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: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has dismissed a viral social media message that falsely claimed new GST transition benefits would take effect from September 22, 2025. According to the misleading message, the changes would cover areas such as unutilised cess credit, ITC on exempt supplies, and new price adjustment provisions. The CBIC clarified that these claims are factually incorrect and misleading, urging citizens, trade bodies, and businesses to rely only on official notifications, circulars, and FAQs for accurate information. In an official statement, CBIC said: "It has come to notice that an informal message claiming to be from Chairman CBIC is being widely circulated on social media... It is hereby informed that such claims are factually incorrect and misleading." GST Council's 56th Meeting: Key Announcements At its 56th meeting on September 3, 2025, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the GST Council approved several next-generation reforms: A shift to a two-slab GST structure of 5 percent and 18 percent, replacing the earlier 12 percent and 28 percent rates. 40 percent GST retained on luxury and sin goods such as tobacco, pan masala, aerated drinks, high-end cars, yachts, and private aircraft. Simplified registration and return filing, faster refund processing, and reduced compliance costs, benefiting MSMEs and startups. GST cut on household essentials and several life-saving drugs. According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the new system is designed to make taxation simpler, more transparent, and fair while ensuring a balanced revenue flow. The revised GST rates on most goods and services will take effect from September 22, 2025. For cigarettes, zarda, unmanufactured tobacco, and beedi, the current rates and compensation cess will continue for now. The new rates for these products will be notified later, after all loan and interest liabilities linked to the compensation cess are discharged.
New Delhi, Dec 4 (VOICE) Aadit Palicha, Co-founder and CEO of Zepto, on Wednesday said he is not against work-life balance and even recommends it to his competitors. Palicha's statement comes even as a viral post, on the American social media platform Reddit, accused the quick e-commerce platform of toxic work culture. "I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors :)," said the 22-year-old CEO, in a post on social media platform X. The Reddit post, by an anonymous user, alleged that Zepto's working environment was "toxic", with employees working ex ...Read More >
Mumbai: Panic ensued in a ladies' compartment of a Mumbai local train after a naked man entered the coach. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Monday when the AC local was traveling from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Kalyan. The man, who reportedly boarded the train at Ghatkopar station, caused chaos as women passengers called the TC, who eventually pushed the man out of the train at the next station. Despite being asked repeatedly to leave, the man refused to deboard. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing women passengers shouting at the man to d ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) The year 2024 has been historic for Indian startups as the government abolished the angel tax (a tax levied on investing in startups), which improved Indian startups' funding and enabled them to raise more than $12 billion. Along with this, food delivery company Zomato managed to make its place in the Sensex, the index of top companies in the country. Indian startup companies crossed the magical figure of getting $150 billion in funding in 2024. Between 2014 and 2024, new-age tech companies raised more than $151 billion in funding. Startups raised the highest funding ...Read More >
Aishwarya Rai recently attended the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai, where her name appeared without the "Bachchan" surname, sparking social media buzz amid ongoing divorce rumors with Abhishek Bachchan. Speculations intensified after Aishwarya attended a wedding solo with daughter Aaradhya, while Abhishek was elsewhere with his family. Rumors also linked Abhishek to actress Nimrat Kaur. Breaking his silence, Amitabh Bachchan addressed these rumors through a blog post, urging readers not to believe unverified information marked by "question marks," emphasizing the harm of baseless speculation. T ...Read More >
Vastu Housing has raised $100 million from the global consumer internet group Prosus. The Amsterdam-based investor has acquired an 8.4% stake (7.8% fully diluted) in the home finance company. Vastu Housing Finance is a prominent player in the affordable housing finance sector, focusing on underserved communities. In September, Vastu received a $50 million loan from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (USDFC). Housing finance companies have attracted significant funding in recent months. Recently, Easy Home Finance raised $35 million in a fresh funding round led by ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will commence customary pre-Budget consultations with various stakeholders beginning Friday. As part of the process, she will meet eminent economists on December 6 to seek their inputs regarding upcoming Budget amid seven-quarter low GDP print of 5.4 per cent recorded in the second quarter of the current financial year. It will be followed by a meeting with farmer associations and agriculture economists and stakeholders in MSME sector scheduled for December 7, sources said. Union Budget 2025-26 is likely to be tabled in Parliament o ...Read More >
Allu Arjun is one of the biggest names in the Telugu film industry. The mass hero enjoys a massive fan following because of his charismatic screen presence and engaging performances. He is currently in the limelight because of Pushpa 2, which hit the screens on December 5 and opened to an earth-shattering response at the box office. Amid this, a photo of Bunny from a wedding has become the talk of the town. Allu Arjun, the star of films such as DJ and Pushpa, recently attended a wedding in Hyder ...Read More >
Given the strong subscription response, Ganesh Infraworld's latest GMP stands at Rs 73, indicating an upside potential of 88% above the upper price band.The SME initial public offering (IPO) of Ganesh Infraworld received a strong response from investors with an overall subscription of 103.2 times by 12:19 pm on the final day of the bidding process. The IPO will close on December 3. The company aims to raise Rs 98.6 crore through the SME IPO, which is a fresh equity sale of 1.18 crore shares, and list the shares on the NSE SME platform. The net proceeds from the public offer will be used for ...Read More >
