He said that as compared to global models costing 2.5 to 3 US dollars per hour usage, India's AI model will cost less than less than Rs 100 per hour (1.16 US dollars per hour) after 40 percent government subsidy.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating a complex network of agents and facilitators in India, Canada, and the US who assist Indians in illegally entering the US through fraudulent admissions to Canadian colleges. Over 8,500 financial transactions are under scrutiny by the ED in a case related to money laundering, stemming from a 2023 Gujarat Police crime branch FIR. The investigation includes international financial companies involved in remittances abroad, with the ED conducting 35 searches in the past year and seizing assets worth Rs 92 lakh. The issue has gained significant attention following the deportation of 104 Indians from the US on Wednesday. The investigation is linked to the tragic death of an Indian family in January 2022, who perished while attempting to cross the Canada-US border illegally. The ED has identified a network of agents and facilitators who manage and facilitate the stay, transportation, visa arrangements, and legal matters of illegal immigrants who gained admission to Canadian colleges through fraudulent means. The investigation has revealed that the fees paid to Canadian colleges were remitted back to individuals' accounts, with around 8,500 transactions identified between September 2021 and August 2024. The ED suspects that approximately 370 individuals have entered the US using this illegal immigration scheme. The agency has recorded statements from parents and guardians of students enrolled in Canadian colleges and continues its investigation.
'A long-term investor with a 4 to 5 year horizon could invest in this theme via SIPs.'
In a first-of-its-kind initiative involving precision-flying, Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday successfully launched the Proba-3 mission onboard a PSLV-C59 rocket, a solar experiment undertaken by the European Space Agency.
Fund managers will be given more flexibility to invest in corporate bonds.
A sub-committee of the country's biggest provident fund, EPFO, is believed to have recommended slashing of interest rates to 8% for its 3 crore subscribers, even as some trade unions pitched for hiking the rate to 12%.
The move can help mop up about Rs 1.2 lakh every day for the purpose.
In a significant development, India is believed to have placed a funding request of around $55 million in its first call with the Pandemic Fund of the World Bank, sources said. The fund has been set up to finance critical investments in a bid to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities at national, regional, and global levels, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. It was created in the aftermath of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) representing 70 million traders has written to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, drawing his attention to the alleged violations of laws and regulations by quick commerce (qcom) companies.
Will allowing business correspondents to hawk insurance products help in reviving 5-lakh strong field agents as a viable channel?
'80% of start ups fail because they don't have a support system to help them in the very early phase.' 'It's not just an idea that takes an entrepreneur through the initial three years of journey.' 'What plays a definitive role in making a start-up successful is idea+team+capital+mentors+access to a larger ecosystem.'
In the months immediately following the 2024 tragedy, reporting on the landslide per se had been a straightforward affair. On one side was death and destruction. On the other side, survivors and the business of survival. It was black and white. What direction to take was clear. Rehabilitation in comparison, felt like a complex situation. One that is fraught with shades of grey. As grey as human life, explains Shyam G Menon.
Sudha and Akshata Murthy's candid confessions about each other.
In a bid to provide jobs to the youth, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday proposed to launch an ambitious scheme for providing internship opportunities in 500 top companies to 1 crore youth over a five-year period.
Despite strong AUM growth, MFs lag behind other popular investment avenues. MFs received only 6 per cent of total household savings in 2021-2022.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Sunday released its manifesto for the Maharashtra assembly polls, promising free cervical cancer vaccines for girls aged 9 to 16 and and two optional leave days for women employees during menstruation.
'This year overall hiring has seen a slight improvement as compared to the dip seen during the last financial year.'
Retirement fund body EPFO net added 14.81 lakh subscribers in August 2021, reflecting a growing trend in net payroll for the first five months of this fiscal. The provisional payroll data of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) released on Wednesday highlights that it added around 14.81 lakh net subscribers during the month of August 2021, a labour ministry statement said. The data reflects a growing trend in net payroll for the first five months of the current financial year, it added.
