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micro and small enterprises (MSEs) as it will impact their businesses. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chiefs of major export promotion councils and federation of Indian export organisations have appealed to waive the export companies from section 43B(h) of the Income Tax law. The new rule, Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act, introduced in the Finance Act 2023, is designed to make sure small businesses get paid on time. It allows companies to get tax breaks if they pay their small business suppliers within the time limits set by the MSMED (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development) Act, 2006. Especially, companies must pay within 45 days if there is an agreement, and within 15 days in the absence of such a pact. If they do not meet these deadlines, they can not deduct these expenses for tax purposes.

The Gokyo Lakes Trek, Khumbu Valley, Nepal: Compared to the hardships of trekking in most areas of the Himalaya, a trek in the Everest region can be an epicurean delight. As one of the most popular trekking destinations in the world (as well as one of the oldest in the Himalaya), the Khumbu Valley of the Sherpa people in Nepal attracts Himalaya fans from the world over. As a result, trekking in the region means staying at lovely teahouses every night and eating the kind of food that would put most dal-chawal-Maggi trekking menus to shame (think pizza, or roast chicken, or Thai food, even beer!).

@trains.of.bharat, is a trainspotter’s delight, with videos of WDG-4Gs and WDS-6s thundering past platforms and the clickety-clack of wheels on tracks. To him, railway staff such as loco pilots and guards, who guide thousands of people to different destinations everyday, “are actually heroes similar to army jawans." Kannan too describes memorable conversations with motormen and invitations to peek into the locomotive’s cabin. “Motormen are very friendly and will happily explain controls and dials.

The recent demise of Lynx Air leaves Flair Airlines alone holding the banner for ultra-low-cost carriers in the Canadian airspace.

Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland collapsed, Governor Wes Moore emphasised that the rebuilding of the bridge would not take days or weeks, adding that «we have a very long road ahead of us.» The Singapore-flagged vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, leading to its collapse on Tuesday.

Germany’s main national postal carrier has stopped using domestic flights to transport letters after nearly 63 years

volatility in equities likely to be high, money managers believe investors should stagger their investments into equity mutual fund schemes. Fund houses offer various options for staggered investments such as a daily, weekly or monthly systematic transfer plan (STP) from a debt-oriented scheme like a liquid fund or ultra-shortterm fund to the chosen equity fund. WHEN SHOULD AN INVESTOR OPT FOR A SYSTEMATIC TRANSFER PLAN (STP)? Investors who believe that the long-term earnings growth story is intact, but fear high volatility in the markets due to events such as elections or valuations being slightly ahead of fundamentals can use STPs. Typically such investors have lump sum money and want to invest in equity mutual funds, but in a staggered manner, and simultaneously earn a small return by investing in liquid/ultra short-term schemes. HOW DOES IT WORK? An investor looking to invest say Rs 1 lakh into an equity fund using STP will have to first choose the liquid or ultra-short-term fund and make an investment there. Once that is done, choose an equity scheme and decide on the amount to be transferred along with the frequency of transfer and set up the STP. Both the source and the destination schemes should be from the same fund house. Most fund houses have a daily, weekly or monthly option to transfer money. For example, an investor can decide to transfer Rs 2,500 every week to an equity fund or even something like Rs 10,000 every month. Mutual fund investment portals too allow you to set these up entirely online.

Port of Baltimore. Here's what we know about the collision: BRIDGE HISTORY

real estate boom in India has created a new avenue for NRI investments. There is a growing number of houses being purchased by this segment. The growth in NRI residential sales, which rose significantly over the last year, underscores this point. According to a report by NoBroker forecast report, NRI investments in India's real estate sector is poised to contribute 20% by 2025. This surge in demand can be attributed to several factors, both monetary and otherwise. Sentimentality has always been a key driving factor of NRI purchases in India, but with the world’s best comforts being available in India, the sentimental reason for buying a home “back home” amongst the NRIs, is also supported by valid reasons for quality real estate investing. To make matters more compelling, the technological revolutions that the entire world has witnessed in the 21st century have now made it easy for people from any part of the world to invest in different parts of the world with minimal hassles. Not just that, the technology also makes it easier for buyers around the world to have access to information on a real-time basis.

