Indian film stars’ political ambitions can dim box office allure, experts warn

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…

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Maharashtra’s expensive alcohol—following its first duty hike in 14 years—will still find takers. Here’s why

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…

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Ad review | ‘Aapka Apna ZEE’: Regional familiarity, national cohesion

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,…

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Task force on textile explores strategies to boost exports

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,…

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A new fertilizer allocation plan is in the works—a hot potato or a crucial step?

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…

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India’s rare earth magnets crisis: What lies ahead for the EV sector?

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…

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