India Financial News

Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is creating an environment that will allow the country’s intellectual property rights (IPRs) ecosystem to flourish. At the same time, the need to protect the IPRs of innovators has to be balanced with the imperative of using them for the benefit of all, she said, listing the steps taken by the government to bolster research and development (R&D). “We are trying to make them (IPR laws) work as a facilitator, a booster, and not as a barrier to the process of R&D,” Sitharaman said on Saturday, asserting that India’s IP regime remains compliant with the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) framework of the World Trade Organization.

India’s fledgling electric vehicle market on expectations that a government push towards ecofriendly mobility and greater consumer awareness will further accelerate sales. Domestic electric passenger vehicle sales have picked up pace, with the number of mass-market models growing threefold to a dozen by seven companies in 2023, from just four models by three manufacturers prior to the pandemic, according to data collated by automotive market research firm Jato Dynamics. Tata Motors dominates the local EV market with its Tiago, Nexon, Tigor and Punch, followed by MG Motor India and Mahindra & Mahindra. China’s BYD, a relatively new entrant, is making strong inroads, surging ahead of even established rivals such as South Korea’s Hyundai and Kia. BYD, the world's number one electric vehicle maker, launched the Seal sedan earlier this week — the third model in its portfolio after the e6 multipurpose vehicle and Atto 3 SUV.

This gradual, yet visible, shift in buying behaviour follows several futile attempts by companies to push sales of such products that either cost more or failed to spell out a clear value proposition for the consumer. Data by market researcher GfK India showed the contribution by volume, or number of units sold, for energy saving ACs with four and five stars has moved from 14% in 2019 to 27% in 2023. But for a category like refrigerators, which wouldn’t inflate power bills as much as an air-conditioner would, the volume contribution of such models remains flat at 10%.

India has more than 820 million active internet users at present. Over half of them — 442 million — now come from rural parts of the country. In 2023, internet penetration grew eight per cent year-on-year. A new report shows that Indians’ internet behaviour and activities are changing in several ways.

Sebi) on Friday notified the regulations to govern small and medium real estate investment trusts (SM-REITs) of income generating and completed properties that may include commercial assets, rental housing, warehousing, and hotels among others. The introduction of regulations is set to enhance investor trust, broadening the embrace of the growing asset category. This effort is expected to offer vital backing to real estate developers, creating an extra opportunity to capitalize on assets and inject essential liquidity into the industry.

Amul is known for its wide range of products — and for its witty ads featuring the iconic Amul Girl. Last week, it came up with another smashing one that got us chortling — 'Chaicrosoft!' with the tagline 'Gatesway to taste!' It showed an Amul-ised Bill Gates and by-now celebrity roadside tea-seller from Nagpur, Sunil Patil, a.k.a. Dolly Chaiwala. Gates crossed paths with Dolly during his recent visit to India to attend the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani. Passing through Nagpur, he was taken to the best-known chai cart on Ravindra Nath Tagore Marg. With his signature style of brewing and vending tea from his mobile unit, his funky glasses, chains and accessories — not to mention his style-bhai enthusiasm for his craft — Dolly has some 1.5 mn followers on Instagram. He must have added at least a few thousands more to his kitty after Bill from Washington state shared the by-now famous video of his visit to Dolly Ki Tapri last week. Dolly's chai is reportedly a concoction of tea leaves, milk, cardamom, and crushed ginger. Nothing too special about that — except the stylish way he serves it. He pours the milk into the saucepan with a flourish and then shuffles cups before handing them to customers. His fashion sense and antics seem to be inspired by Turkish meat artist superstar Salt Bae (born Nusret Gokce), whose technique for preparing, seasoning and serving meat in his restaurants across the world wowed the likes of Maradona and Devid Beckham. And it clearly works for Dolly.

Pullela Gopichand is to be believed, they are India’s best bet for a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “If they play one notch below their best, even then they should win the gold. They are that good,” the badminton national head coach said about the Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who are in red hot form and have yet again proved it at the French Open Super 750 in Paris. The duo talks with BORIA MAJUMDAR about the importance of the ongoing tournament, how it will help them prepare for the Olympics, their chances and more. Excerpts: How much does it help that the ongoing tournament is at the venue that will be used for the Olympics? Chirag: It will help a lot. You get yourself familiar with things and given that we haven’t played in this venue, it is of serious help because we will now know what to expect come the Olympics. It is always about preparation and to be well prepared we need to know as much of what we might encounter as possible. Playing this tournament in the same venue is the kind of perfect preparation we need. The more you win, the more pressure it will bring during the Olympics. You have started the year in a stellar fashion. Multiple semi-finals and finals already.

skydiving in Madhya Pradesh, exploring a “seabeach” in Rajasthan or going on a temple trail in Goa? You could even board a special tourist train to cover lesser-known spots in Uttarakhand. State tourism departments across the country are working on promoting new destinations and activities in a bid to attract more travellers, said officials. While Goa, for instance, wants tourists to explore more of the coastal state beyond its beaches, Rajasthan wants to develop destinations other than forts and palaces, they said.

England, each Test lasting a shorter time than the previous one, will not put an end to Bazball. That school of thought and style of play will likely be in evidence till the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes pairing continues. But this series will emphatically lay to rest the claims that this is either the best way to play Test cricket, or indeed the only way. For some time now England have been evangelists, claiming that their brand of cricket is breathing fresh life into a format in decline. The sordid truth, though, is that winning matters more than playing bright cricket. Fans of any team do not like losing, and throughout this series, England have created opportunities and repeatedly fluffed them. India were just too good. And there’s a range of factors that allowed them to be so. SPIN THRILL

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested former DMK functionary Jaffer Sadiq in Delhi on Saturday, in connection with a ₹2,000 crore international drugs trafficking case. The central agency has termed Sadiq the «mastermind and kingpin» of the illicit network spread across India, Australia and New Zealand. Sadiq, a producer of Tamil films, was recently expelled by the DMK from the party after the NCB stated that he was linked to the drugs network. He was the Chennai West deputy organiser of the DMK's NRI wing. The opposition BJP and AIADMK in the state have been targeting the DMK over the matter. Last month, the NCB said it had arrested three people, all hailing from Tamil Nadu, and seized 50 kg of narcotics-making chemical pseudoephedrine during a raid at a godown in Delhi. The searches by the NCB, along with the special cell of the Delhi Police, came about following a tip-off received towards the end of 2023 from the Australian and New Zealand authorities about «large quantities» of pseudoephedrine concealed in desiccated coconut powder and mix food powder being smuggled into their countries from India.

climate change poses serious health risks to pregnant women, including preterm delivery, gestational hypertension, and pre-eclampsia, according to a new government-backed study. Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, speaking at the launch of the report that was sponsored by her department, said climate change and its impact are not a standalone crisis. «This is the first Indian study from the perspective of agroecological zones in India; this has never been done in India before and that is why it is significant,» she said. «There has to be a narrative around the agroecological zones in the country… India has to come up with legacy climate solutions that India has to offer and also study what the global north is facing in terms of climate change and how we can provide solutions,» Irani said.

Inox Cinema Complex in Srinagar. Hibban, says Shah, is hooked to the e-gaming zone at the complex. As night falls, they make their hour-long journey back to Tral. This very ordinary weekend activity was the stuff of dreams in Kashmir as recent as five years ago. Shah says it is safe now to drive at night, all the way back to Tral. “The Valley has been peaceful in the last few years. Some of the sectors such as tourism and construction have witnessed a boom never seen before,” Shah tells ET. Five years ago, in February 2019, a suicide attack killed 40 Indian soldiers in Pulwama, bringing New Delhi and Islamabad perilously close to a full-blown war. The incident, which happened on the eve of the 2019 general elections, drummed up nationalistic fervour in the rest of India and was one of the factors that helped BJP sweep the polls. And one of the first steps taken by the new government under Narendra Modi was to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution, a provision that granted special status to Jammu & Kashmir. The Centre divided the state into two Union territories: Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh. It was an unpopular decision in the Valley but there were no big protests as all local political leaders and separatist-leaning youth were under preventive detention.

Read the article below to know more about the elegance, comfort, and enduring appeal of women's ballerinas.

