Team to visit CIS nations on tech mission
New Delhi: A 15-member joint delegation of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Department of Commerce, is visiting three Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from September 5-11, under a technology mission programme.

It is under the `Focus: CIS Programme' launched by the Commerce Department. The aim of the mission is to identify opportunities for technology transfer, investment and trade. The delegation comprises chief executives and international marketing managers from leading companies such as Ispat Karmet, NEPC India, Apollo Hospitals group, and Tata Motors. Further, the delegation will also participate in joint business council meetings in three countries.
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NZ to conduct education fairs across the country
Mumbai: New Zealand will conduct an education fair here on September 11 and 12 at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Representatives from 20 educational institutions across New Zealand will participate in the fair, which will remain open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day.

According to an official release, representatives from each of the institutions will be present to resolve the queries of parents and students. The fair will also include seminars on business studies, engineering courses, and information pertaining to the issue of student visas.

Organised by the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, the fair will also travel to Bangalore, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

The statement, quoting the Acting High Commissioner to India, Michael Swain, said: "The number of Indian students choosing New Zealand has increased rapidly since we began these fairs five years ago. It is now a known fact that New Zealand offers: world class education, in a multicultural environment, at an affordable cost."

Over 4,000 Indian students have studied in New Zealand over the last four years, the statement said.
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CII: Entertainment industry to grow by twenty percent till 2007
New Delhi: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has projected a 20 per cent growth rate for the Indian entertainment industry till 2007.

The chamber said in a comprehensive paper on the industry that the higher growth rate would be fuelled by global interest in Indian products. It also said that Indian TV content producers have already made inroads into the Asia-Pacific markets.

The CII pegged the size of the Indian entertainment industry at Rs.19, 000 crore in 2003, with a 15 per cent growth rate in 2002-03. It said that revenues from TV contribute 70 per cent to the total entertainment revenue pie and this is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17 per cent over the next five years. It adds that the live entertainment segment grew by 60 per cent in 2002 and is expected to sustain the growth, given the right infrastructure and regulatory framework.

However, certain key issues hamper the growth of media and the entertainment sectors, the chamber said. These include inadequate infrastructure, lack of international co-production treaties and lack of representation of Indian companies at international events.

Other issues such as a restrictive regulatory framework, unfavourable licensing fee structure for private FM radio, lack of professional training institutes and multiplicity of service taxes also affect the industry, the CII paper said.
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