Abhishek Waghmare &Amp; Amritha Pillay

Stories by Abhishek Waghmare &Amp; Amritha Pillay

RIL pushes production timeline for battery packs by a year to 2024

RIL pushes production timeline for battery packs by a year to 2024

Rediff.com   9 Aug 2023

Reliance Industries (RIL) has reset its battery pack production timeline, shifting it from 2023 earlier to 2024, details shared in the oil-to-telecom conglomerate's latest annual report suggest. In the FY23 annual report released on Sunday, the company has listed the start of battery pack production in 2024. A year ago, at the company's annual general meeting (AGM), Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of RIL, had said, "We aim to start production of battery packs by 2023 and scale up to a fully integrated 5 GWh annual cell-to-pack manufacturing facility by 2024."

World entering a highly disruptive green energy era, says Mukesh Ambani

World entering a highly disruptive green energy era, says Mukesh Ambani

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2023

Reliance Industries (RIL's) annual report released on Sunday highlighted the company's focus on new energy solutions, with chairman and managing director (MD) Mukesh Ambani stating that the age of fossil fuels will not continue much longer. RIL has sought shareholders' approval to give Ambani another five-year term as MD till 2029 at nil salary. The recently demerged Jio Financial Services, which "will leverage the prowess of digital and retail businesses", was expected to be listed soon.

Competition for market share intensifies among cement companies in Q1

Competition for market share intensifies among cement companies in Q1

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2023

Cement manufacturers' show during the June 2023-ended quarter (Q1FY24) has indicated an intensified slugfest for market share. For instance, Dalmia Bharat (Cement) said it has lost market share in eastern India owing to lack of price discipline. Industry analysts also said that the seasonal weakness in cement prices for Q1 is showing up earlier than usual.

Strong Q1 likely for capital goods firms with low costs, healthy execution

Strong Q1 likely for capital goods firms with low costs, healthy execution

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2023

Capital goods companies are likely to report double-digit growth in sales and profit for the first quarter of the 2023-24 financial year (Q1FY24), according to analysts. The performance will ride on lower raw-material costs and healthy execution of orders. Sales by capital goods companies are likely to increase 13-20 per cent year-on-year (YoY), five domestic brokerage firms said.

Adani's Dharavi dream: Producing millionaires minus slumdog prefix

Adani's Dharavi dream: Producing millionaires minus slumdog prefix

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2023

Billionaire Gautam Adani on Wednesday shared a personal note on the development of Dharavi in Mumbai, days after the Maharashtra government issued a resolution to award the Dharavi redevelopment project to his conglomerate on July 14. In the note shared with the media, Adani said his first tryst with Dharavi in Mumbai was in the late 1970s, and the slum settlement continues to amaze and inspire the billionaire to date. "When this opportunity to renew Dharavi came calling, I seized it with both hands," he said.

How debit, credit cards and ATM cash withdrawal are bellwether for GDP

How debit, credit cards and ATM cash withdrawal are bellwether for GDP

Rediff.com   10 Nov 2021

It's always been a struggle for economists and statisticians to forecast India's gross domestic product (GDP) correctly, and say where the economy is headed before the official numbers come out. If estimating the GDP is tough, forecasting it in real time is complicated. It involves looking at tens of indicators, such as industrial production, electricity consumption and exports, to arrive at a number.

Home truths about Indian real estate in the pandemic

Home truths about Indian real estate in the pandemic

Rediff.com   6 Oct 2021

There's no place like home, but even for the affluent buying one in India is difficult. On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic-now in its eighteenth month-has made life uncertain. A hopeful thing is buying a house looks alluring as loan interest rates fall below 7 per cent, their multi-decadal lows. The slow decline in GDP growth after demonetisation, followed by the economic shock caused by Covid-19 waves, has hurt us unevenly.

