One of the names proposed by the dailies is India's Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund, who has been charged with a criminal sex act and is under arrest in the United States, has resigned from his position, leaving the global financial body to hunt for a new chief.
A Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukhejree is likely to meet on Monday to vet London-listed mining group Vedanta Resources' $ 9.6 billion acquisition of Cairn India.
The government is formulating a standard concession agreement for roads, ports and airports, expected to be ready by later this year.
Former managing director of McKinsey & Co, Rajat Gupta, has stepped down as chairperson of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Gupta's resignation comes days before the PHFI executive was to discuss his exit.
"I don't think that it is government's view that the present inflation cannot be brought under control without FDI in multi-brand retail. We can bring inflation under control," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
The government plans to resurrect the ministry of disinvestment in a bid to raise resources by selling its shareholding in public sector companies.
The presidential election has really come as a boon to the four-month-old Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh, which received a largesse of nearly Rs 80,000 crore from the Centre on Wednesday.
"Yes it is true that milk and vegetable prices are high. You know some of this is a reflection of economic prosperity and purchasing power," Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
The economy expanded at a decade-low rate of 5 per cent in the first year of the 12th Plan
The country's new home minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram, today said he prefers a Congressman as his successor in the finance ministry, setting off speculation about the implication of his statement.
"The world economic slowdown will not affect the medium term growth prospects," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, while addressing the 'TIE Entrepreneurial Summit 2007' in New Delhi on Tuesday. The economy was likely to clock a growth rate of 8.5 to 9 per cent during the current financial year, he said, adding that the gross domestic product growth rate was expected to be 9 per cent during the next three years.
Ahluwalia asks sector to share and absorb risks associated with concession agreements under PPP model.
The nation's highest policymaking body, the National Development Council, will focus on five key areas, including the Naxal menace, power reforms and water crisis, at its meeting on Saturday.
He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia during his visit.
The government is planning to utilize $5 billion worth of foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure development this fiscal.
India may end the financial year with a seven per cent GDP growth rate, as the economic deceleration is expected to continue in the third quarter, said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.
A core group of ministers on Wednesday held inconclusive deliberations on a proposal to raise fuel prices, necessitated by a spike in global crude prices that threatens to spawn an oil import crisis.
Planning Commission on Friday said it will revisit annual average GDP growth target of 8 per cent for the 12th Plan (2012-17) in view of dismal performance in first two years of policy period, while saying the economy is likely to expand by over 5 per cent this fiscal.
They are of the view that calling the new institutes "IITs" would dilute the brand image of the existing premier institutes, which figure among the world's 100 best technology universities and are compared with the likes of MIT, California University and Berkeley. The seven IITs are located in Kharagpur, Mumbai, Chennai, Kanpur, Delhi, Guwahati and Roorkee.
The Planning Commission on Tuesday said investment in infrastructure will have to be about $350 billion in the next five years to propel overall growth of economy to over 8 per cent.
Montek Singh Ahluwalia appealed to the Indian Diaspora at the PBD gathering to support health care ventures of the Indian government, for people below the poverty line.
The interest of the poor can be protected by providing targeted subsidy, Planning Commission's Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, adding that increased energy cost would have to be shared by the consumers as the burden is currently being largely borne by public sector oil companies.
Strongly favouring a hike in power and water user charges, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Thursday
"In China's 12th Plan, exports do not hold the same place. Besides, the Chinese will be vacating the lower end of value spectrum like textiles and leather...So who will replace them? Are we going to step in or will it be Vietnam or Turkey or Indonesia," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
India has said it would exercise caution in embracing fuller rupee float since the gradual approach towards liberalising the foreign exchange regime has paid in the past.
This rampant form of piracy has caused huge losses to both American and Indian entertainment companies.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "I do not claim victory. These are ideas which are under discussion in various fora. The sherpas have been discussing these ideas and it is a process of give and take. But I do claim some credit that in my speech, I brought the development issue into the very forefront of sustainable, manageable growth process."
Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia talks about reorganising central loans to the states, in the second of a two-part interview with Mamata Singh.
The ideal way will be to sterilise the inflow, build reserves and push liquidity into system.
India can now, if required, borrow up to $30 billion a year, up from $6 billion, from the International Monetary Fund for a three-month period which can be renewed twice more in 3-month cycles.
Indian industry began this financial year on a strong foot, with robust growth of 17.6 per cent in April. This has surpassed analyst expectations and fuelled concerns of a rate hike by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The Planning Commission on Monday set targets to augment the country's infrastructure this fiscal, including adding 20,359 MW of power generation capacity and 2,500 km of highways, its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
In September, industrial growth fell to just 1.9 per cent, its lowest in two years. Inflation is at 9.73 per cent, its 10th month above nine per cent.
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