Peerzada Abrar &Amp; Abhijit Lele

Stories by Peerzada Abrar &Amp; Abhijit Lele

Lenskart eyeing mega expansion as it readies for IPO

Lenskart eyeing mega expansion as it readies for IPO

Rediff.com   15 Oct 2025

Eyewear retailer Lenskart plans to add 450 stores in the current financial year, its fastest expansion in three years, as the company prepares for a public listing that could value it at up to $10 billion. The addition would take Lenskart's store count to more than 3,150 across 14 countries, representing a 34 per cent rise from the 334 stores opened last year.

Amazon, Flipkart deploy war rooms for Rs 1.2 trillion festival battle

Amazon, Flipkart deploy war rooms for Rs 1.2 trillion festival battle

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2025

At the stroke of midnight, live dashboards lit up simultaneously across Amazon India's World Trade Centre headquarters and Flipkart's Outer Ring Road office in Bengaluru. In sprawling "war rooms" at both the companies, executives monitored real-time data streams tracking payment speeds, inventory levels, and delivery logistics as millions of shoppers flooded online platforms.

Amazon, Flipkart showcase GST deals as festival shopping begins

Amazon, Flipkart showcase GST deals as festival shopping begins

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2025

Amazon India unveiled a dedicated marketplace section highlighting products with reduced tax burdens as the goods and services tax (GST) restructuring took effect on September 22, positioning the ecommerce giant to capitalise on lower consumer prices across electronics, appliances, and other categories. Its rival Flipkart, too, has rolled out its own GST-focused storefront, the GST Bachat Utsav, aimed at helping shoppers maximise benefits from the new tax rates across multiple categories.

Bengaluru Traffic Test Corporate Patience

Bengaluru Traffic Test Corporate Patience

Rediff.com   20 Sep 2025

'We do not need short-term measures but long-term ones. Companies seem to have given up on the infrastructure part. Long delays are fuelling more traffic crisis.'

It's time to get started, put money in deals: M&A financing opens up

It's time to get started, put money in deals: M&A financing opens up

Rediff.com   15 Sep 2025

Last fortnight, State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty lifted the veil on a subject long spoken of in corporate corridors: Why can't our banks finance mergers and acquisitions (M&As)? Change is in the air: Indian Banks' Association (of which Setty is the chairman) is to "make a formal request" to Mint Road to make way for it. Thus far the exclusive turf of foreign banks even though its funding remains offshore - as in, it's not on these entities rupee-book (and a few select shadow banks) - a most lucrative segment in the investment banking suite, M&As, will be homeward-bound.

Flipkart, Amazon Stack Up Space For Festival Rush

Flipkart, Amazon Stack Up Space For Festival Rush

Rediff.com   9 Sep 2025

Festive sales are expected to surge 27 per cent to cross Rs 120,000 crore in 2025, driving Amazon and Flipkart to expand warehousing capacity by millions of cubic feet and extend delivery networks to thousands of new pin codes -- an infrastructure buildout that could reshape India's retail landscape for years.

Amazon cuts seller fees, boosts AI tools ahead of festive shopping season

Amazon cuts seller fees, boosts AI tools ahead of festive shopping season

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2025

Amazon India is repositioning itself as a comprehensive business partner rather than just an e-commerce platform, slashing seller fees and introducing artificial intelligence-powered tools ahead of the country's crucial festive shopping season that could determine the year's retail performance.

Tax cut may bolster credit growth in H2

Tax cut may bolster credit growth in H2

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2025

After a subdued first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26), banks are now betting big on the festive season, rolling out attractive loan offers to boost credit growth in the second half of the current financial year (H2FY26) - a trend likely to be further accentuated by the second-order effects of the good services tax (GST) cuts.

American Tech Caught in Trade Crossfire

American Tech Caught in Trade Crossfire

Rediff.com   3 Sep 2025

'Amazon, Meta, Google, Microsoft have large operations in India and rely on smooth trade and data flows.' 'Restrictions could raise their costs, limit AI chip exports, and complicate their India strategies.'

India Inc meeting capex need with own cash, says SBI chief C S Setty

India Inc meeting capex need with own cash, says SBI chief C S Setty

Rediff.com   26 Aug 2025

India Inc, which is sitting on cash balances of 13.5 trillion, is using the funds to meet capital expenditure as well as brownfield expansion, resulting in 'anaemic' demand for bank loans, State Bank of India (SBI) chairman CS Setty said at an event on Monday. He added that a slowdown in corporate credit is mainly due to lack of demand.

Qatar fund moves HC to recover $235 mn from Byju's

Qatar fund moves HC to recover $235 mn from Byju's

Rediff.com   26 Aug 2025

Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is suing Byju Raveendran in Indian courts to recover $235 million from the embattled educational technology (edtech) entrepreneur, escalating a global legal battle that has ensnared one of India's most high-profile startup founders.

Why PSBs are raising home loan rates

Why PSBs are raising home loan rates

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2025

Some public sector banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, and Bank of India, are increasing the spread on home loans for new customers to protect margins.

Bank asset quality: Slippages rise 26% in Q1 on stress in unsecured loans

Bank asset quality: Slippages rise 26% in Q1 on stress in unsecured loans

Rediff.com   21 Aug 2025

Commercial banks in India reported 26 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in slippages at Rs 63,000 crore during the first quarter ended June 2025 (Q1FY26). This was predominantly due to stress in microfinance and unsecured retail portfolios of select lenders.

Amazon Gives India $12.7B AI Boost

Amazon Gives India $12.7B AI Boost

Rediff.com   11 Aug 2025

'The Indian developer community is one of the most vibrant communities.' 'Indian builders are incredibly passionate, curious, and excited to embrace new technologies.'

India May Wait Out Trump Tariffs

India May Wait Out Trump Tariffs

Rediff.com   8 Aug 2025

'Just as we cannot surrender the interests of our farmers and dairy industry, Trump is also looking for markets for the produce of the farmers in the Midwest, which are his support base.'

'AI Can Improve The Lives Of Millions Of Indians'

'AI Can Improve The Lives Of Millions Of Indians'

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2025

'We're already seeing signs of superhuman capability.'

SBI eyes spot among world's top 10 banks by market value in 5 years

SBI eyes spot among world's top 10 banks by market value in 5 years

Rediff.com   24 Jul 2025

Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is looking to be among 10 top global banks in market capitalisation terms in the next five years, chairman CS Setty said on Wednesday. "The scope for value creation for the stakeholders is potentially very high. So the larger ambition is if the market supports whether we can be part of the top 10 global banks in terms of the market capitalisation (five years)," he said after listing of shares issued under Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) at NSE.

Why The Bankruptcy Code Needs A Makeover

Why The Bankruptcy Code Needs A Makeover

Rediff.com   23 Jul 2025

The famous 'tareekh pe tareekh' dialogue from the Hindi movie Damini captures where we are now.

18K orders per min: Amazon India's Prime Day sale hits record high

18K orders per min: Amazon India's Prime Day sale hits record high

Rediff.com   22 Jul 2025

Amazon's latest Prime Day sale event broke records with over 18,000 orders per minute - a 50 per cent jump from 2024. Nearly 70 per cent of new memberships came from Tier-III cities.

Byju's Founders to Sue Investors

Byju's Founders to Sue Investors

Rediff.com   18 Jul 2025

'Byju's founders reserve all rights to bring actions against those parties that have caused damage to them personally and to their businesses.'