|
|
ICICI, ICICI Bank MUMBAI, Oct 25: The Board of Directors of ICICI Ltd. And the Board of Directors of ICICI Bank Ltd in separate meetings held here today, approved the merger of ICICI with ICICI Bank. ......more Gold
moves up NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Gold prices moved up further on the bullion market today on sustained buying by local parties while silver fell back on new .....more 40
Indian IT companies BANGALORE, Oct 25: More than 40 Indian information companies, mostly software developers, will participate in the Cebit 2002, the world’s foremost .....more Haryana
gears up for CHANDIGARH, Oct 25: Haryana Horticulture Department would spend Rs 3.33 crore during the current financial year to promote cultivation of . ....more |
 |
MUL in top gear, NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) ranks highest in customer satisfaction for automotive dealer service, the latest J D Power Asia Pacific 2001 India Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) study says. As per the study in its fifth year, Maruti Udyog improved its performance across .....more Windows
XP to be NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd today announced the immediate availability of its latest Windows XP Operating System in India, as part of its worldwide launch, triggering excitement and high consumer expectation. Windows XP, the most significant desktop ..more ASSOCHAM calls for caution on 5 fronts at WTO Doha meeting NEW DELHI, Oct 25: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has cautioned against falling prey to the ....more |
 |
|
|
|
|
Gold moves up further, silver retreats NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Gold prices moved up further on the bullion market today on sustained buying by local parties while silver fell back on new stocks arrivals and surrendered moderate ground. Marketmen said sustained buying by local parties for the festival season, particularly for ‘Dussehra’ tomorrow, pushed up gold prices. A rising trend in overseas market where it traded higher between 275 and 276.20 US dollar an ounce also supported the trading activity to some extent, they added. They said silver was slightly weak as new stocks arrival from neighbouring areas pulled down the prices. Standard gold and ornaments were higher by Rs 10 each at Rs.4580 and Rs 4430 per ten gram respectively. Sovereign was traded at previous level of Rs 3825 per piece of eight gram. Silver ready was lower by Rs 25 at Rs 7125 per kilo and weekly-based delivery by a same margin at Rs 7135 per kilo. Silver coins continued to be asked at Rs 11,400/11,500 per 100 pieces in limited deals. The following were today’s quotations: silver ready 7125 and delivery 7135. Silver coins buyer 11,400 and seller 11,500 standard gold 4580, ornaments 4430 and sovereign 3825. (PTI) |
|
40 Indian IT companies to participate in Cebit 2002 BANGALORE, Oct 25: More than 40 Indian information companies, mostly software developers, will participate in the Cebit 2002, the world’s foremost event for it and telecom industries to be held from March 13 next year in Hanovar. Mr Wolfgang Pech, Deutsche Messeag Director, told newspersons here last night that till last year, the Indian participation had been stagnant at 25 exhibitors due to lack of space in the fair. But this year, the Indians would have 700 sq metres, twice the space granted in the earlier years. Besides National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), the Department of Information Technology of the Karnataka Government would lead a delegation. State IT Secretary Vivek Kulkarni said as many as 20 companies were likely to participate from the state in cebit, which is seen as the gateway for IT exports to European countries. Cebit attracted more than 1,71,000 foreign visitors including 33,600 from Asia. The exhibition would be held in 27 halls and the display categories included it engineering solutions, automatic data capture, vision systems and voice processing, IT security and card technology and banking technology and financial services. From next year, research and technology would be renamed "future parc-business meets research and new technologies". He said several group presentations would be made on issues such as world of solutions, internet park, job market, Enac Europe, focussing on software solutions for central and local Governments and the business community. (UNI) |
|
Haryana gears up for diversification of crop pattern CHANDIGARH, Oct 25: Haryana Horticulture Department would spend Rs 3.33 crore during the current financial year to promote cultivation of commercially more rewarding crops such as fruits, flowers and vegetables. Haryana’s Agriculture Minister Jaswinder Singh Sandhu today said the State Government is encouraging farmers to diversify from the traditional wheat-rice rotational pattern towards commercially more rewarding crops under its ‘macro-management scheme’. The scheme involves integrated development of arid zone fruits, improving production of fruits and hybrid vegetables, promotion of use of plastic in horticulture, populatrisation of commercial floriculture, strengthening of existing government nurseries and extension activities through information technology. Sandhu said that a total provision of Rs 85.55 lakh had been made under integrated development of tropical arid zone fruits. The objective of the scheme was to make available good quality planting material of high yielding fruit varieties. Farmers would be assissted in orchard plantation and small and marginal farmers provided fertilisers and pesticides. Plant protection equipment at the rate of 25 per cent of the total cost would also be supplied to the farmers. Training camps would also be organised at reputed horticultural institutes to educate the farmers and extension workers about technical upgradation, Sandhu said. He said that under the scheme for improving the production of fruits and hybrid vegetables, a provision of Rs 60 lakh had been made. Use of hybrid vegetable seeds of important crops would be popularised under the scheme. Augmenting the supply of vegetable seeds and coverage