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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India, one of the world’s largest buffalo meat exporters, is planning a DNA-based testing system to strengthen meat verification and traceability, amid concerns over illegal meat exports and suspected mixing of banned cow meat with buffalo meat consignments, two people directly involved in the process said.The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which reports to the consumer affairs ministry, has started a study to validate a real-time PCR-based test to detect buffalo DNA in foodstuff and feedstuff to check adulteration and improve species verification in animal-derived products, the people said on the condition of anonymity.“The study's findings will pave the way for introducing new standards as the existing international ISO standards currently do not provide a dedicated method for buffalo DNA detection,” one of the two people cited above said. “Because processed or minced meat is difficult to identify visually, DNA/PCR testing is widely used internationally to verify the animal species and detect adulteration."DNA-based testing refers to a scientific method that identifies the exact animal species in food products by analysing unique genetic material, helping regulators detect adulteration even in processed or mixed products.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Bengaluru: For Bengaluru-based techie Sumukh S, blood tests used to be a transactional matter. He would compare prices across apps, check availability and book whichever lab seemed cheapest or quickest that day. That changed about two years ago, after a friend recommended Orange Health Labs.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: This month, India’s semiconductor push gathered momentum with Tata Electronics’ pact with Dutch major ASML and two new projects, a mini/micro-LED display fabrication unit in Dholera and an OSAT packaging facility in Surat.With nearly a dozen semiconductor initiatives now underway, how close is India to becoming self-reliant in chips?Tata Electronics’ pact with ASML, the world’s leading maker of chip lithography equipment, marks a key step in India’s entry into global semiconductor manufacturing by securing access to critical technology. Alongside the two projects announced in May—a micro-LED display fab in Dholera and an OSAT packaging facility in Surat with a combined investment of ₹3,936 crore—the move broadens India’s semiconductor base.The micro-LED fab positions India in advanced display manufacturing, while the OSAT unit helps plug a packaging gap, reducing dependence on Taiwan and Malaysia.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A college senior called recently with a practical problem. He had suffered a cardiac episode some years ago and was finding it difficult to now increase his health cover. Every insurer he approached either declined or imposed permanent exclusions on cardiac conditions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Youngsters riding bikes at high speed without hands on the handlebars and performing stunts have long been a common sight in India, raising serious safety concerns for both riders and other motorists and even pedestrians.This could soon change.The government is planning a three-layer “hands-free” safety system for two-wheelers, requiring manufacturers to install technology that can detect whether riders have both hands on the handlebars and step in if they do not, amid rising road accidents in the country.According to an internal draft of the proposal, reviewed by Mint, the planned safety standards would require bikes and scooters to prevent ignition without both hands on the grip, issue audio and visual alerts if hands are removed while riding, and gradually slow down the vehicle in such cases.The introduction of new standards will lead to additional costs for automakers, which are typically passed on to consumers, with the proposed measures expected to increase prices by ₹800-1,000 per unit for installing sensors on handlebars, at least two industry executives said. The move marks a fresh push by the Centre to tighten two-wheeler safety norms even as its attempt to mandate anti-lock braking systems (ABS) across all categories of two-wheelers irrespective of engine capacity remains stuck amid industry resistance and cost concerns.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Chemical fertilizers in India are heavily subsidized and import-dependent. Their use, over the years, has led to significant deterioration in soil health. To promote soil testing, provide farmers with crop-specific nutrient recommendations, improve soil fertility and optimize fertilizer use, the government launched the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme in 2015.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: India’s cement makers are bracing for a prolonged margin squeeze as rising fuel, freight and packaging costs, triggered by the West Asia conflict, test pricing power amid signs of demand softness.Companies are responding with fuel substitution, long-term sourcing contracts and efficiency measures, but analysts say these steps are unlikely to fully offset near-term cost pressures as construction activity slows.A Mint analysis of the top five cement companies shows three reported a year-on-year decline in fourth-quarter profits (Q4FY26) as higher input costs weighed on earnings.At the same time, executives and analysts say the sector’s ability to protect margins will depend on how far price hikes and operational efficiencies can offset structurally higher fuel and logistics costs.India’s largest cement maker, UltraTech Cement, said scale and procurement strategy are helping cushion the impact.“There are several measures…diversifying our sources of procurement, identifying newer opportunities to deal with the situation, and entering into long-term fuel contracts, which are now turning beneficial for us,” chief financial officer Atul Daga said during a post-earnings interaction on 27 April, after the company reported March-quarter earnings that beat expectations on stronger volumes and tighter cost control.The strong performance came despite escalating costs. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) climbed 21% to ₹5,600.3 crore, surpassing analyst estimates of ₹5,277.2 crore.Energy expenses, which account for more than a quarter of total costs for cement makers, have risen as the West Asia conflict pushes up crude oil and related fuel prices.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Senate Banking Committee on Thursday is almost sure to advance a crypto regulation bill that industry heavyweights like Coinbase Global have championed for years. Crypto investors can’t pop the champagne just yet.Republican senators early Tuesday morning released the final text of a bill that would regulate crypto trading.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) tighter gold loan rules are likely to slow growth in one of South Indian Bank’s fastest-growing businesses, with the lender saying the new rules could constrain how much demand it can meet.“The revised RBI guidelines will have a certain amount of impact on how much business we can do,” managing director and chief executive officer P. R.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The Centre has amended rules to allow private, government-approved testing centres (GATCs) to inspect and certify petrol, diesel, and gaseous fuel dispensing machines, as it aims to reduce delays, ease compliance, and protect consumers, according to an official order reviewed by Mint.The calibration and verification certificate, which must be obtained every year, has become a massive exercise.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The waitstaff in restaurants should be aware: Patrons are less generous with tips over the weekend.That is the finding of a recent study that analyzed 68 million credit-card transactions at 47 restaurant chains operating in 41 states. Patrons, the study found, tipped their servers up to about 1% less on Saturdays and Sundays.The average tip for weekdays alone was 21.30%, with the highest tips on Tuesdays (21.45%) and Thursdays (21.47%).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kota-based test preparation company Resonance Eduventures is preparing for a fresh growth phase after completing the bulk of its long-running debt resolution exercise, the top executive of the firm told Mint.Founder Ram Kishan Verma said the company is now betting on a recovery in offline coaching demand, student enrolments and brand rebuilding.“The company is now in a much better position operationally. Most of the work on the settlement side has been completed and we are closing the remaining part as well,” Verma told Mint, in an interview.Mint was the first to report in April that KKR-backed Resonance was nearing an asset reconstruction company (ARC)-led debt resolution that could see lenders take nearly an 80% haircut on principal claims after years of financial stress.India's test preparation market size was valued at $11.60 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period 2026-2030, according to a report by research firm Technavio.Resonance, which was a sector leader before pandemic, was disrupted by digital hyper funded peers and faced high poaching pushing it into a debt trap.According to Abhijit Shrivastava, co-founder and managing partner at Azalea Capital Partners LLP, over 90% of lenders have already sold their exposure as part of the restructuring exercise.“The ARC involved is ACRE.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In 2019, Arvind Subramanian, India’s former chief economic advisor, argued in a Harvard working paper that Indian GDP had been overestimated by 2.5 percentage points a year from 2011-12 to 2016-17. His central exhibit was a chart of 17 economic indicators, 11 of which had turned negatively correlated with GDP after 2011. The starkest case was the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for manufacturing, at minus 0.78.Extend the data by seven years using the same method.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.DUBAI—President Trump chose to look the other way after Iran launched three salvos of missiles and drones into the United Arab Emirates, one of America’s main Middle Eastern partners, despite a cease-fire he negotiated nearly a month ago.The likely conclusion in Tehran, Gulf governments fear, is that further escalation pays off because Trump is so intent on extricating himself from the war that he will ignore renewed Iranian attacks on America’s regional allies.European and Asian nations—allies and strategic adversaries alike—are watching this closely, too.Ever since the war began on Feb. 28, Iranian leaders have frequently repeated a phrase, attributed to the deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, that “those who wrap themselves in America are naked.” The feeling in the U.A.E.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.President Trump’s desire to end the Iran war is being put to the test after Tehran fired at American warships on Monday and violently disrupted a U.S. effort to revive shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.U.S. officials say Trump for days has toggled between two competing impulses: severely punishing Iran for failing to abandon its nuclear work, and avoiding a significant escalation that could draw the U.S.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The air in West Bengal crackles with the raw electricity of change, but also brings with it real challenges for the new party in power.As the counting of votes continued on the evening of 4 May, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raced ahead in more than 200 seats, dwarfing the Trinamool Congress’s trailing presence of around 80, with others negligible.This is no incremental gain. It signals a wave that is poised to dismantle chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year citadel.The discontent against Banerjee’s party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), fuelled by years of alleged corruption, violence, and administrative decay, has finally overwhelmed loyalty to Didi’s welfare architecture.This verdict builds on a decade of simmering anti-incumbency.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.When a film star enters politics, the first question is usually whether charisma can translate into votes. In Tamil Nadu, where cinema and politics have long shared a porous border, that question has been asked for decades. But the more consequential question—what happens after the victory—has often been the harder one.As a journalist and a commentator of many elections, I tend to believe that Vijay’s entry into the chief minister’s office marks a new phase in the state’s political evolution, and it arrives with a complex mix of expectations, vulnerabilities, and structural tests.The most immediate challenge is administrative.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.This year’s first monetary policy meeting revealed an interesting data point on an emerging monetary product, an element that is bound to influence monetary systems and policies, including global payment systems. Its development has been characterized by caution, and while it is still some distance away from becoming widely accepted, its use-case scenarios present policy and regulatory challenges.India’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), or e-rupee, is finally emerging from the shadows. It is being tested in the domestic economy through managed programmes.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.At 11.40 am on Saturday, millions of phones across India blared a loud alert simultaneously, interrupting calls and conversations. The disruption was deliberate. It was a nationwide test of a multilingual cell broadcast system developed by the state-owned Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) for emergency warnings during disasters.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.It’s a hot day in Hanoi, the humidity hanging heavy, but we’re cutting a cool path through the water of Ha Long Bay, heading towards the uber-luxury Vinpearl Resort, built on an island with spectacular views of the bay. This isn’t a vacation though. We’re here to test drive VinFast’s new MPV 7.Before we get to the cars, we’re shown the entire repertoire of the Vin’s group’s strength since the group has ambitious plans for India.