News for 'operational efficiency'

Air India to buy 470 planes from Airbus, Boeing in a landmark aviation deal

Air India to buy 470 planes from Airbus, Boeing in a landmark aviation deal

Rediff.com14 Feb 2023

Air India will purchase 220 planes from Boeing for $34 billion, with an option to buy 70 more aircraft that could take the total transaction value to $45.9 billion, a deal that US President Joe Biden described as a "historic agreement". While announcing the Boeing-Air India deal on Tuesday, Biden also asserted that together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was looking forward to deepen the ties between India and the US. As per an announcement from the White House, Boeing and Air India have reached an agreement under which the airline will purchase 190 B737 MAX, 20 B787, and 10 B777X for a total of 220 firm order valued at $34 billion at list price.

Bharti Airtel Q4 profit zooms to Rs 2008 crore

Bharti Airtel Q4 profit zooms to Rs 2008 crore

Rediff.com17 May 2022

India's second-largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday posted more than twofold year-on-year jump in its consolidated net profit for the March quarter to Rs 2,008 crore, buoyed by a lift in average revenue per user and an exceptional gain. The telco said its Q4 scorecard was backed by strong performance delivery across the portfolio and its CEO Gopal Vittal, in a statement, exuded optimism about opportunities in the coming years and Airtel being "well-poised" as a company. Airtel, which competes in the market with Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, as well as state-owned BSNL/MTNL, promised to maintain razor sharp focus on financial flexibility, optimising the capital structure and finance cost.

Weak discretionary spend likely to weigh on IT cos' revenue in Q1

Weak discretionary spend likely to weigh on IT cos' revenue in Q1

Rediff.com10 Jul 2023

Strong macroeconomic headwinds causing turbulence in the $245-billion Indian IT industry are yet to calm down. Top Indian IT services companies are likely to post a decline or just marginal growth in sequential revenue in Q1FY24 because of a soft discretionary spending environment. Though the first quarter is seasonally strong for IT firms, "June 2023 will be an exception", according to analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities.

3 PSU banks will be merged to create India's 3rd largest lender

3 PSU banks will be merged to create India's 3rd largest lender

Rediff.com17 Sep 2018

These PSU banks also account for the lion's share of bad loans or NPAs plaguing the sector and need crores of rupees in new capital in the next two years to meet global Basel III capital norms.

Dead patients getting treatment under PM-JAY? Health Ministry replies

Dead patients getting treatment under PM-JAY? Health Ministry replies

Rediff.com17 Aug 2023

The reports also claim that the same beneficiary had been found to avail treatment at two hospitals at the same time.

20-min pizza promise by Domino's gets stuck in traffic, kitchen

20-min pizza promise by Domino's gets stuck in traffic, kitchen

Rediff.com8 Mar 2023

As promised, Domino's 20-minute delivery started across 170 stores in Bengaluru on Tuesday. But, as the day progressed, some teething issues came to the fore. If delivery partners' accounts are anything to go by, these are unlikely to go away anytime soon.

Will Apple Do in India What Samsung Did In Vietnam?

Will Apple Do in India What Samsung Did In Vietnam?

Rediff.com31 May 2023

Apple is hoping to assemble in India 25 per cent of all iPhones produced globally to reduce its heavy dependence on China.

Two-wheeler stocks may enter the fast lane riding on recovery hopes

Two-wheeler stocks may enter the fast lane riding on recovery hopes

Rediff.com2 May 2022

The two-wheeler sector has been underperforming its peers on the volumes front for over five quarters now. Even in the March quarter, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp posted a 17-24 per cent YoY decline in volumes, the sharpest in the listed auto universe. The ongoing impact of frequent price hikes, all-time high fuel prices, and muted rural sentiment has led to the lacklustre showing by two-wheeler makers. What has aggravated the situation for two-wheeler companies, which get almost all their sales from the internal combustion engine or ICE-based units, is the traction for electric two-wheelers (EV).

Airtel to launch 5G services by end-August

Airtel to launch 5G services by end-August

Rediff.com4 Aug 2022

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel will start rolling out 5G services later this month as it signed requisite agreements with Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung. At the recently held much-awaited spectrum auction for 5G services by the Department of Telecom, Airtel bid for and acquired 19867.8 MHZ spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz frequencies. "We are delighted to announce that Airtel will commence roll out of 5G services in August.

