Business

Mumbai, February 14:India’s foreign exchange reserves recorded a significant decline during the week ended February 6, 2026, primarily due to a steep fall in the value of the country’s gold reserves, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The RBI reported that India’s total forex reserves dropped by $6.711 billion, bringing the overall reserves down to $717.064 billion. This fall comes after a sharp rise of $14.361 billion in the previous week. India’s forex reserves had earlier touched a record high of $723.774 billion in the week ended January 30, 2026. Gold Reserves Witness Major Decline The sharp reduction in forex reserves was largely driven by a steep fall in the valuation of India’s gold holdings. During the review period, the value of g...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the ET Now Global Business Summit 2026 on Friday, said India is rapidly moving towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, and this growing strength is the main reason why developed countries are now eager to sign Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India. Addressing business leaders and global stakeholders, the Prime Minister explained that such agreements were rare before 2014 because India lacked credibility and stability on the global economic stage. He compared India’s earlier condition to that of a “poor village girl,” suggesting that wealthy nations did not see India as an attractive or reliable partner at that time. “Why Would Anyone Trust India Then?” PM Modi strongly criticized the governance environment during the UPA era,...

Gold and silver prices witnessed a steep fall in the national capital’s bullion market on Friday, reflecting weak demand and cautious sentiment among investors. Silver recorded a major decline of 5.03%, plunging by ₹13,500 per kilogram, while gold also weakened significantly. According to the All India Sarafa Association, silver prices dropped to ₹2,55,000 per kg (inclusive of all taxes), compared to ₹2,68,500 per kg in the previous session. The sharp fall has surprised market participants, marking one of the biggest single-day declines in recent times. Gold prices also slipped notably. The rate of 99.9% pure gold fell by ₹2,400, closing at ₹1,58,500 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes). In the previous trading session, gold had closed at ₹1,60,900 per 10 grams. Why Did Prices Fa...

Presented by: Paisawala Guru(Investment consulting services under LVIZ Law Advisory Pvt Ltd) Many investors rush toward IPOs expecting quick gains after listing. However, seasoned investors understand that the real opportunity often lies before listing — through investment in Non-Listed Private Limited Companies. In India, companies operate under the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and are registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). This ensures a structured and legally recognized corporate framework that provides investors with transparency and confidence. 🌱 Advantage of Early-Stage Investment When a company is in its early growth phase, it requires capital for expansion. Investors who participate at this stage may benefit from: The opportunity to acq...

New Delhi, February 13:The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a new rule requiring passengers to provide their mobile number and email ID at the time of booking flight tickets. The directive applies whether the booking is done directly by the passenger or through a travel agent, online portal, or any third-party service. Airline or agent contact numbers cannot be substituted. Reason Behind the Rule The decision comes after the December 2025 IndiGo flight cancellations, where approximately 4,500 flights were grounded, affecting nearly 9.82 lakh passengers. Poor communication during the cancellations led to passengers arriving at airports unaware that their flights had been canceled. Many were also delayed in receiving refunds and compensations because airlines did...

New Delhi, February 13:With the implementation of the new labour codes, workers across India are hopeful of salary increases. However, industry experts suggest that while wage revisions may occur, the impact will likely be modest for most sectors. Specialized industries such as IT may see a slightly different trend. Impact on Salary Structures Since the new labour codes came into effect in November 2025, companies have seen a rise in costs associated with gratuity, overtime, bonuses, and leave encashment. This is because these benefits are now calculated based on the new definitions of salary. Some companies, especially in the IT sector with large employee bases, reported lower profits in the last quarter due to one-time expenses and provisions arising from the new rules. Salary H...

New Delhi, February 13:After steep losses on Thursday, gold and silver prices surged on Friday, bringing relief to investors. In early MCX trading, silver jumped over ₹6,000 per kilogram, while gold rose by more than ₹2,000 per 10 grams. MCX Rates Silver (May 5 delivery): Closed at ₹2,36,435 per kg on Thursday, opened at ₹2,39,626, and surged to ₹2,42,866 in early trade. By 9:50 AM, it was trading at ₹2,42,200, up ₹5,765. Gold (April 2 delivery): Closed at ₹1,52,836 per 10 grams, opened at ₹1,53,750, and reached ₹1,54,837 at its peak. By 10 AM, it was trading at ₹1,54,725, a 1.24% increase. International Markets Global markets mirrored this recovery: Spot gold rose 1% to $4,966.83 per ounce after dropping over 3% in the previous session. Spot silver gained 2.1% to $...

New Delhi, February 13:The Indian stock market witnessed sharp losses for the second consecutive day as selling pressure in IT stocks sent benchmarks tumbling. The BSE Sensex opened over 650 points lower, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped nearly 200 points in early trade. By 9:35 AM, Sensex had plunged 815.28 points (0.97%) to 82,859.64, and Nifty 50 fell 257.85 points (1%) to 25,549.35. This decline erased approximately ₹4.62 lakh crore from investors’ net worth, pushing BSE’s total market capitalization down to ₹467 lakh crore. IT Stocks Bear the Brunt The Nifty IT Index has fallen nearly 10% over two days, reflecting heavy selling. Among Sensex’s 30 stocks, 26 declined. Infosys dropped over 5% to ₹1,281.55, marking its 52-week low. TCS and HCL Tech shares fell over 4%, also hi...

New Delhi, February 13:Good news for India’s farmers: the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is preparing significant reforms in the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme. A draft of the new guidelines has been released, and stakeholders—including regulated institutions and the public—can submit suggestions until March 6, 2026. The changes aim to expand the scheme’s reach, simplify operations, and address evolving agricultural needs. Key Proposed Changes Extended Validity: The KCC’s validity may be increased to six years, aligning the loan tenure with crop cycles. Short-duration crops will follow a 12-month cycle, while long-duration crops will follow an 18-month cycle. Standardized Loan Repayment: The draft proposes uniformity in loan approval and repayment schedules across crop seasons. C...

New Delhi, February 13:The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued stringent draft guidelines to tackle mis-selling by banks and financial institutions, ensuring that customers are fully protected from unfair practices. Under the proposed rules, financial institutions must refund 100% of the amount paid by a customer if a product or scheme was sold inappropriately. What Constitutes Mis-Selling According to the RBI draft: Selling a product that does not match the customer’s profile, even if the customer agrees. Providing incomplete, misleading, or false information about a product. Selling a product without the customer’s explicit consent. Forcing customers to purchase additional products alongside their desired product. These practices are considered mis-selling, and ...