Data released by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) shows that 10.78 million new subscribers joined the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) between January and December 2023

India's mineral output increased by 5.1 per cent in December as compared to the year-ago period, the government said on Thursday. The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of December, 2023 at 139.4 is 5.1 per cent higher as compared to the level witnessed in the corresponding month of 2022, the mines ministry said in a statement. The cumulative growth rate in the mining and quarrying sector for the April-December period of the current fiscal over the corresponding period of previous financial year is 8.5 per cent, as per the provisional statistics of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). In December, the production of coal stood at 929 lakh tonnes while that of lignite at 40 lakh tonnes, iron ore at 255 lakh tonnes and limestone at 372 lakh tonnes. Production of lignite, limestone, coal, bauxite and natural gas showed positive growth. However, a negative growth was registered in the production of petroleum (crude), gold, chromite, phosphorite and ...

The Reserve Bank of India's job to bring down inflation is not over, and any premature move on the policy front could undermine the success achieved so far on the price situation, according to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. According to the minutes of the February Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting released by the central bank on Thursday, Das had said at this juncture, monetary policy must remain vigilant and "not assume that our job on the inflation front is over". He stressed that the MPC must remain committed to successfully navigate the "last mile" of disinflation that can be sticky. Das made the remarks while voting for status quo in the key interest rate earlier this month. "As markets are front-running central banks in anticipation of policy pivots, any premature move may undermine the success achieved so far," the governor said, as per the minutes.

UP's Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra said the state will organise a 'UP CSR Summit' to script a new chapter in the process of collaborative socioeconomic development

Strong reform measures initiated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last ten years have laid the foundation of a solid economic growth in coming decades, Jefferies Equity Research outlook said. It also said that India would become the third largest economy by 2027 and expected to achieve a market capitalization of USD 10 trillion by 2030. "With a consistent history of 10-12 pe cent CAGR (compound annual growth rate) over the last 10 and 20 years, India is now the fifth largest equity market and market cap will likely to touch USD 10 trillion by 2030," the report said. It added that continued reforms should maintain India's status of being the fastest growing large economy. Over the last 10 years, India's GDP has grown by 7 per cent CAGR in USD terms to USD 3.6 trillion, jumping from the eighth largest to the fifth largest economy. "Over the next 4 years, India's GDP will likely touch USD 5 trillion making it the third largest economy by 2027, overtaking Japa

Leasing of industrial space for light manufacturing activities rose 23 per cent last year to 15.9 million square feet across eight major cities due to favourable government policies, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The leasing of industrial space stood at 12.91 million square feet in the calendar year 2022. Real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) on Thursday released its annual Logistics and Industrial report (L&I) report, which showed that Pune and Chennai accounted for 53 per cent and 24 per cent of the total leasing of industrial space in 2023 across eight major cities. "The growth in industrial leasing indicates that manufacturing is on an uptrend on the back of healthy capacity utilization, implementation of business plans by domestic firms and incentivization of investments by multinationals through favourable government policies such as the multi-sector PLI scheme," the consultant said. Industrial sheds available for lease primarily cater to light ...

Crude oil imports in January rose 9.5% month-on-month to 21.39 million metric tons, and were up 5.7% on year-on-year basis, Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) data showed on Thursday

India's nascent private space industry on Thursday welcomed the easing of FDI policy for the sector, terming it as a "pivotal move" to boost investments and help the country increase its share in the global space economy. "The easing of FDI norms will have a similar impact on the space sector as the 1991 liberalisation policy had on the overall economy," Tushar Jadhav, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Manastu Space told PTI. Industry leaders said the government decision to permit 100 per cent overseas investment in making components for satellites and up to 49 per cent FDI through the automatic route for launch vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, creation of spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft has given the much needed clarity for the sector. Several industry leaders cited examples of how foreign investors were hesitant to invest in the space sector through the government route, which was the case earlier, due to a series of approvals that were require

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday expressed confidence that India will continue to demonstrate a 6-8 per cent consistent growth rate over the next 10 years as he invited global players to the country to tap domestic and global markets. India is open to the world, and to new ideas, Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications and IT, said while speaking at Raisina Dialogue 2024. "The Indian economy is growing at a consistent clip at a very good rate. In the next 10 years, India will continue to grow at 6-8 per cent consistent growth rate...I can say that with a high level of confidence," Vaishnaw said. The building blocks for this are already in place and the results are visible, he said, outlining various growth initiatives taken by the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The next five years will further lay the foundation for India to become a developed country by 2047, he said. Vaishnaw said that the focus over the next five years will be on the full .