10 Safe Stocks To Bet In Volatile Market

10 Safe Stocks To Bet In Volatile Market

Rediff.com20 Mar 2023

10 high dividend paying stocks across sectors that are expected to maintain or even increase their pay-outs in FY23 thanks to faster earnings growth in the last four quarters.

Tides turning for India's startups?

Tides turning for India's startups?

Rediff.com3 Oct 2023

The recovering valuations, will lead to enhanced optimism among investors about funding startups.

Near-term outlook remains strong for India's listed paint companies

Near-term outlook remains strong for India's listed paint companies

Rediff.com29 May 2023

The 2022-23 (FY23) January-March quarter performance of the country's largest listed paint companies was better than Street expectations. Asian Paints, Berger Paints, and Kansai Nerolac Paints (Kansai Nerolac) registered double-digit revenue growth, compared with the year-ago quarter, reinforced by strong volume/value growth. Falling raw material prices also helped the paint majors hoist their gross margins.

Nuh situation was not assessed properly: Haryana dy CM

Nuh situation was not assessed properly: Haryana dy CM

Rediff.com9 Aug 2023

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday indicated that there were shortcomings by the administration in assessing the situation in Nuh, where a communal violence erupted on July 31 during a religious procession.

Bandhan Bank disappoints Street in Q1; analysts 'positive' on the stock

Bandhan Bank disappoints Street in Q1; analysts 'positive' on the stock

Rediff.com26 Jul 2023

Bandhan Bank has declared disappointing results for the first quarter of the 2023-24 financial year (Q1FY24). While the market has been braced for known issues around microfinance exposures in West Bengal and Assam, there is higher stress in the portfolio. This means higher credit costs and poorer asset quality, leading to target downgrades by analysts.

Over 100 mn consumers want to upgrade to 5G in India: Ericcson report

Over 100 mn consumers want to upgrade to 5G in India: Ericcson report

Rediff.com29 Sep 2022

More than 100 million users with 5G-ready smartphones wish to upgrade to a 5G subscription in 2023 while a majority of them are open to adopting a higher data-tiered plan in the next 12 months, a report by Ericsson Consumer Lab has shown. Titled "Promise of 5G in India", the study carried out in the second quarter this year reflects the views of 300 million urban smartphone users. According to the study, consumer 5G readiness remains one of the highest in the world.

'The agenda is 'insurance for all by 2047''

'The agenda is 'insurance for all by 2047''

Rediff.com31 Dec 2023

'If you want it to grow well and serve the true needs of the economy, it needs a lot of freedom and flexibility, which comes in terms of the reform objective set by the regulator.'

New equipment boost Army's combat capability in Ladakh

New equipment boost Army's combat capability in Ladakh

Rediff.com16 Aug 2022

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday handed over to the Army a raft of home-grown military hardware including unmanned aerial systems, quick reaction fighting vehicles, patrol boats and surveillance equipment for boosting its overall combat capability in eastern Ladakh.

Maha hospital reports 18 deaths in 24 hrs, govt orders probe

Maha hospital reports 18 deaths in 24 hrs, govt orders probe

Rediff.com13 Aug 2023

Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday.

RCom will re-absorb 4,000 employees who had been sent to Ericsson

RCom will re-absorb 4,000 employees who had been sent to Ericsson

Rediff.com13 Oct 2017

With the addition of 4,000 employees, the RCom staff strength is estimated to rise to 9,500

First look: Crew uniform of Jhunjhunwala's Akasa Air

First look: Crew uniform of Jhunjhunwala's Akasa Air

Rediff.com4 Jul 2022

Ace stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-promoted starup carrier Akasa Air on Monday unveiled the first look of its crew uniform as it gets ready for take-off likely by this month-end. Akasa Air, which received the delivery of its first Boeing 737 max aircraft in India on June 21, also plans to conduct proving flights this week, following which it will get the Air Operator Permit for launching commercial operations. The uniform fit focuses on providing the best possible stretch to ensure their comfort over their busy flight schedules, the company said in a statement.

