Subhayan Chakraborty, Archis Mohan And Indivjal Dhasmana

Stories by Subhayan Chakraborty, Archis Mohan And Indivjal Dhasmana

India to receive record remittances but experts worry CAD will still widen

India to receive record remittances but experts worry CAD will still widen

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2022

Of $90 billion remittances that India is expected to receive in 2022, only $27.4 billion has come in the first half of the year.

Mobile user base dips for 2nd straight month, shrinks by 1.82 million

Mobile user base dips for 2nd straight month, shrinks by 1.82 million

Rediff.com   20 Dec 2022

The fall represented the second straight month of decline in subscribers. Users in the segment had reduced by 3.66 million in September, shrinking for the first time in seven months.

Only Adani Permitted To Set Up Private 5G Network

Only Adani Permitted To Set Up Private 5G Network

Rediff.com   15 Dec 2022

Adani Data Networks said it plans to create a private 5G network for its operations. However, it acquired the spectrum in the last 5G auction alongside three telecom companies. Subsequently, it was granted a unified licence for access services, which enables it to provide telecom services in the country.

Vi's fundraising put on hold as govt delays equity call

Vi's fundraising put on hold as govt delays equity call

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2022

Vodafone Idea's (Vi's) search for a lifeline has turned longer and tougher even as it continues to lose customers and delay vendor payments. Vi's much-needed Rs 1,600-crore fundraising plan got stuck due to the government's silence on picking up a proposed 33 per cent equity in the financially stressed telco. The development spells further trouble for the company, which has an overall debt pile of Rs 2.2 trillion, including hefty dues to the government.

India's deep discounts on Russian crude will stay

India's deep discounts on Russian crude will stay

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2022

Even as the Group of Seven (G7) price cap on Russian crude oil enters into force as of December 5, India has been assured it will continue to receive the existing deep discounts on Russian oil, for the time being, informed officials. "We have been assured by our Russian partners of uninterrupted crude supplies at the existing rates for the time being. "There were a lot of reports of changes in (India's) buying patterns after the global price cap took hold.

1st in 7 months: Number of mobile subscribers falls

1st in 7 months: Number of mobile subscribers falls

Rediff.com   23 Nov 2022

The number of mobile phone subscribers in India decreased by 3.66 million in September to 1.17 billion, representing the first fall in seven months, according to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The number of subscribers had last fallen by 3.7 million back in February. In recent months, it rose by 1.08 million in August, 0.64 million in July, and 1.89 million in June.

Jio overtakes BSNL, is India's largest landline service provider

Jio overtakes BSNL, is India's largest landline service provider

Rediff.com   19 Oct 2022

The development marks a watershed moment in India's telecom history since fixed-line or landline connections formed the final segment where a State-owned operator was in the top spot.

LNG Tankers Shortage Affects India's Fuel Supply

LNG Tankers Shortage Affects India's Fuel Supply

Rediff.com   19 Oct 2022

Tightening Russian gas supplies to Europe has led to scramble for tankers before winter sets in.

Over 100 mn consumers want to upgrade to 5G in India: Ericcson report

Over 100 mn consumers want to upgrade to 5G in India: Ericcson report

Rediff.com   29 Sep 2022

More than 100 million users with 5G-ready smartphones wish to upgrade to a 5G subscription in 2023 while a majority of them are open to adopting a higher data-tiered plan in the next 12 months, a report by Ericsson Consumer Lab has shown. Titled "Promise of 5G in India", the study carried out in the second quarter this year reflects the views of 300 million urban smartphone users. According to the study, consumer 5G readiness remains one of the highest in the world.

Reduce sugar production, focus on ethanol: Gadkari tells sugar mills

Reduce sugar production, focus on ethanol: Gadkari tells sugar mills

Rediff.com   22 Sep 2022

Increasing sugar production shall create problems for the industry, whereas boosting ethanol output can bring rich returns, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told sugar mills on Wednesday. Speaking at a conference on sugar and ethanol, organised by the Indian Sugar Mills Association, Gadkari surprised the audience comprising senior executives of sugar mills by stating that the future will become bleak for the industry if it continues to churn out high quantities of sugar. "We need more ethanol than sugar. Also, bio-ethanol is the way to go as it can be stored for a longer duration as compared to conventional ethanol. "If you increase sugar production, it will create more problems for you.