of more area under high-yielding varieties were the major aims to be achieved as part of the broader objective for increasing production of vegetables. Sandhu said Rs 66.67 lakh had been earmarked to promote use of plastics in horticulture. About 203 hectares of area would be covered under drip installation for saving irrigation water, electricity and labour. About 111 shading nets would also be provided to farmers to protect their crops from high temperature, the minister said. Sandhu said that under the scheme to popularise the commercial floriculture, Rs 66.66 lakh would be spent. About 889 demonstration plots of gladiolus would be laid out at farmers’ field by providing assistance to the tune of 50 per cent of Rs 6,000 on a plot of 0.2 hectares. Assistance on shading nets for growing cut-flowers would also be provided on the pattern of 50 per cent assistance at the rate of Rs 14 per sqm with maximum limit of Rs 7,000 per sqm per farmer. Sandhu said a provision of Rs 15 lakh had been made to strengthen the existing Government nurseries. To increase potato seed production at government gardens and nurseries, a provision of Rs 16.67 lakh had been made. About 1,333 farmers would be supplied kits of garden tools at the rate of 50 per cent assistance with a maximum limit of Rs 1,000 per farmer. A total of Rs 13.33 lakh had been made for this purpose. To strengthen the extension activities through information technology, a provision of Rs 9.45 lakh had been made, said the minister. (PTI) |
|
MUL in top gear, ranks highest NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) ranks highest in customer satisfaction for automotive dealer service, the latest J D Power Asia Pacific 2001 India Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) study says. As per the study in its fifth year, Maruti Udyog improved its performance across all factors examined including customer satisfaction, vehicle quality and dealer service in India at 12 to 18 months of ownership. CSI performance factors include problems experienced, service advisor, service performance, service timing and facility appearance. Following maruti udyog in the rankings is Honda Siel, which tied for the top-ranking position with Maruti in the 2000 study. Maruti leads the industry in service advisor, service performance and service timing-three factors contributing 60 percent to CSI, said the study released yesterday. While Honda Siel also improves on service advisor and service performance, Honda’s performance falls short of its industry-leading Benchmark in 1999. "The Indian automotive industry has witnessed improvements in customer satisfaction since our inaugural study in 1997," said Rajeev Lochan, business manager at J D Power Asia Pacific. "Maruti Udyog is the only manufacturer to have improved consistently since 1997 and has been a leading catalyst for driving up the overall CSI industry average. Maruti’s industry-leading performance in 2001 is a result of strong performance on service-related factors," he said. Ford, Hyundai, and Telco also show important gains in CSI compared to 2000. Among these three, Hyundai is the only make to record an above-industry-average CSI score. "Hyundai moves up the rank order and poses a serious challenge to both Maruti Udyog and Honda Siel," said Lochan. "Hyundai’s improvements in service timing and service performance are impressive considering the sharp increase in service volumes at their dealerships," he said. The study finds service standards having a great impact on customer satisfaction. While individual dealership standards may vary in detail, J D Power Asia Pacific measures dealer execution of 15 core standards performed during the service process. The study shows significant increases in the implementation rates for these activities. "The improved implementation rates for service standards suggest that dealers are being pro-active in meeting and exceeding customer expectations," said Lochan. "Maruti has been able to leverage its strength in effective execution of these activities with industry-leading implementation rates on the majority of the 15 service standards," he said. The 2001 CSI study results are based on evaluations from 3,067 personal-use owners who purchased their vehicles from January through September 2000. (UNI) |
|
Windows XP to be immediately available in India NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd today announced the immediate availability of its latest Windows XP Operating System in India, as part of its worldwide launch, triggering excitement and high consumer expectation. Windows XP, the most significant desktop operating system to be released from microsoft, provides end users with the latest tools and software to enhance their day-to-day digital experience with the PC. HCL and Wipro, leading Indian PC manufacturers, also announced that they would offer windows XP-powered PCs on their latest Intel-based processor platforms from tomorrow. "Windows XP together with key local industry players will unlock the potential of PCs and change the way we communicate," said Mr Karthik Padmanabhan, Microsoft India marketing manager for windows. Vice president of HCL Infosystems, frontline division, Rajendra Kumar said Windows XP would provide the boost the Indian PC market was waiting for. "This is an exciting time for Microsoft and HCL. We are going the extra mile for consumers to ensure a great computing experience all the time — whether they are at home, at work or on the road —and like in the past, we are once again taking the lead in offering our consumers most exciting technology from microsoft," he added. Mr George Paul, associate vice president, marketing, HCL Infosystems, said HCL had already trained more than 250 engineers in XP Technology, which would enhance reliability, security and performance. "We have seen unprecedented momentum for this launch- in terms of partner support, early adoption in the corporate segment, and anticipation in the home segment. Windows XP will revolutionise the way people use PC today," said Mr Rajiv Kaul, managing director, Microsoft India. Windows XP is available in three editions - windows XP home, Windows XP professional and Windows XP 64 bit. Its key features include giving home users a unified code base, reliability, security and a performance reserved so far for enterprise desktops, Mr Kaul said. The product also provides rich experiences in mobility communications, help and support, home PC sharing and working with digital media. Fast user switching, remote desktop, application sharing and integration of windows messenger and windows media player 8 into the operation system are other features. Windows XP will also provide support for nine Indian languages -Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Konkani, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati and Punjabi. "For a country like India with its multiple languages and complex scripts, local language enablement is a continuous process. With Windows XP, we now provide support for nine Indian languages, which will enable developers and end users to make the PC a part of what they do, everyday," said windows engineering group vice president S Somasegar, whose team is responsible for the overall project in microsoft and release management of the windows 2000 family of products. Industry majors like Intel, AMD, Compaq and Sony, besides HCL and Wipro, have partnered with microsoft for the launch of Windows XP. While HCL, Compaq and Wipro are Shipping Windows XP ready PCs, Intel and AMD will provide Windows XP ready versions of their popular microprocessors. At the event, microsoft also announced a partnership with NIIT, to roll out Windows XP training courses designed for the home user through over 70 NIIT centres across the country. These courses will also be available online through the NIIT Netvarsity.In addition, NIIT will provide a Windows XP-based course for developers through select outlets. Windows XP professional (full pack) would have a retail price of Rs 12,400, while its upgrade would cost Rs 6,100. Windows XP home edition (full pack) comes for Rs 7,100 while its upgrade is available for Rs 4200, Mr Kaul said. (UNI) |
|
ASSOCHAM calls for caution on 5 fronts at WTO Doha meeting NEW DELHI, Oct 25: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has cautioned against falling prey to the machinations of the developed countries at the Doha meeting of the WTO as the draft ministerial declaration is weighed heavily against the developing countries on five major counts. The Chamber has urged the Indian negotiating team to take a tough stand at the meeting as the draft declaration has refused to recognize the existence of imbalances in the agreements and does not offer serious commitments to resolve the implementation problems such as trips, trims, agriculture etc. It also failed to provide commitments by industrial countries for increasing access to products of export interests to developing countries, promote many new issues such as investment, competition, transparency in Government procurement, trade facilitation, etc. Despite opposition from many developing countries and contained all the elements of launching of a new round, ASSOCHAM stated. It has called upon the Indian team to ensure that the implementation issues were brought on to the mainstream in the work programme and that they were not limited to the ones already listed. As regards negotiations in the area of investment, ASSOCHAM felt an agreement was bound to put constraints on the developing countries policies and measures for guiding foreign investment to serve their development needs and priorities. According to article III of the WTO agreement (Marrakesh Agreement), the WTO can only undertake negotiations concerning multilateral trade relations. Investment is not within multilateral trade relations and, as such, a negotiation in this area could be started in the WTO only after article III is amended. In such a situation, if negotiations were started in this area in the WTO, it would be presumed that investment fell within multilateral trade relations. This would open the flood gates for many other negotiations in the WTO in future. If investment enters at this stage, subjects like domestic taxation and even social policies mould not remain far behind. ASSOCHAM, therefore, felt that the best course would be to remove investment altogether from the WTO work, so that this subject did not come up repeatedly. If that was not possible, the alternative given in Para 19 should be retained. In that situation, it should be clarified that the study process would cover related subjects like obligations of investors, obligations of home governments regarding the conduct of investors, and the implications of protecting the right of entry of labour along with that of investors. As regards WTO rules and dispute settlment understanding, the developing countries have already had bad experiences in the areas of subsidies and anti-dumping duties. There may be a fear that the developing countries would be called upon to undertake new obligations in these areas in the negotiations. The chamber further pointed out that before starting any negotiation on industrial tariff, there should be a study process to determine the effects of reduction of tariffs on the domestic industries of the developing countries. There have been experiences of de-industrialization as a result of tariff reduction in several developing countries. Such a study process would make it possible for the developing countries to formulate their positions regarding the tariff negotiations, the chamber added. The chamber felt that the draft text on trips should include the over-reaching role of articles 7 and 8 of the trips agreement so that the provisions of the agreement were interpreted in the light of the provisions contained in these articles clarification of provisions in article 27.3(b) relating to essentially biological processes and micro-biological processes extension of the transition period for implementation of article 27.3(b) clarification that the non-violation complaints provision would not apply to trips agreement and comprehensive coverage during the review in the trips council under article 71.1 of the agreement.(UNI) |
|
|
|
