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Maharashtra News Archive: September 2007

33 new train services for Mumbai
Sunday, September 30, 2007 | AY

Commuters travelling on the Central Railways' suburban line will now have to wait less with authorities announcing 33 new services from October 2. Of the new trains, 25 would be on the Harbour line and among them 12 would link the western suburb of Andheri with Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district, the last stop on the Harbour line. The other eight trains would be introduced between Thane and Vashi in Navi Mumbai. Responding to protests on insufficient compartments reserved for women (since some were classified as general post 2100 hours), they said in all such compartments the time would be extended to 2300 hours.

HCC wins Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 27 (ANI-Business Wire India): HCC (Hindustan Construction Company Ltd), India's leading construction and infrastructure development company, has won the coveted Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance for the year 2007. The Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance has been instituted by the Institute of Directors (IOD) and the World Council for Corporate Governance, UK. It is a self-assessment tool aimed to accelerate organisation's improvement process. The preparation for the award in itself inspires and aligns the entire work force, builds morale and helps companies achieve superior performance.The award winners were selected through an elaborate multilevel and transparent assessment process. The global award jury is chaired by Dr Ola Ullsten, former Prime Minister of Sweden. Members include Justice P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India, Ruud Lubbers, former Prime Minister of Netherlands and Olivier Giscard d'Estaing, founder Chairman of INSEAD. The first level assessment was carried out by a panel of international assessors under the guidance of Pradeep Chaturvedi, the chief examiner. HCC was selected as a winner in the National Category by an eminent jury chaired by Justice P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and member of the UN Human Rights Committee. The award was received by V P Kulkarni, Company Secretary, HCC, at an award function held in London at the 8th International Conference on Corporate Governance organised by the World Council for Corporate Governance. The award was conferred by Dr Ola Ullsten, former Prime Minister of Sweden. Nearly 35 nations participated in the conference that had a unique theme for businesses - Creating a better world through Corporate Governance. Winning the prestigious Golden Peacock award underlines the high value that HCC places on corporate governance, which leads to a competitive advantage in driving business in today's rapidly changing business world. The goal of improving lives is at the core of HCC's extensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program as well. The CSR program includes a Workplace Intervention (WPI) program for AIDS awareness, climate change and global warming awareness initiatives, and involvement in health and education projects for the poor and needy. HCC is also a founding company for Disaster Resource Network Global (DRN Global), an initiative of the World Economic Forum, which helps people affected by natural calamities. (ANI)

Signature Crest and Travel Org official partners for Cricket Star Series 2
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 27 (ANI-Business Wire India): Cricket Star is gearing up to launch its series II, after the tremendous success of its Series I last year. 'The Signature Crest' and 'Travel Org Holidays Pvt. Ltd will be the official prize sponsors and hospitality partners, respectively, for Cricket Star Series II.The Signature Crest, which is a Mumbai-based fully-owned subsidiary of Travel Org Holidays, and a fast growing company in the hospitality industry, will be the 'Official Prize Sponsors' for the reality show.In addition to sponsoring the fully paid trip for the Cricket Star to a foreign destination, Signature Crest will also sponsor prizes for the 11 final contestants, and those evicted from the Cricket Star Academy as well as for on air auctions and quiz segments.Travel Org will be the 'Official Hospitality Partner' for the mega event. Travel Org will be providing accommodation for celebrities, partners, sponsor representatives and Emerging Media officials during press conferences, academy visits and regional auditions. The hospitality partner will also provide accommodations for the crew members, the selectors, the judges and the visiting faculty during the mini and the regional auditions and during the academy training stage. (ANI)

‘Hotel Ka Guru’ from Travelguru
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 27 (ANI-Business Wire India): Travelguru, India's largest hotel network and premier travel portal, announced today a new consumer interactive, marketing initiative - Hotel Ka Guru, Travelguru. It introduces a novel approach to customer service. Through this newly launched service, a customer can speak to the 'Hotel Ka Guru,' who is a specialist for the geographical location that the customer plans to visit. They can do so by calling Travelguru's hotline numbers. Each guru is an expert in a specific geographical region, and would provide information to the traveller that is city-specific, down to the micro detail. Here is how it operates: For example, if one is a first- time traveler to Chennai and is seeking details on the best area or property to book a hotel stay, Travelguru's 'Chennai Ka Guru' will provide details on hotels, neighbourhoods, local activities, entertainment spots, eateries, must-see places, and the like. Allowing the traveller to get a quick and relevant overview of the city, the Hotel Guru captures the spirit of each city. The Gurus are packed with fresh perspectives and incisive reviews of the best places to eat, drink, shop and maximize your time spent in the destination of your choice. They have the insider tips that help customers make an educated choice on where to stay.The unique initiative will be supported by print ads to start with, followed by other media. An engaging element of the ads is that the models featured as Hotel Gurus in the ads are real life Travelguru employees.Commenting on the latest marketing initiative, Ashwin Damera, CEO and Founder, Travelguru said, "A key need for an Indian hotel customer is a certain level of service. With our diverse cities and towns, getting tips on the best place to stay in a destination, based on the customer's needs, is a real need. We have invested in training our reservation centre executives and in hiring destination specialists. With years of experience related to specific cities, they provide a higher level of service and deeper insights to our customers. This service will help us provide customers the best hotel or holiday booking experience in India. The marketing initiative-Hotel Ka Guru will support in conveying our service focus and expertise to Indian consumers." (ANI)

Castrol Awards to celebrate 75 years of Indian Test cricket
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 28 (ANI-Business Wire India): The Indian cricket team's 1-0 triumph in the recent Test series in England could not have come at a more opportune juncture. Not only did it restore the spirits of the players and their supporters after the World Cup debacle, but it was also a splendid commemoration of the 75th anniversary of India's birth as a Test-playing nation.Indian cricket has come a long way since June 25, 1932, when Col. C K Nayudu led the Indian team onto the turf of the Lord's Cricket Ground, to commence the nation's inaugural Test match. The platinum jubilee of Indian Test cricket will be celebrated at the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence Ceremony, to be held in Kochi on Tuesday. The Castrol Awards have been synonymous with Indian cricket since their inception in 1997-98. This year's ceremony will however witness a departure from the usual tradition of honoring Indian cricketers for their outstanding performances in the previous twelve months. Instead, the platinum jubilee of the inaugural Test will be commemorated by felicitating India's greatest test cricketers of all time.The highlight of the function will be the presence of most of the captains who steered and shaped Indian cricket. Former skippers like Nari Contractor, Ajit Wadekar, Chandu Borde, Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Bishen Bedi and Dilip Vengsarkar, to name just a few, will be honoured for their contribution to Indian cricket at the function. Amongst the current cricketers, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag - all of whom have captained India in Test matches, will also be felicitated.As part of the Castrol Cricketing Awards, each year, there is a special Award given away for outstanding performances. Last year's winner was Jhulan Goswami who has just been awarded the ICC Women's Cricketer of the year award. Goswami will attend the function in Kochi. This year, the Outstanding Performance award will be given away to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team for their victory in the T20 World Cup. (ANI)

Ravi Shastri appointed NCA chairman
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 28 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today appointed former Indian skipper Ravi Shastri as the chairman of the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy (NCA).The decision was taken at the board's meeting here.Shastri will be taking over the charge of the chairmanship of the academy from Ajay Shirke, who was made the acting chairman after the board sacked Kapil Dev from the post.Kapil was dismissed after he joined the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL). (ANI)

'Johnny Gaddaar' opens to a lukewarm response
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

New Delhi/Mumbai, Sept 28 (ANI): Bollywood's latest flick 'Johnny Gaddaar' released to a lukewarm response across India on Friday, as the movie failed to enthuse cinegoers, who termed the flick as a mere 'time-pass'."The movie was okay, just a time-pass flick. I am not satisfied with the movie and the story is not much," said Varun, a viewer.Yogesh Sharma, another moviegoer added, "Movie is about five men who are out to make money. Its okay, but the music is good."The film, which is tribute to the erstwhile Bollywood flick 'Johnny Mera Naam', focuses on the notorious nightlife of Mumbai city.Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the film goes on to portray how the thirst of making some quick bucks lands people in to trouble.Starring a volley of actors including debutante Neil Mukesh and veteran Dharmendra, the film depicts how things go awry when a gang of five people gets a chance to make money in just four days and how circumstances take a turn when one of them double crosses others."Movie is a suspense thriller. It's about five friends who plan a certain caper and the caper goes wrong because, one of the friends is a double crosser. Now, the audience knows right in the beginning that this person has done it but other characters don't know. The fun of the movie is like when will they (other four members) find out, how will they find out, what happens when they find out and how will he deal with it?" said Sriram Raghavan, the film's director.The film carries nuances from James Hadley Chase novels and other Bollywood thrillers, and its soundtrack is generating quite a lot of interest amongst the people. (ANI)

Six live bombs found in Mumbai
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Police found six unexploded bombs in a Mumbai suburb on Wednesday as thousands celebrated on the streets the return home of India's cricket team after winning the Twenty20 world title. Huge crowds turned out to welcome the team along a 30-kilometres (20-mile) route south from the airport to the Wankhede cricket stadium. The crude bombs were found in the Andheri suburb well north of the airport and off the celebration route.

Congress party flags dominate Sahar Airport welcome for Team India
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 26 (ANI): There were the predictable scenes of joy and frenzy greeting the “Men in Blue” at Mumbai’s Sahar Airport on Wednesday morning, but a sidelight that stood out was the fluttering of Congress party flags rather than the Indian tricolour. Politics, it seemed, made its presence felt in what was essentially a celebration of sporting achievement.It was as if the who’s who of Maharashtra politics wanted to bask in the glory of a victory not of their own creation. This is not surprising considering that no one felt that Team India would make its telling presence felt in this slam-bang version of cricket, having played only one previous Twenty20 match prior to the World Cup.The powers that be at the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) were a most reluctant participant at the start, but on Wednesday, every one of the bigwigs sought to be in the limelight, offering Kudos and moolah to the once non-hopefuls. The Men in Blue arrived at the Sahar Airport at 8:00 a.m. and were greeted by cricket lovers and Congress Party workers. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, their Cabinet colleagues, the BCCI top brass, including President Sharad Pawar, Vice Presidents Lalit Modi and Rajeev Shukla, Secretary Niranjan Shah and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar were on hand to greet, embrace and apply vermillion streaks to the players. The champs, clad in white t-shirt, acknowledged the cheer of the roaring crowd, and security personnel were hard pressed in controlling the surge. (ANI)

Cricket(ers) takes a ‘back seat’ at Wankhede
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 26 (ANI): It was a ceremony meant to facilitate Team India for winning the Twenty20 World Championship, but cricket virtually took a ‘back seat’ at the Wankhede Stadium here today, as no cricketer except skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was given a seat in the front row at the dais. At the event, organised to celebrate a purely sporting achievement, the first row on the stage was dominated by politicians and officials of the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI), even as the hoarding in the background ‘loudly’ said “Congratulations Team India.” Besides BCCI president Sharad Pawar, the front row was occupied by Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil, former board president IS Bindra, Vice Presidents Lalit Modi and Rajeev Shukla, and Secretary Niranjan Shah. If this was not enough, a trophy given to the Men in Blue by the State Government had the map of Maharashtra, leaving many wondering what would have gone wrong had it been the Indian map instead. Pawar presented cheque of Rs 80 lakh to each of the members of the victorious Twenty20 World Cup team, including the coaches and other staff. After the felicitation ceremony, the team took a victory lap around the Wankhede ground. Earlier in the morning, when the Men in Blue led by Dhoni arrived at the Sahar International Airport, thousands of cricket fans gathered to have glimpse of the players. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deskhmukh and his Deputy R R Patil were also present at the airport to welcome the team. After getting a warm welcome at the airport, the world champions boarded two open-air buses. The cavalcade took 30-km long route from the airport through Bandra junction, Mahim, Haji Ali, Peddar road to the Wankhede Stadium. A massive traffic jam slacked down the victory parade through the streets of the city, as thousands of fans had assembled enroute the stadium braving heavy rains. Fans were seen bursting crackers and showering flowers not only in the city, but also across the country from early morning. Seeing the frenzy among the fans India Vice-Captain Yuvraj Singh started dancing as soon as he got to the top of the bus-- Vijay Rath. (ANI)

