Jammu prison inmates make candles for DiwaliOctober 15th, 2009 JAMMU/PUNE - Inmates of the Amphala district jail in Jammu are busy these days in making candles and wax lamps for the festival of lights 'Diwali'. The inmates, many of them former militants, are now working day and night to prepare different varieties of candles.
Karnataka floods wash out Diwali spirit in BangaloreOctober 15th, 2009 BANGALORE - There are not much signs of celebrations in this city and festivities are muted. Bangaloreans do not seem to be in a mood to celebrate the festival of lights the way they did in the past because of the devastating floods in north Karnataka that killed more than 220 people and left millions homeless.
Diwali shines bright for corporate gifts once againOctober 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - After a dim Diwali last year due to the economic downturn and an overhang of business uncertainty, the upcoming festival of lights is shining brighter for the $1.2- billion corporate gift market in India. According to PayPal, the California-based international gateway for online payments, the average Diwali spend among Indians this year is estimated at $213, with household items and health and beauty products topping the popular gift list.
Indians to spend more this Diwali, shows a surveyOctober 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Despite the economic slowdown, Indian consumers are upbeat about spending this festive season, according to a survey. "The average Diwali spend among Indians this year would be $213 with household items, health and beauty, entertainment and vouchers or gift cards topping the Diwali gift list," said the survey by online payment company PayPal.
Soaring gold prices worry Kerala jewelers, customersSeptember 10th, 2009 KOCHI - With gold prices soaring across the country, bullion merchants, jewellers and even customers are a worried lot in Kerala. The disappointment looms large particularly in the context of the ensuing festival season.
Himachal Pradesh floats global tender for anti-hail gunsSeptember 7th, 2009 SHIMLA - The Himachal Pradesh government has floated global tenders to buy anti-hail guns to protect fruit crops from hailstorms, according to state Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta. "We have floated global tenders for purchasing 40 anti-hail guns and have asked the central government for Rs.27 crore for this," Bragta told IANS.
Fasting, but feasting at a cost this RamadanAugust 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Last year Yousuf Anwar of Jamia Nagar in Delhi used to buy Gulf-imported dates at Rs.150 a kg for iftar - a ritual to break the day-long Ramadan fast. But this year, he says, the costs have doubled - a bitter pill during the festive month.
Street vendors to get space in Lucknow shopping centresAugust 19th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Vegetable and fruit sellers, barbers and cobblers, who set up make-shift stalls on roadsides, will soon get their own space in shopping centres in this Uttar Pradesh capital. Aiming to provide a "respectable place to street vendors", the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has come up with a project of setting up shopping centres for shopkeepers not having deep pockets.
Soaring vegetable prices add to common man's miseryJuly 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Forget about the more fancy broccoli or mushroom, even the humble potato, tomato and onion are inching away from the common man's home budget. Due to the scanty rains, vegetable prices in the capital have soared so much that many families are cutting down on having more than one variety of vegetable on the table.
Inflation further dips to -1.55 per centJuly 9th, 2009 MUMBAI - Inflation dipped to minus 1.55 per cent for the week ended June 27 from -1.30 per cent in the previous week. The fall in inflation has been reported despite increase in the prices of food items like pulses, fish marine, fruit and vegetables.
Army soldier embarks on a cycle expeditionJuly 2nd, 2009 BANGALORE - Undeterred by handicaps, a former Indian Army soldier, Probhojit Singh embarked on a bicycle tour across the country to spread the message of peace and harmony. Singh,41, once a soldier of Jammu Kashmir Rifles, had to leave his battalion in 1989 when he met with a train accident and lost his left arm and toe of his right foot.
Bangaloreans resent fuel price hikeJuly 2nd, 2009 BANGALORE - The residents of Bangalore have expressed widespread resentment over the fuel price hike announced Wednesday which, they feel, would result in increase in prices of other essential products and services. After the hike of petrol prices by Rs.4 per litre and diesel prices by Rs.2 per litre, Bangaloreans now have to shell out Rs.50.66 per litre for petrol and Rs.37.01 per litre for diesel.
Bharti, Del Monte launch food products rangeMay 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharti group, promoted by the Delhi-based Mittal family, has ventured into food and beverage products in partnership with the Singapore-based Del Monte Pacific at an initial investment of Rs.1 billion ($20 million/Rs.100 crore). Group company Bharti Enterprises Tuesday launched a range of food and beverage products that includes fruit drinks, packaged fruits, ketchup and sauces, apart from several Italian products for the Indian market.
Foodgrain prices escalate in Uttar Pradesh after truckers stirJanuary 9th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The prices of essential commodities, particularly foodgrains, are rising in Uttar Pradesh due to the nationwide truckers strike called by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), a trade body official said Saturday. The prices of pulses like lentil that are largely imported from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have shot up in the wake of the strike, according to Lucknow Dal and Rice Miller Association.
Vegetables, pulses prices go up following truckers' strikeJanuary 6th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The ongoing nationwide strike of transporters has jacked up prices of essential commodities in Lucknow even as the Uttar Pradesh Truck Operators' Federation (UPTOF) said they would maintain the supply of essential goods. While the rates of fruits and vegetables have gone up 20-35 percent, the wholesale market is also witnessing price hike, vendors said.
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