HPCL for appraisal from Moody's/S&P's: HPCL plans to get a self appraisal done by an international credit rating agency, like Moody's or Standard and Poor's shortly. ``We are getting ourselves rated on the assumption that we may have to go to the market at some point in the future,'' HPCL chairman and managing director Hira Lal Zutsi told newspersons recently. The borrowing plan is not in synergy with HPCL's current strategy for growth, which is essentially to make small capital investments in big ventures.

PPL to launch revamp plan: Paradeep Phosphate will soonlaunch a renovation programme to increase production and cut costs. Under the programme, the company proposes to install pipe reactors in all the four streams of the DAP plant and streamline the sulphuric and phosphoric acid plants.

Inflation falls to 8.09 per cent: The annual rate of inflation fell sharply to 8.09 per cent despite steep hike in prices of primary food articles for the week ended September 5. Inflation fell by 0.69 percentage points despite a 1.5 per cent increase in WPI for primary food articles. The overall index also grew by 0.4 per cent during the week. The decline in inflation rate, despite the increase in the overall Index, was due to the fact that the rate of increase in the Index this week was lower than the increase during the same period last year.

10,000 tonnes of onion to be imported: The government will import 10,000 tonnes of onion and augment supplies to state-run outlets in the Capital to tide over the present shortage and consequent skyrocketing prices of thepopular vegetable. The decision to import onions was taken at a meeting convened by the secretary to the prime minister's office recently to discuss various measures to bring down the onion prices, Delhi government sources said.

ICICI to do feasibility study for NTPC's Orissa plant: National Thermal Power Corporation has appointed Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India to do a feasibility study for the Rs 7,000 crore super thermal power project in Orissa. The board recently took a decision to appoint ICICI for working out the techno-economic modalities of the 2,000 mw power project in Talcher.