These were among Rs 952 crore Foreign Direct Investment proposals cleared by Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli Maran on the recommendations of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), an official release said. The Minister also cleared the proposals of Intel to invest Rs 169 crore to expand its activities in India and Enron International to bring in Rs 256 crore to construct pipelines to transport natural gas within the country.

Ras Laffan would take 10 per cent equity in Petronet LNG, which has been promoted by Indian national oil companies to set up LNG berths in the country. Enron International would initially make an investment of Rs 100 crore, which would go up to Rs 256 crore, the release said.

Italian Lomabardini has been allowed to set up a wholly-owned cmmpany in the country to manufacture and market portable diesel and gasoline engines for industrial automotive and agricultural use.

The release said Lombardini would intimate the investment later.

Tamil Nadu-based Vysya Bank has been allowed to offer up to 30 per cent stake abroad for Rs 42.48 crore. Intel has also been allowed to expand equity base of its Indian subsidiary Intel Technology India Pvt Ltd. Other proposals cleared included those of BPL AFX Information Services and Ericsson Communications. AFX has been allowed to pick up 49 per cent stake in its joint venture with BPL for a web-based real-time financial information service in the country.

Ericsson Communications has been allowed to merge its subsidiaries in India subject to approval from the court, the release said. Zee Sites India has got the go ahead to set up a 100 per cent subsidiary to design, develop and maintain job portals on the Internet and software services. LG Information Systems and Communications, which manufactures public switching systems, wireless local loop systems and CDMA terminals, has been allowed to increase the foreign equity from 54.52 per cent to 100 per cent.