IIM-A student launches online Sabzi Mandi

No more trips to the market
Isn't it a pain to travel every other day to the sabzi mandi and rummage through the filth before haggling for prices with obnoxious vendors? Your life would soon be made much easier thanks to Akrosh Sharma, an IIM grad.

Mr Sharma, who hails from Surat, is all set to launch India's first online vegetable market where you'll be able to buy aloo, baigan, bhindi etc at the click of a mouse, in the comfort of your home. His website is an innovative 'online mandi' which lets you see fresh vegetables, their prices and you just simply order them. What's more, you can even specify the time at which the vegetables are to be delivered at your doorstep.

"Apart from purchasing daily vegetables, one can gift fruits using the web service. We are launching the concept of gift-packing fruits and vegetables as a ‘healthy gift’ option," says Sharma. The 'online mandi' should in all probability be a hit, especially among working couples who hardly have time to shop for fresh vegetables everyday. "Once the order is placed, customers will get the vegetables at the time specified by them," adds Sharma.

Sharma was brought up in in Vadodara and completed his engineering from MS University. He then enrolled on to IIM-A and landed a high paying job with a top MNC in Surat. However Sharma was not ready to stay in a comfort zone and quit his job to begin his own business. He launched his vegetable and fruit business in 2007 in a 10 by 10 feet shop. "I competed with the mandi and not the big stores. I created a subzi bazaar-like atmosphere in terms of product display that had well-behaved staff members dealing with customers, high sense of hygiene and no haggling," said Sharma.

As of now, his 'mini mandi' concept has crossed Rs 1 crore in annual turnover. "New concepts like these will lead to improvement of the market where the customer will have better options. An institute like IIM-A can encourage entrepreneurship in a big way. We wish it is not only IIM grads but even other entrepreneurs should come forward with innovative concepts like this," says Vardan Kabra, who was Sharma’s classmate at IIM-A.

An online vegetable market is certainly a welcome change for the desi junta, from the looks of it Mr Sharma's company might just be the Amazon or Newegg.com of India.

Mumbai airport to be closed every Tuesday

Passengers frustrated
It was announced today that Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) will undergo repair and reconstruction work on the runways and hence will be closed for six hours for the next 22 Tuesdays.

The repairs will be done at the intersection of the main runway and the alternative runway and will be carried out between 12 noon and 6 pm. As a result, passengers have become frustrated as Mumbai airport authorities have requested all airlines operating on the days to reschedule all incoming and outgoing flights. Back in 2003 the Mumbai airport was shut down for a long time, resulting in canceled flights. To avoid diversions to other airports like Pune or Ahmedabad, Airlines have been advised to follow the timings of all incoming and outgoing flights two hours before and after the (12-6 pm) closure timings.

Passengers are to note than every Tuesday Jet and Kingfisher airlines are the only two airlines which would operate between 12 and 6 pm and some of their flights have accordingly been rescheduled. A few domestic flights and two flights on the Mumbai-London and Mumbai-Singapore sectors have rescheduled. According to officials, smaller aircraft like ATRs, Boeing 737s, Airbus-319 and Airbus-320 will be able to take off and land since a part of the runway will be available for operations.

However, no large aircraft will be able to operate while the repairs are carried out and officials hope there is no case of emergency landing during those days. In case you're flying on a Tuesday you ought to check up on the revised timings or you might just miss your plane. Although airports authorities have promised that extra announcements will be made to inform passengers about the flight schedules and will provide any help that they need.

Shocker: Hostage Drama on Rajdhani Express

In a shocking incident 1200 people were taken hostage on Tuesday as Maoists forcibly halted the New Delhi-Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express to a halt near West Bengal-Jharkhand border area.

The Maoists demanded Union Railway Minister to release Chhatradhar Mahato in return of the release of the passengers. According to reports, at 3PM 500 people, including women and children, had gathered around the railway line, waved red flag and pelted stones forcing the train driver to stop the train. As soon as the train halted, armed men boarded the train and overpowered the drivers and the guard. The Naxals then snatched everyone's mobile phones and proceeded to loot eatables, water and blankets in the train.

The People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) has claimed responsibility for the attack. “There are around 1,000 armed people, including women, around the train. There is no one from railways on the spot and the GRP personnel got down at Kharagpur. There is no electricity in the train and it is getting darker here.” a passenger had said.

According to Home minister P Chidambaram the passengers on board are now safe and that the Centre has rushed a relief train to bring back the passengers. "The train is safe. All passengers are safe... good news is the train is safe. CRPF and state police have reached the spot and the area has been secured. There is no sign of any other adversary there," Chidambaram said. He also denied that there was any sort of exchange between the Maoists and the security forces. "There was firing and a civilian driver was injured but there was no injury to CRPF personnel and there was no exchange of fire," Chidambaram said.

A relief train has been rushed to Orissa with Doctors ans relief supplies which will bring back the passengers aboard the Rajdhani Express.

You can no longer fail in CBSE Class IX & X

The new grading system in CBSE makes it much easier for students cope with exams, and according to new rules class IX and X students can breathe even easier as they don't need to worry about flunking their final exams.

In case of failure, class IX and X students will be given three more attempts to make the grade. and if students do no pass even after the fourth attempt, the board will taking into account their performance in extracurricular activities and sports. That means if you're a gifted cricketer and play for a big club you can still pass your class X.

Moreover there are changes in assessment - students who do not perform well in written exams will be tested orally or via different projects. These measures will allow teachers to determine if the students have understood the subject and its concepts. During the next two years, CBSE will make exams optional and will promote the grading system which involves evaluation. Also, students who give their board exams will be given their answer sheets.

The other interesting rule is that students who are good at some particular subjects, maths for example can opt to give a proficiency test in the subject. The questions in the proficiency tests will be at the same level as the tough Olympiads. Extracurricular activities will matter in a student's grade as sports, physical fitness, attitudes and life skills will be evaluated. There will be a single report card for Classes IX and X, in which students will have to list goals, strengths, hobbies and interests, sports played and exceptional achievements.

Maruti Suzuki Launches New SX4

Huge Improvement
An all new Maruti Suzuki SX4 has been launched a full two years since the original SX4 hit roads; looks have been enhanced, the engine has been given a spruce up and the car is available in both automatic and manual flavours.

However the biggest draw here is that the new SX4 comes with a snappy new VVT (Variable Valve Timing) engine that changes the intake valve during engine operation so as to offer the perfect conditions for driving without losing much power. According to MSIL, the VVT engine is more efficient and consumes much less power than the one in the original SX4.

