Surajeet Das Gupta And Dev Chatterjee

Stories by Surajeet Das Gupta And Dev Chatterjee

New bids likely for one vacant slot in advanced cell PLI

New bids likely for one vacant slot in advanced cell PLI

Rediff.com   2 Mar 2023

The government is considering the option of inviting fresh applications to bid for the fourth slot which fell vacant after one of the initial candidates who qualified, Hyundai Global Motors, exited from the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced chemistry cell battery storage with a capacity of 20 GwH. Earlier, stakeholders had expected that the vacant slot would be offered to waitlisted players ranked on their technical and financial offer. A final decision will be taken soon.

Investors jittery as Vedanta stocks, bonds take a hit

Investors jittery as Vedanta stocks, bonds take a hit

Rediff.com   1 Mar 2023

Vedanta investors were jittery on Tuesday as its share price fell and bond yields of its parent firm rose following concerns raised by a rating agency on its capability to repay debt maturing later this year. Shares of the mining and metals major were down by 7 per cent on Tuesday to Rs 268 a piece on the BSE. The company has lost market valuation of 30 per cent in the last one year and 13 per cent since January 1 this year. Yields on the bonds of Vedanta Resources, the parent firm of the BSE-listed Vedanta, shot up to 39.8 per cent - showing investors' rising concern over the group's debt situation

Why GPT App Downloads Are A Concern

Why GPT App Downloads Are A Concern

Rediff.com   1 Mar 2023

How many of the apps downloaded in India deliver the GPT technology they say they are?

Coming Soon: Cibil-Like Rating For Drivers

Coming Soon: Cibil-Like Rating For Drivers

Rediff.com   27 Feb 2023

The plan is to offer the ratings of drivers to insurers, which can then customise their premiums -- a higher score meaning a lower premium, for instance, and vice-versa.

How a new tax law has stumped Tata Trusts and top corporate donors

How a new tax law has stumped Tata Trusts and top corporate donors

Rediff.com   24 Feb 2023

Indian charitable trusts, including Tata Trusts and top corporate donors, are stumped by a new tax law proposed in the Budget, which reduces tax breaks for the donor organisations. The Finance Bill proposes that if a charitable organisation donates to another charity, then only 85 per cent of the donation will be considered as application of income for the donor organisation. Trust officials say this is a major setback for the donor organisations, including corporate foundations and intermediary organisations, which work with various implementing agencies at the grassroots level.

Adani says will complete infra projects on time, focused on financials

Adani says will complete infra projects on time, focused on financials

Rediff.com   16 Feb 2023

Adani Enterprises, the flagship of Adani Group, said on Wednesday new businesses of renewables, data centres, airports and roads account for more than 33 per cent of earnings and it will complete all infrastructure projects on time. "We are laser focused on continuing our business momentum, in this market volatility. "We are confident in our internal controls, compliance and corporate governance.

India a bright spot for investments despite current volatility: Blackstone

India a bright spot for investments despite current volatility: Blackstone

Rediff.com   15 Feb 2023

Despite the recent turmoil in the Indian markets after a scathing report on the Adani group from Hindenburg Research, American private equity major Blackstone is "bullish" on the India growth story and plans to invest more in the country's infrastructure and real estate projects. "We have a long-term view on India, as growth will be higher here. We have invested half of our Asia exposure in India. "Our extraordinary performance in India has made us bullish," said Jonathan Gray, president and chief operating officer of Blackstone.

Adani Ports to prepay Rs 5,000-crore debt

Adani Ports to prepay Rs 5,000-crore debt

Rediff.com   8 Feb 2023

A day after the promoters of Adani Group prepaid $1.1 billion loans, one of the group's listed entities - Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) - announced that it would prepay loans of up to Rs 5,000 crore by next month-end so as to improve its financial metrics. The company is targeting an earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of around Rs 15,000 crore this financial year. This was revealed by Karan Adani, chief executive officer (CEO) and whole-time director of APSEZ, while announcing the September-December 2022 results.

Vi plans to get back in the game but fundraising a challenge

Vi plans to get back in the game but fundraising a challenge

Rediff.com   7 Feb 2023

Vodafone-Idea is working on a multi-pronged strategy to begin its long journey to get back in the game but much hinges on how much money it can raise following the government's decision to go for equity conversion last week. Based on discussions with sources aware of the company developments and with vendors, VIL's immediate plan is to invest in increasing 4G coverage to the level of its competitors. Currently, it covers a 1 billion population with 4G while its competitors cover 1.2 billion people.

