KPMG, the $20-billion global advisory and audit firm, is set to broaden its basket of operations in India as it sees annual growth of 40 per cent in the coming years as well. At present, a significant chunk of KPMG's global client service support is being outsourced to Outsource Partners International, a strategic partner, in India. Going forward, the outsourcing volumes are expected to double.
STAR India, a wholly owned subsidiary of STAR Hong Kong, is exploring the possibilities of getting into the print media business in India. Last week, top STAR executives including STAR Hong Kong CEO Paul Aiello, STAR India CEO Uday Shankar and COO Jagdish Kumar were in Bangalore for meetings with possible joint venture partners for the print foray. The company is said to be in talks with Vijay Mallya's UB Group.
This is as definitive as it can get. Dutch global beer major Heineken is understood to have outlined its intent to Vijay Mallya's United Breweries that it does not want to have any conflicting presence in India.
If you are an entrepreneur and apprehensive that the global market meltdown will strain your fund-raising plans, fear not. India-focused private equity and venture capital funds raised $7 billion (Rs 27,958 crore) in 2007, excluding real estate, last year. They had garnered a similar amount in the corresponding previous year, according to data from Venture Intelligence, a venture capital research company.
The Indian biotech sector continues to face an acute shortage of specialists. But now there is a ray of hope, interestingly from a dark story being narrated in the pharma and biotech sectors in the United States and Europe. The sector is seeing downsizing there. This has made scientists of Indian origin explore opportunities in India. "The shortage and the noticeable gap is in terms of discovery-led drug development," said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD, Biocon
Retail investors stand to gain from the booming realty sector, through the Real Estate Investment Trusts.
Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by the UB Group, expects to get into the black in December. According to Ravi Nedungadi, president and CFO, UB Group, the airline has been driving in volumes and efficiencies which is likely to be reflected in the revenues this month.
The UB Group, which is an established leader in the Indian beer and spirits market, is aiming to replicate its success by addressing the wine market with its two companies - United Spirits and United Breweries.
Most of the biotech companies are focusing on discovery-led innovation in biopharmaceuticals. The segment has been witnessing innovations in follow-on (new variants) biologics (commercial products derived from biotechnology) and vaccines with an emerging activity in discovery-led new drug development programmes.
A clutch of global financial institutions led by T Rowe Price, HSBC and an investment arm of the Government of Singapore are the lead investors in the Rs 600 crore (Rs 6 billion) qualified institutional placement (QIP) issue of UB Holdings.
"The company has identified a place near Channapatna, close to the 'Janapada Loka' on the highway. This will be a 6,000 square feet cafe with a kidsplay area and parking space," said Rini Dutta, Vice-President (marketing and product development), Barista Coffee Company.
More people may start meeting over a cup of coffee if the Coffee Board gets its formula right. It is aiming to entice more people into taking to coffee drinking. It will use the idiot box. The board will make short films on the different coffee-brewing methods.
Global and Indian private equity biggies as well as strategic players are in the race to acquire a minority stake in Excel Soft Technologies, the Mysore headquartered e-learning firm. This six-year-old firm provides a range of customised learner-centric Learning systems, Test & Assessment systems and Desktop tools.
UB Group, which has raised close to Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) debt for keeping Kingfisher Airline in the skies during the past two years, has raised another Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) debt to fund the 46 per cent buy in Deccan Aviation.The debt for the 46 per cent buy in Deccan Aviation has been raised in two phases. In the first phase, for the 26 per cent negotiated deal for Rs 550 crore and the subsequent 20 per cent open offer which cost UB Group Rs 425 crore.
Cerberus Capital, the New York-based private equity fund that recently bought Chrysler from the erstwhile DaimlerChrysler for close to $7.5 billion, is entering the Indian market shortly.
Owing to a mismatch between demand and supply of office space, rentals in the Bangalore's central business district (CBD) have peaked to Rs 90 per sq ft a month.
Entrepreneur-investor Ramesh Vangal is likely to team up with US-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Sutherland Global Services to wrest majority control in Cambridge Solutions. Vangal holds 13 per cent stake in Cambridge.
The fringe benefit tax (FBT) was levied on ESOPs in the Union Budget this year and the IT industry is still grappling with the issue of how to factor in the tax.
Larsen & Toubro is set to invest Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) in Mysore-based Rangsons Electronics for a 40 per cent stake.
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