* AUTOMOBILES: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has sold 296,144 vehicles in December, up 36% on year. Yamaha Motor India's December domestic market sales rose 58% to 39,777 units. Honda Cars India's December sales increased 29.4%.
* AVIATION: IndiGo will allow agents to collect 2% transaction fee on each ticket, following the Union government's approval for the levy. Ministry has done away with Planning Commission proposal to set landing and parking charges at the six airports identified for privatisation prior to the award of the project.
- Civil aviation ministry has decided to follow the "hybrid till" model for the airports that are coming up for privatisation and set aside a portion of non-aeronautical revenues for the airport operator. Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines are aiming at launching services by early 2014-15 (Apr-Mar), but expect delay on regulatory red tape and impending elections.
* BANKS: The government has approved conversion of perpetual non-cumulative preference shares of three public sector banks into equity, a move that would raise its holding in these lenders.
* COAL: Ministry has identified some coal blocks to be allocated to power producers through competitive bidding.
* COMPANIES: The government will soon clarify that corporate guarantee by a holding company for its arm would be accepted as a security when the latter needs to raise money in India .
* COURTS: Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Sundaram Industries, a part of TVS Group, in a dispute between management and Sundaram Industries Employees Union. Supreme Court has asked SEBI to prepare a report on the nature of title deeds, worth 200 bln rupees, of Sahara Group's unencumbered properties handed over to it.
* ECONOMY: The government has invited comments from stakeholders for bringing changes in the consolidated foreign direct investment policy circular.
* ENERGY: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas will soon approach the Supreme Court to enforce its recent guidelines for uniform distribution of natural gas to city gas distributors. Oil firms have not hiked diesel prices this month, but the relief is temporary. Companies are keen to raise prices soon. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has cleared the proposal to amend the policy on mega power project, which will give tax benefits to the companies. The Odisha forest and environment department has sought a detailed report on alleged construction activities on forest land by Ind Bharat Energy Utkal, which is setting up a power plant in Jharsuguda district.
Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission has invited an expression of interest for power suppliers in the city and part of the suburban area. Oil ministry has set up a panel to codify globally recognised industry practices for adoption in India .
* ENVIORNMENT: Ministry may not implement the recommendations of Kasturirangan Committee report on ecologically-sensitive zone of Western Ghats in its current term. In a bid to widen the net on imposing benefit-sharing levy on corporate houses that use locally available bio-resources, Madhya Pradesh government is considering finer points of the State Biodiversity Act 2002.
* EXCHANGES: The management of Indian Commodity Exchange has taken a decision to discontinue operations.
* INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: The government has shortlisted IBM and ST Microelectronics to set up a semiconductor wafer fabrication unit in India . Business process outsourcing company Hinduja Global Services expects to reach $1 bln in revenue in the next three years.
* INFRASTRUCTURE: Government likely to decide the discount rate for rescheduling premium for stressed private highway projects on Friday.
* HEALTHCARE: India Value Fund Advisors is in varied stages of discussions with Narayana Healthcare to invest up to $40 mln for the company's expansion.
* METALS: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam may raise prices of steel products by up to 900 rupees for January.
* MINING: Cabinet has referred the Shah Commission report on illegal iron ore mining to a committee of secretaries that will draft the action taken report on the commission's findings, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said. Odisha vigilance wing has filed a charge sheet in Keonjhar vigilance court accusing 25 persons including prime suspect Deepak Mohanty in Uliburu mining scam.
* PORTS: The Cabinet has approved the policy guidelines for Land Management by Major Ports, 2014.
* REAL ESTATE: AIG Global Real Estate has agreed to sell its Indian asset- Management business to Brookfield Asset Management as it looks to close its operations in the country.
* RETAIL: Snapdeal.com is set to raise about $150 mln.
* ROADS: India has signed a $160-mln credit pact with the World Bank to fund road project in Rajasthan.
* TAX: Odisha's commercial tax department has rejected traders' demand to slash value added tax on pulses from 5% to 1%, citing poor revenue collection amid economic slowdown.
