News for 'State for Telecom'

FM to boost Budget spending to support economic growth

FM to boost Budget spending to support economic growth

Rediff.com31 Jan 2022

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to strike a fine balance between being fiscally prudent and growth supportive when she presents her fourth straight budget on Tuesday, which is expected to have plans to boost spending to revive investment and create jobs. The Budget for the fiscal year starting April 1, 2022 is likely to raise spending on infrastructure to set the economy on a firmer footing. The stage for the Budget presentation was set by the Economic Survey stating that the government has the fiscal space to do more to support the economy that is forecast to grow at a healthy 8-8.5 per cent growth in the 2022-23 fiscal.

How Airtel proposes to avoid service interruption

How Airtel proposes to avoid service interruption

Rediff.com23 Mar 2020

The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led firm on Sunday approached its competitors to set up intra-circle roaming and other processes in the way it is done by the sector to respond to disasters.

Trading halt: Why NSE did not switch to disaster recovery site

Trading halt: Why NSE did not switch to disaster recovery site

Rediff.com26 Feb 2021

The country's largest stock bourse NSE on Friday said it stuck to the primary site for carrying out trading on Wednesday and did not switch to the disaster recovery site after a considered view while dealing with telecom connectivity issues which led to the nearly four-hour halt in trading earlier this week. It can be noted that Sebi had asked the exchange, which also trades the highest derivative volumes in the world, as to why it did not switch to the Disaster Recovery (DR) site. "Post shut down of trading on NSE, we considered all the available alternatives on hand including invocation of DR to decide on the course of action that would bring up the market at the earliest with least disruption to market participants and post evaluation, a decision was taken to bring up the systems at the primary site," a statement from NSE said.

Govt accepts Cairn's offer on retro tax

Govt accepts Cairn's offer on retro tax

Rediff.com18 Nov 2021

Moving quickly towards ending a retrospective tax dispute with a firm that gave India its largest oilfield, the government has accepted Cairn Energy PLC's undertakings which would allow for the refund of taxes, sources said. Meeting the requirements of the new legislation that scraps levy of retrospective taxation, the company had earlier this month given required undertakings indemnifying the Indian government against future claims as well as agreeing to drop any legal proceedings anywhere in the world. The government has now accepted this and issued Cairn a so-called Form-II, committing to refund the tax collected to enforce the retrospective tax demand, two sources with direct knowledge of the development said.

Kashmir unrest: Curfew-hit state remains peaceful but tense

Kashmir unrest: Curfew-hit state remains peaceful but tense

Rediff.com13 Aug 2016

Curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town on Saturday to thwart the separatists' plan to stage a two-day sit-in in the city centre even as the death toll in the ongoing unrest climbed to 56 in the Valley with the death of a youth injured in firing.

Challenges Chip Projects like Vedanta-Foxconn Face

Challenges Chip Projects like Vedanta-Foxconn Face

Rediff.com19 Sep 2022

Indian plants -- who plan to begin production with 28 nano metre chips -- will take two to four years to get off the ground. By that time, in the fast changing world of chip making, the global market would have shifted to 22 nm.

Will TCS Enter The Metaverse?

Will TCS Enter The Metaverse?

Rediff.com7 Jun 2022

'At present Metaverse is a hype cycle.' 'If it succeeds, then I would like to see TCS there, too.'

Cabinet clears telecom FDI norms

Cabinet clears telecom FDI norms

Rediff.com21 Oct 2005

India sees sharp rise in cyber attacks as internet base continues to widen

India sees sharp rise in cyber attacks as internet base continues to widen

Rediff.com15 Aug 2022

Even as India's internet base continues to widen, with the country set to have over 900 internet users by 2025, a parallel rise in cyber threats has become a matter of huge concern. Experts say that the sudden surge in digital adoption left little time to develop a cybersecurity backbone for the country. This has put large amounts of data at risk.

Banking, public transport services hit on day 1 of Bharat bandh

Banking, public transport services hit on day 1 of Bharat bandh

Rediff.com29 Mar 2022

A joint forum of central trade unions has given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29 to protest against the government policies affecting workers, farmers, and people.

