The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
During this Ramzan, another religious practice was turned into an offence: Breaking the fast, or iftar.
Following a fatal clash after Holi celebrations in Delhi's Uttam Nagar, the area is experiencing heightened tensions, shuttered businesses, and a heavy police presence, disrupting daily life and impacting local businesses during the crucial Ramzan period.
'If movement remains stalled for three to four months, more than 300,000 recruitments from India could be affected.'
For MSMEs the transition could mean higher wage bills and tougher compliance -- unless strong handholding follows reports Auhona Mukherjee.
As AI adoption replaces routine roles, hiring is increasingly shifting toward AI-specific skills.
Two of the three strikes are related to the gig economy, a centrepiece of the new labour Codes.
The US has replaced random H-1B selection with a wage-weighted lottery and a new $100,000 fee for applications, raising uncertainty for students and junior hires.
'It is too early to conclude that there will be a bloodbath, that there will be no jobs, and that there will be civil unrest.' 'Let's calm down.' 'AI is a tool, it is not a weapon, it is not a virus.'
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
'The real risk is not that AI will fail to transform India's economy.'
'The risk is that it already is -- while our measurement systems continue to look the other way,' observes Nishant Sahdev, a theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina.
Relations with India experienced a downturn during Yunus's tenure, while ties with Pakistan saw positive developments.
The new labour Codes, notified by the central government in November 2025, have pushed up employee costs for private-sector banks and insurance companies, with these firms reporting higher operating expenses in the October-December quarter (Q3FY26) due to the statutory impact of the new labour Codes.
'It will increase the contribution to gratuity, which is something the employer has to give.'
'Given that the population is almost evenly split, the Indian economy cannot grow without women participating in the workforce.' 'While women's participation has increased, it is still well below 40 per cent,' says Kartik Narayan, CEO of the professional networking and jobs platform, Apna.
Infosys on Wednesday reported a one-time exceptional hit of Rs 1,289 crore on account of the impact of the implementation of new labour codes, as India's second-largest IT services firm announced its December quarter earnings.
The Union cabinet has approved a bill to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and increase the number of work days under the scheme.
A bill to repeal the MGNREGA and introduce a new rural employment law, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), has been circulated among Lok Sabha members.
Real GDP growth surprised on the upside in 2025, but weaker nominal growth, trade uncertainty, and soft demand signal a bumpier road ahead.
Once the might of the Indian establishment turned completely against the Maoists, there was no way they could survive -- either in Gadchiroli or anywhere else, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
Companies would have to recognise the increase in gratuity liability arising from new labour codes in their interim financial statements and results for the period ending December 31, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has said in its FAQs on the new labour codes.
India has managed high government debt-to-GDP, a slowing domestic revenue engine, lower household savings and a more hostile geopolitical environment separately in the past. But together, they threaten to undo the growth narrative on which today's optimism rests, warns Debashis Basu.
Maharashtra has pipped Tamil Nadu in NITI Aayog's latest Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for 2024. While Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh gained ground, Karnataka and Haryana slipped out of the top five, the central government think tank said in its report released on Wednesday.
The country's largest IT services company TCS on Monday reported 13.91 per cent decline in December quarter net profit at Rs 10,657 crore. The Tata Group company had posted a net profit of Rs 12,380 crore in the October-December period of FY25 and Rs 12,075 crore in the preceding September quarter.
'MGNREGA was about a guaranteed right to work.' 'The new law does not guarantee employment at all.' 'It removes everything that made MGNREGA a legal guarantee.'
Supported by strong buoyancy in public sector capital expenditure (capex), growth in infrastructure investment is expected to accelerate in 2025-26 (FY26) compared to 2024-25 (FY25), according to the First Advance Estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for FY26 released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Wednesday.
The discord between the Samsung workers affiliated to the Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam and the company management over wage hike has been amicably resolved with the company agreeing to increase the wages, Tamil Nadu Labour Minister C V Ganesan informed on Monday. Noting that employee welfare remained a top priority for it, Samsung India said the company 'constructively engaged' with all its workers at the Chennai plant and was delighted to announce a mutual agreement to enhance wages and benefits for the next three years.
In terms of MLA salaries, Odisha is followed by Telangana (about Rs 2.7 lakh), Maharashtra (Rs 2.6 lakh), Manipur (Rs 2.5 lakh), and Uttar Pradesh (Rs 2.4 lakh).
This comes a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA and has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers.
'Raising the retrenchment, layoff and closure threshold to 300 workers for prior government permission enables hire-and-fire in more than 90 per cent of the Indian workplaces. More than 12,00,000 disputes are now pending for adjudication with an average disposal period ranging from 3 to five years for more than 75 per cent of the disputes.'
After two years of strong gains, smallcap stocks fell sharply in 2025, but the correction may be setting up opportunities for long-term investors.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticizes the government's proposed bill to replace MGNREGA, arguing it weakens the guaranteed 100 days of employment for the poor and centralizes control over the scheme.
The convergence of artificial intelligence, evolving labour regulations and rising employee expectations will redefine how organisations manage pay, people and performance in the coming year, a report says.
'In three years, you will have an AI model that will be smarter than the smartest mathematician or the smartest scientist.'
IT services company Cognizant on Thursday said about 80 per cent of its eligible employees will receive a salary hike, effective November 1, 2025. The company, during its second quarter earnings, had said that it plans to award merit-based salary increases for the vast majority of employees during the second half of 2025.
'A work guarantee that can be switched off at will is no guarantee at all.'
Growth in corporate profits needs to be commensurate with wages to boost the economy, Economic Survey 2024-25 said, noting that sharp disparities between the two pose risk to the economy by curbing demand. The document tabled in Parliament on Friday noted that while the labour share of GVA (gross value added) shows a slight uptick, the disproportionate rise in corporate profitsredominantly among large firmsaises concerns about income inequality.
High-street rentals continue to outpace those of malls, as retailers focus on prime locations and are willing to pay a premium for visibility. Between 2021 and 2025, rental values on prime high street have grown 7-15 per cent annually, driven by strong consumption density and limited new supply, even outpacing grade A malls, which grew by 5-8 per cent, according to Anarock.
A deep dive into Trump's new policy and what it means for Indian professionals and companies.
The salaries of India's blue- and grey-collar workforce have increased by 23 per cent over the past two years, reflecting the growing demand and opportunities for the skilled workforce, a report said on Tuesday.
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