India Financial News

Priced at half that of their imported counterparts, the Indian toy doesn’t just match but “rivals the foreign brands feature-for-feature”, exclaim the Shettys. The kids, who got to add to their treasure trove of mostly imported dart blasters, are happy too. That is the sweet spot that India’s reviving toy industry has captured, and in a rather quick time too. In just four years, India has cut toy imports from China, a nation that has long dominated the global market, by an impressive 80%. A mix of high tariffs and stringent quality checks helped. Between FY20 and FY24, India sharply increased customs duty — from 20% to 70%. It also enforced the Quality Control Order (QCO), a regulation mandating stringent safety standards for all toys, whether domestically produced or imported. Result: In FY20, India had imported Chinese toys worth $235 million, a figure that plunged to just $41 million by FY24. It has also evolved into a net exporter of toys.

Automotive Research Association of India) is the organisation mandated with making sure the vehicles you buy in India meet standards. From Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) safety standards, to fuel efficiency figures under test conditions, to ensuring homologation of vehicles, this is the entity that tests and certifies automobiles sold in the country. It does all of this out of its 260 acre base in Pune, equipped with a large number of testing facilities. Incorporated in 1966, the cooperative industrial research association under the Ministry of Heavy Industries has had quite the journey thus far. But what is happening now is clearly new. It, along with the entire automotive industry, is now in the middle of the big energy transition, from fossil fuels to electric and other alternative sources of energy.

neighbourhood billionaire, and all this is available in your city. Ultra-luxury houses that can give The Louvre a run for its money — like this particular residential tower in Mumbai where you can enjoy an original Picasso in the lobby as you sip your morning tea — are becoming all too common in India. The price tag can run into hundreds of crores, something that’s hardly a deterrent for the rich and famous whose numbers seem to only be increasing, with India adding a billionaire every 5 days in 2023. The extraordinary surge in wealth since the pandemic has fuelled a boom in the luxury housing market that has all but reshaped the country’s real estate landscape. With the pandemic behind us and the economy continuing to deliver world-beating growth, the luxury residential segment is emulating the growth march, setting new benchmarks for opulence, exclusivity and sophistication.

Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has signed on as the Title Sponsor of the Hockey India League (HIL) for the next three seasons, starting from 2024-25. This strategic alliance between Hero MotoCorp and the HIL aims to rejuvenate one of India’s most cherished sports, expanding its reach and fostering a vibrant platform for emerging talent. Apart from Hero, the league has three partners including Big FM (Radio Partner), Bisleri (Hydration Partner), and Apollo Hospitals (Medical Partner). Sony Sports Networks and Doordarshan are the broadcast partners while Prasar Bharati's Waves is the streaming partner.

Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the Congress over the Emergency and said whenever democracy' is discussed, «this very sin» of Congress will be remembered. Speaking in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India,' the Prime Minister launched a strong attack on Congress and said «one family of Congress left no stone unturned in hurling a blow to the Constitution» PM Modi said when India was celebrating 25 years of the Constitution, it «was torn apart» and Emergency was imposed.

With a 2-0 lead in the ongoing T20I series, South Africa has already clinched victory, but Pakistan will look to salvage some pride and prevent a clean sweep. The match is scheduled to begin at 9:30 PM IST.

Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Congress-led UPA government for the largest power outage in the country in 2012 and said his government has worked towards 'One Nation, One Grid' and there is uninterrupted power supply in all parts of the country. Speaking in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India', the Prime Minister said during the previous government, «we saw India being defamed in the world through headlines». «Several times, there was power in one part of the country but it was not supplied. So, there was pitch dark in the other part. During the previous government, we saw India being defamed before the world through headlines. We have seen those days. That is why, with the mantra of unity and upholding the sense of the Constitution, we fulfilled One Nation One Grid. That is why, today there is uninterrupted power supply in all corners of India,» he said.

Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Having already secured the series by winning the first two encounters, South Africa will be aiming to complete a clean sweep, while Pakistan looks to bounce back and finish the series with a much-needed victory ahead of their upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series.

«Congress has apologised for the Emergency but you are silent on various things you have done… Congress toppled elected governments, but you divided our state into two Union Territories, which was unnecessary,» he said. Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh named activists like Stan Swamy, who was jailed in the Bhima Koregaon case and died in the prison, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha and Meeran Haider, who have been arrested on the allegations of links with the 2020 Delhi riots.

PM Modi made reference to actions taken by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as examples of the Congress’s alleged attempts to disrespect the constitution. In his address, PM Modi claimed that Nehru had expressed a willingness to change the Constitution if it posed a «hindrance.»

Brisbane Test between Australia and India was washed out, and rain threatens to disrupt the remaining days of the match as well. Sunday's weather is forecast to be cloudy and humid, with a chance of thunderstorms and a 100% likelihood of rain. On Monday, there is a 46% chance of rain in the morning. Tuesday sees a 60% likelihood of rain, and Wednesday's forecast predicts a 70% chance of precipitation. At the end of Day 1, Australia's scoreboard stood at 28/0, with Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney unbeaten on 19 (47) and 4 (33), respectively.

Jitendra Singh. Speaking at India Economic Conclave organised by Times Network in New Delhi, Singh said, India is on the path of raising its space sector to global standards. He informed that India has made a quantum jump since 2014 in the Space economy.

Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday compared the address of the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi, saying that it was a really «good speech» but Priyanka Gandhi's speech was better." «People felt that it was a little short speech and he should have spoken a little more. But it was a really good speech...But I feel that so far, Priyanka Gandhi's speech was far better. Akhilesh Yadav and Kalyan Banerjee also spoke very well...Priyanka Gandhi spoke in depth, and with confidence. She covered all issues. Today, Rahul Gandhi spoke well with energy but he should have spoken more...PM will also speak shortly...Enjoy that,» the TMC MP told ANI. Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, «Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and tall leaders of that time were part of the Constituent Assembly. All of them signed the draft prepared by Ambedkar Sahib. It was implemented. In all the years that the Congress governed this country, the words (of the Constitution) were implemented. We are proud that we attained freedom for the country and we did not come back by tendering an apology.»

India's Constitution was built not just by its founders, but by the citizens who adopted it and continue to follow it, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. The Prime Minister thanked Indian citizens and extended his gratitude as state head for the country's efforts to adhere to the followings of the Indian Constitution, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, in the Lok Sabha. «I want to thank every Indian citizen from the bottom of my heart. Everyone who has adopted our Constitution and lived it for the past 75 years… Indians deserve to be celebrated today hence. They must be honoured for honouring our Constitution,» said Modi.

Pushpa 2: The Rule, has emerged as a pan-India success. The film, which is made within the budget of Rs400-500 crore, has garnered more than Rs750 crore in all languages in India alone in nine days of its release. Interestingly, the contribution of the dubbed Hindi version of the film to the total collection in all languages has been 60.1% at Rs453 crore. This shows that the film has emerged as a pan-India success. Ramesh Bala, entertainment sector analyst based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu said, “A southern film which crosses over its home state and makes Rs100 crore in dubbed Hindi version is a pan-India success.” He said that Pushpa 2: The Rule has fulfilled most expectations of an able sequel just like K.G.F: Chapter 2, the sequel of the original Kannada film K.G.F: Chapter 1.

natural gas will eat into its growth, according to a joint study by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and Deloitte. Household consumption makes up about 90% of the total LPG consumption in the country. About 99% of households have access to clean fuel—domestic LPG connections have doubled in a decade to 32 crore —but many poor families consume an abysmally low amount of fuel. Their consumption is expected to expand in the future and can fuel demand for LPG. However, this growth will likely be more than offset by a rapid expansion of piped natural gas (PNG). “As city gas distribution sector grows, it will be the key factor that will erode LPG demand,” the study said. “Demand erosion will be prominent in the domestic segment as PNG—domestic and commercial—is cheaper than LPG.”

People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti Saturday said the idea of 'one nation, one election' undermines the the country's federal structure. «Unfortunately, this NDA government is destroying India's Constitution day by day. India is a federal country, which has a federal structure. By talking of 'one nation, one election', you are undermining that federal structure,» Mufti told reporters here. The NDA government talks of making a «Viksit Bharat» by 2047, but actually they are «taking the country backwards», she said. «They talk of 2047, but they are rather moving backwards. After the country became independent, there was 'one nation, one election' (in the early years). After that, there has been distribution of power among regions and a federal structure was born. They want to take us back to the same dictatorship which I think is very wrong,» she added.

Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said the Department of Posts is going through a business process restructuring exercise to transition to a digital platform as he asserted that Dak Sewa is Jan Sewa (postal service is public service). Speaking on the occasion of the 50th Foundation Day of Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, the minister said the shift is particularly relevant in the context of e-commerce growth, positioning the department to lead in this emerging business avenue. «Our department is going to go digital. Our department is going through a business process restructuring exercise, where we will transform ourselves in the days to come into a logistics corporation, where we must become the leaders in the world, with a new business avenue that is growing in terms of e-commerce,» he said. He noted that the Department of Posts today is the largest distribution network across the world, with 1,64,000 post offices.

Indian weddings are renowned for their grandeur, vibrant rituals, and lively celebrations featuring music, dance, and the ever-anticipated baraat. Social media is often abuzz with videos showcasing extravagant pre-wedding festivities, dramatic entrances, and quirky ideas. Recently, a wedding video featuring a Bollywood-inspired twist has taken the internet by storm. The now-viral clip, shared by Instagram user @saini5019, captures a couple’s dramatic entry into their wedding venue on a movable replica of the steel machine gun featured in Ranbir Kapoor’s 2023 blockbuster Animal. In the film, Kapoor’s character uses the 500kg steel machine gun in an intense action sequence. Drawing inspiration from this, the bride and groom made their entrance seated behind the replica, which emitted smoke from its sides while the song Arjun Vailly played in the background. The video, uploaded just days ago, has garnered over 24 million views and 351,000 likes. However, the reaction in the comments section has been polarized. “The impact of bad cinema. I hate the movie Animal for so many reasons, and now I see people copying it. Absolute rubbish,” criticized one user. Another questioned, “Why would anyone with a brain do this?” A third remarked, “What!!! Why would you embody a character that killed people for revenge and power?” Meanwhile, others commented on the lengths people go to for standing out: “At this point, people will pay for anything just to look different.”

WPL) 2025 will see a mini auction take place in Bengaluru on December 15. The five teams have a chance to polish their squads as they aim to win the silverware next year. Mumbai Indians were the inaugural champions in 2023 while Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the trophy earlier this year’s with Delhi Capitals finishing as the runners-up on both occasions. Gujarat Giants enter the auction with the biggest purse of Rs 4.4 crore while Delhi Capitals have the smallest budget at Rs 2.5 crore.

The home loan interest rate is the amount charged by the lender on the borrower's principal sum. You repay a loan in Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) comprising principal and interest. Repayment by way of EMI commences from the month following the month in which you take the full disbursement. One of the most crucial things a lender considers when disbursing a home loan is the CIBIL score. Your CIBIL score indicates your ability to repay any debt. TransUnion CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau India Limited) monitors credit scores for individuals based on their credit history.