In business, it’s the early bird that rakes in the moolah. Taking cue from the age-old proverb, two MBA students have turned entrepreneurs even before graduating.

H.R. Sampreet and Saurav Dhiman, second-year students of the Vinod Gupta School of Management at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, have launched their own company, Enfount Business Solutions. Their maiden venture is Bulkdeals.co.in, a Bangalore-based online retail window specialising in institutional and organisational buying of laptops, desktops and other electronic items.

“Across campuses, students form groups to buy computers so retailers give them a discount,” said Sampreet. “But this happens locally and in an unorganised manner,” he explained.

The duo saw a business opportunity in this campus trend and created an online platform that is a one-stop-shop for bulk deals of laptops and desktops of all brands.

“Here, students can register and get great deals directly from the brands,” Sampreet said. “We estimate this to be a Rs 200-400 crore market. The brands, too, were looking for a single window to reach out to the student community. We had the business model and wanted to hit the market early, so we started even before graduating,” he added.

The company is partnering with almost all top brands such as Dell, LG, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo and HCL.

The website had over 1,000 visitors in the first three days of its launch and already has more than 300 members and over 20 registered colleges, including all the IITs.

When asked how they plan to balance studies with running a business, Saurav said: “It is all about time management. Our business requires just two or three hours a day, which we can easily put in.”

More : telegraphindia.com

State governments still harbouring a legacy of the control and licence raj will have some tough questions to answer now.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is set to scrutinise the liquor and passenger transport polices of state governments to see if there are any practices that blunt free market competition.

Sources told ET, the commission is also looking at sectors such as pharmaceuticals, telecom, transport in western India, retail food and food grains for anti-competition practices.

Vijay Kelkar, advisor to former FM Jaswant Singh, has been appointed to oversee this analyses outsourced to professional institutes like the Delhi School of Economics and the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

The commission, empowered to penalise a corporate or government body for anti-competition practices, will, however, restrict its action to ‘competition advocacy’ till it gets fully operational. At present, the commission is not adjudicating any matter as the issue of appointing a chairman is entangled in litigation at the Supreme Court.

“Many state governments exercise strict controls on liquor and passenger transport business through permits, while controls remain minimum for setting up bigger industries. We are going to look into such practices adversely impacting competition,” said sources.

The challenge now facing the commission is to get fully operational. The appointment of a chairman has been embroiled in a tussle between the executive and the judiciary.

While the government believes adjudication in cases involving complex economic analyses requires an economics expert, the judiciary feels arbitration in such matters is its domain.

The commission in the meanwhile is doing preparatory work. Sources said CCI is also contemplating to establish a ‘Centre for Competition Law and Policy’.

It has set up taskforces in areas like competition advocacy, predatory pricing and determination of costs and research projects.

There are signs indicating that the budget for increased spending on health, education, Mid-day meal, the use of state guarantee schemes and other emergency aid for the common people. This is a continuation of the policy over the past 50 years. He was the municipal development and the cooperative movement in the sixties, garibi hatao in the seventies and human development in the eighties. But the man in the situation has not changed much. This is because the Government is temperamentally proximity of the rich. Route Jawahar Rozgar Yojana place before sarpanch home. The house under Indira AWAS Yojana is built for his brother.

