Bs Reads

BS Manthan kicks off today with top voices convening for 2 days of insight

The audience, across two auditoriums at Bharat Mandapam as well as online, have much to look forward to as the third edition of BS Manthan will take the narrative on India's future to a new level

Gold imports not alarming yet, FDI inflows a puzzle: FM Sitharaman

'Too soon to comment on US tariff twist, but India committed to forging more trade deals'

UK police arrest Peter Mandelson in misconduct probe over Epstein ties

British police arrested former UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson on Monday in a misconduct probe stemming from his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. London's Metropolitan Police force said "officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office" at an address in north London. It did not name Mandelson, in keeping with British police practice, but the suspect in the case has previously been identified as Mandelson. Police are investigating Mandelson over documents suggesting he passed sensitive government information to Epstein a decade and a half ago. He does not face any allegations of sexual misconduct.

NMP 2.0 for FY26-30 launched: Govt aims ₹16.7 trn from asset monetisation

Private investment of Rs 5.8 trillion also included in the target

Robotaxis set to enter London market; black cab drivers skeptical

The Ford Mustang Mach-E cruises down a London road choked with traffic, using its onboard AI system to avoid jaywalkers and cyclists, and navigate roadwork as it drives to its destination. The autonomous vehicle from British startup Wayve Technologies is on a test run ahead of the UK government's robotaxi trials set to launch in the spring. Tech companies, including US company Waymo and China's Baidu, also plan to take part in the pilot program, making London the latest arena in the global robotaxi competition. While self-driving cabs aren't new, London's ancient road layout and busy streetscapes could pose special challenges for the technology. There's also scepticism from London's famed black cab drivers, who must pass a gruelling training course known as "The Knowledge," which requires memorising hundreds of routes and takes years to complete. They've previously opposed technology that's disrupted their industry and protested the arrival of Uber. Self-driving taxis are "a soluti

Hegseth to meet Anthropic CEO to discuss military use of Claude AI

According to its Monday report, Defense officials say the Pentagon's talks with Anthropic are on the verge on collapsing

Govt to raise ₹16.3K cr by monetising oil and gas assets in next four years

The Centre plans to monetise DSFs, storage assets, GAIL Gas equity and dark fibre leases to raise Rs 16,300 crore by FY30 as part of NMP 2.0, targeting both midstream and upstream segments

Stocks slide, gold rallies as Trump's tariff shifts unsettle markets

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.44 per cent , the S&P 500 fell 1 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.2 per cent

Countries 'playing games' on trade deals will face more tariffs: Trump

Trump, in a series of social media posts, said he also may impose license fees on trading partners as uncertainty over his next tariff moves gripped the global economy and sent stocks lower

Starting a Startup: A serial entrepreneur's guide to steering clear of trap

The book's premise is that you can have a successful startup only if it satisfies a genuine customer need

India set for mega investment boom in CCUS, but scale remains a challenge

A ₹20,000 crore outlay in Budget 2026 may accelerate commercial-scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage projects as India balances industrial growth with its 2070 Net Zero goal

NMP 2.0 targets ₹2.76 trillion power asset monetisation by FY30

NMP 2.0 aims to monetise Rs 2.76 lakh crore worth of power sector assets by FY30 through hydro projects, transmission lines and PSU equity dilution, with Rs 49,900 crore targeted for FY26

Silver, gold climb 3% in Delhi on safe-haven rush after US tariff shock

Precious metal prices climbed 3 per cent in the national capital on Monday, with silver surging to Rs 2.7 lakh per kilogram and gold advancing to Rs 1.6 lakh per 10 grams, due to strong safe-haven demand amid growing global trade uncertainties after the US Supreme Court ruling against Trump's tariffs. According to the All India Sarafa Association, silver jumped Rs 8,000, or 3.03 per cent, to Rs 2,72,000 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes) from Friday's closing level of Rs 2,64,000 per kg. Gold of 99.9 per cent purity also increased by Rs 3,300, or 2.06 per cent, to Rs 1,62,800 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes). It had settled at Rs 1,59,500 per 10 grams in the previous market session. Silver and gold extended bullish momentum on Monday, with both metals trading at a three-week high, supported by renewed safe-haven demand. The rally came following a landmark US Supreme Court ruling against Trump's tariffs, which triggered sharp cross-asset volatility and prompted investors to

