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.
Washington DC [US], August 2 (ANI): The new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) are located in Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edison, Orlando, Raleigh, and San Jose, bringing the total number to 16 nationwide. A 17th centre is planned to open in Los Angeles later this month. The expansion, announced jointly by the Indian Mission and VFS Global, aims to make essential services more accessible to Indian Americans and other applicants seeking India-related documentation. The centres will handle a comprehensive range of services, including India visa applications, overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) applications, Indian passport services, renunciation of Indian citizenship, police clearance certificates, Global Entry Programme applications and Document attestation services. To improve accessibility, the new centres will operate on Saturdays and include return courier services in standard fees. Additional services such as photographs, photocopies, and form assistance will be provided at no extra charge. 'We are very happy to announce the opening of 8 new Indian Consular Application Centres,' said Vinay Mohan Kwatra, India's Ambassador to the United States. 'We firmly believe that people-to-people ties are the heart of India-US partnership.' The centres are expected to benefit Indian communities under the jurisdiction of Indian consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. VFS Global, which has been the exclusive service provider for Indian consular services in the US since 2020, says the expansion responds to growing demand driven by increased business partnerships, tourism and trade between the two countries. Amit Kumar Sharma, Head - North America & Caribbean, VFS Global, said, 'We are honoured by the continued trust the Government of India has placed in VFS Global to support its diplomatic mission in the United States. These ICACs will play a crucial role in effectively catering to the growing demand for visa and consular services to India, led by business partnerships, tourism and trade.' VFS Global operates as the world's largest outsourced visa services company, managing over 3,900 application centres across 165 countries for 69 client governments. The company, headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, has processed more than 499 million applications since 2001. The expansion reflects the growing importance of India-US relations and the increasing need for streamlined consular services as travel and business ties between the two nations continue to strengthen. (ANI)
New Delhi: In an open letter sharply condemning the detention and alleged expulsion to Bangladesh of a number of people declared foreigners by tribunals in Assam as a violation of their rights, a group of activists, lawyers and academics has urged the government to stop such expulsions and allow the return of those sent across the border. Dozens of those expelled to Bangladesh reportedly have appeals against their declaration as foreigners pending in the Supreme Court, the letter noted. "Pushbacks," said the letter using the term being used by the government for these expulsions, "fall on the ...Read More >
Rajamahendravaram: The foundation of the prestigious Akhanda Godavari Tourism Project aimed at showcasing the historical and cultural magnificence of Godavari region, will be formally held on June 19, announced by State Tourism, Culture, and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh. The ground-breaking ceremony will be jointly performed by Deputy Chief Minister Konidela Pawan Kalyan and MP Daggubati Purandeswari, with the support of the Central government, he said. The Minister conducted a field visit on Saturday to oversee the arrangements for the upcoming event, inspecting key sites like Pu ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The MSC IRINA, recognised as the world's largest container ship by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity, is set to dock at the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday and will be berthed till Tuesday. The monumental arrival marks a significant milestone for the seaport, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2. The MSC IRINA boasts an impressive capacity of 24,346 TEUs, making it a formidable player in global shipping. With a length of 399.9 metres and a width of 61.3 metres, the vessel is approximate ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday strongly objected to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) latest guidelines, which mandate a specific identity card proving citizenship and submission of a self-attested declaration of Indian citizenship for inclusion in the voters' list. Banerjee alleged that the ECI was working in coordination with the Central Government and accused it of "providing emergency weapons to help the BJP." Directly targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she claimed, "Modiji (Narendra Modi) is the Prime Minis ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Congress on Friday demanded government reveal data on the number of Indian citizens stranded in Russia amid conflict with Ukraine in the region. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that 126 Indian citizens, including young men from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, and Maharashtra, were 'trafficked into the Russian Army to fight the war'. He said, among them, 'at least 14 remain missing.' 'These men were tempted by agents who promised them employment in Singapore, Malaysia ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Centre has asked the states and union territories to make any proposed changes in the boundaries of administrative jurisdictions before December 31, 2025, when they will freeze for the Census-2027 exercise and the first phase of the decadal population count will begin on April 1 next year, according to a communication sent by the registrar general and census commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, on June 27. The freezing means the states/UTs won't be able to change the boundaries of districts, towns, villages and tehsils post December 31. The Census can be conducted on ...Read More >
Kolkata: Reaffirming Trinamool Congress's support for the Union government on matters of external affairs, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her party was not boycotting the multi-party diplomatic mission aimed at countering Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and would send its representatives once a formal request is received. "It is not that no one from Trinamool is going. The Centre informed the parliamentary party about joining the delegation. However, we have not received any news from the party. It must be remembered that the parliamentary party only decides about the session of Parl ...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 >
