Kalpana Pathak &Amp; Surajeet Das Gupta

Stories by Kalpana Pathak &Amp; Surajeet Das Gupta

Massive fuel bills due for major air carriers

Massive fuel bills due for major air carriers

Rediff.com   13 Jul 2010

Analysts say this is a reflection of the high debt that most aviation companies have on their books. "Aviation companies are unable to pay their dues because they are into losses.

IOC, BPCL open to buying Shell retail outlets

IOC, BPCL open to buying Shell retail outlets

Rediff.com   12 Jul 2010

Shell India, the domestic arm of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, had offered for sale 20 of its 80 operational retail outlets and around 20 sites acquired earlier for setting up such outlets.

Tata Teleservices takes on incumbent GSM operators

Tata Teleservices takes on incumbent GSM operators

Rediff.com   12 Jul 2010

The attack reflects the open schism in the association, in which TTSL is a new member with other Unified Access Service Licence holders such as Loop Telecom , Etilasat DB, Uninor and STel. The older, established, operators are represented by Bharti, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular.

IOC plans Rs 700-cr power play

IOC plans Rs 700-cr power play

Rediff.com   7 Jul 2010

State-run Indian Oil Corporation plans to set up solar power panels and power plants at its over 18,100 retail outlets across the country at a cost of Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion).

R-Power plans 8,000-Mw plant in Gujarat

R-Power plans 8,000-Mw plant in Gujarat

Rediff.com   3 Jul 2010

Reliance Power (R-Power), a Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) company, is close to finalising a gas-based power plant in Gujarat with a capacity of 7,000 Mw to 8,000 Mw. This would entail an investment of around Rs 30,000 crore, based on investment levels that are normally required for power projects at present.

Govt moots retail sector watchdog

Govt moots retail sector watchdog

Rediff.com   1 Jul 2010

The Centre is mulling over creation of an independent body to regulate the country's vast retail sector. The retail regulatory authority would ensure a level playing field for indigenous retail traders if the government opens the sector to more foreign participation. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food has convened a meeting on July 8 in Delhi to discuss this and other proposals and chart a comprehensive plan for the sector, according to the agenda paper of the meeting.

MTN in talks to buy stake in Loop

MTN in talks to buy stake in Loop

Rediff.com   28 Jun 2010

Loop Telecom has been looking for a strategic investor for some time now and people close to the development said the telecom operator was willing to sell up to 45 per cent stake in the firm.

New B-schools even 'buy' management students

New B-schools even 'buy' management students

Rediff.com   21 Jun 2010

A few weeks ago, the admission director of a Pune-based B-school received a strange unsolicited phone call from an 'admissions' consultant.

Gas deal may steal the show at Reliance AGM

Gas deal may steal the show at Reliance AGM

Rediff.com   15 Jun 2010

Reliance Industries' annual general meeting on Friday will be unique in many ways. It's the first AGM after the Supreme Court judgment on K-G gas, the first after the truce between Mukesh and Anil Ambani and the first after the company's big-bang return to telecom.

Government reopens ONGC sale deals

Government reopens ONGC sale deals

Rediff.com   15 Jun 2010

The Supreme Court decision upholding the government right to decide on sale of natural gas has prompted the latter to exercise control over gas sales from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's C-series field, off the Daman coast.

B-schools outsource placements to HR firms

B-schools outsource placements to HR firms

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2010

A large number of management schools in the country have begun outsourcing the process of student placements to human resource consultants. Traditionally, B-schools have an in-house placement team, headed by a faculty member. Several B-schools, on condition of anonymity, confirmed they had hired HR consultancies to find jobs for their students. Many of them also plan to have the agencies help out with placing their students as interns with companies.

Top firms in race for Team India sponsorship

Top firms in race for Team India sponsorship

Rediff.com   29 May 2010

Leading Indian companies are considering whether to bid for the India cricket team sponsorship for the next three years. The deadline for doing so is Saturday.

DoT-defence ministry row may hit 3G rollout

DoT-defence ministry row may hit 3G rollout

Rediff.com   25 May 2010

Fresh trouble seems to be brewing between the defence ministry and the Department of Telecommunications over spectrum and this could put a question mark on the launch of third generation telephony services in the country by March next year.

RIL may pay Rs 9,000 cr to RNRL: Experts

RIL may pay Rs 9,000 cr to RNRL: Experts

Rediff.com   25 May 2010

Within 24 hours of the brothers Ambani deciding on a ceasefire, the stock market and Reliance pundits are out with their calculators to figure out the financial implication of ending the non-compete terms five years in advance and the loss that Anil Ambani's Reliance Natural Resources Limited would incur post the Supreme Court verdict.

2G licence renewal may cost telcos Rs 1 lakh crore

2G licence renewal may cost telcos Rs 1 lakh crore

Rediff.com   21 May 2010

Eleven telcos, whose licences will expire between 2014 and 2021, will have to pay this 13-figure sum if the government accepts the telecom regulator's proposal of pricing second generation radio airwaves on the basis of prices determined at the just-concluded auction of third generation spectrum.

'Blacklisted' varsities still a hit among students

'Blacklisted' varsities still a hit among students

Rediff.com   21 May 2010

Uncertainty may shroud their deemed status with the apex court yet to deliver its final verdict. However, admissions to nearly 50 per cent of deemed universities blacklisted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) are on in full swing.

3G rollout: Telcos may have to raise Rs 50,000 cr

3G rollout: Telcos may have to raise Rs 50,000 cr

Rediff.com   17 May 2010

The money constitutes nearly 26 per cent of the total domestic borrowing of the Indian corporate sector in 2008-09.

New norms have left enough scope for M&As: Trai

New norms have left enough scope for M&As: Trai

Rediff.com   15 May 2010

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman J S Sarma said his recommendation to tweak the existing norms for mergers and acquisitions aims to prevent the union of two big companies or a big and a medium-sized operator, but it provides enough scope for mergers between others.

India Inc bats for Chinese telcos

India Inc bats for Chinese telcos

Rediff.com   14 May 2010

Indian telecom operators came out in open support of Chinese equipment makers, saying the government cannot deprive Indian consumers of the cutting-edge technology which these companies offer by denying security clearance to them.

New 2G norms to make govt richer by Rs 11,200 cr

New 2G norms to make govt richer by Rs 11,200 cr

Rediff.com   12 May 2010

Operators Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Essar, Aircel, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Idea Cellular might have to fork out over Rs 11,200 crore for having spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz, if the government accepts the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommendations.