Business

New Delhi, March 31 – AI, cybersecurity, digital, and data skills emerged as India’s most critical capabilities for students, employees, recruiters, CXOs, and academia over the next three to five years, according to a report released on Tuesday.Mid-career professionals with 6–15 years of experience in India's talent pipeline were the most constrained talent pool, according to 38 per cent of recruiters, even though 46 per cent of employers actively recruit from this segment, the report from NIIT Limited in partnership with YouGov stated.Early-career professionals demonstrated higher confidence than students in cybersecurity basics (64 versus 57), cloud tools (66 versus 56), and data analysis (67 versus 56), while senior management...

New Delhi, March 31 – Major tech giant Google on Tuesday opened applications for the 2026 cohort of its "startups accelerator" in India, a three-month, equity-free program aimed at supporting AI-focused startups in the country.The accelerator is targeting Indian startups working in emerging areas such as Agentic AI, Multimodal AI, Physical AI, and Sovereign AI, as the ecosystem shifts from experimental use cases to large-scale, workflow-driven deployments, according to Google India.The tech firm said that the program is open to AI-first startups from Seed to Series A stages that are building solutions for India-specific challenges or developing specialized models for global industrial applications.Under the 2026 cohort, startups...

New Delhi, March 31 – The recent surge in global oil prices is testing Pakistan's fragile macroeconomic stability, and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) tolerance of Islamabad's decision to shield domestic fuel prices signals a shift in approach, a new report has said.The report from Dawn, however, cautioned that the government's decision to protect the population from rising fuel costs is politically understandable but economically unsustainable.The West Asian conflict has injected a new variable – uncertainty – into the IMF's support for Pakistan, complicating fiscal planning.Consequently, "the IMF programme is no longer merely a framework for stabilisation but has become a stress test of resilience," the report said.The...

New Delhi, March 31 India's real GDP growth for the next fiscal could decline by around 1 percentage point, while retail inflation could rise by about 1.5 percentage points from their baseline estimates if the Middle East conflict persists through the next fiscal, an EY report said.The EY Economy Watch report said that several sectors, including employment-intensive sectors like textiles, paints, chemicals, fertilizers, cement, and tires, could be directly affected. Any reduction in employment or incomes in these sectors may further dampen aggregate demand. As a result, both supply and demand conditions may be adversely affected by global oil market disturbances.It said that the Indian economy, which imports nearly 90 per cent of...

Mumbai, March 31 – The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has initiated regulatory action against Elitecon International Ltd after finding prima facie evidence of a "pump and dump" scheme in the company's shares.The capital markets regulator observed that the stock surged more than 60 times within a short period before witnessing a sharp decline, a pattern it said was indicative of manipulative trading.Furthermore, the price rally was allegedly supported by coordinated trades and fund transfers involving promoters and connected entities.SEBI also flagged abnormal financial growth, noting that the company's revenue jumped nearly 686 times over a two-year period.A sharp spike was recorded in the September 2025 quarter...

Colombo, March 31 Sri Lanka has decided to increase electricity prices, effective April 1, the power authorities said.The Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), KPL Chandralal, said on Monday that the state-owned electricity entity, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), had requested a hike of over 13.5 per cent across different usage blocks, based on the units consumed."However, considering the difficulties faced by all sectors – households and industries – the increase will be limited to 8.5 per cent," Chandralal said.The tariff revision proposal submitted by the CEB was analyzed by the PUCSL, and after public consultations, the commission decided to increase the tariffs, he said.This tariff increase...

New Delhi, March 31 – India’s Gram Panchayats have made cumulative payments of over ₹3 lakh crore through the eGramSwaraj platform. The AI-powered 'SabhaSaar' meeting tool is now available in 23 Indian languages, the government said on Tuesday.Payments through eGramSwaraj are made directly to vendors and service providers in real time, ensuring complete digital traceability. The platform is integrated with the Public Financial Management System, and it streamlines planning, accounting, and expenditure at the Panchayat level.The system replaced cash-based and paper-driven processes with a fast, accountable, and fraud-resistant system.The government described these achievements as two significant milestones in advancing digital and...

