News for 'Consumers Association of India'

'Winning a Ranji Trophy is not easy now'

'Winning a Ranji Trophy is not easy now'

Rediff.com20 Mar 2024

'That's the beauty of Mumbai cricket. Nobody interferes with the running of the cricket, only the cricketers are allowed to run the cricket.'

Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad For You

Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad For You

Rediff.com29 Nov 2023

Even a few servings of ultra-processed foods can contribute significantly to your daily calorie intake, warns dietician Rachel Anthony.

Pilots Fume as DGCA Moves to Ban Perfumes

Pilots Fume as DGCA Moves to Ban Perfumes

Rediff.com6 Oct 2023

DGCA's move seeks to ban perfumes for pilots as they have alcohol and can affect the results of breathanalyser tests. But the FAA and EASA have different standards, says senior journalist Shobha John.

India's smartphone market sees 1% decline in the first half of 2022

India's smartphone market sees 1% decline in the first half of 2022

Rediff.com9 Aug 2022

India's smartphone market has fallen by one per cent in the first half of 2022, as shipments of Xiaomi - the top-selling brand - declined 28 per cent due to weak consumer demand in the quarter ended June. According to the International Data Corporation's (IDC's) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, 71 million smartphones were shipped from January to June this year. The highest decline was in the below-$100 segment, which lost its market share by 5 per cent.

Retail inflation in June rises to 3-month high of 4.81%

Retail inflation in June rises to 3-month high of 4.81%

Rediff.com12 Jul 2023

Retail inflation rose to three-month high of 4.81 per cent in June, mainly on account of hardening prices of food, according to the government data. Inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 4.31 per per (revised upward from 4.25 per cent) in May and 7 per cent in June 2022. The inflation, however, remains within the RBI's comfort level of below 6 per cent.

India's rising medical devices imports hurt small and medium units

India's rising medical devices imports hurt small and medium units

Rediff.com19 Jul 2022

India's medical devices imports surged 41 per cent to touch Rs 63,200 crore in 2021-22, led by a 48 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in imports from China to Rs 13,538 crore, the commerce ministry data analysed by the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) has showed. Local industry players say this has led to several small and medium units to shut shop. Rakesh Vaid of Usha Fabs, a garments exporter, had started making N95 masks in his Gurgaon factory during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Will Or Gift Deed? What's Better To Transfer Assets To Next Generation?

Will Or Gift Deed? What's Better To Transfer Assets To Next Generation?

Rediff.com22 Dec 2023

'Planning for the transfer of assets to the next generation is an important aspect of financial and estate planning.'

What Are RBI's Challenges In 2024?

What Are RBI's Challenges In 2024?

Rediff.com9 Feb 2024

The challenge for the RBI in 2024 is likely to be less about containing elevated inflation and more about curbing excessive financial market exuberance and a 'problem of plenty', notes Sajjid Chinoy, Chief India Economist JP Morgan.

Real estate, travel and tourism blues hit India's consumption story

Real estate, travel and tourism blues hit India's consumption story

Rediff.com15 Mar 2021

India's Rs 4.5-trillion fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector was one of the first to bounce back from the lockdown induced blues, reporting a year-on-year (YoY) growth in the October-December quarter last year. That said, the overall consumption figures continue to remain depressed. The FMCG market, which includes daily consumables like branded atta, hand sanitizers, edible oils, shampoos, razors, and so on, recorded 7.3 per cent value growth during the period, while the smartphone market grew by 21 per cent.

Chips: Why govt's dream to make India self-reliant may be premature

Chips: Why govt's dream to make India self-reliant may be premature

Rediff.com10 Oct 2022

Mumbai-based Indian Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ISMC) and Singapore-headquartered IGSS Ventures have one strategy in common: They have told the government in their application for semiconductor fabrication plants that they will export the bulk of the chips they make in India in the initial five or 10 years. The third applicant, Vedanta-Foxconn, which is also building a fab plant, has said it will concentrate on the needs of consumer electronics and mobile device markets, and earmark 80 per cent of output for domestic consumption, but has not specified its customers. Finding a viable domestic market could well be the biggest challenge for India's renewed tryst with semiconductors. Fab plants do not sell directly to end users but to intermediary chip design companies - such as Qualcomm or MediaTek.

How Vicks Vaporub Become A Blockbuster

How Vicks Vaporub Become A Blockbuster

Rediff.com31 Oct 2023

Within six months, outlets carrying Vicks jumped from 60,000 pharmacies to 750,000 general stores. The trade boycott collapsed. Consumers were happy, finding Vicks now at every street corner. A fascinating excerpt from Gurcharan Das's Another Sort of Freedom.

'The real GDP was captured better'

'The real GDP was captured better'

Rediff.com1 Dec 2023

'Revision of the base year for both CPI and GDP are long overdue.' 'The basic data that went into the 2011-2012 series were mainly from surveys done in 2011 or earlier.' 'We have since seen the emergence of new sectors like platform-based work and online marketing.' 'The employment surveys and the consumption surveys need to reflect these adequately.'

Soaring veggie prices stoke inflation fears

Soaring veggie prices stoke inflation fears

Rediff.com12 Jul 2023

Unprecedented rains and floods in the northern region in the past few days have not only caused extensive damage to lives and property but have also impacted business and commercial establishments. Vegetable prices have gone through the roof in the national capital and many other parts of the country since rains started pouring earlier this month. Traders say vegetable prices would come down only after roads open and skies clear, even as water in the fields will take time to recede.

Inflation eats into India's rural demand while green shoots become visible

Inflation eats into India's rural demand while green shoots become visible

Rediff.com11 Aug 2022

In May, Satpal Singh, who runs a dairy business with three buffaloes in Jewar, near Noida, was worried about the steep spike in input costs. Singh said dry fodder rates, which cost Rs 1,500-2000 per tractor trolley last year, were quoting at Rs 4,500-5,000. The price of other cattle feed ingredients (that include mustard meal and similar mixes) had also gone up from Rs 2,000 per quintal to Rs 3,100-3,200 per quintal.

Fitch revises India rating outlook to 'stable' from 'negative'

Fitch revises India rating outlook to 'stable' from 'negative'

Rediff.com10 Jun 2022

Fitch Ratings on Friday said it has revised the outlook on India's sovereign rating to 'stable' from 'negative' as downside risks to medium-term growth have diminished on rapid economic recovery. Fitch Ratings kept the rating unchanged at 'BBB-'.

Alarming levels of lead found in all paint brands

Alarming levels of lead found in all paint brands

Rediff.com5 Jan 2011

Officially-backed survey finds unacceptable levels of lead in paint brands.

Water use, pollution high in animal slaughter industry: Bhagwat

Water use, pollution high in animal slaughter industry: Bhagwat

Rediff.com29 Dec 2022

The RSS chief also noted that those who eat non-vegetarian food in India follow rules and desist from eating it during the Hindu month of Shravan and on Thursdays.

Grasim Industries' rights issue will strengthen balance sheet, fuel growth

Grasim Industries' rights issue will strengthen balance sheet, fuel growth

Rediff.com25 Oct 2023

Grasim Industries has announced a rights issue of around Rs 4,000 crore with the promoters committed to fully subscribing to their entitlements and to covering any unsubscribed portion. This is to part-fund capital expenditure (capex) of Rs 10,000 crore in a new foray into the paints business. The company has already invested Rs 3,640 crore in the paints business (by Q1FY24). The management has outlined a capex of Rs 5,700 crore for FY24, which includes Rs 4,280 crore allocated for the paints business, of which Rs 1,050 crore has already been spent in Q1FY24.

Ranji: Dube's blitz, Shaw's comeback and Mumbai's dominance

Ranji: Dube's blitz, Shaw's comeback and Mumbai's dominance

Rediff.com2 Feb 2024

Shivam Dube continued his recent streak of form with a counter-attacking fifty that proved to be the cornerstone of Mumbai's excellent 330 for six against Bengal

Cars, phones that impressed consumers with their amazing features

Cars, phones that impressed consumers with their amazing features

Rediff.com20 Oct 2015

Like last year, this year too smartphones dominated the most successful launches taking the top three slots, with two auto brands completing the top 5 line-up.

Consumer electronic firms get tough with e-tailers

Consumer electronic firms get tough with e-tailers

Rediff.com12 Nov 2014

LG, Samsung, Videocon, Sony and Panasonic have instructed their trade partners that products sold through online marketplaces without their knowledge during flash sales will not get the benefit of after-sale service and warranties.

'Films offer you life lessons'

'Films offer you life lessons'

Rediff.com21 Feb 2024

'If someone were to ask you if you want to die tomorrow, no matter what problems you are grappling with, you would be hesitant, right?'

Why are electric two-wheelers in India catching fire?

