Category: South Asia

MUMBAI, November 15, 2011 (AFP) – Kingfisher Airlines said Tuesday it had doubled its losses in the July-September quarter, as its billionaire chief Vijay Mallya was set to announce plans to keep the Indian company afloat. The country’s second-largest airline by market share showed a net loss of 4. 69 billion rupees ($93 million) for […]

MUMBAI, November 13, 2011 (AFP) – India warned on Sunday against protectionism as the world grapples with the sovereign debt crisis, portraying itself as a relative haven of stability in troubled economic times. Commerce minister Anand Sharma said India was an influential emerging economy and that the country “will be part of the stabilisation process […]

ADDU, November 11, 2011 (AFP) – South Asian leaders ended a summit in the Maldives Friday with pledges to increase regional trade as arch rivals India and Pakistan demonstrated signs of easing tensions between them. The US, which is an observer of SAARC, welcomed the easing of Indo-Pakistan tensions and said increasing trade and economic […]

ADDU, November 10, 2011 (AFP) – The prime ministers of India and Pakistan said Thursday they expected to open a “new chapter” at future talks between the rival nations after they met at a regional summit in the Maldives. India’s Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani said their often strained ties were […]

ADDU, November 11, 2011 (AFP) – China is seeking an active role in the eight-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, an official said Friday, in a move likely to be resisted by India. India would likely be suspicious of any greater Chinese role. New Delhi has watched with anxiety as Beijing has forged ties […]

ADDU, November 9, 2011 (AFP) – The prime ministers of India and Pakistan meet Thursday at a summit of South Asian leaders, with signs of warming relations between their countries providing a boost for the region. India’s Manmohan Singh and Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani are due to hold talks at an upmarket resort on […]

GAN, November 8, 2011 (AFP) – China opened a full diplomatic mission in the Maldives Tuesday, two days ahead of a key South Asian summit in the Indian Ocean archipelago, an official said. Beijing established the embassy in the capital Male as seven South Asian leaders were due in the Maldives for their 17th summit […]

NEW DELHI, November 5, 2011 (AFP) – India aims to launch fourth-generation (4G) mobile services next year that will allow users to watch high-definition video and download content at a much faster rate, a minister said. 4G technology holds the promise of Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than typical third-generation networks. “We should […]

NEW DELHI, November 4, 2011 (AFP) – India’s Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to the former chairman of Indian outsourcing giant Satyam, B. Ramalinga Raju, who is accused of one of the country’s biggest corporate frauds. The court allowed bail for Raju, 57, his brother B. Rama Raju and the company’s former internal auditor […]

WASHINGTON, November 2, 2011 (AFP) – The United States would be prepared to sell India the new F-35 fighter jet, the Pentagon said Wednesday, after New Delhi rejected a US offer of older aircraft in a major competition this year. “While the report shows that tremendous progress has been made in military-to-military relations over the […]

NEW DELHI, November 2, 2011 (AFP) – Internet giant Google on Wednesday launched a low-cost scheme to help small Indian businesses start their own websites as the country’s booming economy increasingly moves online. “Businesses often believe that getting online is too complex, costly and time-consuming,” Google said. Firms would be able to set up and […]

NEW DELHI, November 2, 2011 (AFP) – India’s luxury sales are expected to expand by a scorching 20 percent annually until 2015, according to a new report, as brand-smitten consumers snap up big names to flaunt their wealth. Luxury sales were slow to take off in India a decade ago, disappointing retailers who had rushed […]