Raghavendra Kamath &Amp; Pradipta Mukherjee

Stories by Raghavendra Kamath &Amp; Pradipta Mukherjee

Realty FII norms are unclear on pre-IPO stakes

Realty FII norms are unclear on pre-IPO stakes

Rediff.com   1 Feb 2008

Realty FII norms, which were recently put outside the purview of Press Note 2 (2005), are vague about pre-IPO investments.

Peninsula inks Rs 1,200 cr land deal with Essar

Peninsula inks Rs 1,200 cr land deal with Essar

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2008

Ashok Piramal Group company Peninsula Land has inked a property deal worth Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) with Essar Realty Holdings, the realty arm of the Essar Group, to sell and lease premises at its upcoming IT park named Peninsula Technopark on LBS Marg in Kurla. The deal was signed recently, according to sources.

IT tool to help people with cerebral palsy

IT tool to help people with cerebral palsy

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2008

Webel's digital tool enables people with cerebral palsy to communicate.

'Retailing in India to grow faster than in US'

'Retailing in India to grow faster than in US'

Rediff.com   14 Jan 2008

Fitch, one of the largest design consultancies in the world that has designed stores of Wal-Mart, Target, Marks & Spencer, Best Buy and Tesco among others, is betting big on India's organised retail sector. Already in the country to serve clients such as Aditya Birla Retail, Reliance Retail, Tatas and so on, Fitch plans to treble the number of staff and open new offices in the country.

Global food chains plan 400 outlets in 2008

Global food chains plan 400 outlets in 2008

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2008

India is likely to see the addition of at least 400 restaurants, fast food outlets and coffee joints in 2008. Food chains such as Yum Brands, McDonald's, Domino's and Caf Coffee Day have earmarked an estimated investment of over Rs 300-400 crore (Rs 3 to 4 billion) this year in expanding their retail presence across the country.

Peninsula, Lehman form real estate JV

Peninsula, Lehman form real estate JV

Rediff.com   5 Jan 2008

While Lehman will invest Rs 500 crore and hold 75 per cent in the JV, Peninsula Land will subscribe to the remaining equity at an investment of Rs 200 crore, according to sources.

Small retail traders dream big

Small retail traders dream big

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2008

India's retail industry, which is in the middle of rapid growth, has already scripted success stories fit to be the subject of a Bollywood film.

Insurance for property deals soon

Insurance for property deals soon

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2008

Private insurers are planning to launch property title insurance covers in India soon. Foreign investment is therefore likely to enter the Indian real estate market.

Small realty firms to benefit from REITs

Small realty firms to benefit from REITs

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2007

As real estate investment trusts (REITs) are set to become a reality in the country, small and medium property developers, who constitute 80 per cent of the total realty industry, can now breathe easy.

ADAG's Big music eyes 40% market share

ADAG's Big music eyes 40% market share

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2007

Reliance ADAG's Big Music and Home Entertainment is looking at garnering close to 40 per cent market share of home and music entertainment business in India.

Bengal retail body wants shops open till late

Bengal retail body wants shops open till late

Rediff.com   20 Dec 2007

According to Gibson G Vedamani, CEO of RAI, "We have urged Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to allow shops to stay open till at least 11.30 at night, if not overnight. In Mumbai and Delhi, a few retailers had approached the government individually and got permission to keep their shops open till late." At present, all retail outlets in West Bengal have to shut by 8.30 pm, making it difficult for people who work late hours to manage their shopping during the week.

IT majors bank on SME biz

IT majors bank on SME biz

Rediff.com   19 Dec 2007

Indian small and medium enterprises are expected to emerge as major buyers of the information technology products by 2008. According to Joydeep Datta Gupta, executive director of Deloitte & Touche Consulting, any IT-led SME business transformation project could succeed only if the project was sustained.

Realty index beats Sensex

Realty index beats Sensex

Rediff.com   14 Dec 2007

Call it an impact of the hopes of rate cuts in the country or renewed interest by foreign investors, BSE's Realty Index has outperformed big brother Sensex in the last 11 trading sessions - from the day when the Maharashtra government scrapped the Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act (Ulcra), which is expected to free 17,000 acres of land in Mumbai.

Vodafone in aid of the hearing impaired

Vodafone in aid of the hearing impaired

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2007

In a first of its kind initiative and available only in Kolkata, mobile services provider Vodafone Essar, has launched the 'Sambhav' prepaid card, targeted at customers with hearing and speech disability.Available at Rs 151, the prepaid Sambhav card will enable the hearing impaired to communicate effectively using a cellphone. The card enables customers with hearing and speech disability to use mobile phones primarily for sending SMSes.

Discount stores steal the thunder

Discount stores steal the thunder

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2007

According to India Retail Report prepared by Images, discount stores are expected to grow 30-40 per cent every year. Of the total organised apparel, footwear and accessory retail market of Rs 26,400 crore (Rs 264 billion), discount retailing already accounts for Rs 11,880 crore (Rs 118.80 billion), or 45 per cent. Analysts said this segment will easily become a Rs 26,000-crore (Rs 260 billion) market in the next three years.

B-schools jostle over rankings

B-schools jostle over rankings

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2007

Lack of uniform parameters while ranking them is what irks B-schools. At last count, there were at least seven different rankings in print.

Cash and carry space hots up

Cash and carry space hots up

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2007

When French Retailer Carrefour enters the Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) cash and carry segment in 2009, it would face tough competition from established players such as Germany's Metro, Bharti-Wal Mart, Reliance, Pantaloon, Wadhawan Retail and others entrants like Tesco and Costco.

IIT-Kharagpur plans telecom courses

IIT-Kharagpur plans telecom courses

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2007

Saswat Chakraborti, head of G S Sanyal School of Telecommunications at IIT-KGP says: "We offered three short-term courses so far in 2007, and would introduce one more this December. We are planning several new courses targeted at B-tech graduates, industry professionals, as well as teachers from engineering institutes."

IBM PCs for the poor

IBM PCs for the poor

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2007

Information technology giant IBM is taking computer education to students from weaker sections of society in Kolkata. Five NGOs, CiniAsha, Divya Chaya, Calcutta Rescue, SPAN, and Pratyush identify and bring in students from various parts of Kolkata for training at the IBM centre.

Nandigram: Top recruiters avoid IIM Calcutta

Nandigram: Top recruiters avoid IIM Calcutta

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2007

The Nandigram fracas is taking a toll on placements at the oldest Indian Institute of Management (IIM), in Kolkata, with top-notch recruiters like Goldman Sachs deciding not to visit the campus this year for summer placements.