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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s chaotic public transportation system could be in for a major overhaul, with federal think tank NITI Aayog beginning work on a national framework for first- and last-mile mobility, according to two people aware of the development and a document reviewed by Mint.The move is significant given the scale of reliance on informal transit: an estimated 200–300 million Indians depend heavily on privately run rickshaws, tempos and minibuses for last-mile connectivity, with most tier-II, tier-III and smaller towns having limited public transport.The framework is to be finalized by a nominated committee of transportation sector experts, as well as officials from the ministries of road transport and highways, and housing and urban affairs, according to one of the two people cited above, who requested anonymity.“The target for this committee, headed by a NITI Aayog official, is to prepare a report in the next three months,” this person added.The second person cited above said that the move was prompted by the fact that there is currently no formal framework for a transport system widely used by the public. “The committee will try and figure out what can be done about establishing an oversight into this informal system of transport, which is growing rapidly,” the second person said.The document reviewed by Mint showed that government-run systems are available in just 66 of 496 Indian cities with populations above 100,000.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Jio Financial Services Ltd, the financial services arm of Reliance Industries Ltd, plans to use its newly-launched marketplace to sell products that are otherwise not within its risk appetite, managing director and chief executive officer Hitesh Sethia said on Monday.“For example, we offer personal loans through half a dozen lenders on our marketplace. We are not licensed to issue credit cards, and so we have over 50 credit cards (on the marketplace); business loans are something we are starting to offer,” Sethia said over phone.In February, Jio Financial Services launched its marketplace for financial products through the JioFinance app.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India is emerging as a key growth market for champagne as the country's appetite for premium spirits grows. And, if the duty cuts planned under the proposed trade deal with the European Union (EU) kick in, the spirit would get more affordable and usher in new growth in a hugely underpenetrated market.Senior representatives of the Comité Champagne, which represents growers and manufacturing houses in France’s Champagne region, said India’s champagne market has climbed back to pre-pandemic levels, with shipments at about 60,000 bottles in 2025, close to a peak of around 65,000 bottles recorded in 2016.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: A clutch of India's top private banks will decide by the end of next year who their new chief executives would be, and while the incumbents remain eligible, industry experts are keen on clarity over the second line of leadership.Chief executive officers (CEOs) of five prominent private sector banks —HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and IDFC First Bank—will require regulatory nod for another term. While the board of ICICI Bank has already approved a shorter-than-usual two-year term for CEO Sandeep Bakhshi, HDFC Bank’s Sashidhar Jagdishan is willing to serve another term.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Late on Sunday, Tata Trusts announced it would seek to amend an exclusionary clause in the 103-year-old Bai Hirabai Trust, a charitable entity under its control, that restricts eligibility for trustee positions to members of the Zoroastrian community. The move has put the spotlight back on long-standing disputes within the philanthropic organizations that hold a majority stake in Tata Sons.Here is a snapshot of the simmering tensions that have gripped the House of Tata since the death of Ratan Tata on 9 October 2024.Since Ratan Tata’s demise, India’s largest industrial conglomerate has seen several top-level skirmishes.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The government will hold further consultations before rolling out schemes for debt resolution of all companies in a group in one go, and for dealing with cross-border insolvency cases where a company or its creditors are in different jurisdictions, two persons familiar with the development said.Introduced through legislative amendments in April, these two ambitious provisions form part of the most comprehensive overhaul of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) since its enactment in 2016. The amended legislation received presidential assent on 6 April..Most provisions in the amended Code, which seek to improve the efficiency and outcomes of debt resolution of companies and their promoters, will be notified at the earliest but the schemes for group insolvency and cross-border insolvency may be rolled out only after further consultations, said the first of the two persons quoted above, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator by market share, has raised the price of one of its long-validity prepaid plans, a move analysts said may be aimed at testing the waters for broader tariff hikes.On Sunday, Airtel raised the tariff of its ₹859 mobile plan — valid for 84 days with 1.5 GB of data per day — to ₹899, according to its website. It also discontinued its ₹799 plan with 77-day validity.The tariff hike is particularly significant because headline prices across all plans have remained unchanged for the past two years.