Raghavendra Kamath &Amp; Niladri Bhattacharya

Stories by Raghavendra Kamath &Amp; Niladri Bhattacharya

Tata Housing eyes Rs 700 cr from low-cost projects

Tata Housing eyes Rs 700 cr from low-cost projects

Rediff.com   11 May 2009

Tata Housing Development Company, a unit of Tata Sons, expects to earn Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) in revenue from low-cost housing in the next four years, a top company official has said.

Peninsula defers hospitality, new ventures to save

Peninsula defers hospitality, new ventures to save

Rediff.com   11 May 2009

In May last year, Peninsula forayed into the hospitality sector with a joint venture with textile maker and real estate developer, Arrow Webtex. The JV planned to build hotels in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nasik and Kolhapur in Maharashtra. There were also plans to develop hotels in Ahmedabad, Surat, Jamnagar, Mundra port, Goa and Kerala.

DLF targets Rs 55 billion from asset sale

DLF targets Rs 55 billion from asset sale

Rediff.com   4 May 2009

In addition, it is banking on Rs 20 billion of additional inflows from group company DLF Assets. The move follows 33 per cent growth in DLF's gross debt to Rs 163.58 billion at the end of March 2009 from Rs 122.77 billion a year ago. In addition, DLF's revenues fell 28 per cent to Rs 105.41 billion as home buyers deferred purchases and it offered discounts to lure buyers. As a result, its revenues were hit to the tune of Rs 6.88 billion.

Store 99 plans six-fold increase in outlets

Store 99 plans six-fold increase in outlets

Rediff.com   4 May 2009

Store 99, which sells apparels, accessories, cutlery and other items for Rs 99 or below in its 14 stores in North India, is buying merchandise from firms that went into liquidation in the US and Europe to keep prices low, said Shiraz M Javed, a director of the group.

Aditya Birla Nuvo plans 150 new stores

Aditya Birla Nuvo plans 150 new stores

Rediff.com   1 May 2009

It will also close 30 unviable stores. The company's move comes after its net loss widened to Rs 141.2 crore in the March-ended quarter, owing to mounting losses in apparels. The loss was Rs 82.2 crore in the apparel business, against a loss of Rs 4.44 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.

Home buyers still wary

Home buyers still wary

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2009

Developers remain cautious on property deals as customers expect further price cuts.

Home buyers wary, bankers uncertain

Home buyers wary, bankers uncertain

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2009

Developers remain cautious on property deals as customers expect further price cuts.

ATMs blocked as users cash in

ATMs blocked as users cash in

Rediff.com   3 Apr 2009

Many customers have had to deal with printouts saying 'transaction declined.' Customers using their own banks' ATMs did not, however, face similar problems. Transactions on a bank's home ATM network are processed through a different switching system, while inter-bank transactions go to NFS, the country's largest domestic network for authentication and routing payment details of various e-commerce transactions and e-government activities.

DLF's retail arm plans 500 luxury lifestyle stores

DLF's retail arm plans 500 luxury lifestyle stores

Rediff.com   28 Mar 2009

Already partnering seven international brands such as Giorgio Armani and Salvatore Ferragamo, it also plans to tie up with 12-15 global brands in the next five years. The company plans to fund its expansion through a mix of equity and debt and go in for tie-ups through joint ventures and franchise routes. The focus of expansion would be in metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai in the initial phase, the official said.

Retailers put cash & carry on backburner

Retailers put cash & carry on backburner

Rediff.com   26 Mar 2009

Indian retailers put cash & carry on backburner

DLF to book Rs 2,000 crore from group firm by Apri

DLF to book Rs 2,000 crore from group firm by Apri

Rediff.com   25 Mar 2009

The company has already booked Rs 5,450 crore (Rs 54.5 billion) revenue from sale of 5 million sq ft it has sold to DAL. DLF on Tuesday clarified to the exchanges that it had been looking at various options from time to time but no definite option had been presented to the board so far for its consideration.

Centre calls for bank, industry meet

Centre calls for bank, industry meet

Rediff.com   21 Mar 2009

To discuss ways of increasing lending to optimise stimulus package impact.

Short-term rates headed below 10%

Short-term rates headed below 10%

Rediff.com   18 Mar 2009

With interest rates softening, banks are slowly re-pricing the cost of short-term credit extended to the corporate sector.

Want a Nano? First, pay for applying

Want a Nano? First, pay for applying

Rediff.com   16 Mar 2009

"This is for the first time that a manufacturer will charge for an application form. However, it will be refunded if an application is rejected," said a senior bank executive. Bookings are expected to start by the last week of March. The forms will be collected through various channels. "All the forms and the collected money will be transferred to SBI, where they will be processed, and loans will be given through various banks within 90 days," said a source.

More fiscal stimulus needed, say economists

More fiscal stimulus needed, say economists

Rediff.com   14 Mar 2009

Leading economists on Friday called for more fiscal measures to sustain the Indian growth story.

Cut prices, banks tell realtors

Cut prices, banks tell realtors

Rediff.com   13 Mar 2009

Banks are now asking developers to lower prices to clear their piled-up inventory. In fact, clearing of inventories is a key pre-condition for loan restructuring when the realtors approach lenders, executives at various banks said. Public sector banks, in particular, are asking the builders to justify the offer price of projects as there are apprehensions that real estate companies are holding on to stocks after the payment of instalments is rescheduled.

Redeveloping Dharavi is not viable for us: HDIL

Redeveloping Dharavi is not viable for us: HDIL

Rediff.com   10 Mar 2009

Developer to bid for work from those who win the final contract.

Contractors shift from realty to govt projects

Contractors shift from realty to govt projects

Rediff.com   2 Mar 2009

Companies are either taking small government projects alone or bidding for larger ones with consortium partners. The companies, which had 18-75 per cent of their order books in property development, say they are facing payment delays of 20-90 days from some of the private developers, blocking their working capital requirements. Some of them take a week's advance payment from developers to execute their projects.

PSU banks to keep a hawk's eye on NPAs

PSU banks to keep a hawk's eye on NPAs

Rediff.com   27 Feb 2009

With the restructuring process in full swing, public sector banks have stepped-up monitoring to keep non-performing assets (NPAs) at desired levels.

Reliance Retail struggles to beat slowdown blues

Reliance Retail struggles to beat slowdown blues

Rediff.com   26 Feb 2009

Reliance Retail has added 485 stores in the last one year, taking the total count to 950 and the footprint is now spread across 77 cities (58 in the last one year) across India. While his critics say Ambani may have lost the plot as the progress of his retail plans are nowhere near what he had sought to achieve, others feel the Reliance chief is just being pragmatic given the not-so-conducive environment for expansion in retail.