What Auto Sales Tell Us About Economy

What Auto Sales Tell Us About Economy

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2021

Retail sales of cars are back to January 2018 levels in August 2021. Two-wheeler retail sales are 22 per cent lower, nearly four years down the line.

Is there still some hope for Voda-Idea?

Is there still some hope for Voda-Idea?

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2021

It emerges that Vi has probably offered good data quality despite being short on spectrum and infrastructure due to its stretched finances. Did the two companies that merged face the heat due to price wars? Probably. Did the government's tough stance in demanding its "due" share of telecom revenues hurt the company? Certainly!

One litre petrol takes 30% of Indians' average daily income

One litre petrol takes 30% of Indians' average daily income

Rediff.com   29 Jul 2021

An average Indian spends no more than Rs 1.3 lakh per year, according to official statistics. This is close to what an average Indian earns annually. At this level of per capita income today, one litre of petrol costs one-third of an average Indian's daily income (Delhi prices), making it highly unaffordable. People in most other Asian and emerging countries find it more affordable.

How India's Covid-19 vaccination drive is lagging, 6 months on

How India's Covid-19 vaccination drive is lagging, 6 months on

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2021

India has placed orders for 786 million doses till date -- less than the probable need of 950 million doses, reports Abhishek Waghmare.

With 300 mn Indians in its fold, cooperative sector awaits big-bang reforms

With 300 mn Indians in its fold, cooperative sector awaits big-bang reforms

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2021

About 150 years ago, in British India, big farmers in the western region of Maharashtra agitated over unfair lending practices and demanded a more fair and inclusive financing structure. People say this is where the seeds of the cooperative movement, now omnipresent in the country, were sown. Today, more than 800,000 cooperative societies thrive in India, with 300 million members, a number close to the population of the United States. Despite a reach this deep--grass roots as they call it--cooperatives do not occupy a lion's share in the Indian economy.

Census 2021 will reveal actual number of Covid deaths

Census 2021 will reveal actual number of Covid deaths

Rediff.com   19 Jul 2021

Whenever the Census operation resumes, it will capture the impact of Covid-19 to a large extent, including the extra-lethal second wave, reports Abhishek Waghmare.

At current pace India will inoculate 75% of population only by mid-2024

At current pace India will inoculate 75% of population only by mid-2024

Rediff.com   2 Jun 2021

The average rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the country has been 10.8 million per week. At that rate, it will take India till December 2024 to complete two billion doses.

Premji university study calls for Rs 15,000 cash support to poor via PDS

Premji university study calls for Rs 15,000 cash support to poor via PDS

Rediff.com   22 May 2021

This will cost the government Rs 3.1 trillion, about 10 per cent of its annual expenditure, and higher than any other spending item in its Budget.

Only 2% Indians have taken Covid vaccine

Only 2% Indians have taken Covid vaccine

Rediff.com   3 May 2021

As India begins vaccinating the younger population, the most vulnerable remain largely unvaccinated.

Vaccinating 70% of 18-44 year olds to cost Rs 300 bn

Vaccinating 70% of 18-44 year olds to cost Rs 300 bn

Rediff.com   1 May 2021

UP Rs 50 billion, followed by Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal which may need close to Rs 25 billion for the massive task.

Most poll-bound states kept testing low till elections

Most poll-bound states kept testing low till elections

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2021

Three of the four major states delayed testing despite worsening indicators. Only Tamil Nadu quickened the pace after the first signs of deterioration.

How locked down is India in Covid second wave?

How locked down is India in Covid second wave?

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2021

As the second wave sweeps through the country, restrictions on movement and public activity are not as strict, even though the caseload and death rate is worse than before, reports Abhishek Waghmare.

Second Covid wave is 1.7x times faster than first wave, shows data

Second Covid wave is 1.7x times faster than first wave, shows data

Rediff.com   15 Apr 2021

It has taken 51 days to reach a daily caseload of 84,000 from 11,000, as against 85 days taken in the first wave, report Abhishek Waghmare and Sohini Das.