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Narendra Modi is set to make a significant visit to Ayodhya on December 30, inaugurating a slew of projects collectively valued at over Rs 15,000 crore, ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla Temple. The centerpiece of the visit is the Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station, developed at a cost exceeding Rs 240 crore. This modern three-storey building is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as lifts, escalators, food plazas, and child care rooms.

Ayodhya Dham Junction features a range of contemporary amenities, including elevators, escalators, food plazas, childcare rooms, and shops catering to religious and puja requirements. As the Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the renovated Railway station. Vaishnaw emphasized that the station has been constructed in alignment with the cultural and traditional values of the nation.

Labour Codes and align them with the ones notified by the union labour ministry to minimise divergence and any possible legal issues after the roll out of codes. A senior government official told ET that the Centre will reach out to all states and deliberate with them about their rules under each code to ensure they are not in conflict with central rules. The move follows a recent study by the VV Giri National Labour Institute, an autonomous body under the ministry of labour and employment, which highlighted wide divergence in the rules, not only between the central and states and union territories but also among the states. For example, the central rule provides for the spread over of 12 hours a day while Assam and Kerala restrict the spread over to ten-and-a-half hours a day.

Throughout the week, Bitcoin faced selling pressure once again as it was rejected from the upper band within the channel movement observed since the beginning of December.

Wonder Cement Ltd. has marked another milestone with its announcement to establish a state-of-the-art cement manufacturing facility at Tulsigam, Gujarat. Tracing back to 2012, the foundation stone of Wonder Cement's journey was laid with the Nimbahera plant in Rajasthan, having a cement capacity of 3 MTPA.

The UK government has recently made a significant stride in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. On December 18, 2023, they announced the introduction of the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS) as part of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. This groundbreaking initiative, set to become operational on January 8, 2024, is designed to foster innovation in the financial sector by allowing crypto firms to test their products and services within a controlled environment in the UK.

New Delhi, December 29, 2023 —In a thrilling New Year revelation, CubotSmartphone.com announces an unprecedented offer for Indian buyers to acquire the all-new CUBOT 5G Smartphone, featuring 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage, at an unbelievable price of only ₹4999. Pre-booking has already commenced on the official website: cubotsmartphone.com. CubotSmartphone.com, a leading name in innovative mobile technology, is proud to present the New CUBOT 5G Smartphone, a budget-friendly powerhouse that promises to redefine the smartphone experience in India.

micro-OLED displays. The forthcoming Vision Pro boasts impressive twin micro-OLED displays, with Apple asserting that they will surpass the pixel count of a 4K TV for each eye. As per information from market research firm Omidia, reported by The Elec (via MacRumors), the Apple Vision Pro 2 is set to feature an RGB OLEDoS display upon its debut in 2027.

In India, however, podcasts tell a very different story. According to Spotify’s Culture Next report, mythology/spirituality was the most popular genre amongst Gen-Z listeners, witnessing an incredible 236 per cent year-on-year growth. In comparison, true crime only saw a 97 per cent increase – marking the second lowest year-on-year growth; only sports (47 per cent) ranked lower.

e Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, a new report indicates that this feature is unlikely to be present, differentiating it from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. As per a report from ETNews, the anticipated release of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to happen earlier than speculated, leading to the exclusion of satellite connectivity. Despite persistent rumors about this feature being added to the Galaxy S series since the previous year, the Galaxy S23 Ultra did not incorporate it.

David Gonzales, Panaji, Goa

We spoke to Sudeep Shah, Deputy Vice President and Head of Technical & Derivatives Research, SBI Securities, on how one should trade stocks that were in focus in the previous trading sessions based on derivative and technical data: SAIL gives trendline breakout Steel Authority of India’s (SAIL) stock has given a horizontal trendline breakout on the daily scale. This breakout was accompanied by robust trading volume, signalling substantial market enthusiasm. Moreover, the stock showcased a sizable bullish candle, reinforcing the optimistic momentum in the recent price action. At present, the stock is positioned above both its short and long-term moving averages, both of which are on an upward trajectory and align favourably.

