Sohini Das &Amp;Amp; Deepak Patel

Stories by Sohini Das &Amp;Amp; Deepak Patel

ICC Cricket World Cup: Ahmedabad airport sees surge in chartered flights

ICC Cricket World Cup: Ahmedabad airport sees surge in chartered flights

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2023

Ahmedabad airport recorded thrice the number of private chartered/VIP flights in the build-up to the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as compared to the average four-day period. The airport, which usually operates around 64 chartered flights in a span of four days, is set to handle 205 such flights between November 17 and 20, as celebrities and other VIPs descended to watch the India-Australia match.

'We are building Kia 2.0. India is a long-term bet for us'

'We are building Kia 2.0. India is a long-term bet for us'

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2023

'India is the sixth-largest market for the Kia Corporation, and contributes 8 to 9 per cent to our global sales.' 'We are eyeing 10 per cent market share over the next few years depending on customer demand and new product innovations.'

'2 to 3 years before small car market revives'

'2 to 3 years before small car market revives'

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2023

'It will take some more time because the affordability of these cars have changed drastically.'

Navi Mumbai airport construction facing delays, may start ops in 2025: CAPA

Navi Mumbai airport construction facing delays, may start ops in 2025: CAPA

Rediff.com   30 Oct 2023

Navi Mumbai airport's construction is facing delays, and is likely to commence commercial operations in 2025 instead of 2024, aviation consultancy firm CAPA has said in a report. When asked about this matter, the Adani Group told Business Standard that the Navi Mumbai airport project is "being executed as per scheduled implementation plan and will be operational by the original target date of December, 2024, without any delay". Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL), responsible for both the construction and operation of the airport, is a subsidiary of the Adani Group.

Airfares Zoom For Diwali Week!

Airfares Zoom For Diwali Week!

Rediff.com   26 Oct 2023

During the Diwali week (November 10-16), airfares on major routes across the country have surged by up to 44 per cent.

Five accidents in six months: DGCA grounds flight training at Redbird

Five accidents in six months: DGCA grounds flight training at Redbird

Rediff.com   24 Oct 2023

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday suspended operations at Redbird Flight Training Academy, one of India's largest flight schools, across all five of its training bases in the country. This action was taken after five accidents involving the institute's planes in the past six months. The DGCA announced it would conduct an audit of the academy's maintenance practices and also proficiency checks of the institute's flight instructors before allowing it to resume operations.

Auto industry Q2 preview: Product mix, commodity tailwinds to aid margins

Auto industry Q2 preview: Product mix, commodity tailwinds to aid margins

Rediff.com   21 Oct 2023

Automobile manufacturers are likely to report strong numbers for the September quarter of Financial Year 2023-24 (Q2 FY24), riding on growth across segments and offset by a marginal drop in overall two-wheeler (2W) volumes. Higher average selling price (ASP) year-on-year (YoY), which was necessitated by price hikes taken by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and an improved product mix will also aid revenues and margins. Moreover, commodity prices are down on a YoY basis, leading to higher margins in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda).

Number of women in blue-collar jobs increasing across manufacturing sector

Number of women in blue-collar jobs increasing across manufacturing sector

Rediff.com   20 Oct 2023

"Lady candidates need not apply." So read the postscript in a job notice from Telco (now Tata Motors) on a notice board in the corridors of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (now Bengaluru), in 1974. Irked, Sudha Murty, who was then pursuing her masters in computer science at the institute, wrote a postcard to JRD Tata, expressing her surprise at this gender discrimination, especially since the Tata Group were pioneers on many fronts. Shortly, Murty became the first woman on the firm's shop floor.

Maruti to issue Rs 12.8K cr shares for Guj plant buy

Maruti to issue Rs 12.8K cr shares for Guj plant buy

Rediff.com   18 Oct 2023

The board of Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) on Tuesday approved a proposal to issue shares worth Rs 12,841 crore to parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) for acquiring Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG). The Gujarat manufacturing plant - with an annual capacity of 750,000 units - is owned by SMG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMC. The shares issued to SMC will raise its ownership in MSIL from 56.48 per cent to 58.19 per cent--India's largest carmaker stated in a notice to BSE.

Two-wheeler exports fell by 20% to 1.69 mn units in H1

Two-wheeler exports fell by 20% to 1.69 mn units in H1

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2023

Two-wheeler exports from India have decreased by 20 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 1.69 million units in the first half (H1) of 2023-24 (FY24) due to a challenging geopolitical situation and foreign exchange (forex) crises in key markets such as South Asia, industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) said on Monday. On the other hand, passenger vehicle (PV) exports in H1FY24 increased by 5 per cent to 336,754 units because the key markets are much more diversified worldwide, Vinod Aggarwal, president, Siam, told reporters during a press conference. The Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, has brought significant instability to global fuel prices.

