Business
India backs WTO reset with core focus intact
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday backed reforming the World Trade Organisation but underlined the need to retain the core focus on poor and developing countries and a consensus-driven decision-making process.“The necessary reform of WTO should be carried out through a transparent, inclusive and member-driven process, keeping development at its core, upholding the foundational principles and…
E-comm hiring up 35% in 2 yrs; AI, ops lead: Report
BENGALURU: India’s e-commerce and quick commerce sector is hiring again, but the playbook has changed. Talent demand rose 35% between 2023 and 2025 to nearly 98,750 roles, even as companies shifted from expansion-led hiring to building technology capability and execution strength, according to a CIEL HR report.The sharpest shift is in technology hiring. Demand for…
Deutsche Bank GCC fuels AI push with incubator
MUMBAI: The Indian Global Capability Center (GCC) of Deutsche Bank is betting on a startup-style approach to accelerate AI adoption, with its in-house incubator at Deutsche India Pvt Ltd (DIPL) drawing 100 ideas within its first 100 days, reflecting what its leadership describes as an unusually high openness to technological change among the local workforce.Stefan…
Jindal Steel’s deal with Thyssenkrupp faces delay
NEW DELHI: Jindal Steel International is seeking clarity from German authorities, with the proposed deal to acquire Thyssenkrupp Steel facing delays over pension-related issues, persons aware of the matter said. The talks remain active and the deal has not been abandoned, though certain legal and operational matters are yet to be resolved. Pension liabilities remain…
Gulf crisis: British Airways and SWISS add India flights
NEW DELHI: With the big Gulf carriers operating a fraction of their schedules, foreign airlines are expanding their India flights to meet the increased demand for options to the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. SWISS will operate a second daily light between between Delhi and Zurich from April 1 to May 31, 2026….
US mortgage rates hit over six-month high at 6.38% as borrowing costs rise in peak homebuying season
Borrowing costs for homebuyers in the US rose further this week, with the average long-term mortgage rate reaching its highest level in more than six months and adding pressure during the peak spring housing season.Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to 6.38% from 6.22% a week earlier. The rate…
WTO reform push: India flags dysfunctional dispute system at MC14, seeks review of e-commerce duty moratorium
India on Thursday urged members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to restore a fully functional dispute settlement system, saying the current mechanism has deprived countries of effective redressal, PTI reported.Speaking on the opening day of the WTO’s 14th ministerial conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal stressed the need to…
Energy shock from Middle East war may lift US inflation to 4.2% this year; OECD warns of weaker global growth
The escalation of the Middle East conflict could push US inflation to 4.2% this year–the highest among G7 economies– while also slowing global growth, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said, underlining the widening economic costs of the US-Israel war with Iran, the Financial Times reported.In its interim economic outlook, the Paris-based…
US-Iran war impact: India’s crude imports from Russia near all time highs; will such high numbers continue?
Historically, India’s highest monthly purchases of Russian crude have been around 2.0-2.1 Mbd since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022. (AI image) Russian crude has emerged as a major player amid the US-Iran war – global crude oil supply is badly affected via the Strait of Hormuz, Middle East countries are finding it difficult to…
US unemployment data: Jobless claims edge up to 210,000; labour market still shows resilience
Applications for unemployment benefits in the United States rose slightly last week, signalling continued labour market resilience even as hiring momentum has slowed over the past year.New filings for jobless aid increased by 5,000 to 210,000 for the week ended March 21, up from 205,000 in the previous week, the US Labour Department said on…