India's economic engine is revving up, but navigating the global headwinds requires sharp strategy. The rupee's recent volatility against the dollar underscores the complexities facing Indian businesses, impacting everything from import-export trade to domestic inflation. This week alone, we've seen significant shifts in the IT sector, with major players announcing restructuring and a renewed focus on AI-driven solutions. Meanwhile, the burgeoning startup ecosystem continues to attract substantial funding, despite a cautious global investor sentiment. The government's recent policy announcements on infrastructure development and digitalization are poised to further shape the business landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and established corporations alike. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for success in today's rapidly evolving Indian economy. Stay informed with Abtak.com for the latest insights and analysis on key sectors including finance, manufacturing, and technology – empowering your business decisions in a dynamic market. Explore the complete business news section now to stay ahead of the curve.
New Delhi: More than 250 passengers on board Washington-bound Air India flight from New Delhi was stranded at Vienna International Airport for more than 12 hours after their plane was held up during a scheduled fuel stop on July 2. The stop was straightforward until a routine maintenance check identified a potential issue that needed more sustained technical attention, resulting in the flight being cancelled for the onward journey to the US capital. An Air India spokesperson said, "Flight AI103 from Delhi to Washington, D.C. on 2 July 2025 made a planned fuel stop in Vienna. A routine check was made and an extended maintenance task was identified, which needed rectification before the next flight and needed additional time to perform". Social media criticism Travelling passengers were disembarked in Vienna, but many took to social media to express their disgust at the lack of communication, organisation or support by Air India ground staff. One user, Dishant Shah, wrote on X: "Air India cancels today's flight from Washington DC to Delhi AI104 due to technical reasons... We had booked this due to the convenience of a non-stop to Delhi for our mother-in-law. #notacceptable." The airline responded to his tweet apologetically, stating that the team would reach out for details via direct message. The disruption also triggered a chain reaction. The return flight -- AI104 from Washington DC to Delhi -- was subsequently cancelled. Passengers in both directions were either rebooked or offered refunds, as per Air India's official statement. But the situation turned increasingly chaotic at Vienna airport, as passengers posted photos and messages highlighting poor handling by the airline. Twitter user Munish Buttan wrote, "Once again you did the fantastic work in stranding 250+ people. The flight made a stop at Vienna saying fueling only, and now passengers are stranded with 0 help from Air India staff." Another passenger, Eti Sharma, wrote, "It's been almost 12 hours waiting at the airport with no update from Air India, and not a single employee present to answer queries." Several passengers, especially those without Schengen visas, were reportedly stuck in the transit area for hours. Air India, in its official comment, stated that passengers eligible for visa-free entry or those with valid visas were provided with hotel accommodations. For others, arrangements were being made, pending immigration clearances by Austrian authorities. The airline defended the move as part of its recently announced safety overhaul, "Air India has voluntarily undertaken enhanced pre-flight safety checks and temporary reduction of services to uphold its commitment to safe operations. Despite all efforts, due to extraneous factors such as airspace closures, curfews, and air traffic congestion, some flights get delayed or cancelled." Though the airline reiterated its commitment to safety, the incident reignites questions over Air India's operational reliability and passenger support systems, especially during international disruptions. With rising global scrutiny on airline safety and service delivery, and a surge in long-haul travel post-pandemic, incidents like these highlight the urgent need for better contingency planning and communication by Indian carriers operating in global corridors.
Air India launched a Black Friday Sale with discounts up to 20% on domestic flights and up to 12% on international flights to various destinations. The sale is available through the airline's website and mobile apps. Additional savings are possible with waived convenience fees and specific payment methods. The airline continues offering student and senior citizen discounts.Air India on Friday launched a limited-time Black Friday Sale offering discounts of up to 20 per cent off base fares for domestic flights within India. The Tata-owned airlines will also offer up to 12 per cent off base fares ...Read More >
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New Delhi: The ongoing clash between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has taken a dark and explosive turn. On June 6, the Tesla CEO sent shockwaves across social media by accusing the US president of hiding crucial Jeffrey Epstein files because Trump's name allegedly appears in them. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that is already stirring up huge debate, Musk wrote, "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" He further added, "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." ...Read More >
Travellers on Schengen visas can add two more countries to their Europe itinerary from 2025On your next trip to Paris, make sure to add one more iconic stop to your itinerary -- Notre Dame, as the beloved cathedral reopens after five years of restoration following the devastating 2019 fire. The tragedy that nearly destroyed the iconic church in April 2019 sparked an outpouring of global emotion. Now, the cathedral -- described by historian Jacques Hillairet as "the house of the people" -- is set to open its gates on December 7, following an immense restoration effort involving a thousand skil ...Read More >
Kanpur, January 27: Due to the massive influx of devotees for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, Varanasi's District Magistrate in Uttar Pradesh has announced that all schools in the district will be closed from Monday, January 27, 2025, to Wednesday, February 5, 2025. The decision is aimed at ensuring the safety of students and managing traffic congestion caused by the large number of pilgrims arriving in Varanasi for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Despite the school closures, online classes will continue as usual to maintain the academic schedule, News18 reported. This directive applies to all CBSE, ICSE ...Read More >
