Surajeet Das Gupta, Ishita Ayan Dutt

Stories by Surajeet Das Gupta, Ishita Ayan Dutt

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.

What makes this loss-making steel co so attractive?

What makes this loss-making steel co so attractive?

Rediff.com   14 Apr 2021

India Ratings expects long products demand growth to be sharp, supported by a demand push from the government-led infrastructure investments in affordable housing, railways, rural electrification and road networks.

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.

Can Ola disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Can Ola disrupt India's e-scooter market?

Rediff.com   28 Mar 2021

As a tech services company, Ola has never been in hardcore manufacturing. And unlike in ride hailing, which is a two-player market (Uber is the only other competitor), in two-wheelers it faces many entrenched players. But most of all, rivals say Ola's targets are out of sync with most, even ambitious, projections.

As commodity prices rise, cars, home appliances to cost more

As commodity prices rise, cars, home appliances to cost more

Rediff.com   25 Mar 2021

Metal prices from copper to aluminum and tin have shot up by about 7-32 per cent in the past three months.

Is poriborton in sight in Bengal, again?

Is poriborton in sight in Bengal, again?

Rediff.com   23 Mar 2021

Whatever the outcome from the assembly elections, what's evident is that West Bengal has entered an era of identity politics, reports Ishita Ayan Dutt.

IPL 2021: Star Sports hopes to earn Rs 32 billion

IPL 2021: Star Sports hopes to earn Rs 32 billion

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2021

Disney-Star generated advertising revenue of over Rs 27 billion for IPL 2020.

Amul to start making buffalo mozzarella cheese

Amul to start making buffalo mozzarella cheese

Rediff.com   18 Mar 2021

Italy may be the home of premium buffalo mozzarella cheese, but India could soon give the country a run for its money in this regard. India's largest dairy cooperative, Amul, has submitted a plan to the government, aiming to turn the country into a global hub for the export of mozzarella cheese made from buffalo milk, which is sold at a hefty premium around the world. Mozzarella cheese is one of the products identified by the government for support under its Rs 10,900 crore production-linked incentive scheme (PLI), to give a massive push to food processing exports as well as to build Indian food brands.

Private philanthropy outstripped corporate largesse by 42% in FY20

Private philanthropy outstripped corporate largesse by 42% in FY20

Rediff.com   17 Mar 2021

Individuals flew the flag for philanthropy in FY20, escalating their contribution significantly in comparison with company and foreign fund donations, according to the Dasra/Bain & Co India Philanthropy Report of 2021. Funding by individual philanthropists went up by 42 per cent from Rs 21,000 crore in FY19 to Rs 30,000 crore in FY20.

Atmanirbhar and PLI: Why Modi's ambitious manufacturing targets are unachievable

Atmanirbhar and PLI: Why Modi's ambitious manufacturing targets are unachievable

Rediff.com   12 Mar 2021

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met over 40 CEOs across broad swathes of industry, ranging from makers of mobile devices, auto components, food products to telecom networking equipment and pharmaceuticals. The agenda: To discuss how to make India an integral part of the global supply chain. The focus of the discussion would be the much touted yet not so well understood production-linked incentive scheme (PLI), the centrepiece of the government's drive to massively boost the manufacturing sector. To do so, the government has created a war chest of over Rs 197,000 crore to be paid out as incentives to over 14 industries in five years. There are three objectives to the scheme, two explicitly stated, one implied.

Nandigram: Will Dada trounce Didi?

Nandigram: Will Dada trounce Didi?

Rediff.com   3 Mar 2021

Nandigram, 126 km south of Kolkata, is Suvendu Adhikari's bastion, where he has vowed to defeat Mamata Banerjee by 50,000 votes or quit politics.

How XLRI cracked 100 per cent placement

How XLRI cracked 100 per cent placement

Rediff.com   26 Feb 2021

Within two days, the business school had 108 recruiters making 370 domestic and international offers, including 23 new final recruiters with an average salary of Rs 25.08 lakh.

Positive cues from China cheer Indian steel companies

Positive cues from China cheer Indian steel companies

Rediff.com   23 Feb 2021

Positive cues from China - which accounts for 56.5 per cent of global crude steel production - are likely to keep demand-supply in balance and provide support to prices. All eyes have been on China, which opened after New Year holidays, as it was widely expected that prices would recover post-holidays after the weakness in January. Jayanta Roy, senior vice president, ICRA pointed out, barring last year when Covid-related restrictions affected China's steel demand in February 2020, historical trends show a typical upward movement in steel prices post-new year festivities. China's opening post-holidays was keenly awaited, especially in the wake of the sluggishness in the market in January.

What are the future plans of Tata Steel?

What are the future plans of Tata Steel?

Rediff.com   22 Feb 2021

Tata Steel delivered one of its best financial performances ever in the third quarter of the current financial year, and surpassed its deleveraging target of $1 billion. In an interview, Koushik Chatterjee, executive director and chief financial officer, Tata Steel, tells Ishita Ayan Dutt that the company will continue to focus on deleveraging but profitable and value-added growth will be equally important.

'Only one leader in TMC, no one else matters'

'Only one leader in TMC, no one else matters'

Rediff.com   22 Feb 2021

Against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha results, a much larger scale of desertion was anticipated from the TMC. 'It seems, people don't believe that the ship is sinking.'

Over 10 Indian start-ups may mop up at least $10 billion in IPO rush

Over 10 Indian start-ups may mop up at least $10 billion in IPO rush

Rediff.com   22 Feb 2021

Over 10 Indian start-ups with total valuations of $84 billion (some are planning fresh fund-raising) are bracing to launch initial public offerings (IPOs) in the next 36 months. While the size of their IPOs is under discussion, estimates are that they would together raise a minimum of over $8-10 billion during the initial listing.

With Air India will Pawan Ruia prove to be India's 'turnaround tycoon'?

With Air India will Pawan Ruia prove to be India's 'turnaround tycoon'?

Rediff.com   19 Feb 2021

Pawan Ruia has finally done it, a beaming Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then West Bengal chief minister, had said at the reopening of the 70-year-old Sahagunj factory owned by Dunlop in 2005. But with the Calcutta high court passing a winding-up order in 2013 and the Trinamool Congress-led state government passing a Bill to take over the company in 2016, the once-upon-a-time undisputed leader in the Indian tyre industry looks vastly undone. But that can hardly be a deterrent for Ruia, who has a penchant for making headlines one way or the other.