News for 'Consumers Association of India'

India Inc steps up, foots bill for staff vaccination

India Inc steps up, foots bill for staff vaccination

Rediff.com6 Mar 2021

RIL, Capgemini, IndiGo among companies which have offered to pay their employees' vaccination cost.

NBA is coming to India! Sacramento vs Indiana in Mumbai

NBA is coming to India! Sacramento vs Indiana in Mumbai

Rediff.com1 Aug 2019

The country will host the first ever live NBA match in October this year

Celiac, What Ms Universe Suffers From

Celiac, What Ms Universe Suffers From

Rediff.com8 Apr 2022

While there is no permanent cure for celiac, one can control it by eliminating gluten from the diet, says Dr Tehsin A Petiwala.

Audi's 3 mantras to set it apart from the competition

Audi's 3 mantras to set it apart from the competition

Rediff.com8 Feb 2022

Audi's strategy seems to point to pushing technology to directly connect with consumers using digital platforms and marketing to synchromesh into one seamless experience, says Pavan Lall.

How Pepsi, Coke plan to quench India's thirst

How Pepsi, Coke plan to quench India's thirst

Rediff.com29 Nov 2018

PepsiCo has tie-ups with KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Burger King, and Subway in India, while Coca-Cola has a partnership with McDonald's only

Why inflation pain could get worse

Why inflation pain could get worse

Rediff.com14 Jun 2021

As India looks to mend its Covid-battered economy, one thing that will grab the attention of all concerned is the path that both wholesale and retail inflation will follow. Even the Reserve Bank of India in its latest policy statement said, "Going forward, the inflation trajectory is likely to be shaped by uncertainties impinging on the upside and the downside.

Why investors should be wary of the 'unlock' trade

Why investors should be wary of the 'unlock' trade

Rediff.com7 Sep 2021

Starting with the third quarter of financial year 2020-21 (Q3FY21), we have seen "unlock" trades at various times. Whenever lockdowns have been eased, traders have taken long positions in consumer-facing businesses. Let's look at the logic. Since March 2020, sectors like retail, personal vehicles, hospitality, aviation, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), multiplexes, etc., have been under severe pressure. As a result, there's been a low base effect. Every company in these spaces has suffered top line contraction. Many suffered losses, especially in the first half of FY21.

The Mask India Project's success story

The Mask India Project's success story

Rediff.com24 Jun 2021

'The heart is to honour all who have been struck by Covid and the map signifies that as a country, we can win this together.'

FPIs pull out nearly Rs 40,000-cr from equities in May

FPIs pull out nearly Rs 40,000-cr from equities in May

Rediff.com5 Jun 2022

Continuing its heavy selling spree for the eighth consecutive month, foreign investors pulled out nearly Rs 40,000 crore from the Indian equity market in May on fears of an aggressive rate hike by US Federal Reserve that dented investor sentiments. With this, net outflow by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) from equities reached at Rs 1.69 lakh crore so far in 2022, data with depositories showed. Going ahead, FPI flows will remain volatile in the emerging markets on account of rising geo-political risk, rising inflation, tightening of monetary policy by central banks, among others, Shrikant Chouhan, Head - Equity Research (Retail), Kotak Securities said.

Food chains face heat as consumers cut back on spends

Food chains face heat as consumers cut back on spends

Rediff.com23 Nov 2012

FMCG analysts say inflationary pressure forcing consumers to stinge on non-core products.

Now soaring tomato prices add to household woes

Now soaring tomato prices add to household woes

Rediff.com13 Oct 2021

Tomato prices in retail markets of metro cities have shot up to Rs 72 per kilogram on tight supply due to unseasonal rains in key producing states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

E-commerce rules to get stricter; flash sales may soon be history

E-commerce rules to get stricter; flash sales may soon be history

Rediff.com21 Jun 2021

The Centre on Monday proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and sought public comments on banning mis-selling and fraudulent flash sale of goods and services on e-commerce platforms, and also on making registration of these entities mandatory with DPIIT. Ban on misleading users by manipulating search results, appointment of chief compliance officer and resident grievance officer are some of the other amendments being proposed. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 were first notified in July last year.

EVs to drive auto capex up by Rs 70,630 crore in 5 years

EVs to drive auto capex up by Rs 70,630 crore in 5 years

Rediff.com13 Jun 2022

Automobile manufacturers, new and old, as well as ancillary suppliers are set to spend a combined Rs 70,630 crore over the next five years on either entering the electric vehicle segment or stepping up their presence in it. Data culled from announcements made by firms shows India, the world's fifth largest automobile market, is poised to receive one of the biggest capex pushes ever to fuel the transition from internal combustion engines to electric motors and batteries as part of a green drive. The EV push, egged on by the government's emphasis on electric mobility to meet its net zero targets, is expected to yield at least 25 electric vehicles - new ones as well as electrified versions of existing vehicles running on internal combustion engines.

