Business

In a major relief for passengers troubled by widespread flight cancellations—especially those caused by the ongoing Indigo crisis—Indian Railways has stepped up with a significant nationwide measure. To accommodate the sudden surge in travel demand, the Railways has added 116 additional coaches across 37 major trains, effective 6 December 2025. Alongside this, the Railways has also introduced four special trains to ensure smooth travel during this high-demand period. Southern Railway Leads With Maximum Coach Additions Among all zones, Southern Railway (SR) has taken the lead by augmenting 18 trains with extra chair car and sleeper class coaches. This enhancement, implemented from 6 December 2025, will offer thousands of additional seats for passengers travelling in the southern regio...

New Delhi: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has taken strict action against well-known financial influencer Avadhut Sathe, directing him and his academy to return ₹546.2 crore collected from investors through allegedly misleading practices. The regulator has also barred Sathe and his Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy from offering investment advisory or research analyst services without proper registration and prohibited them from trading in the stock market until further notice. Misleading MillionsSEBI found that Sathe and his academy had raised over ₹601 crore from approximately 3.4 lakh investors by allegedly providing false and selective information to entice them into stock market investments. These activities were conducted without the necessary registration certifica...

New Delhi: IndiGo has cancelled all its flights departing from Delhi today, with a similar wave of cancellations reported at other major airports across the country. This has left thousands of passengers stranded, and available flights on other airlines are witnessing ticket prices soaring several times above normal. Fares Surge DramaticallyTravelers at airports nationwide are struggling as flight options shrink. On high-demand routes like Mumbai and Delhi, ticket prices booked just a day earlier have tripled. Travel agents and airline officials report that most direct flights on major routes are almost fully booked. Example: Delhi–Bengaluru RouteA check on the Ixigo website at 11 AM showed that the minimum fare for Delhi to Bengaluru flights was ₹23,000, while the maximum fare reach...

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) in its latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, bringing the repo rate down to 5.25%. This is the fourth cut in 2025, totaling 125 bps reduction so far. Earlier cuts of 25 bps each were made in February and April, and 50 bps in June. While the October meeting saw no change, today’s cut is expected to directly benefit floating-rate home loans, particularly those linked to the External Benchmark Lending Rate (EBLR). Impact on EMIs: The reduction in repo rate is likely to lower interest rates for borrowers, but the extent of savings depends on how quickly banks pass on this benefit to customers. Estimated Savings on Different Loan Amounts: ₹25 Lakh Loan | 15-Year Tenure | 8.5% Intere...

New Delhi: Home loans can take a significant chunk of your life and income to repay, often leaving borrowers paying nearly double the principal amount over time. However, smart repayment strategies can help you pay off your loan faster and save lakhs. CA Nitin Kaushik recently shared a simple yet effective approach on social media platform X, which could save borrowers millions. Split Your EMI: Most borrowers treat a 20–30 year home loan tenure as fixed. Kaushik suggests a minor change in the payment schedule to reduce interest burden. Instead of paying the full EMI once a month, borrowers can split the EMI into two halves and pay every 15 days. How It Works: Normally, paying monthly EMIs results in 12 payments a year. By switching to bi-monthly half-payments, you make 26 half-paymen...

New Delhi: The Indian stock market ended the four-day losing streak on Thursday, recording gains following the RBI’s MPC announcement. Investors await further details from the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. Here’s the latest on the market’s pulse. Intraday Performance: At 10:52 AM, the BSE Sensex surged by 314.98 points (0.37%), reaching 85,580.30 points, while the NSE Nifty50 climbed 90.30 points (0.35%) to 26,124.05 points. Earlier Trends: The market had opened with minor losses, with the Sensex down 71.06 points (0.08%) at 85,194.26, and the Nifty50 slipping 4.75 points (0.02%) to 26,029 points. Impact of RBI Repo Rate Cut: The 25 basis points reduction in repo rate sparked optimism, boosting investor sentiment. By 10:15 AM, the Sensex had climbed 136.57 points (0.16%...

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) concluded its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Friday, announcing a key reduction in interest rates. The repo rate has been cut by 25 basis points, bringing it down from 5.5% to 5.25%. This move is expected to make home loans, car loans, personal loans, and other credit products cheaper for consumers. The decision was taken unanimously by the six-member MPC. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra explained that the rate cut was warranted due to a sharp and unexpected decline in inflation and an economy performing stronger than expected. The MPC minutes will be released on 19 December 2025, and the next meeting is scheduled for 4–6 February 2026. Strong Economic Indicators RBI has upgraded India’s GDP growth forecast for FY26 to 7.3% from ...

New Delhi: A growing number of Indians are moving their money from savings accounts to fixed deposits (FDs), according to the latest RBI data. In the September 2025 quarter, FDs accounted for 62% of total bank deposits, the highest level in two years. In comparison, their share was 57% in March 2023. Meanwhile, the share of savings deposits fell from 33% to 29% over the same period. Why the Shift?The main reason is the higher interest returns offered by FDs. With expectations that the RBI may cut interest rates in the near future, customers are locking in higher FD rates before potential reductions. Customer BehaviorAccording to Virat Diwanji, Head of Consumer Banking at Federal Bank, there has been a significant surge in term deposits during the June and September quarters of 2025. ...

New Delhi: India’s economy is sending mixed signals. While the second quarter GDP growth of FY26 came in at a robust 8.2%, outperforming expectations, the Indian rupee has plunged to record lows, with foreign investors continuing to pull money out of domestic markets. All eyes are now on the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which held its meeting on 3 December to decide whether to cut the repo rate, currently at 5.5%, or maintain it. Strong GDP vs Low InflationThe strong GDP growth, driven by improved rural demand and urban consumption, suggests that economic activity is healthy. Meanwhile, retail inflation fell sharply to 0.25% in October, largely due to declining food prices. This combination presents a dilemma for the RBI: traditionally, rate cuts are un...

New Delhi: The Indian rupee has plummeted to its all-time low, raising concerns not just for economists but for households across the country. On Thursday, the currency showed slight recovery, closing at ₹89.89 per US dollar, up 26 paise from its record low the previous day when it first crossed ₹90 per dollar. This year, the rupee has been the worst-performing currency in Asia. Impact on Household BudgetsThe weakening rupee is affecting more than just the stock market or forex traders—it is directly straining household finances. Expenses such as fuel, EMIs, children’s tuition, and travel costs are rising sharply. Families with children studying abroad are particularly hard hit, with tuition fees rising by ₹5–10 lakh annually compared to 2023. For instance, a course costing $50,000, whi...