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healthcare costs and insurance premiums, many Indians are opting for premium-financing loans to maintain or increase their health coverage. Startups such as Finsall, Bimpay Finsure and InsurFin, which specialise in insurance premium financing, are seeing increasing demand for such loans. Finsall and Bimpay said they get around 7,000 new customers each month. The average loan is for Rs 40,000 and the interest rate ranges from 12% to 16% on a reducing balance basis, depending on the borrower's credit profile.

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On Thursday, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant jointly launched the auction of 13 Exploration Licence blocks, covering critical minerals such as Rare Earth Elements (REE), Zinc, Diamond, Copper, and Platinum Group Elements (PGE). «This initiative, facilitated through a transparent online bidding process, is set to accelerate systematic mineral exploration, enhance private sector participation, and reduce import dependency,» said the Ministry of Mines in a statement.

Teyana Taylor and former NBA player Iman Shumpert's divorce is officially coming to an end. They are now making headlines for their multi-million dollar settlement. The agreement between the couple was finalized in June 2024. Taylor will be rewarded with significant assets in the agreement, including luxurious properties and automobiles. Shumpert has agreed to provide substantial child support payments for his two daughters. Details of their personal lives continue to garner a lot of public attention, but the couple have shown resilience and dedication to their children. They have agreed on co-parenting their daughters.

Navratna companies, have seen significant improvement in board meeting attendance by directors over the past four years, according to a survey by Excellence Enablers. The survey, which covered 13 Maharatna and 20 Navratna companies, found that in FY24, no director had zero attendance at board meetings. In contrast, in FY23, 14 directors had zero attendance. In FY22, there were 9 such directors, and 3 directors were absent from all board meetings in FY21. The Excellence Enablers' fourth edition of the survey emphasised that it is a reasonable expectation for all directors, both executive and non-executive, to attend every board meeting. Absences should only occur for extraordinary reasons that could not have been anticipated. While the legal requirement mandates that each director attend at least one board meeting per year, the survey finds this standard is clearly unsatisfactory. It suggests that directors who miss meetings for legitimate reasons should still be able to submit their comments on agenda items in advance so that they can be taken note of during discussions. Further, the survey by a Corporate Governance advisory firm said, «the question of discontinuing the appointment of Directors who have had zero attendance in the previous FY should be seriously considered». The survey, which analyses corporate governance data of Maharatna and Navratna companies from publicly available sources, also looked into other aspects of board governance, including board size, the presence of independent directors (IDs), and gender representation on boards.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the packaged goods arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), will take three to four years to distribute its products nationally following a select rollout of products such as Campa and Independence, according to persons in the know. The company will also roll out more products over the next 12-18 months.

«The poorest households in Slovenia and Malta are now better off than those in the UK,» the report states, attributing this decline to stagnating real incomes since the 2008 financial crisis. While other European countries have seen steady income growth, the UK has fallen behind.

Sarnaik's statement triggered an uproar in the legislative council, leading to calls for action against MSRTC's managing director. The controversy unfolded during a discussion initiated by BJP MLC Parinay Fukey, who raised concerns over the mismanagement of PF and gratuity funds. Fukey pointed out that the PF and gratuity payments of MSRTC employees had not been deposited for the past 10 months, and demanded an explanation regarding the use of Rs 2,214 crore from the fund. Fukey questioned, “What has happened to the Rs 2,214 crore? If this had been an industrialist or a private company, a cognizable offence would have been filed.” He emphasized that the state government, as the principal employer, was responsible for ensuring these funds were properly managed and deposited.

Schengen visa, there are steps you can take to improve your chances. Here’s what you need to know:

Macartney joined the firm in September 2020 from Columbia Threadneedle, where he had been a fund manager for almost six years in the UK equities team. Jupiter shuts down Mark Heslop and Philip Macartney's Pan European Smaller Companies fund An Invesco spokesperson said Macartney has joined as a maternity cover, and will be supplying additional support to the global equities team but is not replacing anyone as a named manager. According to his LinkedIn, Macartney took on a deputy fund management role at Invesco earlier this month, and a spokesperson from Jupiter confirmed his depart...

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday called the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath a «Tees Maar Khan». He further stated that CM Yogi loves the number of thirty as he uses it in almost every case. His reaction follows the decision by the local administration in Uttar Pradesh after which several mosques were covered with tarpaulin sheets ahead of the Holi festival. The move aims to prevent any untoward incidents and maintain communal harmony during the celebrations. The SP chief stated that people from all the communities have always celebrated all festivals together. Addressing a press conference, Yadav said, «I extend my heartfelt greetings on the occasion of Holi to people of the country. This is a festival of colours which brings joy and happiness. We wish that the Ganga-Yamuna tradition of our country flourishes and people lives together with brotherhood as they have lived since many years. People from all communities have celebrated all festival together. We are connected through festivals and businesses associated with it...» «On the other hand, our Chief Minister is Tees Maar Khan, because he loves the number of thirty. The number of people died was 30, the economic activity amounted to Rs 30 crores… Nobody can give us the account of Tees Maar Khan except our Chief Minister...» he added.

