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The report cited tighter labour markets and rising inflation as some of the major concerns influencing salary increase budget changes in companies for next year. However, compared to 2022, more than half of companies have increased their salary budgets this year, while a quarter have raised their budgets above the projections they made in December 2022, the survey showed. Technology, media and gaming, financial services and retail sectors are expected to see the highest salary increase of 10% in 2024. Companies in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector (10% vs 9.8%), retail (10% vs 9.9%) and captives (9.9% vs 9.8%) have projected marginally higher increases for 2024 as compared to the actual salary increase in 2023 due to the continued demand for talent. “Companies across industries are still closely monitoring their cost structures,” said Rajul Mathur, consulting leader, work and rewards, WTW India. The Salary Budget Planning Report was conducted in April and May 2023 with around 32,512 sets of responses from companies across 150 countries. The survey had 708 participants from India.

Jal Jeevan Mission, according to official data. The government's flagship initiative — launched in 2019 — aims at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households in rural India by 2024.

Nita Ambani, the Reliance Foundation Chairman, turns 60 today. Married to business magnate Mukesh Ambani, the patriarch of Reliance Industries, over the years, she has managed to carve her own individual identity as a noted cultural patron and entrepreneur. One of the most influential figures in India’s business sector, Ambani has diversified her portfolio extensively throughout the years.

pensioners. 1) Jeevan Pramaan portal 2) “UMANG" Mobile app 3) Doorstep Banking (DSB) Agent 4) Biometric devices at Post offices 5)Video-based Customer Identification Process 6) Face Authentication 7) Physical Life Certificate forms at Branches To spread awareness amongst all the Central Government pensioners as well as the Pension Disbursing Authorities for the use of DLC/Face Authentication technology to submit Digital Life Certificates, DoPPW launched a nationwide campaign which will be held from 1st to 30th November, 2023 in 100 cities across the country, targeting 50 lakh pensioners.

India's maiden sale of ultra-long bonds this week will lower borrowing costs for the government as large insurance and pension funds are expected to scoop up the issue, fund managers and analysts said. With the sale of 100 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) of a 50-year bond on Friday, Asia's third-largest economy will join a handful of countries that actively issue such papers, as per LSEG data. Two more tranches will be sold by the end of March. The bonds are likely to be sold at a yield that will only be one-to-two basis points higher than the yield on the 40-year paper, according to Aneesh Srivastava, executive director and chief investment officer at Star Health Insurance. A 40-year bond that matures in 2063 is currently the longest-duration bond sold by India. On Wednesday, the 40-year bond was bid at 7.53% while a 30-year note was dealt at 7.52%. «There should be strong demand for this paper especially from insurance companies, as it is a classic investor stock,» said Vikas Goel, managing director at PNB Gilts. Insurers and pension funds' government debt purchases have risen over the last few years because of strong demand for their products. Bond purchases by the so-called 'others' category — consisting primarily of insurers and pension funds — have risen to 1.39 trillion rupees this year from 1.10 trillion rupees in 2022, clearing house data shows. «There are some insurance products that require an additional 10 year of duration, mainly due to the nature of ALM (asset liability management) gaps,» Churchil Bhatt, executive vice president at Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance, said. Strong demand at the 50-year sale will result in the yield curve remaining flat, while elongating the maturity of the government's

Geojit Financial Services jumped 14.5% to Rs 68.9 in Wednesday's trade on BSE as the company reported a 58% YoY rise in second-quarter profit at Rs 38 crore as against Rs 24 crore a year earlier. In the quarter, the consolidated revenue stood at Rs 145 crore, up 29% as against Rs 112 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal. Earnings before investment, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter jumped 44% YoY to Rs 59 crore in Q2 FY24 as compared to Rs 41 crore in Q2 FY23. For the first half, revenue increased 22% to Rs 261 crore from Rs 214 crore and it earned a profit after tax of Rs 60 crore during the period, up 30% from Rs 46 crore a year ago. At 1.14 p.m., the scrip was trading 13% higher at Rs 68 on BSE. On a year-to-date basis, the stock has also risen over 40%, while it has declined over 15% in the past 2 years. Technically, the stock's day RSI (14) is at 63.7.

