Admitting that prices of sugar, pulses and vegetables are rising, the government today said it is planning to increase the subsidy for distribution of pulses through ration shops to provide relief to the common man.
Mixed views were expressed by top economists on the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) decision to hold the repo rate at 5.5% and maintain a neutral stance. While some say the decision was as expected and one more rate reduction is expected this fiscal, there is also a view that rate cut by MPC was warranted given the evolving global situation.
With inflation closing in on the 5 per cent mark, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the government was trying to keep the price line below that level in the current fiscal.
Inflation shot up by 0.1 per cent to over 41-month high of 7.61 per cent week ended July 31, mainly due to surge in prices of fruit and vegetables, edible oil and other manufactured products.
'What we are witnessing is not a freak incidence or a freak occurrence, but a new climate reality where warming oceans, monsoon variability and local geography are combining to produce extreme events.'
Let there be no doubt that Modi in these 24 years so far has reshaped politics and governance considerably, if not completely, asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author, Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
'What we see now is a much stronger need for data sovereignty.'
For the time being, the RBI is done with the cuts. A cut in October, which many are still predicting, is not certain. Of course, if growth nosedives, the script will be different, expects Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Charging the Centre of not doing anything to check the prices of essential commodities, the Bharatiya Janata Party said the increase was not just due to bad management but also a result of corruption.
Gold demand in India witnessed a 5 per cent on-year rise at 802.8 tonnes in 2024 supported by reduction in import duty, and purchases related to weddings and festivals, and going ahead consumption of the yellow metal in 2025 is likely to be between 700-800 tonnes, according to the the World Gold Council. The World Gold Council (WGC) in a report on Wednesday said gold demand in the country in 2024 stood at 802.8 tonnes, as against 761 tonnes in 2023.
Recent data released by the government showed food inflation nearing 20 per cent, the highest in a decade.
Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is looking to be among 10 top global banks in market capitalisation terms in the next five years, chairman CS Setty said on Wednesday. "The scope for value creation for the stakeholders is potentially very high. So the larger ambition is if the market supports whether we can be part of the top 10 global banks in terms of the market capitalisation (five years)," he said after listing of shares issued under Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) at NSE.
'The US reciprocal tariff has added another element of uncertainty and the central bank may prefer to wait and get further clarity.'
After falling substantially in the previous week, inflation rose marginally by 0.06 per cent to 7.87 per cent for the week ended September 11 mainly due to costlier manufactured products including some edible oils.
Property prices in Mumbai and Delhi NCR, among India's top realty markets, marginally rose in the third quarter of 2013 mainly due to lack of new launches and cautious sentiment in the sector, a survey said.
Marico reported consolidated revenue growth of 20 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) during the January-March quarter (Q4) of FY25. Domestic revenue surged 23 per cent Y-o-Y, while volume growth was 7 per cent. International growth stood at 11 per cent (16 per cent in constant currency growth).
Rising crude oil prices have become a headache for the government, as they put pressure on inflation and fiscal deficit.
To help you ride the growth trajectory of India's equity markets, we have curated the top five fastest-growing stocks that hold an impressive upside. If you're planning to build a sound portfolio and capitalize on the growth of these leading institutions, it's time you watch these stocks.
International oil prices continue to be extremely volatile, falling on one day and rising thereafter, a top oil ministry official said explaining the reason behind no reduction in petrol and diesel prices despite softening in input cost, but could not say if the rates will be cut before Maharashtra elections. Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures fell below $70 per barrel last week -- the first time since December 2021 -- but gained thereafter. Brent was trading at $74.58 per barrel on Thursday while West Texas Intermediate advanced to trade at $71.71.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lost his temper and made a gesture by raising his hand at a police officer during a protest rally in Belagavi. The incident occurred when a group of people, allegedly BJP workers, attempted to disrupt his speech by displaying a black flag and shouting slogans. Siddaramaiah, visibly upset, summoned the police officer to the stage and instructed him to remove the disruptive individuals. The incident sparked a heated exchange between the CM and BJP leaders, with both sides accusing each other of disrupting rallies and resorting to violence.