Health care medicines meant for primary health centre are sold on the black market. Thus, Rajiv Gandhi had said that only 15 paise out of a rupee sent from New Delhi reached the addressee. IMF, the first deputy director Anne Krueger warned, “The Indian government is a wide variety of subsidies for the poor, benefits non-poor, as many groups. These subsidies should be reviewed because they seek only to the growing budget deficit. ” There is no pressure inside the system, this would be money to versickern on small people. The government links, west Bengal, it has succeeded in building a pressure group of the Communist Party at the grassroots level. The failure of these systems is almost certain, in the absence of a portion of these frameworks. We need better opportunities to achieve the common man. The root of the problem lies in the nature of the market. We must make the free market, so that Indian companies to reach out globally, effectiveness and India in the world, No. 1 economic power. But the market follows the diktat of purchasing power is concentrated among the rich. There is no place for the common voice of men on the market. There is thus a contradiction between the two objectives that we have before us. The government wants uPA manage this contradiction by an increase in corporate and income tax such as the introduction of a process of education in the last budget. This approach is probably cancelled because only 15 paise of every rupee spent will probably reach the poor. In addition, taxes as the education process of our businesses are not competitive in the global marketplace. Sub-contracting provision of NGOs, the rate of delivery of 15 to 25 or even 50 paise, but companies still need to impose not made the world more competitive. How should we less interference in the market and, at the same time, support for sharing the man? Wild Horse Finance Minister should think otherwise. The market is like a wild horse. This may be the driver to his destination, if they can prove the reins. The Minister of Finance should be a tax system for enterprises to create jobs. It can do so by a reduction in tax rates of consumption labour intensive units. At present, our businesspeople prefer to avoid automatic that the problems of labour laws and trade union militancy. The intensity of the use of Indian industry is declining. The Minister of Finance could, for example, that a device pay wages and salaries of more than 40 per cent of its turnover will be entitled to 25 per cent reduction of excise duty. The businessman is offset, where the problems of employment of large numbers. In addition, lower rates of duty that can be imposed on sectors such as handlooms labour, agro-processing and garment manufacturing. On the reverse, capital-intensive industries, in a relationship of eating can be heavily taxed. The growth of bottles Soft-Drink industry has resulted in the closure of the street corner fruit juice manufacturers and providers of tenders coconuts. Textiles handlooms pressure are similar to those of large companies in the textile and discard the work of Weber. These offers should be heavily taxed to eat, so that work units can survive intense. The government in both policy areas. Establishment of an educational process leads to greater burden of taxation and entrepreneurs zerfrisst able to invest, vis-a-vis its foreign competitors. The introduction of higher excise duties on alcoholic beverages and major textile mills increased production costs and has the same effect. Both taxes have a negative impact on global competitiveness. But the introduction of an increase in excise is preferable, because this range to avoid leaks, tax and spend approach. Employment is generated, net of taxes to be collected and without the participation of sarpanch and the village-level workers. A similar policy must be implemented in regard to small industries. The Reserve Bank of India has a policy of 40 per cent of the credit should go to priority sectors. But the share of priority sectors, despite the continued decline in broadening the definition of this sector. The reason is that bank managers, earn profits from its branch. The Bank has contributed to huge administrative burden in managing large numbers of small accounts. There is a contradiction between two objectives, there is the director of the institution. On the one hand, he must show to win, on the other hand, he worked in the service sector priorities. Grand loans finance ministers have for the industry profitability on loans to SSIs. A tax of one per cent should be imposed on large loan and the amount spent on cross-subsidies to its branches, the SSIs credits to cover rising administrative costs. The branch loan on SSIs obtain grants and benefits. Such cross-subsidisation of taxing large SSIs is ready not to be confused with the fiscal subsidies such as life and fertilizers, general tax revenue. Like the government high rates of air conditioning to Class II, Class subsidize, it should tax similar to large borrowers and to subsidize small borrowers, without an increase in the average cost of credit in the economy . The high level of taxes on large units to do so, they are no longer competitive in the global economy. The India can not approve the machine flooded with fabric from abroad to the closure of the two Handwebstühlen and the local textile mill. This problem should be solved by a parallel increase in import duties. So, both imported and manufactured mechanically national substance is expensive in the domestic market and hence the handgewebten to survive. Consumers should be asked to bear the high cost of this substance as a taxpayer, for the generation of employment. Indeed, the tax burden as a whole must not go down when the government closed the welfare programs are in tandem and reduce taxes in proportion. The challenge is the budget is intended to ensure common prosperity of mankind, without resorting to government machinery. The market must be in the right direction, incentives for employment generation. The author is a former professor of economics, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

The government has asked Indian Institute of Foreign Trade to prepare a report on the impact of the enlargement of the European Union in the country exports.

