China will remove tariffs on imports from almost all African countries starting May 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, according to state media, in a move expected to deepen trade and economic engagement between Beijing and the continent, AFP reported.China already operates a zero-tariff policy for imports from 33 African countries, but Beijing had announced […]
Cabinet clears Rs 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund to drive market-led city infrastructure push
The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) with a total Central Assistance of Rs 1 lakh crore, aimed at driving market-linked urban infrastructure development and catalysing investments worth around Rs 4 lakh crore over the next five years.The fund marks a shift in urban development model away from grant-based […]
Govt approves Rs 10,000 crore Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0, key details to know
The Union Cabinet has approved the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (Startup India FoF 2.0) with a total corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to mobilise venture capital for the country’s startup ecosystem.The scheme is aimed at accelerating the next phase of India’s startup growth by mobilising long-term domestic capital, strengthening the venture capital ecosystem […]
Rail safety: Spending triples to Rs 1.17 lakh cr in FY26; Kavach expanded, CCTV rollout scaled up
Safety expenditure on Indian Railways has nearly tripled over the past decade to Rs 1,17,693 crore in 2025-26 from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013-14, with the national transporter expanding deployment of indigenous train protection system Kavach and rolling out CCTV surveillance across coaches and locomotives, the government said in response to questions in the Rajya […]
Valentine’s Day boom brings cheers for Q-comm brands: More shopping for jewellery, greeting cards, and plush toys
Valentine’s day is here and people are rushing to shower their loved ones with gifts. February 14 is emerging as a big sales opportunity for quick commerce firms and digital-first brands, as people are shopping for fashion, jewellery, beauty, personal care and sexual wellness products. To tap into the momentum, platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit […]
Four ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh, Centre tells Lok Sabha
The Centre is pushing port-led infrastructure expansion in Andhra Pradesh, with four ports currently under construction, even as it steps up nationwide port modernisation and efficiency measures.As per information shared on Friday in Parliament, the ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh are Mulapeta Port (formerly Bhavanapadu Port) in Srikakulam district, Machilipatnam Port in Krishna district, […]
Govt clears Rs 10,000 crore Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 to boost early-stage, deep-tech startups
The government on Friday approved the second tranche of the Startup India Fund of Funds Scheme with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore, aimed at encouraging early-stage startups and deep-tech research, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post.On his first day at Seva Teerth, his new office, PM Modi signed files linked […]
Indian markets resilient in uncertain times: Sebi chief
NEW DELHI: India’s capital markets have remained resilient and recorded strong and sustained growth against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainties, tariff barriers, the pandemic and emerging challenges such as AI, Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman (Sebi) Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Friday.“This shows the underlying strength of our market institutions and […]
IndiGo plans to hire over 1,000 pilots after December’s crew crunch
IndiGo, the country’s largest airline is set to go on a hiring spree, bringing over 1,000 pilots on board. This comes after the aviation giant faced massive operational disruption last December, when the company was forced to cancel more than 5,000 flights within seven days.The fresh intake will span trainee first officers, senior first officers […]
US inflation cools to 2.4% in January, near five-year low as gas and housing costs ease
A key measure of US inflation fell to nearly a five-year low in January as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices declined, offering some relief to consumers after years of sharp cost increases.Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and moving closer to the […]