The Times of India

For over 25 years, members of the WTO have upheld a rule no customs duties on electronic transmissions. While India has used it as a bargaining chip at every ministerial meeting. For India, the big win is managing to keep investment facilitation for development out of the WTO framework despite standing alone at the end. It has demanded guardrails against using plurilaterals, which are agreements between a select group of member nations.

People aware of the developments said since major car and two-wheeler manufacturers have their prototype FFV models ready, now govt needs to create the ecosystem for adoption of these vehicles. Govt has maintained that 20% ethanol blending in petrol has helped India save imports of around 4.5 crore barrels (700 crore litres) of crude annually.

TOI has learnt that the ministry also said in its presentation that the credit-debit registry of each original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will be established and maintained by the designated authority. Officials said this will ensure better enforcement of penalties and provisions along with providing greater clarity as govt is working to finalise the norms for CAFE-3.

Until Friday, banks could run net open positions of up to 25% of their net worth. In practice, large lenders often accumulated sizeable long dollar bets, sometimes in excess of of $1 billion, on expectations of rupee depreciation. The new cap forces a rapid reversal. By April 10, 2026, banks must cut these exposures to $100 million. This compels them to sell dollars and buy rupees to close the gap.

Similarly, failure to furnish information or sample, or furnishing false information or sample and damaging books of account or refusal to furnish it will not result in a jail term of up to three months, instead a fine of Rs 10,000-25,000 can be levied under the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act.

Foreign broking major Goldman Sachs has cut the Nifty target to 25,900 points from 29,300 points earlier while Citigroup has revised down their target for the index to 27,000 points from 28,500 points earlier. On its part, HSBC said that historical trend shows that a 20% rise in oil price could drag down earnings of India Inc by 1.3 percentage points. Since the war started crude oil prices are up about 50-55%.

Indian stock markets face a shortened trading week with closures on Tuesday, March 31, for Mahavir Jayanti and Friday, April 3, for Good Friday. This marks the end of the financial year on a holiday. Commodity traders on MCX will have a partial opening on Mahavir Jayanti but will be fully closed on Good Friday.

KPMG UK is cutting nearly 600 roles in its audit division and around 120 in advisory, citing tougher market conditions and unusually low staff turnover. The proposed redundancies, potentially affecting up to 440 audit staff, aim to right-size operations. This move highlights broader cost-cutting pressures across professional services firms.

Precious metals are poised for a corrective phase this week, with Middle East developments and crucial US economic data, including Fed speeches, shaping investor sentiment. Domestic gold saw a slight dip, while silver gained, supported by a weaker rupee. Global gold declined, but silver rebounded, buoyed by safe-haven demand and strong Chinese imports.

Indian stock markets brace for a volatile, shortened week. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, crude oil price fluctuations, and the rupee's stability are key concerns. Foreign investors have pulled significant funds amid the ongoing conflict. Analysts anticipate continued sensitivity to global developments, with domestic economic data also under scrutiny.

The National Stock Exchange is launching Dated Brent Crude Oil futures on April 13, 2026, following SEBI approval. These contracts, based on the globally recognized Platts benchmark, aim to enhance price discovery and hedging for domestic participants. Trading will occur in 100-barrel units with initial daily price bands, and settlement will be in rupees based on monthly averages.

India's top companies faced a significant market capitalisation loss of Rs 1.75 lakh crore last week, with Reliance Industries bearing the brunt. Broader market indices also tumbled amid global uncertainties and Middle East tensions. While most major firms saw their valuations shrink, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, and Infosys managed to post gains.

Global helium supplies face a critical shortage due to Middle East tensions disrupting production and shipping. This invisible gas, vital for MRIs, semiconductors, and advanced tech, is irreplaceable and lost forever once released. India, heavily reliant on imports, sees soaring prices and potential disruptions in healthcare and its burgeoning chip industry.

Global crude markets are strained as Middle East conflict escalates, pushing oil prices up and impacting fuel supplies worldwide. Countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh are implementing measures such as price adjustments, import increases, and conservation efforts to manage the crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of a developing global petrol and diesel crisis due to ongoing conflicts impacting key energy regions. He highlighted the war in the Gulf, a major hub for energy needs, and expressed gratitude to Gulf countries for assisting over one crore Indians residing there-

Saudi Arabia has fully operationalized its East-West pipeline, moving 7 million barrels of oil daily to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. This crucial alternative route aims to maintain export supplies following disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz. While not fully replacing Hormuz volumes, the pipeline's operation is mitigating significant price increases amid escalating regional tensions.

