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Expect moderate returns in 2010

Consequent to the sharp run up in markets in 2009, investors will have to be careful in picking stocks while lowering their return expectations

Life Insurers\' new premium up 75% in Dec

Aided by strong growth in sales of unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips), new business premium income of life insurers went up by 75 per cent during December to Rs 12,201 crore against Rs 6,961 crore during the corresponding period last month.

Insurance fee may be cut in phases

The high level coordination committee (HLCC) on financial markets, which consists of financial sector regulators, is likely to opt for a phased reduction in the commission paid to insurance agents.

Insurance fee may be cut in phases

The high level coordination committee (HLCC) on financial markets, which consists of financial sector regulators, is likely to opt for a phased reduction in the commission paid to insurance agents.

All set to vroom-vroom

The last two seasons in Formula One have seen the bitter rivalry between Ferrari and Mclaren rearing its head. If in 2007 it was Kimi Raikkonen who sneaked in to win the driver’s championship for Ferrari at the last race, then Lewis Hamilton went a few steps ahead and snatched the title from right under Felipe Massa’s nose at the last corner of the season. Apart from seeing these two motorsport giants go head to head this season, there are a lot of other things to look forward to in the 2009 season.

Wood and paint world

Two artists explore different mediums in an exhibition that explores their respective skills.

Mahindra Satyam settles Upaid dispute for $70 mn

Mahindra Satyam today said its board has approved settlement of lawsuits brought by its former client Upaid Systems by paying $70 million.

State FMs may decide on GST rate on Jan 7

State finance ministers are likely to finalise rates for the goods and services tax (GST) at a meeting of the empowered committee scheduled for January 7, said Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather here today.

Banks to pitch for liquidity in pre-policy meet

Bankers will next week make a strong pitch to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to maintain sufficient liquidity to meet the demand for funds from the corporate sector.

Jindal Steel Q1 net up 2-fold; announces 5:1 bonus issue

Jindal Steel & Power today reported a two-fold increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 988.47 crore during the first quarter ended June 30, 2009.

Cost Accounting Standards meet needs of managers

Issue of Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) is a pioneering initiative by the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India. The first CAS (CAS-1) was issued by the institute in the year 2002. The Preface to Cost Accounting Standards issued by the institute has set out the following objectives to be achieved through CAS: to provide better guidelines on standard cost accounting practices; to assist cost accountants in preparation of uniform cost statements; to provide guidelines to bring standard approach towards maintenance of cost accounting records under various statutes; to assist the management to follow the standard cost accounting practices in the matter of compliance with statutory obligations; and to help Indian industry and the government towards better cost management.

IHCL acquires Sea Rock Hotel for Rs 680 cr

Tata Group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) today said it has acquired a controlling 85 per cent stake in Elel Hotels and Investments, which owns the Mumbai-based Sea Rock Hotel, for Rs 680 crore.

T N Ninan: Auction mining rights

There is no other way to stop corruption.

\'Luxury\' Tata Nano's success helps avoid price war

Tata Motors Ltd Chairman Ratan Tata had 500 engineers work for four years designing the world’s cheapest car, convinced cost-conscious Indian drivers could live without air-conditioning and cup holders. He was wrong.

The end of patronage

When East first met West, was it the start of the battle between brand vs local craftsmanship?

Nano passes Euro level crash tests

The Nano can now hold its head high in the international arena. The small car passed the 40 per cent offset crash test at 56 kmph and the side-impact tests at the MIRA test facility in Birmingham, UK recently.

UK dept under fire for delay in lending to JLR

The Business & Enterprise Committee in the UK, appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR), has voiced its disappointment over the government’s delays in providing support to the cash-strapped Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the Midlands-based car maker which is now a part of Tata Motors.

Tata Steel ups stake in Riversdale, for fourth time

In the last 11 months, a Singapore-based subsidiary of Tata Steel has moped up 19.38 per cent stake in Australian mining firm Riversdale in four open market share purchases. With the last transaction on Tuesday of buying about 85 lakh shares, valued around Rs 213 crore at market price, the subsidiary named Tata Steel Global Minerals Holdings has increased its share volume to 36.74 million.

