Sharmistha Mukherjee, Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp; Aneesh Phadnis

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

Covid-19 pandemic: PEs pour $584 million into healthcare in 2021

Covid-19 pandemic: PEs pour $584 million into healthcare in 2021

Rediff.com   11 Jun 2021

Sensing a huge opportunity in the healthcare sector during the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, private equity (PE) players are upping their investments in the space. According to data from research platform VCCEdge, the PEs have together invested a staggering $583.82 million in the first five months of 2021 in five deals, which is the highest investment in the sector in the last five calendar years - from 2016 to 2020. The second highest investment in the sector took place in 2017, when PEs invested $503 million in 18 deals, with an average deal size of $29. 9 million.

REVEALED! Design of the Navi Mumbai airport

REVEALED! Design of the Navi Mumbai airport

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2021

The Navi Mumbai international airport will boast three interconnected multi-level terminals with a lotus-inspired design, according to the master plan prepared by its outgoing developer. The GVK group, which completed 15 years of airport business, shared the first look of the Navi Mumbai airport. The group in 2018 had commissioned British firm Zaha Hadid Architects to design the main terminal and air traffic control tower. The master plan of the airport was approved by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in 2019.

Airlines cut wages, re-negotiate contracts to tide over Covid-19 crisis

Airlines cut wages, re-negotiate contracts to tide over Covid-19 crisis

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2021

Airlines are slashing salaries and re-negotiating vendor contracts as drastic fall in passengers has hurt revenue. Go First has cut staff salaries by around 16 per cent while IndiGo and SpiceJet are enforcing a leave without pay (LWP) policy and pay by the hour structure respectively to prune expenses. Vistara, which reversed pay cuts for junior staff including managers and cabin crew in March, is not touching employee salaries at the moment and instead focusing on vendor renegotiation and maximising cargo revenue. An Air India executive said efforts are on to pay salaries by 7th or 8th of June.

UK regulator probes Air India's data leak impacting 4.5 mn passengers

UK regulator probes Air India's data leak impacting 4.5 mn passengers

Rediff.com   26 May 2021

EU and UK laws require airlines to incorporate data protection measures and report data breach to regulators within 72 hours. Non-compliance can invite steep fines.

PE funds scout for bulk-buying social e-com start-ups

PE funds scout for bulk-buying social e-com start-ups

Rediff.com   24 May 2021

To create a community, the consumer can share the details of the offer with friends and family who want to buy the same goods.

Huawei seeks reboot after losing out on 5G spectrum trials

Huawei seeks reboot after losing out on 5G spectrum trials

Rediff.com   18 May 2021

Based on industry estimates, telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL, are expected to invest over $10 billion on buying 5G telecom equipment in the next five years as they transition from non-standalone networks to standalone 5G networks.

Indian telcos at odds over controversial 5G standard

Indian telcos at odds over controversial 5G standard

Rediff.com   17 May 2021

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has directed the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to make a presentation detailing the pros and cons of the controversial Indian 5G standard, also known as 5Gi, which the government has been pushing for. The move comes after serious differences emerged among telcos with regard to the technology's efficacy and implementation.

Start-ups, venture capitalists offer funds to tackle Oxygen scarcity

Start-ups, venture capitalists offer funds to tackle Oxygen scarcity

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2021

Amid oxygen shortage and a faltering health system in the country, India is seeing over 300,000 cases daily.

India's Sputnik V decision a win for Russia's soft power diplomacy

India's Sputnik V decision a win for Russia's soft power diplomacy

Rediff.com   20 Apr 2021

The Russian vaccine has been registered in more than 55 countries and is gaining recognition in the virtual world -- being the only to have its own Facebook page, YouTube channel and a Twitter handle, reports Aneesh Phadnis

Bird Group's ambitious plan to grab Air India's ground handling arm

Bird Group's ambitious plan to grab Air India's ground handling arm

Rediff.com   16 Apr 2021

The promoter-brothers, distant cousins to IndiGo's Rahul Bhatia, are eyeing Air India's ground handling subsidiary to augment their aviation services business even as they make a big play in EVs.

Maha curfew: 50% factories may remain shut for next fortnight

Maha curfew: 50% factories may remain shut for next fortnight

Rediff.com   15 Apr 2021

According to the order, all factories producing essential goods and services will remain operational at full capacity.

India, China border spat: Bird group's EV hatchback plans in limbo

India, China border spat: Bird group's EV hatchback plans in limbo

Rediff.com   15 Apr 2021

The car was expected to have a price tag of Rs 10 lakh and launch was slated for this June.

Will Xiaomi disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Will Xiaomi disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2021

Known for its phones and emerging from nowhere in the segment, it might take on the scooter Goliaths.

Maharashtra traders body plans to defy Covid curbs, open stores

Maharashtra traders body plans to defy Covid curbs, open stores

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2021

'Traders have stocked up for upcoming festivals and will make a loss if stores remain shut now. We suffered last year. We can't suffer again. There is no scientific basis for closing all commercial establishments. How long will the government keep them shut?'

Infections rise in Nagpur with second wave

Infections rise in Nagpur with second wave

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2021

One reason for the surge in cases is the spread of infection at large weddings. Weddings turned out to be super spreaders.

'Next financial year will be much better'

'Next financial year will be much better'

Rediff.com   9 Apr 2021

'Revival is happening slowly.' 'But that is, if the pandemic is controlled.'

Mobile phone makers want relaxation under PLI scheme

Mobile phone makers want relaxation under PLI scheme

Rediff.com   5 Apr 2021

In a communication to the empowered committee on PLI recently, the Indian Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) has stated that except one player (Samsung), all the other eight players (which include vendors of Apple Inc) selected under the scheme were facing numerous challenges in fulfilling the qualification criteria.

Labs say capping RT-PCR rates is big blow to business

Labs say capping RT-PCR rates is big blow to business

Rediff.com   3 Apr 2021

'We urge the government to have discussions with private labs on the actual cost of running a test.'

Can Ola disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Can Ola disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Rediff.com   28 Mar 2021

As a tech services company, Ola has never been in hardcore manufacturing. And unlike in ride hailing, which is a two-player market (Uber is the only other competitor), in two-wheelers it faces many entrenched players. But most of all, rivals say Ola's targets are out of sync with most, even ambitious, projections.

Hotels and travel firms look for summer relief

Hotels and travel firms look for summer relief

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2021

Holidayers, including those who would head overseas between April and June, are set to escape to the hills, beaches, and resorts in the country. This is to fend off the heat and beat the pandemic blues, indicates the initial bookings and online search trends.