Daily Excelsior

New Delhi, Mar 25: From frozen marathons at Pangong Lake in Ladakh to underwater adventures like snorkeling and scuba diving in Lakshadweep, the Centre is promoting a wide range of niche tourism segments across Union Territories to boost the local economy, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Responding to a question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the government is actively promoting various new types of tourism like astro-tourism, eco-tourism, nature/biodiversity t

NEW DELHI, Mar 24: Jindal Steel on Tuesday said it has doubled the steel making capacity of its Angul facility to 12 million tonnes per annum. With this expansion, Angul has become one the largest single-location steel plants in India, taking Jindal Steels overall capacity to 15.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). In an exchange filing, the company said it has fully operationalised the expansion of its Angul plant capacity from 6 MTPA to 12 MTPA within the planned timeframe. [] The post Jindal St

NEW DELHI, Mar 24: Electric carmaker VinFast Auto India on Tuesday said it has partnered with CSB Bank to provide auto and inventory financing for its dealer network. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CSB Bank for the purpose, VinFast Auto India said in a statement. The partnership aims to deliver a comprehensive and convenient suite of credit solutions for potential customers of electric SUVs VF 6 and VF 7, supporting VinFasts growth strategy in [] The post VinFas

Prof. D. Mukherjee mukhopadhyay.dinabandhu@gmail.com The Middle East has long been a geopolitical crossroads where energy resources, global trade routes, and strategic rivalries intersect. When conflict erupts in this region, its consequences rarely remain local. The ongoing war has once again demonstrated how rapidly geopolitical instability can spread through the arteries of the global economy. Energy markets are particularly vulnerable. The Middle East accounts for roughly one-third of global

NEW DELHI, Mar 21 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that India is steadily emerging as a robust pharma economy, which will not only accelerate future growth but also emerge as a significant contributor to the countrys overall GDP. The minister emphasised that the growing strength of Indias pharmaceutical, medtech and manufacturing ecosystem

SRINAGAR, Mar 20: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday said that the war between Iran and the US-Israel coalition needs to come to an end quickly, as it could have massive repercussions for the global economy. It (war) will have severe consequences not only for the Indian economy but for the world economy, Abdullah told reporters after offering Friday prayers at Hazratbal shrine here. The former chief minister highlighted the importance of ending the war due to the loss [] The

New Delhi, Mar 20: The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it had constituted an expert committee comprising two former apex court judges and an ex-attorney general to review the class 8 NCERT book with a chapter on corruption in the judiciary. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi that the committee comprises senior advocate and former Attorney General KK Venugopal, former top court judge [] The pos

New Delhi, Mar 20: Central Board of Direct Taxes on Friday notified the rules for Income-tax Act, 2025 which provided enhanced tax benefit for HRA to salary earner but makes disclosure of landlord-tenant relationship mandatory. The Income-tax Rules, 2026 will operationalise the simplified direct tax legislation that was approved by Parliament last year and will come into effect from April 1. These rules may be called the Income-tax Rules, 2026. They shall come into force on the April 1, 2026, []

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Mar 19: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that Indias bioeconomy has expanded from about USD 10 billion in 2014 to over USD 195 billion in 2025, reflecting a massive growth trajectory over the past decade. He said the sector has recorded an annual growth of around 17-18 percent in the last year alone, []

NEW DELHI, Mar 16: Over 13,000 teaching positions are vacant in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across the country, the Ministry of Education informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in response to a written question. A total of 8,618 and 5,083 teaching posts are lying vacant in KVs and JNVs, respectively. Vacancies keep on arising due to opening of new schools, retirement, resignation,

NEW DELHI, Mar 16: Ola Electric has kicked off a plan to raise up to Rs 2,000 crore by selling a stake in its battery arm, Ola Cell Technologies (OCT), according to the sources. OCT owns the Tamil Nadu-based lithium-ion cell manufacturing plant with 1.5 GWh of operational capacity and plans to scale to 6 GWh by the end of this financial year. Investment bank Avendus and Motilal Oswal are mandated to run the fundraising process, sources said. The development [] The post Ola Electric plans Rs 2,00

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: Adani Total Gas Ltd has cut the price of excess natural gas supplied to certain industrial customers to Rs 82.95 per standard cubic metre (SCM) from Rs 119.90 per SCM, effective 0600 hours on March 16, as upstream gas prices softened amid ongoing supply disruptions. The city gas joint venture of Adani Group and Frances Total Energies said the revision aims to pass on the benefit of lower upstream prices to customers while maintaining system stability [] The post Adani-Total Ga

NEW DELHI, Mar 15:Industry body SAF Association (SAFA) on Sunday called for the use of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. SAFA, a leading industry platform dedicated to accelerating the production and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), emphasised the need to develop all technology pathways and feedstock routes to decarbonise aviation, a sector responsible for approximately 2-3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a statement.

NEW DELHI, Mar 13: In a move to bolster its services in the Northeast, Amazon India has added a new route connecting Guwahati and Kolkata to its dedicated air cargo fleet, Amazon Air. Launched in 2023, the freighter service initially served Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The expansion, expected to speed up shipments by 5x, will support deliveries across all seven sister states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura the company said in a statement

NEW DELHI, March 11 : Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, on Wednesday stressed the need for the countrys textile sector to expand its global presence and move towards higher-scale and higher-value manufacturing to achieve the governments target of building a USD 350 billion textile economy and USD 100 billion in exports by 2030-31. Speaking at an interaction organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles and industry leaders ac

NEW DELHI, Mar 6: Electric passenger vehicle retail sales rose 44 per cent year-on-year in February, dealers body FADA said on Friday. The overall sales rose to 13,733 units last month as against 9,505 units in the year-ago period. Tata Motors led the space with registrations of 5,568 units, up 38.5 per cent as compared with 4,020 units in February last year. JSW MG Motor India retailed 3,312 units in February as against 3,490 units in the year-ago period, a [] The post Electric passenger vehicl

NEW DELHI, Mar 6: The Government will use all policy tools and support measures to help domestic exporters deal with the ongoing West Asian crisis, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. He said that the government has set up an inter-ministerial group to look into the issues on a daily basis. And the government will use every policy tool and the export promotion mission to support our exporters, Goyal told reporters here on the sidelines of IIFTs [] The post Govt will use e

SYDNEY, Mar 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very focused on delivery of welfare programmes to the common people and has been successful in bringing hundreds of millions of them into the formal economy through financial reforms in India, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said. Carney was speaking on Wednesday during an interaction at the Lowy Institute, Australias leading think tank, where he was asked to speak about his assessment of Prime Minister Modi, days after the two [] The post

MUMBAI, Mar 4: IndiGo on Wednesday said it cancelled over 500 flights to the Middle East and select international destinations from February 28 to March 3 due to the evolving airspace restrictions over Iran and other Gulf countries. In a regulatory filing, the airline said that it will continue to closely monitor the revenue environment arising from this situation. With airspace curbs in the Middle East due to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, flight services have been [] The post

New Delhi, Mar 3: As many as 80 international flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport on Tuesday morning due to operational disruptions for airlines amid the escalating Middle East conflict. Some airlines, including Emirates, have partially started operations to and from the Middle East. An official said 36 departures and 44 arrivals were cancelled at the Delhi airport. Meanwhile, an Emirates flight EK513 enroute to Dubai returned to the national capital due to airspace restrictions, as per

NEW DELHI, Mar 2: Apparel exporters on Monday urged the government to waive demurrage charges on export cargo at airports, as flight disruptions arising from ongoing West Asian crisis may impact movement of consignments. In a communication to the civil aviation ministry, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said the prevailing situation has significantly disrupted international flight operations, resulting in route restrictions, airspace closures, flight diversions, schedule irregularities, a

New Delhi, Mar 1: Power consumption in the country grew marginally by 1.86 per cent to 132.99 billion units in February from 130.56 BU a year ago, as the use of heating appliances like geysers and blowers slowed down due to higher-than usual temperature. According to the government data, the peak power demand met or the highest supply during February, also rose slightly to 243.15 GW from 238.06 GW recorded in February 2025. The peak power demand touched an all-time [] The post Power Consumption

NEW DELHI, Feb 28: Zydus Lifesciences on Saturday said it has received approval from the US health regulator to market generic anti-parasitic and leprosy medications. The company has received final approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Ivermectin Tablets (3 mg) and Dapsone Tablets ( 25 mg and 100 mg), the Ahmedabad-based drug said in a statement. Ivermectin tablets are prescription anti-parasitic medications primarily indicated for treating parasitic worm infections in h

New Delhi, Feb 28: IndiGo on Saturday temporarily suspended flights to and from the Middle East in view of the evolving situation in Iran. In view of evolving airspace restrictions around Iran and the Middle East, all flights to and from the Middle East are cancelled till 0000 hrs, it said in a post on X. The suspension is till 0000 hours IST. Services have been suspended to and from Dubai, Jeddah, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Bahrain, Sharjah, Kuwait and [] The post IndiGo Temporarily Suspends Flig

New Delhi, Feb 27: Indias economy grew by 7.8 per cent during the October-December quarter of 2025-26, up from 7.4 per cent a year ago, according to the new series of national accounts with 2022-23 as the base year. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Friday released the New Series of Annual and Quarterly National Accounts Estimates with the base year 202223. It replaces the previous series with a base year of 201112. According to the new [] The post Economy Grew B

