Top headlines: Adani joins race for Air India, Trump inks arms deal, more

From Donald Trump inking arms deal with India to coronavirus scare, here are the

1. Pay more for the fizz: Cola majors set to hike prices after 6-year gap

If your daily diet includes a glass of sparkling cola, then you should get ready to shell out more. After keeping prices in check for years, the American cola giants are set to make their fizzy drinks portfolio costlier.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo --- the two beverage majors that control over 80 per cent of the country’s organised cola market --- are likely to raise prices by 6-14 per cent ahead of the summer season. Read on...

2. Adani group joins race to buy Air India, plans to submit EoI by next month

The Adani group will join the race to acquire Air India and plans to submit an expression of interest (EoI) by next month, said a source close to the development.

The final decision of Adani will, however, depend on the outcome of the due diligence after submission of the EoI. After the EoI process, prospective bidders will get access to data of the airline. Read more...

3. 'Best, most feared military equipment': Trump announces $3-bn arms sales

Visiting US president Donald Trump, addressing a cheering throng of 125,000 Indians in Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium soon after landing in India on Monday, talked up US-India defence cooperation and pitched to sell India “some of the best, most feared, military equipment on the planet.”

“We make the greatest weapons ever made – aeroplanes, rockets, ships, missiles. We make the best and we are dealing now with India,” said Trump. Read on...

4. Vodafone Idea, Bharti Infratel spar over Indus Towers' stake sale

Differences seem to have cropped up in negotiations between cash-strapped Vodafone Idea and the Bharti group, regarding the sale of Vodafone Idea’s 11.15 per cent stake in Indus Towers. The all-cash deal could take place after the merger between Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers gets all clearances.

Last week, the deal received clearance from the Department of Telecommunications. Read on...

5. Coronavirus impact on global economy and markets still uncertain: Experts

The risk emanating from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak isn’t yet fully priced in by the markets and its economic implications remain unknown, say experts.

Investors on Monday were caught off-guard by the sharp selloff in stocks amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in countries, such as South Korea, Italy, and Iran. Read on... 

6. 'Vivad se Vishwas': MNCs will have to bring all disputed amount to India

The subsidiaries of multinational companies (MNCs) can settle their transfer pricing disputes under the proposed Vivad se Vishwas scheme, but they will have to bring the entire disputed money to India.

Or else, the money not brought into India will be considered as loan from subsidiaries on which interest has to be paid. Read more...

7. Satya Nadella, Mukesh Ambani talk changing landscapes of digital India

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella engaged in a fireside chat on Monday at the St Regis Hotel in Mumbai.

The chat was attended by 150 CEOs at the Future Decoded CEO Summit, and talked about the nuances of overhauling a business landscape, the progress telecom had made over the years, and the potential of India as a digital nation. Read more...

8. US major PayPal set to launch UPI-based digital payments in India

Close on the heels of WhatsApp getting key approvals to launch digital payments in India, its US peer PayPal is also set to jump on to the bandwagon.

One of the biggest international remittance services in the world, PayPal Holdings Inc will launch a peer-to-peer (P2P) payments feature in India, sources in know of the company’s plans said. Read on...

9.  No prescription yet to cure health problems

The price of US-made medical devices, especially patents are likely to continue plaguing India-US ties with no major deal expected to be signed during US President Donald Trump’s India visit, according to industry experts. US-based healthcare firms have for long raised their concerns about section 3(D) of the Indian Patents Act, which rejects patent applications for incremental innovation, reports Livemint.

10. Job offers at premier undergrad colleges belie slowdown, average packages zoom

Despite a slowdown in the local economy and job market, job offers poured in at the country’s leading undergraduate colleges from old and first-time recruiters with average salaries increasing up to 45%, says a report by the Economic Times.