Operating margins have been the primary driver of corporate earnings in India in recent quarters, despite revenue growth suffering from weak consumer demand. Companies across sectors have reported a sharp improvement in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) margins over the past two years, benefiting from lower commodity and energy prices. Higher margins more than compensated for slower revenue growth, resulting in double-digit growth in net profit for five consecutive quarters.
Chemicals, heavy engineering, automobiles, transportation and steel are some of the sectors which need supportive policy decisions, the industry has demanded. The committee of secretaries headed by cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar will meet industry representatives from sectors which feel that they need help from the government to tide over the economic crisis.
Closure of tanneries pulls down domestic finished leather exports and local price of raw-skin.
Government's exit from Maruti Udyog Ltd may not happen for sometime now, with the finance minister asking the heavy industries ministry to 'wait for an opportune time' to offload its residual stake in the company.
Tech Mahindra was the biggest loser in the Sensex pack, slipping 4.59 per cent, followed by Asian Paints, Wipro, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Infosys, ITC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, IndusInd Bank, Reliance Industries and JSW Steel. In contrast, Larsen & Toubro, Bharti Airtel, Power Grid and Axis Bank were among the gainers.
'India's fundamentals are a lot better (than those of other emerging market economies).' 'India will suffer (witness a fall in its stock market) what I call the second order effect.' 'And the second order will happen when these funds (belonging to macro and hedge fund investors and which have leveraged Japanese yen-carry trades), because they lose money elsewhere as lot of their positions were financed by borrowing Japanese yen, will have to book profits in investment destinations where they are making money, including in markets like India.' 'They (these investors) will have to effectively sell in countries like India and which is the consequence (the crash in equity markets) that Indian markets might see.'
Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty settled with marginal gains on Thursday in a highly volatile trade amid the scheduled monthly derivatives expiry and muted trend in the US markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex closed 86.53 points or 0.13 per cent higher at 66,988.44, registering its third day of gains. During the day, it hit a high of 67,069.89 and a low of 66,610.35.
The last word may not have been said on the churnings within the Pakistan army or the extent to which army chief General Asim Munir is in control, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RAW, India's external intelligence agency.
'Manjummel Boys is way beyond my control now.'
History of electronics indicates that no company, nor any nation for that matter, has been able to cement pole position and maintain it through several cycles. he death of its iconic promoter, Lee Kun-hee, raises questions over how long the chaebol can maintain its gigantic footprint in the global electronics industry, says Devangshu Datta.
Among the Sensex firms, UltraTech Cement, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India, Tata Consultancy Services, Larsen & Toubro, Kotak Mahindra Bank and State Bank of India were the major gainers. In contrast, Tata Motors, Maruti, Axis Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, ITC, NTPC, Tata Steel and Bajaj Finserv were the major laggards.
By the year 2026, India will be the third in the world after China and USA in engineering, manufacturing and export of vehicles and auto components.
An alert has also been sounded along the border and a high degree of vigilance is being maintained at vital installations in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the visit, they said.
The customs officials, based on an intelligence input, halted a Malta-flagged merchant ship -- CMA CGM Attila -- at the port en route to Karachi on January 23 and inspected the consignment, which included a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, originally manufactured by an Italian company.
The government has initiated the process of selling all its holding in Maruti Udyog Limited to raise more than Rs 2500 crore (Rs 25 billion).
Aditi honoured in Dubai... Sonal turns poet...Kalki goes surfing...
General Motors India (GMI) on Monday launched a variant of its sports utility vehicle 'Chevrolet Forester' to tap the growing SUV market in India.
The erstwhile divestment commission to be now be replaced by the BRPSE.
'Being someone who wholely believes in God and frequently visits temples across the country, it is the last thing I would intentionally do. To those whose feelings we've touched, I extend my sincere & heartfelt apologies.'
The RJD strongman, who is yet to take charge as MoS, Heavy Industries Ministry, said he was informed about this by Secretary, Heavy Industries, Naresh Narad.
The senior leader from Assam refused to assume office as Minister of State with independent charge of Heavy Industries Ministry after RJD's Taslimuddin was also appointed as MoS of the same ministry.
DiamlerChrysler, Volvo, Renault plan to hit roads with their high-capacity trucks soon.
Renowned ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, whose velvet smooth voice gave expression to the many colours of love, longing and heartache in songs such as Chitthi Ayee Hai and Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein, died in Mumbai on Monday, February 26, 2024, after a prolonged illness.
Swami Chinmayanand, Kailash Meghwal, Prahlad Singh Patel, Nagmani and P C Thomas were also inducted as ministers of state into the council of ministers.
As the government plans no further extension of the scheme beyond FY24, the task is to achieve the unfinished target of subsidising 914,707 EVs.
I suggest we build a Vigyan Mandir (Temple of Science) with the ambience of a place of worship, so that it becomes a destination for pilgrims. We should embed on its walls bronze plaques describing each scientist mentioned here along with about a dozen of our ancient mathematicians, recommends Professor Kalyan Singhal, historian of science and technology.
In the event of a war with China, AMCA deep strikes would target China's rail and road links with Tibet, isolating PLA divisions there.
Tokyo -- the songs Japan, Love In Tokyo and Sayonara from the 1966 Hindi film automatically pop up in the mind -- is buzzing and crowded like any other metropolis, discovers Deepa Gahlot. The modern apartment blocks are built cheek by jowl, so close together that one can open the window and borrow sugar from the neighbour in the next building. One of the fears of the Indian traveller is the unavailability of vegetarian food. Every city and town in Japan has an array of Indian restaurants that serve every variety of cuisine, right from Gujarati to Punjabi to Andhra and Kerala meals.
'If you take any ministry of defence project, Nibe is up there, getting orders.'
Once a K-drama buff, always a K-drama buff.
The interim Budget in May this year had extended the depreciation benefit on purchase of new commercial vehicles to September from March 2009. Industry executives said this should be extended as sales of large vehicles slumped 40 per cent in April and May this year. Sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles had dipped 33 per cent in 2008-2009.
Some farmer outfits on Friday threw their weight behind the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) woman constable who allegedly slapped actor and Bharatiya Janata Party MP-elect Kangana Ranaut, saying the entire sequence leading to the incident needs to be properly investigated.
Officials hint the visit could finally see a formal defence industrial road map being adopted by both nations.