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.
Ludhiana: It is official. Ludhiana doesn't have an operational flight anymore.The lone flight from the city to Hindon in NCR (National Capital Region) is no longer operational. As per sources at Sahnewal airport in Ludhiana, the flight stopped operating around Sept-end. Director, Sahnewal Airport, Jagir Singh said that the airline, Flybig, had closed operations and withdrawn its office from the Airport. He added that authorities were in talks with other airline to start operations. While Flybig officials didn't respond to repeated calls, their customer care representative also confirmed that the flight was no longer operational. She claimed that flight stopped from Oct and there was no plan to resume it anytime soon. On checking the airline website, TOI found no option to book tickets from Ludhiana.Sources in Sahnewal airport said while reasons for closure of the flight from Sept 27 were not clear, it had been operating with few passengers. "The flight was meant for 19 passengers but on many days, the number of passengers would be in single digits. However, less passenger load was not the reason for the operator to stop operations as it would get a decent amount from the govt for every passenger under the Udaan scheme," said a source at the airport. He added that since the operator was unlikely to resume the flight soon, no flight would be operational between Ludhiana (Sahnewal airport) and NCR in the time to come. AAI sources said they were now waiting for Halwara international airport to start operations. On Oct 6, a team from the ministry of civil aviation, Govt of India, visited Halwara International Airport terminal for checking. The airport will be formally inaugurated after receipt of security approval from the Bureau of Civil Aviation. With the lone flight Ludhiana to Hindon gone, residents want early operationalisation of Halwara International airport.Daleep Khanna, an industrialist from Sarabha Nagar, said that it was unfortunate that Ludhiana did not have aerial connectivity despite being a major industrial city. On the Ludhiana-Hindon flight, he said public confidence in it was affected by frequent cancellation of the flight. Harish Kairpal, finance secretary, Knitwear Club, observed that for over 20 years, the flight between Ludhiana and Delhi has been affected by a variety of factors such as weather, insufficient passengers and issues caused by a short runway. "Now we have hopes from Halwara international airport and want it to be operational as soon as possible in larger public interest," said Kairpal. Box: Flight dataIn Aug, consolidated data related to the lone flight accessed by TOI, showed that out of the scheduled 22 days, the flight operated on 10 days in July. As per data, 18 passengers arrived on the flight in that period. In the first eight days of August, the flight operated on three days. Before stopping operations, the flight operated on five days -- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
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: Air India has issued a statement explaining the reason behind the delay in the take off of the Bangkok-bound Air India Flight AI 2354, on June 25. The flight was delayed for more than 5 hours after hay was discovered lodged beneath the left wing of the aircraft, the airline confirmed in a statement. Reportedly, Flight AI 2354, operated by an Airbus A320Neo, was scheduled to depart Mumbai at 7:45 AM but took off only around 1:00 PM. The airline's immediate action in the matter resulted in the quick removal of the hay, stated the airline. The aircraft was subsequently deemed fit for ope ...Read More >
Guwahati: Assam will soon get three national highway stretches equipped for emergency aircraft landings, including the first such facility in the Northeast, which shares a long border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. "The first emergency landing facility on a national highway in North East is expected to be ready in eastern Assam by October, in a boost to national security and disaster preparedness," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. Once completed, these stretches will boost Assam's strategic and transport infrastructure, Sarma said. "Once completed, it will supp ...Read More >
Delhi's air pollution continues to worsen, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a hazardous 490, despite the government's 21-point plan to tackle the issue. The city’s residents are struggling to breathe, even indoors, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients facing respiratory problems. The pollution crisis is exacerbated by the lack of cooperation among Delhi and neighboring states, and the central government, with each blaming the other. This pollution not only threatens public health but also jeopardizes Delhi's economic future, as it could drive away professionals and harm business ...Read More >
Aizawl, June 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) All the government and private schools in Mizoram remained closed on Monday due to heavy rains that triggered landslides, rockfalls, and waterlogging in different parts of the mountainous state, officials said. A senior official of the School Education Department said that Deputy Commissioners of all 11 districts issued separate notifications closing the schools on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the students. After the beginning of the current spell of heavy rain, earlier, schools were closed across the state for two days on May 29 a ...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: 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 >
Gangtok, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) At least 80 tourists stranded in the northern part of Sikkim due to inclement weather and landslides have been safely evacuated, an official said on Friday. A total of four helicopter sorties were conducted from Pakyong Greenfield Airport to Chaten using MI-02, MI-49, and MI-39 helicopters, resulting in the evacuation of 80 individuals. Among those evacuated, 63 persons were tourists, while 17 were locals. To ensure their further travel to Gangtok, the state government arranged state transport buses at the airport for the convenience of the evacuees. In orde ...Read More >
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, June 27: Nearly two weeks after it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport, the UK F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet will be moved to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport as it awaits repairs, the British High Commission stated on Friday. "A UK F-35B aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after developing an engineering issue. The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The aircraft will be moved to the hangar onc ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Aviation engineers from the UK are arriving in Thiruvananthapuram to repair an F-35B Lightning jet of Britain's Royal Navy as the aircraft continued to be stranded after making an emergency landing 12 days ago.The aircraft is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the UK's Royal Navy.The jet, worth over USD 110 million and known to be one of the most advanced fighters globally, made the emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14.The aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport after developing an engineering issue, a B ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) Airport security and adminstration authorities are mulling integration of facial recognition technology and CCTV for staffers apart from deploying other technology tools for faster security checks and reducing queues at these facilities. These