Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp; Abhijit Lele In New Delhi

Stories by Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp; Abhijit Lele In New Delhi

Why Vodafone Idea has failed to raise fresh funds

Why Vodafone Idea has failed to raise fresh funds

Rediff.com   12 Jul 2021

Vodafone-Idea (Vi) has said the key hurdle it faces in raising fresh funding, despite interest from investors, is the 'pricing situation' which is also the reason why it has asked the Department of Telecommunica-tions (DoT) for another extension of the moratorium on payment of spectrum instalment by one more year. Responding to a question during an analysts' call on Friday after its quarterly results on the reason for the delay in fund-raising nine months after it was announced, CEO & MD Ravinder Takkar said: "We are in discussions with investors. There is continued interest in investing in the telecom sector in the country. "The biggest hurdle is that the overall industry is under stress because of the pricing situation." He said that once tariffs go up, it will create a significant amount of confidence.

Wistron invests Rs 1,255 crore in Apple's India factory

Wistron invests Rs 1,255 crore in Apple's India factory

Rediff.com   9 Jul 2021

Apple Inc's leading contract manufacturer, Taiwanese giant Wistron, has exceeded its investment obligation in India in just eight months, although the government's production-linked investment (PLI) scheme allowed it to complete the investment in four years. Between August 2020 and end March 2021, Wistron made an investment of Rs 1255 crore - 25 per cent more than the total investment it had committed to the government. Under the PLI scheme for mobile devices, the government had stipulated that each of the five participating global companies needed to invest Rs 250 crore every year for the first four years, totalling Rs 1,000 crore.

Chinese telcos feel new rule doesn't place curbs on them

Chinese telcos feel new rule doesn't place curbs on them

Rediff.com   29 Jun 2021

Chinese telecom gear giant Huawei Technologies has sought permission for access to the government's 'Trusted Telecom Portal' which went live on June 15 so that it can share details about the telecom products which telecom service providers have agreed to buy from it. The move is significant as sources close to the development say that, according to Chinese telecom companies' interpretation, the new National Security Directive on the telecom sector does not in any way prohibit them from participating in the process of selling telecom equipment of any kind to private telcos. The firm is waiting for a response from the government. It declined to comment.

Covid-19 pandemic: PEs pour $584 million into healthcare in 2021

Covid-19 pandemic: PEs pour $584 million into healthcare in 2021

Rediff.com   11 Jun 2021

Sensing a huge opportunity in the healthcare sector during the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, private equity (PE) players are upping their investments in the space. According to data from research platform VCCEdge, the PEs have together invested a staggering $583.82 million in the first five months of 2021 in five deals, which is the highest investment in the sector in the last five calendar years - from 2016 to 2020. The second highest investment in the sector took place in 2017, when PEs invested $503 million in 18 deals, with an average deal size of $29. 9 million.

Carlyle Group to acquire controlling stake in PNB Housing Finance

Carlyle Group to acquire controlling stake in PNB Housing Finance

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2021

Private equity firm Carlyle Group and associates will acquire a controlling stake of over 50 per cent in PNB Housing Finance by investing in the Rs 4,000 crore preferential issue of equity and warrants of the Delhi-based mortgage lender. After the proposed transactions, expected to be completed by January 1, 2022, Carlyle will also have the right to nominate the chairperson of PNB Housing Finance (PNB HF). This right will continue as long as it holds at least 40 per cent of the share capital on a fully diluted basis.

PE funds scout for bulk-buying social e-com start-ups

PE funds scout for bulk-buying social e-com start-ups

Rediff.com   24 May 2021

To create a community, the consumer can share the details of the offer with friends and family who want to buy the same goods.

Huawei seeks reboot after losing out on 5G spectrum trials

Huawei seeks reboot after losing out on 5G spectrum trials

Rediff.com   18 May 2021

Based on industry estimates, telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL, are expected to invest over $10 billion on buying 5G telecom equipment in the next five years as they transition from non-standalone networks to standalone 5G networks.

Indian telcos at odds over controversial 5G standard

Indian telcos at odds over controversial 5G standard

Rediff.com   17 May 2021

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has directed the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to make a presentation detailing the pros and cons of the controversial Indian 5G standard, also known as 5Gi, which the government has been pushing for. The move comes after serious differences emerged among telcos with regard to the technology's efficacy and implementation.

Covid-19 surge makes corporate India nervous about Q1

Covid-19 surge makes corporate India nervous about Q1

Rediff.com   13 May 2021

Since April, India has seen multiple strains of the coronanavirus sweep the nation, upending life and businesses alike. Out-of-home retail and discretionary categories such as durables, auto, fashion, lifestyle, hospitality, food services, travel, and tourism have been the worst-hit as Covid cases remain high, leaving state governments with no option but to curtail mobility and economic activity.

IDBI Bank back in black in FY21 after five years

IDBI Bank back in black in FY21 after five years

Rediff.com   5 May 2021

The bank expects to grow loan book by 10 per cent in the current financial year with calibrated exposure to corporate accounts and thrust on the retail segment.

FinMin asks PSBs, insurers to postpone staff promotions

FinMin asks PSBs, insurers to postpone staff promotions

Rediff.com   4 May 2021

The finance ministry has asked public sector banks (PSBs) to postpone the annual exercise of promoting and transferring their staff in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The advisory issued by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) states that the promotion process has coincided with a spike in Covid-19 cases across the country along with localised lockdowns and an increase in micro-containment zones. As there are cases of bank employees or their family members being hospitalised due to Covid-19, bank, insurance companies and financial institutions must take cognizance of the issue, the advisory issued by DFS said.

Negative outlook list may get longer, Q1 biz to be hit

Negative outlook list may get longer, Q1 biz to be hit

Rediff.com   3 May 2021

At risk of entrenched rough times are sectors like hospitality and those with discretionary spends.

South Africa's FirstRand Bank to exit India after 12 years

South Africa's FirstRand Bank to exit India after 12 years

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

The plan was to expand further, add more branches and also eventually become the third bank in India to start a wholly owned subsidiary after Singapore's DBS Bank and State Bank of Mauritius, but those plans never materialised due to lack of scale and rising non-performing assets in the country.

How Banks will Pester Customers to Pay

How Banks will Pester Customers to Pay

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

Although such alerts are not compulsory for the banks, this may become the norm now if payments are missed even for a day.

Bird Group's ambitious plan to grab Air India's ground handling arm

Bird Group's ambitious plan to grab Air India's ground handling arm

Rediff.com   16 Apr 2021

The promoter-brothers, distant cousins to IndiGo's Rahul Bhatia, are eyeing Air India's ground handling subsidiary to augment their aviation services business even as they make a big play in EVs.

India, China border spat: Bird group's EV hatchback plans in limbo

India, China border spat: Bird group's EV hatchback plans in limbo

Rediff.com   15 Apr 2021

The car was expected to have a price tag of Rs 10 lakh and launch was slated for this June.

Will Xiaomi disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Will Xiaomi disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2021

Known for its phones and emerging from nowhere in the segment, it might take on the scooter Goliaths.

'Next financial year will be much better'

'Next financial year will be much better'

Rediff.com   9 Apr 2021

'Revival is happening slowly.' 'But that is, if the pandemic is controlled.'

Mobile phone makers want relaxation under PLI scheme

Mobile phone makers want relaxation under PLI scheme

Rediff.com   5 Apr 2021

In a communication to the empowered committee on PLI recently, the Indian Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) has stated that except one player (Samsung), all the other eight players (which include vendors of Apple Inc) selected under the scheme were facing numerous challenges in fulfilling the qualification criteria.