Creating interdependence between funding and ecological outcomes can establish an accountable framework, augmenting the efficacy of conservation initiatives

India is on track to become a USD 10 trillion economy in coming years and grab the third-largest slot soon, World Economic Forum President Borge Brende said on Thursday as he described the country as a place with optimism not seen elsewhere in a very fragmented and polarised world. In an exclusive video interview with PTI, Brende also said that the World Economic Forum (WEF) hopes to come back to the country with the WEF India Summit in collaboration with Government of India when the time is ripe. "The Indian economy is the fastest growing among all large economies of the world. We saw in Davos this year that there was a huge interest in India and I think this will only continue," Brende said. Geneva-based WEF, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation, holds its annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort town Davos every year in January. Brende said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "always very, very welcome to Davos". "When you come

India needs to usher in Green Revolution 2.0 with a view to promote farming of less water-intensive crops such as pulses and oil seeds and discourage free power for the agri sector, economic think tank GTRI said on Thursday. There is a need to "promote less water-intensive crops like pulses, oil seeds, and vegetables that can significantly reduce water demand and the government can guarantee MSP (minimum support price) on these crops," the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report said. It said that awareness among farmers should be increased about adopting water-saving technologies such as drip irrigation, laser land levelling, training on water-efficient techniques and precision agriculture to improve water use efficiency. It also suggested ending free electricity for agriculture and introducing water pricing mechanisms that can discourage overuse and encourage conservation, besides educating farmers about the long-term consequences of unsustainable practices. These ...

Attacks in the Red Sea have driven up freight rates, while tougher US sanctions have stranded some Russian cargoes destined for India, adding to costs

The minister further elaborated on the plethora of opportunities in the various sectors across India

In the next financial year, the revenue is expected to grow 9-11 per cent as Lok Sabha elections in April-May are expected to boost demand

Take more steps to curb illegal lending apps: FM

Britain's minister for South Asia in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Lord Tariq Ahmad, arrived in India on Wednesday to participate in the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi and also discuss the progress made in the ongoing negotiations for an India-UK free trade agreement (FTA). Ahmad, FCDO Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, UN and the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, leads the British delegation to the flagship foreign policy conference to reaffirm the UK's commitment to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region. His visit to India comes as Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal leads a team from India to London to carry forward the fourteenth round of talks with UK officials this week. "The UK and India continue to work towards an ambitious trade deal. While we do not comment on the details of live negotiations, we continue to actively engage with India and are clear that we will only sign a deal that i

FM also suggested the World Bank explore the possibility of implementing Infrastructure Investment Trusts in infrastructure sectors such as roadways

The government on Wednesday said that coal gasification projects will help in socio-economic development of coal bearing regions as well as in boosting the country's energy security. Addressing a road show here to promote coal/lignite gasification projects, additional secretary in the coal ministry M Nagaraju called for investments in technology towards a greener and cleaner future. This was the second road show organised by the coal ministry on coal and lignite gasification projects after the first one held in Hyderabad on February 16. The event here was attended by key stakeholders, including policy makers, EPC agencies, PMC consultants and. They discussed the opportunities and hurdles associated with coal and lignite gasification projects. According to an official release, the road show served as a platform to highlight the government's scheme for the promotion of coal/lignite gasification projects, emphasising their key role in India's energy landscape and economic ...

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Wednesday presented the TN Appropriation Bill in the Assembly seeking withdrawal of Rs 30,355 crore from the State Consolidated Fund to meet the supplementary grants and expenditure for the financial year 23-24. Of the total Rs 30,355.32 crore, Rs 26,590.09 crore was under the revenue account, Rs 3,499.98 crore in the capital account, and Rs 265.25 crore in the loan account. This appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of the state was for services and purposes of the financial year 23-24, he said while moving the bill, which was later approved by voice vote. A Bill to replace the Tamil Nadu Medical Registration Act, 1914 and to constitute the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council was among the 12 bills introduced in the Assembly House today. The TN State Medical Council Act, 2024, seeks to repeal the TN Act IV of 1914 and re-enact a new one in its place.