Category: South Asia

PARIS, April 10, 2010 (AFP) – India is flavour of the month in France with the spotlight swerving from the fairytale world of maharajas to tribal craftsmen in a buildup to a year-long celebration of one of the world’s richest and most diverse cultures. A recent exhibition of priceless autochrome colour photographs nearly 100 years […]

NEW DELHI, April 9, 2010 (AFP) – India’s mobile phone firms began bidding Friday to provide superfast third-generation (3G) services in the booming cellular market — a sale expected to reap the government billions of dollars. The auction of 3G spectrum will propel India firmly into the Internet era where rolling out landline broadband networks […]

BANGALORE, April 8, 2010 (AFP) – India plans to put a satellite into orbit using its indigenously built cryogenic rocket engine, marking another step in the nation’s ambitious space programme, officials said. Cryogenic rocket motors, which use supercooled liquid fuel, have been built by only six countries or regions in the world, with India joining […]

NEW DELHI, April 7, 2010 (AFP) – Corporate fraud, particularly involving financial statements, is on the rise in India as executives struggle to meet earnings targets, global consultancy KPMG said Wednesday. Forty-five percent of the 1,000 managing directors, chief financial officers and other top executives of leading Indian businesses declared fraud had increased within their […]

NEW DELHI, April 2, 2010 (AFP) – Raw silk, cotton, jute — India’s traditional fabrics are finding favour among top designers raring to break new ground in the highly competitive Indian fashion market. The tendency to ape Western cuts and style in recent years has seen the country’s own rich craftsmanship take a backseat. But […]

March 30, 2010 (AFP) – The Maldives stepped in on Tuesday to offer US rap star Akon a replacement concert after his scheduled appearance in Sri Lanka next month was scuttled by protesting Buddhist monks. “We are very happy he is planning to come and perform,” President Mohamed Nasheed’s press secretary Mohamed Zuhair told AFP […]

NEW DELHI, March 31, 2010 (AFP) – Indian telecoms tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal has finally achieved his dream of breaking into the African market with a 10.7-billion-dollar deal to buy Kuwait-based Zain’s Africa assets. But now comes the tough part — making the purchase pay off. Mittal’s Bharti Airtel, the top mobile operator in India, […]

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2010 (AFP) – India is about to witness an explosion in the spread of personal computers and Internet connectivity, visiting Minister of State for IT and Communications Sachin Pilot said Tuesday. Asked about US computer giant Dell’s reported intention to move its manufacturing facilities from China to India, Pilot only could confirm […]

KOLKATA, March 25, 2010 (AFP) – A tiny island at the centre of a territorial dispute between India and Bangladesh has disappeared beneath the waves due to rising sea levels and erosion, scientists say. At its height, it was never more than two metres (about six feet) above sea level. Hazra said a larger island, […]

KOLKATA, March 23, 2010 (AFP) – India has launched its most luxurious and expensive train service yet, seeking to attract well-heeled foreign rail enthusiasts prepared to pay the minimum 800-dollars-a-night price tag. For most visitors, rail travel in India is an indispensable part of any holiday, although an ability to overlook the often filthy toilets […]

MUMBAI, March 21, 2010 (AFP) – India’s central bank looks set to tighten monetary policy further after raising interest rates for the first time in nearly two years as it bids to check spiralling inflation, economists say. In a move that surprised experts, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked short-term rates from record lows […]

NEW DELHI, March 8, 2010 (AFP) – India faces a water crisis with availability in decline and demand rocketing, and the profligate agricultural sector is in the firing line. Farmers’ wasteful use of water is unsustainable in a country with a fast-growing population and rapidly industrialising economy, says Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. Agriculture […]