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Israeli government on Sunday approved the appointment of Reuven Azar as the new Ambassador to India. Azar, who is in his late 50s, will also serve as the non-resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan, a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. His appointment is one of the 21 new Heads of Missions cleared by the Israeli government to assume service soon.

Narendra Modi will flag off the second Vande Bharat Express train running between Varanasi and New Delhi today i.e. on 18 December. The train will be flagged off at around 2:15 pm.

Indian Railways is set to commence operations of an advanced semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat, enhancing connectivity between Uttar Pradesh and the national capital. In order to achieve this momentous milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the second Vande Bharat Express train running between Varanasi and New Delhi. The launch of this Vande Bharat Express from Varanasi is expected to benefit travellers heading to Prayagraj, Kanpur and New Delhi, providing an additional fast and modern travel option. The initiative not only saves passengers time but also accelerates cultural, industrial, and economic development in the region. Starting its journey from the spiritual city of Varanasi, the train will pass through Prayagraj, Kanpur and reach the national capital, New Delhi. This new service will particularly benefit pilgrims heading to Prayagraj and professionals travelling between the industrial hub of Kanpur and the bustling city of New Delhi. The regular operation of the Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to commence on December 20, 2023. Departing from Varanasi at 6:00 AM, the train will reach Prayagraj at 07:34 AM, Kanpur Central at 09:30 AM and finally, New Delhi at 2:05 PM. The return journey will see the train departing from New Delhi at 3:00 PM, reaching Kanpur Central at 7:12 PM, Prayagraj at 9:15 PM and concluding its journey in Varanasi at 11:05 PM. Prime Minister Modi will officially flag off this inaugural special train on December 18, 2023, showcasing the green flag in Varanasi at 2:15 PM.

NEW DELHI : Nasdaq-listed Honeywell is open to acquisitions in India’s energy transition technology sector, said Ashish Modi, president for India operations. In an interview, Modi said Honeywell recently restructured its operations into three segments: automation, aviation and energy transition. Battery storage and green hydrogen will be key areas of immediate focus in energy transition, he added.

NEW DELHI : Debt-laden telecom operator Vodafone Idea’s plans to raise external funds of over ₹20,000 crore may get further delayed and are unlikely to culminate even in the quarter ending March 2024, said two people aware of the development. While the telecom service provider has been in talks with investors, including those from the US, the massive debt liability of over ₹2 trillion, besides limited amount of capital coming in from promoters, is being viewed as factors leading to the delay, one of the people said on the condition that he not be named. “It will take time.

NEW DELHI : The Quality Council of India (QCI) is set to come out with regulations that will make it compulsory for private certification agencies to register themselves with accreditation bodies. The idea is to ensure accountability of these agencies so that ‘brand India’ does not suffer from indiscriminate certification by unregulated agencies. There are concerns that private agencies have been issuing ISO 9000 certificates without getting themselves registered with apex accreditation bodies.

NEW DELHI : Hollywood’s grip on the Indian audience, cultivated over the last few years, encountered a plot twist this year with box office collections estimated at just ₹1,300 crore from around 35 releases —a modest rise from the ₹1,276 crore earned in 2022, when 20 films were screened due to the covid-19 delays. Besides, in 2023, American films are expected to contribute about 13% to India’s total theatrical business, compared to an average of 20-22% during pre-pandemic times.

Impresario Hospitality & Entertainment, which owns restaurant brands like SOCIAL, Smoke House Deli and Boss Burger, is planning to go public in the next two to three years, according to its managing director, encouraged by the growth in the casual dining restaurant segment. The Mumbai-based food company also plans to increase its restaurants count to 100 in the next two to three years, with a revenue target of '1,000 crore by FY26, Riyaaz Amlani, Impresario's MD, told ET. While India's quick service restaurant (QSR) segment has multiple listed firms, including Devyani International, Sapphire Foods and Burger King India, the casual dining restaurant (CDR) space has only a few.

BBC India comply with foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in digital news, has appointed CA firm MSKA & Associates as its first statutory auditor, the company's regulatory filings show. MSKA & Associates will audit the newly formed company's annual accounts for FY24. Incorporated on October 27, the New Delhi headquartered company has two directors, Rashi Sehgal and Prabhkirtan Singh Sehgal. Four BBC staff members-Rupa Jha, Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder, and Sara Hassan-left the company on December 12 and formed Collective Newsroom to allow BBC World Service India to comply with the 26% limit on foreign ownership in India. ET had first reported that BBC World Service India is restructuring its shareholding to meet the foreign ownership norms. The BBC has given Collective Newsroom the responsibility of creating digital content in India, its six Indian language services, and an English-language YouTube channel for Indian viewers across the globe.

alliance have left much to be desired on this front. I wonder if the alliance leaders realize that failing to present a clear agenda this time might lead to a larger defeat at the next general elections. Time is not in their favour.

