Food price outlook: Better monsoon, sowing to cool H2FY26 inflation; adverse base could lift FY27 rates

Food price outlook: Better monsoon, sowing to cool H2FY26 inflation; adverse base could lift FY27 rates

Food inflation is expected to remain under control in the second half of FY26, supported by better monsoon rains and improved sowing conditions. However, ICICI Bank’s Global Markets sectoral update has warned that an “adverse base” could push food inflation higher in FY27. A base effect means inflation can look unusually high or low depending…

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India’s retail sector: Market to hit  trillion by 2030; digital and D2C formats set to reshape traditional shopping

India’s retail sector: Market to hit $1 trillion by 2030; digital and D2C formats set to reshape traditional shopping

India’s consumption landscape is gearing up for a major shift over the coming decade, with the country’s retail market expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. A new report by venture capital firm Fireside Ventures says this surge will be fuelled by rising disposable incomes, faster digital adoption and the growth of a large aspirational…

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Luxury sector: Galeries Lafayette targets booming Indian market – why experts warn sales may stay subdued

Luxury sector: Galeries Lafayette targets booming Indian market – why experts warn sales may stay subdued

French department store Galeries Lafayette has officially entered India with a large five-floor store opened in Mumbai, hoping to tap into the country’s massive consumer base—but the road ahead is far from simple.Backed locally by the fashion division of the Aditya Birla Group, the retailer’s debut marks another attempt by global luxury brands to establish…

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Ethics scandal: Ex-Fed governor Adriana Kugler broke trading rules; disclosures show repeated policy violations

Ethics scandal: Ex-Fed governor Adriana Kugler broke trading rules; disclosures show repeated policy violations

File photo: Ex-Fed governor Adriana Kugler (Picture credit: AP) Former Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler, who resigned abruptly in August, repeatedly broke the central bank’s strict trading rules before stepping down, according to new disclosures released by US ethics authorities.A report by the US Office of Government Ethics, reviewed after the Federal Reserve referred the…

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Energy standoff: US tells Serbia to remove Russian ownership from NIS entirely; Belgrade warns of ‘historic’ decisions ahead

Energy standoff: US tells Serbia to remove Russian ownership from NIS entirely; Belgrade warns of ‘historic’ decisions ahead

The United States has told Serbia it will not lift sanctions on the country’s largest oil company, NIS, unless Belgrade ensures a complete withdrawal of Russian ownership, Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Saturday, calling the weeks ahead “some of the most difficult decisions in our history”.NIS — the Petroleum Industry of Serbia…

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Railways revises catering policy, popular food chains could soon open at railway stations

Railways revises catering policy, popular food chains could soon open at railway stations

Rajahmundry Railway station (File photo) New Delhi: Passengers may soon find popular food chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, Baskin Robbins, Pizza Hut, Haldiram’s and Bikanerwala at railway stations. The railway board has revised its catering policy to allow premium brand catering outlets to operate at stations across the country.The proposal to issue guidelines for premium…

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USPS financial loss: Postal Service flags  bn deficit; agency pushes price hikes and policy fixes

USPS financial loss: Postal Service flags $9 bn deficit; agency pushes price hikes and policy fixes

The US Postal Service (USPS) has sought sweeping administrative and legislative changes after reporting a $9 billion annual loss, a marginal improvement from the $9.5 billion deficit posted last year, Reuters reported.New Postmaster General David Steiner said the agency continues to face a “significant systemic annual revenue and cost imbalance” and must accelerate efficiency measures,…

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AI on the streets: US cities turn to AI for safer streets; new tools track hazards in real time

AI on the streets: US cities turn to AI for safer streets; new tools track hazards in real time

America’s ageing and under-maintained roads are pushing cities and states to adopt artificial intelligence tools that can spot hazards, flag repairs and prioritise fixes in real time — a shift gaining pace amid rising traffic deaths and stretched public works budgets.From Hawaii and Texas to San Jose, local governments are deploying AI-powered dashcams, vehicle-mounted cameras…

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India trade boost: US exempts select farm goods from reciprocal tariffs; GTRI sees marginal gains

India trade boost: US exempts select farm goods from reciprocal tariffs; GTRI sees marginal gains

India could secure a marginal competitive advantage in a select group of agricultural products after the United States removed several items from its reciprocal tariff list, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has said in a new analysis.A White House Executive Order issued on November 12 exempted coffee, tea, tropical fruits, fruit juices, cocoa, spices,…

