Shivani Shinde, Ram Prasad Sahu

Stories by Shivani Shinde, Ram Prasad Sahu

Jihadists Are A Major Threat To Israel'

Jihadists Are A Major Threat To Israel'

Rediff.com   16 Dec 2024

'Israel would make Iran and its proxies pay. They, along with Qatar, fund terror all over the world.'

ChatGPT Downtime: Wake-up Call For AI

ChatGPT Downtime: Wake-up Call For AI

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2024

The outage raised broader concerns about the dependency on a few large tech companies controlling critical platforms.

Google's Willow milestone may revolutionise AI, quantum computing

Google's Willow milestone may revolutionise AI, quantum computing

Rediff.com   12 Dec 2024

With Google announcing the milestone of Willow - a state-of-the-art quantum computing chip that can solve complex problems in under five minutes, a computation so complex it would have taken a supercomputer around 10 septillion (10^25) years to complete - tech experts believe this breakthrough could impact artificial intelligence (AI), particularly by making it more accessible to the masses. However, industry players caution that it may take several years for this innovation to become commercially viable.

AI Boom Fuels Workforce Upskilling

AI Boom Fuels Workforce Upskilling

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2024

55% Indians fear that their skills could become partially or fully obsolete within the next five years.

Valuations and margin moderation likely to cap upsides for Colgate

Valuations and margin moderation likely to cap upsides for Colgate

Rediff.com   8 Dec 2024

Markets to track inflation data, global trends, FII trading this week: Analysts New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) Investors' sentiments will be guided by a host of domestic and global macroeconomic data announcements this week, along with the trading activity of foreign investors and trends in world stocks, analysts said. Besides, the rupee-dollar trend and movement of global oil benchmark Brent crude will also be crucial in dictating terms in the market, experts added. "The domestic stock market is likely to be shaped by a mix of global cues, domestic economic indicators, and the flow of investments from foreign and domestic institutional investors. Key factors like the rupee's exchange rate and crude oil prices will play a critical role in determining market trends. "Globally, geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, continue to pose challenges. However, recent declines in the dollar index and US bond yields have created a more favourable environment for emerging markets like India," Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst, Swastika Investmart Ltd, said. On the economic front, significant macroeconomic releases, including retail inflation and industrial production data from India as well as US core CPI, are expected to influence overall market sentiment, Gour added. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 1,906.33 points or 2.38 per cent, and the NSE Nifty climbed 546.7 points or 2.26 per cent. "FIIs turning buyers in early December, in a total reversal of their sustained selling strategy during the last two months, has altered the market sentiments. The change in FII (Foreign Institutional Investors) strategy is getting reflected in stock price movements, particularly in large-cap banking stocks in which FIIs have been sellers," VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services, said. The release of US CPI inflation data will give some insights into the Fed's December meeting, an expert said. "The markets' attention is expected to turn towards macroeconomic indicators like IIP and CPI inflation. Additionally, the trend of FII inflows, following their recent buying spree, will remain a key focal point for market participants," Ajit Mishra - SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said. Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said this week will see significant economic data releases, including GDP numbers from Japan and the UK, along with China's CPI and India's CPI.

Crompton plans new products to boost sales

Crompton plans new products to boost sales

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2024

Home appliance maker Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals reported better than expected performance in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024-25 (FY25), outperforming peers due to a strong showing in the electrical consumer durables (ECD) segment. The company's standalone sales rose by 10.5 per cent, while the ECD segment continued its growth momentum with a 12.5 per cent increase in revenues, driven by volume and pricing gains.

'Zepto Is India's Fastest-Growing Internet Company'

'Zepto Is India's Fastest-Growing Internet Company'

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2024

'Domestic investors are opening up to the idea of high-growth Internet companies as a pool of value creation.' 'They like the execution that they see with Zepto, and for us, that is the most important factor.'

Strong order book to stand defence major Bharat Electronics in good stead

Strong order book to stand defence major Bharat Electronics in good stead

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2024

A robust margin performance in the September quarter (Q2FY25) led to a 12 per cent rise in the stock of defence major Bharat Electronics (BEL). While the stock has given up most of those gains in the recent market correction, analysts are positive on the company due to its strong order book, new order inflows, and margin trajectory. The near-term trigger has been the operating performance in Q2FY25.

Son's AI Hopes From Indian Business

Son's AI Hopes From Indian Business

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2024

'Son believes India has a significant opportunity in chip design, especially in creating IP that will be uniquely Indian.'

