MUNICH: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), in Munich, Germany, among several other key dignitaries, during her ongoing visit.Both leaders were pleased to note the finalisation of the India and the European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in January 2026. The Union Finance Minister underlined the financial…
The Centre has given the green light to a series of highway projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore spanning Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana, according to official statements.The approvals were granted by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and cover road widening, rehabilitation and new four-lane stretches aimed at boosting freight movement and regional connectivity….
Gold continues to hold strong appeal among young Indians, even as access to modern financial products widens, with 62 per cent of respondents naming the precious metal as their preferred investment option, according to a survey.The findings suggest that despite the rise of mutual funds, equities and crypto assets, gold remains the go-to choice for…
NEW DELHI: Driven by structural reforms, entrepreneurial energy and a forward-looking approach to debt and development, India’s post-Covid expansion has been among the most consistent for any major economy, with expectations remaining strong for the medium term, Yann Le Pallec, president, S&P Global Ratings said on Saturday. “In our latest report, we explored how India…
NEW DELHI: In a rapidly reshaping global economy, strategic sovereignty has emerged as a guiding imperative, as nations navigate global supply chains while safeguarding critical capabilities in an increasingly fragmented world, global business leaders said. During a panel discussion, KPMG India CEO Yezdi Nagporewalla, global leaders across new age economy, technology and defence, financial inclusion,…
A new study by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), supported by OpenAI, has sought to ease concerns about large-scale job losses due to artificial intelligence.According to the report, generative AI is not triggering mass layoffs in India’s IT sector at present. Instead, it is reshaping how work is organised, improving…
NEW DELHI: Railways is seeking to address the biggest concern of long distance passengers— train toilets. It on Saturday rolled out reforms in on-board services with focus on regular cleaning of toilets, wash basins and garbage collection in trains on the move, including for millions of passenger travelling in general or unreserved coaches to have…
File photo: US secretary of state Marco Rubio and EAM S Jaishankar (Picture credit: AP, ANI) US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Saturday said Washington has secured a commitment from India to stop buying additional Russian oil, even as the United States continues to tighten sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.Speaking at the…
The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) with a total Central Assistance of Rs 1 lakh crore, aimed at driving market-linked urban infrastructure development and catalysing investments worth around Rs 4 lakh crore over the next five years.The fund marks a shift in urban development model away from grant-based…
NEW DELHI: For decades, India’s fiscal federal system has had one core element that stood out: poorer states would be supported so that growth could be shared.The 16th Finance Commission has not broken that promise on paper. States will still receive 41 percent of the divisible pool of central taxes. But beneath that headline number,…