Popular Articles

McDowell to use soccer platform for promoting rum brand
Vijay Mallya-promoted United Spirits is focusing on football as platform for promoting McDowell"s Celebration rum.

Posco to treat encroachers on a par with the displaced
Compensation to squatters would push up land acquisition cost.

News of the day

The sky's the limit
Branson: Richard Branson is making headlines on three continents. The serial entrepreneur is selling Virgin Mobile USA to partner Sprint-Nextel well below its IPO price. But his latest mediocre performance in the US isn’t stopping him elsewhere. Abu Dhabi is ponying up money for his loopy spaceship venture and his Aussie airline Virgin Blue is planning a rights issue. Branson"s record doesn"t give investors any certainty.

Corporate

Markets open strong on positive global cues

The bourses have opened firm, tracking gains in the US and Asia. The Sensex is quoting at 17,314, higher by 125 points, and the Nifty is at 5,170, up 35 points. escort in kiev

Panasonic India to invest $300 mn in 3 years

Consumer durable maker Panasonic India today said it will invest around Rs 1,400 crore in the next three years to gain about 17 per cent share in 27 lakh domestic air conditioner market.

Sensex trades flat; IT index firm

The Sensex touched a high of 16,943 and is now flat at 16,931, up 18 points.

Voltas zooms 20% on Rs 300cr orders, FY09 nos

The stock soared 22% to touch a high of Rs 120 and finally settled with a gains of 20% at Rs 118. The counter clocked heavy trading volumes of over 4 million shares on the BSE today.

Rs 9.9 lakh highest offer at NID

In a first at the National Institute of Design (NID), academic profiles were offered to the graduating batch of young designers during placements this year. The annual industry interface at NID campuses in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar saw around 70 firms visiting the campus. Apart from academics, profiles in auto design, apparel design, retail, and product design were offered by some of the biggies like Honda R&D, Bajaj Auto, LG, Madura Garments, TAFE, Luxor, Godrej Industries Limited, and Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing.

One-line battles

After the contents of his note to the prime minister were made public, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called up the AIADMK leader in the Rajya Sabha, D Maitreyan, to see if his ideas could get some support across the political spectrum. When Jairam said he wanted to discuss the policy on climate change with him, Maitreyan was quick to respond, “ Look Jairam, if it is political change, our Madam is ready…” Never one to be caught without a reply, Jairam was equally quick to quip, “I am now tasked with only geographical climate change … political climate is in the hands of our Madam…”

Bangalore Hotels to face harsh winter

Upscale hotels to see occupancy rates of 40 per cent, mid-scale 25-30 per cent.

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?

PM announces Rs 1,000cr assistance to Karnataka

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced Rs 1,000 crore assistance to Karnataka to take up flood relief works after undertaking an aerial survey of the rain-ravaged areas in northern districts.

Hershey, charitable trust nears decision over Cadbury: report

American chocolate maker Hershey and the charitable trust that controls it are nearing a final decision on whether to bid for British confectionery major Cadbury, says a media report.

Attacks on Indians: Enquiries for study in Australia decline

Gulshan Kumar Pathania, president, Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI), has revealed that the recent attacks on Indian students in Australia has resulted in new enquiries coming down by 60-70%. “The impact of attacks on Indian students has been severe as the number of enquiries made by Indian students regarding studies in Australia has dipped significantly,” Gulshan added. Gulshan was here to discuss the role being played by Association of Australian Education Representatives (AAERI) to safeguard the interests of Indian students opting for studies in Australia.

Blackstone may buy AB InBev\'s theme park for $3 bn

Blackstone Group, the world’s largest private-equity firm, may buy the amusement-park business of Anheuser-Busch InBev for about $2.5 billion to $3 billion, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

Satyam Dilemma: Sebi allowed trading, US didn\'t on day one

Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju"s disclosure of an accounting fraud had posed a major dilemma for market regulator Sebi on whether to halt trade, but it did not although the US banned it for a day.