In fact the new engine is more powerful than its predecessor and offers a definite change in driving dynamics. The new Maruti SX4 will give a mileage of a stunning 15.6 kilometer per litre. Like in the original, the new VVT engine in the SX4 is a 1.6 litre unit, but it generates a maximum power of 104.68ps @5600 rpm and offers a high torque of 145Nm @4100 rpm and is BS IV compliant.

"The new SX4 is set to raise its own benchmark in luxury segment, even further. The car's distinctive stance and style profile is characteristic of today's modern sedans. With a VVT engine, it is all set to send the adrenalin pumping while caring for the environment. The 4-speed automatic transmission addresses the needs of today's cosmopolitan customers for convenience in the stop-start city traffic conditions. The new SX4 with a range of contemporary features is sure to win many a hearts." Mayank Pareek, Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) of Maruti said.

The automatic version of the SX4 features a four speed auto box and will be a welcome change for commuters frustrated with snarling traffic and dozens of signals every half a kilometer. What with the growing trend of people shifting to automatic cars to save fuel and anger, the new SX4 is destined to be a hit with consumers. What's more, MSIL has incorporated an overdrive button on the gear shift that gives an extra boost in case you need to go faster. Pricing ranges from Rs 6.8 lakh to 8.4 lakh. Below are the various incarnations of the SX4:

Model / Variant-------Transmission-----Ex-Showroom, Delhi
SX4 VXi---------------------Manual-----------------Rs 6,68,000/-
SX4 ZXi---------------------Manual-----------------Rs 7,37,000/-
SX4 ZXi (Leather)--------Manual----------------Rs 7,71,000/-
SX4 ZXi----------------------Automatic-----------Rs 8,02,000/-
SX4 ZXi (Leather)--------Automatic-----------Rs 8,36,000/-

Don't travel to Pakistan

India tells its citizens:

India tells its citizens
In light of the numerous militant attacks on military, police and civilian targets in Pakistan, the Indian government today advised people to refrain from traveling to the country.

Some have been suicide bombs by attackers on foot or vehicles while others were a band of gunmen raiders. There seems to be a collapse of governance in the country and the chasm between the government and the people seems to be growing by the day. According to some, Pakistan has started a war that has consumed its economy, national security, and has torn apart its social fabric.

"The government of India is of the view that it is not advisable for the Indian pilgrims to visit Pakistan in the prevailing situation when frequent terrorist attacks are taking place in Punjab province of Pakistan, where all gurudwaras are situated," said a statement issued by the home ministry. "Accordingly, the government advises all Indian citizens to avoid undertaking any visit to Pakistan for this purpose, till the security situation in Pakistan improves."

The attacks started on October 5th when the offices of the UN World Food Programme in Islamabad were bombed. On October 10th 10 terrorists in military uniform laid siege to the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, close to the capital. In the harrowing 22 hour standoff 19 people were killed. The twin blasts at Islamabad's Islamic University on October 20 led to closing down all schools, colleges and other training institutions in the country.As of now more than 200 people have been killed as a result of militant violence. The civil unrest has spilled into many parts, giving rise to fear psychosis among citizens.

Mumbai airport to be closed every Tuesday

Passengers frustrated:

It was announced today that Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) will undergo repair and reconstruction work on the runways and hence will be closed for six hours for the next 22 Tuesdays.

The repairs will be done at the intersection of the main runway and the alternative runway and will be carried out between 12 noon and 6 pm. As a result, passengers have become frustrated as Mumbai airport authorities have requested all airlines operating on the days to reschedule all incoming and outgoing flights. Back in 2003 the Mumbai airport was shut down for a long time, resulting in canceled flights. To avoid diversions to other airports like Pune or Ahmedabad, Airlines have been advised to follow the timings of all incoming and outgoing flights two hours before and after the (12-6 pm) closure timings.

Passengers are to note than every Tuesday Jet and Kingfisher airlines are the only two airlines which would operate between 12 and 6 pm and some of their flights have accordingly been rescheduled. A few domestic flights and two flights on the Mumbai-London and Mumbai-Singapore sectors have rescheduled. According to officials, smaller aircraft like ATRs, Boeing 737s, Airbus-319 and Airbus-320 will be able to take off and land since a part of the runway will be available for operations.

However, no large aircraft will be able to operate while the repairs are carried out and officials hope there is no case of emergency landing during those days. In case you're flying on a Tuesday you ought to check up on the revised timings or you might just miss your plane. Although airports authorities have promised that extra announcements will be made to inform passengers about the flight schedules and will provide any help that they need.

Shocker: IIT Delhi Student arrested for Rape, Murder

Burns 19-year-old girl for rejecting him.
Police on Sunday revealed that Pushpam Sinha, a 34-year-old PhD student of IIT-Delhi has been arrested for alleged rape and murder of a teenage Naga girl.

The accused reportedly raped the girl, and later burnt her body. The girl, Ramchanphy Hongray from Nagaland, was Sinha's neighbour in a first floor rented apartment at Munirka in South Delhi. She had reportedly rejected his advances; Sinha later strangled her and burnt her body using a gas stove. Hongray's body was discovered on Saturday and Sinha was arrested the following day.

Earlier the poilce dismissed the case as an accidental death due to burning but the postmortem reports revealed that the 19-year-old was raped, strangled to death and then burnt. Sinha, originally from Patna was an Engineering graduate from Allahabad. He had completed his MSc from IISC Bangalore. He was doing PhD in wave mechanics from IIT-Delhi on a monthly scholarship of Rs 14,000.

On being interrogated, Sinha stated that Hongray had been rejecting his proposals from the past few days, and when she was alone on Saturday afternoon, he entered her house and sexually assaulted her. When she attempted to flee he strangled her to death and burnt her body to get rid of the evidence. Sinha will be produced in court today, a murder case has been registered against him at the Vasant Vihar police station.

Michael Jackson film is a sellout

The 110-minute movie will hit multiplexes across the country on Oct 28

This Is It, the upcoming 110-minute film on pop-icon Michael Jackson, has received tremendous response in multiplexes across India with as much as 70-80 per cent of the tickets already sold for some of the initial shows.

This is It will hit the theatres across the world on October 28 for a limited period of two weeks. The film is being positioned as a rare, behind-the-scenes look at Jackson as a performer, his career and his preparation for his last concert that he could not complete.

