Ficci will implement three projects launched by the European Union as part of its economic cross cultural programme. The EU-India economic cross cultural programme is a catalyser aimed at promoting natural understanding and respect for cultures, a chamber release said in New Delhi on Sunday. The projects, to be implemented by Ficci, are the forum for enterprise management, action-access to India and edit-network for exchange and dissemination of information on technological innovations in the agro foods sector.

Apollo Tyres rights issue on cards: Apollo Tyres is considering a rights issue along with overseas borrowings and preferential allotment to finance its proposed Rs 395-crore expansion plan. The expansion by Apollo Tyres will be to increase the capacity of radial passenger car tyres from 700 to 2,000 per day at its Baroda plant. It is also planning to increase truck tyre capacity at the same plant from 2,000 to 3,200 tyres per day.

BHEL topproducer of solar water heaters: Public sector BHEL has emerged as a market leader in solar water heating systems with installations capable of cumulatively producing over 3.1 million litres per day of hot water throughout the country. The company has a full-fledged manufacturing facility for production of solar collectors at its component fabrication plant at Rudrapur, BHEL officials said.

Indian coal forum launched: With a view to acting as a `think tank' for the coal industry and serving as the `voice' of the sector, an apex organisation named Indian Coal Forum has been launched in the country. The forum, which was inaugurated in New Delhi on Friday by the coal minister Dilip Ray, would also make suggestions in framing country's coal policy and act as facilitator for the public and private sector, the forum chairman SB Lal said.

Doctors' prescription may be incentive-induced: The next time your doctor recommends a particular brand of medicine, it may not be only your health problemshe is addressing. He may have just ``prescribed his way'' to owning a brand new Cielo or mobile or even a fully sponsored overseas jaunt. This, according to industry sources, is the most effective marketing mantra used by drug companies to generate prescriptions. The freebies include cars, refrigerators, mobile phones, fully-paid overseas travel opportunities (including sponsored medical meets), air-conditioners - the shopping list could go on.

Revenue wing to move SC over Cegat order: The revenue department has decided to challenge in the Supreme Court the order of the Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal, which had dismissed the excise department's charges of duty evasion by Hero Honda Motors. This will be the second appeal by the department before the Supreme Court. The department recently filed an appeal against Cegat's order which, too, had set aside charges of excise evasions against Maruti Udyog and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M). Senior department sources were of the view that theCegat decision could have far-reaching consequences in assessing the excisable value of two-wheelers and automobiles.

Cheap vanaspati from Nepal poses threat: Imports of cheap vanaspati from Nepal have posed a serious threat to the very existence of already crisis-ridden Indian vanaspati industry with the constantly declining capacity utilisation reaching to a level of 35 per cent, an apex industry organisation says. `Centre to commercially exploit surplus rail land': The government is going ahead with plans to commercially exploit the railway's surplus land and air space in Mumbai to develop the city's suburban rail network and generate more revenue, minister of state for railways Ram Naik has said..

CLE seeks dereservation of leather footwear sector: India's apex leather exports body has urged the government to dereserve the leather footwear industry to attract heavy investments and execute large export orders. "Reservation of footwear industry in small scale sector has resulted inconfining this industry to low volume production units leading to de-merits of such a system of production.