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.
In India - the world's largest film-producing country, only 31% of films and series meet key gender equality metrics. The fact that women hold just 12% of the analyzed leadership roles in top 25 entertainment firms is a real eye-opener. These numbers are from the O Womaniya!2024 Report - the most definitive study on female representation in Indian entertainment, championed by Prime Video, researched by Ormax Media, and produced by Film Companion Studios. The report reveals a harsh truth about Indian entertainment: the industry is known for shaping narratives and influencing societal norms, yet, it still falls behind in providing equal opportunities for women. Beyond the screen and boardrooms, the systemic gaps impact how stories are told, whose voices are amplified, and how audiences perceive gender roles. Addressing these disparities isn't just an ethical obligation -- it's crucial for crafting a more inclusive industry that mirrors the diversity of its audience. One standout feature of the report is the new O Womaniya! Toolkit. This toolkit evaluates whether women are shown as active agents in the story, not just supporting male characters. It checks for independent female voices, roles with decision-making power, and the avoidance of sexualization or violence. This year, only 31% of the titles analyzed passed the toolkit. Streaming platforms led the way, with 45% of series and 31% of the films passing, compared to just 18% of theatrical films. An eye-opening finding: 48% of the titles that passed had female commissioning executives in charge. The toolkit helps filmmakers challenge norms and create content that's truly inclusive. The O Womaniya!2024 Report exposes a striking gap in creative leadership across Indian entertainment. Women hold just 15% of Head of Department (HOD) roles in direction, writing, cinematography, editing, and production design. Theatrical projects trail further behind at just 6% of HOD positions helmed by women, while streaming platforms offer a slightly brighter picture, with women taking at least 20% of these key roles in streaming films and series. Marketing shows a slight improvement, with women accounting for 29% of trailer talk time, though male dominance persists. Streaming content continues to lead here too, with hits like Made in Heaven Season 2, Boo, Rainbow Rishta, Aarya Season 3, Wedding.con, Sweet Kaaram Coffee, among a few others featuring over 55% of female trailer talk time. The O Womaniya! report also analyzed female representation at the corporate level across top 25 media and entertainment companies in India. Women accounted for only 12% of Director and C-suite positions out of 144 analyzed. This number underscores the need for continued advocacy and reforms at an organizational level to create inclusive workspaces where female talent can thrive. The O Womaniya! 2024 roundtable, hosted by Anupama Chopra, brings together influential voices like Ananya Panday, Richa Chadha, Shakun Batra, Nikkhil Advani, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Ishita Moitra, and Stuti Ramachandra. From tackling resistance to change to exploring how mindsets can shift, the panel delves into the challenges they face while holding onto the hope for a more equal future. Watch the complete roundtable here: Industry leaders have echoed the call for bold strides in addressing these disparities. Stuti Ramachandra, Director & Head of Production, International Originals at Prime Video India, emphasized, "At Prime Video, we firmly believe that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not just good to have -- it is essential to driving meaningful change. In a collaborative industry such as ours, the true impact of DEI can only be realized when it is embraced across the board, with each of us committing to fostering an environment where women are seen, heard, and truly valued. O Womaniya! exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing female representation in the industry." Adding to this, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of Ormax Media, highlighted the importance of action-oriented resources like the O Womaniya! Toolkit: "The toolkit is designed to be action-oriented, and can help creators and producers evaluate new ideas at their end, from an inclusivity perspective." Film critic Anupama Chopra commended the initiative's scope: "The entertainment industry is under greater scrutiny than ever before. With every step forward and every gap left uncovered, stakeholders are reflecting on how they can drive meaningful change. Every action and conversation around gender inclusivity matters, especially with the O Womaniya! Report and the newly launched Toolkit, we are moving closer to creating an equitable industry." While progress has been made, the report highlights the ongoing journey towards equity in entertainment. Creative and corporate spaces remain predominantly male, stressing the need for systemic change. With continued efforts, changing attitudes will drive broader shifts in production, marketing, and leadership.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at 15 places in Mumbai and Kochi in connection with the Mithi River desilting scam that caused a wrongful loss of more than Rs 65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), official sources said. The massive crackdown is underway at the premises across Mumbai and Kochi linked to the accused and suspects as part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities. According to the sources, the searches are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at locat ...Read More >
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 27 (ANI): A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba on Wednesday evening. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. Also Read | Student Gang-Raped at South Kolkata Law College: Police Arrest 3 Youths for Sexually Assaulting Young Woman Inside Law College. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J. ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Delhi on Tuesday, months after he was summoned in connection with allegedly offensive and sexist content aired during his show "India's Got Latent", officials said. Raina was also among the five social media influencers who appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities. Raina submitted his statement in response to the allegations to NCW officials. Officials said further steps will be considered after reviewing his ...Read More >
Sir OTT Release: The upcoming Tamil Action Drama 'Sir' is all set to premiere on 6th December in Prime Video. The film hit the theaters on 18th October 2024 and opened with positive response from the audience. The story of the film follows the life of a teacher who initiates a fight against the education system who want to turn the whole education system into a profit-making business. The Streaming platform shared the trailer of the film, the teaser begins with a man arriving in the village. The man is a teacher and has arrived in that village to guide the educate the students. However, as ...Read More >
Mumbai : ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has proudly reinforced its role in India's infrastructure transformation by supplying critical steel for two of the country's most iconic railway bridges 70% of flat steel for Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, and 100% of steel for the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. The dedication of the iconic Anji and Chenab bridges by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi marks a significant step in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. These engineering marvels truly showcase India's will an ...Read More >
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charged five individuals, including goldy Brar, in relation to the 2024 Gurugram club bombing plot, as revealed in a recently filed chargesheet. This case involves a conspiracy to bomb two clubs, aiming to disrupt communal harmony in Haryana, with the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) implicated. The NIA's investigation highlights the severity of the plot. Those charged include satinderjit Singh (Goldy Brar), Sachin Talian, Ankit, Bhavish, and Randeep Singh. News Directory 3 provides crucial updates on sensitive cases such ...Read More >
Mumbai, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Following the tremendous success of the primary season of Amazon MX Player's show based on Chartered Accountants, "Half CA", the viewers are eagerly waiting for the release of season 2. Commemorating the National Chartered Accountants' Day on Tuesday, the streaming platform has released a new teaser from the show. The latest season will carry forward Archie Mehta's (played by Ahsaas Channa) CA journey as she commences her Articleship. We will get to see how she copes with the long hours, mounting responsibilities, and emotional burnout, along with the massive ...Read More >
A top Army officer has raised significant concerns in his review of women Commanding Officers (COs), flagging "ego issues", "frequent complaints", and "lack of empathy". The feedback letter was written by Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri, the outgoing Corps Commander of the 17 Corps, to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command. The letter, dated October 1, 2024, provides an analysis of challenges observed in units led by women COs within the 17 Corps over the past year. The letter has sparked discussions within the military and among defence analysts about the Army's effor ...Read More >
Upcoming Romantic OTT Releases In December: The end of 2024 will definitely end on a romantic note as some of the most popular romantic movies and shows are going to be released. These OTT releases are much awaited which is soon going to hit the digital space. From shows like Mismatched Season 3 to Kannada movies such as Murphy, everything to watch this month on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney + Hotstar, Zee5 and other streaming platforms. Bandish Bandit Season 2 (Prime Video) ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in partnership with NITI Aayog and the World Bank as a knowledge partner, organised a two-day National Workshop entitled 'Using Alternate Data Sources and Frontier Technologies for Policy Making.' This event took place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on June 5 and 6. The National Workshop concluded with a Valedictory Session on 6 June. According to the release, the Valedictory Session was graced by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to GoI as the Chief Guest; Prof. Abhay K ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) Actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur are the new nemesis of Manoj Bajpayee's spy Srikant Tiwary in the upcoming third season of "The Family", streaming service Prime Video has announced. The OTT platform on Friday shared the first glimpse of the new season of the series, which will see Bajpayee reprise his character of Tiwari, a middle-class guy and a world-class spy. "The wait is over. New season. New mission. #TheFamilyManOnPrime, coming soon in 2025," Prime Video posted on its official social media handles along with the teaser. Created and directed by Raj Nidim ...Read More >