Displaced tribals be compensated, says Manmohan

The government today admitted its failure in dealing with the losses suffered by tribals in land acquisition for various projects, but said one solution was that tribals must benefit from the projects for which they had been displaced.

Govt warns farmers against selling sugarcane in other states

The Uttar Pradesh today said it will not allow the sugarcane farmers of the state to sell their produce to mill owners in neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, which they claimed offered better prices.

Cooperative banks in Hry to provide loans of Rs 8,600 cr

Haryana Cooperation Minister Paramvir Singh said that the central cooperative banks in the state would provide a loan of Rs 8,600 crore during the current financial year to the farmers. These banks had provided loans worth Rs 4,306.60 crore during the last financial year to the farmers under various schemes.

Surajeet Das Gupta: So what's a brand between friends?

MTNL will be one of the few big telecom companies in the world to allow competitors to offer their brand on its network.

Avon Corp posts Q1 net at Rs 3.38 cr

The Mumbai-based Avon Corporation has posted first ever quarterly net profit at Rs 3.38 crore in the first quarter of the current fiscal on a turnover of Rs 25.79 crore.

Moser Baer India Q1 net profit at Rs 2.76 cr

Moser Bear India, an optical storage manufacturer, posted a net proft of Rs 2.76 crore for the first quarter ended June 2009 as compared to net loss of Rs 103.98 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2008.

RCOM gets shareholders nod for share sale

Anil Ambani group company Reliance Communications today said its shareholders have approved raising funds from institutional investors through sale of shares worth up to Rs 15,000 crore at current market price.

Ashok Leyland expects 5% domestic sales growth this fiscal

Hinduja Group"s flagship company Ashok Leyland is revising its domestic commercial vehicle sales target to about five per cent this fiscal from an earlier estimation of flat or negative sales, on the back of reviving market demand.

ITC reaps growth benefits from its green capital

When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on her visit to ITC’s Green Centre in Gurgaon that it was a “monument to the future”, she was emphasising what ITC had seen long before most of the world did.

US not cutting and running from Afghanistan: Hillary

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today said the Obama Administration is not "cutting and running" from Afghanistan.

ED claims evidence of FDI law violations by Emaar MGF

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today claimed to have found evidence of ‘large-scale’ violations of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) guidelines by real-estate major Emaar MGF in purchase of land. During its searches carried out at 13 premises of the group on Thursday, the ED also claimed to have recovered about Rs 9 crore in cash, two kg of gold and foreign currency worth Rs 5 lakh. Stating that Emaar MGF had availed more than Rs 6,000 crore of FDI in the last four years, the ED said in a press statement that the seized documents indicated “large-scale violations of FDI guidelines.”

Aditya Birla PE Fund to pick up 0.5% in BSE

Aditya Birla Private Equity Fund, which is looking to raise Rs 1,250 crore, has finalised some investments, including 0.5 per cent in the country’s oldest exchange, the Bombay Stock Exchange, said sources close to the development.

MNP to be delayed; DoT calls meeting tomorrow

Mobile telephone subscribers would have to wait a little longer to change their service provider without changing their numbers. The introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) across the country would be delayed by about two to three months, as some of the operators are not ready, said a senior official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

\'Youngistan interested in stock market, chocolates\'

Young India is patriotic but being “stylish” is a growing priority, too. “Chocolate” remains the first craving of Indians and “MTV” Youngistan’s most loved space. And the stock market is growing in appeal for young traders, while football catches up with cricket.

StanChart H1 profit before tax jumps 10% to $2.83 bn

Banking major Standard Chartered today reported a 10 per cent rise in profit before tax to $2.83 billion for the first six months of 2009.

Sun TV Q1 net up 17% at Rs 120 cr

Media Group Sun TV Network today reported a 16.83 per cent growth rate in net profit to Rs 119.80 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, 2009, as compared to Rs 102.54 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.