MS Dhoni stole the show with his charming presence and enthusiastically matched the steps with his fellow dancers. It has hardly been a week since MS Dhoni broke the internet with his pout selfie. The former Indian captain has once again gone viral for a video that captured him dancing to a folk song along with his wife Sakshi and some friends. The clip is claimed to be from a wedding ceremony in Rishikesh. Joined by some local folk artists, Dhoni was seen grooving to the beats of the popular "pahadi" song- Gulabi Shahara. The former World Cup winning-skipper stole the show with his charming ...Read More >
New Delhi, December 4: In a significant move to enhance customer experience and protect citizens, the Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which allows bank account holders to have up to four nominees in their accounts. The higher number of nominees aims to reduce unclaimed deposits in banks. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that depositors will have the option of successive or simultaneous nomination facility, while locker holders will have only successive nominations. Another sweeping change relates to redefining 'substantial interest' for directors ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 11 (ANI): On the birth anniversary of former President Pranab Mukherjee, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge paid glowing tributes to the statesman, recalling his immense contributions to India's democracy and development. Kharge took to social media to share a heartfelt message, quoting one of Mukherjee's profound observations: Also Read | Atul Subhash Suicide Case: 4 People Including Bengaluru Techie's Wife Nikita Singhania Booked for Abetment of Suicide. "India's true story is the partnership of the people. Our wealth has been created by farmers and workers, ...Read More >
It seems like the lady has found love again. Reports suggest that Malaika Arora has started seeing fashion stylist Rahul Vijay, and here's everything you need to know about him and their growing romance. Malaika Arora seems to have found love again months after breaking up with Arjun Kapoor. The diva recently attended AP Dhillon's Mumbai concert with a mystery boy and the internet quickly recalled that he was the same guy Malaika was spotted with last week on a dinner date. This time, Arora even ...Read More >
The Andhra Pradesh government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google. The tech giant will launch its operations from Visakhapatnam in the State. Making the announcement at the district collectors' conference on Wednesday, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said HRD Minister Nara Lokesh's efforts have paved the way for this. The MoU was a significant development and would be a game changer. Visakhapatnam is poised for transformative growth, Mr. Naidu said. The chief minister, in ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 14 (UNI) The tragic suicide of 34-year-old tech professional Atul Subhash has led to the arrest of his estranged wife and her family members in connection with allegations of harassment, extortion, and financial abuse. Subhash, a resident of Manjunath Layout in Bengaluru, was found dead in his apartment on December 9, leaving behind a 25-page suicide note. In the note, he accused his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family of subjecting him to relentless emotional and financial distress during their ongoing divorce proceedings. Following a complaint filed by Atul's brother, Bik ...Read More >
The incident was reported on Monday afternoon at the Ghatkopar railway station. Railway police officials said the man is mentally unstable. Passengers in the women's compartment of a suburban train in Mumbai were left shocked when a naked man climbed on board and had to be removed by a railway staff. The incident was reported on Monday afternoon at the Ghatkopar railway station, when the man climbed the Kalyan-bound AC local train. Despite women passengers raising an alarm, the man did not deb ...Read More >
New Delhi: Samay Raina's India's Got Latent is facing legal trouble after contestant Jessy Nabam's controversial remarks about dog meat went viral on social media. An FIR alleged that her comments "disrespected" Arunachal Pradesh's indigenous community. During a conversation with Samay Raina, when asked if she had ever eaten dog meat, Jessy stated that it is common in Arunachal Pradesh, though she personally hadn't tried it. She added, "I know this because my friends do, and sometimes they even eat their pets." Her comments triggered widespread outrage, particularly within the Arunachal Prad ...Read More >
Complementary skills help, but juggling roles leads to sleepless nights A Bengaluru-based couple, founders of the mental health platform YourDOST, triggered a conversation on LinkedIn after discussing one of their "most challenging situations" at present - balancing parenthood and work. "One of the most challenging situations for us as couple founders is balancing our new born (Rudra) with our other baby YourDOST. It was very easy to give an (idealistic) answer when we did not have him. Things are very different than we anticipated," Puneet Manuja said in his post. While Puneet and his wife ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 3 (PTI) Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday visited a private hospital in Thane for a "check-up," two days before a new CM is sworn in at an open ground ceremony in south Mumbai. Even as it is not known yet who would take oath as chief minister at Azad Maidan on the evening of December 5, preparations are in full swing for the ceremony, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, about 2,000 VVIPs and some 40,000 supporters. Shinde, who had been staying at his private residence in Thane for the last few days, visited the hospital in the morning. "I ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister and former External Affairs Minister SM Krishna died here early on Tuesday, leaving behind a rich legacy of statesmanship and public service that saw the 92-year-old leader scale all heights of political achievements. Suave, sophisticated and a man with enviable academic credentials, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna started off his political innings as an independent MLA from Maddur in 1962, stunning a then Congress veteran in the elections, and went on to become the state's CM and later the country's External Affairs Minister. Tributes poured in for the fo ...Read More >
Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 28 (ANI): Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has sought AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's apology from the nation after BR Ambedkar's statue was vandalised in Punjab's Amritsar on January 26. A youth has vandalised the life-size statue of Ambedkar in Amritsar by climbing atop it and striking it with a hammer on Republic Day on Sunday. A video clip purportedly of the incident also went viral on social media. Also Read | Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: A Day Before Mauni Amavasya Amrit Snan, 5 Crore Devotees Take Holy Dip in Triveni Sangam on January 28, Total Pilgrim ...Read More >
New Delhi, January 31: The unveiling of the Economic Survey on Friday sets the stage for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to present the Union Budget for 2025-26 in Parliament on Saturday (February 1), which is expected to continue the government's policy of giving a big push to economic growth with equity. The government has prioritised improving the quality of life in rural areas to ensure equitable and inclusive development, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25. The survey highlights financial inclusion as a key focus, with rural households and small businesses getting easier access ...Read More >
In a viral video, AP Dhillon performs for Malaika Arora, who looks stunning in a brown dress as fans sing along with them. Global Punjabi music sensation AP Dhillon, who recently performed in Mumbai, was seen dedicating a song to Bollywood actress Malaika Arora during his live concert. A video capturing the moment has taken social media by storm, sparking a wave of fan reactions. In a video shared by Filmygyan, AP Dhillon is seen holding a guitar while being joined on stage by Malaika Arora, wh ...Read More >
The woman explained how hurtful the remarks were and why she addressed the issue publicly. She revealed that the incident made her question the friendship and led her to share her story online. A video of a woman confronting her friends for making comments about her dress has gone viral. The woman, Muskan Madaan, shared her experience from Diljit Dosanjh's recent concert in Bengaluru. In her video, she claimed that her friends talked negatively about her "short dress" behind her back. The video ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - India should do more to tax its super-rich given its high levels of inequality, French economist and author Thomas Piketty said on Friday. The writer of the best-selling book "Capital in the 21st Century" called on India to follow through on a July pledge by finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies to cooperate on effectively taxing the world's largest fortunes. "India should be active in taxing the rich," Piketty said at an event organised by Delhi-b ...Read More >
New Delhi: The GST Council will soon decide on having fewer and lower rates as the review work is almost complete, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday. Currently, Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a four-tier tax structure with slabs at 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. Luxury and demerit goods are taxed at the highest bracket of 28 per cent, while packed food and essential items are in the lowest 5 per cent slab. The Council, chaired by Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts, has set up a group of ministers (GoM) to suggest changes in GST rates as well as reduce slabs. "To ...Read More >
Elon Musk has announced plans to revolutionize the gaming industry by launching an AI-driven game studio under xAI. In a series of posts on X, Musk, a passionate gamer, criticized the current state of game development, highlighting the influence of large corporations and ideological biases. He pledged to "make games great again" through innovative applications of artificial intelligence. While many gamers have welcomed this move, excited by the idea of independent game development, critics question Musk's lack of experience in managing a game studio. The announcement has sparked widespread deb ...Read More >
The viral moment highlighted Dhoni's lighter side beyond cricket Former India captain MS Dhoni delighted fans with a rare and heartwarming moment as a video of him performing a traditional Pahaadi Garhwali dance with his wife Sakshi in Rishikesh went viral on social media. The clip captured the legendary cricketer energetically participating in the dance, sharing a joyful moment with his family. Set against what appeared to be the backdrop of their hotel premises, the video radiated warmth and light-hearted fun. The sight of Dhoni, often dubbed "Captain Cool" for his calm and composed nature ...Read More >
Aaliyah Kashyap and Shane Gregoire's wedding celebrations kicked off with their Haldi ceremony on December 8. Aaliyah's close friend, Khushi Kapoor, shared her stunning yellow pre-draped saree look from the event, which cost ₹23,300. Anurag Kashyap's daughter Aaliyah Kashyap and her fiancé Shane Gregoire's wedding celebrations have begun. On December 8, the couple held their Haldi ceremony, which was attended by Aaliyah's close friends, including Khushi Kapoor and Vedang Raina. Scroll down to ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Indian cloud service providers Ola Krutrim and AceCloud have started offering services of Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek in the country. AceCloud was the first to announce hosting of DeepSeek. Also Read | 8th Pay Commission: Nirmala Sitharaman To Announce Official 8th CPC Implementation Date in Union Budget 2025? Check Details Here. AceCloud said that it will offer DeepSeek AI models to businesses with claims that the data residency will remain in India. Krutrim claimed to be the first Indian AI company to deploy DeepSeek's AI models on domestic s ...Read More >
Adani Ports, Adani Enterprises, Shriram Finance, UltraTech Cement, and Cipla were the top gainers on the Nifty. Benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex extended morning gains driven by strength in public sector banks ahead of the RBI MPC meet outcome on Friday. Heavyweight stocks like HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries also contributed to the rally on December 3. Broader markets also showed strength with mid- and small-cap indices rising 0.7 percent each. At noon, the Sensex was up 538.04 points or 0.67 percent at 80,786.12, and the Nifty was up 153.45 points or 0.63 percent at 24,429.50. About 2, ...Read More >