2020 Financial News

Global stocks were poised to endure another rocky session on Tuesday as concerns around President Donald Trump’s looming tariff rollout continued to whipsaw markets. Shares in Australia, Japan and South Korea opened higher while US equity-index futures dropped in early Asian trading. The S&P 500 climbed for the first time in four sessions, though US shares still notched their worst quarter compared to the rest of the world since 2009. As equities bounced, bonds moved away from session highs.

Nifty, has ended positive seven times in the last 10 years. Nifty’s highest return in April was 14.7% in 2020, during the Covid-induced nationwide lockdown. The next best years were 2018 and 2023, when the 50-stock benchmark gained 6.2% and 4%, respectively.

Anand Mahindra can’t stop gushing about this enterprising IAS officer. D. Krishna Bhaskar, who was posted as district collector in the Rajanna-Sircilla region of Telangana, created history in 2020 when he managed to increase groundwater levels by six metres in less than four years. Taking to X on Monday, the billionaire praised the IAS officer for coming up with an innovative solution to India’s water woes. The tycoon stated that in a country whose economy is dependent on farming, depleting water resources is a major concern.

We look at banks as safekeepers of our money, which they are. The banking system in India is generally robust. As long as you keep your money with a leading bank, your money is safe. However, on paper, your money is safe up to ₹5 lakh per bank, which is known as deposit insurance. This insurance is taken care of by Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). With the latest cooperative bank failure, there are talks of increasing the coverage from ₹5 lakh to, say, ₹10 lakh.

Shivalik, the only small finance bank to have transformed from an urban cooperative bank, is looking to acquire a non-banking finance company (NBFC) with focus on secured business. three people familiar with the development said. Secured advances include collateralized assets, like a home-loan financed house that can be used as a security when instalments go unpaid.

Delhi court on Saturday dismissed a plea filed by a BJP leader seeking prosecution of AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him in September 2018. Special judge Vishal Gogne turned down the petition filed by BJP's Suraj Bhan Chauhan against a trial court's February 19 order which rejected his complaint against Bharadwaj, citing delay in filing it. The limitation period was found to have lapsed on March 16, 2024, the court said while noting the magisterial court had already accorded the permissible liberal construction to the limitation period. The court finds the conduct of Chauhan to have been «whimsical and opportunistic» in filing the belated defamation complaint, regarding the press conference of the year 2018, only in December 2024 against respondent Saurabh Bharadwaj on the cusp of the Delhi Assembly elections in early 2025, the judge said. Chauhan had alleged that Bharadwaj defamed him in 2018 by falsely claiming at a press conference that an FIR had been lodged against him. He claimed before the special judge that he had «inadvertently» filed the complaint against Bharadwaj, a former Delhi minister, before Saket court instead of Rouse Avenue Court which came up for hearing in September 2020.

GST Amnesty Scheme under Section 128A the government has made few amendments to Rule 164. These amendments are aimed at solving two primary issues faced by GST registered taxpayers and which were preventing them from effectively using GST Amnesty Scheme-waiver of penalty and interest. The amendments relate to payment of GST tax demand and GST tax demand’s appeal application for those years where GST Amnesty Scheme is not applicable. To make the amendments clear, the government has also released some frequently asked questions about the same.

Mumbai police's closure report in the Disha Salian death case had termed it a suicide and asserted she was battling depression due to various reasons, including misuse of her money by her father, an official has said. Disha Salian was a former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. She allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the 12th floor of her building in Jankalyan Nagar in north Mumbai's Malad area on June 8, 2020, as per police. The closure report by Malvani police, which probed the incident, was submitted to a superior officer (as per rules for an accidental death report) on February 4, 2021. The official on Friday said as part of the probe, Malvani police recorded statements of Disha's friends and some witnesses, during which it came to light that she was depressed due to some failed projects, misunderstanding with friends and misuse of her money by her father. The police had also recorded statements of actors with whom Disha Salian was communicating on behalf of her company, he added. After the case got entangled in an acrimonious tussle between political parties, the Mumbai police set up a Special Investigation Team, though its report is still awaited.

In India, the Himalayas are most prone to earthquakes. Experts have highlighted the possibility of a 'Great Himalayan Earthquake'. Any major seismic activity in the region always brings to fore this vulnerability. The impact of such a large earthquake of magnitude of 8 or above can also impact the National Capital Region of Delhi. A matter of 'when' not 'if' American geophysicist Roger Bilham has warned that the Himalayas are the only place in the world where a large quake can occur on land. «India slides 2m beneath the southern edge of Tibet every century. Unfortunately, its northern edge does not slide smoothly but is hung-up (by friction) for hundreds of years and catches up in minutes when this friction is overcome. The slip events, which we call earthquakes, are the inevitable and unavoidable consequence of this motion,» Bilham had told TOI in an interview in 2020. Bilham has explained why the Great Himalayan Earthquake is inevitable even though experts can't say exactly when it can happen. «Great earthquakes with magnitudes exceeding 8 on the Richter scale have been occurring in the Himalayas every few hundred years. We have geological evidence that earthquakes as large as M=8.7 have occurred many times in the past 2,000 years. However, no magnitude 8 earthquakes have occurred in the past 70 years to release the pressure in the Himalayan arc. Two or more regions of the Himalayas must soon rupture in a great earthquake. It is not a matter of “possibly”. They must occur. Unfortunately, scientists are unable to offer any insight into their precise timing,» Bilham had told TOI.

