Economy

The first MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) service linking Mysuru with Bengaluru was launched on Sunday. The regular services will commence from December 26 from Bengaluru and from December 27 from Mysuru.This is an extension of the service, which was operating between Bengaluru and Ramangaram. The MEMU service is the …

The defeat in the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh has made the government go back to the drawing board over the issue of rural distress. Some measures to bolster incomes in the countryside may be announced by the end of the winter session of Parliament. While the …

A major challenge in the construction of the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge — set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25 — was finding the required skilled manpower, and convincing the personnel to work in the hostile conditions of Upper Assam.“Getting the required manpower on this project …

Six months after Maharashtra imposed its ban on plastics, raising fears of job losses and a sizeable financial impact on local industry, urban bodies in the State have reported reductions in plastic waste of up to 40%, officials said.This even as the State’s Finance Department is still studying the impact …

When the devastating floods in August submerged large tracts of farmland across Kerala, the Pokkali paddy variety, which grows to a height of up to 2 m, survived the rising waters. The GI-tagged Pokkali is a saltwater-tolerant paddy grown in the coastal fields of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. Endemic …

The Goods and Services Tax Council cut rates on 17 items and six types of services during its 31st meeting on Saturday, leaving only one common use item — cement — in the 28% bracket.Cutting rates on cement would have a significant impact on revenues and so the Council decided …

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday has announced a cap for funds raised via external commercial borrowing (ECB) at 6.5% of the country’s GDP. Based on GDP figures for March 31, 2018, ‘the soft limit works out to $160 billion,’ the central bank said in a statement. Outstanding …

The government has decided to set up an expert committee to look into all the taxation issues being faced by start-ups and angel investors, the CBDT said on Thursday. It added that “no coercive action or measures to recover the demands of completed assessment under income tax would be taken” …

As its trade war with the U.S. intensifies, China has started looking at India as a major market to sell its products and machinery. However, Indian companies want China to share its technology and even partner with them in its growth story rather than treating India purely as a market …

Blockchain technology may pose challenge to exchanges, depositories: SEBI The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is planning to come up with a ‘sandbox’ policy to support development of financial technologies for the capital market, Chairman Ajay Tyagi said here on Thursday. Mr. Tyagi said he also felt that …