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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A 42-year-old client says he is in a constant state of transition. “In my 20s and 30s, I felt I had to give everything to my work so that my business could settle. Now, in my 40s, I’m caught between caregiving for my unwell parents and trying to develop a sturdy relationship with my teenage children.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.There has been growing awareness about credit cards in India, but the number of users still remains low, with 118.6 million credit cards issued as of end-March, a penetration of only 8.5%. This is because of strict credit appraisal processes that leave a large segment of the population underserved.In such a scenario, customers can opt for a secured or fixed deposit (FD)-backed credit card instead of the ubiquitous unsecured card.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: The mutual fund industry may be closing in on a structural fix to a long-running cost problem that weighs on asset manager profitability and makes small investments less viable.The industry is working on creating its own KYC Registration Agency (KRA) through Mutual Fund Utility (MFU), a move that could cut know-your-customer (KYC) expenses by nearly half, according to four people aware of the discussions.If implemented, the shift would directly reduce fixed onboarding costs that AMCs must pay for every new investor, regardless of investment size, these people said.Currently, asset management companies (AMCs) pay around ₹35 to KRA agencies for every new investor onboarded. That cost applies even to very small investments.Take a ₹500 monthly systematic investment plan.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.America has reportedly extended the waiver of its sanctions on purchases of Russian crude oil by another 30 days, just days after it expired. This reduces uncertainty over India’s oil imports from Russia, even as New Delhi has made it clear that India’s oil-buying is not affected by third-party impositions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: India’s bond market is beginning to price in possible RBI rate hikes later this year after Friday’s fuel price increase renewed concerns over inflation, pushing government bond yields higher and reviving debate over whether the RBI may eventually need to raise rates.On Friday, the benchmark 10-year government bond yield climbed 4 basis points (bps) to 7.06% after state-run oil marketing companies raised petrol and diesel prices by about ₹3 per litre. The yield had already risen around 10 bps since last week to close at 7.02% on Thursday, according to Bloomberg data.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Reliance Jio has opened its low-cost 4G feature phone recharge plans to rival devices after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) flagged device-specific tariffs as “discriminatory”, according to people aware of the matter and changes seen on the company’s website.The move, analysts said, could widen Jio’s reach among feature phone users but dilute one of its key customer lock-in advantages.The change means users of 4G feature phones with physical keypads from brands such as Nokia, Lava and itel can now access Jio’s low-cost recharge plans that were earlier restricted to its own JioBharat and JioPhone devices.The move follows Trai’s March directive asking Jio to stop certain tariff practices that the regulator said violated transparency norms and disadvantaged consumers. “(D)evice-specific tariffs are treated as discriminatory and disadvantageous to the consumers as the offered tariff plans can be accessed only upon purchase of particular make/technology device,” Trai said.Jio communicated compliance with Trai’s March 24 directions to the regulator a few weeks ago, according to two people aware of the matter.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is likely to meet before mid-July to consider proposals to simplify procedures and clarify matters including the taxation of ride-hailing app companies, according to two people aware of the development.The proposals likely to make it to the agenda include making tax registration and claiming tax credits simpler. Simpler GST registration procedures and input tax credit norms are expected to make compliance easier for businesses.While the reforms aim to streamline registration and invoice reconciliation, taxpayers continue to face practical challenges around withdrawal of registration applications and input tax claim-related procedural certainty, said Ikesh Nagpal, lead-indirect tax at AKM Global, a tax and consulting firm.The meeting may be scheduled before the monsoon session of Parliament that runs from July to August.In the case of cab aggregators such as Uber and Rapido, the effort will be to clarify the taxability of their operations.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.State-run NTPC Ltd is considering investing about ₹56,000 crore to set up 2.8 gigawatt (GW) of nuclear power generation capacity in Bihar through its subsidiary NTPC Parmanu Urja Nigam Ltd, two people aware of the development said.The proposal involves initially setting up two units of 700 megawatts (MW) each, which may later be scaled up with two additional 700 MW units, taking total capacity to 2.8 GW, they said.The required capital expenditure for 1 MW of nuclear power generation capacity is about ₹20 crore. NTPC is conducting a feasibility study for the proposed site in Banka district of Bihar."The standard capacity of NTPC's nuclear power plants would be 2x700 MW.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.At 65, Vijaya Chakravarty thought she was ready to retire. After a long career as a landscape designer, the idea of slowing down seemed natural. But retirement, as the 72-year-old writer and nature educator says, turned out to be less of an ending and more of a reinvention.Today, retirees like Chakravarty are moving beyond quiet sunset years and turning decades of experience into second income streams.