Vakrangee to spin off IT business, listed separately

Vakrangee Ltd said it would spin off its IT services business into a separate, listed entity. The company’s mainstay business of franchising Vakrangee Kendras, as well as its BharatEasy app, will remain with the current listed entity known as Vakrangee Ltd. The company said it was doing so as both businesses have evolved into very […]

Vakrangee starts distribution of agricultural products and services

Vakrangee Ltd said it has tied up with BigHaat Agro Private Ltd to provide end-to-end Agri services, digital advisory as agri input products, including seeds and fertilizers. BigHaat is a digital agricultural platform that offers valuable inputs to farmers by using science, data and technology, such as end-to-end crop guidance and market linkages for various […]

Titan Co returns to growth thanks to Diwali shift

Jewellery and accessories maker Titan Company returned to growth after nearly a year, with third-quarter sales rising 12% on year, excluding bullion sales. The total income for the quarter was Rs. 7,324 crores, including sales of gold bullion to the extent of Rs. 340 crores,  compared to the income of Rs. 6,226 crores for the […]

Dabur explores online sales, sees material COVID-19 impact

Dabur, one of India’s largest manufacturers of daily essentials such as toothpastes, nutraceuticals and so on, said it saw a material impact on its its finances from the ongoing COVID-19 impact, and said it was exploring online options to boost sales. “On account of Covid-19 and consequent lockdown since March, the impact on our production […]

Center waives need for prior approval in Essential Commodities Act

The central government has temporarily waived the need for states to seek its agreement for issuing orders under the Essential Commodities Act. With this, state governments can issue orders and directions under the act without first seeking the approval of the center till June 30. The Essential Commodities Act, passed in 1955, seeks to ensure […]

Amazon, Flipkart festival sales beat slowdown blues, US firm claims No.1 spot

Amazon, the US-based online retailer, released a bunch of numbers on the final day of its five-day festival sale to paint a surprisingly rosy picture of its performance during the biggest sales event of the annual online calendar. Notable among the numbers was a 15-fold jump in the sales of smartphones during the sale period, […]

Amazon slowed investment into India due to protectionism – Wilbur Ross

US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today said that e-commerce giant Amazon, one of the biggest foreign investors in India, had scaled down its plans for investments in this country after the government came up with new, protectionist and restrictive ecommerce rules. In what was seen as a nasty blow to the likes of Walmart […]

Aditya Birla Fashion buys ethnic retailer for Rs 110 crore including debt

Fashion and lifestyle company Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd said that it will acquire Jaypore E-Commerce Private Ltd, which sells “handmade, handwoven and handcrafted apparel, jewellery, home textiles and accents”, for Rs 110 crore including debt. Aditya Birla Group did not break out the equity component of the company’s valuation, nor did it give […]

PE firms love malls in smaller Indian cities – Study

International private equity investors do not shy away from investing in malls in India’s tier-2 cities such as Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Indore and Mohali, according to a study by Anarock Property Consultants. Real estate can be broadly divided into residential and commercial. Commercial is further divided into retail (malls) and office space. A total […]

Godrej sells Nature’s Basket to Spencer’s Retail

Godrej Group has sold its grocery chain Nature’s Basket to Kolkata-based Spencer’s Retail, part of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group. Spencer’s Retail is especially strong in Chennai and Bangalore, and has also recently acquired another South Indian player Foodworld. The financial consideration for the sale was not revealed by Godrej. Godrej, for which Nature’s Basket […]

Rajesh Exports opens Shubh Jewellers outlet in Mangalore

Jewellery manufacturer Rajesh Exports opened its 82nd gold showroom under the Shubh Jewellers brand name in Mangalore. Launched in 2012 by Rajesh Exports, Shubh Jewellers enjoys a strong presence in South India, especially Karnataka. The company claims to have one of the world’s largest active jewellery design databases of around 29,000 designs. “We are planning […]

Future Supply Chain posts strong sales growth for Q2

Future Supply Chain Solutions Limited, the logistics arm of the biggest large-format retail chain in the country, continued to report strong growth on the top line and improving profits, but expenses too largely kept pace. The company’s revenue from operations grew by 34.4% on year to Rs 276.2 cr for the September quarter, an increase […]

RIL invests Rs 9.5 cr in Gurgaon-based Fashion startup

Reliance Industries, the parent of Reliance Retail, said it has acquired a 12.5% stake in a fashion company called Future101 Design Pvt Ltd at a cost of Rs 9.5 cr. The Gurgaon-based company designs and manufactures garments such as ladies kurtis and men’s shirts. “Future101, incorporated in July, 2013 is engaged in manufacturing, distribution and […]

Future Retail buys Foodworld supermarket chain for Rs 41 cr

Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Retail has bought Foodworld, a supermarket chain that is popular in Bangalore, for Rs 40.79 cr in cash. The acquisition of the grocery-focused retail chain will strengthen Biyani’s existing portfolio of super markets, particularly the smaller stores under the EasyDay brand. Foodworld had revenue of Rs 119 cr for the year ended […]