Tata, Bajaj's small cars, Infosys and Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas

THE WEEK AHEAD

It will be an action-packed week with the highlights being the auto show (where Tata's Rs 1-lakh-car will be on display), the Infosys results, and the annual mela of overseas Indians dubbed the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas.

Internationally, the latest gadgetry will be on display at the Consumer Electronic Show at Las Vegas, beginning Monday, where Microsoft's Bill Gates, Intel's Paul Otellini, FCC chairman Kevin Martin, Qualcomm's Paul Jacobs and Nicholas Negroponte of the one-laptop-per-child fame, could make some important announcements on future tech. Here is a quick round-up of the key events during the week.

Monday, January 7
PRE-BUDGET ACTION: Finance Minister P Chidambaram begins pre-budget consultations on this first Monday of the year. He will begin with the sector he focuses on at the beginning of his budget speech "" agriculture.

A three-day real estate convention organised by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) begins in Delhi.

Participants include Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy and Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja.

Tuesday, January 8
DIASPORA: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the high profile annual NRI festival "" Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas "" in Delhi.

The announcements likely to be made during the event include the launch of an India Development Fund to help channel NRI philanthropic capital into India as well as a helpline for overseas workers. The chief guest for the event is the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

Wednesday, January 9
TELECOM: The Telecom Disputes Panel (TDSAT) is slated to hear the petition filed by cellular operators using GSM technology questioning the government's approval to CDMA mobile operators like Reliance Communications to offer GSM mobile services under what is being called "cross-over policy".

Finance Minister P Chidambaram will launch former disinvestment secretary Pradip Baijal's book, Disinvestment In India: I Lose and You Gain.

Institute of Company Secretaries' organises "Vision India 2020" symposium which will be attended by former President APJ Abdul Kalam and Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Thursday, January 10
Rs 1-LAKH CAR: Tata's Rs 100,000 car "" the world's lowest priced car "" is set to be unveiled at the Auto Expo in New Delhi which runs from January 10 to 17. Bajaj Auto will also showcase its small car, priced at around Rs 1.17 lakh.

Global summit on Management Accounting, organised by the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India begins at New Delhi.

Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) releases report on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act in Delhi

Friday, January 11
INFY RESULT: IT industry bellwether Infosys to announce its October to December numbers in Bangalore.

The company had projected a consolidated income of Rs 4,238 crore to Rs 4,258 crore during the quarter (year-on-year growth of 16 to 16.5 per cent) and earning per share Rs 20.11 (year-on-year growth of 14 per cent), assuming the rupee at 39.50 to the dollar.

Initial Public Offer (IPO) of Kishore Biyani's Future Capital Holdings opens for subscription. The company expects to raise up to Rs 490 crore, for which it has fixed a price band of Rs 700-765 a share.

Ficci, CII and Assocham organise a joint meeting with the visiting Prime Minister of Greece Costas Karamanlis. Commerce Minister Kamal Nath will also address the meet.