Tag: jet airways

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Maruti Suzuki Plans Capex of Rs 1.25 Lakh Cr Till FY31 – Top Indian Market Updates

"Bangalore, India - January 29, 2013: Signage at a car showroom belonging to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. in Bangalore, India. The company is a subsidiary of Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation, and has been the leader in the Indian car market for two and half decades with a capacity of 1.7 million cars annually."

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets tomorrow:

Maruti Suzuki plans total capex of ₹1.25 lakh crore till 2030-31

Maruti Suzuki India is planning capital expenditure (capex) of up to Rs 1.25 lakh crore until 2030-31. The company’s strategy involves expanding its current product lineup from 17 models to 28 while increasing its production capacity. The automaker aims to have a total production capacity of 40 lakh units annually by 2030-31.

Read more here.

Prepared with business continuity plan for Haifa port: Adani Ports

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) said it is closely monitoring the conflict concentrated in south Israel, whereas its Haifa Port is situated in the north. The overall contribution of Haifa in APSEZ’s numbers is relatively small at 3% of the total cargo volume. We remain fully alert and prepared with a business continuity plan that will enable us to respond effectively to any eventuality,” APSEZ’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Read more here.

Inox Green Energy to divest 100% stake in Gujarat wind farm

Inox Green Energy Services (IGESL) has signed a term sheet to sell its 100% stake in Nani Virani Wind Energy Pvt Ltd (NVWEPL) as part of a strategy to become debt-free. NVWEPL owns a 50MW operational wind farm in Gujarat. The wind farm was commissioned in May this year.

Read more here.

ITC Hotels brand ‘Storii’ to set up presence in West Bengal

ITC Hotels announced the signing of its first ‘Storii’ property in Kolkata, West Bengal. The property will be located near the metropolis and is expected to open in early 2024. It will have 30 keys/rooms. ITC Hotels has three ‘Storii’ properties present in Goa and Dharamshala.

Read more here.

Magenta Mobility partners with Tata Motors to deploy EVs

Magenta Mobility has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to deploy 500 Ace EVs for last-mile delivery services. With Tata Motors, Magenta aims to drive sustainability in intra-city logistics in India by reducing the carbon footprint in the last-mile and mid-mile freight segment. 

Read more here.

Paytm introduces guest checkout solution

Paytm Payments Services Ltd (PPSL) has introduced an Alternate ID (ALT ID)-based Guest Checkout solution for merchants, enhancing cardholder safety and streamlining transactions.  With this solution, customers can make purchases as guests without storing sensitive card information on e-commerce/merchant websites. PPSL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of One97 Communications Ltd (which operates Paytm). 

Read more here.

SC to hear Jet Airways lenders’ plea against JKC on Oct 12

The Supreme Court (SC) indicated it would hear the plea by grounded airline Jet Airways’ lenders on October 12. The lenders are challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s (NCLAT) order granting Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC) more time to make payments to them. JKC is the successful bidder for Jet Airways.

Read more here.

Premium collection falls for life insurers in August

Premiums in the life insurance sector witnessed a drop of 13% year-on-year (YoY) to ₹30,716 crore in September 2023. Life Insurance Corporation’s (LIC) premium collection in September dropped by 27% YoY. The life insurer’s premium collection fell 25% YoY in the first half of FY24. LIC has lost 9.7% market share in the first six months of FY24 over last year.

Read more here.

Fitch upgrades Tata Steel rating to ‘BBB-‘

Tata Steel Ltd’s (TSL) long-term issuer default rating was upgraded to investment grade by Fitch Ratings with a stable outlook, following less uncertainty and financial risk from its UK operations. Fitch Ratings upgraded the issuer default rating from BB+ to BBB -. It also raised the rating on Tata’s $1 billion notes due July 2024 issued by unit ABJA Investment Co. to BBB- from BB+. 

Read more here.

Cipla stake sale plan faces hurdle as promoters differ on valuation: Report

According to an ET report, the stake sale plan of Cipla Ltd has come across a hurdle as the promoters are reportedly not aligned with the common valuation. Differences among founders may lead to a delay in the deal until a common consensus is reached over the valuation. Cipla’s promoter group currently controls around 33% of the company’s shares. Reports have said that the family members could sell some or all of their stakes in Cipla.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Jio Financial Services to Get Listed on Aug 21 – Top Indian Market Updates

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets on Monday:

Jio Financial Services to get listed in NSE, BSE on Aug 21

Shares of Jio Financial Services Ltd (JFSL) will get listed on stock exchanges on August 21. The company’s shares were credited to demat accounts of eligible RIL shareholders last week in a 1:1 ratio. This means for every RIL share held as of the record date of July 20, shareholders got one share of JFSL. As part of a special price discovery session held on the record date, the stock’s pre-listing price came out to be ₹261.85 per share.

Read more here.

Adani says TAQA is not in talks for $2.5 billion investment

Adani Transmission denied reports Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC (TAQA) will deploy $1.5-2.5 billion in Adani Group firms or in a single entity. Earlier today, Economic Times reported TAQA is looking to double down in India and is evaluating a large exposure in the expansive power businesses of Gautam Adani that span thermal generation to transmission, clean energy and green hydrogen.

Read more here.

Jalan-Kalrock Consortium seeks more time to pay ₹350 cr to Jet Airways’ lenders

The Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC) has sought an extension to make payments of up to ₹350 crore to the Committee of Creditors of bankrupt airline Jet Airways. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has asked JKC to file an application stating the conditions for seeking an extension to make the payments. Jet Airways, which stopped operations due to financial crunch, went through lengthy insolvency proceedings and JKC emerged as the winning bidder.

Read more here.

Tata Comm challenges DoT’s Rs 991.5 cr demand in TDSAT

Tata Communications has challenged the Department of Telecom’s (DoT) ₹991.5 crore licence fee demand pertaining to past years in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). DoT has raised certain license-fee demands of ₹991.54 crore for FY 2006-07 (international long-distance or ILD and internet service provider or ISP) and FY 2007-08 (National long-distance or NLD, ILD, and ISP).

Read more here.

NLC India signs pact to supply 300 MW solar power to Rajasthan

NLC India has signed an agreement to supply 300 MW of solar power for 25 years to Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam under the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme. The company currently has 1,421 MW of renewable energy capacity. The 300 MW solar project capacity is under execution at Barsingsar, Bikaner District, Rajasthan.

Read more here.

Amazon Data Services, L&T signs 18-year lease for 4-acre land in Powai

Amazon Data Services India has picked up a land parcel spread over four acres in Mumbai’s Powai suburb from Larsen & Toubro through a long-term lease of nearly 18 years. The subsidiary of Amazon is planning to develop a data centre on this land parcel and pay rent of over ₹562 crore over the total lease tenure (excluding the rent escalation). The agreement includes a clause to escalate lease rental by 3% every year.

