The tables have turned. Organised retail, which used to cite real estate as its first constraint, is being wooed by developers as there is a sudden surplus created by completion of pending projects and new construction. According to an industry analyst, the rental for a retailer used to constitute 4-5 per cent of its total revenue in the years 2001 and 2002, rising to 7-7.5 per cent in the later years. Industry analysts believe a retailer's profit would get eroded
Steep pre-paid tariff cuts at the start of the year in January could mean lower revenue growth for telecom operators in the March 2008 quarter. Moreover, minutes of usage (MOU) are unlikely to be very much higher since industry watchers feel users will take some amount of time to react to the tariff cuts. The operating profit growth these telcos could be in the region of 6-7 per cent. However, net profits may remain flat sequentially due to foreign exchange fluctuations.
Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is evaluating a plan to set up its third refinery at Jamnagar in an ambitious project to reach a total capacity of 100 million metric tonne per annum, the largest at a single location in the world. The company has appointed a global oil and refinery consultancy firm to evaluate the feasibility of the project, which will help capitalise the increased requirement for global crude distillation capacity.
The Tata Group, one of India's largest business houses, has made summer internship offers to 19 students of five leading US business schools this year
The French retailer, which has been talking to various Indian business houses for a possible partnership to roll out its wholesale operations in the cash- and-carry format, has also recruited around 50 people.
The principal delay is because the defence forces, which are expected to vacate some spectrum for mobile service providers, are yet to identify locations for some sites for an alternative optic fibre network that is being developed for them.
Israel's pharma firm, Teva, is planning to invest Rs. 4000 crores in India.
Govt has given the medicine price regulating body a freedom to control prices of medicines.
Indian Pharma majors are looking at different strategies to boost their global business.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the country's leading public sector company, is planning an initial public offer of ONGC Petro-additions Limited (OPaL), the special purpose vehicle formed for the Rs 13,500 crore (Rs 135 billion) petrochemical complex at Dahej in Gujarat.
The Kurkumbh unit, which manufactures MEG from industrial alcohol, has 90 employees on its rolls and another 250 contract labourers.
Medicine Shoppe India, the Indian arm of the largest pharmacy chain Medicine Shoppe International, owned by the US-based drug trading major Cardinal Health, is planning to add about 500 medical stores in India within two to three years.
Small scale pharmaceutical units in the country are facing an imminent closure owing to lack of business opportunities and hostile regulatory policies.
Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals has announced the formation of Orchid Research Laboratories, a subsidiary that will house all of Orchid's research and development activity.
Competing with established biotech companies in India such as Wockhardt, Biocon and Reliance Life Sciences, small biotech companies such as Zenotech, BV Biocorp and Intas Biopharma are likely to emerge as major players in biogeneric drugs.