Page 9 - Bs Reads

Groww builds AI-powered platform across trading, wealth and fixed income

The firm outlined its next phase of growth centred on building "responsible intelligence" for every kind of investor

Nobody's Girl: A victim strikes back in a story of trauma and defiance

Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice is a memoir in four parts - Daughter, Prisoner, Survivor, Warrior - by Giuffre, written in collaboration with Amy Wallace

DRDO carries out successful flight trials of VSHORADS missile systems

The defence ministry on Friday said three flight-trials of a very short-range air defence missile system were conducted successfully from Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. It said the trials were carried out to "revalidate" the capability of the VSHORADS (Very Short-Range Air Defence System) missile system in neutralising high-speed threats flying at varying speed, range, and altitude. The VSHORADS is a man-portable air defence system designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) laboratories and Indian industry partners. "During all the flight-tests, the missiles intercepted and destroyed the high-speed aerial targets mimicking enemy aircraft in various threat scenarios meeting all extreme engagement points," the ministry said in a statement. "The tests were carried out in final deployment configuration, where target acquisition and missile firing were carried out by field ...

Vishal Mega Mart promoter entity sells 14% stake for ₹7,635 crore

Samayat Services LLP, one of the promoter entities of supermarket chain Vishal Mega Mart, on Friday divested nearly a 14 per cent stake in the company for Rs 7,635 crore through open market transactions. Samayat Services LLP is a special-purpose vehicle owned by private equity firm Kedaara Capital and Switzerland-based Partners Group. According to the bulk deal data on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Samayat Services LLP sold a total of 65.25 crore equity shares in two tranches, representing a 13.96 per cent stake, in Gurugram-based Vishal Mega Mart. The shares were offloaded in the price range of Rs 117-117.03 apiece, taking the combined transaction value to Rs 7,635.55 crore. Following the stake sale, Samayat Services LLP's holding in Vishal Mega Mart (VMM) declined to 40.13 per cent, from 54.09 per cent. Meanwhile, HDFC Mutual Fund (MF), the Singapore government and the Monetary Authority of Singapore have collectively bought shares of the supermarket chain. The Singapore .

NTPC pays power ministry ₹2,666.58 crore as second dividend for FY26

State-owned electricity generator NTPC on Friday said it has paid the power ministry Rs 2,666.58 crore in second interim dividend for FY26. A ceremonial cheque was handed over to Minister of Power Manohar Lal by company officials on February 25, NTPC said in a statement. "NTPC Ltd paid the second interim dividend of Rs 2,666.58 crore on 25th February 2026 for the financial year 2025-26, being 27.50 per cent of the paid-up equity share capital of the company," it said. This is the 33rd consecutive year that NTPC Ltd has paid a dividend. NTPC is India's largest power generation company, catering to the country's one-fourth of electricity demand. The company operates more than 87 GW of installed capacity, with another 32 GW under construction.

NCERT recalls Class 8 Social Science textbook after SC's objection

The NCERT on Friday issued an advisory asking anyone with copies of the banned class 8 textbook that had a chapter on "judicial corruption" be returned to the council headquarters. In a strongly worded advisory, the the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) also called for all social media posts that carry the chapter's content be deleted. The Union Ministry of Education on Thursday wrote to the ministries of information and broadcasting, and electronics, asking them to stop the dissemination of a controversial NCERT textbook through digital platforms and electronic media after the Supreme Court imposed a ban on the social science book. "Any individual or organisation in possession of the NCERT textbook 'Exploring society: India and Beyond', may return it to the (NCERT) headquarters. Any content related to the chapter 'role of judiciary in our society' if posted on social media or any digital platforms be deleted at the earliest possible," the advisory ...

Indian IT firms need to step up, take clients forward in AI world: Experts

Industry leaders say Indian IT firms must evolve from implementation partners to orchestration partners in the AI era, even as AI-driven revenue is projected at $10-12 billion in FY26

Norway's sovereign wealth fund drops Adani Green Energy from its portfolio

Norway's USD 1.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, has decided to exclude Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) from its portfolio due to concern about its alleged links to financial crime. Norges Bank, which had in May 2024 excluded Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, on its website added AGEL to the list of companies that it has decided to exclude from its portfolio. It cited "gross corruption or other serious financial crime" as the criterion for its decision but gave no explanation. When Norges Bank first bought AGEL shares in July 2020, the share price was Rs 341. Today it is Rs 944. While AGEL did not immediately offer any comments, industry officials said a fossil fuel funded sovereign fund is trying to create a narrative against a renewable company. Norges Bank Investment Management, the entity managing the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, had previously excluded Indian blue chip firms like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Coal India, Bharat ...