Dawood's brother surrenders, seeks bail from Mumbai court
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.26 (ANI): Fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's brother, Iqbal Kaskar, has surrendered before a special court in Mumbai in connection with a case relating to the illegal construction of Sara-Sahara shopping malls. Kaskar, who was acquitted in the case where he is alleged to have aided Dawood in constructing the structures, had to surrender after the Bombay High Court last week admitted an appeal against his acquittal.Following the surrender, Kaskar sought bail and the court is to hear the arguments in the matter.The High Court had admitted the government's appeal against the acquittal of Kaskar and five others in the case by a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act Court in June. (ANI)

Sensex breaches 17000 mark before tapering off
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.21 (ANI): The stock market continued its record-breaking run today with the BSE Sensex breaching the 17,000 mark for the first time in its fastest 1,000-point rally as foreign funds stepped up purchases of local shares. The 30-share index, however, failed to hold on to the early gains and closed at 16,921.39, still higher by 21.85 points from the previous close, as investors booked profit.Profit-booking sparked as the Sensex crossed the 17,000-point level, covering the last 1,000 points in just six trading sessions. It touched an intra-day high of 17,073.87, and a low of 16,887.07 points.In similar fashion, the National Stock Exchange's index Nifty closed higher by 1.65 points at 4,940.50, after touching a record high of 4,980.85 and day's low of 4,930.35 points.A steep fall in Reliance Industries, the country's biggest firm by market value, mainly drove the Sensex down. The RIL scrip, which has about 15 percent weightage in the Sensex, fell after reports that the company may put on hold investment plans to expand retail venture in Uttar Pradesh.Oil and gas index dropped by 160.57 points at 9,616.94, followed by realty index by 112.09 points at 8,973.38. Capital goods index lost 109.26 points at 14,654.35 and auto index ended lower by 35 points at 5,215.27.Major support to the market came in from the bank index, which rose 172.82 points at 9,117.80. This was followed by IT index by 153.35 points at 4,501.97. PSU index gained 80.39 points at 8,055.51 and teck index rose 69.05 points at 3,720.46 points. (ANI + inputs)

XL Dynamics expands its products and services portfolio
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 27 (ANI-Business Wire India): XL Dynamics India Pvt. Ltd. (XLDI), an emerging player in the US financial services industry, is expanding its products and services portfolio with offerings in the areas of financial products design, risk management, and capital market solutions. "As a result of forward thinking, financial products design expertise, mortgage processing capabilities and futuristic technology, XL Dynamics has been able to avoid the current 'credit crunch' and expand its revenue base", said Pavan S. Agarwal, Managing Director.XLDI has added a new growth dimension to its already diverse portfolio of services that includes forward mortgages, reverse mortgages, warehouse lending and residential loan servicing for the US market."We offer a wide array of services including mortgage origination, underwriting, closing, post-closing, and capital markets solutions to our customers across US. The next phase of growth is advanced capital markets analytics and delivery into asset based securitization. With this, we expect to grow our sales and bottom line by over 120 per cent by the end of 2008", said Alok Bansal, Chief Operating Officer.In 2007, XLDI collaborated with Sun West Mortgage Company, Inc. to design and launch the Cash KeeperT - a Jumbo Reverse Mortgage product. The Cash KeeperT offers unparalleled choices to the senior citizens owning high-value homes. It has been instrumental in filling up a largely unaddressed gap in the US mortgage market. XLDI has enhanced ReversesoftT, its Reverse Mortgage technology platform, to originate and service Cash KeeperTM programs. It also has designed underwriting, closing and quality control processes for the Cash KeeperT programs. In 2002, XLDI started as a back-end and technology support to the US mortgage banks. Today, the company has grown to a full-fledged financial services operation. The company has developed end-to-end capabilities to process, underwrite, close and fund a variety of forward and reverse mortgage products. (ANI)

Epic Aircraft, Vijay Mallya join hands
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Atlanta/Mumbai, Sept. 27 (ANI-Business Wire India): Epic Aircraft, a high performance aeroplane manufacturer, has announced a new partnership with Indian billionaire and owner of Kingfisher Airlines Vijay Mallya. "Epic was really looking for a strategic partner, not just an investor. Mallya now has a significant interest in our company, and we will immediately benefit from his relationships with a variety of companies, including Airbus and Pratt & Whitney,” said Rick Schrameck, President and CEO of Epic AircraftThe deal provides Epic the ability to accelerate the process of bringing the company's growing line of aircraft to the certified market, as well as strengthening the company's relationships with customers and vendors world wide. Mallya’s airline was among the first to order the new Airbus A-380 and is one of the pan-European aircraft manufacturer's largest customers. Mallya is also Chairman of United Breweries Group, a multinational conglomerate of more than sixty companies. His passions include aviation and cars. Mallya has won races on the professional international car racing circuits. Schrameck, who also has holds records for wins in automobile racing and from the pylons at the Reno Air Races, acknowledges that he and Mallya have a lot of common interests to set the stage for a great working relationship. Vijay Mallya said, "I am very excited about the phenomenal opportunities that Epic has in the industry today and this strategic investment will pave the way for the company to embark on an unprecedented growth trajectory". "In fact it's a great relationship," Schrameck added. "Vijay has already brought Airbus into the role of consultants for our certification programs." Epic is in the advanced stages of flight testing for the Dynasty, the 1200hp single-engine turboprop. The company recently unveiled two new Very Light Jets, the twin-engine Elite and the single-engine Victory. The jets will begin their certification process immediately following certification of the Dynasty. Epic has recently experienced an unprecedented surge in sales, booking more than $23 million dollars worth of orders at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in April of this year, then selling another $40 million worth of aircraft only 3 months later at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (ANI)

Dawood's brother surrenders, seeks bail from Mumbai court
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Cricket(ers) takes a ‘back seat’ at Wankhede
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Gasquet wins opener at Mumbai
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Top seed Richard Gasquet made a steady start to the Kingfisher Airlines Open in Mumbai with a straight-sets win over Kristof Vliegen. The 21-year-old Frenchman was never troubled as he eased to a 6-1 6-2 first-round victory over his Belgian opponent. Gasquet has yet to win a final this year but made a name for himself by reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon before falling to eventual champion Roger Federer. The top-ranked French player in the world at number 14, Gasquet has four career titles but has not won since the event at Lyon in October. The second-best French player in the world also was in action Monday as number three seed Paul-Henri Mathieu took on German wild card Nicolas Kiefer. Fifth-seeded Fabrice Santoro led Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-1 2-0 and Rainer Schuettler had a 7-5 lead over number seven seed Julien Benneteau before those matches were halted due to the wet weather. In the only other match to be completed on Monday, Germany's Bjorn Phau advanced with a 6-3 2-6 6-4 victory over Wesley Moodie.

10-day Ganesha Chaturthi festival comes to an end
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 25 (ANI): Hundreds of thousands of devotees participated in the immersion ceremony of the idols of Lord Ganesha as the 10-day Ganesha Chaturthi festival came to an end today.In Mumbai, thousands of people crowded the streets to see their beloved god being immersed amidst beating of drums. Men and women danced as they paid their respects to the god seeking his blessings."I live at Meera road and have come with my entire family to Lalbagh today to offer obeisance to him. Whatever you ask him for; your wish is always fulfilled. We come here with a lot of faith and conviction," said Ashok Laxman Rao, a devotee.Several huge and small idols, which were worshipped over 10 days after their installation at homes and mandapas (pendals), were taken out in the procession.Sweety, a devotee, said: "Everyone is filled with happiness by the arrival of Ganpati. It reunites people."In Pune, devotees thronged streets, dancing and singing as they joined the procession."Ever since the start of the festival all the citizens of Pune have supported these celebrations with fervour. Everyone is hoping that the manner in which Lord Ganesha has brought good luck and prosperity to people, he should do so in future also," said Ajit Powar, the organiser of a procession.The festival marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, signifying good omen and prosperity.Earlier, Ganesh Chaturthi used to be a personal or private affair, celebrated at homes. But at the turn of the century, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a fighter for freedom from British rule, converted it into a public event.The festival is hugely popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. (ANI)

Team India arrives in Mumbai
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 26 (ANI): The victorious Indian Twenty20 World Cup team led by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today arrived at Sahar International Airport. Thousands gathered at the airport to get the first glimpse of Team India, and the prestigious Twenty20 Championship trophy.After getting a warm welcome at the airport, the world champions boarded an open-air bus, which will take them to the Wankhede Stadium in the form of a procession. BCCI officials, fans, and many VIP dignitaries are accompanying the team. The cavalcade is moving towards the Bandra junction.The cavalcade will then go through Mahim before heading off towards Haji Ali, taking the Peddar road en route to Wankhede Stadium where they are scheduled to reach by 10:30 a.m. for a grand reception ceremony.Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deskhmukh and his Deputy R R Patil welcomed the men in blue at the airport. Dhoni’s men will also meet Kapil Dev’s team who won the 1983 World Cup for India. The event will include a felicitation ceremony, in which the BCCI will give Rs 12 crore to the team which is about Rs 80 lakh per player. (ANI)

Congress party flags dominate Sahar Airport welcome for Team India
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Agarkar, Rohit to get Rs. 10 lakh each
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

The Maharashtra government today announced cash incentive of Rs 10 lakhs each for Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma, both hailing from the city, for playing a part in India's Twenty20 World Cup victory. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. Deshmukh would be present at the Mumbai airport to welcome the Indian players when they arrive here from South Africa, an official in the state Secretariat said.

Relatives of cricket players rejoice over Twenty20 victory
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

Jalandhar/Ernakulam (Kerala)/Vadodara /Mumbai/New Delhi, Sept 25 (ANI): Relatives of Indian cricketers joined in nation-wide celebrations following the team’s thrilling five-run win over Pakistan in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship. Off spinner Harbhajan Singh's mother said her prayers had been answered. "I was praying initially. The team has won, and I am really overjoyed," said Avatar Kaur in Jalandar. In Eranakulam, Kerala, fast bowler Sreesanth’s parents and other relatives enjoyed the game. Sreesanth's father, Shantakumaran Nair attributed the win to team effort. "I am very happy. This victory is only due to team work and to God's grace," he said. In Vadodara, fans came out onto the street to celebrate from left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan return to form. Pathan was named the man-of-the-match after claiming three for 16 in the final against Pakistan. "Gautam Gambhir scored maximum runs and Irfan took three wickets and R.P Singh, Sreesanth and Yousuf, all bowled well. The win was thanks to team effort," said Mehboob Pathan, Irfan's father. In Mumbai, people poured out onto the streets in a spontaneous outflow of joy over India's win. "We have enjoyed it a lot. Actually, we had come for prayers, but we came over here and kept on seeing the match," said Divya, a resident. The fans were full of praise for the young team's performance under the new captain Mahender Singh Dhoni. "It's a very good feeling as team has won after 1983. This is another major victory. Our young team has really performed well under Dhoni. He should only remain the captain and more and more young should be brought in the team," Sudeep Kumar, a resident. Yogender, another resident added: "The team has won after so long and the young blood that has come into the team has really performed well. The self confidence and energy that they have shown is marvellous."The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a cash bonus of three million dollars to the squad and ten million rupees to batsman Yuvraj Singh for hitting six sixes in one over against England and rallying the team. This is a major victory for India after the landmark victory in 1983 World Cup. This youthful national team has once again placed India in the league of top playing countries by clinching the title after 24 years time period. (ANI)

