Centre had planned a disinvestment mop-up of Rs 2.1 lakh crore this fiscal, by selling stake in several public sector enterprises, but the plans have been stalled due to several factors

All eyes are on the budget as the government walks a tightrope of balancing growth and fiscal concerns. Effective implementation of the proposed budget will be key

First advance estimates of national income highlight three key imperatives to revive growth: generate demand and investment cycles by directly spending more and reverse import substitution

Apple to bring back new chipsets, old magnetic charger to MacBook Pro Apple is set to launch the new MacBook Pro models powered by its own line of chipsets. The tech giant will also bring back magnetic charging as well as updated displays on the new MacBooks. The new laptop models will be launched this year. The company is working towards making a move from its Intel chipset and powering its new laptops with an enhanced in-house chipset, both in terms of processing and graphics performance....

On the positive side, BofA Securities said credit demand is bottoming out and the real lending rates adjusted for wholesale price inflation are falling

\"The two per cent interest subvention scheme on loans has truly supported Indian MSMEs. We would like to propose that the scheme be further extended with enhanced coverage,\" Indian Chamber of Commerce president Vikas Agarwal said

\"In Japan, various efforts are made to utilise 5G in such fields as agriculture, transportation and disaster risk reduction. Japan is willing to share our experience and expertise and work together towards the successful introduction of 5G in India,\" stated Japanese minister Takeda

Raghuram Rajan said prioritising spending is important as it would help the government focus on what is essential, such as relief to poor households and small businesses

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has issued a call for the withdrawal of non-COVID and non-essential services for 12 hours tomorrow. The strike will last from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on Friday

Allowing big industrial houses in the banking sector has its own set of challenges

The stock of the private sector lender has fallen 67% since the beginning of the year and over 74% in one year. YES Bank stock is trading higher than 5, 20, 50 and 100-day moving averages but lower than 200-day moving averages

RBI panel's proposal to allow big corporates/industrial houses to own and run banks and NBFCs is contrary to RBI's own earlier stand, economic logic and historical evidence of multiple economic crises caused by reckless private financial sector players

Former Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan and deputy governor Viral Acharya have said that the proposals put out by an internal working group (IWG) of the central bank to allow corporate entry into banking is a \"bad idea.\"; Software giant Microsoft has rolled out a new feature on its Teams app through which up to 300 participants will be able to do free voice or video calls all day; Biotechnology major Biocon on Monday said it has inked an agreement for the acquisition of 26% stake on a fully diluted basis in Hinduja Renewables Two Pvt Ltd for Rs 5.91 crore. Watch this and more on News Blast.Also Read: 'India, top priority': Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla on COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan

SpiceJet founders venture into COVID-19 testing SpiceHealth, a healthcare company founded by the promoters of low-cost carrier SpiceJet, announced on November 23 that it would conduct Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests, touted as the most decisive and crucial test for COVID-19, starting at Rs 499. The company also claimed that the test report will be generated in a record time of 6 hours after sample collection, in stark contrast to the current 24 to 48 hours it takes at mos...

For corporate houses, their ability to work under a stringent regulatory watch and to have detailed disclosures and proactive communication will be a test of the toughest order

The agency added that the RBI's internal working group's concerns regarding the concentration of economic power, as well as financial stability in permitting corporate houses to own banks, are some of the potential risks

Former Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan and deputy governor Viral Acharya in an article he posted on LinkedIn, stated that it is important to stick to the tried and tested limits on corporate involvement in banking

While India is firmly focused on AatmaNirbhar Bharat for a V-shaped recovery, its key fiscal numbers show the economy is slipping with falling capital expenditure, muted consumption and higher precautionary savings

Multiple factors are responsible for this; some are well-known, like data fudging and man-made disasters of demonetisation, GST, and stringent lockdown; others are lost sight of, like lack of institutional support and intellectual rigour and frivolous approach to serious crisis

According to estimates by the Maharashtra State Onion Growers' Association (MSOGA), 50 per cent of kharif and late kharif onion crops were damaged by heavy rain