Mint in the week gone by. India's current account deficit (CAD) declined to 1% of the gross domestic product in the September quarter, down from 1.1% in the last quarter. The mutual fund industry's assets under management climbed to a new peak in 2023 as growth in folio count and unprecedented inflows from systematic investment plans (SIPs) indicate growing investor confidence.

₹1 crore. AI funds (large value investors with minimum capital commitment of ₹70 crore) enjoy the privilege of allocating a higher percentage of their assets under management (AUM) into individual companies within AIF category I & II (50%) and category III (20%), compared to regular investors who must adhere to a 25% and 10% allocation, respectively. AI funds benefit from an extended AIF life of more than 2 years, allowing for potentially longer-term investment horizons.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Teddi Mellencamp recently revealed her post-surgery recovery journey following melanoma treatment. Mellencamp underwent an extensive procedure known as wide excision surgery, emphasizing the importance of regular skin examinations during her healing process. In an open portrayal on her social media platform, Mellencamp detailed the intricate surgical steps involved in removing the melanoma and reconstructing the affected area with skin from another part of her body. Despite the expected discomfort, Mellencamp expressed gratitude for the surgery's success, underlining its indispensable role in her overall well-being.

Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment banking firm, has projected a substantial surge in trading volumes of blockchain-based assets in the next one or two years, with significant market growth anticipated in three to five years, according to an interview with Reuters . This forecast, as revealed in a recent Reuters interview with Mathew McDermott, the bank's global head of digital assets, aligns with the growing interest in digital assets and blockchain technology observed across the financial sector.

Edited excerpts of the interview: This year companies had to align themselves to what works long-term for businesses, and what is good for both the company and the investors, and finally, the LPs (limited partners) of our funds who put their faith in India and who have invested heavily in India. Therefore, I think it was time to readjust many things, and in some cases, correct certain excesses in the ecosystem. The good part is we have emerged from this as, maybe, the hotspot globally.

Decentralized exchange (DEX) PancakeSwap has introduced a proposal to significantly decrease the maximum supply of its native ecosystem token, CAKE. 

Indian economy has been a shining star on the global stage amidst a peer group witnessing a slow to no growth rate. The World Bank, in its latest India Development Update, highlighted the Indian economy’s “resilience" despite challenges in the global environment. The economic outlook is promising on the domestic level in the coming year. TheUS recession is the talk of the town, and so the world is gearing up for the challenges we may encounter in the coming year. 

Nirav Karkera, Head of Research, Fisdom, says: “I am not quite sure if 2024-25 will actually turn out to be the year of passives per se but definitely largecaps are expected to make a comeback. But at the same time, it is not expected to make a comeback at the cost of small and midcaps. So, there are a few good things that have been going in favour of small- and midcaps as a segment and we expect a lot of this to be carried forward into the New Year as well.” Before I ask you how you think midcap and smallcaps would be faring in 2024, let's just analyze the performance in 2023 where we have seen Nifty Small-Cap growing beyond 40%, Nifty Mid-Cap close to 38%, beating Nifty-50. Also, midcap and smallcap funds have given returns beyond 35%. It has been said that 2024 and 2025 are going to be years of passive funds and specifically focusing on large cap category. But then what is going to be the trajectory of midcaps and smallcaps going ahead? Nirav Karkera: Definitely one thing that is very clear that largecaps are once again gaining a lot of investor favour and investor interest and this comes on the back of a very stellar run-up in the mid- and smallcap segments. In fact, the run-up has been so good that it has pushed many investors to the edge of their seats, worried about what lies ahead after such a rally. Does it fizzle out from here or what is it that can keep the rally sustaining going ahead?

Samsung Galaxy S24 series is set to launch on January 17, 2024 and reports suggest that the base model of the line-up may incorporate cost-cutting measures by opting for slightly slower UFS 3.1 (Universal Flash Storage). This move is speculated to help Samsung maintain the prices of the upcoming flagship lineup, including the Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra, in line with their Galaxy S23 counterparts.