Advertising & Marketing
HLL doing a Grameen Bank -- Leverages micro-credit to tap rural market
FAST-MOVING consumer goods (FMCG) major, Hindustan Lever Ltd, is picking up where the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh left off. Leveraging the micro-credit model to expand its rural market, it is piloting `Project Shakti' -- its five-month-old marketing initi
ative involving women belonging to micro-credit self-help groups (SHGs) in the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh.
Agriculture
`FCI wheat export tender norms need to be simplified'
THE Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) has urged the Government to exempt ``established exporters'' from the conditions imposed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for participation in its recent open tender on sale of wheat to pa
rties interested in exporting the foodgrain.
Airlines
Govt studying market demand, growth -- Take-off may be delayed for new private airlines
SEVERAL private airlines may take time for take-off with the Ministry of Civil Aviation indicating that permission is unlikely to be given to any new players till a clear indication is available about the growth trends in the market.
Banking and Finance
Govt urged to act tough on bank NPAs
THE Government should put in place tough measures to bring down the non-performing assets (NPAs) of the public sector banks, according to Mr Y. Tharak Nath, General Secretary, National Confederation of Bank Employees.
SBT scheme for senior citizens
STATE Bank of Travancore (SBT) will offer higher rate of interest to senior citizens with effect from May 21.
Cement
Penna Cement on Rs 110-crore output, product base expansion
THE Andhra Pradesh-based Penna Cement Industries Ltd (PCIL) is expanding its production capacity and product base at a cost of Rs 110 crore.
Courts
Supreme Court upholds relevance of Arbitration Act
IN a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has held that a foreign award, given after the commencement of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, can be enforced only under the Act.
Economy
TUs threaten nationwide stir
Trade unions, cutting across party lines, have threatened a nation-wide agitation against privatisation, amendments of labour laws and removal of quantitative restrictions (QRs) by the Union Government.
Provisional duty recommended on hexamine imports
THE Designated Authority in the Commerce Ministry has recommended the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty on all imports of hexamine from Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Export growth buoyant: CII survey
DESPITE a slowdown in industry, the country's export growth continues to be buoyant, the latest Business Outlook survey of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) shows.
Task force on employment set to finalise report
THE task force on employment opportunities headed by the Planning Commission member, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, will have a final sitting on May 24 to wrap up its deliberations and stitch together a report to be presented to the Deputy Chairman, Mr K.C.
Pant.
Export Watch
No DEPB credit for exports through land customs: Govt
THE Government has ruled out grant of export benefits such as duty entitlement pass book (DEPB) credit on exports made to Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan through the land customs route.
Infrastructure
World Bank aid for roads in Kerala
THE World Bank has approved a Rs 1,350-crore proposal for development of roads and waterways in Kerala.
Insurance
Foundation to boost research, training -- ING Insurance, FICCI tie up
ING Insurance International B.V. has joined hands with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to set up an insurance foundation to promote research, training and education in the various aspects of life insurance.
Miscellaneous
5 new items come under BIS purview
THE Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has brought five new products under its Certification Marks Scheme.
Policy
Finance Ministry faces hurdles in downsizing
THE Government's move to kickstart the exercise of cutting flab in the Finance Ministry in line with the recommendations of the Expenditure Reforms Commission (ERC) may prove to be only a partial success as one of the Ministry's own wings has opposed any
further downsizing.
Power
NLC talks: Deadlock continues
THE wage negotiation between the management of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and its workers, led by the NLC Workers Progressive Union, continues, and the union is set to announce an indefinite strike, according to LPF President, Mr Sivanthan Chetty.
States
TN plans to raise funds for development schemes
THE Tamil Nadu Government is looking at avenues to raise additional resources for developmental projects and to improve the rural economy.
KESCO invites fresh bids for distribution business
KANPUR Electricity Supply Company Ltd (KESCO) has extended its privatisation time-frame for the eleventh time hoping to find an eligible suitor, `preferably' foreign.
CLP Power alters strategies, looking for acquisitions
CLP Power International, the subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based China Light & Power Company Ltd, has altered strategies for remaining in India instead of pulling out of the country like other majors. CLP's new power strategy is now being determined throug
h the mergers and acquisitions route.
Madurai Corporation feat in bond issue
MADURAI: The Madurai Corporation has earned the distinction of being the first civic body in the country to have successfully floated bonds to meet the cost of a toll road. The Rs 29-lakh bond issue brought out in March has been fully subscribed as at th
e end of April.
Tuticorin-Howrah rail link sought
MADURAI: The Sattur Chamber of Commerce and Industry has appealed to Mr Nitish Kumar, Union Minister for Railways, to introduce a new train from Tuticorin to Howrah, via Gondia, Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Rourkela and Tata Nagar.
Workshop on export opportunities
COIMBATORE: The Netherlands-based, Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, is holding a two-day workshop next month in Tirupur on export opportunities for ready-made garments in the European Union.
Panel to boost IT sector
NEW DELHI: The Government is setting up a group with representations from the IT Ministry, the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Planning Commission, to work out an action plan to boost information Technology in Jammu
and Kashmir.
Seminar on service tax
GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Eastern India Regional Council organized a study circle meeting on Service Tax provisions.
TNCCI signs pacts with Chinese cos
MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TNCCI) has signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with two Chinese and one Hong Kong-based trade organisations.
Boost to industrial growth:
The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (left), on Sunday met a delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry, led by its President, Mr Sanjiv Goenka, in Kolkata on Sunday. The Industry Minister, Mr Nirupam Sen, (centre) is also s
een.
Technology
Directory soon on rural technologies
THE National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) has embarked on a four-part project to document rural technologies, of those in practice and those which are not finding much application.
Telecommunications
Rentals prove WLL not `cheap' option: COAI
THE Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) has renewed its fight against `limited mobility,' following the recent order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which has fixed the monthly rentals for the service at between Rs 450 an
d Rs 550.
Cell operators in Delhi take subscribers for a ride
THE customer may be king, but certainly not if he subscribes to a cellular mobile phone in the Capital.
Workshop on mass telecom
THE Telecom Industry and Services Association of India (TISA) is organising a national workshop on `Achieving mass communication through various modern payphone options' on May 30 to deliberate on the various alternatives available for achieving the requ
ired teledensity.
Textiles
No consensus yet on freeing knitting sector from SSI ambit
THE debate whether knitting industry should go out of the small scale industries (SSI) nomenclature or not is growing loud.
