Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:40am on 02 Sep 2023,Saturday Business
Naresh Goyal, founder of the now-defunct Jet Airways, was arrested on Friday by the Enforcement Directorate in a ₹538 crore fraud case involving Canara Bank. Goyal was detained for questioning after missing two previous summons related to a CBI FIR filed in May over allegations of cheating, conspiracy and misconduct. Searches were conducted at Goyal's Mumbai residence and offices. The CBI complaint alleges he caused wrongful loss of ₹538.62 crore to Canara Bank. Jet Airways shut operations in April 2019 after 25 years due to heavy losses and failure to raise funds. Goyal's arrest comes amid probes into the airline's financial troubles before its collapse.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:07am on 02 Sep 2023,Saturday Business
Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das has been rated "A+" in the Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards 2023 published by New York-based magazine Global Finance. He was ranked first among three central bank chiefs in the top A+ category. This recognition follows Das being named "Governor of the Year" for 2023 by Central Banking journal in March. The Global Finance report graded 101 central bank governors on originality, ingenuity and tenacity in handling economic conditions. Das was lauded for keeping Indian inflation under control and supporting growth amid global uncertainty. The full report will be published in Global Finance's October print and digital editions.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:52am on 31 Aug 2023,Thursday Business
Indian-American CEO Kishore Kethineni, based in California, received a two-year prison sentence for bank fraud and evading over $2 million in employment taxes. Kethineni pleaded guilty to orchestrating a scheme with his brothers to fraudulently secure over $3.1 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). While he owned and led four companies involved, his brothers managed three others. They submitted deceptive PPP applications with falsified data. Kethineni diverted substantial loan funds for personal use instead of authorized expenses. He also admitted to evading employment taxes, resulting in a $2 million liability over five years.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:49am on 30 Aug 2023,Wednesday Business
Elara Capital's leading annual conference, Ashwamedh, will take place from 4th to 6th September 2023 at Trident BKC in Mumbai. This year's conference brings together over 30 distinguished speakers and 175 corporate honchos along with thought leaders, policy makers, experts and business executives to discuss pressing global issues including macroeconomics, geopolitics, trade, digitisation, self-reliance in India, and commodities. With dialogues by eminent speakers like Nicholas Lardy, Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Josh Foulger, AK Bhattacharya, Douglas Fuller, and many more, the event aims to enable strategic conversations and insights on trends, challenges and opportunities for India in the global landscape. As part of its objective to provide a premier platform for dialogues, Elara Capital organises the Ashwamedh conference annually to allow stakeholders across government, industry and academia to come together.
India's successful lunar mission (landing its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the moon) is another one of many straws in the wind showing its ascendence. As previously shown in my health index for countries, which is used to derive my projections for countries' next 10-year growth…
— Ray Dalio (@RayDalio) August 24, 2023
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:49am on 28 Aug 2023,Monday Business
Billionaire investor Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, recognizes India as a significant upcoming investment opportunity, further fortified by its recent lunar triumph. He associates India's successful landing on the moon's south pole with India's growth potential, boasting a projected 7% growth rate and a positive "health index for countries." Dalio likens Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role to that of Deng Xiaoping during China's transformative phase, asserting Modi's capacity to sway global dynamics amid escalating U.S.-China tensions. Others like Elon Musk and Goldman Sachs, share Dalio’s optimism for India’s economic ascent.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:13am on 28 Aug 2023,Monday Business
Nita Ambani has stepped down from the board of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) to focus more on philanthropy, the oil-to-telecom conglomerate said on Monday. RIL has appointed Ambani's children - Isha, Akash and Anant - as directors in her place. The company said Ambani resigned to devote more time to Reliance Foundation as its chairperson. She aims to strengthen the foundation and scale up its societal impact. The board appreciated her work leading the philanthropic efforts over the years. Meanwhile, the appointment of her children marks their growing stature in Reliance amid its succession planning. As directors, they will have greater oversight of one of India's largest conglomerates.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:42am on 28 Aug 2023,Monday Business
Indian low-cost carrier Go First has announced the cancellation of all flights until August 31 due to operational issues. The airline, which halted operations in May after filing for bankruptcy protection, confirmed the decision via a statement on social media. Go First apologised for inconveniencing customers and said it is working towards resolving the situation and resuming bookings soon. The cancellations were attributed to delays by engine maker Pratt & Whitney, which grounded part of Go First's fleet. In May, the airline filed for voluntary insolvency with India's bankruptcy tribunal due to these challenges. Go First expressed regret at disrupting travel plans and committed to assisting affected customers, even as all its flights remain cancelled till month-end.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:22am on 28 Aug 2023,Monday Business
SoftBank is organising an artificial intelligence tour of Silicon Valley next month for a group of its Indian startup founders. The aim is to boost AI adoption among its portfolio companies. As part of efforts to integrate AI, SoftBank has been facilitating meetings between founders it backs and leading AI players. Sumer Juneja, managing partner at SoftBank's Vision Fund, said they expect to take many of the 20 founders from India on the AI tour. SoftBank's Indian investments include Oyo, Ola and Swiggy. The investor is stepping up initiatives to infuse its startups with AI technology and skills through such exposure trips.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:53am on 28 Aug 2023,Monday Business
The billionaire Issa brothers' acquisition of Asda in 2021 for £6.8 billion now looks precarious after a bumpy ride. The Blackburn-based businessmen had grand plans to expand Asda into the UK's second-largest grocer. But surging inflation and the cost of living crisis have upset their lofty goals. Asda's previous owner, Walmart, was keen to offload the chain near the market's peak. The boom in pandemic grocery shopping initially promised a cash cow for the Issas. However, economic headwinds have now put their £1 billion investment in convenience stores and in-store franchises in doubt. What once seemed a golden opportunity is proving hard to deliver.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:33am on 28 Aug 2023,Monday Business
At the B20 Summit in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the need for a global regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI). Modi said India is building efficient supply chains and urged focusing on customer care and green financing. He stated India has given the world "mutual trust" after 100 years. The Prime Minister asked business leaders to discuss emerging technologies like AI and crypto disrupting the world. He emphasised responsible AI and global coordination on crypto regulation at the summit with international business leaders.