Top headlines: Indians boycott Chinese goods, govt targets 5-6 mn jobs

From Indians boycotting Chinese goods this Diwali to the Centre's aim of creating 5-6 million formal sector jobs, Business Standard brings you the top headlines of the day

Slaying the dragon: 71% Indians boycotted Chinese goods this Diwali

Heeding the call to boycott China from various quarters, Indian consumers have mostly stayed away from purchasing China-made products this festive season. According to a LocalCircles survey, 71 per cent of local consumers did not purchase goods that carried a ‘Made in China’ tag. Read more...

Govt targets 5-6 mn job creation through Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana

The Central government is aiming to create 5-6 million formal-sector jobs through the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY), announced to provide financial subsidy to companies. “We are targeting 5-6 million jobs by June next year. Read more...

Leaders and laggards: Sectors that did well in Q2, and those that didn't

Banking, oil and gas, pharma, tyres, cement, and FMCG (except tobacco) were among sectors to register a good performance for the quarter ended September. While lenders benefitted from the Supreme Court moratorium on loans, pharma companies gained from a general uptick in demand for medicines and health supplements owing to Covid-19. Read more...

RCEP decoded: Why India chose to stay out of Asia's mega free trade pact

What happened with the Regional Economic Cooperation Agreement (RCEP)? Last year, in November, when heads of state of 16 nations (10 ASEAN+6) met at Bangkok to conclude the discussions on RCEP, the expectation about the formation of the regional trade bloc was at its peak. It got punctured to quite an extent when Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to withdraw from the commitment to sign the RCEP agreement a year later in 2020. Read more...
 

BPCL disinvestment gets going with multiple EOIs, Reliance stays away

The long-awaited privatisation process for Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) is finally moving to its second stage with at least three to four companies submitting expressions of interest (EoIs). The government had to extend the deadlines for submission of EoIs four times before setting the final deadline on Monday. Read more...

WPI inflation rises to 8-month high of 1.48% on pharma, metal prices

The wholesale price index-based (WPI-based) inflation rate rose for the third straight month to an eight-month high of 1.48 per cent in October from 1.32 per cent in the previous month. Read more...
 

Are you spending too much? Time for a reality check on financial immunity

In a year marred by the pandemic and consequent job losses and reduction in income, the two leading online retailers managed to clock sales worth a massive $3.5 billion within four days of their respective festive events. Financial advisors say people may have splurged beyond their capacity. Read more...