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Railways may meet budgetary estimates

On the back of steady growth in the economy, railway ministry officials indicate that Budgetary estimates outlined last year are likely to be met despite a shortfall in the earnings from passenger traffic and parcel services in the first three quarters of the current financial year (2009-10).

Robust growth for rlys may lead to rise in freight rates

With the Indian Railways registering better-than-expected growth in traffic operations this financial year on the back of a revival in the economy, its gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to cross the 9 per cent mark by the end of this financial year. This could lead to rising freight rates of some commodities, say officials in the ministry.

Ministries look to jointly fund railway projects using NREGS

The railway ministry is working on a proposal with the Ministry of Rural Development to jointly fund key railway projects by utilising the government’s flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Templeton's India equity team will hire two analysts

Franklin Templeton Investments plans to hire two India stock analysts to increase its coverage of a market that has outperformed its developing nation peers this year.

Ambani Gas row: Family MoU sacrosanct, RNRL tells SC

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) today asserted in the Supreme Court that family MoU of 2005 was a "sacrosanct" document for resolving the gas row with Mukesh Ambani group Reliance Industries (RIL) and accused it of scuttling efforts to arrive at a bankable agreement for the supply of gas from KG Basin.

Bulls to hold sway above 17,380

The markets struck positive notes at the beginning of the year with the benchmark indices touching their fresh 22-month highs. The Sensex scaled a high of 17,790, but eventually ended with a marginal gain of 75 points at 17,540 this week. Mid- and small-caps outperformed the benchmark with significant gains of 3.4 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

Revenue, transport secys in race for PFRDA top job

A four-member committee to shortlist the candidates.

No new place of worship at public places: SC

The problem of traffic snarls due to places of worship on public roads will not compound with the Supreme Court today ordering that there would be no fresh construction of sites of worship on any public road or lane.

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.

31 MLAs of JMM-led coalition have criminal cases against them

The new five-party coalition in Jharkhand which is all set to assume power tomorrow has 31 MLAs with criminal cases against them.

GST Task Force advice differs from that of ministerial panel

As is now well known, the Task Force appointed by the Thirteenth Finance Commission, Government of India, has issued a report on December 15, 2009 detailing the recommendations on various issues relating to the design and implementation of the proposed GST in India.

KSK Energy Q3 net loss at Rs 4.91 cr

KSK Energy Ventures today posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 4.91 crore for the third quarter ended December 31.

DB Corp IPO subscribed 14.60 times on final day

The initial public offer of DB Corp, publishers of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, has received an overwhelming response from investors and got subscribed 14.60 times on the final day of the issue today.

Kerala CM to be asked to leave Politburo

Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan will be removed from the CPI(M)’s Politburo on ground of “serious indiscipline.” The Politburo has found him guilty of publicly airing his differences with his bete noire, Kerala unit General Secretary Pinarai Vijayan. VS will be allowed to remain Kerala chief minister by the Central Committee, but a section of the party thinks his days as CM are numbered, as the state unit will try to dislodge him from the post.

Parasaran begins arguments in gas row

Says HC allocation order wrong, for govt is custodian of all gas in India

JSPL in race for Mongolia's coal mine

Naveen Jindal-controlled Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) is in the race for Mongolia’s Tavan Tolgoi coal project, one of the 10 biggest deposits in the world.

Broking agencies offer freebies to pull retail investors

Brokers have discovered a golden opportunity in the positive market sentiment to add investor accounts, even if it means offering these services for free.

Zee pips STAR Plus for top position

Leads prime-time band with GRP of 113

Fixing Your Focus

Don’t get carried away by just the interest rate on offer when investing in company fixed deposits

Tata Steel Global ups stake in Riverdale to 19%

Tata Steel Global Mineral Holdings, a unit of Tata Steel, today said it has increased its stake in Australia-based Riverdale Mining Ltd to 19.38 per cent through market purchases.

Metal firms may have to wait longer to raise equity

Metal producers’ earlier plan to raise funds through equity issues may get delayed, as the flush of liquidity has slowed and the market has turned weaker. Sterlite Industries, JSW Steel, Hindalco and Tata Steel together plan to raise about $5 billion through different equity issues.

NEWSALERT: Adlabs files winding up petition of Subhiksha Trading Services

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group"s subsidiary Adlabs films today filed up a winding up petition of Subhiksha Trading Services.

Govt approaches Ratan Tata to head AI advisory board

The government is understood to have approached industrialist Ratan Tata to head an advisory board of the ailing Air India.