Jackson, the King of Pop, died on June 25, earlier this year at the age of 50 following a cardiac arrest. Sale of his albums rose sharply after his death.

“The film has got a good response. We have sold 80 to 100 per cent for some of the shows in its 14-day release period starting October 28,” said PVR Cinemas CEO Amitabh Vardhan. The film will be distributed by Sony Pictures India. It will be shown in 55 to 60 multiplexes across the country. Exhibitors include major multiplex chains like PVR, Inox, Cinemax, Fun and Big Cinemas. Not just in the metros, This Is It will also be released across cities like Lucknow, Agra, Chandigarh and Thane.

“We have increased the number of theatres. The film has got good response for the initial shows,” said Cinemax India Vice-president (marketing) Devang Sampat. Commenting on the distribution of the film in north India, Sony Pictures India Regional Manager (north) Nitin Bhikchandani said: “It is the first initiative of its kind. Over 150 prints of This Is It will hit the multiplexes. We have declined several offers for brand association with this film because we want to treat it as a special film.”

Film analysts said the strategy to release it in the middle of the week will give sufficient time for the fans of Jackson to plan. The film showcases rare behind-the-scene footage of Jackson shot with high-definition cameras and with state of the art digital sound.

BSNL seeks sharp cut in Zain price

State-run telecom behemoth Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, or BSNL, is ready to pay no more than $10 billion for the 46 per cent equity it is eyeing in Kuwait’s Zain Telecom, much lower than the $13.7 billion tag that the Kharafi family has attached to it.

“We think at the current price the deal will be very expensive,” said BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Kuldeep Goyal, who refused to divulge the figure he had in mind.

Zain Telecom will be the first overseas foray by BSNL, which provides services across India except Delhi and Mumbai, where fellow public sector company MTNL is the service provider.

The Kharafi family, which is selling its holding in Zain, is asking for 2 Kuwati Dinars per share. BSNL executives say this is too high and they will soon convey this to the Vavasi Group.

BSNL and MTNL want to join a consortium led by Delhi-based Vavasi Group. Vavasi, with its Malaysian partner Al Bukhary, has signed an exclusive agreement with the Kharafi family to buy its 46 per cent stake in Zain.

The asking price represents a 49 per cent premium to Zain's current market price. The company has operations in 22 countries in Africa and Central Asia with 70 million subscribers. According to broking firm CLSA, Zain’s return on capital is just 11.1 per cent, as compared to 34.7 per cent for MTN, whose merger talks with Delhi-based Bharti group fell through recently.

Goyal said BSNL would soon conduct due diligence on the Vavasi Group as well as Zain before taking a decision. A Vavasi executive said the price had been fixed by the seller and it would be possible to negotiate it.

New Zealand, Australia out of IPL 2010

New Zealand and Australian Test cricketers are likely to be unavailable for the first half of next year''s Indian Premier League tournament.

The 2010 tournament is scheduled to run from March 12 to April 25, and will be returning to India after this year''s tournament was shifted to South Africa due to security concerns.

But Australia''s five-week tour of New Zealand will almost certainly result in a number of players being unavailable to represent their IPL franchises early in next year''s tournament, stuff.co.nz reports.

The two-Test series will run until March 31, while the IPL group stage will go until April 19.

Microsoft Reveals ''Mouse 2.0''

The trusty eponymous desktop mouse gets a facelift thanks to Microsoft - as many as five new models of 'Mouse 2.0' have been revealed by the software giant today.

While the models seem like they're straight out of a Star Wars flick, it is clear that Microsoft is heading towards multi touch computing as the prototypes use various touch sensing techniques, form factors, and "interactive affordances".

The first model of the mouse is hilariously titled Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (FTIR) and is loaded with a curved sheet of acrylic "edge-lit" with infrared light. Also present is an IR camera which records the light scattered by the touch of a finger.

The second model, called the 'Orb Mouse' also has an IR sensitive camera and an internal source for IR illumination. According to Microsoft, 'Rather than sensing movement via scattered light, the camera picks up on light reflected back from finger tips.'

The 'Capacitive Mouse' uses capacitive-sensing electrodes that track the location of the user's touch. The fourth prototype, the 'Side Mouse' senses the user's fingers as they touch the table surface. "The key interaction possibility that we explore with Side Mouse is the ability to create a multi-touch area that is not restricted to the physical surface of the device," Microsoft said.

Finally the fifth mouse, called the 'Arty Mouse' is the oddball of the bunch and resembles a crab. Microsoft said that it plans to refine the Arty Mouse--in addition to the other four prototypes-- to "deeper explore the interaction techniques that are specific to these new class of input devices."

Cell Phones can make you Blind

A new study has shown that using a cell phone while walking is so distracting that it causes inattentional blindness.

Researchers at Western Washington University investigated the effects of divided attention during walking.

Individuals were classified based on whether they were walking while talking on a cell phone, listening to an MP3 player, walking without any electronics or walking in a pair.

In the first study, the researchers found that cell phone users walked more slowly, changed directions more frequently, and were less likely to acknowledge other people than individuals in the other conditions.

In the second study, they found that cell phone users were less likely to notice an unusual activity along their walking route (a unicycling clown).

The study suggests that cell phone usage may cause inattentional blindness even during a simple activity that should require few cognitive resources.

Laptops with Windows 7 finally arrive!

End of pain and suffering for laptop users frustrated with the pesky Windows Vista on them - computer makers Asus and MSI have rolled out their lineup of new notebooks preloaded with Windows 7!

Asus has already revealed their Eee Series PCs, including EeeBox, EeeTop and Eee PCs and the company has released the full list of its products that will be available with Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. A total of 40 different laptop models will be available apart from a dozen desktop models. The notebooks come with the 64 bit version of Windows 7 along with Asus Fastboot technology that gives a 40 percent faster boot time when compared to the competition.

MSI has also released their lineup of 40 different Windows 7 laptops and netbooks, along with Wind Top, Wind Nettop and Wind PC models. The notebook lineup includes a bunch of CR, CX, EX, VR, PR as well as gaming GX and GT series. The lineup also includes X400, X340, X600 and X610 X-Slim CULV's and U200 and U210 netbooks.

IIT faculty accepts new pay structure

Arguably the most prestigious technological college in India, the Indian Institute of Technology on Saturday has agreed to give data under RTI on the marks obtained by the students appearing in this year’s joint entrance examination.

