Membership to help domestic banks access developed markets.
Swan Telecom, which has received licences to operate mobile phone services in 13 out of the 22 telecom circles in India, is in talks with foreign companies for diluting 26 per cent of its equity for around $470 million.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), India's largest sports utility vehicle maker, is buying a major portion of two-wheeler maker Kinetic Motor Company's assets in a deal valued at Rs 110-120 crore (Rs 1.1 to 1.2 billion).
A day after Fitch lowered India's local currency outlook to negative, international rating agency Moody's said it was also worried about the reversal of India's fiscal situation due to high oil prices and the lack of policy adjustment by the government. Moody's, however, said it was unlikely to change its investment grade rating to India's sovereign foreign currency rating or the domestic currency rating, which is below investment grade.
Last week, after months of scrutiny, the Forward Markets Commission, the regulator for futures trading in commodities, approved a proposal from state-owned MMTC Ltd and finance-to-real estate group Indiabulls to set up a national multi-commodity exchange.
Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group is looking for acquisitions to start its cement business much before it completes its 4,000-Mw mega power project at Sasan in eastern Madhya Pradesh, which is to provide the fly ash that is used to make cement.
Coal ministry says Sasan coal cannot be used for other plant.
US giant expected to bid for 65% non-promoter stake.
With a gradual erosion in valuation of mid- and small-sized IT and IT enabled services firms on the stock markets due to rupee fluctuations and a US slowdown, experts estimate as much as 50 per cent rise in merger and acquisition deals in the domestic IT industry over the next 12 months.
Idea Cellular's bid to acquire a controlling stake in the B K Modi-promoted Spice Communications has hit a pricing roadblock. Investment banking sources said that B K Modi had asked for Rs 70 a share for his 40.8 per cent stake in Spice, valuing the company at Rs 4,829.47 crore, but Idea is reluctant to pay that much."Any price valuing Spice Communications beyond Rs 4,200 crore would be expensive for Idea Cellular," said an analyst with a domestic brokerage.
While Wal-Mart is facing delay in the rollout of its retail plan, Carrefour SA, the world's second-largest retail chain, is still struggling to finalise its Indian partner even after six years of persistent search.
Eighteen months hence, Reliance Retail is a 600-store chain, while Wal-Mart, which had planned to start operations by the year-end, has deferred the launch to 2009.
It's a difficult time for banks both at home and abroad. But Sanjay Nayar, Chief Executive Officer, Citi India, shrugs off Citigroup's problems in the US saying they haven't really impacted the Indian operations. Nayar admits there have been a few problems with the consumer finance business but tells Business Standard that Citi's India operations are well-positioned to see double digit growth over the next few years.
The United Progressive Alliance government has made it clear to states that it will not permit them any relaxation in labour laws in special economic zones, petrochemical hubs and industrial parks such as easing norms for hiring and firing and employment of women and restricting union activity, among others. Over the last two weeks, at least three state governments have seen their proposals for relaxing labour laws in duty-free areas being rejected by the Centre.
The move comes even as Bank of India on Wednesday said its corporate clients will suffer mark-to-market losses of around Rs 125 crore. It has 34 clients with 74 derivative transactions. Last week, State Bank of India said its clients may incur MTM losses of up to Rs 700 crore at the end of March 2008.
With little clarity on the list of companies that have mark-to-market losses on derivatives transactions, banks are now asking their corporate banking departments to scan the books of borrowers and also seek details of their foreign exchange exposure. Within this pie, banks are segregating companies with turnover of Rs 30-40 crore (Rs 300-400 million) to Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) and those which are above this threshold.
There may not be any legal obstacles to the State Bank of Saurashtra's merger with the State Bank of India but it is the United Progressive Alliance's political compulsions that are holding back the deal, which is expected to pave the way for merger of the other six SBI associates with the parent. In response to the law ministry's objections, the RBI has told the government that the Centre could go ahead with the merger without any immediate legal glitches.
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.
A host of public sector banks had cut interest rates in the earlier part of this year following an advisory from Finance Minister P Chidambaram in January. Private and smaller state-owned banks, however, did not cut rates.
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