Deepak Patel And Indivjal Dhasmana

Stories by Deepak Patel And Indivjal Dhasmana

Modi 3.0: 'Viksit Bharat' Reforms Not To Take Back Seat

Modi 3.0: 'Viksit Bharat' Reforms Not To Take Back Seat

Rediff.com   13 Jun 2024

'The expeditious enactment of labour codes and strategic measures to bridge the skills jobs gap are critical.'

Air India's rise could impact 3 Gulf hubs: Saudia

Air India's rise could impact 3 Gulf hubs: Saudia

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2024

Air India (AI)'s rise could be at the expense of three "super-connector" hubs - Doha in Qatar, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE - as the Indian passenger would any day prefer direct flights of their national airline that is providing excellent on-time service, Arved von zur Muehlen, chief commercial officer of Saudia Airlines, said on Thursday.

Airfares to summer destinations defy heat, stay cool

Airfares to summer destinations defy heat, stay cool

Rediff.com   30 May 2024

Notwithstanding the sweltering heat engulfing major cities, travellers can find solace in the steady airfares to popular summer destinations like Srinagar, Bagdogra, and Kochi. According to airline executives, capacity increases and moderate demand have kept spot airfares from scorching cities like Delhi on a par with the same period last year.

'Nobody's Asking Where Money Will Come For Freebies'

'Nobody's Asking Where Money Will Come For Freebies'

Rediff.com   24 May 2024

'The prime minister's comment on 'revdi culture' was welcome. But I am disappointed he did not follow up on that.' 'All political parties, including the BJP, have been guilty of this.' 'Now, Modi's guarantees, the Congress's 'nyay' path and both ruling and Opposition parties are vying with each other for freebies in my home state Andhra Pradesh.'

April domestic air travel growth slows to 13-month low; Air India grows

April domestic air travel growth slows to 13-month low; Air India grows

Rediff.com   22 May 2024

The number of domestic air travelers in India grew 2.42 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in April, reaching 13.2 million, according to data by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday.

IT firms' work for int'l clients may not always attract IGST

IT firms' work for int'l clients may not always attract IGST

Rediff.com   17 May 2024

Services provided by Indian information-technology (IT), marketing, and consulting companies to foreign clients may not always draw integrated goods and services tax (IGST) if a ruling by the Authority for Advance Rulings' (AAR's) Telangana Bench becomes a precedent. The AAR gave its ruling on a specific case of referral services provided by the Hyderabad-based Center for International Admission and Visas (CIAV) to foreign universities and colleges for admitting Indian students.

Air India's international cargo business takes wings, not so for IndiGo

Air India's international cargo business takes wings, not so for IndiGo

Rediff.com   13 May 2024

The international cargo operations of two major carriers - IndiGo and Air India Group (Air India and Vistara) - are experiencing opposite trajectories despite both the airlines significantly expanding their international flight offerings over the past year. During the fourth quarter of 2023-24, IndiGo's international non-passenger cargo business declined to 6,848 tonnes. This is an 18.2 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) decrease, according to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Shares given as gift may escape capital gains tax

Shares given as gift may escape capital gains tax

Rediff.com   9 May 2024

In a case related to Mumbai-based Jai Trust versus Union government, the court ruled that a gift is a consideration-less transaction, and hence, not liable for capital gains tax. It quashes the reassessment notice issued by the tax authorities alleging that a specific income has escaped assessment on transfer of shares as gift by the trust.

Freebies Dominate Andhra Assembly Polls

Freebies Dominate Andhra Assembly Polls

Rediff.com   9 May 2024

The state's economic health is in focus as it has consistently breached the fiscal deficit in eight of the last 10 years since Telangana's formation.

Why DGCA Suspended Vistara Executive

Why DGCA Suspended Vistara Executive

Rediff.com   1 May 2024

This isn't the first instance of Vistara facing scrutiny from the regulator over improper pilot training.

DGCA directs airlines to seat kids up to 12 years with their parents

DGCA directs airlines to seat kids up to 12 years with their parents

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2024

A child who is less than 12 years of age must be allotted a seat beside at least one parent or a guardian with whom he is travelling, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told airlines on Tuesday. The DGCA has said that the air transport circular on unbundling of services and fees by scheduled airlines is being modified. It allows airlines to charge for excess baggage, preferential seats, meals, snacks, drinks, and carriage of musical instruments.

'Aionos will bridge silos within aviation, hospitality using AI'

'Aionos will bridge silos within aviation, hospitality using AI'

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2024

Industries such as aviation and hospitality have many silos within them and Aionos, the joint venture between Interglobe Enterprises (IGE) and Assago Group, is an attempt to bridge them and boost efficiencies using artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, Rahul Bhatia told Business Standard on Tuesday. Bhatia, the Group Managing Director of IGE, serves as the majority shareholder in India's largest airline, IndiGo. Additionally, IGE operates 21 hotels under the Ibis brand and runs a logistics company called Movin.

Net direct tax collection surpasses RE in FY24; corp tax receipts a miss

Net direct tax collection surpasses RE in FY24; corp tax receipts a miss

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2024

Direct tax collection, net of refunds, moderately exceeded the revised estimates (RE) for the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) on the back of personal income tax revenues, but corporation tax receipts fell short of the RE. Net direct tax collection stood at Rs 19.58 trillion in FY24, surpassing the RE of Rs 19.45 trillion by Rs 13,000 crore, or 0.7 per cent. The government had revised up FY24 projections for personal income tax by 13.5 per cent over the Budget estimates (BE) of Rs 9 trillion, at Rs 10.22 trillion.

Summer pinch: Airfares on key routes rise up to 13%

Summer pinch: Airfares on key routes rise up to 13%

Rediff.com   11 Apr 2024

Airfares on major domestic routes such as Kolkata-Bagdogra, Delhi-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Mumbai have witnessed an increase of up to 12.7 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in May this year, according to data by Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel. The recent increase in aviation turbine fuel prices, rupee depreciation, reduction of flights by key players, and grounding of planes due to engine supply issues have contributed to the rise in airfares, said aviation industry experts. However, the data also shows that summer airfares on key routes such as Delhi-Leh and Delhi-Kolkata have significantly decreased due to the introduction of new flights.

'Bonded labour': Air India pilot unions extend support to Vistara

'Bonded labour': Air India pilot unions extend support to Vistara

Rediff.com   5 Apr 2024

Describing their situation akin to "bonded labour", two Air India pilot unions extended their support to Vistara pilots on Thursday, who have raised grievances regarding the duty roster and the revised salary structure. Amid the slew of flight cancellations and delays, Vistara chief executive officer Vinod Kannan acknowledged on Wednesday that pilot utilisation in the airline was high, and announced plans to scale back its flight schedule and overhaul the rostering system to provide pilots with more rest time.

Flight schedule to normalise in 2-3 days: Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan

Flight schedule to normalise in 2-3 days: Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2024

High pilot utilisation, combined with a portion of pilots taking sick leave at the end of March has resulted in the cancellations during the last couple of days, chief executive officer (CEO) of Vistara, Vinod Kannan, said during a meeting with the pilots on Wednesday.

Vistara cancellations lead to surge in spot airfares by up to 38%

Vistara cancellations lead to surge in spot airfares by up to 38%

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2024

The spot airfares on major routes, where Vistara cancelled flights on Tuesday, have surged by up to 38 per cent, according to data provided by Cleartrip. The spot airfares for Tuesday were compared with March 5. Vistara has cancelled 52 flights on routes such as Delhi-Indore, Delhi-Srinagar, Mumbai-Kochi, and Bengaluru-Udaipur as a certain section of pilots went on sick leave, reportedly protesting against the new salary structure that was introduced as part of the airline's merger with Air India.

Despite dent in liquor taxes, Delhi maintains revenue

Despite dent in liquor taxes, Delhi maintains revenue

Rediff.com   2 Apr 2024

The new excise policy, introduced in Delhi in November 2021, made sweeping changes to the city's liquor trade.

Google Ireland gets tax relief on Rs 8.6K crore it got from India arm

Google Ireland gets tax relief on Rs 8.6K crore it got from India arm

Rediff.com   28 Mar 2024

An income tax tribunal held that the amount received by Google Ireland from Google India towards marketing and distribution rights of the AdWords programme is not royalty, and hence, cannot be taxed at the hands of the assessee (Google Ireland). The ruling by the Bengaluru-based Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) may have repercussions on similar transactions by multinationals, feel experts. Explaining the case, Amit Maheshwari, tax expert at AKM Global, said Google Ireland had received Rs 8,662.93 crore under the Google Reseller Agreements.

Will Ombudsman Fix Air Travel Hassles?

Will Ombudsman Fix Air Travel Hassles?

Rediff.com   26 Mar 2024

'The ministry may like to consider setting up an ombudsman similar to electricity ombudsman and insurance ombudsman, to ensure a time-bound resolution of consumer issues within the airline sector.'