Markets open in the green

The markets have resumed their upmove after retreating on Monday. The Sensex has again crossed the 17k mark to 17,045, higher by 62 points, and the Nifty is at 5,090, up 23 points. Metals, energy and realty stocks are in the limelight.

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.

Affordable Housing a commercial opportunity: Selja

Welcoming public-private partnership in efforts to provide affordable housing, Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja today said it was increasingly being seen as a commercial opportunity and not just a welfare programme.

BoA to take up fresh SEZ proposals on Aug 11

The Board of Approval (BoA), the apex body which clears special economic zone (SEZ) projects, will meet next month to approve fresh proposals.

Arms donors

The echo of India’s controversial Rs 10,000-crore Barak surface-to-air missile deal with Israel is being heard in faraway London. According to a leading London newspaper, “One of the Liberal Democrats’ most generous donors has been accused of accepting tens of millions of pounds in kickbacks from an arms deal between an Israeli company and the Indian Government …” The newspaper quotes Indian sources to say the payments were disguised as ‘business charges’ since India officially prohibits the use of middlemen in defence deals.

Sargent appointed as GE Capital Asia-Pacific head

General Electric"s financial services arm GE Capital has appointed Steve Sargent as the President and CEO for its Asia Pacific operations.

Foreign carriers can add capacity in peak traffic

Foreign airlines can now use larger aircraft and operate additional flights to India during the peak tourist season under the fresh guidelines issued by the government.

Kingfisher has the most cases of drunk pilots

Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines has the dubious distinction of having the maximum cases of pilots found under the influence of alcohol before take-off.

Kingfisher Airlines owes Rs 950 cr to PSU oil firms

Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines owes over Rs 950 crore to state-run oil companies in unpaid jet fuel bills, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said today.

DIPP to review FDI in cigarette industry on Jul 10

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Ministry of Commerce has called a meeting on July 10 to discuss the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy in the cigarette industry.

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.

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.

MCF to increase speciality fert biz

Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (MCF), a UB Group company and manufacturer of fertiliser, is planning to expand its specialty fertiliser business in the next couple of years. The company, which has over 50 new generation fertiliser products in its basket, plans to expand the business through its integrated nutrient management division, set up four years ago.

Ghosn overruling electric engineers

The crowd of 600 falls silent as an employee asks Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn if he’s staking too much of Nissan Motor Co’s future on electric cars and not enough on green alternatives like Toyota Motor Corp’s Prius gas-electric hybrid.

Nissan to export components worth $20 million from India

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

India Eco Summit: Strengthening public transport

Mihir Mishra / New Delhi November 11, 2009, 0:30 IST

Hero Honda sales jump 74% in December

The country"s biggest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda Motors today reported 74.05 per cent jump in its sales in December 2009 at 3,75,838 units as against 2,15,931 units in the same month last year.

M Govinda Rao: Regional development for inclusive growth

M Govinda Rao / New Delhi October 6, 2009, 0:21 IST

Higher project costs force IOC to raise capex by 22%

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

Universal Cables & IFGL Q2 results

Universal Cables Limited, belonging to the M P Birla group, has clocked in a net profit of Rs 6.95 crore for the quarter ended September 30, from a net loss of Rs 1.37 crores in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Net sales were at Rs 130.11 crore against Rs 157.96 crore in the previous corresponding quarter. D R Bansal, chief executive officer, attributed this performance to the initiative of putting up a vertical continuous vulcanization line for the manufacture of XLPE cables up to 400 kV in technical collaboration with Furukawa Electric Co Ltd, Japan.

Bajaj motorcycle sales rise 14.62% in September

The country"s second largest two-wheeler maker, Bajaj, today reported a 14.62 per cent increase in its motorcycle sales at 2,49,133 units in September.

Unity Infra up 3 per cent

The stock gained 3 per cent to Rs 525.60, after the company successfully raised Rs 73 crore by private placement of shares with qualified institutional buyers. The board of directors had allotted 1.45 million equity shares at Rs 506 per share, including premium of Rs 496 per equity share.

