Arindam Majumder And Indivjal Dhasmana

Stories by Arindam Majumder And Indivjal Dhasmana

'Petroleum Prices Will Rise After Date Of Counting'

'Petroleum Prices Will Rise After Date Of Counting'

Rediff.com   14 Feb 2022

'The signal is crude oil prices will rise, I am cutting my subsidy. Be prepared, prices will rise.'

Ford Motors among 20 auto firms shortlisted for output-linked incentive scheme

Ford Motors among 20 auto firms shortlisted for output-linked incentive scheme

Rediff.com   12 Feb 2022

Ford, which had announced to quit the Indian market last year, said it was exploring the possibility of using one of its plants in India to produce electric cars for exports.

How the Tatas finally brought Maharaja home

How the Tatas finally brought Maharaja home

Rediff.com   7 Feb 2022

The Tatas have the know-how to quickly close deals which can otherwise get caught in legal wrangle. In 2018, on the day the National Company Law Tribunal declared Tata Steel as the winner of the bid for bankrupt Bhushan Steel, Bhushan promoter Neeraj Singhal was planning to file for a stay order. He did get the case listed for the following day, but the judge did not admit it, deferring it until the following week. The Tatas used the narrow window of 48 hours to close the deal and take control of the company.

Will the new management manage to revive Jet Airways ahead of March deadline?

Will the new management manage to revive Jet Airways ahead of March deadline?

Rediff.com   4 Feb 2022

The consortium of UAE-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and UK-based private equity fund Kalrock Capital is rushing to restart Jet Airways' operations, even though differences have emerged over who will fund expenses before operations commence, sources said. The airline applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for recertification of its air operator certificate in the last week of January. The regulator is likely to inspect the airline's preparedness to operate a flight in the middle of this month, after which it will be asked to operate a proving flight to demonstrate its ability to conduct flights safely and in accordance with rules.

Jhunjhunwala the biggest draw as investors line up to board Akasa

Jhunjhunwala the biggest draw as investors line up to board Akasa

Rediff.com   25 Jan 2022

Veterans in the travel industry, a well-known corporate lawyer, and a marquee US-based hedge fund have backed the upcoming low-cost airline Akasa Air. Founded by former Jet Airways chief executive officer (CEO) Vinay Dube, the venture counts ace stock trader and investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala as its biggest financial backer with an investment of around Rs 300 crore. A person with knowledge of the development said most of the people were well known to Jhunjhunwala and Dube, who approached them during the conception stage.

Strictly enforce one hand bag rule: Govt to airlines

Strictly enforce one hand bag rule: Govt to airlines

Rediff.com   22 Jan 2022

Airline executives said the rule is conflicting as regulator's own rules permits a passenger to carry multiple other things like laptop bag, ladies' hand bag, blanket, item bought at duty free shops, reports Arindam Majumder.

'Everybody wants to travel on an airline where they feel respected'

'Everybody wants to travel on an airline where they feel respected'

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2022

'Our focus is not going to be metro to metro routes.' 'We will begin by focusing on metro to non-metro (routes).' 'Metro to tier-2 cities or tier-3 cities is where there is a lot of space for affordable, efficient carriers.'

Problems continue to plague Jet Airways ahead of planned 2022 takeoff

Problems continue to plague Jet Airways ahead of planned 2022 takeoff

Rediff.com   13 Jan 2022

Jet Airways is seeing a churn in its senior management ahead of its planned take-off this year. Sudhir Gaur, accountable manager and acting chief executive officer, is the latest to quit the company. Finance head M Shivakumar and head of management information system (MIS) Farazad Patrawalla moved out a few weeks earlier. Gaur had been part of the initial team selected by the Kalrock-Jalan consortium, which secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) last June to revive the airline.

2022 will see carmakers fight it out for top SUV slot

2022 will see carmakers fight it out for top SUV slot

Rediff.com   12 Jan 2022

Market leader Maruti Suzuki is putting finishing touches to its plan of finding its feet in what is being hailed as a battle of epic proportions in India's fastest-growing passenger vehicle segment, reports Arindam Majumder.

Now, ready-to-eat fryums papad to draw 18% GST

Now, ready-to-eat fryums papad to draw 18% GST

Rediff.com   11 Jan 2022

Deciding the goods and services tax rate on fryums papad could be a messy affair with the Appellate Authority for Advance Rulings (AAAR) of Gujarat now ruling that the ready-to-eat product would draw 18 per cent rate. In that connection, it slightly modified the ruling of the state-based Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR). The AAR had also ordered that these products would draw 18 per cent GST but under a different classification.

Airlines forced to cancel flights as omicron hits demand and frontline crew

Airlines forced to cancel flights as omicron hits demand and frontline crew

Rediff.com   10 Jan 2022

India's largest carrier IndiGo will cut 20 per cent of its flights due to lower demand as a rapidly spreading coronavirus upends the recovery of air travel. The airline was operating around 1,200 flights as on Saturday. Other airlines are being forced to cancel flights as states tighten restrictions to combat the spread of the virus, and people are dropping last-minute travel plans. Airlines carried 2,518 passengers on 260,251 flights on Saturday, compared to 2,794 passengers on 358,856 flights the day before.

What Is India's True GDP?

What Is India's True GDP?

Rediff.com   10 Jan 2022

'How low GDP would have been, we don't know.' 'It raises serious questions because so many indicators are pointing to such a sharp decline and GDP estimates are still showing 4 per cent growth.'

Electric vehicles set to get costlier as battery prices rise

Electric vehicles set to get costlier as battery prices rise

Rediff.com   5 Jan 2022

The soaring prices of metals like lithium, nickel and cobalt, which are the primary constituents of the cell, as well as supply chain bottlenecks, are also pushing up the cost of batteries

Canada court orders seizure of Air India, AAI assets over dues

Canada court orders seizure of Air India, AAI assets over dues

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2022

A court in Canada has ordered the seizure of amounts collected by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on behalf of Air India and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Separate orders were passed on November 24 and December 21 on pleas by shareholders of Devas Multimedia Private Limited who have filed multiple petitions to enforce arbitration awards against the Indian government. According to a Devas spokesperson, more than $30 million has been seized to date under the IATA action.

'If India keeps growing, money flowing in won't stop'

'If India keeps growing, money flowing in won't stop'

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2022

'There will always be a challenge to maintain a fine balance to ensure that the growth keeps happening and inflation is contained.'

'What we need now is spending'

'What we need now is spending'

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2021

'The classic thing we need as a country is the virtuous cycle where you have robust demand which leads to more capital spending which in turn leads to more job creation and more money in the hands of people.'

Meeting FY22 fiscal deficit target hinges on divestment

Meeting FY22 fiscal deficit target hinges on divestment

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2021

After the government sought Parliament's nod for a second batch of supplementary demand for grants that will cause a hit of Rs 2.99 trillion to the exchequer, doubts suddenly arose about the government's ability to meet the Budget projections of reining in its fiscal deficit at 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), or Rs 15.06 trillion, for the current financial year. Till now, many were of the opinion that the government would succeed in checking the deficit at a much lower figure than what was given in the Budget Estimates (BE). The government had sought Parliament's approval to spend Rs 3.74 trillion extra, but Rs 74,517.01 crore will be matched by equal savings on other heads.

In India, electric vehicles are set to get costlier from 2022

In India, electric vehicles are set to get costlier from 2022

Rediff.com   27 Dec 2021

While traditional automakers in India are reeling under a global shortage of semiconductors, the country's electric vehicle (EV) makers, too, are now facing a shortage of lithium-ion batteries, a key raw material. The soaring prices of metals like lithium, nickel and cobalt, which are the primary constituents of the cell, as well as supply chain bottlenecks, are also pushing up the cost of batteries. Battery manufacturers say that prices have been increasing every quarter since the beginning of 2021.

Kia to stay away from sedans and hatchbacks

Kia to stay away from sedans and hatchbacks

Rediff.com   24 Dec 2021

South Korean automaker Kia Motors says it will look to be a premium only brand and stay away from the entry level segment like sedans and hatchbacks. Hardeep Singh Brar, the company's India Vice-President and Head (Sales and Marketing), said that customers have accepted Kia as a premium brand. In the mass market Kia is considered to be the most premium brand. "Customers like the features and they are willing to pay for them. So, we have consciously decided that if customers like us a premium brand, let's stick to that. It is a conscious decision to stay premium and operate in that segment of the mass market," Brar said.

From Jan 1, GST officials to make surprise recovery visits

From Jan 1, GST officials to make surprise recovery visits

Rediff.com   23 Dec 2021

Come January and the government is empowered to send its recovery officials to your premises to collect GST without notice, if your tax liability shown in the requisite form is less than what invoices, mentioned in the outward supply form, should draw. The relevant provision in the Finance Act, 2021, will come into effect from January 1, 2022, according to a gazette notification issued on Tuesday. Under the GST system, there are two kinds of returns that a company is required to file monthly if its turnover is over Rs 5 crore annually. These are form GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B.