Jubilant Mumbai Indians upset Delhi Daredevils

The Mumbai Indians finally did it on Sunday evening and achieved their second win of the DLF Indian Premier League as they thrashed the Delhi Daredevils by 29 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. So far, this is the biggest upset of the tournament. The lowest placed team in the IPL table dethroned the Daredevils from the top spot.

Defending a total of 162 runs on a flat wicket of DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai Indians knew they had to come off good with the ball and their bowlers did not disappoint them. Delhi Daredevils, for the first time in the tournament, were all out while chasing.

Stand-in captain Shaun Pollock led from the front and lived up to his reputation of a terrific all-rounder. His captaincy deserves special accolades too, as he put in all his international experience to the hilt and shepherded his side to win. He, undoubtedly, was the Man of the Match.

NDTV 24x7 brought this news to me. It is an excellent news channel for NRIs. This channel is available in the US through DirecTV.

Super Kings aim to shine sans Aussies

I saw the IPL coverage on NDTV 24x7. The channel is a boon for Indians living in the US. Unbeaten so far, the Chennai Super Kings -- sans Australian stars Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey -- will face their toughest test yet when they take on Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League at the M A Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.

Former New Zealand Captain Stephen Fleming is all set to replace Hayden in the opening slot and maintained that although the Aussie stars would be missed, the team had the strength to compensate for their absence.

"Makhaya brings in a lot of experience and will of course open with the new ball. Albie is fine all-rounder and then we have Stephen Fleming batting at the top of the order. So, I feel that our team has the kind of balance that it did not have in the previous four games"

All the Australians participating in the league have left for a training camp that will be followed by a tour of West Indies.

The incisive news channel is available in the US though DirecTV. The channel is a must for Indians living in the US who want to stay abreast of latest happenings in India. A very good picture and sound quality is an added advantage.

Salaries to rise by 14 per cent in 2008: Report

NDTV Reports: The explosive rate of growth in India has created a phenomenal demand for talent so much that wages are forecast to rise by 14.4 per cent during the year 2008, says a latest report.

''Wages are forecast to rise by 14.4 per cent during 2008, the fifth successive year of double-digit growth. This far outstrips wage inflation in China (8.6 per cent in 2007) and is second only to Sri Lanka, where wage growth has been driven by high inflation,'' global management consultancy firm HayGroup said.

The high level of demand for experienced employees is driving wage inflation and creating a culture of job-hopping.

Staff turnover of 20 per cent or more is not unusual in high-demand sectors such as the service industry, as talented workers jump from employer to employer, following the promise of even higher wages.

''Reward programs of companies are in crisis as wage inflation is witnessing an upward spiraling and staff turnover rates hit new highs,'' the HR consultancy firm said.

''In an environment where employees can achieve a pay rise of between 40 per cent and 50 per cent by moving to a competitor, they are unlikely to stay put,'' HayGroup added.

India, our home country is growing at a scorching pace leaving all others behind. If you're not in touch with the latest in India, you are bound to miss out on so many opportunities. One of the ways i keep in touch with the latest in India is through my favorite TV news channel NDTV 24x7. It is available here in the US on DirecTV's satellite TV service.

England to launch IPL rival in 2010

I am tracking the current IPL tournament on NDTV 24x7. It's practically impossible for me to watch a match everyday so the news channel is my best resort.

NDTV 24x7 came up with an interesting story on England's version of the IPL.
England is to launch a tournament to rival the Indian Premier League (IPL) jointly with an American billionaire who said Twenty20 cricket could replace football as the world's top sport, it was announced on Friday.

David Collier, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said the tournament, to be bankrolled by Antigua-based Texan billionaire Allen Stanford, will kick off in 2010 because of commitments in 2009.

"We've had some very positive and constructive discussions with Sir Allen during the last week. I think Sir Allen has certainly mentioned 2010 and I think that's the more likely (date)," Collier said on Friday.

However, the representative for England's cricketers - shut out of the IPL by their bosses - warned that an English Premier League would need the agreement of India, "because that is where the money is".

Collier said discussions with Stanford, who runs a Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean, were "well advanced" and also included plans for a one-off 10 million pound winner-take-all tournament between England and the West Indies.

"Twenty20 has the potential to be the most popular team sport in the world in maybe less than 10 years. But it's going to take a highly organized efficient management team to run it," he said.

