Ajai Shukla And Shally Seth Mohile

Stories by Ajai Shukla And Shally Seth Mohile

Will INS Vishal Opt For British Power?

Will INS Vishal Opt For British Power?

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2021

London hopes to convince New Delhi's naval planners to power India's second indigenous aircraft carrier with the Queen Elizabeth's integrated all-electric propulsion system.

Hotels roll out red carpet for year-end vacationers

Hotels roll out red carpet for year-end vacationers

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2021

After a better-than-expected Dussehra weekend, hospitality firms are hopeful of ending the year on a positive note by doing good business over Christmas and the New Year. Typically, year-end bookings kick in two to four weeks before the season begins. Owing to pandemic-related uncertainties, hotels are seeing a significant reduction in the booking window, with travellers waiting till the last minute to make hotel reservations.

China Must Be Wary Of India's Poseidon

China Must Be Wary Of India's Poseidon

Rediff.com   26 Oct 2021

The P-8I, which is widely acknowledged to be the world's most deadly LRMR-ASW aircraft, is a derivative of the Boeing 737-800 airliner, onto which a plethora of sensors and weaponry has been fitted.

Chip woes dent festive mood for auto firms

Chip woes dent festive mood for auto firms

Rediff.com   25 Oct 2021

The first leg of the 35-day festive period, which ended with Dussehra, failed to bring any cheer for auto companies. While makers of passenger vehicles struggled to meet demand due to the persistent shortage of semiconductors, a recovery in demand remained elusive for two-wheeler manufacturers despite offers and schemes. The overall season, which ends two days after Diwali, is unlikely to bring any turnaround in either the supply or the demand scenario, said dealers and officials at auto companies.

Eyeing China, India-UK begin tri-services exercise

Eyeing China, India-UK begin tri-services exercise

Rediff.com   24 Oct 2021

The Chinese navy's growing aggression in the Western Pacific is bringing together a range of allies.

Private defence firms make sales pitch to generals

Private defence firms make sales pitch to generals

Rediff.com   14 Oct 2021

The presence of the private sector at a prestigious military training institution is an important acknowledgement of its growing capabilities in designing and manufacturing cutting edge aerospace and defence equipment, reports Ajai Shukla.

US Worried About Security Leaks From India

US Worried About Security Leaks From India

Rediff.com   9 Oct 2021

GSOMIA does not cover the exchange of classified information with Indian private industry. Washington wanted this covered too, given New Delhi's emphasis on the proposed 'strategic partnership' model of procurement.

India's Submarine Dilemma

India's Submarine Dilemma

Rediff.com   7 Oct 2021

Hydrography (underwater geography) prevents the Indian Navy for opting for an all-conventional, or all-nuclear submarine fleet.

Carmakers stare at nearly 500,000 units of booking backlog

Carmakers stare at nearly 500,000 units of booking backlog

Rediff.com   6 Oct 2021

Ahead of the peak festive season, India's passenger vehicle makers are staring at a cumulative order backlog of nearly 500,000 units as chip shortage continues to cripple production. The crisis is forcing companies to change their production plans frequently and take a call on the variants they can manufacture based on the availability of semiconductors. The booking numbers are not a true reflection of demand, said manufacturers.

ITC Hotel to launch boutique luxury property, its 6th

ITC Hotel to launch boutique luxury property, its 6th

Rediff.com   2 Oct 2021

Mementos, the new brand, would be aimed at addressing the need for boutique luxury hotels across various destinations.

Hotels see green shoots of recovery as the fear of pandemic recedes

Hotels see green shoots of recovery as the fear of pandemic recedes

Rediff.com   1 Oct 2021

The mood at the Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA), the annual hospitality industry conference was rather upbeat. But hotel brand operators and owners remain cautiously optimistic of the outlook and are living on a hope that a third wave of the pandemic doesn't become a reality. Having just survived the unprecedented zero revenue situation, the two day confrence organised by consulting firm Hotelivate, was dotted with anecdotes and best practices adopted by the hotels of all hues.

From Ford to Harley-Davidson, why US automakers failed in India

From Ford to Harley-Davidson, why US automakers failed in India

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2021

Besides their country of origin, General Motors, Ford Motor and Harley-Davidson have another trait in common: all three have failed in India, the world's fifth largest automobile market. All three of them took a tough call to de-prioritise India as a market amid disruption from heightened regulations and sharper focus on capital allocation by the parent.

Rawat outlines plan to merge 17 single service commands into 4

Rawat outlines plan to merge 17 single service commands into 4

Rediff.com   16 Sep 2021

The first joint theatre command would be responsible for the border against Pakistan in what the military refers to as the "western theatre"; while a second command -- the northern theatre command -- would be responsible for the border with China. A third, navy-heavy theatre, called the "maritime command" will be responsible for the security of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR); and an island command, already functional and called the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC), would project power into the eastern Indian Ocean.

Why Didn't India Reach Out to the Taliban?

Why Didn't India Reach Out to the Taliban?

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2021

If New Delhi finds itself out in the cold in Afghanistan, both the Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA have only themselves to blame. Each has been in power for a full decade from 2001, without reaching out to the Taliban, points out Ajai Shukla.

Pandemic sees first-time car buyers take the wheel

Pandemic sees first-time car buyers take the wheel

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2021

First-time buyers of cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have made a comeback, shows last year's data from top passenger vehicle (PV) makers. If the trend persists, it may move the needle on the overall car penetration ratio. India's car penetration ratio is 32 per 1,000 people - one of the lowest, compared to mature car markets like the US and Europe.

Auto industry braces for impact of bumper-to-bumper insurance on pricing

Auto industry braces for impact of bumper-to-bumper insurance on pricing

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2021

If the court order is implemented, it will lead to an increase in the insurance outgo for car owners by a minimum Rs 50,000 for car and a minimum of Rs 7,000 for two-wheeler owners.

India Must Engage with the Taliban

India Must Engage with the Taliban

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2021

The activation of diplomatic channels is likely to yield better results than a simmering hostility, recommends Ajai Shukla.

Chip shortage may spoil the party for carmakers this festive season

Chip shortage may spoil the party for carmakers this festive season

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2021

For automakers, the festive season is about raking it in through ramped up sales and attractive consumer offers. However, despite the robust demand, what may spoil the party this year is a global shortage of semiconductors.

Mahindra warns of 20-25% production loss due to chip shortage

Mahindra warns of 20-25% production loss due to chip shortage

Rediff.com   3 Sep 2021

For Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), which has just started executing a comeback strategy for wresting back ground it lost to rivals, this could not have come at a worse time. The maker of the Bolero Neo and the Thar models on Thursday said it would have to halt production at its automotive plant for a week due to the worsening supply situation of semiconductors.

What is IAF spending $329 million on?

What is IAF spending $329 million on?

Rediff.com   30 Aug 2021

A five-year contract to provide comprehensive maintenance support for India's fleet of 12 C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifter aircraft.