Aykon London One, also known as the «Versace Tower,» for £1.5 million (Rs 16.6 crore).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Imagine opening a bank account or applying for a loan from the comfort of your home—no branch visits, no paperwork, just a quick video call. That’s the power of Video KYC (VKYC), a game-changer in India’s banking sector since its launch in 2020.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. President Trump is using regulatory language crafted by his administration in his first term to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in grants for programs ranging from vaccine research to teacher training.

Krafton has acquired a controlling stake in Pune-based Nautilus Mobile, the studio behind the popular Real Cricket franchise, in a deal worth Rs 118 crore. This marks Krafton’s first control deal in India, signalling its focus on local game development here. Founded in 2013, Nautilus Mobile was acquired by JetSynthesys in 2020. Subsequently, Krafton made a Rs 40.5 crore investment in 2022. The latest acquisition gives Krafton a larger stake in India’s gaming landscape, integrating Nautilus Mobile’s expertise with its global resources and technology.

Gymshark has reportedly settled a lawsuit with a US influencer who had alleged that the company terminated a sponsorship deal with her after her pro-Israel views attracted a backlash on social media. The lawsuit was filed in the British High Court by Alix Earle, who has 7 million followers on TikTok. She also has more than 4 million Instagram followers.

The floor price has been set at ₹1,625 per share, a 4.9% discount to Wednesday's closing price of ₹1,695 on NSE. The base offer comprises 10.6 million shares (6.8% stake) worth ₹1,717.4 crore, along with a greenshoe option of 5.3 million shares (3.4% stake) valued at ₹858.7 crore.

While hiring policies and diversity initiatives have led to higher female participation, career progression for women remains sluggish, particularly at senior levels, found the report, Gender Parity—Shaping Workforce Equity, that analyses workforce trends across global capability centres (GCCs), IT services, and tech roles in non-tech industries. “While we celebrate the growing presence of women in tech contractual roles, we must recognise that achieving true gender parity requires sustained efforts and a multifaceted approach that transcends hiring more women,” said Neeti Sharma, chief executive of TeamLease Digital.

Taking to his Instagram account, he shared that a source has revealed that a key point of contention arose when Dhanashree insisted that Chahal relocate from his hometown in Haryana to Mumbai, the financial capital of India. According to him, the couple, known for their presence in both cricket and entertainment circles, struggled to find common ground due to their starkly different personalities. While they had initially settled in Haryana with Chahal’s parents, they would visit Mumbai only when necessary. However, tensions escalated when Dhanashree firmly demanded a permanent move to Mumbai, a request that reportedly took Chahal by surprise. He added that the leg-spinner, deeply rooted in his family home and environment, found the demand unreasonable. Despite discussions and attempts to reach a middle ground, the disagreement led to heated arguments and an eventual rift. He stated that Chahal remained firm in his decision, unwilling to uproot himself from his parents’ home and the life he had built in Haryana. As per him, ultimately, this ongoing dispute over relocating is said to have played a significant role in the couple’s separation, marking the end of a relationship that had long been in the public eye.

Experts also believe the proposed increase in loan and asset classification limits will make it easier for all categories of banks, including private lenders, to achieve the disbursement targets, while potentially boosting margins. Private lenders usually fell short of achieving the targets set for them. «A majority of changes are in terms of higher limits, which will make it easier for banks to find the profile of borrowers,» said Karthik Srinivasan, group head, financial sector ratings, ICRA. «Banks achieve their targets, but the sub-categories create issues.»

‘The Buckingham Murders’ director took to X to express his support for the comedian. He flagged an abusive post that targeted Kamra. In response, an X user asked him why he did not stand up for Ranaut when her home was demolished in 2020, to which he retorted, “Was her house vandalised? Did goons enter her premises? Did they do this to challenge her freedom of expression or for alleged FSI violations? Please enlighten me. Maybe I don't know the facts." Ranaut, not to mince words, fired back. She stated how she was called slurs and her home was wrecked with bulldozers before the courts opened. She also claimed that people laughed at her ordeal and “raised a toast” to her public humiliation.

The daily allowance too has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500, the notification said. MPs can draw daily allowances while attending Parliament sessions and meetings of parliamentary committees. The pension for former members of Parliament has been increased from Rs 25,000 per month to Rs 31,000 per month. If one looks at change in the salary of the MPs over the years, it is seen that the MPs were drawing Rs 1500 in 2001, which has now increased to Rs 1.24 lakh in 2023.