Cellcos to pamper big users with new freebies
New Delhi: Free incoming calls aren't the only reason for cellular subscribers to rejoice this May. Cellular operators have decided to restructure their high-usage tariff packages, by adding a host of free STD calls and free SMS. Much more action is expected, with a big chunk of heavy users (about a quarter of the subscriber base) expected to jump to new tariff plans. The overall usage of mobile phones is likely to go up by about 30-40 per cent, and the subscriber base is likely to expand in the next 3-4 months.
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A-Ito put retired pilots in cockpit
New Delhi: As the ongoing strike enters the fourth day, the Air-India management has decided to call for reinforcements and depute retired pilots into service as a measure to take care of the prevailing shortage, as pilots owing allegiance to the Indian
Pilots Guild still refuse to operate any flights unless provided with the certification that states that no cockpit or cabin crew have operated a flight to Singapore/Hong Kong in the past 10 days.
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Jindal strips Gung-ho on exports to China
New Delhi: With stainless steel becoming the preferred product in the global market, and the fact that the product has started showing a steady growth because of the substitution effect of carbon steel for stainless steel, Jindal Strips Ltd (JSL) plans
on improving its global positioning as well as targeting the domestic markets in the coming years. The company is also planning
to promote value-added products in a big way in the domestic market in the current year.
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Pfizer to focus on sales tie-ups, acquisition
New Delhi: After cleaning up its product portfolio by exiting from the vaccine and supplement segments, Pfizer India is shifting gears to brand acquisitions and co-marketing alliances in select therapeutic areas. The company has sounded out a couple of merchant bankers to actively scout around for contemporary brands in some of the therapeutic segments. Pfizer India is also learnt to be in talks with some of the Indian companies, exploring possibilities for entering into co-marketing alliances
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Sundaram Clayton to up foundry capacity
Chennai: Sundaram Clayton Ltd (SCL), part of the Chennai-based TVS Group, is enhancing the capacity of its aluminium die casting foundry from 600 tonnes per month (TPM) to 1,500 TPM. The company will shell out over Rs 12 crore for enhancing the
project capacity. The proposal has crossed the final hurdle of getting clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest recently.
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Air India cancels 37 Gulf flights
Abu Dhabi: AIR India has cancelled 37 of its 75 weekly flights from the Gulf and West Asian region under a revised schedule valid from April 27 to 30, due to the ongoing pilots' agitation. A senior airline official told that over 40 per cent of AI's flights from the region have been cancelled in the next four days following the inability to operate flights due to the stand-off with the airline's pilots.
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Bacardi seeks Govt nod to cut export obligation
New Delhi: Bacardi Martini India Ltd has urged the Government to cut down its export commitment from $8 million and restrict it to only what is needed for foreign exchange neutrality against its imports. The company, in its application to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), has said that the $8-million export commitment was volunteered by the company and should not be considered as a condition imposed on it by the Government.
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Basic players seek 8-digit cell number
New Delhi: The mobiles 10 digit numbers will now be changed to 8 numbers. According to industry sources, the private basic service operators have made this demand to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), stating that the present numbering plan of cellular operators is posing difficulties in implementation of the interconnection usage charge (IUC) regime to be enforced from May.
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Big expansion planned for Vizag Steel
Kolkata: A blueprint for the expansion of the Vizag Steel Plant of (VSP) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) has been worked out, which may involve the collaboration of a global steel major. The first phase of the expansion itself would cost Rs 2,500 crore which would enable the company's liquid steel production to be increased to five million tonnes from the existing three million tonnes.
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