New Delhi: Ahead of the wedding of Jeet Adani, the younger son of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, the Adani family has announced 'Mangal Seva', a program to support newly married women with disabilities. To begin with, every year, 500 such women will be provided financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each. At his home, just two days before his own wedding, Jeet Adani met 21 newly married divyang women and their husbands to launch this initiative. Jeet is set to tie the knot with Diva Shah on 7 February 2025 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In line with his social philosophy सेवा साधना है, सेवा प्र ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: A group of madrasa students attacked a stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka on Monday, protesting the display of books written by exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, according to police and eyewitness accounts. The incident occurred at the stall of Sabyasachi Publication, which publishes Nasreen's books. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of individuals approached the stall, questioning why Nasreen's books were being displayed. "A group of agitators came to Sabyasachi Prakashani and began shouting about the presence of Taslima Nasreen's books in the stall. Later, Pu ...Read More >
PNN New Delhi [India], May 20: With rising temperatures and vacation time in summer just around the corner, summer travel to Europe is seeing a huge boom from Indian tourists. According to recent reports, there has been a whopping 29% increase in Schengen visa applications from India, signifying strong demand to discover the cultural festivals, historic cities, and picturesque landscapes Europe has in store. Due to more efficient processes and enhanced travel assistance, Indian travelers are now opting to apply Schengen visa online with Akbar Travels--one of India's most reliable travel bran ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Actress Rashmika Mandanna reclaimed her long-standing connection with nature this World Environment Day. Rashmika dropped a cute picture of herself as a child in a garden with the words, "Me & the nature go way back!" "Some things never change ..#EnvironmentDay," Rashmika further wrote. World Environment Day was established back in 1972 during the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. The theme for this year is - "Putting an End to Plastic Pollution." Last week, Rashmika shared her mantra to face difficult times through a social media post. O ...Read More >
New Delhi: Investigators probing the recent cases of espionage have identified a Lahore-based woman with ties to the Pakistani Army and intelligence agency ISI. She used to trap visa seekers and get them to work for ISI, sources claimed. Naushaba Masood, who runs a travel agency in Pakistan, facilitated visas for those who 'cooperated' and supplied them with SIM cards to begin with.The return favours included a range of tasks, beginning with shooting pro-Pakistan videos and uploading them on YouTube to create a favourable narrative. This was a calculated move by ISI to expand its influence thr ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a significant boost for 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbharta' in the aerospace and defence sector, and Hyderabad's growing stature as a global aerospace hub, the complete fuselage of the Rafale fighter jet will now be made in India at Hyderabad. This move marks the first time that these Rafale components will be manufactured outside France for the Indian as well as global markets.French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has signed four production transfer agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for manufacturing key sections of the Rafale fighter jet, including the lateral ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 3 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile attendance at a global airlines conference this week underscores how much India is banking on a boom in aviation to support wider development goals, but headwinds to its ambitions are gathering force. Undeterred by the uncertainty gripping the aviation sector globally due to trade tensions and shaky consumer confidence, India's biggest airlines are ploughing ahead with orders for new planes, following record deals two year ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], January 10 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that people misunderstand the meaning of, "minimum government, maximum governance". He said that the efforts must be to increase the speed of work done by government departments and thus, he had made different ministries for skill, cooperatives, and fisheries. Speaking in a podcast with Zerodha Co-founder Nikhil Kamath, PM Modi said that the government took away 40,000 compliances to increase the speed of work in different departments. "We often misunderstand the concept of minimum government, maximum governance. Some bel ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 5: On the occasion of World Environment Day, actress and newly-elected BJP MP Kangana Ranaut participated in a special tree plantation initiative under the campaign 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.' Taking to social media, Kangana revealed that she planted a sapling at her Delhi residence to mark the day, dedicating the gesture to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In her post, the actress expressed heartfelt gratitude to environmental warriors who tirelessly work to protect and restore the Earth's natural resources. She acknowledged those who have devoted their lives to saving rivers, cleaning t ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Kolkata, Dec 6 (PTI) Air India Express, the budget-carrier arm of Air India, is embarking on a significant expansion by increasing its fleet size and introducing new routes, as passenger growth remains robust. The airline, however, has deferred plans to launch direct flights between Kolkata and Dhaka, citing the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh. "You would recall we had announced our operational plan for Dhaka, which is a new and significant market for us. But because of the situation there, we have deferred those plans," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said. "As ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said Odisha would not be allowed to follow the lawless path in sand operations like it is in Bihar and West Bengal, while responding to the recent assault of an additional tehsildar in Kaptipada block, Mayurbhanj district, by the sand mafia. He promised stringent action against the sand mafia regardless of their connections, while speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday."The Kaptipada incident represents a serious escalation in conflict between law enforcement and the sand mafia. The attack on officers performing their enforcement dutie ...Read More >
