The BOP business news from India brings readers updates on three firms whose names ought to ring a bell - Arvind, Hindustan Lever, and ITC. All three were featured in "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid" and have been the subject of case studies, speeches, articles, and much more. And now, thanks to the Indian business press, we hear about their continuing push down market.

Continue to read past the break for detailed reports on each company's progress.

As Labor Day came and went in the United States over the weekend, style-conscious clotheshorses put away their whites in favor of browns, greens, and greys; community pools closed their gates; barbeque grills were sheathed for the season. All are signs that summer has come and gone. We at NextBillion must add a final sign - the departure of our trusty summer intern, Ethan Arpi.

Ethan joined our team in June, contributing news and blog posts and plenty of analysis. Readers have enjoyed Ethan's focus on Latin America, the culture of the BOP, and all things sustainable. While he will be missed by NextBillion readers and by our staff, he hasn't gone far - Ethan's taken a fresh internship with the World Resources Report, WRI's flagship publication.

Good luck at WRR, Ethan, and we hope you'll contribute some guest content from time to time.

You can only change what you measure. Doing Business 2007, just released, offers good evidence of the wisdom of this epigram. Whatever issues you might have with the way the World Bank Group does its work, it would be hard to quarrel with the value they are bringing to business climate reforms - at least as I see it. The report itself mentions the dynamic, noting "When the government succeeds in these early reforms, citizens start seeing benefits - more jobs, more resources for health and education. The appetite for reform grows."