For the quarter ended March, two-wheeler biggie Hero Honda Motors reported an estimate-surpassing 35 percent rise in its net profit! While its fourth quarter year-on-year net profit increased from 298.70 crore to Rs 402.17 crore; the net sales increased from Rs 2788.65 crore to Rs 3411.84 crore.

In fact, beating the overall two-wheeler industry growth rate of nearly 5 percent, Hero Honda - with about half of the two-wheeler market in India - has reported a yearly 13 percent increase in its sales volumes during the quarter.

According to a recent report by the information technology research and advisory firm Gartner, the economic downturn and protectionist measures of western countries notwithstanding, the market share of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry will likely increase two-fold over the next couple of years.

The report said that Indian vendors in the BPO sector would experience growth, owing to factors like dependable service delivery, sustained acquisitions of Europe and North America-based shared service centers, as well as revenue growth from continental Europe by way of partnerships.

The quarterly profit of the autos, commodities and services businesses-inclusive Tata Group firm, TCS - Tata Consultancy Services - has increased by 4.6 percent. Compared to the Rs 4,508.76 crore after-tax net profit reported during earlier fiscal, the figures for the year ending March 31, 2009 stood at Rs 4,696.21 crore.

The year-on-year total income increased from Rs 18,979.67 crore in the last fiscal year, to Rs 21,947.76 crore this fiscal.

The country's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to extend the period of its concessional financing to the farmers against warehouse receipts by five months to September 30, 2009.

It should be noted that the state-run lender in February this year had started offering loans at a concessional rate of 8% to farmers against cold storage and warehouse receipts, in a bid to save them from falling prey to distress sale of their farm produce.

Earlier this week, the lender has extended its special home and car loans scheme last week at 8 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, for the first one year, till September

US-based CA Inc, the IT management software company, has decided to hire 1,000 professionals in India over the next 3-5 years.

According to reports, the company will employ an additional 1,000 people for its Hyderabad R&D centre, taking the total strength to 2,600 over the next 3-5 years.

The Hyderabad facility currently houses about 30 per cent of the company's global R&D headcount.

Lanco Infratech, the flagship of Hyderabad-based Lanco Group, has decided to invest Rs 15,000 crore in the power sector during 2009-10.

Sources reported that it would be an 80:20 debt-equity structure and lead to financial closure of 2,640 MW installed power capacity. The projects are located in Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.