Film stars with political ambitions often leverage their popular on-screen personas to launch political careers. While this can provide a powerful launchpad, it often comes with the risk of diminishing their box-office appeal. The latest to face this conundrum are top southern movie stars Vijay, who launched a political party in February to contest next…
However, the tax hangover of the Maharashtra government’s excise duty hike on key alcohol products might be short-lived as the underlying trend of India’s alcohol consumption remains strong, particularly aided by demand for premium liquors, said experts. “Young consumers are mainly driving this premiumisation,” Naman Shah, an independent consumer sector analyst, told Mint. “The growing…
In today’s world, having a stable phone and internet connection is one of the first priorities. This is especially true for inside your home, where you need a stable connection to get on with your daily life. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is working on a solution to provide better connectivity inside your…
Zee’s new campaign Aapka Apna ZEE, unveiled on 7 June alongside a brand identity revamp and a simplified “Z” logo, is a multi-film exercise in emotional recall and regional grounding. Rolled out across seven languages and geographies, the campaign is built around the core message: “Saath aane se baat banti hai”—a sentiment that underlines community,…
New Delhi: The government has cut the basic customs duty (BCD) on imported crude edible oils from 20% to 10%. This move, announced on Wednesday, aims to lower retail prices for consumers and will impact sunflower, soybean and palm oils. According to a statement by the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, this…
New Delhi: The newly formed task force on textile exports held its first meeting under the chairmanship of outgoing commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal on Tuesday, focusing on challenges impacting shipments and strategies to enhance the sector’s global competitiveness, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday. The discussions spanned the entire textile value chain—covering skilling, labour productivity,…
The move is aimed at controlling excessive fertilizer use, aligning domestic agricultural practices with India’s export ambitions, optimising the use of soil nutrients through scientific planning, and curbing India’s rising subsidy burden, one of them said. The plan is currently under inter-ministerial consultation, this person added. If the government goes ahead with this plan, soil…
On the face of it, there was indeed cause for celebration. So-called ‘gross’ flows—what the government was highlighting—amounted to $81 billion in 2024-25, up over $10 billion from a year earlier, and the third highest annual inflow ever into India. According to the central bank, globally, India ranked fourth in terms of greenfield FDI (new…
The US-China trade war has opened a fresh front, now impacting Indian industry in a big way. China’s curbs on exports of rare earth magnets—processed from rare earth elements (REEs)—have disrupted supply chains, particularly in the country’s automobile sector. The development also underscores why India must urgently reduce its dependence on China by ramping up…
As China’s curbs on rare earth magnets send ripples across global automotive, defence and consumer electronics supply chains, India’s fledgling EV ecosystem must finally reckon with its overreliance on China. At present, with no immediate resolution in sight, the EV industry faces major setbacks in the form of production delays, as Beijing turns down not…