The limited availability of flexible (flex)-fuel vehicles in the Indian market and the slow rollout of ethanol-blended petrol by oil-marketing companies (OMCs) remain major obstacles to achieving widespread use of biofuels in the transportation sector in India. Recently, two Union ministers have emphasised India’s biofuel potential, arguing that it has the capacity and potential to […]

Even as cement companies continue to announce ambitious expansion plans, analysts turn cautious over the sector as incremental supply is expected to coincide with a weak demand growth period, and other headwinds of higher fuel costs, weak monsoons and general elections. In August, JSW Cement said it will take its current 19 million tonnes (MT) […]

Irregular rainfall and a pick-up in commodity costs are expected to weigh on the demand and margins of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies. Most companies reported a sharp expansion in gross margins in the April-June quarter (first quarter, or Q1) of 2023-24 (FY24), given the lower prices of key raw materials and earlier price hikes. […]

India’s bank credit remains resilient and is showing no signs of systematic risk, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Michael Patra said on Monday. A copy of the speech was uploaded on the RBI website on Thursday. “Bank credit is monitored as a lead indicator of overheating. Our assessment, based on a menu of […]

If an extension is granted, the Commission’s next hearing will be a long one: From October 16-28, so as to complete the cross-examination of all remaining witnesses. Jyoti Punwani reports. As the Bhima Koregaon Commission of Inquiry comes close to finishing its hearings, it faces a familiar roadblock: the end of its current term. September […]

‘Some risks to this market rally include inflation, erratic weather conditions, rising crude prices, slowing global growth and the resultant impact on domestic exports, escalation in geopolitical tensions.’ The Nifty 50 index hit the 20,000-mark milestone in intra-day deals on Monday, September 11, 2023 and is on track to hit 21,000 levels in the next […]

It looks like a hawk in flight, but clearly it is deadlier than that species. Take a look at these glimpses of the Shepherd-MIL Unmanned Aerial Vehicle exhibited at the Defence Security Equipment International arms fair in London. Unmanned drones have become a common presence on the battlefield for US and other high-tech militaries. The […]

Meaningful market share would go to those who have the distribution strength to push their products, such as banks. Competition is expected to intensify in the mutual fund industry with the entry of several new players. Brokerage disruptor Zerodha filed documents for launching schemes last fortnight. Financial technology startup Groww got approval for an index […]

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) decision to withdraw the incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) is expected to benefit banks during the festival season. They are likely to increase deposit rates by up to 25 basis points (bps) in select maturity buckets. The rise in demand for funds to cover tax payments and meet quarter-end […]

India’s recent move to remove additional ‘retaliatory’ duty on eight products from the United States (US), including apples and walnuts, would not have any negative impact on the domestic producers, the government clarified, even as the issue threatened to snowball into a political slugfest between the ruling and Opposition parties. The move would, in fact, […]