Telecom firms blink first, 11 pay licence fees
As many as 11 private telecom ompanies paid up the mandatory 20% of the outstanding licence fee within the deadline set by communications minister Jagmohan, leaving the remainder as prime takeover targets or likely business disaster cases.

Levers net rockets, Pond's deal peps up turnover
The select Rs 10,000 crore turnover club has yet another member. Hindustan Lever, the giant Unilever subsidiary, has almost inevitably overhauled the landmark in what its chairman Keki Dadiseth calls a bad year.

ONGC, Indian Oil may put fresh equity swap plan on hold till privatisation
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Indian Oil Corporation do not plan to go in for further crossholding of equity till the Government decides to reduce its stake in these PSUs below the 51% mark.

CORPORATE
VSNL ups Ninth Plan capex by Rs 2,200 crore
ABN Amro, JM, IDFC appointed financial advisors to Petronet

ECONOMY
Sinha may place ceiling on public debt
Centre may reduce foreign equity in earth stations to 20%

EXPRESSIONS
Why crossholdings make sense
A boon for banks

MARKETS
Rise in silver unabated on overseas advices; arhar dips
Market gives FMCG tag to Tata Tea

LEISURE
Channel V plans a slew of programmes to attract the young
Asian telecoms ask US to help pay Web costs