The government hopes that bio-fuels, especially jatropha, will replace 20 per cent of India

When it comes to the lords of Collieries, there is little method in their madness. While coal demand for power projects in the private sector outstrips supply, there is no clear rationale for allocating long-term coal supplies to fuel private sector power plants from the mines of near-monopoly public sector undertaking Coal India Ltd. Recently, for the first time, the coal ministry decided to bring some sanity to this process, by laying down an allocation norm. What followed thereafter was more chaos.

Novartis, don't lose heart. There'll be more Glivec-like patents to fight and, hopefully, win. While India may not have the best patents laws

Insidious roads: While vehicle population has exploded in the city, roads continue to be narrow and congested. But a Metro rail service (see inset) may help ease traffic

Investment gurus such as Jim Rogers saw it coming as early as 1999. Prices of agri-commodities are soaring in the face of sustained uptick in global demand and stagnating production. Notwithstanding the scorching economic growth in India, Indian agriculture is painfully ambling along at around 2 per cent due to decades of under-investment. That, however, is changing.

The apex court nod to GM seed trials raises issues. GM seeds: Trial's not yet over

It won't be the same for mega projects.
Nandigram on fire: Its spark is a concern for other states too

Faced with criticism over tge low compensation to farmers for land acquired for SEZs and other industrial projects, the government is planning a legislation that will ensure direct dealing between the farmer and land acquirers.

Both HLL and ITC are looking ag garnering a bigger piece of the rural market. For one, HLL's Project Shakti uses the entrepreneurship of rural women to reach out to over one million rural households

Both HLL and ITC are looking at garnering a bigger pieve of the rural market. For one, HLL's Project Shakti uses the entrepreneurship of rural women to reach out to over one million rural households