Amritha Pillay, Business Standard

Stories by Amritha Pillay, Business Standard

'India will be beneficiary of China plus one strategy'

'India will be beneficiary of China plus one strategy'

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2023

'Our factories are world-class and are becoming increasingly attractive for our global business leaders to use to serve other markets.'

Why India Has Shortage Of Skilled Workers

Why India Has Shortage Of Skilled Workers

Rediff.com   31 Aug 2023

'The second generation of migrant labourers is not enthusiastic about continuing in this field.' 'The parents of the next generation do not wish their children to be part of this trade.'

Why private manufacturers shun super-critical thermal plants

Why private manufacturers shun super-critical thermal plants

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2023

This includes distancing themselves from the new and emerging super-critical technology.

L&T to look at up to $4 bn investment in green hydrogen, with partners

L&T to look at up to $4 bn investment in green hydrogen, with partners

Rediff.com   17 Aug 2023

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) will aim to invest $3-4 billion in green hydrogen projects, along with its joint venture (JV) partners, said a senior executive from the company. These investments are planned over three to five years, depending on cost economics. The engineering conglomerate is also in talks to acquire the Nuclear Power Corporation of India's (NPCIL's) share in one of its forging JV companies for a consideration of Rs. 100-150 crore. "We are considering investments worth $3-$4 billion in the green hydrogen space, in collaboration with partners," said S N Subrahmanyan, chief executive officer and managing director of the company.

Share of L&T's slow-moving projects in order book at multi-year low

Share of L&T's slow-moving projects in order book at multi-year low

Rediff.com   14 Aug 2023

The share of slow-moving orders in the overall order book of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is at a multi-year low. This has led to a renewed focus on fast-moving orders. A mix of factors such as commodity price fluctuations, robust order inflow and strong sectoral demand have put capital goods order book in the fast lane, analysts and company executives said. L&T, with its large presence in the capital goods sector, is often seen as the bellwether for trends in this space.

'Private investors will wait for election results'

'Private investors will wait for election results'

Rediff.com   14 Aug 2023

'Policy-sensitive sectors will wait and watch, but policy-agnostic areas will continue based on normal consumption demand.'

Shareholder bonhomie at Naik's last AGM as an era draws to a close

Shareholder bonhomie at Naik's last AGM as an era draws to a close

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2023

At the annual general meeting (AGM) of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Wednesday, shareholders made the usual request to the top management for bonus shares. But this time, the setting was different. The man at the helm, outgoing group chairman AM Naik, 82, was heard assuring shareholders that he would join the chorus soon. There were laughs and chuckles at Naik's playful remark as he addressed the last AGM, nearly six decades after he joined L&T as a junior engineer and some 25 years at the top.

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.

Budget 2023: Here are the key challenges in technology sector

Budget 2023: Here are the key challenges in technology sector

Rediff.com   23 Jan 2023

"India is the best market right now in the world with the digital initiatives the government has implemented

'India is on a good wicket now'

'India is on a good wicket now'

Rediff.com   10 Jan 2023

'The pitch for India is flat, the ball for India is old, the sun for India is out, and the bowlers are not bowling too well.' 'I think only we can get ourselves out.'

'A slip-up can break trust of investors'

'A slip-up can break trust of investors'

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2023

'Strong regulations are crucial for the orderly development of the market.'

IPO Fundraising Dipped To Half in 2022

IPO Fundraising Dipped To Half in 2022

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2023

The turmoil in the markets has been cited as the reason for the dip in the IPO market.

How Covid Spiked Gold Smuggling

How Covid Spiked Gold Smuggling

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2023

Officials were surprised at how quickly smugglers appraised the Covid situation to recruit jobless migrant workers to ship gold.

When Pelemania Gripped India

When Pelemania Gripped India

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2023

The enormous structured global advertising machinery that surrounds every football game on the planet today? Pele was perhaps single-handedly responsible for all of it. By just being brilliant, captivating crowds, and behaving like a being from the future, doing things that STILL provoke oohs and aahs from watchers. Vaibhav Raghunandan salutes the Incomparable Pele.

EV Sales May Cross 100,000 Monthly, But...

EV Sales May Cross 100,000 Monthly, But...

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2023

China's covid crisis could provoke a raw material crunch for India's EV industry later this year.

How Will Gold Perform In 2023?

How Will Gold Perform In 2023?

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2023

Given the prevailing uncertainties, investors must maintain a 10-15 per cent allocation to gold in 2023.