News for 'Business Facilitator'

India looks at Commonwealth boost for small businesses

India looks at Commonwealth boost for small businesses

Rediff.com14 Mar 2017

For many years now, India has given the Commonwealth short shrift so its support for the Commonwealth trade initiative signals a renewed interest in the body.

'We couldn't imagine this 15 years ago'

'We couldn't imagine this 15 years ago'

Rediff.com16 Jun 2023

'At the heart of the strategic relationship between our countries are economic ties.'

'In India, A Child Goes Missing Every 8 Minutes'

'In India, A Child Goes Missing Every 8 Minutes'

Rediff.com31 Aug 2023

'The pandemic had a significant impact on child trafficking.' 'With economic hardships, traffickers exploited the situation to target desperate parents and children.'

A Rainy Day Check-List for Chennaiites

A Rainy Day Check-List for Chennaiites

Rediff.com18 Dec 2023

If only you had thought ahead, you would have stocked snacks and biscuits, bread and cake, and vegetables suited for Amma or pondatti to make your favourite bajji and pakoda, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.

3-day survey found many tax-linked irregularities at BBC, says I-T dept

3-day survey found many tax-linked irregularities at BBC, says I-T dept

Rediff.com17 Feb 2023

The income and profits shown by various BBC group entities are "not commensurate" with the scale of their operations in India and tax has not been paid on certain remittances by its foreign entities, the income tax authorities said Friday, a day after they ended a three-day-long survey operation against the British media organisation.

Govt to introduce 16 bills, but election results likely to cast shadow on winter session

Govt to introduce 16 bills, but election results likely to cast shadow on winter session

Rediff.com6 Dec 2022

The results of the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are likely to play out during the winter session of Parliament beginning Wednesday.

How Parliament Can Function As It Must

How Parliament Can Function As It Must

Rediff.com25 Apr 2023

The need for finding options for proper functioning of Parliament is of paramount importance as the frequency of the passage of Budgets and other economic Bills without discussion or debate has only increased in the last few years, notes A K Bhattacharya.

How to Ask for a Promotion: 7 Tips

How to Ask for a Promotion: 7 Tips

Rediff.com2 Mar 2023

Just be transparent about what you have been doing in the past year and support your statements with the growth numbers because that's what managers are interested in, advises Varun Sachdeva.

Art 370 anniversery: Govt claims peace in JK; no change, says Oppn

Art 370 anniversery: Govt claims peace in JK; no change, says Oppn

Rediff.com5 Aug 2023

he Centre on this day in 2019 had revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Jaishankar raises US visa delay, Blinken says sensitive to it

Jaishankar raises US visa delay, Blinken says sensitive to it

Rediff.com28 Sep 2022

Blinken blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for a backlog of visa applications from Indian nationals.

ONDC to test Zomato's dominance; valuation mark-down likely: Analysts

ONDC to test Zomato's dominance; valuation mark-down likely: Analysts

Rediff.com20 May 2023

Zomato shares may see limited upside in the near-term amid news-flow around government-backed ONDC expanding its footprint in the delivery market, believe analysts. Zomato shares have dropped 4 per cent in three days on the BSE. By comparison, the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex has added 0.2 per cent.

Aam aadmi should also be able to fly business class: Kejriwal

Aam aadmi should also be able to fly business class: Kejriwal

Rediff.com6 Dec 2014

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday stoutly defended himself against the opposition's criticism of him travelling abroad in business class, saying that it was his dream for India that an 'aam aadmi' should also be able to travel the same way.

Why India's gig workforce is still outside purview of basic benefits

Why India's gig workforce is still outside purview of basic benefits

Rediff.com7 Apr 2023

If you have seen Zwigato, Param Kumar's story will sound familiar. Laid off from his job as a repairman at a Gurugram-based water purifier provider, he now delivers groceries and food for a mobile-based delivery app, in Delhi. Kumar, who started making deliveries last August, told Business Standard that he is working longer hours than his older salaried job as an RO repairman, and has no paid leaves or health insurance. Kumar is part of India's estimated 7.7 million-strong force of gig workers.

