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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.

Premier launches RiO in Hyd
Car maker Premier Limited (formerly Premier Automobiles Limited) re-entered the Indian passenger vehicle market with the launch of its compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) ‘Rio’ on Thursday. The new vehicle, which seats five people, aims to cater to the segment between mid-size passenger cars and larger utility vehicles.

News of the day

Promoters ready to dilute stake for acquisition: Adi Godrej
Chairman of Godrej Industries Adi Godrej today said the company would dilute stake in case it finds a good acquisition opportunity.

Management

Nilanjana S Roy: Nabokov's last work

In a few weeks, Knopf will publish The Original of Laura: Fragments. The “fragments” is key. The design chosen for the final, unpublished manuscript that the late Vladimir Nabokov wanted destroyed is appropriate to the way he wrote it. The book includes reproductions of the 138 index cards on which the author, suffering from his last illness, wrote the unfinished version of the book he hoped would stand comparison with Lolita and Pale Fire.

The unbearable heaviness of the Nobel

Herta Müller, the new Nobel laureate in literature, has been a fierce critic of Ceausescu’s regime in Romania. She is highly regarded in Europe’s academic circles. She had received over 20 literary awards, including the IMPAC, before winning the Nobel this year. And I must confess an unliterary complaint: having read only two of her books, The Land of Green Plums and The Appointment, I have about as much enthusiasm for reading her as I do for swimming through a pool of cold porridge.

RIL net drops 6.4% on refining margin pinch

Higher MAT, depreciation also take their toll, says company

Udyog Software in talks with SEZ developers in Gujarat

Mumbai-based Udyog Software, is in talks with Special Economic Zone (SEZ) developers in Gujarat for its tax software solutions. Udyog Software, which provides technology solutions to number of businesses in areas of Payroll Solutions, Tax Compliance Solutions, Integrated Solutions and ERP implementations, now plans to tap both SEZ developers as well as the upcoming units in it.

\'Top level studying SEZs\' problems with draft tax code\'

The problems of the Special Economic Zones(SEZ) with the blueprint on Direct Tax Code, which does not envisage I-T exemption to units in these areas, are being dealt at the "highest level", a senior Commerce Ministry official said today.

India Eco Summit: \'National panel to tackle pandemics needed\'

Coordination at the national level will help in the screening of suspected influenza patients.

Mamata asks for central crackdown in West Bengal

Hours before Maoist-backed activists held the Bhubaneswar-originating Rajdhani Express hostage inside West Bengal near the Jharkhand border, an angry Mamata Banerjee today demanded the anti-Maoist operations in her state should be stopped. And that the Union government prepare the ground for imposing President’s Rule.

Koda's aide arrested in hawala scam

Lookout notices issued against two other key associates of the former CM.

ED makes first arrest in Koda case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today arrested Vikas Sinha, brother of Binod Kumar Sinha, an associate of former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, for his alleged involvement in investing and routing Koda"s money through hawala transactions.

Yeddyurappa rules out dropping any minister

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today ruled out the question of dropping any of his ministers, a demanded made by the dissidents, but vowed to change his style of functioning.

U\'khand plans NIT for Rs 400-500 crore

Focusing on the education sector, the Uttarakhand government has announced setting up of a National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Pauri district at a cost of Rs 400-Rs 500 crore.

Bharti Airtel rejigs top management

Bharti Airtel, in a major management restructuring today, appointed Sanjay Kapoor as CEO of India and South Asia operations. Kapoor replaces Manoj Kohli, who will now be the CEO of newly created entity International Business Group of Bharti Airtel and joint managing director.

Voith acquires L&T stake in JV arm

German engineering company Voith today said it has acquired the entire stake held by its joint venture partner, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), in Kolkata-based Voith Paper Technology for an undisclosed amount.

Koda aides fail to show up as I-T deadline ends

The deadline set by the Income Tax (I-T) Department to record the statements of at least six associates of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda today expired without them appearing.

Whistling in the dark

Monday and Tuesday were supposed to be the days for the mock auction for 3G spectrum, with the final auction to be held on January 14. Naturally, then, reporters rushed to meet Telecom Minister A Raja when the last date for the mock auctions passed without anything happening. Instead of announcing a new date, or giving the usual “no comment”, Raja surprised everyone by saying, “The date has not been pushed.”

ONGC-Hinduja JV loses rights to dev Iran\'s oilfield to China

In a major setback to India"s oil diplomacy, the ONGC-Hinduja Group alliance has lost the rights to develop Iran"s South Azadegan oilfield to CNPC of China.