Its a good thing these Cricket boards are catching on to the T-20 bandwagon. I wish the ECB all the best. Maybe a match between the teams of both the boards can be arranged in the future.

The news channel is available in the US only through DirecTV.

Dhoni eyes win against Mumbai Indians

NDTV Reports: Hyped as one of the favourites to clinch the title, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings will be aiming for their second successive win when they take on Mumbai Indians, once again sans Sachin Tendulkar, in the Indian Premier League match on Wednesday.

Both teams have international stars capable of winning a match one their own but Dhoni was confident about keeping their slate clean.

With some solid batting, the Chennai team had posted a 12-run an over average in their first match against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday, which they won by 33 runs.

But their not so effective bowling in the absence of new ball specialists Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel, who are yet to join the team, makes them a tad vulnerable.

The Mumbai team, on the other hand, would be gunning for their first win in the tournament after losing to Rahul Dravid-led Bangalore Royal Challengers on Sunday. The team will once again be without Tendulkar, who is recovering from a groin injury and would be led by Harbhajan Singh.

It will be interesting to see Harbhajan and Matthew Hayden facing each other after their acrimonious face-off during India's tour of Australia earlier this year. IPL is turning out to be much more exciting as previously thought... I'm sure it will go a long way to make the game more popular not just in India but also around the world!

Knight Riders tame Deccan Chargers

Kolkata Knight Riders carried their winning momentum from Bangalore to their home ground as they beat Deccan Chargers by 5 wickets to record their second win of the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Deccan Chargers, defending a total of 110, started off well with the ball as they had Knight Riders 21/3 at one stage. But David Hussey (38) had other plans as he played anchor's knock and guided his team to victory. He understood the nature of the pitch well and didn't let his aggressive instinct take charge. However, he did hit three long sixes in the death overs to take his team closer to the target.

I catch up on news related to India only on NDTV 24x7 since it is the only channel that provides comprehensive and accurate news. People in the US can access this channel only through DirecTV.

Bangalore awaits the clash of 'kings'

NDTV Reports:

Cheerleaders from the US, Hindi and Kannada film stars, foot-tapping music and a laser show will herald cricket's richest event, the Indian Premier League, with Bangalore Royal Challengers taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday.

With two 'Kings' - the king of good times Vijay Mallya and the king of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan - owning the Challengers and Riders respectively, nearly an hour of glitz and glamour show will precede some serious Twenty20 cricket between the teams led by two former India captains, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

The stadium surroundings bear the unmistakable stamp of flamboyant Mallya with gates named after liquor brands of his United Breweries group and colourful posters and banners showcasing the entertainment and excitement in store for over four hours Friday night.

Mallya has roped in DNA Networks, a Bangalore-based event management company that has brought several leading rock bands and pop singers and groups to the city, to organise the entertainment part.

A group of 12 Washington Redskins cheerleaders will be the showpiece of entertainment. The group has been in Bangalore for over four days practising steps to Hindi film tunes. The group has also been training some Indian girls to join them in the show, and plans to leave behind a fully trained Indian cheerleaders group.

Oh boy.... its difficult to contain the excitement. But guys don't miss out all the post match analysis on NDTV 24x7...only on DirecTV....

Sachin not to run in Olympic torch relay

After footballer Baichung Bhutia, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has decided not to take part in the Olympic torch relay in New Delhi.

The torch is expected to arrive in the capital from Islamabad later on Wednesday.

Tight security arrangements have been made in India for the relay on April 17.

The torch relay has been marred with disruptions in London, Paris and San Francisco by Tibetan protestors.

I got this latest update on NDTV 24×7. It is an excellent news channel for NRIs since it provides the most comprehensive news related to India. DirecTV makes it possible to access this channel in the US.

IPL goes high on Bollywood quotient

NDTV Reports: Say IPL and chances are you'll think just as much of Shah Rukh, Preity, Akshay and Hrithik as you will of Sourav, Yuvraj, Sehwag and Sachin.

The Indian Premier League has some glamorous cricketers associated with it, and also some even more glamorous film stars as brand ambassadors. So it would seem the contest will be as much off the field as it is on it.

Hrithik Roshan is the sixth film star to be associated with the IPL. So it would seem the IPL isn't just about cricket. A large component also has to do with India's other big love - films.

But will the IPL survive this Bollywood hype to emerge as a cricket league with the game at its heart or will teams like the Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings remain in the shadows of their more famous owners?