New Delhi: With leading political parties having announced their first lists of candidates for the general election, the stage is set for a number of high-profile electoral battles. Annie Raja Vs Rahul Gandhi: Wayanad Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faces Annie Raja, wife of CPI leader D Raja, as he is seeking a second term from Wayanad in Kerala. The contest has aroused public interest particularly since both the Congress and CPI are members of the INDIA alliance and D Raja regularly shares the stage with Gandhi.

India will soon start making equipment for semiconductor manufacturing, Union telecom and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. «The entire semiconductor ecosystem of fabs, ATMP units, chemicals, gases, substrate, consumables and equipment for semiconductor manufacturing will be made in India,» he said. He was speaking at the inauguration of American chip equipment supplier Applied Materials' India Validation Centre in Bengaluru which was set up at a cost of $20 million.

Krystyna Pyszkova clinched the prestigious Miss World 2024 crown at the glittering event held in Mumbai's Jio World Convention Centre. The occasion, graced by luminaries and renowned personalities, marked a celebration of femininity and global diversity. This year's Miss World competition garnered immense anticipation, particularly due to India's rich history of producing exceptional beauty queens. The event, far beyond a mere pageant, resonated as a tribute to womanhood in its entirety. Renowned Indian designer Archana Kochhar curated the stunning ensembles donned by the contestants, adding a touch of Bollywood flair to the spectacle.

Lok Sabha elections, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has suddenly resigned, leaving the poll body with only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at the helm, unless the Centre appoints two new election commissioners this week. Goel's resignation that has come three years before his term was to complete in 2027, is a significant development that also puts the poll panel's internal dynamics in the spotlight ahead of yet another general election, just like in 2019. More so, given that Goel was actively participating in all the poll-related meetings right until Saturday, touring states and holding briefings with ECI officials. Goel was also present at the March 8 high-level discussion held with the home ministry on deployment of forces for polls. He was also scheduled to visit J&K along with the CEC on March 12.

RIL’s Viacom18 and Walt Disney’s Star India is set to redefine media, entertainment and sports in India. With over 750 million viewers, 200,000-plus hours of content and all the key cricket properties under its belt, the new entity could very well change the rules of the game even globally. Javed Farooqui & Vinod Mahanta take a look at the reasons behind the merger, the opportunity at hand and the key players who could make it all happen. Nita Ambani, Chairperson, Viacom18-Disney: Nita Ambani’s foray into the world of entertainment biz In a video played at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding bash in Jamnagar last week, Reliance head honcho Mukesh Ambani, portraying Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic character in the 1978 hit Don, delivers a popular dialogue in a filmi way—“Hamari zindagi mein asli don ek hi thi, ek hi hain aur ek hi rahegi” — and walks away from the throne. Nita Ambani coolly takes over the throne, dons the black shades and effortlessly embodies the look of a boss. Well, the boss is now going to take over a new throne — at Star India-Viacom merged entity. Months after relinquishing her position on the board of Reliance Industries (RIL), Nita Ambani has taken on her first business role as the chairperson of the proposed Star IndiaViacom18 merged entity.

Sini Shetty was bested by Miss Lebanon who made it till top 4. Sini Shetty, a 22 year old Bharatnatyam dancer represented India in the beauty pageant. She was born and raised in Mumbai.

charge as Election Commissioner on November 21, 2022. He is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1985 batch, Punjab cadre. Arun Goel served as a secretary at the Ministry of Heavy Industry, Government of India, after more than 37 years of service.

Arun Goel, a retired 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service officer from the Punjab cadre, was appointed as Election Commissioner on November 19, 2022, in a move that sparked controversy and raised questions about the appointment process. Goel's appointment came under scrutiny when it was revealed that he had taken voluntary retirement on November 18, 2022, and was appointed to the Election Commission just a day later. This swift appointment process led to criticism, with the Supreme Court questioning the government's haste in appointing him. The court asked why there was a «tearing hurry» to appoint Goel to the poll panel, noting that the file recommending his appointment was moved quickly, with even the Prime Minister recommending his name on the same day. Despite the controversy surrounding his appointment, a two-judge bench later dismissed a petition challenging his appointment, citing a previous decision by a Constitution Bench.