Acceding to the long-pending demands of traders in Uttar Pradesh, the state government is planning to simplify the present structure of value-added tax. The state government also announced exempting handmade carpets (silk and wool) from VAT. "We will also close about 50 check-posts in the state in phases in order to safeguard the traders' interest. Unclassified items will also be categorised," he added.
There are about 60 second-hand car dealers in Lucknow and small cars such as the Maruti 800, Indica, and Santro are favourites with buyers. The small-car segment accounts for about 75 per cent of second-hand car sales. Second-hand car dealers collect 2 per cent commission from both buyers and sellers for each deal.
The Uttar Pradesh Export Corporation Limited (UPECL), a state government undertaking engaged in the development and marketing of handicrafts and handloom items produced in Uttar Pradesh, is set to apply for patenting of Lucknow chikan. Once the office of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) gives its certificate, chikan would exclusively be linked with Lucknow city.
They have realised that there is a lot of money to be made from selling ultra-luxury villas at holiday destinations in India. The target customers will be high net worth individuals, since each of these villas is being branded as "second homes" and will be sold for upwards of Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million).
DLF, the country's largest realty firm, is eyeing the India franchise rights of ultra luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo. The Italian brand's original franchise partner, Sports Station India, has decided to exit the business and instead concentrate on premium brands such as Levi's and Dockers.
One of Lutyens' Delhi's much sought after addresses, 1 Prithviraj Road, is being put up for sale. Anil Thadani, the founder of private investment advisory firm Schroder Capital Partners, is the owner of the property, which is just under one acre. Sources told Business Standard that the property was being valued at Rs 60-80 crore (Rs 600-800 million).
DLF Ltd is acquiring the privately-held super luxury resorts and spa chain Singapore-based Amanresorts for around $250 million.
Bharti Airtel and United Breweries have expressed interest in acquiring, respectively, the Delhi and Bangalore or Mumbai teams in the impending Indian Premier League for Twenty20 cricket matches.
A disclosure on its land reserves by the joint venture firm Emaar MGF has sparked off a debate on whether a real estate company with foreign investment can own agricultural land in India. Dubai-based Emaar holds around 41 per cent in the joint venture that is expected to raise Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) from an upcoming maiden public issue.
Real estate firm Parsvnath Developers' quest for a mobile licence seems to have hit a roadblock at the Department of Telecom (DoT). Parsvnath, which is one of the seven realty firms in the fray for mobile licences, hasn't mentioned the business of "telecommunications" in its memorandum of association (MoA).
Leading TV channels will see a blackout of spot advertising from midnight tonight after Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Airtel, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Reliance Communications, among others, directed their media-buying agencies not to book such advertisements on 16 news and entertainment channels, including NDTV, Network 18, Zee News, Star News, starting October 16.
An assorted bunch of farmers, small traders and non-government organisations (NGOs) have trained their guns on a legislation that allows private companies to directly procure produce from farmers. Termed the Model Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, the legislation was drawn up by the central government a few years back.
AT&T has also applied for a universal access service licence (UASL), which allows operators to offer services in both GSM and CDMA technology, with the Mahindra & Mahindra group, for 22 circles. The US company, however, has stipulated that it wants a majority equity stake in the mobile venture.
The project will entail an investment of over Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) and will be developed in a 50:50 joint venture with the Dubai-headquartered Limitless Holdings, a sister company of Nakheel and a part of the diversified Dubai World group
About 50,000 to 100,000 people - representing associations of farmers, traders, hawkers, and even chemists from all over India - will converge on Mumbai's Azad Maidan to demand that big corporations quit the retail business.
The company sacked nearly 900 employees and shelved its investment plans in the state, which included nearly 200 Reliance Fresh stores over three years and a back-end logistics chain.
LVMH, which has brands like Christian Dior, Fendi, TAG Heuer and Dom Perignon in its stable, is planning to float a 1 billion private equity fund for emerging markets in Asia, of which 40-50 per cent will be dedicated to India.
Having completed the country's largest initial public offering of $2 billion (about Rs 8,200 crore), DLF Chairman K P Singh is getting ready to raise a similar amount in Singapore.
So what does the future hold for small grocers? The ones Business Standard spoke to said they would also love to revolt, as smaller retailers did in Lucknow.
The ban, although described as temporary, is being seen as a knee-jerk reaction by the state government following the attacks on Reliance Fresh and Spencer's stores and has raised several questions over its farm policy.
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