SpiceJet reassures flyers about COVID safety onboard

SpiceJet today made a formal announcement of the restarting of its domestic flying operations and reassured its customers about their safety inside the aircraft in view of the Coronavirus pandemic. The company resumed operations after a gap of exactly two months due to the Coronavirus lockdown. Flights are being operated on sectors such as Delhi-Bengaluru, […]

Kerala to impose 14-day quarantine on domestic air travelers

Kerala will impose a 14-day quarantine on all air travelers except those who are coming for “one or two days” for “business requirements”, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. The statement brings some clarity on the question of what happens to quarantine rules when domestic air travel is restarted on Monday. “The same rules that apply […]

Indian coal plants unlikely to meet pollution norms: CSE

A new study report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) finds that almost 70 per cent of India’s coal-fired power plants will not meet revised emission standards that come into effect in two years. The norms were set in December 2015 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). “Even after seven […]

COVID-19: Maruti Suzuki sees more inquiries for cheaper cars

With the Coronavirus lockdown putting people’s livelihoods in danger, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki said initial trends indicated more customer inquiries smaller cars. The company’s showrooms had shut on March 23 and re-opened only earlier this month. “Initial inquiry trends that we have seen so far, since the showrooms have opened, suggest that trend,” said […]

COVID-19 PACKAGE: Govt offers Rs 3 lakh cr worth of MSME loans

The central government has started giving out the details of its 20 lakh crore ($250 bln) stimulus-cum-rehabilitation package announced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the program yesterday, and said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce the details in coming days. Sitharaman said she would announce plans […]

Hero MotoCorp sells 10,000 two-wheelers post COVID lock-down

Hero MotoCorp said it has sold 10,000 motorcycles and two-wheelers since its dealerships and showrooms opened after a 41-day lockdown earlier this month. As of today, said the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, it has opened more than 1,500 outlets and service centers which account for around 30% of the company’s total retail […]

Reliance Jio hikes data price by removing data-only plan

Data costs on Reliance Jio network have gone up again as the operator has withdrawn its only data-only data and has made it mandatory for all consumers to also activate a voice pack to consume data services. The only data-only plan it had on offer — Jio Cricket Pack — used to give 2 GB […]

Kerala CM calls center’s airlifting plan risky

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today termed as risky and unfortunate the centre’s decision to not screen for Coronavirus infection before allowing passengers to board rescue flights that have started from today. Vijayan said the decision to potentially mix asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with healthy passengers in these flights from abroads would have serious consequences for […]

India reveals airfare, routes and details of evacuation flights

Indian Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri today revealed more details, including the number of flights, their routes as well as ticket prices, related to the air evacuation of Indians stranded abroad in the aftermath of the worldwide Coronavirus lock-down. National carrier Air India will conduct 64 flights between May 7 and May 13 to […]

TVS Motor says readying to start ops post COVID shutdown

TVS Motor Co, one of India’s top three two-wheeler makers, said it is getting ready to restart manufacturing operations after registering zero sales for the month of April due to the pan-India Coronavirus lockdown. “TVS Motor Company is gearing up to restart operations as per state guidelines and is undertaking strong measures to safeguard the […]

END of LOCKDOWN? Volvo Eicher gets nod to restart production

VE Commercial Vehicles, a joint venture between Sweden’s Volvo Group and India’s Eicher Motors, said it has received permission from the government to restart manufacturing operations at its commercial vehicle manufacturing plant in Madhya Pradesh. Considering the wider lock-down in place, it said, it is not planning on any immediate ramp-up in manufacturing operations. “The […]

99% of IT work being done from home: Hexaware; Revenue slows

Hexaware, the Mumbai-based mid-size IT services company, reported a rare instance of a slip in its quarterly growth rate amid the Coronavirus lockdown, and said 99% of its IT-related work is now being done by employees from their homes. The quantum of work being done from home is remarkably high for Hexaware, as, in most […]

Goa CM fears influx of infected tourists if lockdown lifted early

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today said that if the nationwide lock-down is lifted next week, his state would face an unwelcome situation of having to deal wtih Coronavirus-positive travelers from other parts of the country. His comments come in the wake of the Goan government urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday to extend the […]