Why are electric two-wheelers in India catching fire?

Rediff.com12 May 2022

Nearly a decade ago, the first fully electric vehicle (EV) caught fire on the road in the US. It was a model from Tesla, the world's most admired EV maker. A metal fragment punctured the underbelly of the vehicle, penetrating its battery pack, leading to a fire. Indian lawmakers and automakers have had nine years to study the incident (in fact, three Tesla Model Ss caught fire in two months in 2013) but seem to have learnt little.

Can Threads Be The 'Twitter Killer'?

Can Threads Be The 'Twitter Killer'?

Rediff.com24 Jul 2023

'If Threads doesn't become a distinct identity, and just a text version in the shadows of Instagram, then it may fizzle out.'

The Complete Hotelier And Host Extraordinaire

The Complete Hotelier And Host Extraordinaire

Rediff.com17 Nov 2023

Shreekant Sambrani remembers P R S 'Biki' Oberoi, personal friend and hospitality icon, who passed into the ages this week.

Sky is the limit for private space sector in Isro's new policy

Sky is the limit for private space sector in Isro's new policy

Rediff.com21 Apr 2023

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Thursday came out with the Indian Space Policy 2023 to promote greater private sector participation in the entire value chain of the space economy. According to the policy, Isro will encourage new-generation entities to participate in space exploration and human presence in outer space, including collaboration with domestic and international stakeholders. The policy also sets a road map for Isro to transition from manufacturing operational space systems to focus energies on research and development in advanced technologies.

Govt portal pins 285,000 missing mobile phones, but only 20,771 recovered

Govt portal pins 285,000 missing mobile phones, but only 20,771 recovered

Rediff.com24 Jul 2023

The Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) of the department of telecommunications (DoT) has traced 285,000 lost or stolen mobile phones and blocked 680,000 devices since being launched. However, recoveries remain relatively low at 20,771 devices. According to government estimates, around 50,000 mobile phones are stolen every month in the country. Launched nationwide on May 16, the CEIR is a part of the DoT's Sanchar Saathi portal. It is the primary government platform aimed at protecting mobile phone users from various frauds such as identity theft, forged KYC, theft of mobile devices and banking frauds.

Indian PC mkt dips 11.7% in Q3CY22; demand to be slow for next 2 qtrs: IDC

Indian PC mkt dips 11.7% in Q3CY22; demand to be slow for next 2 qtrs: IDC

Rediff.com18 Nov 2022

India's traditional PC market, inclusive of desktops, notebooks, and workstations declined by 11.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in Q3CY22 (Jul-Sep) after 8 consecutive quarters of growth despite strong shipments of 3.9 million units, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. All segments declined except the government, which grew by 91.5 per cent YoY on the back of government orders, leading to strong growth in the third consecutive quarter. While the desktop and workstation categories grew by 23.4 per cent and 17.6 per cent YoY respectively, the notebook category declined by 19.5 per cent YoY.

Passenger sues Air India for personal data breach: What happens now?

Passenger sues Air India for personal data breach: What happens now?

Rediff.com14 Jul 2021

Recently, an Air India flyer sent a legal notice to the airline seeking damages of Rs 30 lakh for the breach of personal data of 4.5 million passengers, including her husband and herself. Air India had informed the complainant of the data leak a month earlier, after it emerged that its passenger service system provider fell prey to a cyberattack in February. However, in the absence of a data protection law, India lacks a mechanism for compensation or grievance redress of consumers in such cases, say experts. Advocate Virag Gupta, a New Delhi-based cyber law expert, explains that a legal notice is a good beginning in the Air India case, but it raises many questions. These include whether sensitive personal information has been leaked and whether the airline is responsible or not, given that a passenger service system provider was also involved.

HC seeks status report from govt on illegal sale of medicines online

HC seeks status report from govt on illegal sale of medicines online

Rediff.com15 Mar 2023

The petitioner's lawyer interjected the rules are being framed for the last 5-6 years but nothing concrete has been done yet.

Made in India tag: E-commerce firms get 148 notices in past three months

Made in India tag: E-commerce firms get 148 notices in past three months

Rediff.com25 Jun 2021

The Centre has slapped as many as 148 notices on e-commerce players in the past three months for not complying with the mandatory display of the 'country of origin' tag on products sold. "Of the 148 notices, 56 have compounded it (the offence) and paid up around Rs 34 lakh," a senior official told Business Standard. "Every product has to display the country of origin, along with other basic information," the official added. In the case of e-commerce companies, these details have to be clearly displayed on their portals.