Russia offers oil at even cheaper rates to India

Russia offers oil at even cheaper rates to India

Rediff.com   12 Sep 2022

"In principle, the ask in return is that India should not support the G7 (Group of Seven) proposal. "A decision on this issue will be taken later following talks with all the partners," an official with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.These "substantial discounts" will be steeper than those offered by Iraq in the past two months, officials said.

Opec+ to cut crude oil output by 100k barrels per day from October

Opec+ to cut crude oil output by 100k barrels per day from October

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2022

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its partners, such as Russia, collectively termed Opec+, have decided to cut crude oil production by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) from October onwards, at a meeting on Monday. In a step that may increase prices in India, the group has decided to reduce output quotas for October, after a fall in global oil demand outlook. The cut in output is equal to 0.1 per cent of global supply.

India keen to expand footprint in oil-rich Siberia

India keen to expand footprint in oil-rich Siberia

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2022

Indian officials will focus on expanding the country's footprint in oil-rich Siberia when they meet their Russian counterparts at the four-day 7th Eastern Economic Forum beginning Monday in Vladivostok. The two sides will discuss the possibility of joint oil exploration in the area and cooperation in running offshore oil and gas fields Western companies are in the process of exiting, officials said in New Delhi. Pavan Kapoor, India's ambassador to Russia, will lead the official-level talks at the summit scheduled September 5-8.

Can India grow at 7% a year over the next 25 years?

Can India grow at 7% a year over the next 25 years?

Rediff.com   3 Sep 2022

If that happens, India's economic size will be just shy of $20 trillion and its annual per capita income will be about $10,000, when the country celebrates its centenary of independence.

Can Nitish-Tejashwi's second coming stem Bihar's rot?

Can Nitish-Tejashwi's second coming stem Bihar's rot?

Rediff.com   12 Aug 2022

Various indicators make it amply clear that there are grave challenges facing the new government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, reports Indivjal Dhasmana.

Post office staff swindles Rs 96 cr of public money in saving schemes: CAG

Post office staff swindles Rs 96 cr of public money in saving schemes: CAG

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2022

The staff at post offices misappropriated Rs 95.62 crore of public money between November 2002 and September 2021, the Comptroller and Auditor General has said. The money may seem small but it is what common citizen invested in post office savings, the oldest and the largest banking system in the country. The system serves the investment needs of urban and rural clients through schemes such as savings bank, recurring deposits, time deposits, national savings certificates, kisan vikas patras, public provident fund, monthly income account scheme, sukanya samriddhi accounts and senior citizens savings scheme.

Taxpayers fear notices due to I-T dept slips

Taxpayers fear notices due to I-T dept slips

Rediff.com   8 Aug 2022

Income-tax payers fear they will receive notices from the government because the annual information statement (AIS) provided by the I-T department in many cases is showing incomes in excess of their earnings. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has dismissed these fears as unfounded. The deadline for filing income-tax returns (ITRs) for the assessment year 2022-23 ended on July 31.

Wheat, pulses, cooking gas topped inflation charts in June

Wheat, pulses, cooking gas topped inflation charts in June

Rediff.com   3 Aug 2022

The impact of fiscal measures announced by the government to contain inflation will be seen in the next few months because of the base effect, reports Indivjal Dhasmana.

Moody's warns of India's vulnerability to volatile food, energy prices

Moody's warns of India's vulnerability to volatile food, energy prices

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2022

Moody's Investors Service has warned that India, along with the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are highly vulnerable to volatile food and energy prices in the Asia-Pacific region as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to disrupt supplies and raise the cost of agricultural products, especially cereals and vegetable oils, as well as fertilizers and other agricultural inputs. This is so because these countries have a higher weighting of energy and food prices in their consumer price index (CPI) baskets, Moody's said in its report released on Tuesday. The weighting of energy and food in overall Indian CPI stands at over 55 per cent.

Labour codes not to kick in from Friday even as states, UTs frame rules

Labour codes not to kick in from Friday even as states, UTs frame rules

Rediff.com   1 Jul 2022

The Union government will take a bit longer to introduce the much-awaited labour codes even as the majority of states and Union Territories (UTs) have framed rules on them. There were speculations that these would be introduced from July 1. While 30 states and UTs have framed rules on the code on wages, 25 of them have done so on industrial relations. Of the two remaining codes, 24 states and UTs have framed rules on social security and 23 on occupational safety, health, and working conditions (OSH), sources said.