Glimpses from Agra, New Delhi, Gurugram, Kolkata and Mumbai.
White-collar hiring activity in December witnessed a 9 per cent increase compared to the same period of the previous year, driven by high-skill and strategic roles, a report said on Thursday. According to Naukri JobSpeak, the index reached an impressive 2,651 points in December 2024, reflecting a robust 9 per cent year-on-year growth, a promising sign for the year ahead.
Tragedy stuck a family of four here on Tuesday when an under-construction Bengaluru Metro pillar collapsed on them, leaving a woman and her toddler son dead while her husband and another child escaped with injuries.
Driven by a boom in domestic tourism, a record number of weddings in November and December, and a surge in extended weekend vacations.
If you thought electric scooters have caught the fancy of only people in the metros, think again. According to data from electric two-wheeler maker, Ather Energy, 54 per cent of its sales of scooters, starting from Rs 1.2 lakh, come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Based on sales per lakh population, the top five cities for the company are Calicut, followed by Kochi, Kolaphur, Trivandrum and Pune.
'Along with Blackstone, we would be keen to look at opportunities in the North.'
'Earlier, our cost of funds was higher than most in the peer group.'
The Bombay High Court has declared a pollution-free environment a constitutional right and criticized the Maharashtra government for failing to address the issue of air pollution in Mumbai. The court expressed its disappointment with the government's lack of initiative, stating that citizens should not suffer due to the inaction of authorities. The court highlighted the severe air pollution levels in Mumbai, especially along major roads, and ordered the traffic department to take immediate action to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.
Afreen Shah, a 20-year-old woman, was one of seven people killed in a bus accident in Mumbai's Kurla on Monday night. The bus rammed into pedestrians and vehicles on the SG Barve Road, leaving 42 others injured. The accident occurred as Afreen was waiting for an autorickshaw after her first day at a new job. Her father, Abdul Salim Shah, spoke to her last at 9:09 pm, advising her to walk towards the highway to find an autorickshaw. He received a call from Bhabha Hospital at 9:54 pm, informing him of his daughter's death. Shah has called for government action to prevent similar accidents, citing congestion due to illegal parking, hawking, and metro rail work. The bus driver has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing concern over the "deteriorating" law and order situation in Delhi, citing rising crime rates and recent bomb threats to schools and the IGI airport. Kejriwal has sought a meeting with Shah to discuss the issue, calling the city the country's "crime capital". The letter comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls scheduled for February 2025.
Residents of North India battle freezing conditions.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah is likely to hear a plea filed by Capt. Rakesh Walia (retired) challenging an order of the Delhi high court which dismissed his petition.
The metro rake which had only officials and engineers on board ran under the Hooghly from Kolkata to Howrah on the other side of the river.
'A government whose policies are focused around making the life of ordinary citizens, specially the most deprived sections, richer; a government that prioritises education, health and transport, that doesn't treat its citizens as subjects who must come to it for everything, is rare in our country.' 'When such a government is thrown out, one is left stunned,' notes Jyoti Punwani.
'Consider 40% to 50% in equities, 10% in gold as a hedge, and the remaining 30% to 40% split between multi-asset funds and hybrid funds.'
Brokerages on DMart Q3 results: Avenue Supermarts (DMart) shares slipped as much as 5.74 per cent to hit an intraday low of Rs 3,474 per share on Monday. However, the stock recovered slightly to close at Rs 3,507.95, down 4.82 per cent. Notably, the 52-week low for DMart shares is Rs 3,400. The downward movement in DMart's share price was triggered by the company's 2024-25 (FY25) October-December quarter (Q3) results, which missed Street expectations.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
The Delhi Police has announced that it will be monitoring the social media activity of gangsters and criminals, including those who like, share, or follow their posts and profiles. The police will be creating lists of those who follow gangsters and will be investigating their associations. They will also be monitoring social media profiles for individuals who post pictures or videos with firearms. The police are concerned that gangsters are targeting juveniles and young people for recruitment and are urging parents to monitor their children's online activity.
Sazerac Company, the largest distiller in the US, is looking to leverage India's position as the world's largest whisky market to introduce a range of bourbon whiskies in the country. Identifying India as a key priority market, Diego Bianchi, general manager of emerging markets and Barrel Select at Sazerac Company, told Business Standard that new consumers, including women, will be key drivers for the growth of the category in India. "India, particularly, is where some of the fastest-growing consumers are.
With the rapid evolution of channels like quick-commerce and the emergence of ONDC, the Indian retail industry is 'cautiously optimistic' for 2025, in which new-age technologies such as AI and automation will play a crucial role, driving efficiency and personalisation.
'The past few quarters have seen prohibitive fares for advance bookings, only to dip closer to departure.'
The Indian government has sanctioned the creation of the first all-women Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) reserve battalion, consisting of over 1,000 personnel. This move addresses the increasing demands on the force at airports and other vital installations. The new unit will be formed from existing CISF personnel and will be led by a senior commandant-rank officer.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her speech in Lok Sabha said, "Our vision for the 'Amrit Kaal' includes technology-driven and knowledge-based economy with strong public finances, and a robust financial sector. To achieve this, Jan Bhagidari through Sabka Saath Sabka Prayas is essential."
Delhi faces a severe financial crunch and the deficit is largely due to numerous welfare schemes without adequate revenue flowing in. The success of welfare schemes and electoral promises will need careful financial planning and out of the box thinking to whip up additional revenue, notes Ramesh Menon.
The Ukrainian authorities have plan to restart the Kharkiv metro and have asked thousands of people still sheltering at metro stations to leave, saying that it is now safe enough to go home.
Siemens's share price has lost ground in the past few sessions following weak management commentary. The management indicated challenges to the growth outlook due to stagnant private capex and concerns over semiconductor shortages for digital industries. Government infra-spending may regain momentum from January 2025.
The BJP may win more seats in the February 5 assembly election, but not enough to trump AAP, notes Ramesh Menon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Pune in Maharashtra on Thursday was cancelled following heavy rains in the city, sources said.
The company is eyeing sales of 8,000 units per month for the Kylaq, which starts at Rs 7.89 lakh (ex-showroom) and boasts 96 per cent localisation.
Reliance Industries Ltd will acquire German firm Metro AG's wholesale operations in India for Rs 2,850 crore as the conglomerate run by billionaire Mukesh Ambani seeks to strengthen its dominant position in India's mammoth retail sector. "Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, signed definitive agreements to acquire a 100 per cent equity stake in Metro Cash & Carry India for a total cash consideration of Rs 2,850 crore, subject to closing adjustments," said a joint statement. Through this acquisition, Reliance Retail will get access to a network of Metro India stores located in prime locations across key cities, along with a large base of registered kiranas and other institutional customers, and a strong supplier network.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday said it has approved Reliance Retail Venture's acquisition of German firm Metro AG's wholesale operations in India. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) while Metro Cash & Carry India is engaged in the wholesale operations in India. In December last year, it was announced that RRVL had signed definitive agreements to acquire a 100 per cent equity stake in the company for a total cash consideration of Rs 2,850 crore.
Cyclone Fengal expected to make landfall near Puducherry.
'Why has Maharashtra slipped up over the past couple of decades?' 'Not only is this question critical for residents of the state, but given that it accounts for 14% of India's GDP, a faster-growing Maharashtra implies a faster-growing India as well, point out Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva.
Owing the sudden rains, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport too announced a temporary suspension of flights. While incoming flights have been diverted to other destinations like Goa and Ahmedabad, outgoing flights have been delayed. Airport sources said flights are being resumed in a staggered manner to cope with the rush and it will take some time for normalcy to return.
Observing that the Mumbai Metro has made an attempt to overreach the court's jurisdiction, the Supreme Court on Monday directed it to pay Rs 10 lakh fine within two weeks for felling of trees in Aarey forest beyond permission.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) on Tuesday launched the trial run of the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro line-3 at Sariput Nagar in Aarey Colony in Mumbai.
Share prices of Nestle India, Asian Paints, Bandhan Bank, Tata Technologies, AU Small Finance Bank and Avenue Supermarts, all a part of the BSE 500 index, have hit their respective 52-week lows on the BSE in Thursday's intra-day trade after a sharp correction in the equity markets.
Businesses have resumed but it's not business as usual in the capital city of Bangladesh.
According to the government, the additional chief secretary of the state housing department is designated to sign an agreement with the Union government for the land lease transfer.