The other day I ran into an old friend, the owner of a successful business, who I haven’t seen in about five years. We both had a little time so we went for a cup of coffee and talked. After reminiscing a little and catching up on family and old friends I asked, “So, what are you doing now?” He replied with a sigh, “Pretty much the same old thing, running the business, but it’s tough. Lots of hungry competition, can’t get good help… you know.” And I realized that, in the time since I had last seen him, he has been stuck in a place I call “StatusQuoVille” where nothing changes, nothing moves forward and, in fact, things start sliding backwards. Read more

The rapidly growing importance of sustainable investment presents India Inc. with a set of new risks and opportunities, according to a landmark report from TERI Europe, the European affiliate of Delhi-based, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Across the globe, there is growing recognition that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors have the power both to create and destroy shareholder value. Over USD3.7 trillion is already managed in strategies that integrate ESG elements to generate sustainable returns. With challenges such as water scarcity, human resource management, climate change and community relations rising up the agenda, funds managed on a sustainable basis are projected to grow significantly in the years ahead. Read more

Customers booking cars at airport counters or through local agents can now take it easy. PayMate, India’s leading wireless transactions company has partnered with Akbar Car Rentals, India’s largest private car rental agency, to initiate car bookings via a simple SMS. To begin with the service will be available in 6 cities and soon be extended to 10 cities in the next couple of weeks. Read more

Unveiled to shape the future of business, today IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced a new virtual IBM Business Center offering a place for IBM sales people, clients and partners to meet, learn, collaborate, and conduct business together. This center will have six areas: Reception, Sales Center, Technical Support Library, Innovation Center, Client Briefing Center, and Conference Center. Read more

The international data services market in Asia-Pacific is growing steadily, boosted by the high economic growth in the region - especially in India and China. While connectivity needs are increasing, the end users in the region remain price sensitive. Coupled with the intense competition that keeps prices down, data service providers are finding it increasingly difficult to see satisfactory revenue growth. Read more

QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA ) and other advanced wireless technologies, today announced that it has signed a CDMA2000 subscriber unit and modem card license agreement with DigiBee Microsystems Inc., a Delaware corporation. Under the terms of the worldwide, royalty-bearing agreement, QUALCOMM has granted DigiBee Microsystems a patent license to develop, manufacture and sell CDMA2000 subscriber units and modem card products. DigiBee will initially focus on products for the Indian market. The royalties payable by DigiBee Microsystems are at QUALCOMM's standard worldwide royalty rates. Read more

TBE supports Sunita Narain and CSE.

Now that the reality of climate change has been accepted even by its strongest sceptics, there is a rush to find answers. The latest buzz is to substitute the use of greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels with biofuels-fuel processed from plants. Unfortunately, the way we are going about implementing this "good" idea could mean we are headed from the frying pan to the fire.

There are two kinds of biofuel: ethanol, processed from sugarcane or corn, and biodiesel, made from biomass. Climate-savvy Europe gave the first push to biofuel, mandating they should contribute 6 per cent of fuels used in vehicles by 2010 and 10 per cent by 2020. The bulk of biodiesel comes from domestically grown rapeseed. But to meet its growing needs, it is looking at importing soyabean-based fuel from Brazil and Argentina, and palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia. Read more

Idea Cellular Limited, a leading Indian GSM mobile services provider and an Aditya Birla Group company, and Nokia Siemens Networks today announced signing of a USD 500 million GSM network expansion contract. Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Network will expand Idea Cellular’s GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks to cover population centres across six circles of Delhi, Haryana, UP East, UP West, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Read more

May 17, 2007: Sequoia Capital India today announced that it has sold a 4.45% stake in Firstsource Solutions (formerly ICICI OneSource) to SUN Group, a global investment and business group, for a total sum of $42 million. Post the sale, Sequoia Capital India will continue to own around a 5% stake in FirstSource. Read more

United Spirits Limited, the flagship of The UB Group today announced that it has acquired a hundred percent of Whyte & Mackay for £595m.

Whyte & Mackay is a leading distiller of Scotch Whisky, owning brands including The Dalmore, Isle of Jura, Glayva, Fettercairn, Vladivar vodka and the eponymous Whyte & Mackay blended Scotch. The Company also owns several other Scotch Whisky brands such as Mackinlays, John Barr, Cluny and Claymore amongst a host of others. Read more