Shah Rukh Khan, who owns the Kolkata team, says "I can't sell the cricket, just the entertainment part of it. The cricket will have to sell itself."

So while the stars off the field do their bit to market their teams, the stars on the field will have to work just as hard.

But there are still three IPL teams that haven't yet jumped on to the Bollywood bandwagon - Hyderabad, Bangalore and Jaipur.

While Hyderabad is likely to get Sania Mirza cheering for them as an unofficial brand ambassador, team Jaipur doesn't think it will hurt their cause at all.

Shane Warne, the captain and coach of the Jaipur team, says "Shane Watson can play the guitar, he is composing a song. Some of the boys here are good-looking; they can have a career in Bollywood. But they need to play good cricket first."

"To promote it is great but I am not sure how many film stars can play cricket or how many cricketers can be film stars either," Warne says.

"So every one is good at something. It is great that many film stars are involved in IPL. I think that is fantastic for the game. If they can play cricket come and play, come down on the nets and bowl and bat with us."

IPL is one of the best things to have happened to Indian cricket in a long time. I hope the true purpose of the tournament is served and new faces can be discovered for the Indian national side. I love watching the cricket show on NDTV 24x7 which is available here in the US only on DirecTV.

Virginia Tech massacre victims to get $11 mn settlement

NDTV Reports:
Survivors and families of victims of last year's Virginia Tech massacre, in which 32 people including two Indians were killed, will share a settlement from the state of Virginia worth more than $ 11 million, their lawyers said.

''The historic settlement agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia will result in more than $ 11 million in financial compensation, health benefits and non-monetary assistance for surviving family members and victims of the April 16, 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech,'' attorneys Peter Grenier and Douglas Fierberg said in a statement.

In exchange for ''the substantial consideration they will receive under the settlement agreement, the families agreeing to this settlement are waiving their rights to sue the Commonwealth of Virginia,'' Fierberg said.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine called the deal ''a reasonable resolution'' to the horrific shooting rampage one year ago that killed 32 students and staff at the school, wounding dozens of others.

''For several months, the victims and victims' families, their counsel, Virginia Tech, and officials of the Commonwealth have worked with serious commitment and diligence toward a reasonable resolution and response to the legitimate needs, interests and concerns arising out of that horrific event,'' he said.

The governor added that a proposal for resolution has now been accepted by a substantial majority of the victims and victims' families. He, however declined to release details of the agreement.

This will definitely remain a blot on the entire US education system. Studying in the USA is highly rewarding barring these unfortunate incidents. Control of use of guns is a step in the right direction.

A1 catching up with F1

For all the motor sports fan Formula1 is the real McCoy, including me. But Narain Karthikeyan believes A1 Grand Prix's six-year deal with Ferrari will throw a real challenge to F1.
I am an ardent fan of F1, visit the website daily, read and watch everything that I can lay my hands on. But I saw this news only on NDTV 24x7.

Karthikeyan is hopeful that sooner than later the all-Ferrari A1 race will debut on Indian soil. This would be simply fantastic. The sport has definitely gained popularity due to Vijay Mallya's Force India. A1, nowhere close to F1 but a motor sport can benefit from the new breed of F1 fans in India.
NDTV 24x7 had a crisp coverage on Fisichella's performance in the VJM01, the Force India's contender. The news channel is available in the US through DirecTV amongst other Indian channels. DirecTV is the only satellite TV provider to offer a bouquet of Indian channels.

Indian workers from Mississippi seek UN help

NDTV reports: Frustrated with the uncaring response from the US and Indian governments, about a dozen Indian guest workers on Tuesday knocked the door of the United Nations for justice.

Claiming to represent over a 100 Indian guest workers, who had last month revolted against their US employer for allegedly putting them under slave like conditions, the workers met Craig Mokhabir; Deputy Director, New York Office of High Commission for Human Rights.

Mokhabir, who patiently listened to the woes of the workers for nearly half an hour and appeared to be sympathetic with the plight of these workers, however, failed to give any concrete assurances to these pleading Indian workers, who now face an uncertain future.

We told him about all our issues. He said it is definitely a human rights violation that has occurred here. He said he would do the maximum, he can do in his capacity, said Justin Poulse, one of these workers, who were hired by a US company, Signal International in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina to work at a Mississippi dock.

