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: A new Director General is set to take over the reins of DGCA after many challenging months as it works to ensure high safety standards, help airlines navigate the headwinds of the West Asia conflict and implement various passenger-friendly initiatives. During the tenure of incumbent chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, who is being replaced by Vir Vikram Yadav, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grappled with multiple challenges, including massive disruptions at IndiGo in December last year, lapses at various airlines, crashes involving aircraft of non-scheduled operators and the fatal accident of Air India plane in June 2025. Being one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets, India is witnessing significant air traffic demand even as airlines, keen to expand operations, are grappling with aircraft shortage, and now the West Asia turmoil on the international front.Yadav, a senior IAS officer of 1996 Odisha cadre, is currently an Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.After being at the helm of the regulator for little over a year, Kidwai has been appointed as an Additional Secretary at the Department of Personnel & Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, according to an official order on Tuesday.DGCA, the aviation safety regulator, has been in the spotlight in recent times, due to various developments, including the massive operational disruptions at IndiGo in December 2025.Besides, there have been multiple instances of lapses at airlines, accidents involving aircraft operated by non-scheduled operators and the fatal crash of an Air India plane in June last year.The watchdog has taken actions against erring airlines as well as their officials, including the penalty and other measures against IndiGo for the 2025 December disruptions.Steps have also been taken to enhance safety requirements for flying VIPs and VVIPs.In the wake of the West Asia war, DGCA is keeping a close watch on airline operations as there are significant disruptions due to airspace curbs in the region as well as other operational challenges and rising fuel prices.On the other hand, the watchdog has taken certain passenger-friendly measures. Carriers are set to offer at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, as well as maintain a transparent seat allocation policy.Airlines have opposed the revised policy citing revenue loss concerns.Under revised DGCA norms, effective from March 26, passengers can cancel or change air tickets without paying an additional charge within hours of making the bookings, subject to certain conditions.The option would not be available for domestic flight bookings where the departure date is less than 7 days, and in the case of international bookings, the departure date should be not less than 15 days.Coming out with the amended norms that are more passenger-friendly, DGCA also said that airlines should not levy any additional charge for correction in the name of the same person when the error is pointed out by the passenger within 24 hours of making the booking, when the ticket is booked directly through the airline's website.Airlines also had concerns about the new refund norms.Meanwhile, in the latest summer schedule, airlines will be operating less number of flights compared to last year's schedule amid uncertainties.Last week, a highly-placed source said the current summer schedule has lesser number of flights as the civil aviation authorities decided to be 'little more moderate" in approving the number of services in the backdrop of IndiGo's massive operational disruptions last December.Meanwhile, on March 29, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said India's aviation sector is facing a bottleneck in procurement of new aircraft, citing that while 1,700 new planes are on order, supply chain disruptions mean deliveries may take up to 15 years.
Air India launched a Black Friday Sale with discounts up to 20% on domestic flights and up to 12% on international flights to various destinations. The sale is available through the airline's website and mobile apps. Additional savings are possible with waived convenience fees and specific payment methods. The airline continues offering student and senior citizen discounts.Air India on Friday launched a limited-time Black Friday Sale offering discounts of up to 20 per cent off base fares for domestic flights within India. The Tata-owned airlines will also offer up to 12 per cent off base fares ...Read More >
Pune Airport is set to boost international travel with new daily flights to Dubai and bi-weekly flights to Bangkok, starting October 27. Pune is gearing up to enhance its international flight connectivity with the launch of new routes beginning October 27.The city will soon have a daily flight to Dubai and a bi-weekly service to Bangkok. This announcement was made on Thursday by Murlidhar Mohol, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation. Currently, Pune airport caters to two international destinations. A prominent route from Pune is the well-established Dubai flight, currently operated by Spi ...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: 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 >
New Delhi, May 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The pilots of the IndiGo plane, which was damaged in rough weather en route to Srinagar, were denied permission by the Lahore ATC to venture briefly into Pakistan airspace to escape the hailstorm, in complete violation of humanitarian norms. India's civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, said the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of approximately 36,000 feet near Punjab's Pathankot when it ran into a thunderstorm and hailstorm. Experiencing severe turbulence, the crew first requested the Northern ATC of the Indian Air Force to allow the flight to deviate to ...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 >
Investing.com -- India has declined an offer from the United Nations aviation agency to include one of its investigators in the probe of the Air India Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-8 Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12, according to a Reuters report on Thursday. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) made the unusual move earlier this week by offering to provide investigative assistance without being asked. The ICAO requested that their investigator, who was already in India, be granted observer status in the investigation, but Indian authorities rejected this ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): A non-specific security alert was detected on one of Air India's aircraft on Friday. The aircraft was cleared for the next flight after standard security procedures, the Air India spokesperson said. A statement issued by the Air India spokesperson said, "A non-specific security alert was detected on one of our aircraft. Standard security procedures were duly carried out, and the aircraft has been cleared for the next flight. Air India accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew." Also Read | Shimla Shocker: Private School Princ ...Read More >
Mhow, Jun 7 (PTI) In a disturbing incident, a stray dog was seen clutching a dead newborn in its jaws near the toilet of a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Saturday before a security guard managed to retrieve the body after shooing away the animal. Authorities at the civil hospital in Mhow, some 25 kilometres from the district headquarters, and police have begun a probe into the antecedents of the newborn and the chain of events that followed. ...Read More >
Kolkata, Dec 6 (PTI) Air India Express, the budget-carrier arm of Air India, is embarking on a significant expansion by increasing its fleet size and introducing new routes, as passenger growth remains robust. The airline, however, has deferred plans to launch direct flights between Kolkata and Dhaka, citing the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh. "You would recall we had announced our operational plan for Dhaka, which is a new and significant market for us. But because of the situation there, we have deferred those plans," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said. "As ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 26: India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun the critical analysis of the black boxes recovered from the wreckage of Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed earlier this month. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that all investigation steps are being carried out as per international norms laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As a signatory to the ICAO's 1944 Chicago Convention, India investigates aircraft accidents in line with ICAO's Annex 13 and under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. Th ...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 >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 27: Union Home Minister Amit Shah began his Gujarat visit on a spiritual note early Friday morning by participating in the Mangala Aarti at the historic Shri Jagannathji Temple in Jamalpur, Ahmedabad. The visit coincides with the auspicious occasion of the annual Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra, a major religious event that draws thousands of devotees every year. Arriving at the temple at 3:15 a.m., HM Shah joined in the sacred rituals and offered prayers to Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Sharing his experience on social media platform X, he posted, "On the sacred occasion of Rath Yatra, par ...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: Aviation watchdog DGCA will soon come out with streamlined regulations for wet-leasing of planes by Indian airlines that will also entail enhanced oversight of the aircraft, amid airlines looking to operate more planes to meet rising travel demand. With persisting supply chain woes, there is a delay in aircraft deliveries and to meet the near-term needs, carriers are opting for planes on dry and wet leases. A senior official in the know told PTI that the efforts are on to streamline the regulations for wet-leasing of planes to assist in the growth of the aviation. "Realities of the ...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 >
Mumbai, Jun 27 (PTI) Maharashtra on Friday recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19, which took the tally of infections to 2,462, and one death, the health department said. A 65-year-old woman suffering from comorbidities, including rheumatoid arthritis, died in Kolhapur, an official said. Also Read | Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe: Parliamentary Committee To Grill Boeing and Air India Executives, DGCA Officials; Sources Say 'Multiple Shortcomings' Matter of Concern. Since January 1, the state has recorded 2,462 COVID-19 cases and 37 deaths, the department said. Also Read | Did 21-Year-Old Muslim Ma ...Read More >
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Following public backlash over a video showing Air India SATS executives partying in their Gurugram office shortly after the June 12 Air India flight 171 crash, Tata Group has taken disciplinary action against several people.Four senior officials were suspended from Air India SATS, while multiple others were issued a warning, the company said on Friday.The video, which garnered over 3.8 million views on X, captured several executives dancing with loud music playing during a cele ...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: 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 >
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 >
New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday said it is in discussions with InterGlobe Aviation, which owns IndiGo airlines, to find an amicable solution regarding a trademark issue over the use of "6e" in its all-new electric model. The automaker, which introduced two electric brands -- BE 6e and XEV 9e -- earlier this month, said its trademark 'BE 6e' differs from IndiGo's '6E', eliminating any risk of confusion. IndiGo uses 6E as the airline designator code. "We have taken on board the concerns that InterGlobe Aviation Ltd have to infringement of their goodwill, which was not ou ...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 [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 >
A one-man inquiry commission, led by retired Justice John Michael Cunha, has been formed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede at the RCB victory celebration that resulted in 11 deaths. The commission will identify those responsible for any procedural lapses and suggest preventative measures.The one-man inquiry commission constituted by the Karnataka government under retired High Court judge John Michael Cunha to inquire into the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people, has been a ...Read More >