Arindam Majumder And Arup Roychoudhury

Stories by Arindam Majumder And Arup Roychoudhury

Air travel will cost more in India. Here's why

Air travel will cost more in India. Here's why

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2020

A loss of revenue from liquor sales will have to be compensated through increased landing and parking charges on airlines, which, in turn, will pass on the cost to flyers.

Budget maths won't be hit if oil is below $70

Budget maths won't be hit if oil is below $70

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2020

Oil sank to the lowest level in a month after shedding all of its gains from the US-Iran clash as traders waited to see whether any further hostilities will disrupt exports from the East Asia.

Did Asian Paints use strong-arm tactics to bar JSW from entering the markets?

Did Asian Paints use strong-arm tactics to bar JSW from entering the markets?

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2020

JSW had moved competition watchdog alleging Asian Paints threatened various dealers from dealing with the company.

Govt gives tax breather to airlines

Govt gives tax breather to airlines

Rediff.com   10 Jan 2020

Airports levy charges such as FTC, infrastructure charge, and into-plane charges on sale of jet fuel. The levy is passed through to airlines, pushing up costs.

Govt set to breach fiscal deficit target

Govt set to breach fiscal deficit target

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2020

If the fiscal deficit for the year can be maintained at Rs 7.04 trillion, the deficit as a percentage of GDP will slip to 3.44 per cent

How Nirmalaji compares with earlier FMs

How Nirmalaji compares with earlier FMs

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2020

While the situation Sitharaman finds herself in may not be that good, how does it stack up against her three immediate predecessors Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and the late Arun Jaitley?

Budget 2020: FY21 growth rate likely to be pegged at 6-6.5%

Budget 2020: FY21 growth rate likely to be pegged at 6-6.5%

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2020

It is also likely to assume a deflator of around 4 per cent. That could take the nominal GDP outlook for FY21 to around 10 per cent. It is this nominal GDP forecast on the basis of which the finance ministry is calculating key Budget targets like the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP and tax revenue growth for the coming year.

Modi to review ministries' work in quest for turnaround

Modi to review ministries' work in quest for turnaround

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2020

Starting today, Modi and top officials in the Prime Minister's Office will be briefed by various central ministries and departments on their plans as well as agenda for the next five years. They will also apprise the PMO of the work they have done so far in realising the agenda of government's second term in office.

The men behind Sitharaman's 2nd Budget

The men behind Sitharaman's 2nd Budget

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2019

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Budget a little more than a month from now. Like any other FM, Sitharaman will depend on her team of bureaucrats and advisors to frame and present the Budget.

Indian firms skip Auto Expo

Indian firms skip Auto Expo

Rediff.com   27 Dec 2019

Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycles, Scooters India, TVS, Honda India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Ford, Nissan, Ashok Leyland are all giving the Auto Expo a miss this time.

Govt for UPA-style bailout of NBFCs

Govt for UPA-style bailout of NBFCs

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2019

In 2009, the UPA government, had announced a slew of measures to boost liquidity in NBFCs. These included a scheme for providing liquidity support to NBFCs having assets size of over Rs 100 crore through a SPV.

Economists tell Sitharaman to focus on reviving growth

Economists tell Sitharaman to focus on reviving growth

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2019

At a pre-Budget meeting, the FM was asked to ensure that NBFCs come out of the liquidity crisis they are facing with the help of RBI. They also spoke about the futility of trying to achieve a 3 per cent fiscal deficit target over the medium term.

Govt set to miss FY20 fiscal deficit target

Govt set to miss FY20 fiscal deficit target

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2019

Even with the possible expenditure roll-overs and off-budget financing, the fiscal deficit target will not be met. The FRBM Act, after its amendment in 2018, allows a fiscal deficit slippage of not more than 0.5 per cent for any given year, provided there are justifications. These justifications include war, national security, severe collapse in the agriculture sector, a major natural calamity, big structural economic reforms, or the decline in real output growth of a quarter by at least 3 percentage points below its average of the previous four quarters.

Modi, team to start pre-Budget consultations next week

Modi, team to start pre-Budget consultations next week

Rediff.com   14 Dec 2019

In the 2020-21 Budget, the prime minister and the finance minister are keen to stamp their narrative, after various rollbacks following the previous Budget, said top government sources. Besides the scheduled meetings, the sources said, the Prime Minister's Office is expected to hold several meetings with top secretaries and officials on various ongoing schemes, their performance and also how some of them could be tweaked for better results.

At 11.2%, Nov's air traffic growth fastest this year

At 11.2%, Nov's air traffic growth fastest this year

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2019

About 1.2 crore passengers flew in November compared to 1.1 crore in October. While the industry opinion is divided over the sustainability of unprofitable growth, which is primarily led by low fare, some described it as the resilience of air travel against the economic slump.

Cars to get pricier in 2020

Cars to get pricier in 2020

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2019

Primary steel producers in the domestic market have raised product prices by 2.5 to 3 per cent for December to address margin compression and in anticipation of a demand pick-up.

Oyo brass Aditya Ghosh joins board, Rohit Kapoor becomes CEO

Oyo brass Aditya Ghosh joins board, Rohit Kapoor becomes CEO

Rediff.com   3 Dec 2019

Oyo has recently undergone large-scale corporate restructuring, setting up several subsidiaries and bifurcating operations globally.

Budget 2020: What Sitharaman has in store for you

Budget 2020: What Sitharaman has in store for you

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2019

Long-term capital gains tax may be scrapped and the burden of dividend distribution tax could perhaps be shifted from companies to shareholders. Also, the Budget could provide income tax relief for the salaried classes, while proposing tax sops for small, medium and micro enterprises.

Festive-season discounts bring respite to auto dealers

Festive-season discounts bring respite to auto dealers

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2019

Retail sales of passenger vehicles - the largest component of the pie - jumped 11 per cent year-on-year in October to 248,036 units, largely because of discounts offered during Navratri and Diwali.

Unspent PM-KISAN fund may be diverted to MGNREGA

Unspent PM-KISAN fund may be diverted to MGNREGA

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2019

Sources said the rural development ministry has sought an additional Rs 20,000 crore for MGNREGA for 2019-20 over and above the budgeted Rs 60,000 crore for 2019-20. Though, all of the PM-KISAN savings may not be transferred to fund MNGREGA's extra needs, sources said a part of this could be transferred.