A.N. Jha appointed India’s new finance secretary
NEW DELHI: A N Jha, Secretary, Expenditure, has been appointed as India’s new Finance Secretary, a government order said on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has cleared Jha’s appointment to the post after incumbent Hasmukh Adhia, a 1981-batch Gujarat cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), retired on […]
India to host G-20 summit for the first time in 2022
BUENOS AIRES: For the first time, India will host the annual G-20 summit in 2022, coinciding with the country’s 75th anniversary of Independence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement at the closing ceremony of the 13th G-20 summit here in the Argentinian capital on Saturday. He thanked Italy for allowing India to play the […]
China rejects India’s proposal to trade in rupee-renminbi
NEW DELHI:China has not accepted India’s proposal to carry out bilateral trade in local currencies which was aimed at bridging the ballooning trade deficit with the neighbouring country, an official said. India’s exports to China stood at only $13.4 billion, imports aggregated to $76.4 billion in 2017-18, leaving a trade deficit of $63 billion. It […]
India’s poor on the frontlines of polarizing pollution war
NEW DELHI: Air purifiers for the affluent, masks for the not so rich and inhaling polluted air all day — without literally a breather — for those who can’t afford a roof over their heads. It’s maximum exposure for millions of people who are bearing the brunt of hazardous air quality, say experts. As the […]
Nirav Modi cannot return to India
NEW DELHI: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, a key accused in the USD 2 billion PNB fraud case, cannot return to India as he is afraid of “getting lynched” and is being compared to demon ‘Ravan’ , his lawyer told a special court Saturday, but the ED dismissed the claim saying if he felt there were […]
G20 summit: India, Russia, China hold trilateral after 12 years
BUENOS AIRES: Leaders of India, China and Russia called for reforming multilateral institutions, including the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as they underscored the benefits of a multilateral trading system and an open world economy for global growth and prosperity during a trilateral meeting held after a gap of 12 years. […]
India urges Pakistan to build corridor to Kartarpur Sahib
NEW DELHI: India urged the Pakistan government to build a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate easy movement of Indian pilgrims to the shrine — the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev. Kartarpur Sahib is situated in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province and there have been demands to build a […]
India authorises public sector bank CEOs to request for look-out circulars against wilful defaulters
NEW DELHI: To check wilful defaulters and fraudsters from fleeing the country, the government of India has now authorised CEOs of public sector banks (PSBs) to make request for issuance of look-out circulars (LOCs) against suspects. The move comes against the backdrop of defaults by Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and thereafter, fleeing […]
#MeToo impact: Sotheby’s India MD Gaurav Bhatia goes on leave
NEW DELHI: Sotheby’s India managing director Gaurav Bhatia has proceeded on leave after a series of sexual harassment allegations against him on social media. A statement by the auction house on Friday said Bhatia had taken a “leave of absence” pending a probe into the allegations. “In light of recent anonymous allegations that have surfaced […]
India transfers over Rs 1,600 crore to 48.5 lakh mothers under PMMVY
NEW DELHI: The government of India has transferred over Rs 1,600 crore to eligible mothers under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana through direct benefit transfer till Friday, Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion (CDFI) that uses technology for financial inclusion said. “Rs 16,04,66,63,000 transferred through direct benefit transfer to 48.5 lakh women,” CDFI said. The non-profit […]
Broadband subscriber base at 463.6 million in August-end: DoT
NEW DELHI: Amid explosive growth in data consumption, India’s broadband subscriber numbers touched 463.6 million at the end of August 2018, up 0.74 per over the previous month, according to official data by the Department of Telecom (DoT). The number of broadband subscribers stood at 460.24 million in July this year. According to data released […]
India likely to stick to capital infusion programme for PSU banks
NEW DELHI: The India’s Finance Ministry would not curtail its capital infusion plan for this financial year even as state-owned banks would be needing fewer funds following the RBI’s decision to defer the deadline to meet Basel III norms by a year, according to sources. Under the new dispensation, the capital infusion by the government […]
ASUS eyes 30% share of India’s gaming market
NEW DELHI: Taiwanese tech major Asus on Thursday said it is confident of increasing its share in the growing Indian gaming PC market to 30% by next year as it expands its product portfolio and brings in more affordable devices. The company, which competes against the likes of Dell and HP in the gaming category, […]
Indonesia keen to buy sugar from India; seeks duty cut
NEW DELHI: Indonesia is interested in buying sugar from India but wants latter to cut import duty on refined palm oil and the sweetener substantially to 45 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, according to sources. An Indian delegation is scheduled to visit Indonesia this week to negotiate trade between the two nations for […]
India looks to garner Rs 5,000 crore from CPSE share buybacks this fiscal
NEW DELHI: The government of India expects to garner at least Rs 5,000 crore through share buyback offers of state-run companies, including Coal India, in the current fiscal, a Finance Ministry official said. Coal India, in which the government had earlier this month sold 3.18% stake to raise Rs 5,300 crore, has agreed to launch […]
New Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih hold talks with Narendra Modi
MALE: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he was looking forward to working closely with new Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as both the leaders expressed confidence in the renewal of the close ties and friendship between the two countries, which was briefly interrupted by political turmoil in the Indian Ocean island nation. Prime […]