WB chief happy over progress in UP projects
World Bank President James D Wolfensohn on Saturday expressed happiness over the progress in the ongoing WB-aided projects in Uttar Pradesh and said he had a `reasonably high degree of confidence' that the funds allocated for the different schemes were reaching its destination. The bank has its own methods of monitoring that funds are being properly utilised, besides, ensuring proper utilisation of the funds is the job of the national government, Wolfensohn told reporters.

LIC plans online premium payment facility
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is planning to provide online premium paying facility to its customers by the end of the current fiscal.

The corporation has computerised all its 2,048 branches and is planning to provide connectivity between 33 major cities in the country during the year with wide area network.

Mashelkar for protection of intellectual assets
The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research director general RA Mashelkar on Saturday said India can emerge as an economic super power provided it focuses on production, distribution and use of knowledge.

"However, to emerge as an economic super power, India needs to protect her intellectual assets by focussing on education and providing an appropriate environment for predominantly young population," he added.

Bajaj Electricals plans Rs 100 cr investments
Bajaj Electricals Ltd (BEL) has earmarked an investment of Rs 100 crore for a foray into new business ventures aiming to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore in the next three years, BEL president R Ramakrishnan said in Calcutta on Saturday. The company has recently entered into new fields like wind energy generation and turned out several new ranges for its appliances division.

AI & IA selloff bids screening
The global advisors on Air-India and Indian Airlines disinvestment will screen the bids that have come in and put them before the government next week, New Delhi sources said. The process of due diligence will be started and closed next week, indicating that it could be as early as Wednesday.

French firms keen on Indian IT sector
French companies are now keen to participate in the Indian telecom sector as a result of the three-day visit of telecommunications minister Ram Vilas Paswan to France, a CII release in New Delhi said. Mr Paswan accompanied by an eight-member telecom delegation, met with over 20 French companies, visited Interop, had extensive discussion with Art, the French regulator.