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Representatives of the Association of NSE Members of India (Anmi) are scheduled to meet Reserve Bank of India officials on Wednesday to seek a relaxation on recent measures which effectively bar banks from funding proprietary traders for capital markets trades, two people aware of the matter said.The meeting, requested for by ANMI, comes after the central bank on 30 March deferred its 13 February circular on banks' capital markets exposure for three months through 1 July. Prop traders are brokers who trade for themselves."There will be a meeting between three to four members of Anmi and relevant RBI officials," the first person said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The government is considering awarding national highway contracts only after obtaining all critical clearances, a move aimed at curbing project delays and cost escalation, according to two officials aware of the development.Under the proposal being considered, road projects will be awarded only after at least 90% of the land required is acquired, a norm already being enforced more strictly in recent years. In addition, the ministry of road transport and highways wants prior approval to remove structures such as houses and buildings that fall along the project stretch, an issue that has emerged as a key source of delays, one official said.According to the second official, even after land acquisition and statutory approvals, pending permissions to remove or modify built-up structures have stalled several projects.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The AI hack we unlocked today is based on: ChatGPT Images 2.0 (powered by gpt-image-2).What problem does it solve? Most teams generating images with AI have the same frustration: the image looks good, but the moment there's text in it- a headline, a data label, a notice in Hindi- it falls apart. Misspelt words, garbled scripts, numbers that don't match what you asked for.This isn't a niche problem.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The House of Rare aims to evolve beyond apparel into a broader lifestyle-led retail powerhouse as it expands into categories such as fragrances, luggage and women’s footwear, while also betting on faster delivery timelines and quick-commerce-led fashion discovery.Founded over a decade ago, Bengaluru-based The House of Rare owns a portfolio of premium fashion brands, including men’s label Rare Rabbit, women’s line Rareism, kidswear brand Rare Ones, and footwear venture Rare’Z.“The idea is to expand into different categories which fit the brand ecosystem and target the lifestyle of the urban consumer,” Akshika Poddar, founder of Rareism from The House of Rare, said in an interview with Mint.The expansion comes at a time when premium fashion retailers in India are increasingly looking beyond core apparel to build wider lifestyle ecosystems around consumers, while also adapting to shopping habits shaped by quick commerce and faster delivery expectations. As competition intensifies in the premium westernwear segment, brands are also pushing deeper into tier-2 and tier-3 markets to tap rising aspirational demand.The company is set to launch women’s sneakers in June, and plans to introduce girlswear under its kidswear brand Rare Ones by January next year, while also scaling categories such as luggage and fragrances.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BENGALURU: Even as global luxury demand shows signs of cooling, international brands are accelerating their India playbooks, betting the country’s still-nascent but fast-evolving luxury market will deliver long-term growth.Ralph Lauren India and the Lanvin Group are sharpening their strategies to deepen their presence, expand retail footprints, and localize offerings in India as revenue growth slows in more mature markets. Both companies are adopting starkly different approaches in India.Shubhi Sinha, brand head at Ralph Lauren India, said the company will continue expanding its physical presence while tapping demand beyond top metros.“We have about eight stores currently and plan to expand.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: India’s avocado demand is surging, but domestic supply is still playing catch-up, keeping the country reliant on imports even as local cultivation expands.Government data show imports have more than tripled in two years, rising to $42.27 million in FY26 (till February), from about $27 million in FY25 and $13.5 million in FY24. Domestic output, meanwhile, has increased more gradually—from about 6,000 tonnes in 2023 to around 9,000 tonnes in 2026, experts said.The mismatch highlights a widening gap: rising health-driven consumption is outpacing India’s nascent production base, forcing the market to lean on overseas suppliers even as farmers begin to scale up planting.The area under avocado cultivation has expanded over the years, with farmers in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim and parts of Maharashtra responding to growing urban demand.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Tiger Global-backed Infra.Market’s founders are taking on personal debt through their promoter entity, Silverline Homes Pvt Ltd, to inject fresh capital into the company, as market volatility clouds its valuation and delays its planned initial public offering (IPO), three people aware of the matter told Mint.“As things stand, the promoters are injecting more cash into Infra.Market through Silverline by taking on personal debt,” one of the persons said on the condition of anonymity. “They are also asking existing investors to participate in this equity raise as the much-needed IPO liquidity is still quite far away.”The promoter-backed infusion underscores the pressure building across India’s pre-IPO cohort.