LIC Housing Finance (LICHFL) is planning to launch its new financial arm in the current quarter. The decision is aimed to strengthen its distribution network across the country. The company would start its new financial arm, headquartered at Bombay and expand its network across country at later stage.

The Director and Chief Executive of LICHFL, R R Nair said, "We are launching our financial services subsidiary called LIC Housing Finance Financial Services which will help us improve our disbursement of loans and other financial products, during the quarter."

Lalit Khaitan family owned Radico Khaitan Ltd is planning to sell about 26 per cent stake to global drink giants according to reports of financial newspaper The Economic Times. Bacardi and Pernod Ricard have shown interest to buy stakes in Radico as per banking and industry sources.

Radico Khaitan is the second largest spirits company in the country and known for its liquor brands 8PM Whiskey and Magic Moments Vodka. Promoters hold 48.7 per cent stakes in Radico Khaitan Ltd.

An open offer was made by Daiichi Sankyo to Zenotech Laboratories' shareholders at Rs 113.62 per share. This comes after it revised its earlier open offer price of Rs 160 per share.

Jayaram Chigrupati, MD, Zenotech Laboratories reacted to the development, "The agreement on open offer price was reached in July 2008. The agreed price was reached after shareholders filed a case post the Ranbaxy-Daiichi deal. The suit was withdrawn after Daiichi agreed to open offer price of Rs 160 per share."

Due to the non-payment of overdue amount of Rs 8.05 crore, a lender bank has taken possession of assets of Jagran Prakashan Private Ltd, publisher of Indore edition of leading Hindi newspaper, Dainik Jagran.

During the last month alone, the company’s stock lost nearly 20 per cent.

The assets of the company were taken by the bank on January 14 under Section 13 of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002.

With the intention to revivify and expand the agro-based industries in Bihar, state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bihar State Sugar Corporation Ltd and Bihar government.

The MoU was signed to take over sugar mills situated at Sugauli and Lauriya in East and West Champaran for 60 years lease (that could be extended for another 30 years).

BSNL landline phone service would offer a rent rebate to Pune customers whose phones had been dead or faulty for 15 days at a stretch during April 2007 to July 2008.

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has issued an interim circular to give a “rent rebate” to 22,700 customers whose telephones had gone dead for three or more days in a row. The telephones went dead due to technical faults, and occurred intermittently over a 14-month period.