News for '-sivaram'

Aramco, OIL likely to pick up stake in BPCL's Andhra refinery

Aramco, OIL likely to pick up stake in BPCL's Andhra refinery

Rediff.com30 Dec 2025

State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) is willing to dilute a 30-40 per cent stake in its upcoming greenfield refinery in Andhra Pradesh, with Gulf energy major Saudi Aramco and upstream player Oil India Ltd (OIL) likely to join as partners, a senior BPCL executive said.

Want To Invest In Manufacturing Funds?

Want To Invest In Manufacturing Funds?

Rediff.com3 Nov 2025

'They are a poor fit for anyone with near-term goals, low volatility tolerance, or a need for steady income or liquidity.' 'First-time investors should typically avoid them.'

India, UK to sign free trade agreement on Thursday in London

India, UK to sign free trade agreement on Thursday in London

Rediff.com23 Jul 2025

India and the UK will sign a free trade agreement on Thursday in London that will allow export of labour-intensive products such as leather, footwear and clothing at concessional rates, while making imports of whisky and cars from Britain cheaper. The pact also helps double trade between the two economies to $120 billion by 2030.

Airtel partners Elon Musk's SpaceX for high-speed internet services in India

Airtel partners Elon Musk's SpaceX for high-speed internet services in India

Rediff.com11 Mar 2025

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday said it has partnered with Elon Musk's SpaceX for providing Starlink's high-speed internet services to its customers in India. This agreement is subject to SpaceX receiving authorisations to sell Starlink's satellite communications-based services in India, Airtel said in a statement.

Govt headhunter fails to find right candidate for BPCL top job

Govt headhunter fails to find right candidate for BPCL top job

Rediff.com2 Mar 2025

After HPCL, the government headhunter struggled to find a suitable candidate for the top job at Bharat Petroleum, as most applicants were narrow specialists lacking multidisciplinary experience needed to run a large organisation. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) last month interviewed a dozen candidates including BPCL director (finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta and its director (refineries) S Khanna but found none suitable for the job of chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), according to a PESB order.

USTR Report Intensifies Trade Tensions With India

USTR Report Intensifies Trade Tensions With India

Rediff.com2 Apr 2025

The US Trade Representative noted that India's average applied tariff rate stood at 17% per cent, the highest of any major world economy.

'Global Warming Isn't Going To Come Down'

'Global Warming Isn't Going To Come Down'

Rediff.com17 Mar 2025

'The global climate system doesn't look at where the carbon dioxide is coming from. 'It may be emitted by the US, but it will not remain above the US alone but covers the whole world.'

YouTuber Elvish, comedian Bharti Singh summoned in Rs 500-cr fraud case

YouTuber Elvish, comedian Bharti Singh summoned in Rs 500-cr fraud case

Rediff.com3 Oct 2024

The police received over 500 complaints alleging that many social media influencers and YouTubers promoted the HIBOX mobile application on their pages and lured people into investing through the app, the officer said.

Police summon actor Rhea Chakraborty, Bharti Singh in app fraud case

Police summon actor Rhea Chakraborty, Bharti Singh in app fraud case

Rediff.com6 Oct 2024

Rhea Chakraborty was also among those who promoted the app, said the officer privy to the investigation in the matter.

Manufacturing Funds Flavour Of Season, But...

Manufacturing Funds Flavour Of Season, But...

Rediff.com20 Jun 2024

'Those trying to use these funds for quick gains should avoid them due to risk of being late to the party.'

Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Santa's Come

Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Santa's Come

Rediff.com23 Dec 2023

'Tis that time of the year...

What Mahabali Won't Hear

What Mahabali Won't Hear

Rediff.com13 Sep 2024

Questions that the state had come to recognise over time but consistently delayed treating seriously because doing so requires an overhaul of perspective and lifestyle, notes Shyam G Menon.

BPCL divestment completely off the table, says Hardeep Singh Puri

BPCL divestment completely off the table, says Hardeep Singh Puri

Rediff.com12 Jun 2024

BPCL is a high revenue-earning public-sector undertaking (PSU) and plans to privatise it are completely off the table, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday after assuming charge of the ministry for the second time. "Why would we divest ourselves of highly successful Maharatnas like BPCL," Puri said, arguing the Centre was not in favour of divesting its stake in oil PSUs.

