2point6billion.com - Foreign Direct Investment in Asia » Culture & History

Europe, United States Woo Indian Tourists

2point6billion.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:57:16 +0000

Average Indian family spends US$10,000 overseas Feb. 6 – As the global credit crunch hits domestic holidaymakers in Europe and the United States, with many downsizing their 2012 holiday plans, tour operators are looking to newly wealthy Indian customers to make up the numbers. Countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France have all released specific Indian-targeted holiday programs, specifically reaching out to attract Indian nationals for the first time. Vijaya Harihan of Travel Consultants in Mumbai was quoted in DNA as saying that the typical Indian family now spend around Rs. 5 lakh (US$10,000) on a European holiday. Indian tourism to Switzerland … Continue reading →

Finnair Flight Attendants Celebrate India’s National Day

2point6billion.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:59:15 +0000

Feb. 3 – To celebrate India’s Republic Day, nearly all 50 crew members of Finnair Flight 21 from Helsinki to New Delhi on January 26 entertained passengers with an impromptu Bollywood-style dance performance. Dressed in traditional Indian attire, the crew members danced and lip-synced to the song Deewangi Deewangi from the 2007 Bollywood film Om Shanti Om. The video can be seen here:

Millions Spent as India Buys International Soccer Stars

2point6billion.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:08:38 +0000

Following the massive success of the Indian Premier League Cricket, the same formula – where provincial teams can bid at auction for foreign players and coaches – has just been repeated in the inaugural Indian Premier League Soccer. Five franchises collectively spent nearly US$7 million, each buying an "icon" player, two overseas footballers, and a coach. Continue reading →

China Releases 12 Indian Diamond Traders

2point6billion.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:19:51 +0000

Jan. 6 – Twelve Indian diamond traders returned home to India around 2 a.m. on Friday morning after spending nearly two years in China fighting smuggling charges. “We are happy that 12 diamond traders held in China returned to India late last night. We are making all efforts to bring back the remaining traders,” Gems & Jewelry Export Promotion Council Chairman Rajiv Jain told the Press Trust of India. The 12 freed men belong to a group of 22 Indian traders from Gujarat and Mumbai who were arrested at Chinese customs in Shenzen in January 2010 and charged with smuggling diamonds worth … Continue reading →

Indian Businessmen Warned to Stay Away from Yiwu

2point6billion.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:46:50 +0000

Jan. 4 – The Indian Embassy in Beijing issued a statement on Tuesday warning Indian businessmen to stay away from China’s eastern trade hub Yiwu, a city in Zhejiang Province well-known for its massive small commodities trade, Indian media reported. “Indian traders and businessmen are hereby cautioned not to do business with Yiwu in Zhejiang Province,” the statement read. The strong warning came just one day after India said one of its diplomats was “manhandled” and temporarily lost consciousness at a court hearing on December 31 in the city. According to Indian media, two traders, Shyamsundar Agrawal and Deepak Raheja, were charged for … Continue reading →

Major Chinese Cities to Require Real-name Weibo Registration

2point6billion.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:12:07 +0000

Following identical moves adopted by other major cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Shenzhen, Shanghai is going to require users of Weibo, a twitter-like microblogging service, to register under their real names starting Monday, state media reported. Continue reading →

China Service: Good, and Getting Better

2point6billion.com — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:06:56 +0000

Only the ignorant, or the cheap would argue that service in China is poor. It can be, but not in places where service is paramount. Excellence in hotels and dining, it appears, has sprung up across China on a national basis. Continue reading →

After Canceling Border Talks, China’s General Ma Heads to India

2point6billion.com — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:41:14 +0000

China’s General Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the People’s Liberation Army General Staff, will be leading a delegation to meet with Indian Defense Secretary Shashikant Sharma on December 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei confirmed at a press conference on Monday.

Photo: Associated Press

Continue reading →

Corruption Remains Problematic in China and India

2point6billion.com — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:39:44 +0000

Despite their recent rise in the global economic landscape, China and India are perceived as two of the more corrupt nations in the world, according to an index released last week by Transparency International. Continue reading →

Mongolia Enthrones Its Dalai Lama

2point6billion.com — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:19:28 +0000

Mongolia has confirmed the ninth Bogd Jebttsundamba Khutughtus in a ceremony at the Gandantegchinlin Monastery in Ulaanbaatar. As the spiritual leader of Mongolian Buddhism, the ninth Bogd is the equivalent of the Dalai Lama in Tibet, although ranking below him in title. Continue reading →