Read more here.

Venus Remedies launches flagship R&D drug Elores in Oman

Venus Remedies Ltd on Friday said it has launched its flagship R&D drug, Elores, in the $1.4-billion pharmaceutical market in Oman. The drug is clinically proven to be effective against ICU infections caused by multidrug-resistant extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and metallo beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial market in Oman is worth $7.5 million, and Elores is looking to capture 0.5% of this segment by 2025.

Read more here.

Indian Hume Pipe secures order worth ₹639 crore from Odisha

Indian Hume Pipe Company Ltd has received a letter of award (LoA) for a project worth ₹639.16 crore from Rural Water Supply & Sanitation, Odisha. The company will execute a Rural Piped Water Supply Project, which pertains to a total of six blocks in the Puri district of the state. The project is set to be completed within two years.

Read more here.

Route Mobile to manage Vi’s international A2P SMS traffic

Route Mobile has entered into an exclusive partnership with Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) to deploy and implement its suite of end-to-end application-to-person (A2P) monetisation solutions for all A2P SMS traffic on VIL’s network. A2P SMS is a type of messaging technique where a text is sent from a software application run by an enterprise to a consumer’s device.

Read more here.

Lupin acquires Ondero & Ondero Met to expand diabetes portfolio

Lupin has acquired German brands Ondero and Ondero – Met from Boehringer Ingelheim International. The company entered into an acquisition agreement in August 2022 through a cash consideration of €26 million. The pharma company said this acquisition strengthens its commitment to providing superior treatment options for patients navigating the complexities of diabetes.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Maruti Suzuki Posts 2.5x Jump in Net Profit in Q1 – Top Indian Market Updates

"Bangalore, India - January 29, 2013: Signage at a car showroom belonging to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. in Bangalore, India. The company is a subsidiary of Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation, and has been the leader in the Indian car market for two and half decades with a capacity of 1.7 million cars annually."

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets tomorrow:

Maruti Suzuki Q1 Results: Net profit jumps 2.5x to ₹2,485 crore

Maruti Suzuki India reported a 2.5x YoY jump in consolidated net profit to ₹2,485 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY24). Its revenue from operations rose 22% YoY to ₹32,327 crore during the same period. The automaker sold 498,030 units during the quarter, registering a growth of 6.4% YoY.

Read more here.

SAIL awards ₹30,483 crore mine development project to Power Mech

Power Mech Projects has secured a mine development and operation (MDO) project of ₹30,438 crore by state-owned steel maker SAIL. The duration of the contract is 28 years, which includes two years of development period. The contract will primarily comprise mine infrastructure development, removal of overburden and extraction of coking coal, crushing, transportation, and setting up of coal washery of 3.5 MTPA capacity.

Read more here.

UPL Q1 Results: Net profit falls 81% to ₹166 crore

UPL Limited reported an 81% YoY decline in consolidated net profit to ₹166 crores for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY24). Its revenue from operations fell 17% YoY to ₹8,963 crore during the same period. UPL has significantly cut its earnings guidance for FY24. The company now sees revenue growing 1-5% in FY24, compared to 6-10% earlier.

Read more here.

Nirma closes in on Glenmark’s API subsidiary

The Nirma Group is the frontrunner to acquire Glenmark Life Sciences (GLS), an 82.84% subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. The conglomerate emerged as the sole bidder late last week. Nirma is using healthcare subsidiary Aculife Healthcare as the likely vehicle for the acquisition. GLS is a leading active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) platform.

Read more here.

Adani Green Q1 Results: Net profit rises 51% YoY to ₹323 crore

Adani Green Energy Ltd reported a 51% YoY increase in consolidated net profit to ₹166 crores for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY24). Its revenue from operations rose 33% YoY to ₹2,176 crore during the same period. Revenue from power supply was up 55% YoY to ₹2,059 crore in Q1. The sale of energy has increased by 70% YoY to 6,023 million units.

Read more here.

DGCA renews Jet Airways flying permit

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has renewed Jet Airways’ flying permit till September as the fate of the airline still remains uncertain. The company’s air operator’s certificate (AOC) lapsed after it shut operations in April 2019. The airline has been undergoing insolvency proceedings in India’s bankruptcy court (NCLT).

Read more here.

GAIL Q1 Results: Net profit falls 51% YoY to ₹1,412 crore

GAIL (India) Ltd reported a 51.5% YoY decline in net profit to ₹1,412 crores for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY24). Its revenue from operations fell 14% YoY to ₹32,227.47 crore during the same period. The company’s board has approved a proposal to increase the cost of its new petrochemical plant in the Raigad district of Maharashtra from ₹7,823 crore to ₹11,256 crore.

Read more here.

Laxmi Organic board approves ₹710 crore capex to set up manufacturing site

Laxmi Organic Industries Ltd’s board has approved a capital expenditure of ₹710 crore for setting up a manufacturing site in Dahej, Gujarat. The proposed capacity addition of the site in Dahej will be more than 1 lakh tonnes every year. The first phase of the product portfolio at this new site will include speciality items like Diketene and Ketene derivatives.

Read more here.

Vi partners with TSSC to launch IoT Centre of Excellence

Vodafone Idea Foundation has partnered with the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) to launch the IoT Centre of Excellence at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) in Delhi. The centre will provide hands-on training in new age and emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), IoT (internet of things), security, and surveillance to build a skilled workforce for the future.

Read more here.

India’s core sector growth output at 5-month high of 8.2% in June

Growth of eight key infrastructure sectors slowed down to 8.2% YoY in June 2023 due to a decline in the production of crude oil, natural gas, and electricity, as against 5% in May. The coal sector saw a growth of 9.8% YoY in June after growing 32.1% in the same month a year ago. Natural gas grew 3.6% YoY, while crude oil saw a dip of 0.6% YoY.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Advent Buys Significant Stake in Suven Pharma – Top Indian Market Updates

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets tomorrow:

Advent International acquires significant stake in Suven Pharma

Global private equity investor Advent International has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 50.1% stake in Suven Pharmaceuticals Ltd from the Jasti family (promoters) for ₹6,313 crore. Advent will also launch an open offer to acquire an additional 26% of the pharma company. The total deal size would add up to ₹9,589 crore. After the acquisition, Advent intends to explore the merger of its portfolio company Cohance Lifesciences with Suven Pharma.

Read more here.

Central Bank of India to raise up to ₹1,500 crore in FY23

Central Bank of India’s board has approved a proposal to raise up to ₹1,500 crore this financial year (FY23) by issuing Basel III compliant bonds. The base issue size is ₹500 crore with a greenshoe option of up to ₹1,000 crore. Under the Basel-III capital regulations, banks globally need to improve and strengthen their capital planning processes.

