Shivani Shinde &Amp; Vinay Umarji

Stories by Shivani Shinde &Amp; Vinay Umarji

Tech firms look beyond headcount to grow revenue

Tech firms look beyond headcount to grow revenue

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2008

In fact, firms like NIIT Technologies and EXL Services are already reaping the benefit of the first- mover advantage with over 20 per cent of their revenues coming from non-linear business in the quarter ended September 30. A non-linear business' focus moves away from the tendency to measure growth on the basis of headcount or the concept that the more the number of people working, the more the revenue.

IIM-A offers dabbawalas food for thought

IIM-A offers dabbawalas food for thought

Rediff.com   3 Nov 2008

Case study suggests strategy to offer 'maximum bang for the minimum buck'.

Mid-cap IT firms may shed 10% staff

Mid-cap IT firms may shed 10% staff

Rediff.com   29 Oct 2008

India's mid-cap software companies may shed as much as 10 per cent of their workforce as revenues and margins have shrunk owing to a global slowdown, analysts say.

B-schools woo companies for next summer

B-schools woo companies for next summer

Rediff.com   29 Oct 2008

Wary of the times ahead in the job market, business schools are working on a risk-minimisation strategy and looking at doubling the pool of companies on the campus for the summer placements scheduled in November this year.

Finance crisis:  IITs fear dip in endowment funds

Finance crisis: IITs fear dip in endowment funds

Rediff.com   22 Oct 2008

"Funds received from alumni and companies are usually meant for specific projects. These funds pour in between October and December every year. Current projects will not be affected despite the economic slowdown, but new projects might take a hit," said T K Ghosal, deputy registrar (finance), the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur.

VC funds vote for clean tech

VC funds vote for clean tech

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2008

Indian clean technology businesses are finally catching the attention of investor community. New Ventures India - founded by World Resources Institute and CII-Godrej Green Business Centre - aims to fund 50 entrepreneurs in this segment by 2010 with a target investment of $250 million

Hollywood studios to use Indian patented tech

Hollywood studios to use Indian patented tech

Rediff.com   10 Oct 2008

Hollywood is all set to use Indian technology for the first time. An erstwhile incubatee at the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship, at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, has been approached by prominent Hollywood production houses for his patented technology, which finds its application in the current film technology and also for Digital Intermediate Technology of the future.

IIMs want ethical business leaders

IIMs want ethical business leaders

Rediff.com   7 Oct 2008

The institutes have now begun sensitising students about business ethics and morality as well. Be it inviting eminent personalities like the Dalai Lama to speak on business ethics or incorporating ethics as a compulsory course, IIMs are making efforts to produce socially-sensitive managers.

IIM-A student, BCG to improve PDS

IIM-A student, BCG to improve PDS

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2008

The BCG project, which is supported by the United Nations' World Food Programme, the government of India and the government of Orissa, involves scanning finger prints and the iris for preparing biometric cards for a population of around 1 million. Srijan Pal Singh, an IIM-A student, who is part of the project, says the biometric cards will be filtered through a super computer to avoid duplications.

SAP takes centre stage with HCL, Infosys' bid for

SAP takes centre stage with HCL, Infosys' bid for

Rediff.com   29 Sep 2008

With India's two leading IT outsourcing companies, Infosys and HCL Technologies, vying to acquire the UK-based consulting firm Axon, SAP implementation is back in focus.

IIM-A sets up company

IIM-A sets up company

Rediff.com   23 Sep 2008

This will enable the firm, a wholly-owned subsidiary called CIIE Initiatives, to buy stakes in the companies that it incubates by investing its time and resources.

HCL follows Future Group, plans $1 bn venture fund

HCL follows Future Group, plans $1 bn venture fund

Rediff.com   11 Sep 2008

The venture, on the lines of Kishore Biyani's Future Ventures India, will focus its investments in the information technology sector, said a source familiar with the development.

HCL Tech may raise $1 billion for acquisitions

HCL Tech may raise $1 billion for acquisitions

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2008

The company is in talks with a few private banks and has signed on Citibank as one of the bankers to raise these funds, said sources. HCL Technologies and Citibank declined to comment saying that 'they do not comment on market speculation'.

Norwest eyes 6 deals by year-end

Norwest eyes 6 deals by year-end

Rediff.com   9 Sep 2008

Plans another $1-billion fund, wants to expand core team in India.

BPOs flock to rural areas to set up shop

BPOs flock to rural areas to set up shop

Rediff.com   9 Sep 2008

With the telecom industry aiming to increase its rural subscribers base and the central bank asking banks and financial firms to cater to the rural sector, businesses will have to find ways of servicing customers, say analysts. Most of the rural BPOs have a seating capacity of below 100 per centre, as they are situated in remote areas.

IT firms adopt new ways to offset hiring costs

IT firms adopt new ways to offset hiring costs

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2008

A slowdown in the global economy and sub-prime crisis in the banking, financial and insurance services sector, its major revenue earners, force the domestic IT industry to take a relook at its hiring strategy.

Tech firms train sights on domestic retail space

Tech firms train sights on domestic retail space

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2008

The figure is expected to rise to over Rs 4,600 crore (Rs 46 billion) by 2010 - a compounded annual growth rate of 44 per cent. Retail has been one of the largest growth sectors for all the top IT firms. For instance, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies, Wipro Technologies and Satyam Computer Services saw their retail business grow by 33.6, 45.3, 38.5 and 117 per cent respectively on a year-on-year basis.

IT firms bypass IIM course for defence personnel

IT firms bypass IIM course for defence personnel

Rediff.com   19 Aug 2008

The Certificate Programme in Business Administration offered by the Institutes of Management has not found favour with information technology companies.

Private equity lures B-schools

Private equity lures B-schools

Rediff.com   12 Aug 2008

While some have announced setting up of a PE club for aspiring entrepreneurs, others plan courses, special lectures and seminars to create awareness about the booming sector. Students of the Post Graduate Programme for Executives at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, will go through a course on PE in their last term between December and February.

Aegis BPO's PeopleSupport buy hits hurdle

Aegis BPO's PeopleSupport buy hits hurdle

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2008

"Levi & Korsinsky usually investigates a deal when any of the clients complain about chances of fraud in the transaction. In Aegis's acquisition of PeopleSupport, we received a complaint from a client who is a shareholder of PeopleSupport. After our investigation, if we find any fraud, we will take up the issue before the court. At this point of time, we can not disclose the name of the client," said Juan E Monteverde, associate, Levi & Korsinsky.