UK Minister for Trade and Investment to host business networking lunch in Mumbai
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

London, Sept.25 (ANI): Lord Digby Jones, Minister for Trade and Investment, and Vicki Treadell, British Deputy High Commissioner, in association with the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC), are hosting a networking lunch in Mumbai exploring India-UK business partnership opportunities. The CBC, in association with the London Stock Exchange, is organising workshops in India targeted at companies that are seeking to raise capital overseas. India’s GDP is growing at over nine percent per annum creating an excessive need for capital. With a strong desire to go global, Indian companies are progressively looking to broaden their investor base. The London Stock Exchange’s main market and particularly Alternative Investments Market (AIM) offer a unique and compelling opportunity for Indian companies to fulfil this need. The workshops will offer a comprehensive insight on the capital raising process on the AIM market to interested parties. In terms of capital raised, the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange was the 6th largest market in the world last year. It raised more capital than major Exchanges like Tokyo, Frankfurt, Toronto and Sydney. In fact with 27 billion dollars of capital raised, it fell only 70 million dollars short of NASDAQ’s total for companies from over 20 countries. Indian companies raised an impressive 10 percent of the total on AIM last year, ensuring India was the largest country of issuance other than the UK. Speaking about the event, Dr Mohan Kaul, CBC Director General said, “The event will highlight the various market products that are available and highlight the main difference between the AIM and the main market. More and more Indian companies are listing on the AIM. This will give Indian companies an opportunity to get a good insight on what is in the offing.” “AIM is not a general financing alternative. We believe the Indian capital market is deep and efficient enough to meet all general financing needs of Indian companies — they don’t need our market,” Ibukun Adebayo who handles India and international business of AIM has said.The event will also address issues like characteristics of the investor base, size of listing and at what point a company should consider an international float. Another important point to be addressed will be how can London and Mumbai forge closer links as major financial service centres of the world? Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, Chief Executive, Cobra Beer and Chairman UK-India Business Council, and Lord Jones of Birmingham, Minister of State for Trade and Investment (DBERR), will address the topic of ‘Growing a company from start into major corporations’ and ‘How can London and Mumbai come closer as major financial services centres of the world?’ (ANI)

Upcoming singer releases video to cheer Team India at Twenty20 World Cup
Sunday, September 23, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 22 (ANI): Team India's outstanding performance at the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup has generated euphoria among fans across the country, prompting an upcoming singer to release a video album to cheer the national team. Singer Tina's debut song 'Twenty20' is dedicated to Team India, which square off against World Champions Australia in the semi-finals on Saturday. Composed by the Hyderabad based band, Alien, the song cheers the team to play well in the series."Since my childhood I loved cricket. I want to cheer India and Dhoni's team. I have played the cheer leader in the song. I know they will win today's game," said Tina. The song is sung in three languages Tamil, Telugu and Hindi and is being aired on various television channels. "Hindi version of the song is on air, and the Telugu version will also go on air soon," she added.Tina, who is looking forward to a career as a Bollywood playback singer, is coming out with her debut album in October. India started off their campaign well, piping Pakistan in a nail biting bowl-out after the scores were tied. They lost to New Zealand by 10 runs in their second group match. The match between India and Australia will take place at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground Durban in South Africa. India has won all three games at the ground, and can be expected to lock horns with Australia on equal terms. Pakistan and New Zealand are playing the other semi-final. (ANI)

Indian biofuels market rides a crest as demand surges from the Indian transport sector
Thursday, September 20, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 19 (ANI-Business Wire India): A strong economy, rising incomes, and a vibrant market have given a huge boost to the transport sector, which is the fastest growing energy-consuming sector in India. These trends have made a case for biofuels in India, strengthened by the huge dependence on oil imports. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Indian Biofuels Industry, reveals that the market is an emerging one and has a long way to go before it catches up with global competitors. India's crude oil and petroleum products supplies are largely import-dependant. With oil import expenditure increasing by more than six times in the last 25 years due to escalation in global demand and prices, biofuels are expected to be pressed into service. Biofuels will be critical in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, achieving greater energy security, and reducing noxious emissions."The Government is currently implementing an ethanol-blending program and considering initiatives in the form of mandates for biodiesel," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Hari Krishnan. "Due to these strategies, the rising population, and the growing energy demand from the transport sector, biofuels can be assured of a significant market in India."However, the lack of large-scale availability of feedstock restrains the market. Biodiesel will take a while to establish itself as an effective biofuel, since Jatropha plantations in the country are still in the initial stages of development. Three to four years and many plantations later, the country may have the feedstock necessary for the large-scale production of Jatropha oil for use in biodiesel.The absence of a clear Government policy on biofuels and lack of availability of domestic feedstock has inhibited several biofuel manufacturers from entering this market. Hence, Indian manufacturers are considering importing palm oil to produce biodiesel. Securing feedstock through vertical integration will greatly help biodiesel manufacturers in mitigating availability issues and keeping the cost of production under control. Moreover, using inedible oils as feedstock can aid in avoiding competition with food applications.Similar availability issues also affect the better-developed Indian bioethanol industry, as ethanol is primarily manufactured from molasses - a by-product of sugar. Since sugarcane production is cyclical, the availability and cost of production of bioethanol will vary depending on sugarcane crop yields. India's ethanol-blending program could not be implemented during 2003-2004 due to a low sugarcane output and the second phase of this program was announced in September 2006 only after a recovery in sugarcane production. "It will be necessary to invest in research in areas such as cellulosic ethanol technology, improvement of production efficiency and yields," notes Krishnan. "Further research to aid in the development of alternate feedstock will also help manufacturers rely less on sugarcane."By reducing dependence on molasses, manufacturers can exercise better control over their production costs. This will be a huge relief to them, since the bargaining power on the prices of biofuels firmly rests with the Government and oil marketing companies. Strategic Analysis of the Indian Biofuels Industry is part of the Chemicals and Materials Growth Partnership Service, which includes research service in the following markets: Latin American biofuels, strategic analysis of the Asia Pacific biodiesel industry, and European biodiesels. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available. (ANI)

Salman Khan celebrates Ganesha festival
Thursday, September 20, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 20 (ANI): It's that time of the year again when the devotees of Lord Ganesha pay their obeisance to Lord Ganesha for their well being. And like every other year, this year too, Bollywood is not far behind in seeking blessings. One of its ilk, Salman Khan, attended the prayer with hundreds of other devotees at the famous Raja Ganpati Mandal on Wednesday. "We believe in this. The energy here is spectacular. When we were kids, we used to come here and I have come here after a long time. Whatever I wanted, I have got," Khan said.Former hockey player Dhanraj Pilllai was also present on the occasion.Besides Khan, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor also visited Ganpati mandals to pay their obeisance. Shilpa Shetty too joined the devotees in worshipping Lord Ganesha at Lalbaug. Meanwhile, the immersion of Ganesh idols started at the Dadar-Chopati Beach. Legend has it that Hindu Goddess Parvati had created Ganesh from a perfumed putty-like substance, used to remove dirt from her body in an ancient self-cleansing ritual, the equivalent of a modern bath. Parvati's husband Lord Shiva, one of the three most powerful Gods in the Hindu pantheon, flew into rage and beheaded the young lad and barred his entry into Kailash, Shiva's snow-clad mountain abode. When he later realised that the boy was created by his wife Parvati during his absence, Shiva brought him back to life by slaying an elephant and giving him the animal's head. Thus was created Ganesh, one of the best-loved of Indian gods.The Ganesha festival is hugely popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. (ANI)

Award for Jayshree T
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Well-known film actor-dancer Jayshree T is the recipient of the Maharashtra State Award for her four decade-long contribution to films. The function was held in Nagpur on September 12 with Ashok Chavan, Minister for Cultural Affairs, gracing the occasion. In 2002, the actor penned the screenplay along with Arjun Sajnani and Anil Mehta for Agni Varsha that starred Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Nagarjuna, Prabhu Deva with Amitabh Bachchan doing a special appearance.

Raza Murad in Marathi
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Veteran actor Raza Murad is next in line to foray into regional films. The popular villain of Hindi films for the first time is do a Marathi film. He is to play the role of Manimalla Daitya in the mythological venture titled Lagin Mazya Khandobacha directed by Prakash Panchal. He participated in a two-day shooting spell at Sankraman Studio, Goregaon and seemed to be enjoying himself in the role.

Sensex crosses 16, 000 mark
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sep 19 (ANI): The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 30 share sensitive index (Sensex) crossed 16,000 mark at it’s opening on Wednesday. The Sensex gained 405 points with no losers among the index stocks. Maruti, HDFC and HDFC Bank gained around 4 per cent each to Rs 914, Rs 2,273 and Rs 1,278, respectively. ONGC, Bharti Airtel and SBI soared by 3.8 per cent each to Rs 883, Rs 863 and Rs 1,755, respectively. Tata Steel and Reliance jumped by 3 per cent each to Rs 732 and Rs 2,117, respectively. Reliance Communicationsn and Mahindra and Mahindra moved up by 2.7 per cent each to Rs 552 and Rs 727 respectively. Satyam, ICICI Bank, Infosys and BHEL soared 2.5 per cent each to Rs 432, Rs 949, Rs 1,845 and Rs 1,946, respectively. Wipro, Grasim, Tata Motors and ITC are up over 2 per cent each at Rs 454, Rs 3,330, Rs 711 and Rs 184, respectively. (ANI)

CSIA to cut waiting time
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

A new domestic terminal at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai promises to reduce the time spent getting out of the airport after landing by almost half. The new Terminal 1B, inaugurated on Sunday, will have five baggage belts and dedicated baggage service facilities for every airline. Air Deccan, Indigo, Jet Airways, Jet Lite and Spicejet will all be operating from the new terminal. Apart from sporting a swanky refurbished look, the new terminal offers a fully renovated departures area with 80 check-in counters and expanded security areas for speedy security checks.

Cisco announces new chapter in network admission control
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.18 (ANI/Business Wire India): Cisco today announced a new chapter in the evolution of Network Admission Control (NAC) that broadens its scope and power for businesses around the world.The Cisco NAC Network Module for Integrated Services Routers introduces a sophisticated modular security solution that is completely integrated into the network infrastructure. It protects businesses by authenticating, authorizing, evaluating and remediating remote user machines connected via wired or wireless links, prior to granting them access to corporate networks. Designed for branch offices, the NAC Network Module for the Integrated Services Routers resolves potential threats and vulnerabilities locally before they are transferred over the wide-area network (WAN), helping to prevent them from affecting the broader corporate network. With this latest addition, Cisco helps the information technology (IT) department meet security compliance requirements and reduces network complexity, IT staff training time and maintenance costs.In addition to the ISR network module, Cisco is also enriching its NAC solution with Cisco NAC Profiler, an endpoint-recognition technology that maintains a detailed inventory of networked devices so they can be evaluated before and during their connection to corporate networks. "Cisco's NAC-ISR module is a unique offering that really only Cisco can provide," said Ladi Adefala, security practice manager for World Wide Technology.The NAC network module, which offers all of the features of the Cisco NAC Appliance Server, is supported in the Cisco 2800 and 3800 Series Integrated Services Routers. The module enforces security policies on all networked devices, whether they are owned by the corporation, employees, contractors, or guests, and whether they connect via wired, wireless, or remote connectivity. These devices can include Windows, Mac, and Linux machines, laptops, desktops, personal digital assistants, printers, IP phones, and more. (ANI)

Dhoni named India’s one-day captain
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 18 (ANI): India’s Twenty20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the one-day team in the forthcoming home series against Australia and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced here today. Batsman Yuvraj Singh will be Dhoni’s deputy in the series. The National Selectors, however, did not name the captain for the Test team. Chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar said after the board’s meeting that a decision in this regard would be taken later. The selectors also named a 15-member squad for the first three matches of the ODI series against Australia, beginning later this month, recalling pacer Irfan Pathan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel and Rohit Sharma have been dropped from the squad. Virender Sehwag also failed to find a place in the team. India one-day squad for first three matches:Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain),Yuvraj Singh (vice-captain), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, Piyush Chawla, RP Singh, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh. (ANI)

Gas shortage may hit Dabhol plant functioning
Monday, September 17, 2007 | AY

The Maharashtra government is heavily banking upon Dabhol power plant to start functioning at its full capacity of 2,150 Mw to help the state tackle the 5,000 Mw shortage during peak summer season. However, all this depends on the ability of GAIL (India) Ltd to supply the gas required to make the plant fully functional. According to the schedule announced by the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd (RGPPL) board, Block II (750 Mw) of the plant will be fully operationalised by the end of this month, followed by Block III in October. The entire plant is scheduled to become functional by the end of January next year. However, the RGPPL management is sceptical about meeting the January-end deadline as GAIL, which is one of the promoters of RGPPL, failed to provide gas for Block II and Block III. It was Petronet LNG that managed to get 1.5 million tonnes gas a year for the Dabhol project. The state-owned Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with RGPPL to get power at Rs 3.10 per unit for 1,400 Mw.