Govt doesn't want to run Vodafone Idea; promoters will manage biz: VIL CEO

Govt doesn't want to run Vodafone Idea; promoters will manage biz: VIL CEO

Rediff.com12 Jan 2022

A day after Vodafone Idea Ltd opted to convert interest on dues to government equity, its CEO on Wednesday said the government had made its position amply clear that it does not want to run the telco, and added that existing promoters are fully committed to managing and running the company's operations. Vodafone Idea (VIL) on Tuesday announced its decision to opt for converting about Rs 16,000 crore interest dues liability payable to the government into equity, which will amount to around 35.8 per cent stake in the company. If the plan goes through, the government will become the biggest shareholder in the company which is reeling under a debt burden of about Rs 1.95 lakh crore.

Gautam Adani cements hold over Ambuja, son Karan is chairman of ACC

Gautam Adani cements hold over Ambuja, son Karan is chairman of ACC

Rediff.com16 Sep 2022

Billionaire Gautam Adani's son Karan will helm the cement firms his group has acquired to become India's second largest cement player and extend his burgeoning empire that spans from ports and energy to airports and telecom.

Major shake-up in state bureaucracy on the cards

Major shake-up in state bureaucracy on the cards

Rediff.com4 Jan 2011

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan appointed Subodh Kumar, a 1977 batch IAS officer, as the commissioner of India's richest civic body - the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Kumar replaces Swadhin Kshtriya who has been appointed as the revenue secretary.

BSNL told to stay 4G tender for Rs 90000 cr over allegations

BSNL told to stay 4G tender for Rs 90000 cr over allegations

Rediff.com5 May 2020

The department for promotion of industry and internal trade has asked the telecom department and State-owned BSNL to put on hold the tender for setting up 4G network, valued at Rs 9,000 crore, after allegations emerged that the tender favoured foreign companies. The tender was floated by BSNL in March under the new management for setting up the 4G network.

Budget 2022: India Inc pitches for more reforms and tax stability

Budget 2022: India Inc pitches for more reforms and tax stability

Rediff.com16 Dec 2021

India Inc on Thursday pitched for continuation of reforms while ensuring tax and policy stability in the forthcoming Budget to prop up the economy hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the virtual pre-Budget consultation held with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, industry chambers said that government measures will help firmly entrench the nascent signs of recovery being currently seen in private investment. Capital expenditure by the government through enhanced infrastructure spending should in the meantime continue to support growth, CII president TV Narendran said.

Who will be Mukesh Ambani's successor at Reliance?

Who will be Mukesh Ambani's successor at Reliance?

Rediff.com28 Dec 2021

Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani on Tuesday mentioned about leadership transition at his energy-to-retail conglomerate, saying he wants the process to be accelerated with seniors, including him, yielding to the younger generation. Ambani, 64, who has previously not spoken about succession plans at the country's most valuable company, said Reliance is "now in the process of effecting a momentous leadership transition." Ambani has three children -- twins Akash and Isha, and Anant.

With open offer to buy 26% stake, Adanis seek to become majority shareholder in NDTV

With open offer to buy 26% stake, Adanis seek to become majority shareholder in NDTV

Rediff.com24 Aug 2022

Three firms, Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd along with AMG Media Networks and Adani Enterprises Ltd, have offered a price of Rs 294 for the acquisition of up to 1,67,62,530 fully paid-up equity shares of NDTV having a face value of Rs 4 from the public shareholders.

DoT gives telcos breathing space on AGR non-payment

DoT gives telcos breathing space on AGR non-payment

Rediff.com23 Jan 2020

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have communicated to the telecom department that they will not pay AGR dues of Rs 88,624 crore, the deadline for which ended on Thursday, and will wait for the outcome of modification petition listed for hearing before the Supreme Court next week, according to official sources. Reliance Jio on Thursday paid Rs 195 crore to the telecom department to clear all adjusted gross revenue dues accounted till January 31, 2020, according to an official source.

