Bajaj Auto launches ultra-low-cost car RE 60

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bajaj Auto Ltd launched its first-ever four-wheeled vehicle on Tuesday, saying the RE60 would target commercial users and three-wheeled vehicle owners in India, and that production could involve Nissan and Renault.

The unveiling of the four-seater RE60 ended months of rumours that have buzzed around India's auto industry on the nature of the vehicle, which promises low carbon emissions and fuel efficiency, the company said in a much-anticipated launch.

The vehicle resembles an over-sized hatchback with an elevated roof .

Bajaj is India's second-largest two-wheeled vehicle maker, and is the world's leader in the three-wheeled vehicle segment, which includes the popular rickshaw taxis used across Asia's third-largest economy.

France's Renault SA and Japan's Nissan Motor Co, who worked with Bajaj on developing what was slated to be an ultra low-cost minicar, will decide on co-operation on the RE60 in the next few days, Bajaj Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj told reporters.

"At no point we intended to be contract manufacturers for Renault-Nissan... With small or big modification, we can supply to Renault-Nissan if they wish," Bajaj said.

"They have not seen the product... If Renault-Nissan were to walk away, that is also fine with us."

Renault-Nissan will view the vehicle for the first time at this year's India Auto Expo, Bajaj added.

The event, held once every two years, begins in New Delhi on Thursday.

The RE60 will be manufacturered in Bajaj's plant in Aurangabad in western India, and will be made available to customers in the next few months, Bajaj said.

Shares in the automaker, which opened strongly in anticipation of the RE60 launch, were up 0.3 percent at 1480 rupees in early afternoon trading. The overall market was up about 2 percent.

Gold plated dosa in Bangalore a huge hit

Bangalore, Jan 4 (ANI): A restaurant in Bangalore is witnessing large footfalls, since the debut of their latest delicacy, a gold-plated dosa, which is priced at a whooping Rs. 1,011.

One of the restaurateurs chanced upon the idea of creating these unusual delicacies, when he was surfing on the Internet for strategies to make his eatery stand out among other city's food outlets.

"I wanted to do something in restaurant business, so I thought why can't we do something different, so when I once saw in a television channel that they are using gold foils for pizzas and ice creams, which cost 1000 dollars, thought why can't we get this to Bangalore and use it on something else?" said Chandan Lokesh, owner of the restaurant.

Priced at an exorbitant rate, the dish is roasted crisp with a hint of olive oil and has a filling of mashed potatoes, in addition to the gold foil for the finishing touch.

The restaurant also serves a dosa covered with a silver foil, at an affordable price of Rs. 151.
According to media reports, the marketing strategy by owners has made the gold dosa a huge success.

"I got to know about this through my friends that they sell gold dosa over here and I wanted to try it. After I tried it, I liked it so much that I am eating it for the fourth time and I want others also to come and try here and this is ISO certified dosa, it's really good for the health," said Nagashree, a resident.

The Big Question: Trade with China to suffer?

Relations between India and China have been strained, to say the least. An Indian diplomat based in Shanghai fainted in court after being denied his diabetes medication, and had to be rushed to the hospital. Two Indians were tortured and detained by local traders for alleged non-payment of dues in the business hub of Yiwu. In reaction to these incidents, the Indian embassy in Beijing put out a strongly worded advisory on Tuesday cautioning Indians “not to do business with Yiwu.”

This news comes at a time when Chinese manufacturers are flooding markets around the world with counterfeit Indian products. Fake Dabur and ITC products with 'Made-in-India' tags are causing damage to brand image, and revenue losses to the tune of $5 billion.

But China is also India’s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $60 billion in 2010 alone. While these disputes create an atmosphere of mistrust, India must maintain relations with China for her own economic survival.

2 Indians say they're being held hostage in China

NEW DELHI (AP) — Two Indian traders working in China say they are being held hostage by local businessmen in an eastern city because of a dispute with their boss over money.

Deepak Raheja told the Times Now news channel in a telephone interview Wednesday that he and another Indian were beaten and have not been allowed to leave their hotel in Yiwu city.

News reports said local Chinese businessmen have demanded $1 million for the traders' release.

The case has triggered widespread media coverage in India. On Wednesday, about 50 activists from a Hindu nationalist group burned the Chinese flag and chanted anti-China slogans in New Delhi.

News reports also said that an Indian diplomat collapsed in a courtroom in Yiwu while trying to secure the two men's release. They said consular official P. Balachandran, who suffers from diabetes, was not allowed to eat or take his medication while in the room.

The reports said the traders were working for a Yemeni businessmen, but that could not be confirmed.
India's foreign ministry has not commented on the matter, but its embassy in Beijing warned Indians against working in Yiwu, saying there was no guarantee of legal protection in the city.
China's Foreign Ministry said the incident was an individual case involving an economic dispute and police are ensuring the Indian men's safety.

"China always attaches great importance to maintaining the rights and interests of foreign businessmen in China," ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing Wednesday.

He said the two Indians were in a hotel and not in detention, and that police had taken measures to ensure their security. He also said police were investigating five Chinese suspected of illegally detaining the pair, but gave no other details.

Hong denied mistreatment of the Indian official.

"Reports saying the Indian consular official was forbidden to take food and medicine and was besieged during his stay in Yiwu are not true," he said.

India secures release of its traders trapped in China

New Delhi: India secured the release of two Indian traders tortured and taken captive by locals in a trading hub in China. The two were escorted safely to the consulate in Shanghai, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said after talks with the Chinese envoy here.

Krishna met Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yan here Wednesday afternoon and was assured that Beijing was paying "serious attention" to the safety of Indian traders, Deepak Raheja and Shyam Sunder Agarwal.

Following the meeting, Krishna said the incident should not be blown out of proportion.

The two Indians were trapped in a hotel in Yiwu city, a trading hub near Shanghai, after some locals alleged that the firm they worked with and whose owner is absconding owed them millions of dollars.

Zhang met Krishna at his residence here and assured the minister that the safety of Indians in China was a "priority".

"The traders have been released and they are on their way to Shanghai under consular officers security. Raheja and Agarwal are out of Yiwu. Let's not blow this incident out of proportion," Krishna told reporters after the meeting.

The minister said the two countries agreed that the safety of the two Indians "involved in a civil litigation in Yiwu is of utmost importance".

Asked about the return of the traders to India, Krishna said: “Our consular officers have met them. They will perhaps work out the details, but let us not forget that there is a civil litigation against them and we will have to take that into consideration."

Ambassador Zhang said the Chinese authorities were "working hard to resolve the issue".

"I think it will be settled according to legal procedure and according to the rule of law," the envoy told reporters.

In telephonic interviews to Indian TV channels earlier when they were held captive in a hotel, the Indian traders alleged that their lives were at risk because an angry crowd was waiting for them.

Pleading for help from the Indian government, the Indian traders also alleged in TV interviews that they were beaten up and tortured by some people.

Chinese officials in Beijing have said they would initiate criminal proceedings against five locals who held the traders hostage.

In a press statement, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry Hong Lei said the Chinese judicial authority was "dealing with this case according to law".

"This is an individual case triggered by economic disputes. China hopes India can treat this case with objectivity and fairness, and actively educate Indian merchants in China to behave according to the Chinese law, behave honestly and operate legitimately," Hong said.

In Delhi, Zhang also met Joint Secretary (East Asia) Gautam Bambawale.

Indian diplomat S. Balachandran, a diabetic, posted in China was allegedly ill-treated when he accompanied the two in a court proceedings Dec 31. This triggered a strong protest from New Delhi.

The court did not allow Balachandran to have food or medicine and prevented him from leaving the courtroom despite repeated requests that he suspected rapid fluctuation in his blood sugar levels.

The 46-year-old diplomat had to be admitted to hospital after his condition deteriorated.

The Chinese authorities have denied Balachandran was ill-treated.

Asked about this, Krishna said: "Balachandran is not in the picture now. He is relaxing in Shanghai. Our concern now is the safety of these two Indians."

Terry plans legal action over Indian anti-smoking picture

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - England captain John Terry's representatives plan to take legal action after a blurred picture resembling the player was used in India's anti-smoking campaign, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

"We have reviewed this matter with our client and have today instructed solicitors to take appropriate action," Keith Cousins of Elite Management was quoted as saying in the Indian Express after the picture of a bare-chested man appeared on cigarette packets above the slogan 'Smoking kills'.

An advertising agency official denied the picture was of the Chelsea central defender.

"The health ministry of the government has already issued a clarification on the issue, saying it has got nothing to do with John Terry," the official from the Directorate of Audio and Visual Publicity, who asked to remain anonymous, said by telephone.

"It was purely a piece of artistic imagination and I don't know why an issue is being created."

Terry, 31, is due to appear in a British court on February 1 to face a charge of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League match in October. He denies the charge.

Who will win Bigg Boss 5 - Juhi, Mahek, Sky, Sid or Amar? Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bigg-boss-5-winner/1/167182.html

The ongoing fifth season of TV reality show Bigg Boss is into its final week. After the eviction of Sunny Leone from the show, there are five finalists left in the house fighting for the top spot. Now the question plaguing the show watchers' mind is who would win Bigg Boss-5.
The five finalists who remain in the house of boss are Juhi Parmar, Siddharth Bharadwaj, Akashdeep Saigal, Mahek Chahal and Amar Upadhyay. Headlines Today takes a look at what are the positives and negatives of each contestant.
Akashdeep SaighalAkashdeep aka Sky Walker is seen as an aggressive, dominating person who genuinely believes that he is always right. On the flip side, he does have an extremely fun light side to his personality which has made him adorable to some, including Pooja Bedi, Sunny and Juhi, being his smitten kittens.
Whether he wins the show is yet to be seen, but host Sanjay Dutt and his co-host and friend Salman Khan sure would not want to see that!
Amar UpadhyayAmar's boy next door image certainly would have got a beating with Bigg Boss as he is seen as a spineless wimp who can just think about his own cause. However, his huge bahu-beti fan base might make him sail through.
Siddharth BharadwajAn annoying Siddharth is perceived as being immature and childish, an accusation he vehemently denies. But in terms of behaviour, he continues to annoy and amuse people alike.
However, his plus point is that this youngest member of the Bigg Boss house is seen as a youth icon and people just might find his antics amusing.
Mahek ChahalMahek's killer dance moves and venomous tongue have got this item girl her share of fans and haters alike. Her wild card entry after her ouster from the house sure got the tongues wagging.
However, Salman continues to stand by her even in her darkest hour. That just might make her click.
Juhi ParmarThe ideal bahu of Indian television -- Juhi -- is the only contestant who has survived in the house from day one and has somewhat managed to catch the attention and acceptance of the Indian audience. Her "I'm too good to be true" act just might get her the maximum votes.
However, who would finally win this dirty game in reality is a question that continues to plague people.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bigg-boss-5-winner/1/167182.html