ECONOMY AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2009

ECONOMY AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2009

• According to the IIP (Index of Industrial Production) data released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), all the three major sectors, namely, manufacturing, mining and electricity generation witnessed markedly higher growth during the month as compared to September 2008.
  
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has bought 200 tonnes of gold from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at an estimated price of around Rs. 31,490 crore ($6.70 billion), under the IMF’s limited gold sales programme.
  
• The Indian Oil Corporation has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) to set up Rs. 10,000-crore nuclear power plant.
  
• The Union Finance Ministry has constituted a working group to recommend changes in the existing policies on FII (foreign institutional investor) inflows and participatory notes (PNs), with a view to attracting more foreign portfolio investments.
  
• Mukesh Ambani has topped the Forbes Rich list of Indian billionaires with a net worth of $32 billion. Steel baron Lakshi Mittal is next with a net worth of $30 billion. Others in the top 10 include Azim Premji of Wipro, steelmakers Ruia brothers, real estate baron KP Singh and telecom tycoon, Sunil Mittal.
  
• 6 women have made to top 100 richest Indians. Ms. Jindal has retained the richest woman in India. She is ranked seventh in the list and she is followed by Bennett, Coleman & Co’s Chairperson Indu Jain, who is ranked 19th. Anu Aga of Thermax group and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar Shaw have been ranked 55th and 73rd