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The article discusses the Coca-Cola Co. and expanding markets in India and China that are helping balance slowing product sales in the U.S. It alludes to troubled economic times and the recession-proof nature of Coca-Cola drinks. It notes that the company's performance relies more than ever on worldwide sales.

The article presents an interview with Antti Kujala, head of design for entry-level products at mobile phone company Nokia. He discusses the role of ethnography in Nokia's design strategy across global markets. The design of mobile phones is an important factor for consumers in India. Consumer preferences in China and India are compared.

The article discusses employees around the world who fight corporate layoffs in order to remain employed. Countries discussed include France, Russia, and Britain. Renault employees in Normandy, France blocked access to a nearby shipping port after layoffs were announced. Also discussed are country's policies for companies that fire individuals.

The article discusses emerging markets in economically developing countries. Stock prices in developing countries have been rising. It is warned that although emerging markets are growing stronger, the level of risk investing in them has also increased. Investors learned of the volatility of emerging markets when stocks fell in June 2006.

The author reports that, although hundreds of millions of Indians live in grinding poverty, the Indian economy is growing at an annual rate of 8% and the ranks of the well-off are growing. Sectors, such as software services, telecommunications, finance and real estate are generating new millionaires every day. The newly rich splurge on houses, apartments, cars and designer clothing.

The article discusses cellular phone manufacturer Nokia's moves into the consumer markets of China and India. The Finnish company is the number one brand in both China and India, which provide the company with 11% of its global revenues, more than the United States. The company has become the leader after initial struggles in the region and stiff domestic competition.

The article reports on the trend of young Westerners following their outsourced jobs to India. In spite of the low salary, the companies do pay enough to finance a comfortable lifestyle and the ability to travel. Team Lease Ltd. provides staff for Indian companies, drawing from western workers who want to see the world and have an international experience to show off on their CVs.

The article discusses U.S. offshore outsourcing of architects. Analysts estimate that the U.S. architecture industry ships about $100 million in work abroad annually. Experts say one reason for the shift is that U.S. clients are demanding shorter turn-arounds for work at smaller fees. Another reason is that more architectural firms are using sophisticated computer tools, which allows them to work remotely.

Reports on the influence of television on the social consciousness of the youth in India. Role of the television in transforming the population group as barometers of evolving market trends; Emulation of Western television icons by young Indians; Encouragement of boldness and self-expression due to exposure to Western ideals. INSET: It's always Friday..

The article reports that India's Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] has filed the charge sheet against nine people associated with Satyam Computer Services Ltd. (SAY). Included in the list are former chairman B. Ramalinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju, chief financial officer(CFO) Srinivas Vadlamani, and two Price Waterhouse auditors. It is reported that the chargesheet has been filed in Hyderabad, India court for forgery, falsification of accounts and for causing disappearance of evidence.

The article focuses on the move of Western studios to work to cash in on the box-officer potential of India as depicted by the success of "Slumdog Millionaire." The film take home many awards at the Oscar Academy Awards on February 22, 2009 and has been the most successful example yet of the local film industry collaborating with Western partners. It stated that the film's box office success will provide a major boost to efforts by Western studios to get a foothold in the Indian film industry.

The article reports that the launching of Colors, a Hindi-language entertainment channel has positioned Viacom (VIA) into the second position among the 350-plus TV offerings on India. The author stated that the program offers reality shows that are based on Western formats, with Fear Factor as its first clone. In addition, the station continues to offer dramas but change its time slot at seven in the evening and broadcasting the reality show at 10 p.m.

The article presents information related to the fraud scam of Satyam Computer Services Ltd. On January 6, 2009 Satyam was being entertained as a desirable acquisition target by suitors from HCL Technologies Ltd. to Wipro to International Business Machines Corp. and others. Now suitors have begun cautiously to circle the company once again. With the stock price down 68% since Satyam's chairman Ramalinga Raju's confession on January 7, 2009, the price tag to take over Satyam is now a lot lower.

The article offers information on the stimulus plan of India in 2008. The Indian government defended, revealing a coordinated, two-flanked stimulus plan that could top $8 billion. Aninda Mitra, a sovereign credit analyst at Moody's, the cost of the package to be 0.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of India, which offers the country's budget deficit close to 10% of GDP.

The article discusses the impact of terrorist attack on the reputation of Mumbai, India. It is said that the reputation of the city is damaged after the terrorists killed 190 people. Mumbai is recognized as the capital of Asian finance and the brightest beacon of the country's economic progress. According to Ratan Tata, chief of the sprawling Tata Group, the city cannot replace the lives that have been lost, so Indians must stand together to rebuild what has been destroyed.

The article profiles Nachiket Mor, president of ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, a new nonprofit organization of India. With the foundation's mission to underwrite other nonprofit groups so they can provide microloans, insurance and other banking and business services to million Indians belonging to the lower social status of the country, the 44-year-old banker has made philanthropy his full-time occupation. Mor is the former deputy managing director ICICI Group.

The article reports on the credit crisis that has affected Indian companies. Financial difficulty continues to loom as the credit crunch worsens despite easy availability of finance due to very expensive acquisitions. Companies, such as Tata Motors Ltd., Hindalco Industries Ltd., and Suzlon Energy, had been raising money to pay off loans for very expensive global acquisitions a few months ago.

The article examines the economic condition of financial services firm ICICI Bank Ltd. in India in 2008. Results of a market analysis show that the bank has a significant strong financial condition and has established its market position. However, economists predict that the bank could possibly suffer from the global financial crisis while others claim its possible failure sooner because of its involvement to the American International Group (AIG).

The article reports on the refusal of Tata Motors Ltd. to acquire Ford Motor Co.'s one-third stake at Mazda. According to the article, the firm has no intention of procuring Mazda's stake, the same issue it did to Hummer, on October 13, 2008. Meanwhile, Mark Fields, president of Ford, states the speculativeness in selling the stake of Mazda.

The article reports on Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd.'s acquisition of Citigroup Inc.'s India-based outsourcing unit for $505 million all-cash deal. TCS bagged a $2.5 billion contract to provide process outsourcing services in aid to Citigroup and its affiliates over nine-and-a-half years to complement the company's domain expertise. The acquisition brings 12,000 new employees to TCS fold and is expected to generate their revenues.

The article reports on the effect of global crisis on the Indian economy. India's Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram in another television appearance says that the country is safe from the global turmoil and the only fear is fear itself. However, the country's business sector including the information sector which benefited from the weak rupee is concerned about its future.

The article discusses the impact of the global economic crisis on the opening sale of modern and contemporary Asian art at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. It states that the three-day auction at Sotheby's was hit by the financial crisis on Wall Street in New York. It mentions that more than 40 percent of the items were left unsold and the auctioneer's commission was seen as meager amount. The works of India artist Subodh Gupta and Chinese painter Liu Wei remained unsold.

The article reports on the decision of India banks to capitalize on Wall Street despite crisis in the financial services industry. It explores the move of Mumbai-based banks to tap talent from companies such as Bear Stearns & Co. Inc., HSBC and Merrill Lynch & Co. It mentions the move of Ambit Holdings to gain ground on their better-known competitors.

The article focuses on the investment by big media companies like News Corp. and other Western broadcasters in India. Rupert Murdoch of News Corp., whose Hindi-language flagship, Star Plus, has been India's leading entertainment channel for years, is making his India business even bigger. On September 18, 2008 News Corp. set up a distribution company, Fox Star Studios, in India to release Hollywood films and produce Bollywood and Indian language films.

The article reports that Indian Tata Motors Ltd. (TTM), manufacturer of the anticipated $2,500 Nano small cars, is finally giving up its Nano car manufacturing site in the east Indian state of West Bengal due to protests that stalled the operations at the Nano plant. It tells that chairman Ratan Tata's decision to relocate created adverse reactions in the Indian business community towards politics and social activists. It adds that India Inc. supports Tata's business decisions.

The article focuses on the rising inflation and reforms introduced by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. After the government won a vote of confidence over the U.S.-India nuclear deal, Manmohan Singh said he would look at reforms, but since then his government has made only one move: allowing private players to manage pension funds. With inflation over 12%, India's public finances are feeling the pressure from subsidies, payouts for government employees and a farm debt forgiveness program.

The article discusses the terrorism dilemma of India. Although India has been dealing with terrorism for over two decades, critics say the country still has not come up with an effective strategy. Terror attacks, which until a few years ago were largely cross-border operations from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka, are now masterminded by the local factions of international terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, which is active in Jammu and Kashmir, India.

The article reports that Nicholas Negropont, the head of MIT's Media Lab, is back to open a new office in New Delhi and launch the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program in India on August 4, 2008. He has plans to make a simple, $100 laptop that would create a digitally literate generation in the emerging-market nations. Since the Indian government wasn't interested, OLPC partners with the Digital Bridge Foundation, part of Reliance ADA Group, owned by Indian billionaire Anil Ambani.

The article discusses the low-intensity bomb blasts that rocked Bangalore, India, on July 25, 2008. The detonations are said to raise an obvious question whether terrorists, homegrown or foreign, launching an attack on India's high-technology infrastructure. The fallout from an effective assault on Bangalore would be felt on the Bombay stock market and in the offices of companies worldwide that outsource vital functions to India.

The article reports that the Indian government won a vote of confidence July 22, 2008, with 275 members of Parliament voting to support the coalition of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, vs. 256 who voted against. The victory opens the way for India to ratify a long-delayed nuclear accord with the U.S. The government won by 19 votes, even though Singh was forced to table his speech when protesting members of Parliament would not allow him to speak before the vote.

The article reports on the crackdown of cybercafes in India. It reveals that the move is taken due to the effort of the country in trying to increase the penetration of household personal computer. It also indicates that the situation will help the government officials to nab terrorists, hackers, as well as porn users.

The article discusses the growing outsourcing business of Mindworks Global Media in India. The company expects more business to come as the cost-cutting in U.S. and European print media continues. Chief executive officer of Mindworks Tony Joseph states that the U.S. is the biggest media market in the world and the business there is changing rapidly. He adds that the greatest opportunity for creativity and growth is in markets where there is a lot of flux.