Maharastra to promote Lonar crater site as tourist spot
Sunday, September 16, 2007 | AY

In a bid to attract tourists to Lonar crater, considered to be the third largest crater in the world, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is setting up an interpretation centre- cum-museum to let the people understand its significance. The museum cum interpretation centre is likely to cost around Rs 3 crore. This crater situated in Buldhana district of Maharashtra is believed to have been formed nearly 50,000 years ago when a two million ton hyper velocity meteorite impacted the earth to create a depression 1.83 kms in diameter and 150 meters deep. The museum will contain meteorite objects, rocks, pictures and other materials to promote this site as tourist destination. Situated on the outskirts of Lonar town, this crater was first discovered in 1823 by J E Alexander and is written about in ancient scripts like the Skanda puran, Parma Puran and the Aina-I-Akbar. Lonar crater is an interesting place for the earth scientists to study how meteors scar the surface of the earth like surfaces of other crater dented planets such as Mars.

Maharashtrians commence Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations
Sunday, September 16, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 15 (ANI): Chants of "Ganapati Bappa Morya, Mangala Murti Morya" began resounding across Maharashtra at the start of the annual 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival on Saturday. The festival marks Lord Ganesha's birthday on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar. Millions of people are expected to take part. Pandals or makeshift tents with Ganesh idols dot the Maharashtra landscape, and in Mumbai, the installation of these idols in households and in Mandals is being actively pursued. At least 8,000 to 9,000 'Ganesh Mandals' have come up in the city.Organizers are competing with each other for the decking up the idols. For example, at a pandal in Mumbai’s Lal Baugh area, the idol has been decorated with nine kilograms of gold valued at 8.1 million rupees. Half of it was a necklace weighing four kilograms given by a devotee.Rumours about the mafia sponsoring some of the pandal have been dismissed. Organizers said they were tired of explaining that the pandal had nothing to do with the gangster."Chhota Rajan, a gangster, has nothing to do with this pandal. I have been associated with this pandal for past 30 years," said Satish Balgi, the Secretary of another Ganesh pandal.Some 7,500 registered organisations hold celebrations in public places in the city, and some of them are over 50 years old.This year, civic authorities in Mumbai have restricted the height of idols to seven foot or less. Last year, the tallest statues were between 25 to 28 feet.Over 20,000 police personnel and 2,000 traffic officials have been deployed in the city as a security measure. Religious bodies too have taken preventive steps to ensure no untoward incident takes place."In pandals, metal detectors, circuit TVs, cameras and other facilities have been arranged," said Pandurang Jadhav, the President of the Ganesh Festival Coordination Committee.In addition to routine patrolling, police in Mumbai have also deployed sniffer dog squads and additional personnel to ensure that the festivities go off smoothly. Ganesh Chaturthi for years was a personal and private affair. But at the turn of the century, freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started using it as a platform for political propaganda against British colonial rule.The festival is hugely popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra.Legend has it that Hindu Goddess Parvati had created Ganesh from a perfumed putty-like substance, used to remove dirt from her body in an ancient self-cleansing ritual, the equivalent of a modern bath. Parvati's husband Lord Shiva, one of the three most powerful Gods in the Hindu pantheon, flew into rage and beheaded the young lad and barred his entry into Kailash, Shiva's snow-clad mountain abode. When he later realised that the boy was created by his wife Parvati during his absence, Shiva brought him back to life by slaying an elephant and giving him the animal's head. Thus was created Ganesh, one of the best-loved of Indian gods. (ANI)

Zee Marathi signs on 'Sa Re Ga Ma..' winner Prasad Oak
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Zee Marathi, the Marathi entertainment channel from the Zee stable, has inked a two year exclusive contract with actor Prasad Oak. With this agreement, Prasad Oak will only be featured in progammes on Zee Marathi. He will, however, be allowed to perform in Hindi or Marathi theatre and films. Prasad Oak was the winner of the Marathi version Sa Re Ga Ma Pa that culminated in June this year. He currently stars in daily show Avghachi Sansaar that airs at 7.30 pm from Monday to Saturday on the channel.

Muslims welcome start of the holy month of ‘Ramadan’
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

New Delhi/ Srinagar/Mumbai, Sept. 14 (ANI): Muslims in different parts of the country marked the beginning of their holy fasting month of Ramadan with prayers on Friday following the sighting of the new moon.During Ramadan Muslims do not take food or water from dawn to dusk. They also devote their time to worship and the studying of the Quran. They eat a pre-dawn meal, called Sehri and at the end of the day called Iftar (break of fast).Scores of devotees thronged the Jama Masjid in New Delhi at dawn to offer their prayers."We will offer Taravih (midnight prayers), we will observe a fast, we will have Sehri and Iftar during the whole month. These fasts are observed for Allah. We will not eat or drink anything for him. We will not see and hear anything wrong during this month" said Ahmed, a devout.In Mumbai too, devotees thronged markets and mosques to mark the first day of Ramadan.Meanwhile, Muslims in Kashmir prayed for the return of peace and prosperity to the region.Markets in Srinagar were abuzz with activity, as hordes of people thronged shops selling dry fruits and nuts, which are consumed during the fasting period.Khursheed Ahmed, a devotee said: "I have come here for the preparations of Ramadan, to buy dates and do some other shopping. This is a month of barkat. We pray to god for peace and prosperity of Kashmir."People buy supplies of meat and vegetables to make huge feasts traditionally prepared to break each day's fast at sunset.Shopkeepers say the month brings good business to them."We have lots of expectation from this month as this is a month of rehmat and barkat. We have good business in this month, demand of dates rise during this month,” said Noor U-ddin, a shopkeeper.The new moon, which ushers in the month of Shawal that follows Ramadan, marks the end of these activities. Meanwhile, shops in Karachi, Pakistan were busy stocking up meat and vegetables to make the huge feasts. Confectioners were busy preparing oriental delicacies such as "Khajla" and "Pheni", small pancakes and vermicelli soaked in milk with sugar.More than one billion Muslims across the world are expected to observe the holy month, which ends with the festival of Idul Fitr.Muslims are also required to refrain from indecent acts and improper thoughts, nor may they make offensive gestures or unkind words during the period.They seek the blessing of Almighty for peace and prosperity of the Islamic Ummah (the nation of the believers) on the occasion and give alms to the needy. (ANI)

India's JWT's `Nike Mean Streets' bags silver at AME '07
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.14 (ANI/Business Wire India): JWT India, India's largest advertising agency, has won silver at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards 2007 for its immensely popular campaign, NIKE Mean Streets. In a glittering awards ceremony held at The Marriott, Singapore on September 12, JWT India was pronounced the winner over 449 entries from across the Asia in the 'Most Effective Use of Advertising' category. The winning Nike campaign has been created by the JWT Bangalore team.Colvyn Harris, Chief Executive Officer, JWT India said, "We are absolutely delighted that JWT India has won the award for Most Effective Use of Advertising at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards 2007. The award is reflective of the value and emphasis on effectiveness, as ultimately results count in the marketplace and that's what we believe in."Nike Mean Streets is a fine example of brilliant execution backed by meticulous strategic thought. The campaign was one of the most talked about and universally admired campaigns in India during the Cricket World Cup season. The three Orkut communities created on the advertisement and the half-a million hits received by its YouTube upload stand testimony to its popularity and the buzz it generated. The Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards are the only regional awards to recognize marketing campaigns that show real results. The awards cover 17 categories across all marketing disciplines, including -- advertising, direct marketing, product design, sales promotion, event marketing, to name a few. They are designed to set the standards for effective marketing and aim to uncover the campaigns that show results through innovative spirit, combining creativity with effectiveness and transforming businesses by building world-class brands. (ANI)

Cisco shapes future of mobile business with Next-Generation 802
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.14 (ANI): Continuing its leadership and innovation in delivering integrated solutions that allow business to take full advantage of mobility applications, Cisco today introduced the industry's only integrated 802.11n solution designed to combine superior wireless performance and reliability with simplicity of deployment.Cisco's next-generation Unified Wireless Network offering includes the modular Cisco Aironet 1250 Series access point, the first enterprise-class 11n access point available on the market, as well as the 48 Gbps scalable Cisco Catalys 6500-based wireless local-area network controller system, and wired and wireless services with the Unified Wireless Network Release 4.2. Cisco will also deliver, via its family of Catalyst switches, the ability to fully power the dual-radio Aironet 1250 Series from a single Ethernet port.Cisco's new Aironet 1250 Series access point is the industry's first Wi-Fi-certified 802.11n draft 2.0 access point and the only commercially available product to have participated in the Wi-Fi Alliance 802.11n draft 2.0 testbed, establishing it as the industry benchmark against which all other products will be certified for Wi-Fi interoperability. Cisco has applied its experience in radio frequency communications to deliver a fivefold increase in throughput and multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) technology to help ensure high reliability of wireless coverage, particularly for challenging RF environments including those found in healthcare, education, warehousing, logistics and manufacturing.As a market leader in advanced network technologies, Cisco offers global customers the confidence to deploy pervasive next-generation wireless networks with the expectation of highly secure compatibility from infrastructure to client. By testing with Intel, Cisco is helping to ensure that its next-generation wireless solutions offer more reliable performance and greater compatibility between Intel-based client devices and Cisco wireless networks. In all, more than 90 percent of enterprise laptops have Wi-Fi silicon that is Cisco Compatible Extensions certified, providing the industry's best capabilities for simple, highly secure connectivity. (ANI)

'Nanhe Jaisalmer' hits theatres
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 14 (ANI): A unique Hindi movie depicting the bonding between an illiterate child and a Bollywood actor hit theatres on Friday. Bobby Deol, who plays the Bollywood actor in the film said that he was feeling happy by associating himself with it."It's a feel good film and I am very happy that I am associated with this film and I am glad that I am part of this film," he said. The film is Director's Samir Karnik's attempt in making a mark in Bollywood after the failure of Kyun? Ho Gaya Na, starring Bollywood biggies like Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi."This is a social film. This is a film on relationship, on bond between two people, Bobby Deol and Nanhe Jaisalmer," said Karnik.Shot on a picturesque location in the desert state of Rajasthan, the film revolves around a little boy, who lives in Jaisalmer with his sister and mother.The boy is illiterate and Bobby Deol, who is playing himself in the movie, inspires him to study.Dwij Yadav, who plays Nanhe in the film, said Bobby Deol is his favourite actor in the real life as well. "I am playing the role of a kid who knows four five languages but he is illiterate. I don't know the languages actually but I learned all the dialogues. I liked working with Bobby Deol," said Dwij. The film has a novel concept, and as Bollywood is on the spree of serving something different on its platter every Friday, it expected to do well. (ANI)