In an All India IIT Faculty Federation meetingThe big standoff between the IIT faculty and the government finally ended as the teachers of the seven IITs agreed to the new pay structure. "We have requested the faculty to accept the pay package in the interest of the IIT system. But we will pursue with the Ministry of HRD and the board of governors of the IITs on certain issues till they are resolved," Faculty Federation president Prof M Thenmozhi stated.

The issues at hand are a 40 percent cut on the on promotion of professors to senior grade and the provision of contractual appointment at entry level. The IIT faculties have been opposing the new pay structures since the past two months. As per the present pay system, faculty with six years of experience at the level of associate professors will be eligible for the Pay-Band four, which gives a higher pay.

According to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, the government guidelines on the pay structure can be relaxed to promote excellence. "We are not happy that these issues were not taken up by the IIT Council meeting. We expect these issues will be taken up by board of governors of the IITs. If they are not sorted out, we will take them up with the government," he said.

In another issue, the IIT insists on giving the data only in the hard copy of millions of pages instead of in CDs, which is a more comfortable and cost effective way. Rajeev Kumar, the information seeker has a hard time detecting irregularities in the latest JEE; he had the option of easily scanning thorough the electronic data that had been given to him under RTI.

India for rapid deployment of green technologies

India today called for accelerating deployment of green technologies to tackle climate change problems, saying it was the quickest way to lower the cost of the renewable options.

A two-day climate change conference, attended by 58 delegations and 30 ministers, noted that environmentally-sound and climate-friendly technologies could be promoted by international cooperation and appropriate domestic action.

The Delhi Statement on Global Cooperation on Climate Technology, adopted during the climate change conference in the city, would form a part of discussions at the climate summit in Copenhagen in December, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh today said while concluding the conference. “The Statement will go into the preparatory process for Copenhagen,” he said.

The Statement called for increased public financing in technology development, besides emphasising on capacity building, training, public awareness and education for successful uptake of technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

It also called for exploration of concepts such as a centre or networks of centres to support and stimulate rapid development and deployment of innovative technologies for climate mitigation and adaptation. The statement also demanded a mechanism to help draw up technology roadmaps to decide on specific adaptation and mitigation measures, to be adopted by developing countries.

Importantly, the Statement said, “..reaffirm our commitment to the objective, provisions and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to the Bali Road Map and to the Bali Action Plan, which seeks to enhance implementation of the Convention, culminating at Copenhagen in December 2009.”

The Delhi Statement also recognised the roles of both public and private financing to enable the accelerated large-scale development, transfer and deployment of technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

“The quickest way of lowering the cost of many renewable options is to scale up their rate of deployment and diffusion in developing countries,” said Ramesh while pitching for accelerating deployment and diffusion of green technologies to tackle climate change.

Speaking in the event, Danish Climate and Energy Minister Connie Hedegaard said the adaptation and mitigation efforts to tackle climate change would require “three digit billion dollars” every year. “Without money, there will be no deal in Copenhagen,” Hedegaard said, underlining that the world cannot afford a failure in the climate change negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

She also said there were “clear signs” of renewed political momentum in the climate change negotiations in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit.

“The Danish Prime Minister has proposed to have a meeting of the Heads of State in the last phase of the negotiations in Copenhagen as part of his efforts to reach a deal,” she added. Hedegaard explained that the meeting of the EU Heads of State next week would be able to break the logjam regarding European Union finance ministers failing to come up with a financial package to support technology transfer. On a comprehensive climate deal at Copenhagen, she said the details would not be worked out, but the main building blocks would hopefully be in place.

Manmohan Singh to meet Chinese PM tomorrow at ASEAN meet

THAILAND: The serene Thai beach resort here is expected to provide an ideal setting for tomorrow's meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao to lower temperatures built over recent weeks on border and other issues.

The Singh-Wen meeting on the margins of the ASEAN and East Asia Summits takes place against the backdrop of the war of words between the two neighbours over Arunachal Pradesh.

China regards Arunachal as a disputed territory and objected to Prime Minister's visit to the northeastern state for assembly polls, triggering sharp reaction from India which asserted that the state is an integral part of the country.

"All issues of mutual interest" will figure in the meeting, a senior external affairs ministry official said.

New Delhi has taken exception to China giving visas to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir on loose sheets, raising suspicion that Beijing does not treat the state as a part of India.

Beijing, on the other hand, is unhappy over India making its visa regime stringent for the expatriates, affecting Chinese workers on business visas the most.

India has given a deadline of October 31 for shifting the business visas to employment visas failing which the expatriates will have to leave the country.

Bigg Boss has sick people: Kamaal

Not concerned about his unexpected elimination from the "Bigg Boss" house, Bhojpuri actor-producer Kamaal R. Khan says that despite being stuck Kamaal R Khan in the House More Pics
with 10 sick people he had a good time on the reality show.

Kamaal, who was nominated for eviction, was asked to leave a day before the results of public voting were announced because of his intolerable, abusive and uncouth behaviour since the beginning of the show. But he is unperturbed.

"It was a very good experience. Even though I had to eat food like it was made in jail, had no contact with anyone outside and had to stay with 10 'beemaar' (sick) people, I had a good time," Kamaal told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

Asked why he refers to his co-participants as 'beemaar', Kamaal said: "Except for me, Ismail (Darbar) and Vindu (Dara Singh), everyone had a health problem. Someone couldn't eat sugar or had to compromise on the salt - but three of us always ate everything."

Kamaal was the most controversial inmate in the "Bigg Boss" house. He says whatever fights or arguments he had with his co-participants -- Bakhtiyaar Irani, Tanaaz Currim and Poonam Dhillon -- happened because their thinking and ideas clashed.

Kamaal says he had never expected to be thrown out of the show. He is, however, glad he could keep his promise with co-participant, item girl Sherlyn Chopra.

"I had promised Sherlyn that I will quit if she has to leave the house before I am evicted out of the show. So god ne meri izzat rakh li (god saved my pride). I am happy for her that she is inside the 'Bigg Boss' house," he said.

He is also hoping to team up with German supermodel Claudia Ciesla, his inmate on "Bigg Boss".

"I want to work with Claudia hundred percent! If she wants to work with me in future, I would love to have her in my film. She is a good actress and even a very nice human being, I feel," said Kamaal.

"We spoke to each other about film projects and she said she wants to do some work in the Indian film industry. But we will talk about it after she is out of 'Bigg Boss'," he added.

Kamaal, who had earlier worked with Italian actress Rosa Catalano in his controversial film "Desh Drohi", tried to pursue Claudia into a good friendship in the initial episodes of the show but gave up when she did not reciprocate. He is all set to begin shooting for "Desh Drohi 2" as he plans to release it in April 2010.

