Popular Articles

Chiru does a u-turn, resigns as MLA for united AP
Making a u-turn, Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi today announced his decision to resign as MLA and support a united Andhra Pradesh, changing the party"s earlier line of support to separate Telangana state.

Fitch affirms Videocon Industries' ratings; outlook negative
Following the increase in the long term loans of Videocon Industries (VIL), Fitch Ratings has today affirmed Videocon Industries Limited"s (VIL) National Long-term rating at "A-(ind)" with Negative Outlook.

News of the day

Nava Bharat buys 65% in Zambian coal mine
Nava Bharat (Singapore) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Hyderabad-based Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd, has signed a share sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for acquiring a 65 per cent equity stake in Maamba Collieries Ltd (MCL) of Zambia.

Public Relations

M&M open to alliance in two-wheeler space

Market leader in utility vehicles in India, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), today said the company was open to alliance in the two-wheeler space, but nothing is on the anvil.

Fortis in talks to buy Lanka hospital chain

Move comes within months of acquiring Wockhardt hospitals.

Atlas Acquisition to buy Koosharem Corp for $840 mn

Dabur"s promoter family member Gaurav Burman-led Atlas Acquisition today said it will acquire US-based staffing and employment services company Koosharem Corporation for $840 million (around Rs 3,900 crore) and merge with itself.

One phone and address but 38 different entities

They have different names, but as many as 38 foreign venture capital investors (FVCIs) incorporated in Mauritius and registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) have the same address and phone and fax numbers.

Mahindra forms JV with Chinese tractor firm

Production to begin in 12-15 months; second such venture.

Pvt varsities flout UGC, SC directions; run off-campus

Certain private universities have given affiliation to colleges and started off-campus centres beyond their territorial jurisdiction in violation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and the direction of the Supreme Court.

Concern over climate change dips globally but rising in India

Concerns over climate change are only second to profit amid the slowdown, but in India it is rising and over 54 per cent continue to be "very concerned" about global warming, a survey says.

Price rise races past terrorism in threat perception

India saw one of the worst terrorist attacks in November last year, when Mumbai was under siege for four days. Little under a year later, Indians perceive rising food prices as a bigger threat than terrorism.

GAIL buys LNG cargo for $6.65 per mmBtu

State-run gas utility GAIL India has bought an LNG cargo for $6.65 per mmBtu, about $2 million more than the rate at which Petronet LNG imported a shipload just two days later.

State focuses on airstrip development to boost tourism

The state government intends to develop 12 airstrips in order to enable them to handle small aircraft suitable for air charter services for tourism purposes.

Sunsilk\'s new gambit

The premium brand banks on them to boost market share. Till a few months back, Hindustan Unilever was banking on renowned Indian hair stylists to co-create Sunsilk, its premium shampoo brand. The fast-moving consumer goods major has now set its sights higher and has just requisitioned the services of seven global hair experts to give consumers salon-quality products.

The water purifier slugfest

Pureit and Acquasure are fighting hard for leadership in the entry-level market.

AAI raised Rs 380 cr this year; fares to remain unchanged

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) raised Rs 380 crore till September this year through short loans for funding various development projects but the borrowings will not lead to increase in passenger fares, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Air India cuts fares by 20-46% for next 3 days

Following fare reduction by Jet Airways, national flag carrier Air India has cut fares by 20-46 per cent on certain flights on select domestic routes for travel up to September 18.

Axis Bank ties up with Motilal Oswal for online trading

Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private sector bank, today entered into a strategic alliance with Motilal Oswal Securities (MOSL), one of India’s largest financial services intermediaries, to facilitate online trading for the bank’s 10 million customers.

Markets marginally down

The Sensex is now at 17,664, down 23 points. The NSE Nifty is at 5,268, down nine points.

Andhra Bank up on expansion plans

Andhra Bank ended at Rs 109, stronger by 1.5%, on the BSE.

