Dev Chatterjee, Nivedita Mookerji

Stories by Dev Chatterjee, Nivedita Mookerji

COVID-19: How Mumbai has been done in by poor planning

COVID-19: How Mumbai has been done in by poor planning

Rediff.com   21 May 2020

Urban planners and real estate experts say bad town planning in Mumbai and rising deaths during the ongoing pandemic are a "sad reality". Dev Chatterjee and Raghavendra Kamath report.

How India Inc is trying to save jobs

How India Inc is trying to save jobs

Rediff.com   21 May 2020

India's biggest firm, Reliance Industries, has decided to cut salaries by 10 per cent in its oil and refining divisions. Several smaller companies like Kajaria Ceramics have followed suit with cuts as high as 40 per cent for those earning more than Rs 50 lakh.

What Telecom Man reveals about India's business-politics links

What Telecom Man reveals about India's business-politics links

Rediff.com   16 May 2020

'It's the brazen corruption involving politicians that makes you sit up years after the event,' notes Nivedita Mookerji after reading B K Syngal's Telecom Man.

Does Modi have a coronavirus war room?

Does Modi have a coronavirus war room?

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2020

Nivedita Mookerji goes in search of the elusive war room to track and respond to the coronavirus threat.

COVID-19: India Inc asks RBI for one-time loan recast

COVID-19: India Inc asks RBI for one-time loan recast

Rediff.com   21 Apr 2020

The one-time restructuring of loans will help every firm and prevent cost-cutting measures such as lay-offs.

Weak Rs to make India Inc's foreign debt repayment costly

Weak Rs to make India Inc's foreign debt repayment costly

Rediff.com   15 Apr 2020

RBI is expecting the rupee to stay close to Rs 75 to a dollar, as COVID-19 forces foreign funds to withdraw from emerging markets.

Why did e-commerce services get choked in India?

Why did e-commerce services get choked in India?

Rediff.com   9 Apr 2020

A single format and simpler, uniform rules would have kept the service going. In other parts of the world including in the US, managing demand and capacities along with ensuring preventive measures were an issue, but there was hardly any administrative hurdle anywhere.

India's retail king in BIG trouble

India's retail king in BIG trouble

Rediff.com   9 Apr 2020

Though Kishore Biyani is selling stakes in group companies to pay off debt, a significant share price crash since January this year is making his task difficult.

To keep essentials flowing Centre widens grocery inclusions

To keep essentials flowing Centre widens grocery inclusions

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2020

In the last one week several companies have had to face the hurdle of making a distinction between what's essential and what's not. To help them the government has now clarified that grocery would include hygiene products such as hand wash, soaps, disinfectants, body wash, shampoo, surface cleaners, detergents, tissue paper, toothpaste, oral care, sanitary pads, diapers, chargers and battery cells, etc.

India Inc asks new recruits to 'stay home'

India Inc asks new recruits to 'stay home'

Rediff.com   2 Apr 2020

Many firms have asked those joining on April 1 to delay their on-boarding by 2-3 months. The outlook for the airline, tourism, hotel, and media industries is bleak too.

India Post calls to say you've got mail

India Post calls to say you've got mail

Rediff.com   30 Mar 2020

Changing with the times and in compliance with social distancing norms, customers are now picking up their parcels, speed posts and registered letters within the city themselves after they are informed on phone.

Rupee crash, Covid-19 to make India Inc's overseas debt repayments costlier

Rupee crash, Covid-19 to make India Inc's overseas debt repayments costlier

Rediff.com   21 Mar 2020

Indian companies will have to repay overseas debt worth $7.5 billion in the June quarter.

L&T plans to cut debt by Rs 30,000 crore

L&T plans to cut debt by Rs 30,000 crore

Rediff.com   5 Mar 2020

To sell off L&T IDPL, Nabha Power; transfer Hyderabad Metro to an InvIT.

Adani group joins race to buy Air India, may submit EoI by March

Adani group joins race to buy Air India, may submit EoI by March

Rediff.com   25 Feb 2020

Apart from the Adani group, the Tata group, the Hinduja group, Indigo and a New York-based fund, Interups, are expected to submit EoIs.

Voda Idea to pay AGR dues, but may not be able to go on

Voda Idea to pay AGR dues, but may not be able to go on

Rediff.com   16 Feb 2020

Vodafone Idea, which reported a loss of Rs 6,439 crore in the December quarter, said it had received letters from the department of telecommunications (DoT) directing immediate payment of dues amounting to Rs 54,000 crores after the SC judgment. "The company is currently assessing the amount that it will be able to pay to DoT towards the dues calculated based on AGR, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in its order dated October 24, 2019. The company proposes to pay the amount so assessed in the next few days," it stated.

With SC's strict order, is it all over for Voda-Idea?

With SC's strict order, is it all over for Voda-Idea?

Rediff.com   15 Feb 2020

Vodafone Idea's net worth (or shareholders' equity) was down 73 per cent year-on-year to around Rs 17,600 crore at the end of the December 2019 quarter after the company reported a net loss of around Rs 6,400 crore during the quarter. Cumulatively, the company has lost nearly Rs 45,000 crore in the last four quarters, eroding its net worth to its lowest level in three-year. Analysts said a such a low level of net worth, coupled with continuing losses in operations, ruled out the possibility of the company getting fresh loans from lenders to fund its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of Rs 54,000 crore.

Corporate tax growth of 12% for FY21 'unrealistic'

Corporate tax growth of 12% for FY21 'unrealistic'

Rediff.com   3 Feb 2020

The increased tax target comes at a time when consumer spending and sales growth are slowing down and most companies are not investing in new capacities.

'Yeh BBC Hai'. You won't hear these words from Feb 1

'Yeh BBC Hai'. You won't hear these words from Feb 1

Rediff.com   31 Jan 2020

For 80 years, news and views aired on BBC Hindi reached audiences in the remotest parts of the country. For millions of its followers, the signature line -'yeh BBC hai (this is BBC)' -- has been like a morning alarm, and the bulletins a vital link between India and the world. That link, which began when there was no mobile phone or internet, is about to break as the radio service will fall silent after January 31. And for many living in smaller towns and in rural areas, life won't be the same again, writes Nivedita Mookerji.

The little-known company that's buying up distressed telcos

The little-known company that's buying up distressed telcos

Rediff.com   24 Jan 2020

UV Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd has made the highest bid of Rs 16,000 crore to buy Anil Ambani group's Reliance Communications and Reliance Telecom, which are in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Last year it was the highest bidder for taking over Aircel's assets for an upfront payment of Rs 150 crore. Surajeet Das Gupta and Dev Chatterjee dig deeper to find out more about this little known company.

Bad debts: Banks may have to make provision for Rs 2.2 trn

Bad debts: Banks may have to make provision for Rs 2.2 trn

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2020

Bankers said they are looking outside the bankruptcy courts and will be able to resolve a few debts in the power sector before January-end.