200 caged parrots rescued in Mumbai
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sep 14 (ANI): Mumbai Police on Thursday rescued 200 parrots, which were kept in cages for sale by peddlers. Activists of 'Karuna', a voluntary group helped police in the rescue effort.Jitendra Shah, member of Karuna, said, "There condition is pitiable, many are hurt and cannot fly. I request people to protect and save these birds."The bird trade is banned in the country, but with lax laws and enforcement and mild punishment, poaching and smuggling of rare species is rampant.Displaying of birds specially parrots in cages is also illegal and punishable by a fine and imprisonment of up to five years."These people are not aware of the Wild Life Protection Act and the Prevention of Cruelty Act. We keep track of these illegal activates and the moment we get any information, we start the rescue operation," said Shamrao Jedhe, Assistant Commissioner of Mumbai Police.Many birds held captive die when released. Others are captured and brought back into the business by traders.Birdlife International, a worldwide conservation group, had warned that some 300 Asian bird species face extinction, particularly in India, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and China, due to poor protection and habitat destruction.Religion also plays a significant role in promoting wild bird trade. Many, especially Jains, Buddhists and Hindus believe releasing birds that are held in captivity can purify the soul and relieve personal sins.In India, fortune-tellers use parrots to forecast destiny of people. (ANI)

Mumbai's Jews commence New Year celebrations
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 14 (ANI): The Jewish community in Mumbai has started its New Year 'Rosh Hashanah' celebrations. Members of the community gathered at a synagogue to offer prayers. The New Year celebrations consist of elaborate feasts organised by Jewish families. "Every 15 days or so, whenever I get a chance I come. During this period, we pray in our house, have wine and good food," said Dina Izek.The celebrations end on September 22 with 'Yom Kippur', the day of fasting and atonement.The Jewish population in India has reduced from a peak of about 80,000 a few decades ago to a little over 5,000 families. Out of which 500 reside in Mumbai. Most of Jews have moved to Israel for a better life. Judaism reached India 2,000 years ago.Extensive DNA testing has found that the Bene Israelis living in and around Mumbai, are direct descendants of a hereditary Israelite priesthood that can be traced back 3,000 years to Moses' brother, Aaron.Around 175 B.C., a boatload of Jews fleeing persecution were shipwrecked off India's west coast, a few kilometres from Alibag.Only a few men and women survived to establish a community. (ANI)

Maharashtrians commence Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Hospitals okay credit for pensioners
Thursday, September 13, 2007 | AY

Private hospitals in the city on Wednesday lifted the withdrawal of credit facilities to pensioners covered under the central government health scheme (CGHS), after a meeting with Union health minister Ambumani Ramadoss at New Delhi. Private hospitals in the city had withdrawn credit facility to pensioners from September 1 to protest the new slashed rates for treatment and consultancy. The hospitals were also unhappy with the CGHS asking all registered hospitals to produce a bank guarantee of Rs 50 lakh each (multispeciality units) and Rs 10 lakh each (single-speciality ones).

Annual CFO Strategies India forum meet to begin on Sept 17
Thursday, September 13, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 12 (ANI-Business Wire India): The first annual CFO Strategies India forum will take place on September 17-18 in Mumbai. Up to 100 CFOs from leading Indian companies will have the opportunity to network and discuss the latest challenges facing their roles.With economic liberalisation and the opening up of Indian markets in the early nineties, Indian companies were faced with a mammoth task: apart from being able to stand their ground against multinational companies, they had to grapple with changes in the rules of international business. The 1st annual CFO Strategies India forum aims to deliver the best financial advice across enterprises while dealing with real issues facing CFOs in corporate India's biggest companies. CFO Strategies India is working in strategic partnership with All India Association of Industries, the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and such reputable media as CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN-IBM, as well as Business Wire, IBN 7, FT Business and Foreign Direct Investment. The growing success of the CFO Strategies Series has attracted experts from leading Indian companies such as: -- Kesavan Sridharan, CFO, Ashok Leyland -- Brijgopal Raghunath Jaju, CFO, Crompton Greaves -- D. Sundaram, Director (Finance & IT), Hindustan Unilever Limited -- Sudipta Sen, CEO & Managing Director, SAS Institute (India)Pvt. Ltd. -- Durgesh Mehta, CFO, Britannia Industries Ltd. -- Krishna Kant Rathi, CFO, Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. Panel discussions and keynote presentations will cover the latest in: -- Value addition through cost reduction strategies -- Emerging role & challenges of a New Age CFO in the wake of globalization -- The strategic role of a CFO -- Cross border M&As sub topic: legal aspects of a cross border M&A -- Managing risk in a dynamic market -- Corporate governance -- Managing growth through innovative financing -- Strategic performance management - making it work The forum also features interactive workshops presented by industry-renowned, international solution providers in the likes of Deloitte, SAP, United India Insurance and SMC. The CFO of World Fuel Services explained that the CFO Strategies series "has been an efficient way for me to find some key value-added ideas and tools that I can use in my work." The CFO of Burger King added: "Enjoyed it! Good diversity of companies. Great topics and workshop sponsors" . (ANI)

Mother’s Milk Bank saves babies
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | AY

Breast milk is the new, all-important replacement feed for premature and sick babies at government hospitals in Mumbai. In fact, the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (LTMGH) in Sion, Asia’s first human milk bank, has created a record of sorts by collecting 924 litres of milk from “mother donors”. According to Jayashree Mondkar, Head of the Department of Neonatology at the LTMGH, the hospital started such a bank in 1989. And then hospitals like KEM, J J and Cama Albless set up their banks in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. There are plans to create another one at the Bhabha municipal hospital in Mumbai. But it hasn’t been easy starting such milk banks in the country. With no uniform standards for quality control, a format for developing a breast milk bank and the protocol for donor screening, collection techniques, transport and storage of milk need to be presented. The milk is collected, pasteurized at 65 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and then frozen at minus 20 degrees Celsius. This milk can last six months and is a boon for sick and abandoned babies.

Mumbai witness tight security ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi'
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | AY

Mumabi, Sept. 11 (ANI): Security has been stepped up in Mumbai ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi', the festival that marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha.Over 20,000 police personnel and 2,000 traffic officials have been deployed in the city to secure the festivities.Several religious bodies, which organise the festival, have taken preventive measures themselves to ensure no untoward incident take place."In pandals, metal detectors, circuit TVs, cameras and other facilities have been arranged. But in small pandals where only few devotees, around 1000 come, such elaborate security is not possible. However, we have told them at least to keep metal detectors," said Pandurang Jadhav, President of Ganesh Festival Coordination Committee.In addition to routine patrolling, Mumbai police have also deployed sniffer dog squads and additional force to ensure smooth conduct of the festivities."Preventive measures such as placing sand bags around the compound and CCTVs have been taken," said Ashok Kadam, President of Dongri (South Mumbai) Ganesh Festival Organisation.During the ten-day-long festival, scheduled to be start from September 15, Ganesha idols are worshipped at hundreds of 'pandals' or makeshift tents before immersing in water bodies.For years, Ganesh Chaturthi was a personal or private affair, celebrated at homes. But at the turn of the century, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a fighter for freedom from British rule, converted it into a public event, using it as a platform for political propaganda.The festival is hugely popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra.Legend has it that Hindu Goddess Parvati had created Ganesh from a perfumed putty-like substance, used to remove dirt from her body in an ancient self-cleansing ritual, the equivalent of a modern bath. Parvati's husband Lord Shiva, one of the three most powerful Gods in the Hindu pantheon, flew into rage and beheaded the young lad and barred his entry into Kailash, Shiva's snow-clad mountain abode. When he later realised that the boy was created by his wife Parvati during his absence, Shiva brought him back to life by slaying an elephant and giving him the animal's head. Thus was created Ganesh, one of the best-loved of Indian gods. (ANI)

PIL filed to ban toxic toys
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | AY

'Toxic toy' has brought the global controversy to the Bombay High Court. The world's largest toy maker Mattel Corporation recalled nearly 19 million toys worldwide because of dangers they posed to children. The petitioner now wants a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of all kinds of toxic toys. The petitioner also claims that India imports over 50 per cent of its toys from China where cheap, unbranded goods are easily available. Many of these toys have high levels of lead, cadmium and mercury, all hazardous chemicals that can cause serious physical and mental health problems for children. Many of these chemicals are also carcinogenic, damaging the liver and kidneys and affecting respiratory and neurological functions. Chronic in-take can also lead to lowered IQ levels and delayed development in children.

Mumbai witness tight security ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi'
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | AY

Ranbaxy gets WHO approval for three anti-HIV drugs
Monday, September 10, 2007 | AY

Pharma major Ranbaxy Laboratories today announced that World Health Organisation (WHO) has included the company's three drugs for treatment of AIDS in its pre-qualification list. With the new additions, 15 Anti Retroviral (ARV) products of the company are now in the WHO's pre-qualification list consisting of single dose and fixed dose combination products, Ranbaxy said in a communique to the Bombay Stock Exchange. These ARVs are made available in compliance kit packs, designed to enhance patient compliance for medication and are the company's latest additions to the WHO list, the firm informed. These packs contain two fixed dose combination tablets of Lamivudine or Zidovudine or Stavudine with a single tablet of Efavirenz. The company has already filed a range of ARVs for USFDA approvals and has started receiving tentative approvals from the USFDA under the PEPFAR program.

Mumbaikars start bringing Ganesh idols to pandals
Monday, September 10, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 10 (ANI): Hindu groups in Mumbai started ceremoniously taking the idols of elephant-headed Lord Ganesha to pandals ahead of a 10-day-long festival, beginning September 15.Dozens of people dancing to drum beats carrying Ganesha idols are a common sight in Mumbai these days.With six days to go for the festival, various organisations have started to shift the idols they have booked to their respective pandals or makeshift tents.The idols would be installed at pandals and offered prayers for 10 days, before immersed in water bodies.Some 7,500 registered organisations hold celebrations in public places in the city and some of them are more than 50 years old."Our organisation is 69 year old. We keep huge idols because everyone else keeps huge idols. We earlier had silver and diamond studded idols. We are having a special idol this year as well," said Kiran Ganpat, Vice President of a Ganesha Mandal or organisation.This year the Mumbai civic authorities have restricted the height of idols to seven foot or less. But the order came late and the organizations had ordered their idols much earlier.Idols ranging in height from six to over 25 feet are made for the festival. Last year the tallest statues were between 25 to 28 feet."People like to see huge idols; therefore we keep huge idols," said Satish Prabhakar More, member of another local organisation.Earlier the festivities were restricted to households, but Indian freedom fighter and social activist Bal Gangadhar Tilak used it to unite people against the British colonial rulers in the latter half of 19th century and the early part of 20th century.The festival is also observed to seek Lord Ganesha's blessings for one's well being and intellectual prowess. (ANI)

DaimlerChrysler luxury bus to hit road in '08
Sunday, September 9, 2007 | AY

DaimlerChrysler India will start manufacturing its high-tonnage Actros trucks at its existing facility at Chikhali, Pune by end-2007. DaimlerChrysler is setting up its own plant at Chakna at an investment of e50 million. Spread over 100 acres, the plant will produce both cars and commercial vehicles. The company has introduced Actros trucks in India. It imports the trucks as CBUs (complete built units) from its overseas facilities. Two variants — Actros 4040K and Actros 4840K — are available in India. The trucks have a robust build with a 12-litre engine with delivery output of 400 hp (horsepower) at an RPM (revolutions per minute) as low as 1800. The plant will commence production from the first quarter of 2009. DaimlerChrysler will also introduce its luxury buses in India in early 2008. It has entered into a partnership with Sutlej Motors, a Jalandhar-based manufacturer of buses, for the production of its luxury buses.

