Bloomberg When Bharat Gite reopened his aluminum parts factories in India’s western city of Pune, he spent days servicing idle machines, sanitising his premises and putting in place social distancing norms for staff. As India begins gradually easing stay-at-home restrictions across the country, Gite’s experience shows how reopening economy isn’t going to be a straightforward exercise. On top of the ...

MADRID / WAM Covid-19 has placed the whole world on lockdown, with new research from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) showing that 100 percent of global destinations continue to have restrictions on travel in place, and 72 percent have completely closed their borders to international tourism. From the start of the crisis, the United Nations specialised agency for ...

Bloomberg The great oil glut of 2020 may have already peaked in the world’s biggest crude importer. Crude inventories in China have shrunk in recent weeks after rising to record levels, according to analysts and satellite observations. Supplies have been drawn out of storage as refineries ramp up operations to meet rising demand from an economy emerging from lockdown. Inventories ...

Bloomberg An indicator of China’s coal demand surged almost one-third above last year as hotter-than-usual weather and factories rushing to make up for lost orders boosted power demand. Coal use by coastal power plants at five major utilities rose for an eighth straight day to 577,100 tons as of Monday, more than 30% higher than the same period last year ...

Bloomberg India’s Jindal Power Ltd is counting on favourable government policies and new investors to complete the country’s largest hydropower project, as a generation glut makes the estimated $3.3 billion facility a risky bet for the company to handle, Chief Executive Officer Bharat Rohra said. New Delhi-based Jindal Power, a unit of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, will consider reaching ...

Bloomberg Vedanta Ltd’s plans to sell a minority stake in its Indian oil unit have stalled after a collapse in crude prices, according to people familiar with the matter. The Mumbai-listed company, backed by tycoon Anil Agarwal, was seeking to raise more than $1 billion by selling at least 20% of its Cairn Oil & Gas business, the people said. ...

Bloomberg Indonesia is finalising a $1 billion financial bailout plan for its flag carrier to help it stave off a debt default after the coronavirus crisis forced the airline to ground most of its planes. The rescue plan includes a proposal to restructure PT Garuda Indonesia’s $500 million sukuk due next month and arrange new bridge loans of as much ...

Bloomberg Avianca Holdings SA, one of the biggest carriers in Latin America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after travel bans across the region forced the Colombian airline to ground its fleet. Avianca, which counts United Airlines Holdings Inc and Kingsland Holdings as stakeholders, filed for protection from its creditors in the Southern District of New York, according to court papers. ...

Bloomberg Stage Stores Inc, the owner of rural department and discount stores including Goody’s, Peebles and Gordmans, filed for bankruptcy protection, adding to the toll of traditional retailers felled by too much debt and the economic shocks of the coronavirus. The retailer will simultaneously seek buyers for parts or all of its business while it also begins to wind down ...

Bloomberg Customers demanding cash refunds for flights axed because of the coronavirus are putting the squeeze on India’s travel agents, who are only receiving virtual money from airlines solely to be used for future bookings. Indian authorities have told airlines to repay passengers in cash for tickets booked during the nationwide lockdown, but there’s no such obligation when it comes ...