Having quit the job in protest against what they claim as the slave like treatment to them, these workers have filed a class action law suit against their US employer. With their legal status in doubt, these workers told NDTV.com they would stay in the US to fight for justice and tell the world that workers are still being treated like slave in a country like this.

We hope that the UN would help us get justice, said Rajan P, one of these workers after they met Mokhabir. Speaking in Malayalam, through an interpretator, Poulse and his other colleagues said they were deeply disheartened by the poor response from the Indian Government, in particular Indian Embassy in Washington, and the US Government so far.

We have been unsuccessfully crying aloud for justice so far, said Jashy Mathai. He said that all of the about 100 workers who have been running the campaign have put in all their money they had earned here to fight out for the cause.

Not yet decided, what their next course of action would be, Mathai said: Our decision is that we would continue our satya-graha until we get justice. From now, he said the workers would split themselves to continue with their agitation in New York, Washington and New Orleans.

In all more than 500 Indian guest workers were hired by the Signal International to work in the US. The workers claim that they were promised green card and paid $20,000 for this. On arrival in the US, the workers claimed, that were cheated on this account and further they were mistreated and put under slave like conditions.

The US company has denied any mistreatment, but has decide to temporarily stop recruitment of workers in India and initiate action against the recruitment companies in both India and the US, who hired there workers on their behalf.

Its hard to believe such exploitation takes place even in the USA. These workers need to be given justice. If America can't do it, there's not much hope for countries like China where such atrocities are carried out by the state. NDTV aired insightful story about this issue last night. I'm glad I could watch it on my DirecTV.

India's Big cinema chain in US

Anil Ambani promoted Reliance Entertainment Pvt Ltd (REPL) is all set to start its cinema chain in the US under the brand name Big from next month. More than 200 theatres will screen Hindi as well as regional films from India.

Confirming the schedule, a company official said: "We are still renovating and refitting the cinemas we have acquired in some cities there. A formal announcement about their opening will be made later."

Over the last one year, Reliance Entertainment has acquired over 200 cinema halls in 28 North American cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and Washington.

Taken on a long-term lease, these theatres will bear the company's entertainment brand name Big, and not Adlabs, as REPL's cinemas in India are called.

This is great news for Bollywood fans in the US. This news was brought to me by on NDTV 24x7. The channel provides up–to–the–minute, 24/7 news with unparalleled coverage of the latest in Indian & international news. It is available through DirecTV in the US.

IITs to double fees from next session

Following the IIMs, the IITs are slated to hike their fees from the next academic session.

Students who get admission to IITs will have to pay approximately Rs 50,000, which is almost double the present fee.

The IITs say that if they had got more funds from the government, they wouldn't have been forced to increase their fees.

They say that a lesser budget affects the research work and hinders the institutes from sending students and tutors to international conferences.

Four years ago, the government had agreed to give the IITs a fixed amount, known as a block grant. However, rising inflation levels had not been factored into that amount.

This news is available on NDTV 24x7. DirecTV makes it possible to access this channel in the US and also guarantees excellent picture and sound quality.

Indians in New York urge US to boycott Olympics

The Indian American Intellectuals Forum has urged the United States to boycott the coming Olympics to send a ''clear and strong'' message to Beijing that Washington would not tolerate suppression of and brutalities against peace-loving Tibetans.

''This will be a minimal symbolic gesture of our solidarity with the Tibetan people,'' said the Forum President Narain Kataria in a letter to President George Bush on Saturday.

Stating that there is precedent, Kataria recalled the boycott of Moscow Olympics in 1980 after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

I catch up on news related to India only on NDTV 24x7 since it is the only channel that provides comprehensive and accurate news. People in the US can access this channel only through DirecTV.

Americans seek employment in India

American citizens with professional degrees from the US are looking forward to move to India. And here I am, an Indian in the US.

In the past two years, the New York Consulate has issued work visa to more than 900 people. In 2006 the New York Consulate issued 335 employment visas while in 2007, more than 430 employment visas were issued. If the trend of the first three months is of any indication, 2008 could well break all previous records.

Figures made available indicated the Indian Embassy in Washington issued about 300 work visas in past two years, while Houston Consulate down South issued nearly 100; indicating India is gradually emerging as employment destination for the Americans as job opportunities in the US has increasingly been shrinking in past two years.

I saw this news on NDTV 24x7. The India-centric news channel is available in the US through DirecTV.