Supreme Court to hear Memon’s bail plea
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, Sept. 7 (ANI): The Supreme Court will hear the interim bail plea of three members of the Memon family today in connection with 1993 Mumbai blast case. The matter will be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan. Rubina, Essa and Yusuf Memon, who have been convicted of abetment and conspiracy, moved the apex court challenging the Mumbai TADA court verdict convicting them in the case. Essa and Yusuf - - brothers of prime accused Tiger Memon, and Tiger Memon's sister-in-law Rubina have been awarded life sentences. Rubina, wife of Tiger Memon's brother Suleiman Memon, was not given death because she was a woman. She has been found guilty of allowing her Maruti van for transporting weapons and arms and also allowing her flat at Al Hussaini building for the conspiracy meeting to carry out the terror acts.Yusuf and Essa have been found guilty of allowing their flat at Al Hussaini building to be used for conspiracy meetings.Essa is diagnosed to be suffering from brain tumour as well as morbid obesity, a reason for the trial court to award him life term instead of death penalty. Yusuf, the youngest of the Memon brothers, was also spared the death penalty and awarded life term on health grounds as he is a known schizophrenic needing constant medical attention. Yakub Memon has been awarded the death sentence in the case. Tiger Memon has been declared absconding, while his father Abdul Razzak Memon passed away during the trial. (ANI)

Sanjay Dutt's "Dhamaal" gets a thumps-up from audience
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

New Delhi/Mumbai, Sep 7 (ANI): Cinegoers gave thumps-up to 'Dhamaal', a fun-filled caper about four friends and a cop, played by Sanjay Dutt, who is out on bail in 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case.'Dhamaal' is a story of four small time conmen, who are being chased by a cop, Sanjay Dutt, through out the film. Arshad Warsi, Ritesh Deshmukh, Javed Jaffrey and Ashish Choudhary are playing the conmen in the movie.Director Indra Kumar has managed to deliver a full fledge entertainer despite the fact the film has no heroine, something which is a rarity in Bollywood.The performance of Ritesh Deshmukh was appreciated by most of the movie buffs."The movie was awesome. Ritesh Deshmukh was good. The movie revolves around ten crores (100 million) rupees," said Sakshi, a movie buff."It's a one time movie. It has good comedy. Sanjay Dutt was good but Ritesh Deshmukh was better," said Siddharth, another movie buff.Sanjay Dutt, attended the premier with his friend Manyata. Talking about the movie Dutt said, "It is very close to my heart. We had a lovely time. It is beautiful- Arshad, Ritesh, Javed- everybody is fantastic." Director Indra Kumar, who seemed little nervous on the premier of the movie, can now breathe a sigh of relief."I have made this film so that whole family can see the film together. People usually watch the film in the theatre and forget about it after stepping out of the theatre. But I want people to remember my film for long time," said Indra Kumar.Dhamaal is the first film of Sanjay Dutt to be released after he was convicted and sent to jail. (ANI)

Muslims in Mumbai demand implementation of Srikrishna Report
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept 6 (ANI): Muslims in Mumbai on Thursday demanded action against those indicted in the Srikrishna Commission Report on the 1992-93 communal riots in the city.The riots that followed the demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992 had claimed 900 lives, mostly Muslims.Justice to the riot victims has been slow, alleged the protestors."Purpose of the protest is to pressurise the government to fulfil its commitments made to the riot victims. It is important for people to raise their voices," said Sarfaraz Arzu, a social activist.Muslim groups for long have been demanding action against the culprits, holding protests and asking the Supreme Court to get involved.The one man Commission, which was formed to probe into the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai, had indicted many politicians, including Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and his senior party colleagues including Manohar Joshi and Madhukar Sarpotdar.It has also indicted 31 policemen and an "effete" political leadership that failed to arrest the violence. The commission also accused the then Mumbai police joint chief R D Tyagi of shooting nine Muslim boys during the riots. Tyagi was tried and acquitted in 2003. None of the other policemen named have been convicted yet."All the atrocities done by the policemen should not occur again. Why are Muslims not getting jobs in the police force? I want action be taken against them (indicted policemen)," said Noorjahan Agha, a riot victim. (ANI)

Mumbai shopkeepers say Mattel's toy recall won't dent their business
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 7 (ANI): Shopkeepers in Mumbai say leading toymaker Mattel Inc.’s recall of Chinese-made toys won't eat into their business, even as parents get jittery over reports that the toys contain a high lead content.Mattel Inc. has recalled approximately nine million Chinese-made toys, due to the presence of "impermissible" levels of lead.Shopkeepers said the booming toy sector was a five billion dollar industry, which could not be dented by Mattel's move to recall Chinese-made items."It cannot affect the toy market because it will be a five billion dollar industry five years down the line. Mattel is recalling only its products. Other items are not getting affected," said Azim Shaikh, a shopkeeper.Mattel has recalled eight Barbie play sets and three Fisher- Price toy models.Toys sold in India are unbranded and unlabelled. Indians are not aware of the risk these toys can cause harm to the body of a child, and buy Chinese toys because they are available at cheap rates.Some parents, however, are aware of the dangers and have begun to discard unsafe toys. "Earlier, we had a lot of toys. But, ever since our kids have been affected by them, we have thrown them away. There can be chemicals or any other hazardous substance in them. After we read about it in the newspapers, we discarded the toys," said Alpna Naik, a mother.Mattel Inc. has made three recalls due in the past five weeks following concerns over the presence of excessive lead in the paint applied to these toys. Lead is a toxic element. If ingested it can cause brain haemorrhage, anaemia, learning problems and slow growth in a human being. (ANI)

Bombay HC rejects Pereira’s bail plea
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 7 (ANI): The Bombay High Court today rejected a bail plea of Alister Pereira in connection with the November 12, 2006 Bandra hit-and-run case. The court had deferred the hearing after enhancing Pereira’s jail term to three years from six months awarded by a Sessions Court for running his car over labourers sleeping on a Bandra pavement. He killed seven of them last November. Periera had surrendered to the police yesterday, after he was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment. Delivering the verdict, a High Court judge said: “Alister does not deserve any sympathy.”A division Bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Ranjana Desai said the prosecution had successfully established that Pereira was drunk when the accident happened. The Bench also imposed a fine of Rs.5 lakh on him. The Judges found Pereira guilty under Section 304 (II) (act with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death, but without any intention to cause death, or to cause such bodily injury as is likely to cause death), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the IPC. Pereira had moved the high court, seeking his acquittal while challenging his conviction by a fast track court last month on the grounds that he was convicted under Section 304-A of the IPC which did not figure in the chargesheet. Pereira was found guilty of causing death due to negligence not amounting to culpable homicide (Section 304-A) and causing injuries (Section 337 of IPC) by the Sewri Sessions Court. The lower court judgement had sparked a public outcry, which led to the High Court taking suo motu notice of the incident. It had issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government, asking why the prosecution of the case was so "pathetic". The Maharashtra Government had moved the court against the lower court's judgement in giving lighter punishment to Pereira. Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Mishra, who handed a six-month imprisonment to Pereira, has since resigned. (ANI)

Filmcity Media plans to launch health channel
Thursday, September 6, 2007 | AY

Mumbai-based production house Filmcity Media is planning to launch a 24 hour health channel. The content will be centred around alternate healing, yoga, spas, gym and medical science. The company is earmarking an investment of Rs 160 million for this venture. Filmcity Media proposes to raise Rs 28.5 million by way of allotment of securities on preferential basis. It also has approved making an offer of shares on rights basis to the extent of Rs 4.91 million to meet part of the project cost. The company also intends to increase its authorised share capital from Rs 80 million to Rs 110 million.

Pereira gets three years rigorous imprisonment in Mumbai hit-and-run case
Thursday, September 6, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 6 (ANI): The Bombay High Court on Thursday sentenced Alister Pereira to three years rigorous imprisonment in connection with the November 12, 2006 Bandra hit and run case. Delivering the verdict, a High Court judge said: “Allister does not deserve any sympathy.”Pereira had moved the high court, seeking his acquittal while challenging his conviction by a fast track court last month on the grounds that he was convicted under Section 304-A of the IPC which did not figure in the chargesheet. Pereira, a 21-year-old businessman, got away with a six month prison term for running his car over labourers sleeping on a Bandra pavement. He killed seven of them last November. Pereira was found guilty of causing death due to negligence not amounting to culpable homicide (Section 304-A) and causing injuries (Section 337 of IPC) by the Sewri Sessions Court. The lower court judgement had sparked a public outcry, which led to the High Court taking suo motu notice of the incident. It had issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government, asking why the prosecution of the case was so "pathetic". The Maharashtra Government had moved the court against the lower court's judgement in giving lighter punishment to Pereira. Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Mishra, who handed a six-month imprisonment to Pereira, has since resigned. (ANI)

Mumbai university slashes distance education fees
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 | AY

The University of Mumbai has decided to subsidise distance education for students from the backward classes from the current academic year. Various students’ groups had demanded that the university waive off a percentage of the course (popularly known as correspondence course) fee on the lines of the conventional system. In its 35th year, the Institute of Distance Education has submitted a proposal, spelling out the quantum to be waived for the graduate and post-graduate level degree programmes. The institute has also decided to refund any fee collected in excess from students from the backward classes in the ongoing admissions to different degree programmes.

Grand celebrations mark Lord Krishna’s birth anniversary
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Mumbai/Srinagar, Sept 4 (ANI): Grand celebrations marking Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, have kicked off in different parts of the country. Victoria Memorial Blind School students participated in the 'Dahi Handi' competition, which is an intrinsic part of the festival. The celebrations were organised by an NGO.'Dahi Handi' is one of the most awaited ceremonies in the region, where young boys climb on each other to form a human pyramid and the boy at the top breaks a clay pot filled with curd.Meanwhile, in Kashmir Valley, a Janmashtami procession was taken out by Kashmiri Pandits in Srinagar after 18 years. The procession started from the Ganpatyar Temple in the city's old quarters, went to the Durga Naag Temple and passed through Lal Chowk.Sanjay Saraf, state president of the Lok Jan Shakti Party, said this year’s Janmashtami was a reflection of the improved situation in the Kashmir Valley. (ANI)

Aditya Birla Group's Cement Production for August 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.4 (ANI/Business Wire India): Aditya Birla Group's Cement production for the period April-August '07 has moved up by 7.32 percent at 128.02 lac mt as against 119.29 lac mt during April-August '06. Dispatches grew by 6.88 percent at 127.32 lac mt in April-August '07 vis-a-vis 119.13 lac mt in the corresponding period last year.Cement production and dispatches for the month of August '07 stood at 23.77 lac mt and 23.60 lac mt, registering a growth of 17.10 percent and 12.25 percent over August '06 respectively. (ANI)

Mumbaikars celebrate Janamashtami with gusto
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars celebrate Janamashtami with gustoMumbai/Kullu, Sept.4 (ANI): Mumbaikars from all walks of life congregated in the city's main thoroughfares to celebrate Janamashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, with traditional fervour and gusto.Groups of exuberant young men vied for making a stable human pyramid and breaking the traditional "Dahi Handi" that was tied at a considerable height.Hari Dikshit, a participant, said the Dahi Handi ceremony was all about team work.Tuesday's event was made even more hilarious with bystanders pouring water on teams attempting to reach the earthen pot.In Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, the festival was observed by the singing of devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.Foreign tourists like Aviva said: "Krishna is the one who is the symbol of highest consciousness, immortality, joy and bliss. The vision of oneness and for that reason we love to come sing kirtan, sing bhajans (devotional songs)…so, it is absolutely delightful to be here to celebrate this."According to Hindu mythology, Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver and one of the Hindu celestial trinity, the other two being Lord Brahma, the Creator and Lord Shiva, the Destroyer.Lord Vishnu is believed to have taken human form to destroy an evil king called Kansa, who ruled some parts of the northern India with Mathura as his capital.Krishna's imprisoned parents -- Vasudeva and Devaki -- had to smuggle out their newborn at midnight to save him from Kansa.Vasudev carried his newborn child in a reed basket across a river that was in spate and left him in the care of another couple at Gokul.Janmashtami is celebrated on two consecutive days, the first is the day when Krishna was actually born, and the second, when he reached Gokul. (ANI)

Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards get good response from semi-urban and rural areas
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards get good response from semi-urban and rural areasMumbai, Sept.4 (ANI/Business Wire India): In its fourth year, the Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards programme for 2007, has received an overwhelming response with almost 1,000 applications received from across the country. A significant highlight is the large participation from semi-urban and rural areas from where about 60 percent of the applications have been received. The widened geographic reach of the programme has resulted in applications being received from earlier unrepresented areas including Chhattisgarh and the Andaman Islands. The number of NGOs who have responded this year has significantly grown from 67 in 2006 to 91 in 2007. As each eligible nomination for the awards has to be necessarily verified and forwarded by a registered NGO/MFI (Micro Finance Institution), larger NGO participation signifies greater reach and penetration of the programme. The volume of eligible nominations has quadrupled from 273 in 2004, the inaugural year of the programme, to almost 1,000 in 2007. Women applicants continue to give a tremendous response to the programme with nearly 50 percent of all applications coming from women micro entrepreneurs. Interestingly, over 80 percent of eligible nominations have been received from states, ranked below the top ten, in terms of Human Development Index as per the National Human Development Report 2001, published by the Planning Commission of India. These key statistics were shared at the National Advisory Council (NAC) meeting held in Mumbai on Monday. The NAC is an advisory body of eminent citizens from diverse fields, which oversees the implementation of the Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards programme. The Awards program is funded by grant support from Citi Foundation and implemented by Partners in Change (PiC), a Delhi-based NGO. Since inception in 2004, over 700,000 dollars (approx. Rs. 3 crore) have been invested in this programme.Commenting on the increased participation in the Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards 2007 programme, Sanjay Nayar, CEO, Citi India, said, "The increasing number of responses to the awards programme is a testimony to the effective and efficient role that micro finance is playing in poverty alleviation and in improving the quality of life of the economically weak across the country." "Our endeavour is to further raise awareness about the underlying potential of microfinance, its meaningful role and contribution to economy and to highlight best practices in micro entrepreneurship," he added. Commenting on this concept of in-kind reward, Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Member, National Advisory Council, Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards programme said, "To further expand and grow their businesses, micro-entrepreneurs often lack requisite skills and training. Appropriate training, based on identified needs and imparted at the right stage, can provide the right impetus to entrepreneurs to further grow and efficiently manage their businesses. The Awards programme is classified in three different categories - National Winner, National Runner-up and Socially Responsible Micro Entrepreneur. Keeping in mind the social, cultural and economic challenges in different parts of the country, awards in each category are given for each region- East, West, North and South. Each National Winner is presented cash endowment of Rs.200,000/-. The National Runners-up and winners of the National Award for Social Responsibility category receive prize money of Rs.100,000/- each. Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards Programme Objectives:-- To recognise the entrepreneurial skills of the underprivileged who have exhibited best performance that has helped them emerge from below the poverty line, create jobs and add value to society. -- Analyze and disseminate select best practices derived during the award process-- Create the next generation of microfinance networks, build more inclusive financial sectors, and lay the foundation for a flourishing microfinance sector. (ANI)

Multi-level flyover in Pune
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

The first multi-storied flyover in Pune is set to come up at Nashik Phata chowk on Pune-Mumbai highway. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation will construct the flyover at an estimated cost of Rs 60-65 crores to reduce congestion at the chowk. A bridge across the Pavana river and railway tracks will also be constructed as part of the flyover to enable people from Pimpale Gurav and adjoining areas to reach the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways quickly. Nashik Phata chowk is the meeting point of Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways. It witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day. A flyover here would provide a non-stop drive on the highway between Dapodi and Nigdi.

Mumbaikars get ready to break Dahi Handi on Janmashtami
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Mumbai/ Dwarka (Gujarat), Sept. 3 (ANI): Residents of Mumbai are gearing up to participate in 'Dahi Handi', one of the most awaited ceremonies related to Janmashtami.The event involves young boys climbing on each other to form a human pyramid and the boy at the top breaking a clay pot filled with curd. The ceremony was popularised by freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak in the 19th century."In Spain, people congregate in large numbers to watch the formation of a human pyramid. The atmosphere in Mumbai is the same during the Govinda festival. So, tourists will definitely come to see people making a pyramid,” said Vijay Chavan, General Manager, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around the temple town of Dwarka in Gujarat.Krishna is believed to have spent most of his adult life in Dwarka. "The temple falls under Z category (high risk area). We have set up checking points. We have also displayed pamphlets in hotels to help us avert a terror attack," said Mayur Solanki, a police sub-inspector.Janmashtami includes the celebration of a number of ceremonies like Raslila and Jhankis (tableaux). Dahi Handi is a re-enactment of Lord Krishna's efforts to steal butter from a earthen pot suspended from the ceiling.The ceremony of Dahi Handi generally takes place on the second day of Janmashtami. An earthen pot containing a mixture of milk, dry fruits, ghee is hung around 20-30 feet high in the air with the help of a rope. Silver coins are hung along with the rope, which are later distributed to the winners. The breaking of the pot is followed by a prize distribution ceremony. Devotees believe that the broken earthen pot will keep mice and negative powers away from homes.Janmashtami is celebrated on two consecutive days, the day when Krishna was born, and the day when he was brought to Gokul by his father Vasudeva. (ANI)

Expatriate Indian to launch low-cost laptop
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sep 2 (ANI): An expatriate Indian is all set to launch a unique lightweight and affordable laptop computer priced at 366.20 dollars in Indian markets.An aviation engineer and missile scientist with British aerospace, Hirji Kanji Patel, came to India a few years ago, and founded a company specialising in manufacturing of laptop computers.The company was the first to come out with 732.42 dollars laptop, which was lowered to 488.21 dollars in 2006. Today, he is ready to start production of a cost effective laptop by first quarter of 2008, without compromising on the features."This laptop carries all the features that any other laptop has. This being small, portable, it will have a built-in wireless LAN, enabling you to connect wherever you have a hotspot. In addition you have an option for blue-tooth, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) which other laptops do not carry as modules," said Patel.Demand for computers and notebooks in India are mainly from fast-growing sectors such as banking, financial services, and telecommunications and information technology.Patel said affordability and wireless technology has fuelled a boom in the laptop computer market, with a large chunk of people opting for laptops instead of a PC.He added gadgets like laptops and notebooks should be within the reach of the ordinary man."Our main focus as a laptop specialist company in India... my goal in India is to make sure every single person in India is equipped with a laptop. And that's my goal as a businessman in India and I want to be able to do it for India," said Patel.Patel's ultimate goal, however, is to manufacture a laptop computer costing just 122 dollars in the near future.Sale of 'notebook' computers registered the fastest growth in India - 144 per cent to 431,834 units in 2005.Indian IT industry says that the estimated sales of computers in the country were around 5.6 million units in 2006-07. (ANI)

Maharashtra petrol pumps on 24-hour strike
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept. 3 (ANI): Petrol pumps in Maharashtra went on a 24-hour-strike on Monday, demanding a fuel marker kit to check adulteration.Nearly 256 petrol pumps in Mumbai and 2700 gas stations downed shutters from Sunday midnight.The Petrol Dealers Association in Maharashtra has been seeking the government's nod to keep a fuel marker kit at petrol vends to enable them check the quality of fuel supplied by oil companies for a long time.But the Petroleum Ministry has given this facility only to one private agency, which the dealers association claim is corrupt."Adulteration is a very big menace for this country. Fifty thousand crores rupees, I believe are lost due to adulteration. Vehicle pollution and everything is because of that. We are trying to highlight the issue, to make marker kit available on table top so that me and my customer can check it," said Ravi Shinde, President of Mumbai's Petrol Dealer's Association.Meanwhile, helpless vehicle owners said they had to bear the brunt of the strike. "My friend's father has expired and I have to go to Vadala to pick them up. But I can't go there, as the petrol tank is empty," said Tushar, a resident. According to the Petrol Dealers Association, tamper-free marker would help to bring transparency and stop the adulteration of oil.The 'Marker' is a permanent coloured substance, which helps to identify adulteration. (ANI)

Salman Khan released on bail
Sunday, September 2, 2007 | AY

Bollywood star Salman Khan released on bail from Jodhpur Jail and is back home in Mumbai. High Court of Rajastan (India) has granted bail to Salman Khan, who is in Jodhpur jail in connection with the chinkara poaching case. Salman Khan was released on the security of Rs.1,00,000.00 and a bond of Rs.50, 000. The court fixed the next date of hearing the petition as October 24. Khan had been in Jodhpur central jail for the past seven days. His bail plea, Salman stated that there was no evidence against him in the case. His driver Harish Dulani's testimony in the court was not trustworthy since he had been frequently changing his statements. This apart, the defence lawyers were not given a chance to cross-examine Dulani.

Cleartrip offers 40 percent cash back on 45 weekend getaways
Sunday, September 2, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Sept.1 (ANI/Business Wire India): From September, you can take some time off from the busy city life and gift yourself or your loved one an unforgettable vacation at their favorite holiday spots across Goa, Lonavala, Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Aurangabad, Pune and over 40 plus weekend gateways in India . You can book them a special holiday on Cleartrip, which announced on Friday a special 40 percent cash back offer on over 45 striking destinations across India.Log on to Cleartrip and book any of the hotels that are part of the weekend getaway and head on a weekend break. You could book by calling 1800 22 5327 (toll-free for MTNL / BSNL) / 022 30014999 Or please log onto www.cleartrip.com Cleatrip has always aimed at making travel simple and pleasurable experience for everyone that visits them and this is another initiative to showcase the same. Cleartrip the second largest OTA in India, and its mission is to making travel a simple and a pleasurable experience for all travelers booking through Cleartrip. It has made significant investments to ensure that all customer information is protected and that all payments are conducted in a secure manner with 24/7 customer support. The website allows customers to select from over 3500 domestic hotels across India and 75,000 international hotels along with selection of established Network carriers and Low Cost Airlines operating in the domestic market. You could visit any city virtually through small world that has been has been created by Cleartrip, which has city content, restaurants, nightlife and shopping information on any destination across the globe. (ANI)

Ram Gopal Verma's 'Aag' leaves cinegoers cold and disappointed
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

