Business

NEW DELHI: Amid rising prices, Indian consumers were shunning the purchase of gold, resulting in lower import of the yellow metal – both in value and quantity terms – during first half of the financial year.But, they seem to have come back with a vengeance in Oct, coinciding with GST rate reduction, making up for…

BENGALURU: IT and BPM firms are accelerating the use of advanced productivity tools that provide clients with real-time operational insights. Many of these tools include built-in time tracking, analyse workforce patterns, and proactively flag inefficiencies in performance trends. Tracking workforce productivity has been part of industry routines, largely at the clients’ behest, as companies seek…

NEW DELHI: India’s trade deficit hit a record $41 billion in Oct as exports saw the steepest monthly decline in over a year, and imports rose to an all-time high, driven by a surge in gold and silver shipments into the country. The 11.8% fall in goods exports to $34.4 billion in Oct – which…

The government on Monday tightened import controls on select categories of platinum jewellery, imposing licensing requirements until April 30, 2026, in an effort to check misuse of free trade agreements (FTAs), particularly with ASEAN nations, PTI reported.The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in a fresh notification, revised the import policy for these platinum jewellery…

India is set to benefit modestly from the United States’ decision to withdraw reciprocal tariffs on a set of agricultural products, including tea, coffee and spices, the commerce ministry said on Monday, PTI reported. The tariff exemptions, announced through a White House Executive Order on November 12, took effect the next day.The move rolls back…

US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India in August, 25% of which is a penalty for India’s crude oil imports from Russia. (AI image) India’s exports to the US have grown in October over September, despite the 50% tariffs imposed by American President Donald Trump on Indian goods. However, the exports to the…

Finance Commission submits report to President Murmu (Photo credit- PTI ) The 16th Finance Commission on Monday submitted its report for the five-year period 2026-31 to President Droupadi Murmu, marking a key step in finalising the formula that will determine how central taxes are shared with states, PTI reported.The panel, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, had…

Nearly one in four Indian enterprises has suffered losses of more than $ 1 million from cyber breaches in the past three years, according to PwC’s latest 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights survey. The exposure is particularly high among large firms, with the report noting that 45 per cent of companies earning $5 billion or…

India’s merchandise exports fell 11.8% to $34.38 billion in October, even as inbound shipments registered strong growth, pushing the trade deficit to $41.68 billion, government data released on Monday showed.Imports jumped 16.63% to $76.06 billion, driven largely by a sharp rise in precious metal inflows, PTI reported. Gold imports surged to $14.72 billion, nearly tripling…

The biggest advantage of annuities is their longevity protection. (AI image) For most retirees, the most important financial goal is to ensure they don’t run out of money in their sunset years. The transition from earning a salary to depending on one’s savings can be unsettling. After decades of saving and investing, one wants stability,…