Read more here.

Electronics industry push for tax rationalisation in Union Budget 2023

The Indian electronics industry wants the government to rationalise tariffs and remove small tariffs of 2.75% on parts and components of mobile phones, sub-assemblies, and mechanics. They want the Centre to reduce Goods & Services Tax (GST) from 18% to 12%. India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) also wants the 20% basic customs duty on high-end phones to be pegged at ₹4,000 per device. This measure could limit the smuggling of high-end phones, which ICEA said will add ₹1,000 crore to the GST collection.

Read more here.

Agrochemical players likely to see 15-17% growth this fiscal: CRISIL

According to a report from CRISIL Ratings, agrochemical players will grow at 15-17% in FY23, primarily driven by continued strong exports and stable domestic demand. Major agrochemical firms registered a stellar 23% growth in FY22. Their revenue could further grow by 10-12% next financial year as India continues to benefit from the China+1 strategy of global players.

Read more here.

Alembic Pharma gets USFDA approval for Fulvestrant injection

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd has received final approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for its generic Fulvestrant injection. The drug is used in the treatment of breast cancer. As per IQVIA data, Fulvestrant injection had an estimated market size of $71 million for the 12 months ended September 2022.

Read more here.

Godrej Properties acquires 62-acre land in Kurukshetra

Godrej Properties Ltd (GPL) has acquired nearly 62 acres of land in Kurukshetra, Haryana, to develop 1.4 million sq. ft. of plotted residential development. Kurukshetra is a self-sufficient city with good infrastructure consisting of schools, colleges, and hospitals. It also has significant historical and religious importance. GPL has been acquiring land in the National Capital Region (NCR) and peripheral areas to expand its presence.

Read more here.

Noida authority directs DLF to pay ₹235 crore for Mall of India land

Noida authority has issued a notice to realty developer DLF, asking it to pay ₹235 crore within 15 days for the dispute related to the land of Mall of India (the biggest mall in the country). The move has come after the Supreme Court ordered the Noida authority to pay ₹295 crore to Veerana Reddy. The authority acquired the land from Veerana Reddy in 2005 and later auctioned it to DLF, who developed the mall there.

Read more here.

Jet Airways pilots, cabin crew exit amid relaunch uncertainty

According to a CNBV-TV18 report, many standby pilots and cabin crew of Jet Airways have exited amid relaunch uncertainty. The report further states that the vice president of in-flight service has been sent on leave, while the salaries of CEO Sanjiv Kapoor and CFO Vipula Gunatilleka have been reduced. Earlier, Bloomberg reported that lenders to Jet Airways are resisting a court-approved resolution plan, further delaying the private airline’s relaunch.

Read more here.

Welspun Enterprises to receive ₹2,339 crore in first close of road asset sale

Welspun Enterprises Ltd. will receive about ₹2,339 crore from the first closing of the sale of six road assets to Actis Highway Infra Ltd., said Managing Director Sandeep Garg. “The enterprise value for the transaction is somewhere in the range of ₹9,049 crore, out of which approx. Rs 3,000 crore were received by us during the construction phase from the client,” he added. The five projects are the Welspun Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Welspun Road Infra, MBL (CGRG) Road, MBL Road Ltd., and Chikhali Tarsod Highways.

Read more here.

Infibeam Avenues receives RBI approval for Bharat Bill Payment licence

Infibeam Avenues Ltd has received a Perpetual Licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its bill payments business, BillAvenue. The licence will allow BillAvenue to function as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). The licence will help the company offer secure and uninterrupted services to 18,000+ billers, agent institutions and a network of ten lakh agents spread across 2,000 cities and towns in India.

Read more here.

Air India Express, AirAsia India exploring synergies ahead of merger

Air India Express and AirAsia India (which has changed its name to AIX Connect) are exploring synergies in terms of having unified customer touchpoints ahead of their proposed merger. An operational review process is underway to integrate budget carrier AirAsia India with Air India Express, and the merger is likely to be completed by the end of 2023. Post-merger, the entity will be branded as Air India Express.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Reliance Jio’s ‘True 5G’ Goes Live in Delhi-NCR – Top Indian Market Updates

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets on Monday:

Reliance Jio’s ‘True 5G’ goes live in Delhi-NCR

Reliance Jio has become the only operator to provide True-5G services across the entire Delhi-NCR region. The network will be present across all important localities and areas, including residential areas, hospitals, schools, colleges, tech parks, and government buildings. Jio users in Delhi-NCR can opt for the Jio Welcome Offer, which offers unlimited data at up to 1 Gbps+ speeds.

Read more here.

Jet Airways to cut employees’ salaries by up to 50%,

The Jalan-Kalrock Consortium (JKC), the owners of Jet Airways, has temporarily reduced the salaries of some employees by up to 50%. They have also placed some employees on leave without pay effective Dec 1. This is part of a host of measures to conserve the airline’s cash, even as the clash between employees and owners continues over unpaid dues.

Read more here.

Sun Pharma gets USFDA approval for drug to treat neonatal seizures

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has received approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for SEZABY, a formulation used for the treatment of neonatal seizures. The drug is expected to be available in the US in the fourth quarter of FY23. Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) recently licensed SEZABY to Sun Pharma, under which SPARC is eligible to receive a milestone payment.

Read more here.

Welspun Corp to acquire 70% debt of Sintex BAPL: Report

Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL) is set to acquire over 70% of the debts of KKR-backed Sintex BAPL. WCL seeks to take control of the plastic products maker, which is currently undergoing insolvency proceedings. Avenue Capital-backed Asset Reconstruction Company of India and Welspun Corp have been acquiring Sintex BAPL’s loans from lenders since the beginning of FY23.

Read more here.

Federal Bank partners with JCB India to finance heavy equipment buyers

Federal Bank has partnered with JCB India to finance the prospective buyers of heavy construction equipment and boost its loan portfolio. Under the arrangement, Federal Bank will be the preferred finance partner of the construction equipment manufacturer. JCB India’s customers can avail loans from the lender at competitive interest rates.

Read more here.

USFDA completes inspection of Bajaj Healthcare’s API facility

The USFDA has completed the pre-approval inspection of Bajaj Healthcare Ltd’s Vadodara-based Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) facility with zero observations. This was the first-ever pre-approved inspection of the said API facility. The US drug regulator inspected the facility from November 14-17. Established in 1993, Bajaj Healthcare is a leading manufacturer of APIs, intermediates, and formulations.

Read more here.

Bharat Electronics signs licensing agreement with DRDO

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed a licensing agreement with the Combat Aircraft Systems Development & Integration Centre (CASDIC), DRDO, for the transfer of technology of Digital Radar Warning Receiver. The state-of-the-art airborne Electronic Warfare system provides versatile situational awareness to a fighter platform in a dense signal scenario.