The article reports on the effect of oil price hike to India's airlines. India's aviation fuel price has tripled, and is now the most expensive in the world, 80% higher compared to other countries. The airline industry of India which include Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher, and SpiceJet, reported losses that totaled $938 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. Rising fuel cost have grounded the high-flying ambitions of India's carriers and have sent their stocks into a tailspin.

The article reports on the move of global banks to target Indian investors in retail brokerage. It is only a matter of time before the stock markets bounce back and investors flock to their brokers despite the current gloom. The HSBC company has acquired a publicly listed homegrown broker to debut retail brokerage that caters to the average investor in India. It is noted that local banks have dominated for the tough business of selling debt, equity, and other investments to average investors.

The article reports on the negotiation between Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks LLC and Reliance Big Entertainment to create a new movie joint enterprise in India. The $1.5 billion debt-equity deal will be partly financed by Reliance. In exchange, Reliance will likely pick up a stake in the new DreamWorks venture.

The article reports that Japan's Daiichi Sankyo has offered $4.6 billion for a 50.1% stake in India's largest drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. On June 11, 2008 Ranbaxy Laboratories, the largest Indian drugmaker, said it was giving up control to Daiichi Sankyo. Daiichi will buy a 50.1% stake in Ranbaxy for nearly $4.6 billion, or $17.14 per share. Ranbaxy Managing Director Malvinder Singh said that he had never ever anticipated not holding equity in Ranbaxy.

The article offers information on negotiations for a merger taking place between South African telco MTN Group Ltd. and Indian Telco Reliance ADA Group. It states Anil Ambani, Chairman, Reliance group and Phutuma Freedom Nhleko, President, MTN group have begun exclusive negotiations for potential combination of their businesses. The alliance, between the both could form one of the biggest telcom networks in the world with 116 million subscribers across India, Africa and the Middle East.

The article presents information on the merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global market by the Indian corporations including Bharti Airtel Ltd., Essar Steel Holdings Ltd. and Tata Motors Ltd. According to a research firm Grant Thornton LLP, in 2007 and 2008 corporate India spent over $40 billion on global M&A compared to $10.84 billion on domestic acquisitions. The acquisitions have been both big and small, across different sectors, some bargains and some trophy deals.

The article presents information on the top five luxury spas and hotels that offer yoga services in India. The Iyengar school, run by B. K. S. Iyengar, emphasizes in-depth study of asanas or anatomically correct posture and pranayama or breathing. The Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore was established by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who propagated the ashtanga vinyasa brand of yoga. Another is Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai.

The article reveals the reason behind the acquisition of movie theaters in the U.S. by India's Reliance Entertainment. Over the past three months the Indian company has been quietly buying up movie theaters in the U.S. The $29 billion-in-assets conglomerate has acquired more than 200 cinemas in 28 U.S. cities, including San Jose, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Washington. With the acquisitions, it hopes to reach Bollywood fans in the U.S. through its U.S. movie theaters.

The article reports on the growth of mobile services in India. It is stated that Indian consumers are using their cell phones as a one-stop shop for e-mailing and banking. According to Pankaj Sethi of Tata Teleservices, getting to young, mobile-savvy consumers is the best way to provide much-needed and valued services. Manoranjan Mohapatra of Bharti Telesoft claims that India is leading the way for mobile solutions globally.

The article focuses on the plan by India-based Videocon to acquire Motorola's cell-phone division. It offers a look at the financial performance and growth of Videocon, a manufacturer of appliances and electronics that also has interests in real estate, oil and power. It cites the plan by Videocon chairman Venugopal Dhoot to launch mobile services in 18 Indian cities and towns. It also examines the implications of the planned acquisition of Motorola's handset unit for the Indian company.

The article reports that the Indian government demands access to calls and e-mails from every BlackBerry in the country. The proposal is prompted by fears of terrorism. Telecommunications Department announced that it would eavesdrop on transmissions from every BlackBerry phone. To comply, RIM might have to route calls and e-mails through government computer servers based in India.

The article announces that Tata Motors (TTM) has finally stuck a $2.3 billion deal with Ford for its two remaining British marques, Jaguar and Land Rover. In a statement issued March 26, 2008, Tata said that Ford would also contribute approximately $600 million to the pension funds of the two British automakers. Jaguar and Land Rover will also have to compete with Tata's other auto businesses for funds and management time, including its commercial vehicle business and a joint venture with Fiat.

This article deals with the rumors surrounding India's purchase of a globally capable aircraft carrier. It is now becoming clear that the Indians were fanning the Kitty Hawk rumors in order to get a better deal on an aircraft carrier they have been trying to buy from Russia. On February 27, 2008, India's Defense Secretary V. K. Singh announced that the government had renegotiated a deal with Moscow to buy a Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, India's defense spending will total $10 billion.

The article reports on the efforts of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in helping broker deals with stateside weapons manufacturers so the U.S. can supplant Russia as India's top arms source. Gates' trip to India from February 26-27, 2008 comes less than two weeks after the four-day Defense Expo 2008 which concluded in New Delhi on February 19, 2008. Hawking their wares there were almost all the big, global weapons players such as Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and many arms dealers from Israel.