NEW DELHI: Amid a tightening security environment shaped by a militarily assertive China and a volatile Pakistan, the defence ministry has cleared military modernisation projects worth nearly Rs 79,000 crore, marking one of the most consequential procurement approvals in recent years. The clearances were accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by defence minister…
RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra (File photo) Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra met senior executives of major non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) on Monday to discuss key issues facing the sector, stressing the need for strong lending standards and close monitoring of loan quality.The meeting was attended by heads of government-owned NBFCs, housing finance companies and microfinance…
Fred Wilson, one of the most influential venture capitalists in the U.S., thinks crypto’s breakthrough moment in 2026 won’t come from new blockchains — but from making them invisible to their end users. “Blockchains disappear behind better consumer interfaces that allow users to use, spend, trade, and send tokens without concerning themselves with which blockchain…
ONGC will take a 50 per cent stake in two joint ventures with Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to enter specialised ethane shipping.The joint ventures will each own a very large ethane carrier (VLEC), with ONGC and MOL holding equal equity. The vessels, with a combined cost of about $370 million, will transport ethane from…
NEW DELHI: Drug makers and medical device firms facing minor regulatory violations can now avoid criminal prosecution and lengthy court battles, with the government rolling out a formal mechanism to settle eligible cases outside courts.The framework, laid out in the Drugs and Cosmetics (Compounding of Offences) Rules, 2025, allows certain offences under the Drugs and…
Manufacturing activity in US was at record bottom December, marking 10th consecutive month of contraction. The Institute of Supply Management (ISM) index slipped to 47.9 from 48.2 in November.The latest figures mark the lowest reading for the year, with production levels falling below November’s numbers. While employment showed a minor uptick of 0.9 percentage points,…
NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Monday issued a travel advisory for Iran urging its nationals to avoid non-essential travel as unrest continues to spread across the country following days of protests.In a statement, the MEA urged nationals in Iran to “avoid non-essential travel”.“In view of recent developments, Indian nationals are advised…
BNB extended recent gains over the last 24-hour period up 1.7% and trading around $906. Price action over the period reflected steady demand rather than a straight breakout, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis data model. BNB posted a sequence of higher lows and spent much of the period consolidating between the high-$890s and low-$900s….
India’s salaried class feels squeezed—not because they don’t want to pay taxes, but because the system increasingly treats retirement savings as a luxury. (AI image) For a country that prides itself on a thriving middle class, India’s tax treatment of retirement savings has begun to feel oddly out of step with economic reality. Over the…
HYDERABAD: SmartGreen Aquaculture (SGA), a Hyderabad-based startup, has set up what is touted as India’s first inland, premium trout farming facility in Kandukur mandal of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, at an initial investment of $6 million (approx. Rs 54 crore).The facility, based on the sustainable recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology…
