India Inc is likely to witness a continuing surge in merger and acquisition activities after a record number of M&A deals in the first half of 2006 -- aggregating to more than $25 billion.\n\n
As India Inc steps up the gas to expand in the global arena, it faces the risk of stumbling on frauds, the levels of which were far higher compared to global levels, according to international consulting firm Ernst and Young.
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Q1 results indicate more pain ahead, as slowdown has spread to more sectors, pricing power has come down and rising interest cost is eating into profits.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked private sector companies to clear dues to small businesses within 45 days and admitted that the central departments and enterprises are also not making payments to them on time. She conceded that the Centre, states and state-owned enterprises too have outstanding dues to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The minister said that at a meeting with big businesses here two days ago, she had appealed to them to ensure that the dues of small businesses, who are the backbone of the economy, are cleared on time.
Corporate India is joining the AIDS battle.
India Inc has raised a whopping Rs 237.3 billion (Rs 23,730 crore) through initial share sales in April-January, which is nearly 10 times than that mobilised during the corresponding period last fiscal.
As per Hewitt's annual Salary Increase Survey 2009-10, the double-digit hike in salaries are anticipated for this year led by sectors like telecom, engineering, pharma and energy.
The Year of India in Russia - as 2009 is officially known - has helped India Inc get into a long bear hug with the Russian consumer. They are lapping up everything - from Ratan Tata's marquee cars to Vijay Mallya's whisky.
India Inc has given the United Progressive Alliance government a 65 per cent score, a shade better than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's
India Inc preferred to tap other sources of funds - a cheaper option - even though bank funds were available in plenty.
The one-time restructuring of loans will help every firm and prevent cost-cutting measures such as lay-offs.
A study after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake had rated the industry's rehabilitation efforts as "poor".
India Inc's deal making saw a sharp decline in 2009 with just $24 billion worth of mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals taking place, but 2010 is likely to be a year of "opportunity," according to a report by a consultancy firm.
A total of 635 companies have declared their third-quarter results and reported 22 per cent rise in revenue and 47.3 per cent growth in net profit on an average.
The issue regarding remuneration of company CEOs will be debated by the parliamentary standing committee.
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The debt-equity ratio was as high as 1.4 times the net worth as certificates of deposit and inter-corporate deposits gained popularity.
Green shoots evident, but worries remain.
According to staffing company Teamlease for the first quarter of this fiscal year, the overall net employment outlook index made a smart turnaround to recover lost ground.
'This solid verdict would further strengthen his resolve to drive forward the economic agenda to ensure that the fruits of the economic momentum continue to reach the poor, so visible during the last five years.'
India Inc's initiative to adopt Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country is facing problems because of low level of cooperation on the field as well as red-tapism, industry lobby groups have claimed.
Major Indian automobile companies like Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto and Mahindra & Mahindra seem to have put up a robust performance in Q3 FY 10, paying advance tax of Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion), Rs 320 crore (Rs 3.2 billion) and Rs 195 crore (Rs 1.95 billion), respectively.
The manufacturing sector (excluding petroleum sector) would report a 24.3 per cent PAT growth mainly on account of low raw material prices and soft interest rates, CMIE said, adding PAT of the financial and non-financial services would rise by 32.2 per cent and 20.4 per cent, respectively.
Even as India Inc talks of increasing corporate governance norms after the Satyam scam, a study by global consultancy firm Ernst & Young has said that more than half of the companies surveyed do not take into account risk of frauds in their annual audit plans.
Jobs are back and India Inc is witnessing an upsurge of 15 per cent in hiring trend, thanks to the improving economic climate. However, experts say it is too early to say that the situation has returned back to 'normalcy'.
M&As are back on the radar for Indian companies, but with two vital changes. First, the average size of the deals are much smaller compared to the earlier years; and second, overseas acquisitions have taken a backseat.
India Inc and economic think-tanks want the Budget to tax the agriculture income of large farmers for equity in the system and widening the net.
An unstable government is the worst thing that can happen to the Indian economy grappling with the global downturn, say business leaders.
The Ficci Survey for the second quarter of 2008-09, which was carried out during November and December 2008, revealed 52 per cent of companies feel that the overall economic conditions would weaken further in the coming six months. Further nearly 90 per cent of the 412 companies surveyed in the report feel that the economic situation has deteriorated over the last six months.
