Employee numbers will be cut sharply in many Western nations as companies pare costs to survive the global financial crisis, according to an international recruitment company boss.

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the Indian Ocean`s Nicobar Islands on Wednesday, seismologists said.

The quake hit at 10:24 pm (1714 GMT) 79 kilometres (50 miles) north-northeast of the town of Misha in the Indian-controlled territory, the US Geological Survey said.

It was registered at a depth of 37 kilometres.

No tsunami warning was immediately issued.

Global financial firm Barclays on Wednesday forecast India will have over 400,000 dollar-millionaires by 2017, making it a leading world wealth market.

The forecast came as it launched its wealth management business in India to provide client advisory and investment services to `high net worth` individuals.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to embark on a five-day official visit to India Thursday, his office said.

Erdogan will meet his counterpart Manmohan Singh, President Pratibha Patil and other senior officials in New Delhi in an effort to `secure concrete results from the momentum and openings` achieved in bilateral ties recently, a statement said.

An Indian warship has destroyed a pirate `mother vessel` after a battle off the coast of Somalia, officials said Wednesday.

Navy spokesman Nirad Sinha said a stealth frigate, the INS Tabar, open fire on the ship in the Gulf of Aden late Tuesday after coming under attack from gunmen on board the vessel.

An Indian warship has destroyed a pirate `mother vessel` after a battle off the coast of Somalia, officials said Wednesday.

Navy spokesman Nirad Sinha said a stealth frigate, the INS Tabar, open fire on the ship in the Gulf of Aden late Tuesday after coming under attack from gunmen on board the vessel.

Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India`s ruling dynasty, has sought to heal a rift with the Sikh community over the bloody events surrounding the assassination of his grandmother Indira Gandhi.

During a visit Tuesday to Amritsar, Gandhi, who is a general secretary of the ruling Congress Party, acknowledged the `tragedy` of the 1984 army assault on Sikhdom`s holiest shrine in the city.

Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India`s ruling dynasty, has sought to heal a rift with the Sikh community over the bloody events surrounding the assassination of his grandmother Indira Gandhi.

During a visit Tuesday to Amritsar, Gandhi, who is a general secretary of the ruling Congress Party, acknowledged the `tragedy` of the 1984 army assault on Sikhdom`s holiest shrine in the city.

An Indian warship has attacked a pirate boat off the Somali coast, a naval spokesman told AFP Wednesday, resulting in explosions on what he described as a pirate `mother vessel.`

Spokesman Nirad Sinha said Indian stealth frigate INS Tabar, deployed in the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission, attacked the ship late Tuesday after coming under fire from gunmen on board the vessel.

An Indian warship has attacked a pirate boat off the Somali coast, a naval spokesman told AFP Wednesday, resulting in explosions on what he described as a pirate `mother vessel.`

Spokesman Nirad Sinha said Indian stealth frigate INS Tabar, deployed in the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission, attacked the ship late Tuesday after coming under fire from gunmen on board the vessel.