Infra sector growth slows to 4.3% in May

Infra sector growth slows to 4.3% in May

Rediff.com30 Jun 2023

The growth of eight key infrastructure sectors slowed down to 4.3 per cent in May 2023 due to a decline in the production of crude oil, natural gas and electricity, according to the data released by the government on Friday. The core sector growth was 19.3 per cent in May 2022, while in April 2023, the key infra sectors recorded a growth rate of 4.3 per cent. During April-May this fiscal, the output growth of these eight sectors slowed down to 4.3 per cent against 14.3 per cent in the year-ago period, the data showed.

AI Replacing Entry-Level Tech Jobs

AI Replacing Entry-Level Tech Jobs

Rediff.com22 Nov 2023

'AI may perform tasks, but deep expertise and specialisation remain uniquely human.'

Natural Disasters Displaced 2.5 Million Indians in 2022

Natural Disasters Displaced 2.5 Million Indians in 2022

Rediff.com25 May 2023

Extreme weather events and disasters have been on the rise in the region.

'They snatched her away from us'

'They snatched her away from us'

Rediff.com15 Dec 2023

'I want the country to know what's happening to our daughter.'

Want To Know What A CEO/MD Earns?

Want To Know What A CEO/MD Earns?

Rediff.com28 Dec 2022

The average top executive monthly compensation is Rs 1 crore. The median employee salary is now Rs 820,000.

'Adani has deep pockets...'

'Adani has deep pockets...'

Rediff.com17 Oct 2023

'Adani can attract vessels at a much lower cost to Vizhinjam as he has the financial muscle to do so.'

Airtel to launch 5G within a month, cover all urban area by 2023

Airtel to launch 5G within a month, cover all urban area by 2023

Rediff.com7 Sep 2022

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel expects to launch 5G services within a month and cover key metros by December, a top official of the company said on Wednesday. The telco plans to cover all urban areas of the country by the end of 2023, according to the company's CEO. Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal in a communication to the customers said Airtel 5G will deliver dramatically higher speeds of 20-30 times compared to a 4G network.

By 2025 Indian Trucks Will Have AC Cabin

By 2025 Indian Trucks Will Have AC Cabin

Rediff.com3 Jul 2023

'Instead of ACs, the government should do something to increase our salary.'

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit surges 92% to Rs 1,588 crore

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit surges 92% to Rs 1,588 crore

Rediff.com7 Feb 2023

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday reported a 91.5 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,588 crore for the three months ended December 2022, helped by competitive growth across businesses. Total revenue rose nearly 20 per cent to Rs 35,804 crore in the third quarter of the current financial year "backed by strong and consistent performance delivery across the portfolio", the company said in a statement. Its consolidated net income (after exceptional items) stood at Rs 1,588 crore for the just ended quarter, translating into an increase of 91.5 per cent year-on-year.

BPCL stake sale hit by poor market conditions, govt drops privatisation plan

BPCL stake sale hit by poor market conditions, govt drops privatisation plan

Rediff.com26 May 2022

The government on Thursday withdrew its offer to sell its entire 52.98 per cent stake in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, saying that majority of bidders have expressed their inability to participate in the current privatisation process due to prevailing conditions in the global energy market.

Airtel loses 46.1 lakh mobile subscribers in May

Airtel loses 46.1 lakh mobile subscribers in May

Rediff.com29 Jul 2021

The Indian telecom market presented a picture of sharp contrast in May with Bharti Airtel losing a staggering 46.13 lakh wireless subscribers even as rival Reliance Jio added 35.54 lakh mobile users, according to data from telecom regulator Trai. Overall, the Indian mobile market shed 62.7 lakh users in May.

