Philips India Ltd has launched the country's first flat TV in the city which is priced at Rs 9 lakh. The company also launched a new Powervision range of 25-inch and 29-inch colour televisions and the DVX8000 multimedia home theatre. The Philips Flat TV, with a depth of 4.5-inch, can be hung on the wall like a painting. It has an absolutely flat screen with integrated Dolby Pro-logic sound. The use of plasma technology enables uniform distortion free pictures and bright, accurate colours.

Connected to 15 speakers, it generates 120 watts RMS to give the ultimate home cinema experience. The Flat TV has multi-standard reception and is able to receive Pal, Secam and NTSC signals. It also has a VGA connector, making it an ideal solution for multimedia PC presentations. With the DVX8000, Philips has introduced convergence technology which combines computing, consumer electronics, imaging and communication.

Sotheby's prize for local artist:

Sotheby's inassociation with the Oberoi Hotel (Mumbai) will institute a prize -- The Sotheby's Contemporary Indian Art Prize -- for a local artist. This is the first time that the country's art and an artist will be recognised by an international authority. The prize comrising Rs 300,000 in cash and a memento will be presented on December 11, 1998. Sotheby's considered over 100 artists of which the four-person panel of judges will select five nominees and then the final winner. The international auctioneer's consultant expert south Asian art Savita Apte is the ex-officio chairperson of the panel and a non-voting member. Three of the works of the five artists will be exhibited in Mumbai before the presentation ceremony.

Arvind Mills wrinkle-free cotton pants:

Arvind Mills has launched wrinkle free cotton plants under the Newport brand. The trousers are made from 100 per cent cotton gaberdine fabrics from Arvind Mills and tailored to Newport's exacting design specifications. They are treated with special resinswhich cross-link with the cellulose of the cotton fibre. The resin is cured in an industrial oven to give a permanent wrinkle-free finish. The cotton pants have a durable press rating of 3.5, based on the standards of the Association of American Textile Chemists & Colorists and are classified as having non-iron properties. They are available in ten distinguished shades at a price of Rs 599.

BPL Mobile pre paid cards:

BPL Mobile Communications Ltd, part of the Rs 3,200-crore BPL group, has launched a range of pre paid SIM cards in an effort to meet the changing needs of its customers. The company claims that for the first time these pre paid cards are segmented to cater to different target audiences. The new range includes Platinum, Gold and Silver cards. The `Mobile on the spot' cards are available in denominations of Rs 1,500, Rs 1,000 and Rs 750 and are available at 1,500 outlets in Mumbai. The added advantage is that these cards can be used with any GSM mobile phones.

Gitanjali Jewels newware:

Gitanjali Jewels has unveiled an entire range of 24-carat gold jewellery in the city. The launch makes Gitanjali jewels the first domestic company to introduce jewellery in 24-carat gold in the local markets. The range includes rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets. Initially the gold range will be available at four select outlets in the city. The jewels will be introduced in other major cities across the country at a later date. The jewellery is priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 20,000 with nearly 80 per cent of the range carrying a price tag between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7000. The World Gold Council has welcomed the introduction of 24-carat gold jewellery in the Indian markets.

HCL Infosystems bags Hyndai Motors order

HCL Infosystems Ltd has bagged an order from Hyundai Motors to install, commission and support a countrywide dealer management support infrastructure for the Santro. According to HCL, the network will enable Hyundai and its distribution partners to effectively monitor andcontrol the inventory of cars. Under the contract, HCL will connect all the 70 dealers of Santro with Pentium II-based Infiniti global line servers and up to five desktop computers. HCL will undertake the entire network implementation service at each of these locations.

Indi-American Society president:

Thomas Cook chairman Pradip Madhavji has been elected president of the Indo-American Society for the year 1998-99. He was the society vice-president for the past four years. The Indo-American Society promotes bilateral relations through various activities like organising seminars and conferences. Madhvji joined Thomas Cook in 1977 and took over as managing director after two years. He is also a member of Assocham, Ficci, Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Saarc Tourism Council.

Indo-Lairi Bio Power plant:

Indo-Lahri Bio Power, a Madhya Pradesh-based company has commissioned its 6mw biomass-based power plant at Jaroda village in the state. The plant, which uses rice husk, will supply power tothe Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board. Thermax has supplied the fluidised bed combustion (FBC) type boiler for the plant. The project is part financed by the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (Ireda) and the IDBI in addition to subsidies from the centre for the bio-mass power programm. The state electricity board is one of the equity partner in the project.