Full Coverage: Economy

31.08.2007 The issue of regional transport seems to be topping the agenda of South Asian governments. In a recent meeting of the SAARC transport ministers, Indian external affairs minister has emphasized on promoting greater connectivity in South Asia.

31.08.2007 The Prime Minister of India has lauded the spirit of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and urged entrepreneurs to be globally competitive, while underlining the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their contribution to the growth of new industries.

30.08.2007 Jeffrey Sachs (a Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University) has shared his views on the life expectancy in the developed, developing and least developed countries in Project Syndicate, an international not-for-profit association of newspapers dedicated to hosting a global debate on the key issues shaping our world.

30.08.2007 Cast your vote online to tell your development minister to act now and to seriously question and change World Bank policies, particularly concerning economic policy conditionality and fossil fuel funding.

29.08.2007 The report 'Strategy for Sustained Growth' says that Bangladesh could join the ranks of middle income countries by 2016. It has the necessary assets, much-improved economic fundamentals, rapidly growing labor force, an established entrepreneurial culture and an impressive record of achievement in harnessing sound economic and social policies to pioneering social entrepreneurship.

27.08.2007 Asian Development Bank and the World Trade Organization, in partnership with the Philippine Government, is hosting a two-day conference on "Mobilizing Aid for Trade: Focus Asia and the Pacific" on 19-20 September at Manila, Philippines. It will bring trade and finance ministers, key donors, and the private sector to focus on the trade and infrastructure challenges facing the Asia and the Pacific region.

27.08.2007 There is something remarkable in the tribal women of North Indian state of Orissa as they have increased their level of awareness and no longer dependent on the money lenders. On the contrary, today they are small-scale entrepreneurs by forming SHGs groups and selling the turmeric which has good production in their village.

24.08.2007 NOKIA says India has become one of the largest markets and overtook the United States in the second quarter to become its second-biggest market by sales after China.

23.08.2007 An Indian American entrepreneur researcher has done a study on the immigration issue and revealed that India has provided more in intellectual capital to US than the financial aid from US to India. The study also shows that for the first time in its history the US faces the prospect of a reverse brain drain because of its flawed immigration policies.

23.08.2007 Indian railways is finding meaningful ways to engage ragpickers across the country. They are being pressed into service to clean the tracks at stations and become daily wagers. The railways has also introduced mechanised cleaning system at 26 major stations in the country. Here, cleanings of platforms and trains are carried out with the help of machines.

22.08.2007 The Spices Board of India is going to launch electronic auction (e-auction) to ensure transparency in commodity trading. The new initiative will provide proper and error-free documentation, facilitating speedy billing and invoicing to eliminate the chances of hidden costs for the benefit of small growers.

22.08.2007 India and Pakistan agreed to allow cross-border cargo truck services, aimed at boosting trade. The agreement, which came after a meeting between the officials of the two countries, will help to improve transport of goods and led to the restoration of diplomatic, sporting and transportation links.

22.08.2007 The civil society action against government acquisition of land in rural areas is gathering steam across India, peopleÂ’s movements all over the country are mobilising support against land acquisitions .Indian states as Maharashtra, an anti-Special Economic Zones (SEZ) protest has been planned out, and a statewide protest against land grabs has kicked off in Rajasthan.

21.08.2007 The prime minister of India announced funds of at least Rs 250 billion to boost agricultural output and ensure inclusive growth. In his speech to the nation on the Independence Day he stressed on the welfare of the rural livelihoods which should be the part of the booming economic of the nation.

20.08.2007 Bhutan, a country committed to environmental preservation is in dilemma as how to reconcile conservation, economic development in the era of rapid globalization. As per the law which says the country reserve 70 per cent of its land for 'green' cover, of which 60 per cent should be forests.

17.08.2007 The Government of Pakistan has allocated an amount of Rs 6.237 billion for the development of rural areas of the country. The government has adopted a comprehensive policy for rural development, including agriculture, social and physical infrastructure as well as rural industrialization under its annual plan for the year 2007-2008.

17.08.2007 Nepal has developed simple and cheap technologies that make the best of local resources and don't damage the environment. The new technologies have been indigenously designed, based on traditional skills and knowledge, and are cheap and easy to use and maintain.

17.08.2007 The United States-India nuclear cooperation agreement, tabled in India's Parliament on Monday, has precipitated a political crisis for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's United Progressive Alliance (UPS) government since it was formed a little over three years ago.

16.08.2007 Addressing the 17th annual World Water Week in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, UN Under-Secretary-General told a meeting of more than 2,000 water professionals that water is going to be the dominant world issue far into the current century. And there is an urgency to find new approaches which will better utilise for our precious natural resources as supply of water may threaten the social stability.

16.08.2007 India plans to expand its oceanography research, tapping into the wealth of the little-explored Indian and Southern Oceans. Exploring these oceans could yield bounties in terms of information and resources. Both oceans play an important role in the formation of the Indian monsoon and could also harbour submerged deposits of copper, nickel, manganese and cobalt.