The report analyses the impact and developing a plausible negotiating strategy for India with respect to elements of export interest.

The three main points identified in products negotiable “, where most favorites nationality prices are probably related to increase, leather, textiles and chemicals.

The study, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Export Organizations, the government’s proposals on the basis of feedback from exporters, FIEO said.

IIFT has already initiated discussions with exporters in this context, in the land of the major cities of Chennai and Mumbai.

With the European Union’s largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign direct investment in India, its current expansion is certainly have a great influence on the Indian economy in general and especially exports.

In the area of market access, it is estimated that in the case of new members joining the EU, tariffs on products are not be bound.

Some experts believe that since the EU already has a wide variety Tarrif barriers unavailable, it is unlikely that migration tarrifs.

Taking the inter-regional integration efforts (for more trade and industry) on exporters’ level is the most important pillar of the new launched “Focus ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and 2 (Australia and New Zealand) “Programme of Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.

The new programme has been chalked out along the lines of programmes such as “Focus-LAC” and “Focus Africa ‘, which has proved fruitful.

India is the traditional export basket in the countries of ASEAN is composed of elements such as gems and jewellery, grain, chemicals, electronic goods and iron and steel, with no evil the demand on the route of a certain category of products. Events trade in this region of Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPCs) are in financial assistance from the government under the Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme.

India-exports to ASEAN countries reached $ 4.62 billion during the period 2002-03, from $ 1.63 billion in 1998-99. Currently, ASEAN is a dominant trading partner of India, for example accounting for 9 percent of total trade. Two avenues of trade is now $ 9.8 million, with a trade deficit of 0.5 billion dollars.

The main markets are India, Singapore (export refunds from India was $ 1.4 billion over the period 2002-03), Indonesia ($ 0.8 billion), Malaysia ( $ 0.75 billion), Thai country ($ 0, 7 billion) and Philippines ($ 0.5 billion).

During a recent workshop on the theme “Doing Business in South East Asia”, organised jointly by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Capexil, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Mr. Samir Ghosh, Senior Vice - - Chairman of Capexil, there is an urgent need to improve economic cooperation between India and ASEAN countries by the work quickly on the path of an India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

ASEAN countries, Mr. Ghosh, it may be regarded as one of the main destinations for Indian exports, reaching $ 30 billion by 2008, according to a recent study.

The ADB says Ghosh has forecast economic growth of 5.4 per cent by the year 2005 for the ASEAN region. While high growth is expected to Vietnam and Thai country, for the rest, it is likely to hover in the range of 4.5-5.5 percent.

Mr. Ghosh told Business Line that some ASEAN countries have made enormous progress on industrial and technological development, particularly in areas such as ceramics, glass and glassware, plywood and wood and rubber . The main products Capexil region of ASEAN are minerals, rocks, tires, glass, paper, electrodes, books and rubber products.

Requested the Council support programmes in the region, “said Ghosh including participation in trade fairs in Vietnam and Australia (Design Build in Melbourne, Australia), next to the buyer-seller meets in India and the ASEAN countries.

Under pressure from local industrialists who fear they are losing out to foreign competition, the Indian government is reviewing a number of free-trade pacts, including those pending with Thailand and Asean.

“Bilateral agreements having divergent standards with different countries may not help India remain competitive in the international market,” said R.V. Kanoria, a international trade expert with the Confederation of Indian Industry, a New Dehli-based trade group.

“Liberalisation of tariffs by the Indian government should be calibrated with internal reforms in labour, infrastructure and agriculture,” he said in an interview with the Bangkok Post.

In October 2003, India signed a signed a limited trade deal with Thailand that came into effect in September 2004. Under the so-called “early-harvest” agreement, which expires in 2008, Indian and Thai firms can freely import and export 82 items. The deal calls for tariffs to be reduced by 50 percent in 2004-05, 75 percent in 2005 and 100 percent in 2006.

Bilateral trade in these 82 items consequently doubled to US$430 million in 2005 from $217 million in 2004, with Thailand recording a trade surplus of $253 million.

The lopsided numbers soured the Indian business community, particularly the automotive components makers, and talks on a more comprehensive deal that would cover thousands of items has since stalled. Recently CII said it was working to modify existing FTAs and implement a new set of industry recommendations for future trade deals, while claiming that multilateral agreements under the World Trade Organisation would benefit the country more than bilateral agreements.

“Toyota, Honda and Procter & Gamble are the three multinational corporations that have benefited the most from the Indo-Thai FTA,” said Sharif D. Rangnekar, an economic analyst and editor of the Indiabiznews.com website.

He added that “these three companies find the logistics of doing business with India rather attractive because they have major manufacturing units in Thailand and find it easy to launch their products in India”.

Indian products, on the other hand, “don’t have a large market in Thailand even if they have the required certification,” Mr Rangnekar said, explaining that this is partly due to the fact that India’s population of 1.1 billion dwarfs that of Thailand.

Criticism of the India-Thai FTA has come from a wide range of sources, including industry groups, independent research think-tanks and columnists. In 2004, the National Council of Applied Economic Research slammed the pact, primarily because of the complicated issue of “rules of origin”. It also questioned if the “early-harvest” agreement is compatible with WTO rules.

Last year, India’s Ministry of Commerce undertook an impact assessment study of the limited trade scheme with Thailand, which analysed trade flows and drew inferences for the future. The Tariff Commission also submitted a similar study to the federal Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in New Delhi.

The CII committee headed by Mr Kanoria will soon come up with guidelines for the Indian government to consider before negotiating FTAs. These are expected to include guidelines relating to negative list, common floor prices and rules of origin.

A survey by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), one of the largest apex industry associations in India together with the CII, found in 2005 that imports from Thailand rose phenomenally under the limited FTA, while exports from India to Thailand actually declined.

NIILM Centre for Management Studies, Delhi, the 11 winners in the National Student Games management held on Tuesday.

ICFAI Business School, Mumbai and the Institute of Management Technology, ghaziabad, the first and second runner. On the PSG Institute of Management, nine teams from different regions of the country, competed among themselves for the final Tuesday. The groups were withdrawn from the semi-finals on Monday.

For finalists, play is serious business. With view on the screen of the laptop, they discussed strategies and action plans developed for business nervenaufreibende problems.

Produced by the All India Management Association (AIMA), the games are very popular among students in management, particularly from the southern region. “We have the most number of participants from the southern region - 169 of 263 participants from countries of the South,” said Vikas Gupta, Deputy Director, AIMA. The game, everything revolves around replicate real work situations.

Each group has been Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Each group receives a company and asked to manage. You must make business decisions with consideration of an economy and fluctuations in market conditions. “Simulation game test the real potential of students. You will have the opportunity of their theoretical knowledge,” says SCTyagi, vice-director of AIMA.

The game is not only for students of management. MCM and engineers can participate. For Suvidh Arora Tripti Agarwal and the Institute of Technology Management, ghaziabad, the game is even more demanding. Two of his teammates could not do, and they are moving toward the battle. “This game is all about handling situations. We are dealing here with a problem, and we are confident of handling,” said Suvidh.

“Each phase of the game is a challenge,” said Vishal Agrawal of ICFAI Business School, Mumbai. Vishal and his friend Abhay Jain participate in this game for the second consecutive year. Sumeet Tiwari and Hitesh Bhagchandani same part of the Institute for the first time. According to them the game is a great learning experience.

The analogy may not be far, some observers of the book industry used to say. Editors, publishers of educational books, in particular, have long used, book sales of reprints churning out every two years. But the Internet, particularly sites like Amazon and eBay, millions of consumers an easy way to find cheap books - often for less than $ 1 - without license fees to pay publishers or authors.

Mass-Market publishers are not safe, used books interesting phenomenon is a problem of addressing, but also others in the industry have their heads.

“We believe it is not good for the industry, and it has an effect, but we can not measure,” said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, a trade group . “It has always been used book sales, but it is always background noise something. Now it is on the right side of the light of a new book on Amazon.

Lorraine Shanley, a senior partner at Market International, a consultant on publication, said the industry was just starting, for the dimensions of the problem.

“Good business for consumer policy are books such as Napster, it was the music industry,” she said. “The question is” How does the book industry address its used book problem? “There is no simple answer, especially since nobody is breaking any laws here.

Shanley, whose company reported on used books this month in their newsletters, publishing trends, said that publishers were beginning the consequences. “We asked publishers, like many a topic, and the answers are” I also many other problems to deal “or” Yes, this is a problem, but it is not easy solves I can ‘t really concentrate, “she said.

Greg Greeley, Amazon Vice President or media products for North America and Japan, strenuously disagreed with the idea that online sales of used books for the publication of the branch. And some publishers are not really for this e-Business used as a problem.

“It is often argued that there are two types of buyers,” said Chad Haight, publisher of Seattle-based Sasquatch Books. These are the bargain hunters, go to bookstores used by the search for a Deal, then he said, are those who, “Go into bookstores often looking for new books. It is d ‘ another category of customers. ” The discount to buyers, Haight said, it is expected by the end of shopping on Amazon.

“I think that they (in the case of Amazon), welcomed the availability of the publication industry,” said Haight.

Furthermore, he added that, unlike the music industry, publishing world has never planned books to a single user of the product. In fact, sharing a good book, that most, it seems almost like a moral obligation.

“We have always believed that if you sell someone a book, they are likely to redistribute it to someone,” said Haight, and added that this may help, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an author, editor for an end higher turnover across the line.

Pat Soden, editor of the University of Washington Press, he said more concerned about critics see copies of books, which are not available for retail, are resold.

Hugh Mullin is the bet that in three of the largest this year, the acquisitions is to contribute to its Putnam funds for growth and income outperformance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index for a sixth year right.

Procter & Gamble, Bank of America and Johnson & Johnson 7.6 percent of $ 17 billion Putnam fund’s biggest.

Mullin this year on its three plants the company, the purchase of Gillette, MBNA and Guidant, respectively.

“The resumption of mergers and acquisitions shows a little more confidence on the part of Chief Executive and it’s good for the market,” Mullin said in an interview from his office in Boston.

Putnam’s growth and profits funds was 2.3 per cent this year, Stand August 31, more than 1.9 percent before the S & P 500, including reinvested dividends. Mullin’s Fund rose at an annual rate of 2.9 percent from 1999 to 2004, compared to 2.3 per cent decline in the S & P-500.

Over the past five years, funds up to 50 competitors in the seventh Fund invests in a combination of U.S. companies above average dividends and above the average growth, according to data from Bloomberg. The Scudder Large Cap Value Fund, managed by Thomas Sassi, the top performer, rising at an average rate of 7.5 per cent.

Mullin, stocks, is about 3 ½ years, on average, try not deliberately companies operating in acquisitions. It tends to invest in companies whose shares provide low prices compared to turnover or profits projected.

P & G’s purchase of Boston-based Gillette, valued at $ 57.1 billion this year, office on the list of business acquisitions. American companies have announced, it is worth $ 687 billion, which is most strongly affected by year for acquisitions since 2000, Bloomberg data.

“These two companies really a powerhouse on a global scale, and they complement each other very well,” said Mullin, whose funds are 5.46 million shares of P & G on June 30.

Robert Bruner, author of “Deals From Hell: M & A lessons Rise Above the Ashes,” two aspects of the transaction increases concern. Payment of the reserve and the fact that the transaction comes at a time of renewed acquisitions increase the likelihood that P & G too much for Gillette, said Bruner, Dean of the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

“The mass of research suggests, mergers and acquisitions afford, but this is not pumping money,” said Bruner. “It is not guaranteed through the creation of value.”