Telecom users cross 500-mn mark before targeted date

The total telecom subscriber base in India crossed 500 million at the end of September, taking the overall teledensity to 43.5 per cent. India is the second-biggest and fastest market for wireless services, behind China, which has over 600 million users.

I-banks, consulting, PE firms vie for IIM-C students

The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C), which started its summer placements process today, saw offers trickling in from the world’s leading finance and consulting firms on day one.

RBI gives banks relief on bad debt provision

Allows inclusion of technical write-offs while calculating provision coverage ratio.

IOC to take 26-49% in nuclear power plant with NPCIL

Indian Oil Corp, the nation"s largest oil firm, today said it will take 26-49 per cent stake in the Rs 10,000-crore nuclear power plant it will set up in collaboration with the Nuclear Power Corp of India.

Need to enhance investment in agri-sector: Pawar

The government today said there is a need to enhance investment in the agriculture sector to achieve 4 per cent growth during 11th Five Year Plan.

Oil firms cut ATF prices by 1.6%

For the second time this month, state-run oil companies today cut jet fuel prices to ease the burden on cash-strapped airlines.

Sail: Results in line with expectations

For the December 2009 quarter, SAIL saw net sales at Rs 9,880 crore up 11 per cent year-on-year, in line with market expectations, even as seasonal impact saw sales dip 2 per cent sequentially. The company’s steel sales was at 2.9 million tonnes (mt) in the recently concluded quarter against 3 mt in the September 2009 quarter and 2.4 mt in December 2008 quarter.

Dabur net up 27.04%

The consolidated net profit of fast moving consumer goods company Dabur India increased 27.04 per cent in the quarter ending December 31, 2009. It stood at Rs 137.77 crore in the third quarter against Rs 108.45 crore in the corresponding period a year ago. Net sales, on the other hand, saw a slower pace of growth, moving up 18.25 per cent only, to touch Rs 926.18 crore in the third quarter against Rs 778.65 crore in the corresponding period last year.

Monster Worldwide posts Q2 loss of $1.37 mn

Monster Worldwide, the parent company of global online employment solution provider Monster.Com, today reported a net loss of $1.37 million in the quarter ended June 30 this year.

Hartmarx\'s Chairman Homi Patel to resign

Hartmarx Corp Chairman and CEO Homi Patel is expected to retire from his post tomorrow as his company, which made suits for US President Obama prepares to be run by UK"s Emerisque and Indian apparel company S Kumars Nationwide Ltd, its new owners.

TVS Motor Q1 net surges 150% at Rs 18 cr

TVS Motor Company’s net profit during the quarter ended June 30, 2009 rose by over 150 per cent to Rs 18.11 crore from Rs 7.02 crore, a year ago. Total income rose to Rs 988 crore from Rs 924 crore, an increase of 6 per cent during the same period.

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.

Parsvnath Q2 net up three fold to Rs 61.43 cr

Real estate firm Parsvnath Developers today reported a nearly three-fold growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 61.43 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, and said it expects the coming quarters to be more robust.

Toyota to strengthen dealership network by 65% by 2010

Preparing ground for launching a "strategic" small car in the Indian market, the world"s largest car maker, Toyota, will expand its dealership network by over 65 per cent by the end of 2010 to increase its interface with customers.

RCom, UniverCell tie up

Reliance Communications on Friday tied up with Chennai-based UniverCell, a telecom services retail company.

Vodafone set to take Zoozoos overseas

This year"s Indian advertising rage will soon get audiences overseas to sit up and take notice.

Reliance, Idea pulled up by ASCI for misleading ads

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has pulled up 15 companies, including telecom ones, for running misleading ad campaigns during July to October this year.

ING Life eyes 60% growth in renewal premium

ING Life Insurance is expecting a 60 per cent growth in renewal premiums during this fiscal.

Look at the dark side

Partition in Bengal, despair in Delhi and power games in Tudor England: three new books to read.

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.

17 FCCB violations investigated, says govt

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has found and took action against 17 cases of irregularities by companies that raised foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) since April 2005, Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena said today.

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.”

Advertisers stump BCCI on sponsorship

The Men in Blue haven’t quite got a thumbs up from advertisers for the team’s sponsorship, with virtually no takers for forms that are up for sale to bid for the sponsorship of the Indian cricket team till this evening. Sale of forms closed today and tomorrow is the last date for bids.

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.

Telecom firms ring in web ambassadors

Idea joins Vodafone to use the fun route on the Net

Bridging the skill gap

India urgently needs coherent policy and regulation

SAIL disinvestment proposal to reach Cabinet in 3-4 weeks

A 20 per cent share sale proposal in PSU steel maker SAIL will be taken to the Cabinet by mid-January next year, Steel Secretary Atul Chaturvedi said today.

Maharashtra Sugar Mills pay first advance of Rs 450/tn more than FRP

Maharashtra sugar mills, which contribute over 35 per cent to the total sugar production, are not affected by the controversy over the fair and remunerative price (FRP) and the subsequent ordinance issued by the Centre. Over 150 cooperative and 25 private mills in the state have paid Rs 800 a tonne more than the prevalent statutory minimum price (SMP) of Rs 1,070 a tonne during the 2008-09 season.

India to buy 10 C-17 heavy-lift aircraft from US

US defence major Boeing today said India was planning to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift aircraft and the US government has received a "Letter of Request" in this regard.

Twitter buys location tracking entity Mixer Labs

Famed micro-blogging site Twitter has acquired location tracking firm Mixer Labs for an undisclosed amount.

\'Facebook\' floods search bars, tops list

A research on top-10 searched terms by volume has rated ‘facebook’ as number one in the ‘net communities and chat’ category, indicating the brand recall that Facebook enjoys globally and how it has reached a massive audience since its general availability in December 2008.

Listed firm promoters can make offer for sale: Sebi

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) today allowed promoters of listed companies to make offer for sale. The move assumes significance as such promoters can now sell their stake directly to the public.

Nifty may fall to 4,500-level

The Nifty maintained its support of 4,580 and closed at 4,593, indicating that it could go down to the 4,500-level in the near future. The Nifty September futures closed at a discount to the spot and built an open interest (OI) of 0.6 million shares, hinting at fresh sell-offs by bear operators. The upside for the index is around 4,650 with a major support likely at 4,500.

Cash discount catches fancy of home buyers

Freebies are no longer catching the fancy of prospective home buyers; instead they are seeking cash discount, as the real estate market shows signs of revival.

Google puts movie previews into internet search ads

Google Inc, seeking new ways to make money from internet-search advertising, is dressing up its plain-text search ads with movie and TV previews.

Dhoni world\'s top earning cricketer: Forbes

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has topped the list of world"s 10 top earning cricketers compiled by Forbes, which also features four other players from the sub-continent, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

India urges SEC not to fine on Satyam

India has urged the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) not to impose fine on Satyam, now Mahindra Satyam, in view of irregularities as the company was also listed there.

NPS annual fee may come down by Rs 70

The annual maintenance charges for subscribers of the New Pension System (NPS) may come down by Rs 70 from April. National Securities Depository (NSDL), the record-keeper for NPS, expects over one million people to join the scheme in the next six months, leading to a reduction in the account maintenance fees from Rs 350 to Rs 280.

Sebi cracks whip on incomplete MF documentation

In a move to make the mutual fund (MF) industry more transparent, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) today asked asset management companies (AMCs) to stop paying commissions to intermediaries, including banks and other distributors, who did not keep proper documents of their clients.

India, Russia to ink key pacts during Singh\'s Moscow visit

India and Russia are expected to sign a number of key agreements during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh"s December 6-8 visit here, including those on extension of the long-term defence cooperation programme beyond 2010 and construction of four more nuclear reactors at Kudankulam.

RCom launches mVDO for mobile users

Telecom operator Reliance Communications (RCom) today announced the launch of its value-added service "mVDO", which will allow its mobile subscribers watch, share, search and upload videos online.

BSNL getting MNP network ready to lure mobile users of rivals

In a bid to attract subscribers of rival companies, state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) is gearing up to start mobile number portability (MNP) services as soon as telecom regulator Trai issues tariff structure.

States should implement high security number plates: Centre

The government today said though it had amended the central motor vehicles rules in March 2001 for High Security Registration Plates (HSRP), it is primarily the responsibility of states to ensure its implementation.

Car prices set to increase by January

Come New Year, cars will be costlier with automakers like Toyota and General Motors today saying that they will hike prices by up to three per cent due to rising input costs, while the country"s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India is still evaluating the situation.

Making banking mobile

Business Standard / New Delhi December 03, 2009, 1:34 IST

Natco Pharma FY09 net rises 8.5% at Rs 44 cr

Hyderabad-based drug maker Natco Pharma reported an 8.5 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 43.98 crore for the year ended March 2009, compared with Rs 40.52 crore posted in the previous year.