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.FOR DECADES Americans have fretted that China might dump its vast holdings of Treasuries, undermining the dollar. Global investors therefore snapped to attention when Bloomberg, a news agency, reported on February 9th that China’s regulators have warned commercial banks against holding too many American government bonds. Some banks have been told to cut their exposure.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: The Centre plans to buy 1 million tonnes of chana (gram) to build adequate buffer stocks to manage potential supply shortfalls and ensure steady availability in the open market, two officials said.The purchases through the Price Stabilisation Fund are part of graded measures to keep prices of essential food grains stable and prevent market volatility amid forecasts of a below-normal monsoon this year and the possibility of El Niño, a weather phenomenon that increases the risk of drought and reduced crop yields.“The procurement drive will be carried out under existing price support mechanisms, with agencies stepping in to buy from farmers both to support farm-gate prices and to maintain retail price stability,” one official said.India’s chana production climbed 6.2% to 11.8 million tonnes in FY26, with the yield up 1.6% to 1,238 kg per hectare.“Chana production has improved significantly this crop year compared to last year, largely due to the import duty on chana and yellow peas. This has supported domestic prices and encouraged higher sowing.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Bajaj Consumer Care Ltd made a striking recovery in FY26. Consolidated revenue increased 21% year-on-year to ₹1,165 crore, and Ebitda margin rose 575 basis points (bps) to 19%.Its growth portfolio, comprising products other than its flagship Almond Drops Hair Oil (ADHO), recorded annual sales of ₹225 crore, which the company aims to more than double to ₹500 crore over the next three years.The core Bajaj ADHO brand recorded revenue growth of more than 20% for the full year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.If Vedanta’s challenge to lenders’ approval of Adani Enterprises’ ₹15,000-crore resolution plan for Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) succeeds, it could redefine lenders’ wide powers under the “commercial wisdom” doctrine in the country’s bankruptcy regulation, lawyers said.Lawyers say the Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta's challenge is serious and, if successful, could force lenders to better explain their decisions, especially when choosing a lower-value plan based on factors like upfront cash and faster payments.“If Vedanta succeeds, the case would represent a reconsideration of the commercial wisdom doctrine,” said V. Aneesh, partner at CMS IndusLaw.Vedanta is challenging the committee of creditors' (CoC) approval for Adani’s plan before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), saying its higher bid was unfairly rejected."Commercial wisdom” is a court-developed legal principle, not expressly defined in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.If you’ve ever hesitated before approving a UPI request or double-checked a QR code before scanning, you’re not alone. As UPI becomes central to everyday payments, concerns around fraud are rising alongside its growth.As per government data shared in Parliament, 10.64 lakh UPI fraud cases worth ₹805 crore were reported in FY26 (till November).The Reserve Bank of India’s proposal to introduce a one-hour cooling-off period for new or high-value UPI payments above ₹10,000 is the latest step aimed at curbing such frauds.At the same time, another digital payment option has quietly evolved in the background: the e-rupee, or India’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BENGALURU: Wealthy Indians are spending more overall, but a smaller share of that spending is going to retail stores selling goods like clothing and gadgets.As incomes rise for affluent households, they are increasingly spending on travel, fine dining and curated experiences such as concerts and wellness retreats, even as they continue to purchase high-value premium goods.In response, retailers are accelerating efforts to add experiential formats, from curated in-store services to immersive store environments, as they strive to stay relevant in a consumption landscape increasingly driven by engagement rather than transactions.New data from Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), shared with Mint, shows retail’s share of wallet drops from nearly 50% among emerging affluent consumers to about 28% for the ultra-wealthy, as spending on travel and experiences rises sharply.“Affluence is not an absolute state defined by income. It’s defined by how and where people spend.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Centre is planning a nationwide policy push to enable the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run on ethanol blends of up to E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol), as the West Asia conflict prompts India to explore ways to cut oil import dependence, according to two people aware of the development and a correspondence reviewed by Mint.India’s current 20% ethanol blending mandate, introduced in 2025, had triggered public complaints over reduced mileage and concerns around engine performance.The Union petroleum and natural gas ministry has called a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the issue. “During the meeting, a presentation will be made by the working group constituted for preparing the plan for the rollout of FFVs,” one of the people cited above said, requesting anonymity.The working group, comprising experts from oil marketing companies, automobile makers and the government, will present its plan to top executives of state-run oil firms and representatives of the automobile industry lobby group Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), and officials from relevant ministries.Global crude prices have remained volatile amid the conflict, briefly crossing $100 per barrel before easing following a ceasefire, with risks of another spike persisting.Such a scenario poses a significant fiscal risk to India, considering it imports 90% of its oil requirements.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.All new steel plants opening till the year 2030 may have to mandatorily use 30% domestic coking coal, under a plan to reduce import dependence and boost local coal use. Currently, steel plants use a maximum of 20% domestic coal in their operations.The blending mandate is expected to reduce the cost of importing coking coal by almost 25%, two people aware of the plan said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Nasdaq-listed travel company MakeMyTrip is weighing the benefits of listing its Indian arm via Indian Depository Receipts (IDRs) rather than a traditional initial public offering (IPO), according to two people familiar with the matter.“An IDR structure is on the table, being viewed as a method to manage tax obligations that would be triggered by the Mauritius-based parent entity—MakeMyTrip Ltd—during a secondary sale of shares in a domestic IPO,” said one of the two persons on the condition of anonymity.The development follows the company's reaffirmation of its strategic priorities on 16 March, including plans for a potential listing of its India business after the consolidation of its brands, such as RedBus India, under MakeMyTrip (India) Pvt. Ltd.The company provides flight, hotel, and bus bookings through its platforms, including Goibibo and RedBus.Experts say the move may have been driven by the 15 January Supreme Court of India ruling in the Tiger Global-Flipkart tax case, which held that a Mauritius-based holding company participating in an offer for sale (OFS) in an Indian IPO would be liable to pay capital gains tax in the country on such transactions."In practical terms, this means that reliance on Mauritius purely as a tax-efficient holding jurisdiction is significantly weakened in the context of IPO exits," said Sonam Chandwani, managing partner, Mumbai-based law firm KS Legal & Associates.The IDR route allows a foreign-listed company to remain domiciled abroad while accessing local liquidity by issuing receipts to Indian investors that are backed by shares held by a custodian, avoiding tax liabilities.“There is renewed interest in the IDR route.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India's top private lenders, led by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, reported strong growth numbers in the quarter just gone by but have turned cautious on business prospects in fiscal 2027 as the West Asia war and consequent economic disruptions stoke uncertainty.While domestic demand trends have been robust so far, war-related tensions cloud visibility on future growth and lending, especially to small and medium enterprises and export-oriented companies.HDFC Bank’s loans grew 12% on year to ₹29.6 trillion as at the end of March 2026, whereas deposits were 14% higher at ₹31 trillion. On its post-earnings media call Saturday, managing director and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan stated that it would be difficult to predict the future pace of growth given the war even though expansion is expected to continue.“The trajectory is the right path in terms of positive momentum and we shall calibrate that as we get more clarity from the macro indicators over a period of time,” Jagdishan said, adding that so far the impact from the geo-political situation has been minimal.Jagdishan said bank clients have seen a certain level of disruption but what is really encouraging is their resilience.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Tata Trusts on Sunday said it plans to amend restrictive clauses that currently limit eligibility for trustee positions at an affiliate trust to Zoroastrians, even as it affirmed confidence in chief executive officer (CEO) Siddharth Sharma. This follows public questions raised by vice chairmen Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, after Sharma asked them if they would consider stepping down as trustees at the affiliate trust.“In order to correct anomalies in the trust deed and to align it with the values that the Tata Trusts have always epitomised, the trustees have decided to adopt proceedings before the appropriate authority for alteration of restrictive clauses in respect of eligibility of trustees.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Indian automakers are beginning to feel the operational strain of the West Asia conflict, with companies flagging supply bottlenecks, longer shipping times and rising costs, even as domestic demand remains resilient.Early signals from industry executives suggest the impact is weighing far more on supply chains than on demand, which has so far held up. The spillover is beginning to feed into production and exports, pushing up costs that companies are gradually passing on to consumers.At the centre of the strain is the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint that has seen vessel movement fall sharply amid repeated disruptions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. has become the first homegrown information technology (IT) services company to grant its board complete oversight of artificial intelligence, underlining the technology's importance amid an uncertain demand environment.As part of its AI guidelines, the company's board of directors will monitor the use of AI tools and their financial impact on the company.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Intel still has a long way to go to reclaim its former glory. The problem is that investors are acting like that’s already happened.The storied chip maker’s stock price has soared 88% so far this year, and more than tripled over the last 12 months.