Automobile dealers' body seeks cut in GST on two-wheelers from 28% to 18%

Automobile dealers' body seeks cut in GST on two-wheelers from 28% to 18%

Rediff.com18 May 2023

Automobile dealers' body FADA on Thursday sought a cut in GST on two-wheelers from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, saying the segment being essential for millions should not be categorised as luxury item. The industry body said it has appealed to the finance minister, chair of the GST Council, all GST Council members, the ministry of heavy industries, which supervises the automobile sector, and the ministry of road transport & highways. This timely and decisive intervention would help in making two-wheelers more affordable, reviving demand and reinvigorating an industry that has seen a significant slump in sales over the past few years, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said in a statement.

Facebook vs Facebake/Facecake and IPR violations in India

Facebook vs Facebake/Facecake and IPR violations in India

Rediff.com16 Jul 2022

In a country like India, where counterfeit items are sold in every nook and corner, the regulation of trademark infringement poses a big challenge.

Two-day all India strike from Monday may hit essential services

Two-day all India strike from Monday may hit essential services

Rediff.com27 Mar 2022

The strike notices were given by workers' unions of various sectors such as coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks and insurance.

India's plan to produce ethanol from 2G sources delayed

India's plan to produce ethanol from 2G sources delayed

Rediff.com10 Aug 2022

India's plan to produce ethanol from second-generation (2G) sources -- mainly farm waste -- is taking time to materialise even as the government is set to dedicate to the nation on Wednesday a Rs 900-crore plant set up by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in Panipat. Though state-run oil companies had decided to set up at least 12 plants in 2016-17 with an investment of around Rs 10,000 crore, this will be the first unit coming on track while others are stuck in various stages owing to issues like capital expenditure, lack of feedstock, and high rates of finished products compared to traditional ethanol units. According to industry sources, three more second-generation plants are coming up.

Combined revenue of listed Tata group's firms tops Rs 10 trillion

Combined revenue of listed Tata group's firms tops Rs 10 trillion

Rediff.com29 May 2023

Led by Tata Motors and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the combined revenue of the Tata group's listed firms crossed the Rs 10-trillion mark for the first time, in 2022-23. The group's 14 key listed companies in which Tata Sons holds a direct equity stake reported a combined revenue of Rs 10.07 trillion in FY23, up 15.3 per cent from Rs 8.73 trillion in FY22. The combined net profit of these companies was, however, down 10.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) at Rs 66,670 crore in FY23, from a record high of Rs 74,540 crore in the previous financial year, when the profit had jumped 156 per cent YoY, aided by Tata Steel's strong showing.

Inflation slips to 18-month low of 4.7% in April, nears RBI's 4% target

Inflation slips to 18-month low of 4.7% in April, nears RBI's 4% target

Rediff.com12 May 2023

Retail inflation declined to an 18-month low of 4.7 per cent in April mainly due to falling prices of vegetables, oils and fats, and came closer to Reserve Bank's target of 4 per cent, showed government data released Friday. It was for the second month in a row that Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation remained within the RBI's comfort zone of below 6 per cent. The government has tasked the central bank to ensure retail inflation remains at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side.

Who Are India's 'Unemployed'?

Who Are India's 'Unemployed'?

Rediff.com15 Mar 2022

An overwhelming proportion of the unemployed declare their nature of occupation as students. In the quarter ended December 2021, 77% of the unemployed who were actively looking for jobs were students. This syncs well with another data, that 77% of the unemployed are between 15 and 24 years of age, reveals Mahesh Vyas.

How Politicians Prevented Onion Tears

How Politicians Prevented Onion Tears

Rediff.com5 Sep 2023

Even before NCP-Ajit Pawar leaders came to meet in Delhi, the central government decided to buy 200,000 tonnes of onions from farmers at Rs 24.1 per quintal. This was among the highest prices at which onions have ever been bought from farmers.

Retail inflation falls to 15-month low of 5.66% in March

Retail inflation falls to 15-month low of 5.66% in March

Rediff.com12 Apr 2023

Retail inflation fell to a 15-month low of 5.66 per cent in March, mainly due to a decline in food prices, government data showed on Wednesday. The inflation figure in March is within the RBI's comfort zone as it is below 6 per cent. The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 6.44 per cent in February 2023 and 6.95 per cent in the year-ago period.