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 (Reuters) - An Aviva business model that Indian tax officials say was used to pay agents unlawful commissions from 2017 to 2023 was rolled out internally in 2013 and approved in writing by top India executives, a confidential company document shows. Tax inspectors accuse the British insurer of engaging in a clandestine scheme involving hundreds of individuals and illegal payments of $26 million that used fake invoices to enable the commissions in excess of regulatory caps, Reuters has reported. Aviva has said it is actively engaging with Indian authorities, but the accusations are the biggest challenge it faces in a key market where it has struggled to grow amid intense competition. Indian tax officials have asked Aviva why it should not be penalised for the scheme in the period 2017 to 2023, which a confidential company document shows began in 2013 and was approved by then India CEO, T.R. Ramachandran, legal director Ravi Bhadani and finance director Jitendra Nayyar. Reuters is first to report the document that shows the practice under scrutiny has run for longer than previously known, and was planned and approved by top Aviva India executives. The document, titled "Inter Office Memo (IOM) of Agent Mentor Model, 2013", using the company's name for the scheme, reveals it took effect from July 1, 2013, and carries the signatures of eight senior Indian executives. "The tax matter referred to is presently sub judice," the company said in response to a Reuters request for comment that provided it with a copy of the memo, an internal document. "Aviva India does not comment on speculation or legal matters." Ramachandran, Bhadani and Nayyar did not respond to Reuters' queries. India's Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) and the tax authority that issued the warning to Aviva also did not respond. The memo showed Aviva took a calculated risk with the scheme. "This arrangement has not been formally recognized by IRDA, (the insurance regulator)," it read. "IRDA questioned this arrangement in case of ICICI and other insurers, but did not levy penalty," it added. "On this basis, we are continuing with this arrangement, subject to making sure that relatives are not hired. However, if IRDA takes an adverse stand on this, we may have to close this channel." In a May 2012 order, the regulator said leading insurer ICICI Prudential breached the Insurance Act by hiring unlicensed "business partners" remunerated with a "training and development support fee" proportional to the business generated by agents they managed.
Adani Group's listed stocks, which at one point saw as much as $34 billion wiped off their market value, meanwhile recovered ground as some partners and investors rallied behind it. State Bank of India will not stop lending to ongoing Adani projects that are nearing completion, two sources told Reuters, but will exercise caution when disbursing loans to ensure all terms and conditions are being met. Bank of India, Union Bank, ICICI Bank, Canara Bank, IDBI Bank and RBL Bank, which have relatively smaller exposures to the Adani Group, are undertaking similar exercises, sources said. A regulat ...Read More >
MUMBAI (Reuters) -Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Group and U.S.-based BlackRock have received approval from India's markets regulator to start operations for their mutual fund business, the Indian company said on Tuesday. Jio Financial Services, a part of the Reliance Group, had in July 2023 announced the formation of a 50:50 joint venture with the world's largest asset manager to launch asset management services in India. The JV, Jio BlackRock Asset Management, plans to launch a range of investment products in the coming months based on a "digital first" approach for retail and inst ...Read More >
CCI has also approved a 25.18 per cent equity stake in Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Ltd (FGILICL) through a bid/resolution plan submitted by Central Bank of India | Image: Wikimedia Commons State-owned Central Bank of India on Thursday said it has acquired a 25.18 per cent stake in Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited (FGILICL) for a cash consideration of Rs 57 crore as part of the insolvency process. With the acquisition of 65,43,80,439 shares on Wednesday (June ...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 >
Mumbai: Even as mis-selling of insurance plans by banks has drawn scrutiny, the sector regulator doesn't want to manage distribution channels and seeks to focus on customer awareness to check the malpractice. "It's not necessary that every mis-selling is mis-selling, it's also about the customers' understanding of the product," said Swaminathan S Iyer, member (life), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday. "Once you drive home that your understanding is different from what the product is...then I think the absolute number on mis-selli ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Government is all set to allow 100% foreign direct investment in insurance business, paving the way for large companies to enter the market on their own, while allowing individual insurance agents to hawk policies of multiple companies, lifting the cap on being associated with only one life and general insurer. The twin measures are part of the Insurance Amendment Bill that is proposed to be introduced during the winter session of Parliament that kicks off later this month. On August 19, TOI was the first to report about the proposed increase in the FDI ceiling, a suggestion which ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Fintech firm BimaPay Finsure on Thursday said it has entered into corporate insurance financing and aims for Rs 20 crore in premiums in 2025-26. Launching the pilot phase with insurance partners, BimaPay said the initiative will allow businesses to pay premiums in easy equated monthly instalments (EMIs) instead of bearing the burden of full upfront costs. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, Here's All About BJD Leader With Whom Mahua Moitra Reportedly Married. The company aims to finance over Rs 20 crore worth of premiums by t ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Top bankers on Friday hailed the Reserve Bank's decision to reduce repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50 per cent and cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 100 basis points in four tranches, saying the policy move is expected to provide the necessary drive for credit expansion in priority sectors which will enhance the financial inclusion. Besides this, the revision in CPI inflation to 3.7 per cent for FY26 also shows the RBI's confidence in inflation being aligned with its 4 per cent target. "The decision in CRR cut, which is expected to release Rs 2.5 lakh crore in ...Read More >
Mumbai: Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Friday issued a corrigendum to its 28 May order in the alleged insider trading case involving IndusInd Bank, clarifying that the words "board note" should be read as an "engagement note signed by the chief financial officer and noticee numbers one and two." "Noticee numbers one and two" are former deputy chief executive Arun Khurana and former chief executive officer (CEO) Sumant Kathpalia. Also read: RBI governor Malhotra says IndusInd Bank doing well, shares jump 5% On 28 May, Sebi cracked the whip on former top ex ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to France, the European Union (EU), and Belgium from June 8 to 14, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs announced in a press release on Sunday. The visit marks a significant step in further strengthening India's strategic partnerships with Europe. The EAM will first travel to Paris and Marseille, France, where he will hold bilateral discussions with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Jean Noel Barrot. Also Read | Indian Citizen Dies in UAE: Civil Engineer Issac Paul ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
New Delhi: Financially weak people are not able to get treatment in a good hospital. Due to a lack of money, the patient may even die. Amidst the increasing expenditure on healthcare, the government also provides various health facilities, which people also benefit from. Now, a special scheme has been launched for low-income people. The scheme aims to benefit the economically weak people. SBI General Insurance, one of the big banks of the country, has launched a great scheme in association with Starfin India. It has been launched in the name of the Hospital Daily Cash Scheme. This scheme will ...Read More >
Chennai, Dec 10 (PTI) Standalone health insurance company Star Health Insurance has targeted doubling its business in Tamil Nadu over the next four years, a top official said. As part of its growth strategy, the company plans to add 12,000 new agents across Tamil Nadu and expand its footprint with 25 new offices in both rural and urban areas in FY2025. Also Read | 7th Pay Commission Latest News: Narendra Modi Government Likely To Hike DA for Employees by 3% in January 2025, Check Details. Star ...Read More >
Over 331,000 devotees have already registered for the Amarnath Yatra, commencing on July 3 and concluding on August 9, 2025. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a meeting to review preparations, focusing on essential amenities and safety measures along the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The board discussed enhancing facilities, lodging, and services for a hassle-free pilgrimage. SRINAGAR: More than 3,31,000 devotees have registered so far for this year's Amarnath Yatra, which is set to begin on ...Read More >
June 30 (Reuters) - Futures tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq touched record highs on Monday, as optimism over U.S. trade negotiations with its key partners helped support upward momentum in markets. Shares of technology heavyweights rose premarket after Canada scrapped its digital services tax targeting U.S. tech firms, just hours before it was due to take effect, in a bid to advance stalled trade negotiations with the United States. Shares of Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab, Meta Platforms (META ...Read More >
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], December 12: Navanc, a pioneering FinTech startup building India's first AI-powered property score and stack for secured lending and insurance practices, has successfully raised USD 1 million in a seed funding round. The round was led by Prarambh Ventures, with participation from Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), Brigade REAP FirstPort Capital, and marquee angel investors Also Read | US: Joe Biden Commutes Roughly 1,500 Sentences and Pardons 39 People in Biggest Single-Day Act of Clemency. The funds will be directed toward expanding operations across India, with a ...Read More >
PRNewswire Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 13: Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited, the first standalone health insurance company in India, today announced the launch of its revolutionary retail health insurance product, 'SUPER STAR'. This innovative policy offers a long-term policy for the retail health segment, combining advanced features and highly customisable covers to address the growing complexities of modern lifestyles, rising medical expenses, and unforeseen emergencies. * Offers a long-term policy and unparalleled, highly customisable solutions for evolving heal ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Nifty 50 appears firmly on track to challenge its record high from last September after breaking out on Thursday from a one-and-a-half-month range-bound activity. Supported by bullish rollover signals from the June derivatives expiry, the index has turned former resistance into fresh support, even as foreign investors continue to pare equity holdings while domestic institutions keep pouring in funds. On Thursday, the bellwether index rose 1.2% to 25,549 on the expiry of the June series of derivatives, decisively breaching the 24,500-25,200 range that it had been stuck in since mid ...Read More >
Mumbai: Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will hold a joint protest march of their parties in the city on July 5 against what they allege is imposition of Hindi in the state's schools from Class 1 through the new three-language policy. This will be the first time they will come together on a political platform after Raj Thackeray's decision to quit Shiv Sena to form MNS nearly two decades ago.There has been speculation of a reunion of the estranged cousins for the coming civic polls, and the protest march is being seen as the first step in that direction, reports Chaitanya Marpakwar.Uddhav and Raj had ...Read More >
Anuj Kumar, Director & CEO of CAMS, highlights that despite recent market corrections, the company expects FY25 to be one of its strongest years. CAMS continues to dominate by winning 70-80% of new bids, focusing on execution and margin expansion, and anticipates significant revenue and profit growth driven by mutual funds and associated business lines.Anuj Kumar, Director & CEO, CAMS, says there has been some market correction and some flattening of the mood in the last two months. But as things come back, we should be holding our projections and FY25 should be one of the strongest years in t ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Reliance Nippon Life Insurance, a subsidiary of debt-ridden Reliance Capital (RCAP), has initiated talks with IndusInd Bank for bancassurance partnership as the IIHL and RCAP deal has reached the final lap. Mauritius-based IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), the parent entity of IndusInd Bank, won the bid to acquire RCAP and entities under it. Also Read | Cancer Vaccine Ready for Use, Announces Russia; What Is the Cost? How Effective Is It? When Will It Be Available?. "IIHL and Japan-based Nippon Life have struck a good understanding and they are absolutely c ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): IFFCO Managing Director (MD), U S Awasthi on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence office in New Delhi. During the meeting, Awasthi briefed and updated the Minister on the overall performance of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) for the Financial Year 2024-25, a strong testament to the vision of Sahakar Se Samriddhi under his dynamic guidance. Awasthi also apprised him of the progress at the seed research and development facility at IFFCO's Kalol Unit in Gujarat. Furthermore, both had a meaningful discussion on strategies to en ...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 >
Mumbai, June 8: HDFC Bank has strongly denied allegations made by Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMM Trust) which called for the suspension and prosecution of bank's Managing Director and CEO, Sashidhar Jagdishan, in an alleged financial fraud, which the bank termed as "baseless and malicious". HDFC Bank said it has obtained "comprehensive legal advice and representation in this regard" and will defend its MD and CEO's reputation. "The allegations made by Lilavati Trust, its Trustees and Officials against the Bank's MD and CEO are baseless and malicious. The outrageous and prepostero ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Sunday said Sat Pal Bhanoo has been given additional charge of MD and CEO of the insurance company following approval of the department of financial services.Bhanoo will be leading the company for a period of 3 months with effect from June 8 or till assumption of charge of the post by the regular incumbent.Bhanoo is the seniormost among the four LIC MDs. The vacancy was created after the completion of the term of Siddhartha Mohanty as CEO and MD of LIC on June 7. Mohanty had joined the insurance giant in 1985. ...Read More >
Kargil , Jul 2: Pursuant to putting in place a comprehensive legal framework to ensure fair, inclusive, and transparent recruitment to public services, the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh has initiated a large-scale recruitment drive for 359 Gazetted posts through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). This marks the first-ever recruitment of Gazetted posts through UPSC since the formation of the Union Territory, officials said. This follows the establishment of a unique and dedicated legal framework specifically designed for Ladakh. The framework ensures maximum local re ...Read More >
NewsVoir Gurugram (Haryana) [India], December 12: Navanc, a pioneering FinTech startup building India's first AI-powered property score and stack for secured lending and insurance practices, has successfully raised USD 1 million in a seed funding round. The round was led by Prarambh Ventures, with participation from Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), Brigade REAP FirstPort Capital, and marquee angel investors The funds will be directed toward expanding operations across India, with a focus on strengthening Navanc's presence in urban and semi-urban areas. Additionally, the startup will bolster ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
Pune: Hospitals in Pune have started reporting an increase in dengue cases among children following recent heavy rainfall and intermittent showers. Conditions are now ripe for mosquito breeding, experts said, as they warned citizens to ensure there's no waterlogging or stagnant pools near homes and offices. "Dengue is typically seen first in children as they often play outside," said Dr Sagar Lad, a senior neonatologist and pediatric intensivist at Jehangir Hospital and Sahyadri Hospital, Shastrinagar. Dr Lad said he's seen at least three children admitted for dengue this week, with all of the ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday warned educational institutions that cases would be booked against them if drugs were found in their premises. The CM announced that the state's Anti-Narcotics Bureau would henceforth be known as Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and was tasked with curbing the menace of narcotics in the state. Speaking at an event marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2025 at Shilpakala Vedika here, Reddy placed an onus on educational institutions to ensure their campuses were free of drugs. "It is the ...Read More >