Most recession-hit clients, domestic and foreign, are asking for price cuts that large Indian IT firms are unable to offer due to high overheads. However, SMEs can afford to do so, since their employee costs are low. This is the right time to enter the domestic market, which is projected to expand five-fold by 2020 to $90-100 billion, including both technology and business outsourcing, said K Purushothaman, Nasscom's regional director for Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Failed attempt to acquire stake in Kolhapur-based bank seen as trigger.
While the level of non-performing assets for banks is on the rise, despite the Reserve Bank of India's push for debt restructuring, cases referred to the corporate debt restructuring cell increased to 34 at the end of March 2009, as against 10 at the end of 2007-08. CDR, which was set up in 2002-03, is a mechanism for faster disposal of restructuring cases involving multiple lenders, though foreign banks are yet to join the platform.
Within 15 days of opening the registration process for Nano, its Rs 1 lakh car, Tata Motors has sold nearly 5,00,000 application forms, raking in Rs 15 crore (at Rs 300 each). Distributors associated with the Nano bookings said most of the forms were likely to translate into bookings.
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.
Of the over 900,000 registered with the exchange for government jobs in 2008, only 26,752 got placed. The previous AIADMK government had put on hold new recruitments, except in departments like police, teachers and medicines. After the DMK government took over, it was decided to fill the vacancies across all departments through the exchange. Since then, 232,417 vacancies were filled, of which 46,931 candidates were appointed in various posts through the employment exchange.
With interest rates softening, banks are slowly re-pricing the cost of short-term credit extended to the corporate sector.
"This is for the first time that a manufacturer will charge for an application form. However, it will be refunded if an application is rejected," said a senior bank executive. Bookings are expected to start by the last week of March. The forms will be collected through various channels. "All the forms and the collected money will be transferred to SBI, where they will be processed, and loans will be given through various banks within 90 days," said a source.
A senior EPFO official said, "(Subhiksha) was given 15 days, starting February 20, to pay the PF dues. Since these were not paid, we will go ahead with the action and set a target to collect the dues before March 31, 2009, when the fiscal year comes to an end." The PF dues to be paid for the June-September period of 2008 were around Rs 1.46 crore. The status of Subhiksha's PF payments in other parts of the country will also be checked.
Baldev Raj, scientist and director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, said the current installed nuclear power generation capacity is likely to increase five-fold to 25,000 Mwe by 2050 from the current 3,900 Mwe. The proposed expansion would require over Rs 125,000 crore. Nuclear power accounts for 3 per cent of India's total electricity generation and is estimated to go up to 25 per cent in 2050.
Rules out involvement of nominee and independent directors.
The town houses some 1,500 small and tiny units, of which 75 per cent are engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive industry. The town houses some 1,500 small and tiny units, of which 75 per cent are engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive industry.
The Employees' Provident Fund Office in Chennai said it intends to attach the properties of the promoters of struggling retail chain Subhiksha to meet provident fund dues for around 4,500 employees in and around the city.
To take up debt restructuring of cash-strapped retailer.
Public sector banks could see higher pressure on their net interest margins in the coming months as they have mopped up large amounts of deposits at higher rates and have also effected steep cuts in lending rates between November 2008 and January 2009.
Public sector banks are increasingly looking at promoter funding as a business opportunity when others are shying away from it.
According to the IRDA's data in 2007-08, the health insurance segment was estimated to be around Rs 5,152 crore, with only 2 per cent of the total population being covered. Realising the potential and advantages -- the segment has been growing at 37 per cent since 2002 -- both life and non-life insurers are offering health insurance products. Health insurance in 2007-08 accounted for 0.2 per cent of the individual regular premium for life insurance companies in India.
The study conducted at select bank branches in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu has found that the lack of financial literacy was the main reason behind the non-operative accounts. Other aspects like distance from branches also had their share in influencing the degree of usage.
Nirmal Kotecha, co-promoter of Pyramid Symira, a Chennai-based entertainment company, has sold his entire stake in the company. He was holding 24.89 per cent stake in the company as on September 2008.
A cross section of life insurers, while discussing their expansion and recruitment plans, said most jobs would be created in sales and services. With the industry expected to touch $52 billion in 2010 from $35 billion in 2007-08, insurers were bullish about the prospects. According to an industry analyst, the availability of manpower now is enormous and relatively cheaper since all major industries have stopped recruitment.
