Infosys Technologies, whose share became the most expensive counter in the history of Indian stock market, would now now be listed on Nasdaq from March 11 becoming the first company from India to achieve the feat.

"It will be a big day for India and the Indian IT industry," president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies Dewang Mehta told UNI.

"While a whole lot of companies are talking about it, Infosys has done it," Mehta said.

The company's American depository receipts met with phenomenal success.

Nasscom executes seizure order

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) alongwith Business Software Alliance on Wednesday executed a civil search and seizure order action against two Delhi and Noida training centres.The orders were executed against Lakhotia Computer Centre in Delhi and Noida. Both training centres run computer training courses in drafting and design and in general software trainingcourses. Nasscom-BSA members allege that the training centres were operating without the necessary software licences for the products being used.

According to Nasscom president Dewang Mehta, "our action against businesses who are not fully compliant with software licensing and businesses who use unlicensed software, marks a new beginning in the fight against rampant software piracy in the country."

Jaipur-based co ties up with Microsoft

Jaipur-based CIStems Software Ltd has tied up with Microsoft for upgrading its training skills. It trains about 1,000 people in a year and their number may further go up, said Keshav Sharma, director, CIStems Software.The company had also opened its office in New Jersy last year for software exports.

Sharma said the company had tied up with System Solutions LLC for the development of software and exports. The company had also joined hands with At&T Research Lab of New Jersy for internet-related ongoing processes.

Samsung Electronics developsTFT-LCD

Samsung Electronics Co has developed a 15.4 inch thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) for high-end notebook personal computers that features super eXtended graphics array (SXGA) resolution, the highest available for notebook PCs. Mass production is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year.

The new Samsung product has 1,280 horizontal by 1,024 vertical pixels. This is 1.7 times more than XGA (1,024by 768 pixels) TFT-LCD used on notebook PCs. Monthly production for this year will be set at 5,000 units which will be expanded to 50,000 units per month next year.

Assocham signs MoU with Usefi

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) and the US Educational Foundation in India (Usefi) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing skilled managerial manpower for the benefit of people of the two nations.

Under the MoU, academics and professionals from both the countries will get opportunities to work in each otherseducational and industrial institutions to gain first-hand experience, an Associam release said in New Delhi. The MoU, launching the `Fulbright-Assocham Partnership Programme', was signed by chairman of the board of Usefi in India, William Parker, and Assocham past president Govind Hari Singhania.

Satyam Infoway's internet starter pack

Satyam Infoway has introduced a new off-the-shelf internet starter pack for Rs 990. Christened Discover 25, the product can be purchased from any retail counter or from any Satyam sales partners.

The product comes with a CD containing free licensed version of software worth Rs 4,000 and has an internet training software called ViaGrafix to facilitate users to get started on internet. It also has e-Safe, a parental control software, which will help in blocking unwanted sites and also protect the system against virus attack.

NHAI invites bids for long-span bridge

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has invited bids to build the 1,500 meterlong-span suspension bridge connecting Naini and Allahabad over the river Yamuna. This is the second of its kind in the country, the first being over the river Hoogly which also used the long-span technology prevalent the world over especially in Japan. This new type of bridge without supporting foundations is of much econonmic significance in the context of India's stepped up infrastructure building programme, a top surface transport ministry official said on the sidelines of a two-day Indo-Japanese consultation of long-span bridges for Indian higways. The Naini-Allahabad bridge will be completed in 40 months' time.

Delhi CM moots common economic zone:

In a move to decongest Delhi, chief minister Sheila Dixit has proposed a ``common economic zone for the national capital region.'' The economic zone should have uniform tax and tariff structuresand the same level of facilities and services as available in Delhi. This will not only help decongest Delhi, but also develop other areas to the level ofthe capital,'' she said. The proposal was mooted by Dixit at the recently-held meeting of the northern zonal council, which was attended by the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, besides the finance minister of Punjab. Sources said there was a positive response from the neighbouringstates to this proposal.

National slum development policy on the anvil:

Urban affairs ministry is contemplating formulating a national slum development policy to serve as a guide to state governments for drawing up specific plans and programmes for slum improvement and development works. Official sources said in New Delhi that states would be consulted before the policy was formulated since slum development was a state subject with different states having their own plans and programmes as per their priority. The Planning Commission has allocated Rs 350 crore under national slum development programme for the current financial year of which Rs 241.13 crore have been released tostates and Union territories till December last.

Centre allocates Rs 100 cr for Mumbai:

The Centre has decided to allocate Rs 100 crore to the Maharashtra government for developmental works in Mumbai, chief minister Narayan Rane said on Thursday. Rane, who met deputy chairman of the Planning Chairman KC Pant in New Delhi on Wednesday, had sought special monetary aid for Mumbai from the Centre, an official release said. The chief minister pointed out that a lot of revenue in terms of income tax and excise went to the central coffers from Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country.

Karnataka plan outlay fixed at Rs 5,800 crore:

The Plan outlay for Karnataka for 1999-2000 has been fixed at Rs 5,800 crore, an increase of eight per cent over Rs 5,353 crore fixed for 1998-99. This was decided at a meeting between planning Commission deputy chairman K C Pant and Karnataka chief minister JH Patel in New Delhi. Pant said the state needed to improve its tax revenue and non-tax revenue to meetthe increasing non-plan revenue expenditure.

BHEL journal lauds its achievement:

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has achieved a breakthrough in the west Asian market by supplying valves to the Kuwait Oil Company, amidst stiff international competition. The company house journal said the order worth Rs 50 lakh was for 194 valves of 150 mm size and class 600 cast carbon steel swing check type. They were specially designed and developed for liquid hydrocarbon applications. It took only 105 days for the company to manufacture and export the valves after receipt of the order.