Indian writer nominated for top UK prize

I saw the coverage on NDTV 24x7 about Indians abroad. I like to stay abreast of latest happenings in India and India-centric news. So, to subscribe for NDTV 24x7 was a logical choice. News channels in US do not cover India-centric news extensively. Needless to say, Cricket and Bollywood are like UFOs, covered once in a few months.

Famous Indian writer Anita Nair has been included in the long list for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction, one of Britain's most prestigious awards in the literary circuit.

Nair's nominated book Mistress, is her third novel, one among the many which have been translated into over 25 languages.

The winner will receive a cheque for 30,000 pounds and a limited edition bronze known as a 'Bessie', created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven.

The Orange Broadband Prize, the UK's only annual book award for fiction written by a woman, is now in its 13th year.

I have subscribed for NDTV 24x7 through DirecTV, the best Satellite TV service provider in the US. It has got some nice packages for Indian channels. I think DirecTV is a must for Indians in the US. Here is the link for DirecTV:
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

Anand beats Mamedyarov in rapid game, maintains joint lead

My favorite chess player & World champion Viswanathan Anand thumped Shakhriayar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan to register his second straight rapid game victory in the second round of the Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament.

No channel shows a chess match live, I watched the news on NDTV 24x7, available in the US through DirecTV.

Anand continued excellent results with black pieces in the traditional yet unique event that has one blindfold and one rapid game in each round.

With nine rounds still to go, Anand is now sitting pretty at joint top in rapid along with Levon Aronian of Armenia on two points each after two wins with black pieces. They are followed by Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk on 1.5 points each.

I am sure Anand will comfortably win the chess tournament, I will be watching the news on NDTV 24x7 and keep posting.

Force India 9th & 17th in Practice2

The 2008 season of Formula1 has begun with Practice 1 & 2. McLaren looked strong in the 2nd Practice session but it was a Ferrari 1,2 in the 1st Practice.

Our very own Force India had a decent debut with Fisichella finishing 9th fastest but Adrian Sutil could only manage the 17th fastest lap. Fisichella was almost 2 seconds behind Hamilton's McLaren. A difference of 2 seconds is a lot but for a new team on the circuit it couldn't be better. I think Mallya's objective of finishing in the 1st 10 places is reasonable.

Fisichella looks promising sporting the Indian colours and I will be backing him besides Kimi Raikonnen, the defending champion.

The qualifying for the 1st race of F1 2008 is all set for Saturday till then I will be watching NDTV 24x7 for updates just as the news channel was the 1st one to break this news to me.

NDTV 24x7 is available in the US only through DirecTV. I will watch the news channel after Sunday's race as the race will be analyzed with Force-India as the focus.

Royal welcome awaits Team India

The victorious Indian team leaves airport in a bus for the hotel. Virender Sehwag leaves earlier in a personal vehicle. I was expecting a grand welcome just like the Twenty20 World Cup. Doesn’t matter, I am not in India to receive the victorious team but can atleast watch the coverage on NDTV 24×7 - my only source of India-centric news.

The battle has been won and the warriors are back.

NDTV got exclusive access to the Indian cricket team on their flight from Melbourne to Mumbai. NDTV 24×7 is a boon for Indias living in the US.

The exhausted players were catching up on some much needed sleep, after a grueling 84-day tour Down Under.

The Indian team was accorded little chance of winning the Commonwealth Bank Series. Australia was the bookies’ favourite for winning in the second final in Brisbane.

The new-age Indian team proved most pundits wrong, wrapping-up the series with a comfortable 2-0.

A lot of credit has rightfully gone to Captain M S Dhoni, considering his fearless team selection and the immense faith he displayed in the young side.

NDTV 24×7 is a must for Indians residing in the US. The incisive news channel is available in the US only through DirecTV. For more information visit the Squidoo Lens.

Dhoni sees positives despite loss

I missed the match between India & Australia where Australia posted a mammoth of a total and dismissed Indian top-order early in the innings. Surprisingly India's middle-order held on and the tail wagged to close in to the total. NDTV 24x7 as always provided me with an in-depth analysis of the match.

India captain MS Dhoni on Sunday said his side could have chased down the huge Australian total had the top order given a good start, though he was happy they gave a scare to their opponents by coming close to the target.

Dhoni admitted it was a case of so near yet so far but said he would take "a lot of positives" for his side from the loss."I think we can take lots of positives from the game even though we lost it. We never gave up for the run chase even after we had lost a couple of wickets early on"

I don't think I will have the time to watch the rest of the matches in the series but will definitely watch NDTV 24x7 for all the news related to cricket. The fantastic news channel is available in the US only through DirecTV.