In other news, BEL has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) for cooperation in the field of Quantum Science and Technology.

Read more here.

Blackstone files DRHP for Nexus Select Trust retail REIT IPO

Global asset manager Blackstone filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with market regulator SEBI for an initial public offering (IPO) of Nexus Select Trust (NST). NST is India’s first retail real estate investment trust or REIT. Blackstone is the sole sponsor of the REIT. It intends to raise at least $500 million through the public issue next year. To learn more about REITs, click here.

Read more here.

Kolte-Patil Developers, 2 other settle case with SEBI

Kolte-Patil Developers Ltd (KPDL) and two others have settled a case pertaining to the alleged violations of listing and disclosure rules with markets regulator SEBI. They have paid over ₹63 lakh towards the settlement amount. KPDL made wrong disclosures of Related Party Transactions on three occasions in two half-yearly disclosures of FY19 and FY20.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Jet Airways Relaunch Faces Delays – Top Indian Market Updates

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets tomorrow:

Jet Airways facing more delays: CEO Sanjiv Kapoor

Jet Airways Ltd’s potential new owners, the Jalan-Kalrock consortium, have been trying to relaunch operations this month. However, the airline faces more delays due to unresolved negotiations between the management and engine makers on more favourable terms in its proposed leasing contracts. 

“We will start operations in a planned and phased manner and share details of our fleet, customer value proposition, and business model when we open for sale,” said CEO Sanjiv Kapoor.

Read more here.

AGEL commissions 325 MW wind power project in Madhya Pradesh

Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) has commissioned a 325 megawatts (MW) wind energy plant in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. The plant has two 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) at a tariff of Rs 2.83 per kilowatt hour (kwh). The Adani Group will manage the newly commissioned plant via its ‘Energy Network Operation Centre’ platform.

Read more here.

NARCL to buy 18 distressed accounts totalling ₹39,921 crore by Oct 1: Report

As per an ET Now report, the National Asset Reconstruction Company of India Ltd (NARCL) is preparing to acquire 18 distressed accounts worth ₹39,921 crore by October 31. The bad bank informed lenders that it has created two lists– Phase 1 comprised eight accounts with a debt of ₹16,744 crore. Phase 2 has 10 accounts with a debt of ₹18,177 crore.

Read more here.

Welspun Corp secures order for pipeline project in the US

Welspun Corp has secured a significant order for a carbon capture pipeline project in the United States. The company will supply 785 miles (1,256 km) or 100,000 MT of high-frequency induction welding pipes. The pipes for the order will be produced at the company’s manufacturing plant in Little Rock, Arkansas, and executed in FY23-24.

Read more here.

Delhi HC allows Natco Pharma to launch Chlorantraniliprole

The Delhi High Court has allowed Natco Pharma to launch Chlorantraniliprole (CTPR) and its formulations through its non-infringing process. CTPR technical is formulated into broad-spectrum insecticides for pest management on a wide range of crops. Natco Pharma estimates the current market size of products containing CTPR in India to be over ₹2,000 crore.

Read more here.

Hatsun Agro Products’ board approves rights issue of ₹400 crore

The Board of Directors of Hatsun Agro Products Ltd has approved the proposal for a rights issue aggregating to ₹400 crore. The issue will be available for all existing shareholders. The eligible shareholders will be determined on the record date, which the company will announce in due course. 

Read more here.

Olectra secures order to supply 123 e-buses to Thane Municipal Transport Undertaking

A consortium formed by Olectra Greentech and EVEY Trans has secured an order for 123 electric buses from the Thane Municipal Transport Undertaking. EVEY Trans will procure these e-buses from Olectra Genentech and deliver them in nine months. Meanwhile, Olectra will maintain the buses during the contract period of 15 years. The total value of the order is ₹185 crore.

Read more here.

Dixon Tech signs deal with Ibahn for advanced lighting technology

Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd has entered into a binding term sheet with Delhi-based Ibahn Illumination, whereby Ibahn has agreed to transfer its cutting-edge technologies of smart lighting solutions. Ibahn’s BLE Mesh Smart Lighting (app, firmware, hardware, and cloud-hosted database) provides consumers with Wi-Fi-based technology solutions for its lighting products.

Read more here.

PSP Projects secures work orders worth ₹167 crore

PSP Projects Ltd has secured orders worth ₹167.35 crore in the industrial, precast and residential segments. This includes a major order to construct Phase 2 of a Noodle Factory from a repeat client. With receipt of the above orders, the total order inflow for FY2022-23 till date amounts to ₹1,511.58 crore.

Read more here.

SEBI introduces framework to prevent misuse of clients’ securities by brokers

The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a new framework that will prevent the misuse of clients’ securities and funds by their stock brokers. Under the framework, depositories need to validate the transfer instruction for pay-in of securities from client Demat accounts to trading member pool accounts against obligations received from the clearing corporations.

In other news, SEBI is looking to boost surveillance of social media and other platforms through a web intelligence tool. Using data analytics, the tool will help to investigate violations of various securities laws by individuals, groups, and other entities.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Bharti Airtel Launches Wynk Studio – Top Indian Market Updates

Here are some of the major updates that could move the markets tomorrow:

Bharti Airtel launches Wynk Studio to support independent artists

Bharti Airtel Ltd has launched Wynk Studio, a music distribution ecosystem for independent artists. The studio enables artists to launch and monetise their music. The company has earmarked Rs 100 crore to promote local talent and launch 5,000 independent artists. At present, Wynk Studio has onboarded 130 artists from India, Singapore, and the United States.

Read more here.

Aurobindo Pharma Q1 Results: Net profit falls 32% YoY to Rs 521 crore

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd reported a 32% YoY decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 521 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). Its revenue from operations rose 9% YoY to Rs 6,236 crore during the same period. EBITDA stood at Rs 935 crore in Q1, down 22% YoY. The company’s Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) business grew 12% YoY to Rs 907 crore. 

Read more here.

Ashok Leyland’s EV arm partners with Chalo to deploy 5,000 EV buses

Ashok Leyland’s EV subsidiary, Switch Mobility, has partnered with Chalo (an app-based public transport operator) to supply over 5,000 electric buses over three years. Switch Mobility will manufacture the buses, while its sister company OHM Mobility will operate them in partnership with Chalo. The electric buses will be deployed across metros and major cities.

Read more here.

Jet Airways Q1 Results: Net loss at Rs 390 crore

Jet Airways reported a net loss of Rs 390.1 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). The airline had posted a net loss of Rs 129 crore in the corresponding quarter last year (Q1 FY22). Its revenue from operations fell 83% YoY to Rs 12.53 crore in Q1 FY23. It has started the process of hiring pilots for Airbus’ A320 aircraft and Boeing’s 737NG and 737Max planes. They intend to recommence commercial operations in the current quarter (Q2 FY23).

Read more here.

NMDC hikes lump ore rate to Rs 4,100 per tonne; fines at Rs 2,910

NMDC Ltd has hiked prices of lump ore by Rs 200 per tonne and fines by Rs 100 per tonne with immediate effect. It fixed the prices of lump ore at Rs 4,100 per tonne and fines at Rs 2,910 per tonne. NMDC is India’s largest producer and seller of iron ore. It contributes around 17% to the country’s annual iron ore output.

Read more here.

Bata India Q1 Results: Net profit rises 72% YoY to Rs 119 crore

Bata India Ltd reported a 71.82% YoY increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 119.37 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). Its revenue from operations jumped 253% YoY to Rs 943 crore during the same period. Footfalls across retail outlets and sales through digital channels saw significant growth. Bata India opened more than 20 new franchise stores in Q1, taking the total number to over 320.

Read more here.

Go Fashion plans to open 120-130 stores every year

Go Fashion (India) Ltd is pushing ahead with its plan to strengthen its footprint across geographies by adding about 120-130 stores every year. The company saw a five-fold YoY jump in total revenue to Rs 165.2 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). It posted a net profit of Rs 24.4 crore in Q1 FY23, compared to a loss of Rs 19 crore in Q1 FY22. Go Fashion has been continually adding new products across all its bottom-wear categories.

Read more here.

Wonderla Holidays Q1 Results: Net profit at Rs 64 crore

Wonderla Holidays reported a net profit of Rs 64.38 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). The company had posted a net loss of Rs 13.25 crore in Q1 FY22 and a net profit of Rs 8.51 crore in the previous quarter (Q4 FY22). Its revenue from operations surged to Rs 149.42 crore in Q1 FY23, compared to a revenue of Rs 4.35 crore in Q1 FY22 and Rs 57.69 crore in Q4 FY22. 

The company aims to focus on leveraging digital marketing, scaling content, consistent park activities, and innovative rides in the coming years.

Read more here.

Syrma SGS Technology’s IPO to open tomorrow

Chennai-based engineering and design company Syrma SGS Technology will launch its Rs 840 crore initial public offering (IPO) on Friday. The issue will be sold in the price band of Rs 209-220 and would be a mix of fresh issue (Rs 766 crore) and an offer for sale (Rs 74 crore). The IPO will conclude on August 18.

Read more here.

Trent Q1 Results: Net profit at Rs 115 crore

Trent Limited reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 114.93 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). The retail firm had posted a net loss of Rs 138.29 crore in the corresponding quarter last year (Q1 FY22). Its revenue from operations jumped over three-fold YoY to Rs 1,803.15 crore in Q1 FY23. Total expenses stood at Rs 1,734.28 crore, up 157% YoY.

Read more here.

TCS secures order from Five Star Bank

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with Five Star Bank (a subsidiary of US-based Financial Institutions, Inc.) to offer its Customer Intelligence & Insights (CI&I) analytics platform. TCS will leverage the AI-powered CI&I platform’s real-time contextual engagement capabilities to help the bank gain insights to avoid attrition blind spots and drive omnichannel customer personalisation.

Read more here.

Oil India Q1 Results: Net profit jumps 3x to Rs 1,555 crore

Oil India Ltd (OIL) reported a 3x jump in net profit to Rs 1,555.46 crore for the quarter ended June (Q1 FY23). Its revenue from operations rose 98% YoY to Rs 5,967.55 crore during the same period. OIL realised an average crude price of $112.73 per barrel in Q1 FY23, compared to $67.15 per barrel in Q1 FY22. 

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Jet Airways to Take Off Again – Top Indian Market News

Jet Airways to take off again after DGCA approval

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted Jet Airways the license to resume commercial flights. The airline conducted its first of three sets of proving flights for the permit on Sunday and the final two on Tuesday. The new owners of Jet Airways, a consortium of Kalrock Capital and middle east-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan, had applied for the security clearance in December 2021.

Read more here.

Zydus Lifesciences Q4 Results: Net profit falls 41% YoY to Rs 397 crore

Zydus Lifesciences Ltd reported a 41.47% YoY decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 397.4 crore for the quarter ended March (Q4 FY22). Its revenue from operations rose 5.2% YoY to Rs 3,863.8 crore during the same period. The pharma company’s board has approved the proposal to buy back ~1.15 crore shares, representing 1.13% of the paid-up equity share capital. The board has also declared a final dividend of Rs 2.5 per share.

Read more here.

Welspun Corp secures order worth over Rs 5,000 crore

Welspun Corp Ltd has secured its largest order for the supply of pipes valued at over Rs 5,000 crore from the United States. The order includes the supply of 325,000 metric tonnes (MT) of large diameter coated pipes for transporting natural gas from the Permian Basin to Houston. The pipes will be produced at the company’s Little Rock plant in the US. Welspun Corp’s order book currently stands at Rs 10,500 crore.

Read more here.

IDBI Bank to exit insurance JV by selling entire stake to Ageas for Rs 580 crore

IDBI Bank has signed a pact with Ageas Insurance International NV to sell its entire stake in its joint venture Ageas Federal Life Insurance Company Ltd (AFLICL) for ~Rs 580 crore. As of March 31, 2022, IDBI Bank holds a 25% stake in the AFLICL. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of the current fiscal year 2022-23.

Read more here.

Indigo Paints Q4 Results: Net profit rises 39% YoY to Rs 35 crore

Indigo Paints Ltd reported a 39.1% YoY increase in net profit to Rs 34.58 crore for the quarter ended March (Q4 FY22). Net profit rose 42.3% when compared to the previous quarter. Its revenue from operations rose 13.41% YoY to Rs 288.38 crore during the same period. EBITDA (excluding other income) stood at Rs 53.77 crore, up 25.22% YoY. Indigo Paints’ board has declared a dividend of Rs 3 per share.

Read more here.

SEBI imposes penalties worth Rs 38.75 crore on 32 entities involved in FHL fund diversion case

Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed penalties totaling Rs 38.75 crore on 32 entities, including Fortis Healthcare Holdings, in a case related to the diversion of funds of Fortis Healthcare Ltd (FHL) and misrepresentations to conceal the fraud. In 2018, a media report stated that the promoters of FHL had allegedly taken massive funds out of the company. SEBI had initiated an investigation into the matter to examine possible violations of the provisions of the Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices.

Read more here.

JK Tyre Q4 Results: Net profit falls 80% YoY to Rs 38 crore

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd reported an 80% YoY decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 38.22 crore for the quarter ended March (Q4 FY22). Its revenue from operations rose 13.13% YoY to Rs 3,311.83 crore during the same period. Total expenses stood at Rs 3,280.78 crore in Q4, up 22.71% YoY. Exports contributed significantly to the company’s total revenue and were higher by 60% YoY.

Read more here.

Saudi Tourism signs MoU with EaseMyTrip

Saudi Tourism Authority and Easy Trip Planners Ltd (EaseMyTrip) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost inbound tourism to Saudi Arabia by leveraging the company’s travel network. The two entities will explore opportunities to collaborate on key initiatives and undertake various activities to promote and develop quality tourism experiences in Saudi Arabia and expand their presence in the Indian market.

Read more here.

NTPC Q4 Results: Net profit rises 12% YoY to Rs 5,200 crore

NTPC Limited reported an 11.9% YoY decline in net profit to Rs 5,199.51 crore for the quarter ended March (Q4 FY22). Its revenue from operations rose 23.12% YoY to Rs 37,085.07 crore during the same period. EBITDA stood at Rs 11,426 crore in Q4, up 47% YoY. NTPC’s board has declared a final dividend of Rs 3 per share.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

Jet Airways Appoints Sanjiv Kapoor As CEO – Top Indian Market News

Jet Airways appoints Sanjiv Kapoor as CEO 

The Jalan-Rock Consortium, the new promoters of Jet Airways, has appointed industry veteran Sanjiv Kapoor as the CEO of Jet Airways. A Wharton-Graduate, Sanjiv Kapoor is currently the President of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts. Sanjiv has over 20 years of experience in the airline industry, having worked with airlines in Asia, Europe, and the US as a part of management. He has worked at Spicejet as Chief Operating Officer and at Vistara as Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer.

Read more here.

Hero MotoCorp Announces New EV Brand ‘Vida’

Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has announced the launch of its new Electric Vehicle brand ‘Vida’. Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman & CEO, Hero MotoCorp, also announced a US$100 Million Global Sustainability Fund. The fund will aim to establish global partnerships spearheaded by the BML Munjal University (BMU) and Hero MotoCorp. The company states that it will first reveal its platforms, products, and services in 17 weeks, and the first electric vehicle will be officially unveiled on July 1, 2022.

Read more here.

ISMA revises sugar exports estimate upward to 7.5 MT

The Indian Sugar Mills Association has announced an estimated year-on-year of 15.38% in exports to 7.5 million tonnes (MT). “Considering recent ISO report indicating a global deficit of around 1.93 MT for 2021-22 SS (October – September) and exporters’ interest in buying more Indian sugar, ISMA members agreed that sugar exports will be higher than previously expected”, said ISMA in a release. 

Read more here.

Govt approves Rs 1,523 crore for upgrading IT Infrastructure for CAPFs

The government has sanctioned Rs 1,523 crore for upgrading IT infrastructure and procuring weapons and equipment for different forces in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) like ITBP, SSB, CRPF, BSF, etc. 

Read more here.

ICRA: Indian Aviation sector to report a loss of Rs 26,000 crore this year to reach pre-COVID levels in FY24

The ICRA, a credit rating agency subsidiary of Moody’s, has said in a recent report that the Indian Aviation sector is likely to report a loss of Rs 25,000-26,000 crore this year and that the industry shall reach pre-COVID levels, not before FY24. The report also stated that the industry would require additional funding of Rs.20,000-22,000 crore over FY2022 to FY2024.

Read more here.

Karnataka Budget 2022: No Tax Hike, Rs 1,000 crore for Mekedatu Project

The Karnataka State Budget 2022 has laid provisions of Rs 1,000 crore for Approved in 2017, the Mekedatu Project aims to store and supply water for drinking purposes for the Bengaluru city and creating a Balancing Reservoir from the River Cauvery. The Tamil Nadu government strongly opposes the project. The state government announced no tax hikes for the year.

Read more here.

Cool Caps To Launch Rs 11.62 crore IPO on March 10, will list on NSE Emerge

Cool Caps, a company involved in making caps and bottle closures, has announced its Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company proposes to open its IPO of 30,60,000 Equity Shares under the book building process aggregating to Rs. 1,162.80 lakh. Its consolidated profit after tax for the year ended on March 31, 2021, was  Rs. 291.72 lakh. Cool Caps’ EBITDA & PAT have grown at a three-year CAGR of 46.19% & 45.99%, respectively.

Read more here.

Reliance acquires majority stake in an electronic manufacturing company

Reliance Industries has acquired 50.1% in Sanmina SCI for Rs 1,670 crore ($221 million). The remaining stake shall be with the US-based company Samina. The two players have announced a joint venture to create a world-class electronic manufacturing hub in India, sharing the same vision of “Make in India”. Samina has a 100-acre hi-tech manufacturing campus in Chennai, Tamil.

Read more here.

Categories
Market News Top 10 News

SII Seeks Emergency Use Authorisation for Covidshield – Top Indian Market News

Serum Institute seeks emergency use authorisation of Covidshield in India

The Serum Institute of India (SII) has sought approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation (EUA) of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, Covidshield, in the country. It is the second firm, after Pfizer, to seek EUA approval from the Indian drug regulator. SII is currently conducting Phase-3 clinical trials of Covidshield in India, with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

Read more here.

Jet Airways may restart operations by summer of 2021 

The consortium led by Murari Lal Jalan and Kalrock Capital, on Monday, said that it plans to operationalise Jet Airways by the summer of 2021. They are awaiting approval of the airlines’ resolution plan from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and other regulatory authorities. As per the resolution plan, Jet Airlines intends to operate all of its historic domestic slots in India and restart international operations.

Read more here.

L&T wins multiple orders for supply of mining equipment to coal, cement sectors

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) construction and mining equipment business has secured multiple orders from Coal India subsidiaries and firms in the cement sector. These orders are for supplying 66 units of Komatsu dump trucks, 15 units of Komatsu wheel loaders, 7 units of Komatsu hydraulic excavators, and other allied equipment. The scope of the order includes supplying equipment and maintenance contracts for supporting operations over three to four years.

Read more here.

Hindalco to invest Rs 730 crore to set up new plant in Silvassa

Hindalco Industries Limited announced plans to invest Rs 730 crore to set up a 34,000-tonne extrusion plant at Silvassa, in Dadra. The company stated that the new plant will service the fast-growing market for extruded aluminum products in the western and southern regions. The commercial production at the plant is expected to start in 24 months.

Read more here.

RIL raises Rs $1.4 billion in overseas debt to prepay Reliance Holding’s loans

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has raised $1.4 billion (~Rs 10,342 crore) to prepay its existing foreign loans. The proceeds will be used by RIL to repay the loans of its subsidiary, Reliance Holding USA. Fourteen international banks had signed up for the transaction last week. This is the highest amount raised through debt by an Indian company from international lenders.

Read more here.

IndiGo to refund all passengers for flight cancellations due to Covid-19 lockdown by January 31

Interglobe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo) said that it will refund all customer credit shells, which were created when flights were canceled due to the Covid-19 lockdowns earlier this year. The company stated that it will disburse the full 100% credit shell payments by January 31, 2021. IndiGo stated that it has already processed close to Rs 1,000 crore of refunds, which is 90% of the total amount it owed to customers.

Read more here.

Goodyear India announces interim dividend of Rs 80 per share

The Board of Directors of Goodyear India Ltd has approved an interim dividend of Rs 80 per equity share of face value of Rs 10 each, for FY21. The company has fixed 15 December as the record date for determining the entitlement of the shareholder for the interim dividend. The share price of Goodyear jumped by 14% and closed at Rs 997.65 on the NSE today.

Read more here.

NSE introduces weekly F&O contracts in three more currency pairs

The National Stock Exchange (NSE), on Monday, launched weekly futures and options (F&O) contracts on three currency pairs: Euro-Indian rupee, Japanese Yen-Indian rupee, and Pound Sterling-Indian rupee. The NSE stated that the weekly derivatives on currency pairs will help market participants to hedge their currency exposure from short-term market movements. It will also help in reducing time-related costs.

Read more here.

LTI partners with UAE-based Injazat for accelerating digital transformation in the Middle East

Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) has entered into a strategic partnership with UAE-based Injazat, to implement its best-shore service delivery model in the Middle East. The delivery model will provide Injazat’s customers with a hybrid of delivery approaches including onshore and cloud. LTI will further advance Injazat’s wider digital delivery ecosystem.  

Read more here.

BLS International signs contract with Brazil Embassy in China to operate visa application centres

BLS International Ltd announced that it has commenced accepting appointments for visa applications for the Embassy of Brazil in China. The five-year exclusive contract from the Embassy mandates BLS to operate 15 centres across China. The company is expected to process over 4,00,000 applications over the next 5 years.

Categories
Editorial

Who is Murari Lal Jalan, the Mystery Man in Jet Airways Revival Plan?

On 17th October, the partnership consisting of Kalrock Capital and Murari Lal Jalan won the bid to revive Jet Airways. The troubled airline will finally be able to fly the skies again after more than a year, by initially kickstarting domestic flights. However, this will have to wait, as all the required formalities have to be completed. That aside, we believe that the name Murari Lal Jalan is one that none of us have heard before. Let us understand what this random stranger does, and why he plans to enter the airline industry.

The Mystery Man

According to many in the business world, Murari Lal Jalan is a very mysterious man. There is not much information about how he was able to create all his wealth. He has always kept a very low profile, and is not popular among the business communities in India or abroad. Totally inexperienced in the field, he has confused a lot of people as to how he was able to enter into the airline industry. Let us look at some of the facts which we know are for certain: 

In the 1980s, Murari Lal Jalan began his career by entering into the paper industry. He started working at his family’s paper trading business in Kolkata. He also worked as a trader for JK Paper and Ballarpur Industries, which were once big paper manufacturing companies. In 2003, he wanted to expand his paper business, and thus, acquired Kolkata-based Kanoi Paper and Industries. He renamed the company to Agio Paper, and currently has a manufacturing facility in Bilaspur (Chattisgarh). However, In 2010, the paper company faced a lawsuit from government agencies, for pollution-related issues. The production activities of Agio Paper have been suspended since then. So almost his whole career, his focus was on the paper industry and even that did not end well either.

After his paper company received backlash, Jalan began plans to enter the real estate and healthcare sector. In 2015, he approached Dr. Naresh Trehan and Associates Health Services. He went on to acquire a stake in the company for Rs 75 crore, through a secondary share sale transaction. A secondary sale means that Jalan bought-out the shares from an existing stockholder. Around the same time as the acquisition, Dr. Trehan’s Medanta Hospital had plans to establish a hospital in Dubai, with the help of Jalan. Unfortunately, this plan was not implemented.

Jalan kept going and began to secure his vision of entering into more businesses. Once he moved his base to the UAE, he quickly expanded to sectors such as real estate, mining, fast-moving consumer goods, and construction. He was chairman of the Agio Image group, which sold and distributed photographic and consumer products of well-known companies such as Sony, Panasonic, and Konica.

He established the real estate development company, MJ Developers. The firm has its headquarters in Dubai, but its main businesses span over countries such as Russia, Brazil, and India. MJ Developers is currently engaged in developing residential and commercial properties in Uzbekistan. Jalan is also contributing to the development of the city of Namangan (in Uzbekistan), which has been termed as a land of investment opportunity in pharmaceuticals, the health sector, automobile, and information technology. Various reports state that he was able to improve his business position through these projects in Uzbekistan. In fact, if you search his name on Google, many shady self-praising articles from Uzbekistan will show up.

It is also interesting to know that Jalan had partnered with his own family relatives to set up Patanjali India Distribution Ltd. Certain documents from the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs state that this company would be involved in trading, export, distribution, and marketing of milk products and health foods. The list of products also included herbal medicines and ayurvedic cosmetic items. Regardless of these claims, the company never opened, and the founders never looked back on it. We do know that Patanjali Ayurved is owned by the yoga guru, Baba Ramdev. However, it is not clear whether the two companies are linked in some way.

Entry into Airline Industry

At a time when most airline companies are going through huge losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we see that Kalrock Group and Murari Lal Jalan have plans to revive a very troubled airline- Jet Airways. You can read more about why the airline company failed here. Some may question as to why there was a sudden need for Jalan to enter into this field. Many have suspicions whether this deal would really help the airline to bring back its former glory.

Through the bid to revive Jet Airways, it would be the first time that Jalan starts his venture into the airline industry.  “Jet Airways is a renowned Indian aviation company with a strong legacy. The aviation sector underwent substantial correction on account of Covid-19 and created an opportune time to enter the sector. Our vision for Jet Airways is to operate the carrier as a full-service airline, both domestic and international”, he declared in a statement. The point to be noted here is that Jalan has no expertise in this particular sector. However, the management team of Kalrock does have the essential experience from cargo and logistics management through past deals. They have big plans to take Jet Airways to new heights.

Now, we know that Murari Lal Jalan has always been interested in entering into multiple business sectors. His latest entry into the aviation or airline industry can be analysed as part of his plan to speed up the expansion of his empire. The proverb ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’  can clearly be attributed to him. 

But now, a major doubt remains to be answered – how was Jalan able to create all this wealth and expand his business to such a large magnitude? We have seen that his initial business in the paper manufacturing industry had failed. Also, when Jalan moved to the UAE, he was not able to contribute effectively towards the implementation of projects in the healthcare sector. He created a company in India that was never launched. Moreover, the fact that most business people don’t know about him, makes everything all the more suspicious. All these facts make us feel very unsure and doubtful about his new deal with Jet Airways. Let us wait and watch for the results of this revival plan.