«There is no structural change in the industry and majority of our revenue is coming from the medtech industry, the imaging industry and the dilution of the margins has been a global phenomenon for the chemical industry and we are in performance chemicals,» says VK Singh, COO, Blue Jet Healthcare. Meanwhile, Shiven Arora, MD, Blue Jet Healthcare says, " See, across three business verticals, we have invoiced to about 400 customers across 39 countries in the past three years. We feel that there is enough and more depth in the customer profile that we have today." This is a complete OFS and no money is coming in the company. But for the investors, tell us about how do you see yourself growing in the three segments that you have presence in? You have a good presence in the API, CDMO, you have the sweetener segment as well. So going ahead, which one do you believe will drive the growth for the company? VK Singh: Yes, there is no money coming into the company but then for all three segments, we have demonstrated an excellent growth over the last three, four years and we believe that we will maintain this momentum. Let me talk about your numbers now, if you look at your margins, they have actually seen a decline and when I talk about decline, I am talking about it being approximately 42% in FY21. Now, if you see in the quarter, in Q1 of FY24, that is, that the margin figure has come down to about 33% or so. If you could tell us why is there a decline in the margins over that period? Also, what is your outlook going ahead for the margin and if possible, if you could give us a sustainable level that you are envisaging when it comes to the margins for your company? VK Singh: See, there is no structural change in the industry

The inflation that has been wearing on European consumers fell sharply to 2.9% in October, its lowest in more than two years as fuel prices fell and rapid interest rate hikes from the European Central Bank took hold

The Israel-Hamas war has plunged Israel’s agricultural heartlands into crisis

Just last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted a new era of peace and prosperity in the Middle East, based on growing acceptance of Israel within the region

A U.N.-appointed human rights expert and opponents of Myanmar’s military government have welcomed the latest sanctions imposed by the U.S., U.K. and Canada on companies providing financial resources to the army-installed regime and high-ranking officials

The exodus of tens of thousands of professionals from Hong Kong, triggered by Beijing’s crackdown on its civil liberties, is being offset by new arrivals: mainland Chinese keen to move to the former British colony

Curbing climate change — and extreme weather for future generations — depends squarely on society’s ability to rapidly build new clean energy infrastructure despite the messy puzzle of local, state and federal reviews projects must overcome

An alliance of nations that push for more solar power worldwide are set to announce nearly $35 million for projects such as mini grids and rooftop installations, mainly in Africa, according to the group’s director general

Thousands of garment factory workers have taken to the streets of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, and the industrial district of Gazipur to demand better wages

Asian shares are mostly higher after Wall Street advanced to claim back some of the ground it gave up in another losing month

Three energy companies including U.S. Westinghouse, France’s EdF and Korea’s KHNP, have submitted their final bids to build the Czech Republic’s newest reactor at the Dukovany nuclear power station as the country strives to become more energy-independe...

Singapore’s defense minister has urged China as a dominant power in Asia to take the lead in reducing tensions in the region, warning that a military conflict like the one in Ukraine or the Israel-Hamas war would be devastating for the continent and it...

Protests in Panama have extended into a second week over a long-term copper mining concession for a Canadian company

multilateralism has been a hallmark of India’s G20 Presidency, which is now entering its final lap. The concluding paragraphs of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration reiterated a commitment to the G20’s continued operation “in the spirit of multilateralism, on the basis of consensus, with all members participating on an equal footing in all its events…”.

The visa interview is designed to assess your eligibility to study in the US and your commitment to complying with the conditions of the F-1 visa. Typically lasting only 90 seconds to three minutes, it's crucial to effectively showcase your qualifications to the consular officer in this brief timeframe. The F-1 visa is the go-to choice for students aiming to pursue academic endeavors in the US. Tailored for full-time students enrolled in accredited US universities, colleges, language schools, or recognized educational institutions, this visa allows you to stay throughout your academic program. Here is a comprehensive guide with potential answers to common questions you may encounter during your F-1 visa interview. These questions can be categorized into five key areas: Study Plans: Questions in this category focus on your reasons for studying in the US, your chosen field of study, and the impact of your studies on the global stage.