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India and Chile on Tuesday decided to start negotiations on a mutually beneficial comprehensive economic partnership agreement as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font for wide-ranging talks focusing on boosting bilateral ties in diverse areas. Boric is on a five-day state visit to India to explore ways to shore up bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including trade and defence. «Today, we have directed our teams to begin discussions on a mutually beneficial comprehensive economic partnership agreement,» Modi said in his media statement after the talks. Partnership in the field of critical minerals will be explored, he said. The prime minister said work will also be done to establish resilient supply and value chains.

Vodafone Idea shares will be in focus on Tuesday as the government converts Rs 36,950 crore of the telco’s outstanding spectrum payment dues into equity, reducing its statutory liabilities and supporting its financial viability. The move will raise the Centre’s stake in Vi from 22.6% to 48.99%. At the same time, private promoters Vodafone Plc and Aditya Birla Group (ABG) will see their holdings drop to 16.1% and 9.4%, respectively, though they will retain operational control.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India's electric vehicle (EV) battery makers could face collateral damage from the Trump tariffs, as foreign manufacturers unload cheap batteries here just as the local companies were ramping up production. India’s fast-growing EV market could absorb the diverted supply and drive down costs for local automakers, experts said, adding that also spells trouble for companies such as Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd, Exide Industries Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd and Ola Electric Ltd, which are investing billions to build battery plants.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: A seismic shift is rocking India’s retail landscape, with several chief executives of high-profile companies jumping ship and docking with rivals, even as the industry grapples with slowing growth and evolving consumer behaviour that is moving towards value brands. From Levi Strauss & Co.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: A string of measures in the field of information technology has suddenly pivoted India into a friendlier place for American Big Tech firms to do business in—moves that policy stakeholders believe are timely and useful, given US president Donald Trump's impending tariff hikes.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. When actor Kareena Kapoor Khan took the stage on 30 March in Mumbai to close the five-day Lakme Fashion Week, in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India and Reliance, she made it point to pay tribute to everyone behind the scenes. "The real icons are fashion stylists, make-up artists, hair stylists, choreographers and the 60 smashingly hot fashion models who are backstage...

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai/New Delhi: Delhi-based 37-year-old insurance sector executive Prateek Verma says the biggest change his wife has noticed in him over the past few months is that he has become “weirdly philosophical". Can this be attributed to the joys of matrimony? “No, it is the stock market," he quipped.

Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day.” In India, which keeps getting pilloried by the US president as an exemplar of bad behavior in trade, the reciprocal tariff announcement of April 2 has acquired a fervent overtone. In preparation, New Delhi is offering one sacrifice after another, hoping that the angry god of the White House will let it go with nothing more serious than a slap on the wrist. The latest peace offering is the decision to do away with a 6% tax on ads that local businesses place with foreign search engines, social media and e-commerce firms. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s way of telling Trump, “Look, we aren’t China. Not only do we allow Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. to hog our digital-advertising pie, if you want us to make it cheaper for them to operate, that’s fine, too.” Also Read: India open to clearing import duty hurdle for US auto parts The sacrifice is a win for Trump, though it isn’t much of a loss for Modi. Known colloquially as the “Google Tax,” the levy was a bad idea when it was introduced in India’s 2016 budget. Since then, domestic advertisers have had to withhold 6 cents on the dollar when they get their bills from places like Ireland, where online platforms typically book their revenue. Just like Trump’s tariffs will be mostly paid by American consumers, the burden of the so-called Indian equalization levy had to be absorbed not by the tech platforms, but by the advertisers. It pushed up costs for local businesses. Where would they advertise, if not on Google or Facebook?

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. With Myanmar devastated by an earthquake that has claimed more than 1,600 lives, India has initiated efforts to assist it in relief and rescue missions. Under Operation Brahma, two naval ships with relief supplies were despatched.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The government is preparing to decriminalize more than 100 offences under various laws by the end of this year to improve investor confidence and unlock potential for faster economic growth, three persons familiar with the development said.

preferential trade agreement (PTA) into a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), making Chile the first Latin American country to have such a deal with New Delhi. Discussions on CEPA are expected to take place during Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font’s State Visit to India from April 1-5. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, MPs, senior officials, business associations, media, and cultural representatives. The PTA between India and Chile was signed in 2006 and expanded in 2017. Officials are now looking at tariff and non-tariff barriers to boost trade between the two regions. The target is to double two-way commerce to $100 billion in the coming years. Key sectors for cooperation include automobiles, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Chile is India’s fifth-largest trading partner in Latin America. From April to December in FY25, India’s exports to Chile amounted to $860.26 million, mainly consisting of pharmaceuticals and vehicles. Imports were $2.07 billion, with ores, slag, ash, and copper being the primary inbound shipments. Indian trade organizations have been actively engaging with Chile through business summits and trade fairs in sectors such as pharma, apparel, handicrafts, and chemicals. An Indian mining delegation also visited Chile in April 2024 to explore collaboration opportunities in the mining sector.

Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday urged the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi to discharge him in the IRCTC corruption case, asserting that there is no evidence to frame charges against him. Special judge Vishal Gogne heard the arguments on framing of charges in the IRCTC corruption case and has scheduled for April 21 for hearing the further arguments. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, counsel for Lalu Prasad Yadav, argued that there are no irregularities on the part of Lalu Prasad Yadav. The tenders were awarded in a fair manner. There is no sufficient evidences to frame charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav. He deserved to be discharged of the charges. On March 1, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had concluded its arguments on charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav and other accused persons. This case is related to alleged corruption in tender of the IRCTC hotels. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) D P Singh, along with Advocate Manu Mishra, had argued that there was corruption and conspiracy in the allotment of maintenance contracts for two hotels of IRCTC to a private company.

trade talks in New Delhi as part of efforts to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by fall of 2025. Representatives of India's Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative held meeting in the national capital for four days beginning March 26 as a follow up to the two countries agreeing to expand bilateral trade to reach USD 500 billion by 2030, including through the conclusion of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). A Commerce and Industry Ministry release said that in order to realize the shared objective of promoting growth that ensures fairness, national security and job creation, both sides have through four-days of discussions in New Delhi broadly come to an understanding on the next steps towards a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with the goal to finalize its first tranche by fall 2025. Sectoral expert level engagements under the BTA will start virtually in the coming weeks and pave the path for an early negotiating round in person. «During these discussions the two sides also had a productive exchange of views on deepening bilateral cooperation in priority areas including increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and deepening supply chain integration in a mutually beneficial manner,» the release said.

Police recovered Flaviana’s body inside the house and Diego’s from a water tank outside. TOI reported citing the police that the couple ingested pills. Diego had also attempted to cut his throat with a sickle before entering the water tank. Moreover. a suicide note left by Diego was found that explained that they had been harassed and threatened by individuals claiming to be telecom officials from New Delhi since January. The fraudsters accused the couple of misusing their SIM card for criminal activities and threatened them with a “digital arrest.” The note ifurther dentified the alleged perpetrators as Sumit Birra and Anil Yadav.

«Climate change is staring at each of us and environmental consciousness and responsible actions by people and businesses can help both the ecology and the economy,» they said at the 'Sasmrti — The Responsible Luxury Roundtable' in New Delhi. The deliberations were organised by Shweta Thakur Nanda, and Gautam Gupta, co-owner of luxury fashion brand 'Asha Gautam'. Speaking at the function, Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, said that the industry must act and live sustainably not just for «ourselves but for our future generations». Sharing similar views, Lipika Sud, Founder Director of LIpika Sud Interiors, said that the true impact will come from collaboration of businesses, designers, policymakers, and consumers towards sustainable practices.

7.7 magnitude earthquake that was felt across Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Vietnam, Indian tourists in Bangkok safely returned to New Delhi Airport on Saturday, recounting the difficulties they faced in getting back home. Speaking to ANI at Delhi airport, Bharati Khurana described the challenges they encountered due to emergency closures in the city. «The situation is fine now, but yesterday it was very bad. We went out to the market, but it was closed due to the emergency.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The petroleum and natural gas regulator has proposed to add insurance surety bonds to bank guarantees and demand drafts as a financial instrument to ensure the timely completion of city gas distribution (CGD) projects and pipelines for petroleum products. The bonds would work as a financial guarantee, with the insurance company issuing the bond acting as the guarantor.

Force Motors surged 7.5% to their intraday high of Rs 9,444.85 on BSE on Friday after the company announced that it has won a major contract to supply 2,978 Force Gurkha light vehicles to the Indian Defence Forces. “We are pleased to inform you that the company has signed a landmark contract for an order of 2,978 vehicles from the Indian Defence Forces, specifically from the Directorate General of Capb, Devp (CD-13/14) General Staff Branch, IHQ of MoD (Army), New Delhi,” the company said in its press release.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: In a show of soft power, India is upgrading and expanding it vaccine storage infrastructure into an international centre to handhold other developing countries in harnessing the global immunization supply chain. The expansion of the National Cold Chain and Vaccine Management Resource Centre (NCCVMRC) into an International Centre for Excellence in Immunization and Supply Chain will be done in phases.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), a body under the health ministry, has named five lifesaving drugs as having shown serious side effects. The drugs are Metronidazole, an antibiotic; Luliconazole, an antifungal; Dalteparin, used for cancer treatment; diabetics drug Gliclazide and Tramadol, a painkiller.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: Gross refining margins (GRM) of oil marketing companies (OMC) in India are likely to continue to narrow in the ongoing fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 (FY25) with declining discounts on Russian oil and shrinking crack spreads. The benchmark Singapore GRMs in the January-March quarter as of February-end stood at $2.7 per barrel, compared with $4 per barrel in the fourth of the previous fiscal, showed data from Icra Ltd.