India Financial News

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate on Sunday reiterated that the government will not discontinue the Re 1 crop insurance scheme despite recommendations to shut it down. Speaking to the media in Nandurbar, Kokate confirmed that while some adjustments will be made, the scheme will continue in its current form to support farmers.

Pralay missile to a tri-services tableau, the 76th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path on Sunday featured many firsts. Here is a glimpse:

BJP on Sunday swept the urban local body elections in Uttarakhand, winning 10 out of 11 mayoral seats to emerge as the dominant party in the municipal councils and nagar panchayats. While the BJP won 10 mayoral seats, an Independent candidate bagged the remaining seat, State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar told PTI.

Bollywood choreographer Remo D’Souza recently made headlines after reportedly visiting the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in disguise to take a holy dip at the Sangam. A viral video captured him dressed in black, his face partially covered, as he stood near a ghat, took a boat ride, and performed the sacred ritual.

micro-finance institutions (MFIs) that are deviating from the regulations and demanding extortionate rates of interest from customers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.

Indian Standard Time (IST) across all official and commercial platforms, with the Consumer Affairs Ministry seeking public feedback by February 14. The Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2024, aims to establish a legal framework for standardising timekeeping practices, mandating IST as the sole time reference for legal, administrative, commercial, and official documents.

DK Shivakumar is said to be pushing for locating Bengaluru’s second international airport in the vicinity of Kanakapura, the constituency he represents in the assembly.

French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity dropped to a new low since his first election in 2017, in a poll published on Sunday.

Congress will hold a rally in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, the birthplace of BR Ambedkar, on Monday as it aims to boost its social justice narrative and corner the BJP over alleged insult of the Constitution's chief architect. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, among other senior leaders, are set to attend the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' rally.

Bitcoin and cryptoassets in the US, have nearly cemented digital assets as a mainstream financial asset class. Emerging markets too are increasingly embracing cryptoassets to modernize their financial systems. Amid this global momentum, India finds itself at a pivotal juncture, uniquely positioned to be a significant part of, and even lead, the global digital asset economy. Despite regulatory uncertainty and the risks involved, India is today a global Web3 powerhouse, contributing around 11% of the world’s Web3 developer base and ranking as the second-largest developer market globally. Indian founders now account for 5.4% of all Web3 startups worldwide, spearheading innovation across AI, DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks), and scaling solutions.

Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday inaugurated the northbound bridge connecting the Mumbai Coastal Road with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and ministers Ashish Shelar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha were present on the occasion.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the assembly election in Delhi was not just a contest for the national capital but the entire country. The election pits two contrasting ideologies — one focused on welfare of the general public and the other on benefiting a select group of wealthy individuals — against each other, he said.

empty coaches of a train derailed after it was hit by a parcel van near Padmapukuar railway station of West Bengal's Howrah district on Sunday, an official said. There was no report of any injury in the freak incident, not far from Howrah station, the official of the South Eastern Railway said.

Tausif Riyaz, CEO of Platinum Hern, the company behind Torres Jewellers, was arrested on Sunday at a hotel in Lonavala, Maharashtra, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Torres Jewellery Rs 1,000 crore investment fraud, reported TOI citing police sources. After his arrest, Riyaz was presented before a court, which remanded him to police custody until February 3.

Narendra Modi made headlines by picking up waste along the Kartavya Path, showcasing his commitment to the 'Swacch Bharat' (Clean India) initiative.

infrastructure status, rationalisation of tax rates, easier visa processes and more incentives by state governments to promote investments are some of the key issues that need to be addressed for India's hospitality sector to realise its full potential, Hotel Association of India President K B Kachru said ahead of the Budget. In an interview to PTI, Kachru, emphasised upon the need for India to be marketed in a better fashion, and noted that countries like Japan, South Korea and Thailand have been able to grow their GDP by giving importance to the tourism sector.

Capital markets regulator Sebi on Sunday said it has launched a digital knowledge repository, "Dharohar — Milestones in the Indian securities market", on the occasion of the country's 76th Republic Day. The securities market, known for its diverse products, participants, and institutions, has a long-standing history of organised trading over the past 150 years, Sebi said. «Dharohar has been designed to document and showcase this rich heritage and evolution of the Indian securities market,» the regulator said in a statement.

Awami Tehreek (AT), took place from Gozo to KN Shah, with participants rallying against corporate farming and the construction of six new canals in Sindh, Dawn reported.

Web3 ecosystem presents a transformative opportunity for India, with the potential to redefine the digital economy, contributing an estimated USD 1.1 trillion to the GDP in the coming years, creating millions of new jobs, and strengthening the country’s global standing. India currently boasts the third-largest Web3 talent pool globally, with 12% of the world’s Web3 developers in the country, contributing to the development of the global Web3 ecosystem. The massive Web3 talent pool residing in the country has led to innovation in diverse areas within the space. This includes decentralized finance (DeFi), metaverse, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), among others, aiming to solve the most pressing issues facing our country. However, despite this impressive foundation, the sector’s growth is hindered by an outdated taxation framework. The upcoming Union Budget offers a crucial opportunity to address these challenges and unlock the full potential of Web3 for India’s economy.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In a telling scene from the recent film, You Hurt My Feelings, a middle-aged man walks into his therapist’s office and remarks on an elderly man exiting the therapist’s office: “If I am in therapy at that age, kill me! The guy’s gonna (sic) drop dead in five seconds. What, he’s gonna (sic) change?" The real question this scene brings to the fore is: how old is too old for therapy? This is particularly relevant as India’s population ages rapidly.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In its February meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will deliberate on whether the trajectory of policy rates has reached an inflexion point from where an easing cycle can begin. With a new RBI governor at the helm, the MPC will consider the latest information on consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation and GDP growth available since the last meeting.