Top headlines: SC allows farmer protests; Agarwal makes $10 bn India plan

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SC acknowledges farmers' right to non-violent protest, to set up panel

The Supreme Court on Thursday acknowledged the right of farmers to non-violent protests, and said it was thinking of setting up an "impartial and independent" panel of agriculture experts and farmer unions to resolve the impasse over three contentious farm laws. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it would set up the committee which may include experts like P Sainath and representatives of the government and farmers' bodies to look for the resolution of the deadlock over the statutes. Read more

PM Modi 'very much worried' about violence at iPhone factory: Karnataka CM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "very much worried" about the violence by workers at a Karnataka factory run by Apple iPhone supplier Wistron Corp., Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Thursday. Hundreds of workers stormed the factory in Kolar over the weekend, damaging property and looting thousands of iPhones and laptops, according to local media. More than 150 people were arrested. "We have taken action. It is a very important foreign company and this should not have happened. The PM is also very much worried about this development," Yediyurappa told reporters, according to NDTV.com. Read more

Anil Agarwal eyeing Indian disinvestment program with a $10 bn war chest

Commodities tycoon Anil Agarwal is planning to invest $10 billion through a new partnership targeting government privatisations in India. The billionaire is teaming up with London-based Centricus Asset Management Ltd. to seek investments in Indian companies offering substantial growth opportunities, according to a statement Thursday. They will look to turn around companies being sold off as part of the country’s Rs 2.1 trillion ($29 billion) divestment program. Read more

India plans $60 bn investment in gas infrastructure until 2024: Pradhan

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said the government has planned a USD 60-billion investment for creating gas infrastructure in the country till 2024, and gas' share in the energy mix is expected to rise to 15 per cent by 2030. Currently, gas accounts for 6 per cent in the country's total energy mix. Speaking at Assocham Foundation Day Week 2020, the minister said, "On the investments front, we have envisaged a spend of USD 60 billion in creating gas infrastructure till 2024, including for pipelines, LNG terminals and CGD (city gas distribution) networks." Read more

Two in five Indian professionals expect a rise in jobs in 2021: LinkedIn

Indian professionals are cautiously optimistic heading into 2021 as two in five Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs, LinkedIn year-end data shows. LinkedIn on Thursday released key survey and platform data for 2020. According to LinkedIn year-end data, India has remained cautiously optimistic and resilient in the face of uncertainty, and overall confidence scores remained steady between 50 and 57 from April to November. Read more