Business

New Delhi: The stock market experienced a sharp decline on Friday, with the Sensex falling over 600 points during early trading. The Nifty 50 also saw a significant drop, and within the first 15 minutes, investors lost nearly ₹4 lakh crore. While many stocks traded in the red, a few delivered substantial gains and hit the upper circuit—most notably Paras Petrofils Ltd, a penny stock. Paras Petrofils Hits Upper CircuitParas Petrofils’ stock surged to ₹2.70, hitting the 20% upper circuit mark. This means a share trading below ₹3 delivered impressive returns even as the broader market fell. The stock has been trending upward in recent sessions, though it has historically not been a strong long-term performer. One-Month GainsIn just one month, the stock has given investors over 50% retur...

New Delhi: Since India gained independence in 1947, presenting the annual budget has been a key tradition. This year, the budget will be presented on 1st February, which falls on a Sunday. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will unveil it in Parliament at 11 AM. Over the years, certain budgets have stood out for their transformative impact on India’s economy. Let’s take a look at some of these historic budgets. Budget 1947India’s first budget after independence was presented by Finance Minister R.K. Shanmukham Chetty on 26th November 1947, covering the period from 15th August 1947 to 31st March 1948. At that time, India faced the huge challenge of rehabilitating refugees from East and West Pakistan. Despite limited resources, the budget provided measures to address this urgent is...

New Delhi: Next month, several days have been designated as bank holidays across India. If you plan to visit a bank in February, it is advisable to check the holiday schedule in your state in advance. Bank Holidays in February 2026February, being the shortest month of the year, has comparatively fewer holidays. Bank holidays are determined by individual states and are often linked to specific festivals or regional events. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases a monthly list of bank holidays state-wise. Key Bank Holidays in February 2026 February 15: Maha Shivratri coincides with a Sunday this year. Banks will remain closed in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and other states. February 18: In Sikkim, banks will be closed on acc...

New Delhi: The cryptocurrency market witnessed significant volatility on Friday, as a sharp crash shook global investors. Over the past 24 hours, the crypto market capitalization fell by more than 5%, resulting in massive losses for investors. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several other major cryptocurrencies dropped over 6%, wiping out approximately ₹16 lakh crore (₹16,000,000,000,000) from investors’ portfolios. At around 10:30 AM, the total crypto market capitalization stood at $2.82 trillion, reflecting a 5.42% decline. The impact was visible across major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin fell nearly 6%, trading at $82,835, marking a decline of over 7% in the past week. Ethereum slipped over 6% in 24 hours, trading around $2,740. Other major coins like Binance Coin, Ripple, and Solana al...

New Delhi: With prices skyrocketing across the board, everyone—from salaried employees to self-employed individuals—is feeling the pinch of inflation. Household essentials have become costly, rent has surged, and even commuting expenses, such as auto or tempo fares, have risen significantly. Yet, most people’s incomes have not kept pace. So, what can one do? The Common Approach: Tightening the BeltIt is often observed that when salaries fail to keep up with inflation, people start cutting down on expenses. Aside from staples like rice and lentils, discretionary spending is reduced. Daily milk consumption may drop from two liters to one, and use of items like cooking oil or soap is minimized. But This Strategy Doesn’t WorkAccording to Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik, simply cutting...

New Delhi | 30 Jan 2026 More than 350 leading brands from 10 countries are set to participate in LogiMAT India 2026, a premier intralogistics and supply chain exhibition, scheduled to be held in Mumbai next month. Aligned with the Government of India’s Viksit Bharat vision, LogiMAT India serves as a strategic platform to promote collaboration and long-term growth in the logistics and supply chain sector, officials said. The third edition of LogiMAT India 2026 will be organized by Messe Stuttgart India, a subsidiary of Germany’s Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG, and is recognized as the country’s largest exhibition in the intralogistics and supply chain domain.

New Delhi: The Indian stock market faced a sharp sell-off on Friday morning, with both the Sensex and Nifty plunging significantly, wiping out investor wealth worth approximately ₹4 lakh crore in just 15 minutes. The BSE Sensex fell by nearly 625 points (0.75%), hitting an intraday low of 81,941.03, while the Nifty 50 dropped 194 points (0.75%) to 25,224.35, retreating well below the 25,300 level. As a result, the total market capitalization of BSE-listed companies declined to ₹455.73 lakh crore. Five Key Reasons Behind the Market Drop Budget-Related Concerns:With the Union Budget 2026 scheduled for Sunday, investors remained cautious. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present her ninth budget, and markets are waiting to gauge its impact on India’s economic growt...

New Delhi: Gold and silver prices experienced a significant drop on Friday morning, with early trade on MCX showing sharp declines. March delivery silver fell by over ₹17,000 per kilogram, bringing the price down to around ₹3.82 lakh per kg. Gold also softened by nearly ₹3,000, trading at approximately ₹1.66 lakh per 10 grams. Both precious metals were in the red zone during early trading as investors booked profits following a strong rally this week. Earlier, prices had reached record highs, prompting partial profit-taking. By around 10:00 AM, silver recovered slightly to ₹3,88,000 per kg, still down ₹11,893, while gold traded at ₹1,67,298 per 10 grams, down ₹2,105. International Market Trends Globally, gold prices also eased on Friday, pressured by a strong US dollar. However, g...

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2026 on February 1, marking a record ninth time in her career. The budget will be tabled in Parliament at 11:00 AM and is expected to address issues concerning both salaried individuals and industry players. Citizens will be able to access the budget details in Hindi and English through the official Union Budget Mobile App. For the common man, a key expectation is measures for affordable housing, as well as potential tax relief for the salaried class and GST incentives for industry. Cosmeceuticals Industry Looks for Relief The cosmetic and pharmaceutical market in India, collectively called cosmeceuticals, is evolving rapidly. Industry stakeholders hope that the 2026 Budget will recognize science-bas...