Security drive post 26/11 loses momentum

Industry experts and surveillance equipment vendors agree the government has woken up but insist there should be more action.

MF distributors\' nod not a must for shifting investments, says Sebi

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked asset management companies (AMCs) not to compel investors to get no-objection certificates (NoCs) from their existing distributors for shifting their investments.

Murthy's fund to kick off in March

Catamaran Venture Fund, promoted by Infosys Technologies Chairman and Mentor Narayan Murthy will be active for investments from March 2010.

3G auction shortly: PM

Says allocation will be at market-determined prices.

Sony Ericsson to cut 2,000 jobs globally

Mobile handset maker Sony Ericsson today said it will cut 2,000 jobs globally as it phases out activities at some of its locations.

India Inc\'s global shopping bag shrinks to 4-yr low: Dealogic

India Inc"s overseas shopping spree has dipped to a four-year low of $27.3 billion so far this year, but a possible acquisition of LyondellBasell by Reliance Industries (RIL) would be one of the largest ever by an Indian company, according to deal tracking firm Dealogic.

RIL reopens 900 oil stations, selling at PSU rates

The Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance Industries (RIL) has reopened about two-thirds of its 1,432 petrol pumps in the country and is selling about 2,000 kilolitres of auto fuel per day, RIL President (Refinery Business) P Raghavendran said today.

BHEL to recruit 4,000 persons annually for 3 yrs

Public sector Bharat Heavy Electrical (BHEL) would recruit about 4,000 people, including executive engineers, annually at least for the next three years as the company is embarking on new joint ventures, a top company official said today.

Automobile sales grow 46% in Nov

Domestic sales of automobiles for November grew 46 per cent, to 1,037,133 units, over the corresponding period last year.

\'RBI move indicates gradual withdrawal of stimulus packages\'

India Inc today cautiously welcomed the RBI"s move to modify the ECB guidelines and said this also indicates a gradual withdrawal of stimulus measures announced to help the industry tide over the global credit crunch last year.

Not inspecting books of RCom, says Khurshid

Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today ruled out inspection of financial accounts of Reliance Communications (RCom), which is under attack for alleged understating revenues and evading licence fee payment, unless the DoT asks the Ministry to do so.

BSNL loses market share by half in three yrs

Defending BSNL"s massive loss in market share to just 16.71 per cent now from over 31 per cent in 2006-07, the government today said it was mainly due to fierce competition and not due to managerial reasons.

3G spectrum auction on schedule: Raja

The auction of 3G spectrum is on track and the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) will take a decision on the number of slots to be sold, Telecom Minister A Raja said today.

Lalu for making voting compulsory in LS, assembly polls

Extending support for Gujarat government"s move to make voting compulsory in local body polls, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today said it should be extended to Lok Sabha and assembly polls too.

Parliament nod for free air travel to ministers\' kin

From now on, ministers will be able to take "any number of companions or relatives" along by air for free with Parliament giving nod to a bill providing for such facilities to them.

C&C Construction in talks with hotel chains for Mohali prop

Infrastructure company C&C Construction Ltd today said it is developing a four-star hotel near Mohali entailing a total investment of Rs 60 crore and is in talks with international and domestic hospitality groups for its management.

M&M gets into Aerospace, acquires two Aussie firms

This will enable the firm to tap the defence offset market.

Cabinet may consider Jet proposal to raise Rs 2,000 cr

A proposal of Jet Airways to raise $400 million (about Rs 2,000 crore) from foreign investors may come up before the Union Cabinet when it meets here tomorrow, official sources said today.

TCIL starts process to exit from Bharti Hexacom

Having failed to get returns on its Rs 100-crore investment in Bharti Hexacom, state-run TCIL today started the process to sell its 30 per cent stake in the JV by inviting investment bankers to work out the valuation.

17,370 critical for upside

The stock market was volatile and moved in a narrow range during the week. Global cues were mostly subdued, and news flows were largely positive, resulting in limited downsides on weak days. However, the indices failed to give a clear breakout on the upside as well.

TTSL, RCom, others owe Rs 603 cr; Airtel pays highest revenue

Tata Teleservices, Reliance Communications and other private mobile telecom operators owe over Rs 603 crore to the government towards outstanding spectrum charges and licence fee for the last three years.

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?

Come New Year, minimum investment, tenure for Ulips to rise

The minimum ticket size and the tenure for unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips) are set to be higher from the New Year.

L N Mittal to gain 1 bn pound on carbon credits

Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal will get a 1 billion pound windfall from a European scheme to curb global warming under the "carbon credits" given to it.

ArcelorMittal to gain Rs 7,000 crore from EU carbon credits

ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel maker, will benefit from a windfall of £1 billion (Rs 7,000 crore), thanks to the carbon credits issued to it under the European Trading Scheme. The Sunday Times today reported that ArcelorMittal will be the single largest beneficiary under the ETS due to its dominant presence in Europe.

Mittal plans 6 mt plant in Karnataka

Investment likely to be Rs 30,000 crore.

Suven Life gets two more US patents for NCEs

Suven Life Sciences Limited, a Hyderabad-based biopharmaceutical company specialising in central nervous system (CNS) diseases, has received patents for two new chemical entities (NCEs) from the US Patent office.

Daiichi Sankyo to leverage Ranbaxy\'s strength in Mexico

Ranbaxy Laboratories today said it would market products from Daiichi Sankyo"s portfolio in Mexico through its Latin America-based subsidiary, Ranbaxy Mexico S A De C V.

\'A Himalayan double whammy\'

Latha Jishnu / New Delhi November 20, 2009, 0:40 IST

Markets begin week in red; metals, Reliance drag Sensex

Fears of rising interest rates in the US dampened investor sentiments on Monday. The Sensex dropped over 100 points, to end below 17,000 after four trading sessions.

Transport bottlenecks hit power target: Govt

Accepting slippages in capacity augmentation targets in the power sector during the first two years of the 11th Plan, the government today said bottlenecks in road transportation and movement of utilities had led to delays.

No CBI probe into Jaipur oil depot fire: Govt

Government today ruled out a CBI probe into the Jaipur oil depot fire of November and informed the Lok Sabha that a Committee had already been formed to look into the safety aspects and lapses that led to the incident.

VW shareholders okay issue of 135 mn shares

European auto giant Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft today said its shareholders have approved the proposal for issuing 135 million new preference shares, a move aimed at ensuring greater financial flexibility prior to the company"s proposed merger with Porsche AG.

PPT files case against owners of sunken vessel

BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar October 12, 2009, 0:30 IST

2009 was peppy for mutual fund investors

Investors got the upper hand in 2009, as regulatory changes made mutual funds more attractive to park their money in even as the industry shrugged off recession blues with its assets hitting an all time high of Rs eight lakh crore.

Some advice on choosing money advisors

Rajeswari Venkatesh, 26, a software professional, was looking to invest Rs 50,000. And while friends and colleagues suggested a plethora of stocks or mutual fund schemes, she wasn’t feeling very confident about taking a decision on their advice.

CIL to import 4 million tonnes coal for NTPC

The country"s largest coal miner Coal India (CIL) will import 4 million tonnes of coal for state-run power company NTPC.

CDR cell okays Haldia Petro\'s additional loan

The corporate debt restructuring (CDR) cell for Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL) has approved the company"s additional bank finance needs to fund its expansion project.

Govt working on proposal to divest stake in CIL: Jaiswal

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today said his ministry is working on proposal to disinvest 5-10 per cent stake in navratna PSU Coal India.

JK Tyre to invest Rs 1,200 cr on expansion

JK Tyre & Industries today said it will invest Rs 1,200 crore over the next 3-4 years in expanding its capacity, including setting up a greenfield car radial plant in South India.

Madhukar Sabnavis: Storytelling 2.0

Madhukar Sabnavis / New Delhi December 04, 2009, 0:34 IST

Shell transferring thousands of jobs to India, Phillipines

In order to reduce costs, global oil major Shell will soon transfer additional office jobs from Houston and elsewhere to India and the Philippines.

Mixed week for Smart Portfolios

With the exception of Ajay Parmar, fund managers found it difficult to negotiate the volatile markets. The Smart Portfolios benchmark, the S&P CNX 500 rose by 0.75 per cent during the week. An investment of Rs 10 lakh in the benchmark at the start of Season II on September 1, 2009, is today valued at Rs 10.80 lakh, a gain of 8 per cent.

Investing for children is no child\'s play

the right scheme and occasional shifting will ensure safety with returns.

Investors should be made aware of risks: Bhave

The market watchdog Sebi today said intermediaries who undertake investor education programmes must make the pitfalls of investment clear.

Reliance, Essar, Shell for freeing petrol, diesel prices

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

3G spectrum auction likely by end of February

The much-awaited auction of spectrum for third generation (3G) mobile services would be delayed by over a month and is likely to start by the end of February.

Govt will abide by court orders on mining: Rosaiah

Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah on Sunday said that the ruling Congress government would abide by the apex court’s verdict on the alleged irregularities by mining firm Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) in the Bellary reserve forest of Anantapur district.

Mixed week for Smart Portfolios

With the exception of Ajay Parmar, fund managers found it difficult to negotiate the volatile markets. The Smart Portfolios benchmark, the S&P CNX 500 rose by 0.75 per cent during the week. An investment of Rs 10 lakh in the benchmark at the start of Season II on September 1, 2009, is today valued at Rs 10.80 lakh, a gain of 8 per cent.

Riding on the rally

With markets moving up on the disinvestment buzz, Smart Portfolios too registered steady gains last week. It was after a while that all fund managers participated in the markets. While Phani Sekhar and Praveen Panjwani were seen re-building their portfolios, Amar Ambani and Ajay Parmar continued with their churning process.

On-line bookings highest with travellers from Mumbai airport

When it comes to on-line booking of air-tickets, travellers from Mumbai take the lead with as many as 77 per cent opting for these facilities compared to travellers at six other leading international airports globally.

60 MLAs submit resignation to protest Telangana issue

The Centre"s decision to carve out a separate state of Telangana today created ripples in political parties in Andhra Pradesh with as many as 60 legislators and three MLCs from the Congress, TDP and Praja Rajya Party submitting their resignation to the Speaker.

Chidambaram invites KCR to Delhi for Telangana talks

Home Minister P Chidambaram today said he has invited TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao here to discuss the next step for formation of a separate Telangana state.

Sanjaya Baru: Look East policy comes of age

Sanjaya Baru / New Delhi October 21, 2009, 0:16 IST

Cognizant on recruitment drive

The US-software major Cognizant Technology Solutions today offered job offers for 700 students from Anna University. Last year the company offered 1,000 jobs and 500 a year before.

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.

Ticket-seeking for Jharkhand

While ticket distribution for Jharkhand elections was on, hundreds of aspirants thronged the Congress headquarters. The Congress managers, desperate to avoid this crowd, met at various undisclosed locations. But this could not save all the leaders. One day, K Kesava Rao, the general secretary in charge of Jharkhand, came to his office at 24, Akbar Road, to take some documents when an irate crowd gheraoed him. Rao was almost physically assaulted amid a heated exchange of words as the aspirants accused him of taking bribes. Congress workers in the office had to rush in to rescue Rao.

Govt asks SFIO to start prosecution in Satyam case

The government today asked investigating agency Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to initiate prosecution proceedings against persons involved in Satyam accounting fraud and partners of Price Waterhouse, the auditors of the IT company.

Life insurers log 53% rise in first premium income

The insurance sector is making a strong comeback. Buoyed by a steep rise in sale of single premium policies, the industry clocked a 53.25 per cent rise in November.

'It is wise for India to go for greater energy efficiency'

S Kalyana Ramanathan / September 24, 2009, 0:08 IST

Mutual funds\' investor base falls in October

Income category added highest number of new investors

Insurers push accident cover sale to schools

Schools and colleges have become the new hunting ground for non-life insurers, eager to push personal accident (PA) policies, a segment which has traditionally seen low claims.

\'Indian regulatory regime has brought us a world of good\'

Rajesh Bhayani / Mumbai December 24, 2009, 0:12 IST

PM may soon clear policy to help MSMEs

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is taking a final view on the report of a task force which suggested easy access to bank finance and preference in public sector procurement to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Aegon Religare to enter health ins, launch upto three products

Private life insurer, Aegon Religare, plans to enter the health insurance segment while continuing to focus on term insurance products, a senior company official said.

IOC fire burns Rs 100-cr hole in GIC\'s pocket

General Insurance Corporation (GIC), India’s national re-insurer, is expected to take a Rs 100-crore hit in claims for the fire that broke out at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) complex near Jaipur last month.

Ajai Chowdhry: Beyond guns, guards and \'bandobast\'

Ajai Chowdhry / December 06, 2009, 0:45 IST

FII-TO-FII: PNB traded at 6% premium

Trades between FIIs generated a volume of Rs 65 crore on the BSE Thursday-an increase of 82.87% from Rs 35 crore clocked on Wednesday. As many as five stocks witnessed trades of 13 lakh shares on Thursday.

FMPs in focus as investors rush for tax sops

Fixed maturity plan (FMP) launches, which had slowed down since the end of 2008, have again gathered steam with mutual funds rushing to meet investors’ demand for such plans ahead of the financial year end for the tax incentive FMPs provide.

\'BJP should merge with Congress\'

No one can repair the BJP, former party ideologue K N Govindacharya tells Sreelatha Menon

Check unplanned farm conversion, says panel

The rapid conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural uses is not the best way to food security. That is what the government-appointed panel on land reforms and agrarian relations says in its report, currently under the consideration of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It blames the conversion both on absence of land use policies, “opening up of economy’’ and also on the non-remunerative nature of farming.

PNB may acquire majority stake in Kazakh bank

Punjab National Bank plans to acquire a majority stake in a Kazakhstan-based bank to expand its presence in Central Asia, its Chairman and Managing Director K R Kamath said here today.

Union Bank may raise $500 mn overseas

Union Bank of India is planning to raise $500 million through bonds by the end of this financial year to fund its global operations. The money would be raised under its medium-term note (MTN) programme from the overseas market by March.

Google searches 3G prospects in India

Google, the world’s largest search engine and one of the biggest internet brands, is understood to be eyeing opportunities in the third generation of mobile telephony, or 3G, in India.

BSNL introduces per-second billing plan

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) today announced the launch of per-second billing plan, joining a host of mobile phone operators who have already introduced such tariff scheme.

BSNL places order with Huawei for expansion; no fresh bids

State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) today said it has placed purchase order for mobile equipment for 20 million GSM lines for the south zone with Chinese firm Huawei and will not call for any fresh bids.

BSNL's rise and fall

A couple of decades ago, when more good people were leaving India Today magazine than joining it, Aroon Purie asked a departing colleague, who’d just given him the usual spiel you give while resigning, “If I’m the best boss around, why is everyone leaving?” Much the same question comes to mind while reading Connecting India — if BSNL and the Department of Telecommunications are indeed full of as many good people as the author will have us believe, how come the country’s top telecom PSU hasn’t made any profits from its operations in the last two-to-three years? Indeed, if you take the thousands of crore the PSU got by way of an Access-Deficit-Charge tax levied on rival telcos’ incoming calls, BSNL’s unprofitable years increase even more.

Out of the box

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

Dish TV posts Q2 oss of Rs 56 cr

Direct-to-home service provider Dish TV today reported a net loss of Rs 56.13 crore for the second quarter ended September, narrowing down from its loss of Rs 154.11 crore of the year ago period.

Multiplexes want gap on films\' release for DTH

Multiplexes may push for an embargo of up to two weeks on Bollywood producers releasing their films on Direct-to-Home (DTH) television platforms, after the films hit the theatres.