"Bigg Boss" is currently in its third season. It started with 13 celebrities locked up inside a secluded house for 84 days and are kept under constant camera surveillance without any contact with the outside world. The show airs on Colors.

So far two elimination have taken place and now there are 11 people in the house.

Strong earthquake strikes Afghanistan and Pakistan

KABUL: A strong earthquake centered in the towering Hindu Kush mountains shook a wide area of eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan early Friday, swaying
buildings in the Afghan and Pakistani capitals.

There were no initial reports of damage or casualties from the quake, which struck about 12:21am Afghan time.

However, the temblor was centered in a remote mountain area where communications are poor and reports of casualties take time to reach the capital.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 and was centered in the mountains about 167 miles (268 kilometers) northeast of Kabul and 140 miles (230 kilometers) west of Mingaora, Pakistan, according to the US Geological Survey.

Buildings shook in the Pakistani cities of Peshawar and the capital Islamabad, and the quake was felt as far east as Lahore near the Indian border, Pakistani television stations reported.

The Afghan Interior Ministry said it had no immediate reports of deaths or damage.

Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey, said that even though the quake was centered in a remote area, casualties were still possible given the size of the temblor. Caruso said Friday's quake was felt as far away as New Delhi, the Indian capital.

Caruso said the area is capable of producing large earthquakes because of the compression created when what is now India slammed against the Asian continent millions of years ago.

He said the largest quake recorded in that area was 7.8 on March 14, 1965.

Sensex sheds early gains as RIL tumbles

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Friday closed flat after a sharp plunge in Reliance Industries, triggered by reports of poor
gas find in one of its wells, erased early gains.

The 30-share benchmark Sensex, which gained 217.03 points in the morning, closed 21.07 points up at 16,810.81.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty shuttled between 5,054.95 points and 4,983.25 points, before closing with a gain of 8.45 points at 4,997.05.

Sensex-heaviest Reliance Industries tumbled over four per cent, or by Rs 86.25, to Rs 2,047.30 after one of its partners, Britain's Hardy Oil and Gas, said that it is abandoning work on an exploratory well in a Krishna Godavari basin block owing to poor gas find.

In the 30-share BSE index, 18 scrips closed with gains, while 12 ended lower, led by RIL, Reliance Infra, RCom, Tata Motors and Tata Steel.

However, a weakening market was capped on reports of a better closing in Asian stock markets and a higher opening in the European stocks this afternoon.

Coaching session with Tendulkar goes for Rs 12 lakh on eBay

NEW DELHI: The charity auction for an exclusive coaching session with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on online marketplace eBay has fetched the organisers Rs 12 lakh.

The 'October Joy of Giving week' charity auction one day private cricket coaching camp by Sachin Tendulkar received bids from 99 people and 1,024 unique visitors, an eBay India statement said.

The auction successfully closed at Rs 12 lakh, after witnessing a bidding war in the final hours of the process.

The result was a tie between a Whirlpool employee and two philanthropists who both bid Rs six lakh each.

While, Whirlpool used this opportunity to give some of their star performing employees a reward, the philanthropists sought to give underprivileged children the chance of a lifetime, the statement said.

The tied winners have agreed to pool in their bids, with Sachin too agreeing to coach both sets of bid winners and the resultant Rs 12 lakh would be donated to 'Apnalaya', a charity supported by Sachin.

The charity auction was an initiative of the eBay India Charity Fund raising programme, dedicated to help NGOs create awareness through cause marketing and auctioning celebrity memorabilia and merchandise for sale to millions of global and Indian users, the statement added.

After varsity blasts, Pak shuts down educational institutions

Authorities across Pakistan on Tuesday ordered the closure of educational institutions after two suicide bombers struck the International Islamic University in the federal capital, killing five persons.

The government of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, ordered the closure of all state-run and private educational institutions for an indefinite period.

The decision was made at meeting of senior officials held soon after the suicide attack in Islamabad.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, police chief Tariq Salim Dogar and Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez participated in the meeting, which reviewed the security situation at educational institutions across the province in the wake of terror threats.

"All types of public, private and philanthropic universities, colleges and schools are closed till further orders," said an official notification issued Tuesday night.

It warned that institutions that did not comply with the order would face strict action.

The notification further said the government's decision was aimed at pre-empting any untoward incident in the wake of the deteriorating law and order situation.

In Peshawar, the North West Frontier Province government announced the closure of all educational institutions from Wednesday till October 25.

Intelligence reports warn of imminent attacks: PM

NEW DELHI: Noting that both state and non-state actors are engaged in the "business" of terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said
regular Intelligence reports had warned of "imminent attacks" in the country and security forces needed to be prepared to meet any challenge.

Addressing the top commanders of three Services here, he also said that the situation in India's immediate neighbourhood had worsened, apparently referring to the developments in Pakistan which he did not spell out.

He referred to last year's Mumbai attacks and the terror strike at the Indian embassy in Kabul earlier this month, which he said was "yet another grim reminder of the forces" that India is pitted against.

"There are both state and non-state actors involved in the business of terrorism. India is a democracy and an open society and is, therefore, sometimes highly vulnerable," Singh said.

He pointed out that there has been no major terrorist attack in India since the 'horrific' Mumbai attacks but said "there are regular Intelligence reports of imminent attacks in the country. This is a matter of deep concern and there is no room for complacency".

Indian banks hit the rule wall in Singapore, Hong Kong

Put plans on hold after HK caps expansion, Singapore orders stricter asset norms.

Stricter norms in Singapore and Hong Kong have queered the pitch for many mid-sized Indian public sector banks. More than a dozen Indian banks have operations in these two countries.

Ahead of the financial turmoil, the Monetary Authority of Singapore had said that whatever liabilities foreign banks had in Singapore dollars, equivalent assets should be created in the same currency.

After the financial crisis, with profitability of banks from overseas branches falling, Indian banks are finding it difficult to adhere to the regulation.

“In Singapore, regulations on asset management are turning out to be harsh. We hope the regulations are eased and expect some relaxation. We are careful on expanding overseas and are not very bullish outside India,” said an executive of a public sector bank with a branch in Singapore.

Recently referring to the new restriction by the monetary authority of Hong Kong capping the business growth of foreign banks, SA Bhat, chairman and managing director of IOB, had said, “There are certain other economies (Hong Kong) where local monetary authorities have put some restrictions on growth. They don’t allow the banking system to grow beyond a certain percentage. They have also started giving additional incentives for maintaining their deposit base as well as bringing new deposits into their countries. So, the overall growth is going to be good, but not extraordinary.”

