Gold, silver import duty raised to 15% from 6% as government moves to curb imports, support rupee

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday raised import tariffs on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, according to Reuters. The move is aimed at curbing precious metal imports and easing pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.The sharp increase in duties comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to avoid buying gold…

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Crisis in West Asia a live BoP stress test: CEA V Anantha Nageswaran

NEW DELHI: The ongoing West Asian crisis is a “live balance of payments stress test” for the country – directly impacting inflation, the exchange rate and the current account, chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said at the CII Annual Business Summit Tuesday. “Managing the current account credibly, financing it and preventing further currency depreciation…

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Entry-level smartphone market shrinks 59%

NEW DELHI: India’s entry-level smartphone market suffered a collapse in the first quarter of 2026. Rising component costs and weakening consumer demand reshaped the country’s handset landscape, according to new data from IDC.India’s overall smartphone shipments declined 4.1% year-on-year to 31 million units in Q1 2026, but the steepest pressure was concentrated in devices priced…

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Gen Z pros embrace ‘portfolio careers’ as side hustles surge

BENGALURU: India’s Gen Z workforce is embracing what experts describe as “portfolio careers” – balancing multiple professional identities and income streams simultaneously. New research from LinkedIn shows that 75% of Gen Z entrepreneurs in India now manage multiple income streams, significantly higher than the 62% among Gen X entrepreneurs. The findings point to a growing…

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‘Unfair trade practice’: Consumer commission pulls up EPFO over decade-long PF delay, orders Rs 50,000 compensation

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh has held that the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) cannot cite software glitches or technical issues to justify a nearly 10-year delay in transferring provident fund (PF) accumulations from an employee’s old account to a new one.The commission partly allowed a complaint filed by employee Rajesh Garg and…

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‘India has financialized too early’: Uday Kotak calls for deeper domestic risk capital pools

Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak said India must cut its reliance on foreign capital and build a strong domestic pool of long-term risk capital to become truly self-reliant.Speaking at an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Kotak said a “truly Aatmanirbhar” nation is one that “does not need to depend on somebody…

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