Latest news with #IIMLucknowIIML
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Drug companies set for improved revenue growth in June quarter amid US market challenges
ET Intelligence Group: Select companies in the pharma and healthcare sector are expected to show improved revenue and profit for the June 2025 quarter driven by a strong growth in the domestic market. Some companies may face pricing pressure in the US market due to sequentially lower Revlimid sales, used for the treatment of myeloma (a type of blood cancer). The performance for hospital chains may improve driven by a jump in operational beds. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries ' revenue may grow in mid-single digit year-on-year, driven by market share gains in existing products. While the domestic business is expected to show traction, the US sales may moderate due to heightened competition in gRevlimid. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management Leadership Data Science Others Degree MCA Finance Data Analytics MBA others Public Policy healthcare Digital Marketing Cybersecurity CXO Healthcare Management Project Management Design Thinking Technology Product Management PGDM Data Science Artificial Intelligence Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details Dr Reddy's Laboratories domestic business is expected to grow on the back of rise in respiratory/derma segment. US revenue is highly dependent on the company's ability to book revenues through gRevlimid. Margin could decline slightly. Agencies Aurobindo Pharma 's revenue is expected to be modest on the back of decline in US sales. Penicillin-G plant's capacity utilisation improvement could drive the growth in future quarters. Margins are expected to be flattish. For Cipla , US sales are expected to decline due to a price fall for gRevlimid, slight sequential drop in inhaler sales, which may be partially offset by higher Lanreotide sales. Margins may decline by 80 basis points. Live Events Lupin 's revenue is expected to grow more than peers, driven by strong growth in the US business amid new launches and increased contribution from existing products. Margins are also expected to expand by around 800 basis points. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise may report double digit growth in revenue and profit amid stable occupancy and higher revenue per bed. In addition, Keimed, a pharma distribution company,which Apollo acquired in 2024 is likely to support the overall margin performance.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Saiyaara craze: Taran Adarsh on why the movie is rewriting the record books
Mohit Suri 's romantic drama Saiyaara , starring debutant Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda , is rewriting the rules of box office success. The film stormed into theatres with a staggering Rs 119 crore gross worldwide in its opening weekend, joining the ranks of Vicky Kaushal's Chhava (Rs 122.43 crore), Salman Khan's Sikandar (Rs 90.25 crore), and Housefull 5 (Rs 91.83 crore) in terms of massive debuts. In India, Saiyaara collected an impressive Rs 101.75 crore (gross) and Rs 84 crore (nett), while overseas markets added another Rs 17.25 crore to the tally. The film marks a breakthrough debut for Pandey and a standout performance by Padda, previously known for Big Girls Don't Cry and Salaam Venky. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management MBA CXO Leadership Project Management PGDM Data Science Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Data Analytics MCA Product Management Data Science Public Policy Digital Marketing Cybersecurity Management Finance Degree healthcare others Technology Design Thinking Others Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details — theskindoctor13 (@theskindoctor13) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The impact has been emotional and electric. Social media is buzzing with reactions — fans are seen in tears during the emotional climax, while others are celebrating its music through viral dance reels. The film has clearly struck a chord across age groups. Veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh weighed in on the phenomenon with a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter): "'SAIYAARA' REBOOTS - RE-ENERGISES - REJUVENATES THE INDUSTRY... Yes, #Saiyaara is rewriting the record books… It's drawing audiences in hordes – and that, in itself, is a hugely positive sign for the industry... But more than just the numbers, the learnings from #Saiyaara are invaluable" Live Events — amit_code (@amit_code) Adarsh noted that the industry had drifted away from making heartfelt, youth-driven stories that resonate beyond just metro audiences. He pointed out a crucial reality check: "We blamed the audience for empty theatres, but the fault lies within the stopped making the kind of films that compel the youth to flock to cinemas in hundreds and thousands – not just in metros, but even in Tier-2 and Tier-3 centres." "We stopped making youth-centric films that appeal not only to the younger generation, but also to families and seniors [myself included]. We stopped making films that moved us," he wrote ackowledging that the finale moved him to tears. Adarsh added, "We stopped focusing on content – the very first step in the filmmaking process... We sidelined melodies that linger, treating music as mere filler. For many, star power became the be-all and end-all – and the neglect in writing and music was clearly visible. A young love story, driven by great music and heartfelt emotions, will always find its audience." — taran_adarsh (@taran_adarsh) While praising YRF , he said, "YRF, a banner synonymous with love stories, now has another massive blockbuster in its catalogue – a love story, once again... But this time, it stars two rank newcomers and is helmed by the supremely talented #MohitSuri."