Himaanshika Singh Rajput, a friend of Radhika Yadav, alleged that Radhika's father was influenced by jealous acquaintances. They taunted him about his daughter's success. Himaanshika claimed Radhika was miserable before her death due to family pressure. She suspected Radhika's murder was premeditated. Radhika's father, Deepak Yadav, is in police custody. The postmortem report revealed she received four bullets. A woman claiming to be friends with slain tennis player Radhika Yadav has alleged tha ...Read More >
Chennai, Jul 15 (PTI) The ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Ltd has planned to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu with 10 more branches and add over 10,000 advisors across South India. ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Ltd is a joint venture between Manipal Group, an eminent player in healthcare delivery and higher education and global health services company Cigna Healthcare. Also Read | Aadhaar Free Update: Government Requests Parents to Update Children's Aadhaar Biometrics Between Age 5-7, Free of Cost. Citing a data from the General Insurance Council (GIC), ManipalCigna said it ...Read More >
New Delhi: After a long absence from the Hindi film industry, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is getting ready to return with a new project, much to everyone's delight. With the highly anticipated film 'Jee Le Zaraa' co-starring Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif, the renowned actress is getting ready for a successful return after a six-year absence. Though Priyanka is currently occupied with shooting the Prime Video series 'Citadel season 2', she has recently disclosed thrilling details about her next Hindi film ventures. She met with producers and examined screenplays, hinting at a promising project in an i ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Prime Video on Monday unveiled the first look of its upcoming period drama "The Revolutionaries", directed by Nikkhil Advani and starring Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf and Pratibha Ranta. Backed by Emmay Entertainment, the series is an adaptation of the book "Revolutionaries: The Other Story Of How India Won Its Freedom", written by Sanjeev Sanyal. It also features Gurfateh Pirzada and Jason Shah. The series will premiere in 2026. "For me, 'The Revolutionaries' is a deeply enriching and enlightening experience. Sanjeev Sanyal's powerful book has given us a compelling founda ...Read More >
Hyderabad: National Chartered Accountants Day, or CA Day, is a yearly celebration on July 1 to honour the founding of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in 1949. This day is very important for the accounting and finance community in India because it recognises the vital role chartered accountants have in the country's economy and finance. This year marks the 76th anniversary of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), which is the main authority for accounting and financial auditing in India. It is one of the oldest and most respected financial organisations ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Ravada A Chandrasekhar took charge as the new State Police Chief on Tuesday. He succeeds Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retired on June 30. His tenure will run until July 1, 2027. A 1991-batch IPS officer currently serving as Special Director with the Intelligence Bureau, Chandrasekhar is on central deputation. He was selected over Nitin Agarwal, who topped the official list of probables. The appointment order, issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak on behalf of the Governor, was released soon after a cabinet meeting held on Monday. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Godav ...Read More >
Mumbai, July 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The first look of the upcoming period-drama 'The Revolutionaries' was unveiled on Monday. It features an ensemble cast led by Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta, Gurfateh Pirzada and Jason Shah, and shows the fight for freedom put up by the Indian revolutionaries against the British imperial power. The series is created and directed by Nikkhil Advani, and is based on the acclaimed book, 'Revolutionaries: The Other Story Of How India Won Its Freedom'. It tells the story of brave young Indian freedom fighters who believed that armed resistance was not just ...Read More >
New Delhi, Neeraj Ghaywan's "Homebound", horror-comedy "Stree 2" and hit shows like "Black Warrant" and "Paatal Lok 2" are among the films and shows nominated for the 2025th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. IFFM, which celebrates the best of Indian cinema and streaming, on Monday unveiled its nominations list for the 2025 edition, which will take place between August 14 and August 24, in Melbourne, Australia. The IFFM Awards Night, during which the winners of the categories wil ...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 >
