Business
Satcom rollout: Services to start after security clearances and spectrum pricing; telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia gives this update – The Times of India
Satellite communication services in India will be rolled out only after operators meet security requirements and spectrum pricing is finalised, Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, adding that the government is also examining issues related to Vodafone Idea (Vi).In an interview to PTI, Scindia said players such as Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Eutelsat One and Jio Satellite Global Services (SGS) will get spectrum once the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) completes the pricing process and companies comply with security norms.“There are two issues that need to be addressed. One by the licence holders OneWeb, Reliance Jio, and Starlink, which is to comply with security clearances regarding international gateways, ensuring data remains in India, and so on,” Scindia said.He said the government has already allocated provisional spectrum to satcom companies to allow them to demonstrate compliance with security agencies. “They are in the process of doing that, so they need to comply,” he added.On spectrum pricing, Scindia said the matter is being handled by the DoT and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). “Hopefully that should be resolved soon,” he said.Trai and the DoT have differed on several aspects of spectrum allocation for satcom services. Earlier this month, Trai rejected a number of DoT proposals, including levying a 5 per cent annual spectrum fee instead of 4 per cent and removing a Rs 500 per-connection charge in urban areas. The DoT is expected to place its views before the Digital Communication Commission (DCC), the apex decision-making body in the telecom sector, which will decide the future course of action, including whether Cabinet approval is required.On Vodafone Idea, Scindia said the department is still examining the company’s request for relief. “We are today applying our minds on that. It is work in progress within the Department of Telecommunications,” he said.Vodafone Idea has told the DoT that its liabilities to the government stand at around Rs 2 lakh crore, including Rs 1.19 lakh crore in spectrum dues. The company has warned that without support, the Centre could face losses due to non-recovery of dues and erosion of equity value. The Supreme Court has allowed the government to address the matter within its policy-making powers.Asked about concerns over repeated relief to Vi, Scindia said no such relief has been extended so far. “We have not given any relief as such. We have converted our dues into equity. Therefore, we hold a 49 per cent equity stake in Vodafone against dues of close to, if I recall correctly, Rs 37,000 crore. That is now the Government of India’s equity stake in that company,” he said.In the absence of further relief, Vodafone Idea is required to pay around Rs 18,000 crore by March 2026 and a similar amount annually for the next six years. Its annual liabilities are more than double its operational cash generation, which has been about Rs 8,400–9,200 crore over the past three years.Vi has warned that any threat to its operations could push the market into a duopoly and lead to higher telecom tariffs. Scindia, however, said India’s telecom market remains competitive.“If you look at countries across the world, very few can boast of four providers of telecom services. India today has four very robust telcos,” he said, adding that Vodafone Idea and BSNL together still serve over 300 million customers. “We would like to see that continue.”
Business
Without Rera data, real estate reform risks losing credibility: Homebuyers’ body – The Times of India
New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers’ body FPCE on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry’s format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers to assess system credibility, but is equally necessary for both state and central govts to frame effective policies, design incentivisation schemes, and develop tax policy frameworks.“Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air,” said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt’s Central Advisory Council on Rera.As per details shared by the entity, seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa — have never published a single annual report since Rera’s implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice.Upadhyay said when regulators themselves don’t follow the law, they lose the legal right to demand compliance from other stakeholders. “Their failure emboldens builders and weakens the very system they are meant to safeguard,” he said.
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Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Infosys logo is seen.
IT major Infosys rolled out performance bonus payouts averaging around 85 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3FY26), marking the strongest variable pay outcome for eligible employees in at least the past three-and-a-half years, Moneycontrol reported citing people in the know.
The bonus payout for mid- to junior-level employees ranges between 75 percent and 100 percent, with most employees clustering around the organisation-wide average of 85 percent, the report said. The development signals a steady recovery in variable compensation at the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm. Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Employees are expected to receive their bonus letters over the next few days, with the payout scheduled to be credited along with their February salary.
One employee told the outlet that it is the strongest bonus outcome seen in recent years. The payout is also among the rare instances since the Covid-19 period when variable pay has approached the upper end of the eligible range.
Infosys last paid out 100 percent variable compensation during the pandemic. In the quarters that followed, payouts were lower amid macroeconomic uncertainty and a broader slowdown in client spending across global markets.
The higher payout comes at a time when global IT stocks have faced renewed pressure, driven by concerns over rapid advances in artificial intelligence and their potential impact on traditional IT services models.
Shares of global IT firms have seen sharp sell-offs in recent weeks amid heightened investor focus on AI leaders such as Anthropic. Investors fear that generative AI tools could compress pricing, automate routine services work and reduce demand for legacy outsourcing models.
Against that backdrop, the improved bonus payout at Infosys is being viewed as a signal of operational resilience and near-term performance strength, even as sentiment around the broader IT sector remains cautious.
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February 13, 2026, 21:44 IST
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