Jet operations hit in Hyderabad

At least half a dozen flights of Jet Airways were cancelled from here today as a large number of pilots did not report to work in protest against sacking of two of their colleagues. Flights from Hyderabad to Chennai, Mumbai, Goa, Delhi and Rajahmundry were cancelled, a Jet Airlines spokesman said here today.

WB funds for JNNURM to come with reforms clause

A fresh $1-billion (nearly 4,600-crore) loan from the World Bank under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), to be routed through the Union government, would be linked to cities adopting certain efficiency parameters.

Citigroup in talks for $15 bn equity offering: report

Global financial services firm Citigroup is in advanced talks with regulators over its plans to raise more than $15 billion through an equity offering, a media report says.

Dish TV unveils new brand identity

DTH player Dish TV today unveiled a new brand logo and TV commercials featuring brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan as part of its Rs 30-crore brand restructuring plan.

CM sets September 15 deadline for airport

The Mysore Mandakalli Airport will become operational by September 15 just before the Dasara, commencing on September 18, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said in Mysore yesterday.

India\'s Financial Sector in Current Times

Friends,

\'Is India's telecom sector in trouble?\'

The current outlook is poor and how the future will look is critically dependent upon government policy on spectrum and on allowing mergers and acquisitions.

Motilal Oswal profit rises 74% to Rs 47cr

Motilal Oswal Financial Services reported a 74 per cent year-on-year growth in net profit to Rs 47.2 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.

When the time is right

Signals to look for before deciding when to enter, lie low or get out of stock markets.

Despite advisory, banks park funds with MFs

In spite of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) missive advising banks to reduce their exposure to mutual funds (MFs), banks pumped in an additional Rs 6,261 crore in these instruments in the week up to November 6. The total outstanding investment by banks in MFs stands at Rs 1,60,483 crore compared with Rs 36,781 crore on March 27.

B\'desh nod for Bharti\'s 70% stake buy in Warid

Bharti Airtel, India"s number one cellular operator today received the nod from Bangladesh"s telecom regulator to purchase 70 per cent stake in Warid Telecom and to invest $300 million in the company.

Markets at a glance

Worries of rising food prices and a hike in interest rates weighed on the market sentiment. During the week, the BSE Sensex fell 400 points or 2.3 per cent to 16,720, while Nifty fell 130 points or 2.5 per cent to 4,988. However, mid-cap and small-cap stocks performed better, BSE Mid-Cap index fell by 1.6 per cent and Small-cap index declined by 1.04 per cent during the week.

Boston Scientific reaches $1.73 bn patent settlement with J&J

US medical devices maker Boston Scientific Corp today said it will pay $1.73 billion to settle three patent disputes with healthcare firm Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

Sensex up 33 pts at opening bell

The Sensex has opened at 17,378 - up 33 points. The index is now up 126 points at 17,473.

Sesa Goa expects 25% output growth by FY10

Iron ore producer Sesa Goa, a part of mining major Vedanta Resources, today said it expects a 25 per cent growth in output this fiscal and plans to ramp up production around threefold to 50 million tonnes in next 2-3 years.

Sesa Goa crashes on fears of SFIO enquiry

The stock touched a low of Rs 274 - down over 13% and finally ended at Rs 276 - down 12.5%. Over 5.59 million shares were traded on the BSE today.

Tatas, Fiat planning to introduce Nano in Latin America

Tatas is planning to introduce its small car Nano in Latin America in partnership with Italian auto maker Fiat.

Mini Dairy project in Idukki, plans to start in TN

Private sector Dhanalakshmi Bank has kickstarted a Mini Dairy Funding project in the backward Idukki district of Kerala and has plans to start a similar project in Tamil Nadu in two weeks time.

Experts divided over predatory pricing

Even as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has started investigating into the complaints of predatory pricing offered by some of the new operators, experts are divided over whether the current scenario actually resembles predatory pricing.

Banks to hike lending rates on commercial realty loans

The Reserve Bank of India"s (RBI) decision to up commercial real estate property loan provision of banks may force the lenders to hike lending rates to the sector in the near term, said bankers.

Steering ahead of the taxman

The new rules on perks make it better to use the company car than to get usage reimbursed.

