Sorabjee favours alternate dispute resolution method
New Delhi: Soli Sorabjee, the Attorney General of India, has said that Alternate Dispute Resolutions (ADRs) are vital in the Indian context as they could go a long way in de-congesting the pressure on Indian courts.

Speaking at the Australia-India Legal Dialogue organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), he stated that the congestion in Indian courts is `acute' and `chronic'. According to him, the legislative attempt to promote arbitration in India such as the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996 has not delivered the desired results.

David Bennett AO QC, Solicitor General of Australia, while delivering the keynote address suggested that India should sign the Hague Convention on Private International Law so as to enable a stronger forum of all Commonwealth Nations.
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Narmada dam height to rise to 110 meters
Gandhinagar: The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has permitted the raising of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) main dam height to 110.64 metres from the existing level of 100.64 mts.
This is the minimum height required for generating hydro-electric power from the dam.

While Gujarat stands to get the lowest share of the hydropower at 16 per cent, Madhya Pradesh has a 57 per cent share, followed by Maharashtra with 27 per cent.
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Walt Disney to decide on its own channel for India
Mumbai: US entertainment major, Walt Disney is on a fact-finding mission to the country to assess the possibility of launching its own channel in India. Delivering his keynote address at the FICCI-Frames 2004, Andy Bird, President, Walt Disney International, said that India was "definitely" a cornerstone of Disney's global strategy. He said that Disney contributed 29 hours per week of programming to national and regional channels.

According to him, the Indian animation industry is expected to touch $1 billion and is estimated to grow at a rate of 30 per cent per annum in the near term.According to him, the industry has a big opportunity to tap other animation user segments such as games, advertising, music videos, mobiles and documentaries.
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IIM-Bangalore faculty criticise fee cut
Bangalore: The 68-member faculty of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, has adopted a resolution criticising the Human Resources Development Ministry's decision to reduce tuition fees at the Institute. The resolution says that a sequence of events suggests that the issue is not restricted to just that of fees. The resolution has been set out on the body's web site.
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Guangdong to showcase its output in Mumbai
Mumbai: The Guangdong Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the apex government body of China for promoting international trade, is holding its first exhibition showcasing industrial and consumer products from more than 110 industrial and consumer corporates from the Guangdong Province of China.

Co-organised by the Worldex Group of Exhibition companies, "The First China Guangdong Products Exhibition" will be held at the Expo Centre, World Trade Centre, Mumbai, from March 25-28. The exhibition will be open for business visitors from March 25-26 whereas general visitors can visit from March 27-28.

The exhibition will present a diversified product portfolio ranging from home appliances, lighting, electronics and telecommunications, gift items, food stuff, textiles, garments, chemicals, medicines, leather, cosmetics, stationery, toys, two-wheelers and others.
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PwC says entertainment and media spend will grow
Mumbai: According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), entertainment and media spending in the Asia-Pacific region will grow from $209 billion in 2002 to $263 billion by 2007, a growth of 5 per cent. At the same time, the global entertainment industry is expected to grow to $1.4 trillion by 2007 at a compounded annual growth rate of 4.8 per cent.

According to PwC the key drivers that propel growth include the explosion of digital technology, increased broadband rollout and a boost to advertising spend in the intervening years, courtesy the Olympics, political spending and the World Cup. The global ad spend is projected to touch $375 billion by 2007.

For the Indian market, PwC points to multi-channel households growing by 13.4 per cent to 69 million households.
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