VISAKHAPATNAM: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar inaugurated Andhra Pradesh's first Super ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) compliant building at Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Terming it a landmark in sustainable infrastructure, he emphasised the government's commitment to energy efficiency and green design in public facilities. The facility will serve as a national-level training hub for power sector staff. He urged power utilities to expedite 20 lakh rooftop solar connections, targeting 10,000 in each Assembly segment. He reaffirmed nine-hour uninterrupted power for agri ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has emphasized the need for a nationwide document, similar to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), to distinguish between Indian citizens and infiltrators. Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Biswa Sarma stated that the Assam government has decided to make NRC registration mandatory for obtaining an Aadhaar card, with applicants' names not featured in the NRC being ineligible for the card. "I desire that NRC-type documents should be prepared so that we can easily differentiate who are Indian ...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, Jun 06: Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have extended greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. They expressed hope that the revered occasion brings peace and prosperity to the region. Dr Farooq Abdullah National Conference (NC) president, Dr Farooq Abdullah conveyed his heartfelt greetings to the people on Eid-ul-Adha, wishing them peace, prosperity and unity. In his message, Dr Abdullah reflected on the profound significance of the day, saying, "As the Muslim Ummah comes together in celebration of Eid-ul-Azha, I extend my warmest greetings to ever ...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 >
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, instead of introspecting on the defeat in the 2024 state assembly polls, has been repudiating the mandate given by the people because they rejected him. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha is preparing his excuses for future defeats in the upcoming assembly elections, including Bihar, Fadnavis said in his articles published in the Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta. On Saturday, Gandhi, in an article published in several newspapers and in posts on X, claimed the 2024 Maharas ...Read More >
The United States recently updated its travel advisory for India. The Ministry of External Affairs acknowledged the update. The US advises its citizens to exercise caution due to crime and terrorism. Certain areas are marked as high-risk. The advisory level for India remains unchanged. It has been at level 2 for several years.Travel advisories are periodically issued by countries based on their "assessment of various factors", and "we have noted" that the US has updated the travel advisory for In ...Read More >
H.E. Josel Francisco Ignacio, current Ambassador of the Philippines to India shares his credentials with President Droupadi Murmu On 16 November 1949, the Philippines and India, the two independent democracies would forge diplomatic ties. The two republics were born just a few years apart, first set out on the road to their bilateral friendship and collaboration. This inaugurated a period of closer government interaction, commerce and investment, and other bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Building on much common ground in history, democratic ideals, socio-economic imperatives and aspi ...Read More >
Gandhinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) The BJP government in Gujarat on Tuesday formed a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the Uniform Civil Code in the state, and also draft a bill for the same. While the Opposition said the decision was aimed at diverting attention from pressing issues ahead of the upcoming local body polls, the government claimed rights of the tribal communities will be protected if the UCC is implemented. The five-member committee, to be headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, will submit its report within 45 days, following which a decision abou ...Read More >
After the banned CPI (Maoist)'s general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju was killed in an encounter with security forces on May 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026. In the Congress-ruled Telangana, however, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, says that the government should not use iron fist to wipe out Maoists but deal with them through "legal and constitutional means". He has urged the Centre to hold "peace talks" with the Maoists and declare a "ceasefire" w ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27: The US Embassy in India has issued a strict warning for all visa applicants regarding social media disclosures on their DS-160 visa application forms. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy stated, "Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas." All applicants are now required to list every social media username or handle they've used in the last five years -- regardless of whether the accounts are still active. This mandate is part of broader vetting procedures implemented by the US State Department to stren ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
Mumbai: An auto rickshaw driver, who earns Rs 5-8 lakh per month is garnering peoples' attention due to a unique way, but the catch is, he's earning all this money without driving his vehicle. The auto driver offers a simple 'bag-holding' service to visa applicants just outside the US Consulate. This 'no tech, no formal business plan, and no startup funding' brilliance has netizens lauding the driver's business plan. Rahul Rupani, a product leader at Lenskart, shared the auto driver's story on LinkedIn regarding his experience at the US Consulate. Rahul was outside the US Consulate for his ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between ...Read More >
The Indian government has announced a 375km rail network expansion, aimed at enhancing economic growth and connectivity in North Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. With a total cost of approximately Rs79.27bn ($1.05bn), these projects are aimed to be completed within four years. Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, detailed the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs' approval of three railway infrastructure projects. The projects include the Jalgaon-Manmad fourth line (160 km), Bhusawal-Khandwa third and fourth lines (131km), and the Prayagraj (Iradatganj)-Manikpur thir ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): Hundreds of Pakistani Hindu refugees who have been living in Delhi cast their votes for the first time after being granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act. This marked a powerful moment in their journey from statelessness to citizenship. Interacting with ANI after exercising their voting rights, refugees expressed their happiness and said that they feel proud of being citizen of the country. Dhanwanti, one of the Pakistani refugees, now an Indian voter, said, "We came here from Pakistan...I voted for the first time here in India...I am fe ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a major espionage breakthrough amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, the authorities have uncovered a network of Indian netizens allegedly recruited by Pakistan's ISI to leak sensitive information. The key figure in this alleged spy ring is Noshaba Shehzad, codenamed 'Madam N.' Shehzad, a travel agency head from Lahore, is accused of luring Indian net influencers and even government officials into becoming spies for Pakistan. Sources claim that Shehzad facilitated the travel of nearly 3,000 Indian citizens and 1,500 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to Pakistan over the last six months ...Read More >
After the banned CPI (Maoist)'s general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju was killed in an encounter between Maoists and security forces on May 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026. In the Congress-ruled Telangana, however, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, says that the government should not use iron fist to wipe out Maoists but deal with them through "legal and constitutional means". He has urged the Centre to hold "peace talks" with the Maoists and declare ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >