The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has released its manifesto for the West Bengal elections, focusing on welfare politics and women's empowerment with pledges to expand existing schemes, improve healthcare, and develop infrastructure.
India's rural innovators have proved that ordinary people are indeed capable of extraordinary inventions.
'A work guarantee that can be switched off at will is no guarantee at all.'
Despite the inherent attractiveness of the rural market for telecom operators various challenges still mar their entry.
Two Americans, Diana Jue and Jackie Stenson, are living their dreams in India's rural heartlands...
A severe cold wave has gripped North India, with temperatures plummeting to near-freezing levels in several areas. The cold wave has disrupted daily life, with dense fog affecting visibility and forcing people to stay indoors.
In several parts of the world, access to proper sanitation remains a serious challenge. Many communities still lack household toilets or safe waste disposal systems, often due to water shortages, economic hardship or limited infrastructure.
The Congress general secretary also said if the country has to progress, the "two Indias" -- one of the affluent and the other of the poor and backward -- should become one.
Responding to concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said it is the foremost priority of the government that the kitchens of over 33 crore families, especially the poor and the underprivileged, do not face any shortage of gas.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has assured the safety of Kannadigas residing in the Middle East amid escalating conflict, directing officials to take proactive measures and operationalize a dedicated helpline.
A qualified software engineer, Ravikant Kalluri (28) is trying his hand at social entrepreneurship.
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.
Gold demand in rural India is expected to be lower this year with weak monsoon affecting household savings, according to the World Gold Council (WGC).
President Droupadi Murmu addressed Parliament, urging unity on national issues like 'Viksit Bharat', swadeshi, and national security. She highlighted government initiatives and the nation's progress.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal asked private telecom operators to replicate the success story of telecom revolution -- witnessed in urban India-- in rural areas as well.
Network scale seen as central to tapping smaller markets.
India's housing finance sector is riding a wave of post-pandemic revival, driven by policy support, digital innovation, and growing demand from younger homebuyers in emerging cities.
Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late Ajit Pawar, has been appointed as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, marking a new chapter for the NCP and presenting her with the challenge of leading the party.
In first 9 months of FY18, scooter sales grew by 18.5%, the number may jump further as more women join workforce
The idea of back-loading the target of fiscal consolidation is perhaps guided by the government's desire to be prepared for any adverse developments in the coming year, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised the West Bengal government over law and order and accused the TMC of sheltering infiltrators and manipulating demographics.
The Union Cabinet, meeting at the new PMO complex 'Seva Teerth', resolved to prioritize citizen empowerment and service in all its decisions, guided by the principle of 'Nagrik Devo Bhava'.
Big films like Dhurandhar, Chhava and Kantara: Chapter 1 hit box office gold in 2025, and its directors, Aditya Dhar, Laxman Utekar and Rishab Shetty, have proved their worth. But many other directors made an impact with their 2025 releases, in various languages.
India's two-wheeler industry is seen growing 6-9% in 2026, though a proposed ABS mandate for sub-125cc models could push up prices and temper volumes.
Police Constable Gursimran Bains will join the Air Force Academy to train as a military pilot next year.
Buoyed by the robustness in rural job market on account of rabi sowing, India's monthly unemployment rate fell to an eight-month low of 4.7 per cent in November, the latest periodic labour force survey (PLFS) monthly bulletin released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Monday showed.
'We expect inbound numbers in 2025 to come close to pre-pandemic levels -- if not fully match them -- by early 2026.'
The two-wheeler segment has shown signs of recovery in the first half (H1) of calendar year (CY) 2024, largely driven by improving performance in rural areas. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, rural contribution to two-wheeler sales surged by 57-60 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2024-25, indicating a rising demand in these regions. Experts believe that this trend will continue, supported by a favourable monsoon season and government initiatives aimed at rural development.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of ethical AI usage, intellectual property protection, and fair compensation in the AVGC-XR sector, advocating for AI to enhance human creativity rather than replace artists.
ITC, Godrej Agrovet, DCM Shriram and other companies expanding in rural areas may eclipse the growth of their urban counterparts, including Reliance Fresh and the Future Group-owned Food Bazaar chain, helped by higher farm income that is spurring a boom in sales of fast moving consumer goods, consumer durables and apparel.
This year's Economic Survey and the Union Budget were more closely followed for more reasons than one.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced the government's plan to transform India into a large logistics organisation with 1.5 lakh rural post offices.
Mobile banking will soon reach Indian villagers as state govts tie up with banks, telecom companies to provide this facility to them.
The Indian economy is likely to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2025-26, up from 6.5 per cent in the previous fiscal, mainly on account of better performance of manufacturing and services sectors, as per the government data released on Wednesday.
Civil society groups, led by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, are planning a nationwide protest -- similar to the farmers' stir a few years ago -- starting December 19 demanding scrapping of the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission.
The Congress will launch a nationwide campaign against the repeal of the United Progressive Alliance-era rural employment legislation Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on January 5, similar to the pushback against the three farm laws which eventually forced the Narendra Modi government to rollback its decision, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
'There'll be extended periods where things aren't working in your favour. But if you believe in the cause profoundly, then you simply persevere.'
The FMCG industry in India achieved a 10.6% growth in value terms in the December quarter of 2024, driven largely by rural markets, which have surpassed the large urban markets in growth for the fourth consecutive quarter. Festive demand and consumption-driven growth played a key role, with overall volume up 7.1% despite inflationary pressures. However, the industry also saw a "preference shift of consumers towards smaller packs" due to high food inflation. Local manufacturers continue to outperform larger FMCG companies, fueled by consistent volume growth.
"This is an insult to India's poor, it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, it is an insult to Rabindranath Tagore. With just five hours' notice, this bill was given to us. We were not allowed a proper debate," Ghose said.
