Essel Group's multi-purpose prepaid cash card provider ItzCash has plans to spread its footprints in rural markets in the country by next year.

The firm intends to open another 50,000 exclusive outlets in rural areas next year under the brand name 'ItzCash Point' and 'ItzCash World', besides opening franchisee network up to 12,000.

The company would setup about 1,000 franchisees in South India alone. At present, the company has one lakh outlets and around 10,000 franchisees in India.

According to sources, all upcoming new outlets will be set up in tier-III cities and villages.

Abu Dhabi --The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), a publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, TAQA Bratani Limited (TAQA Bratani), has completed its $631 million acquisition of seven oil fields from Shell U. K. Limited and Esso Exploration and Production (UK) Limited.

ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, added another major client win to its growing list of service providers deploying its GSM solution.

The company today announced the signing of a US$100 million deal with China Mobile's Pakistan arm (CMPak) to help them swell the capacity of their GSM infrastructure as part of its Phase 2 project.

Prague - Czech energy company CEZ has offered retail customers a price freeze for 2010, amid fears that high energy costs would hurt households and small businesses in the economic downturn, a company executive said Tuesday.

The offer came days after the state-controlled firm said it plans to hike electricity prices by nearly 10 per cent in 2009, a move that outraged businesses, worried that expensive energy would send them under in a slowing economy.

The private equity major Blackstone Group formed a new venture by acquiring 55 per cent stakes in IT infrastructure management and outsourcing unit of Mumbai-based CMS Computers. It would deal in card solutions, transaction printing solutions and ATM cash management. The company is believed to be valued at Rs 500-550 crore. CMS is among the top 5 IT infrastructure management companies in India which was founded in 1976 by Ramesh Grover, Varun Prasad and S Ramadorai.

Dunlop factory at Sahaganj is closed for indefinite period on Sunday by the company management. The company has cited the non-cooperation and indiscipline of workers as a major reason for the factory closure. The decision would affect a large number of workers of the factory.