A Dubai-based conglomerate has said it will initiate legal action against Lebanese authorities, alleging losses of more than $1.7 billion following years of economic crisis, banking restrictions and political instability in Lebanon.The Al Habtoor Group said on Monday that its investments in Lebanon have suffered “severe and sustained harm” due to measures imposed by Lebanese…
What can be done for customs reforms. (AI generated image) By Krishan AroraIndia customs has seen several reforms over the years – from tariff rationalization to digitization to simplified procedures & schemes to support domestic Industry. While high tariff rates and duty rate rationalization remains a key industry demand, there is a need for a…
US stocks opened with modest gains on Monday as investors turned their focus to a busy earnings calendar and the upcoming policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve, while gold surged past the $5,000-an-ounce mark for the first time.The S&P 500 rose 0.4% in early trade, coming off its second consecutive weekly loss. The Dow…
India and the European Union have successfully concluded negotiations for a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA), commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, PTI reported. Calling the agreement balanced and forward-looking from India’s perspective, Agrawal said the deal would deepen economic integration between India and the EU and give a boost to bilateral trade and…
Banking operations at public sector banks across the country are likely to be disrupted on Tuesday as bank unions go ahead with a nationwide strike to press for the immediate implementation of a five-day work week.The strike, called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU)—an umbrella body of nine unions representing bank officers and…
With global banks, broker-dealers and capital markets players weighing India as an offshore financial base, Deloitte has urged the government to use Budget 2026 to have parity rulesa among players, remove tax asymmetries and compliance frictions that are limiting the scale-up of IFSC GIFT City as a full-service international BFSI hub.According to Deloitte, the International…
Ahead of the Union Budget 2026, the IT industry association Nasscom has urged the government to address pressing tax concerns for startups and technology firms. As reported by PTI, the Nasscom wishlist for Budget 2026 includes extending the Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) tax deferment to more startups, clarifying rules around the tax treatment of…
File photo: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget on February 1, with expectations centred on tax reforms, a revamp of the customs duty structure and measures to support economic growth amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty. The Budget is also expected to outline a clear…
India’s benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty have slipped more than 4% so far in January, dragged down by sustained foreign fund outflows, a weakening rupee, muted corporate earnings, geopolitical tensions and renewed tariff concerns, according to market data.The 30-share BSE Sensex has fallen 3,682.9 points, or 4.32%, during the month, while the 50-share NSE…
File photo (Pic credit: AP) Asian stock markets mostly declined on Monday, led by sharp losses in Japan after the yen strengthened against the US dollar, hurting exporter stocks. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1.8% to 52,870.15, weighed down by heavy selling in major exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp., whose shares dropped 4%.Markets across…
