Neha Alawadhi &Amp;Amp; Arnab Dutta

Stories by Neha Alawadhi &Amp;Amp; Arnab Dutta

Hit by lockdown woes, smartphone makers bank on e-sales to revive growth

Hit by lockdown woes, smartphone makers bank on e-sales to revive growth

Rediff.com   28 Aug 2020

After six weeks into the second half, the faltering offline channel, which traditionally rakes in 60 per cent of sales for the market, has become the biggest hurdle towards the path of revival.

Apple plans to roll out Made-in-India iPhone 12 by mid-2021

Apple plans to roll out Made-in-India iPhone 12 by mid-2021

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2020

Till recently, iPhone production in India was limited to older models at a lower price tag. So far, Apple has localised production of five smartphone models - iPhone SE (1st Gen), 6S, 7, XR and 11.

Work from home drives laptop sales amid Covid-19 lockdown

Work from home drives laptop sales amid Covid-19 lockdown

Rediff.com   12 Aug 2020

From market leader HP and premium player Apple to China's Lenovo and Asus, all major brands in the market are witnessing rapid surge in the demand for notebooks.

Import ban on TVs: Chinese majors face double whammy

Import ban on TVs: Chinese majors face double whammy

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2020

The steep rise in prices of key components, coupled with a ban on the import of finished sets, is expected to hit prominent Chinese brands, such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, TCL, and Realme.

Smartphone biz in India: It's advantage Samsung for now

Smartphone biz in India: It's advantage Samsung for now

Rediff.com   4 Aug 2020

Streamlining its delivery network and shifting focus back to the mass segment - at a time when competitors were struggling to restore normalcy in operations due to the pandemi - aided the firm's revival.

Unlock 2.0: States urged to ease shopping hour curbs

Unlock 2.0: States urged to ease shopping hour curbs

Rediff.com   21 Jul 2020

The demands from retailers are fourfold: One, allow kiranas, general trade stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and wholesalers to operate every day of the week till 9 pm. Two, ensure uniform and regular opening of all categories of retail. Three, hassle-free movement of goods and employees, and four, lift bans on malls in states like Maharashtra.

All mobiles, TVs sold in India have a China connection

All mobiles, TVs sold in India have a China connection

Rediff.com   3 Jul 2020

It was expected that supplies from China will be back to normal by end-June as their factories are now operating at nearly 90 per cent of normal capacity. But the recent issue with shipments has placed an obstacle that manufacturers can't bypass.

18 phone launches run into Boycott China campaign

18 phone launches run into Boycott China campaign

Rediff.com   26 Jun 2020

The smartphone category as a whole was expected to spend around Rs 1,000 crore on marketing and promotional activities over the next six months, even as India unlocks gradually, said media industry experts. This spending is expected to come down, as firms temper their launches.

Chinese firms in India gear up for more boycott calls

Chinese firms in India gear up for more boycott calls

Rediff.com   25 Jun 2020

People in the know said that from social and digital media campaign teams to communications specialists -- all hands were on deck, and every possible post or campaign with the potential to intensify the crisis, was being tracked.

Now e-commerce firms are roped in to create Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Now e-commerce firms are roped in to create Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Rediff.com   24 Jun 2020

Govt's e-commerce portal asks sellers to specify country origin of products. Now, the commerce & industry ministry has mandated that the Government e-Marketplace, which has seen Rs 55,048 crore worth of transactions till now, adopt this approach in the interest of creating an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

Campaign to boycott China-linked apps picks up speed

Campaign to boycott China-linked apps picks up speed

Rediff.com   19 Jun 2020

According to industry insiders, India has 400 million smartphones and is the world's fastest-growing app market. So the addition or deletion of apps impacts the global valuations of these platforms. "Based on calls given by various local organisations to delete Chinese Apps, there will be an impact," said Blaise Fernandes, director at foreign policy think tank Gateway House. "All of them eventually will go the IPO (initial public offering) route so there would be economic impact also."

These sectors will see demand reach pre-Covid levels

These sectors will see demand reach pre-Covid levels

Rediff.com   15 Jun 2020

Steel, cement, aluminum, fertilisers, tractors, two-wheelers, beverages and carbonated drinks, tyres and FMCG could see demand back to near normal levels by the third or the fourth quarter of the financial year, or even earlier.

Will data protection Bill finally see daylight?

Will data protection Bill finally see daylight?

Rediff.com   15 Jun 2020

After the first draft of the Bill was submitted under a committee chaired by Justice B N Srikrishna in 2018, there were objections raised by businesses, especially on the broad restrictions on cross-border data flow.

India saw 2nd highest phishing hosting attacks in Q1 2019

India saw 2nd highest phishing hosting attacks in Q1 2019

Rediff.com   15 Jun 2020

Phishing attacks could either be in the form of an email from a trusted source asking for personal information such as passwords, bank details and personal details, or it could mimic an existing website or webpage and trick a user into entering confidential information on the page.

Delhi's traders want markets to shut down: online poll

Delhi's traders want markets to shut down: online poll

Rediff.com   14 Jun 2020

The Confederation of All India Traders has approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and urged them to shut markets in Delhi.

Consumer goods: How lockdown 4.0 was different

Consumer goods: How lockdown 4.0 was different

Rediff.com   8 Jun 2020

From fast food and athleisure to ACs, the demand for several non-discretionary items has spiked since May 17, when Lockdown 4.0 was extended till May 31.

How India Inc plans to woo buyers amid COVID-19

How India Inc plans to woo buyers amid COVID-19

Rediff.com   8 Jun 2020

From auto, refrigerator, and mobile handset makers to real estate firms, companies are tying up with banks to dole out attractive finance schemes and discounts to make buying more affordable.

Yatra ends merger pact, sues Ebix in US for breach of terms

Yatra ends merger pact, sues Ebix in US for breach of terms

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2020

Ebix had signed the agreement last year to acquire Gurugram-based Yatra Online for an enterprise value of $338 million (about Rs 2,327 crore) in an all-stock deal. The deal was supposed to conclude in the October-December quarter after regulatory approvals but went through several extensions, according to regulatory filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ghost from the past does not haunt Maggi anymore

Ghost from the past does not haunt Maggi anymore

Rediff.com   5 Jun 2020

In 2019, the growth in sales of the Maggi brand of products surpassed the pre-ban level of 2014, in terms of both volume and value. While, Nestle raised prices of Maggi products by an average 3.1 per cent, its volume rose by 9.6 per cent year-on-year.

Why Google took down TikTok clone Mitron

Why Google took down TikTok clone Mitron

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2020

Mitron probably would have continued with the free run for quite some time, had it not come to light that the source code of the app was actually developed by a Pakistani developer, reports Neha Alawadhi.