Tuesday, August 26, 2008

AIMING GLOBAL, INFOSYS BUYS UK CO IN MEGA-DEAL

After pharma, auto and steel companies, now it’s the turn of Indian infotech companies to go for mega acquisitions abroad. In probably the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian infotech company, Infosys Technologies, India’s No 2 software services exporter, has agreed to buy UK-based consultancy services firm Axon Group Plc in an all-cash deal valued at Rs 3,310 crore (around £407.1 million, or $753.1 million).

The Indian Express

Monday, August 25, 2008

PRIVATE EQUITY MAKES INROADS IN INDIA

Private equity is gaining greater acceptance in India where rising borrowing costs and a tanking stock market have shut down other means of funding, forcing family-owned businesses to tap a source they had once shunned.

The Financial Express
ANIL AMBANI's PAY PACKET FATTENS SIX-FOLD

Consumers may be reeling under an inflation of close to 13 per cent, but it should not be a cause of concern for India's second richest person Anil Ambani, whose pay package has grown by close to six times over past fiscal.

The Financial Express
INDIAN FIRMS RUSH TO AIM AS DOMESTIC FLOATS HIT SHELF

Indian firms are tapping London’s Alternative Investment Market, or AIM, to raise funds as the domestic market for initial public offerings, or IPOs, has dried up for lack of investor appetite for new stock sales and dipping valuations of listed companies.

MINT
FIIs BETTING ON INDIA AS AN OIL HEDGE

Some foreign institutional investors, or FIIs, the largest investor class in the Indian market, could start reallocating capital here as they bet on further meltdown in crude oil prices, even as several equity strategists at large global brokerages appear to be reaching a consensus on the merits of such bets.

MINT
PEs ZEROING IN ON DISTRESSED FIRMS

Private equity(PE) firms who have been largely focused on providing growth capital in India are now eyeing distressed firms, which has been a domain of the Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). While some of the PE players such as Vision Global, Eight Capital and ClearWater have specialised funds, which are targeting distressed assets, other PE firms are also looking to invest in such companies during these troubled times.

The Economic Times
INDIAN-ORIGIN NISHITA SHAH AMONG NEXT GEN BILLIONAIRES

Nishita Shah, 28, an Indian origin businesswoman from Thailand, golfer Tiger Woods and Elon Musk, co-founder of online payment processor PayPal figure on Forbes’ list of next-generation billionaires. Besides Shah, managing director of Thailand's diversified GP Group, on the list are Hollywood actor Tyler Perry, Kenji Kasahara, creator of Japan's leading portal Mixi, and Michael and Xochi Birch, who started Bebo, a social networking site.

The Times of India

Monday, August 18, 2008

FDI IN Q1 FY 09 EXCEEDS TOTAL INFLOWS IN 2005-06

India is fast catching up with China in the flow of Foreign Direct Investment as it crossed $10 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the first quarter of FY 09 has far exceeded the total FDIs flows received by the domestic economy in the financial year 2005-06, Reserve Bank data said.

MINT
INFOSYS STICKS TO HIRING TARGET OF 25,000 THIS FISCAL

At a time when many companies are cutting down on their new recruits due to global slowdown, IT bellwether Infosys Technologies has decided to stick to its hiring target 25,000 people in the current financial year.

Press Trust of India
INFOSYS PLANS CONSORTIUM TO NURTURE TALENT

In an effort to address the shortage of skilled workforce, leading software exporter Infosys is looking to form a consortium along with other top five Indian IT hirers to nurture talent in engineering colleges.

TimesNow TV
TESCO TIES UP WITH TATA, TO INVEST $115 MN

UK's largest retailer Tesco Plc on Tuesday announced plans to enter the wholesale cash-and-carry business in India with an initial investment of up to 60 million pounds in the first two years. The company has also entered into an exclusive franchise agreement with Tata group's retail venture Trent, which will help in driving the latter's hypermarket format Star Bazaar.

The Financial Express
FDI IN REAL ESTATE MAY TOUCH $25 BN IN 10 YEARS

Foreign direct investment in the country's real estate sector is likely to rise to a whopping $25 billion in the next 10 years from the present $4 billion, even as the industry faces a slowdown in the short term due to rising interest rates...

The Economic Times
TATA STEEL STORMS INTO FORTUNE 500

Tata Steel has made its maiden entry into the list of Global 500 Companies released by the Fortune magazine. Based on the consolidated 9-month financial results, Fortune magazine ranked Tata Steel at 315th place.

The Economic Times
UK'S BOOTS TIES UP WITH RELIANCE RETAIL

World’s leading pharma and beauty retailer, Boots Company, has signed a Bharti-Wal-Mart type agreement with Reliance Retail (RRL) to enter India’s health and wellness market. The two have decided to get into an equal joint venture for wholesale business and plan to operate front-end stores through a franchisee agreement.

The Economic Times

Saturday, August 02, 2008

GOVT ALLOWS FOREIGN PLAYERS FOR 3G

The government on 1 August announced guidelines for roll out of next generation (3G) mobile service and Mobile Number Portability that allows cell users to switch operators without changing numbers—conveniences that will enhance the wireless telephony experience.

MINT
INDIA SECOND BEST COUNTRY FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT: SURVEY

India is the second best country for business investment, a new survey of American corporate executives shows. Conducted by Development Counsellors International every three years, the “Winning Strategies in Economic Development Marketing” survey has tracked trends in economic development since its inception in 1996. This is the first year respondents were asked to rank the business favourablity of the world’s 25 largest countries (based on GDP).

MINT
IAEA CLEARS INDIA INSPECTION PLAN, BOOSTS US-INDIA DEAL

Governors of the UN nuclear watchdog approved an inspections plan for India by consensus on Friday, a key step towards finalising a US-Indian nuclear cooperation deal. The accord would open up to India the world market in atomic materials and technology for civilian use, but is controversial since New Delhi has conducted nuclear test explosions and never joined the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Economic Times
N-DEAL SPIN-OFF - 100,000 NEW JOBS, MORE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

One of the spin offs of the India-US civil nuclear deal coming through will be the creation of 100,000 new jobs for the 30-odd reactors that India hopes to set up to meet its nuclear power deadline of 20,000 MW by 2020

The Economic Times
NOW, $10 LAPTOP FOR STUDENTS

After displaying its prowess in developing the world's cheapest car, India is on track to rolling out the world's cheapest laptop computer that could cost as low as $10.

The Economic Times
GEMS & JEWELLERY EXPORTS TO GROW BY 15-20%

India’s gems and jewellery exports is likely to grow by 15-20 per cent this fiscal.

“We are expecting the whole gems and jewellery basket to grow by 15-20 per cent this year with gold export forming the major chunk of total exports,” Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Vice-Chairman Vasant Mehta told reporters in Mumbai.

The Financial Express
NOOYI TOP-PAID FEMALE CEO IN US: FORBES

CEOs heading America's 500 largest firms have taken a beating on their paychecks for the first time in five years, but the 13 female members of this elite club, headed by India-born chief of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi, have a reason to smile with a trend-defying hike.

The Financial Express