Abhineet Kumar &Amp; Joe C Mathew

Stories by Abhineet Kumar &Amp; Joe C Mathew

Shareholders of Zenotech move HC on Daiichi offer

Shareholders of Zenotech move HC on Daiichi offer

Rediff.com   28 Feb 2009

The shareholders want Daiichi to offer the same price (Rs 160) that was offered by Ranbaxy while acquiring a 45 per cent stake in Zenotech a year ago. Daiichi has to make an open offer as it has indirectly become the major shareholder of Zenotech by virtue of the Ranbaxy acquisition.

Ranbaxy forged data, says US drug regulator

Ranbaxy forged data, says US drug regulator

Rediff.com   26 Feb 2009

India's largest drug manufacturer, Ranbaxy Laboratories, had falsified data and test results of medicines manufactured at its Himachal Pradesh facility to obtain marketing approval in the United States, says the US Food and Drug Administration.

Unitech shelves 2 IT parks

Unitech shelves 2 IT parks

Rediff.com   19 Feb 2009

At least 38 per cent, or 8.3 million square feet, of its projected commercial space of 21.4 million square feet in its six parks will thus remain indefinitely on hold. The rentals from all these parks were expected to generate revenues for its AIM-listed associate Unitech Corporate Park, which has invested pound 317 million to acquire majority stakes in all the six seed projects in return of leasing rights.

Novelis' loss puts Hindalco in a spot

Novelis' loss puts Hindalco in a spot

Rediff.com   19 Feb 2009

The debt came with covenants, which require borrowers to meet certain conditions such as a mandated debt to EBITDA ratio. A failure to meet the conditions may result in an increase in interest rates. The company reported EBITDA (operating profit) of $69 million in the quarter ended December 31, down from $151 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Aban offshore faces Rs 13k crore debt

Aban offshore faces Rs 13k crore debt

Rediff.com   18 Feb 2009

Aban offshore has a Rs 13,000 crore debt on its books and a market cap of only Rs 1,645 crore, down 90 per cent from its peak on May 23 last year. The huge debt is a result of the company, earlier known as Aban Lloyd, buying a 33.7 per cent stake in Sinvest ASA, a Norwegian drilling company, for Rs 5,200 crore. The acquisition gave Aban access to eight premium jack-up rigs with contracts, but it also increased its debt substantially.

Birla Retail eyes 18-fold sales growth

Birla Retail eyes 18-fold sales growth

Rediff.com   11 Feb 2009

The retailer, which runs a supermarket chain under the More brand, is targeting annual sales of $4.5 billion (Rs 22,000 crore or Rs 220 billion) by March 2014 from Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) in the current financial year. The retailer clocked sales of Rs 500 in the previous year. In 2007, the company had talked about a Rs 9,000 crore (Rs 90 billion) investment plan.

DLF may walk out of Delhi convention project

DLF may walk out of Delhi convention project

Rediff.com   31 Jan 2009

The move comes 18 months after the cash-strapped developer was allotted 35 acres by the Delhi Development Authority to build and maintain an international convention & exhibition centre, hotels and allied commercial facilities. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 6,000 crore (Rs 60 billion) and was expected to be completed in three years.

RBI plans norms for PSU banks for private equity

RBI plans norms for PSU banks for private equity

Rediff.com   30 Jan 2009

The Reserve Bank of India is formulating guidelines that would allow government-owned banks get into the private equity business.

Promoters may use holding firms  as escape route

Promoters may use holding firms as escape route

Rediff.com   23 Jan 2009

The Securities and Exchange Board of India, or Sebi, on Wednesday made it compulsory for promoters of listed companies to disclose the details of their pledged shares, but clarified that there would be no need to disclose pledged shares of the holding company. Legal and accountancy experts say this may lead to a restructuring of the shareholding pattern in many companies.

Shipping Corp-ONGC rig venture in trouble

Shipping Corp-ONGC rig venture in trouble

Rediff.com   22 Jan 2009

Falling oil rates have made rigs available for hire at a cheaper rate. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation planned to foray into building rigs in June 2008 owing to its short supply as crude oil prices zoomed northwards.

Tata Motors' cash flow may fall by Rs 500 cr

Tata Motors' cash flow may fall by Rs 500 cr

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2009

Tata Motors, which is announcing its results January 30, is likely to end 2008-09 with around Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) less cash mainly because sales of commercial vehicles, which account for about 60 per cent of its revenues, have dropped sharply.

Tata Motors may seek rollover of JLR debt

Tata Motors may seek rollover of JLR debt

Rediff.com   19 Jan 2009

The company is still short of over Rs 4500 crore (Rs 45 billion) to refinance the debt which is due before June 2 this year. The company had planned to raise the fund for refinancing through three routes. It planned to raise about Rs 4200 crore through rights issues which it managed after the issue devolved on underwriters in October as the stock prices were tumbling globally following the economic crisis.

Affordable homes are back

Affordable homes are back

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2009

Ever since the government announced that state-owned banks will provide home loans up to Rs 20 lakhs (Rs 2 million) at not more than 9.25 per cent for the first five years, real estate developers have started working their prices around the Rs 20-lakhz (Rs 2-million) figure. Dozens of real estate developers have announced homes at below Rs 25 lakhs (Rs 2.5 million) in the National Capital Region of Delhi.

Tata, Birla target mid-size PE deals

Tata, Birla target mid-size PE deals

Rediff.com   14 Jan 2009

While the Tatas are looking for PE deals of about $50 million or less, the A V Birla Group is eyeing deals worth not more than $25 million. Tata Capital is banking on its ability to source deals by exploiting the existing Tata ecosystem of suppliers and customers. The Birla group, which has committed 40 per cent of the $250-million corpus it planned to raise for its PE fund, is looking to leverage its strength to source and evaluate deals.

Meltdown: SCI, GE Shipping likely to take a hit

Meltdown: SCI, GE Shipping likely to take a hit

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2009

The freight rate for the very large crude carriers in the spot market has declined to an average $46,426 a day for the quarter ending December 31, about 21 per cent lower than the corresponding period of the previous year. In the same period, smaller crude carriers such as Suezmax rose by about 9 per cent to an average of $42,801 a day. Freight rate for Aframax, a carrier smaller than Suezmax, rose by 25 per cent to an average of $28,628 a day.

Property firms see buyers back in market

Property firms see buyers back in market

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2009

Property developers expect to boost sales of homes and borrow funds at lower rates after the Reserve Bank of India on Friday reduced its key benchmark rate and cut the cash-reserve ratio requirement in a bid to help banks lower interest rates and lend more to cash-starved sectors, including the real estate. They are hopeful of attracting more overseas investment in projects as demand revives.

Debt due till Dec 31 paid, claims DLF

Debt due till Dec 31 paid, claims DLF

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2009

DLF, India's biggest real estate developer, has repaid dues and may not need to approach lenders to take advantage of a central banks relaxed rule that allows banks to restructure cash-strapped real estate companies loans.

Bajaj brothers withdraw petition from CLB

Bajaj brothers withdraw petition from CLB

Rediff.com   1 Jan 2009

After signing the agreement documents on Tuesday night, the Shishir and Rahul Bajaj factions submitted the consent terms of the settlement to the Company Law Board on Wednesday and withdrew the petition.

Rahul and Shishir Bajaj swap shares, end dispute

Rahul and Shishir Bajaj swap shares, end dispute

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2008

The Bajaj family dispute is set to end, finally. Shishir Bajaj today sold his 25 per cent holding in the primary group investment firm Bajaj Sevashram to his brother Rahul Bajaj in an off-market deal. This was after Rahul Bajaj transferred his group's entire 29.62 per cent shareholding in Bajaj Hindusthan.

Bajaj told to compensate minority shareholders

Bajaj told to compensate minority shareholders

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2008

A day before the settlement of the six-year-old Bajaj family dispute, the Bombay High Court has asked Rahul Bajaj, the family patriarch and chairman of Bajaj Auto, to compensate the Pittie family, a minority shareholder in group investment firm Bachhraj & Company.