“The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also advised some individual banks who sought branch licences in Singapore and Hong Kong to reconsider their plans, as these countries were crowded with Indian banks,” said an official from a public sector bank.

As a result, several banks are reassessing their expansion plans overseas.

Corporation Bank, which was earlier planning to open branches in Singapore, London, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, is planning a branch only in Hong Kong in the short term.

“We are reassessing some of our branch expansion plans in Europe as the recession is not yet over. In some other countries, like the Gulf countries, either the local authorities are not very keen to allow foreign branches or the business is not viable,” said an official from Corporation Bank.

In several countries, like New Zealand, banks have been asked to take the subsidiary route rather than the branch route for expansion.

“We dropped the idea of opening a branch in New Zealand as they wanted us to take the subsidiary route, in which the capital requirement is generally very high,” said an executive from IOB.

With the minimum regulatory capital to set up a banking arm in Malaysia very high, Bank of Baroda, Indian Overseas Bank and Andhra Bank recently signed an agreement to set up a subsidiary bank in Malaysia.

Focus on volumes
With margins coming down due to the financial turmoil, bigger banks are focusing on volumes to beat the slowdown.

For example, State Bank of India is focusing on retail banking in Bangladesh, Mauritius and London. “Till now, we have been focusing more on corporate clients. Now, we are looking at retail banking. We want at least 20 per cent of our international business to come from retail customers in the next two-three years,” said an executive from SBI, which recently chalked out an ambitious overseas expansion plan.

“In overseas markets, margins are lesser this year and so we will concentrate more on volumes,” said a PNB official

Dell: Dell gets bigger

Dell’s acquisition of Perot System for $3.9 billion is being seen by most analysts as a strategic call. This will give Dell an enlarged footprint. Both the companies will get a chance to diversify. Of course, it will make Dell a service powerhouse – globally and in the country too.

“The acquisition suggests that Dell believes the information technology market is restructuring around disruptive new models with greater flexibility and control for the user,” says a survey by Everest Research Institute. “It is a bold initiative to transform the IT services delivery model much like it restructured the hardware supply chain.”

Perot Systems is relatively small – $2.7 billion in annual sale, whereas Dell is a much bigger $54-billion firm. Dell says this will mean a better positioning of the company as it can provide a broader range of IT services and solutions, extend the reach of Perot Systems’ capabilities, and supply Dell computers to Perot Systems customers.

Dell's service globally is largely centered on its (dwindling) hardware/infrastructure sales, while Perot Systems is a leader in infrastructure services and outsourcing. Dell needs to shore up its sagging revenues, while Perot acquires an enviable international client base.

In terms of services, Dell’s revenue is around $5.7 billion. Together with Perot Systems’ execution capability, it creates a formidable competitor that may not play the game by the same rules, says the Everest report.

The acquisition also highlights the growing need for integrating hardware and services for infrastructure management. Before Dell, Hewlett Packard expanded its services portfolio with the acquisition of EDS.

India will play a significant role in the integration roadmap for both the companies. Perot Systems has close to 8,300 employees across six centres in India. The Bangalore, Noida and Pune centres cater to application development and infrastructure services. Hyderabad, with 80 to100 people, offers engineering services. The company’s BPO operations are run from Chennai and Coimbatore and consist of over 4,000 people.

Dell too has close to 12,000 people in India spread across four segments: Research & development, marketing, domestic sale and BPO. The company’s BPO centres are in four cities – Chandigarh, Hyderababd, Bangalore and Gurgaon. Analysts believe that the acquisition will perhaps help Perot Systems expand its Indian footprint.

While announcements to date suggest, says Everest, modest cost synergies and a focus on growth of offerings such as modular services, the cross-selling of traditional products and services into the respective customer bases of Dell and Perot Systems offers substantial opportunity. How quickly integrated offerings emerge and the penetration of new customers will be a gauge of Dell’s strategic progress.

Ranbaxy cheers court win, ends flat

The stock slipped further to a low of Rs 390 - down 2.5% from the day's high. The stock finally ended flat at Rs 392. Around 97,333 shares changed hands at the counter today.
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Pharma major, Ranbaxy, has added in trades this evening following a US court Ruling favouring the company.

The stock opened at the day's high of Rs 400 and slipped to a low of Rs 392. The stock is now trading with a marginal gain of Rs 3.60 or 1% at Rs 394. Around 43,414 shares have changed hands at the counter on the BSE so far.

The company has won a decisive ruling from New Jersey that its generic version of valganciclovir, prescribed for HIV/Aids patients and for organ transplantation-related infections, does not infringe the patent rights of Swiss drug maker Roche's anti-infection drug, Valcyte.

NTPC to set up 100 Mw eco-friendly plant

State-owned NTPC will set up a 100-Mw green power plant based on synthesis gas (coal turned into gas) and would appoint consultants for the same by the end of this year.

The plant will be based on Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), which creates less pollution and has higher efficiency compared to conventional coal.

"NTPC will appoint consultant for dealing with all techno-economic issues relating to 100 MW power project based on IGCC technology by December this year," a Power Ministry source said.

The project is part of NTPC's cleaner coal drive. The technology turns coal into syngas (or synthesis gas)and removes impurities from it before it is combusted.

The emerging clean coal technology is gaining importance, as coal-based thermal power plants are heavily polluting.

Low-ash content coal is a prerequisite for IGCC and the technology has proved quite effective in countires where the ash content in coal is low (up to 10 per cent).

However, the technology needs to be developed further to use it in the Indian scenario where ash content in coal varies between 35-40 per cent.

The 100-Mw thermal power generation project based on IGCC is aimed at adapting the new technology to Indian conditions.

Heavy rains in AP, Karnataka claim 130 lives

More than 130 people have died and hundreds are being evacuated due to heavy rains which have lashed Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka over the past three days.

Rains damaged crops and disrupted communications and transport links. Police said most of the victims were washed away in flooded rivers or died when their homes collapsed.

A depression in the Bay of Bengal led to the heavy rains in the region, weather officials said.

Over a 100 people have died in northern Karnataka, the worst-hit state of which the IT hub Bangalore is the capital. The other deaths were reported from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Bijapur and Bagalkote districts in Karnataka bore the brunt of the fury accounting for 25 and 13 deaths respectively as unabated rains continued to wreak havoc leaving a trail of death and destruction, a situation described as "unprecedented" by Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa after a crisis management meeting.

