Page 28 - Bs Reads

The living mountains: Anuradha Roy's intimate portrait of life in the hills

Anuradha Roy's Called by the Hills is a luminous, reflective memoir of building a life in the Himalayas-where gardens, memories and ecology quietly intertwine

98.41% of ₹2,000 banknotes withdrawn since May 2023 returned: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday said 98.41 per cent of the Rs 2000 banknotes in circulation have been returned. The RBI had announced the withdrawal of Rs 2000 denomination banknotes from circulation on May 19, 2023. "The total value of Rs 2000 banknotes in circulation, which was Rs 3.56 lakh crore at the close of business on May 19, 2023, when the withdrawal of Rs 2000 banknotes was announced, has declined to Rs 5,669 crore at the close of business on December 31, 2025," it said. Thus, 98.41 per cent of the high-value banknotes in circulation as of May 19, 2023, have since been returned. A facility for deposit and/or exchange of the Rs 2000 banknotes was available at all bank branches in the country up to October 7, 2023. From October 9, 2023, the RBI's 19 Issue Offices are also accepting Rs 2000 banknotes from individuals/entities for deposit into their bank accounts. Apart from this, members of the public are sending Rs 2,000 banknotes through India Post from any po

Economica: How women shaped the economy long before history sidelined them

The book is interested in not just the stories of the women who amassed immense wealth and wielded great power, but those whose quiet labour laid the building blocks of history

Stepping to the beat: How dance classes are rewriting urban India's rhythm

As dance classes move beyond niche studios, they are reshaping how urban Indians approach fitness, social connection and cultural expression

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles records 14.1% jump in December sales

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd on Thursday reported a 14.1 per cent growth in total sales to 50,519 units in December 2025 compared to 44,289 units in the same month of 2024. Domestic passenger vehicle sales were at 50,046 units last month against 44,230 units in December 2024, up 13.1 per cent, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd said in a regulatory filing. The total electric vehicle sales surged 24.2 per cent to 6,906 units against 5,562 units in December 2024, it added. The total sales in the domestic and international market for Q3 FY26 stood at 1,71,013 units compared to 1,39,829 units during Q3 FY25, the company said. "CY25 saw steady progress for the PV industry, powered by a growing preference for SUVs and accelerating adoption of cleaner, emission-friendly powertrains. "For Tata Motors, it was the fifth consecutive year of record-breaking annual sales, with 587,218 units sold, including the highest-ever EV volumes of 81,125 units in a calendar year," Tata Motors Passe

Mahindra bets on AI and skills to drive its 'Tech-First' transformation

Chairman Anand Mahindra says artificial intelligence, skills and education reforms will reshape work, talent flows and growth, as the Group sharpens its technology-focused strategy

Revolting: How Terry Deary retells history through revolt and irony

By revisiting lesser-known rebellions and forgotten episodes, Revolting takes readers on a tour of the world

The ATM interchange conundrum: How to make the channel viable again

Stakeholders are pulling in different directions, and the ATM channel has to be reimagined to make it commercially viable. Are there any alternatives?

Fluidic intelligence can boost efficiency by nearly 20%, says Nagarro CTO

Digital product engineering company Nagarro says its fluidic intelligence framework can lift client efficiency by up to 20 per cent by aligning AI, engineering and talent with business outcomes

Import of Russian oil hits 3-year low in Dec amid tighter Western sanctions

India's Russian crude imports fell sharply in December as refiners grew cautious amid tighter US and EU sanctions, even as discounts widened and supplies stayed available

Pre-listing lock-ins of 101 companies to expire in three months: Nuvama

Pre-listing shareholder lock-ins in 101 companies will be lifted between December 29, 2025, and March 2026, covering shares worth $23 billion, though not all may hit the market

Quick gateway: Hotels see rise in last-minute bookings ahead of New Year

Hotels near metros are seeing a sharp late surge in New Year's Eve bookings and higher rates, while restaurants and delivery firms face disruptions amid a gig workers' strike

Corporate lending to rebound as loan-bond rate gap narrows, RBI eases norms

Analysts expect banks' corporate credit to pick up as the bond-loan rate gap narrows and RBI reforms, including acquisition financing and eased exposure norms, begin to bite

2025: Year of big-bang reforms aimed at ease of doing business in finance

The Reserve Bank of India rolled out sweeping reforms in 2025 to lower compliance costs and improve ease of doing business, from LCR relief and project finance norms to digital lending rules

Click Here: A timely reminder that marketing fundamentals are not outdated

In the ever-changing digital world, Click Here offers a refresher course that should be again and again to stay up to speed on the subject

Louis Gerstner, who steered IBM through historic turnaround, dies at 83

IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna announced Gerstner's death in an email sent Sunday to employees, but did not provide a cause of death

Intas, IntegriMedical sign pact to launch needle-free IVF injectors

Intas has signed an exclusive agreement with SII-backed IntegriMedical to deploy needle-free injection systems across IVF clinics, targeting an all-India rollout by Q1FY26.

RBI to conduct OMO purchase auction worth ₹50,000 crore on January 5

The RBI will buy government securities worth ₹50,000 crore in an OMO auction on January 5, 2026, as part of four equal tranches announced for late December and January

India's EV penetration hinges on securing raw materials, key components

Rapid EV adoption has lifted sales, but India's dependence on imported minerals and components exposes deep supply chain vulnerabilities that could slow the electric mobility transition

Labour Min's flagship employment scheme logs 235K registrations in 2025

The Labour Ministry said the PMVBRY portal recorded 235K establishment registrations in 2025, with incentives for first-time employees and employers for jobs created between 2025 and 2027