The Phoenix Mills, shut down for that past three days, resumed work on Thursday. The Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh (RMMS) workers held a meeting at the entrance gate at 0700 hrs. RMMS general secretary Sachin Ahir charged that politicians were holding the mill workers to ransom to serve their selfish ends.

Dr Beck declares special interim dividend:

Dr Beck has declared a special interim dividend of Rs 13.85 per equity share of the face value of Rs 10 each, aggregating Rs 9.816 crore. The dividend will be paid from the opening balance of Rs 10.81 crore in the profit and loss account of the company for the financial year 1997-98. The record date has been fixed at May 5, 1998.

Vaibhav Gems bags export award:

Vaibhav Gems of Jaipur has bagged the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council's `highest export' award for 1996-97 in the coloured jemstones category. The firm has achieved a total sales turnover of Rs 4,083.74 lakh till March 20,1998 -- a 25 per cent increase over the previous year.

Narain joins IMG:

The International Management Group (IMG), a sports management and marketing firm, on Thursday announced that golf expert Rishi Narain has been appointed as director, business development (India).

LML Ltd market share rises 3.5 per cent:

LML Ltd, which sold about 3,20,000 scooters in 1997-98, has increased its share of the scooter market during 1997-98 by 3.5 per cent. This was achieved at at time when the overall scooter market has gone down 5 per cent, company executive director (marketing) RK Caprihan said. LML Ltd has targeted a 30 per cent increase in market share for the current year through new products lined up for launch.

Mercedes Benz offer:

Mercedes Benz India Ltd (MBIL), the luxury car-maker, has offered 15 of its recently launched E class sedans for the use of players and organisers of the `Gold Flake Open '98- ATP Tour' tennis tournament now underway at Chennai. The `official cars' werehanded over to the International Merchandising Group, the worldwide promoters of the ATP tour, for use from April 2-12. A company release says this is part of Mercedes Benz's new corporate strategy, which is focused on a major sports marketing programme.

Powergen India appointment:

Powergen India Pvt Ltd has appointed Sunit Mohindra as its business development manager and project co-ordinator. Powergen India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of PowerGen Plc and one of the leading foreign independent power developers in the country. It entered the country's power sector in 1993.

HCL records higher production in 1997-98:

Hindustan Copper Ltd has recorded higher production for the year to 1997-98 for most of its product categories including ore, ore milling and metal concentrate. The public-sector copper firm has achieved an ore production of 44.96 lakh tonnes which is 15 per cent higher than 1996-97. It has also produced 44.19 lakh tonnes of ore milling and 41,440 tonnes of metal concentratewhich happen to be 12 per cent and 11 per cent higher than the previous year, a company release said.

Prasanna group unveils Termitel:

The Prasanna group's first `Smile Stone' a part of its proposed `Termitels' (bus terminus-cum-motel) venture, was inaugurated at Kamargaon, 95 kms from Pune. The Smile Stone, catering to passengers plying on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway, will offer services including rest rooms, conference halls, medical aid and service stations. The service stations will comprise petrol pumps and other auto care amenities. The Prasanna group is a Pune-based firm.

Malco's captive power plant:

Madras Aluminium Company (Malco) is putting up a Rs 250-crore 75-mw captive thermal power plant for which a public hearing to get a Pollution Control Board consent is coming up on May 6, 1998. Company officials expect the public hearing to be a smooth affair and the project is expected to take off without hiccups. Malco is collaborating with the Shanghai Electric Corporation forthis venture.