New Delhi: The Indian government has set an ambitious goal to make India a developed nation by 2047. In 2025, several key economic reforms were implemented to pave the way for sustainable growth, including GST 2.0, income tax relief, and the Labour Code. Experts suggest that continuing this reform momentum will be critical in the upcoming year. Income Tax and GST ReformsThe government announced significant income tax relief in the Budget, including exemptions for annual earnings up to ₹12 lakh, aimed at boosting consumption. On 15 August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled GST 2.0 reforms, followed by the implementation of reduced GST rates in September. Limiting GST to 5% and 18% resulted in record Diwali sales exceeding ₹6 lakh crore and streamlined the GST registration process. ...

New Delhi: Train travel across India has become more expensive starting today. The Ministry of Railways has officially announced a hike in fares for long-distance passenger trains, effective immediately. Local trains and short-distance commuters remain unaffected by this change. Details of the Fare HikeFor journeys over 215 kilometers in the ordinary class, fares will increase by 1 paisa per kilometer. For example, a 500-kilometer non-AC journey will now cost an additional ₹10. AC and non-AC coaches of mail and express trains will see an increase of 2 paisa per kilometer. This marks the second fare hike in 2025, following the July revision. The fare adjustment is expected to generate an additional ₹600 crore in revenue for the current financial year. Local trains, monthly season tick...

New Delhi: With UPI payments growing rapidly across India, incidents of users being misled by “dark patterns” or hidden charges have also surged. To tackle this, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced stringent measures to monitor recurring charges and give users better control over their subscriptions. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) auto-pay feature can now be tracked more effectively. NPCI has launched a centralized portal — upiphelp.npci.org.in — enabling users to view and manage all their UPI auto-pay settings in one place. This initiative targets e-commerce platforms that previously trapped users in auto-pay subscriptions, making it difficult to track or cancel recurring payments. The move follows an NPCI circular issued on 7 October 2025. All UPI...

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a stern warning to companies operating in the food and beverage sector. The regulator emphasized that beverages made from herbs and plant-based infusions should not be labeled as “tea” unless they are prepared from the actual tea plant, Camellia sinensis. In its directive released on Wednesday, FSSAI highlighted that many companies are selling products under names like “Rooibos Tea,” “Herbal Tea,” and “Flower Tea,” even though none of these products are derived from the tea plant. The authority clarified that such labeling is misleading and provides incorrect information to consumers. The directive applies to e-commerce platforms, manufacturers, packagers, marketers, and traders involved in producing, sell...