Business

[ad_1] Property prices increased in 48 out of 50 cities during the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024–25, according to data released by the National Housing Bank (NHB). The NHB’s RESIDEX report revealed that only Howrah and Thiruvananthapuram recorded a decline in property values among the surveyed cities.The Housing Price Index (HPI), which tracks residential property valuation data sourced from banks and housing finance companies across 50 cities, registered a year-on-year increase of 7.5 per cent in Q4 FY25, up from 5.1 per cent during the same period in the previous year. According to a PTI report, all eight major residential markets saw price appreciation during the January–March 2025 period. NHB data showed that Ahmedabad recorded a rise of 6.1 per cent, Bengaluru 13.1 per cent, Chennai 9 per cent, Delhi 2.9 per cent, Hyderabad 4.8 per cent, Kolkata […]

[ad_1] The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Saturday announced that it has earned a Guinness World Record for the highest number of life insurance policies sold within 24 hours.The record was achieved on January 20, 2025, when 4,52,839 LIC agents collectively issued 5,88,107 life insurance policies across India, the corporation said in a statement.Guinness World Records officially verified the feat, which sets a new global benchmark for agent productivity in the life insurance industry within a single day, PTI reported.“This monumental effort is a powerful validation of the relentless dedication, skill, and tireless work ethics of our agents. This achievement reflects our deep commitment towards our mission to provide vital financial protection to our customers and their families,” the statement noted.The record-setting performance was part of an initiative led by LIC MD and CEO Siddhartha Mohanty, who had […]

[ad_1] India’s domestic aviation sector continued its upward trajectory in April 2025, as passenger traffic rose by 10.2% year-on-year, as per a report by ratings agency ICRA. An estimated 145.5 lakh passengers flew within the country during the month, up from 132 lakh in April 2024. However, the numbers remained largely unchanged from March 2025, signalling a flat monthly growth.Airline capacity also saw an annual increase of 6.9% in April, though it dipped 4.2% from March, suggesting a modest slowdown in available seat supply.“For April 2025, domestic air passenger traffic was estimated at 145.5 lakh, 10.2% higher than 132.0 lakh in April 2024,” ICRA noted in the report, quoted by ANI.The data further showed that the total number of domestic passengers for the full financial year 2024-25 stood at approximately 1,653.8 lakh, marking a 7.6% rise over FY24. The figure […]

[ad_1] Formal employment under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) surged in March, with new job creation increasing by 5.79%, reaching 1.63 million, up from 1.54 million in February, provisional payroll data released by the ministry of labour and employment on Friday said.The data also revealed a 33.9% rise in establishments joining the social security umbrella of ESIC with 31,514 new units enrolled in March. This was a sharp uptick from the previous month which recorded 23,526 joinees, as reported by ET.Youth employment remained a strong driver, with nearly half, 0.79 million or 49%, of the new registrations in March belonging to individuals aged 25 years or younger. Female participation also showed encouraging signs, with 0.36 million women registering during the month. Additionally, the ESIC recorded registrations of 100 transgender employees, highlighting the organisation’s commitment to inclusivity.However, since data generation […]

[ad_1] US stocks fell sharply Friday after President Donald Trump threatened to impose steep new tariffs on the European Union, reigniting fears of a global trade war and rattling markets on both sides of the Atlantic.The S&P 500 slipped 0.4% in afternoon trading, positioning the benchmark index for its worst weekly performance in nearly two months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 132 points, or 0.3%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite shed 0.6%, AFP reported.Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform before markets opened, said trade talks with the EU were stalling and warned that "straight 50%" tariffs could take effect as soon as June 1. The EU is among the US's largest trading partners, and the announcement sent shockwaves through global markets.European stocks took an immediate hit, with France’s CAC 40 plunging 1.7%. US markets opened lower in response, […]

[ad_1] Government announced construction of a new ring road which will run outside Goa, connecting Maharashtra to Karnataka. The project was announced by the Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday, in response to Goa CM Promod Sawant and minister for power and renewable energy, Shripad Naik’s plea for an alternative to ease the burden on national highways.The road will skirt around the outer edge of the coastal region and is expected to cost between Rs 12,000 crore and Rs 15,000 crore, PTI reported.“The Union ministry of road transport and highways is considering a ring road from Patradevi (village on Goa-Maharashtra border) to Karnataka which will run through the outer side of Goa, avoiding to cut through middle of the state, to decongest the national highway,” said the transport minister while addressing a gathering in south Goa.Gadkari […]

[ad_1] With fixed deposit rates steadily declining due to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rate cuts and abundant liquidity, risk-averse investors are turning their attention to the RBI’s floating rate savings bonds. These bonds currently offer attractive annual yields of up to 8.05% for a 7-year tenure, providing a more lucrative and safer alternative to traditional fixed deposits.“Corporate and bank deposit rates have come down in line after the rate cuts announced by RBI,” Anup Bhaiya, MD and CEO of Money Honey Financial, a Mumbai-based distributor told ET. “However, since the RBI floating rate deposit rates continue to be unchanged at 8.05%, there is higher demand for these deposits from retail investors.”These bonds, issued by the central bank on behalf of the government, are considered highly safe and offer a 35-basis-point premium over returns promised by the National Savings Certificate. […]

[ad_1] NSE maintains leadership in equity and derivative segments with over 11.3 crore registered investors. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) Initial Public Offering or IPO, one of the most anticipated IPOs in India, is expected to get a green signal from the Sebi soon. NSE dominates India's stock market landscape as the premier exchange, commanding the highest trading volumes and revenue.It handles the majority of equity derivatives and maintains a near monopoly across various market segments.The Securities and Exchange Board of India chief Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Thursday that outstanding issues are likely to be resolved soon. This would pave the way for the country’s most-anticipated IPO."All I can say is that all the outstanding issues will be resolved and we will move forward. I can't give you a timeline, but I think we should soon be doing it," […]

[ad_1] MUMBAI: Tata Group's flagship software services company, TCS, is investigating whether it was the entry point for a cyberattack on UK retailer Marks and Spencer, the Financial Times reported on Friday.The breach occurred during the Easter weekend. TCS, which has worked with M&S for over ten years, aims to finish the probe by the end of the month. TCS did not comment on the report.The attack caused serious problems for M&S. The company was forced to shut down its online store for more than three weeks. This disruption reduced its market value by over 750 million pounds, or about Rs 8,295 crore. It could lead to a loss of up to 300 million pounds, around Rs 3,318 crore, in operating profit. Online services are expected to remain affected until July. UK police are also investigating the incident, the FT […]

[ad_1] MUMBAI: The RBI has proposed changes to its master direction on 'know your customer' norms-rules aimed at preventing money laundering-that will ease compliance for millions of bank customers, particularly low-risk individuals and beneficiaries of govt schemes. The draft circular outlines relaxed procedures for periodic KYC updates, responding to concerns over delays and customer complaints.The proposed rules mark a shift from rigid timelines towards a more flexible system while maintaining safeguards against money laundering and terrorist financing. For low-risk customers, the RBI extended the KYC update deadline to one year from the due date or until June 30, 2026, whichever is later. During this period, transactions will continue, though the accounts will remain under regular monitoring. This move brings relief as earlier banks froze accounts that did not comply with re-KYC requirements. To address large backlogs and improve customer service, […]