Joydeep Ghosh &Amp; Raghavendra Kamath In Mumbai

Stories by Joydeep Ghosh &Amp; Raghavendra Kamath In Mumbai

Realty companies put projects on fast track

Realty companies put projects on fast track

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2008

Companies that earlier took 36 months on housing projects are now completing them in around 30 months by boosting efficiencies and using modern technology. Commercial project developers are going a step further, completing projects in 17 months instead of 24. In some instances, mainly in smaller commercial buildings, developers are trying to cut down the project completion time to a mere 9 months.

Auto loans: Floating rate is in

Auto loans: Floating rate is in

Rediff.com   20 Aug 2008

Most car buyers, when applying for a loan, grapple with the question of whether they should opt for a fixed or a floating rate option.

Canada's Ivanhoe eyes investments in malls, retail

Canada's Ivanhoe eyes investments in malls, retail

Rediff.com   18 Aug 2008

Caisse manages nearly $155 billion of pension and insurance funds in Canada and North America while Ivanhoe has 70 shopping centres in Canada, the US, Europe and Latin America, totalling 46 million sq ft.

Maharashtra FDA raps Subhiksha

Maharashtra FDA raps Subhiksha

Rediff.com   14 Aug 2008

The regulator has also cancelled the licences of three packagers providing services to Subhiksha for violating the packaging rules. The warehouses are based in Bhiwandi, which is on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Rising interest rates hit home sales hard

Rising interest rates hit home sales hard

Rediff.com   8 Aug 2008

Property developers, consultants and brokers have seen a 40 per cent decline in enquiries from home buyers over the last three months.

How Indian realtors are bent on cutting cost

How Indian realtors are bent on cutting cost

Rediff.com   6 Aug 2008

The drive to cut costs is becoming critical as key input costs - steel, cement and labour - that account for 40 per cent of project costs have escalated 50 per cent over the past year.

Gold equity funds lag behind

Gold equity funds lag behind

Rediff.com   4 Aug 2008

While gold index funds have returned almost 10 per cent over the last three months, gold equity funds (investing in mining companies) have not given good returns in the last few months. At present, there are two gold funds, DSPML World Gold Fund and AIG World Gold Fund

Unitech to raise $1 bn for hotel, retail projects

Unitech to raise $1 bn for hotel, retail projects

Rediff.com   1 Aug 2008

Unitech, the country's second-largest property developer, is planning to raise nearly $1 billion (Rs 4,200 crore) in the current financial year from private equity players for its hotel, commercial and retail projects across the country.

Retail loan rates come a full circle

Retail loan rates come a full circle

Rediff.com   30 Jul 2008

Stock market investors and potential home buyers may not remember the years 1998 and 2008 too fondly.

Car loan? Have you signed a 'surrender letter'?

Car loan? Have you signed a 'surrender letter'?

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2008

Among the many documents that you sign when you take a car loan could also be a 'surrender letter' -- a document that declared you a defaulter even before the loan is sanctioned.

Builders help ease home buyers' EMI pains

Builders help ease home buyers' EMI pains

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2008

For such bonanzas, prospective home buyers have a downturn to thank. Property sales have fallen 15 to 20 per cent countrywide over the last six months, owing to rising home loan rates. This has pinched the cash flows of developers, already reeling under higher borrowing costs and a range of anti-inflationary measures that restrict their flexibility to raise funds.

Global funds shine amid market chaos

Global funds shine amid market chaos

Rediff.com   25 Jul 2008

In January this year, the stock market started falling. In the following six months, it has lost over 30 per cent. The data on open-ended equity funds show that only a small cluster has managed to wriggle out with very little loss (See table). From a thematic point of view, only global funds have given returns.

Equity-linked FMPs too complex for retailers

Equity-linked FMPs too complex for retailers

Rediff.com   18 Jul 2008

This product was first introduced by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund (ICICI Prudential FMP Series 33) and Deutsche Mutual Fund in February. Recently, Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund has also floated a similar fund. The Nifty return, multiplied by the participation ratio (that is pre-decided by the fund) is the final returns. In Aviator, the participation ratio is 140-145 per cent, leading to returns of 43.14-44.5 per cent in our given example.

Plunging sales see retailers quit malls

Plunging sales see retailers quit malls

Rediff.com   18 Jul 2008

ETAM, the French lingerie brand that has a joint venture with Kishore Biyani's Future Group, recently pulled out of Palm Beach Galleria mall in Navi Mumbai, together with six other retailers such as grocery chain Foodland Fresh and Manoranjan sarees.

Unitech raises $300 mn for its global fund

Unitech raises $300 mn for its global fund

Rediff.com   17 Jul 2008

Unitech, the country's second largest property developer, has raised $300 million (nearly Rs 1,290 crore) from international investors for its $600 million global property fund.

'I would rather invest in projects than a buyback'

'I would rather invest in projects than a buyback'

Rediff.com   15 Jul 2008

Housing Development and Infrastructure, country's third largest listed realty developer, has forayed into entertainment, power, oil & gas and broadcasting, among others, either directly or by acquiring stake. The company recently acquired a 51 per cent stake in Broadcast Initiatives, promoted by Sri Adhikari Brothers. Sarang Wadhawan talks about his company's plans and projects in an interview with Business Standard.

Here's some relief for home loan customers

Here's some relief for home loan customers

Rediff.com   4 Jul 2008

With rising interest rates and inflation taking a toll on home loan customers, banks are beginning to encourage them to partly prepay their loans. Many of them are doing so without charging them prepayment penalty.

Subhiksha to list via acquisition

Subhiksha to list via acquisition

Rediff.com   30 Jun 2008

Food and grocery retailer Subhiksha has taken the acquisition route to list its shares on the stock exchanges. The company wants to avoid an initial public offer in view of the turbulence in the capital market.

Get ready to pay more for your house

Get ready to pay more for your house

Rediff.com   26 Jun 2008

A day after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the benchmark repo rate and cash reserve ratio (CRR), leading property developers said they are mulling hiking prices of apartments and focusing on the affordable housing segment to counter the impact of a high interest rate regime.

How are SIPs taxed? Here's help

How are SIPs taxed? Here's help

Rediff.com   23 Jun 2008

Investors in SIPs should be especially careful because the taxation is done according to the first-in-first-out basis