Nirma's new clothes: The journey of detergent brand towards healthcare

Nirma's new clothes: The journey of detergent brand towards healthcare

Rediff.com   12 Oct 2023

Nirma's tryst with the pharmaceutical space started in 2006 when it acquired the ailing Core Healthcare in a deal reported to be worth Rs 300 crore. The Ahmedabad-based manufacturer of intravenous fluids was subsequently renamed Nirlife. Pharma industry insiders say Nirma, which broke open the detergent market in the 1990s with low prices and massive advertising, tried an encore of the low-price strategy in pharma, but with mixed results.

Airfares to rise as IndiGo brings back fuel charge

Airfares to rise as IndiGo brings back fuel charge

Rediff.com   6 Oct 2023

Airfares in the country are set to rise, with IndiGo on Thursday introducing a fuel charge of up to Rs 1,000 based on a flight's distance, in response to the significant rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices in the last three months. The Indian aviation sector experiences its peak travel season between October and December. The inclusion of a fuel charge component in airfares is anticipated to have a sizable impact on IndiGo's passengers, according to experts.

Pilot exodus: Akasa stops flights on 8 routes, reduces service on 10 others

Pilot exodus: Akasa stops flights on 8 routes, reduces service on 10 others

Rediff.com   5 Oct 2023

Akasa Air has reduced its service on 10 routes and stopped operating flights on eight others since the exodus of pilots began in early July. The airline's flights per week reduced from 945 in June to 754 in October, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium's data, which has been reviewed by Business Standard. The airline currently operates flights on 34 routes. Between June and October, Akasa Air ceased operations on the following: Ahmedabad-Kochi, Ahmedabad-Hyderabad, Ahmedabad-Pune, Bengaluru-Hyderabad, Bengaluru-Chennai, Kochi-Hyderabad, Goa-Lucknow, and Goa-Hyderabad.

Indian pharma exports to Iran decline thanks to its lower rupee reserves

Indian pharma exports to Iran decline thanks to its lower rupee reserves

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2023

India's pharmaceutical exports to Iran have been hit owing to depleting rupee reserves in the West Asian country because of India stopping the import of crude oil from it in 2019 following US sanctions. Pharmaceutical exports dropped 71.25 per cent in April-August this year over the same period last year. The data from the Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) showed exports to Iran had declined 31.29 per cent in 2022-23 as against the previous financial year.

Rise In Drunk Staff At Airports

Rise In Drunk Staff At Airports

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2023

189 people working at 59 Indian airports were found drunk on duty in the first half of this year, marking a 32 per cent year-on-year increase.

Cipla deploys drones to fly in critical drugs

Cipla deploys drones to fly in critical drugs

Rediff.com   27 Sep 2023

Drug major Cipla on Tuesday said it has launched drone-powered deliveries of critical medicines - cardiac, respiratory and other essential chronic therapies - to hospitals and pharmacies across Himachal Pradesh in partnership with Skype Air Mobility, a Gurugram-based drone delivery company. Cipla is the first among large Indian pharmaceutical companies to adopt drone-based deliveries to facilitate expedited supply to stockists in remote areas, it claimed. The Mumbai-based firm said the use of drones will support the on-time delivery of its medicines to chemists and clinics in remote areas, and minimise risks of affecting cold chain products due to temperature excursions.

Compare IndiGo with global, not local carriers: CEO Elbers

Compare IndiGo with global, not local carriers: CEO Elbers

Rediff.com   27 Sep 2023

IndiGo's size should be compared with global carriers, and not other domestic airlines, chief executive officer Pieter Elbers said on Tuesday, adding that such benchmarking will help India transform its airports into aviation hubs. Elbers flagged the tendency to scrutinise domestic competition, assess fares on domestic routes, and determine if they are high. "But if we want to build some hubs, we should have a broader look," he said during a panel discussion at a convention organised by All India Management Association (AIMA).

'Need to make Auto Exports a national mission'

'Need to make Auto Exports a national mission'

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2023

'There is a need for a national task force with a singular objective to increase automotive exports.'

Global aviation leasing body downgrades India in light of Go First case

Global aviation leasing body downgrades India in light of Go First case

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2023

Aviation Working Group (AWG), a global aviation leasing body comprising major planemakers and lessors, on Monday further downgraded India as lessors have not been able to repossess their planes from Go First more than four months after the airline filed for insolvency. The leasing cost stands as a prominent expense for Indian airlines. With AWG's downgrade, it is likely that lessors will increase the aircraft leasing rates for Indian carriers.

Jeep To Drive Petrol Options For India

Jeep To Drive Petrol Options For India

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2023

The iconic brand is considering petrol powertrains for its entire Indian portfolio, which includes the Jeep Compass, Meridian, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler.