Celebrity

About two and half years back, I wrote quite a controversial piece on marriages in India. The point I was trying to put across was, there are a few crucial things that you need to know about your partner before you get hitched, tie the knot, say ‘I do’… you know, the works.

In a country where arranged marriages are prevalent, how much does one really know about a prospective bride or groom before taking such a major decision? And keeping that in mind, love marriages are no better. I have heard of so many shocking stories about how new brides/husbands are jolted out of their happily-ever-afters, with revelations they never had a clue about; even if they have dated their husbands/wives, sometimes for years.

What is the solution to this problem? After interviewing many married couples, dating couples and singles at that time, I came up with 35 intimate questions you need to know about your would-be, before saying the all-important “yes”.

Now, make no mistake, I am not asking you to tie your would-be up in a chair, splash cold water over him/her and torture him/her until you get your answers. But, isn’t it always good to know as much as you can about who you are going to spend your life with, so that you don’t get rude shocks later in life?

How about if you can’t ask? Get someone close to you to find out. My only point is, find out now, before it is too late.

Here are some excerpts from that piece. I have picked 10 important things to know before saying ‘I do’. To read the entire story, click: 35 INTIMATE questions to ask your would-be!

For the sake of money:

1. What is his/her monthly in-hand income?
2. Any personal loans that he/she is paying off?
3. On a home loan? How many more years does he/she have to pay off the installments?
4. Is he/she okay if you have a separate bank account?

Okay so far? Moving on. What about the following career issues?

5. How many jobs has he/she switched till date? Any particular reasons for doing so?
6. If he/she gets a job overseas, will he/she take it? What if it doesn’t offer a family status?

Now comes the tricky part. Could these health queries make or break a marriage?

7. Will he/she take an HIV test with your family doctor?

… and these behavioural pointers:

8. Does he/she get violent when angry?

Here’s another tricky part, sexual preferences. Not THAT necessary, but useful, nonetheless:

9. Is he/she into deviant sexual practices?

And last but not the least, these social queries will give you a better idea about your future life with him/her:

10. Are the both of you going to live with the parents or separately?

As a footnote, I would like to add, I had written this piece on a site dedicated to women; so it is like a finger pointed at men/prospective grooms. But in this day and age, it is imperative for both prospective partners to know as much as they can about their partners.

Do you think these topics are way too much? How would you proceed to find out these answers? Do you have questions of your own? Or have an experience you would like to share? Do read the entire story and leave your comments here.

Despite putting in a number of years at an organisation and holding on to your job when others quit, you have been passed over for promotion. Should you ask for a bigger role and a raise? What’s the best way to go about it?

Most of us try to avoid asking for a promotion or raise. But it’s worth mustering the courage; the rewards are worth it. But before you present your case, here are a few questions you ought to ask yourself…

Does your performance speak for itself?
If the answer is yes, you have a chance. Present all your achievements since you started working in the organisation. Showcase how these achievements are noteworthy and need recognition in the form of a promotion and raise. The best time to ask is immediately after a recent major achievement, where you have displayed exemplary behaviour (cost cutting, clinching a major account, process improvement or improved productivity). But remember that your past performance, ability to perform under pressure and meet tight deadlines also enhances your chances for a promotion.

Are you ready to take on additional responsibilities?
Promotion means additional responsibilities. The expectation levels will also increase the moment you move to the next level. What was exceptional performance in the last role would be considered average in the new role. As you move ahead in your career, remember that there is no scope for complacency.

Is there a position that you can fill in?
Companies do not offer promotions merely to satisfy employees. There must be a vacancy available. Organisations do not create positions to fulfil your desires. Even if they do so, within a couple of months you will realise that you are still stuck doing the same old routine tasks. However, if you have been creating value additions, been efficient and well informed, there is a possibility of you being given an opportunity to do something different, where you create something from scratch, perhaps even a new department. This is your true test of performance, potential and perseverance.

How to raise the topic?
Be very sure of what you want, why you want it and what makes you fit for the role. Do not show dissatisfaction at your current state of affairs. Present a positive picture by mentioning that you wish to contribute more towards the organisation’s growth. Presentation with valid, relevant data would make your boss realise your potential. Perceived potential for growth matters a lot. Keep statistics handy during the discussion; showcase your contribution and achievements.

