Shally Seth Mohile, Viveat Susan Pinto &Amp;Amp; Arnab Dutta

Stories by Shally Seth Mohile, Viveat Susan Pinto &Amp;Amp; Arnab Dutta

Devika Bulchandani has shattered the glass ceiling for good

Devika Bulchandani has shattered the glass ceiling for good

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2022

'Devika is a people's person, who simply loves what she does. This reflects in her work; the insights she brings to the table and the way she interacts with people and clients. She has the demeanour of a good captain. Her success is well-deserved.'

Tighter seat belt rules work better for rider safety than alarm: Carmakers

Tighter seat belt rules work better for rider safety than alarm: Carmakers

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2022

A strict enforcement of seat belt norms for rear passengers would be more effective than making an alarm go off when people do not belt up, according to officials at car manufacturers. Their comments came a day after Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister for road transport and highways, announced that seat belt alarms would be made mandatory for passengers in the rear seat of a car. "We have taken a decision that there will be a provision that the car seat belt alarm should beep when the rear seat rider is not wearing a seat belt. "We will impose fines if rear seat riders are not wearing seat belts.

Tata Motors rolls out India's first CNG-powered truck in M&HCV segment

Tata Motors rolls out India's first CNG-powered truck in M&HCV segment

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2022

Tata Motors on Monday launched the country's first CNG truck in the medium and heavy commercial (M&HCV) vehicle segment in the 28- and 19-tonne nodes. Most truck makers, including Tata Motors, currently offer CNG only in the small and light commercial vehicle segments. The company also launched a fleet of seven trucks in the intermediary and light commercial vehicle (I&LCV) segment, meant for varied applications.

NDTV posted highest-ever profit in a decade in FY22

NDTV posted highest-ever profit in a decade in FY22

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2022

Media company New Delhi Television (NDTV) recorded its highest-ever consolidated profit at the group level in over a decade for financial year 2021-22 (FY22), said co-chairpersons Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy in the firm's latest annual report. Addressing shareholders, the Roys, founder-promoters of NDTV, said the company had emerged financially strong in FY22, continuing the turnaround of recent years. "Both the television and digital branches of the NDTV group reported their highest-ever profit. NDTV Ltd (television arm) recorded a profit of Rs 59.18 crore.

Adani-NDTV battle: Minority shareholders gain focus

Adani-NDTV battle: Minority shareholders gain focus

Rediff.com   1 Sep 2022

In the centre of an ownership battle with Adani Group, New Delhi Television (NDTV) can prevent a takeover by the group if it can buy more shares from public shareholders, corporate lawyers told Business Standard. On Tuesday, the media arm of Adani Group said it had exercised rights to acquire an indirect stake of 29.18 per cent in NDTV through conversion of loans into equity in a promoter group entity of NDTV. This will trigger a mandatory open offer for an additional 26 per cent stake in NDTV, even as the broadcaster said its founder promoters had neither consented to the exercise of rights nor was any conversation or input given on the matter.

Stakes rise for bauxite blocks in Odisha on Adani Group's entry

Stakes rise for bauxite blocks in Odisha on Adani Group's entry

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2022

The next auction for bauxite blocks in Odisha may see heightened interest with Adani Group charting an entry into alumina refining and existing players looking to boost capacity. Hemant Sharma, principal secretary, Odisha industries department, said that three bauxite blocks have been scheduled for auctions this year. Adani Group - which will be setting up a 4-MMTPA alumina refinery and may enter aluminium production - is expected to bid for mines, though raw material linkages shall be available from Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC).

BYD to drive in maiden e-SUV by end of 2022

BYD to drive in maiden e-SUV by end of 2022

Rediff.com   25 Aug 2022

The Warren Buffet-backed Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD will be unveiling a Born Electric SUV for the Indian market by the fourth quarter of the current calendar year. The deliveries of the same would begin in January, the company's top official said. This will be the first Born Electric SUV in the mass market. The Born Electric models from Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra would be launched from 2024. BYD has been selling the E6 MPV in the Indian market since 2021.

Amid demand for SUVs, Maruti launches new generation of small car Alto K10

Amid demand for SUVs, Maruti launches new generation of small car Alto K10

Rediff.com   19 Aug 2022

Alto, the Maruti brand synonymous with small cars, introduced the new generation K10 on Thursday, aiming to consolidate its position further amid shrinking demand for hatchbacks. With prices starting at Rs 399,000 and going up to Rs 533,500 (for manual transmission), the new model claims fuel efficiency of 24.90 km per litre. The Japanese car maker, which has been selling 100 Altos every hour for the last 22 years, had discontinued the model in February 2020.

Aamir Vs Akshay: Who Will Win BO Battle?

Aamir Vs Akshay: Who Will Win BO Battle?

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2022

This is the fourth time in three decades that Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar have had movie releases on the same day.

Funding winter hits start-up advertising spend across properties

Funding winter hits start-up advertising spend across properties

Rediff.com   6 Aug 2022

A long and bitter funding winter in the start-up world is beginning to take its toll on start-up advertising across properties. Earlier this week, Mastercard replaced Paytm as the title sponsor for all international and domestic cricket matches organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). But this is just one part of the story. The other side is that organisers of high-impact shows and events on Hindi general entertainment channels, too, are feeling the winter chill.

