'The story of Ghooskhor Pandat focuses on an individual's actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community. As a filmmaker, I approach my work with a deep sense of responsibility -- to tell stories that are thoughtful and respectful.'
Analysts have sharply reduced cigarette maker ITC's earning estimates for the next two years, fearing a significant dent in the company's profitability and margins. This is owing to a steep hike in excise duty on tobacco by the government.
After a record-breaking year, India's automobile industry is entering 2026 on a relatively strong footing, with sales growth expected in the 6-8 per cent range. The outlook is underpinned by policy support, including GST rationalisation, easing monetary conditions, and income tax relief, which together are likely to improve affordability and sustain consumer demand across vehicle segments.
Budget 2026 sticks to fiscal discipline, shuns populist measures despite five key state elections coming up, but ends up rattling stock markets with a higher transaction tax on derivatives trading.
With the Congress coming third overall and having done much better than Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP, its allies in Maha Vikas Aghadi, political analysts said it will force a rethink as far as coordination, seat-sharing and leadership are concerned ahead of the 2029 assembly polls.
Supply chains are evolving from operational backbones to strategic growth enablers for organisations, though they remain underleveraged and struggle for recognition at the executive level, a report by PwC India said. The survey highlighted that recent developments in the trade and tariff landscape represent both a stress test and a strategic inflection point for supply chains.
'Exiting during corrections tends to lock in losses. Patient investors have benefited from holding through similar drawdowns in past cycles.'
These losses increase insurance premiums for customers and reduce insurer margins on the other.
The stock of the country's largest beer maker, United Breweries (UBBL), is trading at 25-month lows given multiple headwinds related to volumes, regulatory issues, and margin trajectory. After a muted second quarter (July-September) of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), brokerages also expect the company's Q3FY26 performance to be underwhelming.
Companies, particularly those that are notified as Significant Data Fiduciaries, will have to make extensive investments in data mapping, process modification, consent management tools, tools to enable Data Principal Rights, and establish a well-structured Data Privacy Officer organisation.
Trai has ordered BFSI firms to move service and transaction calls to the 1600 series from 2026 to reduce spam, financial fraud, and rising digital arrest scams.
Companies are squeezing more profits from their operations relative to the capital they put to work, the highest now since 2011. Profit after tax relative to capital employed came in at 10.47 per cent in September, shows data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), higher than the 8.41 per cent seen in September last year. This is the highest since March 2010.
'Earnings growth will be the main driver of India's market in 2026, with profits expected to rise 9% to 10% in H2 FY26 and accelerate to 12% to 15% in FY27.'
'By extending the definition of 'personal' to include institutions and not just individuals, the State has equipped itself with a tool to block access to most kinds of information.'
Asian Paints reported a good performance for the second quarter (July-September) of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), with some help from base effects, despite strong competition and extended monsoon. Volume grew in low double digits in the key domestic decorative paints, and value in that segment grew by 6 per cent. Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) grew 21 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), and PAT (profit after tax) grew 14 per cent. Asian Paints also defended market share better after several quarters where it had lost ground to Birla Opus.
The core dilemma remains: Why provide further stimulus to an economy that is already booming at an 8 per cent growth rate? asks Rajeswari Sengupta.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Other sectors that manage the savings pools of Indians are giving tough competition to life insurance companies.'
The fundamental responsibility for preventing such crimes and for bringing the criminals to justice rests with the State, and it cannot abdicate that function.
The surge has come alongside a decline in average issue sizes and more muted listing-day returns compared with last year.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd's (HUL's) second quarter 2025-26 (Q2FY26) consolidated revenue rose 2 per cent to Rs 16,250 crore, with low or flat volume growth. Demand remained stable but goods and services tax (GST) transition and prolonged monsoon hurt offtake.
Even as the results of Siemens for the second quarter of 2025-26 (Q2FY26) were a mixed bag, the stock was the top gainer in the BSE 200 index, rising 4.92 per cent in trade. Most brokerages are neutral or positive on the company.
Risk assessment platforms are increasingly using diverse data sources to help lenders identify groups attempting to access credit from regulated entities and to improve the process of evaluating new-to-credit (NTC) users.
Overall economic activity continued to hold up in November with demand conditions remaining robust, thanks to strengthening urban demand, but manufacturing and rural demand showed some signs of deceleration even as services remained strong, according to an article on the State of the Economy written by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials in the central bank's December bulletin.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ethiopia on a bilateral visit, engaging with Ethiopian leadership to strengthen partnerships in various sectors. He was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and participated in cultural events, highlighting the strong ties between the two nations.
A key blow for JioStar came from an unlikely source: The Indian government's ban on real-money gaming, the sector that had become cricket's biggest advertiser.
The Indian banking sector could be due for a rise in profitability after several quarters of net interest margin (NIM) compression. The Q2FY26 results suggest NIMs have bottomed out.
As deposit growth lags credit expansion, Indian banks face shrinking low-cost Casa inflows, rising funding costs, and structural shifts driven by UPI, e-Kuber, and digital savings trends, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
With winter holidays approaching, some Indian travellers will venture abroad. Many will be underprepared for medical and other travel-related risks. Trip disruptions, missed connections, and steep medical costs in developed countries can leave travellers exposed if they underestimate the coverage they need.
'When you think of cross-border payments, the first things that come to mind are risk, compliance, taxation, speed, and cost.'
'The government is putting insurance in the same category as food, which is essential for life.' 'Now this is an opportunity for the sector to focus on the consumer.'
'I don't see how a company like OpenAI can honestly expect to generate revenue significant enough to maintain its spending habits via John and Jane Q. Public,' points out Sree Sreenivasan.
While Q2FY26 is expected to be mildly disappointing for the hospital sector, there's a lot of investor optimism for the future. This comes after a favourable revision in rates for Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) procedures, as well as expectations of rising occupancy and growth in average revenue per operating bed (ARPOB).
'For most investors, I recommend a low double-digit allocation (10 to 12 per cent) to gold and silver combined.'
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) faces around 170 million cyberattacks daily, requiring a dedicated team of "cyber warriors" to work around the clock to ensure uninterrupted operations. The NSE recorded its highest-ever 40 crore (400 million) cyberattacks in a single day during 'Operation Sindoor', designed as a DDoS simulation. However, attackers failed to cause any damage due to the coordinated efforts of men, machines, and advanced technology.
Concerns have been raised over Marico's exposure to Bangladesh in the wake of turmoil in that country. However, the management reiterated expectations of growing domestic business at double digits and maintaining international growth. Marico scaled up its food business by 4 times between FY20-24 and aims to double it again in the next three financial years.
'I will not be surprised if there is a 7 per cent handle in front of the decimal place for the full financial year.'
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.
Trent reported decent margins in the second quarter (July-September) of 2025-26 (Q2FY26) but growth moderated. Same store growth was low single-digits. Trent's revenue growth decelerated in Q2FY26 at 17 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) while area additions were offset by decline in revenue per square foot (sq ft).
'We currently have new proposals worth Rs 1.48 trillion in the pipeline.'
