Nevin John &Amp; Shivani Shinde In Mumbai

Stories by Nevin John &Amp; Shivani Shinde In Mumbai

Reliance stops gasoline supply to Iran

Reliance stops gasoline supply to Iran

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2009

This follows a letter written by eight US Congressmen to that country's Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank) asking it to immediately suspend all financial assistance to RIL until the company agrees to stop selling gasoline to Iran.

Tata Power may divest stake in 2 group firms

Tata Power may divest stake in 2 group firms

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2009

Tata Power Company, the largest private sector power player in the country, plans to divest part of its stake in group companies Tata Teleservices and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) to raise about Rs 2,000 crore for funding its ongoing projects, said informed sources.

Wadias plan to revisit Danone stake price

Wadias plan to revisit Danone stake price

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2008

The Wadia group is looking to renegotiate the price of Groupe Danone's stake in Britannia Industries following the market slump and the credit squeeze in the global markets.

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.

IT firms face payment delays

IT firms face payment delays

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2008

Information technology firms, which are already in trouble due to the slowdown in their key markets, are now facing payment delays. Many firms said collections cycles (receivables) are getting extended.

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.

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.

Now, VCs to invest in rural tech

Now, VCs to invest in rural tech

Rediff.com   8 Dec 2008

Venture capitals in India, which traditionally invested in urban segments or technology sector, have begun investing in rural-centric technology firms. Avishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund, Acumen Fund, and Rural Innovations Network are showing increased focus on rural markets.

Start-ups bail out IITians facing placement blues

Start-ups bail out IITians facing placement blues

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2008

On the back of a global meltdown, big-ticket firms may not be flocking at the premier Indian Institute of Technology campuses. IITians, however, have not lost all hope. Many are looking at start-ups for their first jobs.

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.

'India is a high-talent country'

'India is a high-talent country'

Rediff.com   19 Nov 2008

Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent, does not consider India as a low-cost destination. Rather he does not like to use the word offshore in the context of India. "If it is just about cost then I would not have been in India but to some other low-cost country. For me, India is a high talent country," he adds. As the person who was heading British Telecom's operations before taking over Alcatel-Lucent, he has pushed over a billion dollar of outsourcing work to India.

Currency woes may hit IT firms' earnings

Currency woes may hit IT firms' earnings

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2008

The IT industry, which has already taken a hit of more than Rs 500 crore in the second quarter because of the appreciating dollar against the rupee, will now be hit by adverse cross-currency movements even as they attempt to boost the share of revenue from the UK and the Eurozone. Unfortunately, the hit will be despite attempts by software makers to step up hedging in the pound and the euro. The IT industry earns about 60 per cent of its revenue from the US.

BPO attrition down 5-15%

BPO attrition down 5-15%

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2008

Industry insiders as well as sector experts said that companies are unlikely to miss this opportunity to rationalise bloated boom-time salaries.

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.

Tech firms look beyond headcount to grow revenue

Tech firms look beyond headcount to grow revenue

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2008

In fact, firms like NIIT Technologies and EXL Services are already reaping the benefit of the first- mover advantage with over 20 per cent of their revenues coming from non-linear business in the quarter ended September 30. A non-linear business' focus moves away from the tendency to measure growth on the basis of headcount or the concept that the more the number of people working, the more the revenue.

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.