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High-level committee to probe IOC fire
A high-level committee of the Petroleum Ministry will probe the causes behind the fire at the IOC fuel facility on the outskirts of the city and suggest future safety measures at oil and gas depots.

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.

News of the day

INVESTING: Paras Adenwala
What sense do you make of the upcoming real estate initial public offers? There is a lot of hype around them. The shares of many real estate companies that came up with public issues in the past are trading below their offer prices. What is the outlook for the sector?

Home Business

Price energy at global market rates: Kelkar

Thirteenth Finance commission Chairman Vijay Kelkar today said the price of energy should be the same for everybody and subsidy should be directly given to the targeted beneficiary.

Nathwani speaks on Ambanis\' gas row; says he\'s linked to RIL

Declaring his association with Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL), Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani today said the Ambani brothers" agreement provided for government approval of gas price and that RIL had not breached its terms.

ING Life aims 15% growth in new biz premiums

Aiming to break even in the next three years, ING Life is targeting a 15 per cent increase in its new business premiums, a top company official today said.

Interest rates unlikely to rise in FY10: Bankers

When Reserve Bank of India Governor D Subbarao meets top bankers in the customary pre-policy meeting on October 12, he can draw comfort from the fact that a majority of the bankers think interest rates may not be hiked till the end of the financial year.

Wanted: Credit for weavers

The crux of the problem is that the extent of government help for cooperatives is limited to purchase of their output.

\'NCP wants to fight M\'rashtra assembly polls with Cong\'

Nationalist Congress Party"s (NCP) Maharashtra unit chief R R Patil today said that the party intends to fight forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections in alliance with Congress.

When big is big

Scale has always fascinated Paresh Maity, but now he’s experimenting with newer genres in paintings and sculpture.

Wood and paint world

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

Withdrawals from ELSS before 3 yrs

I had invested in ELSS (equity linked savings scheme) funds one year before, but I have not claimed this investment while filing for return. Can I withdraw from the ELSS, though the three-year lock-in is not complete?

Nitish invites India Inc to invest in Bihar

Assuring India Inc of full safety, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today invited corporate honchos to invest in the state as there can be no inclusive growth unless the state catches up with the rest of the nation.

Tulip Telecom Q3 net up 38% to Rs 69 cr

IT solutions provider Tulip Telecom today said its consolidated net profit rose by 38.19 per cent to Rs 68.60 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, over the same period corresponding fiscal.

Newsmaker: Ramesh Chandra Agarwal

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar / Mumbai December 18, 2009, 2:33 IST

Industry favours early implementation of GST

India Inc today asked Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) "as early as possible", amid speculations that the indirect tax reform may not be implemented from the scheduled date of April 1.

Infopark Kochi Phase II all set to take off

Kerala chief minister to lay stone for the project on Nov 28

Where you sit

Most people in public life know that where you stand depends on where you sit. When Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran began arguing the government’s case in the fight between Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Anil Ambani’s Reliance Natural Resources Limited (RNRL), he happened to sit on the same side as RNRL’s lawyers. Ram Jethmalani, who is one of RNRL’s lawyers, objected and said, “You should move to the other side (near the RIL lawyers) since this makes it appear that you (the government) are in collusion with me (RNRL).”

Bharti may take on MTN in bid for Zain

Indian firm holds preliminary talks, Essar group also in the fray.

Patni appoints Vijay Mehra as EVP

IT and BPO service provider, Patni Computer Systems, today appointed Vijay Mehra as Executive Vice President and Head of Business Verticals.

JSPL, Gagan Sponge receive notices

The government has threatened to cancel a coal block allocated jointly to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd for captive use, citing unsatisfactory progress in the development of the mine.

Infiniti Retail plans to have over 100 Croma stores by 2011

Tata Group"s Infiniti Retail today said it expects to have over 100 "Croma" stores across the country in the next three years as it eyes deeper penetration into Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Fixing Your Focus

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

Smoke billowed from Taj due to short circuit; no fire

Fire tenders were rushed to the iconic Taj Hotel and guests evacuated from its tower wing after smoke billowed from the building following a short-circuit today.

\'US not supporting India\'s UNSC seat bid\'

The government today said that the United States has not expressed support for a permanent seat for India in an expanded United Nations Security Council.

Yes Bank set for mega retail push

Pvt player to launch credit cards, education, personal loans in 3 yrs.