The Mumbai police have named Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, as the main conspirator in the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique. Eight accused in the case, including the alleged main shooter Shivkumar Gautam, have been remanded in police custody till December 7. The police invoked provisions of the stringent MCOCA against all 26 accused in the case. Anmol Bishnoi, who was recently detained in the US and lodged in a prison there, has been shown as a wanted accused in the case. He was providing financial support to other accused, and a probe is underway to ascertain the source and utilization of funds. The crime branch has so far arrested 26 persons in connection with the case.
A formal sector worker can contribute towards pension scheme till the age of 58.
The government's initiative to migrate SEZ data from NSDL software to ICEGATE system for streamlined reporting of import data caused double counting of gold imports, resulting in inflated figures and the issue has now been largely rectified, government sources said. The downward revision has provided the actual picture of trade deficit (difference between imports and exports), which was earlier looking very high. The deficit for November will now be revised downwards from $37.84 billion to about $32.8 billion. Similarly, there will be a revision in overall import numbers as well.
ASJ Chander Jit Singh underscored he would first consider the issue of jurisdiction and whether or not to transfer the case to a special court meant to try lawmakers, considering Rashid was now an MP.
A total of 121 people, mostly women, died in the stampede after a satsang of Surajpal alias Bhole Baba alias Narayan Sakar Hari on July 2 in Fulrai village in Hathras' Sikandra Rao area.
Once in place, the new system is expected to benefit around 60 million workers covered under EPFO.
The 8.1 per cent interest rate was recommended by the Central Board of Trustees after its meeting in Guwahati under the chairmanship of Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, a labour ministry press statement said.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has rescheduled the launch of PSLV-C59 to Thursday due to an "anomaly" detected in the PROBA-3 spacecraft. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday at 4.08 pm from the spaceport in Sriharikota. The anomaly was identified by scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA), who requested the rescheduling of the launch. The PROBA-3 mission, a joint project between ESA and ISRO, aims to study the Sun's corona using two spacecraft that will fly in formation. The launch will provide valuable insights for ISRO's future solar missions, including the Aditya-L1 mission which was launched in September 2023.
It is not just about archaic limits, there are a number holes which, if plugged, will come to the aid of taxpayers, rues Neha Pandey Deoras
Employees' Pension Scheme has been asked to fold up and hand over subscribers to National Pension System
The Labour Ministry has relaxed investment norms for retirement fund manager EPFO, but refrained from allowing the body to invest a part of its huge corpus of around Rs 5 lakh crore in equity markets.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday set May 3 as the deadline for subscribers to opt for a higher pension. The Supreme Court on November 4 allowed another change for employees who were existing EPS members as on September 1, 2014, to contribute up to 8.33 per cent of their actual salaries - as against 8.33 per cent of pensionable salary capped at Rs 15,000 a month - towards pension. The apex court gave a four-month window to enable opting for higher pensions.
Commissions paid to mutual fund distributors (MFDs) increased by over 20 per cent for most large fund houses in 2023-24 (FY24), driven by a sharp market rally and strong inflows. The largest fund house, SBI Mutual Fund (MF), which now manages nearly Rs 10 trillion in assets, paid Rs 2,025 crore to its major distributors - 21 per cent higher than the Rs 1,675 crore payout in 2022-23 (FY23).
Debt as an investment avenue for the wealthy has been attracting more assets than equity. The portfolio management service (PMS) industry, whose services require a minimum investment of Rs 50 lakh, has seen a 4.4 per cent decline in equity assets since March 2022.
January 2019 saw the maximum number of employment being generated since the data from September 2017, reports Indivjal Dhasmana.
EPFO had started allotting UAN numbers in July 2014.
The ordinance will be tabled in the next session of the legislature, it said, adding that 27 posts were approved for the commission.
If it becomes a reality, the Chennai-based company will become the first private player from India to conduct such a mission to the lunar surface.
Interest on employee contributions to provident fund over Rs 2.5 lakh per annum would be taxed from April 1, 2021, a move aimed at taxing high-value depositors in the EPF. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is aimed at welfare of workers and any person earning less than Rs 2 lakh per month will not be affected by the Budget proposal. Expenditure secretary T V Somanathan said the number of people who actually contribute more than Rs 2.5 lakh is less than 1 per cent of the total number of contributors in the EPF.