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India Purchases 24 Harpoon Block II Missiles from U.S.

Sept. 3 – India has inked a US$170 million deal that will send 24 Boeing-manufactured Harpoon Block II air-to-surface anti-ship missiles to bolster the nation’s maritime military capabilities.

The missiles are intended to aid the Indian Air Force’s Jaguar strike aircraft in their aerial guard of the nation’s coast by providing them with littoral-water anti-ship capabilities for targets close to shore. » Read rest of the article



Ford Sees August Sales Rise in China and India

Photo: AFPSept. 3 – U.S.-based Ford Motor Company published its August sales figures yesterday, showing persistently strong sales in the Chinese and Indian markets.

While the number of Ford vehicles sold in India last month came out to only a modest 7,925 units, the total represents an astounding 220 percent increase over August 2009 and illustrates the huge potential for expansion in the market.

In similarly impressive fashion, Ford sold 44,047 vehicles to the Chinese market last month, a 24 percent year-on-year increase. » Read rest of the article



European Firms Unhappy with China’s Discriminatory Business Environment

Photo: AFP

Sept. 2 – The European Chamber of Commerce in China released its European Business in China Position Paper 2010/2011 today criticizing Beijing over its failure to keep pledges made when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

While expressing concern that China is becoming more challenging for foreign companies rather than more equal, the EU Chamber’s report is calling for greater access to the country’s markets and urging Beijing to cancel discriminatory behavior that stifles competition. » Read rest of the article



Forbes Asia Releases this Year’s ‘Best Under A Billion’ List

Sept. 2 – Forbes Asia released this year’s edition of its “Best Under A Billion” list today, picking out 200 of the top-performing companies across the Asia-Pacific region with actively traded shares and sales between US$5 million and US$1 billion.

According to Forbes, the selection of the 200 companies was based on earnings growth, sales growth, and shareholders’ return on equity over the past 12 months as well as over three years. A majority of the 200 companies came from the electronics, information technology, and healthcare sectors. » Read rest of the article



Internet Users in India Could Triple by 2015

Photo: BloombergSept. 1 – Citing the rapid growth of the Chinese internet market, a report released today by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) expects the number of internet users in India to reach 237 million within five years.

“The unexpectedly rapid pace of China’s online migration is a sharp reminder of how quickly the other BRICI markets are likely to evolve in terms of Internet penetration rates, the number of hours spend online per day and e-commerce adoption,” the U.S.-based consulting firm said in its report titled, “The Internet’s New Billion.” In addition to the BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the report also throws Indonesia into the mix. BCG believes that the total number of internet users across these five nations will reach 1.2 billion by 2015. » Read rest of the article



Lenovo to Launch eBox Video Game Console by Year-end

Photo: T3 Magazine

Sept. 1 – China-based Lenovo, the world’s 4th largest PC manufacturer, is developing a controller-free video game console and will launch the product later this year as it seeks to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox360, Sony’s Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii. » Read rest of the article



New Issue of DPRK Business Monthly Available for Download

Sep. 1 – The latest issue of DPRK Business Monthly is now available for complimentary download.

This issue analyzes North Korea’s slow move towards a market economy including the county’s burgeoning trade in denim. According to the report, the “hottest denim on the market” could be coming from North Korea. DPRK Business Monthly also parses North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s praise for China’s economic achievements, analyzes an Irish NGO’s work in the country, and takes a look at several industries including agro-forestry. » Read rest of the article



India and South Africa Exploring Trade Agreement

Aug. 31 – India and South Africa are looking into signing a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement as trade between the two nations continues to see strong growth.

“We are going to examine a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and South Africa, as the country is a strategic partner,” India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said while at the “India Show” in Johannesburg. » Read rest of the article



Pakistan’s Border Rivalry with India

Aug. 31 – When Pakistan was born from the independence of India in 1947, it was said magical things happened on either side of midnight. Children born within five minutes of midnight possessed powers beyond that of humans, a tale expanded on in Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children” – the only book to win the “Booker of Bookers” Prize – in effect, providing it with the title of the best novel written, anywhere, for the past 40 years.

But while magic gave way to strife and distrust, three wars and the slide into chaos and anarchy of a once proud young country, a sense of surrealism still surrounds the relationship between Pakistan and India. Witness then, courtesy of the BBC and narrated by Michael Palin, the daily closing of the border ritual between the two sides. » Read rest of the article



Indian Wildlife Delegation in Beijing to Discuss Tiger Trade

Photo: APAug. 31 – Representatives from India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority arrived in Beijing on Monday evening for a five-day visit aimed at curbing the illegal tiger trade that is prevalent in China.

The upcoming meetings will mark the first ever round of talks between India and China regarding wildlife conservation and management, according to the Hindu. During discussions, the Indian delegation is expected to urge their Chinese counterparts to continue to enforce their current ban on any domestic trade in tiger parts. It has been reported that Beijing was considering caving in to pressure from “tiger farm” owners who want the Chinese government to permit the trading of tiger parts. » Read rest of the article