Data collected from the Registrar of Companies, or RoC, show that The Firm, as McKinsey is reverentially referred to, has been making steady losses in India since 2004-2005, except in 2006-07. It ended 2007-08 with a loss of Rs 2.26 crore, which was a lot better than the figure in some of the earlier years.
ICAI president Uttam Prakash Agarwal said the new board, to be called the Review Reporting Board, will have powers to examine even unlisted firms. Currently, the Financial Reporting Review Board, which was set up in 2004 to monitor and regulate the functioning of CAs in the country, picks up audit reports of about 50-60 listed companies and non-government organisations to see whether procedures are being followed.
Public money to remedy firm's cash flow being mulled. The Games are scheduled for next year and plagued by failing deadlines and other problems. The Delhi Development Authority, nodal agency for implementation, may announce the rescue package by next week, sources in the agency say.
Thomas Cook India, the country's largest travel-related service provider, said it slashed about 7 per cent of its workforce in 2008 and shut a few of the retail outlets as part of a plan to cut cost and boost profits.
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.
After a lacklustre winter season sale, apparel retailers are now planning to cut their summer purchases by as much as 20 per cent to save holding cost and reduce pressure on working capital.
Rs 1,400 crore provided in the stimulus package was due under TUFS anyway.
According to sources in the Future Group, it plans to tie up with international retailers in different segments. "We can certainly look at bringing in foreign capital to our subsidiaries now," said a group official, who did not wish to be quoted. Under the new guidelines, downstream investments by an Indian company that has foreign investment but is owned and controlled by Indians will not be considered as FDI.
Facing acute liquidity crunch and poor buyer sentiments, the country's biggest property developer, DLF, has stopped work at two of its biggest mid-income housing projects. The move comes after the developer stalled at least a quarter of its commercial projects.
Though end-of-season sale is common in the first week of February, what is interesting this time around is the quantum and timing of the offers. Retailers are giving away 20-25 per cent additional discounts, compared to the last year. Also, they began giving discounts at least three weeks before the ususal timing.
Recession-hit retailers in the US and Europe are increasing their purchases from Bangladesh as it is able to supply garments at a relatively less price due to low labour cost and better economies of scale, experts said. Data collected by the Apparel Export Promotion Council, the body for the promotion and facilitation of garment-manufacturing and their exports, show Bangladesh overtook India after August 2008.
Companies in the fast moving consumer goods, insurance and entertainment sectors offer the highest number of MICE trips to employees and sales dealers. The trips are offered as incentive to achieve sales target. Under the incentive package employees and dealers are allowed to take their families for the trip making it a much sought after reward.
The industry, which has complained of widespread job losses along with a sharp decline of about 30 per cent in its expected export target for the current fiscal, wants a quick action from the government. Industry sources say that even if the government releases the funds, the banks would take another month to disburse them.
Makemytrip.com, a travel-related portal, remained inaccessible for a large part of the day owing to an unprecedented surge in traffic, after Air India and JetLite slashed fares.
The downturn in the tourism industry may cast a gloom for hotels and travel related industry, but it augurs well for tourists.
The draft Companies Bill 2008 has identified the three key managerial positions as chief executive officer, chief finance officer and company secretary. By recognising these three key managerial positions, the Bill is fixing responsibility to bring out a system which is more accountable, transparent and workable, according to an official at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
A global slowdown, which is forcing companies to curtail production, cut salaries and jobs, is helping retailers who have launched private labels.
The trickle has begun and could turn into a flood. At least 15 per cent of overseas visitors have cancelled their tour plans to India following terrorist attacks on key locations in Mumbai, tour operators said. The attacks claimed nearly 200 lives and injured more than 300.
A limit on compensation paid to top executives is preferable in the context of what has happened in developed nations, Minister of Corporate Affairs Premchand Gupta told Business Standard.
This comes in the background of claims by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, an industry body, that about 700,000 jobs have been cut in the last six months. The industry lobby group has also forecast a further loss of half a million jobs in the next five months.