Maruti mulls to hike prices soon

The country"s largest passenger car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is planning to hike prices on rise in input costs, a company official said.

Wasted effort

Business Standard / New Delhi December 31, 2009, 0:44 IST

Maruti, Hyundai expect Dec sales to jump 30%

Contrary to expectations that car sales dip in December, auto majors Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India are poised to grow 30 per cent in sales (the two companies control 72 per cent of the domestic market). General Motors is looking at 70-80 per cent increase in sales.

Essar Oil gains on retail revamp move

Essar oil gave up some of its gains and finally settled at Rs 140, up around 2% from the previous close. The counter witnessed heavy trades of 658,518 million shares as compared to 248,533 million shares.

Maruti at new high, stock triples in six months

Maruti Suzuki zoomed to a high of Rs 1,397, and finally settled at Rs 1,378, up 6.5% from the previous close. The counter witnessed trades of 482,292 shares, four times its two-week daily average traded volumes of 143,563 shares.

Euro zone jobless rate touches 12-yr high at 10%

The signs of economic revival notwithstanding, the unemployment rate in the 16-nation euro zone climbed to 10 per cent in November 2009, the highest in 12 years.

Kraft to raise 7 bn pound via bonds to fund Cadbury buy

The US confectionery giant Kraft is preparing to tap the bond markets to raise as much as 7 billion pounds to help finance its 11.9 billion pound takeover of the British chocolate maker Cadbury, say media reports.

Singapore\'s GIC signals shift to Asia after global downturn

Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC today signalled it would shift its focus to Asia after its portfolio shed more than 20 per cent following heavy losses on Western investments.

PM to chair Inter-State Trade Council meet next month

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair the meeting of the Inter-State Trade Council, which is expected to meet next month, to discuss ways to reduce transaction cost for exporters, besides simplification of procedures.

Government formation after NCP LP leader election: Chavan

As the Congress endorsed him for another term as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Ashok Chavan said, he did not expect any problem in the government formation exercise, which would begin after ally NCP elected the leader of its legislature party.

India mulling deeper exploration of water on moon

Euphoric over finding traces of water by a Chandrayaan payload, confirmed by NASA"s spacemate onboard the country"s maiden moon mission, India is mulling exploring lunar surface deeper for water in its next Odyssey.

Chandrayaan-1 was 110% success, says ISRO chief

A day after the path-breaking revelation by the international scientific community that India"s maiden mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-I has succeeded in tracking presence of water on the lunar surface, ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair today said that the mission was 110 per cent success.

Credit growth drops to 14.1 per cent

Loan flow remains low, banks hike g-sec investment.

Star Allied may rope in ally to shore up capital base

The company faced solvency margin issues recently.

Oil India IPO price fixed at Rs 1,050/share

The government today fixed the issue price of the initial public offer (IPO) of state-run explorer Oil India at Rs 1,050 per share, raising a cumulative Rs 4,982 crore.

Canara Bank Q3 profit zooms 50% to Rs 1,052.58 cr

State-run Canara Bank today reported a 50 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 1,052.58 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2009.

SC pulls up Ranbaxy for delayed raising of refund issue

The Supreme Court has admonished drug major Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd for not raising on the relevant occasion the issue of refunding Rs 1 crore penalty the government had imposed on it for allegedly overcharging drug prices.

Hearing in RIL-RNRL dispute may be deferred to Sept 4

The Supreme Court is likely to defer the gas dispute between Mukesh Ambani group firm RIL and Anil Ambani group company RNRL to September 4, as the chief justice may lead a Constitutional Bench the same day.

Become party to NTPC-RIL case to protect PSU: ADAG to Govt

The Anil Ambani group today asked the Oil Ministry to follow a uniform policy and become party to power PSU NTPC"s case against Mukesh Ambani-led RIL to save power consumers from paying additional Rs 30,000 crore for the benefit of "private monopoly" gas producer.

Trai view on capping of licences by Nov-end

Telecom regulator Trai today said it could not give its fresh views on the crucial issue of capping of licences by September 5 as licensing policy needed a closer look for the growth of the industry.

Novartis hikes open offer to Rs 450

Analysts feel even this may not induce many shareholders to sell.

DLF gains on metro rail fund raising plans

DLF rallied nearly 3% to Rs 373. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs 376. Around 3.9 million shares changed hands at the counter as against its two-week average traded quantity of 3.8 million shares.

Flu deaths mount to 11, cases cross 1,000-mark

Maharashtra allows eight private hospitals to treat patients.

