New Delhi: The National Pension System (NPS) has undergone significant reforms aimed at making it more flexible and attractive for subscribers across the government, private, and NPS-Lite schemes. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has introduced changes that enhance retirement planning and provide greater control over withdrawals. Here are 10 major changes that NPS subscribers should know: 1. Investment Age Extended to 85 Years:Subscribers can now continue investing in NPS until the age of 85, up from the previous limit of 75. This applies to both government and non-government subscribers, allowing more time to accumulate wealth for retirement. 2. Reduced Annuity Requirement:Previously, subscribers had to use 40% of their accumulated corpus to purchase an ...

New Delhi: India is rapidly emerging as a major hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI), and global tech giant Google has announced a multi-million-dollar investment to advance AI initiatives across healthcare, agriculture, education, and sustainable development. The announcements were made during the Lab to Impact event, held in collaboration with the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The largest portion of $8 million will be allocated to four AI Centers of Excellence—at IISc Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Roorkee—to drive projects in healthcare, agriculture, education, and urban governance. Targeted AI Initiatives: Wadhwani AI will receive $4.5 million to develop AI solutions for health (Health Vaani) and agriculture (Agrivaani/Garuda). To promote linguistic diversity, I...

New Delhi: Lalit Keshre, co-founder and CEO of Groww, the parent company of BillionBranes Garage Ventures Limited, has officially joined the list of Indian billionaires. Since Groww’s public listing, Keshre’s net worth has soared, making him one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in India, with his 9.06% stake valued at over ₹9,448 crore. His journey from a farmer’s family in Lepa village, Madhya Pradesh, to the top echelons of the Indian startup ecosystem is a testament to perseverance, innovation, and entrepreneurial vision. From Village School to IIT Bombay:Born in a small farmer family in Lepa village, Khargone district, Keshre spent his early years with his grandparents, facing financial constraints. Despite limited educational resources, he attended the only English-medium school in ...

New Delhi: The local stock markets ended lower on Tuesday, reflecting concerns over foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, the rupee hitting record lows against the dollar, and weak global cues. The BSE Sensex fell 533.50 points (0.63%) to 84,679.86, while the NSE Nifty 50 dropped 167.20 points (0.64%) to 25,860.10. During intraday trading, Sensex briefly touched 84,620.61, down 592.75 points. Sectoral Performance:Among Sensex constituents, Axis Bank recorded the largest decline of 5.03%. Other laggards included Eternal, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, and Bajaj Finance. On the upside, shares of Titan, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Asian Paints witnessed positive momentum. Stocks Showing Strong Buying:Analysts noted strong buying activity ...

New Delhi: The weakening of the Indian rupee has once again sparked debate on whether a weaker currency actually boosts India’s export competitiveness. A new report by Systematics Research sheds light on the issue, revealing that the effects vary across sectors and that the benefits of a weak rupee are limited and uneven. Sectoral Impact: Beneficiaries: Food and agriculture-based exports are the primary beneficiaries of a weaker rupee. Since these sectors have low import dependence, a weaker rupee translates directly into higher foreign revenue and improved trade balance. Limited Gain: Electronics, chemicals, machinery, and petroleum products gain some advantage in exports from rupee weakness, but the benefit is offset by high import costs, as these sectors rely heavily on import...

New Delhi: India’s trade deficit with China has long been a concern, standing at nearly $100 billion. However, recent trends show a significant boost in Indian exports to China, helping mitigate losses elsewhere. According to the Ministry of Commerce, India’s exports to China rose from $9.20 billion during April–November 2024 to $12.22 billion in the same period of 2025, marking a remarkable 32.83% increase. This growth highlights the benefits of export diversification, especially at a time when the United States has imposed steep tariffs of 50% on Indian goods. What India Exported:The surge in exports was driven primarily by: Petroleum products – the largest contributor Electronics – second major category Marine products and crude oil An official stated that this rapid...