Telcos bag 20 mn 5G customers in less than 4 months

Telcos bag 20 mn 5G customers in less than 4 months

Rediff.com   2 Feb 2023

Indian telcos have been able to garner over 20 million 5G customers in less than four months after the official launch of the service last October, according to industry estimates. With telecom operators like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel aggressively rolling out their 5G services in over 190 cities across the country to date, India is now only behind China and the US in terms of the number of cities in a country where 5G services have been extended. Top executives in telcos say that the number of 5G subscribers in India is a conservative estimate and that it will rise as the roll-out gains momentum.

Finance ministry looks to curb smuggling of top-end mobile phones

Finance ministry looks to curb smuggling of top-end mobile phones

Rediff.com   31 Jan 2023

The finance ministry is looking at a reworked proposal from mobile device makers on how to fight the rampant and growing smuggling of very high end phones. The proposal suggests reducing the basic customs duty (BCD) on phones which have a CIF (cost, insurance and freight or price at landing in the port) value of over Rs 35,000-Rs 40,000. The retail value of these phones is upwards of Rs 70,000.

Indian Spending On Dating Apps Doubles

Indian Spending On Dating Apps Doubles

Rediff.com   24 Jan 2023

The growth in India's spending is far higher than the global average year-on-year increase of 12% for this category of apps in 2022.

Greaves Mobility joins e-scooter war with Primus prized below Rs 1 lakh

Greaves Mobility joins e-scooter war with Primus prized below Rs 1 lakh

Rediff.com   20 Jan 2023

With its new premium Primus and Ampere NXG, it is targeting buyers seeking a faster and more stylish ride

Digital Competition Law Worries Big Tech

Digital Competition Law Worries Big Tech

Rediff.com   18 Jan 2023

'The message is not clear whether we are wanted.' 'All this could adversely impact our strategy in India and also investments.'

TCS Evolving Tech For EVs, Self-Driving Cars

TCS Evolving Tech For EVs, Self-Driving Cars

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2023

'While we have done a few thousand kilometres in India, most of the testing and data collection and analysis has been done in the US, Japan and Europe.'

Electric two-wheeler sales zoom past 550K this year

Electric two-wheeler sales zoom past 550K this year

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2023

Electric two-wheelers have zipped past the half-a-million registration mark and achieved a market penetration of 4 per cent at the fag end of Calendar 2022, according to data released by VAHAN. According to VAHAN data for the year (until December 27), 560,000 two-wheelers were registered in the country, up a staggering fourfold over 2021, when only 136,000 were registered, and when electric vehicle penetration was a mere 1.05 per cent. The total number of two-wheelers (internal combustion engine, or ICE, and electric) registered so far in 2022 stands at 14.5 million, up only 12.7 per cent over the previous calendar year.

How Foxconn, Dixon are using the PLI route to boost manufacturing in India

How Foxconn, Dixon are using the PLI route to boost manufacturing in India

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2023

They are both electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies, also known as contract manufacturers. One is Taiwan's Foxconn group, the undisputed global number one in this business with revenues of $223 billion. The other is Dixon Technologies, the biggest domestic player with revenues of over Rs 10,500 crore.

VC funds reduce number of deals with start-ups by a 5th in 2022: Study

VC funds reduce number of deals with start-ups by a 5th in 2022: Study

Rediff.com   20 Dec 2022

At least 14 of the top 20 venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) funds in India reduced new deals with start-ups by a fifth in 2022. The number fell from 572 in 2021 to 456 this year, according to data from Venture Intelligence. Sequoia Capital, a leader in investments, retained its top slot but its number of deals fell from 110 in 2021 to 70 this year.

At $171 billion in 2022, India Inc clinches highest ever yearly M&As

At $171 billion in 2022, India Inc clinches highest ever yearly M&As

Rediff.com   19 Dec 2022

Aided by the $57.8-billion merger of HDFC Bank and HDFC, India Inc reported its highest ever mergers and acquisitions in calendar 2022 at $171 billion as against deals worth $145 billion announced last year. The acquisition by the Adani group across cement, media and ports dominated the headlines with the conglomerate making its foray into the cement sector by buying Swiss materials firm Holcim's stake in Ambuja Cements for $6.5 billion. The Adani family's additional $4-billion open offer for Ambuja did not get a response because shareholders preferred to stay invested with the new owner.

40% of all vehicles sold will be electric by 2030

40% of all vehicles sold will be electric by 2030

Rediff.com   15 Dec 2022

As much as 35 per cent to 40 per cent of all vehicles sold in the country across segments will be electric by 2030, up from a mere 2 per cent this year, says a Bain & Co report released today. This translates to 14-16 million new electric vehicles (EVs) selling in a year. The inflexion point, which is now being seen month on month in many segments (such as two-wheelers which hit around 4-5 per cent in December), will be more than visible in 2026, when 4-5 million EVs across segments are expected to be sold, accounting for 15-20 per cent of the total sales, says the report.