Business

May 2026 bank holidays: May 2026 brings a packed holiday calendar for banks, with several state-specific closures to affect branch operations across India. While banks will not shut nationwide on every listed date, customers may need to track local holidays before planning cheque deposits, document work, cash transactions or in-person banking visits.Apart from weekly offs…

The windfall tax was introduced to ensure that adequate domestic supplies of petroleum products remain available. (AI image) The windfall tax on exports of diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) has been lowered effective May 1, 2026. The excise duty on petrol and diesel sold in the domestic market will remain unchanged. The levy on…

MUMBAI: Federal Bank said it agreed to acquire a select credit card portfolio of around 4.5 lakh cards from Standard Chartered Bank, India, comprising customers with standalone card relationships. The transaction will strengthen Federal Bank’s retail strategy with a sharper push in the non-co-branded segment. and provide access to a seasoned, high-quality customer base. The…

The rupee hit a record low of 95.33 against the dollar on Thursday, driven by surging crude oil prices and concerns over inflation and capital flows. Suspected RBI intervention helped the currency recover to close at 94.91, though it remains under pressure. The outlook for the rupee is closely tied to the trajectory of global…

New Delhi: The PPP-run airports have asked govt to ensure airlines pass on the benefit of reduced landing and parking charges to passengers. And also that once this three-month 25% reduced aeronautical charge period ends on July 7, the same should be hiked along with an increase in user development fees (UDF) for international passengers…

NEW DELHI: Russia remained the largest source of crude for India in April, supplying 1.6 million barrels a day (mbd), followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Venezuela and Qatar, data from shipment-tracking firm Kpler has shown.India imported nearly 4.4 mbd of crude in April, marginally lower than in March (4.5 mbd) and 85% of Feb…

For millions of salaried employees and the organisations that employ them, the proposed increase represents a shift towards social security. (AI image) India’s social security framework is at an important inflection point. After the labour codes, the government is reportedly considering another major reform: raising the wage ceiling for mandatory Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) coverage…

NEW DELHI: Monthly domestic urea production has rebounded to last year’s levels, fertiliser ministry said on Thursday, noting that output of the most widely used soil nutrient reached 21 lakh tonnes in April, which was the same as the level recorded a year earlier.In March, domestic urea output had tumbled to around 16 lakh tonnes…

Representative image (AI-generated) US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he would remove tariffs and restrictions on whiskey linked to trade between Scotland and the US state of Kentucky.In a post on Truth Social he wrote, “In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House,…

NEW DELHI: With focus on building resilience in the shipping sector, amid the West Asia conflict and increased instances of global supply chain disruptions, govt will adopt a “structured tender” approach for manufacturing specialised vessels, such as gas and oil tankers, and fertiliser carriers. Under this, some vessels in the tender would be built overseas…