CSR and Tata

CSR (corporate social responsibility) is becoming increasingly relevant / urgent to companies especially the ones operating internationally, & the ones operating in fields such as metal, petroleum (i.e. polluting / global warming offenders).
Increasingly, it is not optional for such companies.

But, Tatas have been having such a program for decades when it was not fashionable.
e.g. Tata Steel had such a program since 1930s. They were managing entire Jemshedpur township & providing medical and educational services in the neighbourhood.
More importantly, in the holding company of Tata group (called Tata sons) majority of the shares are held by charities. Consequently, all the income goes towards CSR like activities.
So, CSR is institutionalised at the holding company level as well as individual group company level. This has been the case since 1930s.

Jet air flights to ME

It is welcome news that India's largest airline has started flights to ME starting this week.
Pricing is going to be economical and it will be substantially cheaper than Indian state run airlines and airlines like Emirates.
My prediction is that short to medium term these airlines will get hit badly.
It appears that days of highest paying passengers being treated shabbily (even contempt) are going to be finally over after almost 30 years.
One can imagine the profits made by the well run airlines all these years consideting that air arabia has already started making profits after 2-3 years.
If Kingfisher also starts up it will be tough going indeed...

oil at $100

Amusing tale about Oil hitting USD 100, apparently one guy looking for fame.
Read this...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080104/ts_alt_afp/commoditiesoilpriceoffbeat