How drones can give wings to farmers

How drones can give wings to farmers

Rediff.com13 Nov 2022

So far, the drones that were considered important for the agriculture sector were nature-made winged-insects - a key component of the bee-based natural pollination cycle. The new-age drone is a whirring machine with rotors that can help farmers plan and grow and manage their crops. For the farm sector in India, which has had low levels of mechanisation, the impact of drones can be tremendous. The use of drones can help it leapfrog to modernisation in the same way that mobile phones helped India overcome its traditional lack of connectivity.

IndianOil top bidder for Reliance's KG gas for 2nd auction in a row

IndianOil top bidder for Reliance's KG gas for 2nd auction in a row

Rediff.com11 Jun 2023

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the nation's largest oil firm, has walked away with half of the natural gas that Reliance Industries Ltd and its partner bp of the UK offered in the latest auction of the fuel used to generate power, produce fertilizer, turned into CNG and used for cooking purposes. IOC got 2.5 million standard cubic meters per day out of the 5 mmscmd of gas auctioned last month, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The oil refining and marketing company, which was the top bidder even in the previous auction of gas from the eastern offshore KG-D6 block of Reliance-bp, bid the volumes on behalf of seven fertilizer plants.

Trucking startup BlackBuck's valuation crosses $1 bn, joins unicorn club

Trucking startup BlackBuck's valuation crosses $1 bn, joins unicorn club

Rediff.com23 Jul 2021

BlackBuck, India's leading online trucking platform, has closed a $67 million round of equity financing. The round was led by Tribe Capital, IFC Emerging Asia Fund and VEF. Existing investors Wellington Management, Sands Capital, and International Finance Corporation also participated in the round. The investment has made the Bengaluru-based company a 'unicorn,' or a startup valued at more than $1 billion, according to the firm. The company will use these funds to further penetrate the market and launch new service offerings for its customer base.

Essar to sell port infra to ArcelorMittal for Rs 19,000 cr

Essar to sell port infra to ArcelorMittal for Rs 19,000 cr

Rediff.com26 Aug 2022

Essar group on Friday announced the signing of a USD 2.4 billion (Rs 19,000 crore) deal to sell certain ports and power infrastructure to ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel in one of the largest post-pandemic merger and acquisition deals in India. In a statement, the Ruia-run firm said the deal also envisages a 50-50 joint venture between Essar and ArcelorMittal for building a 4 million tonnes a year LNG import terminal at Hazira in Gujarat. Without giving details, it only identified certain ports and power infrastructure that are primarily captive to operations of the Hazira steel plant, which was acquired by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) in 2018-19, as part of the deal.

Those behind Balasore train crash have been identified: Rail minister

Those behind Balasore train crash have been identified: Rail minister

Rediff.com4 Jun 2023

Talking to reporters at the accident site, he said the issue is of electric point machine, a vital device for railway signalling, and electronic interlocking.

Will the Narada sting operation dent Mamata's popularity?

Will the Narada sting operation dent Mamata's popularity?

Rediff.com24 Mar 2017

Any erosion in the TMC, may benefit the BJP, reports Ishita Ayan Dutt.

Government Cracks Down On FCI Racket

Government Cracks Down On FCI Racket

Rediff.com14 Feb 2023

'The corruption charges in FCI are not the first and won't be the last.'

Cars With The Highest Waiting Period

Cars With The Highest Waiting Period

Rediff.com9 May 2023

Only five of India's top 20 car models have seen a reduction in wait times over the past year.

Rs 1.40 lakh crore budgetary support for Railways

Rs 1.40 lakh crore budgetary support for Railways

Rediff.com1 Feb 2022

The Railway ministry has been allocated budgetary support of Rs 140367.13 crore in the Union Budget on Tuesday - Rs 20,311 crore more than the revised figures of the previous fiscal. Overall, the national transporter is set to get a capital expenditure (CapEx) push of Rs 2.45 lakh crore in the financial year 2022-23, 14 per cent higher than the budgeted capital expenditure of Rs 2.15 lakh crore for the current financial year. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech for 2022-23 said that India will manufacture 400 new, energy-efficient Vande Bharat trains in the next three years.

Army establishes modern habitat for troops in Ladakh

Army establishes modern habitat for troops in Ladakh

Rediff.com18 Nov 2020

The habitats have been provided with proper heating facilities as the region receives up to 40 feet of snow after November every year while temperatures fall up to minus 40 degree Celsius in the winter months.