Cox & Kings\' Aussie arm acquires 2 firms

Cox & Kings (Australia), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Cox and Kings (India), a travel and tour company, has bought MyPlanet Australia and Bentours International through a share sale agreement from First Choice Holdings Australia. The acquisition is being done through an ‘earn-out mechanism’ and is not being paid for from funds raised for acquisition from the company’s recent initial public offering (IPO).

Cox & Kings acquires Australian travel firm

Travel and tour company Cox & Kings today said one of its overseas arm has acquired Australia-based MyPlanet Australia Pty Ltd and Bentours International Pty Ltd for an undisclosed amount.

SC to decide on \'dividend stripping\' by mutual funds

The Supreme Court will decide whether mutual fund brokers can resort to a process (dividend stripping) of creating a short-term loss to avoid tax.

SC notice on Govt plea on gas dispute; hearing on Sep 1

The Supreme Court today sent the Ambani brothers’ cross appeals against the Bombay high court judgment to a three-judge bench to be constituted by September 1, which indicates that there would be no early decision on the myriad questions raided by the parties.

US apex court refuses to stay Chrysler-Fiat deal

The US Supreme Court has refused to stay the much-touted Chrysler-Fiat deal, paving the way for the bankrupt American auto maker to steer itself out of bankruptcy soon.

Mumbai SEZ in danger of being scrapped

The country’s largest special economic zone (SEZ), promoted jointly by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his confidant Anand Jain, is in danger of being scrapped. The zone was being set up by a company called Mumbai SEZ Ltd in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.

Tata Tea plans to take on Coca Cola, Pepsi, Unilever globally

Tata Tea today said that it has evolved a strategy to compete globally with Coca Cola, Pepsi and Unilever in the beverages business.

I&B bats for reduction in FBT for media firms

Reduction in the fringe benefit tax (FBT) from 20 per cent to 5 per cent for media personnel working for both print and electronic media companies was among the demands submitted to the finance ministry today by Ambika Soni, the minister for information and broadcasting (I&B).

Sun Pharma FY\'09 net up 22 % at Rs 1,817.73 cr

Drug maker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries today said its net profit rose by 22.24 per cent to Rs 1,817.73 crore in 2008-09 over the same previous fiscal.

\'Intl consultation on climate action won\'t hit sovereignty\'

Insisting that the Copenhagen accord was reached to the satisfaction of all concerned, government today told the Rajya Sabha that the provision for "international consultation and analysis" will in no way affect India"s sovereignty.

Pyramid Saimira moves SAT

Chennai-based entertainment company Pyramid Saimira Theatre Limited (PSTL) has moved the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) against market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)’s order, which had banned the company in November 2009 from trading in the Indian securities market for seven years following irregularities in its initial pubic offering (IPO).

\'India\'s concerns on non-binding emission cuts met at Summit\'

India"s concerns on non-binding emission cuts have been met at the Copenhagen summit though the climate deal does open a window for a new legal treaty that may kill Kyoto Protocol based on principle of equity, a top government climate expert said today.

Oil chiefs gather in war-scarred Angola

OPEC oil producers gathered in poverty-stricken Angola today said they would hold output firm amid comfortably high prices at their first ever meeting hosted by Africa"s new crude-pumping giant.

Obama lauds India for setting forth mitigation efforts

As the US and BASIC countries struck a deal on climate change, President Barack Obama today lauded India for setting forth "very significant mitigation" efforts and for voluntarily saying that it will reduce carbon emissions relatively.

Novartis gains on hopes of flu vaccine order

Novartis India surged over 4% to Rs 447. The scrip touched a high of Rs 450 and a low of Rs 434 during the day. The counter witnessed a volume 13,914 shares, which is more than two-fold increase in its two-week average traded quantity of 5,919 shares.

Goldman Sachs loses grip on its doomsday machine

Never let it be said that the Justice Department can’t move quickly when it gets a hot tip about an alleged crime at a Wall Street bank. It does help, though, if the party doing the complaining is the bank itself, and not merely an aggrieved customer.

Roles reverse in pharma M&As

Foreign companies hunt for buyouts in growing market with lower production costs.

Posco to treat encroachers on a par with the displaced

Compensation to squatters would push up land acquisition cost.

Uttam Galva banks on Mittals\' \'Midas touch\'

Says the co-promoter deal will give it technology access, assured raw material supplies.

ArcelorMittal in talks with Jharkhand govt for Chiria ores

Global steel major ArcelorMittal, which has lined up Rs 1 lakh crore investments for India, said today it is in race for a chunk of the mineral-rich Chiria mines in Jharkhand.

