Nevin John &Amp; Abhineet Kumar

Stories by Nevin John &Amp; Abhineet Kumar

Rivals to counter Sterlite's revised bid

Rivals to counter Sterlite's revised bid

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2008

Sterlite's revised offer to acquire Asarco may see fresh rival bids as the valuation of the bankrupt US copper miner fell in line with the commodity prices.

Bajaj told to compensate minority shareholders

Bajaj told to compensate minority shareholders

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2008

A day before the settlement of the six-year-old Bajaj family dispute, the Bombay High Court has asked Rahul Bajaj, the family patriarch and chairman of Bajaj Auto, to compensate the Pittie family, a minority shareholder in group investment firm Bachhraj & Company.

Tata Steel feels land acquisition pangs in Vietnam

Tata Steel feels land acquisition pangs in Vietnam

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2008

Tata Steel's $5 billion steel project in Vietnam has hit a roadblock, thanks to a delay in land allocation.

FIPB sets aside L&T objections, clears Ralf Schnei

FIPB sets aside L&T objections, clears Ralf Schnei

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2008

The Foreign Investment Promotion Board has cleared a proposal by German plastic moulding major Ralf Schneider to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India, setting aside objections raised by its former Indian partner Larsen & Toubro under Press Note 1 of the Foreign Direct Investment policy.

Mumbai-based cos shying away from terror victims

Mumbai-based cos shying away from terror victims

Rediff.com   15 Dec 2008

In the two weeks since the terror attacks in Mumbai, most of the large Indian business groups in the city have been conspicuous by their absence in offering help to terror victims.

GE Shipping cuts its dry bulk fleet

GE Shipping cuts its dry bulk fleet

Rediff.com   12 Dec 2008

GE Shipping, the country's largest private sector shipping company, is bringing down its exposure to the dry bulk segment to withstand the 93 per cent downfall in freight rate for such vessels.

Reliance Retail to hasten expansion in six months

Reliance Retail to hasten expansion in six months

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2008

The retail arm of the Mukesh Ambani-led group had almost halted its expansion plans as a credit crunch roiled markets across the globe forcing companies to withhold new projects. The company also froze fresh recruitment.

R-Com to buy back FCCBs

R-Com to buy back FCCBs

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2008

To be the first firm to take advantage of new RBI ruling.

Choppy trade: Shipping biz strives to float

Choppy trade: Shipping biz strives to float

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2008

In a wide-ranging interview with Abhineet Kumar, SCI chairman and managing director S Hajara discusses the problems facing the shipping industry.

Rel to downsize staff in jet fuel division

Rel to downsize staff in jet fuel division

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2008

In the termination letters, RIL mentioned that the business has been impacted by the slowdown and the company was not in a position to continue with their employment. Employees who would resign will get one month's salary as compensation. When contacted, an RIL spokesperson declined to comment on the development.

Power cos scout for Indonesian coal assets

Power cos scout for Indonesian coal assets

Rediff.com   24 Nov 2008

Leading power players Reliance Infrastructure and GMR Energy believe this will help ensure coal availability for their mega projects in the pipeline. "They have various proposals on their table, which are relatively cheaper when compared to the scene before the beginning of the financial crisis. However, the acquisitions will depend on the ability of the acquirers to raise funds as the banks have stopped lending at cheaper rates," said a source.

Ship owners avoid ransom insurance, seek naval hel

Ship owners avoid ransom insurance, seek naval hel

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2008

Indian shipping companies' reluctance to take piracy insurance is probably linked to sky-rocketing costs. According to the site of London-based corporate security firm BGN Risk, piracy in the Gulf of Aden could increase insurance and transport costs by $400 million. Special risk insurance for crossing the Gulf has soared from $500 a voyage last year to $20,000 now, the company said.

Mittal kin's Bulgarian steel unit faces closure

Mittal kin's Bulgarian steel unit faces closure

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2008

The steel plant will be closed down in 25 days unless an investor takes it over, operative executive director of the Bulgarian metallurgic enterprise Plamen Stoyanov told the Bulgarian media. Bulgaria's biggest steel plant has already shut down some of its production facilities, including two of its blast furnaces, and plans to stop operations completely by the end of this month.

RIL shuts five polyester units

RIL shuts five polyester units

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2008

The move, which comes in the backdrop of a global slowdown, aims to improve profit margin amid falling demand for polyester products worldwide. "The company has shut down plants for manufacturing polyester filament yarn, polyester staple fibre, paraxylene, purified terephthalic acid and linear alkyl benzene. However, it is yet to close down the second units of PSF and PFY," sources said.

Anil Ambani plans to increase stake in R-Infra

Anil Ambani plans to increase stake in R-Infra

Rediff.com   3 Nov 2008

The promoter group companies controlled by Anil Ambani are expected to buy R-Infra shares from the open market. "The promoters want to control the majority stake in the company to ward off any hostile attack, when corporate rivalry heightens in the country. As the share price of R-Infra is cheaper around Rs 400, the promoters feel that the purchase of shares from the open market would be profitable, boosting the confidence of the shareholders in turn," said sources.

Firms may rethink land row-hit projects

Firms may rethink land row-hit projects

Rediff.com   3 Nov 2008

With recession threat looming large, Indian corporate houses may be forced to rethink their projects, which have been stalled following problems in land acquisitions, industry analysts said.

Bloggers trashing your company? Here's help

Bloggers trashing your company? Here's help

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2008

Apart from the embarrassment, these "crazy blogs" - as companies term them - force India Inc to spend crores of rupees to repair the damage.

Raymond puts denim business on the block

Raymond puts denim business on the block

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2008

The company has appointed an investment banker to find a buyer for its equity in its joint venture company, Raymond UCO Denim, whose loss doubled to Rs 120 crore (Rs 1.2 billion) in the last financial year. Europe's UCO Denim holds 50 per cent stake in the denim company, which was formed in August 2006. The turnover of the denim business is estimated at Rs 600-800 crore (Rs 6 to Rs 8 billion).

World's largest refining facility in India

World's largest refining facility in India

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2008

Reliance's Jamnagar units, including the existing refinery and the second one that will begin work by mid-November, will be the world's largest single-location refining facility. The entire refinery complex will have a total processing capacity of 1.24 million barrels a day. The current production of the existing unit is 0.66 million barrels a day.

Lehman meltdown makes realtors run for funds

Lehman meltdown makes realtors run for funds

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2008

Real estate companies such as Unitech, Peninsula Land, HDIL and Future Capital, the financial services arm of Future Group, are in talks with investors including some leading private equity funds for raising investments for their projects, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, whose third party fund had promised investments in these property companies' projects, according to industry sources.