New Delhi, March 31 The new income tax law and other budgetary provisions, including a higher Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on F&O trading and a lower TCS on overseas tour packages and LRS remittances for medical and educational purposes, will come into effect from April 1.Also, the Budget announcement of a 20-year tax holiday up to 2047 for any foreign company that procures data centre services in India, and new safe harbour provisions with a higher threshold for software companies, will come into effect from Wednesday, with the beginning of the 2026-27 fiscal year.The Income-tax Act, 2025, will replace the Income-tax Act, 1961, effective from April 1, 2026. The new Act aims to present the same tax policy in a more logical...

New Delhi, March 31: Gold and silver prices are likely to open higher on Tuesday evening amid hopes of de-escalation in the West Asia conflict.Tracking global cues, spot gold jumped as much as 2.39 per cent to $4,619.14 per ounce as of 11 A.M., while US gold futures for June delivery gained 2 per cent to $4,649.26.Similarly, spot silver advanced 4.82 per cent to $73.48 per ounce, while COMEX silver traded at $73.705, up 4.44 per cent from the previous close.On Monday, MCX gold futures (June 5) ended at Rs 1,47,450, down 0.15 per cent, while MCX silver futures (May 5) closed on a flat note at Rs 2,29,033, up 0.03 per cent.However, the yellow metal remains on track for its steepest monthly decline in over 17 years, as elevated...

New Delhi, March 31 The securities regulator, Sebi, has barred Elitecon International Ltd, its promoter and managing director Vipin Sharma, and four others from accessing the securities market, alleging manipulative activities and misleading disclosures.In an interim order passed on Monday, Sebi directed the seizure of alleged unlawful gains of about Rs 51.26 crore from Sharma and four other entities.Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said it will conduct a detailed investigation into the case and appoint a forensic auditor.The action followed an investigation into trading in the shares of Elitecon International, where the regulator found prima facie evidence that the company and its insiders misled...

New Delhi, March 31 Magnum Ice Cream Netherlands has completed the acquisition of a 61.9 per cent majority stake in Kwality Wall's (India) Ltd (KWIL), resulting in a change in the promoter classification."On March 30, 2026, the Incoming Promoter acquired the Sale Shares from the Outgoing Promoters in accordance with the SPA and other applicable laws," KWIL said in a regulatory filing.Pursuant to this transaction, the Incoming Promoter has acquired control over the company and is classified as a "promoter" of the company in accordance with the Listing Regulations, it added.Meanwhile, the outgoing promoters have been reclassified from the "promoter" category to the public category.This acquisition is done as per the Share Purchase...

New Delhi, March 31 Gujarat Victory Forgings Ltd has filed draft papers with the capital markets regulator, Sebi, to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO).The proposed IPO involves the issuance of up to 65 lakh equity shares and an offer for sale of up to 1.32 crore equity shares by a promoter, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) filed on Monday.Under the OFS, promoter Vijendrakumar Bishamber Gupta will offload shares.The Vadodara-based company plans to use the proceeds from the fresh issue for capital expenditure for expanding its existing Unit III in Vadodara, including increasing the manufacturing capacity of copper cathodes, paying off debt, and for general corporate purposes.Gujarat Victory...

New Delhi, March 31 – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has deferred the implementation of its revised capital market exposure framework by three months, changing the effective date to July 1, 2026, from the earlier April 1 deadline.The decision comes after feedback from banks, capital market intermediaries (CMIs), and industry bodies, which highlighted operational and interpretational challenges in implementing the new norms.The central bank had initially issued the amendment directions on February 13, 2026, following public consultation.The RBI has also issued targeted clarifications across areas such as acquisition finance, loans against financial assets, and credit exposure to CMIs.Under the revised framework, the scope of...