UK all set to kickstart FTA talks with Modi govt

UK all set to kickstart FTA talks with Modi govt

Rediff.com25 May 2021

The UK government said on Tuesday that it has kicked off preparations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with India, launching a 14-week consultation to seek the views of the public and business before formal negotiations begin later this year. UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss said Britain wants a trade deal with India that pushes new frontiers and welcomes wide input from consumers and businesses across all sectors, which will help craft a deal that includes closer cooperation in "future-focused industries" such as science, technology and services, creating high-value jobs across the country. "We're firing the starting gun on a free trade deal with India - the world's largest democracy, fifth-biggest economy, a nation of 1.4 billion people and a huge market for British goods like whisky, cars and services," said Truss.

US, China trade war sweetens India's grape export plans

US, China trade war sweetens India's grape export plans

Rediff.com4 Jan 2019

But Down Under is a tough call due to shipment time and quality control issues.

RIL stake sales help PE investments jump 38% in 2020

RIL stake sales help PE investments jump 38% in 2020

Rediff.com9 Jun 2021

Private equity investments in Indian companies grew 38 per cent to $62.2 billion last year, with inflows into Reliance Industries' telecom and retail ventures contributing nearly 40 per cent of the total value of the deals, a report said on Wednesday. Barring investments into Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail, the total deal value was down by 20 per cent over 2019 as the volume of large deals of more than $100 million dipped by a fourth, as per the report by Bain & Company and India Venture Capital Association. Overall investment activity remained muted from March to May last year due to COVID-led uncertainties and investor confidence recovered strongly in the second half to pre-COVID levels with late-stage and buyout deals witnessing increased traction, it said.

Bitter truth of India's sugar industry

Bitter truth of India's sugar industry

Rediff.com24 Jul 2017

Poor rain threatens recovery in production this season, sugar prices at three-month high

India looking to store oil in US, other commercially viable locations

India looking to store oil in US, other commercially viable locations

Rediff.com29 Sep 2020

India and the US had on July 17 signed a preliminary agreement for cooperating on emergency crude oil reserves, including the possibility of India storing oil in the US emergency stockpile.

India Inc red-flags exodus of workers to government

India Inc red-flags exodus of workers to government

Rediff.com29 Mar 2020

16 national and regional industry bodies and sectoral business lobbies video-conferenced with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday and raised key concerns facing Indian industry in the wake of the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus.

E-com firms look to get a fillip ahead of festive season

E-com firms look to get a fillip ahead of festive season

Rediff.com13 Oct 2020

This year, festive sales are expected to push up the annual gross merchandise value of e-commerce companies to around $38 billion, a 40 per cent growth over the previous year.

The Woes Of Wayanad Continue

The Woes Of Wayanad Continue

Rediff.com19 Apr 2023

Away from the distraction of its new high-profile politics, Wayanad's worries seemed very down to earth, discovers Shyam G Menon.

New recurring payment norms: 4 weeks later, people still face disruptions

New recurring payment norms: 4 weeks later, people still face disruptions

Rediff.com28 Oct 2021

More than three weeks have passed since the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) new guidelines on e-mandates for recurring payments came into effect but consumers are still taking to social media platforms to complain about the disruptions they are facing. This comes as most stakeholders in the ecosystem have not put in place systems in accordance with the new rules, resulting in many transactions not going through. Industry sources said most banks are still not ready, especially the smaller ones.

'The more prudent thing would be to buy on dips'

'The more prudent thing would be to buy on dips'

Rediff.com14 Apr 2022

'The recent correction in indices has made the markets cheaper to invest for the long term.'

Can RBI's digital currency replace physical cash?

Can RBI's digital currency replace physical cash?

Rediff.com15 Dec 2022

Despite the demonetisation of 2016 and the rise in digital transactions that followed, the economy's dependence on cash has remained as high as ever. So when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a pilot project of its version of digital cash - called the central bank digital currency (CBDC) - on December 1, many questions were asked. Can the CBDC replace physical cash, even partially? Can it match cash in terms of convenience? Are CBDC transactions truly anonymous?

Services activity rebounds at fastest pace in 18 months

Services activity rebounds at fastest pace in 18 months

Rediff.com3 Sep 2021

The seasonally adjusted India Services Business Activity Index rose from 45.4 in July to 56.7 in August, as the reopening of several establishments and increased consumer footfall boosted sales. The services sector witnessed the first expansion in output in four months and a rebound in business confidence.

'Farmers are not enjoying any freedom'

'Farmers are not enjoying any freedom'

Rediff.com15 Aug 2022

'We will be hoisting the tiranga, but this kind of celebration is uncalled for when the farmers in this country are dying by suicides, their families are ravaged by poverty and farmers are not enjoying any freedom.'

Momentum of inflation on downward slope: RBI Governor

Momentum of inflation on downward slope: RBI Governor

Rediff.com14 Feb 2022

The Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday said that the "momentum of inflation is on a downward slope" and the central bank would continue to strike a delicate balance between the need to contain price rise and ensure economic growth. The Reserve Bank's inflation projections, Das said, are "robust" but contingent on downside and upside risks associated with the movement of global crude oil prices. The RBI takes into account a particular range within which crude prices are expected to fluctuate considering all the factors that can be anticipated and that can be sort of foreseen as of today, he said.

