Business

Banks have been advised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to link loans extended to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to an external benchmark in order to strengthen monetary policy transmission, the government informed Parliament on Saturday.In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for MSME Shobha Karandlaje said the…

India’s gems and jewellery exports rose nearly 20 per cent year-on-year to $2.5 billion in November, buoyed by higher shipments of cut and polished diamonds, studded gold jewellery and silver items, according to provisional data released by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), PTI reported.Exports stood at $2.1 billion in November last year….

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has kicked off the process to evaluate the possibility of adding a third runway at the Navi Mumbai International Airport, issuing a bid invitation for a techno-commercial feasibility study, an official told PTI on Sunday.The state planning authority has launched an e-tender for the consultancy assignment, calling for…

The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 — a private member’s bill introduced in Parliament last week — has reopened the conversation on work-life boundaries, even though experts say it is unlikely to become law anytime soon. The legislation, moved by NCP MP Supriya Sule, proposes giving employees the legal right to ignore work-related communication outside…

Cheap copper imports under multiple free trade agreements (FTAs) are “severely damaging” India’s domestic manufacturing system, the Indian Primary Copper Producers Association (IPCPA) said, urging the government to step in with safeguard duties and quantitative restrictions.The industry body said a surge in zero-duty copper imports is eroding India’s smelting and downstream manufacturing base, even as…

Stock market outlook: The markets this week were driven by macroeconomic pressures and mixed global cues. Domestically, the rupee slid to a fresh record low of 90.56 against the US dollar, dampening risk sentiment. However, some relief came after the US Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point rate cut, while optimism over progress in India–US trade…

As the new year approaches, a clear theme is emerging on Wall Street, the technology giants that powered the bull market may no longer dominate market gains.Strategists at firms such as Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are advising clients to look beyond the so-called Magnificent Seven, a group that includes Nvidia and Amazon and…

Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models, often sold at big discounts, catering to their taste for fancy electronics and comfort.That is bad news for European carmakers like Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and BMW that have long dominated the upper reaches of the world’s largest…

In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world’s manufacturing powerhouse.China is already the world’s largest market for industrial robots, and the government is pouring billions of dollars into…

The richest man in the world could more than double his $460.6 billion fortune if SpaceX succeeds in going public next year at a valuation of $1.5 trillion.SpaceX is moving forward with an insider share sale that values Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker at about $800 billion, setting up what could be the largest…