The government on Friday scrapped a minimum price threshold that it had set previously for exports of onion as it looked to pass on the benefit of international glut to Indian farmers. The government had previously fixed a $550 per tonne as the minimum export price (MEP), which essentially meant farmers could not sell their produce overseas at lower than this rate.
As the sugar industry is witnessing an up cycle, the government may not give due consideration to the demands of the Industry. Rather the government is already focusing on curbing the rising sugar prices.
The Indian services sector growth touched a ten-month high in June aided by robust expansion in international sales and job creation, amid positive demand trends and ongoing improvement in sales, a monthly survey said on Thursday. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index rose from 58.8 in May to 60.4 in June, driven by sharp upturn in new business orders.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday clarified in the Lok Sabha that India's rising gold reserves, including those held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is not intended to replace any international currency.
Extending its gains for the second straight day, gold prices rose by another Rs 100 to Rs 28,450 per ten gram in New Delhi on Monday on pick up in demand from jewellers even as the metal weakened overseas.
The growth rate has eased for six consecutive months from the peak in April at 12.8 per cent after the government stepped up controls to curb prices since April. October's rise was down from the 9.1-per cent increase in September.
The factor fund launch spree by mutual funds (MFs) is moving from the passive to the active space. Two new fund offerings (NFOs) - ICICI Pru Active Momentum Fund and Bandhan Multi-Factor Fund - are currently open for subscription. Sundaram MF's multi-factor fund NFO closed this Wednesday.
The Shiv Sena on Friday advised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to listen to his wife and bring the rates of pulses under control.
'From tariff tensions and border skirmishes to unrest in West Asia.' 'The worst may be behind us. But any further upmove will now have to come from earnings.'
Though the government was ready for a discussion on the issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left and the United National Progressive Alliance members paralysed proceedings in the two Houses giving vent to their anger on inflation which has touched a three year high of 7.41 per cent. It was trouble from the word go in the Lok Sabha on the issue, while in the Rajya Sabha protests erupted after the new members were sworn in.
Domestic gold jewellery consumption is likely to decline by 9-10 per cent in 2025-26, mainly due to a 33 per cent surge in gold prices, a report said on Thursday. The consumption of bars and coins increased 17 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, in FY24 and FY25, reflecting investor preference for safe-haven assets amid global macroeconomic uncertainty and heightened geopolitical and trade tensions, Icra said in the report.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) reported encouraging results for the April-June quarter (Q1) of FY26. The net premium income of India's largest life insurer was Rs 1.2 trillion, up 5 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), in Q1. Renewal premium grew 6 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 59,900 crore, while first-year and single premium grew 1 per cent and 4 per cent Y-o-Y respectively to Rs 7,500 crore and Rs 51,900 crore.
Analysts believe Tesla will first focus on building the Model Y brand before expanding -- both in terms of volume and models.
As a result of the government's policies, 'some big trading companies as well as hoarders are making huge profits while the income of common people is being looted through high prices,' the party's Politburo said.
About 2.2 million new dematerialised (demat) accounts were opened in May, raising the total to 196.6 million as stock prices continued their upward trend.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's sudden resignation after only a year in office has thrown Japan into political turmoil, raising doubts about how the country will handle economic and regional challenges, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
'$125 million for the hull and the remaining of over $350 million for liability.'
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Saturday said that the market forces decide the value of rupee with respect to the US dollar and the central bank is not worried about day-to-day movement of the currency value.
Among Sensex firms, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, State Bank of India, Infosys, Adani Ports and ITC were the major gainers. However, Eternal, Sun Pharma, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance and Bharat Electronics were among the major laggards.
The proposed reforms in goods and services tax (GST) announced by the government last week, coupled with the eighth pay commission dole-out, is likely to push consumption-driven stocks - such as air conditioners (ACs), select automobiles, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, and counters of quick-service restaurants (QSRs) - into higher orbit over the next few months, believe analysts.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances