Digital Financial News

natural gas will eat into its growth, according to a joint study by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and Deloitte. Household consumption makes up about 90% of the total LPG consumption in the country. About 99% of households have access to clean fuel—domestic LPG connections have doubled in a decade to 32 crore —but many poor families consume an abysmally low amount of fuel. Their consumption is expected to expand in the future and can fuel demand for LPG. However, this growth will likely be more than offset by a rapid expansion of piped natural gas (PNG). “As city gas distribution sector grows, it will be the key factor that will erode LPG demand,” the study said. “Demand erosion will be prominent in the domestic segment as PNG—domestic and commercial—is cheaper than LPG.”

Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said the Department of Posts is going through a business process restructuring exercise to transition to a digital platform as he asserted that Dak Sewa is Jan Sewa (postal service is public service). Speaking on the occasion of the 50th Foundation Day of Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, the minister said the shift is particularly relevant in the context of e-commerce growth, positioning the department to lead in this emerging business avenue. «Our department is going to go digital. Our department is going through a business process restructuring exercise, where we will transform ourselves in the days to come into a logistics corporation, where we must become the leaders in the world, with a new business avenue that is growing in terms of e-commerce,» he said. He noted that the Department of Posts today is the largest distribution network across the world, with 1,64,000 post offices.

Heavy pollution across several parts of the country also contributed to increased sales of respiratory medications, particularly Foracort, used for asthma and related conditions. Foracort emerged as the top-selling drug for the month, recording sales of Rs 82 crore with a 2% growth. Antibiotic Augmentin secured the second spot with Rs 76 crore in sales and a 9% growth, while antidiabetic drug Glycomet GP ranked third with flat sales of Rs 69 crore.

WPL) 2025 will see a mini auction take place in Bengaluru on December 15. The five teams have a chance to polish their squads as they aim to win the silverware next year. Mumbai Indians were the inaugural champions in 2023 while Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the trophy earlier this year’s with Delhi Capitals finishing as the runners-up on both occasions. Gujarat Giants enter the auction with the biggest purse of Rs 4.4 crore while Delhi Capitals have the smallest budget at Rs 2.5 crore.

The home loan interest rate is the amount charged by the lender on the borrower's principal sum. You repay a loan in Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) comprising principal and interest. Repayment by way of EMI commences from the month following the month in which you take the full disbursement. One of the most crucial things a lender considers when disbursing a home loan is the CIBIL score. Your CIBIL score indicates your ability to repay any debt. TransUnion CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau India Limited) monitors credit scores for individuals based on their credit history.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has bluntly termed the dual governance model in the Union Territory — where he shares power with the lieutenant governor — a «recipe for disaster», as he urged the Centre to keep its promise and restore statehood to the region at the earliest. In his first sit-down interview since assuming office in October, Abdullah expressed cautious optimism over the Centre's commitment to restoring J-K's statehood, citing repeated promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during election campaigns. The chief minister's candid remarks underscore the complex political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, and the difficulties in pushing for a more defined and unified administrative leadership by virtue of getting statehood. Abdullah drew parallels with corporate leadership, challenging anyone to name a successful business with multiple leaders.

scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) witnessed a significant reduction to 2.67 percent in June 2024 from 11.18 percent in March 2018, the Finance Ministry stated on Saturday. The ministry further added in a social media post on X that the asset quality has improved significantly while the provisional coverage ratio (PCR) has also increased from 49.31 percent in March 2015 to a healthy 92.52 percent in June, showing an increased resilience.

e-commerce platforms such as Zomato, Ajio and Ola will adopt a Safety Pledge on National Consumer Day on December 24 as part of steps to enhance product safety for online shoppers. The voluntary commitment, announced by the Department of Consumer Affairs, aims to detect and prevent the sale of unsafe and spurious products on digital marketplaces, an official statement said. A committee chaired by consumer activist Pushpa Girimaji developed the pledge after extensive stakeholder consultations in November 2023. With India projected to have 500 million online shoppers by 2030 and currently hosting 880 million internet users, the initiative addresses critical challenges in the rapidly expanding e-commerce landscape. The pledge requires platforms to cooperate with statutory authorities and raise product safety awareness among sellers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday described the Constitution of India as not only the longest but also the most remarkable and beautiful in the world. Speaking in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, «I come from such a region where I have seen airplane first and cars later because it was only after I became an MP that the roads for cars were built. When Prime Minister Modi gave me the opportunity to sit in the place where Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had sat. When I became the law minister of this country. Before assuming the post of Law Minister, I first tried to understand what Baba Saheb Ambedkar wanted and what all things and thoughts were in his mind that he could not do. Our Constitution is not only the largest Constitution in the world but also the most beautiful in the world.» Rijiju claimed that BR Ambedkar's ideas and writings were misinterpreted after his death, noting that Baba Saheb had renounced Hinduism, but he was never hostile towards it.

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee will retire from Test cricket at the end of the ongoing third match against England at Hamilton. The legendary pacer received a guard of honor from the England team when he walked out to bat in New Zealand's first innings on the opening day of the game. The 36-year-old announced his retirement from Test cricket before the start of the series against England. He also said that he would make himself available for selection if New Zealand qualifies for the World Test Championship final. However, the Black Caps are unlikely to qualify for the WTC 2025 final.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Centre of denying assistance to landslides-affected people of Wayanad due to politics and asserted that there should be no discrimination in times of natural disasters. Her remarks came after MPs from Kerala, including Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises Saturday, demanding a relief package from the Centre for landslides-hit Wayanad. Staging their demonstration in front of the steps of the Makar Dwar, the MPs raised slogans calling for «justice for Wayanad». They also held a banner with «Justice for Wayanad, provide relief package for Wayanad» written on it Speaking with reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said, «We are very disturbed by the fact that the government is refusing to give a special package to Wayanad. We have gone to the home minister, we have written to the prime minister and to everyone possible, to declare that this as a calamity of a severe nature and to give a special package.»

Indian students in Canada have reported receiving emails requesting them to resubmit important documents, including study permits, visas, and educational records such as marks and attendance. The request from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) caused widespread panic among international students, many of whom hold visas with up to two years of validity.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday took a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, saying that they should take out a procession of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and take the decision to construct an EVM temple. He said that during the first cabinet meeting, they should announce the construction of an EVM temple in front of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur. First of all, the procession of the Chief Minister will be taken out there (in Nagpur). I think that before taking out the procession of the CM, they should take out a procession of EVMs and in the first cabinet they should make a decision to construct a temple of EVMs in front of RSS Headquarters," Raut said in a press conference here.

Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court recently overturned a 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence handed down to a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. The court ruled that the conviction was based primarily on medical evidence, which the judges deemed insufficient without additional corroborative testimony. In its decision, the court emphasised that while medical findings can support a case, they cannot be the primary evidence in establishing guilt. The case dates back to January 2022, when the victim, a 10-year-old girl, visited her uncle’s house in Nagpur. The accused, a 51-year-old landlord, allegedly lured the child to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her. Following the incident, a medical examination confirmed physical injuries consistent with sexual assault. The victim's mother promptly filed a complaint, leading to the arrest of the accused. In June 2023, the special Pocso court convicted the man under Section 376-AB of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, relying heavily on the medical findings and the victim's statement recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The court sentenced the accused to 20 years in prison.

Bank of Baroda. Notably, the growth in exports to the US was higher than aggregate exports until FY00. However, the global financial crisis in 2008 slowed down growth until FY10. Since then, the growth in exports to the US has consistently outpaced the overall export growth, underscoring the growing importance of the American market for Indian exports.

For ages, gold has been recognised as an everlasting source of value, offering stability and security, notably amid uncertain periods. In contrast, cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, have emerged as one of the most popular digital assets globally. It runs on a decentralised network and is resistant to government intervention. Despite phases of intense volatility and dramatic price declines, Bitcoin's overall trend has been upward throughout its existence. This has further generated curiosity as a possible long-term store of value to hedge against inflation and market instability. Moreover, Bitcoin is also called «digital gold”, grabbing the attention of both investors and organisations due to its decentralised structure, finite quantities and capacity to facilitate seamless transactions globally.

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former researcher at OpenAI, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, 2024, a day after Thanksgiving. The San Francisco Police Department confirmed that the cause of death was suicide, with no foul play suspected. Balaji’s tragic death has left the tech community in shock, especially given his high-profile departure from OpenAI earlier in the year due to his ethical concerns about the company’s AI practices.

Rice inventories in India surged to a record high at the start of December, reaching more than five times the government's target and potentially boosting overseas shipments from the world's biggest exporter of the staple food. Rice reserves, including unmilled paddy, in state granaries totalled 44.1 million metric tons on Dec. 1 against a government target of 7.6 million tons, data compiled by the Food Corporation of India showed. Wheat stocks on Dec. 1 stood at 22.3 million tons against a targeted 13.8 million tons.

State Bank of India (SBI) report. However, it highlights several challenges in the agricultural supply chain that continue to impact food consumption across the country. Notably, states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir have seen growth in both fruit and vegetable production. However, many northeastern states have reported a decline in per capita production.

Indian capital markets have experienced phenomenal growth over the past five years, highlighted by a 4.4x surge in demat accounts to 179 million and a 3.2x increase in SIP flows to ₹253 billion as of October 2024. Despite this growth, penetration remains relatively low, with demat account penetration at just 12% compared to 62% in the U.S., and mutual fund (MF) AUM-to-GDP at 17% versus the global average of 65%. This highlights immense potential for further expansion.