In the biggest ever deal in the Indian media sector, RIL will acquire control in Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd, including its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Ltd.
As part of ongoing de-merger of Reliance group companies following settlement of ownership between two Ambani brothers, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd has acquired 37.95 per cent stake in Reliance Energy, owned by the younger brother.
In its first decision, the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) on Wednesday cleared Reliance Industries' producing KG-D6 block and gas discovery area NEC-25 along with 3 other areas where the Defence Ministry had either barred oil and gas activity or put stringent conditions on that.
Based on a petition filed by Palem Srikanth Reddy, president of the Jana Palana Party, a division bench comprising justices G Rohini and T Sunil Chowdary issued notices and posted the matter on April 2 for further hearing.
The company should be given a fair chance to be heard in the matter, the judges said and posted the matter for further hearing on December 19.
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The Management Committee headed by Director General of Hydrocarbons R N Choubey refused to take a view on appointment of renowned reservoir consultants Ryder Scott, DeGolyer and MacNaughton, Gaffney, Cline & Associates or Netherland, Sewell & Associates to ascertain if RIL's claims of fall in reserves are actually true or the firm was hoarding gas by producing less, official sources said.
RIL had been under pressure to utilise the cash on its books and these investment plans show how it has charted a way forward.
Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 575 points on Thursday, tracking heavy losses in index-heavyweights HDFC twins, TCS and Reliance Industries amid a weak trend in global markets. Declining for the third straight day, the 30-share Sensex slumped 575.46 points or 0.97 per cent to settle at 59,034.95. During the day, it tanked 633.06 points or 1.06 per cent to 58,977.35. The broader Nifty-50 also declined 168.10 points or 0.94 per cent to close at 17,639.55.
In its report 'Global Top Picks', Barclays expects the current bull market in global equities to continue, generating a total return of 9 per cent in 2015.
Sources said a final order could be made soon in this case by Sebi, which has rejected twice RIL's request for settling the case by paying a consent fee -- an out-of-court settlement like resolution reached through negotiations between the two parties.
This is a part of the company's plan to raise $13 billion debt to fund expansion of its petrochemical production capacity and gasification project for its refining facilities to improve margins.
The company had initially objected to audit by CAG for time barred years as per Production Sharing Contract and had not accepted the 'exceptional circumstances' advanced by the ministry
The Power Ministry is believed to have instructed state-run NTPC to sign a gas supply deal with Mukesh Ambani-led RIL to lift government allotted quota, while favouring that marketing margins be decided by the Oil Ministry instead of the supplier.
Reliance Industries has cautioned that NTPC should not make comments on matters sub-judice lest they are construed as attempt to influence the outcome of its court case seeking natural gas at price committed in 2004.
The two sides had approached Supreme Court challenging a decision by the Bombay high court on June 15, which said RIL should provide 28 million cubic metres of gas per day to RNRL at $2.34 per mmBtu and both the parties should sign a necessary agreement for the same within a month.
Ambani's wealth jumped $3.59 billion in the past 24 hours, while Adani added $2.96 billion to his net worth.
Extending their rally to a third straight day, benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty jumped nearly 2 per cent on Monday on heavy buying in Reliance Industries and Infosys amid a firm trend in global equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex rallied 1,041.08 points or 1.90 per cent to settle at 55,925.74. During the day, it gained 1,197.99 points or 2.18 per cent to 56,082.65. The broader NSE Nifty jumped 308.95 points or 1.89 per cent to settle at 16,661.40.
Stay out of Mumbai surveillance project, may seek new allies for future
RIL-BP, who are currently producing about 11.8 million standard cubic metres per day of gas from the flagging eastern offshore KG-D6 block, is targeting newer fields in KG-D6 block and gas discoveries in neighbouring north-east coast and Cauvery basin to raise output.
Consequently, RIL lost its about position of the country's largest company in terms of market valuation, which it had held for nearly a month.
No launch date of the service mentioned
However, no formal confirmation of the meeting and the issues discussed could be obtained from either group.
BP, which bought a 30 per cent stake in RIL's 21 oil and gas blocks, including KG-D6, for $7.026 billion in 2011, is working with RIL to arrest the output decline in the fields.
Reliance Industries is seeking about Rs 400 crore (Rs 4 billion) from state-owned oil retailers in unrealised amount on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene, it sells to them.
RIL has completed Network 18s open offer after four months of acquiring the latter.
The Oil Ministry has been trying since July to get an Empowered Committee of Secretaries to vet the separate price proposals of RIL and Essar but the panel has so far not decided to take up the issue.
At end of trade on Thursday, ONGC commanded a market value of Rs 2,90,587 crore.
In Q3, E&P business accounted for just 1.5% of gross revenue
Reliance Industries on Monday said its city gas would be cheaper by almost 33 per cent compared to liquefied petroleum gas being supplied by oil PSUs.
US e-commerce major Amazon told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the talks with the Future Group to resolve the dispute over Future Retail's merger deal with Reliance Retail have failed and sought intervention to ensure that the stores of FRL are not taken over. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, on March 3, had acceded to Amazon's request and granted 10 days to it for exploring the possibility of resolving the dispute through dialogue with the Future Group. The bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli, is hearing Amazon's appeal against the January 5 order of the Delhi high court, which stayed the arbitration proceedings before the arbitral tribunal over Future Retail's merger deal with Reliance Retail. "It often happens that sometimes, we hope very positively but in the end, it is not positive at all.
RIL wants to drill an exploration well on the D1&D3 gas fields in the KG-D6 block, Cairn on the Rajasthan block.
Reliance Industries has approved the demerger of power, financial and telecommunication services, the three entities that went to Anil Ambani as part of the settlement he reached with elder brother Mukesh.
Tata group firm TCS on Wednesday replaced Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries as the country's most valued company in terms of market capitalisation, as investors rallied behind the shares of the IT giant.
BP and Reliance Industries Ltd are leading the race to pick up a 25 per cent stake in Gujarat State Petronet Corporation and the Adani group's five million tonnes per annum liquefied natural gas terminal at Mundra.
Move came in the wake of government's refusal to settle the dispute through arbitration over recovery of cost incurred by the company.
Narendra Modi is India's most successful prime minister and the greatest global leader of current generation, billionaire Mukesh Ambani said on Wednesday as he flaunted his group Reliance Industries' Gujarati heritage and its over USD 150 billion (Rs 12 lakh crore) investment in last 10 years.
CPM leader Tapen Sen has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a probe into what he called 'artifical inflation' in Reliance Industries' KG-D6 spend and the Mukesh Ambani-run firm's 'manipulation' of gas price.
Indians prefer to buy electronic products such as smartphones offline. The reason being the ability to "touch and feel"