Gilead to acquire cancer therapy developer Arcellx for up to $7.8 billion

This is Gilead's biggest deal since its $21 billion buyout of Immunomedics, giving it access to Trodelvy, an antibody-drug conjugate used to treat a type of advanced breast cancer

India moved from 'aspiring' to 'inspiring' nation: Former President Kovind

Former President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said India has transitioned from an "aspiring nation to an inspiring nation" and praised the country's extraordinary development journey over the past two decades. He was addressing the curtain-raiser ceremony of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce & Industry's 125th anniversary, themed 'India @2047 - Economic Vision for Amrit Kaal'. He said that despite global disruptions such as the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, India has remained firm in its growth trajectory. "Nations either drift or they decide. India has decided," he said. Citing economic progress, Kovind said India is "the only major economy to double its GDP in the last 10 years" and noted that more than 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty, which he termed "the most remarkable dimension of the India story". He also highlighted the country's growing self-reliance in defence production, saying India is now exporting equipment to over 80 countries and has developed .

Aviation Ministry weighs curbs on festival airfare surge, Centre tells SC

The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was actively considering the issues raised in a PIL which sought regulatory guidelines to control the unpredictable fluctuations in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which termed the issue as "serious", granted four weeks to the Centre for the conclusion of the deliberations on the issue flagged in the public interest litigation (PIL). "This is a very serious concern. Otherwise, we don't entertain 32 petitions," the bench said. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik said that they need at least three weeks to file their response on the PIL as the concerned ministry is actively considering the issues raised in the petition. The bench, which recorded that the issues have been taken note by the ministry, posted the matter for further hearing on March 23. On January 19, the top court said it wo

Nexus Select Trust buys 50% stake in Runwal Enterprises mall for ₹434 cr

Realty firm Nexus Select Trust will acquire 50 per cent stake in an upcoming mall in Mumbai for Rs 434 crore as part of its expansion plan. In a regulatory filing on Monday, Nexus Select Trust, a REIT sponsored by Blackstone, said it has entered into a tie-up for an under-construction development. "The REIT has agreed to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the upcoming Nexus Runwal Gardens Mall in Dombivli, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), to be operated in partnership with Runwal Enterprises," the filing said. The proposed mall will span 7.4 lakh sq ft of gross leasing area. Nexus Select Trust will acquire 50 per cent equity shareholding in the Garden City Malls Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of M/s. Runwal Residency Pvt Ltd. "Purchase consideration of Rs 434 crore with an overall enterprise value of Rs 892 crore (includes estimated closing costs), subject to closing adjustments. Based on estimated 4,67,000 sq ft net leasable area," the filing said. Nexus Select Trus

93% biometric enrolment of Myanmar refugees completed in Mizoram: Minister

The Mizoram government has nearly completed the biometric enrolment of refugees from Myanmar who have taken shelter across the state, Home Minister K Sapdanga informed the Assembly on Monday. The minister said that deputy commissioners are currently supervising the final phase of the process. "Altogether, 93 per cent of the biometric enrolment for Myanmar refugees was completed as of February 5. We aim to complete the remaining work as quickly as possible," he said. According to the minister, Mizoram currently hosts 38,059 people, including refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs) from neighbouring Manipur. He said the registration process, which involves collecting biometric and demographic details of asylum seekers from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), is also underway and expected to be completed soon. A senior official of the state home department said 13 per cent of over 2,300 Bangladeshi nationals have been enrolled to ...

How economists use their subject's frameworks to unravel our messy lives

Three new books use economics to decode behaviour, war and nature - revealing both the power and the limits of economic thinking in explaining our messy world

Modi says HCL-Foxconn OSAT JV marks key step toward chip self-reliance

PM Modi said the upcoming HCL-Foxconn OSAT plant in Jewar signals India's push towards semiconductor self-reliance as the country builds capacity in chip assembly and testing