Operating profits increased to Rs 88.4 crore from Rs 53.24 crore.

Pentafour has roped in a US executive management team `The Office of the President' to grow its North American operations. The multimedia segment has increased its contribution to the company's bottom line and has some interesting times ahead with special effects work for movies like Sindbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists, Five Heroes and Hundred Villains, Ali Baba and Forty Thieves for US-based production houses and a tele-serial `King Monk' for a Singapore-based company. The multimedia group is alsoworking on a domestic productions.

Other business units like the CBT/CD segment, Banking/financial services, insurance and ERP are also expected to do well.

The company has meanwhile decided to consciously restrict its exposure to the Y2K projects and has instead decided to focus on the euro-currency issue.

The company expects to maintain a 50 per cent growth rate for the next two years and has zeroed in on segments like Internet applications.

Earlier, Pentafour had commissioned Coopers & Lybrand for business and human resources valuations and the consultants are expected to report their findings shortly.

Balrampur Chini H1 net dips to Rs 7.22cr:Calcutta, Oct 27: Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd on Tuesday reported a net profit of Rs 7.22 crore for the six months to September 30, 1998, on sales of Rs 134.83 crore. In the corresponding half of 1997-98, the net profit was Rs 16.67 crore on sales of Rs 132.75 crore.

The company has attributed the drop in profit to the absence of cane crushing in thelatest first half, against 65.71 lakh quintals of cane crushed in the first half of 1997-98. However, interest, depreciation and overheads "continued to be charged in the usual way."

Gross profit, after accounting for interest of Rs 11.82 crore, worked out to Rs 14.82 crore in the first half of the current year, against Rs 24.78 crore in the corresponding half of 1997-98.

In the second quarter to September 30, 1998, net sales and net profit stood at Rs 64.53 crore and Rs 3.50 crore respectively. In 1997-98 the company had reported a net profit of Rs 42.96 crore on net sales of Rs 299.34 crore.

Aurobindo Pharma H1 net up to Rs 20 cr: Aurobindo Pharma Ltd has registered a growth of about 50 per cent in net profit to Rs 20.16 crore for the half year ended September 30, 1998, as compared with Rs 10.12 crore in the corresponding period last year. Turnover rose 43 per cent to Rs 247.85 crore, against Rs 139.37 crore for the corresponding period last year.

The board approved the second quarterlyfinancial results at its meeting held in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Further, it has also fixed November 19, 1998 as the record date to ascertain the name of shareholders who are eligible for receiving the bonus shares in the ratio of 1:1 as approved in the earlier AGM.

The company has registered a turnover of Rs 144 crore and a net profit of Rs 11.15 crore during the second quarter in the current year. While the company has charged Rs 7.08 crore towards financial charges, it has provided a provision of Rs 1.50 crore for depreciation and Rs 1.64 crore for tax purpose.

Hyderabad Industries Q2 net down to Rs 0.22 crore: The GP Birla-CK Birla group company, Hyderabad Industries Ltd (HIL) has registered a drop in net profit to Rs 0.22 crore for the second quarter in the current year, against Rs 2.36 crore in the corresponding period last year. The board which has met in Delhi on Tuesday has taken on record the unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 1998.

Sales came down to Rs 63.14crore from Rs 72.57 crore. Financial charges rose from Rs 3.78 crore to Rs 4.45 crore, causing a dip in the gross profit to Rs 1.42 crore, compared with Rs 3.61 crore.

Provision for depreciation stood at Rs 1.20 crore, against Rs 0.15 crore.

Precot Mills Q2 net dips to Rs 0.84 crore

Precot Mills Ltd has posted a net profit of Rs 0.84 crore for the July-September 1998-99 period, compared with Rs 3.43 crore during the corresponding period last year.

Turnover stood at Rs 42.62 crore (Rs 42.94 crore) for the quarter and Rs 82.11 crore (Rs 81.19 crore) for the first half of 1998-99. Precot incurred a net loss of Rs 0.22 crore for the April-September 1998-99 period, after setting off the Rs 1.06-crore net loss incurred during the first quarter of the current fiscal. It had earned a net profit of Rs 6.87 crore during the first half of 1997-98.

Other income was higher at Rs 1.42 crore (Rs 0.85 crore) for the quarter under review on account of sale of old machineries during modernisation process. Provisionfor depreciation is, hence, higher at Rs 3.17 crore (Rs 2.78 crore) for the second quarter of 1998-99. The interest charges are at Rs 1.63 crore (Rs 1.59 crore).

SIV Industries Q2 loss at Rs 23 cr: SIV Industries Ltd has reported a net loss of Rs 23.37 crore for the second quarter of 1998-99, compared to Rs 22.76 crore incurred during corresponding quarter in the previous financial year.

The company, which has been in the red since 1996-97, has incurred a net loss of Rs 42.74 crore for the first half of the current financial year, compared with Rs 53.18 crore loss incurred during the corresponding period in 1997-98.

Net sales for the second quarter improved considerably to Rs 58.33 crore (Rs 30.38 crore). The net sales for the six-month period ended September 30, stood at Rs 112.41 crore (Rs 50.16 crore). Total expenditure was Rs 101.28 crore (Rs 52.90 crore) and interest of Rs 27.21 crore (Rs 23.11 crore) for the April-September 1998-99 period.

Other income stood at Rs 1.62 crore (Rs 6.01crore) for the half year under review. Provision of Rs 11.17 crore (Rs 12.40 crore) towards depreciation has been made.