Sharmistha Mukherjee, Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp; Aneesh Phadnis

Stories by Sharmistha Mukherjee, Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp; Aneesh Phadnis

Tata Group airlines to be top on 10 busiest routes

Tata Group airlines to be top on 10 busiest routes

Rediff.com   20 Oct 2021

Tata Group, which will now include Air India, Vistara, and Air Asia, has the highest market share of departures on the top 10 routes in the country. According to the data from Caladrius Aero Consulting, which tracked the departure data for eight airlines in August and September, Tata Group is ahead on all the top 10 routes ranked in accordance with the number of departures in August-September 2021. On the top 100 routes in terms of departures, Tata Group is ahead of its chief rival IndiGo on 30 of them.

Travel firms expect heavy rush as US lifts curbs

Travel firms expect heavy rush as US lifts curbs

Rediff.com   18 Oct 2021

Travel companies are expecting a heavy rush to the US following the withdrawal of curbs on fully vaccinated travellers from select countries, including India, on November 8. The move will benefit those holding long-term tourist, business, and work visas. Also, new and extra flights by Air India and American Airlines are expected to provide better travel options.

Tata group may need to invest $1 billion to upgrade Air India fleet

Tata group may need to invest $1 billion to upgrade Air India fleet

Rediff.com   18 Oct 2021

The Tata group may have to deploy upwards of $1 billion to improve the airline's passenger reservation system, upgrade and refurbish Air India's fleet, primarily the wide-body aircraft which are the mainstay for the airline's international operations, people in the know said. While the group has not yet decided on how it intends to integrate Air India with its existing airlines AirAsia India and Vistara, sources said the first task will be to refinance Air India's existing loans, upgrade its aircraft gradually, and rewrite multiple business contracts with vendors and suppliers. "They will have to do 100 things to stabilise the airline and will have to put in a lot of money," DIPAM secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey said, confirming that many aircraft are grounded.

Multiplexes's Coming Clash With OTT

Multiplexes's Coming Clash With OTT

Rediff.com   12 Oct 2021

Mutliplexes want the gap between a film's release in theatres and on OTT to be doubled from 4 to 8 weeks.

Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air to start flying from 2022

Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air to start flying from 2022

Rediff.com   12 Oct 2021

In the season of aviation action, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air has secured the crucial no-objection certificate (NoC) from the civil aviation ministry. It expects to start operations next summer. The airline will now have to apply for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for operations permit. Aviation sector has been in the limelight with the Tata Group winning the Air India bid last week.

Media & entertainment space gets new PE fund

Media & entertainment space gets new PE fund

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2021

In what is amongst the first focused fund in the space, India Media Entertainment Fund (IMEF) is raising Rs 500 crore, which will provide both equity as well as instruments like non-convertible debentures (NCD) to companies in the content, distribution platform and services areas. The private equity fund has appointed a high-profile advisory body which includes ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, managing director of Red Chillies Entertainment and cricket team KKR Sports, actress and entrepreneur Raadhika Sarathkumar, who has starred in Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films and runs Radaan Mediaworks. It also includes Ramnath Pradeep, former chairman and managing director of Corporation Bank, and Rajesh Gupta, senior partner of law firm SNG Partners.

Bollywood to give theatres a KICK START!

Bollywood to give theatres a KICK START!

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2021

'The opening up of theatres is well-timed to coincide with the festival season and give a big push. We expect box office collections to reach 2019 levels when they stood at Rs 10,000 crore.' Surajeet Das Gupta reports.

Jio's cashback offer to escalate competition

Jio's cashback offer to escalate competition

Rediff.com   7 Oct 2021

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has introduced a 20-per cent cashback offer on select prepaid plans, intensifying competition in the Indian telecommunications (telecom) market. Jio is the largest telecom service provider in India, with 443 million subscribers as of July. Jio's cashback offer will drive cross-selling across Reliance's various retail businesses, but the move is also being seen by some analysts as a signal that tariff hikes may not be around the corner just yet.

Vodafone Idea reworking business plans

Vodafone Idea reworking business plans

Rediff.com   30 Sep 2021

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is working on a fresh business plan that could alter its funding requirements. Addressing shareholder queries at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, Vi chairman Himanshu Kapania said the exact amount will be worked out upon submission of a new business plan. "The management is working on a new business plan and will come to the board with the funding requirements," Kapania told shareholders in his first AGM as chairman.

No fresh equity to be infused in cash-strapped Voda Idea

No fresh equity to be infused in cash-strapped Voda Idea

Rediff.com   29 Sep 2021

Vodafone plc has made it clear that it will not make any fresh equity infusion in its Indian telecom business--Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL). Responding to a query, a spokesperson at the UK-headquartered telco said: "Just to confirm our position, there will be no new equity infusion from Vodafone Group." This is the first time that Vodafone has spoken about its stand after the government announced a telecom package.

