Real estate firm Parsvnath Developers' quest for a mobile licence seems to have hit a roadblock at the Department of Telecom (DoT). Parsvnath, which is one of the seven realty firms in the fray for mobile licences, hasn't mentioned the business of "telecommunications" in its memorandum of association (MoA).
The Sixth Pay Commission is likely to significantly raise basic salaries for an estimated 4.5 million central government employees. The recommendations are expected to be submitted in January, a few months ahead of schedule, and the award is likely to come into effect from January 2006.
Leading TV channels will see a blackout of spot advertising from midnight tonight after Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Airtel, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Reliance Communications, among others, directed their media-buying agencies not to book such advertisements on 16 news and entertainment channels, including NDTV, Network 18, Zee News, Star News, starting October 16.
Going by application dates, companies like Spice, Birla-promoted Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications (through Swan and Cheetah) and Hindustan Futuristic are in the lead for licences in different circles. The only new player in the list is the little-known ByCell.Several incumbents like Idea Cellular, Maxis-Aircell, owned by a Malaysian promoter, and Vodafone-Essar lead the list of applicants for initial spectrum allocation since they already hold licences.
The rush to enter the world's fastest-growing mobile services market has attracted a wide range of applicants for telecom licences with the Department of Telecommunications.
An assorted bunch of farmers, small traders and non-government organisations (NGOs) have trained their guns on a legislation that allows private companies to directly procure produce from farmers. Termed the Model Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, the legislation was drawn up by the central government a few years back.
AT&T has also applied for a universal access service licence (UASL), which allows operators to offer services in both GSM and CDMA technology, with the Mahindra & Mahindra group, for 22 circles. The US company, however, has stipulated that it wants a majority equity stake in the mobile venture.
It was discovered that state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited was given additional spectrum of up to 10 MHz for GSM technology services in over 16 circles even as private competitors have been waiting to be allotted spectrum by the DoT.
Tensions between private telecom players and the government ratcheted up a notch after it was discovered that state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd was given additional spectrum of up to 10 MHz for GSM technology services in over 16 circles even as private competitors have been waiting to be allotted spectrum by the Department of Telecommunications since December 2006.
The project will entail an investment of over Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) and will be developed in a 50:50 joint venture with the Dubai-headquartered Limitless Holdings, a sister company of Nakheel and a part of the diversified Dubai World group
About 50,000 to 100,000 people - representing associations of farmers, traders, hawkers, and even chemists from all over India - will converge on Mumbai's Azad Maidan to demand that big corporations quit the retail business.
The company sacked nearly 900 employees and shelved its investment plans in the state, which included nearly 200 Reliance Fresh stores over three years and a back-end logistics chain.
LVMH, which has brands like Christian Dior, Fendi, TAG Heuer and Dom Perignon in its stable, is planning to float a 1 billion private equity fund for emerging markets in Asia, of which 40-50 per cent will be dedicated to India.
Having completed the country's largest initial public offering of $2 billion (about Rs 8,200 crore), DLF Chairman K P Singh is getting ready to raise a similar amount in Singapore.
Govt puts populist schemes on fast track.
So what does the future hold for small grocers? The ones Business Standard spoke to said they would also love to revolt, as smaller retailers did in Lucknow.
It is not the urban centres alone that are powering India's phenomenal growth in mobile telephony. Data on rural telephony, compiled by the telecom regulator, shows people in villages are subscribing to mobile services in large numbers
The telecom regulator explains how he's hobbled by government policy and clarifies some parts of his latest recommendations.
Move to impact joint ventures in telecom, insurance, broadcasting.
The UPA government is likely to close this financial year with around a billion dollars (around Rs 4,100 crore) as receipts from divestment of minority shareholdings in four public sector undertakings.
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