In a significant move to help passengers recover lost or stolen mobile phones, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has successfully onboarded with the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal of the Department of Telecommunication.

CEIR portal is DoT’s crucial digital tool to recover mobile phones by blocking the IMEI number, tracking and managing of lost or stolen devices.

This initiative follows the success of a pilot program in the Northeast Frontier Railway. The all-India roll out of this program across Indian Railways on Thursday would benefit millions of Railway Passengers.

In the inauguration launch and training programme for CEIR portal, RPF Director General Manoj Yadava said: “The collaboration of RPF with the Department of Telecommunication for operating CEIR portal marks a significant milestone in railway security. By harnessing digital technology, we aim to provide passengers with a transparent and effective mechanism to recover their lost or missing mobile phones. This initiative strengthens law enforcement capabilities and fosters greater trust among railway commuters. We remain committed to safeguarding passenger property and ensuring a secure travel experience across the railway network.”

The Indian stock market closed lower on Thursday as investors remained cautious following US President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariffs.

The new tariff structure includes a 10 per cent tax on all US imports, with higher tariffs on countries with a trade surplus. India will now face a 27 per cent tariff.

The Sensex fell 322.08 points, or 0.42 per cent, to close at 76,295.36. During the day, the index fluctuated between an intraday high of 76,493.74 and a low of 75,807.55.

The Nifty also ended lower, down 82.25 points, or 0.35 per cent, at 23,250.10.

India’s economy is set to grow at 6.7 per cent in FY26, driven by a cyclical recovery and steady market performance, a new report said on Thursday.

Cyclical recovery refers to the phase in an economic cycle that follows a recession or slowdown, during which economic activity, consumer spending, and business investments start to rise.

Over the past five years, India has witnessed strong earnings growth, with the NIFTY index recording a 20 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), according to a Lighthouse Canton report.

As the economy moves forward, the next phase of growth will depend on key factors such as government capital expenditure, tax benefits for the middle class, and improved consumer demand.

These elements are expected to support earnings recovery and market confidence in 2025, the report said.

State Bank of India (SBI) and Citi on Thursday announced a social loan facility of $295 million to support smallholder farmers in India.

The financing is specifically directed towards smallholder farmers in India, to support them to improve their agricultural productivity, enhancing their financial well-being, the banks said in a statement.

The SBI will utilise the facility to finance its Kisan Credit Card loan portfolio, to help meet the credit requirements of the agricultural sector, and within this, smallholder farmers.

Jayati Bansal, Dy Managing Director (International Banking Group), SBI, said that leveraging our extensive network, “we aim to reach small and marginal farmers who are at the core of India’s agriculture sector but often lack access to essential credit resources”.

Indian equity indices opened lower on Thursday following a sharp sell-off in global markets after the US President Donald Trump announcement of reciprocal tariffs.

At around 9:20 am, Sensex was down 470 points or 0.61 per cent at 76,197, and Nifty was down 105 points or 0.45 per cent, at 23,227.

In early trading hour, midcap and smallcaps were trading with minor gains compared to largecap. Nifty midcap 100 index was up 125 points or 0.24 per cent at 52,183 and Nifty smallcap 100 index was up 121 points or 0.75 per cent at 16,283.

On the sectoral front, Auto, IT, PSU bank, FMCG, metal and media were in the top laggars. Pharma, realty and energy were major gainers.

In the Sensex pack, Infosys, HCL Tech, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Tata Motors, M&M, Bharti Airtel, Reliance, HDFC Bank, Maruti Suzuki and Kotak Mahindra Bank were major losers. Sun Pharma, Power Grid, NTPC, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Titan and UltraTech cement were major gainers.

Indian Railways is set to achieve 1.6 billion tonnes freight loading in FY 2024-25, making it the third largest freight handling railway system in the world, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Due to the implementation of several freight revenue initiatives, the freight carried by Indian Railways has jumped by 29 per cent from 1,233 million tonnes in 2020-21 to 1,591 million tonnes during 2023-24, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question.

During 2023-24, the earnings of Indian Railways (IR) were Rs 2,56,093 crore and revenue expenditure was Rs 2,52,834 crore. The net revenue has improved to Rs 3,260 crore in 2023-24. Major expenditure is done on staff cost, pension, and energy consumption, the minister said.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has made remarkable progress in developing the country's highway infrastructure, as it constructed 5,614 kms of national highways in FY25, surpassing its target of 5,150 kms, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways data on Wednesday.

This achievement highlights the authority’s commitment to improving road connectivity across India. According to the Ministry, the NHAI also recorded its highest-ever capital expenditure in a single financial year.

The total expenditure for highway development in FY 2024-25 reached over Rs 2,50,000 crore (provisional), exceeding the target of Rs 2,40,000 crore.

This includes both government budgetary support and the NHAI’s own resources. Compared to Rs 2,07,000 crore spent in FY 2023-24, the expenditure saw an increase of around 21 per cent.

The rise was even more significant when compared to FY 2022-23, with a 45 per cent jump from Rs 1,73,000 crore.

The Union government on Wednesday said it has spent Rs 51.46 crore for the drug deaddiction campaign in the country between FY 2020-21 to FY2024-25.

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) was launched on August 15, 2020, by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in 272 identified most vulnerable districts and now it has been extended to all districts of the country.

“NMBA has reached out to the masses and spread awareness about substance use with a focus on higher educational Institutions, university campuses, and schools by reaching out and identifying dependent populations and providing counselling and treatment facilities in hospitals and rehabilitation centers,” said BL Verma, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

“In 2020-21, the Centre released Rs 13.38 crore in funds under the NMBA; in 2021-22 it was Rs 3.14 crore; and in 2022-23 it stood at Rs 1.50 core. In 2023-24, the government spent Rs 6.19 crore on NMBA, and in 2024-25 it spent Rs 27.25 crore,” he added.

Driven by rapid digitisation, rise of fintech and increased government support, the rural lending landscape in India is undergoing a significant transformation, creating new opportunities for structured and efficient lending models and ensuring that credit reaches those who need it most, according to a new report.

The government initiatives such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and subsidised loan schemes continue to play a crucial role in supporting farmers and rural entrepreneurs.

The government has increased the subsidized KCC loan limit from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, benefiting approximately 7.7 crore farmers, including fishermen and dairy farmers

India's goods and services tax collections surged by 9.9 per cent to Rs 1.96 lakh crore during March this year compared to the same month of the previous year, reflecting the higher level of economic activity and better compliance.

Sequentially, the GST collections were 6.8 per cent higher than the Rs 1.84 lakh crore revenue recorded in February this year.

Gross GST revenue in March included Rs 38,100 crore from Central GST, Rs 49,900 crore from State GST, Rs 95,900 crore from Integrated GST, and Rs 12,300 crore from compensation cess.

In comparison, February saw Central GST collections at Rs 35,204 crore, State GST at Rs 43,704 crore, Integrated GST at Rs 90,870 crore, and compensation cess at Rs 13,868 crore.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh were the top five contributors to GST collections in March.