Inflation rate at 5.01%

New Delhi, Feb 18: Cheaper edible oils, vegetables and fruits brought down the rate of inflation in the country to 5.01 per cent for the week ended February 5. This is for the tenth week in a row that the rate of inflation has continued to decline. The point-to-point wholesale price index for inflation touched a 10-month low falling by 0.24 per cent from the previous week's level of 5.25 per cent.

Crisil shares

Mumbai, Feb 18: Crisil will support Standard & Poor?s move to hike its stake in the former through an open offer and purchase of shares from existing shareholders, the company, Crisil told stock exchanges today.

IDBI chief

New Delhi, Feb 18: J. N. Godbole will be the next chairman and managing director of Industrial Development Bank of India till May 31, 2005.

FDI plans

New Delhi, Feb 18: The government today cleared 24 FDI proposals valued at Rs 158.82 crore, including ICICI Bank?s Rs 44.45 crore American depository shares offering and proposals of Colgate Palmolive and Bausch & Lomb.

Cheap pepper

New Delhi, Feb 18: Commerce minister Kamal Nath has assured Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy that he would look into the issue of cheap pepper imports flooding the country due to the free trade agreement with Sri Lanka.