India and Oman signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on Thursday (December 18, 2025), under which Oman will provide India duty-free access to 98.08% of its tariff lines, which covers 99.38% of what India exports to Oman. India, on the other hand, has offered liberalised tariffs on 77.79% of its total tariff lines, covering…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, at the Oman-India Business Forum, in Muscat, Oman. Other officials and leaders are also present. Source: X/@MEAINDIA Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (December 18, 2025) said the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman will give new confidence and energy to the bilateral relations. Speaking at the…
Representational image of immigration counters at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru | Photo Credit: G.P. Sampath Kumar The government on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) said it has simplified and streamlined the process for domestic companies to seek e-visas for foreign professionals, including engineers and technical experts, whose services are required for machine installation, quality checks, training…
Stock markets declined for the third consecutive day on Wednesday (December 17, 2025), with the benchmark Sensex closing lower by 120 points at a week’s low due to relentless foreign fund outflows. The 30-share BSE Sensex edged lower by 120.21 points or 0.14% to settle at 84,559.65. During the day, it dropped 263.88 points or…
Image used for representational purposes. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The quality of microfinance loans has been improving since December 2024, with the ratio of delinquencies falling steadily since then and coming in at a four-quarter low in the September 2025 quarter, according to the latest Quarterly Microfinance Report by microfinance self-regulatory body Sa-Dhan. For…
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. File. | Photo Credit: PTI Confirming that India and Oman will be signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Thursday (December 18, 2025), Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that the FTA offers “immense opportunities” in a number of sectors, including textiles, footwear, automobiles, gems and jewellery, renewable energy, and auto…
The rupee recovered 55 paise from its all-time low level to close at 90.38 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar after a volatile trade on Wednesday (December 17, 2025), amid suspected aggressive central bank intervention. Analysts said the rupee’s recent fall against the U.S. dollar was primarily driven by external factors, not domestic economic weakness, and…
India only safeguarded its domestic industries against flooding which happens from a “predator”, the Finance Minister said. File | Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) said global trade is increasingly “getting weaponised” through tariffs and other measures, and India will have to negotiate its way carefully. She said…
Image used for representational purpose only. File | Photo Credit: PTI Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) driven by value buying at lower levels and a positive trend in Asian markets. Steady buying activity by domestic institutional investors also brought comfort to the markets, according to experts….
In FY25, India produced 1.05 billion tonne of coal. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Overall coal production in India rose 2.06% in November when assessed with the comparable period last year, although it fell slightly short of the stipulated target for the month, according to provisional data from the Coal Ministry. Essential to note, power…