5 years of Reliance Jio: Disruption to Data Revolution

5 years of Reliance Jio: Disruption to Data Revolution

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2021

'There is no doubt at all that Jio's disruption of the mobile broadband market was a turning point for India's digital economy.'

Ban on Chinese mobile apps is bonanza for India's own

Ban on Chinese mobile apps is bonanza for India's own

Rediff.com   17 Sep 2021

Eighteen months after the government started banning Chinese mobile apps, two distinct changes have occurred in the country's mobile app sweepstakes. The move has given a thrust to domestic app publishers, especially in certain segments and it has dramatically reduced the market share of Chinese apps. What started as an interim government ban on 59 Chinese apps, including the highly popular TikTok and WeChat in March 2020 ended as a permanent ban on many of them in January this year. According to a China Internet Report 2021 (by South China Morning Post), the market share of Chinese apps in India has dropped substantially from 44 per cent in 2018 to only 29 per cent in 2020. In 2017 it was 41 per cent.

Qualcomm's chips to power Ola's electric scooters

Qualcomm's chips to power Ola's electric scooters

Rediff.com   15 Sep 2021

From powering mobile devices, US chip designer Qualcomm has tied up with Ola Electric to power its electric scooters. Qualcomm is providing the key 4G connected octa core android platform which provides connectivity, computing capabilities and enables rich immersive displays with power saving software.

Tesla plans fully-owned retail outlets in India

Tesla plans fully-owned retail outlets in India

Rediff.com   14 Sep 2021

Palo Alto-based electric carmaker Tesla has initiated talks with the government on the modalities of setting up fully-owned retail outlets. The company needs to comply with the foreign direct investment (FDI) guidelines related to single-brand retail, including local sourcing norms, to sell directly in India. At least two other foreign majors - Apple and Ikea - were engaged in talks with the government long before the sourcing norms were eased under the single-brand retail route.

2nd year running, brands take a backseat for Ganeshotsav amid curbs

2nd year running, brands take a backseat for Ganeshotsav amid curbs

Rediff.com   14 Sep 2021

It is Mumbai's favourite festival and is celebrated each year with fervour and frenzy. But when the city welcomes "Ganpati Bappa" this Friday, the celebrations will be low key. With a cap on the size of idols, ban on processions and restrictions on devotees visiting pandals, celebrations are toned down for the second year in a row. Festival budgets have shrunk and as a result, corporate sponsorships have dried out.

Airtel takes a leaf out of Jio as telecom battle intensifies

Airtel takes a leaf out of Jio as telecom battle intensifies

Rediff.com   13 Sep 2021

When, recently, Bharti Airtel announced a Rs 21,000 crore rights issue, analysts pointed out that its structure was similar to that of Reliance's issue in June 2020. One similarity is that shareholders in both companies have to pay only 25 per cent of the money on application. The rest is to be paid in two tranches. In Bharti Airtel's case, it is within 36 months; in Reliance Jio's, it is within 17 months.

'Made in India' iPhones make Apple's 70% India sales

'Made in India' iPhones make Apple's 70% India sales

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2021

In a major push towards 'Make in India', Apple Inc is manufacturing 70 per cent of the mobile phones, in value terms, that it sells in the domestic market, in India, according to sources aware of the development. This is a sharp rise from the figure of 30 per cent just two years ago and marks a major shift in Apple's strategy following the government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme that kicked off in FY'21. One of Apple's three vendors here, Foxconn, is currently manufacturing the best-selling model, the Apple 11, along with the Apple 10 and the Apple 12. Another contract manufacturer, Wistron, makes the Apple SE 2020. (The third, Pegatron, has yet to start production). The only models that are imported (they have limited volumes but high value) are the Apple 12 Pro and Pro Max.

'Jet Airways' revival plan is discriminatory'

'Jet Airways' revival plan is discriminatory'

Rediff.com   3 Sep 2021

Challenging the "illegal" reduction in its claim by the erstwhile resolution professional (RP) in the Jet Airways revival plan, the Punjab National Bank (PNB) has moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) citing discrimination. The NCLAT on Thursday issued notices to RP Ashish Chhawchharia and the committee of creditors on PNB's plea to set aside the insolvency court's approval of the airline's revival plan. It has posted the matter for further hearing on September 21.

China's tech crackdown may be good news for Indian start-ups

China's tech crackdown may be good news for Indian start-ups

Rediff.com   2 Sep 2021

The Chinese government is imposing severe restrictions on their tech companies - whether it is on data security, marketing practices or floating an IPO. Should this be music to the ears of Indian start-ups and home-grown private equity (PE) funds? Ask Indian start-ups and the answer is a resounding "yes".

Why Air India is leaving passenger luggage behind at Delhi airport

Why Air India is leaving passenger luggage behind at Delhi airport

Rediff.com   23 Aug 2021

Air India is leaving behind some 50 bags at the Delhi airport as it flies to the US, reducing what it carries after the closure of Afghanistan's airspace increased flight time by at least 30 minutes. Air India flies the Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft to New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco.