B G Shirsat &Amp; P B Jayakumar

Stories by B G Shirsat &Amp; P B Jayakumar

Few takers: Raju's claim of quarter margin

Few takers: Raju's claim of quarter margin

Rediff.com   12 Jan 2009

There are very few takers for B Ramalinga Raju's astounding claim that the margin earned by Satyam in the quarter ended September 2008 was just 3 per cent, and not 24 per cent as reported in the results.

Glaxo's strategy may limit gains for Indian firms

Glaxo's strategy may limit gains for Indian firms

Rediff.com   5 Jan 2009

Dr Reddy's has reached an out-of-court settlement to launch the Glaxo-patented Imitrex, a migraine drug that had annual sales of $878 million as of March 31, 2006, in the US. Experts estimate Dr Reddy's may not get more than $8-$15 million sales in 2009 since majority of sales revenue has to be given to GSK, for allowing the launch the authorised generic version.

Indian retail drug sales jump 10% amid slowdown

Indian retail drug sales jump 10% amid slowdown

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2008

Retail sales of Ranbaxy Laboratories, Cipla, Nicholas Piramal, Lupin and other drug makers have jumped by over 10 per cent in the domestic market despite the sales of generics or copycat versions of patented drugs falling in leading global markets such as the US and Europe.

Ranbaxy to pay damages in price-fixing case

Ranbaxy to pay damages in price-fixing case

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2008

Drug maker agrees to cooperate with Scottish investigation.

Pharma firms eye small buys to stay fit

Pharma firms eye small buys to stay fit

Rediff.com   24 Dec 2008

Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Nicholas Piramal and other Indian drug makers are relying on niche and smaller value, acquisition strategy for growth owing to global slowdown and failure of big-ticket acquisitions in the past.

Glenmark may beat rivals in chemical entity sale

Glenmark may beat rivals in chemical entity sale

Rediff.com   23 Dec 2008

Glenmark plans to start selling its anti-diarrhoea drug, Crofelemer, by the first-half of 2010 across the globe, except in North America, Europe, Japan and China, the company said. The confidence to sell the drug ahead of its rivals comes as the Crofelemer's original developer, Napo Pharmaceutical Inc, recently entered into a tie-up with a US-based drug maker, Salyx, for selling the drug in the US market, paving the way for Glenmark to sell it in the rest of the world.

How India is weathering the financial tsunami

How India is weathering the financial tsunami

Rediff.com   22 Dec 2008

Once criticised as inhibitory, India's strict regulatory norms have protected local banks from the global financial tsunami.

Slowdown hits medical tool manufacturers

Slowdown hits medical tool manufacturers

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2008

Fearing the slowdown, hospital managements suspended some of their new medical equipment purchase plans," said A Vaidheesh, managing director, Johnson & Johnson Medical, one of the largest medical equipment companies operating in India. India's medical and hospital equipment industry, which consists of multinational players such as Siemens, Philips, Johnson & Johnson, GE Healthcare and home grown Medtronics, has an annual turnover of over Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion).

HC orders review of Roche's drug patent

HC orders review of Roche's drug patent

Rediff.com   3 Dec 2008

First time, an Indian court revisits a patent office order.

Drug cos may gain from polluting status review

Drug cos may gain from polluting status review

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2008

A segment of drug companies such as tablet and capsule makers may benefit from the government's move to review polluting status of these companies, which may help them save costs on pollution control equipment.

Indian drug makers may cut output

Indian drug makers may cut output

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2008

Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy's and other Indian drug makers may cut production as overseas buyers, hurt by the credit crunch, defer export orders. The move could also lower the country's drug exports by at least 10 per cent in the year ending March 2010, industry experts say."Many of our members have been intimated by their importers to stop shipments until further notice," said Venkat Jasti, chairman, Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council.

Power cos scout for Indonesian coal assets

Power cos scout for Indonesian coal assets

Rediff.com   24 Nov 2008

Leading power players Reliance Infrastructure and GMR Energy believe this will help ensure coal availability for their mega projects in the pipeline. "They have various proposals on their table, which are relatively cheaper when compared to the scene before the beginning of the financial crisis. However, the acquisitions will depend on the ability of the acquirers to raise funds as the banks have stopped lending at cheaper rates," said a source.

RIL shuts five polyester units

RIL shuts five polyester units

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2008

The move, which comes in the backdrop of a global slowdown, aims to improve profit margin amid falling demand for polyester products worldwide. "The company has shut down plants for manufacturing polyester filament yarn, polyester staple fibre, paraxylene, purified terephthalic acid and linear alkyl benzene. However, it is yet to close down the second units of PSF and PFY," sources said.

Parkinson's medicine in patent tangle

Parkinson's medicine in patent tangle

Rediff.com   4 Nov 2008

Drug major Wockhardt has challenged the US patent of Stalevo, a new generation combination drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, originated by Finland-based Orion Corporation and marketed by Novartis.

V-Guard in talks to acquire UPS firm overseas

V-Guard in talks to acquire UPS firm overseas

Rediff.com   3 Nov 2008

The company is in advanced stages of negotiations with a UPS manufacturer each in Europe and China and the deal may come through within a few months, said Mithun Chittilappalli, executive director, V-Guard. At present, the company manufactures only online UPS, targeted at domestic users of computers and electronic gadgets, which contribute only 5-6 per cent to its around Rs 300-crore (Rs 3-billion) turnover.

Companies see slower order book growth

Companies see slower order book growth

Rediff.com   29 Oct 2008

The global credit crisis has slowed order growth of Indian construction and engineering companies, indicating that several big projects, planned earlier, are being pushed back either for lack of capital, or because they have become unviable now.

More companies show fall in profit in Q2

More companies show fall in profit in Q2

Rediff.com   27 Oct 2008

The tide for Indian firms seems to be turning. As much as 41 per cent of companies announcing their second-quarter results have registered a drop in profit.

MSD Pharma eyes slot among top five firms

MSD Pharma eyes slot among top five firms

Rediff.com   22 Oct 2008

MSD Pharmaceuticals, the wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based multinational drug company Merck, has chartered an ambitious growth plan to emerge as one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in India. The Merck subsidiary has plans to step up its research and clinical trial programmes in India, mainly in association with hospitals and universities.

Thinning Q2 margins cloud buoyant sales

Thinning Q2 margins cloud buoyant sales

Rediff.com   20 Oct 2008

Sales of 137 firms up 29.7%, but operating margins dip.

R-Power signs new pact for Sasan project

R-Power signs new pact for Sasan project

Rediff.com   16 Oct 2008

Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Power (R-Power) has signed a supplementary power purchase agreement (PPA) with fourteen buyers from seven states for its upcoming 4,000-MW ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Sasan.