Irish PM on six day visit to India
Bangalore: The prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, has arrived in India for a six day visit, accompanied by a high-powered trade mission. The visit is mainly targeted at enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the IT and education sector.

He said Ireland has had a long and friendly diplomatic relationship with India and hoped to further build political, cultural and business ties.

He is accompanied by the ministers for enterprise, education, arts and sport and tourism along with business representatives. The delegation is expected to visit the corporate headquarters of Infosys Technologies, Wipro and biotech major Biocon in Bangalore during the three-day stay in the city.
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Country's exports up in December
New Delhi: India's exports were up again in December registering a 16.19 per cent growth at US$8.2bn.

Exports in the first nine months of the current fiscal (April-December, 2005-06) grew 18.03 per cent at US$66.4bn as against US$56.2bn in the same period previous fiscal, according to the official trade figures released here. During November exports had slipped by 11.38 per cent to US$6.16bn compared to US$6.95bn during the same month last year.

In Rupee term, exports were Rs37,807.74 crore, 20.58 per cent higher than the value of exports during December 2004. Oil imports during April-December 2005-06 rose by a whopping 45.43 per cent to US$31.12bn in the corresponding period previous fiscal.
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Proposal to allow 100 pc FDI in coal, non-coal mining sector
Kolkata: The Group of Ministers (GoM) has proposed allowing 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under automatic route in both coal and non-coal mining sectors said the Union minister of state for coal, Dasari Narayana Rao.

He said the Centre has set up a committee for studying in detail obstructions to investment in the mining sector. He added that an expert committee had also been set up to suggest a roadmap for coal sector reforms. The committee, he said, has submitted an interim report recently and the final report was likely to be submitted soon.
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Sikkim woos Singapore investors
Gangtok: Describing Sikkim as the gateway to India's 'look east' policy, the State chief minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling has invited Singapore investors to the State. He cited the State's expanding economic horizon and said that its growth rate is 10 per cent, which is one of the highest among the Indian states.

Chamling extended the invitation while addressing a business meeting hosted by the Indian High Commission in Singapore on January 13, official sources said here on Monday. The chief minister was in Singapore for three days in the course of his South East Asia study tour. Chamling said that the State was expecting to play a crucial role in the country's economic cooperation with countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China and even Japan.

Talking about the imminent reopening of the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim for trade with China, the chief minister said that it was the shortest viable route to the Tibet autonomous region from South Asia and could offer significant economic opportunities to India as well as neighbouring countries.

Pointing out that Sikkim had been adjudged the most investor-friendly state among smaller states of the country in a recent survey Chamling said that his Government provided various incentives to investors in sectors such as education, organic farming, transport and communication, biotechnology and health besides those provided by the centre to investors in the north eastern region.
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Now TAO comes to help out BPOs
Kolkata: Tata Motors has entered into an MoU with Arya Omnitalk and Orix Auto and Buisness Solutions for launching a new initiative called 'TAO-- The Art of Transportation'.

The company focuses on the IT and ITeS sector to push its solutions. The sector employs about five lakh people working in 450 odd BPO and call centres.

"TAO will provide professional transport solutions to the BPO/call centres to ensure greater efficiency and a comfortable journey for their employees and thus ensuring enhanced productivity," the statement read.

Tata Motors said it would deploy brand new Tata passenger vehicles equipped with state-of-art communication and technology from Arya Omnitalk and fleet management expertise of Orix. The system will allow tracking of any vehicle at any point of time with help of Global Positioning System and managing the fleet in an efficient and cost effective manner.
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Philadelphia Univ. in pact with Indian colleges
Chennai: Saint Joseph University, Philadelphia, U.S.A, has entered into an agreement with six Indian colleges for an exchange and collaboration programme.

Through the MoUs, teachers and students of the American university and Loyola College, Stella Maris College (both Chennai), Arul Anandar College, Madurai, Xavier Institute of Education, Mumbai, Xavier Institute of Management, Mumbai and Xavier's College, Ahmedabad, can go in for exchange programmes.

These institutions would also run joint degree programmes, joint research initiatives, faculty and student programmes between the University and its Indian partners, University President Dr Lannon told reporters after inking the MoUs with the Indian colleges.
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ARI launches four-wheeler simulator
New Delhi: Simulation and Information Technology company Applied Research International (ARI) has launched its driving simulation platform for four-wheelers.

ARI managing director Shravan Rewari said at the Auto Expo that the products are mainly targeted at driving schools as we expect India to have one of the highest driving simulation density by the end of the year. Priced between Rs7-10 lakh, the company has set a target of about 150 sets to be sold this year and by 2007.

Rewari said the company was also developing a simulation solution for two-wheelers and that the company was looking at developing a simulation platform for commercial vehicles too.

ARI, which is mainly into navigation simulators, maritime simulators and crane simulators has been installing its products both in the domestic and international markets.
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Crude palm oil base price cut
New Delhi: The finance ministry has announced a marginal cut in base import prices of crude palm and soybean oils. The base import price of crude palm oil, imported mainly from Malaysia and Indonesia, has been reduced to US$415 a tonne from US$417.
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Hindustan Zinc hikes zinc prices
Mumbai: Hindustan Zinc, has raised prices by 4 per cent or 4,200 rupees a tonne (US$95) with immediate effect to align with record global rates, a company official said. The firm cut lead prices by 3.6 per cent, or Rs2,200, to Rs58,800 a tonne.

Zinc would now cost Rs111,300 a tonne in the domestic market, the official said.

Hindustan Zinc, a unit of London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc, had raised prices by Rs1,300 per tonne early this month and cut lead prices by Rs1,000.

Shares in Hindustan Zinc were 4.4 per cent higher at 328.95 rupees in a weak Mumbai market.
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