Direct tax kitty swells 4 per cent in October

Hit by a drop in corporate tax revenues, direct tax collections rose marginally to Rs 20,822 crore in October, compared with Rs 19,708 crore in the corresponding month last year.

Prime Focus up 3.1%

The stock gained 3.1 per cent to Rs 236.95 on reports that the company earned $4 million (approximately Rs 18 crore) by creating 200 of the 1,600-odd shots in James Cameron’s mega Hollywood movie Avatar. The film, with a reported budget of at least $300 million, is one of the most expensive films ever made.

India, UK should work for reforms in global fin system: Prez

India and Britain have a responsibility to work together for "long overdue structural reforms" of the global financial system in the wake of recent global downturn, President Pratibha Patil has said.

India Inc may see 8% salary hike in 2010: Survey

India Inc is expected to witness a salary hike of 8 per cent, one of the highest pay increases in the Asia Pacific region, in 2010 riding on the country"s improved economic performance, said a survey.

Nabard okays Rs 2.14 cr loan for drinking water

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan of Rs. 2.14 crore to the state government for implementation of a drinking water scheme at Lingdok Bazaar in East Sikkim, an official release said today.

Kraft to pursue spurned $16.7-bn bid for Cadbury

Cadbury said the bid "fundamentally undervalues" the company.

\'It\'s for defence ministry to release more spectrum\'

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is hopeful that the defence ministry would release more spectrum for the 3G auction scheduled for next month.

BSNL expansion plan hits rough patch

A big controversy on procurement of Rs 35,000-crore worth of equipment by telecom behemoth BSNL is brewing, with the position taken by the two government nominees on the board threatening the expansion programme of the state-owned telecom major.

Rajaratnam indicted for inside trading

A US federal grand jury has indicted billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, founder of Galleon hedge fund, in a multi-million-dollar Wall Street insider-trading probe.

What to expect in 2010

At the end of 2008, banks were staring at a slowing economy, souring retail loans and a tanking stock market. The focus, especially of private and foreign banks, was on containing losses rather than growing.

MTNL, Tata Tele, Nalco & Ashok Leyland Q2 result

Falling revenues from both mobile as well as fixed line subscribers have forced state-run telecom major Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL), which operates in Delhi and Mumbai, to post a steep 77.5 per cent fall in net profit to Rs 20.5 crore for the second quarter ending September 30, against Rs 91.5 crore in the same quarter last year. In the same period, the total income was Rs 972 crore against Rs 1,231 crore in the same quarter last year, a 21 per cent decline.

\'Bill Clinton did not carry any message on behalf of US govt\'

Former President Bill Clinton did not carry any message on behalf of US Government to the North Korean regime, the Obama Administration clarified today.

Super Seven

Can the best automobile in the world drink diesel?

Doha trade talks resume in Geneva

Trade talks resumed in World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters at Geneva today, 10 days after 30 ministers broke the impasse on Doha negotiations, aimed at reaching a global pact for opening $32 trillion international commerce.

Asian markets in red

The Hang Seng has slipped 111 points to 22,516.

Asian markets up 4th day in a row

The Asian markets have advanced for the fourth day on reports that the Chinese factory output jumped to a 19-month high in October.

Sensex off day\'s low

The Sensex after touching a low of 17,028, has recovered a bit and is now down 100 points at 17,080.

Honda Siel Power appoints BSR & Co as statutory auditors

Manufacturing and marketing of portable gensets firm, Honda Siel Power Products today said it has appointed BSR & Company an Indian associate of KPMG, as statutory auditors of the company.

Toyota says hybrid sales reach two-million mark

Toyota Motor said today that global sales of its hybrid vehicles had topped the two-million mark since their launch in 1997, led by the Prius — Japan"s top-selling car for the past four months.

Hero Honda to upgrade its models to meet BS-III norms

The country"s largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda today said it will upgrade all its existing models to meet Bharat Stage-III emission compliant norms by the end of this financial year.