India may get its first gold exchange

India may get its first gold exchange

Rediff.com8 Dec 2015

A dedicated physical gold exchange could lead to standard gold pricing in India.

Prices of white goods rise third time in 2021

Prices of white goods rise third time in 2021

Rediff.com30 Dec 2021

The latest hike is likely to be followed by another such move next month, said industry players. Before the latest hike, companies had initiated price hikes to the tune of 12-13 per cent in 2021 but they weren't able to fully cover the increase in costs.

'Amazon has an outsize impact on India'

'Amazon has an outsize impact on India'

Rediff.com3 Jul 2021

'We are having an outsize impact not only on the lives of the customers and livelihood, but also the economy of India.'

Exporters demand fiscal incentives, credit at affordable rates in Budget

Exporters demand fiscal incentives, credit at affordable rates in Budget

Rediff.com24 Nov 2022

Exporters on Thursday demanded fiscal incentives, tweaking in customs duties on certain products and credit at affordable rates in the forthcoming Budget to boost exports and create jobs. In a pre-budget virtual meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said the depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar is affecting exports' competitiveness and the sector requires more support. "Creation of employment is the biggest challenge faced by the country...We would urge the government to provide fiscal support to units which provide additional employment in the export sector," the exporter's body said.

Big Tech in financial system poses concentration risk: Shaktikanta Das

Big Tech in financial system poses concentration risk: Shaktikanta Das

Rediff.com21 Sep 2022

The increasing involvement of Big Tech in the financial system could give rise to concentration risk and there are potential spillovers, which call for closer attention, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Tuesday. "...enormous amounts of consumer data is being generated and leveraged upon by a few entities (the so-called Big Tech) by virtue of their huge customer base. "Such developments raise concerns on concentration risk and potential spillovers as their level of engagement with the financial system strengthens in the years to come," Das said at the Global Fintech Fest 2022.

How India plans to become a sporting superpower...

How India plans to become a sporting superpower...

Rediff.com19 Jun 2020

The Sports Ministry is set to establish 1000 Khelo India Centres (KIC) at the district level across the country with the help of sporting champions, who will be remunerated for providing their expertise. The centres will either be run by a past champion or have them as a coach.

'The women loved Elaben'

'The women loved Elaben'

Rediff.com4 Nov 2022

'Who would think of making a bank of poor women? She had vision and boldness.'

De Beers chief on the future of diamond trade in India

De Beers chief on the future of diamond trade in India

Rediff.com20 Apr 2018

Despite various challenges, the past year was a good one, says Bruce Cleaver, chief executive officer of the De Beers Group, the global corporation that has been the leading one in all aspects of the diamond trade for over a century.

High 5G spectrum prices put pressure on telcos

High 5G spectrum prices put pressure on telcos

Rediff.com10 Apr 2022

Apex telecom industry body COAI has asserted that spectrum pricing should be kept conducive to market conditions as 5G entails upfront capital investments with monetisation spread over a long-haul, and pricing radiowaves high will only push the players up against the wall. The stage is set for Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to come out with its recommendations on 5G spectrum pricing and other modalities for upcoming auctions, and the announcement from the sector watchdog is expected anytime now. Norms will also be worked out for new frequencies such as 526-698 MHz and millimetre band, that is 24.25 - 28.5 GHz, in addition to bands such as 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300-3670 MHz.

India gained $755m from US-China trade war: UNCTAD study

India gained $755m from US-China trade war: UNCTAD study

Rediff.com6 Nov 2019

The study, 'Trade and trade diversion effects of United States tariffs on China', shows that the ongoing US-China trade war has resulted in a sharp decline in bilateral trade, higher prices for consumers and trade diversion effects -- increased imports from countries not directly involved in the trade war.

She is on a mission to HEAL India

She is on a mission to HEAL India

Rediff.com24 May 2021

Vibha Harish is trying to create long-lasting health through natural forms of nutrition.

Zomato, Swiggy hit by hour-long technical glitch on April 6

Zomato, Swiggy hit by hour-long technical glitch on April 6

Rediff.com7 Apr 2022

Food delivery apps Zomato and Swiggy reported a nationwide outage on Wednesday. Both the platforms witnessed technical glitches and were unresponsive for almost an hour. Downdetector, a platform that collects status reports from a series of sources, recorded about 3,619 reports of outage against Zomato at 2:05 PM and about 771 reports of outage against Swiggy at around 2:21 PM. According to the sources, the outage was caused by Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud-services platform, which runs both platforms. Though Swiggy and Zomato are working now, some customers reported that the issue has not been solved completely and they are not able to place orders and there are payment related issues.

India set to have 150 unicorns by 2025

India set to have 150 unicorns by 2025

Rediff.com2 Mar 2021

$47.6 bn capital invested across 921 deals in India in 2020, despite pandemic.