Setting up business in China has never been easy, with the constraints such as language, vast differences in cultural experiences and a form of government radically different from most of the western and Latin American countries where Indian businesses have firmly established themselves.
The company is already in talks with Indian oil refiners to buy paraxylene which is developed from naphtha, a refining byproduct. The company plans to use paraxylene as a raw material to make purified terephthalic acid (PTA), a petrochemical product used in polyester and plastic.
Three large property deals have already been finalised this year in Mumbai.
The churn in investment banks, though less muted than in the heydays of 2007, is gathering speed. "The pent-up desire to move is very high at the moment," says R Suresh, managing director at head hunting firm Stanton Chase.
Kishore Biyani's Future Group is getting its act together on supplying its private labels outside the group's 1,000-odd outlets, even as Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail has already marched ahead by starting to sell some of its private brands to kiranawalas (independent stores).
The devil is in the detail for the real estate sector. Though the Budget gave sops to home buyers in the form of tax savings and interest rate subvention, it quietly brought back service tax on lease rentals in the Finance Bill.
Cross-border deals are back after a brief lull in 2009. And, investment bankers say 2010 is going to be the year of outbound deals.
Rustomjee Business School, promoted by realtor Boman Irani, stands tall on S V Road in Mumbai's Dahisar area. Just a year ago, it was the site of an equally impressive Mega Mart promoted by Vishal Retail.
A study of 435 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, which provide their capital-employed data on a quarterly basis, shows capex grew by a meagre 3.4 per cent in the nine months ending December 2009, compared to the level in March 2009.
Several cities see a fall of up to 36% in sales, even as Mumbai region continues to grow.
The deal size could be in excess of Rs 2,000 crore, though this could not be verified. Sivasankaran had invested close to Rs 1,800 crore in 2007 to take a 41 per cent stake in Aamby Valley. The Sahara Group is the majority investor, with a 51 per cent stake.
Tata Steel plans to expand capacity to 10 million tonnes at Jamshedpur by August 2011 from 6.8 million tonnes.
The last date for receiving EoIs is February 28, after which a new reserve price will be announced.
Apartment prices at Planet Godrej, a premium residential property developed by Godrej Properties in the tony Mahalaxmi area of Mumbai, had come down to as low as Rs 17,000 to Rs 18,000 a sq ft in the property market slowdown last year.
Kishore Biyani's Future Group has seen a turnaround in home retailing after months of decline, on the back of improved consumer sentiments and focused merchandising plans, a key group executive said.
The Maharashtra government has decided to increase floor space index (FSI) to 3 from the current 2.5 for buildings which have come up between 1940 and 1960. The decision opens up the possibility for redeveloping 16,461 old buildings.
Vedika Bhandarkar, managing director & head of investment banking, recounts how even in a supposedly bad year, the bank raised about Rs 1,00,000 crore (Rs 1,000 billion).
The annual report also mentions Tata Sons is obligated to buy the stake at the higher end of fair value or 50 per cent of the subscription purchase price.
M&M is preparing a plan for carbon 'footprinting' of all group companies. That includes carbon emissions made even during air travel by employees.
Aluminium producers are pleasantly surprised, as the price of the base metal reached a 14-month high of $2,188 per tonne this week despite the absence of any surge in consumption.