Provident Financial News

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game was released on March 20 and is priced at $69.99. It can be purchased from Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

Net formal job creation under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) went up by 11.6% in January 2025 to 1.78 million compared to 1.62 million added in January 2024, government data shows. As per the provisional EPFO payroll data, released by the ministry of labour and employment on Thursday, January 2025 witnessed a month-on-month increase of 11.4% compared to 1.60 million formal jobs created in December 2024. Net new subscribers added to EPFO stood at 1.28 million in April, 1.35 million in May, 1.39 million in June, 1.61 million in July, 1.58 million in August, 1.88 million in September, 1.34 million in October and 1.46 million in November 2024.

Manappuram Finance said on Thursday investment firm Bain Capital would pick up an 18% stake in the gold loan provider for 43.85 billion rupees ($508 million). Bain Capital will make the investment through subscription to shares and warrants at 236 rupees apiece, implying a 30% premium over the six-month average trading price of Manappuram Finance.

Mounjaro in India on Thursday, beating rival Novo Nordisk for a much-awaited entry into the world's most populous country grappling with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes. U.S.-based Lilly and Danish Novo Nordisk have seen skyrocketing global demand for their innovative weight-loss drugs, with investor interest also boosting the drugmakers' valuations.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. While the Public Provident Fund (PPF) has lost some of its sheen over the years as interest rates have slipped gradually — 7.1% at present — several investors still prefer it given the tax benefits it offers, the safety of government backing and stability as a debt investment. Although the PPF has a 15-year maturity, there are rules and conditions for the withdrawal of funds from the account before maturity.

ARAI) to probe the mismatch between Ola Electric's reported sales figures and actual vehicle registrations along with numerous consumer complaints against the Bhavish Aggarwal-owned electric two-wheeler maker and submit a report within 15 days, sources said. While the total number of registrations by Ola Electric on the Vahan portal for February stood at 8,652, the company had reported sales of over 25,000 units during February 2025. As of March 20, the company's registrations stood at 11,781 on the Vahan portal. Ola Electric is a beneficiary of the FAME II and PM E-DRIVE schemes and its eligibility certificate has been provided by ARAI, a certification and testing agency under the administrative control of the ministry.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Nvidia is doing just fine. Lately, it has seemed harder to convince the world of that simple truth.

government of India did not participate in any exercise related to the Corruption Perception Index, and took various measures to combat graft in pursuance of its commitment to "zero tolerance against corruption", the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. The assertion came in response to a question whether the «government is aware that India's score on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024 declined to 38 points, ranking 96th out of 180 countries, as per the Transparency International report», and reasons behind it, among others. In a written reply, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said, «No such surveys were conducted by any agency at the behest of the government of India.» Further, the government of India did not participate in any such exercise related to the Corruption Perception Index, Singh said. However, the government of India, in pursuance of its commitment to «zero tolerance against corruption», has taken several measures to combat corruption, which include systemic improvements and reforms to provide transparent citizen-friendly services and reduce corruption, the minister said. He cited the disbursement of welfare benefits directly to the citizens under various schemes of the government in a transparent manner through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode, implementation of e-tendering in public procurements, introduction of e-governance and simplification of procedures and systems besides the introduction of procurement through the government e-marketplace (GeM), as measures to check corruption.

Nifty 50 crossing the 23,000 mark once again after a month, a mutual fund expert recommends that for investors looking for long-term wealth creation and have a stomach for equity market volatility, large and midcap funds / multicap funds / flexicap funds would be a good bet. “Large and mid-cap funds, multi-cap funds, or flexi-cap funds — for investors looking for long-term wealth creation and who can stomach equity market volatility, these funds would be a good bet, as they provide a portfolio mix across market capitalizations that helps reduce the impact of sharp gyrations in any particular segment of the market,” says Suresh Soni, CEO of Baroda BNP Paribas Asset Management. The expert also recommends that for such investors, where the recent 10% drop has brought the realization that equity investments can go up and down, but who still want a core of equity holdings for its status as the best-performing long-term asset class in India, hybrid equity schemes or balanced advantage funds would definitely be something to carefully consider. And for investors who believe in the dictum, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” a diversified mix of multiple asset classes with low correlation to each other may be a preferred option.

Also read: Last minute tax saving: Here’s a list of tax saving FDs with high interest rates, lock in before March 31, 2025

Bitcoin Reserves are currently the talk of the town. These new-gen reserves around crypto assets shows the on-going paradigm shift in financial technology, and its adoption worldwide utilized in stabilizing national funds. Governments can now validate the proof of digital assets for the public and at the same time diversify portfolios, mitigating risks associated with traditional market risks. This approach has gained traction globally, with recent developments in the United States potentially influencing other nations and maybe can do the same in India.

