Tata Consultancy Services expansion plans in Chennai comes to fruition on Thursday when Tata group chairman Ratan Tata inaugurates the brand new software development centre at Sholinganallur near Chennai. The TCS facility will be one of the most modern state-of-the-art software development centres in the country. The unique feature of this centre is that it will function from an eight acre plot where software development work will be done from a highly intelligent building occupying 1,75,000 sq.ft of space. The building itself has been built under the supervision of the American architect Frank Glyn and has a modular design.

3COM launches modem

3COM Asia Ltd has launched the new external US Robotics V90 56 Kbps Message Modem in the country with a price tag of Rs 9,495. The modem can be operated as a speakerphone as well as used to send and receive voice and fax messages. Users can store up to 20 minutes of voicemail or 50 fax pages or a combinationof the two even when the PC is off. With the PC running, message storage is unlimited along with use of the enclosed software application, a release from the company said.

IAF to get Rs 345 crore for telecom upgradation

The Indian Air Force will receive Rs 345 crore for upgradation and relocation of its telecommunications within the new electromagnetic spectrum management policy, says Asia Defence News International (ADNI). The spectrum management committee of the GoT headed by has suggested the creation of a 10"10 mhz spectrum for the whole of the country with reserves for metropolitan cities which will be coordinated on a case by case basis. To achieve this reserve, the IAF will need to upgrade its technology from the analogue to the digital in the Gujarat and Maharashtra segments of the western sector as well as the north-eastern, eastern and central sectors.

World's giant radio telescope be commissioned near pune

The world's most powerful meterwave radio telescope at Khodad near Puneis expected to become fully operational by the end of this year, according to Pramesh Rao, acting chief of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA). The only other most powerful radio telescope in the world is located in New Mexico, US Rao said the correlator system for combining the signals from all the 30 GMRT antennas was already over and put into operation. The synthesising of images with full array has also begun.

MediaCom Ready Reckoner

Trikaya Grey's media division MediaCom has come out with the second edition of its `MediaCom Ready Reckoner' database. The Ready Reckoner includes comprehensive information on the media including reach and rate structures of various media vehicles and research findings apart from economic indicators and demographic indicators among other pointers.

Citibank benefits for cardholders

Citibank has introduced an insurance benefit package available for its Dinners Club and Citibank card members.The package offers household insurance provided freewith the card. The goods purchased under this package will be insured for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase for an amount up to Rs 50,000.

Syndicate Bank opens new branch

Syndicate Bank on Tuesday opened its 70th branch in Mumbai. The branch, situated at Dadar is slated to offer a full range of Syndicate bank's corporate and consumer banking services. The branch will also remain open on Saturdays as well as on Sundays to enable customers to utilise the full range of banking services on weekends.

Crisil re-affirms Garware Wall rating

Crisil has reaffirmed the `FAAA-' rating of the fixed deposit programme of Garware Wall Ropes Ltd. The rating agency has assigned `P1' rating to the company's Rs 10 lakh commercial paper prgramme. According to a Crisil release, the rating reflects the company's strong market position in the industry, well established presence in the exports market and improved financial profile with a favourable capital structure. This is partly offset by thenature of the industry, that has a low asset turnover ratio, moderate growth and average gross margins.

Precot Mills rated `P1'

Crisil has assigned the `P1' rating to the Rs 6 lakh commercial paper programme of the Precot Mills Ltd. The rating reflects the risk profile of the cotton yarn industry given the prevalent excess capacities, uncertain export prospects and volatile cotton prices. The rating finds support from Precot's Modern Yarn manufacturing facilities, reputation for quality.

T-bill auction The auction of 364-day T-bills today devolved on the and primary dealers. For a notified amount of Rs 750 crore, the central bank could mop up just Rs 580 crore from 18 bids.