Orissa to access local mood before Lee visit to Posco site

The Orissa government today said it would assess the local situation in the trouble-hit site for Posco"s proposed Rs 50,000-crore steel plant before allowing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to visit the place in January.

Table for one

In the same way that you should get massages and take naps or meditate, you should, everyone should, make a point to eat out by yourself from time to time,” wrote Amanda Hesser in her wonderful Cooking for Mr Latte. “You should be kind enough to yourself to lavish your appetite with good food without the interruptions of company.”

Ultra Motor launches two electric scooters

Two-wheeler maker Ultra Motor Company today launched two new electric scooters priced between Rs 28,300 and Rs 31,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

\'Consolidation will happen in the domestic drug industry\'

P B Jayakumar / Mumbai September 25, 2009, 0:10 IST

Honda Siel to export engine parts to Japan...

Luxury car maker Honda Siel said today that it will commence exports of engine components like the crank shaft and connecting rod manufactured at its Rajasthan plant to its parent, Honda, in Japan, beginning from October this year.

Markets at day\'s high

The Sensex has gained 53 points to the day"s high of 16,412. The Nifty is up 32 points at 4,914.

Exports likely to double next year, says cotton body

Cotton exports from India, the world’s second-biggest grower, may double in the crop year starting October as higher domestic prices encouraged farmers to grow the fiber amid a forecast global production shortfall.

VC investments in India dip 72% to $117 mn in H109

The global economic downturn has cast its shadow on venture capital investments in India which have slumped 72 per cent to $117 million in the first 6 months of the current year.

L&T bags Rs 2,000 cr order from GMR group

Engineering firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) today said it has received an order worth over Rs 2,000 crore from GMR Energy for setting up a gas-based power plant in Andhra Pradesh.

Bajaj small car to be smaller than Maruti\'s Alto: Renault

The small car being developed by Bajaj Auto that will be marketed by Renault-Nissan alliance in India will be smaller than Maruti Suzuki"s Alto, according to the French car maker.

Bosch group manages only a third of year-long buyback target

Bosch Ltd, a supplier of automotive, industrial consumer and building technology products, has failed to meet its target for the year-long share buyback programme. Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany, the parent company of Bosch, currently holds 71.18 per cent stake in Bosch Limited.

Changes visible, but a lot remains to be done

Though CM has shown confidence, Bihar is still not getting private sector investment.

Exempt service tax on power transmission: Gujarat Minister

The Gujarat government has requested the Union Finance ministry to exempt electricity transmission from service tax and keep transmission charges outside the purview of TDS, a senior state minister said.

Analysts\' corner

Gail India

Divestment to gain steam from April

30 companies in queue for Cabinet nod in Jan

Sensex ends up 74pts

The Sensex has ended (provisional) at 16,912- up 74 points.

BoB surges on Q3 net jump

Bank of Baroda (BoB) ended at Rs 556, higher by Rs 33 or 6.4%, on the BSE.

Reliance outlets in AP attacked after report on YSR death

A number of Reliance Retail outlets in Andhra Pradesh today came under simultaneous mob attack after a news report on some Telugu channels alleged the role of the Ambani brothers in the sudden death of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash last year.

Maruti starts exporting Ritz to South East Asia

After successfully conquering Europe with its hatchback A-Star, the country"s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), is turning its eyes to the South East Asian market with its latest compact car Ritz.

IDBI Bank homes in on Federal Bank for acquisition

State-owned IDBI Bank is believed to have zeroed in on Kerala-based private sector lender Federal Bank for acquisition.

Delphi launches CNG kit for Indian automobile market

Delphi, a leading global supplier of electronics to the automobile sector, today said it has introduced CNG kits for vehicles that have been sold to consumers.

IDBI Bank moves ahead on bank buy

IDBI Bank had completed due diligence on a private bank for a possible acquisition, Chairman and Managing Director Yogesh Agarwal said today. “Talks are on. Due diligence has been done. I cannot commit on the time-frame,” he said on the sidelines of Bancon 2009-10.

IDBI in talks to buy private bank

IDBI Bank Chairman and Managing Director Yogesh Agarwal today said that the public sector player had completed due diligence on a private bank for possible acquisition.

AP Cong ministers decide to withdraw resignation

All the 13 Congress ministers from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh today decided to withdraw their resignation after the Centre"s announcement on holding discussions with political parties the state.

3G bidders allowed to pay in rupees

ECB will have to be raised within 12 months from the date of payment of the final instalment.

Tata Comm to invest up to Rs 500 cr in Pune data centre

Tata Communications today launched its data centre in Pune and said it plans to invest up to Rs 500 crore over the next three years.