Eicher Motor to invest Rs 95 cr in India

Vehicle maker Eicher Motor will invest Rs 95 crore during this fiscal to expand its India business, and will also launch two heavy vehicles next year.

IITs want to be accredited by statutory body

As the government wants to make accreditation mandatory for all institutions, the IITs have said they would like to be accredited by a statutory body and not by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

\'Mobile device based social networking to drive growth\'

Kirtika Suneja / New Delhi November 13, 2009, 0:57 IST

Lancor Holdings approves Rs 75 cr issuance of securities

Lancor Holdings, a realty major, has approved the further issue of securities up to a value of Rs 75 crore with domestic and international markets through various instruments. The decision ws taken in its board meeting yesterday.

Goldiam plans share buy back

Diamond and jewellery maker Goldiam International today said it will hold a meeting of its board of directors on October 30 consider the buy back of shares and financial results for the quarter ending September 30, 2009.

Sobha Developers raises Rs 527 cr through QIP

Construction firm Sobha Developers today said it has raised Rs 526.89 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP) by allotting over 2.51 crore equity shares of Rs 10 each.

City Union Bank to raise Rs 300cr via QIP

Kumbakonam-based City Union Bank (CUB) is planning to raise Rs 300 crore through the qualified institutional placement (QIP) route.

Maharatna status for top PSUs likely in a month

The government is considering a proposal to elevate some Navratna PSUs to Maharatna companies to allow them more freedom regarding investment, Bhaskar Chatterjee, secretary of the Union government"s department of public enterprises, today said.

Court asks HUL not to use \'Boro\' word in Vaseline ad

In what could be termed as a victory for home grown FMCG player Emami, the Kolkata Civil Court has restrained Hindustan Unilever (HUL) from running a campaign using the word "Boro" in its advertisement for Vaseline.

No pay hike for British queen

Like many, Britain’s queen will also not get a pay hike, at least till elections next year. According to the Daily Express, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told the queen, she will have to wait until after the general elections to discuss her bid for a rise in her £7.9 million a year Civil List payment. Brown has decided not to fix a new 10-year deal covering the queen’s costs, fearing that the plea for a huge pay rise over the next 10 years could become an election issue, the report said.

Foreign luxury liquor brands eye India foray

With the luxury liquor segment in India growing by 30-40 per cent annually, the coming year could see a number of premium overseas brands entering into the domestic market.

SAIL rises 5 per cent

The stock gained 5 per cent to close at a 52-week high of Rs 236.10 on reports that steel companies may increase prices next month to cash in on the demand surge in the domestic market and recovery in the global steel prices.

Bulk deposit rates rise again

RBI is expected to increase CRR next month to signal a rate increase.

\'Break-even will be sooner than expected\'

Sidhartha / Mumbai December 25, 2009, 0:43 IST

Banks can\'t change schemes unilaterally: consumer panel

In a ruling that would bring cheers to thousands of customers, the National Consumer Commission has ruled that banks cannot unilaterally change its schemes as it might amount to "deficiency of service."

Input credits under service tax law

In a recent landmark judgement in Coca Cola India Pvt. Ltd. vs. Commissioner of Central Excise (2009-VIL-06-HC-BOM-ST), the Mumbai High Court has interpreted the relevant provisions of service tax law in a broad and inclusive manner in order to hold that expenses incurred by a company in relation to advertising and promoting a brand owned by it would be eligible for input tax credits as such services will qualify as ‘input services’. The decision has extended the present understanding of the service tax provisions to a significant extent and beneficially at that.

HDFC aims to disburse Rs 3,000 cr under spl loan scheme

Leading home-loan lender HDFC plans to disburse Rs 3,000 crore over the next two-months under its special housing loan plan, offering an interest rate of 8.25 per cent, launched early this month.

July exports dip by 28%, imports by 37%

India"s exports fell by 28 per cent in July, for the tenth month in a row, due to the ongoing global downturn, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said today.

Naxalites attack at Balimela disrupts power supply

The power supply in the state was disrupted when around 20 armed Naxalites attacked Balimela hydro power station in south Orissa on Saturday night damaging its Valve House and thus affecting generation at the station.