"Over 25,000 homes have been destroyed in Karnataka," the chief minister told reporters, adding that helicopters had been sent for relief and rescue work.

IAF helicopters and aircraft have evacuated many marooned people in Bellary District and Mantralaya in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh bordering Karnataka, where the famous Raghavendra swamy mutt is located, a defence statement said here.

Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh is now inundated with four feet of water even as the level is expected to rise much further, chief minister Rosaiah said.

Mantralayam in the district, home to the renowned Raghavendra Swamy mutt, was submerged with water and people reached atop their houses to save themselves. Mantralayam MLA B Balanagi Reddy was himself stuck on top of his house with a large number of people and was desperately seeking help, official sources said.

"This is perhaps the worst flood in the history of the state. Never in the past have such water levels have been recorded," Rosaiah pointed out.

Meanwhile, the flood level in river Krishna will surge further with the inflows into Srisailam reservoir expected to touch a staggering 12 lakh cusecs in the next 12 hours.

In 1998, the discharge in the river was over 9.87 lakh cusecs, which resulted in widespread damage in Guntur and Krishna districts.

Authorities were shifting hundreds of people from low-lying areas to school buildings and temples on higher ground, but the Air Force said rain and storms were hindering operations.

A senior revenue department official said the toll might go up further as there was no let-up in rains and some areas have become inaccessible and information is scarce from there.

'Per-second tariff' is a must or bust?

Just how feasible is making the 'Per-second tariff' mandatory for all telecom services?

Ever since the new rule was announced, Telecom stocks have tumbled and Trai chairman J S Sarma is now examining the matter. "We will issue a consultation paper on the matter in a month," he said in a hurriedly convened press conference. Soon all other telecom operators including Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel and Idea will be forced to follow the 'per second tariff' rule according to sector regulator TRAI's new rules.

However, according to Sarma, it will be mandatory for telecom operators to offer 'at least one such plan'; consumers would be free to choose the tariff scheme of their choice. Also, operators will be given the power to choose the rate they charge per second. "Customer satisfaction is paramount and there is sufficient work to be done in this regard," Sarma noted.

While Tata's Docomo has become a rage, especially ith collegiates, some consumers are bound to stick with the pulse rate tariff plan from various telecom providers. There is no doubt that consumers will benefit from the per-second plan, but the margins for telecom providers will be under threat. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has already kick started the one paise per second pulse (for local calls) and two paise per second pulse (for STD) in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Newbie Aircel also extended its pay-per second calling plan from Kolkata and Orissa to Uttar Pradesh.

Indian Students losing interest in the US

It seems the American dream is getting over for Indian students. Fresh data released by the US embassy has shown a sharp decrease in the number of students opting to study in the US.

Data reveals there is a 25 per cent decrease in F1 student visas over the past one year, which means only 25,680 US visas were issued for Indian students between October 2008 and September 2009 as compared to 34,510 visas last year.

Analysts say Indian students are seeking other destinations because of the global slowdown and tight visa procedures.

“A large number of students wanted to stay on and work after the studies so as to cover the cost of the education. This is not happening because of the recession and the lack of jobs available in the US,” Director of Career Smart Usha Albuquerque said.

And America's loss is fast becoming a gain for other countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and France. Human Resource analysts like Career Smart say these countries are proving to be better student destinations, both in terms of affordability and easy visa procedure.

“Because of the recession a large number of universities have cut back on their funding. Also, in the US it is far more expensive than any other country and I think students have started realising the good courses in other countries,” Albuquerque explained.

Many of the students also apparently realise that India now offers more job opportunities as compared to foreign countries where they will have to spend much more.

'Government needs to set realistic revenue targets'

The erstwhile 'Manchaster of the East' has now become comparatively marginalised in the textile sector. Even hosiery clusters are lagging behind Tirupur, which was once little known for the enterprise.
The government needs to understand that there is a distinction between enterprise and trade. So, policies for dealing with these two need to be framed accordingly. For instance, the Uttar Pradesh government has set a revenue target of 92 per cent for hosiery trade and manufacturers, without understanding the nitty-gritty of the variations in trading and manufacturing. Manufacturers need better infrastructure such as constant power supply and skilled manpower in large quantities as compared to traders. No retailer and distributor business has been known to shut down owing to poor power situation while manufacturers can't work even for a second without power. We must understand that manufacturing forms the base on which trade and commerce flourish.

So, what can be the possible remedy?
The government must set realistic and differential revenue targets not only for sectors, as it is doing presently, but also for sub-sectors within each sector to do justice to each industry player, whether it's manufacturers or traders. Otherwise, the pressurised bureaucrats in turn exploit industrialists to shell out more with no accountability in return, leading to migration and marginalisation of industry.

Does this mean that an erroneous tax structure is responsible for the poor state of industry in the state?
It is just one of the prime reasons, while lack of accountability from the administration is a larger question. Even when we pay such high revenues, the power supply is getting worse day by day and other infrastructure, such as roads, is in disgraceful shape. It seems the state government has accepted its status as a consumer state. Nothing else explains its coldness towards industrial development.

The central government had offered to build a textile park in Ruma near Kanpur way back in 2003, but the project has failed to take off. Government officials blame manufacturers for not showing interest in the project.

On paper, the project was a fabulous one. It envisaged a complete training and production mall with regular power supply and proper marketing channels but the land was allotted to people who were in no way associated with the textile or hosiery industry. The land mafia was able to get large tracts of land in the park meant for industrial purposes. So, it’s evident who is to blame.

Finally, what is the scenario in the hosiery industry? How do you see its future?
The hosiery market was never in a downturn. We have always been flooded with orders, but lack of infrastructure has been a major hiccup. The hosiery products have become popular for fashion apparels, thereby boosting demand. The jeans and t-shirts we see across shopping malls are mostly hosiery goods. We have not even been able to fulfil the domestic demand and the industry is in need of thousands of trained professionals to expand in the impending boom.

Congress set to win Maharashtra elections

An estimated 66 per cent of the electorate on Tuesday exercised their franchise in assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh amidst sporadic violence in which one polling agent was killed.

Maharashtra registered 60 per cent turnout of voters while Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh saw a much higher polling of 66 per cent and 72 per cent respectively, Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla told reporters in New Delhi.

Mumbai, the country's financial hub, and its suburbs saw a turnout of 50 per cent.

