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India Brand Equity Foundation

CLXVII

April 28, 2008

 

According to the third advance estimates of crop production by the agriculture ministry, food grain output grew by 4.6 per cent in 2007-08 - nearly four times the average annual growth of 1.2 per cent between 1990 and 2007.

As per a recent Boston Consulting Group report, India has the second-largest number of homegrown corporate champions, leading the domestic market with innovative business models, and giving tough competition to multinational giants.

Also included in this week's newsletter is a special on Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), which has completed 75 years of its operations in India.


Jayant Bhuyan
CEO, India Brand Equity Foundation
& Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry
 
 

  POLICY WATCH
New airports policies get Cabinet nod
The Union Cabinet has cleared two significant policy initiatives allowing private developers to set up captive airstrips and general airports. [More]

Government may allow FDI in food retail
The Ratan Tata-led Investment Commission has favoured permitting FDI in food retail, especially fresh and processed fruit and vegetables. [More]

Infrastructure companies to get easy access to ECBs
While the overall cap of US$ 22 billion may remain, an additional limit may be set for the infrastructure companies. [More]

FDI to be freed from divestment clause
To further ease FDI rules, the government plans to waive the mandatory disinvestment clause on overseas companies in key sectors like food processing and chemicals. [More]


  PEOPLE
French honour for Avesthagen founder
Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, has been conferred France's national award, Officer of the National Order of Merit. [More]

South African award for V K Krishna Menon
South Africa has conferred one of its highest civilian awards, the 'Order of the Companions of O R Tambo in Silver', posthumously on the late V K Krishna Menon. [More]

Sarin named UK's most powerful in technology and telecom space
British mobile giant Vodafone's India-born CEO Arun Sarin has been named the most powerful businessperson in the UK's technology and telecom industry. [More]

Indian artist wins UK's largest art award
Indian artist N S Harsha has bagged the UK's prestigious Artes Mundi Prize, in recognition of his outstanding work focusing on human condition. [More]


IBEF Newsletter

  ECONOMY AND ENTERPRISE
Agri rebound: Grain output up 4.6 per cent
Driven by a record output of almost all major crops, foodgrain production has surged by 10 million tonnes (MT), to touch a new high of 227.32 MT in 2007-08. [More]

India has second-largest number of homegrown companies
India has the second-largest number of homegrown corporate champions holding their fort against the might of multinational giants, says a recent Boston Consulting Group report. [More]

Semiconductor design services to grow at 22 per cent
India's semiconductor design services industry is expected to clock revenues of US$ 7.3 billion by 2008, growing at a CAGR of 21.7 per cent to US$ 10.96 billion in 2010. [More]

Indian technical textile market to quadruple: report
The Indian technical textile market, growing at a rate of 11.25 per cent, is estimated to quadruple to US$ 37 billion by 2020. [More]

Biotech sector posts 30 per cent growth in 2007-08
India's biotechnology industry is now a US$ 3 billion sector, having registered a 30 per cent growth in 2007-08 over the previous year. [More]

Cement production to grow 11.5 per cent in FY 2009: CMIE
The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) expects cement production to grow by 11.5 per cent and cement consumption by 12 per cent during FY 2009. [More]

Gem & jewellery exports grow by 22 per cent in FY 2007-08
The Indian gems and jewellery industry recorded US$ 21 billion worth of exports in 2007-08, which is 13.41 per cent of India's total merchandise exports. [More]

Realty deals bring US$ 5.73 billion during January-March
The total value of land deals, in the first three months of 2008, have touched around US$ 5.73 billion, while deals worth US$ 2.49 billion are in the pipeline. [More]

'Tatas world's 6th most innovative, RIL 19th'
The Tatas and the Reliance Group, are listed among the world's 25 most innovative companies by BusinessWeek in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). [More]

Tata Steel to spend US$ 19.97 billion on three units
Tata Steel will spend US$ 19.97 billion on three of its greenfield projects, which will take its total steel capacity in India to 35 million tonnes. [More]

    SPECIAL
'Hindustanisation' of Lever
The stupendous success of Indian talent for Unilever globally is no small achievement for an organisation which is celebrating its 75th year in India, and that has identified five key platforms to drive its long-term sustainability strategy. [More]

 
QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

 

When you are here (India) you see the energy, the sharpness of the people and their passion for learning. You want to be in that environment. This is one of the best places to work in the world today.

Katherine Hegmman
Senior Executive
IBM.

 

 

 

    FACT OF THE WEEK
Asia's first and the world's second discovery park - with nine research centres - is slated to come up at Amethi, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. [More]

 
    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
India Inc. commits to a cleaner environment
From tree planting to setting up emission testing booths to training sessions, businesses are pledging their resources to make the planet a better place to live. [More]

ArcelorMittal plans US$ 500 million CSR initiatives
ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steel company, will spend about US$ 500 million in Orissa and Jharkhand as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. [More]

Haryana solar project draws in big guns
Reliance Industries, Epuron and Admire Energy Solutions, among others, have partaken of Haryana's plans to add 10 per cent power capacity through renewable energy by 2012. [More]

 





 
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