'This Will Make Army The Last Choice For Young People'

'This Will Make Army The Last Choice For Young People'

Rediff.com18 Jun 2022

'Military is too serious a matter to be taken as a tour for a few years.'

Costs near Rs 10K crore, Swiggy losses widen 2x to Rs 3.6K crore

Costs near Rs 10K crore, Swiggy losses widen 2x to Rs 3.6K crore

Rediff.com3 Jan 2023

Food delivery aggregator Swiggy's losses widened 2.24 times to Rs 3,628.9 crore during last financial year, as its expenses surged 227 per cent in a year. This is even as the decacorn's revenue jumped more than twofold to Rs 5,704.9 crore in FY22, according to details from company research platform Tofler. While the company's losses surged from a base of Rs 1,616.9 crore in FY21, its total expense in FY22 touched Rs 9,748.7 crore, from Rs 4,292.8 crore a year ago.

Travellers from G20 nations can use UPI in India: RBI

Travellers from G20 nations can use UPI in India: RBI

Rediff.com8 Feb 2023

The Reserve Bank on Wednesday allowed inbound travellers from G20 nations arriving at select airports to use the popular UPI for making payments in the country. Later, the RBI also proposes to extend the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) facility to travellers from all countries. UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application, merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.

As EVs rise in India, a requiem for Kolkata's electric trams

As EVs rise in India, a requiem for Kolkata's electric trams

Rediff.com4 Jul 2023

Kolkata trams -- now in their 150th year -- are the last to survive modernity in Indian cities, writes Ishita Ayan Dutt.

Niti moots 100% tax exemption for donations to not-for-profit hospitals

Niti moots 100% tax exemption for donations to not-for-profit hospitals

Rediff.com29 Jun 2021

Government think tank Niti Aayog has suggested 100 per cent income tax exemption for donations and provision of working capital loans with lower interest rates for not-for-profit hospitals to strengthen healthcare services in India. In a report titled 'Not-for-Profit Hospital Model in India', the Aayog also pitched for involving high performing hospitals in public private partnership (PPP) models for managing primary health care (PHCs), operations of government facilities and PSU hospitals. "Income-tax exemption could be increased from the current 50 per cent exemption to 100 per cent exemption for philanthropy toward the identified not-for-profit hospitals.

Deloitte bats for RBI's digital currency

Deloitte bats for RBI's digital currency

Rediff.com9 Mar 2022

The proposed Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to be issued by the Reserve Bank will play a critical role in improving the speed of transactions and reducing the cost of cash, a Deloitte report said on Wednesday. The Reserve Bank of India is planning to come out with a central bank-backed digital currency, using blockchain technology in 2022-23. As a financial services innovation, CBDCs are likely to play a pivotal role in shaping the 'future of value transfer', the report said, adding that most central banks worldwide are now in various stages of their evaluation of launching their national digital currencies.

India's first private rocket to be launched by Nov 16, will carry 3 payloads

India's first private rocket to be launched by Nov 16, will carry 3 payloads

Rediff.com8 Nov 2022

India's first privately developed rocket -- Vikram-S -- is set for launch in a sub-orbital mission with three payloads between November 12 and 16, Hyderabad-based space startup Skyroot Aerospace announced on Tuesday.

Vistara ties up with Amadeus for its passenger service system

Vistara ties up with Amadeus for its passenger service system

Rediff.com8 Oct 2014

Amadeus Altea Suite, a complete passenger service system, is currently used by more than 120 airlines across the world. Vistara is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Limited.

As inflation bites, Britannia to cut pack sizes; keep prices unchanged

As inflation bites, Britannia to cut pack sizes; keep prices unchanged

Rediff.com5 May 2022

Britannia Industries will take higher grammage cuts instead of increasing prices in a bid to tackle rising inflation, the firm said. The biscuit major took a 10 per cent price hike in financial year 2021-22 (FY22) and resorted to reducing pack sizes as an indirect way of increasing prices. In the previous financial year, the ratio of grammage reduction was 65 per cent, which will be higher in FY23.

Logistics market glows like a 'supernova'

Logistics market glows like a 'supernova'

Rediff.com16 Jan 2023

Most players are looking to invest anywhere between $500 million and $1 billion in new ventures in the next couple of years, said experts on this segment.