Mobile cos add a record 19.10 mn in Dec

The mobile operators together added a whopping 19.10 million new subscribers in December, taking the mobile user base to 525.15 million, according to the data released by the sectoral watchdog Trai.

Vedanta plans steel plant in state with L&T

After committing an investment of Rs 60,000 crore on various projects in Orissa including an aluminium smelter plant, an alumina refinery unit and a mega university project, London-based Vedanta Resources Plc has now evinced interest in setting up a steel plant in the state.

KVB net profit jumps 28%

Karur Vysya Bank has reported a net profit of Rs 75.87 crore for the quarter ended December 2009, registering an increase of 28 per cent over the corresponding period previous year. The bank had reported a net profit of Rs 59.25 crore in the same period last year, Karur Vysya Bank said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Bank of Maharashtra net down 7%

Public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra reported a 7 per cent drop in net profit to Rs 112 crore for the quarter ended December 2009 against Rs 120.6 crore in the year-ago quarter. Net interest income, or the difference between interest earned and interest paid, grew 5 per cent to Rs 361 crore from Rs 343 crore in the December 2008 quarter.

R-Infra wins Rs 11,000 cr Mumbai Metro-II project

Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra), part of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has won Mumbai Metro Line–II project from Maharashtra government. The estimated cost of project is around Rs 11,000 crore.

Lessons to learn from markets

There is money to be made. But remember the basics

Sobha may raise Rs 300 crore

Sobha Developers, the Bangalore-based publicly-held real estate developer, is understood to be in discussions to raise Rs 300 crore at project levels.

BofA narrows list for CEO post: Report

The race to succeed Kenneth Lewis as the Bank of America Corp chief executive has narrowed to two internal candidates, though the board is still looking for a new face for the USA’s largest bank by assets, says a media report.

Krishna warns of protectionism-led instabilities

New Delhi today cautioned against countries taking protectionist measures to safeguard their economies saying trade barriers can diminish growth and create instability.

CEOs upbeat over growth prospects, to raise headcount

Most of the business leaders surveyed across the world sounded optimistic about growth prospects and are planning to raise headcounts this year, indicating that fears of world financial meltdown have receded, said a survey.

Reliance Power profit rises 26%

The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s Reliance Power today reported a 26.45 per cent rise in its third quarter consolidated net profit at Rs 133.64 crore, against Rs 105.68 crore in the year-ago period.

R-Infra to get Mumbai Metro-II tomorrow

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra) will soon be the official owner of the second phase of the Mumbai Metro project. The state government and the company would sign a concession agreement for the Rs 11,000-crore project on Thursday, according to sources.

Harley Davidson announces top management for India

Harley Davidson Motor Company India (HDMCI), the wholly owned subsidiary of Harley Davidson Motor Company, the US-based motorcycle producing company, today announced the appointment of its national leadership team.

Yamaha launches superbike \'VMAX\', priced at Rs 20 lakh

Japanese two wheeler major Yahama today launched its super-bike "VMAX" in the country priced at Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom-Delhi). The company also launched limited edition of its "FZ" series in three variants.

Harley-Davidson ready for India launch; sales to start 2010

The iconic US cult bike maker Harley Davidson is set to enter Indian markets tomorrow, two years after it was first granted permission to start operations in the country.

PM rejects UN deadline for submitting emission targets

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has rejected the UN deadline of January 31 for submission of emission targets and climate actions under the Copenhagen Accord.

\'Green shoots are now becoming trees & plants\'

Shilpy Sinha / Mumbai January 8, 2010, 0:47 IST

Bike sales vroom 32% in Nov

Led by market leader Hero Honda, two-wheeler manufacturers posted an impressive growth in sales during the month of November on the back of favourable bank lending rates and a good response to new launches. Heavy promotional campaigns and sales offers by most companies also aided demand.

DLF-IL&FS consortium bag Rs 900-cr Haryana Metro project

The country"s largest real estate player DLF today announced a fully privately financed metro rail project for its townships in Gurgaon with a project cost of Rs 900 crore.

LG Electronics quits PC manufacturing

LG Electronics Inc, South Korea"s second-largest electronics maker, said today it has stopped the production of personal computers and is fully outsourcing it to local and Taiwanese companies.

India expects its citizens to be safe in Australia

Dismissing Australian suggestions that Indian reaction on the issue of attacks was "hysterical", External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today said India expects that its citizens, whether they are students or otherwise, should be safe in that country.

Car firms put SUV launches in top gear

Customers now have many reasons to look beyond luxury sedans.

