Top Headlines: Queen Elizabeth II dies, Reliance Jio's 5G plans, and more

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Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, died at her home in Scotland aged 96 on Thursday. Reliance Jio is close to finalising its contract with telecom gear maker Ericsson to roll out its 5G network in Mumbai and Maharashtra and Kolkata and West Bengal in the first phase of its launch in October. Read more on these in our top headlines

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, dies at 96

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, died at her home in Scotland aged 96 on Thursday.

"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." Read more

Reliance Jio going with Nokia, Ericsson to roll out 5G network in October

Reliance Jio is close to finalising its contract with telecom gear maker Ericsson to roll out its 5G network in Mumbai and Maharashtra and Kolkata and West Bengal in the first phase of its launch in October. And it is going with Nokia for the lucrative Delhi circle, and Chennai, which includes Tamil Nadu, say sources aware of the development.

This is the first time that Jio is opting for multiple vendors. During its 4G rollout, it had signed up with South Korean giant Samsung for the entire network, despite tough competition from European and Chinese vendors. Read more

Railways eyes Rs 30,000-crore revenue with new land licensing fee policy

With its new land licensing fee (LLF) policy, the Ministry of Railways has identified a revenue potential of Rs 30,000 crore over the next five years, senior officials in charge of estimation said on Thursday.

The revenue will be realised through augmented freight volume brought through GatiShakti cargo terminals. Read more

EY plans to spin off audit, consulting units to ease regulatory concerns

Professional services firm Ernst & Young said on Thursday it was planning to split its audit and consulting units into two companies, as it looks to ease regulatory concerns over potential conflicts of interest.

“This is something that will change the industry,” Carmine Di Sibio, EY’s global chairman and chief executive, said in an interview. Read more

Banks jump on the ONDC bandwagon to draw synergy from the network

The Centre’s efforts to democratise online commerce by creating an indigenous network for buyers and sellers is receiving significant interest from the banking sector, with several lenders picking up stake in the network.

Indian lenders are also looking to set up buyer platforms to draw synergy and create opportunities for the network to be successful. Read more

New foreign trade policy may focus on non-fiscal measures to boost exports

The new foreign trade policy (FTP) is likely to spell out guidelines to make Indian exports competitive through non-fiscal measures, marking a significant change from the existing policy that focused on incentive-driven schemes.

Ahead of the unveiling of the new FTP — a comprehensive policy strategy to promote export of goods and services — exporters said it should be ‘flexible’ enough to deal with various uncertainties and geopolitical challenges that the world has been witnessing over more than two years. Read more