India Financial News

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has bluntly termed the dual governance model in the Union Territory — where he shares power with the lieutenant governor — a «recipe for disaster», as he urged the Centre to keep its promise and restore statehood to the region at the earliest. In his first sit-down interview since assuming office in October, Abdullah expressed cautious optimism over the Centre's commitment to restoring J-K's statehood, citing repeated promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during election campaigns. The chief minister's candid remarks underscore the complex political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, and the difficulties in pushing for a more defined and unified administrative leadership by virtue of getting statehood. Abdullah drew parallels with corporate leadership, challenging anyone to name a successful business with multiple leaders.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Travel has provided me with some of the most memorable meals I have eaten, none more than the simple lunch I had in 2008 on a sunny, cool day under the bluest sky, near the edge of a cliff overlooking the inland sea misleadingly called Lake Titicaca in Peru. An indigenous community called the Uru served freshly grilled trout—without spices and with boiled rice, grated carrot, and a condiment based on a local chilli called the aji.

Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 indices fluctuated throughout the week, with a strong rally on Friday, December 13, driving modest weekly gains. On Friday, the Sensex surged by 843.16 points (1.04%) to close at 82,133.12, while the Nifty 50 advanced 219.60 points (0.89%) to settle at 24,768.30, a recovery driven by easing food inflation, strategic price hikes by FMCG companies, and expectations of increased U.S. spending benefiting the IT sector.

volatility return across asset classes, as one would have expected with Trump winning the US presidential election and Republicans taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The latest economic data suggests that the US economy is resilient. It will be interesting to see whether the Fed cuts rates again in the December policy or pauses. The progress on the inflation front has stalled and given that Trump's policies are likely to be expansionary, there could be upside risks to inflation.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A colleague said during breakfast one day that he wanted to start working out because he had just turned 40-years-old and had started seeing visible decline in muscle-mass. This is someone who had hardly worked out in the past, so a decline must have felt more jarring than amongst those who do workout.

A senior citizen fixed deposit is a kind of investment designed especially for those sixty years of age and above. Depending on their financial objectives and needs, senior citizens can select an FD duration that ranges from a few months to several years. Senior citizens looking to lock in higher returns on their savings might consider a three-year fixed deposit. Current interest rates on these deposits are attractive. It is important to note that if the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decides to reduce interest rates, future FD rates may decrease.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to present the Budget for FY 2025-26 in the Parliament on February 1, 2025. Prior to the presentation, the Ministry of Finance will publish the Economic Survey, which is followed by a press conference addressed by the Chief Economic Advisor and other senior officials of the Finance Ministry. The big theme for the upcoming survey will be deregulation, or the process of letting go of regulations in some spheres, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said on December 6.

Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez recently visited renowned chef Vikas Khanna’s New York restaurant, Bungalow. The couple, along with other guests, posed happily for a group photograph shared by Khanna on his X profile.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the Constitution could never have been written without ancient India and ideas. Speaking during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, the LoP said that the Constitution contains a set of ideas from one philosophy of our nation. «In my last few speeches, I spoke about the concept of Abay Mudra. The concept of fearlessness, truth and nonviolence and I showed the House images of different religions displaying the Abay Mudra. People call it the longest written Constitution in the world but the Constitution contains a set of ideas from one philosophy of our nation. When we look at the Constitution and we open the Constitution we hear the voices and ideas of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru. But where do these ideas come from? These ideas came from old profound, traditions in this country. Those ideas came from Shiva, Guru Nanak, Buddha, Kabir, and Mahaavir. When we speak of the Constitution and we show the Constitution of course it is the document of modern India. but it could never have been written without ancient India, and its ideas,» Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha.

Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez recently dined at chef Vikas Khanna’s Bungalow in New York City. The restaurant, known for its authentic Indian cuisine, has quickly become a celebrated destination since its opening in March 2024. Khanna shared a photograph of the couple on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his joy in hosting them. “When @JeffBezos said the visit to Bungalow was like a pilgrimage, it filled my heart with pure joy & pride,” wrote Khanna. He included hashtags such as #PowerOfAuthenticity and #SoftPowerOfIndia to emphasise the cultural significance of the moment.

e-commerce platforms such as Zomato, Ajio and Ola will adopt a Safety Pledge on National Consumer Day on December 24 as part of steps to enhance product safety for online shoppers. The voluntary commitment, announced by the Department of Consumer Affairs, aims to detect and prevent the sale of unsafe and spurious products on digital marketplaces, an official statement said. A committee chaired by consumer activist Pushpa Girimaji developed the pledge after extensive stakeholder consultations in November 2023. With India projected to have 500 million online shoppers by 2030 and currently hosting 880 million internet users, the initiative addresses critical challenges in the rapidly expanding e-commerce landscape. The pledge requires platforms to cooperate with statutory authorities and raise product safety awareness among sellers.

