In a bid to boost the agriculture diversification programme, the Punjab government has decided to exempt the market fee on the fruits and vegetables exported to countries across the globe

Punjab waives market fee on fruit, vegetables meant for exports

BS Reporter

There are about 40 million DTH operators in India, while analogue connections are estimated at 750 million

'Digitisation has boosted direct-to-home segment'

As per 2011 census, UP narrowed the literacy rate gap with national average from 8.5% to 5.3

UP literacy rate catching up with national average

Business Standard

Aspada Investment Advisors oversees Aspada Investments, an equity and structured product venture capital investment vehicle. It aims to provide early-stage risk capital to businesses in India that "expand market access, improve livelihoods and create large-scale employment opportunities in under-served communities". It is backed, among others, by the Soros Economic Development Fund. Founding partners Kartik Srivatsa & Thomas Hyland detail how they intend to go about this, in an interview with Raghuvir Badrinath. Edited excerpts:Getting the backing of the Soros fund is a significant development. To what extent are they helping you weave a strategy in India?Theirs' is a foundation which supports investments in small businesses in emerging markets that provide access to essential services or improve livelihoods. They sit on our investment committee and provide strategic and operational advice. This committee will expand over time and seats will be offered selectively to new investors

Market-based tools needed in under-served social sectors: Kartik Srivatsa & Thomas Hyland

Despite concerns about their safety and environment-friendliness, these vehicles could change the country's transport economy

Are quadricycles a four-wheel ride to success?

Despite negatives, 82% of 550 entrepreneurs would again do start-ups

Indian entrepreneurs display never-say-die attitude

Wearing traditional Maharashtrian headgear, two members took oath in Marathi as maiden session of the 14th Karnataka Legislative Assembly commenced today.Sporting saffron-coloured "pagadi", Arvind Chandrakant Patil (Khanapur) and Sambhaji Laxman Patil (Belgaum Dakshin), belonging to Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and elected from Belgaum district bordering Maharashtra, were among the 146 newly elected members who were sworn in on the first day. First two days of the session which would conclude on June seven were earmarked for oath-taking exercise. Protem Speaker Malikayya Guttedar was in the Chair. Senior member Kagodu Thimmappa (Congress) is slated to be elected as Speaker on Friday.The Congress has 121 members in the 224-member House, with the BJP and JD-S having 40 MLAs each. JD-S has been recognised as the principal opposition, having recorded higher vote-share in the May 5 Assembly polls. JD-S state unit President H D Kumaraswamy, who was elected from Ramanagara Assembly segme

Fourteenth Legislative Assembly constituted

Press Trust of India

The much-awaited project which had drawn opposition from Karnataka BJP unit and other local pro-Kannada groups in 2008 during its nascent stages, was inaugurated by Jayalalithaa

Hogenakkal project launched

Locked in the Cauvery river dispute, neighbours Tamil Nadu and Karnataka should hare the available water without causing any hardship to farmers in either states, JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy said

'TN, state should share water in Cauvery'

Says the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill - 2010 is a driver of the consolidation being seen in the sector

HCG buys majority stake in city-based fertility clinic

Companies like Hero Cycles and Avon Cycles have threatened to withdraw their investment proposals, if they would not get land near the state capital

Bihar to allott land near Patna to cycle owners

The West Bengal government today sought 300 companies of central para-military forces for deployment during panchayat poll in the rural areas for 15 days from June 28

Bengal seeks 300 companies of central forces for poll

After making job reservation for locals mandatory for MoU  signed industries, the state government is likely to extend the condition to coal mining projects

Jobs for locals in coal mining

The status of the project will be reviewed soon at a convenient date

IT dept to review MindTree's city project

Founded in 2009 by Manohar Reddy and Mahendra Alladi, Gallop Solutions is based in Texas with an offshore technology centre at Hyderabad

Cigniti acquires Gallop

The inaugural service will cover Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam district and Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha district

Kerala to launch seaplane service on June 2

Company eyes Rs 20-crore order book this year

Standard Glass opens new Hyderabad facility

NLC to invest Rs 29,000 cr

Having failed to rope in private parties to operate its luxury bus service to Konkan from Mumbai and Pune, the Maharashtra government is toying with the idea of handing over the job to Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).The private tour operators have not shown interest in the project citing lack of infrastructure facilities in Konkan region, tourism department officials said. The feedback from the dry run of the bus from Mumbai to Konkan in December last year was not good. "Due to narrow roads, it was difficult to drive the Volvo buses," an official said."State Tourism Minister Chhagan Bhujbal is of the view that the bus service be operated by MSRTC on routes decided by the MTDC. The proposal is under consideration of the tourism department," he said. With an aim to attract foreign tourists, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) had decided to start a luxury bus service to Konkan from Mumbai and Pune. MTDC had purchased five such Volvo buses, which have

MSRTC may operate Konkan luxury bus service

With the launch of Flood IT project second edition by Gujarat Urban Bank Co-operative Banks Federation (GUBCBF) leading personal computer (PC) and laptop manufacturers have rushed to join the project in a hope to capture maximum market in the Gujarat.GUBCBF had started Flood IT project in 2009 for information and technology (IT) revolution in the state. While at that time only three companies had shown interest in it, success of the project has now seen seven IT companies has collaborate with this project in 2013.In the second edition of the Flood IT project, Hewlett-Packard India (HP), Toshiba, Lenovo, Wipro, HCL, Fujitsu and E-sense have collaboratively tied up with GUBCBF.  What's more, Airtel and McAfee are also participating in the project for Internet and antivirus services under the project.Commenting on the partnership, Sivakumar N., Vice President - Sales & Marketing (PC Business) - DS Division, Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd. said, "We are proud to partner this program that will

PC, laptop makers rush to cash in on Flood IT project in Gujarat

A group of contractual labourers from the Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd's (GHCL) soda ash plant in Surtapada, Junagadh district, have claimed that they were not being paid minimum wage because of the unholy nexus of the company officials and the labour contractors who have support of local politicians

Not being paid minimum wages, allege GHCL contractual workers

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