Fifth national winter games begin at Gulmarg

The fifth national winter games got underway on Monday with the Jammu and Kashmir government promising a massive infrastructure revamp to bring this ski resort on the world sports map.

The torch of the Indian Olympic Association is burning bright in North Kashmir as the games return to India's northern most state for the third time.

About 500 athletes from all over the country are in Gulmarg from states as diverse as Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Kerela. The opening ceremony included a diving demonstration by the Air Devils of the Indian Air Force.At 9,000 feet above sea level and now with over five feet of snow on the ground, Gulmarg is an ideal venue for winter sports and officials believe this to be a very good omen for the games.

I wasn't in Gulmarg to witness the opening ceremony but I could watch the news coverage on NDTV 24x7. I prefer watching NDTV 24x7 as it provides up–to–the–minute, 24/7 news with unparalleled coverage of the latest in Indian and international news. The incisive channel is available in the US only through DirecTv.

Fisichella fastest among Force India drivers

Force India's lead driver Giancarlo Fisichella got up to competitive pace even as the times dropped sharply on the concluding day of the penultimate Formula One winter tests here.

Fisichella put in quicker laps Thursday than team mates Vitantonio Liuzzi (Tuesday) and Adrian Sutil (Wednesday) as he did 89 laps with a best of one minute, 20.669 seconds that placed him 11th overall among 16 drivers.

I am waiting for the F1 season to begin and watch Fisichella driving Force India. Till then NDTV 24x7 will update me with the latest happenings in the F1 circuit, Force India in particular.

NDTV is available in the US through DirecTv, here is the URL for DirecTV:
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

The Force

I saw the news on NDTV 24x7 about Force India rolling out its car for this year's 18 Formula1 races. Giancarlo Fisichell and Adrian Sutil will race the cars and Vitantoniio Liuzzi will be the test-driver.

Force India, India's entry in the 2008 Formula One World Championship, unveiled its car and team colours for the upcoming season, which begins in Melbourne on March 16.
Calling it a "red letter day in the history of Indian motorsport", Force India owner and liquor baron Vijay Mallya unveiled the new car and the team's three drivers dressed in the team colours of white, tungsten, gold and red at a ceremony at the historic Gateway of India in South Mumbai.

The car, called VJM01, is expected to have its first run during the next test session of the team to be held in Barcelona from February 25 to 27.

I prefer watching NDTV 24x7 as it is India’s most respected news channel and the news coverage is ‘to the point’ unlike other news channel where every news is a breaking news.

The experience only improves as I have subscribed to DirecTv.

There are absolutely no interruptions as DirecTV delivers a digital signal 99.9% of the time. I also ordered a high-speed Internet connection with the service.

The most important benefit is that my cable & internet bills have reduced.

So what do you think? Mallya wants a podium finish in the 1st race of the 2010 F1 season, Is it possible?

ArcelorMittal to finalise blueprint for India

India is emerging as a hot spot for almost everything. Tata introduced India's smallest car - NANO, Land Rover & Jaguar will come under the Indian umbrella, Vijay Mallya's Force India will race this year alongwith the likes of Ferrari and now..

World's biggest steel maker ArcelorMittal is formulating a 15-member team to finalise the blueprint for setting up the 12-million-tonne integrated plants in Jharkhand and Orissa at a cost of about Rs 80,000 crore. ArcelorMittal is said to have identified Torpa and Kamdara blocks in Khunti and Gumla districts of Jharkhand as prospective sites for its proposed plant.
The company would provide adequate employment to the people of the project sites besides providing indirect employment to thousands of locals in due course of time, he said. The designs of these plants envisage that the iron and steel making would be done through integrated blast furnace route.

ArcelorMittal is still expecting iron ore block for meeting its captive requirements from the state governments. However, the company along with GVK Power has been granted Seregarha Coal Block for generating power of about 750 Megawatts.

If you are an Indian living in the US (like me), you should immediately subscribe to DirecTv because:

• It is the best TV service provider in the US in all respects.
• NDTV 24x7 is the best Indian news channel.
• DirecTv is the sole provider of NDTV 24x7 in the US.

Here is the URL: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

Made in India brand has better credibility

I saw the coverage on NDTV 24x7 about how Indian brands, especially textile products are better than Chinese brands.