New Delhi/Mumbai, Aug 31 (ANI): The pre-release hype and bonhomie over the Bollywood's most awaited film, 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag', disappeared in thin air, as the movie considered to be inspired form 1970's cult classic 'Sholay' disappointed the cinegoers."It's really bad, really bad...please don't watch it," said Aditya, a viewer, who had booked the ticket in advance for the first show of the movie on Friday.Audience left theatres cold and disappointed. Boasting of a big star cast, the movie failed to create the magic that original blockbuster 'Sholay' weaved on its audiences and still wields its magic."It's okay, only Amitabh Bachchan's role is good, otherwise the movie is not worth it," added Gaurav.'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' was in the news from the day it was announced but mostly for the wrong reasons.After film critics and researchers denounced the attempt at tinkering with classics, the producer got into trouble for trying to use the original title since it was earlier titled as 'Ram Gopal Verma Ki Sholay'.The Sippy family, who made the classic 'Sholay' took Verma to court, where the former won the case, prohibiting the latter to use the title Sholay in the film.Verma then had to change the title to 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'.Varma, who made his directorial debut in 1989 and has 27 films to his credit, denied the allegation of plagiarism, saying 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' is not a take-off on the original blockbuster but, admits to it being loosely 'inspired' from it."Theme of 'Aag' is the same as 'Sholay'. In terms of revenge-drama of a cop wanting to take revenge against a dacoit or a gangster. But, my intention is not to do one-upmanship on it when I can do something better," he says in his defence."So, this is just a kind of tribute, homage to what it encompasses. It's not the scenes, it's not the story," he adds. Such was the success of 'Sholay', a film about two reformed crooks who saved a village from a neurotic, foul-mouthed bandit, that it ran in theatres for years and arguably became the greatest Bollywood film ever made.'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' is also about two crooks, just out of jail who come to Mumbai with big dreams but end up working for a gangster, and how they help the police to round off a dreaded criminal 'Babban'.The film sees some of the seasoned actors of Indian film industry playing key roles along with some new comers.Ram Gopal Varma, who reversed roles of some of the characters in his remake and added his own to the story, stunned Bollywood by casting Amitabh Bachchan in the iconoclastic role of Gabbar Singh, the merciless villain, while in the original version he was one of the two heroes.The legendary actor, who plays the role of 'Babban'- the dreaded criminal in the film, seemed really upbeat about the role reversal."It's been a great pleasure to be in this film. Having worked in the original in an entirely different role and now to be challenged to do perhaps one of the most different experiences that I have had," said Amitabh Bachchan.The film is also being dubbed in Tamil language, to cater to the regional audience.After Varma's disastrous attempt at a remake of the classic, next in line is a 100-million-dollar project to make four versions of 'Sholay'- a remake, a prequel, a sequel and an animated version, by Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) an upcoming Bollywood studio.The deal signed between PNC and Sippy family is one of the biggest in the industry, which operates on low profit margins and spends an average of 1-2 million dollars on a film. (ANI)

President condoles death of Ramrao Wamanrao Adik
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, Aug 30 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil today condoled the demise of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ramrao Wamanrao Adik, who died today in Mumbai following a brief illness. In a condolence message to his brother Govindrao Adik, the President said, “I am saddened to learn about the passing away of Shri Ramrao Wamanrao Adik.” “Shri Ramrao Adik was closely associated with various social and educational institutions and held important positions in the State Government including those of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in his long public career,” she added. (ANI)

Cleartrip offers 40 percent cash back on 45 weekend getaways
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

India cannot afford to miss the global nuclear bus: Manmohan Singh
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, Aug 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asserted that India cannot afford to miss the developments takin

Maharashtra News Archive: September 2007

33 new train services for Mumbai Sunday, September 30, 2007 | AY

HCC wins Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Signature Crest and Travel Org official partners for Cricket Star Series 2Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

‘Hotel Ka Guru’ from Travelguru Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Castrol Awards to celebrate 75 years of Indian Test cricket Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Ravi Shastri appointed NCA chairman Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

'Johnny Gaddaar' opens to a lukewarm response Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Six live bombs found in MumbaiThursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Congress party flags dominate Sahar Airport welcome for Team India Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Cricket(ers) takes a ‘back seat’ at Wankhede Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Dawood's brother surrenders, seeks bail from Mumbai court Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Sensex breaches 17000 mark before tapering off Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

XL Dynamics expands its products and services portfolio Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Epic Aircraft, Vijay Mallya join hands Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Dawood's brother surrenders, seeks bail from Mumbai court Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Cricket(ers) takes a ‘back seat’ at Wankhede Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Gasquet wins opener at MumbaiWednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

10-day Ganesha Chaturthi festival comes to an end Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Team India arrives in Mumbai Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Congress party flags dominate Sahar Airport welcome for Team India Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Agarkar, Rohit to get Rs. 10 lakh eachTuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

Relatives of cricket players rejoice over Twenty20 victory Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

UK Minister for Trade and Investment to host business networking lunch in Mumbai Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

Upcoming singer releases video to cheer Team India at Twenty20 World Cup Sunday, September 23, 2007 | AY

Indian biofuels market rides a crest as demand surges from the Indian transport sector Thursday, September 20, 2007 | AY

Salman Khan celebrates Ganesha festival Thursday, September 20, 2007 | AY

Award for Jayshree TWednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Raza Murad in MarathiWednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Sensex crosses 16, 000 mark Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

CSIA to cut waiting timeTuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Cisco announces new chapter in network admission control Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Dhoni named India’s one-day captain Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Gas shortage may hit Dabhol plant functioningMonday, September 17, 2007 | AY

Maharastra to promote Lonar crater site as tourist spotSunday, September 16, 2007 | AY

Maharashtrians commence Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations Sunday, September 16, 2007 | AY

Zee Marathi signs on 'Sa Re Ga Ma..' winner Prasad Oak Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Muslims welcome start of the holy month of ‘Ramadan’ Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

India's JWT's `Nike Mean Streets' bags silver at AME '07 Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Cisco shapes future of mobile business with Next-Generation 802 Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

'Nanhe Jaisalmer' hits theatres Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

200 caged parrots rescued in Mumbai Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai's Jews commence New Year celebrations Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Maharashtrians commence Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Hospitals okay credit for pensionersThursday, September 13, 2007 | AY

Annual CFO Strategies India forum meet to begin on Sept 17 Thursday, September 13, 2007 | AY

Mother’s Milk Bank saves babiesWednesday, September 12, 2007 | AY

Mumbai witness tight security ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | AY

PIL filed to ban toxic toys Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | AY

Mumbai witness tight security ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | AY

Ranbaxy gets WHO approval for three anti-HIV drugs Monday, September 10, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars start bringing Ganesh idols to pandals Monday, September 10, 2007 | AY

DaimlerChrysler luxury bus to hit road in '08Sunday, September 9, 2007 | AY

Supreme Court to hear Memon’s bail plea Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Sanjay Dutt's "Dhamaal" gets a thumps-up from audience Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Muslims in Mumbai demand implementation of Srikrishna Report Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Mumbai shopkeepers say Mattel's toy recall won't dent their business Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Bombay HC rejects Pereira’s bail plea Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Filmcity Media plans to launch health channel Thursday, September 6, 2007 | AY

Pereira gets three years rigorous imprisonment in Mumbai hit-and-run case Thursday, September 6, 2007 | AY

Mumbai university slashes distance education feesWednesday, September 5, 2007 | AY

Grand celebrations mark Lord Krishna’s birth anniversary Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Aditya Birla Group's Cement Production for August 2007 Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars celebrate Janamashtami with gusto Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards get good response from semi-urban and rural areas Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Multi-level flyover in PuneMonday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars get ready to break Dahi Handi on Janmashtami Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Expatriate Indian to launch low-cost laptop Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Maharashtra petrol pumps on 24-hour strike Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Salman Khan released on bailSunday, September 2, 2007 | AY

Cleartrip offers 40 percent cash back on 45 weekend getaways Sunday, September 2, 2007 | AY

Ram Gopal Verma's 'Aag' leaves cinegoers cold and disappointed Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

President condoles death of Ramrao Wamanrao Adik Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

Cleartrip offers 40 percent cash back on 45 weekend getaways Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

India cannot afford to miss the global nuclear bus: Manmohan Singh Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

33 new train services for Mumbai
Sunday, September 30, 2007 | AY

HCC wins Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Signature Crest and Travel Org official partners for Cricket Star Series 2
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

‘Hotel Ka Guru’ from Travelguru
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Castrol Awards to celebrate 75 years of Indian Test cricket
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Ravi Shastri appointed NCA chairman
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

'Johnny Gaddaar' opens to a lukewarm response
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | AY

Six live bombs found in Mumbai
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Congress party flags dominate Sahar Airport welcome for Team India
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Cricket(ers) takes a ‘back seat’ at Wankhede
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Dawood's brother surrenders, seeks bail from Mumbai court
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Sensex breaches 17000 mark before tapering off
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

XL Dynamics expands its products and services portfolio
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Epic Aircraft, Vijay Mallya join hands
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Dawood's brother surrenders, seeks bail from Mumbai court
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | AY

Cricket(ers) takes a ‘back seat’ at Wankhede
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Gasquet wins opener at Mumbai
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

10-day Ganesha Chaturthi festival comes to an end
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Team India arrives in Mumbai
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Congress party flags dominate Sahar Airport welcome for Team India
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | AY

Agarkar, Rohit to get Rs. 10 lakh each
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

Relatives of cricket players rejoice over Twenty20 victory
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

UK Minister for Trade and Investment to host business networking lunch in Mumbai
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | AY

Upcoming singer releases video to cheer Team India at Twenty20 World Cup
Sunday, September 23, 2007 | AY

Indian biofuels market rides a crest as demand surges from the Indian transport sector
Thursday, September 20, 2007 | AY

Salman Khan celebrates Ganesha festival
Thursday, September 20, 2007 | AY

Award for Jayshree T
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Raza Murad in Marathi
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

Sensex crosses 16, 000 mark
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | AY

CSIA to cut waiting time
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Cisco announces new chapter in network admission control
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Dhoni named India’s one-day captain
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | AY

Gas shortage may hit Dabhol plant functioning
Monday, September 17, 2007 | AY

Maharastra to promote Lonar crater site as tourist spot
Sunday, September 16, 2007 | AY

Maharashtrians commence Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations
Sunday, September 16, 2007 | AY

Zee Marathi signs on 'Sa Re Ga Ma..' winner Prasad Oak
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Muslims welcome start of the holy month of ‘Ramadan’
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

India's JWT's `Nike Mean Streets' bags silver at AME '07
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Cisco shapes future of mobile business with Next-Generation 802
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

'Nanhe Jaisalmer' hits theatres
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

200 caged parrots rescued in Mumbai
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Mumbai's Jews commence New Year celebrations
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Maharashtrians commence Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | AY

Hospitals okay credit for pensioners
Thursday, September 13, 2007 | AY

Annual CFO Strategies India forum meet to begin on Sept 17
Thursday, September 13, 2007 | AY

Mother’s Milk Bank saves babies
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | AY

Mumbai witness tight security ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi'
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | AY

PIL filed to ban toxic toys
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | AY

Mumbai witness tight security ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi'
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | AY

Ranbaxy gets WHO approval for three anti-HIV drugs
Monday, September 10, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars start bringing Ganesh idols to pandals
Monday, September 10, 2007 | AY

DaimlerChrysler luxury bus to hit road in '08
Sunday, September 9, 2007 | AY

Supreme Court to hear Memon’s bail plea
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Sanjay Dutt's "Dhamaal" gets a thumps-up from audience
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Muslims in Mumbai demand implementation of Srikrishna Report
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Mumbai shopkeepers say Mattel's toy recall won't dent their business
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Bombay HC rejects Pereira’s bail plea
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | AY

Filmcity Media plans to launch health channel
Thursday, September 6, 2007 | AY

Pereira gets three years rigorous imprisonment in Mumbai hit-and-run case
Thursday, September 6, 2007 | AY

Mumbai university slashes distance education fees
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 | AY

Grand celebrations mark Lord Krishna’s birth anniversary
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Aditya Birla Group's Cement Production for August 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars celebrate Janamashtami with gusto
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards get good response from semi-urban and rural areas
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | AY

Multi-level flyover in Pune
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Mumbaikars get ready to break Dahi Handi on Janmashtami
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Expatriate Indian to launch low-cost laptop
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Maharashtra petrol pumps on 24-hour strike
Monday, September 3, 2007 | AY

Salman Khan released on bail
Sunday, September 2, 2007 | AY

Cleartrip offers 40 percent cash back on 45 weekend getaways
Sunday, September 2, 2007 | AY

Ram Gopal Verma's 'Aag' leaves cinegoers cold and disappointed
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

President condoles death of Ramrao Wamanrao Adik
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

Cleartrip offers 40 percent cash back on 45 weekend getaways
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY

India cannot afford to miss the global nuclear bus: Manmohan Singh
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | AY