Bank nation’s $ 42 billion purchase of Bank America in 1998, the train, what is now Bank of America, was a waste of money Deal for investors.

Enjoy yourself fallen in three of first four quarters after the agreement was concluded, since the company wrote off bad loans. The action has fallen by 25 per cent for three years until 2000, the S & P 500 has gained 36 percent.

Not unexpectedly, the Ministerial Conference in Cancun, the World Trade Organization meeting reached the conclusion proof, without any convention. The main stumbling blocks were massive subsidies to agriculture (estimated at approximately $ 300 billion a year by rich countries) and so-called “Singapore issues”.

The proceedings of the meeting was a great demonstration of power between developed countries - the USA and the European Union in particular - and developing countries, the bloc of G-22, cited by India, China and Brazil. In principle, it ended in a deadlock.

What are the main effects and consequences of the collapse of the Cancun negotiations? Firstly, by the huge subsidies that rich countries to their farmers, which would remain intact. So, farmers in many poor countries (especially in Africa) would continue to suffer unfair competition from their richer counterparts in the form of production subsidies, export subsidies and import tariffs . Developing countries were convinced to participate in negotiations on the Doha promise that their main development concerns would be accepted.

Indeed, they say that the reduction of agricultural subsidies by developed countries under the agreement of Uruguay has not been implemented and questions should focus on a priority before the news is included in the price.

The most troublesome aspects of developed countries, agricultural subsidies in Cancun was trying to change the definition of what constitutes a “trade distorting” subsidies. They were loans, export subsidies for trade. is clear policy to support home, in the form of grants entry and exit also rising costs of domestic producers an unfair advantage over their market in producing countries cheaper from other countries and must also be seen as distorting trade.

In addition, the European Union and the USA tries to block among the ranks of developing countries to give the impression that they were ready for the phasing out of export subsidies for products of particular interest to developing countries. He hoped that the existence of an influx of some developing countries, for their main products in the list of convicts and the G-22 solidarity. They even tried to attract China by suggesting that the subsidy and tariff reduction commitment would be less China, as it lies at the WTO later. So far, no developing country in the trap. But there are already sufficient indications and explicit threats of USA and the European Union’s negotiating driving licence they operate, bilateral and regional deals with a number of countries and try to a weakening of the coalition of developing countries.

At present, protection is enjoyed by Indian farmers to import duties (now that the import quotas are not more) remains intact. It would be a victory for the government before the elections. The NDA government itself of the project can also contribute to a better protection of interests that the Indian government Uruguay discussions in Congress.

The other obstacle was the Singapore issues - of multilateral rules for foreign investment, competition policy, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation (simplification of customs procedures, and so forth). Among the latter, the most controversial of developing countries was the attempt to implement (EU-led) a multilateral agreement on investment (MAI).

Countries such as India argue that this is not a single rate of tax rules for foreign investment for all countries. Historically, countries at different development stages (including the USA, Japan, France, South Korea and so on) many species have imposed restrictions on foreign investment would promote economic development. In the future, they should also have the freedom to decide what type of foreign investments are allowed or discouraged. At best, it may insist on the fact that once a foreign investor is allowed for loading in a country, there should be no discrimination against foreign prisoners vis-a-vis a national company. But it has already been guaranteed by several provisions of the MIC (investment measures), under the agreements of the Uruguay. For example, the requirements discriminatory has no local content or export obligations can be held abroad, even longer.

Regarding the other Singapore issues, the objections were not as strong. Indeed, India can win if greater transparency is ensured in public procurement in all countries.

A number of uniform and transparent rules for fair competition should not be a bad idea either. The problem is that even the USA, unfair competition, it is easier to prove, against foreign producers. Even the practices followed by domestic producers are tolerated. It is precisely for these reasons that competition policy problem has been on the agenda of the Cancun conference, at the insistence of the USA. Among developing countries’ perspective of free movement so that foreign investment without a competition policy in the village would have been the worst scenario. Fortunately, the time has been avoided.