The Department of Telecommunications' Wireless Planning and Coordination arm has moved a note to issue start-up spectrum of 4.4 MHz to four leading service providers offering GSM technology, whose applications have been pending from December 2006.
The story of the Eicher group, promoted by the Delhi-based Lal family, may some day make a case study, not least for its agility in coping with the changing reality of doing business in India.
Key operators of GSM mobile services are working on a counter-proposal on spectrum allocation that would include accepting a 25 per cent increase, at the most, in minimum subscriber numbers for operators to qualify for additional access to the radio frequencies that enable mobile communications.
The group has earmarked over Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion) to acquire coal mines in foreign countries.
Ask for file notings on dual spectrum, new licence issues.
In the largest private equity deal in the country ICICI Venture Funds Management Co has concluded a $800 million (Rs 3,200 crore) deal to buy a minority stake in Delhi-based Jaypee Infratech, a subsidiary of the infrastructure-to-hotels Jaypee Group.
Vodafone-Essar, the leading GSM operator is raising around $500 million (Rs 2,000 crore) through overseas borrowing. This is the first fund raising by the telecom major after British telecom major Vodafone acquired a majority stake.
Videocon Industries, the oil-to-consumer durables company, has joined the race for the acquisition of the London-based Burren Energy, which recently rejected several approaches including one worth $3.5 billion (Rs 14,000 crore) from the Italian major ENI.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has prepared an internal note that suggests reversing spectrum allocation norms by giving new applicants for telecom licences preference in spectrum due to be released by the defence forces early next year.
In a strategic climb-down, key members of the Cellular Operators Association of India have come to a consensus that they are willing to go for open auction of spectrum for second-generation services beyond 10 MHz.
Responding to a cabinet proposal to build a new airport in Jewar, Noida, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the joint venture that operates Delhi airport, has told the ministry of civil aviation that the expanded capacity of the modernised airport will take care of the entire traffic requirement in the 150-km catchment area around Delhi for the next 20 years. Jewar is 68 km from Delhi airport.
Dubai Holding, an investment firm of the Dubai government, has threatened to come out with an open offer for Orient-Express Hotels if the Tata group acquires a significant stake in the hotel chain. This comes exactly a month after the Tata group's Indian Hotels Company bought 10 per cent and expressed interest in striking a deal which was turned down by Orient-Express.
The fund, which will be launched next month, will have a tenure of ten years and the money will be invested in projects within three years. The fund from the country's largest private equity fund (it manages assets of over $2.5 billion in a diversified portfolio) comes just 18 months after it launched a real estate fund of $500 million. Of this, it has already invested 70 per cent in various projects.
Interested parties are concerned about the possibility of 24 domestic banks and six financial institutions converting to equity Rs 1,480 crore worth of zero-coupon debentures to which they subscribed in 2002-03.
These towers will be offered in the second phase of a scheme, launched in July this year, to provide subsidy to companies who want to build towers in various clusters and run mobile services in rural areas.
Even as the Bajaj imbroglio comes up for hearing before the Company Law Board (CLB) on October 23, there is every indication that this might turn out to be the longest-running family feud of all times.
Naukri.com, which voluntarily started gathering data about caste from registered job seekers from May 2006, said 19 per cent of them were women, 3.4 per cent OBCs, 0.8 per cent SCs and 0.2 per cent STs. There are over 130,000 OBCs, 38,000 SCs and STs, 760,000 women, and 8,000 physically challenged job seekers registered on the job portal.
Branded Mobi-Retail, this service will be offered to the 35 million subscribers of Reliance Communications, who will be able to use their handsets to buy over 100,000 products ranging from fresh vegetables to groceries, readymade garments, toys etc.
Among the new guidelines under discussion, DoT is looking at raising the net worth criterion of companies applying for a pan-India UASL licence from Rs 1,380 crore to Rs 1,500 crore.
Despite all its problems, V Thulasidas, head of the merged Air India-Indian Airlines, feels the elite cadre provides the most challenging environment.
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