Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
One Dot Shopping: The Best International Business Websites: India
Culture & Background BBC News - Country Profile: India http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm
Description of India written from the famous British news agency’s perspective. The write-up contains the following sections: Overview, facts, leaders, media. Set apart from other sites because the tone is “newsy” in nature. The researcher will get more current and detailed news events at this site. *Seeing India from a British perspective separates this site from the others.
CIA – The World Factbook – India http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html
From the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Contains extensive information on countries. Includes the following: a map and related geographic/environmental information, key demographics, economic indicators, government/political situation, communication/transportation/military information, and latest issues. *easy to read, color map and flag. Updated December 2003
Country Commercial Guides – Customized Form http://www.foreigntrade.com/reference/ccg.cfm
Canadian B2B Portal Foreign Trade Online, presents “Country Commercial Guides: Create Your Own Market Research Reports.” The beauty of this site is not in its original content (it is provided by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Foreign and Commercial Service) but in the way you can search the content. Search for reports by country, then choose one economic indicator presented under the following broad areas: Economic Trends and Outlook, Trade Regulations & Standards, Investment Climate, General Information. *Some information dated back to 1998.
Doingbusiness – The World Bank Group http://rru.worldbank.org/DoingBusiness/
The World Bank’s customizable reports database containing information important when starting a business in a foreign country. The information contained is different from similar reports because it provides quantifiable measures to determine how a country is monitoring and enforcing business regulations. Economic indicators are offered for 130 countries on the following broad subject areas: starting a business, enforcing contracts, closing a business, hiring and firing workers, and getting credit. In addition, there are 5-10 page pdf files with step by step “how to” procedures on getting started with your business – example: “Starting a business – India” *database allows for comparing data of two countries against one other.
indiaserver.com http://www.indiaserver.com/biz/dbi/dbi.html
indiaserver.com is primarily used as a B2B directory, but has great business climate information located on the upper left column of this page under the “Business India” section. The sections include India Business Culture, Why Invest In India, Foreign Direct Investment In India, Investment Risks in India, Business Opportunities in India and Doing Business in India. The information is geared toward attracting foreign investors to India. *Useful site as it describes doing business in India from an Indian perspective. The other sites in this section are from a Western point of view.
Manas History and Politics of India http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/mainhist.html
An interesting take on the history and politics of India, with some subjective commentary included. This site does not provide information on the business climate. * A good academic source offering historical context. Great place to begin when researching the country.
Portals to the World – Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/asian/india/india.html
The Library of Congress’s gateway to other websites about India. Created and maintained by the Asian Division, Area Studies Directorate of the LC. Includes a link to the LC’s Country Study, which is similar to the World Factbook. Websites presented are organized into the following topics: Business, Commerce, Economy; Culture; Education; Embassies; Government; Politics; Law;
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Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
Health; History; Language and Literature; Media and Communications; Organizations; Recreation and Travel; Religion and Philosophy; Search Engines; *carefully chosen websites, all the links work. Updated September 2003.
U.S. Department of State: Background Notes http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3454.htm
Another U.S. – government sponsored information sheet about the general state of the country. Similar information to that of the CIA Factbook, with more emphasis on travel warnings, embassy contact numbers and developments related to regional/international conflicts. *information is detailed and carries a serious tone. Updated January 2004.
Economics & Trade Confederation of Indian Industry http://www.ciionline.org
A primary business association of India. It is non-profit has a direct membership of over 4800 companies and an indirect membership of over 50,000 companies. This website has a wealth of information on various economic issues. The left-hand navigation bar links to news, media, sectors, services, business fairs, conferences, corporate training, and international and social initiatives sections. *The Sector and Services sections are good for “quick and dirty” industry descriptions.
FICCI: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
The FICCI is an Indian trade organization founded Mahatma Gandhi in 1927, to garner support for India’s independence and to further the interests of the Indian business community. Membership includes over 500 Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations and Industry bodies.
a) http://www.bisnetindia.com/ficci/index1.htm (also choose “Portals” and “Useful Links” for additional websites)
General information on the India economy and hundreds of Indian Chambers of Commerce. Great for truly understanding India’s economy at the micro-level. *The “Portals” link will take you to great Indian business and economics websites; the “Useful Links” button presents a mega-list of governmental agencies.
b) http://www.bisnetworld.net/bisnet/index.htm The Business Information Services Network (“BISNET”) arm of the FICCI.
BISNET offers a wealth of Indian economic information: directories, economic trends, government policies, and much more. * “Profiles of Indian States” provides current, comprehensive information on each state in India.
India Trade Promotion Organisation http://www.indiatradepromotion.org
The ITPO is the agency of the Government of India that promotes external trade. Links to various economic activities and news are available. *Treat this as a secondary economic information source.
Indian Exporters Online http://www.indianexporters.com
The Internet version of the Indian Exporters' Guide. It is a great resource for locating information on ports, shipping companies, trade leads, products and companies. The source allows you to search on more than 29,000 of India's businesses from various industries. The product is also available in CD-Rom and print formats and is distributed to 45,000 identified international importers in 174 countries.
National Centre for Trade Information http://www.ncti-india.com/frmtf2.htm
A non-profit joint venture set up under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to be an institutional mechanism for collection and dissemination of trade data and improving information services to small and medium- sized businesses. Much of this information is available via a hierarchical payment structure, but some is free. Of this, useful information is accessible from links on the left side of the page. Country
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Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
Profiles, Member/Product Search, Trade Connect (a journal highlighting the latest Indian economics information) and a handy harmonized code chart are available.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) http://www.saarcnet.com/newsaarcnet/index.htm
Includes the seven countries of South Asia - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The organization aims to encourage economic and social development of its member states. Features include detailed country profiles of each member, in addition to government policy information, business directory, trade fair finder and other tools. *Source that offers Indian economic information within the context of other local countries.
U.S. Commercial Service-India http://www.buyusa.gov/india/en/
An export promotion agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce that supports the U.S. in their efforts to export and do business with India. The links provide resources for U.S. companies and conversely, resources for Indian companies. Particularly strong is the information about how each camp can find trade partners, business support and develop market reports.
Finance & Investing Bimaonline.com http://www.bimaonline.com/
Bimaonline is a vortal that provides information on insurance policies – “bimas” – via the web. The content is exhaustive with tools that are immediately organized by the “type” of consumer: individual, corporate or professional. The pages are clutter-free, and the interface aesthetically pleasing with lots of functional ways to search the content. Features include: *a search tool that comparing one company’s policy against a similar company’s policy * lists organized by type/number of people on a policy *“quick policy search” search engine allowing searching by company, then life/non-life *surveyor (insurance claims adjustor) search Site devoted to financial services including *“export insurance” – popular in a high-volume export country like India *premium calculator *active message board *educational tools such as insurance guides, insurance rules, broker regulations, and statistics on the Indian and global insurance industry
emecklai http://www.emecklai.com
This is a commercial site for a company that leverages risk for clients who invest in foreign markets. It contains high quality content that is specific to this subject area that is free Features include: *tools that forecast the value of the rupee and other currencies *charts showing the latest commercial rates (travelers checks, export credit, custom exchange, nri deposit) *section on hedging imports and exports *an education center to help with issues like foreign exchange, interest rates and currency
India Infoline http://www.indiainfoline.com/
Contains: stock search, charting, market research, world and local market indices, commodities trading IPOs, financial news, currency exchange rate, stock and mutual fund screeners, company analysis, market commentary, industry information, message boards, financial education, and large sections offering insurance, tax , loan and savings sections. India Infoline originated as print journal in 1995 that catered to the information needs of high-powered company executives and was reputed for its high quality research. In 1999 the company killed the hard copy journal and began providing the research online only Features include: *Layout is cluttered with advertising and unsophisticated, but navigation is fair *Research is high-quality and original
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Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
*Original features like “Leader Speak,” where local business professionals are highlighted *”Analyst Meet” provides in-depth reports on specific companies-information that is usually not free *Biz-End Line is a comprehensive glossary that helps demystify Indian business jargon *Rated “Best Asian Website” twice by Forbes
Moneycontrol.com http://www.moneycontrol.com
Contains: stock search, charting, market research, world and local market indices, commodities trading IPOs, financial news, currency exchange rate, stock and mutual fund screeners, company analysis, market commentary, industry information, message boards, financial education, and large sections offering insurance, tax , loan and savings sections. Moneycontrol has existed as an online financial portal for the past five years. It is owned by e-eighteen, the CNBC news channel 18. This relationship greatly influences the content of the site. Features include: *Lots of great search tools, calculators, screeners *Easy navigation *Planning Desk feature - an all-in-one financial planning section – is useful *Layout is clear, attractive *Attractive use of graphics *”Interview of the Day” is interesting *Trade Talk is a section devoted entirely to international trade *Moneycontrol’s “partners” advertise throughout the site
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MutualFundsIndia http://mutualfundsindia.com
The founding company of MutualFundsIndia is OnlineIndiaCapital.com Ltd. Started in 1999, it received venture capital from the Natural Venture Fund for Software and IT Industry. A credit rating agency associated with Moody’s is a major owner of the company. The site is wholly dedicated to mutual funds research. It is cluttered, but well-organized into relevant channels where one can easily navigate through using the top horizontal buttons. The content is rich with features and searchable in a variety of formats. Tools of particular interest include the ability to search “Top 5” (or 10) funds by rank, type, category and period; all of the tools available on the “Research” channel: fund fact sheet, fund portfolio, industry statistics, AMC snapshot, choose-a-scheme and fund manager; the “performance” section tools including “toppers and loggers” and “compare your fund” which allow for comparing your current fund against another similar one. In addition there are cool “extras” requiring (free) log-in: the investment club and portfolio tracker. *Rich with information, well–organized, and searchable in different ways; a tool that you can’t believe is free.
National Stock Exchange of India http://www.nse-india.com
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is India's leading stock exchange covering 366 cities and towns across the country. It was incorporated in November 1992 as a tax-paying company unlike other stock exchanges in the country. NSE has about 800 companies listed representing the length, breadth and diversity of the Indian economy which includes from hi-tech to heavy industry, software, refinery, public sector units, infrastructure, and financial services.
Securities and Exchange Board of India http://www.sebi.gov.in
Government Regulatory agency charged with protecting investors and maintaining the integrity of the Indian securities markets.
Sify finance http://sify.com/finance/
Contains: stock search, charting, market research, world and local market indices, commodities trading IPOs, financial news, currency exchange rate, stock and mutual fund screeners, company analysis, market commentary, industry information, message boards, financial education, and large sections offering insurance, tax , loan and savings sections. Sify is a general directory, like Yahoo!, that includes a finance channel. Described as “the first Indian Internet company to be listed on the NASDAQ,” sifycorp has been in business since 1995, and sells a host of other B2B services. Features include: *Busy layout with lots of advertising, yet sophisticated graphics
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Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
*”Rate this Feature” allows the user to offer feedback *Lots of various financial tools available *Functionality of tools not as deep, for example, 5-year retrospective charting is not available
The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (Bombay Stock Exchange) http://www.bseindia.com/
India's oldest and first stock exchange: Mumbai (Bombay) Stock Exchange. It is the oldest Asian stick exchange, established in 1875 with more than 6,000 stocks listed.
Yahoo! India Finance http://in.finance.yahoo.com/
Contains: stock search, charting, market research, world and local market indices, commodities trading IPOs, financial news, currency exchange rate, stock and mutual fund screeners, company analysis, market commentary, industry information, message boards, financial education, and large sections offering insurance, tax , loan and savings sections. A spin-off of the American web directory, this website offers similar information from a nearly identical layout. *Design clear, white space and graphics used effectively *Easy navigation *Lots of original content, limited “linking out” *Commodity descriptions very good *Free mobile accessibility *Lots of interaction tools: yahoo messenger, yahoo groups, chat/message boards *Uses Reuters and Business Week for much of business news
Government & NGO Census of India http://www.censusindia.net
This is the largest single source of statistics on the people of India. All of the 1991 and part of the 2001 decennial censuses are available online. Data on broad topics like housing, population, literacy, assets, mortality and employment are available. Specific and unusual data such as fuels used for cooking, and, material used for floors and walls, is also available. The site is easy to navigate around and sparse compared to the U.S. census website. The navigation bar on the left side of the page organizes the website into the following channels: Census Data, Data Products, 2001 Census, Maps, Vital Statistics, About Us, Email Us, Sister Sites. The 2001 Census information is duplicated on the right side of the page in a large pink box. The Census Data and 2001 Census buttons are where the data is mainly located. *The Census GIS: Generate Thematic Maps tool is useful for mentally tying together the geographic area with the data.
Department of Commerce, Government of India http://commerce.nic.in
This Department is responsible for the country’s external trade and all matters connected with it, such as commercial relations with other countries, state trading, export promotional measures and the development and regulation of certain export oriented industries and commodities. The Department of Commerce formulates policies in the sphere of foreign trade, in particular, the import and export policy of the country. *Reports, policies, agreements, updates and other documents available.
Directory of Indian Government Websites http://goidirectory.nic.in/
A portal to Indian government websites at all levels and sectors. Includes information on executive, legislative, judicial and individual state governments; websites of the banks, financial institutions and securities/exchanges.
India Image http://indiaimage.nic.in ISI India Statistical offices list http://www.cbs.nl/ISI/statsoc/india.htm
A non-government website that is a “gateway to government information on the web.”
A short directory-type list of Indian statistical agencies with contact information.
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Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
Ministry of Commerce and Industry: Department of Industry, Policy and Promotion http://dipp.nic.in
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is responsible for the formulation and administration of industrial policy. The Department also handles the development of a number of specific industries. It reviews trends in industrial production and promotes industrial development through measures such as encouragement of infrastructure development, modernization and technology upgrading, improvement in international competitiveness of Indian Industry, etc *The majority of the content deals with policy, but there is also some helpful industry research. Look at the links under “Profile of Industries Under the Jurisdiction of DIPP” for great industry reports.