Adani says his group's success depends on India growth story

Adani says his group's success depends on India growth story

Rediff.com26 Jul 2022

Gautam Adani on Tuesday said his ports-to-energy conglomerate never slowed or stopped investing in the country as the group's success is based on its alignment with the India growth story. Speaking at the annual shareholder meeting of the group companies, he said the previously announced $70 billion investment in new energy business will help turn India from being a net importer of oil and gas to an exporter of clean energy. "Never have we walked away from investing in India, never have we slowed our investments," he said. "We believe our scale, our diversified business, and our track record of performance positions us very strongly to continue to perform well in a variety of market conditions."

Maharashtra signs MoUs worth Rs 1.37 lakh cr in Davos

Maharashtra signs MoUs worth Rs 1.37 lakh cr in Davos

Rediff.com18 Jan 2023

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs 1.37 lakh crore have been signed at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos in Switzerland and termed it as a "big achievement". This will generate employment for one lakh people, said Shinde, who was in Davos to seek investments in Maharashtra. "The MoUs will not remain just on paper," he said, adding that foreign investors have shown trust and faith in the state government.

Foreign companies' interest in India fades, shows data

Foreign companies' interest in India fades, shows data

Rediff.com19 Aug 2022

George Acland from Great Britain ran a coffee plantation in Sri Lanka and set up India's first jute mill in 1855. He raised capital and imported the machinery for the mill on the banks of the Hooghly in West Bengal. His company wasn't a great success, but his pioneering work paved the way for India to dominate the jute industry.

SVB fallout: Fintech, venture capital companies come to the rescue

SVB fallout: Fintech, venture capital companies come to the rescue

Rediff.com20 Mar 2023

Fintech and venture capital firms such as Recur Club, Razorpay and Trifecta Capital have come to the aid of homegrown start-ups caught in the crossfire of the Silicon Valley Bank fiasco. Alternative funding platform Recur Club said it was allocating $15 million to all Indian founders affected by the crisis. It will not charge any platform fee for the same.

IAF Or AAI: Who Should Get Precedence?

IAF Or AAI: Who Should Get Precedence?

Rediff.com13 Jun 2022

There is increasing friction between the IAF's military requirements, and the AAI's need to provide infrastructure to many more airlines.

Budget 2023: What the pharma, healthcare industry seek

Budget 2023: What the pharma, healthcare industry seek

Rediff.com19 Jan 2023

The government should take measures to promote innovation and R&D while simplifying regulations for the sector in the upcoming Union Budget, as per pharmaceutical industry bodies. Outlining the wish list for the sector in the upcoming Union Budget, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) secretary general Sudarshan Jain said the domestic pharma industry is currently around $50 billion in size and aspires to grow to around $130 billion by 2030 and $450 billion by 2047. "To achieve this vision, the Union Budget 2023-2024 should help fuel innovation and R&D, which will set the pace for propelling the pharmaceutical industry forward," he told PTI.

US trade body hails Budget, says it's fiscally prudent

US trade body hails Budget, says it's fiscally prudent

Rediff.com2 Feb 2022

In the midst of third wave of COVID-19, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has come up with an impactful Budget which is balanced, fiscally prudent and growth-oriented, the USA India Chamber of Commerce has said. President of the Boston-based USA India Chamber of Commerce (USAIC) Karun Rishi, however, said it is a matter of concern that the budget lacks tangible measures to increase revenue generation. "Opting to keep the fiscal deficit at 6.9 per cent and increase capital expenditure by 35 per cent is a masterstroke. "The annual budget estimates the effective capital expenditure of Rs 10.68 lakh crore in 2022-23, making up about 4.1 per cent of the GDP," he said. "A phenomenal increase in the government's capital expenditure is likely to facilitate the expenditures on infrastructure and create jobs.

FDI jumps 19% to $59.64 bn in 2020-21

FDI jumps 19% to $59.64 bn in 2020-21

Rediff.com24 May 2021

Foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country grew 19 per cent to $59.64 billion during 2020-21 on account of measures taken by the government on the fronts of policy reforms, investment facilitation and ease of doing business, the commerce and industry ministry said on Monday. Total FDI, including equity, re-invested earnings and capital, rose 10 per cent to the "highest ever" of $81.72 billion during 2020-21 as against $74.39 billion in 2019-20. "FDI equity inflow grew by 19 per cent in 2020-21 ($59.64 billion), compared to 2019-20 ($49.98 billion)," the ministry said in a statement. In terms of top investor countries, Singapore is at the top with 29 per cent share.