Indian textile products have a better brand credibility than Chinese products that are flooding the markets across the world, according to Indian Textiles Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela.

"It is no point comparing Chinese textile products with India's. The 'Made in India' brand has extremely good credibility across the world,"

The minister is leading a high-level delegation on a four-nation tour to promote Indian textile exports and attract foreign direct investment in the textiles industry. After visiting Istanbul, Athens and Cairo, the delegation reached this west Asian commercial hub on Saturday.

India cannot compete with Chinese textile products in terms of prices but so is the case with all other goods. But in all the markets the brand credibility of Indian products is much better than China's.

He, however, added that the appreciation of the rupee has hurt the textile industry in terms of exports and our exports fell last year.

The minister has invited investors in the United Arab Emirates to invest in India's textile sector.

I prefer watching NDTV 24x7 as it is India’s most respected news channel and it the news coverage is ‘to the point’ unlike other news channel where every news is a breaking news.

The experience only improves as I have subscribed to DirecTv.

There are absolutely no interruptions as DirecTV delivers a digital signal 99.9% of the time. I also ordered a high-speed Internet connection with the service.

Indian student in Oxford Union battle

I was watching an Indian News Channel (NDTV 24x7) through a US TV service provider (DirecTv) about an Indian student making headlines in the UK. Globalization.

An Indian student Krishna Omkar is in the news over his removal as President-elect from the famous Oxford Union debating Society at Oxford University.













Krishna has now decided to fight, for both his right to stand for election and his reputation that was tarnished by false allegations that his friends had sent offensive text messages to his opponent. He faces an appeal hearing next month.

Is this another case of Racism?

Mahatma Gandhi's ashes immersed

15th August, 1947, a date no Indian can forget. The Man who devoted his life for India's freedom can never be forgotten.

Sixty years after his assassination Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday. January 30 is marked as his death anniversary.

In August 2006 a Dubai-based businessman Bharat Narayan handed the ashes that had been with his parents since 1948 over to the Mani Bhavan.

They were then put on display, something the Gandhi family was uncomfortable with.

Everytime I watch NDTV 24x7 there something new that I learn. Be it commerce or sports or daily life. DirecTv is doing a great job of providing Indian channels in US

India, France give new impetus to strategic ties

I saw the coverage on NDTV 24*7 regarding the visit on French President Nicolas Sarkozy. NDTV is available in the US only through DirecTV.


India and France today signed five agreements, including one for cooperation in the field of nuclear research. The pacts were signed after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The agreement between French Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Atomic Energy was for constructing and operating Jules Hotowitz (JH) reactor.

The reactor will be built by the French Atomic Commission at Cadarache in France.

I prefer watching NDTV 24*7 as it is India’s most respected news channel and it the news coverage is ‘to the point’ unlike other news channel where every news is a breaking news.

The experience only improves as I have subscribed to DirecTv.

There’s no need to buy any costly equipments, I received installation of a 4-room DirecTV system alongwith the subscription.

There are absolutely no interruptions as DirecTV delivers a digital signal 99.9% of the time. I also ordered a high-speed Internet connection with the service.

The most important benefit is that my cable & internet bills have reduced.

Rough pitch: Is cricket under racism cloud?

I saw a Debate on whether cricket is under the racism cloud on NDTV 24*7. The game of cricket has been known as “a gentleman’s game” since time immemorial. But of late, it’s been plagued by various issues that have earned the game a bad reputation. According to a survey of “Cultural diversity and racism in Australian sport’ released by Australia’s Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), the menace of racial abuse is prevalent across the sporting world of Australia. It’s indeed a matter of grave concern that the world’s most ‘civilised’ game is fraught with racism and is also spilling over from the field to the crowds. Of late, the crowd behaviour of the cricket fans has also reflected dangerous trends vis-à-vis racism.

NDTV is available in the US through DirecTV.

Auto Expo 2008

When I was in India I never missed the Auto Expo Show. I lived in Mumbai but made sure I could be in Delhi during the greatest Auto Show in India. Last July I moved to California, US for further studies. The Auto Show was amazing, as my friends tell me. The new Tata Car was unveiled this year. Its good that I could view NDTV through Directv.

The coverage was fantastic on NDTV. The photographs, the reviews, the anchor everything was showcased well. Here is the link to NDTV's Videos >>> Auto Expo 2008