Deepak Patel &Amp;Amp; Subhayan Chakraborty

Stories by Deepak Patel &Amp;Amp; Subhayan Chakraborty

What changes new Telecom Bill will bring

What changes new Telecom Bill will bring

Rediff.com   22 Dec 2023

Officials said the bill has provided a clear legal basis for spectrum allocation, which till now was allocated or auctioned by the government based on the interpretation of various laws and judgements.

India may buy more oil from UAE in the coming months after COP talks

India may buy more oil from UAE in the coming months after COP talks

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2023

India is expected to ramp up its purchase of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the coming months following discussions between the two countries on the sidelines of the ongoing COP28 summit in Dubai, multiple sources in the know said. The UAE has historically been India's third-largest source of crude. It has suffered the largest drop in shipments since Indian refiners began to binge on Russian crude in 2022.

Next spectrum auction likely in February

Next spectrum auction likely in February

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2023

The next spectrum auction will be held in late February 2024 and the reserve price for most bands will remain the same as the 2022 auction, department of telecommunications (DoT) officials have said. The government expects operators to go for low bands beginning in 600 megahertz (MHz), licences for many of which are lapsing soon. Back in September 2021, the government had decided that spectrum auctions should be held annually.

Air India changes aircraft order with Airbus, cites 'business requirements'

Air India changes aircraft order with Airbus, cites 'business requirements'

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2023

Air India significantly altered the composition of the aircraft order it placed earlier this year with Airbus, the European plane manufacturer has said. In February, Air India had placed the world's second-largest single-tranche aircraft order for 470 planes: 250 with Airbus and 220 with Boeing. In July, Airbus disclosed an order comprising 70 A321neo, 140 A320neo, 34 A350-1000, and six A350-900 aircraft for Air India.

91% drop in Indian visas granted to Canadians this year

91% drop in Indian visas granted to Canadians this year

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2023

Data reveals that India issued only 5,709 tourist visas during this year's January 1 to November 2 period, reflecting a staggering 91 per cent decrease compared to the entire year of 2022.

1/4th of Indian carriers' aircraft may be grounded by March-end: CAPA

1/4th of Indian carriers' aircraft may be grounded by March-end: CAPA

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2023

Nearly 200 of the 789 aircraft of Indian carriers are expected to be grounded by the end of March due to ongoing supply chain issues, according to the report released on Monday by CAPA India. At present, 161-166 aircraft are grounded. "More aircraft will be on the ground than expected due to serious supply chain issues, which were supposed to improve but actually deteriorated," it noted.

Engine MRO in India could have saved Go First, says govt official

Engine MRO in India could have saved Go First, says govt official

Rediff.com   22 Nov 2023

The presence of an engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India could have prevented Go First airline from going "belly up", as sending engines abroad for servicing is not an efficient way to operate a carrier, Piyush Srivastava, senior economic advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said in a statement on Tuesday. On May 3, Go First suspended its flights and filed for insolvency, squarely blaming engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (PW) for its cash crunch. The airline claimed that about half of its 54 aircraft were grounded on May 3 due to a delay in the supply of engines by the US-based company. PW has denied the charges.

ICC Cricket World Cup: Ahmedabad airport sees surge in chartered flights

ICC Cricket World Cup: Ahmedabad airport sees surge in chartered flights

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2023

Ahmedabad airport recorded thrice the number of private chartered/VIP flights in the build-up to the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as compared to the average four-day period. The airport, which usually operates around 64 chartered flights in a span of four days, is set to handle 205 such flights between November 17 and 20, as celebrities and other VIPs descended to watch the India-Australia match.

'We are building Kia 2.0. India is a long-term bet for us'

'We are building Kia 2.0. India is a long-term bet for us'

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2023

'India is the sixth-largest market for the Kia Corporation, and contributes 8 to 9 per cent to our global sales.' 'We are eyeing 10 per cent market share over the next few years depending on customer demand and new product innovations.'

'2 to 3 years before small car market revives'

'2 to 3 years before small car market revives'

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2023

'It will take some more time because the affordability of these cars have changed drastically.'

Navi Mumbai airport construction facing delays, may start ops in 2025: CAPA

Navi Mumbai airport construction facing delays, may start ops in 2025: CAPA

Rediff.com   30 Oct 2023

Navi Mumbai airport's construction is facing delays, and is likely to commence commercial operations in 2025 instead of 2024, aviation consultancy firm CAPA has said in a report. When asked about this matter, the Adani Group told Business Standard that the Navi Mumbai airport project is "being executed as per scheduled implementation plan and will be operational by the original target date of December, 2024, without any delay". Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), responsible for both the construction and operation of the airport, is a subsidiary of the Adani Group.

Airfares Zoom For Diwali Week!

Airfares Zoom For Diwali Week!

Rediff.com   26 Oct 2023

During the Diwali week (November 10-16), airfares on major routes across the country have surged by up to 44 per cent.

Five accidents in six months: DGCA grounds flight training at Redbird

Five accidents in six months: DGCA grounds flight training at Redbird

Rediff.com   24 Oct 2023

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday suspended operations at Redbird Flight Training Academy, one of India's largest flight schools, across all five of its training bases in the country. This action was taken after five accidents involving the institute's planes in the past six months. The DGCA announced it would conduct an audit of the academy's maintenance practices and also proficiency checks of the institute's flight instructors before allowing it to resume operations.

Semiconductor, deep tech to be in focus at the India Mobile Congress

Semiconductor, deep tech to be in focus at the India Mobile Congress

Rediff.com   18 Oct 2023

The three-day India Mobile Congress (IMC) will showcase the widening convergence of telecom with new domains, such as semiconductors and deep tech, P Ramakrishna, the forum's chief executive officer, said on Tuesday. With more than 250 global and domestic exhibitors, the seventh edition is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors this year, he said. There will also be over 5,000 CXO-level delegates and more than 350 speakers.

Maruti to issue Rs 12.8K cr shares for Guj plant buy

Maruti to issue Rs 12.8K cr shares for Guj plant buy

Rediff.com   18 Oct 2023

The board of Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) on Tuesday approved a proposal to issue shares worth Rs 12,841 crore to parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) for acquiring Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG). The Gujarat manufacturing plant - with an annual capacity of 750,000 units - is owned by SMG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMC. The shares issued to SMC will raise its ownership in MSIL from 56.48 per cent to 58.19 per cent--India's largest carmaker stated in a notice to BSE.

Two-wheeler exports fell by 20% to 1.69 mn units in H1

Two-wheeler exports fell by 20% to 1.69 mn units in H1

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2023

Two-wheeler exports from India have decreased by 20 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 1.69 million units in the first half (H1) of 2023-24 (FY24) due to a challenging geopolitical situation and foreign exchange (forex) crises in key markets such as South Asia, industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) said on Monday. On the other hand, passenger vehicle (PV) exports in H1FY24 increased by 5 per cent to 336,754 units because the key markets are much more diversified worldwide, Vinod Aggarwal, president, Siam, told reporters during a press conference. The Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, has brought significant instability to global fuel prices.

Airfares to rise as IndiGo brings back fuel charge

Airfares to rise as IndiGo brings back fuel charge

Rediff.com   6 Oct 2023

Airfares in the country are set to rise, with IndiGo on Thursday introducing a fuel charge of up to Rs 1,000 based on a flight's distance, in response to the significant rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices in the last three months. The Indian aviation sector experiences its peak travel season between October and December. The inclusion of a fuel charge component in airfares is anticipated to have a sizable impact on IndiGo's passengers, according to experts.

Pilot exodus: Akasa stops flights on 8 routes, reduces service on 10 others

Pilot exodus: Akasa stops flights on 8 routes, reduces service on 10 others

Rediff.com   5 Oct 2023

Akasa Air has reduced its service on 10 routes and stopped operating flights on eight others since the exodus of pilots began in early July. The airline's flights per week reduced from 945 in June to 754 in October, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium's data, which has been reviewed by Business Standard. The airline currently operates flights on 34 routes. Between June and October, Akasa Air ceased operations on the following: Ahmedabad-Kochi, Ahmedabad-Hyderabad, Ahmedabad-Pune, Bengaluru-Hyderabad, Bengaluru-Chennai, Kochi-Hyderabad, Goa-Lucknow, and Goa-Hyderabad.

High on G20 bonhomie, India readies 4th summit with African Union

High on G20 bonhomie, India readies 4th summit with African Union

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2023

Keen to capitalise on the growing geopolitical support from African nations after the recently concluded G20 Summit, India is working with the African Union to hold the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit later this year in Kenya's Nairobi, sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the mega meet along with as many as 50 African leaders, they added. First held in New Delhi in 2008, the India-Africa Forum Summit marked India's initial diplomatic efforts to seek a comprehensive partnership with the African bloc of nations as a whole, at a time when China had begun its own outreach.

Rise In Drunk Staff At Airports

Rise In Drunk Staff At Airports

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2023

189 people working at 59 Indian airports were found drunk on duty in the first half of this year, marking a 32 per cent year-on-year increase.