Danny Goodman, P B Jayakumar In New Delhi

Stories by Danny Goodman, P B Jayakumar In New Delhi

Mahindra yet to get US nod to launch vehicles

Mahindra yet to get US nod to launch vehicles

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2009

India's largest sport utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra's plan of launching its vehicles in the US has suffered a delay of almost 12 months following clearance awaited from the US homologation department.

Sasan mega project closure in a few weeks

Sasan mega project closure in a few weeks

Rediff.com   13 Jan 2009

Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Power is likely to announce the financial closure of its 3,960-Mw Sasan ultra mega power project (UMPP) in a few weeks.

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.

No more stocks, please, car dealers tell auto cos

No more stocks, please, car dealers tell auto cos

Rediff.com   24 Dec 2008

Unprecedented fall in sales has resulted in build-up of huge inventories, and dealers are pleading with car makers. . .

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.

IOC to open India's first hydrogen fuel pump

IOC to open India's first hydrogen fuel pump

Rediff.com   23 Dec 2008

Indian Oil Corporation, the country's largest oil marketing company by sales, will open the country's first hydrogen fuel-dispensing station in New Delhi next month. The new-age pump will be set up in Dwarka.

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.

50 auto parts suppliers denied credit insurance

50 auto parts suppliers denied credit insurance

Rediff.com   3 Dec 2008

India's auto component makers not only face slower growth in the domestic market, the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India is now refusing credit insurance to over 50 auto component companies that sell to the Big Three car makers in Detroit.

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.

VW defers launch of two models

VW defers launch of two models

Rediff.com   19 Nov 2008

The company attributes the delay to the slump in demand for commercial vehicles in the country since the beginning of the current year.

Price cut may clear Civic Hybrid inventory

Price cut may clear Civic Hybrid inventory

Rediff.com   15 Nov 2008

The special discount of Rs 800,000 offered on the Honda Civic Hybrid is not sustainable by the car-maker and could be a strategy to clean up its inventory.

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.

Second-hand car rates go down the hill

Second-hand car rates go down the hill

Rediff.com   4 Nov 2008

Second-hand car prices have dropped 15 to 25 per cent following the imposition of stringent Supreme Court norms over repossessing and selling cars of owners defaulting on their loans.