Business
Pakistan External Repayments: Pakistan lines up $4.8 billion in external repayments by June, including $3.5 billion owed to UAE: Report
Pakistan has made arrangements to repay $4.8 billion in external obligations by June, including $3.5 billion payable to the United Arab Emirates through three different facilities, according to a local media report.The development comes after Islamabad decided to return $2 billion to Abu Dhabi by the end of the current month. The amount had been…
Amazon pares Fresh as it pushes quick delivery
Bengaluru: Amazon is preparing to scale down its 4-24 hour grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh, in several major Indian cities as it sharpens focus on its quick commerce offering, AmazonNow, according to a UBS Global Research report.The transition is expected to play out across 10-15 large urban markets where AmazonNow is being expanded, effectively replacing…
GCC demand surges: Foreign firms lease record 9.1 mn sq ft office space in Jan-Mar; India cements global hub status
Foreign firms leased a record 9.1 million square feet of office space across India’s top nine cities during the January-March quarter to set up Global Capability Centres (GCCs), highlighting strong demand for workspaces, PTI reported citing CBRE data.Real estate consultant CBRE said total gross leasing of office space rose 5% to 20.7 million square feet…
New norms for NH & bridge works: Longer timelines, realistic deadlines
New Delhi: In a major change in policy, govt has increased the time allowed for construction of 6-10 km-long bridges across rivers such as Ganga and Brahmaputra to six years and for 2.5-6 km-long bridges on Mahanadi and Godavari to five years. The timelines have been revised from the current 24-30 months.Similarly, the construction period…
Rupee gains 28 paise to close at 92.90 against US dollar; RBI measures aid recovery despite global pressures
The rupee appreciated by 28 paise to close at 92.90 against the US dollar on Monday, supported by the Reserve Bank’s measures aimed at curbing speculative activity and reducing volatility, PTI reported.Forex traders said that while the RBI’s actions are positive for the currency, continued foreign fund outflows, a firm dollar and elevated crude oil…
Amid funding pressure, banks tap wider pool for credit expansion
Mumbai : Bank earnings in FY26 are set to shift from margin-led gains to volume-driven growth, even as funding pressures intensify with banks increasingly tapping costly wholesale sources to sustain credit expansion. According to data released by RBI, system-level advances grew 13.8% as of March 15, outpacing deposit growth of 10.8%, widening the gap between…
Govt extends quality control order deadline to October; aims to boost electrical appliance supply
The government on Monday extended the implementation timeline for the mandatory quality control order (QCO) on certain electrical appliances by six months till October, PTI reported.“It shall come into force on the 1st of October, 2026,” the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said in a notification.The QCO is applicable to all…
Hormuz transit update: 2 Indian LPG tankers cross strait; 16 vessels remain stranded in Gulf
Two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers have safely crossed the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz and are headed towards Indian ports, even as 16 vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, officials said on Monday, according to PTI.LPG vessel Green Sanvi, carrying 46,650 tonnes of cargo, is scheduled to reach an Indian port on April 7, while…
‘India’s debt-to-GDP ratio lowest among major economies’: FM Sitharaman sees fiscal space, hints at rate cut
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said India stands out in debt management among major economies, with an overall debt-to-GDP ratio of about 81%, even as the global economy faces rising volatility and uncertainty, PTI reported.Speaking at an event organised by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), Sitharaman warned that the ongoing…
Iran war risk: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warns of oil shocks, sticky inflation and higher interest rates
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that the ongoing war in Iran could trigger oil and commodity price shocks, keeping inflation elevated and pushing interest rates higher than current market expectations, Reuters reported.The warning came in his annual letter to shareholders, a day after US President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Iran by threatening…