Sun TV ordered to provide signals to TataSky
New Delhi: The Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed Sun TV to provide all its 20 channels on an a-la-carte basis for TataSky to choose from. Further the channels have to be provided to Tata Sky at 50 per cent of its declared cable tariff TDSAT in an order told the Chennai-based network. The final hearing is scheduled for May 11.

Sun TV had earlier quoted Rs85 as tariff rate for its channels and insisted that all its 20 channels be telecast. Tata Sky the DTH service provider, a joint venture between Tata and STAR India, had also filed a petition in the Delhi High Court but later withdrew the case after the TDSAT took up the petition.

TataSky had contested that the decision from Sun TV was resulting in a loss for the company. It had said that without Sun Network's offerings it was on a weaker pitch in the Southern States.

As per TRAI norms, content must be made available to all delivery platforms on a non-discriminatory basis.

Last year, TataSky had also moved TDSAT against Zee-Turner. The regulator had asked Zee-Turner to make signals of its 32 channels available to TataSky for Rs75, or half of what it had quoted. STAR was also ordered by TDSAT to provide Dish TV its bouquet of channels in August last year.
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Steel industry wants curbs on exports of iron ore
New Delhi: The Indian Steel Alliance, Steel Furnace Association, the Association of Indian Mini Blast Furnace, the All India Induction Furnace Association and the Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association have demanded quantitative restrictions placed on the export of iron ore to preserve mineral wealth. They said that the imposition of Rs300 per tonne export levy on iron ore was inadequate and demanded placing quantitative restrictions at the rate of 15 per cent per annum with immediate effect on iron ore exports until it is brought down to zero per cent. The steel makers associations felt that it is necessary to attract long-term investment in the steel sector, add value on iron ore and provide job opportunities to people and strengthen infrastructure. They also felt that quantitative restrictions are necessary on iron ore exports for capacity expansion of the indigenous steel industry.
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Stone India gets order for wagon air brakes from China
Kolkata: Stone India has received an initial order for supply of 100 sets of wagon air brake systems to a Chinese wagon builder valued at Rs8.5 million. Sources said the company secured this order despite stiff competition from reputed European firms.
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Honda Motor plans second plant
New Delhi: Two-wheeler maker Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is planning to set up a new plant in India and is targeting sales of one million vehicles in the country mark in the next three years.

The company is planning to introduce new motorcycle and scooter models and is currently working on a fuel injection powered bike, a 100 cc bike and a new scooter for the Indian market. HMSI has a combined two-wheeler (motorcycle and scooters) production capacity of 1.2 million units in India. The company recently launched an upgraded variant of its 150 cc bike Unicorn priced at Rs58,150 (ex-showroom Delhi), which would be rolled out in the market in the first week of April. It has also introduced a limited edition Unicorn priced at Rs59,425 (ex-showroom Delhi). It would sell 2,500 units of the limited edition, which would be rolled out in May.
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TDSAT directs MTNL to reduce infrastructure charges
New Delhi: Telecom tribunal TDSAT has directed state-run MTNL to reduce infrastructure charges collected from private operators and asked sector regulator TRAI to frame guidelines for fixation of such charges.

A TDSAT bench headed by Justice Arun kumar said MTNL had increased these charges exorbitantly in an "arbitrary and unreasonable manner".

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal also held that infrastructure charges should not be increased more than 10 pc annually and directed Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to frame guidelines for these charges.

Infrastructure charges are paid by private telecom firms to MTNL and BSNL as rental and maintenance fees to station their link equipments such as terminals and antennas in the premises of the state-owned companies to get connected in their NLD (domestic) and ILD (international) networks.

The tribunal also directed MTNL to return the extra amount charged from Reliance Infocom within 30 days.
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New cement units to get 5-yr tax holiday
New Delhi: The government is planning to offer cement makers a five-year tax holiday to new cement units announced on or after April 1 with a condition that they have to commence production within three years.

Cement makers and the government have been at loggerheads over prices, which have risen over 40 pc to a high of Rs255 per 50 kg bag in the last 12 months.

Manufacturers have so far not paid heed to the Centre's call to roll back prices, but have promised not to raise them further for a year.

Cement makers are currently in a commanding position due to a major demand-supply gap. Various infrastructure and real estate projects have seen construction activity growing at an unprecedented pace, and this has led to growing demand for cement. It is understood that the proposed policy move is also aimed at incentivising participation of new companies.

Though the industry has announced adding 42 million tonnes in the next two years but given the past trend, not all of them are expected to materialise. In 2006-07, manufacturers had announced the addition of 13 million tonnes, but only 5 million tonnes came up.
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Reliance Comm gets approval for demerger
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has approved the scheme of arrangement between Reliance Communications, Reliance Telecom (RTL) and Reliance Telecom Infrastructure (RTIL) by way of demerger of its passive infrastructure.

This segregation is widely expected to benefit both the companies. The conversion of cost-centric assets to revenue-centric ones would also be an added advantage.

Reliance Communications scrip, which touched a 52-week high of Rs518 on February 5 had since then been affected by the prevailing market volatility surged to by 5 per cent to Rs397on the news. It has fallen by over 14.2 per cent in the past one month.
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IPCL unions protest against transfer to Jamnagar SEZ
Ahmedabad: The labour unions of Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (IPCL are protesting against the alleged mass transfer of mainly unskilled employees from Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (IPCL) from Vadodara to the Reliance Group's proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Jamnagar. The Reliance group had recently announced the merger of IPCL with itself, with a share swap ratio of one to five.

Before this the company issued transfer orders of some 1,200 employees on March 1, which was challenged in the court by some employees. Subsequently, on March 6, the company announced the fourth phase of the VRS for the Vadodara facility employees and the merger of IPCL with RIL the next day. The last date for applying for VRS is Tuesday. Around 300 employees have already applied for VRS and the number is likely to swell to 1,500-2,000 in the next couple of days, company sources said.

The unions have demanded that issues related to welfare of employees and post-merger of IPCL with RIL, should be resolved unanimously by the unions and the management. They have charged the management with issuing "indirect threats" to the employees to accept whatever was being given to them by way of the VRS compensation package. While the unions say they have no objection to those seeking VRS, they would oppose any forcible transfer or any other action against the other employees, many of whom are unskilled labourers and those whose lands had been acquired way back in the 1960s for establishing IPCL.
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Honda to get into 100 cc motorcycle segment
New Delhi: In what will hit Hero Honda hard, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Honda Motor Company, has decided to enter the entry-level 100 cc motorcyle segment. HMSI also plans to launch completely built units (CBUs) of higher capacity (500 cc) motorcycles in the next few years.

It may also assemble these bikes in the country to avoid high import duty of 110 pc. HMSI at present manufactures 125 cc bike Shine and 150 cc Unicorn and a range of scooters like Eterno, Dio and Activa.

Hero Honda, a 26:26 joint venture between Munjals of Hero group and Honda Motor Co gets over 75 pc of its sales volume from the entry-level 100 cc segment. The company has models like the CD Deluxe, Splendor Plus, Super splendor and Glamour among others in this segment.
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Maruti residual stake sale next fiscal
New Delhi: The sale of Maruti Udyog's residual stake sale is likely next financial year, the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram told reporters. Official sources attributed the decision to defer the divestment to the next year to uncertain stock markets, but added that the sale would be carried out before June.

Maruti, which is 54.2 per cent owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation, is a joint venture between the Indian Government and Suzuki. After successive disinvestments, the Government has a residual stake of 10.27 per cent.
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