Last week, after months of scrutiny, the Forward Markets Commission, the regulator for futures trading in commodities, approved a proposal from state-owned MMTC Ltd and finance-to-real estate group Indiabulls to set up a national multi-commodity exchange.
Cheap imports from China threaten to punch a huge hole in the business of local automobile component makers.
Coal ministry says Sasan coal cannot be used for other plant.
Bhai Mohan Singh came to Delhi from Rawalpindi after the partition, having made big money in road contracts in the northeast region during the Second World War. He was soon in business, lending money to companies based in Delhi. It would be difficult to tell if he would have shared the elation of his grandson, Malvinder Mohan Singh at the family's exit from the company today.
It's a difficult time for banks both at home and abroad. But Sanjay Nayar, Chief Executive Officer, Citi India, shrugs off Citigroup's problems in the US saying they haven't really impacted the Indian operations. Nayar admits there have been a few problems with the consumer finance business but tells Business Standard that Citi's India operations are well-positioned to see double digit growth over the next few years.
The United Progressive Alliance government has made it clear to states that it will not permit them any relaxation in labour laws in special economic zones, petrochemical hubs and industrial parks such as easing norms for hiring and firing and employment of women and restricting union activity, among others. Over the last two weeks, at least three state governments have seen their proposals for relaxing labour laws in duty-free areas being rejected by the Centre.
The move comes even as Bank of India on Wednesday said its corporate clients will suffer mark-to-market losses of around Rs 125 crore. It has 34 clients with 74 derivative transactions. Last week, State Bank of India said its clients may incur MTM losses of up to Rs 700 crore at the end of March 2008.
With little clarity on the list of companies that have mark-to-market losses on derivatives transactions, banks are now asking their corporate banking departments to scan the books of borrowers and also seek details of their foreign exchange exposure. Within this pie, banks are segregating companies with turnover of Rs 30-40 crore (Rs 300-400 million) to Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) and those which are above this threshold.
There may not be any legal obstacles to the State Bank of Saurashtra's merger with the State Bank of India but it is the United Progressive Alliance's political compulsions that are holding back the deal, which is expected to pave the way for merger of the other six SBI associates with the parent. In response to the law ministry's objections, the RBI has told the government that the Centre could go ahead with the merger without any immediate legal glitches.
A host of public sector banks had cut interest rates in the earlier part of this year following an advisory from Finance Minister P Chidambaram in January. Private and smaller state-owned banks, however, did not cut rates.
Three years after IDBI became a bank, Yogesh Agarwal, bank's third chairman and managing director in as many years, is trying to put the pieces in place. After all, as he pointed out in an interview with Business Standard, the erstwhile development financial institution is grappling with a unique situation, where IDBI and the two commercial banks it acquired since 2005 offer loans at different interest rates.
Lenders ask RBI to ensure cheaper credit for infrastructure sector. Banks say while hardening of rates may be required to combat inflation, even a 50 basis point rise could render many projects unviable. In a meeting with RBI, bankers factored in the impact of higher interest rates on most sectors as a part of the inflation management drive but indicated that the government & the central bank should take steps to ensure cheaper credit for building roads, power plants & ports.
Boeing is eyeing commercial aircraft orders worth over $40 billion in the next 20 years and defence sales of another $15 billion over the next ten years from India and has drawn up ambitious plans to source products and services from India to stay competitive globally. In a little over one year, Boeing has inked five agreements with top IT and engineering companies, which will result in key components for its civilian and military aircraft being manufactured in India.
Indian businessmen in Uganda are waking up to a new threat: China. As the new age Great Game unfolds in natural resources-rich Africa, they have started to feel the heat of the dragon.
Subhash Chandra making headlines is no longer news. For some years now it has been for his no-holds-barred feud with the Board for Control of Cricket in India.
Maruti Udyog Ltd, the country's largest car maker, reported a growth of over 25 per cent in sales, up from 9.9 per cent in May. Jagdish Khattar, the company's managing director, spoke to Business Standard on survival strategies in a tough market.
GE's India head reflects on his hits and misses and shares his plans to return soon.
Professional CEOs are taking home fat cheques and humungous stock options the size of small company turnovers
My biggest contribution was that I brought small town India into the cricketing landscape of the country, says Kapil Dev.
When Ernst & Young got the mandate from Vodafone late last week to carry out a due diligence on Hutchison-Essar Ltd, it was another feather in the cap for Rajiv Memani.