Delhi High Court has held. The high court said qualified wives, having an earning capacity but desirous of remaining idle, should not set up a claim for interim maintenance. «Section 125 (order for maintenance of wives, children and parents) of the CrPC carries the legislative intent to maintain equality among the spouses, provide protection to the wives, children and parents, and not promote idleness» Justice Chandra Dhari Singh said in an order on Wednesday. The court passed the order while dismissing a woman's plea challenging a trial court's order denying her interim maintenance from her estranged husband. The court, however, encouraged the woman to actively look for a job to become self-sufficient as she already got wide exposure and is aware of the worldly affairs unlike other women who are not educated and completely dependent upon their spouses for basic sustenance. The couple got married in December 2019 and left for Singapore. It was alleged by the woman that owing to the cruelties done to her by her husband and his family, she returned to India in February 2021.

Tata Communications Thursday announced the launch of Tata Communications Vayu, the next-gen Cloud fabric for enterprise IT. It aims to tackle rising cloud costs, multi-cloud complexities, and Al infrastructure demands empowering businesses to navigate the Intelligent Enterprise era, the company said in a release. The Cloud fabric is built for ease and control, integrating laaS, PaaS, Al Platform, Security, Cloud Connectivity, and professional services into a single, intelligent ecosystem. It eliminates management complexity, reduces operational costs and ensures enterprises can scale effortlessly without vendor lock-in. The fabric delivers up to 30 per cent cost-saving with a transparent pricing model, built-in Finops automation, and multi-Cloud flexibility, while optimising workload performance.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers shares jumped 8.5% in morning trade on Thursday, adding to the near 20% gain in the previous day after siging an initial pact with PWD Nagaland for Modular Steel Bridges. GRSE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PWD Nagaland to provide eight sets of double-lane modular steel bridges in the state. This agreement is the first of its kind between GRSE and a North Eastern state and is in line with the Government of India’s Make in India initiative aimed at boosting regional development. GRSE's shares were trading at Rs 1780.05 apiece, up 8.5% at 11:15 am. The BSE Sensex was up 0.7%.

ADGM, Abu Dhabi’s leading international financial centre. This significant milestone marks the fund’s official establishment in ADGM, positioning Yashaa Global Capital as a catalyst for driving global investments in the rapidly evolving sports sector. The fund, a unique initiative, helmed by General Partners Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammed Sirajuddin, Arif Padaria and Victor Tay, combines a pedigreed investment team with elite athletes. This collaboration leverages their expertise and extensive networks in the sports ecosystem, aiming to provide unparalleled value to portfolio companies through mentorship, strategic partnerships, and growth opportunities. Previously known as Da One Global Ventures, the fund has been rebranded to reflect its global ambitions and sharpened focus on innovation and wealth generation. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Yashaa Global Capital has a targeted $75M corpus (including a $25M greenshoe option), and is set to deploy capital globally across SportsTech, Fitness & Wellness, Esports & Gaming, MediaTech, Leagues & Teams. Leveraging ADGM’s status as a premier financial hub, the athlete-backed fund bridges global investors, startups, and sports entrepreneurs, fostering innovation and scalability. Its unique network ensures that its portfolio companies gain strategic insights and connections, delivering exceptional value to all stakeholders.

Upcoming cars in India)Maruti Suzuki offers the Baleno while facing competition from Hyundai's i20 and the i20 N Line. Tata Motors presents the Altroz and its sportier variant the Altroz Racer.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Trump administration is crafting plans to reorganize the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had been dismantled by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to a memo detailing the plans.

investor looking to retire in the next 10-15 years, the journey has just begun. With a monthly family expense of Rs 25,000, which will increase with inflation, Murugan wants to secure his post-retirement years by investing Rs 50,000 per month in mutual funds through a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP).

invest in Indian fixed income, according to Saurav Ghosh, a fixed income expert and co-founder of Jiraaf. In an interaction with ET Markets, Ghosh stated that he sees a strong opportunity for investors to lock in attractive yields ahead of anticipated rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). “Right now is a great time to invest in Indian fixed income given that equity markets are obviously highly-highly volatile. Right now global economic markets both because of the US is obviously very-very uncertain, so Indian fixed income with its stability is a great asset class to have in your investment portfolio,” he said.

Paradeep Parivahan IPO managed to sail through on the last day of the bidding process. The overall subscription stood at 1.5 times with retail investors leading the bids. The company will finalise the share allotment process later today. Investors can check Paradeep Parivahan IPO allotment status through BSE and also via the registrar's website.

UPI transactions, which are valued at less than Rs 2,000 and are made to small merchants, the acquiring bank and other involved stakeholders will be eligible for an aggregate incentive at the rate of 0.15% per transaction value. According to the circular, “the scheme, which has an outlay of around Rs 1,500 crore for 2024-25, will have the government pay incentive to the acquiring bank (Merchant's bank) and thereafter shared among other stakeholders, namely issuer bank (Customer's Bank), Payment Service Provider Bank (facilitates onboarding of customers on UPI apps and API integrations), and App Providers (TPAPs). As per NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India), P2PM merchants, or small merchants, are those who have a projected inward UPI transaction value of less than or equal to Rs 50,000 per month.