Imphal (Manipur) [India], June 8 (ANI): The Manipur government has ordered the suspension internet and mobile data services including VSAT and VPN services in five districts for five days with effect from 11:45 P.M. of June 7. The five districts are Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching & Bishnupur. "In view of the prevailing law and order situation in the State of Manipur especially in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching & Bishnupur districts districts of Manipur, there is apprehension that some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission serious of ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Imphal: The Manipur government has ordered the suspension of internet and mobile data services, including VSAT and VPN, in the territorial jurisdiction of five valley districts for five days with effect from 11.45 pm on Saturday, an official statement said. The districts include Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching. The order followed widespread protests in Imphal East and Imphal West districts on Saturday night after the arrest of a leader of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol. The protesters torched tyres and old furniture in the middle of the road in Kwakeithel and Urip ...Read More >
American entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, known for his quest to reverse aging, experienced the effects of Mumbai's air pollution during his India tour. Promoting his book Don't Die, Johnson detailed his discomfort despite using air purifiers and masks. He adhered to his rigorous health routine, carrying all his meals and supplements for the six-day trip. The visit included an exclusive meetup with prominent figures like Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, showcasing his dedication to health and longevity advocacy.Bryan Johnson, the American entrepreneur renowned for his anti-aging mission, has drawn atten ...Read More >
Bill Gates' comments on India's potential as a 'laboratory to try things' during a podcast have sparked backlash among Indian social media users, who felt the remark was disrespectful. While some saw it as reducing India to a testing ground, others defended Gates, claiming his statement was misinterpreted. Bill Gates' latest comments on a podcast with Reid Hoffman have set off a firestorm of controversy among Indian commentators. In a discussion, he referred to India as a "kind of laboratory to try things," which has caused great outrage and accusations of disrespect. The tech mogul has faced ...Read More >
Mumbai, Feb 7 (VOICE) Actor Sonu Sood has responded to recent reports suggesting an arrest warrant against him in connection with a fraud case. The actor took to social media to clear the air, calling the news "highly sensationalized" and emphasizing that the matter is being blown out of proportion. Sonu tweeted, "We need to clarify that the news circulating on social media platforms is highly sensationalised. To put matters straight, we were summoned as a witness by the Honourable Court in a matter pertaining to a third party to which we have no association or affiliation." The 'Fateh' act ...Read More >
SSAB, a Nordic and US-based steel company, along with its subsidiary Ruukki Construction, has announced a donation of roofing products and steel to aid in the reconstruction of war-damaged buildings in Ukraine. This philanthropic effort is in collaboration with the nongovernmental organisation OperationAid, focusing on the Mykolaiv region's urgent rebuilding needs. The donation includes approximately 3,000m² of colour-coated steel for roofing, manufactured at Ruukki's plant near Ukrainian capi ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) The government is planning to make it mandatory for domestic airlines to share weather data captured by aircraft during takeoffs and landings with the weather office, which could lead to significantly better forecasts. Currently, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) launches weather balloons from 50-60 stations to collect critical data on temperature, humidity and wind speed at various altitudes, which form crucial inputs for weather forecasting models. These inputs could increase exponentially as the country records more than 6,000 takeoffs and landings by domest ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Air India announced on Thursday that it has added more flights to Bangkok, Colombo, and Kathmandu to meet the growing passenger demand. Effective July 7, 2025, Air India will add a sixth daily flight between Delhi and Kathmandu, increasing frequency from 35x weekly to 42x weekly. Air India will add a second daily flight between Delhi and Colombo, doubling the route's frequency from 7x weekly to 14x weekly. The Tata Group airline will add a third daily flight between Mumbai and Bangkok, increasing frequency from 13x weekly to 18x weekly. Air India said in a ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a story that reads like the plot of a high-stakes geopolitical thriller, Indian intelligence agencies have uncovered the presence of a mysterious Pakistani woman known as 'Madam N' - a suave and powerful business tycoon from Lahore with alleged orders straight from Pakistan's notorious spy agency - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Her mission was to infiltrate India through culture, faith and charm and to raise a ghost army of 500 spies scattered quietly across Indian soil. What began as a routine interrogation of arrested social media influencers turned into the stunning ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Delhi Police on Saturday detained 66 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the city for several years, officials said. The detainees, who had been residing in northwest Delhi without valid documents are being processed for deportation to Bangladesh, he said. The police coordinated with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to initiate verification and legal action against these foreign nationals. All of them had entered the country illegally and were living in violation of visa and immigration norms, a senior police officer said. "The FRRO is currentl ...Read More >