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Gems trade slump: Exports fall 31% in October; bullion volatility, early US stocking hit demand

Gems trade slump: Exports fall 31% in October; bullion volatility, early US stocking hit demand

India’s gems and jewellery exports fell sharply in October, sliding 30.57% to $2.17 billion (Rs 19,172.89 crore) compared to the same month last year, according to data released by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), PTI reported.Exports in October 2024 had stood at $3.12 billion (Rs 26,237.1 crore).GJEPC chairman Kirit Bhansali said the…

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Pilot crunch: India needs 30,000 pilots as 1,700 aircraft await delivery; Union aviation minister flags urgent training push

Pilot crunch: India needs 30,000 pilots as 1,700 aircraft await delivery; Union aviation minister flags urgent training push

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu (File photo) India will require as many as 30,000 additional pilots to operate the 1,700 aircraft currently on order with Boeing and Airbus, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said on Saturday, underscoring the scale of workforce expansion needed for the country’s rapidly growing aviation…

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Critical minerals push: Venezuela seeks deeper ties with India; Piyush Goyal calls for reviving joint mechanism

Critical minerals push: Venezuela seeks deeper ties with India; Piyush Goyal calls for reviving joint mechanism

Venezuela has told India it is keen to expand cooperation in the critical minerals sector and attract greater Indian investment, signalling a shift in bilateral engagement beyond the traditional oil partnership, according to the commerce ministry.In a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Venezuela’s Minister of Ecological Mining Development Hector Silva, the…

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Mining expansion: Hindustan Zinc wins AP tungsten block; composite licence opens path to exploration

Mining expansion: Hindustan Zinc wins AP tungsten block; composite licence opens path to exploration

Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) has secured a composite licence from the Andhra Pradesh government to explore and mine a tungsten and associated mineral block, marking a major step in the Vedanta Group company’s strategy to diversify beyond zinc, lead and silver, PTI reported.In a statement on Saturday, HZL said it has been formally declared the…

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India second largest importer of Russian crude oil in October; China ranks first – when will impact of Trump’s sanctions be seen?

India second largest importer of Russian crude oil in October; China ranks first – when will impact of Trump’s sanctions be seen?

India has stood its ground, continuing buying crude from Russia, despite repeated objections from US President Donald TrumpIn October, crude oil worth $2.5 billion flowed into the country from Moscow, making it the world’s second-largest buyer. India was second only to China, which purchased $3.7 billion, according to the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy…

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Aviation outlook: Airbus says Asia Pacific to need 19,560 new planes; India-China to drive half of global demand

Aviation outlook: Airbus says Asia Pacific to need 19,560 new planes; India-China to drive half of global demand

The Asia Pacific region will require 19,560 new aircraft over the next two decades as rising passenger traffic, rapid fleet expansion and strong growth in markets such as India and China reshape global aviation demand, Airbus said on Saturday, PTI reported.Presenting its long-term market forecast at the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) Annual Assembly in…

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Trouble for toy sector? Trump’s tariffs hit US orders by 50%; here’s how Indian exporters are fighting the impact

Trouble for toy sector? Trump’s tariffs hit US orders by 50%; here’s how Indian exporters are fighting the impact

Toy exporters, who began the financial year with strong dispatches due to early festive shipments and advance buying from US customers, are now having to cut prices and change packaging to cope with the slowdown. The slump comes after American buyers shifted to other sourcing markets following the United States’ decision to impose a 50%…

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Infosys hands out Sept quarter bonus: Employees to get 75% average bonus; check details

Infosys hands out Sept quarter bonus: Employees to get 75% average bonus; check details

Infosys announced its latest round of performance-linked payouts for the September quarter, issuing bonus letters on Friday to employees across several job levels. The Bengaluru based company, which is also India’s second-largest in the IT sector, has granted an average bonus of 75% of the eligible or target amount for the period. Employees told ET…

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Warren Buffett’s market move: Berkshire takes .3 billion stake in Google parent Alphabet; scales back Apple holding

Warren Buffett’s market move: Berkshire takes $4.3 billion stake in Google parent Alphabet; scales back Apple holding

Berkshire Hathaway has unveiled a new multibillion-dollar investment in Alphabet while continuing to scale back its long-running position in Apple, marking the final update of its portfolio before Warren Buffett steps down after 60 years as the chief executive. In a filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, the company reported…

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