auto components industry has experienced robust growth in the first half of FY25, with a notable 11.3 per cent increase in its market size, according to Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) report. The industry, which was valued at USD 36.1 billion in H1 FY24, surged to USD 39.6 billion in H1 FY25. Several trends have emerged in the market, with consumers shifting towards larger and more powerful vehicles across all segments. The demand for Utility Vehicles (UVs) in the Passenger Vehicle (PV) segment grew by 13 per cent, with UV1 models (ranging from 4000 to 4400 mm in length and priced under Rs 20 lakh) seeing a 25 per cent increase in sales.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday described the Constitution of India as not only the longest but also the most remarkable and beautiful in the world. Speaking in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, «I come from such a region where I have seen airplane first and cars later because it was only after I became an MP that the roads for cars were built. When Prime Minister Modi gave me the opportunity to sit in the place where Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had sat. When I became the law minister of this country. Before assuming the post of Law Minister, I first tried to understand what Baba Saheb Ambedkar wanted and what all things and thoughts were in his mind that he could not do. Our Constitution is not only the largest Constitution in the world but also the most beautiful in the world.» Rijiju claimed that BR Ambedkar's ideas and writings were misinterpreted after his death, noting that Baba Saheb had renounced Hinduism, but he was never hostile towards it.

Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a meeting to discuss concerns regarding law and order in Delhi. The AAP convenor has raised concerns and pointed out that despite Delhi's law and order being under the central government's control, the city is increasingly being recognized as the «crime capital» across the country India and abroad. He cited worrying statistics, including Delhi's top ranking in crimes against women and murder cases among 19 major metro cities in India.

IndiGo flight en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was on Saturday forced to make an emergency landing at the Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan's Karachi city following a medical emergency onboard. The aircraft, which departed from New Delhi, was in Pakistani airspace when a male passenger fell seriously ill, according to sources from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). According to Geo News, the passenger was a 55-year-old Indian man.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enhanced the collateral-free loan limit for farmers from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, effective January 1, 2025, a move aimed at supporting small and marginal farmers amid rising input costs. The new directive instructs banks nationwide to waive collateral and margin requirements for agricultural and allied activity loans up to Rs 2 lakh per borrower. According to the agriculture ministry, the decision comes in response to the rising input costs and the need to improve credit accessibility for farmers. «This measure will significantly benefit over 86 per cent of farmers who are small and marginal landholders,» the statement said. Banks have been instructed to implement the guidelines swiftly and ensure widespread awareness about the new loan provisions.

Pushpa 2: The Rule, which premiered on Thursday, December 5, has astonished audiences by emerging as an unstoppable force at the box office. After just eight days in theaters, it has shattered numerous records by a substantial margin. Released in five languages, the movie’s Hindi version surprisingly outperformed its original Telugu release. In its first week, Pushpa 2 raked in an impressive Rs 725.8 crore. On its second Friday, the film collected Rs 36.25 crore across all languages, with the Hindi version contributing Rs 27 crore and the Telugu version adding Rs 7.5 crore, as per Sacnilk reports. Having already surpassed the Rs 1,000 crore mark in worldwide earnings, the next goal for the film is to achieve the same milestone within India. Remarkably, Pushpa 2 surpassed the lifetime collections of Kalki 2898 AD in just seven days and overtook Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan within a week of release. The film’s box office momentum remains strong despite external controversies. On December 4, a tragic stampede at a theater in Hyderabad during the premiere resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman and injuries to her son. Following this incident, the woman’s husband filed an FIR, leading to the arrest of Allu Arjun on Friday by Hyderabad police. However, Pushpa 2 continues its successful run, unaffected by the incident or Arjun’s brief detention.

Indian students in Canada have reported receiving emails requesting them to resubmit important documents, including study permits, visas, and educational records such as marks and attendance. The request from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) caused widespread panic among international students, many of whom hold visas with up to two years of validity.

Gabba on Saturday. It turned out to be the only session of the day when rain and soggy grounds washed out the remainder of play. With more rain showing on the weather radar, umpires made the decision to call off play for the day about an hour before scheduled stumps.

Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court recently overturned a 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence handed down to a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. The court ruled that the conviction was based primarily on medical evidence, which the judges deemed insufficient without additional corroborative testimony. In its decision, the court emphasised that while medical findings can support a case, they cannot be the primary evidence in establishing guilt. The case dates back to January 2022, when the victim, a 10-year-old girl, visited her uncle’s house in Nagpur. The accused, a 51-year-old landlord, allegedly lured the child to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her. Following the incident, a medical examination confirmed physical injuries consistent with sexual assault. The victim's mother promptly filed a complaint, leading to the arrest of the accused. In June 2023, the special Pocso court convicted the man under Section 376-AB of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, relying heavily on the medical findings and the victim's statement recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The court sentenced the accused to 20 years in prison.

Bank of Baroda. Notably, the growth in exports to the US was higher than aggregate exports until FY00. However, the global financial crisis in 2008 slowed down growth until FY10. Since then, the growth in exports to the US has consistently outpaced the overall export growth, underscoring the growing importance of the American market for Indian exports.