India News

SBI Manufacturing index inches up to 53.1% in December

Manufacturing activity showed moderate growth with annual SBI Composite Index rising to 53.1 in December compared to 53 in the previous month. The SBI Composite Index has mainly two indices – SBI Monthly Composite Index and SBI Yearly Composite Index. The month-on-month index declined to 50.6, showing low growth in the month compared to 51.2 in November. This indicates a possible slowdown in IIP growth in the next couple of months.

Assocham urges interest equalisation of 3% in yarn exports in 2018-19 budget

Assocham on Tuesday urged the government to provide interest equalisation of three per cent in respect of yarn exports in the budget for 2018-19, with a view to boost yarn exports and ensure that domestic product can compete in global markets. As part of its pre-budget recommendations on indirect taxes submitted to the Centre, the industry lobby also requested that two per cent of the benefits of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) be extended to the spinning sector as the recent spike in raw material and other input costs have made the industry’s survival difficult.

L&T Construction gets orders valued at Rs 3,355 cr

The buildings and factories business of L&T Construction has bagged orders worth Rs 3,355 crore, a regulatory filing by the company said here on Tuesday.

The business has won an order from the India International Convention & Exhibition Centre Limited to design and construct a state-of-the-art India International Convention & Expo Centre in New Delhi.

Reliance Communications announces new debt cut plan, with no write-offs

The Anil Ambani-controlled telecom services company, Reliance Communications, on Tuesday said it would reduce its debt by about Rs 25,000 crore through the sale of some of its spectrum, tower and real estate assets.

“We have achieved full resolution for Reliance Communications,” said Ambani at a press conference in Mumbai. The resolution involves RCom exiting structured debt restructuring with no conversion of equity and zero write-off by lenders, Ambani added. “Expect overall debt for RCom to be around Rs 6000 crore.”

India to become world's fifth largest economy in 2018, says CEBR

India looks set to leapfrog Britain and France next year to become the world's fifth-largest economy in dollar terms, a report showed on Tuesday.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) consultancy's 2018 World Economic League Table painted an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices.

Reliance Industries, Maruti Suzuki rally over 75% the last one year

Four stocks - Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Steel – from the S&P BSE Sensex have rallied more than 75% since December 26, 2016.

The benchmark Sensex ended above its crucial 34,000 level at 34,010.61 on Tuesday, up 31.8% from its one year back level on back of strong an over Rs 1-lakh crore net inflow by the domestic mutual funds. On December 26, 2016, the Sensex had closed at 52-week low of 25,807.10.

Bitcoin regains $15,000 level after sliding below $12,000 last week

Bitcoin extended its recovery in holiday-thinned trading on Tuesday, rising 10 per cent to be up more than a third from last week's lows of below $12,000.

Bitcoin, the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, fell nearly 30 per cent at one stage on Friday to $11,159.93 and, despite a late recovery, had its worst week since 2013. At 0445 GMT on Tuesday, it was quoted around $15,049 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange.