Nevin John &Amp; Shivani Shinde In Mumbai

Stories by Nevin John &Amp; Shivani Shinde In Mumbai

VCs keen on seed fund to Indian start-ups

VCs keen on seed fund to Indian start-ups

Rediff.com   15 Jul 2009

So far, VCs used to fund start-ups which either had product prototypes ready or had some customers on board.

Nazara: The mobile entertainer

Nazara: The mobile entertainer

Rediff.com   13 Jul 2009

Nitish Mittersain, founder of Nazara Technologies, is among the few entrepreneurs who have remained unflappable in the current economic crisis. Having set up Nazara, a mobile entertainment company, right at the time of the dotcom bust, Mittersain claims to have sufficient experience to withstand this financial downturn too.

5 Indian firms in shortlist to exploit Afghan iron

5 Indian firms in shortlist to exploit Afghan iron

Rediff.com   4 Jul 2009

Five Indian metals and mining companies are in the race for acquiring mining rights for the largest iron ore deposit in war-torn Afghanistan. The government has shortlisted Vedanta group's Sesa Goa, Essar Minerals, Ispat Industries, JSW Steel and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam for a bid for the 1.8 billion tonne Hajigak iron ore deposit.

Hindalco closes Novelis plant in UK

Hindalco closes Novelis plant in UK

Rediff.com   2 Jul 2009

Aditya Birla group flagship firm Hindalco Industries has decided to trim its overseas operations and is restructuring its capital expenditure in India in an effort to stabilise operations. As part of this overall plan, Novelis, which Hindalco acquired for $6 billion in 2007, is closing its sheet mill at Rogerstone in the UK, involving 440 job losses.

Low-cost computing finds its feet, finally

Low-cost computing finds its feet, finally

Rediff.com   29 Jun 2009

Easy usage, no-maintenance claim draw consumers to these desktop alternatives.

How their passion became their profession

How their passion became their profession

Rediff.com   22 Jun 2009

These four youngsters turned their passion for books into a successful online book lending service, discovers Shivani Shinde.

IT firms shifting more work to India to cut costs

IT firms shifting more work to India to cut costs

Rediff.com   22 Jun 2009

Partly an answer to downturn, political pressure; trend should shift again, say analysts.

Reliance Infrastructure looks at domestic banks

Reliance Infrastructure looks at domestic banks

Rediff.com   19 Jun 2009

The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group company hasn't yet got the contract for executing the second phase of the Mumbai Metro, but Jalan's team has already started negotiating with domestic banks to tie up funds for the estimated Rs 11,000-crore (Rs 110-billion) project.

Ambani brothers directed to take mother's help

Ambani brothers directed to take mother's help

Rediff.com   16 Jun 2009

The Bombay high court, while pronouncing the verdict on the gas dispute on Monday, advised the Ambani brothers for the second time to settle their row in consultation with their mother.

Domestic BPO biz to earn $6 bn by 2012

Domestic BPO biz to earn $6 bn by 2012

Rediff.com   16 Jun 2009

Though it is smaller than the $11 billion BPO exports market, it is expected to reach $6 billion by 2012, according to a new Ernst and Young study. The domestic BPO market, hence, presents a huge untapped growth opportunity. Its addressable market opportunity is in the range of $16-19 billion by 2012, with significant business growth coming in from sectors like BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), telecom, media, retail and government.

Satyam employees resent 'selective' pay hikes

Satyam employees resent 'selective' pay hikes

Rediff.com   11 Jun 2009

Some employees have alleged that close to 20 employees of the troubled Satyam Computer Services have been promoted to the I-1 and I-2 bands (representing assistant vice-president and vice-president levels) and also received a salary hike of 20-40 per cent. The timing has caused much resentment with some employees taking up the matter with the human resources department.

Infy sets up domestic BPO operation

Infy sets up domestic BPO operation

Rediff.com   9 Jun 2009

India's second-largest IT services firm, Infosys Technologies, has set up a separate unit within its business process outsourcing arm (Infosys BPO) to concentrate solely on the domestic BPO market.

Humble barcodes live on to tell the story

Humble barcodes live on to tell the story

Rediff.com   8 Jun 2009

Not only have they been thriving for over 10 years in India alone, but also have stood their ground in the face of newer and smarter technologies like radio-frequency identification, which promised to revolutionise the retailing sector.

IITs in talks with investment cos to sell patents

IITs in talks with investment cos to sell patents

Rediff.com   8 Jun 2009

IIT Bombay, for instance, recently joined hands with Intellectual Ventures to seek support in marketing and licensing patents the institute holds.

PE activity increases: Markets gain

PE activity increases: Markets gain

Rediff.com   5 Jun 2009

While a number of players invested more in Indian companies, another set exited the market, making profits after March. The companies that invested included Saif Partners, which made a $24 million investment in Network18, and Times Private Treaties, which acquired 12 per cent in Jiny & Jony (for an undisclosed sum), according to data with analysts and brokerage firms.

Vice-chairmen: Lynchpin in Tata group management

Vice-chairmen: Lynchpin in Tata group management

Rediff.com   4 Jun 2009

The Tata group is strengthening the management super-structure within its group companies by extending the post of vice-chairman to three more companies - Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Consultancy Services.

Bharti's balance sheet may stagger a bit

Bharti's balance sheet may stagger a bit

Rediff.com   27 May 2009

Sunil Mittal's plan to merge his Bharti Airtel - India's biggest mobile-phone operator -with South Africa's MTN, coupled with the company's 3G foray, is likely to put pressure on its balance sheet, as the estimated cash requirement would be Rs 40,475 crore (Rs 404.75 billion) in this fiscal.

Console gaming takes an Indian twist

Console gaming takes an Indian twist

Rediff.com   25 May 2009

Sony is hopeful of growing the fledgling Rs 410 crore console gaming industry in India with games that will be developed in India and will be essentially based on Indian storylines. The journey has begun with the launch of the first India developed game for the PS2 platform, Hanuman: Boy Warrior, which is based on the hit Indian animation film Hanuman.

TCS' Asia-Pacific biz to grow fastest

TCS' Asia-Pacific biz to grow fastest

Rediff.com   21 May 2009

In an earlier interview, chief operating officer N Chandrasekaran had voiced this concern and said TCS was taking some measures. The impact was also evident on the overall revenue contribution, which fell to 4.7 per cent in FY09 from 5.2 per cent in FY08. TCS' head for Apac, Girija Pandey, feels the region will continue to be volatile till they reach a certain level.

HCL Tech plans to cancel Rs 3,000 cr worth hedges

HCL Tech plans to cancel Rs 3,000 cr worth hedges

Rediff.com   16 May 2009

New Delhi-headquartered IT services provider HCL Technologies plans to cancel hedging contracts worth $600 million (around Rs 2,970 crore), as the rupee continues to remain at Rs 49-50 levels. These hedges, analysts opine, would be taken at a rate of around Rs 41.