Sugar companies are expected to benefit from the upturn in sugar prices in recent weeks.

An anticipated drop in sugar production, due largely to inadequate rainfall in parts of Maharashtra and switching of crops by farmers, has led to a rise in sugar prices. 

The sugar season in India runs from October to September. Sugar production in the 2008-09 season is expected to be at 16-18 million tonnes (mt), as compared with 26 mt in 2007-08 and 28 mt in 2006-07.

Indian telecom industry has added a record number of customers during the last month (Jan 2009).

The industry said that it added 15.41 million telephone connections during Jan 2009, which is the largest increase in a single month.

In a major announcement, TRAI said that presently it has more than 400 million telecom connections, as against December 2008’s total of 384.76 million.

With this, the overall number of people using mobile phones in India has gone up to 362.30 million, as compared to the 233.63 million during January 2008.

With the aim to prevent inventory build-up in the midst of ongoing slowdown in the domestic market, Honda, the Japanese car major would continue to cut its India output by over 45 per cent for the next six months.

It was confirmed by the company that its planned release of hatchback Jazz in the Indian market is on schedule. The company is also thinking to increase the prices of its various models.

The government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd started its next generation 3G mobile services in the country even as the private operators are still waiting to get spectrum through auction process.

Earlier last year, ahead of auction for private players, both BSNL and MTNL (for Delhi and Mumbai) were given 3G spectrum.  

For the private operators, the government has referred the issue of 3G spectrum auction to a Group of Ministers in view of inter-ministerial differences over the reserve price.

Country's largest power generation and other heavy equipment maker, Bharat Heavy Electricals has paid an interim dividend of Rs 298 crore to the Central Government for its financial performance during 2008-09.

On account of the equity participation of 67.72 per cent in the corporation, a dividend cheque for Rs 298 crore was presented to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Sontosh Mohan Dev by BHEL Chairman and Managing Director K Ravi Kumar.

Here’s a good news for the Indians as the telecom market in the country added a record number of customers in a single month.

In India, more than 15 million telephone connections were added during the last month.

In its latest report, TRAI said that the country now has over 400 million telecom connections. With this, the total number of those people who are using mobiles in the country has gone to 362.30 million.