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Iran rejects Trump's 15-point ceasefire plan, presents its own 5 demands

Tehran termed the US proposal excessive, and said it would continue operations; it also outlined five conditions including security guarantees and control over the Strait of Hormuz

RBI rejects all treasury bill bids as investors seek higher returns

The Reserve Bank on Wednesday rejected all bids for treasury bills offered at auction, as investors demanded yields that were 0.05-0.10 percentage points higher than those seen in previous auctions amid tight liquidity conditions in the banking system, market participants said. The central bank did not accept any investor bids for 91-day, 182-day and 364-day T-bills. The RBI announced the auction of short-term government securities on February 21. "Tight liquidity in the banking system has prompted investors to bid 0.05-0.10 per cent higher cut-off yields at the auction, which the RBI rejected," said Balasubramanian R, head of treasury at Dhanlaxmi Bank. The Government of India issues treasury bills (T-bills) as money market instruments that function as promissory notes, guaranteeing repayment at a later date. Typically, banks, primary dealers, retail investors, and institutional investors participate in these auctions. Treasury bills are short-term borrowing instruments with ...

IBC helped recover over ₹4 trillion in last decade: Anurag Thakur

The introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has led to the recovery of over Rs 4 lakh crore in the last decade through the resolution of bankrupt companies, senior BJP MP Anurag Thakur said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Participating in the debate on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Thakur said IBC is not a recovery mechanism but a revival and resurrection of the company. The IBC enacted in 2016 has done a recovery of 50 per cent, while the SARFAESI Act, 2002 (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest) has done a recovery of 20 per cent, and the Debts Recovery Tribunals have done a recovery of 10 per cent, he said, adding, "This indicates greater efficiency of IBC." It has changed the debtor-creator relationship and companies and promoters are afraid of getting into insolvency after IBC. Citing instances, he said, about 32,000 applications have been withdrawn and the underlying debt of more

Sonia Gandhi to remain under medical observation for a few more days

Veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who is admitted at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, is stable and under close medical supervision, doctors said on Wednesday. According to hospital authorities, she was admitted at around 10.22 pm on Tuesday. Chairman Dr Ajay Swaroop said that her condition remains stable and a team of doctors is closely monitoring her health. Doctors are conducting further examinations to check for a possible infection in the stomach and urinary tract, and antibiotics have been administered as part of the treatment, the hospital said. Sources had earlier said that Gandhi was unwell, possibly due to the weather change, and was admitted for observation. They said there is no cause for concern and her condition is not serious.

Businesses can pay customs duty via UPI, cards on ICEGATE portal: CBIC

Businesses can now use UPI, debit or credit cards for paying Customs duty on the ICEGATE portal, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has said. The CBIC in a circular said ICEGATE e-Payment platform has enabled 'Payment Aggregator' as an authorised mode to facilitate customs duty payment. ICEGATE essentially functions as the digital backbone of Indian customs and acts as an interface through which importers and exporters file documents, track clearances, and discharge duty payments. While the system has evolved significantly over the time, the payment mechanism remained largely anchored to a limited set of authorised banks and conventional channels such as net banking and NEFT/RTGS. "With the rollout of a payment aggregator on ICEGATE, duty payments are no longer confined to specific banking channels. Businesses can now use UPI, debit or credit cards, and access a significantly wider banking network bringing a greater degree of ease and convenience in making paymen

Questions on caste to be notified before second phase of Census 2027: Govt

The questions on caste to be asked by enumerators will be notified before the commencement of the second phase of the Census 2027, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the questions will be finalised on the basis of inputs and suggestions received from different ministries, departments, organisations, Census data users, etc., before each Census. "The questions, including on caste, for the second phase will be finalised and notified as per the established procedure," he said. The Census will be conducted in two phases - houselisting and housing census from April to September 2026, and population enumeration (PE) in February 2027. The houselisting and housing census will systematically list all structures, houses and households throughout the country to provide a sound framework for the conduct of the population enumeration. The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2