Exports rise 16.78%; trade deficit at record $25.63 bn

Exports rise 16.78%; trade deficit at record $25.63 bn

Rediff.com4 Jul 2022

India's merchandise exports in June rose by 16.78 per cent year-on-year to $37.94 billion while the trade deficit ballooned to a record $25.63 billion on account of a steep increase in gold and crude oil imports, according to the government's preliminary data released on Monday. The export growth in June moderated from 20.55 per cent in May and 48.34 per cent in June 2021. During the month under review, exports of engineering, pharmaceutical and plastic products recorded negative growth.

Paul McCartney Stands Up For Joymala

Paul McCartney Stands Up For Joymala

Rediff.com12 Sep 2022

'Jeymalyatha has suffered more than enough and that she deserves to spend the rest of her time on this Earth away from her abusive trainers, rehabilitating, and with others of her kind.'

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit dips 2.8% to Rs 830 cr

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit dips 2.8% to Rs 830 cr

Rediff.com8 Feb 2022

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday reported a 2.8 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit to Rs 830 crore for the third quarter ended December 2021. The company had recorded a net profit of Rs 854 crore in the same period a year ago. Consolidated revenue increased by 12.6 per cent to Rs 29,867 crore, from Rs 26,518 crore in the December 2020 quarter.

Morgan Stanley flags stagflation risk, cuts FY23 GDP growth

Morgan Stanley flags stagflation risk, cuts FY23 GDP growth

Rediff.com10 Mar 2022

American brokerage firm Morgan Stanley on Thursday sharply cut its India FY23 real GDP growth estimate to 7.9 per cent, mainly due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on oil prices. Analysts at the brokerage also raised their inflation forecast to 6 per cent - the upper end of the tolerance band for the RBI - and flagged stagflation risks because of the ongoing events. "We believe that the ongoing geopolitical tensions exacerbate external risks and impart a stagflationary impulse to the economy," they said. It can be noted that stagflation involves a stagnancy in output or growth, coupled with high inflation.

Airtel buys around 25% stake in startup Lavelle Networks

Airtel buys around 25% stake in startup Lavelle Networks

Rediff.com31 Jan 2022

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Monday announced an agreement to acquire about 25 per cent equity stake in Bengaluru-based technology startup Lavelle Networks. Further, ASM Technologies, a global technology engineering and product development services provider, has done a follow on investment in Lavelle Networks. In a statement on Monday, Airtel announced the acquisition of about 25 per cent strategic stake in SD-WAN startup Lavelle Networks but did not disclose financial details about the deal that entails a cash consideration.

Airtel to launch 5G services this month, cover every town by 2024

Airtel to launch 5G services this month, cover every town by 2024

Rediff.com9 Aug 2022

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel will start rolling out 5G services this month and cover all towns and key rural areas of the country by March 2024, a senior company official said on Tuesday. Bharti Airtel managing director and CEO Gopal Vittal also said that the price of mobile services in India is very low and needs to go up. "We intend to launch 5G starting August and extend to a Pan India roll out very soon.

Airtel hikes tariffs, family postpaid plan spiked for new customers

Airtel hikes tariffs, family postpaid plan spiked for new customers

Rediff.com23 Jul 2021

Bharti Airtel on Thursday announced new postpaid plans and discontinued some previous ones. "In the post-pandemic world, an abundance of high-speed data is increasingly becoming a key need for customers as work from home and online education is the new normal. "In this context, Airtel has further simplified its postpaid plans to offer industry-leading data benefits backed by a 5G-ready network and superior digital-first customer care. "The plans also come with a range of exclusive benefits such as bundled content and business productivity tools," Airtel said in a press release.

Life in Kerala's relief camps

Life in Kerala's relief camps

Rediff.com22 Aug 2018

The state of Kerala is witnessing damage like never before as the floods have claimed over 350 people since May 30 and have forced over 10 lakh people out of their homes. According to figures, a whopping 12.47 lakh people are living in approximately 1,155 shelter camps after their homes and their lives were destroyed in the deluge. As the state struggles to find its feet, here's a glimpse of what life looks like in a shelter.