Exit polls by two television channels today projected that Maharashtra's ruling Congress-NCP alliance would emerge victorious in the state assembly elections and one of them predicted Congress victory in Haryana polls.

A 48-year-old polling agent of an independent candidate was killed in a clash with supporters of a Congress nominee in Gulha assembly constituency in Haryana's Kaithal district, a police official said.

Reports of firing and clashes between Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supporters came in from Nima Kheri and other villages in Mewat district. Four people were injured.

Notwithstanding the massacre of 17 policemen five days ago and poll boycott call by Naxals in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, an estimated 55 per cent of electorate cast votes while neighbouring Gondia, also hit by Maoist menace, gave a stronger rebuff to the ultra-Left with a 68 per cent turnout.

Stray incidents of firing were seen in Gadchiroli district where polling could not take place at 22 polling station as the staff failed to reach the destinations because Naxals put up obstacles, District returning officer Atul Patne told reporters, said a report from Nagpur.

A total of six incidents of Naxalites opening fire were reported today. In the first incident, a group of Naxals opened fire in Kasansur in Ahri Taluka but the police did not retaliate as part of a strategy.

In the second incident, Naxals fired a few rounds aimed at polling station at Bonde in Korchi Taluka. A chhopper was immediately pressed into service to send additional police force there, Additional S P Gadchiorli, Manoj Sharma, said.

In an another incident, Naxals fired in Kawatha in Kurkheda Taluka but none of the security personnel was hurt in any of the incident.

Over 1.29 lakh state police and central forces were deployed across Maharashtra where voting is being held for 288 assembly seats.

Among the early voters in Maharashtra were Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh, industrialist Anil Ambani, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and a host of other film personalities.

Brisk polling was recorded in most places across the three states, the enthusiastic voters ranging from the poorest of the poor from urban slums to Bollywood's millionaire actors.

"I voted because it concerns our future, our children's future," Hindi movie star Aamir Khan told journalists after casting his vote early in the day in Mumbai. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Zayed Khan etc were among other film stars who voted.

Expressing satisfaction over the poll process, Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla told reporters that the Commission would keep a close watch on the return of poll personnel posted in Naxal-hit areas in Maharashtra.

Observing that polling parties could not reach to 22 polling stations in some Naxal hit areas in Maharashtra, he said there would be adjourned poll in those areas.

On the gap between the polling and the counting date on October 22, Chawla said political parties in Maharashtra did not want the Diwali festival to be disturbed because of counting.

Cars our cricketers drive

Cricket for the Indians is not just a mere sport... it's passion, it's religion and the cricketers are Gods! We admire them, we adore them we idolise them.
With every win, we put the 'Men in Blue' on the pedestal above our Gods, while a lose make their effigies burnt. And though Indian cricket team might be seeing a low phase after their eviction from the Champion Trophy, our curiosity to know more about their lifestyle, their desires, their passions always remains intact. Getting a step closer to their private lives, we bring to you their passion for automobiles and the cars they like to drive

RNRL to make Rs 350,000 cr profit from gas trading: RIL

Reliance Industries, the target of allegations of making super-normal profits, has sought to turn the tables on Anil Ambani group by accusing it of trying to earn an astronomical Rs 350,000 crore as profit with plans to trade gas bought at below market rates. 

Anil Ambani Group's Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) wants RIL's KG-D6 gas at preferential price of USD 2.34 per mmBtu but would supply the fuel to the group's power firms at market rates, thus making Rs 21,000 crore profit a year for 17 years, RIL said in reply to the petition filed by the firm. 

RIL annexed RNRL's offer document for a GDR listing that said it will supply gas to its affiliate power companies at prevailing market prices. "Such market prices may exceed the Government-approved cap price of USD 4.20 per mmBtu (for KG-D6 gas)." 

In addition, RIL claimed the Anil group's power company that is setting up the Dadri plant in Uttar Pradesh, would make a windfall profit of Rs 70,000 crore as the entire fuel cost (the price at which it gets gas from RNRL) will be passed on to the consumer. 

Citing the State Support Agreement signed in 2004 between the Uttar Pradesh government and Reliance Energy, RIL said Dadri project will get a fixed cost tariff of Rs 1.25 per unit, twice the industry norm for gas-based projects. 

Earlier, RNRL had accused RIL of trying to make super-normal profit of Rs 50,000 crore by selling gas at higher price. 

"Thus, all actions of RNRL are clearly motivated by commercial greed, with the goal of pocketing trading profits," RIL said. "This is proven beyond doubt by the fact that RNRL contended before the Division Bench of Bombay High Court that, if RNRL does not receive gas from RIL, it should receive cash payments equal to the difference between the USD 2.34 per mmBtu price and the price set by thegovernment," the Mukesh Ambani-led company said. 

RNRL is seeking gas from RIL at a price of USD 2.34 per mmBtu, agreed in a 2005 family agreement. RIL has expressed its inability to supply at this rate as it is 44 per cent lower than the government approved price. The matter is in Supreme Court, which will commence final hearing on all related petition from October 20. 

"This (demand) confirms that RNRL's true objective is a long term stream of subsidy payments at the expense of RIL's shareholders," the company said.

Hyundai records record sales in September

Hyundai Motor India Ltd has recorded highest-ever sales of 53,804 units Hyundai i20,Hyundai Santa Fe,Santro

After months of slowdown the domestic market, buoyed by the strong festive season sales, recorded a growth rate of 25% after months of fluctuating sales. The overseas sales grew at a modest 9% as the export market slowed down with the scrappage incentive coming to an end in most European markets. 

HMIL's total sales for September, 2009 stood at 53,804 units as against 46,218 units in September 2008. The domestic sales accounted for 27,803 units as against 22,311 units in September 2008 while the overseas sales grew from 23,907 units last September to 26,001 units in September 2009. 

Commenting on September 2009 sales, Arvind Saxena, Sr. V-P - marketing and sales, HMIL, said, “The sales for September were promising as we not only recorded the highest figures in our 11 years of operations but also this year the festive season has been encouraging as customers returned to the showroom. We hope this will be the turning point for the automotive industry and if sales remain strong during the coming Diwali, then we can look at double digit growth figures for the current year.” 

Hyundai's segment-wise cumulative sales for September 2009 are as follows: A2 Segment (Santro, i10, Getz & i20) 49,482 units; A3 Segment (Accent & Verna) 4,269 units; A5 Segment (Sonata Transform) 52 units; and SUV Segment (Tucson) 1 unit.