Sohini Das &Amp;Amp; Ishaan Gera

Stories by Sohini Das &Amp;Amp; Ishaan Gera

Drone Sales Increase To Rs 3.19 Bn

Drone Sales Increase To Rs 3.19 Bn

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2022

In absolute numbers, India had only 211 start-ups compared to 970 in the US.

Biocon Biologics Plan Molecule Launch Every 1-2 Years

Biocon Biologics Plan Molecule Launch Every 1-2 Years

Rediff.com   17 Aug 2022

'The tie-up with Serum Institute Life Sciences brings to the table their strengths in manufacturing and also their vaccine portfolio.'

'Around 100 million doses will definitely be wasted'

'Around 100 million doses will definitely be wasted'

Rediff.com   13 Aug 2022

'We are trying to salvage 50-100 million doses of Covishield with the latest drive on booster doses.'

How start-ups are shaking up offline pharma business

How start-ups are shaking up offline pharma business

Rediff.com   3 Aug 2022

Bulk of the medicine sales in the $22-24 billion domestic pharma market happens through offline retail chemists. With the entry of online pharmacies, this space has started to witness a shake-up. Sample this: Dawaa Dost, a Rajasthan based digital health start-up, generates medicine orders from 'kirana' stores and women self-help groups (SHGs) that operate in villages, and then service these orders through its affiliated network of pharmacies. Biddano, another health-tech start-up, has a platform that acts as an aggregator for neighbourhood chemist shops.

Only 14.4 Judges Per Million Population

Only 14.4 Judges Per Million Population

Rediff.com   2 Aug 2022

The number of undertrials is at a historic high and comes at a time when vacancies in the judiciary -- across the lower courts, high courts, and the Supreme Court -- remain high.

500% Rise In Section 153A Zubair Was Booked Under

500% Rise In Section 153A Zubair Was Booked Under

Rediff.com   22 Jul 2022

Cases filed under Section 153A had one of the lowest conviction rates.

India-Japan Trade: The Abe Effect

India-Japan Trade: The Abe Effect

Rediff.com   21 Jul 2022

During Abe's tenure, Japan had announced support for a number of major projects. These included the bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, besides allocations for a freight corridor between Mumbai and New Delhi.

India's rising medical devices imports hurt small and medium units

India's rising medical devices imports hurt small and medium units

Rediff.com   19 Jul 2022

India's medical devices imports surged 41 per cent to touch Rs 63,200 crore in 2021-22, led by a 48 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in imports from China to Rs 13,538 crore, the commerce ministry data analysed by the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) has showed. Local industry players say this has led to several small and medium units to shut shop. Rakesh Vaid of Usha Fabs, a garments exporter, had started making N95 masks in his Gurgaon factory during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the first time, Centre allows a private player to process opium

For the first time, Centre allows a private player to process opium

Rediff.com   14 Jul 2022

The central government has for the first time allowed a private company, Bajaj Healthcare, to process opium to extract alkaloids used to make pain-killers, cough syrups, and even cancer drugs. Two government factories in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, do the work yet, processing some 800 tonnes of opium gum annually to extract alkaloids. The government on Tuesday gave Thane-based Bajaj Healthcare an initial contract to process 500 tonnes of opium gum annually and wants production to be at 800 tonnes per annum (tpa) in the next five years, indicating the state's exit from the highly-regulated sector.

Entry-level jobs no more easy to come by in formal sector

Entry-level jobs no more easy to come by in formal sector

Rediff.com   11 Jul 2022

It is a trend that economists and researchers say might continue. The data shows the share of this age group in the net EPF accounts created - a proxy for net new formal jobs created - fell from 37.9 per cent in 2018-19 to 24.1 per cent in 2021-22.

Only 3% Indians Have Received Booster Dose

Only 3% Indians Have Received Booster Dose

Rediff.com   4 Jul 2022

Bihar, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana and West Bengal accounted for 70 per cent of the precautionary doses given to the 18-59 age group.

Why govt's skill development initiative still struggles with placements?

Why govt's skill development initiative still struggles with placements?

Rediff.com   24 Jun 2022

Even as the government seeks to recruit one million people in 18 months, it is interesting that the record of its flagship skill development programme, which aims to enhance the employment potential of Indians, has been poor. To be sure, the progress was not great to begin with, and it inevitably deteriorated during the two years of the pandemic. When the government announced its first skill development initiative in 2015, it aimed to train as many people as possible and provide them with placements.

Millions of Covid vaccine doses are set to expire in India

Millions of Covid vaccine doses are set to expire in India

Rediff.com   20 Jun 2022

Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is sitting on 200 million doses of Covishield that were manufactured in December and are set to expire in September. The company is likely to destroy these vaccines if nothing works out, Sohini Das reports.

'We can't get rid of COVID-19 for a long time to come'

'We can't get rid of COVID-19 for a long time to come'

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2022

'There will be ups and downs, and we have to plan how we live with it now.'

SIIto test Novavax's Omicron-specific vaccine

SIIto test Novavax's Omicron-specific vaccine

Rediff.com   6 Jun 2022

The Drugs Controller General of India has approved the manufacture of this Sars-CoV-2 spike protein recombinant nano-particle vaccine for 'examination, test, and analysis', reports Sohini Das.

Smaller towns witness strong growth in sales of medicines

Smaller towns witness strong growth in sales of medicines

Rediff.com   27 May 2022

Medicine sales grew at a fast clip in smaller cities like Madurai, Meerut, Agra, and Varanasi in the last 12 months. The domestic pharmaceutical market, overall, has grown 12.3 per cent in this period, according to data from IQVIA MAT for April. MAT refers to the moving annual turnover or the turnover of the last 12 months. The data further showed that the top 30 cities contributed around 32 per cent to sales.

20-30% new products may be open to USFDA inspection

20-30% new products may be open to USFDA inspection

Rediff.com   23 May 2022

With all major US export-oriented drug manufacturing plants in the country up for inspection in 2022, some estimates peg that at least 20-30 per cent of the new product launches lined up for the US will be subject to on-site inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The last two years saw limited physical inspections due to travel restrictions during the pandemic. "Pre-Covid, the frequency and number of inspections of manufacturing plants in India by USFDA had increased significantly," analysts from ICICI Securities Research noted. "With growing ANDA filings, especially for complex products. "We expect this trend to return with the environment normalising," analysts from ICICI Securities Research noted.

Why Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal have lower Covid mortality rates than India

Why Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal have lower Covid mortality rates than India

Rediff.com   16 May 2022

An analysis of WHO data shows that most of the countries with an older cohort of population and higher in the development index had a lower excess mortality rate than India.

Covid cases are being detected by accident

Covid cases are being detected by accident

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2022

'A patient visits for any other treatment, but a routine Covid test finds him to be positive.' 'Not only are they, but their whole family is also coming out to be positive.'

ED's scope of probe under PMLA increased 2.5 times in six years

ED's scope of probe under PMLA increased 2.5 times in six years

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2022

Recently, Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth Rs 757.8 crore of Amway India Enterprises in connection with an alleged marketing scam. It claimed that Amway was running a multi-level marketing scam. The ED provisionally attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs 411.83 crore and bank balances of Rs 345.94 crore from 36 different accounts belonging to Amway. Data from the Department of Economic Affairs shows that in 2021-22 (until December 2021), ED had provisionally attached Rs 8,989.3 crore worth of assets.