Kalpana Pathak &Amp; Abhijit Lele In Mumbai

Stories by Kalpana Pathak &Amp; Abhijit Lele In Mumbai

RBI likely to hold rates tomorrow

RBI likely to hold rates tomorrow

Rediff.com   6 Apr 2015

Most say a rate cut could come in RBI's June policy.

E-commerce firms to speak local tongues

E-commerce firms to speak local tongues

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2015

E-commerce websites are developing online content in Indian languages.

Cairn India's mounting troubles

Cairn India's mounting troubles

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2015

Cairn has slashed its planned capital expenditure (capex) by 60 per cent to $500 million against the earlier $1.2 billion.

Insurers see a change agent in new FDI rules

Insurers see a change agent in new FDI rules

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2015

Inflow of more funds is likely to widen the reach of insurance and drive M&A activities in the sector where growth has stalled.

Insurers set the ball rolling on foreign stake hike

Insurers set the ball rolling on foreign stake hike

Rediff.com   13 Mar 2015

Bharti will move FIPB soon for increasing Axa's stake to 49%

Interest rate cuts only after March

Interest rate cuts only after March

Rediff.com   10 Mar 2015

Banks have not cut rates yet as March is typically a busy season.

E-commerce steals the show at B-school campuses

E-commerce steals the show at B-school campuses

Rediff.com   23 Feb 2015

Prominent recruiters were Flipkart, Urban Ladder, AskmeBazaar etc

Ambani brothers seek faster approval for stalled projects

Ambani brothers seek faster approval for stalled projects

Rediff.com   7 Feb 2015

The Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, came together on Thursday to raise the issue of stalled projects plaguing India Inc and implored the Maharashtra government and the Centre to make Mumbai, India's financial capital, an easier place for business and investments. "Several projects are stuck for many years in Mumbai and we would like to know how the government intends to improve the financing and execution of projects, including those relating to infrastructure and education which have been in limbo for long and are affecting the growth of the city," Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani told Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Seated on the same table was his brother, apart from Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry and State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya. Jaitley was addressing the Mumbai Next MMR Transformation conclave, organised by the Maharashtra government and Mumbai First here, through video conference. In his reply, Jaitley said the government was exploring several options of infrastructure financing in India and that a number of international bodies were ready to fund infrastructure development projects. He added the government was keenly considering these funding sources. While praising Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for honesty, Jaitley also had a word of advice. Apart from being honest, the government had to be decisive, he said. On his part, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani told the chief minister about his experience of decisions being delayed due to an indecisive bureaucracy and the need to protect officials who wanted to take quick decisions. "Through the past many years, we have faced a number of obstacles in decision-making," he said, adding he was speaking as someone who had lived and invested in Mumbai. Fadnavis responded by saying he would bring about a transparent process to ring-fence officials. Both the Ambani brothers have announced a number of infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai, including a world-class convention centre in Bandra Kurla Complex by RIL, but very few have actually fructified. RIL's special economic zone project failed to take off due to land acquisition problems in Raigarh, while a second SEZ near Mumbai is stuck due to lack of clarity in SEZ norms. The first phase of the Mumbai Metro, set up by Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure, was marred by cost overruns and run-ins with the government over fares. Subsequently, the company withdrew from the second and larger phase, citing inordinate delay. Anil Ambani also withdrew from Mumbai's sea link project on the same grounds. The brothers had also bid for a trans-harbour sea link between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai under the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government, but their bid was rejected. Reliance Infrastructure is also the power supplier to more than half of this city. Participating in the conclave, some of India Inc's leading bankers said making Mumbai a financial hub would take at least a decade. SBI's Bhattacharya said the Indian currency should be made fully convertible and facilities should be created for it. "However, for this, the economy needs to look up and that will happen only in the next 7-10 years, not immediately," she added. Sunil Kaushal, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered, India, pitched for strong infrastructure to support development. "We will take a long time to develop into a global financial centre. We need to solve transport bottlenecks in Mumbai and have lifestyle facilities for people working in and around these areas," he said.

Didn't think Ola Cabs, TaxiForSure would last long: Meru

Didn't think Ola Cabs, TaxiForSure would last long: Meru

Rediff.com   2 Feb 2015

Meru Cabs' founder says they were a traditional company.

ZEE's Subhash Chandra bets on white-label ATMs

ZEE's Subhash Chandra bets on white-label ATMs

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2015

It is likely he will rope in an international ATM manufacturer as a strategic partner with equity stake.

Banks set for lending rate action this week

Banks set for lending rate action this week

Rediff.com   19 Jan 2015

A host of lenders, including State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank and Andhra Bank, have lined up meetings of their asset-liability committees this week, to review their lending and deposit rates.

Missed Ola, Housing.com deals 'cost' IIT Bombay Rs 450 cr

Missed Ola, Housing.com deals 'cost' IIT Bombay Rs 450 cr

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2015

None of the top five start-ups launched by IITians - Flipkart, Zomato, Ola Cabs, Housing.com and Inmobi - were incubated at IITs

Want a good appraisal? Pick up a broom

Want a good appraisal? Pick up a broom

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2014

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan -- or Clean India Mission -- was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2.

Base salary stagnates, but variable pay zooms at IITs

Base salary stagnates, but variable pay zooms at IITs

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2014

International pay packages have soared 10-30 per cent at IITs.

Banks link fresh funds to Mallya's ouster from boards

Banks link fresh funds to Mallya's ouster from boards

Rediff.com   3 Dec 2014

Kolkata-based United Bank of India, which had earlier declared Kingfisher Airlines and its four directors, including Mallya as wilful defaulters, on Tuesday identified UBHL, the guarantor of the grounded Kingfisher Airlines, also a wilful defaulter.

Will e-com bubble last longer with Tata, Premji, Murthy in fray?

Will e-com bubble last longer with Tata, Premji, Murthy in fray?

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2014

At Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion), e-commerce has seen one of the fastest rates of growth in investment activity this year.

New Zealand rolls out easy visa route to encourage Indian tourists

New Zealand rolls out easy visa route to encourage Indian tourists

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2014

The US has already eased the procedure for issuing visa to attract a million Indian tourists by 2015

Banks cut lending on gold as prices fall

Banks cut lending on gold as prices fall

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2014

Banks have swung into action as gold prices continue to slide. Reduced loan-to-value ratio (LTV), cautious lending, and a close monitoring of the gold loan portfolio have prompted them to hedge their loan books against the reduction in prices.

Public sector banks yet to join the e-commerce boom

Public sector banks yet to join the e-commerce boom

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2014

Customers using e-commerce websites are young and techno-savvy.

SBI limits free ATM transactions to 5, will others follow?

SBI limits free ATM transactions to 5, will others follow?

Rediff.com   4 Nov 2014

Even as State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, has decided to charge its customers for more than five transactions through automated teller machines (ATMs), private sectors banks continue to be on a wait-and-watch mode.