The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has unveiled draft norms for branch authorisation and business correspondents (BCs), introducing a two-tiered classification for BCs and redefining 'banking outlets' to include BC-Banking Outlets (BC-BOs), aiming to expand formal banking presence, particularly in rural areas.
Food delivery and e-commerce platform magicpin aims to expand its AI assistant, Vera's, merchant base to over 1 million by the end of 2026. Launched three months ago, Vera already supports over 5 lakh merchants by providing real-time order insights and has facilitated over 50 lakh interactions across various business verticals. The company has invested USD 1 million in its AI stack and plans further enhancements to Vera's capabilities.
The visit was expected to project Assam as the gateway to Southeast Asia and reinforce the state's emergence as a preferred investment destination.
India and Nepal have launched a peer-to-peer (P2P) cross-border remittance mechanism, linking India's UPI with Nepal's NPI. This system allows real-time money transfers via mobile banking, enhancing convenience for travellers and businesses, fostering financial inclusion, and strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced a new authorisation regime, replacing multiple licences with a single permission for principal telecom services, aiming to simplify compliance and accommodate evolving technologies. This move is expected to ease business operations, enhance fraud prevention with AI, and expand connectivity, especially through satellite networks.
Reliance Infrastructure (Reliance Infra) has submitted a representation to Sebi, NSE, and BSE, seeking a review of the Additional Surveillance Measure (ASM) framework and related trading restrictions on its shares, arguing they adversely impact its 700,000+ public shareholders and hinder fair price discovery.
In the first three quarters of 2025, FDE job demand jumped by nearly 800 per cent.
Bareilly police have busted an alleged hawala racket, arresting two individuals and seizing Rs 35 lakh in cash along with fake Aadhaar cards. The investigation has uncovered a Dubai link and potential national security implications, with efforts underway to trace other involved parties.
Punjab Police have dismantled a cross-border illegal arms smuggling and hawala network, arresting four individuals, including an Afghan national. Eight sophisticated pistols and live cartridges were recovered, with investigations ongoing to uncover further links to the foreign-based operation.
The government on Thursday restored liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies to commercial consumers such as hotels, restaurants and other businesses to pre-crisis levels, and lifted sector-specific restrictions imposed during the recent West Asia conflict, in a sign that energy supply concerns are easing as global markets stabilise.
The government has introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend provisions for decriminalising minor offences, aiming to promote ease of doing business and living.
The Telangana Prisons and Correctional Services Department facilitated the release of 91 life convicts who were granted special remission by the state government. The released prisoners include 85 men and six women, all of whom were found eligible for remission under the government's prescribed guidelines.
Zelle, a major US peer-to-peer payment service, is set to launch in India by the end of this year, marking its first international expansion. The move aims to tap into India's large remittance market, offering a service similar to UPI but integrated with bank apps. Zelle also introduced ZelleUSD, a stablecoin for future global payment capabilities.
Automobile manufacturers have informed NITI Aayog that they face significant challenges in tracing 20-25-year-old vehicles due to multiple ownership changes, hindering their ability to meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). They are seeking government support, including access to updated Vahan registration records, to locate these vehicles and encourage owners to use authorised scrapping centres.
A builder and two others were allegedly duped of 18.19 lakh by two individuals in Thane, Maharashtra, who promised to secure business loans for them.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh searches at the Kandi residence of arrested former Kolkata Police officer Santanu Sinha Biswas in connection with the alleged 'Sona Pappu' extortion and land-grab case.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India expects to operationalise nine free trade agreements (FTAs) within the next 10 months, with plans for an additional three to four significant pacts over the coming year, reinforcing India's ambition to become a global manufacturing and investment hub.
Despite the Centre's GST 2.0 guidelines aiming to facilitate provisional refunds within seven days for low-risk cases, many large taxpayers are still encountering significant delays in obtaining Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds under the inverted duty structure (IDS), with experts citing inconsistent state-level scrutiny and subjective interpretations.
ICICI Bank is seeking recoveries of at least 100 crore from fintech firms, alleging merchant misclassification of their business, a practice that has eroded the bank's interchange income. The dispute, lodged with global card network Visa, highlights growing discomfort among banks and intensified scrutiny from the Reserve Bank of India.
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's military airstrikes against Afghanistan, citing significant civilian casualties, and criticised its 'trade and transit terrorism' against Afghan traders, calling these actions blatant violations of international law and UN norms.
Authorities in Ghaziabad intensified verification drives and sealed three unrecognised madrasas in the Khoda area following the murder of a 17-year-old boy. The incident has led to heightened security measures and a tense atmosphere in the locality.
Switching formats in a short span of time is never easy, concedes Kuldeep Yadav and the senior India spinner hopes that players coming off a gruelling IPL season have prepared well for this week's one-off Test against Afghanistan just as he did with extended red-ball practice.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya advocated a new land policy to facilitate large-scale industrialisation and assured investors of a 'fearless' environment in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has identified a Grenadian man based in Dubai as the 'beneficial owner' of a Delhi-based company involved in a large-scale betting, gaming, and cyber fraud-linked money-laundering operation in India.
The CBI has filed three chargesheets against former Karnataka minister B Nagendra and his associate Nekkanti Nagaraj for allegedly diverting Rs 89 crore in state government funds intended for Scheduled Tribes.
Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) plans to generate 2,000 crore in value by implementing artificial intelligence-driven solutions across its mining and manufacturing operations. This initiative is part of a broader industry trend to adopt digital technologies for cost reduction, margin improvement, and enhanced environmental and social governance.
Pakistan is reportedly pursuing Chinese J-35 stealth fighters while China already operates hundreds of J-20 stealth aircraft.
Kanwal Rekhi is a peaceful techie who ardently believes in competitive market economics and democracy, despite the trauma his family suffered during Partition and his narrow escape from violent mobs in 1984.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has implemented a fast-track mechanism for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), allowing scheme launches after 30 days of filing, aiming to reduce timelines and accelerate capital deployment.
Sterlite Technologies plans to invest up to USD 100 million in the US to strengthen its manufacturing capacity for AI data centres and telecom customers.
A 33-year-old man has been arrested in Assam for allegedly defrauding people in Arunachal Pradesh with false promises of pharmacy and business licences.
The Commercial Taxes Department has arrested Mohammed Tauqeer for his involvement in generating and routing fraudulent ITC across multiple states, unearthing a GST fraud worth Rs 410 crore.
Sacred spots and soaring peaks: Bucket-listing across the heartland. Roopa Unnikrishnan and her father journey through the heart of India.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced stricter timelines for banks to process inward cross-border remittances, aiming to reduce delays in crediting funds to beneficiaries by mandating immediate customer intimation and more frequent nostro account reconciliation.
Five police personnel in Punjab's Tarn Taran have been booked for allegedly facilitating the release of the impounded passport of an international drug lord wanted by the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Indian government has issued an updated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for processing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) applications, aiming to clear all proposals within 12 weeks, a two-week extension from the previous 10-week target, to ensure a fully paperless and transparent process.
In the draft norms issued last month, the RBI said that the ultimate responsibility for the bank's performance, conduct and control rests with the Board
Police in Lucknow busted a gang that misused the Mudra loan scheme to create fake GST firms and commit input tax credit fraud worth approximately Rs 1.3 crore.
Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, has surpassed Mukesh Ambani to become Asia's richest person, with a net worth of USD 92.6 billion, placing him 19th globally according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Delhi Police have arrested four individuals involved in an interstate racket manufacturing and distributing counterfeit prescription drugs, uncovering an illegal processing unit in Delhi.
