COMPANIES

• Essar, Marathon sign agreement, but …
• 4 shortlisted for IPCL divestment
• GAIL to take one-third stake in LNG project
• ITC acquires majority stake in Rollatainers
• M&M to source tractors from Korean company
• Colgate plans sale of premises and lease it back
• Thyron plans big for India
• Internet through cable TV being tested
• Himachal Futuristic in software development
• Kotak Mahindra restructuring
• Blue Mountain Food, Shilton Hotel out of UB fold
• Bilt plans to increase equity
• ASE scouting for partners
• Grasim plans readymade thrust
• Reliance cuts stake in 2 arms
• IL&FS to take stake in L&T arm
• Palio in early next year
• Sun to acquire Star Division
• Reader's Digest buying Books are Fun
• IBM, Cisco in agreement
• Hyundai arm sells assets
• Peugeot, DaimlerChrysler tie-up
• Florsheim shifting base to India
• Thakrals of Singapore records losses

GENERAL

• RBI announces sale of 23 state govt. loans
• SBI’s Rs.125.7 crore dividend
• IL&FS Venture closes two funds
• GIC asks KPMG to help in health insurance
• Trai proposes huge tariff reduction
• VSNL plans rate cuts

CAPITAL MARKET

• Sensex down by 8 points
• BSE changes settlement rules
• Wipro to float public ADR issue
• Prudential-ICICI assets cross Rs.2,000 crore
• Demat backlog declines
• Market making committee urges banks to lend

PEOPLE

• L.M. Thapar is Thai company chairman
• Anil Bhatia passes away