Unprecedented bribery charges, farewells, separation, failed union, monumental mergers and record-breaking IPOs, along with a healthy dose of online happenings in the form of spat and lessons in customer care, corporate India saw it all in 2024.
All but out of contention for the IPL play-offs, KL Rahul's future as Lucknow Super Giants skipper is uncertain for the remaining two games after the team received a pasting at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad at home on Wednesday.
"My life has been full of interesting people", Rama Prasad Goenka tells Business Standard when asked about memories of an era when the open Indian economy was converted into a closed one based on the licence raj by the person whom he openly idolises, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The mystery surrounding the alleged fund diversion from Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee) by founders Subhash Chandra and Punit Goenka has thickened with speculations of an amount multiple times higher than that cited by the ex-parte interim order passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) dated June 12, 2023. While Zee shares witnessed a fresh selloff on Wednesday, news reports of accounting fraud left investors guessing about the hole in the media broadcaster's books. An order by the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) in October 2023 had clearly hinted that Sebi's investigation had found a deeper rout.
LSG players are donning green and maroon jersey, inspired by Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Thursday questioned market regulator Sebi's credibility on completing its investigation within a stipulated time in the Zee Entertainment Enterprises' (ZEEL) matter. SAT was hearing Zee's plea against Sebi's order baring Zee Entertainment Enterprises' Punit Goenka and Subhash Chandra from holding any key managerial positions in the company and other organisations for allegedly siphoning off funds of the media firm. "There is no certainty that these eight months won't be extended. ...past record of Sebi is that they have always extended it (investigation).
Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, accused in the 2G case, were today granted three days exemption from personal appearance by a Delhi court as they have to consult lawyers in Mumbai for a cheating case filed against them by foreign partner Etisalat.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) is seeking rapprochement with Sony Group as it makes a last-ditch effort to resurrect a $10 billion merger, according to industry sources. After the Japanese multinational firm pulled the plug on its $10 billion merger deal in January, the Indian company reached out again to Sony to reconsider the termination and offered for talks this month, a source said. On the other hand, Sony is understood to be evaluating the proposal from Zee.
The Delhi high court will pronounce its verdict on Friday on whether to admit the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) appeal challenging the acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja, firms and others in the 2G spectrum allocation 'scam' case.
Conversation should have been behind closed doors
Kolkata Knight Riders wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Friday said team owner Shah Rukh Khan has made a "huge impact" with his motivational speeches when the chips were down in the ongoing IPL.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd on Wednesday said Culver Max Entertainment, formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India, has agreed to discuss extending the date required to make their merger scheme effective, a day ahead of the deadline. A day after Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) stated that it has not yet agreed to a deadline extension requested by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) for their proposed $10-billion merger, the Subhash Chandra family-promoted media firm said it has received a communication from Sony group for discussing an extension of the deal which was announced almost two years ago.
Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal are getting married over the weekend.
Culver Max Entertainment, formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), has terminated merger agreements with Zee Entertainment, which could have otherwise created a USD 10 billion media enterprise in the country.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday allowed the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India). This order by the Mumbai bench, headed by H V Subba Rao and Madhu Sinha, will pave the way for the creation of a $10-billion media company, the biggest in the country. The tribunal also dismissed all objections regarding the merger.
Cricket doesn't need development. In football there are two elements - one is the game and the other is the philanthropy element. Cricket is a purely commercial decision.
A wave of high-profile player releases, including four prominent captains -- Shreyas Iyer, K L Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Faf du Plessis -- has reshaped the landscape of the league.
There has been a lot of speculations about K L Rahul's future as LSG skipper after his 'public reprimand' by team owner Sanjiv Goenka.
Zee Entertainment on Friday said it has "pruned" its Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) by about 50 per cent following the guidance of a special committee, which had conducted a critical assessment of its several business verticals. The MD & CEO has pruned TIC staff strength by 50 per cent to achieve a cost-effective structure, a Bengaluru-based business vertical of the company that offers technology solutions, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) said in an official statement.
As many as 23 companies have evinced interest in acquiring the Indian space agency's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle technology, said a top official who termed it a "tremendous response". Chairman of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) Pawan K Goenka said on Thursday that they are keen to see how the private sector uses the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology. "There has been a tremendous response, 23 companies have (so far) shown interest in applying for this technology.