Voltas' margins need to match growth trajectory for further gains

Voltas' margins need to match growth trajectory for further gains

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2024

After a strong show during the September quarter (Q2FY25) and favourable demand conditions, going ahead, the country's largest player in the room air conditioner segment, Voltas is well placed to improve its market share. Expectations of record volumes in FY25 for the sector and the company's strategy of prioritising market share over margins could help the leader expand share in the room AC segment.

Better demand trends upgrade Indian Hotels to prfit suite

Better demand trends upgrade Indian Hotels to prfit suite

Rediff.com   18 Nov 2024

After a quiet April-June quarter in 2024-25 (FY25), the operational and financial performance of India's largest listed hotel company, Indian Hotels Company, clearly rebounded in the July-September quarter (Q2) of FY25. With double-digit growth in the average room rate (ARR) and higher occupancy, the Taj Hotels chain owner reported a 16 per cent revenue increase and a 30 per cent rise in operating profit.

Swiggy: From a forgotten idea to Rs 1 trn mcap on listing

Swiggy: From a forgotten idea to Rs 1 trn mcap on listing

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2024

Framing the next chapter in Swiggy's journey as a responsible corporate citizen, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Sriharsha Majety unveiled the company's eagerly awaited public listing. Majety, who has largely shunned the spotlight, shared reflections on his entrepreneurial path and the strategic pivots he and his co-founders navigated in building Swiggy. "We started with code aggregation, then pivoted to logistics, and that became Swiggy.

Supreme Industries stock sinks on weak Q2 show

Supreme Industries stock sinks on weak Q2 show

Rediff.com   12 Nov 2024

The stock of the country's largest plastic pipe maker Supreme Industries has shed 22 per cent since its highs in October. The September quarter results were below expectations as the volatility in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin prices led to a major destocking across the trade channel.

SAP to step up hiring in India: CEO

SAP to step up hiring in India: CEO

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2024

German technology major SAP views India as the fastest growing market, where it plans to embark on an aggressive hiring spree, a top company executive said on Wednesday. "India is among the top 10 markets for SAP and growing fastest. We will continue to invest in India. "We are expanding our campus to accommodate 15,000 more people.

Sunny skies for Reits, with a high chance of growth

Sunny skies for Reits, with a high chance of growth

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2024

After lagging behind benchmarks and broader indices over the past five years, real estate investment trusts (Reits) have outperformed them since the start of 2024. The four listed Reits have posted an average return of 16 per cent year-to-date, compared to 9.9 per cent for the S&P BSE Sensex and 11 per cent for the National Stock Exchange Nifty.

Rs 11K crore IPO in sight, Swiggy projects quick commerce as the future

Rs 11K crore IPO in sight, Swiggy projects quick commerce as the future

Rediff.com   4 Nov 2024

On the cusp of launching its Rs 11,327 crore initial public offering (IPO) next week, food and grocery delivery major Swiggy believes quick commerce to be its future growth engine and anticipates that it will outpace its core food delivery business over the next five years. Currently, the quick commerce business of Swiggy - backed by Prosus and SoftBank - is 40 per cent of the size of its food delivery revenues.

'We have secured a place for large deals'

'We have secured a place for large deals'

Rediff.com   4 Nov 2024

'Our growth in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) is a prime example.'

Havells, Polycab flip the switch on high-voltage growth potential

Havells, Polycab flip the switch on high-voltage growth potential

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2024

The July-September quarter (Q2) results for 2024-25 (FY25) from the largest listed consumer electrical solutions companies, Havells India and Polycab India, followed similar trends, demonstrating robust revenue growth while falling short of profitability expectations. Both companies witnessed overall growth in the 16-30 per cent range, but margins declined by 130-290 basis points (bps) year-on-year (Y-o-Y). Although brokerages are bullish on long-term prospects and have raised revenue projections, earnings forecasts have been revised downward due to margin pressures.

'Lot Of Interest In GenAI And The Art Of Possible'

'Lot Of Interest In GenAI And The Art Of Possible'

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2024

'GenAI programmes may not be large in terms of value, but have triggered a lot of new opportunities among clients.'

Q2 results: Slow growth bottoming out in the top five IT companies

Q2 results: Slow growth bottoming out in the top five IT companies

Rediff.com   26 Oct 2024

The second-quarter performance of the top five information-technology services firms gives the hint that slow growth has bottomed out on the back of discretionary spending kicking in for the sector's largest vertical - the banking and financial services. However, concern about the macro-environment continues to be a challenge. Among the top four - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, HCLTech, and Wipro - it is Bengaluru-based Infosys that has performed the best and that was evident in its full-year revenue guidance.