* AUTOMOBILE: Toyota Kirloskar Motor has started despatching the new Etios sedan and Liva hatchback to its dealers. Sport utility vehicles below 1 mln rupees may escape the 3% excise duty hike announced in the Budget. Ford India hopes its upcoming compact sport utility vehicle, Ecosport, can repeat the success of Figo in export markets.
* AVIATION: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said that FIPB clearance to AirAsia's application for 49% stake in a joint venture with Tata Sons was given after careful scrutiny. Japan 's All Nippon Airways Co has put on hold talks with SPICEJET and GoAir for a possible stake purchase.
* BANKS: Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to meet officials of public sector banks and financial institutions on Mar 18 to review their quarterly performance.
* CEMENT: Prices fall in Andhra Pradesh by 10-15 rupees per bag.
* GOVERNMENT: Left parties will oppose the government's move to cut subsidies by 10% in the Budget. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nath said the all-party meet will reconvene on Mar 20 to try gaining consensus on the contentious land acquisition bill.
* INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: iGate aims to increase its revenue to $3 bln by 2017 from $1 bln now.
* INFRASTRUCTURE: Tata Projects is planning to foray into build, operate, and transfer projects and is evaluating a few projects in transmission and distribution segment.
* INSURANCE: Future Group's Kishore Biyani mulls selling stake in two insurance joint ventures to raise 8 bln rupees.
* OIL AND GAS: The government's plan to implement compulsory blending of ethanol with petrol may miss the June deadline, as oil marketing companies are yet to finalise the list of suppliers of the sugarcane by-product.
* REGULATORY: SEBI panel is considering introducing a single clearing corporation for exchanges.
* RETAIL: Government-appointed inquiry committee to call senior executives of WalMart for information about the company's US lobbying activities that are being probed for possible irregularities regarding the company's entry into India .
* SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE: L&T Chennai Projects and Welspun Anjar have approached the commerce ministry to surrender the IT and textile zones.
* TELECOM: Japan-based NTT DoCoMo's Chief Financial Officer Kazuto Tsubouchi said that the company is considering various options about its 26% stake in the joint venture with Tata Teleservices Ltd. The Cabinet is likely to consider the issue of settling Vodafone tax dispute next week. RELIANCE INDUSTRIES-backed Reliance Jio Infocomm sends letter to the Department of Telecom blaming incumbent operators of being scared of competition in the matter of allowing voice services using broadband spectrum to the company.