The end of patronage

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

Gujarat awards Rs 110 crore contract to HCL for IT deployment

Gujarat government today awarded Rs. 110 crore contract to HCL Infosystems to take Information Technology (IT) to around 7,000 schools in the state. As part of the contract, the IT major will supply PCs with biometric finger print scanner and UPS to over 6,000 schools under education department and 1,000 schools under tribal department.

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.

Nano to have permanent home in Pantnagar, too

Tata Motors will distribute all Nano cars from Pantnagar through its new subsidiary, Tata Motors Distribution

Revamp of A-I brass in 30 days: Patel

National carrier to induct seven independent directors and appoint a chief operating officer.

NEWSALERT: \'Major revamp in Air India\'s top management\'

Major revamp in Air India"s top management in next 30 days, says Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

Nasscom promoted Innovation Fund gets first closing corpus

Nasscom today said that the India Innovation Fund (IIF) promoted by it and ICICI Knowledge park (IKP) has achieved its first closing corpus of Rs 40 crore.

Centurian Group to ink MoU with South Queensland University

City-based Centurion Group of Institutions (CGI) will sign an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the University of South Queensland (USQ), Australia, for collaboration in education field.

Answers to last week's quiz (#125)

*This fictional character is a $5-billion cash cow for its company. But its popularity seems to be waning and the company has plans to rebrand its personality by moving away from its clean image. The first project for this exercise has been code named Super Secret. Name the character.

Bhupesh Bhandari: Online tracking

Bhupesh Bhandari / New Delhi December 03, 2009, 0:30 IST

Gold slides on weak global cues

Gold prices fell by Rs 250 to Rs 17,110 per ten gram in the bullion market today as investors resorted to heavy selling amid a weakening global trend.

Fire breaks out at Bhilai steel plant

A major fire broke out at the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in the wee hours today, severely hitting the hot metal production at the flagship entity of the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL).

A K Bhattacharya: When cricket is not just a game

A K Bhattacharya / New Delhi January 27, 2010, 0:56 IST

Sunil Jain: Don\'t dial this merger

Sunil Jain / New Delhi July 27, 2009, 0:41 IST

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.

Brewberrys to stir up coffee market

Brewberrys Hospitality Pvt Ltd (BbH), which operates the Brewberrys chain of cafes in India, plans to increase its footprint by over 200 per cent in the coming months. The Vadodara-based cafe chain is banking on the franchisee model to gain further scale and depth in its operations, according to Reji Thomas of JenJon Retail & Services Private Limited, the master franchiser for Brewberrys.

Fox bags rights for My Name Is Khan in Rs 100 crore deal

Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer My Name is Khan, directed by Karan Johar, is set to create a record ahead of its release early next year with Fox Star Studios reportedly buying its marketing and distribution rights for around Rs 100 crore.

Koda Case: ED conducts searches at Emaar MGF\'s offices

The Enforcement Directorate today conducted searches on the premises of realtor Emaar MGF in connection with the multi-crore illegal Hawala and investment case involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.

Sebi holds hearing on IPO scam

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had a hearing today on the controversial issue of the role of the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) in the IPO scam of 2005.

Making each paisa count

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

BSNL may talk directly to Zain for stake buy

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) today said it may directly talk to Zain Telecom to acquire a controlling stake after the exclusive talks period between the consortium Vavasi and the Kuwaiti firm ends.

Akdhikari Bros to issue warrants to promoters

Media company Si Adhikari Brothers Television Network will issue 10.1 million warrants carrying an option to subscribe equivalent number of equity shares to promoters on a preferential basis to promoters and private bodies corporate to fund its expansion plans, the company said in a statement to the Bombay stock Exchange.

Dishnet most congested mobile network in June

Dishnet Wireless Ltd, part of Aircel group that offers GSM mobile services in northern and eastern states, was the most congested mobile network in April-June this year, Trai said today.

Telecom firms ring in web ambassadors

Idea joins Vodafone to use the fun route on the Net

Diversion of cane to gur units led to shortfall this year

The Union government has finally accepted that in spite of a major setback in cane production during the season ended September 2009, the country’s sugar production would not have been as dismal as 14.6 million tonnes compared with 26.33 million tonnes in 2007-08, had there not been such a massive diversion of the crop to gur and khandsari units.

Retail investors give IPOs a miss

Reason: Few issues have enabled investors to make listing gains.

