Business

India’s spiritual landscape is enriched not only by renowned male Katha Vachaks, but also by several influential female storytellers who draw massive audiences across the country and abroad. Some of them charge fees running into lakhs, while others perform without taking any personal remuneration. Here is a look at India’s top 5 most popular female Katha Vachaks and how much they earn for a single event. 1. Jaya Kishori – ₹9 to ₹10 lakh per Katha Among India’s most celebrated female Katha Vachaks, Jaya Kishori enjoys a vast global following. Her Bhagwat Katha draws thousands of devotees from India and overseas. A gifted storyteller and devotional singer, she brings the teachings and life of Lord Krishna alive for her audiences.According to media reports, she charges ₹9–10 lakh for on...

Simone Tata, one of the most influential figures of the Tata family and a pioneer of India’s beauty and fashion retail industry, passed away in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 95. She had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at Breach Candy Hospital. Simone Tata was the Chairperson Emeritus of Trent, mother of Noel Tata, and stepmother of former Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata. Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1930 as Simone Dunoyer, she came from a wealthy French–Swiss family. She first visited India in the early 1950s as a young graduate. During her brief stint with Air India in Geneva in 1953, she met Naval Tata at an ILO conference. The two married in 1955, marking the beginning of her lifelong association with India. Transformed Beauty Culture in Indian Middle Class ...

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has significantly broadened the range of free services offered under Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) or zero-balance accounts, directing banks to treat these accounts at par with regular savings accounts. The central bank has made it clear that BSBD accounts should not be seen as “inferior” or “limited-service” options. According to new RBI guidelines, if a customer submits a written or online request, banks must convert an existing savings account into a BSBD account within seven days. These guidelines will come into effect from April 1 next year. As per an Economic Times report, RBI has also instructed banks to provide mobile banking, internet banking, unlimited cash deposits, and both online and cheque-based fund transfer facilities for BSBD accou...

As the weekend begins, many people who postponed their banking tasks to Saturday may be wondering: Are banks open or closed today, 6 December 2025? Here is the complete update. Are Banks Open Today? Yes, banks across India are open today, 6 December 2025.This is because it is the first Saturday of the month. As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, banks remain open on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays of every month. Only the second and fourth Saturdays are designated as bank holidays—unless an additional public holiday is officially declared. December 2025 Bank Holidays Banks will observe several holidays across different states this month. These include: Swadeshi Aastha Diwas Feast of St. Francis Xavier Pa Togan Nengminza Sangma Death Anniversary U So...

Six years ago, when Pradeep Kannan walked away from his lucrative corporate job, many mocked him. Some even called him “crazy” for giving up a comfortable life in Bengaluru to start a small business back home in Karur. But Pradeep chose to follow his passion instead of a predictable career path. Today, that very ‘crazy’ decision has turned into a remarkable success story. His venture, ‘The Falooda Shop’, has grown from a single small outlet to 18 stores across India and Dubai, becoming a fast-rising brand in the dessert and beverage space. Leaving a High-Paying Corporate Job In 2019, Pradeep Kannan shocked everyone around him when he resigned from his senior role at Oracle, where he served as Head of Operations. Despite the security of a high salary and a prestigious position, he ...

India’s foreign exchange reserves have witnessed a decline for the second consecutive week, largely due to a steep drop in Foreign Currency Assets (FCA). According to the Reserve Bank of India’s latest data, forex reserves fell by $1.87 billion in the week ending 28 November 2025. The previous week had already seen a massive dip of $4.47 billion. However, a notable rise in gold reserves helped cushion the overall fall. Forex Reserves Slip to $686 Billion As per RBI’s weekly bulletin, India’s total foreign exchange reserves have dropped to $686.227 billion, marking a sharp reduction caused primarily by falling FCA. In the week under review, FCA declined by $3.569 billion, following a $1.69 billion drop in the previous week. For context, India had touched its all-time high forex res...

Integrated Industries has stunned the stock market with its extraordinary performance. A mere investment of ₹1 lakh made five years ago has now grown into a whopping ₹5.96 crore. The company has also reported a massive 108% jump in quarterly profit, reinforcing its status as one of India’s most explosive multibagger penny stocks. From 50 Paise to ₹29.80: A Historic Rally In December 2020, the stock was priced at just ₹0.50. Today, it stands at ₹29.80, rising more than 59,500% in five years—excluding the additional benefits of stock splits and bonus shares. The company executed: Stock Split: 10:1 on 1 September 2024 Bonus Issue: 1:1 in April last year Even without factoring in these corporate actions, the growth remains unprecedented. Recent Market Performance The ...

In a powerful signal of growing strategic and economic cooperation, Russia has announced an urgent requirement for 5 million skilled workers, a gap that India is uniquely positioned to fill. The announcement came from Sergei Krasilnikov, Vice President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), during the India–Russia Business Forum held in New Delhi. Krasilnikov revealed that Russian companies are actively seeking to hire skilled Indian workers and expand imports from India, following a direct directive from President Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that Russia’s current trade balance with India is heavily skewed—Moscow buys ten times less from New Delhi than it sells. Correcting this imbalance has now become a priority at the highest level of the Russian government...

In a major relief for passengers troubled by widespread flight cancellations—especially those caused by the ongoing Indigo crisis—Indian Railways has stepped up with a significant nationwide measure. To accommodate the sudden surge in travel demand, the Railways has added 116 additional coaches across 37 major trains, effective 6 December 2025. Alongside this, the Railways has also introduced four special trains to ensure smooth travel during this high-demand period. Southern Railway Leads With Maximum Coach Additions Among all zones, Southern Railway (SR) has taken the lead by augmenting 18 trains with extra chair car and sleeper class coaches. This enhancement, implemented from 6 December 2025, will offer thousands of additional seats for passengers travelling in the southern regio...

New Delhi: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has taken strict action against well-known financial influencer Avadhut Sathe, directing him and his academy to return ₹546.2 crore collected from investors through allegedly misleading practices. The regulator has also barred Sathe and his Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy from offering investment advisory or research analyst services without proper registration and prohibited them from trading in the stock market until further notice. Misleading MillionsSEBI found that Sathe and his academy had raised over ₹601 crore from approximately 3.4 lakh investors by allegedly providing false and selective information to entice them into stock market investments. These activities were conducted without the necessary registration certifica...