General Awareness

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY - December 2018

Dec 2018

Oct 28, 2023

Air India Announces Senior Level Appointments

In a major development, Air India appointed Captain Klaus Goersch as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. Goersch will oversee flight operations, engineering, ground operations, integrated operations control (IOCC) and cabin crew functions in the newly-created position. It also announced various other senior level appointments.
Goersch will be based out of Air India's new Gurugram headquarters and will be replacing the incumbent chief of operations, Captain R. S. Sandhu who will transition to an advisory role.
The airline also appointed Manish Uppal as Senior Vice President for flight operations. Uppal transitioned from AirAsia India a few months ago. Additionally, Henry Donohoe's corporate role in safety, security, and quality will be expanded to encompass emergency response, and his title was adjusted to Senior Vice President for Safety, Security, and Quality.
Air India is the flag carrier of India, headquartered in New Delhi.It is owned by Talace Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, after Air India Limited's former owner, the Government of India, completed the sale. The airline was founded by J. R. D. Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932. Air India's mascot's the Maharajah (Emperor) and the erstwhile logo consisted of a flying swan with the wheel of Konark inside it.

Reliance Jio Partners With Plume to Provide In-Home Services Enhanced By AI

India's top telecom operator, Reliance Jio Infocomm, announced a partnership with California-based Plume to deliver smart home and small business services to its nearly 200 million subscribers across India, leveraging Plume's cloud platform.
This partnership brings forth a range of innovative offerings under the names 'HomePass' and 'WorkPass'. These services, enabled by Plume's cutting-edge platform, encompass whole-home adaptive WiFi, device and application performance optimisation, cyberthreat protection, parental controls, WiFi motion sensing, and more.
Additionally, Jio's support and operations teams will have access to Plume's 'Haystack' Support and Operations Suite. This suite aids in quicker identification and resolution of performance issues, facilitates the pinpointing of network fault locations, and provides insights into the customer experience.
The partnership will complement the carrier's JioFiber and JioAirFiber networks.

Ambani Scions Get Shareholders' Nod to Become RIL's Non-executive Directors

The shareholders of Reliance Industries (RIL) approved the appointment of Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani and Anant Ambani as the company's non-executive directors. Over 98 per cent votes were in favour of Isha and Akash's appointment. The appointment of Mukesh Ambani's youngest child – Anant, saw some resistance. 7.24 per cent of the total votes were against his appointment.

Oct 27, 2023

Mobikwik's Zaakpay Gets in-principle Nod to Operate as Payment Aggregator

Zaakpay, the secure payment gateway arm of MobiKwik, received in-principle authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator. This authorisation allows Zaakpay to onboard new merchants onto its platform, facilitating quick and easy processing of online payments.
The platform collaborates with various brands in e-commerce, mobility, and bill payments, offering over 100 different payment methods including UPI, debit and credit cards, net banking, and mobile wallets. Zaakpay also ensures security through multiple encryption levels, system-level firewalls, and compliance with standards such as PCI DSS, PA DSS, Tokenisation, and security standards issued by regulators and network operators.

IndusInd Bank Ties up with Viamericas to Enhance Fast Remit Platform

IndusInd Bank entered into collaboration with Viamericas Corporation to offer non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the US digital inward remittance services on the 'Indus Fast Remit' platform. The service will offer competitive exchange rates on remittances to India.
NRIs can initiate remittance transactions using the auto debit payment mode (automated clearing house - ACH) through their overseas bank accounts on the Fast Remit platform. Viamericas Corporation will leverage its existing Vostro relationship with IndusInd Bank to credit beneficiary accounts in India, utilising the RBI's RDA scheme. The digital remittance platform assures customers transparency of payment status, the exact INR amount to be received by the beneficiary, and the expected delivery time.

India Begins Producing 'Reference' Fuel

India marked a significant milestone in its quest for self-reliance in the automotive sector by introducing the production of 'reference' petrol and diesel. This development places India among a select group of nations capable of producing these highly specialized fuels, which are crucial for calibrating and testing vehicles.
These 'reference' fuels are distinct from regular and premium petrol and diesel, as they possess higher specifications, making them vital for calibrating and testing vehicles by manufacturers and agencies like the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) and the Automotive Research Association of India. For decades, India has heavily relied on imports to meet the demand for these specialized fuels, creating a dependence on foreign suppliers.
The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has played a crucial role in this achievement by developing indigenous products to replace imports.
IOC's Paradip refinery in Odisha will produce 'reference' grade petrol, while its Panipat unit in Haryana will produce high-quality diesel.

