Interview with Qimat Rai Gupta, who in 1958, began as an electrical goods trader in Delhi, with practically no capital. Today, his company is India's largest electrical products manufacturer, with facilities across India, Europe, Latin America and Africa.
In its draft report, the research agency has recommended linking the valuation of coal reserves to be put up for bidding to international prices.
The government's high-level panel looking into the controversial coal block allocations for captive mining has decided against cancelling three blocks, given to Nagpur-based Shree Veerangana Steels.
The three-year comparison results from the lack of corresponding figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11, as MoSPI publishes data with a huge lag.
The board, on the urging of six independent members, had earlier turned down a government directive to commit at least 80 per cent supply to power companies.
The recommendation, if implemented, could severely dent coal miners' bottom line.
Wondering why rail traffic congestion does not ease, power cuts are frequent or why mining continues to be a laggard despite investments? The answer to all such questions is cost overruns.
Demands include clearing eight critical coal blocks attached to projects of big corporate houses.
The Bill also envisages ushering in a regime of royalty concessions for the first time in the country.
The immediate trigger is the environment ministry's latest policy of asking corporates to mandatorily commit five per cent of project investments in environment protection measures.
The heightened activity on permissions to power and mining projects, which had been stuck for long, coincides with the run-up to a likely reshuffle of the council of ministers this month.
The railways buy an average of 2.4 billion litres of diesel every year spending around Rs 4,500 crore (Rs 45 billion) annually on diesel fuel expenses for operating locomotives.
The sector attracted foreign investments to the tune of $1,252 million during the year, a 12.8 per cent decline compared to $1,437 million registered in the previous year, according to latest data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (see table).
Schneider Electric, the $20-billion French engineering major, has identified India's perennial power shortage as a major business opportunity.
Work on the much-delayed dedicated railway freight corridor is expected to begin with contracts worth Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) to be awarded before the end of the current financial year.
With Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee's landslide victory in West Bengal, the Union railways ministry is set to have a new minister soon and a revamped board.
It is now looking at a solution from the Unique Identification Authority of India for ensuring accurate identification of the beneficiaries of its low-cost services.
Fund balances for the current financial year have already been revised downwards by the ministry from the budgeted Rs 5,062 crore to Rs 3,100 crore.
The huge reduction in the government's support for Bhavini has brought down the overall budgetary allocation for nuclear power schemes by 20 per cent.
In a move to help quicken the flagging pace of distribution reforms in the power sector, the Union finance ministry has approved the creation of a Rs 50,000-crore National Electricity Fund - first mooted in the 2008-09 Budget - for attracting investment in this area.
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