CATEGORIES

India explores connectivity to Matarbari port in Bangladesh

India is considering proposals to connect Bangladesh's strategically important Matarbari port to northeastern states, according to people aware of the matter.

Panagariya to lead finance panel; local bodies in focus

16th finance commission to suggest steps needed to augment the states' consolidated fund

Modi terms 2023 a year of special achievements

Describing 2023 as a year of 'special achievements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country is replete with self-confidence and the momentum should continue in 2024.

Global travel growth flies past domestic

The growth rate of international traffic at Indian airports has surpassed that of domestic air traffic, as Indians increasingly opt for foreign trips on the back of improved connectivity and relaxed visa norms.

Banks hike FD rates as cash levels plunge

A number of large and mid-sized banks raised term deposit rates in December, luring customers to park surplus money with them as the system liquidity deficit widened following tax outflows and tepid government spending.

'Several Eols for chip, testing units'

A top government body is examining \"a significant number\" of applications to set up semiconductor fabrication units and testing facilities in India, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union minister of state (MOS) for electronics and Information Technology (IT).

E-commerce policy soon, PMO ticking final boxes

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is examining the national e-commerce policy to understand its potential impact on domestic retailers and small players, two people aware of the matter said.

Rival bets set the stage for rocky start to 2024

Bullish institutions and bearish retail investors roll over bets to New Year

Christmas footfall fails to spread cheer evenly

A long Christmas weekend may have led to a spike in footfall at malls, retailers, and food outlets, but the festive cheer failed to spread evenly across consumption categories, industry executives said.

Robust tax mop-up limits fiscal deficit to 50% of FY24 goal

The central government’s fiscal deficit stood comfortably at ₹9 trillion in the April to November period, about half of the estimated full-year target, as tax revenue grew in twin digits, and spending and subsidy outgo were broadly in line with estimates.

Print ads down 2% sequentially, 11% y-o-y in Sept qtr

Print advertising volumes fell 2% sequentially, and 11% from a year ago during the July-September period, despite a rise in the number of advertisers to around 58,400.

Incentivizing hybrids will also boost electrified tech: Toyota

The automaker stressed the need for bolstering demand for both HEVs and BEVS

January wasn't kind to investors in 7 of the last 10 years

Investors need to watch out for nasty surprises in January, as markets have generated negative returns in seven out of ten times that month over the past ten years. Moreover, January returns have ranged between a negative 0.06% and 2.5% in five straight years from 2019 to 2023. Recent rollover data, which suggests that traders have carried forward heavy bullish bets at steep levels, adds to the risk.

More fintech NBFCs tap debt mkts for expansion

Fintech startups operating as non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are increasingly turning to the bond market to secure funds for expansions due to the rising costs of bank borrowing.

Finmin optimistic on India's growth despite global stress

The Indian economy is set to achieve a growth rate of over 6.5%, thanks to a stronger-than-expected performance in July-September (Q2FY24), the finance ministry said on Friday.

Oil ministry to save costs on pipelines using Gati Shakti

The ministry has saved 169 cr on the proposed five pipelines for the North East Gas Grid

India asks Pakistan to extradite Let's 26/11 accused Hafiz Saeed

India has asked Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, and a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Oil cos raise ethanol procurement price

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have increased the procurement price for ethanol made from C-heavy molasses by ₹6.87 per litre for the 2023-24 supply season that started in November, marking the highest rise in over five years.

CBIC extends GST dues recovery date

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has extended the deadline for tax officials to demand and recover dues from businesses for 2018-19 and 2019-20, as the government looks to resolve backlogs and bolster revenues.

Core sector growth at 7.8% in Nov, slowest in six months

Coal and refinery products recorded 10.9% and 12.4% growth, but cement and crude shrank

Why 2023 was a landmark year for Indian athletes

From Neeraj Chopra to the strong showing at the Asian and Para Asian Games, Indian athletes inspired and empowered

Critique or bias? The debate cleaving the art world

The Israel-Hamas conflict has caused a division in the art world with political critique being termed prejudice

New spaces open, old masters rule

New galleries and planned expansions widen the canvas for young artists, but the masters continue to reign at auctions

Moments in INDIAN CINEMA 2023

From an immaculate action set piece to a brittle confrontation between parent and child to a perfect slice of screwball comedy, these are the moments, large and small, touching and thrilling, that made Indian cinema in 2023

Words that defined 2023

A Lounge roundup of standout words and phrases that anchored significant moments this year-and could very well seep into our everyday conversations going forward

A road trip and a chicken Kolhapuri break

I write this column with great difficulty.

TRENDS that ruled DINING this year

Diners fell in love with clarified cocktails and Latin American cuisine, while chefs turned to hyperregional ingredients

The stars who open a doorway to the past

Icons provide the soundtrack for the way we would like to imagine ourselves, reminding us that we too are touched with stardust

CLIMATE CRITICAL IN 2023

While climate change impacts intensified in 2023, the richest countries responded with a shrug

CARRY YOUR AI AROUND

From devices that can be worn like a necklace to Al-powered smart glasses, the race to integrate AI in physical devices is heating up