Page 47 - Bs Reads

Made in India: DBG, Lupin's generic risk-taker with a remarkable journey

Even among rags to riches stories of entrepreneurship, Desh Bandhu Gupta's life and achievements stand out

PM Modi lands in Israel, Netanyahu accords ceremonial red carpet welcome

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will hold meetings with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, address the parliament and interact with the Indian diaspora. Modi was received by PM Netanyahu and his wife Sara at the airport. The two leaders hugged each other and exchanged pleasantries. The prime minister was given a ceremonial red carpet welcome. This is Modi's second state visit to Israel after 2017. After a meeting with Netanyahu at the airport, Modi will address the Israeli Parliament, Knesset, becoming the first Indian prime minister to have the honour. In his departure statement, the prime minister said India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism, and he is looking forward to his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Modi said the visit comes at the invitation of his "dear friend Prime Minister Netanyahu." During the visit, Modi will a

Nepal's soyoil exports to India in 2025 jump tenfold on duty-free access

India imported a record 694,153 metric tons of soyoil from Nepal in 2025, up from 65,138 tons a year ago, according to data compiled by India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Smartphones became India's biggest export category in 2025: Vaishnaw

Smartphone has become India's top export category with overseas shipments worth USD 30 billion in 2025, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. The minister shared the development in a social media post. "Becoming the smartphone manufacturing factory for the world," Vaishnaw said. The photo post titled Smartphones India's No. 1 export category displayed that there were exports worth USD 30 billion in January-December 2025. Mobile phones worth Rs 5.5 lakh crore (USD 60 billion) were produced in the country, and exports from the segment were worth around Rs 2 lakh crore (about USD 22 billion) in 2024-25. Electronics exports from the country have crossed Rs 4 lakh crore (USD 44 billion) in 2025 and are expected to grow when four semiconductor plants begin production this year. Neil Shah, Co-Founder and VP for Research at market research and analysis firm Counterpoint, said Apple has become a poster child for India by expanding its manufacturing post-US

CAFE-III proposal sent to PMO after talks with stakeholders: Kumaraswamy

The power ministry has sent the proposal on the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE)-III norms to the Prime Minister's Office after a meeting with stakeholders, Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday, even as the auto industry appears to be divided over the treatment of small cars and changes in technical definitions. On differences among auto industry stakeholders on the CAFE-III norms, Kumarswamy told reporters, "We already had a meeting with stakeholders and power ministry. The power ministry, according to my information, now, after the meeting with stakeholders they have sent the proposal to PMO." No leniency must be granted to small cars in the corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE-III) norms on the basis of weight and affordability as it would compromise safety features while distracting from concrete action towards sustainable mobility, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd Managing Director & CEO Shailesh Chandra had said in November. However,

BMC presents ₹80,952.56 cr budget for 2026-27, up 8.7% from current fiscal

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday proposed a budget outlay of Rs 80,952.56 crore for the financial year 2026-27, marking an 8.77 per cent increase over the 2025-26 budget estimate of Rs 74,427.41 crore. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani tabled the budget in the country's richest civic body, with the capital expenditure pegged at Rs 48,164.28 crore, reflecting a rise of about 11.59 per cent over the revised estimate of Rs 39,159.51 crore for 2025-26. The capital outlay in 2025-26 was originally estimated at Rs 43,162.23 crore, but was subsequently revised downward. Revenue expenditure for 2026-27 is proposed at Rs 32,698.44 crore, about 15.71 per cent higher than the revised estimate of Rs 28,257.91 crore for 2025-26. The revenue expenditure for the current fiscal was initially estimated at Rs 31,204.53 crore but later reduced by Rs 2,946.62 crore following expenditure rationalisation measures. The estimated revenue income for 2026-27 stands at Rs 51,510.94 ..

Centre mandates sale of E20 petrol with minimum RON 95 from April 1

The government has mandated the sale of petrol with up to 20 per cent ethanol and a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95 across all states and Union Territories from April 1, 2026. The oil ministry in a February 17 notification, said, "the central government hereby directs that oil companies shall sell ethanol-blended motor spirit (petrol) with percentage of ethanol up to 20 per cent as per the Bureau of Indian Standards specifications and having minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95, in states and the Union Territories". The central government can allow exceptions in special situations, for specific regions and for a limited time. Ethanol is made from sugarcane, maize, or grain. It is renewable, domestically produced and has cleaner burning than pure petrol. The government has mandated ethanol blending in petrol to help cut oil imports as also reduce emissions. Such a mandate also supports farmers as it boosts demand for sugarcane, maize and agricultural surplus. Most

"Platforms that combine scale with sustainable unit economics will win"

Kapil Thirani, vice president for Shopsy and Flipkart Marketplace, shares insights about Flipkart's zero-commission push to capture India's value-conscious Gen Z and first-time rural shoppers

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