Business

New Delhi, April 7 Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (JFL), the country's leading quick service restaurant (QSR) chain operator, reported a 6.2 per cent increase in domestic revenue to Rs 1,686 crore in the March quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal year.For the full fiscal year, revenue reached Rs 6,887.8 crore, according to the Bhartiya-promoted firm, which holds franchise rights for global QSR brands such as Domino's and Popeyes.Consolidated revenue, which includes income from international operations, stood at Rs 2,505.8 crore in the March quarter, a 19.1 per cent year-on-year increase. The company's FY26 operational revenue was Rs 9,544.1 crore, a 17.2 per cent year-on-year increase, it stated in a BSE filing."During the quarter, 69 new stores...

Mumbai, April 7 The rupee depreciated by 10 paise to close at 93.00 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, as investors remained cautious ahead of US President Donald Trump's deadline for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the Reserve Bank's monetary policy review.Forex traders said the USD/INR pair was trading under pressure, dragged down by continued withdrawal of foreign capital, a strong dollar, and higher crude oil prices amid a volatile geopolitical situation.Moreover, market participants will remain watchful of evolving geopolitical headlines and the upcoming RBI monetary policy decision.At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 93.05 against the US dollar, then lost ground to trade at...

New Delhi, April 7 AI-native operations intelligence platform WorkOnGrid has raised ₹22.5 crore in a funding round led by Transition VC, with participation from Indian Angel Network (IAN).With this, WorkOnGrid has raised a total of ₹28.5 crore in funding to date.The fresh capital will be used to expand WorkOnGrid’s global go-to-market activities, enhance its artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, and develop international infrastructure to support wider deployment, according to a company statement."This funding round marks a pivotal step in our mission to modernize the last mile of critical infrastructure. By digitizing manual operations and embedding AI-native intelligence into utility workflows, we are...

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has formed a high-level Special Task Force (STF) aimed at proactively tackling emerging global challenges and developing strategies to bolster the agricultural sector. During its inaugural meeting, which was chaired by the Secretary DARE and the Director General, ICAR, a comprehensive framework was outlined to secure national food and input security.The task force plans several key interventions across the agricultural value chain. First, the scope of the 'Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav' (MGMG) campaign is set to be broadened, initiating action to enhance farmer outreach. This initiative will focus on 100 aspirational Districts, leveraging existing organizational structures to deliver a...

New Delhi, April 7 India and New Zealand are expected to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on April 24 here, which will provide tariff-free access to domestic exporters for their goods in the island nation's market, and will bring in USD 20 billion of investment over the next 15 years, an official said.The two countries announced the conclusion of negotiations for the trade deal on December 22 last year, which aims at doubling bilateral trade to USD 5 billion in the next five years.The official said that the pact is likely to be signed on April 24 in Bharat Mandapam.While India will get zero-duty market access on 100 per cent of its exports, the agreement will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand's exports to...

New Delhi, April 7 The government has extended its order to withhold the reporting of Television Rating Points (TRPs) for TV news channels for four weeks, with the aim of "curbing the display of sensationalism and speculative content" amidst the West Asia conflict.The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had on March 6 issued the first directive to the television rating agency, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), to immediately withhold reporting the TRPs for TV news channels for a period of four weeks or until further orders, whichever is earlier."This directive was aimed towards curbing the display of unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content by some news genre channels amidst the West Asia conflict, which may...

The Regulations for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Charges, 2026 are designed to promote planned, sustainable, and transit-linked urban growth, especially along metro corridors, thereby improving accessibility and aiding the development of affordable housing stock in the NCT of Delhi. This new policy builds upon the vision established in the Master Plan of Delhi 2021.Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal stated that the TOD concept was already included in the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, and the 2026 Regulations enhance this vision to support transit-linked urban growth.Smt. Rekha Gupta elaborated that, following the vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister, the TOD policy promotes planned, high-density...

New Delhi, April 7 The top 10% of rural households in India own 44% of the land, while 46% of rural households are landless, according to a working paper released by the World Inequality Lab.The paper, titled "Land Inequality in India: Nature, History, and Markets," further stated that the top 5% of households own 32% of the land, while 18% of rural land ownership is held by the top 1%.The paper is jointly authored by Nitin Kumar Bharti, David Blakeslee, and Samreen Malik, drawing on one of the largest datasets ever assembled on land ownership in India, covering approximately 650 million people across 270,000 villages."The average village land Gini coefficient (an index measuring landholding inequality on a scale of 0-100) reaches...

Thane, April 7 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the construction of the 11.84 km Thane-Borivali twin tunnel on Tuesday, which will pass under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).The road tunnel, which will shorten the distance between the north-western Mumbai suburb of Borivali and Thane city, is expected to be completed by May 2028, Fadnavis said on this occasion."This is a green project... 11,000 trees will be planted as part of the compensatory measures. Since the structure is entirely underground, the biodiversity of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park remains protected," he said.Deputy CM Eknath Shinde would personally monitor the project's progress, Fadnavis further said.The project is being implemented...

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, recently convened a meeting of its Core Group on Right to Food and Nutrition. The discussion focused intensely on the theme, 'Tackling Food Adulteration in India: Understanding the Scale, Challenges and Reforms.'During the meeting, NHRC Chairperson, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, chaired the proceedings. Attendees included Members Justice (Dr.) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and Smt. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, and Secretary General Shri Bharat Lal. The gathering also saw participation from Director General (Investigation) Smt. Anupama Nilekar Chandra, Registrar (Law) Shri Joginder Singh, and other senior government functionaries, human rights defenders, consumer activists, and domain experts...