Ashok Leyland gains on Dec sales jump

Ashok Leyland ended the day at Rs 53, higher by Rs 0.6 or 1.2%.

Mobile termination charges may be cut

Move could further bring down mobile tariffs.

Rethinking regulators

Business Standard / New Delhi November 03, 2009, 0:48 IST

Internet body petitions CCI on telephony

Frustrated with an almost seven-month delay in the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) response to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommendation that the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be permitted to use telephone lines to make internet telephony calls, the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI) has moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Mamata sees red at Pranab\'s Left turn

In the turf war between the battered CPI(M) and its arch rival, Trinamool Congress, veteran Congressman and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has found a new place of prominence.

Rlys\' land acquisition rules will be altered: Mamata

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she had already altered the land acquisition template of the Indian Railways in a bid to ensure no land was forcefully acquired for projects undertaken by her ministry.

Mamata\'s rail chugs along with hiccups

It was not a smooth ride in 2009 for the Railways which was hit by accidents, derailments and hijacking of the prestigious Rajdhani train.

Newsmaker: Sushma Swaraj

Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi December 25, 2009, 0:03 IST

No situation in Bengal for Art 355: CM

The prevailing situation in West Bengal does not warrant invoking of Article 355 as demanded by the opposition, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told the assembly today which witnessed noisy scenes over law and order situation in the state.

Temporarily disconnected?

The next time you call up Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s Delhi mobile, you could well get to hear “services to this number have been temporarily disconnected”. A few days ago, while Mukherjee was holding a meeting with his top bureaucrats, he got a call from a Vodafone customer service executive who said that since the bill, of a fairly large amount, had not been paid, the company would have no option but to disconnect the phone in another day or so.

BSNL to set up telecom towers in border areas

In an attempt to improve telecom services in rural areas, state-owned BSNL would set up about 10,000 towers across the country, many of which would be installed in villages bordering Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Sterlite Technologies Q2 net jumps nine-fold to Rs 54.67 cr

IT firm Sterlite Technologies today said its net profit jumped nearly nine-fold to Rs 54.67 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, 2009, over the same period last year.

Railways form panel to identify PPP projects

The ministry of railways has constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of Amit Mitra, secretary-general, Ficci, for developing innovative funding techniques through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

India hints at Pak link to Kabul attack

Hinting at Pakistani link to the Kabul Embassy attack, India today said Afghanistan faced threat from terrorists and their "patrons residing across the border" and that the blast was the handiwork of those who wanted to undermine Indo-Afghan friendship.

Global weakness drags down markets

The markets lost ground on Tuesday, after touching a one-month high, due to subdued global cues and nervousness surrounding the derivatives expiry.

Firms talk of pushing more women to top posts

For most companies, hiring women employees at an entry level has never been a problem. However very few of them make it to the higher levels. This has been a concern for recruiters.

Weakness persists

The bears seem to have the upperhand for the last hour or so. The Sensex is now down 100 points at 17,601. The Nifty is down 26 points at 5,255.

I still have deadline for retirement: Ratan Tata

Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata today said that deadline for his retirement was still intact, but before hanging his boots he would like to find a successor.

Not yet contacted by UK govt on Teeside plants: Tata

Tata Group today said the British government has not yet contacted it on the possible options to avoid closure of Corus steel plants in Teeside that could result in 1,700 jobs losses.

It\'s raining orders for India Inc

The trickle has turned into a deluge. India Inc’s order book has more than doubled to an all-time high of Rs 73,320 crore in the second quarter of the current financial year, compared to the first quarter. On a year-on-year basis, the increase is 21 per cent.

India Inc eyes Sri Lanka for projects

A host of Indian companies are planning to develop projects across sectors in the island nation of Sri Lanka.

Land dilemmas

Business Standard / New Delhi September 14, 2009, 0:22 IST

Road to development

Business Standard / New Delhi January 06, 2010, 0:03 IST

Sensex down 25 points in opening trades

The Sensex opened marginally lower this morning.

Surinder Sud: Flower power

A new body seeks to integrate scattered R&D to meet the needs of a growing export and domestic market.

