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We are now partners in biz transformation for firms: Google Cloud India MD

India is among the fastest-growing markets for Google in the cloud services segment, a senior executive has said, adding that the tech giant is looking to partner companies in their business transformation through its offerings. Google Cloud India is seeing an "increased adoption" of its offerings across segments from the public sector to small and medium businesses and from startups and digital-native companies, Google Cloud India Vice President and Country Managing Director Bikram Singh Bedi told PTI. "If you look at cloud services as a segment, India is one of the fastest-growing countries for Google. If you look at the kind of customers that we're working with across segments -- public sector, SMB, smaller companies, medium-sized companies, large enterprises, startups, digital native companies... across the board...we're working with multiple stakeholders who are essentially using Google Cloud services and then over a period of time, this usage has been incrementally growing," ..

Slowdown in business activity pulls flash PMI to its lowest levels in 2024

The rise in employment in the service sector was the steepest since August 2022

Small businesses generate 35 mn job applications till Aug 2024: Report

Small and medium enterprises have generated over 35 million job applications in the first eight months of this year fuelled by rising demand in key sectors such as BFSI, BPO, and hospitality, says a report. This rise reflects growing demand for key roles such as Sales & Marketing Managers, Accounting Technicians, Telecallers, Back Office Executives, and Business Development Associates, according to jobs and professional networking platform apna.co. "SMBs and MSMEs employ more than 110 million people and their success is crucial for our nation's journey towards the USD 5 trillion economy goal. As the backbone of our economy, these sectors are set to witness significant growth, with workforce demand expected to rise in tandem," Nirmit Parikh, Founder & CEO, apna.co said. Notably, over 55 per cent of total job applications for SMB roles came from tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kochi, and Bhubaneswar, apna.co said. As businesses expand in these ..

Breaking the cycle: Business families must lead in safeguarding women

Despite ongoing reforms and heightened awareness, incidents of violence against women continue to plague our society

Capital Allocation, A Spin-off, & A Dividend Policy Tweak: An AltG Love Triangle

Poornima Vardhan and Taponeel Mukherjee have developed a uniquely constructive and immensely profitable way of maximising market capitalisation.

Unlocking shareholder value through demergers, boosting profitability

Demerger strategies enable businesses to focus, grow, and boost investor returns

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina invites Indian businesses to invest in nation

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has invited Indian businesses to invest in the country's special economic zones, highlighting the huge potential for bilateral economic cooperation. Addressing Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) members on Friday evening, Hasina said both India and Bangladesh should work together to do business. "All over India, there is a huge market so both the countries can work jointly and share our experiences. There is a good opportunity to do business," Hasina said, stressing that doing business is a key part of the bilateral relationship. She added that high importance is being given to working with India to fulfil the needs of the people. The prime minister mentioned that she wanted to make the economy of Bangladesh stronger and more sustainable. She also stated that Bangladesh will work on bigger ports, waterways, rail and road connectivity. Sanjiv Puri, President, CII said Bangladesh is India's land bridge to the vibrant regions of Southeast A

Most of top-level executives have positive GST perception: Survey

An increasing number of C-suite executives have a positive perception of GST with many highlighting further reforms like rationalising tax rates and effective dispute resolution process as focus areas to usher in GST 2.0, a Deloitte survey said on Wednesday. The Deloitte GST@7 survey, engaging C-suite and C-1 level executives across diverse industries through online platforms, highlights areas which have resulted in growing confidence in GST, specifically on the positive role of GST automation/ technology and consultative environment, in policy making. Reflecting growing confidence in GST, the survey found that about 84 per cent of respondents reported a positive perception of GST in 2024, up from 72 per cent in 2023 and 59 per cent in 2022. Automation of tax compliance, including e-invoicing, continues to be voted as a top performance area. Also, enhanced and continued stakeholder consultation, leading to the issuance of clarificatory circulars/instructions was considered as a ...

Baltimore port reopens 11 weeks after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The Baltimore port, one of America's largest shipping hubs, formally reopened on Wednesday, 11 weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when it was struck by a massive cargo ship mostly manned by Indians. The 2.6-km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River collapsed on March 26 after the 984-foot ship Dali' crashed into it. The crew onboard the crippled ship included 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan. I made clear that my Administration would move heaven and earth to reopen the Port of Baltimore one of our nation's largest shipping hubs. Today, thanks to the tireless work by the men and women in the Unified Command, the full navigation channel is now open to all vessel traffic, allowing a full return of commerce to the Port of Baltimore, US President Joe Biden said in a statement. Disruptions from the March 26 bridge collapse have cost the Baltimore region's economy about USD 1.2 billion, said Anirban Basu, an economist with Sage Policy Group, a ...

