Retail sales of Ranbaxy Laboratories, Cipla, Nicholas Piramal, Lupin and other drug makers have jumped by over 10 per cent in the domestic market despite the sales of generics or copycat versions of patented drugs falling in leading global markets such as the US and Europe.
Not all companies are generous with numbers these days - they're willing to share details of their core operations, but many of them are reluctant to let shareholders get even a glimpse of newer ventures
FMCG moves fast, while real estate yields ground and metals lose their lustre. The star of 2008 so far has been Hindustan Unilever; the multinational FMCG player has actually gained 20.45 per cent between January 1, 2008 and December 24, 2008.
Pradip Shah, managing director, IndOcean, feels that although gold has done reasonably well, it doesn't really create too much value in the long run.
Drug maker agrees to cooperate with Scottish investigation.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Nicholas Piramal and other Indian drug makers are relying on niche and smaller value, acquisition strategy for growth owing to global slowdown and failure of big-ticket acquisitions in the past.
The Citi deal should help Wipro beef up its presence in the banking and financial services (BFSI) space. The target company does work in the technology infrastructure services space as also application development and maintenance and the Rs 19,957 crore (Rs 199.57 billion) Wipro should be able to leverage these services with other clients. The assured revenues of $500 million will come in handy at a difficult time.
Glenmark plans to start selling its anti-diarrhoea drug, Crofelemer, by the first-half of 2010 across the globe, except in North America, Europe, Japan and China, the company said. The confidence to sell the drug ahead of its rivals comes as the Crofelemer's original developer, Napo Pharmaceutical Inc, recently entered into a tie-up with a US-based drug maker, Salyx, for selling the drug in the US market, paving the way for Glenmark to sell it in the rest of the world.
In an economic downturn such as this, when the markets have crashed, there are many more Satyams which are vulnerable to hostile takeovers because the promoters do not have a controlling stake. Such promoters will be tempted to take cash out of their companies and park it elsewhere.
By entering into related-party deals without shareholder approval, the firm has done irreparable damage to India Inc's reputation. Minority shareholders of Satyam Computer have every reason to feel short-changed. Without so much as by your leave, the management has decided to enter into related party transactions using the company balance sheet.
Over the last weekend, the central bank has tried to address the biggest near-term concern for property companies --bankruptcy -- says a CLSA report. The one-time move, which will allow banks not to classify commercial real estate loans as non-performing loans, will reduce the near-term risks for some property firms.
Fearing the slowdown, hospital managements suspended some of their new medical equipment purchase plans," said A Vaidheesh, managing director, Johnson & Johnson Medical, one of the largest medical equipment companies operating in India. India's medical and hospital equipment industry, which consists of multinational players such as Siemens, Philips, Johnson & Johnson, GE Healthcare and home grown Medtronics, has an annual turnover of over Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion).
But industry needs to take up the issue at the highest level, business groups need to set aside their differences and work together, inconceivable as the idea may seem. It would be a pity if the corporate sector were to keep quiet this time.
First time, an Indian court revisits a patent office order.
A segment of drug companies such as tablet and capsule makers may benefit from the government's move to review polluting status of these companies, which may help them save costs on pollution control equipment.
Fem Care is a good addition to the portfolio because Dabur didn't have a presence in the skin care space. What Fem Care brings to the table is a strong product portfolio -- comprising bleaches, hair removing creams and liquid soaps -- which is complementary to Dabur's Gulabari skin-care range.
Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy's and other Indian drug makers may cut production as overseas buyers, hurt by the credit crunch, defer export orders. The move could also lower the country's drug exports by at least 10 per cent in the year ending March 2010, industry experts say."Many of our members have been intimated by their importers to stop shipments until further notice," said Venkat Jasti, chairman, Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council.
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.
Obviously, with the larger corporations in a bit of a spot, ancillaries and vendors are feeling the pinch; others too are finding the going tough. Over the past five years financial leverage helped earnings; it will now work the other way, says Shobhana Subramanian.
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.