Business & Economy

Investors in cryptocurrency will now face stricter verification requirements, as India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) tightens regulations on crypto platforms. The move is aimed at preventing money laundering, illegal transactions, and financing of terrorism, under the country’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) framework. New Guidelines for Crypto Platforms On January 8, the FIU issued updated directives, classifying crypto exchanges as Virtual Digital Asset (VDA) service providers. This means that platforms can no longer rely solely on document uploads. They must now perform live verification of customer identities and locations before allowing transactions. All reporting entities (REs) are required to adopt robust Client Due Diligence (CDD) procedure...

Iran has been facing widespread protests over the past few weeks, with reports suggesting that over 500 demonstrators have been killed during government crackdowns. At the same time, the country is under the looming threat of U.S. military action, raising serious concerns about its fragile economy. Currency Collapse and Inflation Iran’s primary source of revenue is crude oil, yet Western sanctions have severely restricted its ability to sell abroad. The Iranian rial has plummeted dramatically; while one Indian rupee equals around 11,000 rials, the U.S. dollar is now valued at 1.4 million rials. In comparison, during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, $1 was worth roughly 70 rials, marking a staggering 20,000-fold depreciation of the currency over the decades. Protests have been fueled b...

The Indian stock market continued its downward slide on Monday, extending last week’s losing streak. During early trading, the BSE Sensex dropped over 700 points, while the NSE Nifty 50 fell below 25,550. Heavy losses were seen in major stocks including Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank. By 12:00 PM, the Sensex was trading at 82,953.36, down 622.88 points (0.75%), and the Nifty stood at 25,513.50, down 169.80 points (0.88%). Last week, the Sensex fell nearly 2,200 points, while the Nifty declined 2.5%. Major Movers Shares of Larsen & Toubro, Power Grid, Reliance Industries, Adani Ports, Etronics, BEL, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, Ultratech Cement, ICICI Bank, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, and IndiGo witnessed the sharpest declines. On the upside, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, and Axis ...

The Indian stock market continued its downward slide on Monday, with both BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 opening lower. Over the past six trading sessions, investors have seen a staggering ₹17 lakh crore wiped out from the markets amid domestic and global uncertainties. On Monday morning, the Sensex fell over 500 points, touching an intraday low of 83,043, while the Nifty 50 slipped more than 140 points below the 25,550 mark. The Sensex had peaked at 85,762.01 on January 2, 2026, meaning it has dropped more than 2,718 points since then. Over the same period, the Nifty declined by approximately 3%, settling at 25,529.05. Analysts said this downturn followed the worst week for the market in three months, with investor sentiment further shaken by the lack of clarity from the U.S. Supreme Cour...

Shares of Tejas Networks, a Tata Group-owned telecom equipment company, fell sharply today, hitting a 52-week low amid disappointing quarterly results. On the BSE, the stock dropped over 12%, opening at ₹395.70 and trading at ₹369.30 by 11:25 AM. The previous session had closed at ₹416.70. The company reported a massive revenue decline in the October–December 2025 quarter, posting ₹307 crore, down 88% from ₹2,642 crore in Q4 FY24. This revenue shortfall contributed to a loss of ₹196.55 crore, marking the second consecutive quarterly loss for the company. In comparison, Tejas Networks had earned a profit of ₹165.67 crore in the same quarter last year. Reasons Behind the Sharp DeclineThe steep fall in revenue is partly attributed to delayed purchase orders from BSNL, one of its key cli...

The sale of medications for respiratory illnesses in India reached record levels in December 2025, signaling the growing impact of air pollution on public health. According to a report by Pharmarack, sales of drugs for conditions like allergies and asthma crossed ₹1,950 crore in December—the highest monthly figure ever recorded. This represents a 10% increase over December 2024 and an 18% rise compared to December 2023, highlighting the growing prevalence of respiratory ailments in urban India. The overall pharmaceutical market in India is valued at ₹2.4 lakh crore annually. Quarterly Trends Show Rising Pollution ImpactBetween October and December, traditionally the peak pollution period, sales of respiratory medications surged by 14% over the same quarter in 2024 and 8% over 2023, t...

Gold and silver continued their upward momentum on Monday, with both metals hitting record highs early in the day amid rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Silver Hits All-Time HighOn the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), March silver futures surged to ₹2,63,996 per kilogram, marking an increase of ₹10,314 (over 4%)—an all-time high for the precious metal. Gold Prices Also RallyGold saw strong gains as well. February gold futures rose to ₹1,41,250 per 10 grams, up from the opening price of ₹1,39,600, reflecting a ₹1,650 (1.4%) increase. The surge is attributed to heightened demand for safe-haven assets amid geopolitical risks, economic instability, unrest in Iran, and growing global trade tensions. International Markets Also Reach Record LevelsGlobally, gold surpas...

Gold is often considered the most valuable metal in the world. However, there is a metal far rarer and more expensive than gold: Californium. In fact, one gram of Californium is worth enough to buy 200 kilograms of gold. What is Californium?Californium is an artificial, radioactive chemical element created in laboratories. It does not occur naturally, which makes it extremely rare and expensive. The element was first synthesized in 1950 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, after which it was named Californium (symbol: Cf). Why is it so expensive?The extraordinarily high price of Californium is due to: Its artificial production, which involves complex processes in nuclear reactors. Its extreme rarity and limited global supply. The technical challenges an...

India’s industrial giants Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani have announced massive investments in Gujarat over the next few years, focusing on energy, manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure. The announcements were made at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for Saurashtra-Kutch held in Gandhinagar on Sunday, underlining Gujarat’s emergence as a major hub for green energy and industrial development. Ambani’s ₹7 Lakh Crore InvestmentReliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani revealed that his company plans to invest ₹7 lakh crore in Gujarat over the next five years, doubling the investment made in the past five years. Ambani emphasized that this investment will create large-scale employment opportunities. Among the five key announcements made by Ambani: World’s Largest Inte...

Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company, has temporarily halted its plan to manufacture lithium-ion battery cells in India, according to a Bloomberg report. The pause comes after the company was unable to secure crucial technology from China. Tech Partnership Falls ThroughReliance had planned to begin battery cell production this year in partnership with Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology Co., China, under a licensing agreement. However, negotiations broke down after the Chinese company withdrew from the deal. While Reliance has already imported machinery for battery energy storage container assembly and cell production, the absence of Chinese technology has stalled the actual manufacturing of cells. China has recently imposed restrictions on exporting key clean ener...