Dilasha Seth &Amp; Arnab Dutta

Stories by Dilasha Seth &Amp; Arnab Dutta

Covid blues fail to dampen Apple's dream run

Covid blues fail to dampen Apple's dream run

Rediff.com   27 May 2021

Rising prevalence of work-from-home and e-learning is driving sales of notebooks and tablets for most brands, but Apple's superior performance has more to do with its product quality.

Sharp slowdown in economic activities; e-way bills @ 1-year low

Sharp slowdown in economic activities; e-way bills @ 1-year low

Rediff.com   18 May 2021

GST mop-up likely to fall in May, June after touching record levels in April and March.

Apple takes a big bite out of locked down India, posts record JFM sales

Apple takes a big bite out of locked down India, posts record JFM sales

Rediff.com   14 May 2021

Apple was a fringe player in all key categories like smartphones, notebooks, and tablets till recently. But with the last quarter's record-breaking performance, the brand has established itself in the country's price-sensitive consumer electronics market.

Mobile phone production down 50% amid Covid-19 surge

Mobile phone production down 50% amid Covid-19 surge

Rediff.com   12 May 2021

According to research firm IDC, a slowdown in smartphone shipments began showing up as early as late February, though companies insist that the March quarter was fine, albeit on a low base.

E-way bills likely to fall to 5-month low amid lockdown

E-way bills likely to fall to 5-month low amid lockdown

Rediff.com   11 May 2021

E-way bill generation, which is related to paying Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a key high-frequency indicator of economic activity, may have fallen to a five-month low in April as more cities experience lockdowns due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. In April e-way bill generation may decline to 55-58 million, which is the lowest since at least November. On the higher side, it is a 17 per cent decline over March.

Made-in-America tax plan may hit India's manufacturing firms

Made-in-America tax plan may hit India's manufacturing firms

Rediff.com   3 May 2021

US proposal to raise the global corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% might face resistance from countries unwilling to give up their edge and compete with America on its terms.

Google tax: American IT and steel lobbies back action against India

Google tax: American IT and steel lobbies back action against India

Rediff.com   3 May 2021

The group has called for a retaliatory tariff action against India, if New Delhi does not roll back the 'unilateral and discriminatory' equalisation levy or Google Tax.

Despite grim outlook, fiscal stimulus unlikely for India Inc this year

Despite grim outlook, fiscal stimulus unlikely for India Inc this year

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2021

They say that a stimulus package may not be necessary because, unlike last year's total lockdown, public transport, including the railways and airlines, is running and the restrictions on movement are localised and, in some cases, are partial rather than total.

2nd Covid wave may erase gains in smartphone market

2nd Covid wave may erase gains in smartphone market

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2021

While the record shipments reflects the prevailing mood at the time, the exponential rise in Covid cases in the country has turned the tide since.

Delhi curfew, oxygen shortage takes a toll on Noida industrial belt

Delhi curfew, oxygen shortage takes a toll on Noida industrial belt

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

From trucks lined up and waiting in the area to local vendors, the scenes tell a story of livelihoods stalled.

Apple revs up India offering with new iMac, iPads and iPhone

Apple revs up India offering with new iMac, iPads and iPhone

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2021

The new iMac, two iPads and iPhone 12 and 12 Mini will be open for ordering starting April 30, just like in the US, the UK, China and Japan.

Serum, Bharat Biotech to get Rs 45 bn for 300 mn vaccines

Serum, Bharat Biotech to get Rs 45 bn for 300 mn vaccines

Rediff.com   20 Apr 2021

This will be an upfront payment for the vaccine doses that these two companies will supply to the government.

Personal income tax rises to Rs 5.7 trillion

Personal income tax rises to Rs 5.7 trillion

Rediff.com   20 Apr 2021

'Personal income tax collections have been high on account of impressive advance tax mop-up.'

States want GST exemption on Remdesivir, others

States want GST exemption on Remdesivir, others

Rediff.com   19 Apr 2021

Other decisions piled up include rationalisation of GST rate slabs, correction of inverted duty on certain items and inclusion of petroleum products.

Decade on, Jaypee Infratech customers still waiting for a home

Decade on, Jaypee Infratech customers still waiting for a home

Rediff.com   14 Apr 2021

Booked between 2007 and 2011, out of the total 32,700 residential units under various Jaypee Infratech (JIL) projects, at least 20,000 homes are yet to be delivered. Supreme Court documents show that, till last March, Jaypee had issued 7,997 offers of possession to homebuyers while executing only 6,530 sub-lease deeds. These deeds offer homebuyers possession rights but, unlike registration, does not guarantee absolute ownership.

Govt to infuse Rs 14,500 crore in 4 banks, issue recapitalisation bonds

Govt to infuse Rs 14,500 crore in 4 banks, issue recapitalisation bonds

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2021

Zero-coupon bonds don't give out interest but are issued at a deep discount to the face value, making it difficult to ascertain the net present value.

Direct tax collection inches closer to revised Budget target for 2021-21

Direct tax collection inches closer to revised Budget target for 2021-21

Rediff.com   24 Mar 2021

Providing comfort to the government on the revenue front amid fiscal stress, direct tax collection is moving closer to the revised Budget target for 2021-21 and may get a further thrust from the last instalment of the advance tax payment, the deadline for which ended on Monday. The contraction in net direct tax collection narrowed to 5 per cent year-on-year as on March 15 compared to a 9 per cent decline seen in January. In absolute terms, net collection stood at Rs 8.2 trillion against Rs 8.67 trillion in the same period last year, according to the provisional numbers shared by a government official.

Real estate, travel and tourism blues hit India's consumption story

Real estate, travel and tourism blues hit India's consumption story

Rediff.com   15 Mar 2021

India's Rs 4.5-trillion fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector was one of the first to bounce back from the lockdown induced blues, reporting a year-on-year (YoY) growth in the October-December quarter last year. That said, the overall consumption figures continue to remain depressed. The FMCG market, which includes daily consumables like branded atta, hand sanitizers, edible oils, shampoos, razors, and so on, recorded 7.3 per cent value growth during the period, while the smartphone market grew by 21 per cent.

It's the Centre not states who don't want GST on fuel

It's the Centre not states who don't want GST on fuel

Rediff.com   12 Mar 2021

Many states are open to the idea of petrol and diesel being brought under the goods and services tax (GST) regime - contrary to the perception that they are averse to it - but they want a concrete proposal, including a compensation mechanism, from the Centre. West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra says while the issue can be discussed, the Centre may not be keen to bring the change because it earns "much more" from taxes on petrol and diesel. "(The peak rate of) GST is 28 per cent. Under the regime, the Centre would only get 14 per cent. "So, definitely, the Union government does not want GST on fuel. It is all lies. Currently, they are in a very cozy place," Mitra said.

Xiaomi expands smartphone, TV capacity in India with 3 new plants

Xiaomi expands smartphone, TV capacity in India with 3 new plants

Rediff.com   26 Feb 2021

Apart from bringing new suppliers on board, Xiaomi is also hoping to take advantage of the newly launched PLI scheme that offers incentives on incremental production of smartphones with 2020 as the base year.