“Microsoft Corp., the world’s biggest software maker, made an unsolicited $44.6 billion offer for Yahoo! Inc. to challenge Google Inc.’s dominance in Internet search services and advertising.The $31-a-share bid of cash or Microsoft stock is 62 percent more than Yahoo’s closing price yesterday. Before today, Yahoo had dropped 18 percent this year in Nasdaq Stock Market trading, and said this week that fourth-quarter profit fell 23 percent.” – Bloomberg
Category: Business
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Massive WiMax network for India
“State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is leaning on Soma Networks to build the broadband-speed network in response to government requirement that 20 million broadband lines be in service by 2010. Soma says it’s shipping thousands of base stations to get the network operational at full speed, and that when it’s done, 400 Indian cities will be covered, with downstream speeds of 1.5 megabits per seconds.” – Engadget
Forbes publishes an annual list of 2000 world’s biggest companies. They are ranked according to 4 criteria – sales, profits, assets and market capitalization. The current list reflects 2007’s biggest companies, however, expect 2008’s landscape to be fairly different with companies like PetroChina making it towards the top of the list where as Citigroup and other banks probably tumbling down a few places. (List published towards the end of March.)
The Global 2000 (world’s largest public companies)
Related: PetroChina becomes world’s biggest company by market cap
“The most-talked-about car at the Detroit auto show this year isn’t even present: Tata Motors Ltd.’s $2,500 Nano.
With the U.S. market coming off its slowest year in a decade, sales down in Japan and Western Europe stagnating, GM, Toyota Motor Corp. and other automakers are turning to emerging markets such as India and China, where sales are growing more than 10 percent a year.
For GM, Toyota and other automakers the Tata entry means “pressure to come down to that price and play in that field,” Bragman said. ” – Bloomberg
India’s $2,500 Car Stirs Detroit Show, Isn’t There
Related: Tata Nano Unveiled!
“The mainland has leapfrogged past Japan to become the world’s second-largest stock market in terms of capitalisation, thanks to robust trading and a rash of mega listings.
Bloomberg’s tally put the total market value of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges yesterday at the equivalent of US$4.72 trillion. While the financial news service does not have an updated version of Japan’s stock market value, the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s website logged a total yesterday of 441.84 trillion yen (HK$32 trillion), translating to just US$4.11 trillion.”
“Blogging is one of the most effective ways for small companies to create credibility, marketing experts now think.
It’s a development that probably surprises more than a few executives accustomed to dread the flow of misinformation and mischief that the blogosphere can incubate.
But it has to be done right, in the spirit of blogging and not of advertising, and you can’t just task the intern with the job.” – Reuters
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Tata Nano Unveiled!
The much anticipated Tata’s $2500 car was unveiled today.
“The car will meet all current safety norms and all emission criteria. The pollution it will cause will be lower than 2-wheelers.”
Not since the launch of the Maruti 800 in 1983 has any car gripped the imagination of a nation and indeed car manufacturers the world over so intensely. If commercially successful, the Tata Nano can alter the passenger car market in India, and perhaps the world, beyond description.
Related post: Ratan Tata: The Last Rajah
“Times have changed since Gordon Gekko quoted Sun Tzu in the 1987 movie Wall Street. Has the Bhagavad Gita replaced The Art of War as the hip new ancient Eastern management text?”
“One key message is that enlightened leaders should master any impulses or emotions that cloud sound judgement. Good leaders are selfless, take initiative, and focus on their duty rather than obsessing over outcomes or financial gain. “The key point,” says Ram Charan, a coach to CEOs such as General Electric Co.’s (GE ) Jeffrey R. Immelt, “is to put purpose before self. This is absolutely applicable to corporate leadership today.”” – BusinessWeek
Update: A full multi-lingual translation of Bhagvad Gita can be found at : www.bhagavad-gita.org
Today Amazon launched an electronic reader to read books, magazines, blogs etc. on the move. 3 years in production, the look and feel gives the impression that it has been in production for 30 years without any recent updates. You can buy books via Amazon’s book store from anywhere using the inbuilt wireless technology used by mobile phones. Amazon must be hoping to replicate the revolution for books as ipod did for music. I very much doubt it due to the fact that it is far from being ‘cool’ and I find it of little use to me. But then I am not an avid reader of books.