PM Modi directs ministers to prepare roadmap for next set of reforms

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid out an ambitious agenda for reforms and asked his Cabinet colleagues to prepare a detailed note about the initiatives to be taken in their respective ministries in the coming years. The exercise is part of the Modi government's renewed thrust on simplifying processes, improve ease of doing business and expanding technology-led governance under its 'Reform Express' agenda, official sources said. The ministers were told to prepare the note themselves so that they can present it in the meeting of the Union Cabinet and brief about various activities of the respective ministries and the reform outlook. It is learnt that the Cabinet Secretariat has circulated a specific form, laying out the format in which each ministry will write its future reform initiatives as well as achievements of the last few years. The ministers will have to clearly convey the key points of the reform of their respective ministries, when it was implemented or when it could be

Unable to confirm Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment: UN watchdog

Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear watchdog to access nuclear facilities affected by the 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the UN nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen Friday by The Associated Press. The report stressed that therefore the agency "cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities," or the "size of Iran's uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.

New loans sourced in Q3FY26 rose 36% Y-o-Y to ₹20 trillion

Experian report shows strong rebound in secured lending, while unsecured loans recover from last year's decline; average ticket sizes rise across segments

Cheetah Gamini delivers fourth cub at Kuno; population rises to 39

South African cheetah Gamini has given birth to the fourth cub at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of these big cats in India to 39, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday. "Kunoh national park is pleased to announce the birth of the fourth cub to female cheetah Gamini. The presence of the fourth cub was confirmed during intensive monitoring by the field and veterinary teams. "All four cubs are presently healthy and doing fine. The number of cheetahs in India now stands at 39, including 28 India-born cubs," Yadav said in a post on X. Gamini was translocated to India from South Africa as part of the ambitious project launched in September 2022 to revive the population of the world's fastest land animal in India, which had gone extinct decades ago. Yadav had announced the birth of three cubs of Gamini earlier this month.

IBA to set up committee to review BC payouts, fixed remuneration on cards

Move follows NFIS 2025-30 observations and RBI survey findings flagging inadequate and delayed remuneration as key reasons for inactivity among Business Correspondents

World order shaken, can't give up on multilateralism: Angela Merkel

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday made a strong case for multilateral cooperation and said in these times of protectionism, giving up on multilaterism was not an option. Delivering the inaugural Dr Manmohan Singh lecture, she referred to the US-led protectionist trade policies and said the world order had been shaken. She also called for regulation on artificial intelligence and new technology including social media, saying all have to come together in doing so as no one country can solve the problem. Referring to multiple challenges the world is facing, including Russia's aggression against Ukraine, wars and tariffs, Merkel said the right of territorial integrity of states was being treated with contempt and democracies were under pressure. She said what we are losing sight is that life on earth is in peril and we have no choice but to cooperate on a multilateral view. The first of the lecture series was organised by the Manmohan Singh Trust, run to carry on the

Hillary Clinton denies knowledge of Epstein activities in testimony

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before US House lawmakers in New York on Thursday as part of a congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying she has no information on Epstein's criminal activities and never recalls meeting him. Her testimony starts off two days of depositions that will also include former President Bill Clinton. The closed-door depositions in the Clintons' hometown of Chappaqua, a typically quiet hamlet north of New York City, come after months of tense back-and-forth between the former high-powered Democratic couple and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee.

Indira Gandhi and the remaking of India's democratic institutions

Srinath Raghavan is less interested in the spectacle of the Emergency than in the decisions that preceded it and endured long after

Afghan forces hit military targets in Pakistan to retaliate for airstrikes

Afghan military authorities say they have begun carrying out strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes days ago. A statement issued by the media office of Afghanistan's military corps in the east said "heavy clashes" had begun Thursday night "in response to the recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistani forces in Nangarhar and Paktia" provinces. There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan and no immediate information on casualties. On Sunday, Pakistan's military carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan, saying it had killed at least 70 militants. Afghanistan rejected the claim, saying dozens of civilians had been killed, including women and children.

Emirates SkyCargo to deploy 2 more weekly freighters to India

Gulf carrier Emirates' cargo arm SkyCargo on Thursday said it has expanded capacity in India with the deployment of two additional weekly freighter services, one each to Mumbai and Ahmedabad, starting from next month. SkyCargo also said it continues to strengthen trade lanes and connect businesses in India with their partners, suppliers, and customers worldwide, with an average cargo uplift of 3,000 tonnes weekly. Beyond aircraft capacity, Emirates SkyCargo said it has built a vast trucking network, to reach more offline destinations across India. Emirates currently serves India with three weekly freighters one to Mumbai and two to Ahmedabad as well as bellyhold capacity in 167 passenger services to nine gateways per week. The new freighter service to Mumbai will start on March 4, and connect Dubai, Singapore and India. Ahmedabad service will be a direct, dedicated freighter starting next month, it stated. The cargo airline said it expects to carry key commodities such as ...

Flex moves Supreme Court to overturn tribunal ruling in Xiaomi tax case

US-listed Flex told India's Supreme Court it did not help Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi to undervalue certain imports into India, the court filing showed

Mandelson, Summers, Brende: Big names who quit over Epstein connections

While not all individuals named faced consequences, a cluster of senior figures stepped down or lost positions after fresh scrutiny