Power ministry directs plants using imported coal to run at full capacity

The Power Ministry is believed to have directed imported coal-based thermal plants to operate at full capacity for three months from April 1, to avoid any electricity shortage amid the estimated peak demand of 270GW during this summer. Sources said that in letters sent to imported coal-based plants in the country, the power ministry invoked Section 11 of the Electricity Act, asking them to run at full capacity. The step has been taken to ensure optimal power availability, considering the prevailing demand-supply scenario and the expected rise in electricity demand in the coming months, according to the letter. The ministry has estimated the peak power demand to be over 270GW during this summer season (April onwards). However, during last summer (April 2025 onwards), the peak power demand was 242.77 GW in June, 2025. According to government estimates, peak power demand was expected to touch 277 GW in the summer of 2025. The peak power demand touched an all-time high of about 250 G

Govt says no shortage of petrol, diesel, urges public to avoid panic buying

The government on Wednesday said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in the country, and urged citizens not to believe rumours circulating on social media or resort to panic buying. LPG supplies remain affected due to the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. In a media briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said all refineries are operating at high capacity with "adequate crude inventories", while "sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained" and retail outlets are functioning normally nationwide. "Don't believe in rumours. We have adequate fuel stocks and the government is making all efforts to reach them to consumers," she said. She said "panic buying was reported in some areas due to rumours", leading to unusually high sales and crowding at petrol pumps, even though "adequate stocks of petrol and diesel are available at all petrol pumps". "There are enough stock of petrol and diesel and there is no

Bank fraud case: ED attaches ₹7.5-cr asset near London's Heathrow Airport

An immovable asset worth Rs 7.5 crore and located near London's Heathrow Airport has been attached under the anti-money laundering law in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Wednesday. The provisional attachment order was issued on Tuesday in the case involving Neo Corp International Ltd, and its directors and promoters, the federal agency said in a statement. The market value of the attached asset is about Rs 7.5 crore and it is situated near the Heathrow Airport in London, it said. The ED case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stems from two FIRs registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The first case involves a company named Poly Logic International Pvt Ltd, its director Utkarsh Trivedi and others who are accused of cheating the Punjab National Bank of Rs 57 crore. The second case is against Neo Corp International, its MD Sunil Kumar Trivedi and others who are alleged to have defrauded

Indian refiners seek alternatives to US dollar for Russian oil payments

Transactions are being carried out by depositing Indian rupees into special overseas bank accounts held by Russian sellers which are then being converted into UAE's dirham or the Chinese yuan

Ceigall India signs PPA with Maharashtra discom MSEDCL for solar projects

Ceigall India on Wednesday said it has signed power purchase agreements with Maharashtra state utility MSEDCL for two solar projects of 337 MW capacity to be set up at an investment of Rs 1,369 crore. Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL) signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the company's two wholly-owned subsidiaries on March 24, Ceigall India said in an exchange filing. The agreements cover the development of solar photovoltaic power-generating stations with a combined capacity of 337 MW under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0 (MSKVY 2.0). The first project, with a capacity of 190 MW, will be developed across four districts in Maharashtra and another with a capacity of 147 MW will span two districts. The combined EPC value of the projects stands at approximately Rs 1,369 crore (inclusive of GST). The execution timeline for the projects is 18 months. Ramneek Sehgal, Chairman & Managing Director, Ceigall India Limited, said, "These PPAs .

Daily AMC repo volumes rise sharply in FY26, expected to double in FY27

Triparty repo platform operator AMC Repo Clearing has witnessed a sharp surge in daily trading volumes in FY26, and it is expected to double in 2026-27, a top official has said. The average daily volume in the market, which is majorly used by primary dealers and corporate treasuries for raising funds against their corporate bond investments, surged to up to Rs 7,000 crore a day in FY26, from a level of up to Rs 2,000 crore a day in FY25. Kashinath Katakdhond, Managing Director at the platform, said the daily volume is expected to surge to Rs 10,000-15,000 crore a day in the upcoming fiscal year, driven by a widening user base. "The increase in traded volume this fiscal year is due to more participants coming in, new participants getting activated, and a constant spread between CCIL TREPS and the ARCL triparty repo market," he told PTI. He added that market participants are increasingly leveraging their corporate bond portfolios to meet short-term funding needs, particularly amid ..

