Business
Retail Inflation Eases To 3.34% In March, Lowest Since August 2019
NEW DELHI: Led by a decline in food prices and a high base effect, India’s consumer price index (CPI) -based retail inflation in March eased to 3.34 per cent, the lowest since August 2019, raising hopes of further repo rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Data...
Bank Credit In India Likely To Grow At 12-13% In FY26: Crisil Ratings
MUMBAI: Bank credit in India is likely to grow 12-13 per cent in the current financial year (FY26), a tad higher the 11.0-11.5 per cent estimated for FY25, according to Crisil Ratings. The loan offtake will be supported by three tailwinds — the recent supportive regulatory measures, a boost...
Food Inflation Plunges To 40-Month Low
NEW DELHI: Retail food inflation eased for the five consecutive months to 2.69% in March compared to 3.75% in February, as prices of vegetables, pulses and spices declined with winter harvest arriving in the markets. The consumer food price index (CFPI) declined by 0.86% sequentially last month compared to...
Unified Pension Scheme Makes A Modest Start
NEW DELHI: The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), which was opened for switching from the market-linked National Pension System (NPS) on April 1, has made a tepid start even though pension at 50% of the last 12 months’ average pay is guaranteed. With the central government staff weighing the cost-benefit...
US Top Trading Partner Of India For 4th Straight Year In FY25; Trade Gap With China Widens To USD 99.2 Billion
NEW DELHI: The US remained India’s largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25 with bilateral trade valued at USD 131.84 billion, while the country’s trade deficit with China widened to USD 99.2 billion during the same period, government data showed. In the last fiscal, India’s exports...
India’s Gems, Jewellery Exports Decline In FY25, Says GJEPC
MUMBAI: India’s overall gems and jewellery exports declined by 11.72 per cent to $28.5 billion (around `2.41 lakh crore) in 2024-25 compared to the previous financial year on continued geopolitical tensions, according to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). The overall gems and jewellery exports stood at...
More US Tariffs On Key Imports, Including Drugs
BANGKOK: The Trump administration has taken its next steps toward imposing more tariffs on key imports, launching investigations into imports of computer chips, chip making equipment and pharmaceuticals. The Department of Commerce posted notices about the probes late Monday on the Federal Register, seeking public comment within three weeks....
Passenger Vehicle Demand Surges To Over 43 Lakh Units In FY25, Says SIAM
NEW DELHI: Passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches in India from factories to dealers rose to record levels at over 43 lakh units in FY25, with utility vehicles accounting for 65 per cent of the total sales in the segment, industry body SIAM said on Tuesday. Passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches rose...
MP Dairy Federation, NDDB Sign Agreement To Build Robust Dairy Cooperative Ecosystem
ANAND/AHEMDABAD: Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Dairy Federation (MPCDF) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has signed a collaboration agreement to build a robust dairy cooperative ecosystem in Madhya Pradesh in the august presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav. Paving the way for...
M&A, PE Deals Hit Three-Year High In January-March
MUMBAI: Deal activity in the domestic consumer and retail markets rose to a three-year high in the first quarter of calendar year 2025, as investors backed brands that merged tradition with innovation, Grant Thornton Bharat’s latest quarterly deal tracker report showed. The deals include mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and...
NITI Aayog Pitches For Incentive Package For Hand & Power Tools
NEW DELHI: Leveraging geopolitical opportunities, including US tariffs on China, a new NITI Aayog report has recommended targeted support to overcome a 14-17% cost disadvantage gap with competitors, to capture a 10% global market share in power tools and a 25% share in hand tools within a decade, sources...
Banks Likely To See NIM Compression In Q4 On Rising Slippages
MUMBAI: Banks are likely to witness a spike in bad loans in the fourth quarter, driven by rising delinquencies in the unsecured and microfinance segments. Slowing credit growth, tight liquidity and elevated deposit rates are expected to squeeze net interest margins. Banks are also expected to see a decline...
India Sees Export Opportunity In 10 Products Amid US-China Tariff War
NEW DELHI: India has identified at least 10 sectors, including apparel and clothing accessories, chemicals, plastics and rubber, where high US tariffs give New Delhi a competitive advantage in the American market over other suppliers, said officials in the know. The idea is to capitalise on the advantage in...
As Foreign Loans Turn Costly, Infrastructure Debt To See Domestic Refinancing
NEW DELHI: India is aiming to refinance multilateral debt availed for select infrastructure sectors to shield projects from exposure to costly foreign loans, officials said. They added that many of these loans often come with strict riders. The government has identified debt taken by Indian Railways for some projects,...
China’s Exports Jump 12.4 Per Cent And Imports Fall
BANGKOK: China’s exports jumped 12.4per cent in March from a year earlier as companies rushed to beat increases in US tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, the government said Monday. Imports fell 4.3per cent, the customs administration reported. It said exports from the world’s second largest economy rose...
SBI Passes RBI Rate Cuts, Slashes Interest Rate By 25 Basis Points
NEW DELHI: The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has reduced its lending rate by 25 basis points following the Reserve Bank’s policy rate cut, making loans cheaper for both existing and new borrowers. With the latest round of reduction, the Repo Linked Lending Rate (RLLR) of...
Draft Rules Issued For Gas Metres To Protect Consumers
NEW DELHI: The government has drafted new rules requiring testing, verification and stamping of all domestic, commercial, and industrial gas metres before they can be used in trade, the consumer affairs ministry said on Monday. The proposed regulations under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 aim to ensure accuracy...
Lodha Brothers Resolve Dispute Over Use Of Brand
MUMBAI: Abhishek Lodha-led Macrotech Developers has resolved trademark and brand dispute with House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), formed by his younger brother. Macrotech Developers will continue to use ‘Lodha’ brand while the younger brother will continue to operate under ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’ brand, as per the agreements between...
