Business & Economy

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated India’s ambitious goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing that this vision is no longer just a government objective but has become a collective aspiration of the entire country. Speaking at a meeting with leading economists and experts at NITI Aayog, the Prime Minister highlighted the urgent need to enhance institutional capacity and accelerate infrastructure planning to sustain long-term growth across all sectors. The meeting, titled “Self-Reliance and Structural Reforms: Agenda for a Developed India”, focused on the key pillars necessary to achieve India’s development goals by 2047. Collective Aspiration and Growing Expectations:PM Modi pointed out that the dream of a developed India has moved beyond policy fra...

New Delhi: Taste made with love knows no boundaries. This is precisely what 23-year-old Tilak Pandit from Guwahati proved. Launching a business from his home kitchen, Tilak turned the traditional Bihari snack, Thekua, into a thriving venture, earning lakhs of rupees annually. The Journey Begins:Hailing from Bihar, Tilak grew up watching his family prepare Thekua, a sweet snack made from wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee, traditionally deep-fried to a golden perfection during Chhath Puja. Recognizing that authentic Thekua is hard to find outside Bihar, he asked himself a simple question: “Can I bring the taste of Bihar to every home?” In 2023, while still completing his B.Com degree, Tilak started Desi Tesi, selling homemade Thekua directly from his kitchen. With no business degree or ex...

New Delhi: In a decisive move aimed at curbing cheap steel imports, India has imposed a three-year tariff on select steel products, directly targeting China. The step is intended to counteract China's dumping practices and protect domestic steel producers from unfair competition. Under the new regulation, India has levied import duties of 11–12% on certain steel products. The duty will be 12% in the first year, decreasing to 11.5% in the second year, and further reducing to 11% in the third year. The move is expected to limit the surge in shipments from China and safeguard the local steel industry. Exemptions for Developing Nations:While China, Vietnam, and Nepal are subject to this levy, some developing countries have been granted exemptions. The tariffs do not apply to special stee...

Indian equity markets ended the trading session on a muted note on Tuesday. The Sensex slipped by 20.46 points to close at 84,675.08, while the Nifty edged lower by 3.25 points to finish at 25,938.85. Banking stocks provided some support to the markets, with the Nifty Bank index gaining 0.41% to close at 59,171.25. Auto, PSU banks, and metal stocks also witnessed buying interest. In contrast, IT, pharma, FMCG, realty, media, and energy sectors ended in the red. Midcap and Smallcap Performance:Midcap and smallcap segments saw marginal declines. The Nifty Midcap 100 index fell 0.15% (87.05 points) to 59,914.25, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index lost 0.28% (48.75 points) to close at 17,518.95. Sector Movers:Among Sensex constituents, Tata Steel, M&M, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Bhart...

A major shake-up has occurred in India’s soap market. Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting (WCCL) has claimed that its flagship soap brand Santoor has now overtaken Hindustan Unilever’s Lifebuoy to become the country’s number one soap. Record-Breaking Revenue According to WCCL, Santoor generated ₹2,850 crore in revenue in 2025, surpassing Lifebuoy, while Lux holds the third position. Although companies are not required to disclose individual brand revenues, WCCL has expressed strong confidence in its lead. Market Share Data An AC Nielsen report for January to November indicates that Santoor held an 8.7% market share, while Lifebuoy had 12.1% and Lux 12.2%. Despite these figures, WCCL CEO Vineet Agrawal highlighted that these numbers may underrepresent Santoor’s performance in rur...

Traveling internationally often involves connecting flights, especially when direct options are unavailable. But what happens if you miss your connecting flight? Here’s a guide to managing this stressful situation. If All Flights Are on the Same Ticket (PNR) If your journey is booked on a single PNR, the airline is usually responsible if you miss your connecting flight, even when multiple airlines are involved. For instance, if your first flight is delayed and you cannot make the next flight, the airline must rebook you on the next available flight to your destination. Generally, no extra payment is required. What to do: Immediately head to the airline’s transfer or help desk at the airport. The staff will review your booking and guide you on the next steps. Depending on the delay...

New Delhi: After a decline on Monday in international markets, gold and silver prices bounced back sharply on Tuesday, with silver witnessing a significant jump of around ₹12,000 and gold rising over ₹1,400. Gold Prices:On MCX, gold for 5 February delivery had closed at ₹1,34,942 per 10 grams in the previous session. Today, it opened at ₹1,36,000, hitting an intra-day high of ₹1,36,403 and a low of ₹1,35,292. As of 12:20 PM, gold was trading at ₹1,35,992, up ₹1,050. Silver Prices:Silver showed an even stronger rally. 5 March delivery silver had closed at ₹2,24,429 per kilogram yesterday and opened today at ₹2,31,100. Early trading saw silver surge to ₹2,36,991. As of 12:20 PM, it was trading at ₹2,36,551, up ₹12,122 or 5.4%. Previously, silver had crossed the ₹2.54 lakh per kg mark b...

New Delhi: As the new year approaches, 2026 brings several important changes affecting your wallet directly. These include updates in banking, savings schemes, taxes, LPG prices, the 8th Pay Commission, and vehicle rates. Here’s a detailed look at what’s coming into effect from 1 January 2026. Small Savings SchemesThe government reviews interest rates on small savings schemes such as PPF, Sukanya Samriddhi, and NSC every quarter. Following a 0.25% cut in the RBI repo rate, bond yields have dropped, raising the possibility of a reduction in interest rates on small savings schemes starting the new quarter. The previous quarter saw no change in rates. ITR Penalty RulesThe last date to file revised and belated Income Tax Returns (ITR) for FY 2024-25 is 31 December 2025. Missing this dead...

New Delhi: In a major step to curb ticket touts and ensure genuine passengers get priority, Indian Railways has revised the rules for online train ticket bookings on the IRCTC website. These changes are being implemented in phases, with the first phase taking effect on 29 December 2025. Further modifications will follow in the coming weeks. Priority Booking Window for Aadhaar-Verified UsersFrom 29 December, only passengers with Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts can book train tickets between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM—a four-hour window—on the first day of the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). Passengers whose accounts are not linked with Aadhaar will be able to book tickets after 12:00 PM. The ARP opens 60 days prior to the journey date. Phase Two: Extended HoursStarting 5 January 2026, the p...

New Delhi: The Indian government is considering changes to the way LPG subsidies are calculated. This comes after state-owned oil companies signed annual contracts last month to import LPG from U.S. exporters. Until now, subsidy calculations were based on the Saudi Contract Price (CP), a standard benchmark for LPG imported from West Asia. However, officials now want the formula to include the U.S. benchmark price along with the significantly higher shipping costs from across the Atlantic. Why the Change?According to reports, importing LPG from the U.S. is cost-effective for India only if the price discount over Saudi CP is sufficient to cover the shipping expenses. Shipping from the U.S. costs nearly four times more than shipping from Saudi Arabia. Last month, Indian Oil Corporation, Bh...