Not getting the deserved raise
You have worked hard and feel the raise you have got does not match your investment in the firm. Will the threat to quit, work? This is common in many organisations. But, it’s unethical and has a very slim chance of working.

Scientists at the University of Missouri may have finally cracked the code to realistic tasting fake chicken with the first soy product.

Lots of meat substitutes are on the market right now, such as the ever-popular Tofurky. But there isn’t one that tastes like chicken or, more importantly to these researchers, has the texture of real meat.

Fu-Hung Hsieh, a professor of biological engineering and food science at MU, and colleagues have now created the first soy product that can be flavoured to taste like chicken, but also breaks apart in your mouth the way chicken does.

The fake meat is made by mixing up a batter of soy protein, wheat flour and water, and then pushing the batter through a high-heat extruder.

Hsieh said that the mixture firms up and develops a stringy, chicken-like texture.

Although the team hasn’t perfected the taste yet, the texture seems to be right on.

“But the way the meat broke across my teeth felt exactly how boneless chicken breast does,” Discovery News quoted Time Magazine’s John Cloud, who visited the laboratory where the soy-chicken is being made, as saying.

“It was slightly fibrous but not fatty. The soy wasn’t mashed together as in a veggie burger; rather, it was more idiosyncratic, uneven, al dente-in other words, meatlike,” he added.

The research has been published in the Journal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry, Journal of Food Science, and Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society.

With 3G services set to drive the consumption of mobile games content, the size of mobile gaming market may multiply by at least six times in next three years to reach Rs 1,500 crore or nearly 13% of the overall mobile VAS market in the country. Currently, the mobile gaming market is just about 3% of the overall mobile value-added services market.

This will be possible as the 3G roll out will push the current 50 million active users of mobile games by 300% to 200 million active users of high-speed data and value added services, says Nitish Mittersain, chairman, Mobile VAS Committee, Indian Merchant Chambers and CEO of Nazara Technologies.

Experts say larger bandwidth, faster download speeds of 3G coupled with rich featured devices having faster processor, larger screen size and more memory will result in an enhanced mobile entertainment experience for 3G users. “One of the biggest segments of VAS to gain will be mobile gaming with an increase in time spent on each game between 3 to 4 times for an average user,” Mittersain told FE. According to Salil Bhargava, CEO, Jump Games, the arrival of mobile 3G will increase the uptake of mobile internet based games. “Gaming will become more persistent. Going forward, features like in-game micro-transactions will also help increase the gameplay longevity and keep the user hooked to the game,” Bhargava said.

Indian mobile handset manufacturing companies are also gearing up to meet the demand for 3G handers. “Zen Mobiles is planning to come up with 3G enabled handsets in next three months to tap the potential in this segment. We see a huge growth in the respective segment and our R&D team is already working on the product development”, commented Deepesh Gupta, MD, Zen Mobile.

According to global research company Frost & Sullivan, the mobile VAS market in India will be over Rs 5,400 crore by the end of this year and over Rs 12,000 crore by the end of 2015 with 3G services playing a crucial role. The local mobile gaming firms are now looking to invest over Rs 150 crore in next six months to gear up for the challenges thrown open by the 3G services. Operators have already started testing compelling mobile gaming content. Nazara Technologies recently introduced famous comic strip Archie in regional languages. “We are catering to the regional markets and at the same time adding value to the comic’s portfolio by bringing their much-loved Archie comics out in regional languages. More challenging games will come up after 3G rollout,” Mittersain said.

This fortnight has been witness to rising tension between privacy watchdogs and some of the top Internet businesses. The social-networking giant Facebook has been chastised for making users’ information public by default. A revolt over its privacy settings has been brewing for sometime now. But it gained steam last month after the giant announced its new feature called ‘instant personalisation’ that allows third-party Web sites to piggyback on Facebook users’ data.

Facebook has faced criticism on its privacy policy from US senators, the EU and civil liberty groups. Critics state that navigating the policy is an extremely complex process. The current version has 50 different settings and 170 options, besides being tweaked often. Written in 5,830 words, it is longer than the US Constitution! The social-networking giant will roll out simpler privacy settings for all its users, starting May 26. What remains to be seen is if these changed settings will help reduce the risk of mass ‘Facebook suicides’. In another incident on May 21, Google was criticised for inadvertently collecting data from unsecure Wi-Fi networks as part of its ‘Street View’ project. The company apologised and promised that it would appoint an independent panel to review this fiasco.

The latest social media uproar surfaced on Monday, when Twitter modified its ad policy on third-party apps. More than a month after unveiling its own advertising system ‘Promoted Tweets’, the micro-blogging service announced that third-party companies will no longer be allowed to run ads directly in tweets.

Twitter’s ban isn’t surprising as it comes at a time when the company is making concerted attempts to up its market share. This will be a good decision for many users who are usually left puzzled by the incessant ads in their feeds, but will endanger several third-party companies that have developed their business empires using Twitter’s infrastructure. As privacy becomes increasingly important for Internet socialites, the need to incorporate it into one’s brand also inflates. Twitter’s revelation is a pragmatic measure, besides being a recognition of the need to evolve a sustainable revenue model.

Dr Mark Gasson, a cybernetics expert at the University of Reading, has become the first human to be infected with a computer virus.

Gasson has had a computer chip implanted in his hand which is programmed to open security doors to his lab. The chip also ensures that only he is able to switch on and use his mobile phone.

But the British boffin deliberately infected the chip with a computer virus. It was then automatically transmitted to affect to the lab security system.

“Once the system is infected, anybody accessing the building with their passcard would be infected too,” he told Sky News.

The virus on his chip is benign. But malicious computer code could give criminals access to a building.

Good news for women who want to perk up the action in their bedroom-the Food and Drug Administration committee is thinking of endorsing the first pill designed to do for women what Viagra does for men-boost their sex lives.

A German pharmaceutical giant wants to sell a drug with the decidedly unsexy name “flibanserin,” which has shown prowess for sparking a woman’s sexual desire by fiddling with her brain chemicals.

The FDA’s Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee will meet on June 18 to consider the request.

But the prospect of the drug’s approval has already triggered debate over whether the medication, like others in the pipeline, represents a long-sought step toward equity for women’s health or the latest example of the pharmaceutical industry fabricating a questionable disorder to sell unnecessary and potentially dangerous drugs.

“Achieving a happy and healthy sex life can be a real and important problem for some women. But we have lots of questions about the ‘pink Viagra,’” the Washington Post quoted Amy Allina of the National Women’s Health Network, a Washington-based advocacy group, as saying.

Viagra’s catapult to blockbuster status after its 1998 approval set off a flurry of interest in me-too medications for women.

However, drugmaker Pfizer’s hopes that its “little blue pill” would also ignite female libido fizzled, making it clear that a woman’s sexuality is more complicated than a man’s.

But, Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim is optimistic that flibanserin is on the verge of becoming the first prescription medication to tap what some have estimated could be a 2 billion dollar market in the United States alone.

“We believe women deserve options and we’re hoping flibanserin may represent a safe and effective option for many women,” said Michael Sand, who heads the company’s clinical research on flibanserin.

Scientists found that flibanserin, developed as an antidepressant, was ineffective for treatment of depression.

But the drug appeared to produce an unexpected side effect: boosting women’s libido.

This prompted the company to study it for hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD, an otherwise unexplained loss of sexual thoughts, fantasies and desire that can cause significant emotional distress.

Some research suggests 10 percent of women may suffer from HSDD.

“It’s not that they are averse to sex. It’s just that they don’t care about it. They just stop thinking about it. It’s like a switch has been flipped. It’s a loss for them. They miss it. And they want it back,” said Anita H. Clayton, a professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia who has studied the drug for the company.

The woman in your life may give you her heart, soul and, of course, her body, but still there’s a part of her being that she’ll never share with you … stuff that makes her a mystery .

Yes, your woman is a den of mysteries hinted to you in her sly smile, enigmatic laughter or that sudden silence. She just pretends to be one, but is never an open book to you. Her deepest secrets are what add to her charm … but render you an outsider in her own ‘Secret Garden’. Secrets of her unshared yearnings, cherished fantasies or for that matter, a secret lover from the past …

Here’s a peep into those hidden secrets … dig into them at your own risk!

- I might just hate it when you sleep in that office shirt, but when you are away, I love to snuggle up in your shirt because it smells of you.

- Though I insist on paying the bill or sharing it in our initial dates, I’ll find you cheap and so non-chivalrous in case you don’t insist on making the payment.

- Long before we explored each other’s bodies, I had been fantasizing about being with you. That inhibition was only to get assured that you are all mine.

- I do think about my ex-es and compare them to you. Mostly you win, but you are not all perfect.

- ‘I don’t care you call or not’ is pure pretence. In fact, I start waiting for your next call the moment one ends. Not just this, I eagerly want you to plan our next date even before the current one ends. I might not show it. So, don’t fret about looking desperate just call! The gap looks like a lifetime to me.

- During the initial days of our relationship, I used to save all our chat histories and your SMSes and read them again and again. Sometimes, made my friends read them, too.

- The day you shared your password with me, digging into your chat records and mails was the first thing I did.

- I would love to know what turns you on. Though, I know it’s going to be hilarious as I’ve seen your frequently-visited porn sites.

- You don’t have to be a ‘good boy’ with me all the time. I don’t mind talking a little dirty.

- You are my soul mate, but my ‘best friend’ is my confidante. From the size of your pay cheque, bank account to the size of your other assets…she knows it all. So, till you are telling her how much you love me all’s fine. Remember she’s my best friend and never yours.

- You rightly blame me for bombarding you with so many questions. But, that’s my way of testing you. I judge and analyse you on every word, expression, action, e-mail or SMS you write to me or someone else. So, when I ask “Do you fantasize about other women?,” the answer has to be “Why would I when I am with you?” So, better watch out!

- I love to make you a little jealous as it makes me feel wanted. So the next time you spot me flirting with your friend, know that I’m actually flirting with you through her.

- Every time I fight with you is because I feel ignored. Don’t get into your cocoon when I’m bad. Just give me what I’m fighting for – a little attention and I’ll be all yours.

- I love to get constant reminders of the much known fact that – you need me. So, what’s the harm in dropping liners saying ‘You complete me’ or ‘Don’t ever leave me alone’ … ?

- Last but not the least, irrespective of how independent and self-driven I am, how ever much I may say that I don’t need a man to be happy, but still I want you to take charge when we are in bed.

Few things flummox many people more than computers. Confusion ranges from the most basic ‘Do I left-click, right-click or double-click?’ to the much more complex ‘Help, I think someone’s stolen my data.’

The former can be sorted out with some practice. But the latter is scary. The bad guys on the Internet have got smarter and deadlier, making security everyone’s top priority.

Operating systems release critical updates on a regular basis to keep your systems safe and all browsers worth their salt offer built-in anti phishing tools. But unfortunately, there are any number of myths floating around about keeping yourself safe in cyberspace. Let’s bust some of them.

1. I have an anti-virus so nothing can harm me This is probably the single biggest myth about protecting yourself online. Most people think that as long as they have their virus-busting software in place, they can go on a mad clicking-spree all over the Web.

“A lot of people think that they are protected as they get an anti-virus program bundled with their computers,” says Shantanu Ghosh, vice president of India product operations, Symantec, makers of the anti-virus suite, Norton.

“What they don’t realise, however, is that unlike regular programs like word processors and media players, anti-virus programs need to be constantly updated.” When Rujuta Phalke, a Mumbai professional lost some critical documents on her laptop to a virus-strike, she was astounded.

“I had been running an anti-virus program for years!” she says. “And I didn’t even have a backup of my documents – I thought I was safe.” Think of an anti-virus like a law-enforcement agency.

Much like an intelligence agency needs a constant stream of information to be on the top of new and emerging threats, an anti-virus program needs new ‘virus definitions’ to protect your computer against the latest viruses.

Most anti-virus makers release these updates on a daily basis. Typically, most of the anti-virus software comes with subscription, which you need to renew every year or so. If you don’t renew it (or forget to renew it), you won’t get the latest virus definitions and will not be protected against newer viruses.

Phalke, it turned out, had never renewed her subscription. “I just didn’t know!” she says. Paid anti-virus products offer well-rounded protection, but if you would rather save some cash, there are plenty of excellent, free alternatives that offer solid basic protection, such as Microsoft Security Essentials (www.microsoft.com/ Security_Essentials), Avira AntiVir Personal (www.free-av.com) and AVG Free (free.avg.com).

2. What’s on my PC that a hacker would want? This is exactly what Sharan Sharma, a businessman from Delhi, thought when he set up a computer at home for his son to play games on and browse the Web with. “I don’t know how it got infected,” he says.

“All I know is that after I once used my credit card to buy a new game for my son online, multiple charges started appearing on my credit card statements every month. Fortunately, the amounts were not very big and once I notified my credit card company, they were able to take care of it. It was scary.”

“Malware (software that is potentially dangerous) is sophisticated these days,” says Shantanu Ghosh. Even if a single piece gets onto your computer, it will not only look at what information you keep on your hard disk (credit card details, passwords, etc), but will also know when you are visiting banking and shopping sites.

“The malware will then proceed to systematically log each keystroke and send your vital information to its makers. So you are basically at the mercy of whoever wrote the malware,” he adds.

There’s an even scarier possibility. A hacker might take over your computer and turn it into a ‘bot’. This means your system will then be a part of a larger, worldwide network of bots known as a ‘botnet’ and will be used to perform a host of illegal activities – sending out spam, attacking well-known websites and scamming online shoppers – even as you play games and watch movies, blissfully unaware.

The solution? “Besides keeping your anti-virus up-to-date, use a firewall and make sure you keep your operating system updated with the critical patches that are released,” advises Ghosh.

3. My friend sent me a link, surely that’s fine? Social networking sites are the places to share anything and everything these days. Your photos, music, blog-posts and stuff on the Web that you find interesting – you want to share it, you put it in your Facebook, Twitter or Google Buzz feeds where they rachet up hundreds of clicks from your contacts.

This also makes them the best places for the bad guys to plant fake links that lead you to malicious websites. And because email addresses can be easily ‘spoofed’ by hackers, you can’t assume that an email from Facebook or Twitter is really from those sites.

Unlike the early days, Malware now uses the trusted identities of your friends in order to lull you into a false sense of safety. “Use your common sense,” says Rajiv Popli, consumer and online director for Windows, Microsoft.

“If it doesn’t sound like something your friend would say, be extremely wary. If you’re unsure, try to contact them through another channel and see if the link is legit. You can no longer simply assume that because someone you know posted a link, it’s automatically safe.”

Your best defence against malicious links is to make sure that you are using the latest version of your web browser. “All the latest browsers offer stringent safety measures when it comes to malicious links,” says Popli.

“This includes anti-spam and anti-phishing technologies and services that will scan links for you even before you visit them. Since we launched the latest version of our browser, we have blocked over 125 million malicious websites.”

Companies regularly plug security holes in their web browsers (and improve performance), so make sure you’re using the latest versions – Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3.6.3, Apple Safari 4.0.5, Google Chrome 5.0.360.0 and Opera 10.52 at the time of this writing.

4. I only visit legitimate websites. Isn’t that ok? In September last year, visitors going to the New York Times website found themselves bombarded with flashy pop-ups that claimed their systems were infected with viruses. The ruse was designed to scare people into buying a clean-up utility of little or no value.

The website fixed the problem and issued a warning on its front page saying that the pop-ups were the result of an ‘unauthorised advertisement’.

“Typically, the banner ads that you see on websites (legitimate or otherwise) are not being served by the website owners themselves,” explains Ghosh. “Instead, the ads themselves are syndicated through other channels. If these channels are somehow compromised, an attacker can easily insert malicious code in the ads. Since the website has no control over what ads it displays, all hell can break loose!”

Using the latest browsers is the first step to prevent this issue. But experts say that a far more effective solution would be to use an advertisement and pop-up blocker like the free Adblock Plus program, available for Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox (download it from www.adblockplus.org).

5. I use a Mac. That’s why I’m totally safe And finally, we come to the most exalted excuse touted by Apple fanatics across the world as the primary reason to get yourself a Mac. “You don’t need that anti-virus nonsense on a Mac,” some will say.

“Macs are inherently secure by nature,” others will claim. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Mac fans, but you’re not much better off than your Windows counterparts. While it’s true that Mac users are less targeted than Windows users, they are not immune to malware, despite what those commercials may say.

Says Ghosh: “Mac users were relatively safe till now as the Mac had negligible market share. But as Macs are becoming more and more popular, new chinks are being discovered in their armour everyday.”

Since hackers generally focus their energies on the most popular platform, they have mostly targeted Windows users till now (about 92 per cent of all computers in the world use Windows).

“Operating systems like Windows and Snow Leopard (what the Mac uses) are complex things and no one can guarantee that that they are loophole-free,” says Popli.

