India

The bankruptcy court has rejected Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking’s application to direct the liquidator of Spark Green Energy (Satara) Ltd to categorise it as a secured financial creditor and also admit its claim of Rs 156 crore, the Economic Times of India reported. The city-based public utility undertaking had approached the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) after the liquidator of Spark Green Energy (Satara) rejected the company’s claim to admit the amount.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has directed initiation of insolvency proceedings against realty firm Spaze Towers, admitting a plea filed by its flat owners, the Economic Times of India reported. A two-member NCLT bench said that the company has defaulted in completing the construction of flats in project 'Spaze Arrow' at Sector 78, Gurugram and giving the possession within the promised timeline of 42 months.

India’s top court struck down a bankruptcy tribunal’s order that allowed Byju’s to settle debts with a key creditor, pushing the online tutor back firmly into the insolvency process, Bloomberg News reported. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal didn’t follow due legal procedure when it allowed a debt settlement between Byju’s and India’s cricket regulator.

Bhaane Group, owned by celebrity Sonam Kapoor and her husband Anand Ahuja, is buying Rhythm House, an iconic music store in India’s financial capital Mumbai for 478.4 million rupees ($5.7 million), Bloomberg News reported. The 3,600-square foot Rhythm House had been shuttered in 2018 after Nirav Modi, the owner of Firestar Diamond International Pvt that ran the music store, defaulted on billions of dollars of bank loans. A resolution professional appointed by the Indian bankruptcy court oversaw the sale of the store confirmed the value of the deal to Bloomberg News in a telephone interview.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal has closed the insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Healthcare after the financial creditors' dues were settled by Max Healthcare, the Economic Times of India reported. The appellate tribunal's direction to close the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) against Jaypee Healthcare Ltd (JHL) came after the financial creditor submitted that they had received the amount of Rs 1,035.29 crore as part of the settlement and no claim had survived.

Three U.S. education-software companies that bankrupt Indian tech-firm Byju’s bought for $820 million just a few years ago will be put up for sale in order to repay lenders, a court-appointed trustee said, Bloomberg News reported. It is unclear how much the units are worth and if all three — Neuron Fuel Inc., Epic! Creations Inc. and Tangible Play Inc. — will attract offers, the trustee, Claudia Springer, said in an interview.

India’s central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das said an interest rate cut at this stage would be “very, very risky” and he’s in no hurry to join the wave of easing by global policymakers, Bloomberg News reported. While inflation is expected to moderate, there are “significant risks” to the outlook, Das told Bloomberg News Deputy Editor-in-Chief Reto Gregori at the India Credit Forum in Mumbai on Friday. Inflation and growth dynamics are well balanced, he said, but policymakers need to remain vigilant about price pressures.

Rhythm House, the iconic music store in South Mumbai’s cultural and heritage precinct Kala Ghoda, has found a new owner. Bhaane Retail, a subsidiary of Shahi Exports, India's largest apparel manufacturer, has emerged as the highest bidder for the property in an insolvency auction with a Rs 30-crore offer, the Economic Times of India reported. A cultural landmark since the 1940s, Rhythm House was a favourite haunt for music lovers and Bollywood icons including Kishore Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Nargis and AR Rahman before closing its doors in 2016 after nearly 70 storied years.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) faces significant operational challenges due to vacant positions, a Times of India report highlighted on October 15. Out of the 63 sanctioned seats, including the president, 19 are vacant. At the end of September, 11 members retired, adding to the existing eight vacancies, the report (by Sidhartha) said. Currently, only 13 out of 30 courts are operational full-day while 12 function for half-day because of the shortage of members.

Aerospace and defense manufacturer Moog has agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle allegations its India subsidiary bribed officials to secure contracts with Indian government officials and to eliminate competitors from the bidding process, the Wall Street Journal reported. Moog, of East Aurora, N.Y., agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1.1 million and to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest of around $600,000. The company, which didn’t admit to or deny the Securities and Exchange Commission charges, also agreed to cease and desist from future such conduct.