Ministry of External Affairs http://meaindia.nic.in
This is the “public relations arm” of the Indian government. It is useful for the researcher who wants to know how India wants to “be seen” by the outside world. *MEA publications and bilateral treaties are available from the “Library” link. Publications, like the glossy “India Perspectives,” may be found under the “Publications” link from the home page.
Ministry of Finance http://finmin.nic.in
The financial and accounting arm of the Indian government. *Look under the Statistics and Data section of the homepage for the National Summary Data Page NSDP), Economic Survey Monthly Economic, Central Government Borrowings Report, International Reports on India.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation http://mospi.nic.in/
Provides statistics from various offices of the government. The mission of the department is to “plan integrated development of the statistical system in the country.” It includes data from various branches including The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) which carries out socio-economic surveys, undertakes field work for the Annual Survey of Industries and follow-up surveys of Economic Census and the Survey Design and Research Design, which plans and formulates surveys and consults with government offices as to how to implement surveys.
Office of the Economic Advisor http://eaindustry.nic.in
Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA) is branch of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The main functions are to formulation of industrial policies and the effect of trade policies on them, analyze macro-economic aggregates, examine general economic issues, recommend taxes on industrial products and compile wholesale prices and the “Handbook of Industrial Prices and Statistics.” *This website is richer in data than its overarching office. It contains a “monthly economic scenario report” available from a link on the homepage that has rich data on economic indicators of India. Also, there is a tool that allows for searching wholesale prices by commodity.
The World Bank in India http://www.worldbank.org.in
This source is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge to support governments of member countries in their efforts to invest in schools and health centers, provide water and electricity, fight disease and protect the environment. The World Bank is an international organization owned by the 184 countriesboth developed and developingthat are its members. *Contains a wealth of free economic and demographic information on India, as well as “latest issues” like an article about Indian women striving to reach job parity with men.”
Other Websites B2B & Directories trade-india.com http://www.trade-india.com Indiamart http://www.indiamart.com indiaserver.com http://business.indiaserver.com/biz.html The Great Indian Bazaar http://www.infobanc.com Indian Yellow Pages http://www.indianyellowpages.com indiaTradeZone http://www.indiatradezone.com
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Jen Venable SLA 2004 jenvenjen@yahoo.com
indiafinlinks.com http://www.indiafinlinks.com investmentmap.com http://www.investmentmap.com Telephone Directories on the Web: Asia and Middle East: India http://www.infobel.com/teldir/teldir.asp?page=%2Feng%2Fasia%2Fin India Yellow Pages Net http://www.indiayellowpagesnet.com India Business Directory http://www.webindia.com/india.html India World http://www.indiaworld.com Business News
Business Line (The Hindu) http://www.hinduonnet.com/bline/ The Economic Times (India Times) http://economictimes.indiatimes.com Businessworld http://www.businessworldindia.com The Financial Express http://www.financialexpress.com The Economist-India Country Briefings http://www.economist.com/countries/India/ Business Standard http://www.business-standard.com Banks
The HongKong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd., (HSBC) - http://www.in.hsbc.com/in a commercial bank The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India - http://www.icicibank.com (ICICI Bank)-India’s second largest bank. Indian Bank - http://www.indian-bank.com - a bank based in Chennai IndusInd Bank Ltd. - http://www.indusind.com – a leading private sector banking company Industrial Development Bank of India, IDBI - http://www.idbi.com – offers WAP banking, EMI calculator, NRI services, loans, trade finance, forex, promoting industrial and financial growth, entrepreneurship, etc. Industrial Investment Bank of India Ltd. IIBI - http://www.iibiltd.com/ -a an “all-India” public financial institution headquartered in Calcutta (Kolkata) Oriental Bank of Commerce - http://www.obcindia.com – a nationalized bank offering merchant banking, NRI services, rural banking Punjab National Bank (PNB) - http://www.pnbindia.com – offers NRI services, safety lockers, traveler's checks, ATM & telephone banking Reserve Bank of India - http://www.rbi.org.in – a Reserve Bank of India; it is India's central bank. Government financial statistics are available at this website. Standard Chartered - http://www.standardchartered.com - offers personal banking, credit cards, corporate banking & treasury services State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur - http://www.sbbjbank.com – offers performance highlights, international banking, mutual fund assistance & services State Bank of India - http://www.statebankofindia.com - a nationalized bank with rural banking, credit cards, loans & deposit schemes The South Indian Bank Ltd. http://www.southindianbank.com UCO Bank - http://www.ucobank.com – a public sector bank UTI Bank - http://www.utibank.com – offers bank profile, activities, news, financials, promoters etc. Union Bank of India (UBI) - http://www.unionbankofindia.com Vijaya Bank - http://www.vijayabank.com official – offers bank profile and services
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