Jewellery exports shine on global economic recovery

The signs of global economic recovery have given new life to the Indian diamond processing industry, with export orders rising sharply by 20 per cent for execution on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.

Union Bank revises rates on FCNR deposits

State-run, Union Bank of India has revised its interest rates on foreign currency deposits with immediate effect.

Black Rose owner ran two ships in same name: CID

The mystery surrounding Black Rose, the Mongolian ship which sank near Paradip port a couple of months back, appear to be unfolding gradually with the officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) unearthing some vital facts in their probe.

Kolkata auto part units search for green shoots

The economy might be recovering, but the small and medium (SME) auto parts industry in Kolkata is still looking for the green shoots that would end their struggle to keep their businesses afloat.

India Yamaha Motor sales up 2.12% in Nov

Two-wheeler maker India Yamaha Motor today said its sales have grown by 2.12 per cent in November to 17,055 units, against 16,701 units in the same month last year.

Inflation a risk to recovery: World Bank

Asian economies must handle their monetary and currency policies carefully to avoid unleashing a wave of potentially destabilising inflation, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said today. The US and European economies, which are barely starting to recover from the global meltdown, are less at risk, but in Asia, the massive liquidity flowing into regional markets could push asset prices up dangerously high, Zoellick said.

AI warns of cut in wages if walkout happens

With fears of its flights being disrupted, Air India today warned its employees of wage and allowance cuts if they participated in the proposed two-hour "illegal" walkout this afternoon to protest delayed payment of salaries.

Hyderabad civic polls peaceful

The first elections to the Greater Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad, formed by merging 12 surrounding municipalities in April 2007, ended on a peaceful note and polled 42 per cent. Counting will be held on November 26.

Explosion of middle class population,impetus to Tech.Textiles

Technical Textiles sector is poised for growth with rise in salary levels in developing nations, particularly India, where the middle class population is expected to reach half a billion by 2030, an expert has said.

Railways to pay higher dividend despite dip in cash surplus

Indian Railways will be paying a higher dividend of Rs 5,479 crore during the current fiscal despite over Rs 3,000 crore dip in cash surplus on account of higher wage bill following implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission award.

ITC open to idea of demerging critical biz verticals

Cigarette to hotel major ITC today said it is open to demerger of its business verticals into separate entities if needed as they grow in size.

GMR raising Rs 13,000 cr for power, road projects

In advanced discussions with many domestic lenders, including SBI, Axis Bank and IDFC for raising the debt.

LIC launches second micro insurance product

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) today launched it"s second micro insurance product - "Jeevan Mangal" aimed at lower income groups, as well as those living in remote rural areas.

Hit-and-run claims triple in a year

With the number of hit-and-run road accidents seeing a sharp rise last year, non-life insurance companies have seen a three-fold rise in claims settled under the Solatium Fund.

Kerala HC ratifies HMT land sale

The Kerala High Court today held as legal, the sale of about 70 acres of land by public sector HMT to Mumbai based Blue Star Realtors,a subsidiary of the Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), to set up a Rs 4,000 crore cyber city project in Kochi.

BoB to open 5 more new branches abroad

Bank of Baroda (BoB) would open five new branches in Uganda, Trinidad and Malasiya during 2009-10, a top bank’s official said today.

BoB, IOB, Andhra Bank to set up subsidiary in Malaysia

Public sector lenders, Bank of Baroda (BOB), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Andhra Bank have signed a joint venture agreement for setting up India BIA Bank (Malaysia) Bhd, a banking subsidiary in Malaysia.

Volatility set to rise

- Traders expect resistance above 5,100 - Expiry effect in overbought market - Traders expect index to move below 5,000 in near future - Market may open on a steady note - Far from money spreads could pay - Nifty likely to see more corrections in near term

Maha SEZ plan put off

Mukesh Ambani and Anand Jain promoted Mumbai SEZ Ltd has suspended, for an indifinite period, its land acquisition for the MahaMumbai special economic zone (SEZ) in coastal Raigad. The company may drop the project altogether, as it was not able to acquire “a minimum of 1,000 hectares of contiguous land” as mandated by the SEZ Act.

