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.
The Election Commission asked the government to defer announcement of the new price till completion of the polls and so RIL was asked to continue selling the gas at old rates.
RIL's Dhirubhai-34, or R-Cluster field, in the flagging KG-D6 block was to produce about 13 million standard cubic metres per day of gas, equivalent to present day output from D1&D3 as well as MA fields, by 2017-18.
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.
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.
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.
Analysts said with more power sector companies referred to the NCLT by banks, large companies would be at an advantage.
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will acquire around 1 per cent stake in Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), the retail arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, by investing Rs 8,278 crore ($1 billion). A QIA's wholly-owned subsidiary will make the investment in India's largest retailer at a valuation of Rs 8.278 lakh crore ($100 billion). Updating about the development, Reliance Industries in a regulatory filing said: "QIA's investment will translate into a minority equity stake of 0.99 per cent in RRVL on a fully-diluted basis." RRVL is the holding company for all retail businesses of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).
RIL had been under pressure to utilise the cash on its books and these investment plans show how it has charted a way forward.
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.
The combined market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies hit an all-time high of Rs 343.48 lakh crore on Monday, amid a rally in equities after the BJP registered victory in assembly polls in three Hindi heartland states. Following the sharp uptick in the market, investors became richer by over Rs 5.81 lakh crore on Monday. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,383.93 points, or 2.05 per cent, to close at a lifetime high of 68,865.12.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Stay out of Mumbai surveillance project, may seek new allies for future
However, no formal confirmation of the meeting and the issues discussed could be obtained from either group.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
RIL has completed Network 18s open offer after four months of acquiring the latter.
At end of trade on Thursday, ONGC commanded a market value of Rs 2,90,587 crore.
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.
In Q3, E&P business accounted for just 1.5% of gross revenue
RIL wants to drill an exploration well on the D1&D3 gas fields in the KG-D6 block, Cairn on the Rajasthan block.
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.
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.
The firm is looking to raise as much as Rs 1,000 crore through short-term commercial paper.
Move came in the wake of government's refusal to settle the dispute through arbitration over recovery of cost incurred by the company.
