India Financial News

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto 'Sankalp Patra' for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on April 14, the day marking the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. After unveiling the ‘Sankalp Patra’, the Prime Minister said it will help empower youth, women, poor and farmers of the country and help India in its roadmap for ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). The manifesto, with ‘Modi Ki Guarantee 2024’ tagline features bringing all citizens of 70+ age under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat scheme which provides free treatment up to ₹5 Lakh.

cocoa prices soaring 140 per cent since the start of the year have caused speculations that chocolate might vanish due to climate change or other crises. But we have been here before. Back in November 2014, I wrote in ET about chocolate companies predicting potential shortfalls of a million tonnes of cocoa by 2020. And four years before, in 2010, Anthony Ward, a UK-based commodity trader briefly cornered the market by acquiring 240,000 tonnes of cocoa, driving up prices to a 33-year high. It got him dubbed ‘Chocfinger’, after the James Bond villain Goldfinger who tried to corner gold. Chocolate’s real problem is that it is particularly vulnerable to market manipulation. Cacao beans only grow in a narrow band along the equator. The main producers, like Ivory Coast and Ghana, have had to deal with climate change and diseases, but the biggest issue is that the production is done by thousands of small farmers who lack leverage over the market. Price rises barely benefit them. This is why the production of cocoa has struggled to take off in India. In 1957, The Times of India reported that cacao imports cost the country ₹seven lakh per annum: “Consequently a few enterprising planters are experimenting on introducing the plant to India.”

Bloomberg) --The European Central Bank held the line on interest rates but officials leaned even more toward a mid-year cut should inflation continue to cool. Lower borrowing costs would help nudge a European economy that’s struggled to register any growth for longer than a year. On the other side of the Atlantic, US economic activity is on much more solid footing and inflation is running too fast for Federal Reserve policymakers. Here are some of the charts that appeared on Bloomberg this week on the latest developments in the global economy, geopolitics and markets:

HDFC Bank and Jio Financial will also report their quarterly earnings during the week. Q4 earnings to watchout for this week

Another major concern is the surcharged geopolitical situation in the Middle East with heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. These will keep the markets on tenterhooks in the near-term, he added.

BJP) has revealed its 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during an event held at the party headquarters in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside other senior party members, graced the occasion, coinciding with B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), released its eagerly awaited manifesto — Sankalp Patra — on April 14 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and party President JP Nadda. BJP's manifesto panel head in his address ahead of the official launch announced that the saffron party has completed all the promises of the 2019 poll pitch. "...I am happy and satisfied that under PM Modi's leadership, we have fulfilled all our promises that we made to the people of the country...Through its 'Sankalp Patra', BJP presents the roadmap to a self-respecting and capable India as well as presents its commitment to welfare and development of every section of society in the country." said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Sankalp Patra, for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in an event at its headquarters in New Delhi. Ranjan Singh, the head of BJP's manifesto committee, also spoke at the event, revealing how the team prepared the Sankalp Patra. Singh said the party prepared the manifesto after an extensive and comprehensive exercise. BJP received lakhs of suggestions online as well as through institutions and individuals. Rajnath Singh said they received 4 lakh inputs through the NAMO app, while about 10 lakh suggestions were received through videos. The BJP manifesto committee received 15 lakh such inputs.

Nifty 50 ended with weekly gains of 0.4% amid significant volatility and a sell-off in bluechip stocks on Friday after concerns of greater scrutiny on investments done from Mauritius soured D-Street sentiments. When markets resume trading on Monday, a host of important domestic and global events lined up during the holiday-truncated week are likely to impact them. Commenting on last week's action, Santosh Meena, Head of Research, at Swastika Investmart, said that Nifty surrendered most of its gains on Friday dragged by US inflation concerns, geopolitical tensions, and selling by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).

Iran's drone strike on Israel, India on April 14 issued a statement pushing for a scaledown in Iran-Israel face-off. India is concerned over the new emerging realities in the region, a statement by the External Affairs ministry said. «seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region,» the statement read.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president Chandrababu Naidu has condemned the attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) for an «impartial and unbiased» inquiry into the incident. Taking to X, the former Chief Minister said, «I strongly condemn the attack on @ysjagan. I request the @ECISVEEP to initiate an impartial and unbiased inquiry into the incident and punish the responsible officials.»

IPL and asked players to be “smart" about things around the tournament. “Players also need to be smart, not only about cricket but about other things going around in the IPL. We have to respect your body and give some time for it to recover because there is more to it than playing matches.

IPL 2024 Points Table: Rajasthan Royals handed the Punjab Kings their 4th defeat on the season to retain their position on top of the IPL teams ranking. Meanwhile, despite losing the contest, Punjab Kings have continue to be placed 8th on the IPL points table. Sanju Samson's side have been in excellent form this season with key players stepping up for the team at crucial times.

West Asia. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wrote, “Spoke to UK Foreign Secretary Lord@David_Cameron today. Discussed the emerging situation in West Asia as also our bilateral ties." Additionally, India has also called on Iranian authorities in Tehran and Delhi to secure the early release of 17 Indians stuck on the cargo ship ‘MSC Aries’, said sources as quoted by PTI. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is also working closely with relevant authorities for the welfare of all 25 crew members and the return of the vessel, the company said.

Varanasi is endearingly monikered as Kashi or Banaras. The city, for ages, has long been the ultimate pilgrimage for the devotees of Hinduism worldwide.

domestic equity benchmarks settled flat last week as investors' hope for a June rate cut were dashed by higher-than-expected inflation in the US, compounded by positive US employment and manufacturing data. Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, alongside supply concerns, have propelled crude oil prices upward, impacting the overall market sentiment.

Mint. The UK offers a range of financial aid and scholarships to support Indian and international students pursuing their studies in the country. Through these scholarships the UK provides students with opportunities that spark brighter futures and global careers.

As the Greater Toronto Area confronts an auto theft crisis, some residents are considering bold – or arguably radical – action.

New Delhi: The Indian Railways is considering Internet of Things, new chemicals and standardised watering systems among tools to address a chronic complaint of passengers: smelly trains and station premises. A recent meeting of senior railway officials associated with maintenance and upkeep of trains discussed this issue, after the Railway Board flagged the large number of complaints that the national transporter has been getting on its platform for grievance redressal, a top government official said. “To address the high volume of complaints regarding foul smell figuring in the Rail Madad app, the Railway Board has recommended testing new IoTbased technology for foul smell detectors,” the official told ET.

Bournvita and other beverages should not be called health drinks because the category isn’t defined in the country’s food laws. “All ecommerce companies/portals are hereby advised to remove drink/beverages including Bournvita from the category of ‘health drinks’ from their sites/portals,” the commerce and industry ministry said in a notification. Cadbury Bournvita, the country’s most popular malted drink, had found itself in a controversy last year after a social media influencer alleged that the drink has high sugar content.

demand during the summer months, invoking a key provision in the Electricity Act. This is the first time that the government is using Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 for gas-based plants.