Covid woes: Mumbai, Delhi bring little cheer for telcos

Covid woes: Mumbai, Delhi bring little cheer for telcos

Rediff.com30 Sep 2020

Telecom operators say the reason for the low increase in ARPU in the two metros could be linked to the massive reverse migration of labour.

Low profile, yet outspoken, Trai's Vaghela knows how to take tough calls

Low profile, yet outspoken, Trai's Vaghela knows how to take tough calls

Rediff.com8 Oct 2020

Vagela could not have reached this position if Narendra Modi, who'd known him from his chief minister days, had not backed the choice.

What states must ideally do to boost the broader economy

What states must ideally do to boost the broader economy

Rediff.com22 Apr 2015

Indian states are preparing for a Rs 1.9 lakh crore (Rs 1.9 trillion) tax windfall this fiscal year.

Markets bounce back after 5-day rout; RIL leads charge

Markets bounce back after 5-day rout; RIL leads charge

Rediff.com20 Apr 2022

Benchmark indices bounced back on Wednesday after falling for five straight sessions, with investors snapping up the recently-mauled IT, finance and consumption stocks amid a supportive trend overseas. A rebounding rupee further bolstered sentiment, traders said. Halting its five-session slide, the BSE Sensex jumped 574.35 points or 1.02 per cent to finish at 57,037.50. Similarly, the NSE Nifty surged 177.90 points or 1.05 per cent to 17,136.55.

Adani, Sitharaman line up for yoga session

Adani, Sitharaman line up for yoga session

Rediff.com21 Jun 2022

Billionaire Gautam Adani on Tuesday did an hour-long session of yoga exercises in the open air as he led corporate India to join the International Day of Yoga celebrations. Several public and private sector companies held yoga sessions at their offices to promote the adoption of exercise in daily routines to stay fit and healthy. Adani, chairman of logistics-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group, and his wife Priti, who heads the Adani Foundation, "participated with more than 1,000 members of the Adani Parivaar team to celebrate health, mindfulness and meditation," the group said in a statement. The session was held at a football ground at Adani Shantigram in Ahmedabad. Several other business leaders tweeted pictures of their yoga sessions.

Can Religious Rows Hurt DMK In 2024?

Can Religious Rows Hurt DMK In 2024?

Rediff.com21 Sep 2022

Party insiders concede statements of the Raja kind have the potential to hurt the DMK's electoral chances in closely-fought seats in 2024, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.

When Namal Met NaMo...

When Namal Met NaMo...

Rediff.com20 Oct 2021

When the first flight arrived at Kushinagar airport on Wednesday, it was not Gota or Mahinda who stepped out, but another Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's minister of sports.

Airtel again pips Jio in mobile customer addition

Airtel again pips Jio in mobile customer addition

Rediff.com23 Dec 2020

India's telecom subscriber base grew to over 1.17 billion in October with Bharti Airtel maintaining its leadership in mobile subscriber addition that accounts for over 98 per cent of total connections in the country, according to the monthly report released by sector regulator Trai on Wednesday. This is the second consecutive month when Airtel added highest number of subscribers. In September, it had regained the leadership position in subscriber addition after a gap of four years. The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company added 3.67 million new customers in October, taking its total wireless customer base to 330.28 million in October 2020, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (Trai) report said.

Voda Idea will shut down without govt relief: Birla

Voda Idea will shut down without govt relief: Birla

Rediff.com6 Dec 2019

"If we are not getting anything then I think it is end of story for Vodafone Idea," Kumar Mangalam Birla said at the HT Leadership Summit when asked about the future of Vodafone Idea in absence of a government relief on payment of Rs 53,038 crore dues.

Will the rural-urban telecom divide widen?

Will the rural-urban telecom divide widen?

Rediff.com9 Mar 2009

A further reduction in termination rates would seriously impact mobile operators' plans to expand in rural areas, say Rajat Kathuria and Mahesh Uppal.

BSNL starts India's first internet phone service

BSNL starts India's first internet phone service

Rediff.com11 Jul 2018

Now BSNL customers will be able to make calls using the company's mobile app 'Wings' to any phone number in the country.

The End Of NDTV As We Know It

The End Of NDTV As We Know It

Rediff.com2 Dec 2022

We got the same Diwali bonuses. We ate together. We carried equipment together on shoots. And when the odd reporter tried to throw her weight around and leave the camera person to carry bags of equipment, cables, the camera and tripod down the stairs and to the shoot location, Prannoy would step in, take the tripod off the shoulders of the colleague silently, lightening the load, recalls Revati Laul.

Vodafone Idea, COAI push for urgent relief measures

Vodafone Idea, COAI push for urgent relief measures

Rediff.com27 Feb 2020

In its letter Voda Idea has warned that it is not in a sound financial state, and added that it would be in a position to meet its liabilities only if the government initiates steps including allowing set-offs for GST credit accumulated so far, and permitting staggered mechanism for payment of balance amount of interest, penalty, and interest on penalty.

Truth can be rattled, not defeated: Pilot after being sacked

Truth can be rattled, not defeated: Pilot after being sacked

Rediff.com14 Jul 2020

Sachin Pilot also changed his profile on Twitter

Reliance beats Street with record profit in Q1

Reliance beats Street with record profit in Q1

Rediff.com30 Jul 2020

The company raised Rs 53,124 crore through a rights issue and sold nearly 33 per cent stake in Jio Platforms Ltd - the firm that houses telecom business and apps - to likes of Facebook and Google for Rs 152,056 crore.

Indian IT cos expand base in Baltic states

Indian IT cos expand base in Baltic states

Rediff.com14 Sep 2007

Most Indian IT firms, including TCS, Wipro, Infosys, Mindtree, Infotech and Sasken, which started their operations in the region with a small base, have expanded their base fast.

Bigger firms scoop up more market share during Covid-19 pandemic

Bigger firms scoop up more market share during Covid-19 pandemic

Rediff.com28 Jul 2021

Top companies have grabbed a bigger pie of their sectors in the pandemic period, leading to a further rise in market concentration in many industries as measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). The HHI score, which indicates competitive intensity in an industry (or a lack of it), reached a new high in FY21 as bigger firms raised their revenue market shares either organically or through mergers and acquisitions. A higher HHI score indicates a rise in market concentration in favour of a few firms while a lower score means that the industry's revenue is more evenly divided among many companies

11 pm to 5 am Covid-19 curfew in Delhi from today

11 pm to 5 am Covid-19 curfew in Delhi from today

Rediff.com27 Dec 2021

Patients and pregnant women, people out to buy essential items, and those travelling to or from railway stations, bus stops and airports will be exempted from the night curfew that kicks in at 11 pm on Monday due to rising COVID-19 cases in Delhi, according to a DDMA order.

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.

From Kerala to Uttarakhand, what's causing heavy rains across India

From Kerala to Uttarakhand, what's causing heavy rains across India

Rediff.com20 Oct 2021

Climate experts also warn the intensity of rains in Kerala and Uttarakhand is "alarming" and must draw immediate attention towards "climate emergency".

Govt looks to sell shares of RIL held through SUUTI

Govt looks to sell shares of RIL held through SUUTI

Rediff.com6 Sep 2021

The government is looking to sell shares of Reliance Industries (RIL) held through Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI) and is soon going to appoint an intermediary to manage it. The plan is to sell about 8 lakh shares of RIL that will help the government garner around Rs 180 crore. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will appoint an intermediary that will act as a custodian of these shares. The intermediary, based on its market analysis, will offload these shares at the best price, said an official. A final approval on the proposal is expected soon.

Unique 'punishment' for 2G accused

Unique 'punishment' for 2G accused

Rediff.com8 Feb 2019

High court orders Swan Telecom's promoter Shahid Balwa, the director of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables, Rajeev Agarwal, and three firms, namely Dynamic Realty, DB Realty, and Nihar Constructions to plant 3,000 trees each in the Delhi's South Ridge forest area.