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
China's $170 bn dam on Brahmaputra: Should India worry?
Three Gorges Dam in China on Yangtze river is the biggest in the world. Now China has started building an even bigger dam. As per Xinhua news agency, China's Premier Li Qiang has announced that construction has begun on the dam on Yarlung Zangbo — the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra river — on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau near the Indian border, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion. It will have the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year. It's expected to be completed in the 2030s. While India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people downstream, China has said the dam will help meet power demand in Tibet and the rest of China without having a major effect on downstream water supplies. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management CXO others Data Analytics healthcare Data Science MCA Others Leadership Public Policy Digital Marketing Data Science MBA PGDM Technology Design Thinking Management Degree Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Product Management Cybersecurity Project Management Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details China's " water bomb " aimed at India? India has raised concerns over the dam, as it not only empowers China to control the river's water flow but also poses the risk of flooding border areas by releasing large volumes of water during potential hostilities due to its sheer size and scale, news agency PTI had reported. India is also constructing its own dam on the Siang River, as Brahmaputra is called in Arunachal Pradesh , the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project. In March, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said that if China builds the massive dam over Yarlung Tsangpo river and diverts its water, it will dry up the Siang river and its distributaries affecting the aquatic life of the river and the large population in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh which depends on Brahmaputra river for the irrigation of their agricultural fields. On the other hand, in case, if any conflict arises between the two nations in future, it may release a large volume of water from the dam, which would cause unpredicted flooding in the downstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam causing loss of lives and properties. In April, BJP MP from Arunachal East, Tapir Gao, described China's planned dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo as a "water bomb" that China could unleash against India and other downstream nations. "We have two options — raise our voice, though Xi Jinping will not listen; or build an alternative large dam to counter the Chinese water bomb," Gao said. Live Events "China isn't merely building dams; it's creating 'water bombs'. The devastation such actions can cause was evident in 2000 when floods triggered by a massive water release washed away nearly all the bridges on the Siang river, as the Yarlung Tsangpo is called in Arunachal Pradesh. Pasighat airport was submerged under 7 feet of water at the time," Gao said. Gao backed a proposal to build a dam on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh to mitigate downstream disasters. "Experts informed me the dam could have a 25-metre buffer level extending up to 15km, capable of retaining substantial water during sudden releases and averting disaster. Public consultations are ongoing regarding the proposed dam," he said. However, Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in January that the dam would, to some extent, contribute to downstream disaster prevention, mitigation, and climate change response. This was in response to a question about India's concerns regarding the dam, which were discussed during talks between Indian officials and the visiting then US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan. Should India worry? Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday tried to alleviate fears on China's move to construct the world's largest dam on Brahmaputra and said he does not foresee any immediate cause of worry as the river gets most of its waters from Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Speaking to reporters, Sarma said the exact impact of the massive dam, the construction of which began last week, is not properly known as different theories are being floated, and hoped that the Centre must be in touch with China on the matter. "First -- if Brahmaputra's flow is disturbed by China, then there may be less water and consequently biodiversity will be affected. But there is also a counter view that if less water comes, it will also act as a flood cushioning. So, I don't know which one is correct," he added. Sarma said that the Centre is a better judge on this topic and it will take a call on this. Unlike the Indus system, where India holds the upstream advantage and Pakistan remains critically dependent on downstream flows, the Brahmaputra dynamic is less binary. As per a TOI article published in July, China commands an upstream position but its leverage is not absolute. Brahmaputra gains most of its volume only after it enters India, fed by torrential tributaries like Lohit, Dibang, and many others draining the eastern Himalayas. Yarlung spans 1,625 km across the Tibetan plateau and seems, at first glance, a river shaped upstream. Only, as it plunges through the Siang gorge into Arunachal and transforms into Brahmaputra, its character changes dramatically. Contrary to the common assumption that upstream means control, Tibet contributes only about 14% of the river's total annual flow. A staggering 86% is generated within India — driven largely by intense monsoon rains and a network of torrential tributaries in Arunachal and Assam. But the real threat is not of deprivation. It is of sudden inundation. If China releases large volumes of water during the flood season, it is India's northeast, particularly Arunachal and Assam, that stands most exposed, as per the TOI article. While China cannot easily weaponise the river by cutting off its flow, the risk will stem from sudden surges — be it from upstream dam releases, engineering misjudgements, or the erratic extremes of a warming climate. For Arunachal and Assam, already battered by recurrent monsoon floods, such shocks could prove devastating. China doesn't have a pact with any of the lower riparians. India and China did sign an MoU in 2013 but Indian officials said China has not always been open about sharing hydrological data.
