The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced that nearly 100 entities have been onboarded as offline verification seeking entities (OVSEs), marking a significant step in enabling secure, consent-based, and paperless verification through the Aadhaar offline mechanism.
Indian food services sector is expected to grow at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 8.1 per cent between 2024 and 2028 on the back of rapid urbanisation, robust GDP growth, a rising younger population, and greater exposure among consumers, said a new report. The India Food Services Report-2024, brought out by the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), states that the sector contributes 1.9 per cent to India's GDP and is projected to grow to Rs 7.76 trillion by 2028 from Rs 5.69 trillion currently.
India's services sector remained in contraction territory for the third straight month in July, as business activity, new orders and employment declined further largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and local restrictions, a monthly survey said on Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted India Services Business Activity Index rose from 41.2 in June to 45.4 in July, but was stuck in the red due to subdued demand conditions amid the COVID-19 crisis. In Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below 50 denotes contraction.
The seasonally adjusted India Services Business Activity Index rose sharply from 34.2 in July to 41.8 in August, the highest since March, before the escalation of the pandemic.
Shares of Indian life insurance companies, particularly SBI Life Insurance and Canara HSBC Life Insurance, saw significant declines after the Department of Financial Services (DFS) secretary, M Nagaraju, stated that banks are being asked to avoid exclusive tie-ups with their own insurance subsidiaries and instead remain neutral.
Employees with artificial intelligence skills are likely to see better salary increments in the coming years, especially in technology, GCCs, and BFSI sectors, according to TeamLease Edtech.
India's digital economy is projected to constitute nearly 20 per cent of the nation's GDP by 2030, fuelled by a growth rate twice as fast as the overall economy, according to a senior government official.
Services companies reported an increase in new work intakes, which they attributed to successful marketing efforts and strengthening demand.
Prudential plc has announced its acquisition of a 75 per cent stake in Bharti Life Insurance for approximately 3,500 crore, a strategic move to secure majority ownership in the Indian life insurance market. This acquisition necessitates Prudential reducing its holding in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to below 10 per cent.
The Indian defence ministry has initiated a project to indigenously design and develop a 1000-kg aerial bomb for the Indian Air Force (IAF), aiming to enhance self-reliance in the defence sector.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with bank heads to discuss the risks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) following global concerns about Anthropic's Mythos model and its potential threat to financial systems' data security.
Preferential equity listings in India reached an unprecedented 1,307 in FY26, marking a 33% increase from the previous year and reflecting a strategic choice for companies during market volatility.
According to multiple sources close to the development, Mercedes-Benz is already in talks with multiple developers in Gurugram for a luxury branded residence project.
'We strongly believe that anyone with capability and a strong work ethic should have a chance at the top job.'
'We are targeting a 2.5x to 3x increase in valuation by FY31.'
Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson has resigned after four years at the helm, prompting the airline to form a committee to find his replacement. Wilson's tenure saw significant changes, including the merger of airlines and fleet expansion, but also faced challenges such as the London-bound flight crash and safety concerns.
Indian stock markets are poised for volatility this week, driven primarily by the outcomes of five state assembly elections, ongoing high crude oil prices amid West Asia tensions, and the release of Q4 corporate earnings, according to market analysts.
India's online retail market concluded 2025 with electronic retail (e-retail) gross merchandise value (GMV) reaching $65-66 billion, a 19-21 per cent increase, according to a report by Bain & Company and Flipkart. This growth is significantly driven by GenZ shoppers and the rapid expansion of quick commerce, which has emerged as a global leader.
A new survey indicates that Indian employers are planning to increase hiring in the April-June quarter, driven by strong business confidence and domestic demand. The survey also highlights the impact of AI adoption on workforce strategy and the challenges of talent scarcity.
'The West Asia or the Gulf crisis has shown that what we develop as national infrastructure when things are not as bad as they could be, we forget to plan for adversities.'
Indian equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled over 1 per cent for the third consecutive day, driven by a sharp rally in crude oil prices, massive selling in IT stocks, and unabated foreign fund outflows amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
India's economy is projected to maintain growth above 7 per cent in 2026-27 (FY27), supported by strong domestic consumption and investment, even as global growth faces risks from geopolitical tensions, according to industry body Assocham.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini celebrated the BJP's victory in the recent civic body elections, attributing the win to public confidence in the party's development-focused governance and rejection of the Congress' negative politics.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced declines due to a sharp rally in crude oil prices, continuous foreign fund outflows, and geopolitical uncertainties. Regulatory developments in the banking sector, particularly the implementation of the Expected Credit Loss (ECL) framework, also contributed to the selling pressure.
The survey noted that advertising campaigns supported the increase in new work growth in the sector amid competitive pressures.
India is a global leader in software development services, IT enabled services, knowledge process outsourcing services and contract R&D services relating to software development, Sitharaman said noting these business segments are quite inter-connected with each other.
Infosys reported a 20.8 per cent increase in consolidated net profit to 8,501 crore for the January-March quarter of FY26, with revenue from operations rising 13.4 per cent to 46,402 crore. The IT major has guided for a 1.5 to 3.5 per cent revenue growth for FY27, driven by momentum in financial services, utilities, and emerging AI services, despite a volatile macroeconomic environment and geopolitical risks.
Nasscom's newly appointed Chairman, Srikanth Velamakanni, outlines key priorities including restoring revenue growth in IT firms and promoting the role of artificial intelligence and other technologies in companies.
Wipro, India's fourth-largest IT services company, has secured an eight-year deal with Singapore-based Olam group, valued at over $1 billion, and will also acquire Olam's IT and digital services arm, Mindsprint, for $375 million, marking one of its largest contracts to date.
CAE Simulation Training has launched a new pilot training facility in Mumbai, its fourth in India, to address the increasing demand for skilled pilots in the rapidly growing domestic aviation market.
The Haryana government has suspended two IAS officers, Ram Kumar Singh and Pardeep Kumar, in connection with an ongoing investigation into a Rs 590-crore fraud case involving IDFC First Bank.
Ashok Lahiri, a distinguished economist with experience in government, the private sector, and electoral politics, has been appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, tasked with strengthening India's reform trajectory and policy-making.
Indian stock markets are expected to remain highly sensitive to geopolitical developments, particularly the US-Iran situation, and crude oil prices this week, with analysts also highlighting the influence of the rupee-dollar trend, foreign investor activity, and upcoming inflation data.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
The improvement in business conditions promoted job creation, while confidence towards the year-ahead outlook for activity was at a four-month high during March.
'In investing, poor sentiment is always a good vintage to build a portfolio.'
India's services sector activity moderated further in January as new business rose at a noticeably slower rate amid the escalation of the pandemic, reintroduction of restrictions and inflationary pressures, a monthly survey said on Thursday. The seasonally adjusted India Services Business Activity Index fell to 51.5 in January, down from 55.5 in December, pointing to the slowest rate of expansion in the current six-month sequence of growth. For the sixth straight month, the services sector witnessed an expansion in output.
Domestic institutional investors, on the other hand, made a net investment of Rs 1.13 trillion during this period.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo emphasises the importance of holistic development and grassroots governance for India's progress at a national conference in Jammu.
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.
