The Supreme Court today directed the Kerala government to provide full security to Kanakadurga and Bindu Ammini, the two women who entered Sabarimala temple last month. The two women had sought 24-hour police protection, claiming that there was a threat to their lives. They also...
Priests arrested after stone-throwing between Orthodox, Jacobite Christians in Kerala
The fight between the Orthodox and Jacobite sects of the Malankara Church of Kerala continued to be on the boil, with the latest clashes reported from Mandamangalam near Thrissur. The fight over the control of St Mary’s Church last night resulted in a stone-throwing incident...
JIO GIGAFIBER: Reliance reiterates commitment to partner small cable operators
Reliance Jio, which today announced another quarter of strong growth in its 4G wireless services, reiterated its commitment to working with small cable operators as it rolls-out broadband-cum-IPTV network GigaFiber. The company also said that it is in the process of connecting homes to its...
Can Netflix avoid going Apple’s way in India?
As Netflix inches closer to saturation point in its North American home market, it is desperately looking for growth abroad. India being the only billion plus market where it can operate with ease, it is no wonder that its push is aggressive here. However, as...
Festival season fails to cheer HT Media results
HT Media, one of India’s top English-language news publishers, continued to report falling revenue and profits, even as the expected boost from a delayed festival season failed to materialize. The company reported a 2.5% year-on-year decline in its revenue for the Oct-Dec quarter, while operating...
Channel Tariffs: TRAI ‘clarification’ creates massive confusion
A clarification by broadcast regulator TRAI intended to stop cable and DTH operators from forcing ‘junk channels’ on customers has created massive confusion, with media outlets failing to understand what the regulator was trying to say, and in turn confusing their readers. TRAI had, on...
Airtel becomes first operator to launch 4G in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Bharti Airtel said it has become the first telecom operator to launch 4G services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “Airtel’s 4G services will enable local residents to enjoy digital services like HD quality video streaming, superfast downloads and uploads, high speeds internet browsing on Airtel’s...
Morgan Stanley calls dollar top, predicts end of Fed balance-sheet normalization
Morgan Stanley Research, part of the MS financial services group, said the US currency has likely peaked already and that the US Federal Reserve is likely to follow a more accommodative monetary policy going forward. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell had softened his stance early this...
L&T, Subsea 7 wins two more projects from Saudi Aramco
Larsen & Toubro said it has won two more projects from Saudi Aramco, the world’s second largest oil producer, in consortium with Subsea 7. “The award consists of engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of three Oil Production Deck Manifolds and Subsea Pipelines in Zuluf...
United Spirits sells Bangalore-based wine unit
United Spirits Limited (USL), India’s biggest liquor maker and a unit of Diageo plc, said it has sold its wine unit Four Seasons Wines and associated brands for Rs 32 cr. Four Seasons Wines was established in 2006 in Bangalore. It produces red, white, and...
TRAI denies media report on offering 100 pay channels for Rs 153 under new tariff rule
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has denied a news report published by a major daily in India, claiming that the Authority has issued an order giving 100 free or pay channels for Rs 153. An official pointed out that the Authority has issued no such...
2019: The Turning Point for Indian M&E?
Growth trends of last decade show that Indian M&E can act as an important contributor to India’s economic growth, but the sector continues to be a dwarf compared to its global peers. Can 2019 prove to be a point of inflection and kick-start next decade...
NTPC offers 4-year deal to green entrepreneurs for agri-waste supply
NTPC, India’s largest power producer by far, has invited expressions of interest worth thousands of crores of rupees for the supply of agricultural waste to 21 power plants across the country. NTPC will give a four-year assured off-take commitment. The proposals, invited on Dec 26,...
BHEL wins Rs 565 cr solar power order from
Bharat Heavy Electricals said it won a Rs 565 cr order for setting up four solar power plans in Telangana from Singareni Collieries Company Limited. The total capacity of the four plants will be 129 MW, the state-owned capital equipment maker said. With this, BHEL...
Booking opens for new WagonR 2019 at Rs 11k, price not revealed
Maruti Suzuki said it has opened booking for its WagonR 2019. Customers can book the car by paying Rs 11,000 at any of the company’s dealer showrooms across India or via the company’s website. The car is expected to be officially unveiled on January 23,...
Tejas Networks agrees to mentor Kerala students, start-ups
India-based telecom equipment maker Tejas Networks said it has signed an agreement to set up a ‘center of excellence’ in Kerala to mentor students and start-ups in the state. The center will focus on training, skills development and mentoring of college students, young entrepreneurs and...
CHANNEL PRICES: TRAI botches new tariff rollout; could hurt BJP in 2019
The curious case of TRAI’s implementation of the its 2017 Tariff Order, which threatens to add yet another negative factor for NDA in upcoming polls, can be an excellent case study of what ails India’s legal and regulatory system. The saga started almost two years...
TRAI again asks users to switch to new plans, Tata Sky says ‘wait please’
Even as broadcast regulator TRAI sent out yet another reminder to cable and DTH users in the country to switch to new plans under the 2017 tariff order, India’s biggest DTH operator continued to ask users to wait for the “tariff order to become applicable”...
DTH, cable subscribers complain of being moved to ‘junk’ plans ahead of TRAI deadline
With the telecom and media regulator asking for daily reports from DTH and cable players on migration of consumers to TRAI-compliant plans ahead of the Jan 31 deadline, many consumers have complained of being moved to unwanted packs by their providers. Under TRAI Tariff Order...
GST exemption raised to Rs 40 lakhs
The NDA government has given a major sop to tax payers by doubling the exemption limit for GST payment and compliance from Rs 20 lakhs per year to Rs 40 lakh. Under the earlier law, people and establishment providing goods and services worth more than...