Make time for this one, you will be in for a pleasant surprise like I was, endorses Mayur Sanap.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has reserved its order on the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises and with Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India). The Mumbai bench of NCLT, comprising H V Subba Rao and Madhu Sinha, reserved the order on Monday, after hearing arguments from creditors who objected to the scheme including Axis Finance, JC Flower Asset Reconstruction Co, IDBI Bank, Imax Corp and IDBI Trusteeship. In December 2021, Zee Entertainment and Sony Pictures had agreed to merge their businesses.
The CPI-M leader was the chief minister of the state from 2000 to 2011.
'Bilateral trade has suffered seriously because of the growing unrest.' 'There is a standstill on both sides amid the curfew.'
'The markets will correct, and they are bound to correct. The boom will turn into bust.' 'When this bust happens, people would lose like they have lost in the past.' 'Whatever you have made possibly in the last couple of years, you may lose in a couple of weeks. That's very much possible.'
Disney Star is mulling legal actions against Zee Entertainment for backing out from a $1.4 billion sub-licensing agreement for TV broadcast of international cricket matches in India, according to industry sources. This could brew another legal trouble for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), which is already facing an arbitration plea by Sony Group at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, claiming $90 million for breach of conditions of their merger agreement. Disney Star, an Indian subsidiary of media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company, is working on its strategy over the development, said industry sources.
The central government's Great Nicobar development project, proposed around an unprecedented transhipment port, will be executed to keep environmental impact minimal, and is essential as it is of national importance, the government has said amid calls to abort the controversial project due to ecological concerns, the Centre said in an official statement.
In its reply to the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said urgent action was warranted against the promoters of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) in the alleged fund diversion case to safeguard the management and protect investors and other stakeholders. It termed the applications made by Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra and ZEEL managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Punit Goenka as "completely false and misleading" in its response submitted to SAT on June 17. "We have a situation before us where the chairman emeritus and the MD and CEO of this large listed company are involved in a myriad of different schemes and transactions through which vast amounts of public money belonging to listed companies are diverted to private entities owned and controlled by these persons.
It was delight for owner Nita Ambani and elder son Akash Ambani as five-time champions Mumbai Indians demolished Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL Eliminator match.
'The maximum struggle that I have gone through in this industry was to try to get a film made which had a female action star.' 'And that film never got made, despite reaching out to some of the biggest actresses.'
Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com captures the red carpet arrivals at Mamma Mia's opening night at the NMACC.
The country's total debt, or the total outstanding bonds which are being traded in the market, rose to $2.47 trillion (Rs 205 lakh crore) in the September quarter, according to a report. The total debt amount in the March quarter of the previous fiscal was $2.34 trillion (Rs 200 lakh crore). The central government's debt stood at $1.34 trillion, or Rs 161.1 lakh crore, in the September quarter, up from $1.06 trillion, or Rs 150.4 lakh crore, in the March quarter, Vishal Goenka, co-founder of Indiabonds.com, said, quoting data provided by the Reserve bank of India.
Shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) tumbled 12 per cent in the mid-session trade on Wednesday amid reports of capital market regulator Sebi has unearthed a financial discrepancy exceeding USD 241 million (nearly Rs 2,000 crore) in the accounts of the company. The stock of the company nosedived 11.58 per cent to Rs 170.65 apiece on the BSE. ZEEL shares plunged 11.39 per cent to Rs 170.70 per piece on the NSE.
'Since there is no photo-op, or quick fix solutions, politicians do not want to address climate change. It is very unfashionable.'
While about 8,000 people are in the long list of invitees, the select list features just a few hundred people, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, bureaucrats and diplomats.
Lucknow Super Giants will don Mohun Bagan's colours when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders during their final league game on Saturday.
Around 200 schools in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday morning received a hoax bomb threat via email which led to widespread panic among parents and students, prompting authorities to suspend classes and ask parents to pick their wards from the school.
Flower had joined the Australian camp as consultant ahead of the World Test Championship final against India last month.
'Ganguly said India have picked a balanced squad for the T20 World Cup which has the wherewithal to land the trophy after a gap of 17 years.'
