Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced that the government will not impose a cap on airfares during the upcoming festive season. Instead, airlines will be advised to maintain reasonable prices, considering the rising operating costs primarily due to increased Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, exacerbated by the West Asia crisis.
Qcom platforms are prioritising convenience, selection, AI-driven inventory planning and loyalty rewards over deep discounting.
India's housing market has remained resilient this festival season (Dussehra-Diwali period), despite global macroeconomic challenges, tech-sector layoffs, and affordability pressures, with developers reporting 10-25 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) rise in home sales across major cities.
Delhi Police initially denied permission for Diljit Dosanjh's October 30 concert at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium due to security concerns. However, after a meeting with organisers BookMyShow Live and a detailed plan submission, permission has been reconsidered and granted, ensuring the concert will proceed as scheduled.
The much-awaited festive season is unlikely to bring any cheers to the travel industry, including the airline sector, as less than 20 per cent of people polled plan to travel during October-November amid the pandemic, a survey said.
Air travel may get a tad more expensive during the coming festive season with at least one major carrier thinking of raising fares, but the hike is expected to be only in single digit in percentage terms. "We are looking at raising the fares during the festive season. No concrete decision has been taken yet. But the increase will not be very high because of competition. It will not be in double-digit," Jet Airways CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer told reporters.
Amid the ongoing protests in the national capital, the Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal (BUVM), Delhi Pradesh, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, appealing for political demonstrations in the capital to be postponed until January 31, 2027, citing the festival and wedding season.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee indicated her potential participation in a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She strongly criticised the BJP and the Election Commission over alleged electoral malpractices and "SIR anomalies" in Bengal. Banerjee also expressed solidarity with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra regarding their treatment during recent protests and plans to approach President Droupadi Murmu.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu stated that no decision has been made regarding allowing Delhi and Mumbai airport operators to own and run airlines, as the government is carefully considering the implications of relaxing cross-ownership restrictions, including potential conflicts of interest and the need for more airlines.
Experts say this is a good time to buy a house for self-use, points out Sanjay Kumar Singh.
A third generation murtikar and probably one of the first in her family, Manaswi Bagwe, a self-taught sculptor, is quietly pushing the boundaries of idol-making.
'I was thinking how can I do something for these lonely, aging people in the villages. The parents stay and the children leave for a better future.'
Indian consumers are entering the festive season with renewed confidence and financial optimism, outpacing global benchmarks, according to Deloitte India's latest Consumer Signals: India Chapter. "With inflationary pressures easing and the recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) revisions enhancing purchasing power and festive cheer among consumers, this brings a new wave of consumption.
Hiring activity has gained momentum in anticipation of upcoming festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Diwali, seasonal sales and the wedding season.
'This festival season, advance airfares for major metros are up 20 to 25 per cent from last year.'
The United States Department of State on Wednesday defended its travel warning for India, arguing that there is a propensity for terrorism during the Diwali season, and that this is a concern that New Delhi itself had acknowledged going from past experience.
Strong demand for cultural and spiritual hubs is expected for destinations like Varanasi, Kolkata during Durga Puja, and Pushkar for the camel fair, besides leisure destinations like Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur and Coorg.
This year, festive sales are expected to push up the annual gross merchandise value of e-commerce companies to around $38 billion, a 40 per cent growth over the previous year.
South India's manufacturing, construction, and services sectors are grappling with severe labour shortages, prompting employers to offer attractive incentives like free air tickets and salary increments to lure migrant workers back from their home states after recent assembly elections.
A family in Bengaluru attempted to send an elderly man as a 'parcel' through a courier service to protest high bus fares ahead of Ugadi and Eid-ul-Fitr. The stunt, intended as a social media reel, drew criticism and police intervention.
Travellers are turning concerts into full-fledged weekend getaways, giving rise to the 'gigcation' -- a short, experience-led micro-holiday.
Jewellers in Lucknow protest Prime Minister Modi's appeal to defer gold purchases for a year amid the West Asia crisis, fearing significant business losses and economic hardship for those involved in the trade.
The Indian stock market in the October-November period sees high trading activity due to increased consumer spending, festive demand, upbeat sentiment, renewed investor confidence, and the auspicious Muhurat trading session. This impacts many stocks and sectors in the festive season.
Overall hiring volumes grew by 17 per cent year-on-year across key consumption-linked sectors during the August-October period, driven by heightened consumer sentiment, attractive festive promotions, and wider geographic penetration, according to a report.
There will be four trips from December 24, 2013 till Januray 2, 2014 of the premium AC special trains on the busy New Delhi-Mumbai sector, said a senior Railway Ministry official, adding 'the tickets will be sold on higher rate than the existing rate as per the dynamic pricing policy.'
Shigmotsav, Goa's spring festival, highlights its traditions, celebrations, and regional variations.
After a subdued first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26), banks are now betting big on the festive season, rolling out attractive loan offers to boost credit growth in the second half of the current financial year (H2FY26) - a trend likely to be further accentuated by the second-order effects of the good services tax (GST) cuts.
The sun's out and so is your excuse to wear the accessory of the season -- hats. Not just for shade anymore, hats have officially entered their fashion era, turning even the simplest outfits into full looks.
India's live events scene is hitting a high note. With global performers adding the country to their tour maps and the government aiming to double the concert economy, hotels in key metro cities are bracing for sold-out weekends. Travel operators, too, are curating packages built entirely around concerts.
Banks and NBFCs are launching festival offers, including lower loan rates, cashback, EMI schemes and GST-linked benefits to tap rising demand ahead of Diwali
Shivam Dube celebrated Eid with wife Anjum Khan and his children Ayaan and Mehwish.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to rationalise airfares and provide relief to flyers, highlighting discrepancies in pricing for the same routes and airlines. The court is addressing a plea seeking a robust regulator to ensure transparency and passenger protection in the civil aviation sector.
Home and kitchen appliances, electronic products, apparel and B-segment cars stand to gain.
India's Diwali sales touched a record Rs 6.05 lakh crore -- comprising Rs 5.40 lakh crore in goods and Rs 65,000 crore in services -- buoyed by the recent GST reform and strong consumer sentiment, traders' lobby CAIT said on Tuesday. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) based its findings on a nation-wide survey across 60 major distribution centres including state capitals and Tier 2 & 3 cities conducted by its research wing.
'What exactly is on the prime minister's mind, we do not know. But it feels like the government wants the country to be prepared for unseen challenges ahead.'
Indigo remains the leader with market share of 27.8 per cent.
'...than by the calendar.' Indian travellers are no longer restricting their getaways to summer or winter holidays.
Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
After losing two festive seasons to Covid-led restrictions, 2022 is seeing an uninhibited celebration of festivals. This is pushing up discretionary spend, which is attracting advertisers and brands, who are ready to capitalise on the momentum. The festive season has begun with Onam and Ganesh Chathurthi held earlier this month in Kerala and Maharashtra, respectively.
A train ride for Christmas? Why not?!
