CATEGORIES

Bata India set to roll out VRS scheme at Hosur facility in TN

BATA INDIA ON Monday said that it will introduce a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) at its Hosur unit in Tamil Nadu.

Festive cheer missing as retail sales growth slows, finds study

THE RETAIL SECTOR's festive sales growth failed to meet expectations this year, reflecting subdued consumer demand, according to the Retailers Association of India (RAI).

Future forward: How AI will redefine new year

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is set to redefine industries in 2025, driven by advancements in agentic AI, smaller language models (SLMs), and domain-specific solutions.

Rabi sowing in last leg, a tad above year-ago level

LESS THAN A fortnight left for the season to be over, sowing of rabi crops such as wheat, pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals has crossed the year-ago level, even as oilseeds area has declined on year.

External debt rises to $711.8 bn in Sept

INDIA'S EXTERNAL DEBT rose to $711.8 billion as of September this year, up 4.3% over June 2024, as per the data released by the finance ministry.

India to Push for Banana Exports to Russia

AFTER ACHIEVING SUCCESS in banana exports to Europe and West Asia, the government is now eyeing the Russian market, currently dominated by Ecuador, a senior official said on Monday.

Govt plans to double subsidy for chip design to ₹30 crore

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) is working on a proposal to double the subsidy under the design-linked incentive (DLI) scheme, a key component of India's ₹76,000-crore semiconductor incentive programme.

Rooftop solar scheme: Rules for financial aid released

THE MINISTRY OF new and renewable energy (MNRE) has issued operational guidelines for implementing the payment security mechanism (PSM) and central financial assistance (CFA) for residential consumers through the renewable energy services company (RESCO) model and utility-led aggregation (ULA) model under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

Microfinance Faces Rising Delinquencies

THE MICROFINANCE SECTOR is showing signs of stress, with rising delinquencies across all types of lenders and ticket sizes, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated in its latest Financial Stability Report.

...while funding gap widens

BANKS AND NON-BANKING financial companies (NBFCs) resorted aggressively to the use of certificate of deposits and commercial papers, respectively, to meet their funding gaps.

RBI Red-Flags Worsening Asset Quality in Unsecured Loans

● Growth in personal loans moderates post regulatory measures

Mandi rates of pulses fall but retail prices high

Kharif arrivals commence and imports adequate; govt urges retailers to reduce prices

Isro to demonstrate docking of satellites in space in Jan

ISRO is set to launch two satellites tonight from the Sriharikota spaceport to demonstrate docking and undocking of spacecraft in orbit, which will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve the feat.

All eyes on Virat & Rohit to plot a magical win, rediscover glory

If Sunday's Test cricket at the MCG was exhilarating, a mouth-watering Monday awaits the audience on Monday. With Australia's overall lead sitting on 333—the highest score a team has chased to win here is 332, almost a century ago—and with a wicket in hand, all three results are possible. A historic Border-Gavaskar retaining triumph by the Indians; a vital win for Australia, who were reeling on Saturday morning but were revived by captain Pat Cummins and the fellow bowlers; or that cricket-romantic's dream of a tie that both countries can't stop talking about since the 1987 one in Chennai.

Funding rebound augurs well for startup ecosystem

STARTUP EXPERTS FORESEE a steady rebound in startup funding, driven by strong economic fundamentals and a focus on sustainable growth in 2025.

Constitution guiding light; Maha Kumbh's message is unity: Modi

INDIA'S CONSTITUTION HAS stood the test of time and it is the country's guiding light, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in the year's final episode of the Mann Ki Baat radio address.

Promoters pick up ₹1.5 L cr through share sales in 2024

A conducive \"EXIT environment\" didn't just help promoters looking to offload shares.

AI is changing how we search, play game & create

our product line-up will deliver enhanced solutions to address these aspects. The ability of the AI PCs to tackle complex workloads, improve collaboration and deliver advanced content creation and media experiences, will act as a catalyst of growth and demand of AI in PCs. The technology will also elevate gaming by making the device more energy efficient. Who will be the initial buyers for AI PCs in India? We have fully embraced AI with our Asus PCs, being the first

Audio is high-quality, detailed and balanced

AK4332ECB DAC chip that helps to deliver audio with detailed accuracy and low distortion. The credit for high-quality audio also goes to Knowles balanced armature driver, a small, lightweight transducer that produces high-quality sound in a range of devices, including earphones, hearing aids, and other critical listening applications. In the case of these earbuds, the driver has been moved towards the inside of the ear with a redesigned acoustic chamber and mesh size

Making India a chip powerhouse

A strong product focus will enhance its global stature

When electric vehicles go mainstream

●Affordable EVs sport features available in high-end models

A quiet operator for cleaner and healthier indoor air

● Its LED panel displays the AQI level in real-time

When influencers became mainstream...

Three trends stood out in the year passing us by: Social media influencers became mainstream brand ambassadors, agency consolidation picked up pace and the audio medium seemed to find its place in the sun

Where comfort finds its space

The Q7 has passed on the superluxury baton to the Q8, and yet neatly balances comfort, space, price

When technology transformed a medium...

2024 SURELY WAS a defining year for the radio industry as it leveraged technological innovations like never before, transforming into a vibrant, multimedia platform, taking its radio plus proposition a notch higher.

Rising capital intensity

NAS DATA ON INFORMAL SECTOR DOESN'T REFLECT POLICY FALLOUT BETWEEN 2015-16 & 2019-20

TVS champ now eyes Dakar Rally

● One of India's finest woman rally riders is targeting the world's toughest race

Dollar Dominance Key to US Debt and Deficits

THE ECLIPSE OF the dollar, and with it the ability of the US to borrow on a scale that would cripple any other country, has been long predicted.

A breakout year for renewable energy

The sector saw several milestones in 2024, govt focus on grid modernisation and ramping up transmission connectivity critical ahead

Stick with diversified equity funds, avoid sectoral funds now

If investors have excessive allocation towards small- and mid-cap funds, it may be a good time for some reallocation towards large-cap funds. Rajeev Thakkar, chief investment officer, PPFAS Mutual Fund, in an interview to Saikat Neogi, advises investors to stick with diversified equity funds rather than trying to pick one or two sectors or themes for investments in the equity space. Excerpts: