Abhijit Lele &Amp; Ruchika Chitravanshi

Stories by Abhijit Lele &Amp; Ruchika Chitravanshi

Will PNB acquire beleaguered Lakshmi Vilas Bank?

Will PNB acquire beleaguered Lakshmi Vilas Bank?

Rediff.com   8 Oct 2020

PNB has rich experience in the integration of commercial banks.

How Lakshmi Vilas Bank eroded its wealth amid controversy and losses

How Lakshmi Vilas Bank eroded its wealth amid controversy and losses

Rediff.com   8 Oct 2020

It has been a year since the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) initiated prompt corrective action (PCA), an exercise that puts weak banks under central bank scrutiny, against the 94-year-old Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB). But recently, this low-profile Chennai-headquartered bank found itself attracting some unwonted publicity when 60 per cent of its shareholders voted against a proposal to re-appoint seven directors, including one of the promoters, K R Pradeep (who holds around 2 per cent), and the company's managing director & chief executive officer S Sundar.

How complex is the process of getting approval for a vaccine?

How complex is the process of getting approval for a vaccine?

Rediff.com   30 Sep 2020

Vaccine development is a long process to ensure safety and efficacy through different stages and involves regulatory supervision every step of the way. Ruchika Chitravanshi takes you through this carefully drawn journey of vaccine development.

FCRA challenge for foreign think tanks in India

FCRA challenge for foreign think tanks in India

Rediff.com   28 Sep 2020

Funding challenges are not limited to just one think tank. Several scholars say that access for conducting research and getting foreign funds has become a major hurdle for think tanks, with the government raising many questions regarding such inflows. As a result, many think tanks are keeping a low profile and becoming less prolific.

Home, auto loan inquiry back to 2019 level

Home, auto loan inquiry back to 2019 level

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2020

The public sector lenders saw the biggest rebound in inquiries in July and August 2020, most likely because they were early in recommencing operations than their private and finance counterparts.

'We are moving fast towards the peak of the epidemic'

'We are moving fast towards the peak of the epidemic'

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2020

Unsurprised by the rising numbers, epidemiologists are concerned about the virus reaching rural and tribal areas where the health infrastructure is weak, reports Ruchika Chitravanshi.

SBI, 25 other major Indian banks figure in suspicious transactions list

SBI, 25 other major Indian banks figure in suspicious transactions list

Rediff.com   22 Sep 2020

Banks say they themselves red-flagged the transactions to RBI. It must be noted that these transactions are not outright evidence of fraud or proof of nefarious activities.

'2 years is fair time for companies to come out of pain'

'2 years is fair time for companies to come out of pain'

Rediff.com   17 Sep 2020

'The economy is expected to bounce back and things are expected to recover faster than what we previously thought.'

RBI's priority lending norms may not mean quick relief for start-ups

RBI's priority lending norms may not mean quick relief for start-ups

Rediff.com   14 Sep 2020

Seed and early-stage start-ups are high-risk businesses, rarely have collateral and only 1 in 10 of them makes it to becoming a viable company.

Challenges that Dinesh Khara, the new SBI chief faces

Challenges that Dinesh Khara, the new SBI chief faces

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2020

Relations with the government, the bank's majority owner, are a tricky issue for all SBI chiefs, and, like all his predecessors, Khara will be closely watched for his equations with the finance ministry representative on the SBI board.

'Covid has not crushed demand for foreign education, it has only delayed it'

'Covid has not crushed demand for foreign education, it has only delayed it'

Rediff.com   4 Sep 2020

'Students are taking a keen interest in a hybrid model, where they start classes online and then complete the course on campus.'

Bonanza for overseas Indian investors; ODI norms to be eased

Bonanza for overseas Indian investors; ODI norms to be eased

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2020

The net outward foreign direct investment went up from $9.1 billion in 2017-18 to $12.6 billion in 2018-19 and moved further north to $13 billion in 2019-20.

Loan restructuring: 'Whoever needs relief should get it'

Loan restructuring: 'Whoever needs relief should get it'

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2020

'Mostly, the relief, if needed, would be for housing loans where a person has lost a job and is unable to pay his EMI or there has been a temporary salary cut.'

Companies allowed to extend AGMs by up to 3 months

Companies allowed to extend AGMs by up to 3 months

Rediff.com   20 Aug 2020

Indian companies are required to hold AGMs within six months of closure of the financial year.

Yes Bank to take more 'Anil Ambani like steps' to recover dues

Yes Bank to take more 'Anil Ambani like steps' to recover dues

Rediff.com   2 Aug 2020

Yes Bank CEO said the private lender is disposing some of the properties in many other cases as well. He, however, declined to elaborate on borrowers against whom such action was underway.

Covid-19: Testing times for plasma banks

Covid-19: Testing times for plasma banks

Rediff.com   30 Jul 2020

While the process of extracting plasma itself is simple, doctors say that it is the screening of donors, testing and filling up of numerous forms that takes time.

Swachh Bharat man, Param Iyer calls it a day as sanitation secy

Swachh Bharat man, Param Iyer calls it a day as sanitation secy

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2020

Iyer, popularly called Param, is keen to return to the US where he had spent several years working with the World Bank at its Washington office -- a job he later quit to become road manager for his daughter, a professional tennis player.

COVID-19: Lessons to be learnt from Delhi, Mumbai

COVID-19: Lessons to be learnt from Delhi, Mumbai

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2020

The two cities finally got their act together by ramping up the testing capacity and implementing stricter quarantine norms.

India may see wave of peaks in COVID-19 cases

India may see wave of peaks in COVID-19 cases

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2020

Many experts feel the concept of a national peak is nebulous, given that the growth in case numbers is dominated by a handful of states.

Drop in health expenditure amid pandemic surprises experts

Drop in health expenditure amid pandemic surprises experts

Rediff.com   18 Jul 2020

The ministry of health and family welfare spent Rs 3,948 crore in May this year compared to Rs 7,816 crore in the corresponding month of the previous year. On the other hand, at Rs 12,930 crore, the expenditure had risen almost 200 per cent in April against Rs 4,327 crore in the corresponding month of 2019-20.