Digital Financial News

agri-tech platform that creates a digital marketplace to connect buyers and sellers of farm products. It supports them with tools for order management, lead generation, logistics, distribution and route optimisation. In an interview with ET Digital, Yashasvini Kumar, COO, Innoterra, says that the company ensures farmers have access to essential resources such as information, insights, infrastructure, markets and capital. Kumar also says that Innotera aims to build India’s first digital B2B marketplace and fulfilment solution based on orchestration and agile trading. Edited excerpts: The Economic Times (ET): How is India’s agriculture sector placed? Yashasvini Kumar (YK): India’s agriculture sector is poised between contradictions — simultaneously massive in scale and opportunity yet lagging behind in infrastructure and investment. There are exciting consumer trends coming into play, including superfoods, nutraceuticals and a focus on regenerative agriculture, but balanced out by concerning trends in climate change and water reserves. The sector is ready for growth, investment and talent.

Wayanad Lok Sabha seat and two Assembly segments in Kerala. The Catholic Church, whose followers have significant influence in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat where Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is trying her electoral luck, has backed the Bill brought by the BJP-led government at the Centre, opposing the provisions in the existing law. The Church alleged that numerous properties belonging to Christian families for generations in the villages of Cherai and Munambam in the Ernakulam district have been unlawfully claimed by the Waqf Board. On Monday, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church-backed 'Deepika' daily published an editorial, criticising the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF, accusing them of passing a unanimous resolution in the state Assembly «to protect the Waqf law without seeing the tears of the affected people.»

Hindustan Zinc Ltd plans to pare its debt by a third by the end of this financial year bolstered by additional cash flows after a likely relatively robust performance in the October to March period. The country’s largest producer of zinc, lead and silver expects to reduce its debt to about Rs 2,000 crore by March-end from about Rs 6,000 crore at the end of the September quarter, chief financial officer Sandeep Modi told analysts after the company’s quarterly earnings. “…we have already generated free cash flow of Rs7,000 crore in H1, and normally H2 remains better. So, I think it's only a timing difference,” he said.

DMK has said that actor-politician Vijay helmed Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam copied its ideology while main opposition AIADMK said TVK's principles are a cocktail of current political standpoints of various parties and Naam Tamizhar Katchi has ruled out chances of joining forces with the new entrant. While Vijay openly targeted the DMK and its first family in his debut public appearance for his party's inaugural event on Sunday, DMK said it has seen many rivals in its long innings and will continue to be strong. Asked on TVK's ideological points, its hint at opposition to the office of Governor, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said, «these are all our policies, he is copying...whatever he says is what we had already said and which we are following.» On the maiden conference of Vijay's party, he told PTI Videos: «This is the first conference and let us see, we have seen many parties.» Outlining his party's strong ideological moorings and work over a long period of time in its 75-year old journey, Elangovan said DMK leaders went to jail fighting for people's cause and though the party had lost several elections, it continued to be strong.

Kunal Kamra took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration over the poor condition of Ola Electric scooters and urged Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to intervene. In his post, Kamra highlighted the plight of Indian customers, criticising the lack of accountability from Ola. He emphasised how customers are struggling to commute and are being forced to take bad loans due to issues that, according to him, are the company’s responsibility. His post was triggered by a complaint from Rangraj Nagar in Solapur, where several Ola scooters were reportedly found in poor condition. The user expressed outrage over the absence of qualified engineers or technicians at the site, stating that such negligence is unacceptable given that customers have invested their hard-earned money into these products. Tagging prominent figures including Ola Electric’s CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Minister Gadkari, Kamra's post urged government agencies to intervene and address the grievances.

CAG is set to conclude in November, and a high-ranking official with close ties to the Modi administration is likely to be chosen to oversee the Centre's financial oversight. While Murmu's position requires a new appointee, three other pivotal roles — the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA), and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson — offer the possibility of reappointment. Following Murmu’s tenure, attention will shift to the RBI’s leadership. Shaktikanta Das, who became RBI Governor in December 2018 after the sudden resignation of Urjit Patel, is nearing the end of his second term. Das, a former bureaucrat known for maintaining strong government relations and navigating India’s financial landscape smoothly, may either continue in this role or pass the mantle, with a decision expected in December.

Tatkal tickets on the day before the train's departure from the originating station. The booking window opens at 10 am for AC classes (2A/3A/CC/EC/3E) and 11 am for non-AC coaches (SL/FC/2S). For example, if you want to book a Tatkal ticket for a train departing on November 1, you can book it on October 30 at the specified times. Now imagine you need to book Tatkal train tickets for a family of five. This could cost thousands of rupees. Additionally, if you specify a particular berth, such as a lower berth, and it's not available, your money will be blocked for four to five days before being automatically refunded. The main concern is not the refund itself, but the time it takes to receive it. To save both time and money when booking Tatkal tickets, consider using the autopay option where you can use UPI (OTM)/debit card (OTM)/credit card (OTM) to pay for the tickets using a mandate. These autopay options are available on the IRCTC iPay payment gateway.

Manufacturers led by BYD Co. have opened a new front in the fight for dominance of the auto industry by redefining “Made in China” as a global symbol of luxury for the electric-vehicle age. After challenging the likes of Mercedes and BMW AG in their home market, they’re taking the fight to Europe and making inroads. The clearest sign of their impact came on Friday, when Mercedes reported its weakest profitability since the former cars-to-trucks conglomerate broke itself up in 2021 to become more nimble. Porsche AG, the maker of the 911 sports car, said it’s weighing cost cuts and reviewing its model lineup after a demand slump in China caused earnings to plunge.

JSW Steel will cut down its capital expenditure in the current fiscal by ₹3,000-4,000 crore as it postpones the expansion planned for its blast furnace-3 at Vijayanagar to next year, and has transferred its slurry pipeline to JSW Infrastructure. India’s largest steel manufacturer will be spending ₹16,000 – 17,000 crore on capex this year as against ₹20,000 crore it had planned earlier, chief executive officer Jayant Acharya said. In July, JSW Steel transferred its slurry pipeline, which is currently under development, in Odisha to group company JSW Infra, effectively reducing its capex outgo, Acharya told ET in an interaction. JSW Infra will be purchasing the over 300 kilometre long slurry pipeline for ₹1,700 crore.

Nate Silver in an op-ed for the New York Times wrote that his «gut says» that former US President Donald Trump will win the November 5 election, while warning that polling data indicate the race could still go either way. «But don't trust anyone's gut, even mine,» he wrote in a New York Times op-ed. His current model gives Trump, the Republican nominee, a 53.1 per cent chance of a second term in the White House. Nate Silver's model currently rates the Republican nominee with a 53.1 percent chance of becoming the 47th president of the United States. “In an election where the seven battleground states are all polling within a percentage point or two, 50-50 is the only responsible forecast," he wrote in his forecast. «So OK, I'll tell you. My gut says Donald Trump. And my guess is that it is true for many anxious Democrats,» Nate wrote. «But I don’t think you should put any value whatsoever on anyone’s gut — including mine. Instead, you should resign yourself to the fact that a 50-50 forecast really does mean 50-50. And you should be open to the possibility that those forecasts are wrong, and that could be the case equally in the direction of Trump or Harris.»

firecracker shop as a side business in his hometown, garnering significant public attention as Diwali approaches. Ray shared his new venture on X (formerly Twitter), sharing two photos of his setup and describing how he balances his main job with this seasonal business. Ray’s plan involves coding from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for his regular job and dedicating 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. to manage the cracker shop. “All set for opening up the (temporary) cracker shop this Diwali with 2 other friends,” he posted. “10 to 4 office/coding and 4 to 9 cracker shop,” he added.

Diwali, also called Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual «victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance» The celebrations generally last five or six days. During the festival, the celebrants illuminate their homes, temples and workspaces with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns.

Slice on Monday said it had completed its merger with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) with effect from October 27 after receiving all requisite shareholder and regulatory approvals. The merger will unify the operations, assets and brand identities of the two companies into a single banking entity, it said. The fintech unicorn said in a statement that the integration will pave the way for the creation of a technology-driven bank along with a strengthened financial position focused on expanding operations, enhancing risk management frameworks and improving customer experience.

Artificial Intelligence is making computers an instrument for everyone and not just for the privileged few, believes Jensen Huang, the iconic founder and chief executive of chip maker Nvidia. He allayed the fears that AI could consume jobs or replace humans and said that the technology will make everything more efficient and productive, saving key resources and elevating human capabilities. In a free-wheeling conversation with Sruthijith KK at the ET Conversations event in Mumbai on Friday, Huang, 61, who steered the company out of turbulent early years and turned it into a $3.43 trillion behemoth that it is today, said that he still wakes up fearing that Nvidia could even now go out of business. No one in technology should get too comfortable or complacent, said the top boss helming the world’s second most valued company. His message to India’s IT services industry was unequivocal: Move from the back office to the front office and lead the AI revolution. Edited excerpts: I want to start with a core technical question. How is your leather jacket holding up in the Mumbai heat? (Laughs) It’s fine. Thank you! I enjoy the heat.

Robert Downey Jr. has said that billionaire Elon Musk needs to behave well. "Iron Man" actor's remarks comes at a time when Tesla owner has openly backed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in the US election 2024, according to a report on Variety. Robert Downey Jr. in an interview with «On with Kara Swisher» podcast said that he wished that Musk would control his behaviour, as per the report on Variety. Elon Musk and Robert Downey Jr. shared sliver screen in «Iron Man 2» in 2010.

Warzone Season 1 updates are expected to bring new maps, features and content to players.

Netflix has announced the release date for the upcoming Arcane Season 2. This new season will bring back familiar characters and reveal intense story developments.

ET Intelligence Group: Consumer companies — HUL, ITC, Tata Consumer Products, Nestle India, Colgate Palmolive, Godrej Consumer Products and Varun Beverages — have announced their September quarter performance. Those such as Dabur and Marico have shared an update on their quarter performance. Others such as Zomato and Pidilite having large B2C business have also announced their latest quarter results. SUBDUED CONSUMER DEMAND DID NOT IMPACT ALL While the topline performance of companies such as Dabur, HUL and ITC was impacted by the moderation of consumer demand – especially in urban India, it was not so in case of others like Varun Beverages, Godrej Consumer Products (India business), Colgate Palmolive (India), Pidilite and Zomato.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has ignited debate over who could govern war-ravaged Gaza as Israel presses its war in the Palestinian territory, vowing to eliminate the militants. Palestinians insist Gaza's future should be theirs to decide, rejecting any foreign intervention. But many in the international community are signalling a readiness to shape the territory's post-war future, even as a ceasefire remains elusive.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday, following the alleged custodial death of a man detained in Lucknow. She claimed the ruling party has established such a «jungle raj» in the state that police have become synonymous with cruelty. In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi stated that the family of the deceased has accused the police of murdering their son.

secular social justice ideologies with leaders like EVR Periyar and K Kamaraj as its guiding lights. The latest entrant to Tamil Nadu politics, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam founder Vijay took an apparent dig at the DMK and its first family, saying its leaders were calling the "anti-people government as Dravida model government." The Dravida model government is a reference to DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin's oft-repeated statement that such a model of governance was an inclusive one ensuring the well-being of all sections of Tamil society. In his maiden public speech eight months after announcing the launch of TVK, Vijay said the late veterans MG Ramachandran and NT Ramarao where ridiculed as mere cinema actors when they made their political plunge «but they continue to remain in the hearts of the people» of the respective states, i.e Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.