Page 20 - Industry News

Indian retail eyes strong growth as demand shifts to Tier II, III cities

With policy interventions such as GST reforms and income tax relief, coupled with a good monsoon and higher Minimum Support Prices (MSP), the industry anticipates a silver lining in consumer demand

Corporate India flags concerns over high employee costs under Labour Codes

Under the Code on Wages, fixed term employees are now eligible for payment of gratuity if they serve for a minimum period of one year

Let bars be open till 5 am during year-end: Hotels body to Maha govt

HRAWI has sought a limited extension for excise-licensed hotels and restaurants to serve till 5 am on December 24, 25 and 31, seeking clarity for planning and crowd management

Christmas-New Year week brings cheer as restaurants, pubs eye 30% uptick

Sold out for Christmas brunch, heavy footfall on New Year eve leads to 30% uptick in business for eateries

Hotels see jolly December as festival travel lifts business by 30%

Festive travel demand peaks as hotel bookings jump nearly 30% in December, pushing room rates and airfares higher across popular leisure destinations in India

Mixed resources to contribute 20-25% of 75-85 Gw RE capacity in FY26, FY27

Policy support and robust pipeline to drive additions; transmission and PPA delays remain key execution risks

Centre proposes allowing captive miners to sell surplus mineral output

Draft mineral concession rules propose letting captive mine owners sell surplus output after meeting end-use needs, alongside steps to ease operations and promote deep-seated exploration

DoT seeks approval to add 23,000 BSNL base stations next financial year

Total BTS number may rise to 123,000, approval sought from govt

NHAI gets Sebi nod for RIIT as InvIT, to broaden public participation

RIIMPL has been established as a collaborative venture with equity participation from leading banks and financial institutions

Govt seeks industry partners via EoIs to upgrade ITIs, NSTIs under PM-SETU

MSDE has invited EoIs to onboard anchor industry partners for the Rs 60,000 crore PM-SETU scheme, under which the Centre plans to upgrade 1,000 ITIs and five NSTIs

Housing sales slip to 17-quarter low in Q4 2025; launches fall 10%

Housing sales in the top nine cities fell 16% year on year to 98,019 units in Q4 2025, while new launches declined 10%; developers call it a phase of market realignment

Binding FTA commitments to lift Indian professional services: Commerce secy

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal says binding FTA commitments on professional services can open global opportunities, as India focuses on skills, mobility and digital delivery

New dark patterns every day; govt working daily to address: Pralhad Joshi

Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi says firms are innovating on dark patterns, prompting daily complaints; he cites NCH refunds and CCPA actions in 2025

Sports Ministry launches paid internships; 452 slots, ₹5.3 crore outlay

The Sports Ministry has rolled out a Comprehensive Internship Policy offering 452 paid internships a year across SAI, NADA and NDTL, with a Rs 20,000 monthly stipend

India's diagnostics market shifts to preventive, precision testing in 2025

India's diagnostics sector is seeing a strong shift towards preventive and precision-led testing in 2025, driven by rising demand for proactive health checks and faster genomic diagnostics

Net office leasing in top Indian cities hits record 55 msf in 2025: Report

Despite headwinds such as information technology (IT) layoffs and global tariff tensions, office leasing is expected to grow 10 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) from 49.95 msf in 2024

'Cohesive regulation key to boost investor confidence in non-fossil fuels'

The government has an ambitious target of having 500 GW non-fossil fuel-based power generation capacity by 2030

Office leasing up 6% in 2025 across top 7 cities on better demand: Report

Real estate consultant Colliers India on Wednesday noted that the office demand is expected to remain robust next year, driven by growth in technology and BFSI

Sustained growth, more tourists: New Year's wish for hospitality sector

A harmonised infrastructure status for the hotel industry could unlock significant capital inflows for the sector, as it will facilitate easier financing

Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk compete for lead in India's obesity drug market

Novo's strategy emphasises price cuts and accelerated launches, while Lilly's products benefitted from hitting the market early