D-Street stares at high volatility

With no new trigger expected on the domestic front, Dalal Street is likely to remain choppy, as investors will continue to offload stocks at higher levels, say analysts.

Green activists hope climate summit focuses on emission cuts

As delegates at the Copenhagen summit discuss a new climate treaty, green activists here are hoping that it would focus on emission cuts and safeguarding of biodiversity.

India not acting under pressure on climate change issue: Saran

With nations engaged in tough negotiations for a new climate treaty, India has said its decision on voluntary reduction of carbon emission intensity was not announced under pressure but was made to "facilitate and promote a successful outcome at Copenhagen".

Subir Roy: A governance structure for IITs

Subir Roy / New Delhi September 30, 2009, 0:32 IST

Subir Roy: Reengineering higher education

Subir Roy / New Delhi July 22, 2009, 0:51 IST

Sunil Kewalramani: Ocean of bubbles

While most feel the world is a safer place now that the financial crisis has been tackled, Sunil Kewalramani lists ten future bubbles in the making.

Overbought markets likely to stay range-bound

The Nifty faced strong resistance above 5,300 and closed in a Doji pattern, indicating indecisiveness among participants.

Union Bank dips 5% despite Q1 net rise

The stock slipped to a low of Rs 233 and ended at Rs 234, down 5% today. Heavy volumes of 658,518 shares were clocked on the BSE as compared to the two-week daily average traded volumes of 248,533 shares.

Private airlines owe Rs 274 cr to AAI

Private airlines in the country owe Rs 274.19 crore to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as of October-end, with Kingfisher being ahead of Jet Airways and SpiceJet leading the pack of low-cost carriers.

Madu Koda extends unconditional support to UPA

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda today met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and announced unconditional support to the UPA.

\'Goldman trades should not get US aid\'

Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which took $10 billion in US bailout funds last year, shouldn’t get taxpayer support if the firm focuses on trading over banking, according to former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

Lagging behind in performance

Quant funds should be used only for portfolio diversification, and are suited for high net worth investors.

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.

Effective data processing to help firms improve ops

At a time when most enterprises around the globe are seeing an explosion in the volumes of their digital events, the management of the data with effective event processing mechanism is the need of the hour, says research firm Gartner.

Size does matter, sometimes

All offer documents of fund houses run a mandatory declaration: “Mutual funds are subject to market risk. Read the offer document carefully before investing.” But ‘market risk’ per se is not all that the investor should be worrying about, especially those who are investing in an existing fund.

Industry vertical market IT-spend dips 6.8% in 2009 : Gartner

Worldwide industry vertical market IT spending is projected to total $2.28 trillion in 2009, a 6.8 percent decline from 2008, according to Gartner, an information technology research and advisory company . Analysts predict the market will return to growth in 2010, when it will grow at 2.3 percent to reach $2.34 trillion.

E-book readers likely to take off in 2010: Gartner

The year 2009 is likely to be remembered as a year of several milestones in the e-book space, according to Gartner, Inc, an information technology research and advisory company. However, Gartner said that while the number of electronic readers sold is likely to increase in 2009, it expects 2010 to be the year when e-book readers become popular consumer electronic devices.

Suzlon opens wind farm in Australia

Wind energy major Suzlon Energy has officially opened Infigen Energy’s Capital wind farm, the largest wind farm in Australia at Bungendore in New South Wales.

Reliance Life IPO likely in Q1 of next fiscal: Ghosh

Anil Ambani Group"s life insurance venture Reliance Life expects to tap the capital market with its initial public offer in the first quarter of next fiscal, a top company official said here.

Telangana issue: Centre calls meeting on Jan 5

The Centre, in an attempt to end the imbroglio over Telangana, today convened a meeting here on January 5 of eight recognised political parties in Andhra Pradesh for a discussion on the issue, a move welcomed by a grouping of all parties spearheading the statehood stir.

Record raising of funds in 2010

India Inc lines up Rs 1,50,000 crore equity sales


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