New Delhi: Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari's magnum opus - Ramayana is touted as the biggest Indian film ever made. Reason? It's staggering budget, massive star cast and world-class VFX technology. After the 3 minute long first glimpse of the epic tale was unveiled earlier this month - expectations from this two-part cinematic glory is nothing short of being sky-high. Producer Namit Malhotra in his recent interview revealed that real budget costing is nothing less than a staggering Rs 4000 crore - even bigger than many Hollywood classics like Avatar and Avengers. Speaking on The Prakhar Gupta Xperie ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 17: The rules of performance marketing have changed. What once worked - batch reports, generic creatives, and reactive decision-making - now leads to wasted budgets and missed targets. Today, it all about speed, precision, and knowing exactly where your next best opportunity lies. That where performance marketing expert Nipun Taneja steps in. With over $100 million in managed ad spend and more than 15 years of hands-on experience, Taneja is setting new standards through his revolutionary approach to performance marketing. and his broader framework known as Vibe Market ...Read More >
Jammu, Jul 18 (PTI) Senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir government reviewed the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the 13-day-long Budha Amarnath pilgrimage in Poonch district that will begin on July 28. Deputy Inspector General of Police Tejinder Singh reviewed security in Poonch and stressed ensuring the safety of the devotees. "The first batch will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar basecamp in Jammu on July 28, moving towards the Mandi tehsil in Poonch in a regulated convoy amid full security arrangements," a spokesperson said. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and Inspec ...Read More >
The University of Bath is named one of the world's top 150 universities by the QS World University Rankings 2025 Offering leading MSc programmes, the University of Bath School of Management excels in combining world-class education with real-world learning opportunities. The University of Bath's School of Management is rapidly gaining international recognition as one of the United Kingdom's premier business schools. This prestigious university is first in Marketing, second in Accounting and Finance, second in Business and Management Studies in the UK according to The Complete University Guid ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Actors Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi's latest comedy drama film "Bhool Chuk Maaf" is finally premiering digitally from June 6 on Prime Video. "What drew me to Bhool Chuk Maaf was the delightfully unpredictable nature of Ranjan's journey," said Rajkummar. He added: "He is a simple man with big dreams, whose life turns completely upside down because of one forgotten promise -- leading to the most entertaining chaos. My character is uniquely layered, making it both challenging and rewarding to portray." The film also features Dhanashree Verma, Sanjay Mishra, an ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) Streaming service Prime Video on Friday unveiled its latest docuseries "In Transit", a four-part exploration of the lives of trans and non-binary individuals navigating identity, love, and belonging in India. Directed by Ayesha Sood and produced by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti through their Tiger Baby banner, "In Transit" will premiere on the streamer's platform on June 13. Through the stories of nine individuals from different parts of India -- including a classical musician from Bengaluru, a school educator from Tripura, and a corporate professional in Mumbai -- the serie ...Read More >
Bengaluru : Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur, a leading institution recognized for #BuildingBusinessOwners, hosted the Inauguration and Orientation Program for the MBA Batch 2025-27, marking the beginning of a transformative academic journey defined by diversity, inclusion, and leadership development for 353 students. The MBA 2025-27 batch reflects the institute's growing national footprint and academic stature, with students hailing from 21 states and 3 union territories, showcasing a diverse and inclusive cohort. Notably, 14.5% of the batch comprises alumni from top-tier institut ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh's capital city has secured the third position in the category of urban spaces with population exceeding 10 lakh, while Prayagraj was adjudged the Cleanest Ganga City in the ninth edition of the Swachh Survekshan. Lucknow also became the first city in the state to achieve a 7-star Garbage Free City rating in the 2024-25 survey. Gorakhpur achieved double success, ranking third in the Safai Mitra Surakshit Sheher category and fourth among cities with a population between 3 to 10 lakh. Agra has been recognised as the Emerging Clean City of Uttar Pradesh, securi ...Read More >
Mumbai, December 12 (ANI): The critically acclaimed film 'Girls Will Be Girls' is set to premiere in India on December 18 on Prime video. The film, an Indo-French collaboration, stars newcomers Preeti Panigrahi and Kesav Binoy Kiron alongside Kani Kusruti. It is produced by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's Pushing Buttons Studios, in collaboration with French production houses Dolce Vita Films and Crawling Angel Films. While speaking to ANI, producers Richa Chadha and Ali Faizal expressed their excitement about the Indian release of the film."Girls Will Be Girls is our first film, and it's a highl ...Read More >
Production on the film Barroz began in March 2021 and the unit was shot in Kochi, Gao, Bangkok and Chennai, among other places. Mohanlal has been grabbing headlines since he announced his directorial debut with Barroz. Well, the film's trailer has already been released but today there was a launch event in Mumbai city. Akshay Kumar was spotted at the event. Mohanlal and Akshay Kumar posed for the camera and shared a fun chat. The video is going viral. In the video, shared by Snehzala, we can se ...Read More >