For global hardware major, Dell, small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) comprise one of the top five focus areas in India. To reach this audience, besides the channel (distributor) route, it has announced the launch in India of its Global Small Business Excellence Award. India will be participating in these awards for the first time.

Dell offers prize to lure Indian SMEs

Business Standard

Channel partners serving enterprises, including SMEs (small and medium enterprises, or companies with up to 999 employees) and large enterprises (companies with more than 1,000 employees) are cautiously optimistic about their revenue growth during the current economic downturn.

SME channel partners expect 12-13% growth in 2009: AMI

The next time you travel to Uttarakhand, a replica of the famous Kedarnath shrine can be a suitable memento to take back home.

Uttarakhand to sell handicrafts through 'Himadri' stores

Industrial leather gloves exporters in Bengal are facing a hard time as fresh orders have dried up.

Leather gloves exporters face sharp drop in orders

Sources said, the proposal will be discussed in the annual tripartite meeting scheduled to be held on 16th of this month between the Government of India (GoI), Government of Orissa (GoO) and the DFID.

$6 mn MSME programme  to help Orissa units

We have claimed refund of service tax paid on services used in the course of exports under notification no. 41/007-ST dated 6th October 2007. Our claims are held up for want of original documents such as invoice, bill of lading, bank realisation certificate etc. How can we give original bill of lading when the same is sent to buyers abroad? The original bank certificate has to be given to licensing authorities.

Everyone on a learning curve in matters related to service tax

Vanaspati manufacturers in the small and medium sector are passing through a boom phase thanks to the twin factors of falling global prices of its basic raw material, crude palm oil (CPO), and rising sales in the domestic market.

Cheaper palm oil, higher sales help vanaspati units

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), hit hard by the ongoing global economic downturn, would benefit from the two fiscal stimulus packages announced by the government in December and January, with features like excise duty reduction and incentives across the sectors, according to a survey by the industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Central packages to help SMEs, says CII

Exports of specialised leather decorative items have been severely hit by the economic slowdown in the US.

Indore leather exporters face meltdown heat

The states of Punjab and Haryana have over 300,000 SME units but out of these only 2,124 (till February 25, 2009) are registered with BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard).

Punjab, Haryana SMEs shun BIS listing

The music of A R Rahman has raised hopes for a Madhya Pradesh-based drum-beater pad and piano pressed wool-felt manufacturing company, the Neemuch-based Sealwell Ltd, which makes specialised wool felt used in drum pads and pianos.

Wool felt makers eye niche orders

The quest for lower costs prompted by slowdown in the mines sector, and the growing hunger of Indian companies to secure mining assets overseas, would lead to more and more mergers and alliances between foreign and Indian SMEs companies in niche areas of the mining sector.

Mining unit attracts foreign buyer

For GBPL Industries, which produces auto bulbs in Dehra Dun, the recession seems good news.

Despite downturn, Doon auto bulb industry thrives

Madhya Pradesh is facing its worst-ever water crisis, which has hit water-based industries, particularly poha (rice-flakes) and rice de-husking millers of Ujjain town.

Madhya Pradesh poha factories hit by water crisis

This is regarding your observations in the article titled &lsquo;Amendment to DFIA a step towards saving transaction cost&rsquo; that we read in the online page of Business Standard under the date line 23.02.2009. We request you to kindly elaborate on the fact stated in the custom circular No. 11/2009 dated 25.02.2009 wherein in part (d) of serial No. 9 it is said that &ldquo;As regards the authorization issued prior to 01.04.2007 the Department of Commerce in Para 4.4.46 of the FTP (2008) has provided that, exemption from payment of additional duty of customs / excise duty shall continue to be available, even after endorsement of transferability. In view of this, no action need be taken to recover revenue in such cases&rdquo;. Can you explain this aspect?.

No provision specific to DFIA in excise law

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and the Union Bank of India (UBI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to undertake research on the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector.

IIM-A, Union Bank sign MoU for SME research

The industrial sector in Agra, which earns more than Rs 2,200 crore from handicrafts and footwear exports alone, is failing to attract fresh entrepreneurs.

Agra pollution norms deter new entrepreneurs

Irked by the lackadaisical attitude of the Punjab government, small and medium scale industrialists in Mohali have demanded that the state government should foster the growth of clusters in the area to help industries tide over the ongoing recessionary phase.

Mohali industries demand government support for cluster development

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is in the process of launching a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in association with the Export Promotion Council (EPC), in a bid to help the beleaguered Indian handicraft industry.

SIDBI, Export Promotion Council to set up SPV for handicrafts sector

Exports projected to rise after 3 years as dollar depreciation benefits the cluster.

Cycle units on a roll once again

I am having a query regarding import of re-manufactured parts from the US. The cost of re-manufactured parts will be a fraction of new parts. For example: If a new cylinder liner cost $1500.00, the re-manufactured would cost $150.00. Please advise, (a) if there is some special procedure for import of re-manufactured parts (b) what will be the custom duty on re-manufactured parts.

Import of re-manufactured goods is allowed only against a licence

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