COMPANIES

Tata Realty and Infrastructure to develop TCS properties
Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd (TRIL) for developing properties for the IT company on land owned or to be owned by it.

TRIL is engaged in development of real estate and infrastructural facilities.

The MoU covers eight properties located at Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur and Mangalore about 380 acres acquired or to be acquired by TCS, the company said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Under the MoU, properties would be developed in a phased manner over the next few years. The buildings would be constructed and owned by TRIL (or by special purpose vehicles set up by TRIL) and would be leased to TCS.

TCS and TRIL are both promoted by and subsidiaries of Tata Sons Ltd.
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Wipro to set up back-office units in China
Mumbai: Wipro Ltd., the country's third-largest software exporter, plans to set up two back-office service units in China to tap growing business opportunities there, its chief executive T. K. Kurian said

Wipro BPO will launch its Shanghai centre this month while another centre will be set up in Chengdu later this year, Kurien said.

The two facilities, which will tap business in Chinese as well as neighbouring Japanese and South Korean markets, will employ 300 people by December, he said.

Wipro BPO, which has eight facilities in India and one in Romania, handles finance and accounting, payroll processing, investment banking operations and research for western firms, also plans to set up a unit in Latin America by the year end, Kurien said.
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Nokia chooses JWT as network marketing agency
Mumbai: Nokia has chosen JWT as its global network marketing agency. The move is part of Nokia's marketing renewal that focuses on streamlining marketing planning and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of all marketing activities, Nokia said in a statement.

JWT will support the lead creative agencies - Wieden + Kennedy's - in the implementation and localisation of global campaigns. Also, as a strategic global partner, the agency will support local marketing activities in over 80 markets worldwide.

''Working together with JWT will help us to align our marketing efforts. With one global marketing network partner, we believe we will be better positioned to reach our goal of becoming the most loved and admired brand by people in the world," Pekka Rantala, senior vice president of Nokia said.

The transition to the new marketing mode will begin during the fall and will be fully operational by January 1, 2008, it said.
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GENERAL

Inflation rate edges up to 4.45 per cent
Mumbai: The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index rose to 4.45 per cent in the week ended July 28, up 0.09 points from the previous week's 4.36 per cent due to higher food and manufactured product prices, official data showed.

The annual rate of inflation was 4.72 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

The index of food articles rose 0.5 per cent in the last week of July, compared with a 0.1 per cent increase in the index of manufactured products, the report said.

The government also revised the inflation rate for the week ended June 2 to 5.09 per cent from 4.80 per cent.
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Bangalore to host international auto electronics conference
Mumbai: The Consortium of Electronic Industries of Karnataka (CLIK) and Society of Automotive Engineers-India will jointly organise a three-day international conference on automotive electronics and intelligent vehicle in Bangalore from August 16.

The conference is being spearheaded by V K Aatre, former scientific advisor to defence minister and S Mohan of the Indian Institute of Science, who is also co-chairman of CAR (Core group on Automotive Research & Development), sponsored by Government of India.

Eminent speakers, both from India and abroad, have been invited to participate in this conference. Concurrently, CLIK is arranging a buyer and seller meet entitled 'Clikmart-2007' in order to bring together MNCs and SMES on a common platform, to promote mutual business interests.

The event is expected to attract delegates from automotive industries, IT and ITES and other academic institutions, the organisers said in a statement.
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PEOPLE

Hamid Ansari elected vice-president
Mumbai: Mohammad Hamid Ansari, a former diplomat and academic and the ruling alliance nominee, was elected India's new vice-president.

Ansari, 70, defeated opposition-backed rival, Najma Heptullah, by 233 votes to become India's third Muslim vice-president.

Ansari was India's envoy to the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the country's permanent representative to the United Nations.

He is a former vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University and headed the National Commission for Minorities. He is also a recipient of the prestigious civilian award, the Padma Shri.
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