Business
Government Mulls Key Changes In Highway Monetisation Norms
NEW DELHI: The lull in the use of Toll Operate Transfer (ToT) mode of monetisation of highway assets could end soon, with a change in approach for future bids. The new bids will offer smaller bundles of highways of up to Rs 1,500 crore for bidding to private investors,...
PSU Banks May Take A Hit On Margins As Interest Rates Dip
KOLKATA | MUMBAI: Public sector lenders have gained about 26% in FY25 net profit cumulatively, but the current fiscal may expose them to pressure on net interest margins (NIM), thus likely leading to a moderation in their return on assets. Large banks such as State Bank of India, Canara...
India Calls Pakistan’s Nuclear Bluff, Rejects Kashmir Mediation: Govt Sources
NEW DELHI: India will never accept mediation on the Kashmir issue or discuss the matter, and the only item to talk about is Pakistan returning the portion of Kashmir that is in its illegal occupation, government sources on Sunday said in an off-the-record briefing. Sources also said India had...
Indian Economy Likely To Grow At 6.5 Per Cent In FY26: CII
NEW DELHI: India’s GDP is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent in the current fiscal and the country’s economy is resilient enough to overcome the short-term impact of geopolitical issues, Confederation of Indian Industry CII president Sanjiv Puri has said. In an interview, he asserted that the country...
India, EU To Hold Next Round Of FTA Talks From Monday For Early Conclusion
NEW DELHI: India and the European Union (EU) chief negotiators will begin the next round of talks on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) here from Monday, with an aim to conclude the first phase of the pact as early as possible, according to an official. The two sides...
Retail Investors Still Going Strong On Index Options
MUMBAI: The Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) stringent guidelines in the futures and options (F&O) segment haven’t served as a deterrent for retail investors who trade in index options, as their activity remains at elevated levels. In fact, it has grown marginally. According to NSE data, the...
India-Pakistan Tensions Rock Hospitality Business
MUMBAI: The hospitality sector has become one of the biggest casualties of conflicts between India and Pakistan. Hotel chains are grappling with business slowdown, with more than 50% of bookings getting cancelled over the past week across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, as companies have issued travel advisories, sources...
India Offers Steep Tariff Cuts To Speed Up Trade Pact Talks With Trump
NEW DELHI: India has offered to slash its tariff gap with the US to less than 4 per cent from nearly 13 per cent now, in exchange for an exemption from President Donald Trump’s “current and potential” tariff hikes, two sources said, as both nations move fast to clinch...
TRAI Recommends Spectrum Fee For Satcom Operators
NEW DELHI: Telecom regulator TRAI on Friday released its recommendations on pricing of spectrum to be given for satellite-based internet services, suggesting a levy of 4 per cent of annual revenues as fee on operators like Elon Musk’s Starlink. Operators offering services in urban areas would have to shell...
SBI, Private Banks Sell 20% Yes Bank Stake To SMBC For Rs 13,482 Crore
MUMBAI: State Bank of India (SBI) and seven private sector lenders that had invested in Yes Bank during its reconstruction in 2020, will together sell 20 per cent stake in the bank to Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for ₹13,482 crore, in the largest cross-border deal in the...
SEBI Proposes New Disclosure Norms For Governance By High Value Debt Listed Entities In India
NEW DELHI: Markets regulator Sebi on Friday proposed tweaking its format for disclosure of corporate governance framework by High Value Debt Listed Entities (HVDLE). An entity having outstanding value of listed non-convertible debt securities of Rs 1,000 crore are referred to as ‘High Value Debt Listed Entities’. Under the...
India, New Zealand Wrap Up First Round Of FTA Talks
NEW DELHI: Working against a tight deadline, India and New Zealand on Friday wrapped up the first round of negotiations on a bilataral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The round that started on May 5 discussed the broad contours of the agreement. The two countries decided in March to re-launch...
Government Targets Fresh Record For Grains Output In 2025-26
NEW DELHI: Given the forecast of ‘above normal’ monsoon rainfall, the government has set a record target of 354.64 million tonne (MT) for food grains production in the 2025-26 crop year (July-June). This is an increase of 4% from the target for the current (2024-25) crop year, which itself...
Indo-Pak Hostilities Heighten Credit Risks For Both Nations: S&P
MUMBAI: International rating agency S&P Global has the rising hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad heighten the credit metrics risk of both countries, and any escalation in clashes will put downward pressure on their sovereign credit support. S&P rates India at BBB- with a positive outlook and for Pakistan ...
FTA With UK Has Enough Safeguards, Says Govt
NEW DELHI: India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the UK has sufficient safeguards for sensitive sectors, a senior official said Thursday. Even in the case of automobiles, the tariff cuts will be spread over a period of 10-15 years and subject to quotas like an annual 22,000 for electric...
New Rules Make It Tougher For E-Tailers To Resort To Predatory Pricing
NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has come out with “stringent” rules to determine the production costs, helping it tackle unfair pricing and deep discounts, especially in e-commerce and quick commerce markets. The new rules, which have replaced the Cost Regulations 2009, have been introduced to keep...
Merger State-Run General Insurers Back On The Table
NEW DELHI: The government is likely to revisit a plan to merge the four state-run general insurance companies to create a a behemoth that can compete with the Indian private-sector firms as well as foreign insurers. The move may coincide with or closely follow the proposed hike in foreign...
India’s Climate Finance Needs Pegged At $2.5-Trillion By 2030
NEW DELHI: India may require financing to the tune of $2.5 trillion by 2030 for climate transition, given its pledge to achieve net-zero emission by 2070, the government said on Wednesday. “India’s climate finance taxonomy will facilitate greater resource flow to climate-friendly technologies and activities, enabling India to achieve...