* TELECOM: Vodafone is in talks with Tata Group to buy its controlling stake in Tata Teleservices to create India 's largest telecom operator by subscribers.
* AVIATION: IndiGo will allow agents to collect 2% transaction fee on each ticket, following the Union government's approval for the levy. Ministry has done away with Planning Commission proposal to set landing and parking charges at the six airports identified for privatisation prior to the award of the project.
- Civil aviation ministry has decided to follow the "hybrid till" model for the airports that are coming up for privatisation and set aside a portion of non-aeronautical revenues for the airport operator. Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines are aiming at launching services by early 2014-15 (Apr-Mar), but expect delay on regulatory red tape and impending elections.
* BANKS: The government has approved conversion of perpetual non-cumulative preference shares of three public sector banks into equity, a move that would raise its holding in these lenders.
* COAL: Ministry has identified some coal blocks to be allocated to power producers through competitive bidding.
* COMPANIES: The government will soon clarify that corporate guarantee by a holding company for its arm would be accepted as a security when the latter needs to raise money in India .
* COURTS: Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Sundaram Industries, a part of TVS Group, in a dispute between management and Sundaram Industries Employees Union. Supreme Court has asked SEBI to prepare a report on the nature of title deeds, worth 200 bln rupees, of Sahara Group's unencumbered properties handed over to it.
* ECONOMY: The government has invited comments from stakeholders for bringing changes in the consolidated foreign direct investment policy circular.
* ENERGY: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas will soon approach the Supreme Court to enforce its recent guidelines for uniform distribution of natural gas to city gas distributors. Oil firms have not hiked diesel prices this month, but the relief is temporary. Companies are keen to raise prices soon. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has cleared the proposal to amend the policy on mega power project, which will give tax benefits to the companies. The Odisha forest and environment department has sought a detailed report on alleged construction activities on forest land by Ind Bharat Energy Utkal, which is setting up a power plant in Jharsuguda district.
Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission has invited an expression of interest for power suppliers in the city and part of the suburban area. Oil ministry has set up a panel to codify globally recognised industry practices for adoption in India .
* ENVIORNMENT: Ministry may not implement the recommendations of Kasturirangan Committee report on ecologically-sensitive zone of Western Ghats in its current term. In a bid to widen the net on imposing benefit-sharing levy on corporate houses that use locally available bio-resources, Madhya Pradesh government is considering finer points of the State Biodiversity Act 2002.
* EXCHANGES: The management of Indian Commodity Exchange has taken a decision to discontinue operations.
* INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: The government has shortlisted IBM and ST Microelectronics to set up a semiconductor wafer fabrication unit in India . Business process outsourcing company Hinduja Global Services expects to reach $1 bln in revenue in the next three years.
* INFRASTRUCTURE: Government likely to decide the discount rate for rescheduling premium for stressed private highway projects on Friday.
* HEALTHCARE: India Value Fund Advisors is in varied stages of discussions with Narayana Healthcare to invest up to $40 mln for the company's expansion.
* METALS: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam may raise prices of steel products by up to 900 rupees for January.
* MINING: Cabinet has referred the Shah Commission report on illegal iron ore mining to a committee of secretaries that will draft the action taken report on the commission's findings, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said. Odisha vigilance wing has filed a charge sheet in Keonjhar vigilance court accusing 25 persons including prime suspect Deepak Mohanty in Uliburu mining scam.
* PORTS: The Cabinet has approved the policy guidelines for Land Management by Major Ports, 2014.
* REAL ESTATE: AIG Global Real Estate has agreed to sell its Indian asset- Management business to Brookfield Asset Management as it looks to close its operations in the country.
* RETAIL: Snapdeal.com is set to raise about $150 mln.
* ROADS: India has signed a $160-mln credit pact with the World Bank to fund road project in Rajasthan.
* TAX: Odisha's commercial tax department has rejected traders' demand to slash value added tax on pulses from 5% to 1%, citing poor revenue collection amid economic slowdown.
* TELECOM: Vodafone is in talks with Tata Group to buy its controlling stake in Tata Teleservices to create India 's largest telecom operator by subscribers.