BSNL keeps \'fresh bids\' option open in expansion project

State-owned BSNL today said it was negotiating hard with telecom equipment suppliers — Ericsson and Huawei — for its Rs 32,000 crore project, to expand GSM network by 93 million lines, but has kept open the option for re-inviting bids if the talks lead nowhere.

Virudhunagar to house handloom cluster

Virudhunagar, near Madurai in Tamil Nadu is to house one of the handloom clusters which was announced in the Union Budget 2009, said Union Minister for Textiles Dayanidhi Maran.

Exxon to acquire us gas company for $31 bn

The transaction values XTO at $51.69 a share, 25 per cent higher than its last closing - MCL decision on coal transport to help land oustees - UBI likely to float IPO by early February - 25 suspended workers reinstated at Dunlop"s Sahaganj unit - Elder gets bolder - Ruia Group acquires 60% stake in Henniges Automotive Grefrath - "Declare oil palm a plantation crop"

Kotak revises India\'s growth forecast upward to 7.5% for FY\'10

Broking firm Kotak Institutional Equities today revised upwards the growth estimate of Indian economy at 7.5 per cent for the current fiscal on the back of increased economic activities and turnaround in industrial production growth.

M J Antony: Quick-fix solution

M J Antony / New Delhi November 4, 2009, 0:59 IST

Have a steady start

My father is a senior citizen and wants to invest around Rs 3 lakh in mutual funds. He wants to derive monthly returns from the investment, like through pension. Please suggest some funds that do not carry risk.

Geithner sells bonds at lowest yield

Less than a week after deflecting calls for his resignation, Timothy Geithner sold bonds on behalf of US taxpayers at the lowest yields on record in a show of confidence in the Treasury Secretary’s policies.

Curl ball

BofA: Bank of America chief executive Ken Lewis may have fouled things up by poorly executing on a series of takeovers during the financial crisis. But with BofA"s imminent payback of $45 billion of U.S. government assistance, unveiled Wednesday evening, his successor will be able to focus on reawakening the dormant banking monster — and can even get paid for the job.

GE seeks sale of security unit

General Electric Co (GE) is seeking to sell its security unit, which builds surveillance cameras and alarms, and may fetch about $2 billion, people aware of the details said.

Jamal Mecklai: God bless you, Mr Obama

While many of his fans, particularly in the US, appear disappointed, I, for one, believe that Mr Obama has had an extraordinarily successful first year as president.

Jamal Mecklai: Rabbit in the headlights - again

Jamal Mecklai / New Delhi October 16, 2009, 0:14 IST

Re drops, reversing earlier gains

Rupee fell, reversing earlier gains, on speculation importers were buying foreign exchange to save on costs. It retreated from the highest in more than a year as importers such as Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest refiner, may have bought foreign exchange to pay for crude oil, the price of which has increased more than 68 per cent this year.

Credit Suisse posts 29.75% growth in Q2 net income

Swiss banking major Credit Suisse today reported 29.75 per cent growth in net income at 1.57 billion Swiss francs for the second quarter backed by strong results from its investment banking segment.

JSW Energy listing tomorrow; issue price at Rs 100

Power producer JSW Energy, which raised Rs 2,700 crore through initial share sale last month, will list its shares on the bourses tomorrow.

DB Corp to list on on Jan 6; issue price at Rs 212

Media house DB Corp, which publishes Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, will list its equity shares on the bourses on January 6.

Barclays opens Hyd branch

Barclays Global Retail Banking (GRB), India, the retail banking business of financial services provider Barclays, is evaluating possible targets for mergers and acquisitions to accelerate its growth in the country. It has been growing at two branches a year in the last three years, according to interim managing director and chief operating officer Ram Gopal.

SocGen 3rd quarter net doubles

Societe Generale SA, France’s second-largest bank by market value, said third-quarter earnings doubled as its investment-banking unit returned to profit.

Online MS Office for Rs 120 a month!

