The recently done survey by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) maintains that India Inc's business confidence is continuously shrinking and currently reported at 7-year low.

Tight monetary policy, liquidity crunch, slow demand and economic downturn adversely impacted confidence of business community.

Moscow  - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday urged his Ukrainian counterpart to provide for gas experts to be quickly deployed to monitor gas flows to Europe - a key condition for Russian reopen the taps.

Medvedev, who spoke by phone with President Viktor Yushchenko late Monday, said Russia was ready to immediately resume negotiations on a new contract for gas shipments to Ukraine in 2009, the Kremlin said.

TATA Group has approached Citigroup for assistance in getting funds for Jaguar and Land Rover acquisition from the British government. The company has requested British Government for about one billion pound funds to bail out JLR and secure the future of its employees.

TATA reported significant decline in Land Rover sales following low demand due to international financial crisis. The American bank Citigroup was also the advisor in the $2.3 billion JLR acquisition case.

Two-wheeler giant Bajaj Auto is planning to launch six bigger engine bikes in the financial year 2009. The move is aimed to maintain adequate market share which is shrinking due to low demand following global financial crisis.

The new bikes are being designed to compete rival Hero Honda's best-selling Splendor/Passion range. Two more products in 125-135 cc engine size may also be launched in April and July this year. The new bikes would be launched from its Pantnagar facility from February.

Washington  - US President George W Bush asked Congress Monday to sign off on the remaining 350 billion dollars of the finance bailout package after receiving a request to release the funds from president-elect Barack Obama.

Bush had said earlier Monday that he was willing to do so if Obama, who takes office in eight days, asked the president to move forward on the 700-billion-dollar bailout for the embattled financial industry.

Industrial production posted 2.4 per cent growth in November 2008. Industrial output recorded negative growth in previous months, first time in 15 years.

Industrial Output growth rate was 4.9 per cent in the same month last year. It reported increase of 3.9 per cent for first eight months of current financial year as compared to 9.2 per cent in the same period of FY 2007-08.

Improvement in growth rate has been registered due to signs of recovery in industrial activity in second half of November and lower base effect in corresponding month last year helped to improve industrial output.