The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	‘Easy kits’ to curb price rise Kochi, January 10 Nearly 6 crore “easy kits”, comprising 20 essential commodities, will be launched across the country in two weeks by NAFED through its easy market scheme to curb price rise, Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas said today. "The scheme will first be introduced as pilot projects in Delhi and Kochi and launched nationwide in two weeks. The kits will be given to both APL (Above Poverty Line) and BPL (Below Poverty Line) families once a month through state controlled agencies or central agencies," he told reporters here. The prices for the kits would be announced later, he said. Thomas said the Centre would provide 30-40 per cent subsidy for the project and added that the total subsidy component of the scheme was around Rs 600 crore. He claimed that the Centre and the state governments had time and again undertaken timely market intervention schemes to bring down prices and provide relief to people. He said NAFED proposed to distribute about 1 crore kits in Kerala and added that the state government had evinced interest in implementing it. Thomas said NAFED had launched its road map, opening up the potential for a major leap forward in many spheres of the development spectrum, with focus on farmers and cooperatives. Stating that agriculture had come to occupy the centrestage of activities in India, Thomas said it was necessary to ensure application of knowledge in all aspects of agricultural production, productivity, post-harvesting management and market for food security. "Generation, compilation and dissemination of knowledge assume equal importance in this process," he said, adding that Nafed proposed to set up agri-based knowledge parks for the purpose. Each knowledge park would have the latest information on agricultural practices, integrated nutrient management and pest management and developments all over the world, leading to increase in production, he said. Thomas suggested that Nafed and state departments in Kerala set up joint ventures to set up coconut processing units and to launch value-added products, as there were inadequate processing facilities in the state. — PTI
	Fiat’s small car by March New Delhi, January 10 Fiat today said it planned to bring its super premium hatchback “By Diesel 500”, a co-branded model with European clothing firm Diesel, in India as it looked to add more style statement to its portfolio. "Depending on customer feedback and orders we get, we can bring the co-branded 500 by February or March. It will be costlier than the normal ‘500’ we are selling now in India," Fiat India president and CEO Rajeev Kapoor said. The company is showcasing the 'By Diesel 500' at the 10th Auto Expo here. Fiat had launched super premium small car “500” in India 2008 with an average base price of about Rs 15 lakh. It has sold about 65 units in India so far. The “500 by Diesel” is based on the 500 Sport, using the same 1.2 petrol, 1.4 petrol and 1.3 diesel engines. — PTI Yamaha to launch scooters Yamaha today said it would introduce scooters in the Indian market in order to tap the potential in segment. The company is currently conducting a feasibility study on the scooter market, which is expected to be complete by the middle of this year. "We are studying the market to enter the scooter segment, but we have not finalised the product line yet. However, one thing is sure that we will launch scooters in India," India Yamaha Motor national business head Pankaj Dubey said at the 10th Auto Expo here. — PTI M&M bike this year The Mahindra & Mahindra group said it would enter the motorcycle segment this year with the launch of an in-house developed bike. The group, which aspires to be a significant player in the two-wheeler market, is also working on adding an additional production capacity to meet future targets. When asked about the timing of the launch of the bike, he said, "We will time the launch of the bike in such a way that we get the best impact." Mathur, however, declined to disclose the segment in which the bike will be positioned. — PTI
	Cars reach end of road? New Delhi, January 10 As major auto makers are eyeing Indian roads for launching their range of small cars and high-end bikes, a disturbing question is baffling many -- will the nightmarish traffic situation in metros like Delhi and Mumbai provide them the space? At the 2010 Auto Expo here, big players like Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen introduced their version of small cars following the footprints of Tata Nano, while brands like Harley Davidson, Ducati and Royal Enfield have showcased their superbikes. Encouraged by the rebounding economy, the auto makers are trying to lure consumers with their latest vehicles, but World Bank figures say that journey speeds in Indian cities even on the highways are frustratingly slow at about 50 km an hour in a car and 35-40 km for buses and trucks. "The expo's slogan is ‘mobility for all’ but the increase in cars and bikes in the country with limited infrastructure could turn driving into an even slower and more frustratingly crawl," says Suryanarayan Bakhshi, who commutes 35 km every day from his home in south Delhi to Faridabad, where he works in an MNC. It takes Bakhshi over an hour even when he uses a brand new expressway and the idea of more cars and bikes adding to the tailbacks only leaves him dread. According to a World Bank report, "Traffic in Indian cities has grown by 15 per cent a year for the last decade." "It has reduced the average speeds during rush hour to five to 10 km an hour in central areas and this is when there are less than 10 cars per 1,000 people in the country," the report said. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), annual car sales are currently about 1.8 million, a figure which is expected to be more than double to four million by 2016. "So the question is where will the new vehicles go when existing roads appear already past saturation point, particularly in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore," asks Pankaj Sharma from a Delhi-based NGO Centre for Transforming India. While Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath believes construction of new roads is the key solution to the problem, experts feel this is only a part of the solution to congestion. "One of the most effective solutions to the city's traffic woes lies in promoting the use of bicycle's for smaller distance as Delhi with its wide roads can be made a heaven for cyclists if the government would develop segregated bicycle lanes for them across all the roads," says an expert, who is also convener of the Delhi Cycling Club. — PTI
	Market awaits Infosys outlook Mumbai, January 10 The markets are likely to open on a positive note this week riding on the back of strong global cues, while Infosys' guidance for the March quarter may bring in some cheer in the market, analysts say. Marketmen say after the dull trading in the past few sessions, the market is expected to break out and move higher this week. "Good corporate earning figures and guidance can help the market ride higher. It has been a range-bound movement for the market for the past few sessions and a break-out is likely now," Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services research head Alex Mathews said. Echoing similar views, SMC Global vice-president Rajesh Jain said, "An appreciating rupee will help the market scale higher as it will bring in more foreign funds. As the world markets is on an overall uptrend and our markets are expected to move higher." According to brokerage estimates, Infosys is likely to give a higher March quarter revenue guidance, when it kickstarts the third quarter earnings season on Tuesday. "The current Infosys valuation presents a good buying scope for long-term investors. Although appreciating rupee remains a concern for the stock, high order book will keep the stock buoyant," Mathews said. During the December quarter, the Infosys counter gained a full 13 per cent to Rs 2,605.25. Besides Infosys, the other major corporate houses which are scheduled to report Q3 earnings this week include HDFC, HDFC Bank, and Tata Consultancy Services. "Investors are currently focusing on mid-cap and mall-cap counters. As the earnings season progresses, the frontline stocks will be in demand," Mathews said. — PTI
	Sachin highest taxpayer among players New Delhi, January 10 Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has become the highest taxpayer among sportspersons in the country for the last quarter of 2009 while film stars Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan edged past others in Bollywood on the individual tax payers category. Sachin paid Rs 1.5 crore for the quarter till December and stood at 115th position ahead of Indian cricket team captain M S Dhoni among the 500 top taxpayers of the country. Dhoni and Sehwag had paid Rs 1 crore each for the same period and stood at 199 and 201 positions on the latest list of top 500 taxpayers with the Finance Ministry. Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan have occupied 25th and 26th positions edging past all others in Bollywood, including Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan by dishing out Rs 4.5 crore each for the December period in the current financial year. However, the Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is missing from the top 500 list though his son and daughter-in-law have figured in it. Businessman Mahesh Gordhandas Garodia is the top taxpayer in the country dishing out Rs 20 crore. Lawyer-politician Abhisek Singhvi figures on the list by paying Rs 1.5 crore for this period. Other cricketers, who have figured on the list, are Saurav Ganguly (Rs 90 lakh) and Harbhjan Singh (Rs 70 lakh). IPL mastermind Lalit Modi has occupied the 47th position with a deposit of Rs 3 crore. — PTI
	IBM plans to hire 5,000 Mumbai, January 10 Betting big on the India story, IBM plans to scale up its BPO operations in the country and will hire 5,000 staff this year. "We plan to focus more in the services sector by opening more BPO centres in India. We will recruit at least 5,000 people to support this expansion," IBM Poland's senior advisory consultant Selby Mascarenhas told PTI here. IBM is bullish on the growth prospect of the services sector in the domestic economy, which ranges from software-related services to looking after the HR aspects of some core manufacturing companies, Mascarenhas said. The IT major has decided to scale up its outsourcing operations in India at a time when many global companies, hit by the financial turmoil, have downsized their outsourcing contracts. At present, IBM has BPO facilities in major cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurgaon and Kolkata. Rather than moving to smaller cities, IBM would prefer to expand its existing centres by opening new units, he said. — PTI