rediffGURU Jinal Mehta answers readers' financial planning and health insurance queries
Analysts are increasingly optimistic about India's capital markets, with HDFC AMC, CAMS, and KFin Technologies identified as top investment picks. This optimism stems from a structural shift in household savings towards financial instruments and an expected multi-year earnings expansion for market infrastructure providers and asset management companies.
Indian car buyers care more about affordability than technology, keeping ICE vehicles dominant while hybrids emerge as the preferred transition option and EVs struggle in the mass market.
'This is a technology that will particularly benefit those who want to take agency over it'.
New demat account additions in India reached an 11-month low in March, with only 2.15 million new accounts opened, significantly below the 12-month average. This slowdown is attributed to a sharp decline in equity markets, escalating West Asia tensions, and increased crude oil prices impacting India's economic outlook.
The OnePlus 15T has been officially listed in OnePlus/OPPO's China store and is set to launch on March 24, 2026, marking its entry as a compact flagship focused on performance and battery life.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' acquisition of US-based Organon & Co. for $11.75 billion, the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian pharma company, has been met with mixed reactions from brokerages, who see strategic entry into women's health and biosimilars but also flag potential integration challenges and debt concerns.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a meeting focusing on Artificial Intelligence, emerging technologies, and electronics hardware manufacturing, highlighting India's progress and future roadmap in these sectors.
Jio Payments Bank introduces UPI-based cash withdrawals at business correspondent touchpoints, enhancing financial inclusion and simplifying access to cash for rural and semi-urban customers.
"Policy sales will be one of the focus areas for the company because looking at the large insurance gap, large number of people being uncovered. The only right way to go is to increase the number of policies," said Amit Jhingran, MD & CEO, SBI Life Insurance.
'First-time applicants may witness longer approval times or higher rejection rates and requests for more documentation.'
Delhi Police are investigating the alleged leak of General M M Naravane's unpublished memoir, questioning Penguin India representatives and probing potential coordinated efforts to bypass defense ministry clearances.
Sanju Samson's century and Chennai Super Kings' dominant performance led to a significant victory over Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Samson's ability to adapt to the sluggish Wankhede pitch was key to his success.
The Indian government has extended the deadline for implementing SIM-binding rules for mobile messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram to December 31, following requests from the industry. The Department of Telecom has also relaxed the mandatory six-hour log-out rule for web versions of these apps.
Leading jewellery companies, Titan Company and Kalyan Jewellers India, have reported better-than-expected top-line growth in Q4 FY26, driven by robust same-store sales growth, higher average ticket sizes, and an improvement in buyer growth, signalling a strong recovery in demand.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with bank heads to discuss risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) following global concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model and its potential threat to financial systems' data security.
The Supreme Court has appointed former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna as the sole mediator to resolve a dispute involving businessman Ashokbhai Haribhai Gajera and others in a case linked to textile market projects in Surat. The case involves allegations of siphoning off Rs 1,900 crore and forging documents.
Aditi Ashok carded an even-par 72 in the opening round of the Ford Championship, placing her in a tie for 108th. Lydia Ko and Hyo Joo Kim lead with impressive under-par scores.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday said India is poised for an "extraordinary trajectory" in artificial intelligence and emphasised the company's commitment to partnering in the country's AI transformation.
Virat Kohli's casual Instagram 'like' on a travel vlogger's post unexpectedly went viral, sparking social media buzz and bringing back his 'algorithm interaction' explanation.
The Haryana Police have launched 'Abhedya', a mobile application designed to curb cybercrime, extortion, and threatening calls. This initiative makes Haryana the first state in India to introduce such a measure, aiming to protect citizens from various forms of digital harassment.
The CBI has arrested Ubaid Ullah, a key conspirator in a cyber crime network, from Guwahati. He is accused of illegally procuring over 10,000 SIM cards for use in cyber crimes.
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, has reassured the public that individual data collected during the upcoming census will remain confidential and cannot be used for any purpose other than statistical aggregation.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar convened a meeting with bankers to address the misuse of bank accounts in cyber frauds and implement preventative measures, following 'Operation Octopus' which dismantled cyber fraud networks and led to arrests of complicit bank officials.
There is record underperformance and under-ownership. Some of this is cyclical and will turn on its own. However, we also need to regain our growth credentials. For this, both the government and companies have a role to play, as do investors, points out Akash Prakash.
SBI General Insurance aims to achieve a 10 per cent market share among private and standalone health insurers within approximately five years, up from its current 7.17 per cent, said Naveen Chandra Jha, managing director and chief executive officer, SBI General Insurance.
Gurugram Police have arrested a Bangladeshi man for allegedly sending bomb threats via email to several schools in the city. The accused, Saurabh Vishwas alias Michael, was apprehended in Ahmedabad and confessed to creating the email ID used for the threats.
Sri Lanka's response to the Easter attacks has been slow and politically contested, unlike India's swift institutional reforms after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, observes Colonel R Hariharan (retd).
Delhi Police have dismantled a fraudulent call centre in Pitampura, arresting 19 individuals for allegedly defrauding people nationwide by posing as representatives of a finance company offering fake loans and insurance schemes.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar has proposed a Joint Working Group with the RBI and banks to address the issue of mule bank accounts used in cyber fraud. The proposal follows 'Operation Octopus,' which exposed vulnerabilities in KYC verification. Sajjanar also recommended strict directives for banks to fix accountability and adopt advanced technology to detect suspicious transactions.
'We want to become India's topmost integrated studio, working in different languages.'
Indian insurance companies are bracing for reduced profitability in Q4FY26, primarily due to the rationalisation of GST on retail life and health policies, leading to a loss of input tax credit, coupled with volatility in equity markets impacting investment income.
10 stocks from the Nifty 200 index that offer good growth potential and scope to deliver decent returns from current levels, based on brokerage estimates.
Delhi Police arrested over 600 people and rounded up over 8,300 suspects during Operation CyHawk 4.0, a large-scale crackdown on cybercrime.
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
Two individuals have been arrested in Gujarat for possessing 5 kg of methamphetamine, valued at Rs 25 crore, suspected to have been smuggled from Pakistan. The arrests were made by a joint operation of the Gujarat and Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squads (ATS).
Major paint companies in India, including Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Akzo Paints, and Kansai Nerolac, have announced price hikes ranging from 1% to 8% across various product lines, effective from mid-March to late April, in response to persistently high crude oil and gas prices.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman convened a high-level meeting with bank heads to assess cybersecurity risks linked to advanced AI models, following concerns over Anthropic's Claude Mythos system and its potential impact on financial data security.
A number of exhibitions at the Bharat Mandapam, the convention centre which will host key G20 summit meetings, will showcase India's technological prowess and innovation, and offer a multitude of unique experiences to the visitors.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini criticises the AAP-led Punjab government for political instability and lack of industrial development, while promoting Haryana's investor-friendly policies and industrial growth initiatives.