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Centre is planning a nationwide policy push to enable the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run on ethanol blends of up to E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol), as the West Asia conflict prompts India to explore ways to cut oil import dependence, according to two people aware of the development and a correspondence reviewed by Mint.India’s current 20% ethanol blending mandate, introduced in 2025, had triggered public complaints over reduced mileage and concerns around engine performance.The Union petroleum and natural gas ministry has called a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the issue. “During the meeting, a presentation will be made by the working group constituted for preparing the plan for the rollout of FFVs,” one of the people cited above said, requesting anonymity.The working group, comprising experts from oil marketing companies, automobile makers and the government, will present its plan to top executives of state-run oil firms and representatives of the automobile industry lobby group Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), and officials from relevant ministries.Global crude prices have remained volatile amid the conflict, briefly crossing $100 per barrel before easing following a ceasefire, with risks of another spike persisting.Such a scenario poses a significant fiscal risk to India, considering it imports 90% of its oil requirements.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Will we reach a maturity level in our workplaces where a company can ask for a mental health check the same way it asks for a physical test after rolling out a job offer but before signing the final appointment letter? When attention deficit disorder (ADD), cortisol spikes and high cholesterol are openly discussed in water-cooler conversation, why is mental health not a factor that needs to be gauged before an employment contract is signed?According to a senior partner at one of New Delhi’s most prominent law firms, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 states that one is prohibited from discriminating against a candidate based on the Act’s stipulated list of disabilities, unless proportionate to a legitimate objective.A note released by the Press Information Bureau in December 2025 said that the same law defines a ‘person with disability’ as “someone who has a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders their full and effective participation in society equally with others.” While employers cannot be biased during the hiring process, they can take a final call depending on the role’s needs. If the mental health conditions of candidates may obstruct their work efficacy, should employers not be informed of such diagnoses? Maybe not under present workplace dynamics.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A working group constituted by the Indian market regulator is discussing measures to improve the country's stock lending and borrowing framework through greater custodian participation and digitization of the Securities Lending and Borrowing Scheme (SLBS) processes, three people aware of the development said.The move is part of a push by chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey to deepen cash markets and offer investors alternatives to the risky derivatives segment.The key part of the discussions is a plan to push custodians to actively pitch the scheme to investors whose shares they safeguard. Currently, the process is hampered by ‘prohibitive’ 125% margin requirements and a manual trading system that relies on phone calls rather than digital screens.The regulator aims to link cash and derivatives markets better to improve price discovery systems.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: Banks in India seem to have become more compliant with regulatory norms in FY26, with the quantum of penalties imposed by the central bank declining by about 37% over the previous financial year, data compiled by Mint showed.The Reserve Bank of India imposed monetary penalties of ₹19.8 crore on commercial banks in FY26, as against ₹31.4 crore in FY25, even as the number of penalties remained unchanged at 35. The data is based on fines announced on the RBI website.The most common violations included failure to comply with KYC (know your customer) norms, not categorizing customers on the basis of risk, allotting multiple customer IDs instead of a unique one, and not transferring unclaimed deposits to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund.While the failure to transfer unclaimed deposits and categorize risks point to negligence, other violations—such as sanctioning loans with a director's relative as guarantor and declaring dividends without prior RBI permission—raise more serious concerns.The decline in the RBI’s monetary penalties on commercial banks indicates continuous improvement in regulatory compliance outcomes over the years, said Saurabh Bhalerao, associate director of banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) at CareEdge Ratings.“Over the years, based on feedback and market practices, there is better understanding among the regulated entities of the specific actions to be taken to be able to meet the regulatory requirements.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: India’s major ports are set to extend relief measures for exporters hit by disruptions from the ongoing West Asia conflict until the end of April, according to two people aware of the development, as shipping delays and logistics costs remain elevated.The extension will allow exporters to continue availing waivers on ground rent and dwell time charges, along with concessions on reefer plug-in fees and certain vessel-related charges for cargo stranded en route to West Asian markets.The measures, first rolled out in early March, initially covered cargo impacted until 15 March and were later extended to 31 March. With the conflict persisting and containers continuing to face delays and rerouting, authorities are considering a further extension through April.An extension would provide breathing room to exporters grappling with delayed shipments and working capital pressures due to longer transit times and supply chain disruptions, one of the people cited above said.