TRAI: Make tariff plans more transparent
New Delhi: In a bid to help mobile phone users who do not understand their tariff plans, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a directive to all service providers to follow a revised format of advertising their tariffs so as to ensure greater transparency.

Asking the service providers to comply with immediate effect, the TRAI directive, issued on Monday, provides for a simple format for declaring the financial implication of various charges and slabs of usage. The revised format would help the consumer make an informed choice, a TRAI press release said here. The service providers are also required to ensure that all information regarding tariff changes is available on their Web site before they are actually effected.
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CUSAT develops high-speed antenna
Kochi: Scientists at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) have developed a high-speed digital antenna that is capable of faster transmission of digital signals at low bandwidth. The 'Polarisation Hopping Microstrip Antenna', developed by Prof K. Vasudevan, Prof P. Mohanan and Dr C.K. Anandan of CUSAT, is also immune to jamming of signals, thereby providing secure communication. The scientists developed the antenna in association of Polarizon Technology of Malaysia. Since the polarisation of the signals randomly changes, and the hopping code is kept a secret by the users, the antenna cannot be jammed.
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Special edition of the Corsa set for launch
Pune: General Motors India is all set to launch a special limited edition of the Corsa, which would be made available to the first 400 customers. The special edition would hit the market within a couple of months and would have additional feature and gadgets such as alloy wheels and other frills. GM India offers products under the Chevrolet and Opel brands in the country.
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Apollo Health launches clinic in Doha
New Delhi: Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd (AHLL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Apollo Hospitals Group, is opening its first clinic in Doha in association with one of Doha's large business houses, the Abdullah Bin Qasim Al-Thani Group. Qatar is the first of the international markets identified by Apollo Health. In the next five years, the company plans to set up 250 Apollo Clinics including 30-40 clinics abroad in countries such as South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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Tata Tech signs PLM agreement with IBM and Dassault
Bangalore: Tata Technologies has entered into an agreement with IBM and Dassault Systemes to expand the marketing sales and service of their product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, according to a release. Under the terms of the agreement, Tata Tech becomes IBM's business partner and Dassault Systemes' service provider and education partner. With support and certification from Dassault Systemes, Tata Tech is to create a PLM competency centre to provide demos, training, technical support, and software application customisation of IBM PLM solutions, the release added.
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Monster Inc acquires Jobs Ahead
New Delhi: US based career web site Monster Inc has announced that it is acquiring Indian job portal JobsAhead.com for about Rs 40 crore to become the country's largest online recruitment agency. The combined entity will be called 'Monster'. With this acquisition, Monster India would become the single largest database of resumes. It would have 25 lakh resumes and 55 lakh registered users, officials from the two companies claimed.
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L&T Infotech allies with Fidelity Info
Mumbai: L&T Infotech has entered into an alliance with US-based Fidelity Information Services, a division of Fidelity National Financial, to provide IT solutions for the Indian banking sector.
As part of the agreement, L&T Infotech would offer Fidelity's core banking, trade finance, retail banking, offshore banking, cash management and other ancillary banking solutions to banking and financial sector companies in India.

The revenue sharing between L&T Infotech and Fidelity would be on a case-to-case basis and depending on the projects, he added, with both the companies expecting a rapid growth in business and revenues from the country. Through the partnership, L&T Infotech has already provided IT solutions for the overseas banking operations of Bank of Baroda and is looking at other projects over the coming year.
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Matrix Labs goes for preferential allotment
Hyderabad: The board of directors of Matrix Laboratories Ltd, has allotted equity shares in favour of two foreign funds on a preferential allotment basis. The board has allotted equity shares to India Newbridge Investments Ltd, an investment vehicle of Newbridge Capital and Maxwell (Mauritius) Pte Ltd, an investment vehicle of Temasek Holdings Pvt Ltd.
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SRF to acquire polyester film operations
Mumbai: SRF Ltd has announced that its board has approved in principle to make an offer to acquire the polyester film operations of SRF Polymers Ltd. The transaction is subject to requisite corporate, statutory and regulatory approvals. SRF is commissioning a 20,000 tpa polyester film manufacturing plant at Indore at a cost of Rs 160 crore. The company will make an offer for Rs 50 crore to acquire SRF Polymer's polyester film business as a continuing operation.
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McDowell to push rum sales in summer
Bangalore: UB Group Spirits Division (UBSPD), India's largest and the world's fourth largest spirits marketer plans to popularise rum drinking in summer months with the launch of `McDowell's No.1 Celebration Summer Line'.

Of the total annual sales of eighty lakh cases of regular priced rum, 60 per cent occurs in the four winter months of November to February and the balance 40 per cent takes place in the remaining eight months.
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Himalaya launches Shahicool
Bangalore: Himalaya's launch of `Shahicool Herbal Sharbat' and `Gripe Water' is an expansion of its OTC or soft therapeutics range which now has six products under the Consumer Health division.

Shahicool, based on the herb sariva, is slotted as a natural refreshing summer drink with blood purifying and curative properties against heat-related illnesses. Each 700-ml bottle is priced Rs 70. Gripe Water, containing krishnajiraka as the single ingredient, is being promoted as a gentle carminative for infants. A 120-ml bottle is priced Rs 28.
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Daimler Chrysler launches the E 270 CDI
New Delhi: Daimler Chrysler India has announced the launch of a more powerful version of the Mercedes E-Class, the E 270 CDI, which would be replacing the existing E 220 CDI variant. The E-class will account for about 40 per cent of the company's total sales in India this year. Overall, DaimlerChrysler India expects to sell upwards of 1,850 units this year, up from about 1,581 units sold last year.

The company has finalised plans to introduce its range of commercial vehicles in India and has already sent heavy-duty trucks from the Actros range for homologation in India. In addition, the feasibility study being undertaken at present for the Jeep range of vehicles is expected to be completed by December this year, after which the company will take a decision on the launch of the vehicle in CBU format. Meanwhile, Daimler Chrysler would be sourcing components worth about 80 million Euros this year. This figure is likely to go into three figures in a few years time.
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