Market

Energy-efficiency star labelling will become mandatory for a wider range of appliances, including refrigerators, televisions, LPG gas stoves, cooling towers and chillers, from January 1, as part of the government’s push to curb power consumption.According to a gazette notification issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), as reported by PTI, the mandatory star-labelling regime…

The Indian rupee is set to face sharp and persistent volatility through 2026 as capital outflows, tariff-related trade disruptions and weak foreign investment flows continue to outweigh the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals, analysts and official data indicate, PTI reported.Despite steady growth and moderate inflation at home, the currency is unlikely to find a durable floor…

The government on Wednesday launched a Rs 4,531-crore Market Access Support (MAS) scheme to help Indian exporters participate in international fairs, exhibitions and buyer-seller meets, offering a boost at a time when shipments face headwinds from steep US tariffs, PTI reported.The MAS is the first component to be operationalised under the Rs 25,060-crore export promotion…

Most government offices, banks and financial markets across the United States will remain closed on New Year’s Day, while major retailers and grocery chains are largely set to stay open, often with modified hours, the AP reported.Retailers are expected to use the holiday to offer discounts on older inventory ahead of new stock arrivals. However,…

The government on Wednesday kept interest rates unchanged on various small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, for the seventh consecutive quarter starting January 1, 2026, PTI reported.In a notification, the finance ministry said the interest rates for small savings schemes for the fourth quarter of…

Warren Buffett stepped down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway today, bringing to an end one of the longest and most influential leadership runs in modern corporate history.The transition, announced earlier this year at Berkshire’s annual shareholders’ meeting, hands day-to-day control to vice-chairman Gregory Abel from January 1. Buffett, now 95, will remain chairman and…

India is projected to record high economic growth despite a volatile and unfavourable external environment, supported by strong domestic consumption and investment, Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Wednesday, PTI reported.“Maintaining financial stability and strengthening the financial system remains our north star,” Malhotra said in the foreword to the latest Financial Stability…

The Centre’s fiscal deficit stood at Rs 9.76 lakh crore at the end of November, accounting for 62.3% of the full-year budget estimate for 2025-26, government data released on Wednesday showed, PTI reported.The deficit was higher than the 52.5% recorded during the same period last year, reflecting a faster pace of expenditure relative to revenue…

MUMBAI: Fino Payments Bank, promoted by Fino PayTech, received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in early December 2025 to transition into a small finance bank, enabling lending operations after restructuring. Fino PayTech’s major shareholders are Bharat Petroleum, ICICI Bank group, Blackstone and Intel Capital. In an interview with TOI, Rishi Gupta,…

Russia on Wednesday said that its forces are advancing in northeastern Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin ordering the expansion of a territory that Moscow describes as a “buffer zone” along the border in 2026, according to Russian state news agencies.Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Putin had directed the expansion of the buffer…