Tredence eyes Europe, GCC expansion to reduce US revenue dependence

The data analytics and AI firm is focusing on Europe and GCC markets, expanding beyond retail CPG and the US, while building partnerships and AI-led capabilities to drive growth

Avantel bags ₹459.9 crore RTIS contract from Zetwerk for Indian Railways

Technology solutions provider Avantel on Wednesday said it has secured a contract worth Rs 459.9 crore to supply and maintain Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) devices for the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). The contract was awarded by Bengaluru-based Zetwerk, an infrastructure and technology partner to the Indian Railways. It covers the supply and annual maintenance (AMC) of RTIS devices. "Avantel Limited, a provider of technology solutions for the defence and communication sectors, has received a rate contract valued at Rs 459.9 crore (excluding taxes) from Zetwerk, Bengaluru, for the supply and Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) of Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) devices for the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), Indian Railways," the company said in a statement. RTIS is an Indian Railways project developed in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It utilises satellite technology to automatically track train

Sony Honda Mobility cancels EV development project, to refund early buyers

Sony Honda will issue full refunds to those who have made reservations for what was to be its first model, the Afeela 1, in California

Iran conflict shows limits of BRICS as India faces pressure to pick sides

New Delhi has strong economic ties with the UAE and other Gulf nations, where almost 10 million Indians work

Delhi govt to fund ₹1,03,700 crore budget via revenue, RBI market borrowing

The Delhi government will finance its highest-ever budget, tabled by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, through its own revenue pegged at Rs 74,000 crore and Rs 16,700 crore market borrowing through the RBI. The Budget Estimates in 2026-27 of Rs 1,03,700 crore is Rs 3,700 crore higher than the Rs 1,00,000 crore BE in 2025-26, an increase of 3.7 per cent. It will be the first time that the Delhi government will source budget funds through market borrowing. In January this year, the Delhi government signed an MoU with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under which the central bank serves as the banker, debt manager and financial agent of the government. The agreement enables market borrowing through state development loans, automatic investment of surplus cash, professional cash management and access to low-cost liquidity facilities within the framework prescribed by the Centre and the RBI Act. Gupta had said that funds raised through market borrowings would be utilised exclusivel

Amendment to women reservation law may be delayed; early adjournment likely

The government is unlikely to immediately bring a bill to increase Lok Sabha seats to 816 so that 273 of them could be reserved for women in the ongoing Parliament session, which may be adjourned early but will not be prorogued to keep open the option of reconvening after the upcoming round of assembly elections, according to sources. The sources indicated that there is very little chance of the government tabling the constitution amendment bill that will tweak the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, commonly known as the women's reservation law, in Parliament in the next few days. It is learnt that there was no proposal till Tuesday evening to bring the draft bill before the Union Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday. "There are requirements of seeking further deliberations with all political parties before finalising a schedule for amending the women's reservation law," a source privy to the development said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Monday discussed the matter

LS passes Bill to amend law on protection and rights of transgender persons

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill to amend a law on protection and rights of transgender persons, which seeks to exclude social orientations from the ambit of the statute and provides for graded punishment based on the gravity of harm inflicted on such people. Responding to the debate on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said the proposed legislation aims to provide protection to only those who face boycott due to biological issues. He asserted that the amendment will ensure that transgender persons continue to get legal recognition and protection. Kumar said while the 2019 law had a provision for a maximum of two years of imprisonment, the amendment bill provides for a maximum of 14 years in jail with a penalty. Before the passage of the bill, the House also rejected amendments moved by opposition members by a voice vote. While the government said the objective is to provide protection

BTS world tour may generate $5.3 billion boost across host cities

BTS' world tour will kick off on April 9 in the South Korean city of Goyang and will make stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore and other major destinations