Seoul, March 31 – The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced on Tuesday that it has allocated 924.1 billion won ($609 million) in a supplementary budget to address the Middle East crisis amid disruptions in energy and industrial supply chains.The announcement came after the Cabinet, chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, approved a government bill for a 26.2 trillion-won supplementary budget aimed at addressing difficulties stemming from the escalating conflict in the Middle East and revamping the local economy. If passed by the National Assembly, the bill will provide cash handouts totaling 4.8 trillion won to the bottom 70 percent of income earners.The ministry plans to spend 664.2 billion won on stabilizing supplies of...

New Delhi, March 31 As India approaches the new fiscal year FY27, the country’s direct tax system is set for a major overhaul from April 1, 2026, with the new Income Tax Act, 2025, coming into force – replacing the six-decade-old 1961 legislation and introducing changes in compliance, terminology, and taxation.A major reform under the new framework is the replacement of the 'Financial Year' (FY) and 'Assessment Year' (AY) with a single 'tax year', which could simplify the filing process and improve clarity for taxpayers.Moreover, the deadlines for filing income tax returns have also been revised, while the July 31 deadline remains unchanged for salaried individuals, non-audit cases such as self-employed taxpayers and professionals...

New Delhi, March 31 – The government announced on Tuesday that it had released over ₹1,500 crore as grants from the 15th Finance Commission to strengthen local governance in rural areas in six states.The Centre had sanctioned and released both tied and untied grants during the fiscal year 2025–26 to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in Telangana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, and Meghalaya, to further empower grassroots governance and enable locally-driven development based on need.For Telangana, ₹247.94 crore was released as the first installment of untied grants for the financial year 2025-26. These funds are for the 12,600 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the state.Similarly, for Uttarakhand...

Petrol, Diesel Prices on March 31: Check Fuel Rates in Your City Today Crude Oil Rally Fails to Impact Domestic Fuel Prices Petrol and diesel prices across major Indian cities remained largely unchanged on Tuesday, March 31, even as global crude oil markets witnessed sharp volatility amid escalating geopolitical tensions.Crude oil prices have surged significantly since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, leading to a disruption of trade through the Strait of Hormuz. The benchmark Brent crude has risen more than 50 percent during this period, touching $116 on Monday.Despite the global supply crunch and rising energy prices, India has managed to maintain stable retail fuel prices so far.Middle East...

IMF Warns Middle East Conflict Could Trigger Global Inflation and Slow Growth Energy Shock and Economic Uncertainty Intensify Amid Ongoing Conflict New Delhi, March 31: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cautioned that the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran could significantly impact the global economy, leading to higher inflation and slower economic growth worldwide.In a recent blog post, the IMF highlighted that the crisis is disrupting lives and livelihoods not only in the Middle East but also across global markets. The institution noted that while the shock is global in nature, its impact is uneven, with energy-importing and low-income nations facing the greatest risks.Energy Importers Face...

Stock Market Holiday Today: BSE, NSE Shut on March 31 for Mahavir Jayanti Trading Halt Across Equity and Commodity Markets Mumbai, March 31: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) remain closed on Tuesday on account of Shri Mahavir Jayanti, pausing equity market activity for the day.Apart from this holiday, stock exchanges are scheduled to observe 11 more official holidays in 2026, excluding weekends.MCX Partial Closure, NCDEX Shut for Full Day In the commodity segment, the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) is closed during the morning session from 9 am to 5 pm due to the festival. Trading on MCX will resume in the evening session from 5 pm to 11:30 pm.Meanwhile, the National Commodity and...

South Korea Launches Crude Oil Swap System to Counter Supply Risks Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Government Introduces Temporary Oil Swap Mechanism Seoul, March 31: South Korea’s government has introduced a crude oil swap system with private refiners starting Tuesday, aiming to stabilize supply chains and mitigate disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions impacting global oil routes.The initiative, announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, will remain in operation for two months. Under this arrangement, the government will lend a portion of its crude oil reserves, largely sourced from the Middle East, to domestic oil refiners. These companies will later replenish the reserves using alternative crude supplies...