Top 20 dividend-paying firms raise shareholder rewards in FY22

Top 20 dividend-paying firms raise shareholder rewards in FY22

Rediff.com   25 Jul 2022

Hindustan Zinc (HZL), a subsidiary of Vedanta, announced an interim dividend of Rs 21 per share last week, resulting in an outflow of Rs 8,863 crore. The announcement has turned the spotlight on India Inc's dividend-paying policy - more so for reasons driving the generosity of firms. An analysis of BSE 500 companies by Business Standard Research Bureau shows that some of the top 20 dividend-paying companies in 2021-22 (FY22) include Vedanta, Tata Consultancy Services, HZL, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil), Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Reliance Industries (RIL), and Bajaj Auto, among others.

Rupee @ 80: How it will affect Indian firms

Rupee @ 80: How it will affect Indian firms

Rediff.com   15 Jul 2022

As the Indian currency hovers around its lowest versus the US greenback, several smaller and mid-sized companies are expected to face rough weather as almost 44 per cent of the foreign loans taken by Indian companies remained unhedged. According to the data sourced from the Reserve Bank of India, Indian companies raised around $38.2 billion in the financial year ended in March. Of this, only 56 per cent of the loans are hedged while the rest of the foreign loans remain unhedged, thus risking the companies to forex volatility.

L&T CEO Subrahmanyan gets 115% jump in salary in FY22 as business grows

L&T CEO Subrahmanyan gets 115% jump in salary in FY22 as business grows

Rediff.com   14 Jul 2022

Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) handed out a pay cheque of Rs 61.27 crore to its chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) SN Subrahmanyan in the last financial year (FY22), which is a near 115 per cent hike over FY21, as executive compensation at India Inc comes under sharp focus after two years of Covid-19. In fact, the total compensation of L&T's executive directors (including Subrahmanyan) in FY22 was 120 to 670 times the median remuneration of the company's employees, data from its FY22 annual report shows. This points to sharp hikes that the top management saw in their remuneration during the period, experts in human resources said. In FY21, L&T's executive compensation was 56 to 337 times the median remuneration of company employees.

Hindi Box Office Collects Rs 1,716 Crores!

Hindi Box Office Collects Rs 1,716 Crores!

Rediff.com   5 Jul 2022

'The second half of 2022 definitely looks stronger for Bollywood.'

SUVs drive Hyundai India's diesel model sales to three-year high

SUVs drive Hyundai India's diesel model sales to three-year high

Rediff.com   4 Jul 2022

A strong demand for diesel SUVs has bumped up the contribution of these variants to Hyundai Motor India's sales to a three-year high, a company top official told Business Standard. The local arm of the South Korean carmaker has benefitted after some leading manufacturers - including car market leader Maruti Suzuki - pulled the plug on diesel models amid tightening regulations. Hyundai has also gained from the changing travel preference -people are frequenting getaways and taking to the road a lot more than what they did before the pandemic. This trend has been fuelling overall SUV sales.

How the Japanese Yen's troubles are bringing a smile to Maruti Suzuki

How the Japanese Yen's troubles are bringing a smile to Maruti Suzuki

Rediff.com   28 Jun 2022

The recent currency volatility - rupee's depreciation against international currencies - may have given heartburns to automakers that rely on imports or pay royalty to parent companies abroad. But for Maruti Suzuki India, favourable movement of the yen - the currency that matters the most - against the Indian rupee, has given it reasons to cheer. The yen's sharp fall against the rupee and the rupee's depreciation against the US dollar, which in turn will bump up export realisations, are set to give a margin boost to the maker of Baleno and Brezza, said analysts. The softening of commodity prices and slew of new SUV launches in the coming months will also aid margins, they said.

M&M to set up first tractor plant in decade in Mohali

M&M to set up first tractor plant in decade in Mohali

Rediff.com   20 Jun 2022

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is setting up a greenfield tractor plant in Mohali near Punjab. Fueled by a strong domestic demand, the expansion is the first in a decade by the world's largest tractor maker. In 2012, the company had set up a facility at Zaheerabad in Telangana.

Auto sector poised for double-digit growth in FY23 after 3 years

Auto sector poised for double-digit growth in FY23 after 3 years

Rediff.com   17 Jun 2022

While commercial vehicles are expected to benefit from strong replacement demand, the two-wheeler and tractor segments are expected to gain from a recovery in the rural economy.

EVs to drive auto capex up by Rs 70,630 crore in 5 years

EVs to drive auto capex up by Rs 70,630 crore in 5 years

Rediff.com   13 Jun 2022

Automobile manufacturers, new and old, as well as ancillary suppliers are set to spend a combined Rs 70,630 crore over the next five years on either entering the electric vehicle segment or stepping up their presence in it. Data culled from announcements made by firms shows India, the world's fifth largest automobile market, is poised to receive one of the biggest capex pushes ever to fuel the transition from internal combustion engines to electric motors and batteries as part of a green drive. The EV push, egged on by the government's emphasis on electric mobility to meet its net zero targets, is expected to yield at least 25 electric vehicles - new ones as well as electrified versions of existing vehicles running on internal combustion engines.

Hospitality deals pick up after a lull as HNIs, family offices check in

Hospitality deals pick up after a lull as HNIs, family offices check in

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2022

After a two-year lull, the deal pipeline in India's hospitality sector, which has witnessed a strong revival since the second wave of the pandemic receded, is running full. Family offices, high net-worth individuals (HNIs) and institutional investors are looking at the sector with renewed interest, according to investment and transaction advisory firms working on multiple deals. Most of them declined to divulge details of the deals for reasons of confidentiality. The cumulative debt of the tourism, hotels and restaurant sector rose 8.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 64,408 crore as of March 25, 2022 against Rs 59,519 crore on March 26, 2021, according to the Reserve Bank of India.