The reduction in goods & services tax (GST) on individual life and health insurance premiums has been called a "landmark step" for making insurance affordable and inclusive. In a panel discussion at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025, Anup Bagchi, managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance; Mahesh Balasubramanian, MD & CEO of Kotak Life Insurance; Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO of Bajaj Life Insurance; and Ratnakar Patnaik, MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), listed what else the industry needs to reach more people.
Amid US-China trade tensions and economic vulnerabilities, India must seize the 'China +1' opportunity, deepen reforms, secure FTAs, and globalise its firms for long-term growth, suggests Ajay Shah.
Bangladesh's interim government has called on India to extradite Sheikh Hasina after she was sentenced to death in absentia. The move has sparked reactions from various political parties.
Sri Lanka stays with you not just in memory, but gently reminds you what a society can achieve when heart and heritage guide the way.
Radical Islamist networks are deliberately targeting Muslim youths embedded within the country's professional and academic ecosystems, leveraging their skills, mobility, and digital reach to quietly strengthen operational capabilities. This trend highlights a dangerous evolution in terror recruitment -- one that exploits ideological faultlines, online echo chambers and transnational radical Islamist influences to attract individuals who outwardly embody India's modern and aspirational narrative, points out Dr Kanchan Lakshman.
Kamini Kaushal, who began her career with the 1946 classic Neecha Nagar and went on to act in a host of films right till 2022, passed away in her Mumbai home on Thursday night.
The Election Commission has directed enforcement agencies and security forces to take proactive measures during the Bihar elections to prevent the use of drugs, liquor, and cash to influence voters.
It also aims to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court, with some authorities shifted to the proposed Constitutional Court, and immunity to the president from criminal proceedings for life.
Four-Test-old all-rounder Jacob Bethell was awarded his maiden central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which offered two-year deals to 14 multi-format cricketers, including Test captain Ben Stokes and injury-plagued pacer Jofra Archer.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge criticizes Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him 'incompetent' and demanding his resignation following a deadly blast in Delhi, citing intelligence failure and lack of accountability.
Pakistan responded to what it called 'unprovoked' attacks by Afghan forces in border areas, destroying several Afghan border posts, training camps, and terrorist hideouts, security sources said on Sunday.
Noting that recent uncertainties created by global tariffs have not impacted the Indian economy severely, Anuradha Thakur, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, said the central government is hopeful that the recent goods and services tax (GST) rationalisation will ignite the much needed animal spirits in the financial sector.
'She was brave. She didn't care a hoot. And India was not the strongest of nations as it is now.'
'She was brave. She didn't care a hoot. And India was not the strongest of nations as it is now.'
They died when an Israeli strike hit their home in the at-Twam neighbourhood of Gaza City.
China calls the shoal Huangyan Dao. China has already deployed some of its biggest CCG vessels in the area to assert its claims.
Patel did not specify which part of Michigan the FBI operation took place in. But in a separate social media post on Friday, the police department for the city of Dearborn noted that FBI agents had been active in its community.
An Indian national was arrested after allegedly stabbing two teenagers with a metal fork and slapping a co-passenger on a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Germany, leading to an emergency landing in Boston.
His remarks came in response to several European nations announcing their decision to recognise a Palestinian state during a summit at the UNGA on Monday. While the move was largely symbolic, it added to Israel's diplomatic isolation. Washington, however, has made clear it does not support the step.
As the Tata Sierra makes a triumphant return as a modern monocoque 5-doorOn November 15, Rajesh Karkera recalls the original SUV that defined his early adulthood.
'The heat shield technology for re-entry vehicles was first mastered in DRDO for the Agni missile.' 'This is why the Americans were so opposed to Agni in the 1980s, unlike other missiles -- it was a re-entry vehicle.'
'This election was won because of Nitish Kumar's face and his policies.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called on Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) to defend the multilateral trading system amid increasing protectionism and tariff volatility during a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.
'In times of adversity, families unite, but the reverse is happening in the Lalu family.'
'If the Trump administration could gain access to the nuclear weapons, they would be satisfied -- at least they could control them.'
Families of victims of the Air India plane crash have hired a US law firm to explore legal options, seeking answers and accountability.
'Rahul Gandhi's problem is that he doesn't think big.' 'He looks more like an activist, while politics is like a game of chess. You attack and then defend and have a game-plan.'
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (local time) issued a firm response to United States President Donald Trump's announcement of a 50 per cent tariff on Brazil by invoking the country's 'Economic Reciprocity Law', while asserting Brazil's sovereignty and rejecting 'any form of tutelage' in what he described as Trump's attempts to interfere in the country's internal judicial affairs.
Mumbai police have arrested Mohammed Salim Mohammed Suhail Shaikh, a key accused in a Rs 252-crore mephedrone seizure case, after his deportation from Dubai. Shaikh, known as 'Lavish,' is a member of an international drug syndicate and managed the supply and distribution chain from Dubai.
'Government officials use Gmail and ordinary phones without basic security consciousness.' 'Interoperability, especially in joint exercises with countries like the US, worries me.' 'It often means we open our systems to them, but they don't reciprocate.' 'They could have kill switches in their systems and might even be able to affect ours.'
A day after Israel claimed that Hamas had violated the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, United States President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) issued a stark warning to the militant group, saying it would face 'eradication' if it violated a truce in the region.
According to the Justice Department, Tellis, 64, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment think-tank, served as an unpaid senior adviser to the State Department and was also a contractor with the Office of Net Assessment at the Department of Defense.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and concurred with India's position that 'double standards' in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable.
India and Japan have unveiled a comprehensive framework to boost their defence cooperation in response to security challenges, particularly concerning China's increasing military presence in the East and South China Seas.
Sanctioning Russian oil would have led to a sharp surge in oil prices to above $80 per barrel levels, which would impact pump prices in the US ahead of midterm elections next year.
The Supreme Court of India has issued a series of directives aimed at safeguarding lawyer-client privilege, restricting the ability of investigative agencies to arbitrarily summon lawyers for providing advice. The court's decision came in response to concerns about the Enforcement Directorate summoning lawyers in money laundering probes.
'Political protection allow groups to recruit, rearm and operate with reduced operational pressure. That increases their bargaining power and their ability to destabilise.'
President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, becoming the first woman head of state to visit the shrine. She participated in traditional rituals and ceremonies during her visit.
'There are times when India should stand up without hesitation and voice its indignation over the US' pressure tactic. This is one such moment,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Mumbai police have arrested six individuals from Gujarat, dismantling an interstate cyber fraud gang involved in digital arrest scams, including one where a businessman was defrauded of Rs 58 crore.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances