Business & Economy

New Delhi: Indian Railways has announced a revision in passenger train fares across all classes and categories, with the increased rates coming into effect from December 26, 2025. The hike applies to tickets booked on or after this date. However, the Railways has clarified that passengers who booked reserved tickets in advance will not be required to pay any additional charges. The fare rationalisation has been introduced to balance rising operational costs with passenger convenience. Railway officials cited increasing expenditure on employee salaries, pensions and overall operational expenses as the primary reasons behind the move. No Impact on Already Booked Tickets Addressing a major concern among travellers, the Railways confirmed that tickets booked before the fare hike will ...

New Delhi: The year 2025 will be remembered as a test of patience and resilience for Indian markets. Domestic equities faced sustained pressure from global trade tensions, persistent foreign investor sell-offs, a weakening rupee and geopolitical uncertainty. Yet, despite repeated bouts of volatility, India’s underlying economic fundamentals remained largely stable, offering important lessons for investors and policymakers alike. Markets Navigate a Challenging Year Indian stock markets spent most of the year moving within a narrow range. Sluggish corporate earnings growth in several sectors dampened sentiment, even as global cues remained uncertain. However, confidence gradually improved toward the end of the year. By early December, the Nifty index had recovered most of its losses, t...

New Delhi: Tata Group company Tata Steel has come under legal scrutiny overseas after a lawsuit worth $1.6 billion (approximately ₹13,000 crore) was filed against its Dutch subsidiaries in the Netherlands. The case has been initiated by a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), alleging environmental and health-related damages. In a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges, Tata Steel informed investors that the lawsuit has been filed by Stichting Frisse Wind (SFW) in a district court in the Netherlands. The NGO has sought compensation, claiming that emissions from Tata Steel’s IJmuiden plant have adversely affected the health of residents living in nearby areas. Allegations by the NGO According to the petition, toxic and harmful substances released from the IJmuiden facility h...

New Delhi: While commercial flights have begun at the Navi Mumbai airport from December 25, the much-anticipated Noida International Airport at Jewar, touted as India’s largest airport, is facing further delays due to serious safety and security shortcomings. According to official sources, the Jewar airport has failed to meet more than 25 mandatory security and safety standards, leading to a delay in obtaining critical safety clearance. As a result, passengers may have to wait longer before flights can take off from the greenfield airport located near Delhi. Construction of the Navi Mumbai and Jewar airports began around the same time, but the contrast in progress has now become evident. While the Adani Group’s Navi Mumbai airport has commenced commercial operations, the six-runway J...

New Delhi: In a major step to protect public health, indoor air quality and the environment, the Government of India has introduced a new quality standard for incense sticks (agarbatti), banning the use of several hazardous chemicals commonly found in the product. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified the new standard IS 19412:2025, which was formally released by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi. Under this standard, the use of certain synthetic pesticides and chemical fragrance intermediates—many of which are internationally restricted—has been prohibited in the manufacture of agarbatti. India’s incense stick industry, valued at nearly ₹8,000 crore, touches almost every household in the country. The new regulation aims to c...

New Delhi: The momentum in precious metals continued today as gold and silver hit new all-time highs. On Friday, gold prices surged by ₹1,200, while silver witnessed a massive jump of over ₹10,000, marking record levels for both metals. Domestic RatesOn the MCX, February gold futures climbed by ₹1,200 to reach ₹1,39,290 per 10 grams, compared to the previous close of ₹1,38,097. At 12:00 PM, gold was trading at ₹1,39,277, up ₹1,180 or 0.85% from the previous session. Similarly, March silver futures surged over ₹10,000 in early trade, reaching a new peak of ₹2,33,183 per kilogram. At noon, silver was trading at ₹2,32,873, up ₹9,083 from the last close of ₹2,23,790. Year-to-Date GainsGold has recorded an impressive 72% increase in 2025, while silver has soared 138%, reflecting strong...

New Delhi: As the IPO market breaks records this year, quick commerce giant Zepto is gearing up to enter the stock market next year. The company is expected to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI soon under the confidential filing route, which allows flexibility in adjusting the IPO size later. IPO DetailsAccording to reports, Zepto’s IPO could be worth $1.3 billion (approximately ₹11,680 crore), with around ₹11,000 crore intended to raise fresh capital. The remaining portion will be allocated for early investors looking to sell their shares. The company’s shareholders approved this plan during a special general meeting on 23 December 2025. Financial PerformanceDocuments filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) reveal that Zepto recorded a revenue of ₹9,669 cror...

New Delhi: Despite a declining domestic stock market, railway-related shares witnessed a sharp surge today following a fare hike in passenger trains, expected to generate ₹600 crore in additional revenue for Indian Railways. Market ReactionIn early trading, railway-linked stocks jumped as much as 13%. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) led the rally, with its stock climbing to ₹391.40, marking a 13% gain on the BSE. Other notable performers included: Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC): up 8% to ₹132 Jupiter Wagons: up 4% to ₹358.15 Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC): up 3% to ₹701.60 Investors had been anticipating this fare increase, coupled with expectations of higher budgetary allocations for the railway sector. Details of the Fare HikeThe Mi...

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), the government body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, has imposed a fine of ₹11 lakh on Vision IAS (Ajay Vision Education Pvt. Ltd.) for publishing misleading advertisements on its website. The action comes under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and relates to the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 and 2023. Misleading Claims HighlightedAccording to the CCPA, Vision IAS advertised claims such as: “7 out of Top 10 and 79 out of Top 100 in CSE 2023” “39 out of Top 50 in CSE 2022” The advertisements prominently displayed names, photographs, and ranks of successful candidates. However, investigations revealed that most of these candidates were not enrolled in the Foundation Classroom Course...

New Delhi: India’s electric vehicle (EV) market is witnessing a remarkable surge. Despite subsidies being reduced by half under the PM E-Drive scheme, a total of 11.3 lakh EVs were sold nationwide, signaling that electric mobility is increasingly becoming the preferred choice for consumers. Strong Growth Under PM E-DriveAccording to a report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) Green Finance Centre, the PM E-Drive scheme has boosted EV sales to 3.4 times the annual numbers under the FAME-2 program, even with reduced incentives. This clearly indicates a shift in consumer preference toward electric mobility, marking a significant transformation in India’s automotive sector. EVs Now 7.5% of Total Vehicle SalesWhile only 2,000 electric vehicles were sold in 2014–15, the...