Rs 740-cr IPO of ixigo parent Le Travenues Technology subscribed 98.1 times

The initial public offer of Le Travenues Technology, which operates travel booking platform ixigo, got subscribed 98.10 times on the closing day of subscription on Wednesday. The Rs 740-crore initial share sale received bids for 4,29,36,34,618 shares against 4,37,69,494 shares on offer, as per NSE data. The quota for non-institutional investors fetched 110.25 times subscription while the portion for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) got subscribed 106.73 times. The category for Retail Individual Investors (RIIs) received 53.95 times subscription. The initial public offering (IPO) of Le Travenues Technology got subscribed 1.95 times on the first day of subscription on Monday. The IPO has a fresh issue of up to Rs 120 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to 6,66,77,674 equity shares. Proceeds worth Rs 45 crore from the fresh issue will be used to fund the company's working capital requirements and Rs 26 crore will be utilised for investments in technology as well as data scie

IBBI proposes compliance procedures for IPs, seeks stakeholder feedback

The IBBI has proposed changes to the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) forms and compliance framework to reduce compliance burden on insolvency professionals, and sought stakeholders' comments by July 1. These changes will reduce the amount of information and data that insolvency professionals (IPs) need to submit, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing redundancy. The Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has also proposed to remove duplicate submissions and simplification of the reporting process. Under the discussion paper issued on June 10, the IBBI said the proposed changes will "simplify the compliance process by combining various reporting system on IP and IBBI website into a single, centralised IBBI website, eliminating duplication, and making it easier for stakeholders to access and use". The IBBI -- a statutory body functioning under the corporate affairs ministry -- has invited stakeholders to provide comments on the discussion paper by July 1. The

Citroen inks MoU with CAB-EEZ Infra Tech to supply 2,000 units of e-C3 EVs

French carmaker Citroen on Monday said it will supply 2,000 units of its electric vehicle e-C3 to urban e-mobility player CAB-EEZ Infra Tech Pvt Ltd over the year. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which the first 100 units of e-C3 were flagged off, Citroen India said in a statement. This further augments 200 e-C3 units already part of the Cab-E fleet taking the total to over 300 units operating across Mumbai and Pune, it added. "Cab-E has been one of the early adopters of the e-C3. Their continued choice of this product is a validation of Citroen's proposition as a key player in promoting sustainable transportation solutions," Citroen India Brand Director, Shishir Mishra said. Cab-E Director & CEO Kuldip Ghosh said, "This partnership not only benefits stakeholders but also propels Cab-E to a leadership position in the electric urban mobility market." Citroen e-C3 offers a range of 320 kilometre (ARAI-certified) per single charge and can ...

Sebi bags 'Best Conduct of Business Regulator' award by The Asian Banker

Sebi has been given 'Best Conduct of Business Regulator' award in Asia Pacific by The Asian Banker for its role in enhancing the regulatory framework for securities markets in India. The award was received by Sebi's Whole Time Member Kamlesh Chandra Varshney in a ceremony held in Hong Kong. "This authority (Sebi) has been actively working towards instantaneous settlement. In 2021, T+1 settlement was introduced in a phased manner, which was fully implemented from January 2023. This move has provided investors with faster access to their funds following trade execution and settlement, enhancing market efficiency and liquidity," The Asian Banker said in a statement. Through rigorous enforcement and innovative regulatory practices, Sebi has significantly improved the conduct of business in the country's financial markets, ensuring fair treatment of consumers and robust market integrity, it added. The Asian Banker creates platforms to build a greater sense of community amongst players i

UK firms expecting hard time in China over next 5 years, warns lobby group

British business confidence is further constrained by growing risk of increased trade tensions due to a complex geopolitical environment, it added

92% of knowledge workers in India use AI at work, lead world: Study

Most business leaders in India believe their companies need to adopt AI to stay competitive

Canada braces for possible wave of business bankruptcies amid slowdown

There were about 1.2 million small businesses with employees in Canada in 2021 and contributing over a third to the country's gross domestic product, according to the latest official data

Trade unions witnessing decline across the world, says senior economist

Speaking on the problems faced by trade unions, Bardhan said that an increase in the informal labour force is leading to a higher degree of labour fragmentation

Over 25 nations' leaders to join Bengal Global Business Summit from Tue

Business leaders from more than 25 countries, a host of prominent figures of corporate India as well as political dignitaries are expected to take part in the seventh edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) that will begin on Tuesday, officials said. The participating countries include the US, UK, Japan, Poland, France, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Fiji, they said. Corporate honchos from India's Reliance Industries, ITC, Ambuja Neotia and the Hiranandani Group are also likely to attend the state's marquee business summit. The focus sectors at the two-day BGBS 2023 are MSME, textiles, engineering, energy, transport & urban infrastructure, real estate, agri, tourism and international trade & logistics, officials said. Over 250 international delegates are expected to participate, including senior representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, they said. "Reliance Industries Chairman & MD Mukesh Ambani is expected to attend this

60% of businesses 'off track' to meet sustainability goals: Report

Over 60 per cent of businesses surveyed are "off track" to meet their sustainability goals, according to a report by Bain & Company, which also found that consumers are willing to shell out a premium for sustainable products. According to the report, a large number of people surveyed in India say they have a high level of concern about environment sustainability. This could be driven by the spiking levels of pollution in major cities and the rising incidence of flash floods in different parts of the country. Consumers in fast-growing markets, where Bain found environmental concerns to be highest, including India, were willing to pay a greater premium (between 15 and 20 per cent), compared to markets like the US and the UK. The report further said that an Indian consumer, however, is still at an early stage of understanding sustainability and a number of related behaviours are influenced by cultural norms and financial realities. "As extreme weather prompts growing environmental ...