invites Silicon Valley investors to visit State

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal, May 17: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Silicon Valley at San Jose during his U.S. visit on Wednesday. According to an official Press release the Bankers Club of San Francisco organized a road show and interactive meeting on investment potential in Madhya Pradesh with the cooperation of U.S.-Indo Business Council and FICCI on the occasion.

Bajaj to split into auto, finance, new business

Mumbai/New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) One of India's oldest business houses, the Bajaj Group, Thursday announced its plans to split into three separate core businesses of auto, financial services and new businesses but its patriarch denied there was any rift between his two sons. Rahul Bajaj, the chairman of its flagship company Bajaj Auto Ltd. (BAL) and a member of the Rajya Sabha, stressed that "de-merger" was important to tackle its expanding business to remain focused and competitive. He denied the company had been split between his two sons.

Indian shares rise 1.22 percent, gains in bank shares

Mumbai, May 17 (IANS) Buoyed by strong global trends, a key index of the Indian stock markets was up 1.22 percent Thursday with banking sector shares leading the gainers. The 30-share benchmark Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) rose 172.4 points or 1.22 percent to 14,299.71. Similarly, the broader 50-issue National Stock Exchange (NSE) index Nifty ended 48.60 points or 1.17 percent up at 4,219.55 levels. Leading the surge was top state-run lender State Bank of India, up 3.40 percent at Rs.1,328.10.

Intel India builds Centrino mobile platform for global market

Bangalore, May 17 (IANS) Intel India Development Centre (IIDC) of the world's largest chipmaker, Intel Inc, has played a major role in designing, developing, testing and validating the Centrino mobile platform for the consumer and enterprise markets worldwide. "The mobility group of the IIDC was involved in the development of the Centrino mobile platform, contributing about 70-80 percent of the new processor. Our development centres in Israel and the US chipped in to fabricate the chipsets for OEMs and ODMs," Intel India mobility group director Sandeep Shah told reporters here Thursday.

Idea Cellular, Nokia sign $500 mn deal

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) The Aditya Birla group-promoted Idea Cellular, one of India's leading mobile service operators, Thursday announced a $500 million network expansion deal with Finland-based telecom infrastructure firm Nokia Siemens Network. Under the deal, Nokia Siemens Network will expand Idea Cellular's GSM networks in six circles of Delhi, Haryana, eastern and western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The contract, valid for two years, includes supply and services of GSM equipment, value-added services and packet core equipment.
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