Exports grow 21 per cent in January
New Delhi: India's exports recorded a 21.41 per cent increase in dollar terms in January 2006 to touch US$8.45bn against US$6.96bn recorded in the same month last year. In rupee terms, exports in January 2006 recorded a 23.24 per cent growth at Rs37,549.74 crore.

Exports regained momentum in December 2005 (16.19 per cent growth) after declining in November 2005. Cumulatively, exports went up by 18.88 per cent in dollar terms during April-January 2005-06 to US$74.98bn (US$63.07bn). In rupee terms, exports registered a 16.48 per cent increase.

Imports in the April-January 2006 period rose by 26.66 per cent to touch US$108.80bn (US$85.90bn). In rupee terms, imports increased by 24.14 per cent, according to an official release.

Oil imports during April-January 2005-06 stood at US$35.29bn, which is 46.91 per cent higher than oil imports of US$24.02bn in the same period last year. Non-oil imports during April-January 2005-06 were estimated at US$73.51bn, which was 18.81 per cent higher than US$61.87bn recorded during April-January 2004-05.

Trade deficit during April-January 2005-06 stood at US$33.82bn, which was higher than the US$22.82bn recorded in the same period in the previous fiscal year.
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Gross telecom user base at 131 million
New Delhi: The telecom user rate continues to rise with over 32 million new telephones being added during April-January of the current financial year. Five million telephones were added in January alone, taking the total number of phones in the country to 130.8 million.

The addition of 32 million phones in the April-January period is higher by about 14 million phones than the corresponding period of the last year.

The private sector has played a major role, accounting for about 81 per cent of the expansion during these ten months. The sector provided 72.4 million phones as on January 31, 2006, accounting for over 55 per cent of the total phones in the country. The number of broadband subscribers in the country for the quarter ending December 2005 touched 8.85 lakh from 6.01 lakh at the beginning of the quarter (end September 2005).

Under the Bharat Nirman Yojana, a total 66,822 villages are to be provided with village public telephones (VPT) by November 2007.
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India Inc terms European resistance to Laxmi Mittal xenophobic
New Delhi: India Inc. has termed the resistance by European officials to Mittal Steel's bid to takeover Arcelor, as xenophobic.

An overwhelming 95 per cent of CEOs, who took part in the Assocham Business Barometer (ABB) Survey, dismissed the 'misplaced European fears as nothing but a xenophobia.'

About 75 per cent of the respondents wanted the Indian government to take up the issue with the individual governments in Europe, as well as with the European Commission while 77 per cent of respondents agreed that the 'avoidable' interference by the governments in the Mittal-Arcelor business deal would come as a blow to the negotiations in the World Trade Organisation on the issue of National Treatment - under which the foreign companies are treated on par with local firms.
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Govt looking at options to bring down petro prices
New Delhi: As the budget approaches the Government said that it was looking at ways to rationalise domestic prices of petroleum products to offset the adverse impact of global crude prices that experts feel will continue to rule high next fiscal.

With global crude prices expected to remain high, there was a strong indication that duties on petroleum products would be revised in the budget to minimise the impact of a possible hike in domestic petrol and diesel prices. Kerosene and cooking gas LPG prices are likely to remain unchanged, going by the promise of the UPA Government.
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Air Sahara pilots to rejoin work after 3-day strike
New Delhi: Pilots of Air Sahara will rejoin work after a 3-day strike. This is after the management of the private carrier accepted their demand for waiver of the mandatory six-month notice period for quitting.

This was agreed to after a day-long meeting between the pilots and Air Sahara management led by Seemanto Roy, son of Subroto Roy, sources among the striking pilots said.

The flights are likely to resume as per schedule tomorrow.

Thirteen flights of the airline were cancelled today.

The pilots had reported "sick" on Sunday and wanted Air Sahara to give no- objection certificate (NoC) to them so that they could join any other airline of their choice.
The pilots of the private carrier also protested their reduced pay packets following the buy out of Air Sahara by Jet Airways.
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