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MTNL won’t be
privatised, says Dayanidhi Maran Air-India tickets to cost more Ukraine plant
attracts Indian steel magnate |
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Rule likely for
new units to employ locals Aiwa rocks market
with 22 models Sony’s Aiwa brand today launched 22 products in the personal audio system market and announced its intention to expand its presence in 30 Indian cities.
i-flex nets 41
cr, to pay 70 pc i-flex Solutions has posted a net profit of Rs 41.13 crore for the quarter-ended March 31, 2004, as compared to a net profit of Rs 32.58 crore for the quarter-ended March 31, 2003.
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MTNL won’t be privatised, says Dayanidhi Maran
New Delhi, May 26 “My priority would be to focus on personal computer penetration and thereby bring cyber connectivity to every citizen,” Mr Maran told newspersons after assuming office here today. On the proposal to increase the foreign investment cap from the present 49 per cent, he said that the government would review it, even as the minister ruled out privatising the government-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). “I have to relook at these issues,” Mr Maran said on the proposal to increase the FDI. The sick ITI, he said, would be revamped and plans are to make it a manufacturer of 3G GSM cellular switches. The government will take steps to accelerate the process of convergence of technologies which is pending with the select committee of Parliament. “I will do my best to expedite the convergence of technologies,” he said adding that the plan was to pitchfork the mobile telephony in the country to the 4G technology. “I plan to leapfrog this generation and develop 4G technology. India has an opportunity with its large market and high technical skills to be significant player,” he said adding that the government plans to establish a National Centre for Excellence for this purpose. Mr Maran said all Internet service providers (ISPs) will be connected to the National Internet Exchange to bring down the cost and improve the quality of service and data transmission. Moreover, Internet security and capacity will be increased by moving to the IPV6 protocol by 2006. Usage of digital signatures in the financial and judicial world will be actively promoted and efforts will be made to make India as a major outsourcing hub for skilled IT manpower. The Media Lab Asia programme will utilised for education, particularly distance education, and also for healthcare services. Four Internet exchange points would be fully operationalised. Most small and big ISPs would route their traffic through this exchange to also ensure the security of domestic traffic. At present, 25 ISPs are connected. In addition, language-computing solutions will be increasingly deployed in government, industry and society at large, the Minister said.
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Air-India tickets to cost more New Delhi, May 26 The rise in ticket prices would vary from $ 4 to $ 9 depending on the sector. While the surcharge would be $ 4 per sector for all destinations operated by Air-India, it would be $ 9 for destinations in the USA. Reports here suggested that Air-India had to impose the fuel surcharge in view of the continuing rise in global fuel prices. Incidentally, the fuel prices in India have always been much higher than the prevailing global prices and as such have had a more severe impact on Air-India’s operational costs. The price rise from Air-India is not unexpected, as many other international carriers have already imposed fuel surcharge.
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Ukraine plant attracts Indian steel magnate London, May 26 Ispat Karmet, a member of LNM Holdings operating in Kazakhstan, and Ispat Polska Stal, another member of LNM Holdings operating in Poland, will also be part of the consortium, a spokesperson of LNM said here today. Kryvorizhstal is Ukraine’s leading steel company, producing in excess of six million tonnes annually. According to the tender issued by the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF), 93.02 per cent of shares in the Open Joint Stock Company will be sold in the privatisation. Ukrainian government has set a starting price of $ 714 million for the tender but it is thought that the bidders will be prepared to pay up to $1 billion for Kryvorizhstal’s iron ore mines and six million tonnes of annual steel production. Bids are to be submitted by June 4 and the government is expected to make a decision by June 11. Commenting on the joint bid, Lakshmi N Mittal, Chairman, LNM Group, said: “Together, LNM and US Steel can offer a very strong partnership for Kryvorizhstal and we hope this strength will be recognised by the State Property Fund in Ukraine. There has been much comment over the criteria for the current tender process.”
— PTI
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India gears up for sea change in Net speed Mumbai, May 26 Laying of the cable in three sections — Chennai-Andamans, Andamans-Singapore offshore and Singapore offshore-Singapore — is scheduled for completion by October this year, according to VSNL. VSNL’s venture comes at a time when bandwidth capacities are increasing in the country. For instance, SeaMe We 3, the consortium cable, is augmenting its capacity 38 per cent. The next project by its promoters, SeaMe We 4, will become operational by 2005. VSNL is a partner in both these ventures as well. Other players, like Bharti Enterprises in a tie-up with Singapore Telecom, have set up a cable between Chennai and Singapore with 8 terabits of capacity. Similarly, Data Access, yet another player, is reported to be planning an undersea cable between Mumbai and Fujariah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It would have a capacity of 8 terabits. Reliance Industries Ltd muscled into the business by buying out FLAG Telecom, an international bandwidth supplier on the verge of bankruptcy. The deal places Reliance in the big league of the data business. Industry observers aver that the explosion of capacity will cause a massive drop in prices severely affecting the profitability of companies. Prices are expected to crash as much as 90 per cent in the coming months. However price reductions may also help expand the market, they feel. Software companies and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies are expected to be the major beneficiaries from cheap bandwidth.
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Rule likely for new units to employ locals Jammu, May 26 Mr Sahasranaman said investment of over Rs 1000 crore is expected in the state after the announcement of a special package by the Centre and the state government’s new industrial policy that had extended benefits for the new industries. Ensuring maximum local employment in the new industries would be one of the criteria to give approvals, he added. Apprising the industrialists on the broader parameters of the new state industrial policy, 2004, he said the thrust area of the policy was to provide special emphasis on developing skills of the local people. Replying to a CII recommendation to promote IT and IT-enabled services in the state, he said the first call centre set up by the private sector in the valley would be operational in two months.
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Aiwa rocks market with 22 models New Delhi, May 26 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Prasun Banerjee, Aiwa divisional head, said: “Our aim is to build a strong presence of Aiwa across the country by synergising our business with Sony. Initially, we will focus on 10 key markets including the metros. In the subsequent phases, we will take Aiwa to state capitals and district headquarters.” Mr Banerjee said Aiwa expected to contribute 10 per cent to Sony India Ltd’s turnover this fiscal on the back of new product launches. “Aiwa plans to strengthen its product range with home theatres, micro systems and MP3 players by July this year. We aim to be present in 125 cities by 2005 through awareness creation and rebuilding trust of the brand,” he added. Later he unveiled Aiwa personal audio systems, targeted at youth, in three categories.
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Central Bank Cellone in Ladakh CII inks MoU Club Mahindra PNB seminar |
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Lays down 10-point agenda to boost IT
and communications