Bandhan Bank gets empanelled as agency bank of RBI

Bandhan Bank gets empanelled as agency bank of RBI

Rediff.com1 Nov 2021

Bandhan Bank said on Monday that it has been empanelled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to act as an agency bank to facilitate transactions related to government businesses. The RBI's decision will help Bandhan Bank in contributing to nation-building, its MD and CEO Chandra Sekhar Ghosh said. The announcement comes months after a RBI guideline that authorised scheduled private sector banks as agency banks of the regulator for the conduct of government business.

No CAA/NRC protest banners! IPL ticket advisory in four cities

No CAA/NRC protest banners! IPL ticket advisory in four cities

Rediff.com2 Apr 2023

Four cities, including, Delhi, Mohali, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad have been issued ticket advisories with fans being banned from carrying protest banners.

UAE becomes first country to transition to 4-and-half day work week

UAE becomes first country to transition to 4-and-half day work week

Rediff.com7 Dec 2021

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced to change its existing five-day workweek to a four-and-a-half day starting January 1, becoming the world's first country to make the employee-friendly transition as part of its efforts to improve productivity and work-life balance. According to the new schedule, Monday to Thursday the work timings would be from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm, followed by a half day on Friday from 7.30 am to 12.00 pm, said the UAE Government Media Office. Saturdays and Sundays are full-day holidays under the new rule.

Centre doubles Nov tax devolution amount for states

Centre doubles Nov tax devolution amount for states

Rediff.com15 Nov 2021

The Centre will release Rs 95,082 crore as tax devolution to the states this month after including one advance instalment to help them push their capital expenditure, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. After a meeting with all chief ministers and state finance ministers, Sitharaman said states had said that it would be helpful for them if the tax devolution is front loaded.

'Private equity can transform banks'

'Private equity can transform banks'

Rediff.com22 Mar 2021

'Facilitating conversion of well-run NBFCs into banks is urgently needed.'

Logistics market glows like a 'supernova'

Logistics market glows like a 'supernova'

Rediff.com16 Jan 2023

Most players are looking to invest anywhere between $500 million and $1 billion in new ventures in the next couple of years, said experts on this segment.

Tamil Nadu rakes in Rs 19,083 cr investment in 10 months

Tamil Nadu rakes in Rs 19,083 cr investment in 10 months

Rediff.com16 Dec 2019

At a time when investors are taking a "wait and watch" approach on fresh investment, Tamil Nadu in the past 10 months has signed 63 MoUs, enabling investment worth Rs 19,083 crore. After Palaniswami took over as chief minister in February 2017, cumulative FDI rose by Rs 46,427 crore from Rs 133 trillion (April 2000 to March 2017) to Rs 180 trillion by June this year. Thanks to the Tamil Nadu Business Facilitation Act, 2018, and the single window for applying and getting clearance for doing business, the ease of business issue has been addressed.

PGA Tour & LIV announcement leaves the world of golf stunned!

PGA Tour & LIV announcement leaves the world of golf stunned!

Rediff.com7 Jun 2023

The world of golf was left stunned as the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV circuit, who have been involved in a bitter fight, announced a shock agreement!

Indian startups disrupting the world: Niti CEO

Indian startups disrupting the world: Niti CEO

Rediff.com21 Mar 2022

Indian start-ups are disrupting the world and women-based entrepreneurship is one of the vehicles for realising a more equal society, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Monday. Addressing an event organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Kant further said India at present has more than 61,000 start-ups and 81 unicorns. "Indian start-ups are disrupting the world especially in new emerging areas of health, nutrition and agriculture," he said.

Mask Up, Covid Is Not Over Yet

Mask Up, Covid Is Not Over Yet

Rediff.com22 Dec 2022

'If there are any symptoms/variants of concern, states can prepare accordingly.'

