COMPANIES

• Tata Brand growth to shore up valuation
  
• Tax sops to stay, but red tape will go
  
• Ex-employee drags Citibank to court over termination
  
• Sundaram Home Finance knocks ADB for Rs 100-crore credit line
  
• Samtel Colour seeks duty cut on CPTs
  
• Hindustan Latex posts Rs 15.5-crore net profit
  
• Samsung fine-tuning audio range
  
• Indo Rama eyes China to rev up export growth
  
• Reliance tightens grip on BSES board, to add 3 EDs
  
• Taj group to check out of nine properties
  
• Birlas put vital corporate decisions on hold
  
• AFL seeks increase in NRI equity participation
  
• West Coast in talks to acquire 2 city paper firms
  
• Telco sets sights on China, W Asia
  
• Hero Honda stocks pile up as demand slumps

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

• Fiat appears to have kept credit downgrade at bay
  
• Fewer anti-dumping cases against China post WTO
  
• US gives green light for Novartis leukemia drug
  
• McDonald's Japan unit to shut 176 outlets next year
  
• Polaris case shows how risky Indonesia could be: WSJ
  
• Microsoft Outlook to work with Lotus e-mail systems
  
• DVD visionary quitting job at Warner Bros.

GENERAL

• FinMin pegs LPG subsidy at Rs 71
• Inflation down to 3.15 per cent
  
• House Panel okays Delhi Aptt Ownership Bill 2001
• PTC, PowerGrid in pact for transmission
  
• T-72s to have polish fire control system

BANKING AND FINANCE

• Guidelines on UTI-II structure this week
  
• Hobson's choice for the Reserve Bank
  
• LIC agents suggest plan for expanding network
  
• Market not ready for `de-tariffing' motor insurance
  
• T-bills emerging most popular paper
  
• SBI `help line' in Coimbatore

CAPITAL MARKET

• Big tech cos are safe bets
  
• Panel report on common trading this week
  
• Market interest likely
  
• JPC suggestions will be taken up seriously: DCA
  
• ICICI arm to beef up investor education

PEOPLE

• Arun Sarin may face lawsuit: report