Mamata Banerjee will attend INDIA Bloc meeting on December 19 and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20 for Bengal's dues in MGNREGA and other central schemes as she embarks on a four-day Delhi tour starting from today. Meanwhile, slamming BJP for its maligning campaign against Bengal over alleged Parliament security link, Banerjee said on Sunday there was a major security lacuna in the Parliament and the probe should be impartial. While talking about the security breach, Banerjee, on her way to New Delhi today, said, «It was a grave security lapse in the new Parliament.

The Indian wealth management business is expanding and offers both domestic and international players a sizable opportunity. Fintech players, however, are posing greater threats to established businesses with their product, pricing, and digital differentiation, intensifying the competitive environment. Players in the wealth management industry in India would need to react both strategically and creatively to be able to compete in a market that is rife with rising client expectations for individualized goal-oriented services and digital experiences.

Oak casks, once used to store bourbon and wine, are stacking up in a distillery near New Delhi, filled with ageing whisky as workers churn out almost 10,000 bottles a day of Indian single malt Indri, recently named the world's best whisky. Sugarcane and mustard fields, not peat bogs, ring the distillery, where the two-year-old Indian brand's owner Piccadily is ramping up production and building a three-hole golf course to lure connoisseurs and tipplers in the whisky-loving nation. As India comes into its own as a maker, not just consumer, of whisky, its single malts are reshaping the country's $33 billion spirits market. Established global brands such as Glenlivet, made by France's Pernod Ricard, and Talisker by Britain's Diageo fight for shelf space with local rivals Indri, Amrut and Radico Khaitan's Rampur. Unlike many Asian countries where beer dominates alcohol sales, India is predominantly a whisky-drinking nation. Global awards, increased affluence and a mass of drinkers trying new brands while cooped up during COVID-19 have rocked India's whisky landscape, industry executives and analysts say. Aditya Prakash Rao for years drank foreign brands but now increasingly buys Indian malts for himself and for gifts during festive seasons.

PTI. The recently held assembly elections came as a blow to the party as it saw defeat in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. However, the party won and formed the government in Telangana.

COVID-19 sub-strain JN.1). As reported by ANI, George said, “No need of any worry. That is a sub-variant (COVID-19 sub-strain JN.1).

Delhi experienced foggy weather after a slight decrease in the minimum temperature on Sunday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Delhi’s Safdurjung recorded a minimum temperature of 6.5°C today. As reported by ANI, the temperature in the national capital was noted at 7 degrees Celsius by 5:30 am.

Narendra Modi will visit his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Sunday to inaugurate the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 at Namo Ghat, according to the official statement. According to an official statement, Prime Minister Modi will visit his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on December 17-18. During his visit, he will launch several infrastructure projects and is also expected to announce a second Vande Bharat train between the city and New Delhi.

Genrobotics, a Kerala-based startup acclaimed for leveraging technology for social change, has been adjudged among top three Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups of India at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023 organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in New Delhi. Genrobotic's G-gaiter Robotic Technology won the award in 'AI Game Changers' category at the December 12-14 summit held at Bharat Mandapam, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a statement said on Saturday.

Indian students were deported from the US to India this year, the government said in Lok Sabha on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the government has regularly expressed its concerns to the authorities in the US regarding such instances. «According to information available with the ministry, 28 Indian students were deported from the US to India in 2023,» he said replying to a question.

NEW DELHI : NTPC Mining Ltd (NML) has produced 23.223 million tonnes of coal so far this financial year, just about exceeding its total output in all of FY23. In the previous financial year, the NTPC subsidiary had produced 23.203 mt of the mineral.

NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court declined to grant a stay order on show-cause notices issued by tax authorities to online gaming companies, and adjourned the hearing to 8 January. The E-Gaming Federation (EGF), along with gaming companies including Play Games24x7 and Head Digital Works, had petitioned against retrospective goods and services tax (GST) claims collectively exceeding Rs1 trillion. With the petition for a stay declined, the companies fear more such notices could be issued even as the legal debate on gambling versus skill-based online gaming remains unsettled.