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.
Opposition-ruled states warn of steep annual losses; Centre assures higher consumption will offset revenue hit.
'Equities may not outperform every year, but if they do so seven times out of 10, it's an asset class worth relying on.'
'It is not looking at valuation, but investment, growth and ultimately better profit for stakeholders.'
''Now the roads in Bihar are as good as any other Indian state. The power sector has improved.' 'Connectivity, law and order, gender justice...' 'Bihar now stands for all these things that were totally absent when it was under jungle raj.'
Mining major Vedanta's consolidated net profit plunged 58.69 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 1,798 crore in the second quarter of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), dragged down by exceptional losses booked during the period under review. The company had reported a net exceptional gain of Rs 1,160 crore in Q2FY25.
Electric passenger vehicle (PV) retail sales jumped more than twofold in September with Tata Motors (TaMo) leading the pack having over 6,000 registrations and a 40 per cent market share.
'Tax cases are technical in nature... Many high courts do not have a tax bench, which also contributes to the delay.'
The debate over working hours flared up after Infosys Co-founder N R Narayana Murthy called for 14-hour workdays.
'If we want to pivot meaningfully from a services-driven economy to a technology and manufacturing-led one.'
'I will not be surprised if there is a 7 per cent handle in front of the decimal place for the full financial year.'
India's brittle energy security is inextricably linked to two opposing paradigms - fossil fuels, and the transition to green energy. The first powers the present; the second paves the way for Viksit Bharat in 2047.
Batting for further consolidation in public sector banking, the executives of top public sector banks (PSBs) said there should be at least two Indian banking entities among the top 20 global banks.
'Initiatives such as the Young Professionals Scheme also offer young graduates the chance to live and work in the UK after gaining experience.'
...compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
BMW India CEO says gradual five-year import duty cuts under new FTAs create buyer hesitation and urges government to announce year-wise rates instead.
Industry leaders urge India to pursue diplomatic talks with the US, strengthen manufacturing, and consider China ties to gain leverage against tariff pressures.
'There is so much growth to unlock at the intersection of high shopping intent and brand needs.'
The change in the government's engagement with the economy's need for reforms is more nuanced than how analysts have so far perceived it, points out A K Bhattacharya.
'When global politics has some intervention on the core software one uses, and if you are cut off from your own data in critical workflows, sovereignty is no longer optional. It becomes a necessity.'
'Other sectors that manage the savings pools of Indians are giving tough competition to life insurance companies.'
'...yet struggles to convert that human capital into domestic productivity.'
CERC, which has a key role in India's power sector, has also set up a committee to gather further evidence in the matter and take suitable action.
The government is planning to set up an integrated transport planning authority for faster and comprehensive planning among multiple transport ministries such as highways, railways, and shipping & ports.
The pickup was driven partly by fresh corporate investment but more by higher working-capital demand.
'Even if tariffs are reduced, non-tariff may still remain a challenge.'
'The world now realises that semiconductors are not just important for national security, but also for economic prosperity.'
'Repeated adjournments are one of the largest contributors to lengthy litigation cycles.'
'Indian markets may underperform global peers for the next two quarters.' 'But beyond that, India should catch up and resume its long-term growth path.'
'India needs at least 70,000 to 80,000 eyewear stores; our 2,000 stores are just a drop in the ocean.'
India's corporate bond market, driven by public sector undertaking (PSU) banks and financial institutions last year, is losing momentum since the second quarter of FY26.
'...aggressive pricing amid volatility, but these are exceptions.'
Almost a decade after India shifted to a formal inflation-targeting regime under the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), a high-level panel of economists said that the flexible inflation targeting has largely worked in keeping it under control and no major revamp is required.
The average Indian fraudster isn't an outsider exploiting security loopholes. He's usually a man between 26 and 45 years of age, working in operations or procurement, with more than six years at the organisation.
These losses increase insurance premiums for customers and reduce insurer margins on the other.
DGCA provided temporary relief to IndiGo, which is partially owned by Rahul Bhatia, by rolling back the night duty definition to 12 am-5 am from 12 am-6 am earlier, and allowing its pilots to do six night-landings from two earlier, besides other relaxations.
India's shrimp sector was pushed into uncertainty following US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported into the US from India.
OpenAI will provide 500,000 free ChatGPT licences for six months to students and teachers across government schools from classes 1 to 12, engineering and technical institutes, as well as K-12 educators.
'As the team builds, each of them will bring in a different perspective, new thinking.'
Physical AI equips machines with the ability to perceive, learn, and act in the real world by integrating AI algorithms with sensors and actuators in physical systems like robots and vehicles.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances