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Fertiliser subsidy beats FY26 Revised Estimates, experts seek policy shift

India's fertiliser subsidy has exceeded FY26 Revised Estimates, prompting experts to call for policy reforms, including rational pricing, curbs on overuse, and bringing urea under the NBS regime

Lebanon, Israel hold first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington

Lebanon and Israel opened their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a "historic opportunity" and made it clear no breakthrough agreement was immediately expected. Rubio said the Trump administration is "very happy" to be facilitating the discussions, while noting that "we understand we're working against decades of history and complexities" that will not be quickly resolved. Hezbollah opposes the direct talks and was not represented, and the group appeared to step up its fire on northern Israel as the talks began. "But we can begin to move forward with a framework where something can happen, something very positive, something very permanent, so that the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear," Rubio said. Rubio and US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike

Two Niti Aayog reports reveal gaps in India's policy approach towards EVs

Two recent Niti Aayog reports show near-identical projections but differ on EV subsidies and fuel efficiency norms, triggering debate within the automobile industry

Great Power Games: Vikram Sood maps a world shifting from West to East

Former R&AW chief Vikram Sood's book offers prescient insights into America's decline, partly attributing it to its outdated 'Philosophy for Profit'

India set to emerge as world's 2nd largest solar market in 2026: NSEFI

India is poised to become the World's second-largest solar market in 2026 in terms of annual installation, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) said on Wednesday. India has achieved its fastest-ever addition of 50 GW of solar capacity in just 14 months, reaching the landmark 150 GW milestone, according to an NSEFI statement. This marks a significant acceleration compared to the 11 years it took to reach the first 50 GW, followed by nearly three years to scale up to 100 GW. NSEFI CEO Subrahmanyam Pulipaka said that solar energy is projected to reach 280300 GW to support India's 500 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2030. With the current pace, India is nearing an annual addition trajectory of 50 GW, firmly aligning with this goal. In fact, the country is witnessing strong potential for solar capacity to exceed these projections, driven by initiatives such as PM Surya Ghar, the upcoming PM KUSUM 2.0, dedicated floating solar policies, and the growing demand linked to

India's Russian oil imports more than triple to 5.3 bn euro in Mar

India's crude oil purchases from Russia more than tripled to 5.3 billion euro in March as volumes doubled and a surge in oil prices pushed up the import bill. European think tank Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), in a report, said after a drop in purchases in February, India was back to a buying binge in March. "India was the second-highest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in March 2026, importing a total of EUR 5.8 billion of Russian hydrocarbons. Crude oil products constituted 91 per cent of India's purchases, totalling EUR 5.3 billion," it said. Coal (EUR 337 million) and oil products (EUR 178.5 million) constituted the remainder of their monthly imports. In February, India was the third largest importer, purchasing Russian hydrocarbons worth 1.8 billion euro. Crude oil constituted the largest share at 81 per cent (EUR 1.4 billion), followed by coal (EUR 223 million) and oil products (EUR 121 million). "While India's total crude imports recorded a 4 per cent ...

West Asia war may hit auto sector, raise costs, dent demand: Siam

The war in West Asia may have adverse implications for the Indian automotive industry and could pose near-term challenges for the sector, having an indirect impact on vehicle demand, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers President Shailesh Chandra said on Tuesday. While the automobile industry concluded the 2025-26 year from a position of strength, developments arising from the ongoing West Asian conflict pose certain risks, he told reporters here. "Recent uncertainties arising from the West Asia conflict need to be closely monitored. The evolving geopolitical situation may have adverse implications for automotive production, input and commodity prices, fuel prices and freight rates, which could pose near-term challenges for the industry and may also indirectly impact the demand requirement," he said. Sharing an update on the current situation faced by the domestic auto industry, Chandra said, "Supply disruptions have led to shortages of propane and ethylene, critical inputs

I-T staff unions warn of agitation from April 16 over long-pending demands

Two major employee associations of the Income Tax Department have written to the government stating that they would resort to a graded agitation schedule beginning April 16 if their "long pending" issues and "precarious" working conditions are not resolved. The Joint Council Action (JCA), comprising the Income Tax Employees Federation (ITEF) and Income Tax Gazetted Officers' Association (ITGOA), represents about 97 per cent of the department's workforce that works to collect revenue for the government under the direct tax category. Officers from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) constitute the third association, and they lead the department as heads of various verticals. The JCA, in its letter dated April 6, to the Revenue Secretary under the Union Finance Ministry, said that the forum was approaching his office with its ten-point grievances due to the "persistent apathy" of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in resolving these issues. The CBDT frames policy for the tax ...