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
After Trump's team calls him a ‘Madman' over Syria strikes, Netanyahu out for 3 days with food poisoning
Behind the scenes, frustration is boiling over between Washington and Jerusalem. Trump administration officials are reportedly fed up with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's recent military actions. The fallout comes at a delicate time for U.S. foreign policy. What triggered the anger from U.S. officials? Top Trump officials are outraged by Benjamin Netanyahu 's unexpected airstrikes in Syria, calling him a 'madman' and accusing him of undermining US peace efforts. Tensions are exacerbated by Israel's Gaza church strike and West Bank violence despite President Trump's cordial embrace and chumminess with Bibi, according to Axios. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management Public Policy Healthcare Leadership Artificial Intelligence healthcare Degree Finance Others Digital Marketing Data Science others Technology Design Thinking MBA CXO Cybersecurity Project Management Data Analytics MCA Data Science Product Management PGDM Management Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details "Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time,' a White House official vented to the outlet. 'This could undermine what Trump is trying to do," as quoted in a report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Things Women Should NEVER Wear! Undo What's the latest on Benjamin Netanyahu's health? Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering at home from food poisoning. According to his office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering from a case of food poisoning and will continue to perform his duties during the next three days while taking a break at home, as per a report by Reuters. Live Events The Israeli Prime Minister is receiving intravenous fluids for intestinal inflammation and dehydration after becoming ill overnight, according to a statement. "In accordance with his doctors' instructions, the prime minister will rest at home for the next three days and will manage state affairs from there," stated his office. ALSO READ: Anthony Mackie's flop? Critics slammed it, but it's a surprise smash hit on streaming charts How did Netanyahu's strikes impact Trump's peace agenda? US president Donald Trump has made ending foreign wars a top priority. Despite his prior affiliations with al-Qaeda and Islamic extremism, he has attempted to defuse the long-standing tensions between the United States and Syria and give its new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a chance, as per a report by The NY Post. The war-torn nation is just weeks away from "potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions," according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to Axios, senior Trump administration officials, including US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and special envoy Steve Witkoff, bemoaned Israel's aggressive behavior to Trump and suggested that Netanyahu's domestic politics were the driving force behind the bombing campaign. In response to the violence between armed Bedouin tribesmen and the Druze militia, a minority group that Israel has pledged to protect, Netanyahu approved the bombing of a Syrian envoy that was traveling toward Suwayda. ALSO READ: Elon Musk is back in wartime mode — 7 days a week, sleeping in the office, no breaks Israel accused Syria of aiding the attacks against the Druze, while Syria's government said it was working to halt the violence and restore order, as per a report. Days after Netanyahu's visit to the United States, during which he was greeted warmly at the White House and declared his intention to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, Israel bombed Syria. FAQs Why are Trump officials upset with Netanyahu? They claim his surprise strikes in Syria are undermining Trump's efforts to broker peace in the region. What happened with Netanyahu's health? He is recovering from food poisoning and will work from home for the next three days.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tariff engineering: How companies are outsmarting Trump
Delta Air Lines pulled off an age-old trick on US President Donald Trump who has imposed steep tariffs on imports which are pinching American companies. Delta took brand-new Airbus jets sitting in Europe, yanked out their US-made engines, shipped those engines back to the States, and left the rest of the aircraft behind. Why? To avoid Trump's tariffs. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management CXO Public Policy Degree Project Management Leadership Digital Marketing Healthcare Cybersecurity Data Analytics PGDM Design Thinking healthcare Product Management Finance Technology MBA others Data Science Data Science Management Others Artificial Intelligence Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details According to a July 11 report by Bloomberg, Delta has been cannibalising new A321neo aircraft, assembled in Europe and fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, for parts to keep its grounded US fleet flying. By removing the engines, which are manufactured in the US, and shipping them home separately, Delta avoids the 10% import duty levied on European-made aircraft under Trump-era trade policies. The planes themselves remain parked in Europe. They can't fly in the US yet anyway, their seats haven't cleared US regulatory certification . So instead of paying duties on entire aircraft, Delta is importing only the parts it needs, duty-free. CEO Ed Bastian was frank about the tactic. 