Nevin John, Shivani Shinde &Amp; P B Jayakumar

Stories by Nevin John, Shivani Shinde &Amp; P B Jayakumar

SAP takes centre stage with HCL, Infosys' bid for

SAP takes centre stage with HCL, Infosys' bid for

Rediff.com   29 Sep 2008

With India's two leading IT outsourcing companies, Infosys and HCL Technologies, vying to acquire the UK-based consulting firm Axon, SAP implementation is back in focus.

Finnish firm to make India hub for global ops

Finnish firm to make India hub for global ops

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2008

Citec Engineering India, which employs half of Citec's global workforce, is planning to increase its headcount in India from 255 to over 350 by the end of this year, said Martin Strand, CEO, Citec. "We hope to become a significant player in India in the engineering services for power, oil and gas industry, considering the development in the sector. We target to double our Indian business within two years," he said.

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.

RIL hikes gas spend by Rs 10k cr

RIL hikes gas spend by Rs 10k cr

Rediff.com   19 Sep 2008

The company has already received an approval to spend Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) for commercialising two of its biggest gas discoveries in the D6 block located in the KG basin. "In a letter to oil regulator Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, the company has submitted one more development plan for Rs 10,000 crore as additional capex (capital expenditure) for the block.

RNRL may lead ADAG's new forays

RNRL may lead ADAG's new forays

Rediff.com   17 Sep 2008

ADAG has drawn up plans to invest Rs 650 billion in the steel, cement and shipping se three new areas over the next five years. The investment includes Rs 200 billion to set-up a 10 million cement plant and Rs 400 billion towards a steel plant in Jharkhand. The group believes that the three new lines of businesses fit more with RNRL than with other companies under the group, an ADAG source said.

Piramal Life may develop TB drug

Piramal Life may develop TB drug

Rediff.com   17 Sep 2008

Piramal Life Sciences may become the first company to successfully develop a tuberculosis drug whose leads isolated from the living organisms found in ice brought from the Antarctica region. "(Our) scientists have identified additional leads that will help develop drugs to treat tuberculosis and other infections," revealed Swati Piramal, director, Nicholas Piramal.

Avesta Bio to launch 8 drugs by 2012

Avesta Bio to launch 8 drugs by 2012

Rediff.com   12 Sep 2008

ABRPL is working on developing drugs for anaemia, cancer and arthritis, said Bruce Murdoch, chief business officer, Avesthagen. "We are targeting high-end products that are going off-patent and are not working on popular soon-to-be off-patent biotech molecules. We should be able to bring a couple of molecules into the commercialisation stage next year," he said.

HCL follows Future Group, plans $1 bn venture fund

HCL follows Future Group, plans $1 bn venture fund

Rediff.com   11 Sep 2008

The venture, on the lines of Kishore Biyani's Future Ventures India, will focus its investments in the information technology sector, said a source familiar with the development.

Vedanta may scrap Orissa steel project

Vedanta may scrap Orissa steel project

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2008

Billionaire Anil Agarwal-controlled Vedanta Resources has decided not to pursue a proposal to build a Rs 20,000-crore (Rs 200 billion) five-million-tonne steel project in Orissa in view of its strategy to focus on non-ferrous and iron ore businesses, two highly-placed sources in the company said on Tuesday.

HCL Tech may raise $1 billion for acquisitions

HCL Tech may raise $1 billion for acquisitions

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2008

The company is in talks with a few private banks and has signed on Citibank as one of the bankers to raise these funds, said sources. HCL Technologies and Citibank declined to comment saying that 'they do not comment on market speculation'.

Norwest eyes 6 deals by year-end

Norwest eyes 6 deals by year-end

Rediff.com   9 Sep 2008

Plans another $1-billion fund, wants to expand core team in India.

BPOs flock to rural areas to set up shop

BPOs flock to rural areas to set up shop

Rediff.com   9 Sep 2008

With the telecom industry aiming to increase its rural subscribers base and the central bank asking banks and financial firms to cater to the rural sector, businesses will have to find ways of servicing customers, say analysts. Most of the rural BPOs have a seating capacity of below 100 per centre, as they are situated in remote areas.

Alembic seeks allies in US to double sales

Alembic seeks allies in US to double sales

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2008

The Rs 1,027-crore (Rs 10.27 billion) company has filed 13 abbreviated new drug applications and 22 drug master files with the US Food and Drug Administration and regulatory agencies in Europe for supply of formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Some of the ANDAs challenge innovator patents and the company's strategy will be to partner with established companies in the US and Europe for marketing formulations, said Pranav Amin, director, Alembic.

IT firms adopt new ways to offset hiring costs

IT firms adopt new ways to offset hiring costs

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2008

A slowdown in the global economy and sub-prime crisis in the banking, financial and insurance services sector, its major revenue earners, force the domestic IT industry to take a relook at its hiring strategy.

Ministry refutes Ayurvedic drug toxicity claims

Ministry refutes Ayurvedic drug toxicity claims

Rediff.com   4 Sep 2008

Terming the report as a 'rehash' of an earlier JAMA article by the same author in 2004, the ministry said it discloses 'a strong bias against Ayurvedic medicines.' The earlier JAMA report, also by Robert B Saper of Boston Medical Centre, had prompted drug regulatory agencies of the US and European countries to repeatedly warn against the use of Indian Ayurvedic products and ban some of them in 2004.

UK firm seeks allies for joint drug research

UK firm seeks allies for joint drug research

Rediff.com   2 Sep 2008

WHRL was founded in 1990 by Nobel laureate Sir John Vane to fund the research works at William Harvey Research Institute, one of the leading centres in the world for pharmacological research.

Reliance backs out of Unifi deal

Reliance backs out of Unifi deal

Rediff.com   2 Sep 2008

Had plans to invest $250 mn in the US polyester manufacturer's facility.

Sun's Taro plans may hit roadblocks

Sun's Taro plans may hit roadblocks

Rediff.com   29 Aug 2008

Sun Pharmaceutical may face legal battles in New York courts in its attempt to take over the Israeli drug major Taro Pharmaceuticals, unless its chairman Barrie Levitt and family give up in a few weeks. This is despite the green signal given by an Israel court to proceed with the tender offer.

Dr Reddy's plans to brand US speciality drugs

Dr Reddy's plans to brand US speciality drugs

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2008

Dr Reddy's Laboratories plans to brand its speciality drugs sold in the US. It will begin selling branded skin care products by year-end. The venture will be spearheaded by Promius Pharma, a wholly owned subsidiary of its US arm