Top headlines: India halts some int'l flights till Jan 31; gas prices surge

Scheduled international flights will remain suspended till January 31 next year. More on that story in our top headlines.

Telcos and satellite communication players are eyeing for a share of the Rs 58,764 crore war chest available through the Universal Service Obligation fund. More on that story in our morning headlines.

Keep hands off USO fund, it's our money: Telecom firms to satellite players 

Telcos and satellite communication players are eyeing for a share of the Rs 58,764 crore war chest available through the Universal Service Obligation (USO) fund. In a speech on Wednesday, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, urged the government for the first time to use the USO fund to subsidise smart phones for select target groups.  Read more

Surging prices threaten to scupper India's coming-of-age gas party 

Around 15 years ago, when Reliance Industries (RIL) struck natural gas in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin off the east coast, the government made plans to supply that fuel cheaply to scores of generators that sprang up in India triggered by the discovery.  Read more

419 million shares of RIL rights issue to commence trading on Friday 

Nearly 419 million shares of Reliance Industries (RIL), India’s most valuable company, will commence trading on Friday. These shares—issued as part of the Rs 53,124-crore rights issue programme last year—have got converted into fully-paid up equity shares after the payment of the final call option last month. Read more

Star Health: First major IPO after Paytm's debut to test India's markets 

Shares of Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. will list in Mumbai Friday, the first test since Paytm’s debut last month to gauge investor enthusiasm for richly valued stocks that offer poor prospects for near-term profitability.  Read more

Normal international flights suspended till Jan 31 over Omicron scare 

Scheduled international flights will remain suspended till January 31 next year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a circular on Thursday.  Read more