West Bengal government has imposed a ban on Holi celebrations at Sonajhuri Haat in Santiniketan’s Birbhum district. Officials have cited concerns over potential damage to the lush green cover of the area. The marketplace, a major draw for tourists, is located near Visva Bharati University, which holds UNESCO World Heritage status.

total lunar eclipse will happen this week as the Earth moves between the sun and the moon. This will block sunlight from reaching the moon, making it appear dark red, often called a "blood moon." The event will be visible across North America and other regions if the sky is clear.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to set a deadline for completing the process and introducing the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill in Parliament at the earliest opportunity. The committee made this recommendation in a draft action-taken report on its observations and recommendations from the 56th report on the regulation of cable television in India, which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. The second draft of the Broadcast Bill, introduced in July, was withdrawn in August last year following backlash from media industry stakeholders over the lack of transparency in consultations, which were held with only a select group. Another major concern of the industry was that the Bill contained vague terms that could potentially grant arbitrary powers to government officials. In its response to the committee on 17 January, the MIB stated that a fresh draft of the Bill would be published after detailed consultations.

housing loans outstanding stood at Rs 33.53 lakh crore at the end of September, a growth of 14 per cent year-on-year, with the MIG segment accounting for the maximum credit, according to National Housing Bank (NHB). NHB, a statutory body under the Government of India, has released the Report on Trends and Progress of Housing in India. «As on September 30, 2024, EWS and LIG accounted for 39 per cent, MIG accounted for 44 per cent and HIG accounted for 17 per cent of outstanding individual housing loans,» the report said. It further said individual housing loan disbursements during the half year ended September 2024 were Rs 4.10 lakh crore while disbursements during the year ended March 2024 were Rs 9.07 lakh crore. The report broadly covers the housing scenario and house price movements, flagship programmes of GoI in the housing sector, role of Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) in providing housing credit, performance of Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and outlook for the sector. «Major initiatives of GoI, such as PMAY-G, PMAY-U, impact assessment of PMAY-U, Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF), Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) scheme, etc. have been covered in the report,» it said.

The retail portion of the issue was subscribed by 84%, while the issue was subscribed by 6% in the non-institutional investors category on the second day of bidding. Meanwhile, the qualified institutional buyers had not made any bids yet.

Hinduja Group, which promotes IndusInd Bank, may be compelled to pledge up to 80% of its holdings in the bank if the stock price drops below Rs 600 per share, according to an analysis by Macquarie Capital. Analysts warn that the risk of pledging could extend to other Hinduja-led entities as the group works to repay debt and reduce collateral. IndusInd International Holdings (IIHL), led by the Hinduja Group and owning a 15% stake in the bank, has already pledged about 50% of its shares to Barclays Bank PLC and Deutsche Bank AG in exchange for a loan.

Patanjali Foods Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Manipur to implement an Oil Palm Plantation Programme under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP). The agreement, signed in Imphal on Wednesday marks a significant step in boosting oil palm cultivation in the state, covering four districts in a phased manner. The MOU was formally signed by Peter Salam, Director of Agriculture Manipur and Ashok Kumar Singh, Head of Northeast Oil Palm Operations, Patanjali Foods Limited, in the presence of Arun Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary of Agriculture Government of Manipur.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In her pop-art decorated office in the heart of Beverly Hills, real-estate broker Rochelle Maize got an early look at who would control the future of the Pacific Palisades. It was eight days after the wildfires broke out—before Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had appointed a recovery czar, before rebuilding plans had been drawn.

'Laat Saheb' Holi procession here have been covered with tarpaulins and a strict security measure has been put in place ahead of the festival of colours which coincides with the Friday prayers. Following an 18th-century tradition, Holi in Shahjahanpur begins with revellers hurling footwear at a man impersonating 'Laat Saheb' — a British Lord — seated on a bullock cart. Barricades have been installed along the procession route and several CCTV cameras have been installed by the local administration. «There are 18 Holi processions in the city, including the two major 'Laat Saheb' processions. To ensure security, the larger procession has been divided into three zones and eight sectors, with around 100 magistrates deployed,» Superintendent of Police Rajesh S told PTI. Moreover, police have taken preventive action against 2,423 people to deter potential troublemakers, he said. «The security deployment includes 10 police circle officers, 250 sub-inspectors, around 1,500 police personnel and two companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC),» the SP added.

employee benefits to address evolving workforce needs and attract talent amid a changing employment landscape. Organisations are now focusing on flexible health insurance, mental health support, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures, according to The Future of Benefits 2024 report by Mercer Marsh Benefits. The report, accessed by TOI's Rupali Mukherjee, highlights a 300% rise in companies offering flexible health insurance over the past five years. These plans now include coverage for parents, siblings, wellness programs, and financial planning tools. The study analysed data from over 10,000 policies and more than 600 benefit evaluations across 14 industries. Employees are increasingly seeking more control over their benefits, driving demand for customisable insurance and wellness schemes. The banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector offers the highest sum insured, followed by pharmaceutical and IT/ITES/e-commerce industries. Notably, 73% of IT/ITES/e-commerce firms offer insurance covering employees, spouses, children, and parents/in-laws by default, compared to 64% in pharma and 54% in manufacturing, the report noted.