Over 1,200 Indians to reach home in 6 flights from Romania: Scindia

Over 1,200 Indians to reach home in 6 flights from Romania: Scindia

Rediff.com2 Mar 2022

Scindia said on Twitter the Romanian prime minister has assured his continued support to Indian students crossing the Romanian borders.

Budget: CII wants govt to decriminalise GST, slash I-T rates

Budget: CII wants govt to decriminalise GST, slash I-T rates

Rediff.com20 Nov 2022

Industry body CII has pitched for a reduction in personal income tax rates, decriminalisation of the goods and services tax and a relook at the capital gains tax rates as part of its agenda presented to the government for the forthcoming Budget. Arguing that the GST law already contains adequate penal provisions for deterrence against evasion of taxes, CII has suggested decriminalisation of GST law. Also, the applicability of prosecution provisions should not be based on the absolute amount of tax evasion but should be based on real intent to evade the taxes and a certain percentage of the tax payable, it stated.

Sunflower oil shipments to India from Russia, Ukraine return to normal

Sunflower oil shipments to India from Russia, Ukraine return to normal

Rediff.com6 Dec 2022

Shipments of sunflower oil to India have started normalising after imports from war-torn Ukraine resumed beginning September after a gap of four months, leading to further normalisation of supplies. Ukraine has been the largest supplier of sunflower oil to India. However, after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February, supplies from Ukraine dwindled as Russia denied it access to the Black Sea ports.

Has Ronaldo grown too big for his coaches?

Has Ronaldo grown too big for his coaches?

Rediff.com3 Dec 2022

Ronaldo was kept largely at bay by South Korea's defence in the Asians' last-gasp victory over Portugal that sent Uruguay out of the World Cup. But he was involved in the South Korean equalizer in the 27th minute when a corner struck him on the back and fell for Kim Young-gwon to score.

CCI slaps Rs 936.44 cr fine on Google over Play Store policies

CCI slaps Rs 936.44 cr fine on Google over Play Store policies

Rediff.com25 Oct 2022

In its second ruling against Google in less than a week, the Competition Commission on Tuesday slapped a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the internet major for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.

Over Rs 2,000 cr of M&As may come under CCI's purview

Over Rs 2,000 cr of M&As may come under CCI's purview

Rediff.com6 Aug 2022

An additional criterion in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) may require digital businesses to secure approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the anti-trust regulator. The government is set to introduce a minimum threshold "transaction value" of Rs 2,000 crore (around $250 million) for any deal as a criterion for notification to the anti-trust regulator if the entity being acquired has substantial operations in India. The new criterion is learnt to be part of the proposed amendments to the two-decade-old Competition law, which is expected to be tabled in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

Insurance: Rs 100 cr entry cap for new players may be removed

Insurance: Rs 100 cr entry cap for new players may be removed

Rediff.com8 Apr 2022

The insurance regulator wants the removal of the minimum entry capital requirement of Rs 100 crore for setting up an insurance business in a bid to facilitate the entry of multiple players such as standalone micro insurers and niche players. Debasish Panda, chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), said it should be left to the regulator instead to decide what should be the entry fee for interested players, depending on the size of the business and operations. According to the current norms, insurers are required to have a minimum paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore.

West Bengal received investment proposals of Rs 3.42 lakh cr: Mamata

West Bengal received investment proposals of Rs 3.42 lakh cr: Mamata

Rediff.com21 Apr 2022

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the state received investment proposals worth Rs 3.42 lakh crore during this year's business summit. Addressing the valedictory session of the Bengal Global Business Summit, she said that a total of 137 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Letters of Intent (LoI) were signed for the investments. Banerjee also said that the summit would create 40 lakh new jobs across sectors.

NEET, Vishwakarma Scheme, And Tamil Angst

NEET, Vishwakarma Scheme, And Tamil Angst

Rediff.com28 Sep 2023

Medical seats for under-graduates and post-graduates remaining vacant in the NEET era, together with the Centre 'freezing' the number of medical colleges and seats in (Dravidian) Tamil Nadu and the launch of the PM's 'Vishwakarma Scheme' for the nation's craftsmen, are all seen as a bid to further reverse the state's progressive socio-economic agenda of and its achievements of the past hundred-plus years, argues N Sathiya Moorthy.