Sudeep Jain &Amp; Sidhartha

Stories by Sudeep Jain &Amp; Sidhartha

Loss-wary pension fund managers bet on fee hike

Loss-wary pension fund managers bet on fee hike

Rediff.com   1 May 2009

Fund managers queued up to grab a pie of the new pension scheme that opens for subscription on May 1. But even before the scheme is launched, they are complaining of it being a loss-making business with the investment management fee fixed at 0.009 per cent.

Meet the new ICICI boss Chanda Kochhar

Meet the new ICICI boss Chanda Kochhar

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2009

In an interview with Business Standard's Shyamal Majumdar and Sidhartha, Kochhar says she is going to focus on the immediate challenge of correcting the cost structure of the country's second largest bank.

Why Nayak opposed Shikha Sharma as Axis CEO

Why Nayak opposed Shikha Sharma as Axis CEO

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2009

Former Axis Bank chairman and CEO PJ Nayak said managements should look at appointing outsiders only when the organisation is weak.

Reliance Power achieves closure for Sasan, finally

Reliance Power achieves closure for Sasan, finally

Rediff.com   20 Apr 2009

The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group-promoted Sasan Power was Rs 2,500 crore short of the roughly Rs 15,000 crore it needed to borrow for the project. Now, India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd has agreed to lend around Rs 2,500 crore. A consortium of 12 domestic banks have already committed around Rs 12,500 crore, with State Bank of India and Power Finance Corporation leading the pack, with Rs 3,500 crore and Rs 1,800 crore respectively.

TCS, Infy, HCL vie for biometric PAN cards

TCS, Infy, HCL vie for biometric PAN cards

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2009

The development has elicited huge response from the country's top information technology companies. At least seven players, including Infosys, HCL, Tata Consultancy Services and its subsidiary CMC, are in the fray to develop a biometric card and the infrastructure that can handle 12 million new users annually.

NYSE probes Sataym's deals with 'terror states'

NYSE probes Sataym's deals with 'terror states'

Rediff.com   11 Apr 2009

Months before Satyam Computer Services founder B Ramalinga Raju made disclosures about committing fraud, authorities in the US had initiated an investigation into the company's dealings with Syria, Sudan, Cuba and Iran, identified by the US government as state sponsors of terrorism, and subject to US economic sanctions and export controls.

Sub-BPLR loans make a comeback

Sub-BPLR loans make a comeback

Rediff.com   6 Apr 2009

Loans at a discount to the benchmark prime lending rates of banks are back with a majority of the fresh loans being disbursed at sub-PLR rates.

CAs face peer pressure

CAs face peer pressure

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2009

Firms denied peer review certificate may be barred from auditing

Govt asks S&P to clarify rating action

Govt asks S&P to clarify rating action

Rediff.com   30 Mar 2009

The government is also approaching the other two major rating agencies - Moody's and Fitch - to explain its fiscal strategy, the economic situation and the outlook.

Free ATMs? Big banks to make money

Free ATMs? Big banks to make money

Rediff.com   27 Mar 2009

Banks that own ATMs charge an inter-change fee for providing the facility to the customers of other banks. For larger players such as SBI, ICICI, HDFC and Axis Bank, the shift would mean higher revenues as customers would tend to use the nearest ATM. Smaller banks, which already allow their account holders to access any ATM without having to pay a transaction charge, fear the bigger players, sensing an opportunity, may increase the inter-change fee over the next 6 months.

IndusInd to stay away from high-risk loans

IndusInd to stay away from high-risk loans

Rediff.com   26 Mar 2009

IndusInd Bank MD & CEO Romesh Sobti said that, during the fourth quarter, the private sector lender was expecting a 20 per cent growth in its loan book. "There are still a lot of good companies, and you don't write off everyone. There is nothing like zero-risk. It is low-, medium- and high-risk, and you avoid high-risk though they give you high returns," Sobti said after announcing the inauguration of new-look branches aimed at attracting more high networth customers.

Centre calls for bank, industry meet

Centre calls for bank, industry meet

Rediff.com   21 Mar 2009

To discuss ways of increasing lending to optimise stimulus package impact.

Why India Inc is fuming ahead of elections

Why India Inc is fuming ahead of elections

Rediff.com   11 Mar 2009

The general elections could take a toll on the bottom lines of a host of Indian companies that have accessed overseas debt.

Satyam fallout: Auditors may get additional powers

Satyam fallout: Auditors may get additional powers

Rediff.com   9 Mar 2009

Company balance sheets could soon acquire a new look, with the government asking ICAI to suggest ways to strengthen reporting norms following Satyam Computer Services scandal 7. ICAI sources said the mandate from the government was to ensure that company managements did not use notes to accounts as a cover-up for misdemeanours. The special group will submit its recommendations over the next few weeks.

Insurance premium may not fall further

Insurance premium may not fall further

Rediff.com   25 Feb 2009

Indian reinsurer General Insurance Corporation has hardened its stance while negotiating reinsurance arrangements for the next financial year. During the first round of talks with non-life insurers, GIC said that it would pay at least 5 per cent lower commission on business that is reinsured with it. Further, it has sought a share in underwriting profits, which could be as high as 50 per cent, sources involved with the negotiations said.

IFCI recovers Maytas dues, ICICI Bank takes Rs 95-

IFCI recovers Maytas dues, ICICI Bank takes Rs 95-

Rediff.com   19 Feb 2009

In the coming days, other lenders are expected to initiate similar steps to recover their dues from the company, which is facing the prospects of a change of management. IFCI executives said that the company revoked the guarantee earlier this month to recover its dues amounting to Rs 95 crore from Maytas Infra.

IndusInd Bank may get new identity

IndusInd Bank may get new identity

Rediff.com   12 Feb 2009

In a few months, private sector lender IndusInd Bank may have a new identity. The move was in line with the repositioning exercise initiated by the new management team led by Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Romesh Sobti.

L&T, ITC, Axis stakes may stay with SUUTI

L&T, ITC, Axis stakes may stay with SUUTI

Rediff.com   11 Feb 2009

Shares of ITC, Axis Bank and Larsen & Toubro are likely to stay with the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India, which was to be wound up in June.Legal opinion received by the government suggests that SUUTI can exist as long as all investors in one of the schemes floated by the erstwhile Unit Trust of India have not redeemed their investment, sources close to the development said. The value of the shares of the three blue chips was estimated at over Rs 15,000 cr.

Bad debts of state-owned banks under check

Bad debts of state-owned banks under check

Rediff.com   9 Feb 2009

What's worrying for the public sector banks is the rise in delinquency in the housing portfolio, which does not include real estate. But a bank chief said that with low exposure to the real estate sector, the state-run banks have fewer worries. The other area of concern is credit cards but the operations of public sector banks in this segment are small compared with the likes of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Citibank, the largest players in the business.

Low interest in Harshad Mehta's apartment auction

Low interest in Harshad Mehta's apartment auction

Rediff.com   5 Feb 2009

Less than half-a-dozen people have evinced interest in buying the eight apartments owned by the late Harshad Mehta and his family, partly due to a last-minute case filed by the stockbroker's mother, Rasila S Mehta.