Automatic digging

Facebook: Facebook is digging its moat deeper – only now it’s doing so on autopilot. The social networking firm has said before its operations throw off more cash than they consume. So news that operating profits also more than cover capital expenditures doesn’t surprise — until you realise the company added another 50m users over the past 3 months. This self-financed infrastructure build-out is significant.

R-Infra tells EGoM to stop RIL marketing margin

Standard industry practice, replies RIL

Govt to blame, not us, for gas outcome: RIL

If Anil Ambani’s Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) is aggrieved at Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd for not proceeding with the private agreement between the two brothers on gas supply from the latter’s fields, it should instead blame the Union government, said RIL’s senior counsel, Harish Salve, at the Supreme Court today.

Luxury train project finds suitor

The Orissa tourism department"s plan to start a luxury train modeled on the famed Palace on Wheels has gained ground as a private player has evinced interest in investing in the project.

India to get more nuke reactors from Russia

New defence pact likely as Manmohan visits Moscow on December 7.

Crisis and opportunity

Business Standard / New Delhi November 26, 2009, 0:29 IST

\'Do we need a new Copenhagen plan?\'

Business Standard / New Delhi November 04, 2009, 0:02 IST

Corporate entities, HNIs also get ASBA facility

In a move that may lead to faster primary market issuances, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) today said Asba (applications supported by blocked amount) facility would also be extended to non-retail, high net worth and corporate investors. The measure was introduced in Sebi’s scheme of ASBA-II. All investors, except qualified institutional buyers, would be able to apply through the facility, a Sebi circular said.

Lunch with BS: Piyush Pandey

Shyamal Majumdar / Mumbai December 22, 2009, 0:04 IST

CAT 2009 will not be scrapped, says CAT committee

This year"s computerised Common Admission Test (CAT), which was marred by technical glitches, will not be scrapped, the exam committee announced today.

Iranian elections top Twitter topic for 2009

Iran"s controversial presidential election was the top Twitter topic in 2009, the wildly popular microblogging service said today.

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.

BJP shows \'strength\' by bandh

West Bengal"s flagship IT district started the week on a tumultuous note with political activists going on a rampage early on Monday in an effort to enforce the 12-hour shutdown called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Elsewhere, party activists obstructed trains and set buses on fire, to protest against rising food prices, thereby partially affecting life in the city.

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.

Analysts' corner

GAIL

BEL mulls foray into nuclear power space

Defence PSU Bharat Electronics, which is restructuring its businesses, is planning to enter the nuclear power space, designing and manufacturing instruments.

Indowind Energy uses Rs 36 cr loan

Indowind Energy Ltd on Friday said it had availed of Rs 36 crore term loan of the Rs 76 crore sanctioned by Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd in October 2008 for completing the existing 18 Mw operational projects. The balance Rs 40 crore has been earmarked for implementing new projects to be undertaken this year

BSNL revenue arrears stand at Rs 7,483 crore for 2007-08

BSNL’s revenue arrears for 2007-08 have touched Rs 7,482.81 crore, out of which Rs 4,226 crore may or may not materialise, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar: Should media companies get into events?

The question the headline raises is being increasingly asked. Not because the trend is new, but because it is now more than eight years old. Across a range of segments from broadcasting (radio or TV), publishing or others, media companies that have got into the events business have seen somewhat disappointing results. The 4-10 per cent of topline brought in by the events doesn’t justify the effort put in by media companies. Think of it this way — selling a double-spread ad in a magazine or a half-page one in a newspaper gets better margins than the sponsorship for an event.

Bharti said to offer 320 bps more than Libor for MTN loans

Bharti Airtel may pay lenders as much as 3.2 percentage points more than the London interbank offered rate (Libor) as it seeks to borrow $5 billion to buy a stake in MTN Group, three people familiar with the matter said.

Rajya Sabha debates to go digital

Accessing the voluminous debates of the Rajya Sabha since its inception in 1952 will now be available with just a click of the mouse.

Unitech to raise $575 mn through QIP route

Within less than three months of raising $325 million through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP), Unitech Ltd, the second largest real estate company in the country, is raising $575 million (Rs 2,770 crore) through the same route. The fund would be used to repay part of the company’s debt, which is currently at Rs 7,500 crore.

