CommerceNet -- Seed funding for start-ups
US-based global e-commerce consortium CommerceNet is looking at setting up base in India. CommerceNet is planning to put together an investment programme to fund start-ups in India. The fund will be jointly raised by the Indian member companies and some other global members.

Essar to spend $2 bn on ISP infrastructure
Motorola India will provide Local Multipoint Distribution Systems (LDMS) to Essar Telecom, which plans to invest $2 billion to set up the infrastructure for providing ISP services.

Band-X to set up shop in India
The commoditisation of bandwidth had begun when Band-X was set up sometime in 1997. It is now near complete even as the world's first telecom specific B2B exchange sets up shop in India over the next couple of months.

Caltiger to sell stake for third round funds
Caltiger.com of Patriot Automation Projects Ltd, the first company to provide free Internet service in India, is going ahead with a third round of divestment and is also set to buy a nationwide telecom networked company to better its infrastructure network for Internet access.

Clicks to chants -- Ashram Online.com offers online access to God
Living in California, but yearning for the Lord of the Seven Hills? There is no longer any need to board expensive flights and spend money on hotel rooms to reach Tirupati. All one needs to do is log onto Ashram Online.com started by Tatia Skyline and Health Farms Ltd.

`The colour of the VC's money is the key to success'
Venture capital fund Chrysalis is on a high. It has strengthened its top management, invested in seven ventures and is planning a larger second fund. Here is an insight into its gameplan, and into what it takes to be a successful VC.


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