India Financial News

IndiGo will be soon launching the gender-neutral option of honorific 'Mx' for passengers at the time of booking tickets, as part of larger efforts to boost inclusivity. The low-cost carrier, which has a domestic market share of 62 per cent, aims to increase by two-fold the number of individuals with disabilities employed by it. The airline will be introducing the 'Mx' option at the time of booking for passengers and that will provide a choice for transgenders who do not want to identify themselves, Sukhjit S Pasricha, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at IndiGo, told PTI. At present, the only options available on the airline's website during the booking process are 'male' and 'female.'

Although the wait time for US visitor visa appointments in India has decreased from a peak of 999 days at the end of 2021, it still exceeds a year. The US Department of State website Friday showed wait times for B1/B2 visa interview at 459 days in Chennai; 450 in Mumbai; 407 in Hyderabad; 381 in Kolkata and 379 in Delhi.

Several countries, including the US, offer «investor visa» programme that provide a pathway to residency in exchange for significant financial investments. The US investor visa programme, known as the EB-5, allows individuals to obtain a green card, granting them the right to live indefinitely in the US.

Affle India's stock has made a significant move on its weekly chart by breaking out of a three-year consolidation zone around the ₹1,515 mark. The stock has convincingly surpassed its previous high of ₹1,511, turning this resistance into a new support level at ₹1,500. The rally that began in March 2024 has been robust, breaking through key resistance levels at ₹1,400 and ₹1,511.

₹47.3 trillion of bonds outstanding as of March 2024, the corporate bond market enjoys less than 20% share of the wider bond market. With government issuances continuing to dominate, a tentative corporate bond market directly impacts private sector’s propensity for investment.

Nari Hira, the founder and editor of Stardust Magazine, passed away on August 23 at age 86. Known as a significant figure in the Indian media industry, Hira pioneered in publishing popular magazines and ventured into film production, leaving a lasting impact on the media landscape. Hira's family expressed their deep sorrow in a statement, «It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of his passing, a pioneer in print media, a family man and father beyond compare, he leaves us behind heartbroken in his absence.» Born in 1938 in modern-day Karachi, Hira and his family moved to Mumbai following the partition in 1947. He started his career as a journalist in the 1960s but shifted focus to publishing, where he earned the moniker 'King of Indian Magazines.'

market valuation of nine of the top 10 most valued firms jumped by Rs 95,522.81 crore last week, with Reliance Industries, TCS and HUL emerging as the biggest gainers. Rising for the fourth straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 33.02 points or 0.04 per cent higher at 81,086.21 on Friday. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 649.37 points or 0.80 per cent.

rate cuts are most likely to start from its September meeting. «Indian markets are expected to follow gains seen in the US stock market, as the likelihood of a „soft landing“ for the global economy increases amid signs of economic softening. A potential rate cut by the Fed would likely boost market sentiment and drive up stock prices,» said Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst at Swastika Investmart.

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday renewed his call for a nationwide caste census and pointed out the lack of representation of women from Dalit, Tribal, or Other Backward Classes communities in the "Miss India pageant list." Addressing a gathering at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, Gandhi said, «I checked the list of Miss India to see if there would be any Dalit or tribal woman in it, but there was no women from Dalit, tribal or OBC.» He criticised the media for being unconcerned about farmers and labourers and said, «Still the media talks about dance, music, cricket, Bollywood but does not talk about farmers and labourers.»

Shares of Divi's Laboratories Ltd.(up 1.45 per cent), Cipla Ltd.(up 1.24 per cent), Alkem Laboratories Ltd.(up 1.13 per cent), Lupin Ltd.(up 1.09 per cent) and J B Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.(up 0.89 per cent) ended the day as top gainers in the pack.

InterGlobe Enterprises, the biggest shareholder of IndiGo airline, has opened its boutique lifestyle hotel Miiro in Paris and Barcelona and is looking to add more properties in Europe over the next couple of years, a top official said. Neena Gupta, CEO of Miiro, said Le Grand Hotel Carye in Paris opened in July and Borneta in Barcelona this month. The entry-level luxury lifestyle hotel brand will continue back-to-back launches into 2025 with London and Vienna. Templeton Garden in London, located in the leafy area of Earl's Court, will offer 156 rooms, complemented by a cafe-deli, a neighbourhood restaurant, a vibrant bar, and an outdoor F&B experience in an expansive garden oasis in the Spring of 2025, she said.

industrial revolution with its new biomanufacturing policy designed to tackle food, energy and climate challenges, officials said on Sunday. Approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday, the BioE3 policy for fostering high-performance biomanufacturing aims to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in different fields. High-performance biomanufacturing involves the production of products ranging from medicine to materials, tackling farming and food challenges, and promoting the manufacturing of bio-based products through the integration of advanced biotechnological processes. Laying the foundation of the BioE3 policy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Interim Budget had announced «a new scheme of bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry» to provide environment-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable polymers, bio-plastics, biopharmaceuticals and bio agri inputs.

Havells India Ltd. traded 0.73 per cent up in Monday's trade at 11:41AM (IST). Around 6,298 shares changed hands on the counter. The counter opened at Rs 1894.95 and touched an intraday high and low of Rs 1910.2 and Rs 1878.8, respectively, in the session so far. Shares of the company of Havells India Ltd. quoted a 52-week high of Rs 1986.55 and a 52-week low of Rs 1233.1.

Issue Dates: August 28-30 Issue Price: ₹318-334 per share Issue Size: Upto Rs 601 crore <div data-placem

Virat Kohli on Sunday hailed Shikhar Dhawan as one of India's most dependable openers, noting that while his fervour, sportsmanship and signature smile will be missed, his enduring legacy will forever resonate. The premier top-order batter, Dhawan announced his retirement from all form of cricket on Saturday. «Shikhar @SDhawan25 from your fearless debut to becoming one of India's most dependable openers, you've given us countless memories to cherish. Your passion for the game, your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed, but your legacy lives on,» Kohli wrote on X.

BJP on Sunday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision to bring a unified pension scheme for central government employees and hit out at the Congress, asking why it has not implemented its promise of bringing back the old pension scheme in Himachal Pradesh and other states where it is in power. Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters here, senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his U-turn jibe at the Centre and said Prime Minister Modi is «sensitive» to public issues and takes decisions in public interest after careful consideration. The Modi government does not take «ad-hoc decisions», the former Union minister said and asked Kharge to tell the nation why his party has taken a «U-turn» on its poll promise of implementing the old pension scheme in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana after coming to power in these states. «The Congress has made the old pension scheme a massive issue in Indian politics over the last two years. So much so that the Congress made even Priyanka Gandhi Vadra announce during elections in Himachal Pradesh that the party will implement the old pension scheme in the state if voted to power,» Prasad said

climate change and the green imperative. Joshi, who is the Union minister of new and renewable energy, and consumer affairs, food and public distribution, will dwell on the most difficult challenge of our times, and how the quick adoption of renewable energy sources are critical to meet this challenge. He will also speak on the government’s renewable energy targets and net-zero ambitions.

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. traded at Rs 173.1 on BSE at 12:53PM (IST) on Monday, up 0.05 per cent from previous close. The scrip quoted a 52-week low price of Rs 85.51 and a high of Rs 196.8.

BSF has sought the deployment of an additional battalion to check the onslaught of cross-border drones carrying drugs and ammunition and curb infiltration along the Punjab front of the India-Pakistan border. The force currently has about 20 battalions to guard the more than 500-kilometre-long front, out of which 18 are «actively deployed» at the border while the rest are mobilised in view of the requirements at the Attari integrated check post in Amritsar and the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. The drone menace that started around 2019-20 along this front is dominant in the border districts of Amritsar and Tarn Taran. One more Border Security Force (BSF) battalion has been sought to better secure the Punjab border, a senior officer told PTI.

Also read: India’s retail inflation eases to 3.54% in July, lowest in five years Meanwhile, Brazil surged four positions to claim third place in the EM league table, fueled by robust exports and strong manufacturing activity. Notably, Brazil also had the highest import cover among its peers.

BJP) on Monday issued a statement, calling out Kangana Ranaut on her statement linking the current unrest in Bangladesh to the farmers protest of 2020 in India. In its statement, the BJP said that it doesn't agree with Ranaut's statement on India's farm agitation of 2020. «The statement given by Kangana Ranaut on the farmers protests is not in line with the party's opinion on the matter. The party disagrees with Miss Kangana Ranaut,» the statement read.