The Times Of India Business
India, EU to resume free trade pact talks after 8 years
India and the European Union have agreed to resume talks for a balanced, ambitious and comprehensive trade agreement and also launch negotiations for a stand-alone investment protection pact, the external affairs ministry said on Saturday.
CBDT: Can pay Rs 2 lakh in cash for Covid care
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recognised the issues faced by individuals who were unable to pay Covid-related hospital bills exceeding Rs 2 lakh in cash, owing to income-tax regulations that prohibited hospitals and nursing homes from accepting such large cash payments. The stringent provisions have been relaxed up to May 31.
Fuel on fire: Petrol zips past Rs 100 mark for 2nd time since Feb
Fuel prices are on fire once again as petrol has shot up to Rs 102 per litre in parts of Rajasthan and MP. Elsewhere too the prices were in sight of hitting a century and diesel made new records after fuel retailers raised prices for the fourth straight day on Friday. Pump prices are rising because state-run fuel retailers, who control 90% of the market, have started passing on the increase in crude prices since April 27.
Sensex ticks higher for third day; HDFC top gainer on Q4 show
Equity benchmarks stretched their winning streak for the third session on Friday as robust corporate results and positive global cues propped up risk appetite despite the Covid-19 overhang. A strong recovery in the rupee, which zoomed 27 paise against the US dollar, also bolstered investor sentiment, traders said.
Wall Street giants get swept up by India’s brutal Covid wave
While many foreign banks have so far avoided major disruptions by shifting tasks to other offshore hubs, India’s Covid crisis has exposed a little-discussed vulnerability for companies that have spent decades outsourcing functions to the country.
Sensex rallies over 400 points in early trade; Nifty tops 14,800
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 400 points in early trade on Friday, tracking gains in index majors HDFC twins, Reliance Industries and TCS amid positive cues from global markets. The 30-share BSE index was trading 416.43 points or 0.85 per cent higher at 49,366.19 in initial deals. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty surged 121.10 points or 0.82 per cent to 14,845.90.
Cairn row: India asks banks to withdraw cash held abroad
Cairn was awarded damages of more than $1.2 billion plus interest and costs in December in a long drawn-out tussle with the Indian government over its retrospective tax claims. While India has filed an appeal, Cairn has started identifying Indian assets overseas, including bank accounts, that could be seized.
Twitter lets people leave tips for some tweeters
Twitter on Thursday began letting some users add virtual tip jars to accounts so people can support their tweets by tossing in money. A limited number of users around the world who tweet in English can add a "Tip Jar" feature to their profiles, according to Twitter senior product manager Esther Crawford. The group included creators, journalists, experts, and non-profits.
Covid-19: US-Germany rift could scupper vaccine patent waiver
A bold US bid to waive patents on much-needed coronavirus vaccines was strongly opposed by Germany on Thursday, threatening to derail the proposal that requires the consensus of World Trade Organization members to pass. "The protection of the intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so in the future," a spokeswoman for Angela Merkel's government said.
