Business

New Delhi: Many consumers in Delhi NCR and Mumbai prefer imported food and beverages from the US, UK, or other European countries, believing them to be of superior quality. However, recent police action has exposed a fraudulent racket selling expired foreign FMCG products, highlighting the risks of blindly trusting imported goods. How the Racket OperatedThe Delhi Police Crime Branch raided wholesale markets in Sadar Bazaar, Pahadi Dheeraj, and Faiz Ganj, uncovering a sophisticated operation. Fraudsters imported near-to-expiry or already expired food products from countries like the US, UK, and Dubai. Once in India, the original expiry dates were erased using thinners and replaced with new dates. Some packages even featured fake barcodes to mislead customers. Massive SeizureDuring the...

New Delhi: India’s rapidly transforming railway network is attracting the attention of both global and domestic food and beverage brands. With the introduction of trains like Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat and a major redevelopment of railway stations, brands such as McDonald’s, KFC, Haldiram’s, Wow! Momo, and Baskin Robbins are keen to set up outlets at these stations. According to officials and industry insiders, railway stations may even surpass airports in sales potential due to higher passenger footfall. Government sources indicate that the first premium outlets are expected to open by 2026, following revisions to the 2017 railway catering policy that now explicitly allows premium food brands. Franchise OpportunitiesSagar Daryani, President of the National Restaurant Association ...

New Delhi: The refurbished smartphone market in India is witnessing a strong resurgence, thanks to the festive season. After a slowdown earlier in 2025, when major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart scaled back sales of refurbished phones, companies such as Cashify and Control Z stepped in to sell directly to consumers (D2C), reviving growth and reshaping the sector’s outlook. Early-Year SetbackAccording to Economic Times, the first half of 2025 saw Amazon and Flipkart exit the refurbished smartphone segment due to high return rates and quality concerns. This impacted numerous smaller players who relied on these platforms for sales. D2C Model Sparks RevivalIn response, companies like Cashify and Control Z expanded their direct-to-consumer channels, including online stores ...

2025 has been a phenomenal year for precious metals, with gold and silver delivering exceptional returns. While gold surged over 70%, silver skyrocketed more than 150%, giving investors more than double the return compared to gold. This raises the key question for 2026: which metal will perform better? Record-Breaking Gains in 2025From the start of the year, both metals witnessed a sharp upward trajectory. According to reports, silver started at ₹89,700 per kg on December 31, 2024, and has risen 153% since then. Gold, meanwhile, gained over 73% in global markets. By comparison, the Nifty 50 index recorded a modest 10.18% growth, underscoring the strong appeal of gold and silver among investors. On Wednesday, silver prices in Delhi surged by ₹9,750, reaching a new record of ₹2,27,000 ...

As 2025 draws to a close, several critical financial deadlines are fast approaching, with belated and revised Income Tax Returns (ITR) topping the list. Taxpayers who fail to file their revised ITR by December 31, 2025, risk delays in tax refunds and may even incur interest or penalties, especially if the information in their ITR does not match government records. Why This Date MattersDecember 31, 2025, is the last day to file both belated and revised ITRs for the assessment year 2025-26 (FY2024-25). The Income Tax Department’s Central Processing Centre (CPC) examines returns and flags any discrepancies. If your ITR is checked after December 31 and errors are found, you may lose the opportunity to correct them. Chartered Accountant Suresh Surana warns that once this deadline passes, tax...

Success in business often requires more than just money—it demands a unique vision. Pooja Kaul, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, is a perfect example of this principle. She saw potential in donkey milk and launched a skincare startup that has now grown into a profitable venture, all starting with just ₹26,000—the money she had saved for a trip to Goa. Today, Pooja earns lakhs of rupees annually from her business. The BeginningIn 2016, Pooja was pursuing her postgraduate studies at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). While traveling in a government bus in Solapur, Maharashtra, she noticed a herd of donkeys carrying migrant workers who relied on the animals for work at brick kilns and construction sites. Despite their hard work, these families earned only ₹300–400 per day, barely enough...

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended Wednesday with marginal losses, pressured by sell-offs in oil & gas, pharma, and IT sectors. Ahead of the Christmas holiday on Thursday, investors remained cautious, resulting in slower market activity. At the close of trading, Sensex fell 116.14 points (0.14%) to 85,408.70, while Nifty declined 35.05 points (0.13%) to 26,142.10. Market experts noted that Nifty held support between 26,100–26,130, showing some buying interest, but strong upward momentum was absent. Unless Nifty sustains above 26,200, market caution is expected to continue. Sector PerformanceOn BSE, Trent, UltraTech Cement, and Maruti Suzuki saw gains, while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Sun Pharma, and Asian Paints faced losses. On NSE, Trent, Shriram Finance, and ...

New Delhi: India and New Zealand have successfully concluded negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a development that is expected to unsettle China’s stronghold on New Zealand’s imports. According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), this FTA could significantly increase India’s share in New Zealand’s import market, where China currently dominates. Trade Gap and OpportunitiesGTRI data indicates that in FY2025, New Zealand imported goods worth $10 billion from China, while India’s exports to New Zealand stood at only $711 million. “India is underrepresented in several key product categories where it is a global leader, even though New Zealand is a major importer,” the report notes. Key Sectors for IndiaThe FTA is expected to open up substantial opportunities for Ind...

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has yet to release its report on the ongoing IndiGo crisis. The aviation regulator had formed a four-member committee on December 5 to investigate the matter, with a submission deadline of December 20. However, the committee could not complete its investigation on time. Sources now indicate that the committee’s report is expected to be submitted by December 26. The committee, led by Joint DG Sanjay Kumar, was originally mandated to submit its findings within 15 days of formation. Although the deadline has been extended, DGCA has not made a public announcement regarding the delay. What the Committee is InvestigatingThe panel is tasked with determining the reasons behind the consecutive grounding of IndiGo flights in the first week of De...

After prolonged negotiations, China’s Haier has received government approval to sell a 49% stake in its Indian unit, Haier Appliances India. The move clears the way for a joint venture between Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Enterprises and Warburg Pincus to acquire the stake, marking a significant development in India’s consumer electronics sector. Deal Details and ValuationThe formal announcement is expected soon, with the valuation of Haier India estimated at around ₹15,000 crore (approx. $1.5 billion). Under the agreement, Haier will retain 49%, Bharti Enterprises and Warburg Pincus will jointly hold 49%, and the remaining 2% will go to Haier Appliances India employees. The partnership between Bharti and Warburg is likely to be evenly split. Timeline and Management ChangesAll parties are e...