For just about Rs 120 a month, you can now access the online version of Microsoft’s Office ’07. Thanks to ‘cloud computing’ company Nivio, it is now possible to rent MS Office for a fraction of its shelf cost and use it at the click of an icon without having the memory-guzzling software residing in your computer. And, it’s completely legal.

Right long-term steps

Business Standard / New Delhi October 28, 2009, 0:02 IST

Today China, tomorrow the world

ICBC-Standard Chartered: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is already the world’s biggest bank – but it could be bigger and broader still. The time may have come to pursue a longstanding idea of a deal for emerging-markets lender Standard Chartered. While the combination was often rumoured before the financial crisis, in a more stable world it makes more sense than ever.

Tata Sons busy behind closed doors at equity infusions

Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, sold close to 25 million shares in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in the 2008 financial year, raising Rs 2,500 crore to increase stakes in other group companies like Tata Steel, Indian Hotels, Tata Power, Tata Tea and Trent.

ITC open to raising stake up to 25% in EIH

Following reports that the cigarettes-to-hospitality major, ITC, could make a hostile bid to increase its stake in EIH, which runs the Oberoi hotel chain, ITC Chairman Y C Deveshwar today asserted that his company could even raise its stake up to 25 per cent in EIH.

Godrej Properties listing on Jan 5

Realty developer Godrej Properties will be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on January 5.

\'Fiscal stimulus should continue to support recovery\'

The government should continue with the fiscal stimulus packages in the medium term to facilitate recovery in the economy hit by global economic meltdown, a top official with JSW Energy said.

Dubai crisis not to hit DP World\'s ops: chief

Asserting that it has positive cash-flow position, debt-ridden Dubai World"s subsidiary DP World, which operates container terminals in the country, today said the debt crisis would have no impact on India operations.

I-T exemption limit up for general taxpayers, senior citizens

Giving relief to individual taxpayers, the government today raised the income tax exemption limit by Rs 10,000 for general taxpayers, and by Rs 15,000 for senior citizens.

A patch up? Really?

There are several ugly faces of fashion: anorexic models who survive on cigarettes and coffee is just one such instance. But, by far the ugliest thing that has happened to Indian fashion is the ongoing fight between the various “bodies”. Two bodies — FFI and the government mandated FDPC — have triumphantly announced that they have now merged and will work for the betterment of fashion. FDCI, the original fashion apex body, continues to stay aloof of this merger and may or may not also merge with FDPC.

Rajasthan govt to buy 1200 MW from Adani Power

Adani Power Rajasthan, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Adani Power (APL), has been awarded letter of intent (LoI) by Rajasthan Rajya Vidhyut Utpadan Nigam (RRVPNL) for purchase of upto 1,200 MW of power on long-term basis.

Retail investors give IPOs the cold shoulder

Average participation in the last 12 offers was just 2.39 times

IPO guidelines within 15 days: IRDA

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) today said it would come with initial public offer guidelines for the insurance sector within a fortnight to allow companies to raise funds from the capital market.

No offer received from Bharati Shipyard, ABG: Great Offshore

Great Offshore Ltd on Thursday said it had not received any offer from Bharati Shipyard and ABG Shipyard for its acquisition and also Sebi was yet to approve the acquisition.

Suzlon Energy: Inching ahead

Suzlon Energy announced last week the repayment of its entire outstanding acquisition loan facility of about $780 million. The repayment was funded through the sale of Suzlon’s stake in Hansen Transmissions International NV and a new five-year dollar denominated loan of $465 million from the State Bank of India. Effectively, its consolidated net debt is now lower by roughly $350 million or Rs 1,700 crore.

Jindal Power plans IPO to raise Rs 10k cr

Power producer Jindal Power Ltd (JPL) is planning to raise about Rs 10,000 crore through an initial public offering.

No headway in BHEL disinvestment: Vilasrao

The government today said no headway has been made regarding the disinvestment of state-run power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL).

