The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has disconnected 22,769 mobile connections for sending unwanted telemarketing calls and SMS. The new regulations for unsolicited calls and messages came into place on September 27, last year. Since then, 36,156 subscribers have been issued notices and 22,769 subscribers have been disconnected, Trai said in a statement on Thursday.

Trai disconnects 22,769 connections

Business Standard

Trades between FIIs generated a volume of Rs 37 crore on the BSE Thursday-an decrease of 50.59% from Rs 75 crore clocked on Wednesday. As many as seven stocks witnessed trades of 9.01 lakh shares on Thursday.

FII-TO-FII TRADES: PNB traded at 7% premium

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday reviewed the compliance and periodic reporting structure for investment bankers handling public issue (or bankers to an issues in Sebi&rsquo;s terminology).

Submit details of all investor grievances: Sebi to investment bankers

Taking exception to the hefty power tariff hike announced recently by the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), the Opposition urged the government to declare subsidy immediately for poor consumers in the state to offset the burden of the hike.

Opposition demands subsidy for poor consumers

The Orissa law department has objected to the proposal to extend or renew the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Korean steel maker Posco, saying that it will be illegal to extend the validity of an expired MoU.

State law department objects to MoU renewal with Posco

Acquisition of nearly 5,000 acres of land for six major industrial players including Posco India and Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) has turned out to be a sticky thorn in the flesh of the Orissa government.

CAG raps Orissa over land buying for mega industries

A group of ministers (GoM) is expected to meet next week to discuss whether to re-start the registration process for export of cotton, which has been stopped at 12.5 million bales for 2011-12 marketing year, ending September (1 bale =170 kilograms). On March 12, the government partially eased the ban on exports a week after it was imposed following strong opposition from the agriculture ministry.

Cotton export: GoM to meet next week 

Cisco, a global leader in networking on Thursday revealed its plan for expansion in Maharashtra at the meeting between the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and the company's chairman John T Chambers. Chavan told Business Standard, &quot;Cisco has expressed its desire to identify areas of cooperation and expansion in Maharashtra. Cisco chief said the company's expertise can be used to accelerate economic and social development in the state.

Cisco plan for expansion in Maharashtra

Whirlpool, the world leader in home appliances, is looking at a 10-15 per cent growth in the next financial year. The company, which is striving to make it to the top three position in India, has set an ambitious target to become leader in refrigerators and washers in the next 18 months and overall leadership in home appliances over the next three years. It is betting on its innovation for this.

Whirlpool looks at 15% growth 

With a petrol price hike due for long, the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) has threatened if the next price increase happens without considering dealers&rsquo; margin, it will go on an indefinite agitation. Ajay Bansal, general secretary, FAIPT, said the 40,000 petrol pump dealers will lead a nation-wide agitation to press their demands by &lsquo;no sale no purchase&rsquo; from April 23 midnight.

Petroleum traders threaten to go on strike

There could be slippages from West Bengal's budget targets as the state is depending on grants for fiscal consolidation, a report by rating agency Fitch said on Thursday.

Slippages in Bengal budget targets likely: Fitch

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) slashed prices of its major models in India by up to 26 per cent, in an effort to increase the adoption of its smartphones in the world&rsquo;s second-biggest mobile phone market.

Blackberrys cheaper by 26% as RIM India cuts prices

The department of telecommunications has decided to give a large chunk of spectrum from 1920-1980 MHz band to the defence forces, which mainly constitutes 3G spectrum. This means the telecom operators who want to expand their 3G services on a pan-India basis won't be able to get any additional 3G spectrum in the future. The government had auctioned three blocks of 3G spectrum in 2010, which had fetched about Rs 67,700 crore. But, no operator was able to bag pan-India 3G spectrum because of high prices. Under the agreement between the telecom and defence ministries, DoT had to specify an exclusive defence band for the defence forces.

DoT to give exclusive band to defence forces

Bowing to the pressure from the members of ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, Maharashtra finance minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday partially withdrew the tax on LPG for domestic use. The tax has been reduced to three per cent from five per cent proposed in the annual budget for 2012-13. Pawar said three per cent tax is equivalent to the rate currently imposed on kerosene supplied under public distribution scheme in the state.

Maharashtra cuts tax on LPG for domestic use

The Raman Singh government was put in the dock for failing to expedite the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) it had inked with the corporate for drawing investment in the state.

Opposition grills Chhattisgarh govt over delayed investment in state

The Air India management&rsquo;s attempt to convince staff unions to call off an intended strike failed on Thursday, as the latter wanted a firm commitment on the payment of salaries, which the airline could not offer. The management would meet again on Friday to end the strike call by the unions. They may also meet civil aviation minister Ajit Singh and the civil aviation secretary. &ldquo;The management did not give us any firm commitment on the payment of salaries and clearance of dues. The management said they would pay us the dues once they have the money. This is like saying we will not be able to pay the money,&rdquo; said a union member, who attended the meeting. He said they have asked the management to give them a firm commitment on a timeline during which the dues will be cleared. &ldquo;Unless that happens, we will not call off the strike,&rdquo; he said.

AI unions, management to meet today again

Being the financial hub of Gujarat comes at a cost for Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad tops with highest NPA properties in Gujarat

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers of Rs 1,332.85 crore (provisional) today, according to data released by BSE.

FIIs net sellers of Rs 1,333 cr in cash mkt today

To be an effective entrepreneur, management students need to have holistic experience, says Harsh C Mariwala, Chairman &amp; Managing Director, Marico Limited.

Experience must for new entrepreneurs, says Mariwala

A Delhi-based pharmaceutical company, Panacea Biotec, has set up a new state-of-the-art cancer drug manufacturing facility at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. The Rs 55-crore facility has an annual production capacity of about 1.2 million vials, and complies with international regulatory standards such as current good manufacturing practice, US Food and Drug Administration and UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, a company statement said.

Panacea sets up cancer drug-making unit in Himachal

The leasing of a patch of prime land meant for development of a railway station of international standards in the city to Reliance Retail, a part of the Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Industries Ltd, kicked up a storm in the state assembly with the Opposition demanding scrapping of the land deal.

BS Reporter