measures along with synchronising automatic number plate recognition and FASTag for vehicles was discussed during a "functional workshop of airport sector" organised by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Delhi on June 27. Also Read | Aurangabad Shocker: Woman Kills Husband With Help of Lover in Bihar; Wife Arrested, ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): The Delhi government has requested Rs 1,000 crore in funding from the Central government to deploy new technology and implement measures aimed at reducing the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital, Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Sunday during an inspection of Nehru Park. Minister Singh visited Nehru Park along with Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, as part of the government's initiative to install air purifiers in the area. Also Read | US: 24-Year-Old Indian Woman Simran Simran Goes Missing Days After Arriving for Arranged Mar ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government said on Thursday that the black box data of crashed Air India Flight AI-171 has been downloaded to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to its crash recently in the western Indian state of Gujarat. According to India's federal civil aviation ministry, the analysis of Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) data was underway. The ministry said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on June 13 in accordance with international norms an ...Read More >
Mumbai: Recurring aircraft defects, unserviceable ground handling gear, and faded runway markings are among a range of safety lapses discovered by the civil aviation regulator after an intensive survey of key airports including Delhi and Mumbai. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered airport operators and airlines to address these safety concerns within a week. The inspections come on the heels of the June 12 crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on ...Read More >
MUMBAI -- Investigators have recovered flight recorder data from the Air India crash earlier this month, the civil aviation ministry has confirmed, marking a key step in the probe. At least 270 people were killed when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed less than a minute after taking off on 12 June from Ahmedabad airport in western India. Investigators had earlier recovered both sets of Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs) - the "black boxes" - from the Boeing 787 crash site on 13 and 16 June - one from a rooftop, the other from the debris. It could be several weeks befo ...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: A window frame of SpiceJet's aircraft SG-1080 operating its flight to Pune from Goa was found dislodged mid-air but there was no impact on passengers' safety, the airline said on Wednesday. There was no cabin depressurisation as the outer layers of the windowpane remained intact and passenger safety was not compromised, the airline said in a statement. The frame was fixed once the aircraft landed at the Pune airport, in accordance with standard maintenance procedures, the airline said. Mandar Sawant, a passenger on the flight, said, "I was travelling back from Goa to Pune after attend ...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 >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >
June 25 (Rtrs) - India would not allow a UN investigator to join a probe of a crashed Air India jet that some safety experts had criticized for delays in analysis of crucial black box data, two senior sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Earlier this week, the United Nations aviation agency took the unusual step of offering India one of its investigators to provide assistance following the Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 787-8 Dreamliner crash killing 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12. ...Read More >
Gangtok: Sikkim's sole Lok Sabha MP, Indra Hang Subba, on Monday met Sanjay Kumar Jha, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, and submitted a representation urging urgent intervention to restore flight services at Pakyong airport and improve road connectivity in the northern parts of the State. According to a statement from the MP's office, Subba briefed the committee chief on the challenges faced by residents and tourism stakeholders in North Sikkim, following successive natural disasters -- including the Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) on O ...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 >
Pune: Civil aviation experts sought more action against rampant and illegal construction activities near Lohegaon airport, citing that flights' funnel zone was at risk of being compromised.Referring to the Pune Municipal Corporation's action this week against illegal under-construction buildings in the vicinity of the airport, the experts said too little was being done too late. An Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran, requesting anonymity, said rampant construction around airports couldn't have happened without collusion."This is a huge problem. No one is speaking about it. Collusion between law en ...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 >
Haridwar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday demanded that hotel, dhaba and eatery owners on the Kanwar Yatra routes should display their names and identities on boards outside their business establishments. The owners, who hide their identities under fake names, on the Kanwar Yatra routes should not be spared, he told reporters here. "Tampering with faith of the Hindu devotees during the Kanwar Yatra will not be tolerated," said the Unnao MP. The food shops on the Kanwar Yatra routes should have a board outside with the names of their owners clearly written on them, h ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jul 3 (PTI) The annual Amarnath Yatra began on Thursday with the first batches of pilgrims setting off from the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan towards the 3880-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, which houses a naturally formed ice-lingam, officials said. The yatra started early morning from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the 14-km Baltal route. The batches of pilgrims, including men, women and sadhus, left from the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam, in south Kashmir's Anantnag, and Baltal base camp in Sonamarg area of central ...Read More >
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. Over time, govts' failure to improve Delhi's air quality is bound to impact its economic primacy About three weeks ago, Delhi govt told NGT it was implementing its 21-point winter action plan involving about 30 govt depts to mitigate air pollution. It would be laughable were the situation not so serious. Yesterday, Delhi's AQI shot to over 490 on a scale of 500 at 26 of Delhi's 37 monitoring stations - even though personal diesel vehicles were off t ...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: The national capital and its neighbouring regions woke up to a dense fog which led to poor visibility in the early hours. The reduced visibility due to dense fog around the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport led to disruptions in flight operations across the region. As per a report by FlightRadar24, Delhi Airport saw cancellations of four flights due to dense fog and low visibility. In addition to this, 118 flights departing from Delhi Airport and 39 flights scheduled for arrival were delayed on Wednesday morning. The airport authorities also informed the flyers that ...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 >