Pope Leo says he's not afraid of Trump after clash over Iran conflict

US-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Donald Trump's broadside against him over the US-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican's appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn't fear the Trump administration. "To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is," Leo told AP aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. "And I'm sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today." History's first US-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the "delusion of omnipotence" that is fuelling the Iran wars and other conflicts around the world. "I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: Bless

EU launches critical minerals platform to reduce reliance on China

The EU's Energy and Raw Materials Platform opened to submissions from buyers on Monday in the first phase of a multi-month process, an EU spokesperson told Reuters

Delhi's August Kranti Bhawan, Bhikaji Cama Place to be redeveloped

State-owned NBCC Ltd has entered into an MoU with HUDCO to redevelop August Kranti Bhawan in the national capital. In a regulatory filing on Monday, NBCC said it has entered into two different Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO). The first MoU relates to the redevelopment of August Kranti Bhawan, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi. HUDCO and NBCC have agreed to collaborate and jointly work towards the redevelopment of leasehold plot admeasuring 18830 square metre. NBCC would do techno-economic feasibility study, construction and project management and monetization of built-up space. Under the second MoU, HUDCO will provide funds for the ongoing and upcoming projects of NBCC's self-sustainable model. NBCC is into project management consultancy and real estate business.

Rajasthan's renewable projects worth 60 GW await transmission links

The western ‌desert state has 179 GW of renewable energy potential, with more than 85% of projects clustered in its four districts of Barmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, the April 10 filing showed

China's Wang Yi urges talks to sustain 'fragile' Iran-US ceasefire

The top Chinese envoy made the remarks during a call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on Monday, according to a readout from China's Foreign Ministry

Lufthansa faces deeper disruption as cabin crew joins pilots' strike

Flights from Germany to several Middle Eastern destinations are exempt due to the current conflict in the region, the union said

Streetwise: Lloyd Blankfein pulls no punches in his autobiography

The book gives an intimate glimpse of how the US changed, both as a society as well as in its economic regulations

Meta poised to surpass Google in digital ad revenue for first time: Report

The Instagram-owner's global net ad revenues are expected to reach $243.46 billion in 2026, ahead of Google's projected $239.54 billion, the market research firm said

Rajya Sabha to elect deputy chairman on April 17, NDA backs Harivansh

The Rajya Sabha will hold the election for the post of deputy chairman on April 17, and the ruling NDA is likely to push for re-electing Harivansh to the key post. The post of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha fell vacant after the tenure of Harivansh ended on April 9. Harivansh has since been nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu and took oath on April 10. Union minister and BJP leader J P Nadda, who is also leader of the house in Rajya Sabha, is learnt to have discussed the re-election of Harivansh as deputy chairman with leaders of various parties, while trying to bring about a broad consensus on his name. However, the Congress, TMC and Left parties have raised objections to the "keenness" the ruling party is showing in holding elections for filling the post of deputy chairman of the Upper House, when the post of deputy speaker in Lok Sabha has been vacant since 2019. An official announcement said that the election for the post of deputy chairman will be

Private firms' bond, debenture investments surge sharply in FY25: RBI

Private sector companies' investments in bonds and debentures shot up manifold in FY25, the Reserve Bank said on Monday. Analysis of 15,919 non-government, non-financial private companies by the central bank revealed that such entities invested Rs 35,981 crore in bonds or debentures in 2024-25, as against just Rs 224 crore in the year-ago period. During this period, corporate bond issuances increased to Rs 9.87 lakh crore in FY25, compared to Rs 8.38 lakh crore in the previous fiscal year. The yield on these instruments remained broadly in the range of 6.5-15 per cent across maturities and ratings on the BSE and NSE electronic bidding platform. Indian bond market has seen a sharp investment by the foreign investors, specifically in the government securities market after the JP Morgan announced the G-sec inclusion in to their index. The announcement came in the second half of FY24, and the actual inclusion happened in June 2024. Further, another inclusion by Bloomberg Bond Index ..

Star Air to launch 38 weekly flights linking Mundra with six cities

Regional airline Star Air on Monday announced it will launch services to Mundra with 38 direct weekly flights, linking the port city to six key cities across Western and Northern India, starting April 25. With over 17,000 additional seats now available each month, the move will boost air connectivity and economic growth in the region, Star Air said. The expansion sees Mundra directly linked to Mumbai, Hindon (Delhi-NCR), Goa (Mopa), and Surat, it said and added that in addition to the 38 direct weekly flights, the airline will also introduce 16 weekly one-stop connections, strengthening ties with Kolhapur and Bhuj and further supporting the region's workforce and entrepreneurs. With an additional 4,104 seats available weekly and 17,000 seats monthly, Star Air's expansion is set to drive new growth in business, trade, and tourism throughout Gujarat and beyond, it said. Star Air said it will deploy its Embraer E175 fleet featuring both business and economy class to operate services o

OMCs say petrol, diesel, LPG supply adequate in Telangana, demand stable

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in Telangana on Monday said the availability of petrol, diesel, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the state is sufficient to meet current demand. OMCs have prioritised domestic LPG distribution, ensuring uninterrupted and timely delivery of cylinders, an official release said. Currently, approximately 2.18 lakh domestic LPG cylinders are being delivered daily in Telangana, as against 2,15,151 cylinders per day before the West Asia military conflict began, indicating a stable and robust supply system, it said. Demand for petrol and diesel has moderated and is now comparable to pre-war levels. LPG refill bookings have also declined significantly, as panic-driven bookings by consumers have reduced considerably, it added. According to the State-level Coordinator for OMCs, public sector oil companies are closely monitoring the supply situation and have undertaken necessary measures to streamline logistics and expedite deliveries. "OMCs are in continuou