Avishek Rakshit, Samreen Ahmad, Gireesh Babu, Vinay Umarji And Arnab Dutta

Stories by Avishek Rakshit, Samreen Ahmad, Gireesh Babu, Vinay Umarji And Arnab Dutta

Samsung officials questioned by DRI over alleged duty evasion

Samsung officials questioned by DRI over alleged duty evasion

Rediff.com   10 Jul 2021

The probe agency is learnt to have taken possession of multiple physical and digital records during a search operation conducted on the premises of the South Korean firm in Delhi and Mumbai this week.

Nasper-backed PayU in talks to acquire BillDesk for up to $4 billion

Nasper-backed PayU in talks to acquire BillDesk for up to $4 billion

Rediff.com   7 Jul 2021

Nasper-backed fintech firm PayU has started talks to acquire domestic payment gateway major BillDesk, and the deal size could be in the range of $3-4 billion, sources in the know said. "BillDesk has been open to being acquired for some time now, but in the past the valuations that the company was seeking proved to be a hurdle," said a source. "Three years ago too, PayU had approached BillDesk for an acquisition, but things didn't go ahead due to high valuations. "BillDesk had asked for $2-billion value then," said the source.

Housing sector hopes for boost from pent-up demand

Housing sector hopes for boost from pent-up demand

Rediff.com   5 Jul 2021

The key demand drivers -- such as low home loan rates and income tax sops, particularly for affordable housing -- that supported the recovery in H2 FY2021, remain in place and will spur recovery again, feel experts.

India's consumption story moving fast once again

India's consumption story moving fast once again

Rediff.com   1 Jul 2021

Sanjiv Mehta, chairman of the country's largest consumer goods company, HUL, believes that the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic between April and June this year has been a mere pause in India's consumption story, and that it will not change the country's overall growth trajectory. India is poised for growth, especially in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, Mehta told shareholders at the company's annual general meeting on Tuesday. The signs of recovery are becoming evident with many states lifting lockdown restrictions in recent weeks.

Study Abroad: Uncertainty over Vaccination

Study Abroad: Uncertainty over Vaccination

Rediff.com   14 Jun 2021

With the US education system operating independently from the government, universities are adopting varying strategies when it comes to Covid vaccination.

Covid blues fail to dampen Apple's dream run

Covid blues fail to dampen Apple's dream run

Rediff.com   27 May 2021

Rising prevalence of work-from-home and e-learning is driving sales of notebooks and tablets for most brands, but Apple's superior performance has more to do with its product quality.

PharmEasy buys Medlife, becomes largest e-pharma company

PharmEasy buys Medlife, becomes largest e-pharma company

Rediff.com   26 May 2021

PharmEasy has acquired Medlife for an undisclosed amount, the e-pharmacy unicorn said on Tuesday. The deal will make PharmEasy the largest player in the domestic online pharmacy sector, with the combined entity set to serve 2 million customers a month.

Banking tech start-up Zeta enters unicorn club with $1.4 bn valuation

Banking tech start-up Zeta enters unicorn club with $1.4 bn valuation

Rediff.com   26 May 2021

Banking technology start-up Zeta is the latest entrant to the unicorn club after raising $250 million in its Series C round from SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Sodexo participated as an additional minority investor in the round. Founded by serial entrepreneur and billionaire Bhavin Thurakia, the startup is now valued at $1.4 billion. It is the 14th company this year to cross the $1 billion valuation mark after Meesho, Cred, Pharmeasy, ShareChat, Moglix and others.

As Covid surge hits businesses, malls see rentals plunge

As Covid surge hits businesses, malls see rentals plunge

Rediff.com   14 May 2021

Consultants who help lease these properties say this is the steepest decline at least in a decade.

Apple takes a big bite out of locked down India, posts record JFM sales

Apple takes a big bite out of locked down India, posts record JFM sales

Rediff.com   14 May 2021

Apple was a fringe player in all key categories like smartphones, notebooks, and tablets till recently. But with the last quarter's record-breaking performance, the brand has established itself in the country's price-sensitive consumer electronics market.

Mobile phone production down 50% amid Covid-19 surge

Mobile phone production down 50% amid Covid-19 surge

Rediff.com   12 May 2021

According to research firm IDC, a slowdown in smartphone shipments began showing up as early as late February, though companies insist that the March quarter was fine, albeit on a low base.

COVID-19 second wave: Delays in RT-PCR tests

COVID-19 second wave: Delays in RT-PCR tests

Rediff.com   9 May 2021

While there is a shortage of testing kits, manpower and capacities, India does not have other scalable testing options.

COVID-19 stings: Guj model under scanner

COVID-19 stings: Guj model under scanner

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2021

Amid the growing queues of ambulances waiting for patients to be admitted with ventilators and oxygen, only time will tell if the state government has lost the plot or not.

2nd Covid wave may erase gains in smartphone market

2nd Covid wave may erase gains in smartphone market

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2021

While the record shipments reflects the prevailing mood at the time, the exponential rise in Covid cases in the country has turned the tide since.

Where is the manpower to handle ventilators?

Where is the manpower to handle ventilators?

Rediff.com   25 Apr 2021

The second wave of the pandemic has not only crippled medical infrastructure in terms of hospital beds, but has also led to bottlenecks in invasive ventilators and medical oxygen capacities and supplies.

Demand for Covid-19 tests growing 100 pc week-on-week

Demand for Covid-19 tests growing 100 pc week-on-week

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

One challenge for many laboratories in ramping up is the shortage of trained manpower for collecting samples, report Sohini Das, Vinay Umarji and Virendra Singh Rawat.

Delhi curfew, oxygen shortage takes a toll on Noida industrial belt

Delhi curfew, oxygen shortage takes a toll on Noida industrial belt

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

From trucks lined up and waiting in the area to local vendors, the scenes tell a story of livelihoods stalled.

Apple revs up India offering with new iMac, iPads and iPhone

Apple revs up India offering with new iMac, iPads and iPhone

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2021

The new iMac, two iPads and iPhone 12 and 12 Mini will be open for ordering starting April 30, just like in the US, the UK, China and Japan.

Decade on, Jaypee Infratech customers still waiting for a home

Decade on, Jaypee Infratech customers still waiting for a home

Rediff.com   14 Apr 2021

Booked between 2007 and 2011, out of the total 32,700 residential units under various Jaypee Infratech (JIL) projects, at least 20,000 homes are yet to be delivered. Supreme Court documents show that, till last March, Jaypee had issued 7,997 offers of possession to homebuyers while executing only 6,530 sub-lease deeds. These deeds offer homebuyers possession rights but, unlike registration, does not guarantee absolute ownership.

How IIM-B is solving its quota problem

How IIM-B is solving its quota problem

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2021

'Going forward, whatever faculty positions we fill we expect to do so consistently with the quota requirements.'