Global economies reel as Middle East conflict escalates, disrupting oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz. Nations like Vietnam and India are cutting fuel taxes, while Japan and Germany consider increased coal use. Venezuela faces power cuts, and Pakistan grapples with soaring jet fuel prices. Sri Lanka implements strict fuel rationing, highlighting widespread energy challenges.

At the core of the problem is a mismatch. Most of these risk calculators were designed using Western populations, where heart disease tends to occur later. In India, it strikes earlier and behaves differently the study found the average age of patients was just 54, underscoring how premature heart disease has become.

In the case of noise pollution-related violations, the bill proposes a warning for the first offence, while repeat offence will attract a penalty of up to Rs 10,000. Similarly, failure to comply with an order or contravening provisions of the Electricity Act or rules, which can currently land a person in jail for three months along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh, is proposed to be converted into a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 10 Lakh.

A fixed date for Parliaments meeting to discuss what are likely to be two bills, one for delimitation based on 2011 census and another for amending constitutional provisions for the rollout of womens quota in one-third of Lok Sabha and assembly seats, will convey the govts determination in no uncertain terms.

Under new rules notified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), food licences and registrations will now remain valid permanently, unless cancelled for violations. This means lakhs of restaurants, small eateries and vendors will no longer need to renew their licences every few years. The move is part of a wider overhaul aimed at making compliance easier while tightening actual food safety checks.

Quoting two anonymous US officials, the report said it was unclear why Musk was on the call or whether he spoke. His companies have taken on significant investment from sovereign wealth funds in countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Musk has also long coveted a greater commercial presence in India, it said.

Vijaypat Singhania's family had acquired the company from ED Sassoon & Co in 1944, when it was primarily a manufacturer of woollen blankets. Under his leadership, Raymond evolved into a diversified conglomerate, expanding into synthetic fabrics, denim, steel, industrial files and cement, while also becoming one of Indias most recognised clothing brands.

Setting a target to add 50 lakh new piped gas connections to the existing base of 1.6 crore, at a round table here, the minister called for accelerating expansion on a mission mode, and underlined the need for single-window approvals, integration with urban planning, last-mile connectivity and convergence with ongoing urban initiatives.

Underscoring Indias energy and diaspora interests in the Gulf, Modi has twice spoken to leaders of all GCC countries since the conflict started and condemned the violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity. India, however, is yet to condemn the US-Israel strikes on Iran. This was the second telephonic conversation between the PM and the crown prince since the West Asia conflict started on Feb 28.

Vayu Baan is an indigenous air-launched effects (ALE) programme designed to integrate unmanned aerial systems directly with manned rotary-wing platforms. It is a small, autonomous drone designed to be dropped from a moving helicopter mid-flight. Once released, the drone unfolds its wings, activates its propulsion and operates as either a surveillance asset or a precision-guided munition (kamikaze drone).

EC officials said 60 lakh voters were initially marked for scrutiny after a special intensive revision (SIR) of rolls, with over 700 judicial officers assigned to review them. By March 23 evening, around 29 lakh cases had been cleared. Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal said names carrying e-signatures till 5pm would be published in the first supplementary list. The list released around midnight carried about 10 lakh names.

Farmers efforts in this have given a lot of relief to the country at this time of global crisis, he said. Ethanol production, he added, has not only benefited the nation but also farmers, with approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of foreign exchange being saved. Jewar is a gateway to the sugarcane belts of western UP. Sugarcane feedstock is a key source of ethanol.

Of the 3,192 such schools,1494 are in Jammu division and 1,698 in Kashmir, National Conferences (NC) Itoo said in a written reply to a question from BJP legislator RS Pathania. In Jammu, Kathua district has the highest number of such schools at 508. In Kashmir, Baramulla district tops the list of such schools with 396.

Addressing a press conference in Drass, LAHDC-Kargil councillors praised the Army, civil administration and Ladakh Police for prompt rescue efforts and retrieval of bodies from the snow following the accident on Friday afternoon. However, they expressed surprise over J&K Police investigating the incident on Saturday morning. While J&K claimed the area to be part of its territory, its administrative machinery was always slow to respond when any mishap occurred there, they alleged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussing the ongoing Middle East conflict. Both leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and keeping shipping lines open and secure, while India reiterated its condemnation of attacks on energy infrastructure.

How Hormuz disruptions, benchmark volatility and refinery economics are testing India's energy resilience and why the government moved to shield every pump in the country

Tamil Nadu's political landscape is shifting from a bipolar contest to a multi-cornered fight, with the DMK facing anti-incumbency and a fragmented opposition. New entrant TVK and established players like AIADMK and NTK are vying for influence, making this election a crucial transition phase for the state's political future.