Raja to review BSNL\'s financial performance, IPO plans

The government will take stock of Bharat Sanchar Nigam"s (BSNL) poor financial showing - wherein net profit fell to Rs 104 crore in FY09 compared to over Rs 3,000 crore a year ago - and also talk to the management for selling government stake in the telecom company.

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.

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.

Bharti Airtel, CISCO ink pact to cater B2B market

Bharti Airtel and Cisco today announced a strategic business alliance to create products and services for the small, medium and large enterprises.

Fuel-efficiency norms for auto by 2011: Ramesh

The Government is in the final stage of notifying the fuel efficiency standards for automobile sector in the country which will be enforced from 2011, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said today.

Jyoti Parikh & Kirit Parikh: Deal-making at Copenhagen

Jyoti Parikh & Kirit Parikh / New Delhi November 22, 2009, 0:08 IST

PM expresses concern over diversion of US aid against India

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has conveyed to the United States, India"s concern over misuse of its military and other kind of aid by Pakistan.

India attaches high priority to ties with US: PM

As he prepares to meet President Barack Obama in Washington, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said a "sustained and dynamic" Indo-US partnership is essential to meet major global challenges like international terrorism, climate change and economic slowdown.

Word Bank to lend more for low-carbon energy growth in India

To help India attain low energy-intensive growth, the World Bank aims to increase its lending to the country’s clean-power generation and energy-efficiency programmes.

\'One should not expect a blockbuster year\'

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

Haryana to promote bed & breakfast scheme

Eyeing the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in India as an opportunity to promote tourism in the state, the Haryana government has decided to introduce a bed-and-breakfast scheme.

Only 2 bidders in fray for CWG broadcast

The multi-million dollar production contract for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 may be decided between two entities — consortium of Nimbus Communications and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Satellite Information Service Live of United Kingdom — as only these two entities are said to have submitted the bids today, highly places sources said.

When the world was not enough

Indian business spreads its footprint across the globe.

New FTP clarifications to benefit Customs, excise officials

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has issued Circular number 26/2009-cus dated September 30, 2009, clarifying various changes made consequent to announcement of the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). Exporters must take note of the following:

Galla Foods eyes 10% pie of fruit drinks market

Galla Foods Private Limited, owned by the promoter family of industrial and automotive battery manufacturer Amara Raja Group, is targeting to capture 10 per cent share of the fruit drinks market in India in the next five years.

Exports grow for first time in over a year in November

The country"s exports turned around in November 2009 after falling for 13 months in a row, posting a growth of 18.2 per cent to touch $13.19 billion.

Maruti Suzuki to launch van to replace Versa

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), the country"s largest car maker, today said it will launch a new van within this fiscal to replace its MPV Versa, whose production has been stopped.

Haryana Finance Corporation told to refund money

The Supreme Court (SC) last week asked the Haryana Financial Corporation to refund the amount received from a buyer of a defaulting unit as it had not disclosed certain vital facts to the buyer. The corporation had forfeited the amount when the buyer withdrew from the contract of sale. The SC stated in the case, Haryana Financial Corporation vs Rajesh Gupta, that a “mere perusal of the provisions of the Transfer of Property Act will show that it was incumbent upon the corporation to disclose to the buyer about the non-existence of an independent passage to the unit. It was also the duty of the corporation to inform the buyer that the passage mentioned in the revenue record was not fit for movement of vehicles. The corporation also failed to show the buyer the entire documentation as required by law.”

Not the right time

Business Standard / New Delhi August 26, 2009, 0:43 IST

\'Investors\' risk appetite is gradually returning\'

The mutual fund industry has come for some serious criticism in the recent past. The reason: It has completely missed the stock market rally that started from early March and has given returns of over 70 per cent to investors. Madhusudan Kela, head (equities), Reliance Mutual Fund, which has the highest average assets under management and investor base, speaks to Palak Shah and explains why fund houses are being judged unfairly. Excerpts:

\'Adidas doesn\'t want to run before learning to walk\'

Adidas, which launched its premium lifestyle product – Originals — in India two years ago, is still in the process of educating customers about the different story that the collections, represented by the Trefoil logo, has to tell vis-à-vis its regular "performance’ brands. Timo Pape, adidas’ Director Sport Style, Asia Pacific, spoke to Suvi Dogra about the German sports wear company’s strategy to increase the share of Originals to one-fifth of its business in India. Excerpts:

Gujarat government imposes stock limit on pulses

In order to check price escalation in pulses, Gujarat government has imposed stock limit on pulses. As per the notification issued last week, the stock limit for whole-sellers is 100 tonnes and for retailer it is 50 tonnes.

Corporation Bank total biz to cross Rs 1,50,000-cr mark

Buoyed by healthy growth in the first quarter, public sector Corporation Bank today said it expects its total business to cross Rs 1,50,000-crore mark during the current fiscal.

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.

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.

IT stocks in demand as acquistion clicks

Wipro finally ended at Rs 625, up 1% from the previous close and Infosys settled flat at Rs 2,323.

Bajaj Hindusthan raises Rs 723 cr via share sale

The country"s largest private sugar producer, Bajaj Hindusthan, today said it has raised Rs 723.18 crore through the issue of shares.

Tata Power completes FCCB allotment

Tata Power today announced the completion of allotment of $300 million Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) on November 20.

Tata Steel, CSN stakeholders in Aussie mining giant

Brazil’s CSN and Tata Steel, which had once battled for control of Corus, the European steel company, are set to become stakeholders in Australia’s Riversdale Mining.

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.

Maytas Infra bags Rs 790 cr road project

Infrastructure development firm Maytas Infra today said it has bagged an order worth Rs 790 crore from IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL) for road construction work.

Police question Bindra\'s father in cheating cases

Delhi Police today questioned Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra"s industrialist father in connection with two cases of cheating, for which he was arrested 24 days ago.

China\'s top 500 firms outperform US rivals in 2008: survey

China"s top 500 companies outperformed their US counterparts for the first time last year, a survey conducted by a business group has revealed, as the financial crisis wreaked havoc in the United States.

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.

As bank rates fall, company deposits are back

With bank deposit rates in a free fall for the last one year, company fixed deposits have started finding many takers.

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.

Comexes given 6 more months for divesting foreign equity

The government today gave a second extension up to March 31, 2010 to commodity exchanges to fall in line with the foreign investment ceiling of 5 per cent for an individual investor within the cap of 49 per cent.

Indiabulls Power IPO subscribed 5.8 times

Indiabulls Power Ltd, partly owned by billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, got more than Rs 6,480 crore ($1.4 billion) of bids, or 5.8 times the shares being sold in its initial public offering (IPO).

RBI buys 200 tn gold from IMF

Central banks plan to raise gold holdings in view of dollar’s fall.

Maha govt formation delayed; Cong firm on Home

Stalemate over portfolios between Congress and NCP continues to delay the process of government formation in Maharashtra, more than ten days after the ruling coalition stormed back to power in the Assembly elections.

BoM net up profit 23%

Public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra’s net profit for the July-September quarter rose 22.86 per cent to Rs 86.68 crore from Rs 70.55 crore in the same period a year ago.

Sops for select exporters on cards: Sharma

The government may selectively extend more sops to exporters rather than withdrawing the stimulus given to them last year in the face of global slowdown, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said.

Trouble deepens in BJP, Sinha quits; Rajnath\'s gag order

Trouble in BJP deepened today with Yashwant Sinha quitting as Vice President even as party President Rajnath Singh threatened action against leaders violating party discipline and airing their views in public.

India Eco Summit: Infosys BPO to hire 2,000 by FY10-end

Infosys BPO, the back-office unit of IT firm Infosys Technologies, today said it would hire 1,500-2,000 people by the end of the current fiscal.

India Eco Summit: Accenture to hire 8,000 in India

Global technology and consultancy giant Accenture today said it is going to add around 8,000 people in India by the end of next year taking its total employee base in the country to 50,000.

Tata Steel cuts prices of flat products by 4%

Tata Steel has reduced flat steel products prices 4 per cent on account of a weakening global trend. The new prices will be effective November 1. Prices of long products will remain unchanged.

Stem-cell cure for Dasmunshi

After spending almost a year in Indian hospitals, ailing Congress leader Priyaranjan Dasmunshi was sent to Germany for stem cell treatment at Duesseldorf on Friday night. The German hospital has informed that Dasmunshi will have to stay there for at least 10 days. At least nine people including his brother, Congress leaders, and an old-time personal assistant have taken visas to accompany the ailing leader. Wife Deepa also left for Germany but would return soon because of her engagements related to the Assembly by-elections.

Bank of India Q2 profit halves to Rs 323 cr; shares dip 9%

Public sector lender Bank of India today reported a decline of 57 per cent in net profit to Rs 323.34 crore for the second quarter of current fiscal, over the same period a year earlier.

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?

Dividend option for short term, growth for long term

BS Reporter / Mumbai July 05, 2009, 0:42 IST

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.

FII-TO-FII TRADES: PNB traded at 8% premium

Trades between FIIs generated a volume of Rs 38 crore on the BSE Tuesday-an decrease of 38.84% from Rs 62 crore clocked on Monday. As many as six stocks witnessed trades of 7.71 lakh shares on Tuesday.

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.

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.

Sequoia Capital invests Rs 40 cr in Just Dial

Sequoia Capital India today announced that it has invested Rs 40 crore in Just Dial, a local search engine.

Goldman makes \'call of decade\' by promoting BRICs

Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s forecast that Brazil, Russia, India and China would eventually eclipse the Group of Seven countries economically has been described as “the biggest market call of the decade.”

Industry sees turnaround in economy

India Inc today saw signs of turnaround in the economy with the GDP showing a growth of 6.1 per cent in the first quarter of the fiscal 2009-10.

Letters: Blame it on NREGS

At last, there is an official admission that there is double-digit inflation in food articles, even according to the Wholesale Price Index. Till about a few weeks ago, this was downplayed on the ground that the total index showed a low inflation level; there was even a fear about deflation setting in! There was a standard, perhaps funny, explanation that the high inflation rate was due to the low base effect. One hears this nonsensical explanation only in India. One would not find it in any article on the subject in an internationally-recognised professional journal. This is an arithmetical and not an economic or technical explanation of the problem.

Insurance: Kamesh Goyal

I pay an annual premium of Rs 12,000 on a unit-liked insurance plan (Ulip). An agent mis-sold me this policy three years back, but I continued with it. I will be completing the three-year lock-in period soon. Should I surrender this policy? When does it make sense to discontinue an Ulip?

Anti-dumping probes rise with green shoots

Even as the economy is showing signs of revival, industry"s fears about dumping by other countries is on the rise, prompting the government to initiate as many as 20 fresh anti-dumping investigations since the beginning of current financial year, compared to 21 in all of 2008-09.

Now, govt set to impose tax on perks

Salaried employees may burn a hole in their pockets with the government all set to impose tax on all perks --residential accommodation, conveyance and others -- paid for by the company, under a new law that replaces the already abolished Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT).

BRIC to become economic leader in new decade: Goldman

A new decade started in the year 2010 will witness a radical re-distribution of forces in the world economy.

ONGC to raise $1 bn to service Imperial loan

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), India’s biggest energy explorer, plans to raise $1 billion (Rs 4,669 crore) in a month to refinance debt its unit incurred in the purchase of UK-based Imperial Energy Plc amid low interest rates.

BPCL arm to get investment form Oman Oil Co

Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) informed BSE today that BPCL, Oman Oil Company (OOC) and Bharat Oman Refinery (BORL) signed an agreement on November 15, 2009 in Oman on additional investment in BORL by OOC. OOC will invest be Rs 1,220 crore in BORL to hold 26 per cent of the equity share capital of BORL, after full equity closure.

PSU oil firms hike ATF prices by 2.4%

For the second time this month, state-owned oil firms today hiked jet fuel prices, this time by 2.4 per cent following a spurt in international oil rates.

Hero Group shelves plans to enter CV segment

Diversified business house Hero Group has shelved plans to enter the commercial vehicle (CV )segment, for which it had partnered German firm Daimler to produce trucks, due to the economic slowdown.