Copenhagen: Intense negotiations as emerging nations resist scrutiny

The US-brokered deal with India and three other emerging economies went down to the wire with a personal push by President Barack Obama, even as developing nations appeared to have staved off attempts to subject their voluntary mitigation actions to international review.

Bajaj Auto: Yesterday no Bajaj Auto: Yesterday no Sayantani Kar / Mumbai December 22, 2009, 0:12 IST

Sensex pares gains; Hindalco up 4%

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.

TRAI to float consultation paper on M&A norms

Telecom regulator TRAI today said it will float a consultation paper on merger and acquisitions in the sector by the next month, a move that could unleash the second wave of consolidation in the sector.

TCS successfully delivers CFETS project in China

Information technology major and Tata group company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), today announced that the Reminbi currency trading platform for the Chinese inter-bank market, has successfully gone live nation-wide. This is an initiative of China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), a subsidiary of People’s Bank of China (PBoC).

'Electorate in West Bengal wants change'

Rajat Roy / New Delhi November 22, 2009, 0:36 IST

Song sung blue

The mumbai-based Blue FRog is more than just a club with live music acts. it’s in fact an experience, a record label and to its fans, a way of life.

Tata Motors, Vijaya Bank in tie-up for financing vehicles

Tata Motors has tied up with Vijaya Bank for financing its range of commercial and passenger vehicles to provide an added facility of finance to its customers.

Janta Roadways launches taxi service in Chennai

Janta Roadways, a Chennai-based logistics services provider in the car transportation segment, launched its luxury taxi service in the city on Tuesday. The service will cover Greater Chennai, which includes Sriperumbudur.

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.

IOC expects oil bonds worth Rs 6,200-crore

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) today said it is expecting oil bonds worth Rs 6,200-crore from the government to make good the losses it suffers on selling petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene at below market rates.

Kotak Mahindra gets $51 mn credit from WB entity

As a first initiative of its kind in India, a World Bank entity will provide credit facility of up to $51 million to Kotak Mahindra Bank to help small and medium enterprises, hit hard by the global financial crisis, meet their export and import obligations.

Apex court sets aside HC order on Paradip Port

The Supreme Court today set aside the Orissa High Court’s interim order that restrained the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) from reinviting financial bids from the short-listed bidders for developing a coal berth.

INTTUC, Citu workers clash near HPL project

At least six persons were injured when striking workers of CPI(M)’s labour wing Citu clashed with members of Trinamool Congres-affiliated union near the Haldia Petrochemicals’ (HPL) supermax project site in Purba Medinipur district on Sunday. Police said the Citu workers were picketing near the plant site in support of their indefinite strike, which began yesterday, when some members of INTTUC (Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress) tried to forcibly enter the HPL complex.

Coal ministry mulls proposal to divest stake in CIL

The Coal Ministry is working on a proposal to disinvest 5-10 per cent stake in navratna PSU Coal India Ltd, a move which may pave way for early listing of the country"s largest producer of the dry fuel.

NTPC ready to buy gas from RIL,opposes paying marketing margin

State-run NTPC has agreed to buy natural gas from Reliance Industries but is opposed to paying marketing margin to the private firm and wants to use the fuel at plants other than Kawas and Gandhar that were identified by the government.

ONGC pressured into scaling up investment in Rajasthan

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has bowed to the diktat of the Petroleum Ministry and approved higher investment in Cairn India"s Rajasthan oilfields.

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.

Govt opposes flight suspension by pvt airlines

With private airlines suspending operations on August 18, the government today said it does not support any move to inconvenience the travelling public and asked the carriers to engage in a dialogue.

Concern in RS over Indian agencies not allowed to quiz Headley

CPI-M today expressed serious concern over Indian investigating agencies not being allowed to interrogate LeT operative David Coleman Headley and sought to know what steps the government is taking into the matter.

\'Process for Telangana formation to be fully followed\'

All processes regarding formation of a separate Telangana state will be "fully followed", Government told the Lok Sabha today.

Agreed to runoff for peace and stability of Afghan: Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that he agreed to the November 7 run-off elections for the sake of peace and stability of the country, though he feels that the Presidential election result was "clear".

Drydocks not to be part of Dubai World revamp

Dubai"s indebted conglomerate Dubai World has said its ship building firm Drydocks World and its subsidiaries will not be included in the proposed restructuring plan.

Taxmen probe power tenders passed in Koda\'s tenure

In the biggest financial scam of the nine-year-old state of Jharkhand, “dial M for money” didn’t only mean mining leases for Madhu Koda and company, but megawatts too.

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.

Dubai World may sell assets to part finance debt

Dubai World will sell some of its assets to part finance its $26 billion debt, a senior city-state official said amid a sharp fall in the main stock exchanges in the United Arab Emirates today.

RBI says banks didn\'t follow rules

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has pointed out serious lapses in the way banks sold derivative products in 2007 and 2008. This is part of RBI’s reply to a questionnaire sent by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Orissa High Court had last year asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to submit a report on the derivative losses incurred by the industry last year.

This number does not exist

It’s a sign of the changing power equations in the telecom ministry after the CBI raids on it and the investigations into the allotment of spectrum to a handful of firms — Communications Minister A Raja’s Private Secretary R K Chandolia’s name no longer figures in the list on the ministry’s website. Till a few weeks ago, if you logged on to the ministry’s website and clicked on ‘contacts’, you’d find Chandolia’s name against the designation ‘PS’. Of late, however, there are no names/numbers in this slot.

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.

\'Knowledgeable investors do not look at profit or loss numbers\'

Shilpy Sinha / Mumbai December 25, 2009, 0:41 IST

Andhra bids farewell to YSR

Former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash two days ago, was laid to rest on Friday by the side of his parents at his private estate at Idupulapaya in Pudivendula, his hometown. The embalmed body, which was kept in a wooden coffin, was buried at 5.30 pm.

AP seeks Rs 10,000 cr for drought relief

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to seek Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre to undertake drought relief measures in the state. A memorandum will be submitted to the Union government shortly. A decision to this effect was taken at a review meeting held by chief minister, K Rosaiah, on Sunday.

IATA wants AERA to rationalise airport user charges

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has put India on the "Wall of Shame" for hiking airport user charges by over 200 per cent, but hopes that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) would play a role to rationalise these charges paid by airlines and passengers.

IRB Infra Q2 PAT jumps 80% at Rs 74.31 cr

Mumbai-based IRB Infrastructure Developers today reported an 80 per cent jump in profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 74.31 crore in the second quarter ended September 30, 2009.

FDI jumps 60% to $1.74 bn in Nov

Foreign direct investment in the country surged by 60 per cent to $1.74 billion (around Rs 8,000 crore) in November, an official said today.

Fire & engg policies dearer by 25%

Non-life insurers earlier offered discounts as high as 97 per cent in some cases.

SBI gets final nod for non-life venture

Public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI) today received final approval for its general insurance venture from the sectoral regulator IRDA.

IRB Infra qualifies to bid for Rs 22k-cr road project

IRB Infrastructure Developers today said it has qualified to bid for projects worth Rs 22,000 crore from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Gujarat State Road Development Corp (GSRDC) among others.

IRB Infra bags NHAI project in Punjab

IRB Infrastructure Developers today said it has emerged as the successful bidder for a project of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Punjab.

PNB offers subsidized home loans on New Year eve

The country’s second largest public lender, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has offered to grant home loans at floating interest rates up to 2.5 percent below the prevailing Public Lending Rate (PLR) till the end of 2009 under its flagship scheme.

PNB sells 26% in housing finance arm to Destimoney

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has sold 26 per cent stake in its wholly owned housing subsidiary, PNB Housing Finance, to financial services firm Destimoney Enterprises for Rs 79.17 crore.

A cushion for dotage

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

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.

Devangshu Datta: Brave new world (contd)

Devangshu Datta / New Delhi September 12, 2009, 0:08 IST

UniverCell plans 700 stores

Chennai-based mobile retail chain, UniverCell, will be opening 700 stores across the country in the next two years. Each outlet will entail an investment of Rs 28 lakh.

Battle for touch screens

Samsung has the first-mover advantage, but Nokia wants to catch up fast

Mamata \'setting\' agenda for Bengal govt

Despite being in the Opposition in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is ‘setting’ the agenda for the state government.

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.

Should RBI raise interest rates?

- Oil imports rise first time in over a year - 2010 set to be year of indices trading - Crisil to research illiquid stocks to help investors - "Indian regulatory regime has brought us a world of good" - Global crisis pinches FDI purse in 2009 - Experts debate rollback of lenient policy

No BSNL-MTNL consortium yet for buying Zain

The state-run telecom companies-- BSNL and MTNL-- have not formed any consortium so far with any other company to bid for Kuwaiti telecom major Zain Telecom, minister of state for IT and telecom Gurudas Kamat told the Lok Sabha in a written reply today.

