Economy

Separate rate for caramelised popcorn draws criticism from economists

"This is a national tragedy, violating the spirit of the Good & Simple Tax the GST was meant to be," says former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian

India under pressure as Trump vows action on tariffs and trade deficit

Experts fear that Indian exporters might have to pay higher duties while exporting pharmaceuticals, textiles, chemicals, and engineering goods

GST Council paves way for CGST Act amendments during Budget session

FinMin says some changes may take effect from April

Out of sync: Persistent mismatch between MGNREGA wage growth and inflation

Over the past few years, wage growth has consistently trailed both general and food inflation rates, with the exceptions of FY21 and FY24

Delegation of state ministers, CMs, CEOs to attend WEF Summit in Davos

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also attended the meeting in the past, but there is no official word so far about his participation in the high-profile summit

Bihar receives record Rs 1.81 trillion investment proposals, says minister

Sun Petrochemicals will invest Rs 36,700 crore in renewable energy projects, including pump hydro and solar plants. Adani Group, which is the largest private investor in the state, committed to invest

FPIs pull out Rs 976 crore from Indian equities amid rising dollar

Additionally, factors like high valuations, weak corporate earnings for the September quarter, expectations of subdued results for December, rising inflation, slower GDP growth

Losses of Himachal's 30 PSEs rose from Rs 3,953 cr to Rs 4,778 cr: CAG

Out of the 13 PSEs which were not in the red and earned a profit of Rs 20.21 crore, four did not earn enough to declare dividend while the remaining which earned an aggregate profit of Rs 14.88 crore

55th GST Council takes key decisions, defers rate cuts on insurance premium

GST Council addresses disaster levy, clarifies tax exemptions, and revises ITC norms, while deferring insurance premium GST cut and key rate rationalisation decisions

India, ADB ink $350 mn deal to boost logistics sector reforms & efficiency

The loan agreement, under the SMILE programme, is aimed at reforming logistics, reducing costs, boosting efficiency, promoting sustainability, and driving inclusive growth in supply chain

Piyush Goyal flags trade barriers in first meet with EU trade chief

During the meeting, Goyal also emphasised the 'need to address long-pending issues as a confidence-building measure'

Need to guard against risks of currency appreciation: RBI MPC member Kumar

Says expanding the manufacturing sector could also help in containing inflationary pressures by enhancing the supply capacity

GST Council to decide on insurance premium tax; major rate rejig unlikely

Also, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST compensation cess is likely to get a six month extension till June, 2025, to submit its report. The compensation cess regime comes to an end in March, 2026

Policy rates have limited impact on food prices: MPC external members

December marked the second policy review meeting for the external members, who have a fixed four-year term

States seek higher interest-free capex loans, increased borrowing limit

Infrastructure development emerged as a key focus area, with states calling for dedicated funding for state-specific road and railway projects

Over 3.5 mn MGNREGS job cards deleted, 3.8 mn added in FY25: Govt

The programme officer, after independent verification of the facts, may direct the gram panchayat to cancel any particular job card. All additions, deletions and cancellations must be made public

India's foreign exchange reserves decline by $1.9 bn to almost 6 month low

The reserves stood at $655 billion in the week ended December 6, having declined by $3.2 billion during that week

Funds devolved to states under 15th Finance Commission higher: FM

In addition to this, the Union finance minister stated that the Centre has created an additional dispensation under SASCI for the states affected by disaster of a severe nature as assessed by the Inte

Luxury brands bulk up on low-priced products for middle-class shoppers

The companies' renewed focus on more affordable products is meant to appeal to middle-class aspirational customers who are more price sensitive

Kerala seeks Rs 24,000 cr special package to tide over liquidity crunch

Noting that elevated inflation remains a critical hurdle for growth, Balagopal also said the economy faces issues such as slow credit and deposit growth, tightening liquidity conditions, and a weaker