Business Standard - May 07, 2025

In this issue

May 07, 2025

Sustainable transport to find way into climate action plan

In a move aimed at formalising its efforts to decarbonise the highly polluting transport sectors, the Centre will add a mission for \"sustainable transport\" in its National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC), it is learnt.

2 mins

Indian drug cos in no rush to make US shift

United States (US) President Donald Trump's executive order to promote domestic drug manufacturing and cut approval timelines for pharmaceutical plants is unlikely to have a direct impact on Indian exporters, according to industry executives and analysts.

2 mins

Stiff Competition in PE/VC Landscape as More Players Join In

The competitive landscape for private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) funds is getting more intense, with the number of players going up to grab a piece of the pie.

2 mins

IAF to start mock war drill on Pak border amid civil defence exercise

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will begin a two-day war exercise along the country's western border with Pakistan from Wednesday, describing the manoeuvre as a \"pre-planned and routine training exercise\".

4 mins

'Historic milestone': India, UK seal free-trade deal

Duplication of social security contributions to be nixed too

3 mins

MCA orders probe against Gensol and BluSmart

The corporate affairs ministry has ordered a probe into the affairs of crisis-hit Gensol Engineering and BluSmart Mobility for alleged violations of companies law, according to officials.

1 min

Pharma units seek 3 months to submit upgrade plan

Schedule M rollout may get delayed

2 mins

Colgate's Maha distributors set to halt purchases

Oral-care major Colgate Palmolive (India) is in a spot in Maharashtra, where its distributors have decided to suspend purchase of all its products starting May 12 over issuance of trade credit notes without applying corresponding GST, and steep discounts the firm has been offering to quick-commerce (qcom) channels.

1 min

Adani Power wins bid to supply 1500 Mw to UP

Following a competitive bidding process, India's largest private thermal power producer, Adani Power, has secured a long-term contract to supply 1,500 megawatt (Mw) of electricity to Uttar Pradesh (UP) at ₹5.383 per unit for 25 years.

1 min

GenAI Will Build Billion Applications By 2028

IBM Chief executive officer (CEO) Arvind Krishna (pictured) on Tuesday said that over a billion new applications would be built using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) by 2028.

2 mins

Ather Energy to foray into 125-300cc e-bike space

Ather Energy, which saw its shares being listed on the bourses on Tuesday, is gearing up to enter the 125-300cc-equivalent electric motorcycle space.

2 mins

IDs blocked, restored on apology, say Blinkit staff

Nearly 150 delivery partners of Blinkit, who were part of the two-day strike in Varanasi, have claimed that the quick commerce (qcom) platform had blocked their IDs in the wake of the stir, reinstating only those who signed a pledge not to get involved in such actions in future.

1 min

SC's BPSL order: JSW Steel to file review petition

Sajjan Jindal-led steel major JSW Steel has decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court order rejecting its resolution plan for Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd (BPSL), according to people aware of the matter.

1 min

Air cargo agents warn of 'severe' trade disruption

The decision of the Mumbai International Airport Limited (Mial) to discontinue cargo flight operations from August 16 could \"severely\" impact the country's export-import (Exim) trade by driving up freight rates and causing delays in delivery, warned the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) in a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

2 mins

Auto to textiles, India Inc hopes to reap benefits

Medical-device makers apprehensive due to the China factor

3 mins

Double Contribution Convention Pact to Help Indian IT Companies

India and the UK's decision to avoid double contribution to social security funds by Indian professionals working temporarily in the UK is expected to have a positive impact on Indian companies operating there, especially IT service providers.

2 mins

ITAT Body Raises Concern Over High Pendency of Cases at Delhi Benches

The Delhi branch of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Bar Association has raised serious concerns over an increasing backlog of cases at the tribunal's Delhi benches, in a letter to the ITAT president, highlighting a deteriorating judicial environment marked by frequent adjournments.

1 min

Stake sale reports speculative: Yes Bank

Private sector lender Yes Bank clarified on Tuesday that its discussions with various stakeholders, aimed at enhancing shareholder value, are routine and currently at a preliminary stage.

1 min

Cost Key Factor for Indian Drug Makers

The Environmental Protection Agency has been asked to expedite facility construction.

2 mins

Longer call money trading hours may address liquidity mismatch

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) proposal to extend the trading hours of the call-money market to 7 pm from 5 pm is aimed at having enough liquidity to serve the operational needs of real-time payment systems of banks, according to market participants.

2 mins

Well capitalised, can sustain growth for at least next 3-5 yrs

DEBADATTA CHAND, managing director and chief executive officer of Bank of Baroda, tells Abhijit Lele and Anupreksha Jain in an interview in Mumbai that the bank's interest margins are expected to improve from the third quarter. Edited excerpts:

2 mins

India-UK BIT yet to be finalised

Also, the benefits from the pact to Indian companies and employees may exceed ₹4,000 crore.

3 mins

UNSC questions Pak on Pahalgam attack

Metro cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, along with border cities and locations with key infrastructure, have been identified as the most vulnerable.

2 mins

India-focused PE funds accounted for 10% of APAC's 2024 total

Despite that, by the close of 2024, India-focused funds accounted for 10 per cent of all the funds raised in that year in the Asia Pacific region, up from 7 per cent in 2016.

1 min

Airtel Africa ties up with Starlink

Airtel Africa on Tuesday announced an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed internet services to its customers in Africa.

1 min

EV sales down 17.6% in Apr: Fada

BUMPY RIDE EV sales (in units)

2 mins

Coforge banks on large deals to drive growth

Mid-tier information technology (IT) services company Coforge is confident of carrying on the momentum in large deals in 2025-26 (FY26), even as it expects persistent macroeconomic headwinds to likely create some softness in certain businesses.

1 min

Exceptional item' keeps Paytm in loss

Company reports consolidated loss of ₹539.8 crore in Q4

2 mins

Hilton Ups India Play With LXR Brand

Global hospitality giant Hilton is set to launch its luxury LXR Hotels & Resorts brand in India with the first property coming up in Bengaluru by 2026.

1 min

Action plan: How mock drill will be conducted today

The nationwide civil defence mock drill will be conducted on Wednesday across 244 districts.

1 min

Shipping, aviation sectors target net-zero by '50

\"For other transport sectors, the plan will broadly align with existing international standards — like the International Civil Aviation Organization for aviation.

1 min

Union Bank admits to lapses in procuring Subramanian's book

State-run Union Bank of India on Tuesday acknowledged lapses in the procurement of the book India@100, authored by former chief economic advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian, and said it was examining the matter.

2 mins

India-EU FTA Our Priority, Possible by Dec-End: FM

On a day India and the UK clinched a free trade pact, Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman said New Delhi could achieve a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union by December this year as there were just \"one or two items\" on which each side was fixated.

2 mins

Global M&As Hit 20-Year Low in April

Bankers, CEOs Halt Signings After Trump's 'Liberation Day' Tariff Announcement

3 mins

US Goods and Services Trade Deficit Rose to Record High in March

Widening Gap

1 min

Germany's Merz becomes chancellor in second attempt

Friedrich Merz secured parliamentary backing as Germany's new chancellor on the second attempt, paving the way for the conservative leader to take charge of Europe's biggest economy but with considerably diminished authority.

1 min

Pakistan to Raise Defence Spending by 18% in Next Budget

Pakistan's coalition government has endorsed an 18 per cent increase in defence spending to over Rs 2.5 trillion in the next Budget due to tensions with India, according to a media report on Tuesday.

1 min

OpenAI dials back rejig plan, nonprofit to retain control

OpenAI has dialed back a significant restructuring plan, with its nonprofit parent retaining control in a move that is likely to limit CEO Sam Altman's power over the pioneering maker of ChatGPT.

2 mins

Walking with history

The 1940s was a historically important decade for the Indian subcontinent because it set the foundations for independence from colonial rule.

3 mins

Mission improbable

Trump's movie tariff proposals defy logic

2 mins

A legend retires

Berkshire will continue to be closely followed

2 mins

Sense and caste census

The caste census may not lead to greater social justice. It could instead reinforce caste identities — the opposite of what Ambedkar wanted

5 mins

Why Delaying Tech Reforms Hurts Everyone

India has been at the forefront of building digital public infrastructure for governance reforms.

3 mins

Nifty PSU Bank sees biggest 1-day fall in 11 mths

UNDER PRESSURE

1 min

Strong Q4 momentum likely to continue for Indian Hotels in FY26

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) posted strong numbers in the January-March quarter (Q4) of FY25, driven by 14 per cent growth in average room rates (ARRs).

2 mins

Commodity derivatives mkts may get a shot at colocation

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi's) Commodity Derivatives Advisory Committee (Cdac) is actively discussing allowing colocation facilities for commodity derivatives markets, a move expected to boost efficiency and liquidity, and aligning the sector with global and equity markets, sources said.

1 min

If macro conditions hold, IPOs will top 2024's record tally

Last calendar year was a record year with ₹1.6 trillion getting mobilised through initial public offerings (IPOs). The momentum has slowed this year, but Sunil Khaitan, managing director (MD) and head of India Financing Group at Goldman Sachs, believes market volatility hasn't hindered the IPO filings. In an interview with Samie Modak and Sundar Sethuraman in Mumbai, Khaitan expressed optimism that 2025 could be another exceptional year, citing growing recognition among issuers and investors of the importance of balanced pricing over short-term gains. Edited excerpts:

3 mins

Outlook for AMCs buoyed by SIP inflows, SIF foray

Brokerages see upside as Q4 results help allay volatility fears

2 mins

Growing Popularity of Gold ETFs

About 95 per cent of India's gold demand is in the physical form.

2 mins

Volume, margin gains likely to rev up M&M

Brokerages see it outperforming peers in PVs, tractors and CVs

2 mins

India ranks 130th on UNDP's Human Development Index

The country's human development value has risen by 53% since 1990

1 min

Indians May Hit Pause on US Travel Plans Amid Visa Worries

Tourists hesitant to visit America due to frequent policy changes there

2 mins

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