Surajeet Das Gupta And P B Jayakumar

Stories by Surajeet Das Gupta And P B Jayakumar

Setback in store for Cash & Carry firms

Setback in store for Cash & Carry firms

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2010

Key government departments have come to a consensus on the definition of a "group company" in the context of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the wholesale cash & carry trade. Under current policy, while 100 per cent FDI is permitted in wholesale trade, a cash & carry entity can sell only up to 25 per cent of its turnover to group companies.

'I am not even thinking of monetising telecom'

'I am not even thinking of monetising telecom'

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2010

For over a year Sanjay Chandra, managing director of the Unitech group, has been under a cloud for various reasons.

Number portability to trigger post-paid rate wars

Number portability to trigger post-paid rate wars

Rediff.com   24 Nov 2010

Telcos say tariffs could be cut by up to 20 per cent. While post-paid customers constitute only 5 per cent of the total customer base of 670 million, they make up over 15 per cent of revenues thanks to their relatively higher average revenue per user (Arpu).

Government mulls changes to FDI oversight

Government mulls changes to FDI oversight

Rediff.com   18 Nov 2010

A committee of secretaries will be meeting soon to consider a draft proposal, which suggests that decision-making on all policy issues pertaining to FDI be transferred from the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce to the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in the Ministry of Finance.

GE India to localise bulk of its domestic products

GE India to localise bulk of its domestic products

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2010

GE India is embarking on a major localisation drive under which 60-70 per cent of the products that it sells will be manufactured in the country in the next five years. At present, the localisation is about 10 to 20 per cent.

Air India seeks $2.3-billion ECBs to pare debt

Air India seeks $2.3-billion ECBs to pare debt

Rediff.com   8 Nov 2010

State-owned National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Nacil), which runs Air India, has approached the government to raise $2.3 billion through external commercial borrowings (ECBs) as part of a plan to restructure its high-cost working capital debt.

DoT says no to granting watchdog sharper teeth

DoT says no to granting watchdog sharper teeth

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2010

Regulator wants the power to fine errant telecom companies.

Home ministry targets VPNs

Home ministry targets VPNs

Rediff.com   27 Oct 2010

After Research In Motion (owners of BlackBerry), the home ministry will now turn the screws on Microsoft, Google, IBM and Oracle. These companies provide technology and services for the virtual private networks (VPNs) run by various operators in India. The government will ask them to conform to regulation that allows intelligence agencies to lawfully intercept data. Failure to do so could result in the termination of VPN services by operators using their technology.

Fund raising may hit Rs 4 lakh cr in '10

Fund raising may hit Rs 4 lakh cr in '10

Rediff.com   13 Oct 2010

Indian companies have raised over Rs 3.13 lakh crore up to September, excluding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and external commercial borrowings in September. This is close to the cumulative Rs 3.14 lakh crore raised in 2009.Inc's highest fund mobilisation was in 2007, when it mopped up over Rs 3.20 lakh crore.

Eased hybrid securities' pricing hits RBI barrier

Eased hybrid securities' pricing hits RBI barrier

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2010

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has thrown a spanner in the works of a government proposal to liberalise the pricing guidelines of hybrid securities such as foreign direct investment (FDI)-compliant instruments.

Essar, GMR eye power project in B'desh

Essar, GMR eye power project in B'desh

Rediff.com   4 Oct 2010

Essar Power and GMR are among the global bidders for a 450-Mw dual fuel power project planned by the Bangladesh government at Sirajgonj, about 140 km from Dhaka.

FDI in multi-brand retail won't get nod from FinMi

FDI in multi-brand retail won't get nod from FinMi

Rediff.com   30 Sep 2010

The finance ministry is arriving at a consensus to reject a proposal mooted in government to permit foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retailing.

ITC digs in its heels, will subscribe to EIH issue

ITC digs in its heels, will subscribe to EIH issue

Rediff.com   30 Sep 2010

ITC, which has a 14.98 per cent stake in EIH Ltd -- the company that runs the Oberoi chain of hotels -- is planning to subscribe to the upcoming EIH rights issue. This ends speculation that it might pull out after Reliance Industries Ltd picked up a stake in EIH.

Loans raised by Nacil will get government backing

Loans raised by Nacil will get government backing

Rediff.com   29 Sep 2010

The finance ministry has agreed to furnish sovereign guarantees on loans raised by National Aviation Company India Ltd, which flies under the Air India brand name. A top source in the ministry confirmed: "Yes, we will provide sovereign guarantee to Air India on its loans. After all, it is a company owned by the government."

With eye on bank, L&T rejigs arms

With eye on bank, L&T rejigs arms

Rediff.com   27 Sep 2010

The two arms of L&TFH are L&T Finance, with its retail, micro-finance and corporate loan portfolio, and L&T Infrastructure Finance.

Pepsi plans to add fizz to sales

Pepsi plans to add fizz to sales

Rediff.com   25 Sep 2010

PepsiCo India is planning to launch beverages and snacks priced below Rs 5. This is part of a drive to address the mass market looking for nutritional products. The new range, being developed in India, is expected to be launched on a pilot basis in select markets by next year.

Audit DG raps DoT on plan to bail out new telcos

Audit DG raps DoT on plan to bail out new telcos

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2010

In its communication to DoT, the DGA said the department had granted new unified access service licences to certain companies without proper verification of their eligibility and other credentials.

Merck arm sues Sun over cancer drug

Merck arm sues Sun over cancer drug

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2010

Merck arm sues Sun over cancer drugSchering Corporation, part of multinational pharma company Merck & Co, and London-based Cancer Research Technology Ltd have sued Sun Pharmaceutical for allegedly infringing patent rights on the world's largest selling brain cancer drug, Temodar.

3G operators may come under CAG scrutiny

3G operators may come under CAG scrutiny

Rediff.com   13 Sep 2010

The move is significant as it would extend the power of CAG -- set up to audit central and state government departments as well as PSUs -- to private sector companies.

ADAG picks up 15% stake in new Kerala airport

ADAG picks up 15% stake in new Kerala airport

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2010

The Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG) has picked up a 15 per cent stake for Rs 225 crore (Rs 2.25 billion) in a new international airport coming up at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district of central Kerala.