News Capsules

• After a failed attempt just 12 months ago, Bharti Airtel announced that it was renewing talks with South African telecom company MTN for a complex cash and share-swap deal worth $23 billion.
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said it will lose about Rs 14,000 crore if it is forced to continue in Cairn India's prolific Rajasthan oilfields as it will have to pay for all of the government levies.
• Maruti Suzuki India Limited is testing its cars on the CNG platform before launching them commercially in the next 2-3 years. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a more environment-friendly alternative to other fossil fuels, such as petrol or diesel.
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL’s) Tiruchirappalli (Tiruchy) unit has bagged an order worth Rs 703 crore from Ideal Energy Projects Ltd (IEPL). The order is to supply a main plant package for the upcoming Bela Thermal Power Project (TPP) in Maharashtra being set up by IEPL.
• A little more than two-and-half years after Bajaj Auto acquired its first stake in Austrian power bike maker KTM Power Sports AG, the Pune-based company is readying itself to derive full benefits from the alliance.
• Suzlon Energy have sold 4 per cent of their stake in the company for about Rs 569 crore to part-finance the buy-out of the stake held in Suzlon's German subsidiary, REpower Systems AG, by Martifer SGPS of Portugal.
• Dabur is stepping up expansion in the skin care segment, on the back of its acquisition of Fem Care Pharma last year, with plans to expand range of products from the latter's stable besides launching a new brand of its own.
• Idea Cellular, one of the leading telecom operators in the country, entered Tamil Nadu, with the launch of its GSM mobile services in 130 towns across the state.
• Dishman Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals said its consolidated net profit for the year ended March 31, 2009, rose by 22.13 per cent to Rs 146.19 crore, over the same period last year.