The first phase of bookings for the Rs. 1-lakh 'dream car' Tata Nano began on Thursday, April 9, with crowds thronging the Tata Motors showrooms, and specially-opened booking counters in banks, including State Bank of India, which is Tata Motors' key partner in selling and receiving the booking forms.

The forms, costing Rs. 300, are also available at Tata Indicom centres, Titan showrooms, Westside and Croma stores. The booking for the wonder car - which can also be done online - will close on April 25.

Fortis Healthcare has made announcement about the establishment of a separate block for the treating of cancer patients at its Noida Hospital.

The hospital said that it will make an investment of Rs 30 crore to set up this block.

Mr. Shivinder Mohan Singh, Fortis Healthcare Managing Director, said, “Fortis Noida is constructing a separate block for Oncology covering an area of 30,000 sq ft. This block is expected to be operational in third quarter of fiscal 2010.”

Heidelberg, Germany  - Heidelberg Cement, the indebted German building materials group, is seeking an infusion of 3 billion euros (4 billion dollars), the newspaper Financial Times Deutschland reported Thursday.

Quoting a "person familiar with the situation," it said the procedure to raise the money had begun. Heidelberg Cement had spoken with various potential new investors, but it was proving difficult to raise funds without ceding control.

With the promise of bringing along a totally new viewing experience for Indian subscribers, the direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast biggie, Sun Direct, Wednesday introduced its high-definition (HD) services. The company has worked into an arrangement with Korean chaebol Samsung, to cater for the supply of the set-top-boxes required for the newly-launched services.

In a move to expand its domestic footprint, Idea Cellular, one of the leading mobile service providers, has finally introduced its GSM mobile services in Orissa, covering over 2,200 towns and villages.

The company said, it has rolled outs its service in aim to provide the residents of Orissa superior mobile connectivity, offer whisper clear audio quality, zero call congestion and high capacity, ahead of time.

During launching ceremony, the company has announced an exclusive tariff offer for its subscribers in Orissa, which would be remains valid for next six months.

International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, plans to invest €135 million in Volkswagen India's plant in Pune.

Under the proposed deal, IFC will provide a loan of up to €60 million from its own account and a syndicated loan of up to €75 million.

It should be noted that Volkswagen India's has recently inaugurated its plant at Chakan. The facility which is being set up at a cost of €580 million has a capacity of 1.10 lakh units a year.