IITs double pace of final placements this season

Having placed nearly 70 per cent of their students in just over a month, the IITs are hopeful of wrapping up the placements season much before March

Amravati faces the mother of all battles

President Pratibha Patil’s son is fighting on a Congress ticket against the powerful two-term sitting MLA and Maharashtra finance minister Sunil Deshmukh, who has quit the party to contest as an independent.

India may attain 8-9% growth in 1-2 yrs: WB chief

World Bank President Robert Zoellick today said India is likely to return to high growth of 8 to 9 per cent in a year or two, helped by strong fiscal and monetary actions to counter the global financial crisis.

Maruti mulls capacity expansion at Manesar

The country"s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India today said it is considering increasing the production capacity at its Manesar facility, and a decision on this is likely in a day or two.

Carnation to sell auto spare parts under its own brand

Jagdish Khattar-led Carnation will start selling vehicle spare parts under its own brand by next year, even as the company plans to expand its used car business.

Khattar\'s car servicing foray to branch into branded spare parts

Carnation, the multi-brand car servicing major, today announced plans to roll out its own brand of auto spare parts by mid-2010. “We’ll be launching our own brand of genuine car spare parts,” said Jagdish Khattar, CMD of Carnation, at the formal launch of nine service outlets today.

BSNL launches new service delivery platform for 3G customers

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) today launched its new service delivery platform "BSNL Live" - a web portal that would offer videos on demand and movie streaming for its 3G customers for the first time in the country.

NIIT Tech scales 52-week high, ends off day\'s high

NIIT Technologies surged 3% to settle at Rs 130. The counter clocked a volume of 4.82 million shares as against its two-week average traded quantity of 321,073 shares.

India to have five nuclear energy parks by 2032

India would set up five energy parks by 2032 to raise the generation of nuclear energy.

Venture funds turn to entrepreneurs-in-residence

What do Cannan Partners and Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad have in common? They have both appointed an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR).

Changes at PwC ruffle feathers

The recent top-level changes at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have not gone down well with some local partners, who see it as an attempt by PwC Global to take control of the Indian operations. PwC officials say such fears are highly misplaced.

New-age devdas a senior citizen

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay has a fetish for shawls. During the winter session of Parliament, Bandopadhyay found many opportunities to show off his shawls that he wears in a trademark style.

Bank of Maharashtra, SBI join hands to distribute MFs

Bank of Maharashtra and State Bank of India Funds Management have joined hands to distribute mutual funds of the latter through the bank"s branches across the country.

Real estate slowdown hits rly land development plan

The liquidity crunch in the real estate sector has hit Indian Railways’ efforts to lease out surplus land for commercial development on public-private partnership.

Prompt action from RBI if inflation demand driven: Dy Gov

Amid rising food inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today said it will take "prompt action" if it felt the price rise is due to demand factors.

Markets snap four-day winning streak

The markets ended their four-day winning streak as global indices closed lower. The Sensex closed at 17,343, weaker by 57 points, and the Nifty closed flat at 5,169. The broader indices, however, outperformed the benchmark indices. The consumer durables pack was the leading sectoral gainer for the second day in a row while FMCG and metals showed weakness.

Govt to encourage pvt investments in shipping

The Shipping Minister said today that the ministry is taking all possible measures to encourage private sector investment in the shipping sector as major ports alone require over Rs 36,000 crore private investment by March 2012.

PSUs ONGC, SAIL, NTPC get Maharatna status

Mega public sector undertakings ONGC, SAIL and NTPC got greater financial and operational autonomy after the government today accorded the Maharatna status to these firms to help them emerge as global giants.

Only 800 of 65,000 H-1B US visa slots up for grabs

After months of low-key response, the H-1B visa scheme, which was once most sought-after among Indian professionals, is suddenly appearing to be in demand again, with just 800 of the 65,000 slots remaining vacant.

Uttam Galva hikes prices by Rs 3,000 a tonne

Secondary steel maker Uttam Galva Steels today hiked prices of its products by Rs 3,000 a tonne citing increase in its input cost and firming global demand trend.

\'Disabled employees to get equal insurance benefits\'

The Centre today informed the Delhi High Court that differently-abled government employees will be eligible for equal benefits for the postal life insurance policy with maximum limit of Rs five lakh.

Bullion to trade higher on economic uncertainty

2009 was a bumper year for bullion investors as both gold and silver reached record highs in domestic and international markets.