Categories
Editorial

Jet Airways: Jet, Set, Gone? Or Can it Succeed?

Jet Airways is back in the news, this time with some positivity. A group of investors, Murari Lal Jalan (stay tuned for his bio), and UK-based financial services company Kalrock Capital have won the bid to buy Jet Airways in a vote by the CoC or Consortium of Creditors. The CoC consists of all the creditors to whom Jet Airways owes money. The duo would have to invest close to Rs 1,000 crores to get the operations up and running in its initial stage. However, the company won’t be operational before next year. Let’s take a peek into what caused Jet to shut down in the first place.

Jet Airways halted its international as well as domestic operations on April 17, 2019. It was once a symbol of luxury, customer loyalty, and service par excellence. Moreover, Air India was its only competitor for a long time in the ‘90s. Later, Jet was faced with debts, competition by low-cost carriers, tax evasion notices, poor top management, and money mismanagement allegations. Jet Airways was on the verge of closure in the past but got back on its feet when Etihad bought a 24% stake in 2013 for more than Rs 2,100 crores. Despite this, the airline fell into deeper losses.Let’s dig into what caused Jet Airways to shut shop.

Why Jet Airways failed

Irrational Spending

Experts believe that Jet Airways’ account of irrational spending dates back to 2006 when it purchased Air Sahara, the low-cost carrier for $500 Million in cash. This acquisition was considered over-valued by most market watchers considering Air Sahara’s budget business model and fleet size as compared to Jet Airways’ full-service model.

Jet Airways dominated the industry after the acquisition of Air Sahara, but the acquisition came with its own set of problems. These were mostly about due diligence, legalities, regulatory matters, compensation, human resource issues, leadership, and integration strategies.

Competition

Jet Airways needed a MASSIVE restructuring in its company. It was a full-service airline venturing into low-cost flying. However, by the time it could restructure, market players like Spicejet, Indigo, and Go-Air had started a fiercely competitive price war. Their aircrafts and engines were brand-new and fuel-efficient. They adopted a budget-friendly strategy.

Fun Fact: Indigo and GoAir employ only female cabin crew since on average they are 15-20 kg lighter than their male counterparts. This helps them save close to Rs 30 crores every year in terms of fuel cost. Every extra-kilogram on the flight costs airlines Rs 5 per flight hour.

It was getting difficult for Jet Airways in this fiercely competitive market where flying wasn’t just a luxury anymore, it was a necessity.

Poor Management

Both Jet Airways and Jet Lite (later Jet Konnect)  had a single team headed by Naresh Goyal, the founder and chairman. It was this one team; that was handling both the full-service carrier as well as the budget carrier, Jet Konnect. The operation of a budget carrier and a full-service airline is different. Jet Airways used the same tool or mechanism to run both. When Jet Konnect merged with Jet Airways after a financial crisis, Jet Airways continued to hold two operating licenses while technically operating a single airline. This added to cost and caused some operational problems.

The Tatas had offered to buy a stake(undisclosed) in Jet Airways in 2018, chairman Naresh Goyal refused to dilute his share of stake for Tata. Shortly after this, two of Jet’s independent directors, two independent directors – Vikram Mehta Singh and Ranjan Mathai – resigned in November 2018, the same month the Tatas were in talks with the board. The promoters and chairman put their interests before the minority stakeholders’ interest. The cash flow and debt management of Jet Airways were pretty mediocre in popular opinion.

The fluctuation of Oil Prices

Oil prices have been all over the place in the past few years. Crude oil prices affect the ATF(Aviation Turbine Fuel) prices. Moreover, ATF is much more expensive in India than around the world. India continues to be a major importer of oil. The rising crude oil prices coupled with the depreciating rupee is a burden for many airlines.

The Scavenging Effect

After Jet ceased operations, the entire aviation industry benefited from it. Other airlines captured Jet Airways’ market share by leasing their aircraft, obtaining their airport slots, hiring the laid off staff of Jet Airways and capturing the lost customer base . 

Airfares increased shortly after Jet Airways ceased operations. Spicejet and Vistara leased Jet’s aircraft. IndiGo acquired more slots from Mumbai’s Terminal 2 and Delhi’s Terminal 3. Many airlines acquired Jet Airways’ aircraft, terminal slots, and routes. Spicejet absorbed much of Jet’s staff and its older aircraft variant, the B737 NG. It even added a premium ‘Business Class’ to its fleet. 

Vistara managed to expand its focus from Mumbai and Delhi. It obtained slots of Mumbai – Bangalore, Mumbai – Chennai, Mumbai – Hyderabad, and other such routes establishing Pan-India operations. All the airlines at a major scale absorbed much of Jet’s assets, routes, and employees.

How Much More?

  • There is a lot of work to be done before the first flight takes off like charting out a plan for the new fleet that the airline will have, deciding on key positions of the company, figuring out the routes, and other paperwork involved.
  • Jet Airways owes a lot of money to investors and banks, roughly close to Rs 14,000 croresCrores. However, Jet doesn’t have much liquidity to offer to the creditors. The sale of assets won’t fetch the creditors much money. Some of the debt will be converted to equity which might bring relief to some creditors. As far as debt is concerned Jet is indeed in a puddle. Bank stocks went up as well, after the revival of Jet Airways was announced.
  • There is a lot of work to be done before the first flight takes off like charting out a plan for the new fleet that the airline will have, deciding on key positions of the company, figuring out the routes, and other paperwork involved.
  • Jet Airways before it opens up will have to be firm on the following aspects:
    1. What routes is Jet Airways going to fly?. International operations might be tricky given the COVID-19 situation
    2. How many airport slots will it be able to get back? It will have to use
    3. What will be its fleet like? Currently, it owns only 6 old fleets.
    4. How does it intend to cover the debt that it owes?
    5. Who is going to be the CEO? Murari Lal Jalan hasn’t operated an airline before and Kalrock is a financial services firm.
    6. A plan on how and when Jet Airways will hit break-even and turn a profitable airline where even established players are struggling.
    7. A strategy to recapture its brand value. A rebranding could be a possibility.
  • Finally, on a positive note for Jet Airways, it might be easier than it seems to revive it. COVID-19 has pushed many airlines to vacate airport slots. The aircraft lessors have reduced their prices, therefore Jet Airways can get the fleet for cheap. The fuel costs for aircraft too have gone down considering reduced demand. Jet Airways has been operational for close to 3 decades, which gives it a name and repute in the market. Considering that there are not many full service carriers in India and not many airlines that offer wider international connectivity, Jet Airways seemingly can fill the void.