Chess #618

TOP SEED Boris Gelfand edged Ruslan Ponomariov to take the World Cup and a place in the next Candidates. Gelfand held his nerve after the four normal games were drawn without much excitement. Gelfand won the second rapid tiebreaker and lost the fourth. Then, he won the second blitz, lost the third and finally won the fourth and last blitz game.

\'The Boeing 787 actually benefits airlines\'

Aminah Sheikh / Mumbai December 17, 2009, 0:19 IST

More follow-on required

Business Standard / New Delhi November 11, 2009, 0:19 IST

Mahindra Satyam: Settling liabilities

Tech Mahindra’s equity infusion into Mahindra Satyam should comfortably bankroll the pay-off.

Raju, family bought 1,065 properties

Satyam Computer Services Ltd (SCSL) founder, B Ramalinga Raju, his brothers and their spouses have acquired 1,065 properties with a registered value of Rs 350 crore.

Tata Capital PE head quits

Less than a year after joining Tata Capital as its private equity (PE) venture head, Shailendra Bhandari is quitting.

Law Board boss in net for graft

Acting chief Vasudevan caught taking Rs 7 lakh.

CLB upholds appointment of H V Lodha in Birla Corp board

New Delhi, Oct 19 (PTI) The Company Law Board today dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of Harsh Vardhan Lodha, son of late R S Lodha, on board of Birla Corporation.

Provogue reworks business plans, strategises to boost revenues

After a year of slow growth, apparel maker and retailer Provogue is reworking its business strategy to boost revenues and prop up margins, a top company executive said.

Pre-IPO placements back in vogue

The recovering IPO market is set to breathe life into pre-IPO placements, which were virtually dead for the past one-and-a-half years. Sources said a number of companies slated to hit markets soon were scouting for strategic investors to benchmark their public issues.

Unitech to raise $200 mn for low-cost housing from PE firms

The country"s second-largest realty firm, Unitech, is likely to raise $200 million (nearly Rs 1,000 crore) within the next three months by selling stake in its affordable housing projects to private equity players.

Unitech net profit falls 22% in Q4

Unitech Ltd, the country’s second-largest property developer, reported a decline of 22 per cent in its consolidated net profit for the quarter ended March 31 to Rs 279.7 crore, compared with Rs 360.2 crore for the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the full year 2008-09 also fell 28 per cent at Rs 1,197.7 crore, compared with Rs 1,661.9 crore for the corresponding period last year. Revenue for the year came down 23 per cent, to Rs 3315.6 crore, as compared with Rs 4,280.1 crore for the corresponding period last year.

Cox & Kings fixes IPO price band at Rs 316-330

Leading tour and travel operator Cox and Kings today said it has fixed the price band for initial public offer (IPO) between Rs 316 and Rs 330 per share.

Some of upcoming realty IPOs may falter: consultant

A couple of real estate initial public offers (IPOs) may falter from around 15 lined up over the next few months if the issues are not reasonably priced, a realty consultant said.

Satluj Jal Vidyut IPO likely in next fiscal: CMD

Public sector hydropower producer Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) today said its proposed initial public offer is likely to come in the next fiscal and the company is in the process of appointing independent directors, a prerequisite for firms planning to hit the market.

PSUs\' peculiar problem

With profit-making not being the sole motive of public units, caution needs to be exercised while investing in their IPOs.

Lunch with BS: Shantanu Prakash

Sunil Jain / New Delhi November 17, 2009, 0:41 IST

Pantaloon QIP to start today

Pantaloon Retail, the country’s largest listed retailer, was likely to open its qualified institutional placement (QIP) issue from Friday, sources said. The company plans to raise anywhere between Rs 300 crore to Rs 400 crore from the issue.

Aqua Logistics aims to raise Rs 150 cr via IPO

Logistic solutions provider Aqua Logistics is aiming to raise up to Rs 150 crore through its proposed initial public offer and has already filed draft papers with the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for this purpose.

Experts stress on tapping retail sector

The budding corporate managers need to tap the huge potential offered by the retail sector which is the second largest employer in the country after agriculture and the retailers need to imbibe a work culture driven by productive performance.