Gurgaon industries\' body welcomes Haryana decision on power

The Gurgaon Industries’ Association (GIA) has welcomed the initiation of the Haryana government for introducing frachisee system of power distribution in Gurgaon. Speaking at a meeting with the Managing Director, Dakshin Haryana Bidyut Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), Anurag Agarwal, here, GIA president V P Bajaj said that shortage of staff marred the quality of service by DHBVN.

Next big resistance at 5,400

As expected, the S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,201 levels on long rollovers in index futures and key stocks futures. The index is expected to consolidate above 5,200 in the new series before moving above the short-term target of 5,350. The rollovers in the Nifty January futures, at 22 million, were at a five-month low, which indicates that bears are waiting in the wings. At similar point in July 2009, the Nifty had gained over 500 points in a couple months to move above 5,000 in September 2009. A similar trend may see the Nifty moving above 5,500 in the near future.

SCI gains on plans of new buy

Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has gained in early trades on plans of purchasing new container ships.

Aviva, DBS Bank join hands for bancassurance

Aviva Life Insurance-joint venture between Dabur and Aviva and DBS Bank-Singapore headquartered financial services group today announced a bancassurance partnership in India. DBS has branches across 10 cities in India.

Newsmaker: Narayan Datt Tiwari

Shishir Prashant / Dehradun January 1, 2010, 0:23 IST

Markets flat again

The markets have recovered from the lows and are flat again. The Sensex is now up one points at 17,403. The Nifty is down three points at 5,185.

Cong fields candidate against BJP

As BJP grappled with dissidence among its MLAs, opposition Congress today fielded T B Jayachandra as its candidate to contest the post of assembly Speaker to be held tomorrow.

Future Value Retail to start functioning from Jan 1

Kishore Biyani-led Pantaloon Retail India Ltd (PRIL) will hive-off its value segments--Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar-- into a separate company called Future Value Retail from January 1.

Govt may divest stake in Hindustan Copper

Mines minister B K Handique today said the government is considering divesting its stake in copper producer Hindustan Copper.

Emission cut will fuel more eco-friendly cars

Welcoming the government’s plan to cut down carbon emission intensity by 20-25 per cent by 2020, India’s automobile industry said it will compel manufacturers to produce greener cars with improved mileage.

BofA securities sale raises $19.3 billion

Bank of America Corp, the largest US lender, raised $19.3 billion selling securities at $15 apiece in the biggest sale of stock or preferred shares by a US public company since at least 2000.

Sovereign guarantee to NHAI on per case basis

Providing a sovereign guarantee to the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) borrowings will be decided on a case-to-case basis by the finance ministry.

Opto Circuits\' US arm in supply pact with European firm

Bangalore-based medical diagnostics products maker, Opto Circuits (India) Ltd (OCI) has announced that its wholly-owned US-based

TCG Life signs pact with Pfizer

TCG group-promoted TCG Life Sciences, a contract research firm in the area of drug discovery, has signed an agreement with pharma giant Pfizer.

Sensex gains most in 11 weeks, up 4.27%

Stock markets were propelled by robust industrial growth data, the government’s reform initiatives and strong global markets. The Sensex ended the week higher by 690.55 points, or 4.27 per cent, at 16,848.83, while the Nifty closed at 4,998.95, up 202.80 points, or 4.23 per cent.

Ban on First Global chief upheld

SAT upholds Sebi order banning Sharma from the securities market for a year.

Singapore exchange may lose edge in Nifty futures

The share of SGX Nifty has risen from 2% in March to 5.9%.

Sensex may find support at 16,400

Despite the 2.72 per cent-correction last week, the Nifty managed to close above its trendline support on Friday. The index ended the week with a loss of 138 points at 4,945. Although, the Nifty has ended marginally below its short-term (20-day) Daily Moving Average (DMA)of 4,957, the index ended above its trendline support around 4,920.

BCG to soon start consultations for Nabard\'s restructuring

Management consulting firm Boston Consultancy Group (BCG) will soon start consultations with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) to prepare a roadmap for its restructuring.

WEEKLY REVIEW: Markets end in green despite volatility

Late-noon short covering boosted markets to stage a spectacular recovery on the last trading day of this week. The Sensex gained 173 points from last week"s close to end with a gain of 1% at 17,022. The Nifty surged 1% to 5,052, helped by banking and oil stocks.

Thinking out of the cage

Admittedly, Nehru was there at the start of things, the end of an age, the awakening of a nation, that tryst with destiny. So he and others of his generation were better placed than we are to think laterally, to explore all of history for models towards which to incline the path of our future. He also spent years in prison, an enforced separation from the bustle and fire of the freedom movement which enabled him to look beyond the constrained present to the past and future, all in the service of his country. In other words, he used his time in prison to think big for India.

