Exports grow 21%

New Delhi, Nov. 15: Exports grew 21.3 per cent year-on-year to $18 billion in October, while imports rose 6.8 per cent, commerce secretary Rahul Khullar said today. “After a long time, export growth cumulatively is higher than import growth,” Khullar said. Imports stood at $27.7 billion, widening the trade gap to $9.7 billion. During April-October, exports increased 26.8 per cent to $121.4 billion.

Inflation falls

New Delhi, Nov. 15: Inflation fell to a nine-month low of 8.58 per cent in October, a 0.04 per cent decline from 8.62 per cent in September. Inflation stood at just 1.48 per cent in the same month last year. The RBI’s monetary policy has helped to bring down inflation, though supply shortages are exerting pressure on prices, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

Govt spending

New Delhi, Nov. 15: The government has sought parliamentary approval for an additional expenditure of Rs 44,945.52 crore. Bulk of the money will be spent on fertiliser and oil subsidies.

Skoda-Maruti

New Delhi, Nov. 15: SkodaAuto may take help from Maruti Suzuki to develop a small car, which is proposed to be introduced in 2012. “There could be a possibility that we will take Maruti’s inputs for the small car,” Thomas Kuehl, board member and director (sales and marketing) of SkodaAuto India, said.

Onion price

New Delhi, Nov. 15: Farm cooperative Nafed has hiked export price of onion by $150 a tonne and said it would interfere in both wholesale and retail markets to curb rising prices.

Kingfisher loss

New Delhi, Nov. 15: Kingfisher Airlines has reported a net loss of Rs 230.81 crore in the second quarter compared with Rs 418.77 crore in the year-ago period.

Sun Pharma

New Delhi, Nov. 15: Sun Pharmaceutical has fixed November 26 as the record date for its proposed stock split, under which shareholders will get five shares for every equity held by them at present.