The exemption of individual life and health insurance premiums from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) enables the insurance industry to make products affordable and attractive, said Ajay Seth, chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025.
Hit by a slowdown in information technology (IT) hiring, Info Edge (India)'s results for the July-September quarter (Q2) of 2025-26 (FY26) fell short of brokerage expectations. What helped the online recruitment major offset the weak IT hiring trend was broad-based growth across other sectors.
India's eight key infrastructure sectors' output stood at 3 per cent in September, slower than the 6.5 per cent expansion recorded in August, according to official data released on Tuesday. The core sectors' output growth was 2.4 per cent in September last year.
It is important to stand up for your partner if you think they are being unfair to her, says rediffGURU Ravi Mittal, CEO of Quack Quack, an online dating Website.
Booth-level officers in Kerala boycotted work following the suicide of a colleague allegedly due to work strain related to the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Trade unions and political leaders are demanding investigations and changes to the process.
'In the long run, India's strong growth story and reforms to make assets globally attractive will determine the rupee's resilience.'
The recipe for Indian higher education institutions to succeed in the global markets is excellence in academics, promoting contemporary socially relevant material, and enabling individuals (learners) to realise their full potential, suggests N Ravichandran.
The committed expenditure recorded a 9.37 per cent increase, reaching Rs 15.64 trillion.
A 28-year-old revenue officer (lekhpal) in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide a day before his wedding, allegedly due to excessive work pressure related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The incident has triggered protests and accusations of harassment by revenue staff.
'Do remember, people will be on your side sometimes and not on your side at other times.' 'This goes for friends and family as well; so learn to be comfortable with that,' says rediffGURU Anu Krishna.
You cannot 'fix' the relationship between your mother and wife, says rediffGURU Kanchan Rai. You can only create conditions for healing.
India's services sector growth witnessed the slowest pace of expansion in five months in October, as competitive pressures and heavy rains in parts of the country led to a slower increase in output, according to a monthly survey released on Thursday.
The reduction in the number of loan accounts and the outstanding amount during the last financial year is a cause of concern and stress for microfinance institutions (MFI), Secretary, Department of Financial Services, M Nagaraju said on Thursday, highlighting "inefficiency" in MFIs that leads to higher rates of interest.
The alleged incident led to a confrontation at around 4.15 AM and lasted for about an hour and a half inside the nightclub.
A US court's $1.07-billion default judgment against Byju Raveendran can't be enforced directly in India because the US isn't a "reciprocating territory." Creditors must file a new case in an Indian court.
The best way for India to prepare is by preserving and strengthening the RBI's hard-won credibility, point out Rajeswari Sengupta and Vaishali Garga.
The rate of unemployment for those aged 15 and above remained steady at 5.2 per cent in October, according to a government survey released on Monday.
China has filed a complaint against India in the World Trade Organization (WTO) over New Delhi's subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries. Commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that the ministry will look at the detailed submissions made by China.
As a marriage ages, boredom creeps in and feelings move to the back burner, giving way to monotonous interactions, says rediffGURU Anu Krishna.
India's equity markets may have expanded rapidly, but initial public offerings (IPOs) are increasingly becoming exit vehicles for early investors rather than as engines for raising long-term capital, a shift that undermines the spirit of public markets, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran warned on Monday at a CII event.
The Supreme Court expressed serious concern over custodial deaths, calling it a 'blot' on the system. The court is pushing for compliance with orders to install CCTV cameras in police stations and central investigation agencies to curb human rights abuses.
'...not merely in managing fiscal mathematics, but in demonstrating conservatism and prudence within that framework.' 'Looking forward, we believe sufficient growth drivers exist -- ranging from government reforms to revival in consumption to favourable monsoons. Numerous factors support the Indian economy.'
A 20-year-old man in Chhattisgarh died after allegedly consuming poison to prove his love for his girlfriend at the behest of her family. Police are investigating the incident.
India's market regulator is moving ahead to include real estate investment trusts (Reits) in benchmark indices in a phased manner, Sebi chief Tuhin Kanta Pandey said, while asserting that the regulator was working to strengthen the link between infrastructure building and the markets.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday increased Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 3 per cent for about 49.19 lakh central government employees and 68.72 lakh pensioners.
Overall hiring volumes grew by 17 per cent year-on-year across key consumption-linked sectors during the August-October period, driven by heightened consumer sentiment, attractive festive promotions, and wider geographic penetration, according to a report.
Byju's founder Byju Raveendran is preparing to file a $2.5 billion damages claim, alongside new evidence in a US court that he says disproves GLAS Trust's allegations that $533 million in 'Alpha Funds' was diverted by the company's founders.
A man was murdered allegedly by his wife's paramour and two relatives who buried the body beneath the kitchen floor of his house in Ahmedabad city, police said on Wednesday, a chilling crime reminiscent of a scene from Hindi movie Drishyam.
'Self-grooming is very important; not only to attract your partner but also to boost your self-esteem.'
Thirty-year-old man was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife, whose body was found stuffed in a drum and buried near a burial ground in neighbouring Tiruvallur district, police said on Wednesday.
Devotees continue to arrive at Kedarnath Dham despite a drop in temperatures.
The incident occurred on October 13 when the woman, belonging to Rajamahendravaram, boarded the Santragachi Special Express to travel to Charlapally in Hyderabad.
The US is "pretty close" to reaching a "fair trade deal" with India, President Donald Trump has said, adding that he will lower the tariffs imposed on Indian goods at "some point".
A record amount of pension money may be finding its way into the stock market, if buying figures in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) data are any indication. Category inflows touched Rs 37,409 crore for the three months ending September 2025, shows an analysis of NSE data.
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.
rediffGURU Shalini Singh, founder of andwemet, emphasises how to prioritise self healing and build your confidence and come out stronger.
The ministries of Road Transport & Highways and Railways have exceeded the national average capital expenditure (capex) by spending 63 per cent and 57 per cent of Budget estimates (BE), respectively, in the first half of 2025-26 (FY26). The total capital expenditure for April-September of FY26 stood at 52 per cent of the BE, according to the latest data by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
A pregnant woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband and in-laws in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, over dowry demands. Police have registered a case and are searching for the accused.
'Trade deal will act as a strong trigger for market sentiment, not just for domestic investors but also for FIIs.'
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.
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