Sensex makes remarkable recovery, regains 17K

The Sensex opened in the red at 16,772, mirroring negative global cues. Follow-up selling saw the index slip to a low of 16,636 - down 150 points from the previous close.

Sensex ends up 247pts

The Sensex finally ended (provisional) at 17,032, up 247 points. The NSE Nifty ended (provisional) at 5,060, up 71 points.

RIL\'s Haryana SEZ, 10 others asked to seek fresh licence

The Centre has refused to extend the in-principle approvals to as many as 11 SEZ projects, including the Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Haryana SEZ, Posco India and Indiabulls Infrastructure, stating that the rules do not allow giving them more time for implementation.

\'NTPC claim has no bearing on gas dispute\'

The Union government has told the Supreme Court that the rights and obligations of NTPC and RIL could not be regarded as similar in status to the private arrangement between RIL and RNRL. In an affidavit filed yesterday in the appeals by the Ambani brothers on their gas dispute, the government stressed that NTPC “is not only a public sector undertaking but the process involved for price determination in the case of NTPC gas was by international competitive bidding.”

GE Healthcare eyes PPP route

GE Healthcare is bullish on the public sector in India and is aiming to rake in substantial earnings through the public-private partnership (PPP) route. The company has already worked on projects with the Gujarat and Maharashtra governments and is looking to partner with West Bengal, among others.

Another boost for Sun in takeover battle with Taro

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries’ attempts to take over Israeli drug major Taro Pharmaceutical has received support from Proxy Governance, an investment advisory agency.

Defence offsets rise to Rs 8,000 crore

94% foreign investment in aerospace alone.

Strong resistance above 5,100 likely

The Nifty futures faced resistance at 5,060 and closed in a Doji pattern, indicating indecisiveness among traders. The trading volume on the futures & options segment suggests the index is set for an either side breakout in the coming days. The Nifty is expected to face strong resistance above 5,100 and support for the time being is seen at 4,800-4,900.

GEECL completes laying gas pipeline from Asansole to Durgapur

Great Eastern Energy Corp today said it has completed laying a gas pipeline from Asansol to Durgapur in West Bengal.

Asthma, inflammatory drugs to cost Asthma, inflammatory drugs to cost Press Trust of India / New Delhi December 15, 2009, 20:17 IST

Sensex ends up 35pts

Five of top-10 cos lose Rs 24k cr; RIL on top slot

As many as five companies among the elite club of top-10 Sensex firms have witnessed an erosion of over Rs 24,000 crore from their market capitalisation previous week, while Reliance Industries (RIL) maintained the top position with a valuation of Rs 3.49 lakh crore.

Healthy demand outlook

A revival in the US financial services sector and better cost management would help TCS sustain profitable growth.

Festive season fails to revive paint sales

The sale of paints and colouring items for households is witnessing almost 25 per cent fall compared with last year despite the ongoing festive season.

Oil prices fall to $71 in opening trade

Oil prices fell to near $71 a barrel today in Asia, giving up part of the previous day"s big gains, as the US dollar rebounded.

Tea shortage to widen on rising demand

A global tea shortage may widen this year and extend into 2011 as a rebound in production in Africa, Sri Lanka and India trails demand growth, the world’s biggest tea-plantation company said.

Nine of top-10 firms add Rs 49,000 cr in m-cap

Nine of top-10 country"s most valued firms added nearly Rs 49,000 crore last week with the exception of power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL).

\'Base rate affects only large borrowers, not banks\'

Sidhartha / Mumbai January 12, 2010, 0:22 IST

RIL: Not the best of times

Lower than expected refining margins have dragged down the company"s profits.

Shyamal Majumdar: The stuff that films are made of

- Malegaon accused wants to contest LS polls

After IAF, Indian Posts shows interest for NAL Saras

Wants to use the aircraft for light cargo purpose in North East region

Reading Raju\'s mind

On January 7, Ramalinga Raju confessed to his monumental fraud. He had, Raju said in a letter to the stock exchanges, cooked Satyam’s books for seven long years — revenue, profit, bank balance et al. Raju was soon arrested and put in the Chanchalguda prison. The Union government swung into action. A board was appointed to manage the affairs of the company. In a matter of months, Satyam was sold to Tech Mahindra.

Over 2,000 Indian firms adopt Windows 7

Microsoft had set a target of having Windows 7 installed on over 100 PC models.

Mah Satyam to repay funds of Geelong project

Mahindra Satyam is reportedly on the verge of finalising a deal to payback an undisclosed sum to the Victorian government following the collapse of a $75 million IT project in Geelong.