Software as a service has long been synonymous with modern business infrastructure. From customer management to finance, from collaboration to analytics, SaaS platforms underpin daily operations across industries. Yet the confidence that once surrounded the category has been replaced by questions. Can SaaS adapt to artificial intelligence? Can subscription models sustain growth in tighter markets? Has the category reached saturation? Rupon Anandanadarajah approaches these questions from a strate

NEW DELHI, Feb 23: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said it was too early to assess the US tariff impact on the Indian economy, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is reviewing the situation. It is too soon to comment on the impact on the Indian economy from US tariff changes. The Commerce Minister is reviewing the situation, Sitharaman said after addressing the presser here after customary post-Budget meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of [] The post Too e

WASHINGTON, Feb 20: Americas gross domestic product the nations output of goods and services increased at an 1.4 per cent annual rate in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday, down from 4.4 per cent in the July-September quarter and 3.8 per cent in the quarter before that. A downturn in government and consumer spending contributed to the slowdown in fourth-quarter growth, the government said. Consumer spending rose just 2.2 per cent, a significant slowdown from the [] The

United Nations, Feb 15: India is a very successful emerging economy with a bigger influence in global affairs, and is the right place to host the AI summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said. In an exclusive interview with news agency at the UN Headquarters ahead of the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026, Guterres underscored that Artificial Intelligence should benefit the entire world and not just be a privilege reserved for developed nations or two superpowers. I strongly congratulate Ind

Digitalization has changed the way Indians spend their free time and disposable income. The smartphone has evolved from a mere communication device into the primary gateway for entertainment, travel planning, and social interaction. This transformation is not limited to metropolitan hubs like Delhi or Mumbai; it has permeated Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, creating a unified digital leisure economy that was unimaginable just a few years ago. The convergence of affordable data plans and widespread har

Jammu, Feb 9: CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami on Monday criticised the recent India-US trade deal, alleging it would severely hurt the countrys agricultural sector and deal a particular blow to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Participating in the discussion on the Budget in the Assembly, Tarigami said the agreement compromised national sovereignty by favouring American interests while exposing Indian farmers especially apple, peanut, and soyabean growers to unfair competition without adequate saf

Excelsior Correspondent VIJAYAWADA, Feb 7: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singhtoday stated that Andhra Pradesh, along with other coastal states, will emerge as the torchbearer of Indias Blue Economy transformation. Referring to the Prime Ministers repeated emphasis from the Red Fort on making the Blue Economy a national priority mission, the Minister

KARACHI, Feb 7:The supply of cost-effective vaccines from India that stopped after the May 2025 conflict has put a strain on Pakistans economy, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Saturday. Pakistan earlier procured the cheap vaccines through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), a global public-private health partnership working to provide vaccines for children from the worlds poorest countries. Right now, Pakistan imports vaccines at an annual cost of around USD 400 milli

Jammu, Feb 6: The tourism industry is a key pillar of economic growth and livelihood generation in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday, while announcing measures to promote sustainable tourism, pilgrimage infrastructure and cultural preservation in the annual budget for 2026-27. Presenting the budget in the assembly, Abdullah said that despite challenges such as the Pahalgam terror attack incident and subsequent floods, Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 1.61 crore touris

Excelsior Correspondent MUMBAI, Feb 5: There is an old Indian saying that a tree only attracts attention if it bears fruit. Today, in this new era, India and the tree of the Indian economy is bearing fruit. This was stated by Mukesh Ambani, Chairman Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) during an event titled Investing for a New Era. The event was organized by Larry Fink, CEO of Jio-BlackRock. Larry Fink, whose firm manages the worlds largest pool of capital, opened the [] The post India and tree of

Jammu, Feb 5: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmirs real Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is estimated to grow at 5.82 per cent, according to the Economic Survey Report 2025-26. The report said that Jammu and Kashmir achieved a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.47 per cent in real GSDP during 2019-20 to 2024-25, indicating economic resilience and post-pandemic recovery. The growth rate is higher than Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and marginally higher than Haryana during the same [] Th

Heres a story that happens every single night. You wake up, grab your phone, and see three new Zillow alerts. All from 2 AM. All from buyers ready to talk. You missed them. Theyre gone. Already talking to some other agent who answered faster. This is the quiet killer of real estate businesses. Leads dont care about your sleep schedule. They see a house. They get excited. They click contact agent. And they expect an answer right now. Not in [] The post The 24/7 Open House: How a Virtual Assistant

