Top headlines: India may get 1st vaccine by Feb, FMCGs expand rural reach

India is likely to issue an emergency use authorisation to at least one Covid vaccine by the end of January and health workers will be the first to be inoculated. More headlines in our evening roundup

If all goes well, India may get first Covid-19 vaccine by February
 

If all goes well, India may get its first vaccine for Covid-19 around February 2021. The country’s drug regulator is likely to issue an emergency use authorisation (EUA) to at least one vaccine candidate by the end of January, sources said. Vaccine, however, will first be given to those on the priority list, that is, frontline health workers and the vulnerable population. Read more...

Tariff hike to depend on largest telco: Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal has said that tariff increases will “depend on the biggest player”. Currently, Reliance Jio, with over 400 million mobile subscribers, is the largest telco in the country, having beaten the long-time market leader Airtel. Mittal, in an interview with Business Standard, also said that India will be an important player in cutting-edge 5G technology but wants pricing to be investor-friendly. Read more...

India's manufacturing poised to witness recovery in Jul-Sep: Survey
 

India's manufacturing sector is poised to witness recovery in the July-September quarter, even as hiring outlook for the segment remains bleak, according to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry. Read more...

India Inc expands direct reach, adds small packs to tap robust rural market

Nestlé, Dabur, and Britannia have one thing in common: aggressive expansion into rural areas. The companies have been adding newer villages into their rural distribution network in the past few months. And these fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) majors plan to continue with this in the months ahead. Read more...

Govt kickstarts Budget-making exercise; health outlay may get 50% boost

Heath and infrastructure sectors are set to be in focus for the Budget for 2021-22 as India kickstarts the exercise under unusual circumstances and stressed revenue position.The outlay for health, including vaccine expense, is expected to be at least 50 per cent higher than FY20-21’s allocation of Rs 67,111 crore. Read more...
 

Tata, Birla, Bajaj, and Piramal Group may lead race for bank licence
 

Top Indian conglomerates led by Tata, Birla, Piramal, and Bajaj will seek a banking licence provided the norms for conversion of non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) are made easier and comprehensive regulation does not apply to rest of the group firms, sources said. Read more...