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Ford India closure: Compensation talks on with workers

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A couple of rounds of talks on the compensation to be paid to the workers have been held between the representatives of Ford India Private Ltd’s workers and the management, said a worker union leader.

He said the company management wants to conclude the talks and arrive at a settlement by February 2022.

“Couple of rounds of talks have been held with the workers in Chennai. We have given our charter of demands and the management said it has to be negotiated,” the Chennai plant union official told IANS preferring anonymity.

According to him, talks with the workers in the Gujarat plant have also started.

“We have asked for compensation for completed and remaining years of service. The company is not agreeable for the same. The management has not indicated as to the compensation they are willing to pay to the workers,” the union official said.

Majority of the workers are young and have about 25 years of service remaining before they retire and the compensation calculated on that basis will be a sizeable sum, is the management’s view.

However, the parent company will be infusing funds in dollars and as per the exchange rate between dollar and the rupee the outgo for Ford India will not be much, the worker leader said.

Last September, Ford India announced its decision to wind down vehicle assembly in Sanand in Gujarat by the fourth quarter of 2021, and vehicle and engine manufacturing in Chennai by the second quarter of 2022.

Ford India has four plants in the country — vehicle and engine plants in Chennai and Sanand.

Ford’s ‘quit India’ decision will result in an uncertain future for about 5,300 employees — workers and staff, the officials said last year.

The Chennai plant has about 2,700 associates (permanent workers) and about 600 staff.

“In Sanand, the number of workers will be about 2,000,” Sanand workers’ union General Secretary Nayan Kateshiya had told IANS.

Ford India had said more than 500 employees at the Sanand engine plant, which produces engines for export, and about 100 employees supporting parts distribution and customer service, also will continue to support Ford’s business in India.

According to Ford India, about 4,000 employees are expected to be affected by its decision.

The workers at Ford India want the prospective buyer of the car plants to hire them.

Meanwhile, Ford India has declared a holiday for majority workers till January 27.

About 100-200 workers have been asked to report for work to make the spares for the aftermarket, the union leader said.

Business

Mumbai’s Chembur & Malabar Hill To Undergo ₹4,800 Crore Redevelopment By Bengaluru-Based Builders

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Mumbai: A Bengaluru-based real estate developer, Puravankara Ltd, has announced two major redevelopment projects in Mumbai, adding significant weight to its western portfolio in the first half of the current financial year. The company, which has also added two projects in Bengaluru, has recorded a total gross development value (GDV) of ₹9,100 crore across all four projects.

In Mumbai, Puravankara has bagged a marquee redevelopment project in the upscale Malabar Hill area of South Mumbai. Spread across 1.43 acres, the project will offer 0.7 million square feet of development potential, valued at around ₹2,700 crore.

The second project is located in Chembur and involves 1.2 million square feet of development on 4 acres of land, carrying an estimated value of ₹2,100 crore. Both projects are part of Puravankara’s strategy to strengthen its redevelopment footprint in Mumbai’s prime and emerging residential zones, according to a report by HT.

“Our growth momentum remains strong, supported by sustained demand and timely project execution,” said Ashish Puravankara, Managing Director of Puravankara Ltd. “In the first half of FY26, we expanded our portfolio with over 6.36 million square feet of developable area worth around ₹9,100 crore.”

The company reported pre-sales of ₹1,322 crore in the July–September quarter of FY26, up 4% from ₹1,270 crore last year. For the first half of FY26, total pre-sales stood at ₹2,445 crore, also reflecting a 4% increase. The average realisation improved to ₹8,814 per sq ft in Q2 FY26, up 7% year-on-year.

Industry experts note that Mumbai’s redevelopment market continues to attract strong interest from national developers, thanks to rising property prices and limited land availability. With its Malabar Hill and Chembur projects, Puravankara is positioning itself as a key player in the city’s high-value redevelopment segment.

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Business

BLS International shares crash 17 pc after MEA bars company from new tenders for 2 years

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Mumbai, Oct 13: Shares of BLS International Services plunged sharply on Monday after the Government barred the company from participating in future tenders of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Indian Missions abroad for the next two years.

The stock crashed as much as 17.85 per cent to hit a 52-week low of Rs 277 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The MEA had issued the directive on October 9, restricting BLS International from bidding for new tenders.

However, the company clarified that the order will not affect its ongoing contracts or financial performance.

“This development does not impact the company’s current financials or ongoing operations. All existing contracts with Indian Missions across the globe remain valid and continue to operate as scheduled,” BLS International said in a regulatory filing.

“Additionally, the order will not have any significant bearing on the company’s financial outlook,” the firm added.

The company added that it is working to resolve the issue and considers it a procedural development within the visa outsourcing industry.

“We remain confident of a constructive resolution in due course,” the company stated.

In the first quarter of FY26, Indian Missions contributed around 12 per cent to BLS International’s consolidated revenue and about 8 per cent of its EBITDA.

Despite its recent fall, BLS International has been a strong long-term performer. The stock has declined 21 per cent in the past month, over 24 per cent in three months, and nearly 40 per cent so far in 2025.

However, it has still gained 17 per cent in two years and delivered a massive 1,455 per cent return over the past five years.

During the early trade, BLS International shares were trading 14.40 per cent lower at Rs 288.65 on the BSE.

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Business

ED Seizes ₹42 Lakh, Luxury Cars In Mumbai Drug Money Laundering Probe

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Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized Rs 42 lakh in cash, three luxury cars, property papers, and several digital devices during a search operation on Wednesday targeting a drug trafficking and money laundering network. The agency also froze multiple bank accounts and a locker linked to alleged drug trafficker Faisal Javed Shaikh and his wife, Alfiya Faisal Shaikh.

Officials said the searches were conducted at nine locations across Mumbai under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The operation aimed to trace the drug sale proceeds generated by a well-established narcotics network allegedly operated by the couple.

The ED initiated its money laundering probe based on a case registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai Zonal Unit, against multiple accused, including Faisal Shaikh, Alfiya Shaikh, and several others, including Ashik Varis Ali, Nasir Khan, Irfan Yusuf Faruqi, Azim Abu Salim Khan alias Azim Bhau, Faizan Mohd. Shafi Shaikh, and Mohd. Shahid Faridudin Chaudhary alias Baboos.

Investigators said Faisal Shaikh was procuring MD (Mephedrone) drugs from Salim Dola, a notorious drug kingpin who has been wanted by law enforcement agencies for his alleged role in large-scale narcotics trafficking. The NCB has announced a reward for information leading to Dola’s arrest.

After securing bail in the NCB case, Shaikh, described by officials as a habitual offender, was placed under preventive detention under the PIT-NDPS Act.

The ED’s probe revealed that Faisal and Alfiya Shaikh allegedly ran a structured network for the sale of MD drugs sourced from Dola. During Wednesday’s searches, the agency also covered premises connected to several individuals associated with shell companies with paper transactions exceeding Rs 100 crore, as well as firms involved in foreign outward remittances and financial dealings with the accused. Officials said these entities are being examined for their possible role in layering drug proceeds and routing the funds abroad through channels such as hawala, shell companies, and trade-based mis-invoicing.

Officials said the ED searches were critical to tracing both the “forward linkage” (movement of drug sale proceeds) and “backward linkage” (sources, beneficiaries, and conduits of funds), including whether the proceeds were channelled abroad via hawala, shell companies, or trade mis-invoicing. The seized and frozen assets including cash, bank accounts, lockers, vehicles, property documents, and digital devices are being examined under the lens of money laundering.

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