The only way to really be sure that you’re protected against these malicious programs is to run anti-malware software on your Mac, but most Mac users won’t do so, preferring to take their chances since their risk is lower.

As with Microsoft, Apple too patches its systems on a regular basis, so Mac users need to make sure they are up-to-date. Safe start Here’s a list of things all computer users MUST DO, no matter what: Get Real Use a genuine operating system: Yes, we know that buying an original copy of Windows (or any other OS) is not exactly cheap, but chances are high that the 50-rupee-DVD-in-a-plastic-sachet you picked up from a roadside vendor is choc-a-bloc with worms, viruses and all kinds of nasties.

Air Lock Secure your Wi-Fi network: Finally ditching the wires at home? Congratulations! Just make sure you take some time out to dig into the settings and secure your network with a password. (Preferably one that is not your name, your pet’s name, your child’s name or worse, your cell phone number!)

Bad Candy Go easy on the free stuff: Imagine you’re a kid in a candy store who has just been offered a lifetime’s supply of free candy. That’s exactly what happens when you figure out how to download free music, movies and games from popular Bittorrent websites. Not all candy is good for you though – after the sugar rush comes the viruses.

The first computer virus was created in 1982 by Rich Skrenta, a 15-year-old boy in Pennsylvania, US, who named it the “Elk Cloner”.

Skrenta put the virus on his school’s Apple II computer from where it spread to his friends’ floppy disks and displayed his poetry every time they loaded their floppies!

Bajaj’s ultra-low cost car being manufactured jointly with Renault and Nissan promises to give hot chase to the Tata Nano. On Monday, Rajiv Bajaj (BAJAJAUTO.NS : 2101.05 0), MD, Bajaj Auto confirmed the $2,500 (Rs 1.1 lakh) price tag for the car, announced first by Renault chairman & CEO Carlos Ghosn at the company’s shareholders’ meet late last week. The Renault announcement comes a few days after it pulled out of its loss-making Logan venture with Mahindra & Mahindra.

The Bajaj car will be cheaper than the Nano, which comes at Rs 1.23 lakh-1.72 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi ). After the launch of Tata Nano, the race for the No.2 position in the ultra-low cost car segment is under way in India , which as emerged as the Mecca of this segment. However, other automakers’ plans to enter this segment are still on the drawing board.

At Renault meeting, Ghosn said: “In India , Renault and Nissan are developing an ultra-low-cost vehicle with the Bajaj group, benefiting from its expertise in light vehicles and knowledge of the Indian market.” He reiterated the affordability of the vehicle for the Indian market by citing the targeted low price tag.

“We are combining our strengths with Nissan, notably in India , Russia , Brazil and Mexico ,” Ghosn said. “The alliance product strategy has been finalised in India and Russia , and Renault and Nissan will pool their production capacities and platforms there to fully deliver on these developments,” he added.

The car was initially scheduled to hit the market this year, but has been postponed to 2012. Bajaj Auto displayed the prototype of the small car at the 2008 Auto Expo. However, the three partners were stuck at various levels of branding and engineering the car till last year. According to industry observers, the project also got delayed as partners were stuck on pricing issues as well. While Renault wanted a low-cost car, Bajaj was keen on a car that would sport high mileage and low maintenance.

It was during his India visit that Ghosn finally announced the finalisation of the project. “As per the agreement, the design, engineering, sourcing and manufacturing will be handled by Bajaj Auto, while marketing and selling will be (done) by Renault-Nissan Alliance,” he said. But he had declined to comment on the pricing of the car.

Officials from the alliance have said the car will be smaller than Maruti Suzuki’s Alto, which is the biggest selling model in India .

In March, Collin Dodge, executive vice-president, Nissan Motor had said: “It is over two years that Bajaj is trying to produce the car. The physics of it is very difficult. We have not yet found a solution as there are a lot of engineering solutions required.” Nissan is also in talks with Hinduja group company Ashok Leyland (ASHOKLEY.NS : 62 -0.45) to develop a small car for the global market that could be priced around $4,500-5,000.

“We have a formal agreement with Ashok Leyland for making light commercial vehicles in India . In addition, we also use Ashok Leyland’s engineering services for various purposes. At the moment, we are talking to them and many other partners in China , Indonesia …for a price centric vehicle,” Nissan Motor Co executive vice-president Collin Dodge had said at the Geneva Motor Show in March.