Dr Dharam C. Attri dharam@iust.ac.in The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) possesses a silent, yet immensely powerful, competitive edge in the global bio-economy, its unique status as a biodiversity hotspot for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs). The region is home to over 1100 known species of significant therapeutic and commercial value, placing it at a critical juncture to capitalise on a robust global market that exceeds Rs 2 lakh Crore, with Indias national market alone estimated

LG Manoj Sinha Hails The Budget 2026-27 The budget promises unprecedented empowerment for youth, women, and farmers: LG Jammu, Feb 1: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today hailed the Budget 2026-27 as pragmatic which he said will prioritize economic acceleration, create future-ready infrastructure, sustain growth momentum, chart path to $5 trillion economy milestone within few years and comprehensive fiscal strategy will balance growth ambition with social welfare. Expressing gratitude to the H

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Jan 29: Indias space economy has grown to an estimated $8.4 billion, with 399 start-ups now operating across launch vehicles, satellites, propulsion systems and space-grade electronics, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said while responding to a starred question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Dr. Jitendra Singh told the House that the expansion followed key policy decisions taken after 2019

New Delhi, Jan 29: The Economic Survey on Thursday projected the GDP growth in the range of 6.8 to 7.2 per cent in 2026-27, a tad lower than 7.4 per cent estimated in the current fiscal. The outlook, therefore, is one of steady growth amid global uncertainty, requiring caution, but not pessimism, said the pre-Budget document tabled in the Lok Sabha. The growth projection has taken into consideration the cumulative impact of policy reforms over recent years that appear to [] The post Indias econo

NEW DELHI, Jan 25: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday discussed with a three-member American Congressional delegation various aspects of India-US relations, including trade and security, against the backdrop of continuing strain in ties between the two countries. US Ambassador Sergio Gor, who was also present at the meeting, said the talks were productive and that the focus was on strengthening the bilateral partnership in the domains of security, trade and critical technologies. T

DAVOS, Jan 21: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday asserted that India will definitely become the worlds third-largest economy over the next few years, with economist Gita Gopinath saying it can happen by 2028 or even earlier. Speaking in a World Economic Forum Annual Meeting session here, Vaishnaw said the only matter of concern is what will happen with the mountains of debt in the rich world and what could be the impact on India. Gopinath said the challenge for [] The post Vaishnaw sa

BHUBANESWAR (ODISHA) [INDIA]: January 21: AcreRise, one of Odishas most future-focused real estate developers, has been conferred the Real Estate Developer of the Year at the Times Business Awards-2026, reaffirming the brands leadership in transparency-driven, design-led, and compliant urban development. The recognition comes at a pivotal moment as Bhubaneswar enters its next phase of infrastructure-led growth. Founded by Sashikant Barik and Sheikh Mairajul Haque, AcreRise has positioned itself

Excelsior Correspondent Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), Jan 17: Andaman & Nicobar Islands will be developed as the hub of Indias Blue Economy. This was stated here today by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, while on a visit to the Atal Centre for Ocean Science and Technology for Islands (ACOSTI) to launch and review key marine technology initiatives

NEW DELHI, Jan 16: India and Japan today agreed to ramp up cooperation in areas of trade, critical minerals, defence and high technologies with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saying that the partnership between the two sides holds immense potential to de-risk the global economy. A meeting between Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi saw both sides agreeing to set up a joint working group on critical minerals and a dialogue mechanism on artificial intelligence. The Ja

Democracy delivers as people at centre of governance NEW DELHI, Jan 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India has turned diversity into the strength of its democracy, and shown the world that democratic institutions and processes give stability, speed and scale to its development. Inaugurating the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), Modi also said democracy delivered results in India because the people of the country were at the heart of

NEW DELHI, Jan 14: The Indian real estate sector received a record equity capital inflow of USD 14.25 billion last year, higher by 25 per cent annually, as developers and institutional investors remained bullish on growth potential, according to CBRE. The equity capital inflow from various sources, including developers, institutional investors, and Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), stood at USD 11.43 billion during the 2024 calendar year. Real estate consultant CBRE on Wednesday released a r

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Congress on Monday hoped that the forthcoming Union Budget will take meaningful steps to address the challenges of sluggish private corporate investment and disparities in income as higher GDP growth rates in actuality will simply not be sustainable. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said household savings rates have declined considerably, and wealth, income, and consumption inequalities continue to deepen. Ramesh said it remains to be seen

BJP holds workshop Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Jan 9: J&K BJP president and MP (R S), Sat Sharma CA, said that the Viksit Bharat G RAM G (VB-G RAM G) Bill is a decisive reform aimed at ending long-standing irregularities in rural employment schemes and ensuring transparent, need-based benefits for the poor. He was addressing a workshop organized under the VB-G RAM G Janajagaran Abhiyan at the BJP Headquarters, here, today. Click here to watch video The workshop was attended by [] The post G R