Bajaj Auto Ltd achieved 18 per cent higher sales of all two-wheelers in the two-month period April-May 1998 over the corresponding period last year, even as industry grew at 13 per cent for the same period. BAL's higher sales have resulted in its scooter stocks being reduced to less than five days, when these are usually maintained at up to 15-day levels.

IBM-Intel pact

IBM and Intel have announced a broad-base effort to jointly define, develop, integrate and deliver industry standard PC solutions. Called advanced manageability alliance, the initiative will help customers to simplify, configure and manage their networked PCs better. According to the companies, the alliance will define the path of future technology for PCs worldwide.

TPAI warns about price rise

The Tea Packeters Association of India (TPAI) on Tuesday warned the government that small players in the tea industry would be severely affected by the eight per cent excise duty onpackaged tea levied in the Union budget. The price of tea is expected to go up by Rs 12 per kg as a result of the excise duty.

AI offers maintenance facilities

Air India plans to market its engineering and aircraft maintenance facilities to foreign airlines. It has already begun inviting experts from these airlines to study its engine overhaul and maintenance facilities located at Mumbai's old airport at Santacruz. AI has got maintenance jobs from Kuwait Airways, British Airways and Bangladesh's Biman.

Budget can fuel inflation

Assocham: Assocham president L Lakshman, while praising the Budget at a discussion with the media in New Delhi on Tuesday made a veiled reference to the lacunae and said the levy of eight per cent additional customs duty on raw materials would perpetuate the existing inverted duty structure and thereby act as a disincentive to domestic value addition. It could fuel a double-digit inflation.

Maruti workers sad over pact

Matthew Abraham, general secretaryof the Maruti Udyog Employees Union, on Tuesday said the union perceived the agreement as a precursor to Suzuki taking ownership control of the company and that it ``will fight to resist a sell-out by the government and can even strike work.'' The union is not affiliated with any political party but now it may as it feels betrayed by the government.

NCOA calls Govt-Suzuki pact humiliating:

The National Confederation of Officer's Associations of Central Public Sector Undertakings has called the government-Suzuki agreement humiliating. The government has sent a clear signal to the multinationals that the public sector is up for sale. The agreement is one sided and is difficult to accept.

Westar may wind up Bangalore office:

Westar International Ltd, a joint venture outfit of the $ 2.5 billion Al Futtaim group of Dubai, is planning to wind up its corporate office in Bangalore. This comes at a time when the company has been going slow in promoting its Westar brand wrist watches in NorthIndia.

BEL-Multitone to make pagers

BEL-Multitone Ltd, a joint venture between Bharat Electronics Ltd and Multitone Electronics Plc of UK, has decided to manufacture pagers in India. The first batch of 500 alpha numeric pagers has already been sent to the Multitone labs in UK for evaluation.

BSES, Kirloskar Elec, ABB in race for NGEF stake

Three major companies, BSES Ltd, ABB Ltd and Kirloskar Electric Co Ltd are in the race to acquire the Karnataka government's stake in NGEF Ltd.

TTK floats unit to market Manttra range

The TTK group has floated a wholly-owned subsidiary in the US to market its ``Manttra'' brand pressure cookers and kitchenware. TTK Prestige Ltd has invested $ 600,000 for the purpose, according to T T Jagannathan, group managing director.

IDPL staff demonstrates

About 2000 employees of the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd demonstrated before the main gate of Parliament demanding revival of the company. They handed over a memorandum to the PrimeMinister urging him to carry forward the updated revival scheme for all the five units.

HMIL, Sundaram sign agreement

Hyundai Motor India Ltd has entered into an agreement with Sundaram Industries for the supply of state of the art service equipment. HMIL has negotiated an all-India package with Sundaran, which envisages collective dealing and centralised purchasing. This would enable Hyundai dealers to make extensive savings in equipment costs. The equipment order includes computerised wheel alignment machinery, among others.

NTC, BIC staff to demonstrate

The workers employed in 125 National Textile Corporation and British India Corporation are planning to demonstrate before the parliament on July 15 to demand revival of the mills and payment of wages and other statutory dues.

The joint action committee of mills based in Kanpur, Indore, Amritsar, Mumbai and Calcutta met recently in New Delhi and expressed its anger at the BJP government.