Sanket Koul, Shreya Nandi

Stories by Sanket Koul, Shreya Nandi

Officials Prepare For Modi 3.0

Officials Prepare For Modi 3.0

Rediff.com   12 Apr 2024

Government departments have been tasked with identifying major goals, which will include annual targets from the financial year 2024-2025 to 2028-2029.

Frontline Relive Pandemic Nightmare

Frontline Relive Pandemic Nightmare

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2024

Battling the virus, enduring separation from loved ones, and working extended hours became part of the job.

Want To Buy A Bungalow For Rs 325 Crore?

Want To Buy A Bungalow For Rs 325 Crore?

Rediff.com   1 Mar 2024

Enquiries indicate it belongs to an industrialist with links to a prominent cricketer.

AyushMin gets rap for underuse of funds despite rising allocation

AyushMin gets rap for underuse of funds despite rising allocation

Rediff.com   27 Feb 2024

Given the gap between budgetary allocation and use, a parliamentary standing committee has asked the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (Ayush) to take steps to prevent underutilisation of funds under the National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme. According to the data, the ministry was allocated Rs 1,200 crore for the mission in the Budgetary Estimate (BE) for FY24. The Revised Estimate (RE) for the year fell to Rs 815 crore, of which Rs 589 crore, or 74 per cent, has been spent till January.

Revamped SEZ law unlikely before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections

Revamped SEZ law unlikely before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections

Rediff.com   24 Feb 2024

The revamped Special Economic Zone (SEZ) law is unlikely to see the light of the day before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, two people aware of the matter said. The commerce department had sought the Union Cabinet's nod to bring amendments to the existing SEZ Act, 2005 late last year. The plan, thereafter, was to introduce the Bill in the winter session of Parliament. Cabinet's approval remains pending.

PMO Monitoring Red Sea Crisis

PMO Monitoring Red Sea Crisis

Rediff.com   16 Feb 2024

Any government support or incentive to help exporters deal with high freight and insurance costs is unlikely.

Nearly Rs 41,000 crore unspent in govt's Rs 1.97 trillion PLI scheme

Nearly Rs 41,000 crore unspent in govt's Rs 1.97 trillion PLI scheme

Rediff.com   12 Feb 2024

Of the Rs 1.97 trillion that the government intends to spend on all 14 production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, around Rs 41,000 crore remains unutilised as of now, according to a senior government official. This means that 80 per cent of the total allocated amount, or Rs 1.56 trillion, will be used to pay incentives to companies eligible to claim benefits over the next few years. The unutilised amount/savings result from undersubscription, lukewarm responses in the case of schemes such as textile, as well as a reduction in the allocation of schemes.

Likely surge in prices due to Red Sea attacks: FinMin

Likely surge in prices due to Red Sea attacks: FinMin

Rediff.com   30 Jan 2024

Prices may go up because of higher energy costs, caused by the rise in shipping charges, with commercial vessels taking a longer route to avoid the troubled Red Sea region, the finance ministry said on Monday. Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen are repeatedly attacking ships in the Red Sea. While the global economy is grappling with challenges such as sticky inflation, sluggish growth, and mounting fiscal pressure, India's external sector could face "potential risks" due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions, according to the finance ministry's report on the review of the Indian economy.

The Red Sea crisis: Commerce department flags rising import cost

The Red Sea crisis: Commerce department flags rising import cost

Rediff.com   23 Jan 2024

However, as of now, container availability has not been seen as an issue as adequate empties are available. The Red Sea strait is vital for 30 per cent of global container traffic and 12 per cent of global trade.

Revised Schedule M elicits mixed response

Revised Schedule M elicits mixed response

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

A notification of the revised Schedule M rules by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has elicited mixed responses from the pharma sector and industry observers. While the industry has welcomed the revision of rules, several analysts said that implementation and compliance can become a challenge for smaller pharmaceutical companies. The Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules specifies the good manufacturing practices (GMPs), which aim to ensure quality of drugs made in the country.

India's exports to Iran decline in last one year

India's exports to Iran decline in last one year

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

India's exports to Iran have been falling over the last one year, amid decline in rupee reserves of the West Asian economy. Going ahead, the possibility of augmenting exports to Iran may not be easy for India, considering the geopolitical tensions - Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts - and the West Asian country's support for Russia and Hamas, people aware of the matter said. Exports to Iran saw a downward spiral since November last year.

Are hospitals ready to handle Covid surge?

Are hospitals ready to handle Covid surge?

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2023

Larger hospitals are not worried about a spike in cases, as they are now accustomed to converting ICUs and general wards into negative pressure zones or isolation rooms. For smaller hospitals, the task is tedious.

Mankind Pharma sees 21% profit surge in Q2 despite consumer health hurdles

Mankind Pharma sees 21% profit surge in Q2 despite consumer health hurdles

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2023

Pharmaceuticals major Mankind Pharma reported a 21 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase in net profit, with revenue rising by 12 per cent Y-o-Y in the second quarter of the financial year 2024 (Q2FY24) in a regulatory filing lrecently.

Centre to revise SEZ Act, limiting tax sops and enhancing integration

Centre to revise SEZ Act, limiting tax sops and enhancing integration

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2023

The Centre is unlikely to offer new direct tax incentives for units operating in special economic zones (SEZs) and may instead allow the grandfathering of previous exemptions that such units were entitled to, according to proposed amendments to the SEZ Act, 2005, people aware of the matter said. The amendments, proposed by the commerce department, will soon be considered by the Cabinet for approval. This represents a departure from the department's earlier plan to introduce these changes through the Development Enterprises and Services Hubs (DESH) Bill, 2023, which faced strong criticism from the ministry of finance.

IKS Health, backed by Jhunjhunwala family, buys US tech firm for Rs 1,600 cr

IKS Health, backed by Jhunjhunwala family, buys US tech firm for Rs 1,600 cr

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2023

AQuity Solutions is a leading tech-enabled clinical documentation, medical coding and revenue integrity solutions provider in the healthcare domain. On the other hand, IKS Health provides administrative, clinical and operational services to clinicians.

India to advocate for food security, WTO reforms at upcoming Geneva meeting

India to advocate for food security, WTO reforms at upcoming Geneva meeting

Rediff.com   19 Oct 2023

Commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal is set to attend a two-day meeting from October 23 at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, that would focus on finding solutions and giving the 'necessary political push' for at least some crucial global trade issues. Next week's meeting comes ahead of the WTO's 13th ministerial conference (MC13), scheduled in Abu Dhabi in February 2024. It will see participation of senior government officials from all WTO member nations.

Israel trade with India doubled after Covid-19 pandemic

Israel trade with India doubled after Covid-19 pandemic

Rediff.com   16 Oct 2023

India's trade ties with Israel have only strengthened in the years after 2019. The total value of trade rose to $10.5 billion on a rolling four-quarter basis in June 2023 from $5.5 billion in the same month in 2019, shows a Business Standard analysis of data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). A rolling four-quarter number provides a comparable figure across different time periods.

Rollout of new PLIs unlikely as govt eyes 'course correction'

Rollout of new PLIs unlikely as govt eyes 'course correction'

Rediff.com   14 Oct 2023

The government has decided to hold off introducing the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for additional sectors until it verifies the efficacy of existing initiatives. Top government officials have received mixed feedback on the scheme, including insights from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, people aware of the matter said. "There are no new PLI schemes in the offing.

Israel conflict unlikely to impact trade of pharma firms

Israel conflict unlikely to impact trade of pharma firms

Rediff.com   12 Oct 2023

Indian pharmaceutical firms foresee minimal disruptions in trade with Israel despite escalating regional tensions. Rising crude prices and export shipping insurance premiums have raised concerns, but the pharmaceutical sector remains optimistic. Pharmaceutical exports from India to Israel in FY 2020-21 amounted to $32.5 million, which represents only a minor segment of India's overall pharma exports.

Commerce secy, team in London to push trade deal

Commerce secy, team in London to push trade deal

Rediff.com   6 Oct 2023

Officials from India and the United Kingdom (UK) are working overtime to address the contentious issues related to the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the two nations, in a final push to conclude the deal by the year-end. Commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal was headed to London on Thursday after completing his four-day visit to Brazil. Other key officials from India's negotiating team will be joining Barthwal in the UK capital, hoping to make headway in the FTA negotiations, which started in January last year, a person aware of the matter told Business Standard.