IPCL workers call off stir: IPCL workers, who threatened to go an indefinite stir demanding a higher Diwali gift amount, have called off their agitation following the Gujarat government's intervention. People in the know of the matter, however, say the unions have only suspended their agitation, not withdrawn it.

Hunt on for Anubhav chief:

The police are on the lookout for the chief executive of the Anubhav group of companies following depositors' complaints of cheating. The police have registereda case against managing director C Natesan after an investor lodged a complaint. According to the police, the group had opened branches all over the country and accepted deposits worth Rs 50 crore.

TVS Suzuki H1 net up 27 per cent: TVS Suzuki said on Thursday it has posted a net profit of Rs 5.71 crore for the first six months of the current fiscal, a 27 per cent rise over the corresponding period's figure of Rs 3.51 crore. According to the company, for the period, its turnover has risen to Rs 609.42 crore, from Rs 475.61 crore.

Dr Reddy's Q2 net up 19%: Dr Reddy's Laboratories said on Thursday that it has posted a 19 per cent rise in its net profit to Rs 16.85 crore for the current fiscal's second quarter, against Rs 14.16 crore registered in last year's corresponding period. DR Reddy's says its bottomline has been boosted by 43 per cent for the first six months of the fiscal.

Punjab Tractors H1 net jumps 43%: Punjab Tractors said on Thursday it has posted a net profit of Rs 58.7crore for the 1998-99 first half ended September 30, a 42.5 per cent rise over the corresponding period last year. The company says this represents an annualised earning of Rs 57.97 per share, against Rs 40.69 last year.

Nagarjuna Fertilisers net rises:Nagarjuna Fertilisers & Chemicals said on Thursday that its net profit has risen to Rs 71.45 crore for the current fiscal's first half ended September 30, against Rs 63.10 crore recorded in the corresponding period last year.

The company adds it has posted a 30 per cent rise in turnover for the period.

Pepsi turns to Bollywood to retain market share: In a bid to stay tuned-in with its target audiences, Pepsi is sponsoring two Bollywood mega releases -- Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai -- featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan respectively. As the two stars model for the soft drinks major, Pepsi hopes to continue to cash in on their star value.

Competition may hot up in mobile communicationssector:

Competition in the global mobile communications sector is set to hot up with the ICO Global Communications consortium planning to price its tariff 40 per cent lower than competitor Iridium's. ICO is slated to offer its first service to domestic customers by early next year. ICO plans to market its service between $1 and $3 (Rs 42 to Rs 126) per minute.

Flaw in depository pact hinders entry, says BHEL: Bharat Heavy Electricals has cited certain flaws in the depository agreement entered into between the National Securities Depository and a company as the reason for not joining the depository. Among both the 30-share BSE Sensex and the S&P CNX Nifty, BHEL is the only company which is yet to sign up with the depository. But the company's contentions are unlikely to find favour with markets regulator Sebi.

PAN directive may cause confusion: The centre's directive seeking mandatory quoting of the permanent account number on eight transactions may lead to a lot of confusion and defeatthe very purpose of widening the tax base if certain aspects are not clarified, analysts say. Although the Central Board of Direct Taxes has clarified that the notification will not hamper the transactions, there are not many takers for that.