China denies reports of diverting Brahmaputra: Govt

The government today said that China has denied reports suggesting it was planning to divert the course of the Brahmaputra river.

MNP norms by August-end: Trai

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today said the guidelines for mobile number portability (MNP) were likely to be ready by August-end and asked operators to keep their networks ready to roll out the services quickly.

\'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.

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar: Star, democracy and media

What does TV broadcast major Star’s shift of operations from Hong Kong to India suggest? What does it mean now that the Star India CEO Uday Shankar will report directly to James Murdoch, the head of Europe and Asia for parent News Corporation, instead of reporting to the regional boss in Hong Kong? In the answers to these questions lie the story of the growth of Indian media.

India Inc for national media policy

The creation of a single national media policy and a single-window clearance for companies involved in the media and entertainment sector will give required fillip to the domestic media industry, says India Inc.

Govt terms Axelrod as a \'spin doctor\'

Government today downplayed comments by White House senior adviser David Axelrod that the Copenhagen Accord had bound India to cutting emissions and said the remarks were that of a "spin doctor" aimed at domestic consumption.

Markets raise eyebrows at DLF, Caraf deal valuations

The deal to integrate two of the country’s largest lease-rental entities, DLF Cyber City (a subsidiary of DLF) and Caraf Builders (majority owned by DLF promoters), hasn’t gone down well with the markets.

Markets end flat

The Sensex ended at 17,088, lower by 31 points and the Nifty shut at 5,102, down 15 points (provisional closing).

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.

Life insurers\' premium collection rises 21%

Life insurance industry logged a 21 per cent increase in premium collections during the first seven months of the current fiscal compared to the same period last year, indicating recovery in the sector.

Insurers look for profits, investors for higher foreign stake

Ten years ago, a survey had projected that the life insurance industry would see its premium income grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.9 per cent.

Sebi well within rights to act against RIL: MCA

The government has said that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) was empowered to take action against Reliance Industries (RIL) if a probe established irregularities in share allotment by the company in 2000, and wanted to know what exactly the market regulator expected from it.

Ranbaxy Labs reports net profit of Rs 116 cr

India’s biggest drug maker, Ranbaxy Laboratories, has posted a net profit of Rs 116.6 crore for its third quarter ended September, against a net loss of Rs 394.5 crore in the same period last year, which had been largely attributed to mark-to-market exchange losses.

DCB raises Rs 81 cr via QIP, promoter stake reduces to 23%

Development Credit Bank (DCB) today said it has raised Rs 81 crore by private placement of shares with qualified buyers.

Ranbaxy finding ways to make two of four acquisitions work

The key strategic investments made by the erstwhile promoters of Ranbaxy Laboratories may seem to be floundering on the surface, but the Daiichi-owned company is looking at bigger engagements with at least two of these companies.

\'Exports, defence offset business to drive our growth\'

Mahesh Kulkarni / Bangalore November 17, 2009, 0:30 IST

Wkly Tech Analysis: Weakness seen in first half

Markets rallied smartly at the beginning of the week owing to strong gross domestic product numbers and easing Dubai debt woes. The benchmark indices consolidated at higher levels in the second half of the week.

Govt mulling extension of safety zone near offshore oil units

In view of the security threat to offshore oil and gas installations, the government is mulling on extending the safety zone around these facilities beyond 500 meters.

Curious case of the Civic

IN MY MIND

Sea Trans moves London court against owner of sunken vessel

Sea Trans Marine Private Ltd, a Kolkata-based shipping agency has filed a case in an international court in London against the owner and management company of the vessel Black Rose, which capsized near Paradeep port a month back.

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.

SAIL again delays Rs 70,000-cr mega expansion plan

The global recession and the resultant demand slump has delayed Steel Authority of India"s (SAIL) ambitious Rs 70,000-crore expansion plan for the second time in as many months, as it would now be completed by 2012-13 only.

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.

Low investment, low returns

Most people think that small investments will lead to lower risks. But the returns are adversely impacted.

Get your word\'s worth

Jai Arjun Singh / New Delhi November 21, 2009, 0:27 IST

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.

Police on alert

Police have made elaborate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident in the light of the various students organisations and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)’s proposed rally to the state Assembly on Thursday demanding separate statehood for the Telangana region.