New Delhi, April 7 The price of silver plummeted by Rs 1,479 to Rs 2.31 lakh per kilogram in futures trading on Tuesday, amid escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia and rising inflation concerns that dampened investor sentiment.On the Multi Commodity Exchange, the white metal for May delivery decreased by Rs 1,479, or 0.63 per cent, to Rs 2,31,900 per kg in a trading volume of 5,873 lots.Analysts said that silver remained under pressure as traders were closely monitoring geopolitical developments in West Asia and their potential impact on global growth and monetary policy.In global markets, silver futures on the Comex for the May contract fell by nearly 1 per cent to USD 72.41 per ounce in New York.Silver remained near...

Bank of Baroda unveiled bob SAMVAD, an AI-powered multilingual conversational platform, which was formally launched in Mumbai on March 28th, 2026, by Shri M. Nagaraju, Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance. The platform is positioned as an industry-first effort designed to transform customer interactions within bank branches.The goal of bob SAMVAD is to eliminate language barriers, allowing customers and branch staff to communicate seamlessly using their preferred language.Secretary, DFS, commended Bank of Baroda for its innovative application of technology to improve the customer experience and bridge linguistic gaps in banking. He stated that the initiative is expected to promote more...

New Delhi, April 7 Gold prices fell by Rs 610 to Rs 1.49 lakh per 10 grams in futures trading on Tuesday as rising crude oil rates and escalating tensions in the Middle East dampened demand for the safe-haven asset and kept investors cautious.On the Multi Commodity Exchange, the yellow metal for June delivery depreciated by Rs 610, or 0.41 per cent, to Rs 1,49,371 per 10 grams in a trading volume of 7,270 lots.Gold traded slightly lower on Tuesday as crude oil rose towards USD 115 per barrel amid heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, said Gaurav Garg, Research Analyst at Lemonn Markets Desk.The surge in energy prices has created a risk-off sentiment among investors, leading to cautious trading in gold...

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Food Processing Industry stands as a key initiative by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries to reinforce India's food processing sector, promote Indian brands globally, and foster global food manufacturing champions. This scheme is operational for a period spanning six years, from FY 2021-22 to FY 2026-27, with a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore. The focus areas of the scheme include increasing value addition in the food processing sector, expanding processing capacity, and generating employment, with a specific emphasis on rural and off-farm job creation.The scheme structure covers several components, targeting the manufacturing of four major food product segments: Ready...

New Delhi, April 7 Cash payments at toll plazas will be discontinued for travelers on national highways from April 10, the road transport and highways ministry has said.In a gazette notification, the ministry has said that in cases where a vehicle enters a fee plaza without a valid FASTag, users can still pay via Unified Payment Interface (UPI), but at a higher charge of 1.25 times the applicable toll fee.A senior NHAI official said that the move is aimed at reducing long queues at toll gates and make highway travel smoother for commuters.The official said that cash payments will no longer be accepted at the toll booths from April 10 and FASTag will remain the primary mode of toll collection, while UPI will serve as the fallback...

New Delhi, April 7 – The proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Canada benefits greatly from the complementary nature of the two countries' economies, according to a new report.The report, published by Asian News Post, highlighted that India's rapidly growing consumer market, strength in the services sector, and manufacturing push complement Canada's resource base, advanced research, and expertise in clean technology.This complementary nature creates a natural basis for mutually beneficial economic cooperation in renewable energy, critical minerals, and technology exchange.The CEPA could boost bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030 and increase investment, strengthen supply chains, and...

New Delhi, April 7 – Air India confirmed on Tuesday the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson.In a statement, the airline said that a committee has been formed to find a successor in the coming months."Wilson had informed Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran in 2024 that he intended to step down in 2026, and since then, he has been working to ensure that the organization and leadership team are stable for the transition," the airline stated."He will remain in the role until his successor is announced and in place," it added.Commenting on the development, Wilson said that the four years since Air India's privatization have seen the acquisition and successful merger of four airlines...

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemical & Fertilizers, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, extended greetings on World Health Day, emphasizing the nation's commitment to preventive and promotive healthcare.In a statement on the X platform, Shri Nadda noted that World Health Day serves as a reminder for everyone to adopt better health practices and maintain a balanced lifestyle. He highlighted that India's healthcare approach merges age-old wisdom with modern science, contributing to improved lives both nationally and globally.The Minister pointed to the strengthening of the healthcare system under the leadership of the Prime Minister. He cited transformative initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat and the PM Bharatiya...

New Delhi, April 7 The telecom department expects that the reassessment of AGR for Vodafone Idea – which recently received government relief for its dues and liabilities – will be completed by June, sources said.The reassessment was initially targeted for completion by March 31.Sources said the review of Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) is underway, following the internal licence fee reassessment by the Controller of Communication Accounts.Accordingly, the timeline has been extended to June, sources said.The Union Cabinet has provided relief to Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) based on the Supreme Court order, and has "frozen" its Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues at ₹87,695 crore for a period ranging from FY 2006-07 to FY 2018-19.The...

New Delhi, April 7 – Air India announced on Tuesday a revision in fuel surcharge across domestic and international routes, in response to rising global jet fuel prices.For domestic routes, the airline said it will switch from a flat surcharge to a distance-based structure, effective from Wednesday.The revised surcharge will range from ₹299 for flights up to 500 kms to ₹899 for sectors above 2,000 kms.This move follows the government's decision to cap the increase in domestic Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices at 25 per cent, which allows airlines to adopt a calibrated approach in passing on costs to passengers.However, the airline will implement steeper revisions due to the absence of similar price controls on ATF for...