Indian firms want tougher quality norms on Chinese goods

September 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Reliance Industries (RIL), Bharti Airtel, Infosys Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services are among the 13 Indian companies that have made it to the list of Forbes' 50 Best companies in the Asia-Pacific region. "Our list is a mix of giant, established companies this year which includes Australian miner BHP Billiton, Hong Kong conglomerate Noble Group and Indian oil and gas heavyweight RIL - and smaller outfits such as Agile Property Holdings, Anhui Conch Cement and Digital China Holdings," Forbes Asia said in a statement.

September 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India has only now begun to tap its 25-million diaspora in 130 countries to boost its growth, unlike China that owes much of its economic miracle to the overseas Chinese, says a study released Friday. Indian companies have tapped into the Indian diaspora less well than the Chinese firms into the Chinese diaspora, says Tarun Khanna, professor at the Harvard Business School and a contributor to the study called The Global Indian Firm.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Army on Monday said that China violated the Indian air space in Leh in Jammu and Kashmir. Army Spokesperson Northern Command, Colonel Kachari said, "It has happened.

August 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least 25,000 Pakistani and Indian companies traded goods worth Rs.74.32 billion ($900 million) last year, the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan's parliament, was informed Thursday. According to figures furnished by the trade ministry, 2,656 Indian companies traded goods worth Rs.8.92 billion with Pakistani companies, while 22,943 Pakistani companies had Rs.65.32 billion of trade with India, Geo TV reported.

August 8th, 2009 Clinton: Chinese reassured on US financial healthWASHINGTON —Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she thinks the Chinese "are breathing a little easier" about the health of the U.S. financial system.

July 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Every fourth new car buyer in the US is now ready to buy the next vehicle from India or China, threatening to challenge the dominance of Japanese and Koreans in the American auto market, according to a new survey. The "Opportunity for Chinese and Indian Brands in the USA" survey by AutoPacific shows that 15 percent of the new buyers would look at buying a car from China, while 11 percent would go for a car from India.

July 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A majority of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India are still struggling to cope with the global slowdown and remain unaware about the stimulus measures taken by the government to help them, says an industry survey. "Ninety-four percent of the respondents reported that their overall business has been affected severely or moderately due to the current economic slowdown," said the survey conducted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

July 19th, 2009 BANGALORE - A dramatic meltdown after boom years globally has made Indian firms smarter in employee engagement and talent management, which will help it grow faster when recovery begins, predicts a study by global consulting firm Deloitte. "Indian companies across sectors are trying to make the best of tough times and preparing for growth opportunities when the economy picks up.

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Very small dust particles that lodge inside the lungs were at a level above prescribed norms in residential areas of 86 out of 125 Indian cities last year, according to data collected by the government. Called Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), these particles of dust and soot are known to cause respiratory diseases.

July 13th, 2009 MUMBAI - The capital goods industry can expect more supportive measures from the government in the coming months, Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said here Monday. Our endeavour is to support the capital goods industry so that it can help Indian manufacturing industry to meet the challenge of global competition and sustain the growth momentum in exports, Deshmukh said at a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

April 30th, 2009 EU bans chemical used in Chinese leather goodsBRUSSELS — The European Union has banned an antifungal chemical used in Chinese leather shoes or sofas that can cause severe allergic reactions. Dimethyl fumarate, or DMF, prevents mold growing on leather goods produced in humid climates.

March 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Ahead of a likely meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in London next week, China Wednesday said the two countries should join hands to tackle the global financial crisis to guard against protectionism of developed countries. 'The two countries can exchange experience and join efforts to tackle international financial crisis to guard against the protectionism of developed countries,' China's ambassador to India Zhang Yan told reporters here.

February 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The telecom watchdog Tuesday introduced regulations that seek to improve the quality of service provided by cable TV operators in areas where set-top boxes are not mandatory. The regulations will come into effect April 1.

January 1st, 2009 CHENNAI - India's insurance watchdog Friday offered life insurers, and more particularly the private life insurers, a mega New Year gift by easing solvency norms for the third time in recent days. Solvency margin is the excess of assets that a life insurer has to maintain over its liabilities.

December 25th, 2008 NEW DELHI - The global meltdown has impacted the Indian sports goods market with export orders going down by more than 30 percent in the last two months. According to a report by the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC), there has already been a loss of Rs.450 million in the business and if the situation continues in the next two months, then more than 50,000 workers will lose their jobs.