Business

New Delhi: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is planning a major overhaul in the way it invests members’ funds, aiming to reduce market-related risks. Instead of allocating money across five separate schemes, EPFO will now pool funds into a single shared fund and invest collectively. Additionally, large investments will be made annually rather than monthly, shielding members’ money from short-term market fluctuations. According to The Economic Times, the final approval for these changes could come in the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) meeting scheduled for March 2. However, announcements regarding interest rates for the financial year 2025-26 are not expected during this session. Since 2015, EPFO has allocated 5–15% of new earnings into exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ...

New Delhi: Vineeta Singh, former judge on Shark Tank India, is the co-founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, a premium beauty brand that has captured the hearts of Indian women. Despite being offered a lucrative ₹1 crore job at the age of 23, Vineeta chose the uncertain path of entrepreneurship—and today, her company is valued at ₹4,000 crore. Born in 1983 in Anand, Gujarat, Vineeta grew up in a highly educated household. Her mother held a PhD, while her father was a biophysicist at AIIMS. Excelling academically from an early age, she completed her schooling at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, followed by a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. At just 23, she received an offer from an investment bank with a salary of ₹1 crore—but Vineeta decide...

New Delhi: On Tuesday, the gold and silver markets witnessed mixed movements in the first three hours of trading. While gold prices slipped, silver edged higher, showing divergent trends in precious metals. Intraday Price MovementsOn the MCX, April delivery gold fell by ₹748 per 10 grams, trading at ₹1,60,850. In contrast, silver rose sharply, gaining ₹1,067 per kg to reach ₹2,66,400. During the midday session, gold dipped further to ₹1,60,295, while silver momentarily fell to ₹2,62,908 before rallying to ₹2,68,130, up roughly ₹2,800 from earlier levels. Reasons Behind the Price FluctuationsExperts attribute the volatility to a strengthening U.S. dollar and uncertainty over U.S. tariffs. Heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran also contributed to fluctuating prices in the d...

New Delhi: Gurugram is fast emerging as a hub for ultra-luxury residential properties, and the latest high-profile buyer is Ajit Jain, the Vice Chairman of Insurance Operations at Berkshire Hathaway and one of Warren Buffett’s most trusted executives. Jain, a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, has purchased a ₹85 crore (approx. $10 million) flat in the prestigious DLF The Camellias development. The sprawling apartment spans 7,400 sq. ft. and was finalized during Jain’s recent visit to Delhi. NRIs Drive Ultra-Luxury DemandAccording to The Economic Times, NRIs contribute over 25% of sales in DLF’s ultra-luxury segment, and Ajit Jain is among the most prominent of these buyers. Such projects are particularly attractive to wealthy NRIs who spend a few months in India...

New Delhi: Indian and international airlines are increasingly investing in premium cabins as the number of passengers opting for business and first-class travel continues to rise. Companies including Air India, Emirates, and Lufthansa are upgrading interiors, enhancing in-flight services, and expanding business-class seating, with multi-billion-dollar investments aimed at capturing the high-paying traveler segment. Rising Demand for Premium TravelIn recent years, air travel in India has surged, along with the expansion of domestic and international routes. A notable trend has emerged: Indian travelers on overseas flights are increasingly choosing business and first-class over economy. International carriers servicing India are responding by increasing premium seat availability. Accor...

New Delhi: Indian equity markets experienced a sharp downturn on Tuesday, with both BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 plunging significantly. By 12:30 PM, the Sensex had fallen over 1,000 points to 82,274.88, while the Nifty 50 dropped 284.65 points to 25,428.35. The initial hour of trading alone saw nearly ₹2.94 lakh crore wiped off investors’ wealth, reducing the BSE’s total market capitalization to around ₹466 lakh crore. Top 5 Reasons Behind the Fall Heavy Selling in IT StocksMajor IT companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, and HCL Technologies faced intense selling pressure. The trigger was Anthropic’s announcement that its Claude Code tool could help modernize legacy COBOL systems—an older programming language still used in critical infrastructure—raising concern...

Mumbai: Today marks the final day for bidding in the IPO of Delhi-based Gaudium IVF & Women Health, a company dedicated to fertility treatments for childless couples. The ₹165 crore IPO has already attracted over 300% subscription, but the grey market premium (GMP) has declined to 6.33%, prompting questions among investors about whether to subscribe. IPO Price Band and Listing DetailsThe IPO offers equity shares with a face value of ₹5 at a price band of ₹75-79 per share, with one lot consisting of 189 shares. At the upper band of ₹79, the company’s pre-IPO market capitalization stands at ₹575 crore. If all goes as planned, the shares are expected to list on BSE and NSE on 27 February 2026. Grey Market TrendsOn Friday morning, the GMP stood at 0.76%, translating to a premium of ₹...

New Delhi: Indian-American lawyer Neal Katyal is once again in the spotlight for challenging former U.S. President Donald Trump, this time over tariff refunds for businesses affected by Trump’s trade measures. Supreme Court Victory Sparks Questions on RefundsLast Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs in a historic 6-3 ruling. The court stated that the Trump administration had overstepped its authority, emphasizing that the power to impose taxes lies primarily with Congress. While the ruling delivered a major setback to Trump’s global trade strategy, it also raised questions about compensation for importers and businesses who suffered financial losses due to the tariffs. Task Force for RefundsTo address this, Katyal has now formed a new legal task force to help bu...

New Delhi: Owners of small cars may soon feel the pinch as auto manufacturers prepare for potential price hikes of up to 10%. The increase is linked to the government’s consideration of the new CAFE-3 draft, aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing vehicle emissions. Impact on Small Car MakersThe new draft, currently under review by multiple ministries, is the third version of CAFE-3 in the past two years. Experts warn that if carmakers reduce production of small cars due to stricter regulations, it could affect consumers planning to upgrade from two-wheelers to cars. Automakers will either have to incorporate expensive fuel-saving technologies to meet the new standards or face heavy penalties, which will inevitably raise the cost of small cars. What is CAFE-3?CAFE, or Corp...

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday issued a stern warning to banks, urging them to stop misleading customers into buying insurance and other financial products. She emphasized that banks should concentrate on their core operations—mobilizing deposits and lending—rather than acting as insurance agents. Mis-Selling ConcernsSitharaman highlighted a persistent issue where banks often push insurance products on customers who already have coverage. “Customers ask why they are being sold insurance when they are already pledging their property for a home loan,” she said. She added that regulatory gaps had contributed to the problem, with RBI assuming insurance matters fell under IRDAI, and vice versa. The finance minister welcomed the RBI’s recent guidelines on mis-sell...