With an epic battle of billionaires for supremacy in one of the world's most prolific markets and a pandemic-propelled surge in online shopping in the background, India's nearly trillion-dollar retail market is hoping to touch 85 per cent of the pre-COVID business in the first half of the New Year. In a year when the COVID-19 carnage ripped apart the retail business, circa 2020 will best go down for the unravelling of the war between Jeff Bezos, the world's wealthiest man, and richest Indian Mukesh Ambani for pre-eminence in the booming market that is estimated to reach $1.3 trillion by 2025. It all started with Ambani's Reliance Industries agreeing in August to buy assets of the nation's second-largest retailer for Rs 24,713 crore, just a year after Bezos' Amazon purchased an indirect stake in the indebted Future Retail.
Amazon on Sunday won an interim award against its partner Future group selling retail business to Reliance Industries for Rs 24,713 crore after a Singapore-based single judge arbitration panel put the deal on hold. Amazon had dragged Future to arbitration after the Kishore Biyani group firm had agreed to sell businesses to billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance.
He just wanted to meet Donald Trump.
Here's what you must know about the youngest scorer, youngest hat-trick scorer, youngest final player and youngest final scorer in football World Cup history.
There is simmering disquiet in the Communist party and the world is watching as to what can unfold in China in the days to come ahead of next year's party congress, notes Rup Narayan Das.
Tokyo should remain the benchmark and source of inspiration till at least Paris 2024. In the shorter run, India's preparations for the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year must begin based on lessons learnt now, asserts Raj Kishore Mishra, former joint secretary at the sports ministry.
Here are some of the best images clicked across the globe in the month of August.
We bring you a collection of the best photos taken around the world last week
As Japan expands state of emergency, calls grow to cancel Games. Japan has repeatedly insisted it will hold the Games despite opinion polls showing a majority of respondents want them postponed again or cancelled.
Mumbai Champs turned in a determined all-round performance to beat Delhi Giants by 58 runs and register their first victory in the ICL20s Indian Championship in Gurgaon on Thursday night. Ranjit Khirid was adjudged the man of the match for his stupendous performance with both bat and ball. Delhi Giants, replying to Mumbai's 174-4, were all all out for 116 in 17.3 overs.
Ajit Balakrishnan on learning from past technology revolutions.
When Jaws released in June 1975, it changed the way Americans watch movies, says Aseem Chhabra.
Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh is coming under increasing fire from his own party colleagues for quite a few reasons, says Anita Katyal
Karan Johar keeps his hit run intact with Student of the Year 2.
Pandit Ravi Shankar took Indian music global, wrote the rules of the modern Indian classical performance. Sumit Bhattacharya pays personal tribute to the legend.
In December last year, Amazon invested over Rs 1,700 crore into its payments and wholesale business units in India, while in October it had infused over Rs 4,400 crore (more than USD 600 million) in its various units in India, including marketplace and food retail. Bezos last visited India in 2014 when he presented Amazon's Indian unit with a giant cheque for USD 2 billion. Since then, Amazon has pledged a further USD 3.5 billion to expand in the country and the USD 1 billion investment announced on Wednesday would take the total committed investment to USD 6.5 billion.
The toll in NTPC's Unchahar plant accident has climbed to 34, making it the country's worst industrial disaster in the last eight years.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will be among the many high-profile guests gracing the premier Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony, scheduled to be held in Shanghai on April 15.
Former Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana high court will submit report in three months.
'Rishi Kapoor was a complete original.' 'He dazzled the screen and stayed a livewire off it as well,' remembers Sukanya Verma.
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale has the qualities to fill the void left by his fellow forward Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus, the Spanish side's new manager Julen Lopetegui has said.
The 54-year-old has a whopping $1.7 billion in the bank, thanks to his long time endorsement relationships with Beverage company Gatorade, clothing brand Hanes, American Sportswear giant Nike and playing card manufacturer Upper Deck.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has been named in the Premier League club's squad for a pre-season tour of the United States despite reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Prayag United rode on Ranty Martins's second-half strike to beat defending champions East Bengal and end their 14-match unbeaten run in the final of the IFA Shield in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Remembering an incomparable actor by re-visiting his finest films.
'He also granted the temple freedom from all taxes and decreed that no one could litigate against it ever.'
Phony NFL merchandise and tickets worth $21.6 million have been seized and 50 people arrested in a crackdown on counterfeiting ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl, U.S. law enforcement officials said on Thursday.
ONGC's stunning form at home continued as they beat former champions Salgaocar by a solitary goal in a Round 16 I-League match at Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
'Sad day for Indian cricket' 'Gratitude has obviously been thrown out of the window by whoever raising 'revolt' against India's giant Kumble'
Garry Kasparov hated losing but in defeat, to an "alien opponent" incapable of fear or the faintest flicker of emotion, the youngest of chess champions and greatest of grandmasters made history. He became a grandmaster at 17 and world champion at 22 in 1985 when the charismatic youngster beat Soviet establishment hero Anatoly Karpov.
'It is unclear whether clothing or home items qualify as essential items. A lot of professionals are working from home, and they need electronics for their productivity. Does this qualify as essential?'
Dates like 9/11 should never be allowed to pass by forgotten because terrorism is not to be borne, inhumanity is not to borne.
An Indian-origin man in Britain has become the first person to have been banned from all 1,200 McDonald's outlets in England and Wales after being caught spying on two women in the restaurant's toilets.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and India, at the SCG, on Sunday.
The former McKinsey India head is presently on board of many big Indian conglomerates.
Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat had alleged that the UPA called off Rafale deal after a private company linked to Vadra was not chosen as a broker.
Saketh Myneni and Prakash Amritraj kept the Indian flag flying by reaching the men's singles semi-finals in the US $15,000 ITF men's Future Tennis tournament, in Pune, on Thursday. Fourth seed Myneni accounted for fifth seed, National champion Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 7-6(5), 6-2 in 86 minutes while giant-killer and comeback man Amritraj upset third seed Liang-Chi Huang of Taipei 7-6(4) 6-1 in 78 minutes in the quarter-finals.
Robert Vadra, who is at the centre of a controversy over his property dealings with realty giant DLF and others, began investing in real estate five years ago, in 2007-08.
'We need to retell this history from many different perspectives.'
It was a scene destined for posterity, and sporting showreels the world over, and one which prompted tears from South Africans on the field and off it.
