Country Financial News

IndiGo on Thursday announced introducing 11 new connections under its extended codeshare agreement with Australia’s national airline, Qantas Airways, starting from March 31, 2024. «With ticket sales going live from March 12, 2024, IndiGo customers can now fly across major tourist and economic hubs in Australia, from Sydney and Melbourne to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, and Perth,» the company said in a press note. With the new codeshare connections, customers will be able to continue their journey within Australia on Qantas-operated domestic flights to three additional cities— Adelaide, Canberra, and Gold Coast. It will also provide Indian tourists as well as business and leisure travellers with more options to explore destinations across Australia, especially during the upcoming summer season.

An Atlantic Council study published Thursday showed that 134 countries, or 98% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), are currently exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC). This number has surged from just 35 since May 2020.

Transformers & Rectifiers India have been a goldmine for investors, as they have been delivering consistent returns with each passing year. The shares, which were trading at a value of ₹6.95 apiece in April 2020, have zoomed 4633% to trade at the current value of ₹330 apiece. Each year since CY20, the stock has yielded returns of over 50%, with CY23 seeing the highest yearly gain at 314%.

By Mariko Katsumura and Rocky Swift

Mint on 28 December 2023 reported that legal scrubbing of both the pillars had started and the deal is expected to be signed in 2024. “Both the pillars are very important for the country. The clean economy (Pillar-III of the IPEF) is aimed at cooperation on research, development and commercialisation of clean energy and climate-friendly technologies," the second person said.

JSW Steel, Jindal Steel and Power, Steel Authority of India share prices have declined 5-12% during last one week . While the market sentients remain weak, the correction in share prices also has been led by a regular decline in steel prices. Channel Checks by various Brokerages suggest Steel prices in the country have dipped to multi- month lows BNP Paribas Channel checks suggest that the domestic hot rolled coil (HRC) prices that have been falling since September 2023, reached ₹52,700 a tonne during the week ending March 6, 2024, down ₹900 a tonne week over week.

Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, says “the transformation of Maruti Suzuki is one of the biggest achievements of the company. Of course, we have contributed hugely to the Indian manufacturing sector. We are the leaders in the automobile for the last 40 years of its existence. But it goes beyond that and this transformation actually started coming in from the time in maybe the early 90s when you had that liberalisation era. A lot of other manufacturers came in.” On the first Maruti car ever sold to a customer Shashank Srivastava: The first car was sold to a Sikh gentleman, Harpal Singh. And he used to work in Indian Airlines. This car was handed over to him by none other than the then Prime Minister, Ms Indira Gandhi. This was taken from that customer in 2010, restored, and we have it here. It is very emotional not just for me, but for all employees here.

Radisson Hotel Group, going ahead with its expansion strategy, announced the signing of Pramod Lands End Resort, a member of Radisson Individuals, in Gopalpur, Odisha. The 100-room hotel has been developed by Padma Eastern Hotels Private Limited and is set to open its doors in Q2, 2024.

Hotel chain Hyatt India will add eight new hotels in the South West Asian (SWA) region in this year that includes a foraying into Bangladesh with the opening of a new hotel in Dhaka.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the total pool of study abroad aspirants in India. This is because young students are now willing to learn in foreign institutes more compared to that of India. With the increase in this number, there is an increase in the competition in all aspects that are needed to achieve this goal. Students need to pay for various needs during the process of studying abroad. Thus, it costs a lot more than the conveyed budget.

SINGAPORE—When a landmark science and technology agreement between the U.S. and China reached its expiration in late February without an extension, it plunged the academic community in both countries into uncertainty. Neither country confirmed an extension for nine days.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation on Thursday today announced plans for the expansion of Hyatt’s brand portfolio in India and Southwest Asia region, and said it has a pipeline of eight new hotels that are expected to open across various leisure and city destinations in 2024. The hospitality chain said this growth is timed to coincide with the expected rebound of leisure and business travel in the country and the sub-continent. The chain said in 2024, its brand expansion in India and Southwest Asia will continue with its Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Hyatt Centric brands.

Godrej Properties, the real estate development arm of Godrej Group, has acquired over 3-acres land parcel in Hyderabad’s Kokapet locality. This is the second land parcel acquired by the company in Hyderabad, taking its overall development revenue potential to Rs 4,800 crore in the city. The land has a total development potential of 1.2 million sq ft of saleable area and the company is planning to develop a premium residential project here with an estimated booking value of Rs 1,300 crore. This acquisition is in line with Godrej Properties’ strategy of developing high-quality residential projects across India's leading real estate markets.

KIKUYO, Japan—It was a signature feat for the country that made industrial policy famous. In less than two years, an $8.6 billion semiconductor factory on a plot the size of 40 football fields sprang up amid the cabbage fields here. The Japanese government, eager to boost the country’s standing as a chip-making hub, provided more than $3 billion in subsidies for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and helped round up thousands of workers to construct the buildings.

With mortgage rates causing stress for many Canadians and rents across the country on the rise, many are looking for creative solutions for the housing crisis.

As more and more Canadians from other parts of the country are moving to Alberta for a lower cost of living, there’s a catch 22 situation — that migration might be driving up rents in cities like Edmonton and Calgary that are drawing those fed up with high costs elsewhere.

Check all the LIVE updates on farmers' protest Kisan Mahapanchayat here,Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the opposition INDIA alliance, if voted to power, will be the "voice of farmers" and frame policies to protect them.He was addressing a farmers' rally at Chandwad in Maharashtra's Nashik district along with NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, as part of the Congress' ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.On security arrangements at Chilla Border, DIG, Addl. CP (L&O), Shivhari Meena says, "Security arrangements have been made at the borders.

Investing.com-- Oil prices rose slightly in Asian trade on Thursday, staying near four-month highs after a substantial draw in U.S. gasoline inventories and debilitating attacks on a key Russian fuel refinery pointed to tighter fuel supplies. 

Officials say the International Monetary Fund will hold a crucial round of talks with Pakistan's new government starting this week

artificial intelligence rules on Wednesday as EU lawmakers endorsed a provisional agreement for a technology whose use is rapidly growing across a wide swathe of industries and in everyday life. Three years in the making, the AI Act comes as generative AI systems such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT, and Google's chatbot Gemini become more popular, fuelling concerns about misinformation and fake news.

All schools were shut in March 2020 as covid engulfed the world. In India, schools did not return to normalcy till January 2022. Four years after the pandemic hit, it is useful to take stock of where we are and what we have learnt.