About 15,000 coconut farmers in eastern Karnataka&rsquo;s Tumkur district are set to double their income this year. These farmers, who were making a living by selling copra, are looking at gaining additional income from what they had until now regarded waste &mdash; coconut husk.

From waste to value

Business Standard

Even as it raises the banner of revolt against the European Union over the ban on the use of Endosulfan, the Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators&rsquo; Association of India (PMFAI) is gearing up to lock horns with the Central Insecticides Board and the Union Ministry of Agriculture over a threat to the pesticide industry &mdash; issuance of registrations to import readymade pesticide formulations, without registering the technicals.

Q&A: Pradip Dave, President, PMFAI

Reduction in taxation, increase in aid for innovation and assistance by way of facilitating credit availability are the dominant themes of the Budget wish-list that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across sectors have for the finance minister.

Small businesses list big wishes for the budget

The latest round of interest rate hikes by banks has hurt the profitability and competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by increasing the cost of credit.

MSMEs in Gujarat feel the heat of interest rate hikes

An overseas party places an order on a Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) unit for delivering raw materials to a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) unit. The SEZ unit manufactures finished products out of such raw materials and effects exports from the SEZ, with export documents containing names of both DTA and SEZ units, and remits money towards the cost of such raw materials to the DTA unit and manufacturing charges to the SEZ unit.

'Earnings through job-work can count as export turnover of SEZs'

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the apparel and fashion accessories sector still face a number of bottlenecks, according to a survey conducted by IndiaMART Knowledge Services.

Apparel units yet to see full recovery: Survey

Telecom lobbies COAI and AUSPI are pitching for rationalising multi-level taxes, charges and fees applicable to the telecom industry in the Budget, demanding a unified system along with a single levy for revenue collection.

Telecom lobbies for rationalisation of taxes

Press Trust of India

The lower projected fiscal deficit level for FY12 and government borrowings was an initial trigger for banking sector stocks. However, the lack of clarity on implementation of the expenditure cuts, chiefly on oil subsidies in the face of rising oil prices moderated the upward move. BNP Paribas&rsquo; banking analyst Vijay Sarathi doesn&rsquo;t see a major impact from the public sector bank recapitalization plan given the relatively low allocation of Rs 6000 crore.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Budget impact on banking sector

Led by Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj, the automobile industry has praised Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's decision not to raise excise duty on vehicles in the Union Budget today.

Auto industry welcomes Budget

With the government working on several ambitious clean energy programmes, the Budget for the New and Renewable Energy Ministry was today hiked by more than 20% to Rs 1,212 crore this year.

Renewable Energy Ministry gets 20% hike in Budget

The FM has attempted to pep up already strong demand, inflation and competition will have a higher bearing on financial performance of companies.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Budget impact on FMCG

Mobile handset prices will become more expensive as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today announced 1% hike in the Central Excise duty for 130 items, including phones.

Mobile phones to cost more from April 1

In a blow to oil and gas hunt in the country, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today took away tax breaks on oil produced from areas that will be awarded in the ongoing licencing round.

Tax sops only to those blocks awarded by Mar 31

The government today said the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) is likely to create four crore skilled workforce across the country in next 10 years and has announced Rs 500 cr for manpower development during the next fiscal.

Govt announce Rs 500 cr for skill development

Small grinder manufacturers in Coimbatore, one of India&rsquo;s largest grinder manufacturing hubs, are feeling discriminated against, because the AIADMK government&rsquo;s tender specifications for sourcing 2.5 million grinders for its free distribution scheme disqualifies them from participating.

Govt tender disqualifies TN grinder makers

A Crisil study on the financial performance of over 3,000 rated SMEs reveals that every percentage point increase in interest rates would lead to a decline of 14 per cent, on average, in the SMEs&rsquo; profits.

One per cent interest hike reduces SME profits by 14%: Crisil

The Avantha Group has been working with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) since 2004 to sharpen the competitive edge of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enable them to meet challenges in the global and domestic markets. Gautam Thapar, the Chairman and CEO of the Avantha Group and Chairman of the CII-Avantha Centre for Competitiveness for SMEs, shares his vision for small businesses with Komal Amit Gera.

Q&A: Gautam Thapar, Chairman, CII-Avantha Centre for Competitiveness for SMEs

India continues to be a small- to medium-sized deal market, with SMEs continuing to be the backbone of most PE investment portfolios in India, according to a recent report by Protiviti Consultants and the Asian Venture Capital Journal.

SMEs to drive PE deals in India, says report

High wheat prices, reduced profit margins may force 60 units to down shutters

Gujarat roller flour mills face threat of closure

The scheme aims to enhance the capabilities and competitiveness of MSMEs, besides promoting the use consultancy services by entrepreneurs.

New govt scheme to boost MSME sector

We are paying two per cent excise duty on our goods as per notification no. 1/2011-CE dated 1.3.2011 as amended. We are not taking CENVAT (Central Value-Added Tax) credit of the duty paid on the inputs or tax paid on input services, as the exemption notification does not allow that. But we want to take credit of the duty paid on capital goods. Can we do that? As per Rule 2(d) of CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004, â€œexempted goodsâ€ means excisable goods which are exempt from the whole of the duty of excise leviable thereon, and includes goods which are chargeable to â€œNilâ€ rate of duty and goods in respect of which the benefit of an exemption under Notification No. 1/2011-C.E., dated the 1st March, 2011 or under entries at serial numbers 67 and 128 of Notification No. 12/2012-C.E., dated the 17th March, 2012 is availed. So, the goods you manufacture are treated as exempted goods for the purpose of CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004. As per Rule 6(4) of the said Rules, â€˜no CENVAT cre

'CENVAT credit not allowed on capital goods used to make exempted goods'

SME: Find all the latest news on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in India. Explore more for the top headlines about SME sector on Business Standard.

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