Amritha Pillay, Sachin P Mampatta &Amp; Advait Rao Palepu

Stories by Amritha Pillay, Sachin P Mampatta &Amp; Advait Rao Palepu

When Rakesh Jhunjhunwala used to get Rs 60 as trainee CA

When Rakesh Jhunjhunwala used to get Rs 60 as trainee CA

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2022

Nearly four decades ago, when Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was a young chartered accountant in training, he was paid a conveyance of Rs 60. Deductions would take away Rs 15 from this princely sum and he was left with Rs 45 by the time the allowance made its way to his hands. He would save as much as he could from this amount, so that he would have a small amount to spend when he met his friends on the weekend at Chicken Centre. This was an eatery popular with the young at the time, perhaps because food and drink were affordable even for those new to the workforce.

Foreign companies' interest in India fades, shows data

Foreign companies' interest in India fades, shows data

Rediff.com   19 Aug 2022

George Acland from Great Britain ran a coffee plantation in Sri Lanka and set up India's first jute mill in 1855. He raised capital and imported the machinery for the mill on the banks of the Hooghly in West Bengal. His company wasn't a great success, but his pioneering work paved the way for India to dominate the jute industry.

India Sees 8 Aviation Accidents Every Year

India Sees 8 Aviation Accidents Every Year

Rediff.com   30 Jul 2022

The number of serious incidents has more than doubled in the last seven years.

Investors pushing back more on top executive pay hikes

Investors pushing back more on top executive pay hikes

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2022

Investors are pushing back more often against companies' resolutions on what is paid out to top executives. In the first four months of financial year 2022-23 (FY23), there have already been five such rejections, according to shareholder voting data from tracker Adrian, a platform maintained by the proxy advisory firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services India (IiAS). Two of these have been at multiplex chain PVR and direct-to-home company Dish TV India.

India-Japan Trade: The Abe Effect

India-Japan Trade: The Abe Effect

Rediff.com   21 Jul 2022

During Abe's tenure, Japan had announced support for a number of major projects. These included the bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, besides allocations for a freight corridor between Mumbai and New Delhi.

Long-Short Funds Hold Fort In Turbulent Times

Long-Short Funds Hold Fort In Turbulent Times

Rediff.com   5 Jul 2022

Most of the long-only funds are closed-ended. This means that investors have to lock in their money for a fixed period before they can take it back.

7 out of 9 neighbouring nations charge less for petrol than India

7 out of 9 neighbouring nations charge less for petrol than India

Rediff.com   28 Jun 2022

Amid news of a fuel shortage in some parts of the country and wider unrest over fuel issues in the neighbourhood, an analysis of the data from international tracker globalpetrolprices.com shows that the per litre price of petrol is higher in India than in seven out of its nine neighbours.

Private placements at lowest since 2014; total money raised down 23%

Private placements at lowest since 2014; total money raised down 23%

Rediff.com   24 Jun 2022

The total amount of money various entities have raised through the private placement route is at its lowest since 2014. They raised a total of Rs 1.96 trillion in the first five months of 2022, revealed the numbers from PRIME Database. It is down 23.4 per cent from the Rs 2.56 trillion raised in the corresponding period in 2021.

India Inc's profits rise 28% in March quarter, banks contribute the most

India Inc's profits rise 28% in March quarter, banks contribute the most

Rediff.com   9 Jun 2022

A strong performance by sectors including banking raised the profits of Indian companies by 28 per cent in the three months ended March 2022. The rate of growth is, however, lower than the 30 per cent seen in December. Growth in net sales was also lower than what was seen in the December quarter for the sample under consideration.

Retail investors put over Rs 2,000 cr in bankrupt firms, hoping for revival

Retail investors put over Rs 2,000 cr in bankrupt firms, hoping for revival

Rediff.com   10 May 2022

Retail investors have put at least Rs 2,296 crore in listed companies facing proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). A median such-company had 16,163 retail investors as shareholders many of whom apparently have bought a stake on the hope of making money if the firm revives. They own a fifth of the total stake in the companies under consideration. The analysis looked at 75 listed firms for whom shareholding data was available for March 2022.

Does Monsoon Impact Market Returns?

Does Monsoon Impact Market Returns?

Rediff.com   6 May 2022

Many years during which monsoons were poor saw high returns, while normal or excess rainfall has also coincided with poor calendar year gains.

India's bond slump worse than others, issuance value down 10.1%

India's bond slump worse than others, issuance value down 10.1%

Rediff.com   19 Apr 2022

Indian issuers are borrowing lesser through bonds compared to their global peers. The total value of bond issuances was down 10.1 per cent on a rolling 4-quarter basis in March 2022, compared to a similar period in March 2019, shows an analysis of data from tracker Refinitiv, a London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) business. The four quarters ended March 2019 marked the last full financial year before the pandemic took hold.

Why Are India's Rich Reluctant Givers?

Why Are India's Rich Reluctant Givers?

Rediff.com   8 Apr 2022

A sudden surge in wealth because of stock market gains after the pandemic could be one of the factors behind the relatively lower share of philanthropy in total wealth.

MFs invest in more stocks amid volatility

MFs invest in more stocks amid volatility

Rediff.com   29 Mar 2022

Mutual funds (MFs) are investing in more stocks despite the recent volatility. The industry invested in 824 companies across the listed universe as of October, according to primemfdatabase.com. The S&P BSE Sensex hit its all-time high of 62,245 that month. The index has since corrected to 57,864, around 7 per cent below the peak.

Jail inmates-generated sales rival India's largest companies

Jail inmates-generated sales rival India's largest companies

Rediff.com   27 Mar 2022

Jail inmates produced goods generating gross sales worth Rs 223.4 crore in 2020, according to the government's annual Prison Statistics India report. The amount ranks at 496th place if compared with the latest net sales numbers of S&P BSE 500 companies, reports Sachin P Mampatta.

A big challenge to EPFO returns

A big challenge to EPFO returns

Rediff.com   18 Mar 2022

There is widening gap between what the government's premier retirement fund makes on its investments and what it offers to employees. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) makes the bulk of its investments in government-related securities. In other words, it lends to central and state governments and related entities. The interest it gets from these instruments is largely what it uses to pay interest to its subscribers.

Indians Invested $673.8 Million Abroad In 2021

Indians Invested $673.8 Million Abroad In 2021

Rediff.com   15 Mar 2022

Indians spent more on foreign investments during the past 12 months than they have since at least 2012.

Over Rs 20,000 crore lying unclaimed with LIC

Over Rs 20,000 crore lying unclaimed with LIC

Rediff.com   15 Feb 2022

The amount of money lying unclaimed with the Life Insurance Corporation of India dwarfs the budgets of many ministries. There was Rs 21,539.5 crore which lay unclaimed with India's largest insurance company, according to details in the initial public offer (IPO) document it filed over the weekend. The regulatory documentation is ahead of LIC selling shares to the public through the stock exchange for the first time this financial year. This will be India's largest ever public listing.

Last year's share buybacks were lowest since 2015

Last year's share buybacks were lowest since 2015

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2022

Companies spent less money buying back their shares from the public last year than at any time since 2015. They announced buybacks of up to Rs 14,341 crore, show numbers from primary market tracker Prime Database. The total amount spent was Rs 13,597 crore. Both the amounts are lower than what was offered (Rs 39,564 crore) and spent (Rs 36,517 crore) in 2020.

'Be greedy when others are fearful'

'Be greedy when others are fearful'

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2022

Outperforming peers following a crisis in the debt markets is an act that ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company fund manager Manish Banthia has pulled off more than once.