Telangana to become the 29th state

The decision to carve out a separate state of Telangana, which will take the total number of states in the Union to 29, comes at the end of a 40-year-old struggle for a distinct identity.

Centre agrees to form Telangana state

Home Minister P Chidambaram has said the process for forming the new state will be initiated.

Bharathi Cement to add 2.5 million tonne capacity by 2010

Bharathi Cement Corporation commenced its commercial operations from its Nallalingayapalli manufacturing plant located in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.

Aditi Phadnis: Cash and carry CM

Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi October 17, 2009, 0:32 IST

Bharathi Cement to add 2.5 mt capacity by 2010

Bharathi Cement Corporation (BCC) commenced its commercial operations from its Nallalingayapalli manufacturing plant, located in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday.

TCS eyes $1-bn Indian revenue

Even as its US business has been impacted by the recession, Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest information technology services provider, expects its India revenues to double to $1 billion in the next three-four years, majorly coming from the government sector. India currently contributes 10 per cent to TCS’ total revenues.

SEC shares info with CBI on scam probe

A three-member team of United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) exchanged information with CBI, which is probing the multi-crore accounting scam at Satyam Computers here.

L&T\'s Satyam share sale pulls down scrip

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has sold a third of its holding in Mahindra Satyam, or 27.24 million shares, for Rs 306.54 crore, taking the software company’s share price down by 6.6 per cent, the biggest fall in five months.

Posted profit of Rs 71.9 crore

Simbhaoli Sugar, the country’s second largest refiner, has posted a net profit of Rs 71.9 crore in the second quarter of the current financial year as against Rs 29.1 crore loss in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Backed by high sugar prices, the company’s net sales rose 62.2 per cent to Rs 706.5 crore compared with Rs 435.5 crore.

CII-PwC study sees 10 % auto market for Bengal by \'22

Although West Bengal"s present contribution to the Indian automobile sector is negligible, the state could capture about 10 per cent of the projected size of the domestic industry by 2022, a study undertaken by CII and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has suggested.

Delayed exit may stoke inflation: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said that an exit from an easy monetary policy must be calibrated in a manner that kept inflationary expectations well-anchored.

Infosys BPO chief quits; to join HDFC Standard Life

Was tipped as a probable to occupy the top seat in Infosys after Kris.

Making each paisa count

While pay-per-second tariff plans seem attractive, there’s a lot you need to know before switching over.

\'The commission-free structure will kill the insurance industry\'

Shilpy Sinha / New Delhi September 22, 2009, 0:17 IST

AP govt to spend Rs 30 crore on Hyd roads

Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah has directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to take up road repair works at a cost of Rs 30 crore in the state capital.

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.

Surjit S Bhalla: India\'s Shining Decade

Surjit S Bhalla / New Delhi December 26, 2009, 0:41 IST

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.

Postal dept to end FY10 with Rs 5,632 cr deficit: Govt

The government today said the postal department is expected to have a deficit of Rs 5,632.46 crore in the current fiscal, which has increased substantially over the past few years following implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

No takers for gold sold by banks

Investors, who bought gold from banks, are in a fix as leading jewellery houses are not ready to buy it and it cannot be sold back to banks either.

A cushion for dotage

A Mercer survey reveals wide disparity across sectors when it comes to superannuation benefits to employees

IDBI follow-on offer in January

IDBI Bank said on Friday it would come out with a follow-on public offer (FPO) in January to meet its capital needs. It also plans to raise $500 million through overseas bonds to fund Indian corporates’ expansion programmes abroad.

FII-TO-FII TRADES: PNB traded at 5% premium

Trades between FIIs generated a volume of Rs 133 crore on the BSE Friday-an increase of 99.55% from Rs 66 crore clocked on Thursday. As many as five stocks witnessed trades of 9.73 lakh shares on Friday.

Intel in talks with ITI for WiMAX joint venture

Huawei, Samsung, Alcatel-Lucent, Hitachi may also bid.

Ashok Leyland gains on Dec sales jump

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

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).

Mobile termination charges may be cut

Move could further bring down mobile tariffs.

Defence min puts rider to release of 3G

‘Clear the proposal for laying of optical fibre network before Dec 7’.

Aluminium demand may rise in 2010

Aluminum consumption in Asia may continue to grow next year as stimulus measures in China, the world’s biggest metals consumer, and rest of the region lift demand for the metal, an executive at Novelis Korea said.

Indian staff optimistic about cos\' future in Q3: study

Indian employees maintained high level of confidence in the future of their companies in the third quarter of this year compared to their global peers, a study says.

Markets in green; Bharti bucks trend

The Sensex after rebounding into green touched a high of 17,226, and is now up 77 points at 17,196. The NSE Nifty is up 15 points at 5,132.

Sensex down 25 points in opening trades

The Sensex opened marginally lower this morning.

Centre to launch solar mission on Nov 14: Farooq

Union minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that India was planning a major thrust in sphere of renewable energy sourcese, especially solar and wind energy.

Oil touches $80 on better US economy

Oil prices touched $80 a barrel today in Asia on optimism a gradual US economic recovery in 2010 will boost demand for crude.

After climate change, Oppn fires another salvo at Govt on WTO

After the heat it faced on climate change stand for the Copenhagen summit, the government today came under scanner as the Opposition felt that India might come under US pressure on the trade talks in WTO.

Mittal plans 6 mt plant in Karnataka

Investment likely to be Rs 30,000 crore.

Dadri land acquisition not on hold: R-Power

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

Suzlon Energy\'s three promoters pledge 2.8 cr shares

Wind power turbine maker Suzlon Energy today said its three promoters have, in total, pledged a further 2.80 crore shares, taking the total shares pledged by the company"s promoters to 28.28 per cent.

Subir Roy: How to handle negative Chinese vibes

Subir Roy / New Delhi October 14, 2009, 0:00 IST

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.

Markets extend gains; Nifty up 48pts

Markets have continued to gain. The Sensex is at the day"s high of 15,418, up 183 points. The Nifty is at 4,572 - down only six points from the day"s high. The index is up 48 points from the previous close.

Markets volatile, recover from red

The markets have recover after slipping into negative terrain for the second time since morning trades. The NSE Nifty is now at 4,535, up eight points.

Markets sideways; Nifty up 22pts

The markets are now exhibiting sideways movement, after initial volatility.

Key Levels: More upside above 15,350

The markets are likely to open on a positive note owing to strong cues from the global markets. Reliance is likely to be in focus today ahead of its Q1 numbers.

FIIs raise stake in Nifty firms to 43%

Buy shares worth Rs 30,456 crore in June quarter, mostly from open market.

Major pvt airlines owe Rs 274 cr to AAI

Government today said the major private domestic airlines owed over Rs 274 crore to the Airports Authority of India for availing its services.

AAI seeks assistance from govt for loss making NE operations

The Airports Authority of India is seeking financial assistance from the government for its loss-making operations in the North Eastern region.

Attitude of some Cong leaders leaves me \'heart-broken\': Amar Singh

A day after giving its letter of unconditional support in favour of UPA government to the President, Samajwadi Party today said it felt "heart-broken" at the attitude of certain Congress leaders who have been belittling it.

Commodity stocks gave best returns in \'09

The BSE metal index tops the sectoral gainers list with an appreciation of 233 per cent.

LIC Housing sells 18.3% stake in LIC MF to Nomura

LIC Housing Finance today sold 18.3 per cent of stake in LIC Mutual Fund to Japanese Financial services company, Nomura, expecting to garner Rs 138-crore.

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.

PC shipments drop 19% in Jan-Mar quarter this year

Hit by the economic slowdown and low spending by the government on the information technology sector prior to the assembly elections, the personal computer (PC) shipments in the country fell by 19 per cent during the January-March quarter this year.

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.

Strides Arcolab soars on Pfizer deal

Strides Arcolab ended the day at Rs 254, stronger by Rs 19 or 8.2%, on the BSE.

Responsibilities on Indian Navy increased after 26/11: Verma

Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma today said that responsibilities of the Indian Navy has increased post 26/11 terror attacks and suggested to bring all coastal vigilance agencies "under a single security magnet".

M&M slips on plans of aviation extention

Mahindra & Mahindra has ended at Rs 1,152, weaker by Rs 25 or 2.1%, on the BSE.

Vivimed Labs in Rs 130-cr expansion

Two greenfield plants to come up at Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad.

Godrej Properties IPO over-subscribed 1.13 times on debut

Godrej Properties Ltd"s public offer, through which the realty developer expects to raise up to Rs 500 crore, got over-subscribed 1.13 times on the first day of issue today.


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AAI seeks assistance from govt for loss making NE operations
The Airports Authority of India is seeking financial assistance from the government for its loss-making operations in the North Eastern region.
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Business Standard / New Delhi December 02, 2009, 0:52 IST