'We are not planning to pay tariffs on aircraft deliveries,' he said during the company's latest earnings call, adding that Delta will continue using the workaround. Live Events Earlier this year, Delta routed new Airbus long-haul jets through Japan before bringing them into the US, another move to dodge import costs. Back in 2020, the airline used similar tactics, redirecting deliveries through places like Amsterdam, Tokyo, and El Salvador to avoid tariffs during peak trade tensions . This isn't a one-off. It's a pattern. Delta's workaround might look extreme, but it's hardly unusual. US companies across industries, from sneaker makers to car manufacturers, have been using similar strategies to avoid rising import duties. Call it tariff engineering or just smart loophole hunting. The goal is simple: cut import costs without breaking the law. And this is entirely legal. John Foote, a customs lawyer at Kelley Drye & Warren in Washington D.C., sees no issue with the practice. 'There is nothing inherently illegal or even untoward about leveraging strategic design choices that result in creating different products that are subject to different tariff classifications and duty rates,' he told CNBC. 'Tariff engineering is one of the few things you can do to try to get it right and reduce your duty liability.' What is tariff engineering? Tariff engineering is the art of designing or altering a product, legally, to qualify for a lower import tax . It doesn't mean cheating the system. It just means working within the rules and playing them to your advantage. Merritt v. Welsh (1882) Tariff engineering isn't new. One of the earliest examples dates back to the 1881 US Supreme Court case Merritt v. Welsh, when a sugar importer found that coating lighter sugar with molasses helped avoid higher tariffs . The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that as long as the goods were honestly declared and inspected, there was nothing illegal about gaming the system. At the time, the US taxed sugar based on its colour, using something called the Dutch standard. Darker sugar = lower quality = lower tariff. So what did the importer do? He took highly refined (white) sugar and added molasses to darken it. That way, it looked like low-grade sugar and qualified for a lower tariff. This should've worked, until the Port of New York stepped in. The customs office didn't buy it. They ran chemical tests, found the sugar had been intentionally darkened, and slapped on the higher tariff anyway. But the case reached the Supreme Court, and the justices sided with the importer. Why? Because the law at the time said tariffs had to be based only on colour, not chemical analysis or intent. Justice Matthews was of the opinion that even if the sugar was darkened on purpose, that wasn't illegal. 'Great stress is laid on the charge that sugars are manufactured in dark colors on purpose to evade our duties. Suppose this is true; has not a manufacturer a right to make his goods as he pleases?... If the duties are affected, there is a plain remedy. Congress can always adopt such laws and regulations as it may deem expedient for protecting the interests of the government.' Fast-forward to today, and tariff engineering is practically a full-time job for trade compliance teams across corporate America. Take Columbia Sportswear. They've been upfront about it. 'I have a whole team of people that work … with the designers and developers and merchandisers and with customs,' said Jeff Tooze, the company's VP of global customs and trade, in a 2019 interview with Marketplace. Their mission: bake tariff classification into the product design process. For instance, CNN reported that adding small zippered pockets below the waist on shirts is a simple tweak that can shift the product into a lower-duty category. That's how you end up with shirts sporting oddly placed zippers, designed not for fashion or function, but for tariff relief . Footwear brands play the same game. Converse, for instance, has been known to put felt soles on some All Star sneakers. The reason? Classification. Felt soles can move the shoes into the 'house slipper' category instead of 'athletic footwear', and house slippers come with significantly lower tariffs. Governments around the world use a system of more than 5,000 product classification codes to determine how much tariff to apply to imports, according to CNBC. By manufacturing the shoes overseas with felt soles, Converse can make a case to US customs that they qualify for the lower-duty category. It's not about aesthetics but a strategic design decision aimed at cutting costs. The loophole economy isn't just about design Sometimes, companies don't bother changing the product. They change the route. Or the label. Or where the product waits. Delta's stripped-down aircraft are one version of this. Another is the bonded warehouse. Think of it as international limbo. Goods can enter the US and sit inside a government-regulated storage facility, as long as they remain locked up in a customs-regulated warehouse, for up to five years, duty-free, until the importer decides the timing is right to clear them through customs. They only pay the current tariff rate when they take goods out of storage. It's a bet that tariff rates will go down in the short or medium term. Jennifer Hartry, who runs Howard Hartry, a customs brokerage by the Port of Los Angeles, says the demand for bonded warehouses has exploded since Trump's tariffs took hold. She told CNN that 95% of inquiries she receives now involve goods from China. There's no cap on the value a company can store in a bonded warehouse, the only real limit is physical space. According to Hartry, her clients are stashing everything from lithium batteries and metal rods to TVs and treadmills. The value of these goods ranges between $37,000 and $500,000. She's well aware of how hard tariffs have hit her clients. But for her business, they've been a lifeline. 'It's saving our business, which we're grateful for,' she told CNN's Julia Vargas. Why all of this still works Despite the Trump administration's aggressive tariff hikes, loopholes remain. Sometimes products are explicitly exempt. Sometimes a lower rate applies if you swap a fabric or a metal. Other times, it's about knowing the right Harmonised Tariff Schedule (HTS) code, a system with over 5,000 categories. Customs lawyers are seeing a boom in business. Erik Smithweiss, a partner at GDLSK, said that companies come to his firm asking whether tweaks to their products might qualify them for a more favourable code. 'We are working with companies who say, 'Gee, I really want to be on this list, look at my tariff codes,'' he told CNN. If the product can be modified, legally and substantially enough, his team will help make it happen. But tariff engineering has its limits, and pushing too far can backfire. Customs officials have the authority to test materials, scrutinise designs, and if they suspect deception, they can impose steep fines. Ford learned that the hard way The automaker was accused of sidestepping a steep 25% tariff, known as the 'chicken tax', by disguising cargo vans as passenger vehicles. The 'chicken tax' dates back to 1964, when the US imposed a 25% tariff on imported light trucks in retaliation for European restrictions on American poultry. The workaround? Ford shipped Turkey-assembled Transit Connect vans to the US with temporary rear seats and minor interior tweaks, just enough to classify them as passenger vehicles and qualify for a much lower 2.5% import duty. Once the vans cleared customs, the seats were removed, and the vehicles were sold as cargo vans. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Justice called it a clear attempt to dodge higher tariffs, saying the rear seats were never meant to carry passengers and were simply 'an artifice or disguise.' The case spanned years and involved hundreds of thousands of vans imported between 2009 and 2013. Courts consistently ruled in the government's favour. The Supreme Court refused to hear Ford's appeal in 2020. By March 2024, Ford agreed to pay $365 million, roughly half in back duties, the rest in penalties. The company said it 'strongly disagreed with many of the characterisations' but chose to settle and end the legal battle. It did not admit wrongdoing. The fine is one of the largest customs penalty settlements in recent history. The risky business of skating the line Not all industries can play this game equally. Apparel and footwear can get by with easy tweaks and quick wins, but for aerospace, electronics, and medical devices, it's a completely different ballgame. 'You might be looking at another 12 to 24 months of testing, certification, and validation in order to get that done,' said Andrew Wilson, a supply chain strategist at Supplino, to CNBC. That's time, money, and regulatory headaches. Still, for many companies, the savings are worth it. Izzy Rosenzweig, CEO of logistics firm Portless, told CNBC that one of his clients switched hoodie production from synthetic to cotton to save 15% in duties. That's a serious margin in retail. Winnebago Industries, the RV giant, said earlier this year that it's actively working with trade experts to explore mitigation strategies, tariff engineering and deferrals included. And it's not just the goods themselves. Even small tweaks to product add-ons can lead to big savings. Customs lawyer John Foote described to CNBC a lapel pin that was redesigned to include small pieces of cubic zirconia. That change moved it out of the 'festive article' category (14% tariff) into the 'jewellery' category (lower tariff). A small shift with a big payoff. The game has rules. You just have to learn them. Tariff engineering is not fraud. But it is a tightrope walk. There's a fine line between clever strategy and misclassification. Companies can request a binding ruling from US Customs and Border Protection to confirm whether a classification will hold. But that comes with a risk: once you ask, you can't walk it back. If Customs disagrees, you're stuck. Which is why many firms prefer to stay just under the radar. Quietly adapting. Carefully designing. Relentlessly optimising.
