India’s 3G networks creak under freebie overload; 4G also slows

MySpeed, the speedtesting platform operated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, has revealed a sharp dip in wireless data speeds across operators in March compared to the previous month. The declines were visible in both 4G as well as 3G services, but were more pronounced in 3G networks, which typically have one-tenth the data […]

Rs 1.7 lakh cr deposited via demonetization may not be withdrawn – SBI

The Indian banking system is likely to get a permanent liquidity boost of Rs 1.7 lakh cr due to the demonetization of high-denomination bank notes, State Bank of India chief economic adviser said in a note to bank clients. He said people were not making the large cash withdrawals that everyone expected them to after the […]

Reliance Jio seen preparing to launch cable TV, not DTH

Reliance Jio, the telecom services provider from the Reliance Industries group, is likely to launch its own cable TV services, according to photographs uploaded by anonymous users on web forums. The photographs were apparently taken at the demonstration of the new service, and come several months after rumors started circulating that the company will launch a […]

TN Medical College forced to discharge non-NEET students

The Medical Council of India has forced a medical college based in Nellur, Tamil Nadu to discharge 36 students who were admitted to the college outside the NEET system. NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is the pan-India entrance examination for recruitment for all medical colleges in the country. According to the Medical Council […]

Reliance Jio Summer Surprise plan capped at 1GB/day till Apr 15

Many of those who were looking forward to using more data per day than the 1 GB allotted to them under Reliance Jio’s Happy New Year scheme are likely be disappointed as it looks like the 1 GB cap will remain under the Summer Surprise offer as well. Even those Prime Members who subscribe to the […]

Reliance Jio Prime Membership extended, 3 months free service offered

Reliance Jio, the telecom services provider from Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, has extended the period for its subscribers to sign up for its Membership program up to Apr 15. It will also provide three months of free service for any member who signs up for its monthly packages starting at Rs 303 per month. In […]

Apparel exporters bemoan rising rupee, seek support

Indian apparel makers have sought government intervention to stabilize the rupee, which has been rising in recent months, in stark contrast to the situation in other countries that compete with India in exporting garments. “Other countries started taking recourse to depreciating their respective currencies during the last one-and-a-half years, whereas Indian Rupee got appreciated,” complained […]

Reliance Jio Prime recharge rush takes down Billdesk payment gateway

The rush of last-minute recharges for availing Reliance Jio’s Prime Membership offer seems to have taken down Billdesk, one of India’s largest payment processing services. As of 10:40 AM, both the Billdesk website and the payment gateway service has been down for several minutes. Billdesk is the provider of payment processing services for Jio’s website […]

SpiceJet awarded six routes under regional connectivity scheme

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite low-cost carrier, was today awarded 6 proposals and 11 routes under the first phase of the Government of India’s UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme, the airline said. Out of the six finalised proposals, four will be to Adampur, Kandla, Pondicherry and Jaisalmer whereas two will be for underserved markets of Porbandar and […]

ISRO offers space tech to electric vehicle makers in India

Indian Space Research Organization could soon help Indian e-bikes overcome their biggest drawbacks — low mileage per charge and limited speed. Costing between Rs 35,000-50,000, most of these bikes have a top speed of 25 km per hour and a range of 30 to 50 km per charge. That could change soon, thanks to the […]

BHEL commissions 800 MW supercritical coal unit in Karnataka

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) commissioned an 800 MW coal-based supercritical thermal unit at the  Yeramarus Thermal Power Station located in Raichur district of Karnataka, the heavy equipment maker said. The plant is a joint venture between BHEL and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited and now has a capacity of 1600 MW. With this, BHEL has supplied […]

FITE urges Cognizant employees not to submit resignations

Forum for IT Employees or FITE, a web-based IT workers’ collective, has urged employees of Cognizant Technology Solutions not to resign voluntarily if asked by the company’s human resources department. “If the employee resigns his/her job, a month’s salary or three months’ salary should be paid as specified in his/her offer letter. However, if the […]

Telecom Commission suggests DoT send back fine proposal on Airtel, Idea & Vodafone to TRAI

The Telecom Comission, a panel set up within the Department of Telecom with external representatives, has suggested that the ministry of communications should send back for ‘reconsideration’ the recommendation by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for it to impose a fine of Rs 3,050 cr on Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India. The […]

India is the first country to reuse nuclear waste on large scale – Minister

The Department of Atomic Energy today said that India is the first country in the world where the waste produced by nuclear power plants is being used for civilian applications. Jitendra Singh, the minister of state overseeing the department, also allayed concerns about any possible leakage of radiation from spent fuel. “There has been no […]

Reliance Jio Prime Membership closing in on 50 mln mark

Reliance Jio, India’s newest telecom operator is set to add almost 50 mln users to its Prime platform, according to reliable sources. As of now, the company has added close to 43.5 mln, with another 3-4 mln additions expected in the remaining 2.5 days. On average, the company added 1.55 mln Prime customers per day over […]

Reliance Jio allows ‘queuing’ of 303, 499 recharges for 1 year

With on four more days remaining before the start of paid services on Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator by volume, the company has urged its sales agents to promote the idea of ‘queuing’ up recharges for a year. “We have been told to encourage users to do recharges for multiple months before the offer […]

Bharti Airtel sells 10% of Infratel to KKR, CPPIB at Rs 325 per share

Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecommunications services provider, said it sold 10.3% of its tower unit Bharti Infratel to funds advised by US private equity firm KKR and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board at Rs 325 per share. The transaction has been done at a premium of around 3% to the stock’s opening price of Rs […]

Maruti Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza sells 1.1 lakh units in first year

Vitara Brezza, the sports utility vehicle from Maruti Suzuki, has sold over 1.1 lakh units in its first year, the carmaker said in an update marking one year of the car’s launch. In total, around 36 lakh four-wheeled passenger vehicles are expected to be sold in India the current financial year, giving the model a […]

Transport vehicle drivers, staff to get coverage under ‘third party’ insurance policy

The drivers and staff of all vehicles classified as ‘transport’ will be brought under the definition of ‘third party’ in third party insurance policies, the finance ministry said today. This will cover buses, vans and other commercial transport vehicles and will be implemented through the upcoming amendment to theMotor Vehicles Act. At present, only the driver […]