Direct to Home (DTH) operators could be asked to provide inter-operable set-top boxes to their customers with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) seeing prima facie merit in a complaint filed by a consumer organisation that it is in violation of competition laws.
The government is set to exceed its 2009-10 disinvestment target of Rs 1,120 crore through the first company that is slated to go to the markets this year -- NHPC.
This is significant because the ministry of information and broadcasting is actively looking at making a policy announcement for the third-phase roll out of FM radio as part of its action plan for the first 100-days of the United Progressive Alliance government. A final recommendation to this effect has already been made by the sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
With the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill awaiting Parliamentary approval, Max India, Analjit Singh's flagship company, has started discussions on divesting 23 per cent out of its 74 per cent shareholding in Max New York Life Insurance to its foreign partner.
For the second time since Press Note 2 and 4 were issued in February 2009, the Department of Economic Affairs in the finance ministry has raised questions on their implementation, this time over an application before the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.
At least a dozen advertisers, including Reliance Communications, Nokia, Pepsi, Hero Honda, Maruti and Visa among others, and host broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports may find themselves on a sticky wicket with India's exit from the current world Twenty20 cricket tournament.
It's actually a problem of plenty for investors now. Buoyed by the success of the three companies that sold their QIP issues within a day of opening, as many as 32 companies have joined the queue, hoping to raise a combined Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion).
Move to help India Inc access funds in the absence of foreign funds.
Even as Bollywood copes with its worst financial turmoil, with no film having been released for over two months, its award shows are raking in big moolah.
It will be the second FM radio operator to have listed on the BSE, after Entertainment Networks India Ltd that operates its radio business under the Radio Mirchi brand.
Ambika Soni, the new I&B minister, called for a full-presentation on Tuesday on both these issues from senior I&B officials, a day after she took charge of the ministry.
The insurance company has formed a four-member committee headed by LIC chairman TS Vijayan to decide the valuation of LIC Mutual Fund.
Under the CDR package, the company has sought a debt-restructuring of Rs 2,800 crore, including Rs 1,800 crore for Maytas Infra and another Rs 1,000 crore for various special-purpose vehicles. Sources say the investment companies may have diverted the Rs 400 crore to Satyam Computers. "As per the account trail, this loan of Rs 400 crore was finally given to Satyam Computer, routing through these investment arms," sources close to the CDR package said.
Channels like STAR Plus, Zee TV, Colors, NDTV Imagine and 9X, among others, hope to generate Rs 250 crore of advertising revenue from these shows over the next three months. Together, the broadcasters will churn out over 170 hours of fresh TV content in the form of soaps, reality shows, comedy shows and other genres. The average cost per episode of these 25 new shows is pegged at Rs 2.5-3 lakh.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to see a 30 to 40 per cent jump in revenues from the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament over the first edition held in India last year. Profits, however, are expected to increase marginally.
A slew of pending policy initiatives and important directions for the cable, radio and broadcast sector awaits the new Information and Broadcasting minister, likely to be announced early next week.
Sources say the firm had to act to calm Japanese investors, restive at the flow of bad news.
The prospect of a revival of the disinvestment agenda has prompted bureaucrats in the power ministry to revive plans for utilities to raise money from the markets, so that the government gains the opportunity to sell its shares.
Even with a clear mandate, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is unlikely to allow foreign direct investment in sensitive sectors such as retail and may like to revisit the recently issued norms that give companies elbow room in dealing with the FDI norms.
A near-decisive victory for the United Progessive Alliance (UPA) in the 15th Lok Sabha may have been unexpected for everyone, but not so the viewer turnout for television channels on May 16, the day the results were declared.