Airtel prepays Rs 15,519 cr to DoT

Airtel prepays Rs 15,519 cr to DoT

Rediff.com17 Dec 2021

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Friday said it has paid Rs 15,519 crore to the government towards prepayment of its entire deferred liability pertaining to spectrum acquired in the 2014 auction. The company had acquired 128.4 MHz spectrum (including Telenor spectrum) for a consideration of Rs 19,051 crore in the 2014 auction, Airtel said in a statement. The company estimates that the prepayment to Department of Telecom (DoT) will likely result in interest cost savings of at least Rs 3,400 crore over the residual life for fully substituted capital.

After nearly 13 years, brokerages are betting big on PSBs

After nearly 13 years, brokerages are betting big on PSBs

Rediff.com16 Mar 2021

It is nearly after 13 years that a foreign brokerage has resumed holistic coverage on stocks of public sector banks (PSBs). To that extent, Morgan Stanley's report dated March 3, where the analysts have listed their order of preference for PSB stocks, is an indication that the state-owned banks may once again be attracting some interest, thanks to three back-to-back quarters of good results in FY21 so far. "State-owned banks' balance sheets have improved, and bad loans formation should moderate going forward," the analysts note and this is the key reason for them to relook at their stance on PSBs. While State Bank of India (SBI) remains their preferred pick, stocks of Bank of Baroda (BOB) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have been upgraded from 'underweight' to 'equal-weight'. The brokerage maintains its underweight recommendation on Bank of India and Canara Bank.

Airtel to lean on its 180 mn digital users to propel payments bank business

Airtel to lean on its 180 mn digital users to propel payments bank business

Rediff.com5 Nov 2021

Bharti Airtel aims to leverage its 180 million plus digital service customers and its wide presence in rural areas to grow its payment bank business. "We are well placed as we can leverage the 180 million plus customers we have across our digital assets. "We offer a plethora of services such as lucrative interest rates, gift cards, FASTag, telecom recharges, payments and debit cards. "Our large merchant base of more than eight million allows us to drive both engagement and monetisation.

ABG's auditor failed to red-flag fund diversion

ABG's auditor failed to red-flag fund diversion

Rediff.com1 Mar 2022

The auditor of ABG Shipyard, which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the Rs 23,000-crore default to banks, had settled an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) by paying a small settlement fee in 2019. The regulator had initiated an investigation into the fund diversion from ABG Shipyard and had asked the auditor to explain why it failed to detect fund diversion in time. In his settlement application, auditor MN Ahmed, partner of Nisar & Kumar, a chartered accountant firm, said he ceased to be an Indian citizen and has retired from the profession.

ED raids 26 locations in ABG Shipyard bank fraud case

ED raids 26 locations in ABG Shipyard bank fraud case

Rediff.com26 Apr 2022

As many as 26 premises are being searched in these cities by the federal agency under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, they said.

How Airtel took a long call on profit by focusing on costs and customers

How Airtel took a long call on profit by focusing on costs and customers

Rediff.com20 Jun 2022

Six consecutive profitable quarters after an equal number of losses - for Bharti Airtel, the turnaround has been quick. But it is not a result of higher tariffs or absence of exceptional items alone. Execution and strategy are playing a part, too. Bharti Airtel's chief executive officer Gopal Vittal summed it up in a post-result conference call last month. "We track the profit in each of our 237,500 (cell) sites.

Gold jewellers see best Dhanteras in three years

Gold jewellers see best Dhanteras in three years

Rediff.com3 Nov 2021

Dhanteras has cheered up jewellers as it has turned out to be the best in three years, thanks to the lower price of the yellow metal and pent-up demand. In Mumbai's Zaveri bazaar, buyers came in out force and jewellers did not have to depend on freebies to induce sales, even though all of them had announced some offers. In fact, more discounts were announced for diamond and studded jewellery.

BPCL privatisation may get delayed: Fitch

BPCL privatisation may get delayed: Fitch

Rediff.com6 Sep 2021

Fitch Ratings on Monday said uncertainty over the bidder consortiums and process complexity, including valuation, may lead to potential delays in privatisation of India's second-largest fuel retailer, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). Affirming BPCL's rating at 'BBB-' with a negative outlook, Fitch said it continues to treat the potential divestment of the company by the Indian government as an event risk. "Bidders are conducting due diligence, but uncertainty over the bidder consortiums and process complexity, including valuation, may lead to potential delays.