Britain today justified the new cap on immigration from non-European countries but assured that it will not affect Indian business interests in that country. "We will be flexible and responsive," British Immigration Minister Damian Green told reporters here. Green said his government may consider having a separate quota for professionals in the field of i
The apex body representing Indian IT industry, Nasscom, today said that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would drive growth in the sector and help India maintain its lead globally. "The SME segment presents a huge opportunity for India to retain its competitive advantage and sustain future growth. They are a significant contributor to the Indian IT industry
Indian IT industry body Nasscom today said even though the US visa fee hike is discriminatory, Indian IT companies need to look at newer business models to remain competitive with global peers. "Even though the impact on revenues still needs to be assessed, the costs (for IT firms) will certainly go up. We now need to look at newer business models to remain competitive in th
The fast-growing Information Technology sector in Kerala has helped the state live down its long-held image as a poor destination for investment bedevilled by labour troubles and political meddling. The IT sector in Kerala has so far remained largely free from militant trade unionism and strikes, which had stalled flow of investment to the manufacturing sector, and often prompted
Unable to make quick decisions when they are actually needed? Then blame your brain. Scientists say the ability to act fast depends on whether your brain wirings are the neural equivalent of broadband or dial-up Internet connection. An international team which examined the brain mechanisms underpinning decision-making flexibility found that structural features of t
Joining other broadcasters, Viacom 18 Media and Sun TV yesterday approached sectoral tribunal TDSAT, challenging TRAI`s tariff order to cap wholesale price of channels for DTH and IPTV service providers at 35 per cent of the rates they charge cable operators. Currently, the broadcasters charge DTH and IPTV player 50 per cent of what they charge cable operators. In
With India and China poised to take over US in the field of training more highly proficient computer scientist, a top US Defense official has said that America must confront the cyber defense challenge with a focus on superior technology and productivity. "Even as the US government strengthens its cadre of cyber security professionals, it must recognise that long-term trends
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange no longer faces sex abuse charges in Sweden after a prosecutor decided today to investigate only one of two complaints against him, and not as a sexual offense. Assange, who has denied both accusations, is still suspected of molesting a woman on Aug. 13, but molestation is not a sex crime under Swedish law, said Karin Rosander, a spokeswoman for t
The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt`s influential Islamist opposition movement, will launch its own social networking site next month to promote moderate Islam, an official said today. Ikhwanbook.com, which is already up, was created by the Brotherhood`s headquarters in Cairo to "promote moderate Islam and clarify who we are," said politburo member Mohammed Mursi.
Kolkata-based I-Nova Group yesterday announced the launch of a travel portal offering a range of services to both domestic and foreign travelers. The company hopes to generate about Rs 200 crore in the next 18 months from the new venture branded as `Travo`. "The portal will provide affordable travel solutions such as ticket and hotel booking, passport, visa, f
Info Edge, owner of leading job portal naukri.com, today said it plans to invest Rs 4.7 crore in an online food guide and directory, Foodiebay. Foodiebay lists menus, prices and contact details of restaurants and also offers discount coupons to diners, Info Edge said in a statement. Foodiebay is currently present in five cities of the country and plans to use this
Online search giant Google today introduced new features to its social networking site, Orkut, providing users more control over data sharing even as it lost the No. 1 ranking in India to global competitor Facebook. Orkut will now allow users to define and customise group settings. This means that users can choose if they want certain content to be viewed only by a specific group
Lodging a complaint against any offence would be a click away for Mumbai citizens, as Maharashtra Government has decided to launch e-complaint system for the city. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today announced starting of the e-complaint system which would enable an online registration of any offence. A person can register a complaint on the website of the police wit
Government has said from September ration card will not be accepted as an identity proof for getting a new mobile phone connection in Maharashtra. This has been communicated to the mobile operators by the Department of Telecom. "It has been decided that ration card will not be accepted as a proof of identity/proof of address at the time of acquisition of subsc
Broadcast regulator TRAI`s tariff notification capping the rates charged by TV channel broadcasters from DTH and IPTV service providers at 35 per cent of the fee paid by normal cable operators will now be applicable from October 1. Earlier, as per the notification issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on July 21, the rate cap was to be made effective from Sep
Racing against the deadline of August 31 set by the government, Canada-based Research In Motion, makers of BlackBerry phones, will come up with a fresh proposal for monitoring its messenger and enterprise mail later this week after the first one was rejected. The smart-phone makers, which have a subscriber base of one million in India, have been conveyed in no uncertain terms for
Japan-based IT major NEC Corp will consider setting production facilities in India in the future if the opportunity arises, its president Nobuhiro Endo said today. "India is one of the most important markets for NEC in this region," Endo said, pointing out that his group had established a strong marketing base in the Indian market. Beyond India, NEC has e
The Supreme Court has directed the Income Tax department to freshly decide whether private telecom players Bharti Airtel and Vodafone can deduct TDS from the revenues they share with BSNL for accessing its network. Bharti and Vodafone have an interconnection agreement with the state-owned telecom player and pay a share of their revenue to BSNL as interconnect charges, port fee.
Telecom service provider S Tel, a joint venture between Siva Group and Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco) today launched mobile services in three North Eastern states of Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. This follows the recent launch of its GSM services in Assam. This is the fifth circle S Tel is starting services after Assam, Bihar, Orissa and Himachal P
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee yesterday hinted at possible investment by Infosys Technologies in the state. "You`ll see it soon. I had discussion with Infosys founder-chairman N R Narayana Murthy today," Bhattacharjee told reporters to a question if there was any indication of investment by Infosys following his discussion with Murthy during a funct
