Abhineet Kumar &Amp; Joe C Mathew

Stories by Abhineet Kumar &Amp; Joe C Mathew

Raymond puts denim business on the block

Raymond puts denim business on the block

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2008

The company has appointed an investment banker to find a buyer for its equity in its joint venture company, Raymond UCO Denim, whose loss doubled to Rs 120 crore (Rs 1.2 billion) in the last financial year. Europe's UCO Denim holds 50 per cent stake in the denim company, which was formed in August 2006. The turnover of the denim business is estimated at Rs 600-800 crore (Rs 6 to Rs 8 billion).

Ranbaxy promoters bring cos on Religare platform

Ranbaxy promoters bring cos on Religare platform

Rediff.com   19 Sep 2008

The group's testing lab chain SRL Ranbaxy has been renamed as Religare Super Laboratories. RanAir, its charter aviation company will be known as Religare Voyages. About 15 group companies, including joint ventures like Religare Macquarie Private Wealth, Religare Aegon and Vistaar Religare have come under the umbrella brand Religare.

WHO refuses vaccine approval

WHO refuses vaccine approval

Rediff.com   18 Sep 2008

Companies like Shanta Biotech, Panacea Biotec and Serum Institute of India are among the leading vaccine makers which have not been able to file any fresh application to the WHO due to this temporary de-recognition of the country's drug regulatory system. The WHO pre-qualification is essential for companies to supply vaccines to national immunisation programmes funded by the WHO or UNICEF outside the country.

Ambit plans stressed assets biz, NBFC

Ambit plans stressed assets biz, NBFC

Rediff.com   18 Sep 2008

The stressed asset business will be a mix of an ARC and a distressed asset fund. Ambit has already started insurance brokerage and equity research and sales businesses this year. It closed a $100-million private equity fund called Ambit Pragma Ventures recently. It is also keen on starting proprietary trading.

Wipro, Copal mull Lehman BPO buyout

Wipro, Copal mull Lehman BPO buyout

Rediff.com   17 Sep 2008

IT major Wipro Technologies and Gurgaon-based knowledge process outsourcing firm Copal Partners have expressed interest in bidding for the Indian back office business of Lehman Brothers Holdings, the US-based investment banking firm that filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday.

Surprise checks on drug trials soon

Surprise checks on drug trials soon

Rediff.com   13 Sep 2008

Hospitals and medical research organisations that conduct clinical trials on humans may soon face surprise inspections from the regulatory authorities. The hospitals, the sponsor pharma companies and the institutional ethics committees that oversee these trials will all come under the regulator's scanner.

Ministry panel reveals data on GM brinjal

Ministry panel reveals data on GM brinjal

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2008

Data on clinical trials of genetically-modified brinjal have been made public by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee of the environment ministry.

Balco residual stake sale headed for arbitration

Balco residual stake sale headed for arbitration

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2008

This comes after both parties failed to arrive at an agreement on an appropriate valuation of the stake, a company executive said. Sterlite bought 51 per cent stake in Balco in March 2001 for Rs 552 crore (Rs 5.52 billion) when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government decided to divest the government stake in the public sector company.

WHO protests common drug names in trademarks

WHO protests common drug names in trademarks

Rediff.com   1 Sep 2008

The WHO feels that the practice is not only against international ethics, but also increases the risk of wrong medication. INNs are names that help to identify the chemical composition of a pharmaceutical substance without having to use long and unwieldy chemical names.

States woo firms to run hospitals

States woo firms to run hospitals

Rediff.com   1 Sep 2008

Several Indian states including Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are offering their hospitals to the private sector to manage. This has elicited immediate positive reactions from private sector hospital chains - among them Fortis Healthcare, Apollo Hospitals and Wockhardt Hospitals.

Peace on patents to boost Ranbaxy

Peace on patents to boost Ranbaxy

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2008

Firm reaches out-of-court agreement on 5 of 19 patent challenges in the US.

New urea policy fails to enthuse fertiliser firms

New urea policy fails to enthuse fertiliser firms

Rediff.com   13 Aug 2008

While the government expects the new urea policy to bring more investment, the fertiliser industry is less than enthused. New capacities to make urea, industry representatives say, will come up only if adequate fuel and timely payment of subsidy dues is ensured.

Drug prices set to go up by 1-2%

Drug prices set to go up by 1-2%

Rediff.com   12 Aug 2008

Medicine prices in India are set to go up by 1-2 per cent as the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has decided to permit companies to factor in the rising packaging and processing costs into the retail price. The panel will notify the revised three costs -- for conversion, packaging and packing material -- shortly. The norms were finalised last week after a six-month-long analysis of the market.

Bulk drug prices to fall after Olympics

Bulk drug prices to fall after Olympics

Rediff.com   11 Aug 2008

With China expected to reopen several hundred bulk drug units after the Olympics, prices of some key bulk drugs, including penicillin and paracetamol, have crashed in the Indian market.

VC funds dodge pharma, biotech firms

VC funds dodge pharma, biotech firms

Rediff.com   4 Aug 2008

The recent pullout by ICICI Venture and Citigroup Venture from a three-year-old drug discovery partnership with Dr Reddy's Laboratories points to angel investors' growing aversion to risk in pharma and biotech firms, say experts.

Kinetic plans foray into making of auto parts

Kinetic plans foray into making of auto parts

Rediff.com   1 Aug 2008

Kinetic Motor Company, the Pune-based scooter-maker, which sold its business assets to Mahindra and Mahindra for Rs 110 crore (Rs 1.1 billion) on Wednesday, is now considering to get into the auto components business.

His dream: A Mahindra in every household

His dream: A Mahindra in every household

Rediff.com   1 Aug 2008

A Mahindra in every household wouldn't be realised without two-wheelers.

Fertiliser firms to invest $5 bn in JVs abroad

Fertiliser firms to invest $5 bn in JVs abroad

Rediff.com   31 Jul 2008

Indian fertiliser companies are planning to invest around $5 billion (Rs 21,000 crore -- Rs 210 billion) in overseas joint ventures over the next three years. These companies are in negotiations for 19 such ventures, said government officials. These joint ventures are aimed at sourcing nitrogenous, phosphatic fertilisers and other raw materials.

Prices of 70 drugs may be raised

Prices of 70 drugs may be raised

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2008

Move is the first in a series of steps to help pharma industry.

US Cong seeks details of Ranbaxy drug approvals

US Cong seeks details of Ranbaxy drug approvals

Rediff.com   24 Jul 2008

Two United States senators have asked the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to provide details of market approvals given to all medicines sold by India's largest drug-maker Ranbaxy in that country.