Reliance Gas Transportation India Ltd, the pipeline company wholly owned by Reliance Industries promoter Mukesh Ambani, has decided to write to the finance ministry, seeking a restoration of profit-linked tax benefits the Budget has replaced with an investment-linked tax break.
The market regulator is mulling safeguards relating to power of attorney.
Sebi officials say the regulator has turned down the proposal on ground that the Indian market is still not prepared for such flexibility in pricing.
Although the Budget has projected only Rs 1,120 crore (Rs 11.2 billion) receipts from disinvestment, sources said some big-ticket initial public offers, or IPOs, could hit the markets soon. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will meet the Securities & Exchange Board of India board on Friday to discuss, among other things, the disinvestment roadmap and the Budget proposal to raise the threshold for non-promoter public shareholding for all listed companies in a phased manner.
The Mahindra Holidays initial public offer --the third public float in the current year and the single largest issue over the last 12 months--was subscribed 11 times and four companies raised an estimated Rs 4,000 crore yesterday through QIPs. This came after realtor Unitech's announcement on Friday that it has raised over Rs 2,700 crore via a QIP at Rs 81 a share.
Set to get powers like those enjoyed by a civil court; will be able to attach assets, file winding-up applications.
With the monsoon season to begin and hotels hoping for a robust business at leisure destinations, swine flu could play spoilsport for the hotels, said industry players. At leisure destinations, international tourists form around 35 per cent of the clientele, with around 20-25 per cent coming from the US alone. Last year, tourist arrival in the country was 5.37 million, a fifth of whom stayed in five star hotels.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has recommended reservation for domestic mutual funds within the quota allocated for "anchor investors" in initial public offers.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has decided to make it mandatory for qualified institutional investors to make full payments upfront when they apply for shares in initial public offers. At present, QIPs pay only 10 per cent of the amount required for the shares for which they apply upfront.
IIT Bombay, for instance, recently joined hands with Intellectual Ventures to seek support in marketing and licensing patents the institute holds.
The Indian government, said a senior official, wishes to take talks forward on the $7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
Cairn India is open to buying the 30 per cent stake that government-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation owns in its oil block in Rajasthan. Cairn India is the operator of the block, with 70 per cent ownership currently.
Both IIM-Bangalore and IIM-Calcutta confirmed the development. "We have received placement requests from some students from the 2006-08 batch. We are trying to approach companies at a personal level and help these students get placed," confirmed a professor from IIM Bangalore.
The government-owned Indian Oil Corporation is tying up with US-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a pilot project to produce second generation biofuel. This biofuel -- essentailly bio-ethanol -- would be produced from cellulosic biomass or degradable agricultural waste or wood.
The government has reopened the case for convergence between the capital market and commodity futures regulator, a move that has attracted opposition from the Forward Markets Commission, which regulates the commodities futures business.
A forecast by this international real estate consultancy suggests that 'in Mumbai, rentals will fall for some more months and bottom out in the second half of next year, while in the national capital region, rents may bottom out in the second half of the current financial year in most areas.' In both metros, the correction in rents would be between 40 to 60 per cent by the first half of next year of their peaks in 2007-08.
Sebi's chief finds himself helpless as the stock market regulator goes after his former organisation, but doesn't lose his essential optimism and can-do spirit.
"With RIL commissioning its second refinery last December, the total capacity of the (Jamnagar) complex will go up to 1.24 million barrels a day, exposing it to international vagaries. By surrendering the EOU status of one refinery and maintaining that of the other, the company will be able to hedge its risks," said an industry veteran. EOU status for RIL's second refinery currently ends in March 2010.
It would be complete by 2012 with a total investment of over Rs 11,300 crore, including an estimated Rs 2,300 crore from RIL and Rs 9,000 crore from GAIL. Analysts say refineries -- Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals, Chennai Petroleum Corporation, Essar, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation -- located in the vicinity of these pipelines would benefit as they would be able to substitute costly fuel oil with cheaper gas.
P M S Prasad has been part of Mukesh Ambani's A-team for the last 25 years. The 55-year-old engineer, now president and CEO (petroleum), Reliance Industries, joined the company in 1984, when it was building a captive power plant at Patalganga, 70 kilometres north of Mumbai.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances