What can be done for customs reforms. (AI generated image) By Krishan AroraIndia customs has seen several reforms over the years – from tariff rationalization to digitization to simplified procedures & schemes to support domestic Industry. While high tariff rates and duty rate rationalization remains a key industry demand, there is a need for a…
NEW DELHI: Amid a weak disinvestment performance so far this financial year, there are at least two proposals on the table to step up privatisation and use the proceeds for specific purposes.Industry body CII, govt departments and think tank NITI Aayog have proposed that govt should significantly step up privatisation and use the proceeds for…
NEW DELHI: The index of industrial production (IIP), which is moving to a chain-based series with annual resets, is also expected to see an increase in the weights assigned to electricity and manufacturing, while weightage for mining is set to decrease. This is part of the overhaul of the key dataset that the statistics office…
BENGALURU: India’s wealthy are increasingly looking to diversify into dollar-denominated assets, with some citing the GIFT City route as a preferred gateway to global investing, according to the India Luxury Residential Outlook Survey 2026 released by India Sotheby’s International Realty. A significant share of HNIs and UHNIs are concerned about the rupee’s depreciation against the…
NEW DELHI: Technology has emerged as the top paymaster across roles and levels in 2026, driven by deepening digitisation and a sharper focus on artificial intelligence among businesses. Tech and IT roles also dominate the top three salary brackets across levels, with all top 10 hot jobs being technology-led, the first time ever in recent…
As India’s startup ecosystem matures, Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs) continue to be one of the most effective tools for attracting and retaining talent. For young companies operating with limited cash flows, ESOPs help balance ambition with affordability. However, how these stock options are taxed continues to play a decisive role in how valuable they…
MUMBAI: Axis Bank reported a steady operating performance in Dec quarter, with net profit rising 3% year-on-year to Rs 6,490 crore, supported by strong loan growth and higher fee income, even as margins moderated. The bank’s net interest income increased 5% from a year earlier to Rs 14,287 crore, on the back of 14% growth…
New Delhi: PVR INOX on Monday said it will divest its premium snacking business under the 4700BC brand to FMCG major Marico in an all-cash transaction valued at Rs 226.8 crore, a move aimed at reducing debt and sharpening focus on its core cinema operations. PVR INOX expects this deal to “be completed within 30…
Gold smashed through the $5,000-an-ounce threshold for the first time, extending a breakneck rally fuelled by US President Donald Trump’s reshaping of international relations and investor flight from sovereign bonds and currencies.Bullion jumped as much as 2.5% to more than $5,111 on Monday, as dollar weakness reinforced demand. A gauge of the greenback has fallen…
The US Treasury Department has terminated its contracts with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton following the conviction of a former contractor linked to the company for leaking sensitive tax data of thousands of wealthy Americans, including President Donald Trump, to media organisations.The decision comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to act against entities…
A Dubai-based conglomerate has said it will initiate legal action against Lebanese authorities, alleging losses of more than $1.7 billion following years of economic crisis, banking restrictions and political instability in Lebanon.The Al Habtoor Group said on Monday that its investments in Lebanon have suffered “severe and sustained harm” due to measures imposed by Lebanese…
Representative image (AI) Ahead of the Union Budget, EY India’s Rajnish Gupta said that the government should release more public data to support India’s push for sovereign artificial intelligence. He added that it is key to building AI models that reflect the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity.Gupta, Partner with EY India’s Tax and Economic Policy…
US stocks opened with modest gains on Monday as investors turned their focus to a busy earnings calendar and the upcoming policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve, while gold surged past the $5,000-an-ounce mark for the first time.The S&P 500 rose 0.4% in early trade, coming off its second consecutive weekly loss. The Dow…
India and the European Union have successfully concluded negotiations for a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA), commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, PTI reported. Calling the agreement balanced and forward-looking from India’s perspective, Agrawal said the deal would deepen economic integration between India and the EU and give a boost to bilateral trade and…
Banking operations at public sector banks across the country are likely to be disrupted on Tuesday as bank unions go ahead with a nationwide strike to press for the immediate implementation of a five-day work week.The strike, called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU)—an umbrella body of nine unions representing bank officers and…
Mumbai: An insurance start-up is betting on a narrow but neglected corner of India’s motor market: micro-entrepreneurs who own commercial vehicles in small towns and rural areas, and who often miss renewals due to lack of access. OneCircle Insurance Brokers, which launched operations this month, is designing its business around these gaps, offering products from…
With global banks, broker-dealers and capital markets players weighing India as an offshore financial base, Deloitte has urged the government to use Budget 2026 to have parity rulesa among players, remove tax asymmetries and compliance frictions that are limiting the scale-up of IFSC GIFT City as a full-service international BFSI hub.According to Deloitte, the International…
Ahead of the Union Budget 2026, the IT industry association Nasscom has urged the government to address pressing tax concerns for startups and technology firms. As reported by PTI, the Nasscom wishlist for Budget 2026 includes extending the Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) tax deferment to more startups, clarifying rules around the tax treatment of…
Ahead of the Union Budget, India’s fast-growing private space industry has called on the government to step up public procurement of space products and services and formally recognise space assets as critical infrastructure to unlock financing and accelerate scale-up.Industry leaders said assured government demand, along with easier access to long-term capital, is essential for domestic…
File photo: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget on February 1, with expectations centred on tax reforms, a revamp of the customs duty structure and measures to support economic growth amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty. The Budget is also expected to outline a clear…
