Learn to patent products the US way
Though the signing of the WTO agreement makes it obligatory for India to usher in the product patent regime by 2005 for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, the new government should ensure that domestic industry is well-supported to get its act together on the R&D front in the interim. Besides, India could take more than a leaf out of the US' books to actually assert her "national interests robustly". Industry experts say that the "trick lies in playing by the rules and beating them at it".
NFL: Unenthusiastic rally
The stock price of Nagarjuna Fertilizers has jumped to Rs 17.70, showing an impressive jump of 25% in the last three weeks. The positive indicator that is usually noted is the rise in daily trading volume; which has occurred. Volumes have scaled a high of 3.18 lakh shares from an average of around 10,000 shares in just the recent past.
Creating value for shareholders
Chettinad Cement is one of the best managed cement companies and can be called the Gujarat Ambuja of the south. As far as generating value for the shareholders goes, Chettinad's record is better than GACL. In the last four out of five years, the exception being 1996-97, its return on capital employed (RoCE) has been higher than its weighted average cost of capital (WACC).
Higher cap: Invitation to grow or go?
It is not often that the small industry gets what it wants from the government. So when the government acted with such swiftness and large heartedness while raising the investment limits from Rs 60 lakh to Rs 3 crore for the SSI sector it was met with total disbelief and fear.
When the banker takes you to lunch, covenants ensure the strings stay
Raman Menon was worried and concerned. He had recieved a call a short while earlier from his banker congratulating him on his loan request being approved. The sanction letter that was faxed shortly afterwards contained various conditions and the disbursal of the loan was contingent on the conditions being met.
The price wars
At a time when daily news reports bewail the lack of growth in consumer demand, the television, music system, computer and even car markets are abuzz with activity. Corporates are falling over themselves dreaming up innovative schemes for pushing sales, and consumers are having a whale of a time cashing in on the bonanza. This is one market which illustrates vividly the virtues of competition, and how consumers benefit from the price wars which result. But a closer look reveals less optimistic features.