Oct 26, 2023

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Sets New Directive for Private Banks

The Reserve Bank of India asked private banks and wholly owned subsidiaries of foreign banks to ensure at least two Whole Time Directors (WTDs), including the MD & CEO, on their boards to facilitate succession planning.
Given the growing complexity of the banking sector, it becomes imperative to establish an effective senior management team to navigate the ongoing and emerging challenges, the RBI said in a circular.
The number of WTDs should be decided by the board of the bank by taking into account factors such as the size of operations, business complexity, and other relevant aspects.
It further said banks, which do not already have the enabling provisions regarding appointment of WTDs in their Articles of Association, may first seek necessary approvals from the RBI, expeditiously.

HMD Announces Easy Pay Financing Solution in Partnership with DMI Finance

Finnish smartphone maker and Nokia's official brand licensee HMD Global announced 'Easy Pay' financing solution in partnership with India's DMI Finance. HMD said that the Easy Pay is available at over 4,000 retail stores in the country where consumers can purchase Nokia smartphones by availing financing through digital process. Though a paperless process, HMD also said that consumers would require Aadhaar number, PAN card number, and Bank account to get "personalised offers" on the Easy Pay.
As per HMD, Easy Pay financing solution pivots on features such as instant and paperless process, diverse consumer base including new to credit individuals, quick disbursal in two-hour timeline, no-interest equated instalment, and transparent down payment options with no hidden fees.

AU Small Finance Bank Launches its First Green FD

AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) launched its first Green Fixed Deposit (FD) called 'Planet First – AU Green Fixed Deposit' to support renewable and green projects like solar power, electric vehicles etc.
The SFB joined the likes of HDFC Bank, Federal Bank, IndusInd Bank, Union Bank, and DBS Bank in offering Green FDs. On the face of it, a green deposit works just like a normal fixed deposit. It pays interest to deposit holders and comes with a fixed tenure. However, proceedings from deposits get earmarked for allocation to green finance, supporting renewable and green projects.

Oct 25, 2023

ONGC Secures Bid to Purchase PTC's Wind Power Division

In a strategic move to expand its renewable energy portfolio and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has successfully secured a bid to acquire PTC India Ltd's wind power unit for Rs. 925 crore. This acquisition marks ONGC's continued effort to diversify its business interests beyond its core hydrocarbon operations.
PEL was incorporated on August 1, 2008, and boasts a renewable energy portfolio with a total capacity of 288.8 MW. This portfolio includes 50 MW wind power projects in Madhya Pradesh, 50 MW wind power projects in Karnataka, and 188.8 MW wind power projects in Andhra Pradesh. PEL has secured long-term agreements with state distribution companies for its entire 288.8 MW wind power project portfolio.

Ajay Goel is Vedanta's New Chief Financial Officer

Veteran finance professional Ajay Goel rejoined Vedanta as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) after the mining conglomerate owned by billionaire Anil Agarwal announced a major demerger plan.
This is his second stint with Vedanta as CFO Sonal Shrivastava quit in five months.
Vedanta said that Goel's return is part of the company's structured rehiring programme called 'Gharwapsi', which was introduced less than two years back.
Goel's previous stint with Vedanta was as the acting CFO from October 2021 to April 2023. In the interim, he served as the CFO at the troubled ed-tech company Byju's.

Swarup Mohanty Becomes First Non-Korean Person to be Mirae Asset Financial Group's Vice Chairman

Mirae Asset Financial Group of South Korea promoted Swarup Mohanty to the position of Vice Chairman. This is a historic milestone as Mohanty became the first individual of non-Korean descent to occupy this prestigious role within the financial conglomerate. Mohanty's elevation signals Mirae's keen intent to bolster its thriving Indian operations.
This development came as part of a larger organisational shuffle at Mirae Asset Financial Group. The reshuffle aims to turbocharge global growth and address generational change.

Oct 24, 2023

Hindustan Foods Ltd to Invest in Sports Shoes Manufacturing

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firm Hindustan Foods Limited announced its plans to invest up to Rs. 100 crore to set up, acquire and invest in the area of sports shoe manufacturing. This strategic move marks a significant bet on the thriving sports shoes space in India.
This financial commitment underscores the company's dedication to becoming a significant player in the sports shoes manufacturing sector and contributing to the 'Make in India' initiative.
As a first step, the company entered into a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire 100 per cent of the shareholding of KNS Shoetech Private Limited from its existing shareholder. The company has a factory located in Kundli, Haryana and is currently manufacturing the entire portfolio of sports shoes and sneakers.

Qatar Airways CEO to Step Down

Akbar Al Baker, one of the airline industry's most outspoken leaders, is retiring as Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways after almost three decades at the helm of the state-owned carrier.
As per reports, Al Baker will be succeeded by Badr Mohammed Al Meer, currently Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport.
Al Baker was appointed CEO in 1997, three years after the airline's launch, and was instrumental in transforming Qatar Airways into a major international carrier that competes against the likes of Dubai's Emirates and Turkish Airlines.

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