India's telecommunications minister A Raja has resigned over claims that licences had been improperly given to mobile phone firms. He said he was quitting "to avoid embarrassment to the government". He denies wrongdoing. Opposition has been protesting over Mr Raja's alleged role in the sale of second generation (2G) licences. Federal auditors reportedly estimate that billions of dollars were lost as a result. Mr Raja - who belongs to the DMK party, an ally...

All horticultural crops will be branded under common logo Agri and horticultural planting material that have been developed by the associate institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will be branded and will come with a logo soon. If all goes as planned, all horticultural crops will be initially branded under a logo, which has been acquired by Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR), Bangalore. The Bangalore-based institute, which is...

India's telecommunications minister has rejected calls that he resign over claims that licences were improperly allocated to mobile phone firms. Opposition anger over A Raja's alleged role in the sale of second generation (2G) licences has been growing. Mr Raja's ministry issued licences on a "first-come first-served" basis instead of auctioning them, reports say. Federal auditors reportedly estimate billions of dollars were lost as a result. Mr Raja denies any wrongdoing. In May, India's...

In most countries, unemployment is a clean-cut, easily understandable — and identifiable — problem. In India, it’s not that simple. The complexity of our economy, the barbed-wire fence of restrictions that surround our “organised” sector, the tendency towards seasonal work, and the networks of caste, clan and kinship that still govern employment in many parts make answering the simple question “How many of India’s workers are unemployed?” very difficult indeed. The labour ministry...

We are a cash-rich company run by professionals,” says a smarmy 30-something Mumbai-based head of a leading real estate company. His company’s exponential growth in the span of just five years has raised eyebrows in industry and banking circles. The reasons are clear. The company is known to have tremendous clout in the corridors of power and with the builders’ lobby. It is backed by several important politicians in Mumbai and...