The Centre has introduced the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for central government employees with assured payouts and inflation adjustments for those with over 25 years of service. Employees currently under the National Pension System (NPS) have a one-time option to switch to UPS, which starts in April.
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US stocks climbed Wednesday, driven by tech gains ahead of Nvidia's crucial earnings report. Nvidia soared 4%, its performance seen as critical after concerns over AI infrastructure surfaced. The S&P rose 0.6%, the Nasdaq 100 added 1%, while the Dow Jones gained 0.1%.
Venture capital investments in India saw significant growth from January to November 2024, reaching $16.77 billion across 888 deals. The technology sector secured $6.50 billion. In China, VC funding activities experienced a decline, with a disclosed funding value of $32.3 billion across 2,313 deals.
India and the US are negotiating a bilateral trade agreement, with India willing to lower tariffs on items of interest while seeking similar concessions from the US. Sectors like apparel, engineering goods, and gems and jewelry have identified specific products where tariff reductions could be beneficial.
India's goods exports declined for the third consecutive month in January due to lower oil prices, while imports saw the fastest growth since April, leading to a trade deficit. Non-oil exports showed a significant increase, and services exports also outpaced goods, indicating India's strong export performance despite global conflicts and tariff actions.
The UK pledged £20 billion ($26 billion) on Sunday to help exporters including those affected by US tariffs, as President Donald Trump's sweeping stop-start import taxes roil global markets. Britain's finance ministry said the move would expand the UK's export finance package by £20 billion to a total of £80 billion, with "thousands of UK businesses affected by tariffs set to benefit."
Personal income tax (PIT) has become a significant source of tax revenue in India, contributing 31% to the centre's gross tax collections in FY24. In contrast, corporate income tax (CIT) contributions have declined. The government's focus on widening the tax net and other measures have driven this increase in PIT collections, while keeping corporate taxes competitive.
L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan advocates for a 90-hour work week and working on Sundays, expressing that excessive work hours are key to global competitiveness. His remarks, citing China's intensive work culture, have sparked backlash on social media.
The Centre estimates Rs 47,000 crore from disinvestment and asset monetisation in the 2025-26 Budget. A new plan aims to plough back Rs 10 lakh crore into new projects. The first phase of monetisation had limited success, focusing on brownfield assets across various sectors.
Indian stock markets are rallying due to a weakening US dollar and lower crude oil prices. The Sensex has risen nearly 1,000 points, while the BSE Smallcap index has surged 5.6% in three days. Analysts expect continued momentum, citing improved GDP growth and earnings recovery. However, global uncertainties and potential volatility remain concerns.
Despite reaching record highs in 2024, Sensex and Nifty are now about 10% off peak levels due to global and domestic factors. Advisers recommend a focus on large-cap, flexi-cap, and debt-oriented balanced advantage funds, while continuing SIPs to benefit from possible future rallies amid market volatility.