Energy saved is energy earned

Using energy more efficiently can reduce our energy needs by 20 per cent; it is a strategy we must pursue even as we promote renewables.

ONGC, partners to invest $10 bn in Iran

Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and its partners will invest about $10 billion in two giant gas fields and an LNG project in Iran, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Seifollah Jashnsaz said.

Government requests SC Bench to avoid interpreting PSC

The government today requested the Supreme Court Bench adjudicating the gas dispute between Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) to avoid making any interpretation of the production sharing contract (PSC).

BofA to repay bailout funds worth $45 bn

Bank of America has said it will repay $45 billion bailout funds to the US government.

ONGC eyes 20-25% stake in Iranian gas field

The state-owned oil exploration major ONGC is eyeing a 20-25 per cent stake in a giant Iranian gas field, even as it awaits Tehran’s nod for its plan to develop a gas field it had discovered two years ago.

Rupee gains 2 paise at 45.69/$ in early trade

The rupee today appreciated by 2 paise to 45.69 a dollar in early trade in line with other firming Asian currencies.

A bitter harvest

Business Standard / New Delhi November 26, 2009, 0:32 IST

Farmers in Bhatinda belt ecstatic over refinery project

Balbir Singh (50) of village Rampura Phool near Bhatinda is a happy man these days. He is getting queries from buyers for his patch of land, on which he has been growing cotton for over 30 years. He found it less remunerative for the past few years and wanted to relocate to some fertile belt of Punjab from the semi-arid belt of Malwa in the state.

Cabinet grills Gill on higher fund demand for Games

Sports Minister M S Gill had to face some tough questioning by his cabinet colleagues today as he sought additional funds for Commonwealth Games (CWG) preparation.

Orissa cabinet approves 2x 660Mw configuration for OPGC expansion

The Orissa cabinet today approved a proposal of the Orissa Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), a joint venture between the Orissa government and the AES, to adopt super critical technology with a configuration of 2X260 Mw and sharing of power for the proposed expansion of unit 3 and unit 4 of the Ib Thermal Power Station of OPGC.

Ranbaxy pares early gains, ends flat

The stock ended flat at Rs 410 and clocked volumes of 201,186 shares at the counter on the BSE. __________________________________

Govt may relax rules for appointing bank chiefs

Candidate may not need two-year residual service.

'Bankruptcy Code is not effective in times of severe stress'

Timothy Geithner / November 1, 2009, 0:58 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.

Placements begin at IITs

Day one of the final placements at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has brought the smile back on the faces of students, as big recruiters are back on the campuses. IIT placement representatives say salaries could go up by 30-40 per cent this year.

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.”

Tata Motors mulls letting assemblers brand Nano

We call it Nano, they don’t have to, says Vice-Chairman Ravi Kant

Bollywood-multiplex stand-off may end before June 12

Millions of fans of Hindi movies will soon be able to watch their favourite Bollywood films in multiplexes, with highly-placed sources in the film production and exhibition business saying a resolution is expected before June 12 to the two-month dispute over revenue-sharing between producers, distributors and multiplex owners.

Manmohan favours \'rational debate\' on climate in India

Amid criticism from some quarters for the Copenhagen accord on climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today advocated the need for an “informed and rational” debate on solutions that suit India.

\'Accord appears to be complete betrayal of poor, weaker nations\'

Business Standard / December 27, 2009, 0:21 IST

We require more democratic party structures

Saubhadro Chatterji / December 20, 2009, 0:11 IST

Tea with BS: Amitabh Bachchan

Shobhana Subramanian & Shyamal Majumdar / Mumbai November 24, 2009, 0:00 IST

Amitabh transfers land in UP for college named after Aishwarya

Nearly two years after Amitabh Bachchan laid the foundation of a girls college named after his daughter-in-law and actress Aishwarya Rai in Barabanki district, legal formalities have been completed to transfer the land to the organisation building it.

Ring-ring bling

These phones and laptops will make you look like a million bucks.

