The significance of Jalan's panache
The Reserve Bank has shown remarkable cool in the face of the pressure on the rupee. The markets have been panicky about FII outflows. The Reserve Bank has taken these in its stride, undeterred by their dampening effect on the rupee. It has let it be known that the FIIs are welcome to reduce their exposure to this country. Bimal Jalan's panache has a clear message for the markets. They cannot speculate against the rupee in the expectation that sooner or later, the Reserve Bank will intervene to shore up the rupee.

Making a global mark with barcoding
With electronic commerce gaining ground, the concept of barcoding has come to the forefront. In international trade, product identification by means of the shaded bars has become a necessity. Over 6,50,000 companies/stores around the world have implemented identification systems using barcodes. They include units of various sizes -- from small wire manufacturers to big shipping units.

The end of contract labour will hit productivity, fear entrepreneurs
The Supreme Court's recent direction asking the Government to take steps to abolish contract labour has alarmed the business community. The concern is not out of place as a majority of labour hired by entrepreneurs, especially in the small and medium sectors, are on contract.