Deepak Patel,Ajinkya Kawale

Stories by Deepak Patel,Ajinkya Kawale

'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.'

IT Hiring Slowdown Worries Students

IT Hiring Slowdown Worries Students

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2023

'Students of Tier-II and Tier III engineering colleges in the south may find 2023 to be one of the toughest years for getting jobs.'

'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.'

Growth in personal loans offering likely to remain muted for Paytm

Growth in personal loans offering likely to remain muted for Paytm

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2023

The growth in personal loans for fintech major Paytm may remain muted in the future and not replicate a three-digit year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth that it recorded in the previous years, a person familiar with the matter said. Sources said the personal loans book may grow in the range of 30 to 40 per cent Y-o-Y on its current base. On a quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) basis, the number of personal loans the Noida-based fintech company disbursed has dropped 20 per cent from 0.3 million in the first quarter of this financial year (Q1FY24) to 0.24 million in Q2FY24, according to regulatory filings.

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.

'India is big enough to have over 4 airlines'

'India is big enough to have over 4 airlines'

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2023

'Within five years, we should be achieving more on the international front than what it took most airlines 15 to 20 years back.'

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.

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.

Coming Soon! UPI-Based ATMs

Coming Soon! UPI-Based ATMs

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2023

The transition to UPI-based ATMs will be gradual, and consumers will not immediately switch to using standalone UPI ATMs overnight.

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.

Average ticket size on UPI down 10% in H1 2023

Average ticket size on UPI down 10% in H1 2023

Rediff.com   4 Oct 2023

The average ticket size (ATS) of all transactions on United Payments Interface (UPI) in H1 2023 was pegged at Rs 1,604, marking a 10 per cent decline, compared to Rs 1,774 in H1 2022, according to data from Worldline India's Digital Payments Report. The reduction in the overall ATS on UPI is a good sign, suggesting a deeper embedding of UPI as it is being used for smaller or micro-transactions, and the dip is driven by the growth in person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions, the report said. The ATS of P2M transactions dipped 21 per cent from Rs 839 in H1 2022 to Rs 659 in H1 2023.

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.

Compare IndiGo with global, not local carriers: CEO Elbers

Compare IndiGo with global, not local carriers: CEO Elbers

Rediff.com   27 Sep 2023

IndiGo's size should be compared with global carriers, and not other domestic airlines, chief executive officer Pieter Elbers said on Tuesday, adding that such benchmarking will help India transform its airports into aviation hubs. Elbers flagged the tendency to scrutinise domestic competition, assess fares on domestic routes, and determine if they are high. "But if we want to build some hubs, we should have a broader look," he said during a panel discussion at a convention organised by All India Management Association (AIMA).

Global aviation leasing body downgrades India in light of Go First case

Global aviation leasing body downgrades India in light of Go First case

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2023

Aviation Working Group (AWG), a global aviation leasing body comprising major planemakers and lessors, on Monday further downgraded India as lessors have not been able to repossess their planes from Go First more than four months after the airline filed for insolvency. The leasing cost stands as a prominent expense for Indian airlines. With AWG's downgrade, it is likely that lessors will increase the aircraft leasing rates for Indian carriers.

33 pilots, 97 cabin-crew members found drunk on duty in H1 of 2023: DGCA

33 pilots, 97 cabin-crew members found drunk on duty in H1 of 2023: DGCA

Rediff.com   18 Sep 2023

In the first half of this year, 33 pilots and 97 cabin-crew members failed their compulsory alcohol tests, which are conducted either before or after flights, according to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In contrast, in the first half of 2022, the DGCA data recorded only 14 pilots and 54 cabin-crew members being identified as intoxicated while on duty. This data has been reviewed by Business Standard. As per the DGCA rules, pilots and cabin-crew members have to undergo pre-flight breath-analyzer tests.

Why Were Flights On G20 Days Cancelled Last Minute?

Why Were Flights On G20 Days Cancelled Last Minute?

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2023

'This kind of a last minute order creates immense problems for airlines.'

The take-off and crash-landing of Jet's Naresh Goyal

The take-off and crash-landing of Jet's Naresh Goyal

Rediff.com   4 Sep 2023

In a dramatic turn of events in May 2019, an Emirates aircraft en-route to Dubai was asked to stop while it was taxiing for a take off in Mumbai. The pilot was given no reason and ordered to immediately return to the parking bay. As the aircraft returned to the terminal, two passengers from the first class - Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita - were offloaded by the immigration authorities, who said the duo cannot leave the country. Goyal, founder of Jet Airways, was stunned. The man, who ruled the aviation sector for two and a half decades with an iron hand, did not expect to be offloaded in this fashion.