Exports growth at 20.5 pc in August
New Delhi: India exported merchandise worth $10.38 billion in August representing a growth of 20.5 per cent over the $8.61 billion figure achieved in the corresponding period last year.

According to provisional data released by the commerce and industry ministry, imports during the month increased by 11.67 per cent to $13.86 billion, as against $12.42 billion last year.

The higher growth in exports caused the trade deficit to improve marginally to $3.48 billion from $3.80 billion in August last year.
Cumulative exports during April-August increased by 21 per cent to $48.08 billion, as against $39.83 billion in the same period last year. Oil imports in August were valued at $5.03 billion, 27 per cent higher than the $3.95 billion last year.

Oil imports during April-August were valued at $23.57 billion, 39 per cent higher than the $16.9 billion in the corresponding period last year.
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Inflation down to 4.61 per cent
New Delhi: Inflation was down at 4.61 per cent for the week ended September 9, down from 4.78 per cent in the previous week.

This was mainly due to lower prices of manufactured products, cheaper chemicals, cement and some non-food items, government data said.

The wholesale price index (WPI) for all commodities was up by 0.3 per cent to 206.6 points from 197.5 points a year ago. Wholesale price-based inflation stood at 4.11 per cent during the corresponding week last year.

The primary articles group index rose by 1.6 per cent to 212 points due to a rise in the prices of food items. The manufactured products group index declined by 0.1 per cent to 178 points due to cheaper chemicals, cement and machinery from 171.7 points in the year ago period.
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Arunachal to develop 15,000 Mw of hydel power
New Delhi: The Arunachal Pradesh government has signed MoUs with NTPC Ltd, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and NEEPCO for the development of 15,000 Mw of hydropower potential in the state with an investment of Rs75,000 crore.

A local area development trust will also be set up with a contribution of 1 paisa per unit of electricity generated by each project.
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Colas to be sold again in Kerala
Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has quashed the State Government orders banning the manufacture and sale of Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola, saying that the Government had no power to pass such orders under the provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The Court has allowed for the writ petitions filed by the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Ltd and PepsiCo India Holdings Private Ltd challenging the ban orders.

The court has said that the power to prohibit the manufacture and sale of the products under the provisions of the Act had been vested with the Central Government. The Bench pointed out that if the State Legislature and Parliament had concurrent powers on a matter, the executive power of the State Government was subject to and limited to the executive power of the Central Government.
Centre mulls allowing foreign investors in real estate sector
Mumbai: The Centre is mulling allowing foreign investors to tap the capital market pre-IPO in the real estate sector, the Union Urban Development Minister, S. Jaipal Reddy said.

He said the government was open to foreign investment in urban sector and that India needed foreign investments to grow.
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Govt to open 100 food testing labs
New Delhi: The Government is planning to open 100 food testing laboratories, according to Subodh Kant Sahay, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, at the inauguration of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and India's Food Research and Testing Laboratory (FRAC). He added that the Government was planning to add 100 more food testing laboratories to the existing 31, for which a large pool of qualified food technologists would be required.

Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, said, India faces the challenge to meet the exacting standards that Europe and other developed countries impose on imported food items from the developing world. He said the country has to gear up to meet those standards.
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