Shivani Shinde And Dev Chatterjee

Stories by Shivani Shinde And Dev Chatterjee

How to stay secure as cybercrime runs rampant in India

How to stay secure as cybercrime runs rampant in India

Rediff.com   14 Jun 2022

Like software-as-a-service (SaaS), CaaS has emerged as a well-orchestrated ecosystem for cybercriminals.

Dropout Who Built $100 Mn PhysicsWallah

Dropout Who Built $100 Mn PhysicsWallah

Rediff.com   13 Jun 2022

'With our focus and strategy we can solve at least 20 per cent per cent of India's education problems.'

A lot has changed since decades-old IT Act: Tata's Chandra

A lot has changed since decades-old IT Act: Tata's Chandra

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2022

N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata Sons, believes that the Digital India Act is a necessity. "The Digital India Act is a necessity because so much has changed over the decades since the original Information Technology (IT) Act was put in place. I am glad the government is developing a participative approach to developing the Digital Act," he said, while answering shareholders at TCS' 27th annual general meeting. Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar a few months ago had said that the government would shortly roll out the Digital India Act - a renewed policy for the digital ecosystem and cyberspace in the country.

Will TCS Enter The Metaverse?

Will TCS Enter The Metaverse?

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2022

'At present Metaverse is a hype cycle.' 'If it succeeds, then I would like to see TCS there, too.'

How Infosys regained its mojo, improved employee morale under Salil Parekh

How Infosys regained its mojo, improved employee morale under Salil Parekh

Rediff.com   26 May 2022

In 2017, when Infosys announced that Salil Parekh would be its next chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD), very few in the industry or the analyst community doubted his ability to bring the company back to a healthy growth trajectory, improve morale within the company and, more importantly, win the promoters' trust and investor confidence. There were reasons for this confidence. He was not only the deputy CEO of the Paris-headquartered IT services major Capgemini, but also one of the only non-European faces on the executive board of the company.

From double-digit hikes to promotions, IT talent takes the cake

From double-digit hikes to promotions, IT talent takes the cake

Rediff.com   25 May 2022

Employee costs for Indian IT services players have touched an all-time high as salaries soar in their effort to retain talent. Engineer salaries are going through the roof. According to a news report, Infosys, which reported a 27.7 per cent attrition rate for the fourth quarter of FY22, plans to have an average salary hike of 12-13 per cent. High potential employees will get increases of 22-23 per cent.

Adani group to be India's 2nd-largest cement manufacturer

Adani group to be India's 2nd-largest cement manufacturer

Rediff.com   16 May 2022

Billionaire Gautam Adani on Sunday won the race to acquire Swiss cement major Holcim's stake in Ambuja Cements and its subsidiary ACC for $10.5 bn (around Rs 81,361 crore), including the open offers. The Adani family, through an offshore special-purpose vehicle, announced that it had entered into definitive agreements for the acquisition of Holcim Ltd's entire stake in two of India's leading cement companies -- Ambuja Cements and ACC -- the Adani group said in a statement. The group outbid Ultratech and JSW group to enter the cement industry and also emerge as the country's second-largest cement manufacturer, with 70 million tonnes of capacity annually.

Is the pace of unicorns in India slowing down?

Is the pace of unicorns in India slowing down?

Rediff.com   13 May 2022

The Indian startup ecosystem recently celebrated the 100th unicorn milestone. It came after a month of no big fund announcements. Compare this to 2021, when three to four unicorns were being added every month. Nevertheless, the 100th unicorn needs to be celebrated since the first unicorn was announced in 2011 - 11 years ago.

2nd innovation hub in US to strengthen TCS position

2nd innovation hub in US to strengthen TCS position

Rediff.com   12 May 2022

IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in its Q4FY22 results, said the company's banking, finance services and insurance (BFSI) crossed the $10 billion milestone. This includes revenue from financial products, services and platforms. For Suresh Muthuswami, who recently took over as Chairman of North America, one of the focus will be to grow this percentage going ahead. The first step to grow the US market is hiring. Muthuswami said that the company will be hiring more in the US, especially from the campuses. In FY22 TCS hired over 7,000 people in the US and going ahead too the numbers will be similar.

Ultratech joins race for Ambuja Cements and ACC, submits non-binding bid

Ultratech joins race for Ambuja Cements and ACC, submits non-binding bid

Rediff.com   12 May 2022

India's largest cement firm, Ultratech Cement, has joined the race to acquire the Holcim stake in Ambuja Cements and its subsidiary, ACC. UltraTech - part of the Aditya Birla Group - submitted a non-binding bid on Wednesday. Swiss multinational Holcim, which manufactures building material, is exiting India by selling its 63.19% stake in Ambuja Cements. According to banking sources, UltraTech has submitted a plan to Holcim, outlining divestiture details that would meet the norms set by anti-trust body Competition Commission of India.

JSW Group's Sajjan Jindal bets $4.5 bn of his wealth on Ambuja Cements

JSW Group's Sajjan Jindal bets $4.5 bn of his wealth on Ambuja Cements

Rediff.com   11 May 2022

The chairman of the JSW Group of companies, Sajjan Jindal, whose stake in the group is valued at $14.5 billion (Rs 1.1 trillion), is betting $4.5 billion of his personal fortune in the firm's bid for Ambuja Cements. According to bankers, Jindal's contribution will be a combination of share sale and debts raised by pledging the stake of the target entities with private equities. The JSW Group chairman has offered $7 billion for Ambuja Cements, including $2.5 billion of investments from private equities, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

Why cybercrime is running rampant in India and how to stay secure

Why cybercrime is running rampant in India and how to stay secure

Rediff.com   9 May 2022

Do you suspect that your partner is cheating on you and want to find out the truth by installing spyware on their phone? Or, perhaps you are a student who wants to get out of an online classroom so you can play an online game with friends? How about some Zoom raiding for a mere Rs 50-100? Or, are you a person who wishes to hack into someone's phone or laptop, and steal their financial details? Crimeware-as-a-Service (CaaS) allows you to do all this and more.

Apple stops accepting payments using credit cards issued by Indian banks

Apple stops accepting payments using credit cards issued by Indian banks

Rediff.com   6 May 2022

Tech giant Apple has stopped accepting payments via debit and credit cards in India. Apple has stopped accepting cards for subscriptions, and purchases using credit cards issued by banks in India. Apple will also not accept payments for ad campaigns on Apple Search using credit cards issued by Indian banks. All campaigns will be put on hold from June 1.

TCS, Infosys come to terms with reality of real-time recruiting

TCS, Infosys come to terms with reality of real-time recruiting

Rediff.com   3 May 2022

Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software exporter, hired 100,000 freshers in the financial year 2021-22, more than in any other year. That means an average of 8,300 trainees joining the company every month. This is not merely a mathematical calculation: hiring of freshers at the top IT companies is no longer a compressed affair confined to the campus season.

IT companies may not follow HCL Tech on freshers' salary

IT companies may not follow HCL Tech on freshers' salary

Rediff.com   2 May 2022

It has taken a pandemic to move the needle on the salary packages for greenhorn engineers hired by the Indian IT services sector. The country's third-largest IT services player, HCL Technologies, has decided to boost the entry-level packages from Rs 3-3.6 lakh to Rs 4.25 lakh for FY23, in a bid to attract fresh talent and keep them for longer to counter the impact of rising attrition. This new package would also be applicable to those freshers who joined the firm in FY22.

Indian lenders worried over Future group's diminishing asset base

Indian lenders worried over Future group's diminishing asset base

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2022

The Indian lenders are worried over the fast depleting asset base of the Future group companies which would make their recovery of dues difficult. The asset base of Future group has eroded in the last two years due to lockdown and takeover of 947 stores by rival Reliance Retail after Future group's lease on the properties expired. Bankers said they have approached bankruptcy court so as to avoid any duplication of legal action and reduce time at the legal forums.

Air India takes Rs 60,800 cr cover for its fleet

Air India takes Rs 60,800 cr cover for its fleet

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2022

Air India, under its new Tata management, has taken a Rs 60,800 crore ($8 billion) cover by paying Rs 266 crore premium to a clutch of insurance companies, including Tata AIG General Insurance. The airline managed to get a better deal as it valued its fleet lower by almost $2 billion. The new management held extensive negotiations - both in India and London, to get a good deal considering the rising premiums due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Future group shareholders stare at possible wipeout of investments

Future group shareholders stare at possible wipeout of investments

Rediff.com   25 Apr 2022

Future group promoter Kishore Biyani's stake fell consistently across group companies since December 2019 after American retail major Amazon infused funds in a Future group promoter entity and the group companies started showing signs of financial distress due to closure of stores due to Covid-19 pandemic. As lenders take Future group companies to the bankruptcy courts to recover their dues under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the shareholders of Future group companies are staring at complete wipeout of their investments as secured lenders get top priority in any potential recovery, say lawyers. "The fate of all Future group shareholders is now sealed with them looking at a complete loss.

Ambuja Cements-ACC deal likely to propel buyer to No. 2 position

Ambuja Cements-ACC deal likely to propel buyer to No. 2 position

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2022

The possible acquisition of Holcim India business will be one of the biggest inbound corporate deals in the country. Currently, Walmart Inc.'s $16-billion acquisition of Flipkart Online Services in 2018 remains the biggest acquisition of an Indian asset by any acquirer, followed by BP plc acquisition of 30 per cent stake in Reliance Industries' 23 oil and gas production blocks in 2011 for $7.2 billion. Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday night that Holcim - the world's biggest cement maker - is considering a potential sale of its India business and gauging interest in its controlling stake in Ambuja Cement.

Attrition at TCS touches record high; it may get worse, warns management

Attrition at TCS touches record high; it may get worse, warns management

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2022

For Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - India's largest and the world's second-largest IT services provider - the attrition rate touched an all-time high of 17.4 per cent in Q4FY22. The management, following the announcement of the Q4 results, has warned that the attrition situation could become even worse before any improvement. According to analysts, the short term, the attrition rate at TCS could even touch 20 per cent.