Govt to take considerate view of per-sec billing model: Pilot

The government will take a considerate view of the telecom regulator Trai"s proposal to bill customers based on per second usage instead of the prevailing pulse system, Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot today said.

Sterlite Tech Q2 net jumps nine-fold to Rs 54.67 crore

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.

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.

SRK\'s black belt

You’ve heard of honorary doctorates, but honorary black belts? Bollywood czar Shahrukh Khan who has been appointed the Honorary Ambassador of Korea (Culture & Tourism) has been conferred the title ‘Honorary Black Belt (5 Dan) of Taekwondo’. The ceremony, a press release from the Korean National Tourism Organisation says, was held at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai. And in case you think SRK has just got the black belt for nothing, Korea’s honorary ambassador said, according to the press release, that he had ‘developed a keener interest in sports such as Taekwondo now because of his children — son Aryan, who has won 10 gold medals in sports and daughter Suhana who’s won 3 gold medals in sports activities at the school level’. SRK also said that given the rising interest in sports in India, this was the right time to associate with Korea which is known for its strong base in sports. Bollywood’s macho man Akshay Kumar is probably trembling in the face of SRK’s new black belt.

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.

Shyamal Majumdar: 'Indicting' themselves

Shyamal Majumdar / Mumbai August 6, 2009, 0:37 IST

Vedic row: Alleged land shark among 6 arrested

A man allegedly involved in illegal land acquisition for the controversial Vedic village resort near New Kolkata township was arrested along with five others from Bankura by a North 24 Parganas police team today.

Student JAC to block national highways on January 5

Students of the joint action committee (JAC) at Osmania University, the nerve centre of pro-Telangana protests, on Sunday said they would block all the entry points to Hyderabad, including national highways, in a bid to prevent leaders of Seemandhra (Rayalseema and Andhra) from entering the state capital on January 5.

Punjab spinning mills worried over delay in rollback of \'mandi\' fee

The spinning mill owners of Punjab are concerned over the delay in rollback of the mandatory registration of spinning mills under the Punjab Agriculture Produce Marketing Act and entry tax on ginned cotton.

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.

Subir Roy: How to handle negative Chinese vibes

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

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.

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.

Nomura to buy 35% in LIC Mutual Fund

Japan"s Nomura Group is set to acquire 35 per cent in LIC Mutual Fund, India"s seventh largest mutual fund, after the board of directors of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) approved a proposal to induct the Japanese financial services major as a strategic partner in the mutual fund business, sources in the state-owned life insurer said.

Sanjaya Baru: Local and global in Hyderabad

Political expediency should not stunt a great city’s growth.

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.

Markets end weak

The Sensex has ended at 17,589, down 111 points and the Nifty has closed at 5,257, down 24 points.

Global action forcing pirates to Indian Ocean: Ban

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said intensified international action to tackle ship seizures off the Somali coast is forcing pirates further afield into the Indian Ocean and more recently closer to the Seychelles.

HSL to build Rs 4,000 cr shipyard in AP or Orissa

State-owned Hindustan Shipyard (HSL) plans to build a large shipyard to accommodate very large crude carrier ships (VLCC) at an estimated project cost of Rs 3,000-4,000 crore, a top official said. The proposed shipyard, which will be built on a public-private-partnership model, is expected to receive cabinet approval by the end of this fiscal, HSL"s Chairman and Managing Director, Naresh Kumar said on the sidelines of SMM India"s shipping trade fair.

State\'s cotton crop likely to rise 15%

Despite recent floods in northern districts and subsequent damage to the standing crops, Karnataka, the sixth largest producer of cotton in the country, is likely to increase its cotton output this year by around 15 per cent to a little over one million bales (1 bale = 170 kgs). The state, which produced 900,000 bales of cotton from 390,000 hectares in 2008-09, had earlier set a target of 25 per cent growth in cotton output and 21 per cent increase in area under cultivation at 490,000 hectares.

Novartis to get leg-up in India with Alcon buy

Will get access to large distribution network in eyecare segment

Tatas woke up Britain: UK Minister

The Tatas" acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) had woken up Britain to growing Indian strength, UK Secretary of State for Business and Innovation Peter Mandelson today said.