In the era of cheap me-too 7-inch tablets, PC peripherals brand Intex has launched a standout ultra-slim tablet with a built-in keyboard like that of the Microsoft Surface. The Intex i-Buddy, priced at Rs 6,500 (the same as Micromax Funbook), seems better value for money than the Micromax model and many others in the 7-inch […]
After several years of relentless increases in spending on populist schemes such as the National Employment Guarantee scheme, food, fertilizer and fuel subsidies, the government has finally applied the brakes in the budget for 2011-12. Instead of increasing budgets to rope in more people under the schemes, the government has proposed to make the schemes […]
Banks in India will face increasing stress over the next two years due to a possible deterioration in asset quality and overall economic malaise, ratings agency Standard and Poor’s said. While other BRIC countries will also face slowing growth, India’s situation is the most dire among the four big developing nations, it said. “We believe […]
Prices of food items, particularly pulses and coarse cereals, are likely to rise in coming months due to a possible drought in India this year and add to the already high inflation levels, CRISIL Research has warned. It pointed out that monsoon has so far been 22% below average and the situation is reminiscent of […]
Internet purchases are worth $10 billion (Rs 50,000 crore) at present, but are growing fast, prompting online retailers like Flipkart and Myntra to burn cash to attract customers, a new study by consultancy firm Zinnov has found. On a positive note, it noted that online retail accounts for only 0.5% of the total retail industry […]
Even as mainstream media has adopted a wait-and-watch approach towards the ‘second round’ anti-corruption agitation by Team Anna, a little-known live streaming website is catching on in popularity due to the agitation. Granslive, a little known web-streaming service, has seen tens of thousands of users log on in an effort to watch live Anna Hazare’s […]
An influx of thousands of Anna Hazare’s supporters, eager to find out what is going on at the Jantar Mantar fast venue, seems to have overwhelmed the live web streaming set up India Against Corruption. The live video feed by event-streaming firm Granslive seems to have become inaccessible to new viewers today morning, and several […]
I am one of you. I don’t usually go about shouting slogans, or carrying placards. Sometimes, when I don’t have enough money to make ends meet, I choose to pay the Rs 100 that the policeman demands than the Rs 600 fine I’d have to pay for riding without a helmet. I am no Anna […]
With TV channels not giving the same level of coverage to Anna Hazare’s fast as last time, many supporters of the movement have chosen to express their frustration at mainstream TV channels on social media networks such as Facebook and Youtube. “Boycott all those channels that are not showing India’s biggest movement as breaking news,” […]
One of India’s biggest associations of companies, the National Association of Software and Services Companies has welcome the government’s move to re-examine its recent moves on taxing India-based operations of foreign companies. There had been signals from the Income Tax department that it will scrutinize the value ascribed by foreign companies to the work done […]
Two founders of NIIT, Rajendra S Pawar and Mr. Vijay K Thadani, have sold a combined stake of 7.4% in NIIT’s technology subsidiary, NIIT Technologies. In a statement released on their behalf, they said the money will be used to fund the expansion of NIIT University (NU). NIIT University, a Not for Profit University, has […]
The government has done away with tax deductions linked to accumulated losses, moving towards an investment-linked tax incentive scheme. In the budget for 2011-12, the government said it is withdrawing the so-called 10-A and 10-B deductions due to rampant misuse by companies. Many companies artificially lower their profits or declare losses to get the benefit […]
Anna Hazare’s broad-based anti-corruption alliance ‘India Against Corruption’ seems all set to form a new political party after Anna’s supporters voted overwhelmingly in favor of the option, according to initial trends. Anna Hazare himself said he was in agreement with the requests of his followers. “I will not be part of any party, but I […]
Google and NIIT joined hands to introduce a training service for young professionals in India. The program named ‘Google Web Academy’ aims to bridge the digital skill gap in the country and help students and professionals capitalize on the emerging job market for the online industry. Under the initiative, NIIT will be Google’s first partner […]
In its first major move after former commerce secretary Rahul Khullar took over as TRAI chief, the regulator has proposed tightening the penalties for mobile operators who flout number portability (MNP) rules and subscribers who send commercial SMSes and calls. It also suggested doing away with the so-called ‘processing fee’ on recharge coupons, thus enabling […]
Essar Oil said it has tied up credit arrangements worth Rs 5,000 crore from Indian banks to pay its sales tax bill of Rs 6,169 crore. Essar Oil is a subsidiary of Essar Energy, listed on the London Stock Exchange as ESSR. In April this year, the Supreme Court of India had rejected Essar Oil’s […]
India’s IT spending will buck the overall global slowdown and grow at a strong rate of 16.3% in dollar terms this year, International Data Corporation (IDC) said. The growth forecast is unexpectedly strong and bullish, given that Gartner recently predicted that global IT spending will grow only 3% this year. According to IDC, India’s total […]
If 2010-11 was the year of the Indian mobilephone brands, 2011-12 has been the year when they’ve crash landed to reality, according to the latest Voice & Data survey. Barring Karbonn and Lava, all the Indian mobile phone brands such as Micromax and Spice saw drops in their revenues in 2011-12, according to the survey. […]
After many stumbles, the reform of India’s massive food-subsidy system is gathering pace. Starting this month, Kochi in Kerala will be among the select few cities in India where a new public distribution system (PDS) will be tested out. Unlike the current system, the new system will not route the subsidy on food and kerosene […]
Come next year, salaried employees who earn less than Rs 8 to 9 lakhs a year will not have to through the hassle of filing their annual income tax returns. According to the budget for 2011-12, from June 2011, government would change the laws to make it unnecessary for salaried employees to file annual IT […]