Singapore is focusing on increasing its hospitality infrastructure such as hotel rooms, according to a senior tourism official here. Before the pandemic-induced lockdown, Singapore had received 1.4 million tourists from India in 2019. It then recovered to 1.1 million in 2023. With two offices in Mumbai and Delhi, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) promotes Singapore attractions as a holiday destination aggressively in India, Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director of Exhibitions & Conferences at the STB told PTI. Singapore is building infrastructure for tourists and business travellers such as 9,000 new hotel rooms that are being added to about 72,000 existing rooms.

colors, is celebrated across India, marking the arrival of spring with joyous fervor. It is more than just a festival; it is a celebration of traditions and beliefs deeply rooted in the country's culture. Holika Dahan Tradition in Kokapur Village, Rajasthan One such tradition is observed in Kokapur village of Dungarpur district in Rajasthan. After the Holika Dahan ceremony, villagers walk barefoot on embers, a practice they have upheld for generations. This ritual, believed to bring health, prosperity, and the fulfillment of wishes, continues to be a significant part of their celebration.

slowdown among Chinese shoppers have dogged the luxury industry for the better part of a year. Last week the scale of the problem hit home for one of fashion’s biggest but most exposed brands, Gucci. French group Kering SA saw $9 billion wiped off its market value after warning that sales of the Italian label’s products in China have slumped this quarter. The slowdown is also starting to show up in other corners of the luxury industry.

K-pop, K-dramas and K-noodles, with Indian students increasingly considering South Korea for higher education, according to consultants. The number of Indian students headed to South Korea is set to double in 2024 compared to two years ago, according to Rohin Kapoor, partner, management consulting, BDO. “South Korea has rolled out the red carpet for Indian students by offering attractive scholarship schemes at top universities over the last two years,” Kapoor said. At around 2,000 this year, the number is still just a fraction of the Indian students enrolled in traditionally popular destinations such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia. But the East Asian technology hub is fast emerging as an alternative destination for Indian students, owing to factors such as a large number of courses taught in English, a developed market with ample internship and employment opportunities, pro-international student policies and competitive costs along with a government push to attract overseas students.

T20 World Cup 2024 is reaching the shores of America. The event marks the first time an ICC World Cup will be held in the USA. Newly built, state-of-the-art modular 34,000-capacity stadium in Nassau County, New York will host eight world cup matches including the marquee clash between two giants of world cricket — India and Pakistan. India versus Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 match is scheduled to be played on June 9. The match scheduled to start at 10.30 am (EDT).

Flair Airlines is putting up fewer flights domestically in Canada this spring, but the low-cost carrier’s CEO says it’s part of a broader push for the airline to fly into more sunny destinations.

economic outlook for FY25 remains «bright», the finance ministry said on Friday, noting that the economy will close the current fiscal with strong growth accompanied by stable inflation, robust external account and progressive employment scenario. «On the whole, India looks positively towards the dawn of FY25,» the ministry said in its monthly economic report for February. It asserted that the pick-up in investment has been «broad-based», driving growth while consumption remains «steady». The government's capital spending push has helped crowd in private investments, the ministry said. It, however, flagged that an increase in domestic household savings will be necessary to finance private sector capital formation.

NEW DELHI : Domestic carriers registered a 22% increase in international air traffic to and from India at 7.7 million passengers, as per the latest data available for the October-December period, the fruits of a likely sustained post-pandemic focus by Indian airlines to expand their international network. As per data from the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Indian airlines also registered an increase in the cumulative market shareof international flights to and from India at 44.6% in the period.

Indian Railways has announced plans to run approximately 540 additional train services. These services will connect various key cities across the country, including Mumbai, Patna, Gaya, Katra, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Prayagraj, Pune, and Ambala. Notably, there will be extra departures from New Delhi to accommodate the increased demand. According to the Ministry of Railways, these additional trains will cover major national routes, such as Delhi-Patna Delhi-Bhagalpur

Holi, which falls on March 25, 2024, will commence from 2:30 PM, announced officials on Friday. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) stated that no services will be available until 2:30 PM on all lines, including the Rapid Metro/Airport Express Line, but will resume thereafter as usual.

By James Pomfret and Greg Torode

Akasa Air doesn’t see any curtailment of flights due to the new pilot rest rules even though it has planned an exponential growth and international foray this summer, CEO Vinay Dube. Dube is a co-founder of the airline which started in 2022 and is backed by the family of late stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. “We should rather applaud the regulator for their continuous focus on safety rather than talking if there will be two or three pilots short. We have 24 aircraft and around 700 pilots now which is plenty not just for the current fleet but also for the aircraft that will be delivered later. We will maintain a reliable schedule and there will be no flight cancellations,” Dube said.