Out of the box

Videocon thinks integrating set-top boxes with consumer appliances will prove disruptive in the crowded DTH market.

OERC seeks public view on power regulations

With the demand for power in the state exceeding the supply by about 500 Mw to 600 Mw, the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) today invited public comments on the consultative staff paper on power regulation in the state.

Bengal okays creation of 606 new posts

The West Bengal cabinet in a meeting today okayed creation of 606 new posts and filling up of 264 vacancies in different departments, the state"s finance minister, Asim Dasgupta, said.

Lalgarh shows why Naxalism is growing

The road to Lalgarh, in the heart of West Bengal’s Naxal badlands, is now secure. But it is still a distance too far for many of the districts" administrators to travel.

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.

Kaiga unit to be restarted soon: NPCIL chief

The Kaiga atomic power station (KGS) Unit I, which was shut down for annual maintenance, would be restarted in a couple of days while two other units continue to feed the southern grid, a top NPCIL official said today.

India Inc, banks play down Dubai blues

Analysts say the crisis may discourage realty firms from venturing into that market

\'What was govt doing for the last 60 years?\'

Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi November 1, 2009, 1:01 IST

Rupee hits 15-month high, gains 10 paise at 45.74/$

The rupee today appreciated by 10 paise to hit a 15-month high of 45.74 a dollar in early trade, tracking other firming Asian currencies.

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.

All-weather roads jack up rural income up to 100%: World Bank

All-weather roads in the villages of the country has doubled the income of rural households, raised literacy rate by 10 per cent, and appreciated land prices by up to 80 per cent, says the World Bank. “In 2000, about 40 per cent of India’s 825,000 villages lacked all-weather roads ...with access to roads, incomes have soared.

Ranbaxy gets nod to sell Ran-Simvastatin tablets in Canada

Ranbaxy Laboratories, received the final approval in Canada to manufacture and market Ran-Simvastatin tablets from Health Canada, Therapeutic Products Directorate. The total generic market size of Simvastatin tablets in Canada is $CAD153 million.

Pantaloon books 22-mn sq ft space, to spend more on fashion

Kishore Biyani-led Pantaloon Retail India has booked a total of 22-million sq ft of retail space and plans to make 3-million sq ft operational every year over the next 3-4 years.

NMDC to buy majority stake in Kudremukh Iron Ore

State-owned mining giant NMDC is all set to pick up majority stake in Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL

Trai\'ing times

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

CAG ready to audit RIL\'s gas field expenses

The government today said Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance Industries has provided most of the papers relating to its eastern offshore KG-D6 gas fields and the nation"s top auditor CAG is ready to begin audit of expenses incurred in developing the fields.

Oil prod by PSUs fall in recent years: Prasada

Petroleum PSUs have not made any significant new find in oil and gas reserves in recent years, Minister of State for Petroleum Jitin Prasada told the Lok Sabha today.

Trikona Capital ends deal with Indian advisers

Trikona Trinity Capital, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)-listed real estate fund, has terminated the contract with its India advisers, Trikona Advisors.

F&O OUTLOOK: Correction to stay on course

The Sensex and the Nifty closed in the red on Friday on profit-booking in technology stocks and lack of interest in other pivotals at current levels. The trading volume on the F&O segment remained lackluster as the Nifty provided little scope for trading since it moved in a tight range of 20-30 points on Friday.

Biocon inks pact with Amylin to develop diabetes therapy

Bangalore-headquartered Biocon and Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc today announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement to jointly develop, commercialise and manufacture a novel peptide therapeutic for the potential treatment of diabetes.

Markets end flat

The indices closed flat for the third consecutive session. In line with its Asian peers, the Sensex was down nearly 200 points in opening trades. But a recovery in the Japanese markets engineered a turnaround on Dalal Street. The Sensex finally ended at 16,356, lower by one point, and the Nifty closed at 4,906, up 24 points. Consumer durables, IT and auto sectors traded firm, while FMCG and banking were sluggish.

Sensex ends up 35pts

The Sensex has ended (provisional) at 16,393 - up 35 points. The Nifty ended (provisional) at 4,916 - up 34 points.