Business

The finance ministry has directed public sector banks (PSBs) to ramp up lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the agriculture sector while maintaining healthy growth in low-cost deposits and ensuring strong risk management, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.Chairing a performance review meeting with bank chiefs, Department of Financial Services…

Artificial intelligence firm Anthropic on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious $50 billion plan to build a new network of data centres in collaboration with UK-based Fluidstack, signalling its intent to expand rapidly as global demand for AI infrastructure surges, AFP reported.The facilities — to be built initially in Texas and New York –will form the foundation…

India’s fast-growing Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem — which already employs 1.9 million professionals — is set to create an additional 2.8 to 4 million jobs by FY30, according to a new report by TeamLease. But as expansion accelerates, the study warns, operators will face an increasingly complex regulatory and compliance environment, PTI reported.The report,…

US stocks edged higher on Wednesday, with benchmark indices inching toward record levels as easing worries over the government shutdown and a rebound in technology shares buoyed investor sentiment, according to an AP report.The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in early trade, nearing its all-time high from two weeks ago, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average…

Nooruddin Azizi (File photo) Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Wednesday said that it is seeking alternative trade routes through Central Asia as border closures with Pakistan continue to cripple commerce and worsen economic losses.Acting commerce minister Nooruddin Azizi said that the country is losing nearly $200 million every month due to the shutdown of key crossings…

American aerospace giant Boeing has downplayed concerns that India–US trade frictions could hit its operations, saying that tariff disputes have no bearing on its commercial or defence business in the country, ET reported.Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India, said the company continues to see India as a key market for growth and industrial partnership, even…

India is poised to become the epicentre of global oil demand growth over the next decade, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest Global Energy Outlook 2025, citing rapid economic expansion, industrialisation, and rising vehicle ownership as key drivers of energy consumption.According to the Paris-based agency, India’s energy demand is projected to rise…

The All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) saw a year-on-year inflation rate of -5.02% (Provisional) for October 2025 versus October 2024. (AI image) October retail inflation FY 2025-26: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for the month of October dropped to a 10-year low of 0.25% according to government data. This is a reduction…

Shares of Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Ltd (TMLCV), the newly demerged commercial vehicle arm of Tata Motors, made a robust debut on Wednesday, listing at a premium of over 26%–28% to its implied value.. The stock opened at Rs 335 on the NSE, up 28.5% from the implied value of Rs 260.75 and at Rs…

Nasscom highlighted concerns about geographical and sector-based disparities in the new system proposed for H-1B visa issuance. (AI image) H-1B visa overhaul: Donald Trump administration’s proposed move to replace the lottery-based system for H-1B visas with a ‘wage-weighted’ system will be disruptive, Nasscom has warned. Nasscom, the IT industry body, has sharply criticised the US…