Business

US stock markets traded largely steady on Friday after a softer-than-expected inflation update helped calm investor nerves, even as concerns about artificial intelligence-driven disruption continued to weigh on sentiment.The S&P 500 was nearly unchanged in early trade, a day after recording one of its worst losses since Thanksgiving. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 109…

The government on Friday approved the second tranche of the Startup India Fund of Funds Scheme with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore, aimed at encouraging early-stage startups and deep-tech research, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post.On his first day at Seva Teerth, his new office, PM Modi signed files linked…

A key measure of US inflation fell to nearly a five-year low in January as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices declined, offering some relief to consumers after years of sharp cost increases.Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and moving closer to the…

Gold prices rose on Friday, climbing Rs 1,044 to reach Rs 1,53,880 per 10 grams in futures trade. This surge was driven by traders who took fresh positions, responding to firm demand in the spot market. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, April delivery gold contracts moved higher by Rs 1,044, or 0.68%, closing at Rs…

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday proposed revised guidelines for the Lead Bank Scheme (LBS) to streamline operational processes and enhance the effectiveness of the programme introduced in 1969 to coordinate development activities at the district level, PTI reported.The Lead Bank Scheme is aimed at coordinating the activities of banks, governments and other…

Airfares to Colombo have shot up sharply as Indian cricket fans scramble to secure last-minute travel for Sunday’s India–Pakistan T20 World Cup clash, with uncertainty around the fixture now resolved.Bookings spiked after Pakistan rolled back its boycott stance around February 9–10, setting off a surge in demand for flights and hotels in the Sri Lankan…

India’s foreign exchange reserves declined by $6.711 billion to $717.064 billion for the week ended February 6, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday.In the previous reporting week, the reserves had surged by $14.361 billion to hit an all-time high of $723.774 billion.During the week ended February 6, foreign…

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled more than 1 per cent on Friday amid a broad-based selloff led by metal, IT and commodity stocks, tracking weak global market cues.In a volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex fell 1,048.16 points, or 1.25 per cent, to close at 82,626.76. During the day, the benchmark tanked 1,140.37…

The Income Tax Department has released the Draft Income Tax Rules 2026. (AI image) The Income Tax Department has released the Draft Income Tax Rules 2026, which once approved will be applicable for FY 2026-27. For salaried and middle class income taxpayers, several changes have been proposed, which will have implications for their taxable income…

A majority of companies are unlikely to reduce salary hikes, even with higher wage bills resulting from the implementation of new labour codes, according to HR heads and compensation experts. However, increments may be moderated in certain sectors, particularly information technology.Costs for benefits such as gratuity, overtime, bonus, and leave encashment have increased after the…