Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena’s Secretariat on Friday directed the city government to phase out third-party vendors engaged for preparing Aadhaar cards and restrict the tasks of enrolment and update to outlets manned by the Registrar’s own staff.

Power consumption bills in Chhattisgarh are set to rise from August following the announcement of a new tariff order by the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The revised rates, released on Friday, will affect domestic, commercial, and agricultural consumers across the state.

According to the tariff order for the financial year 2025–26, domestic consumers will now pay an additional 10 to 20 paise per unit.

Investor sentiment was also hit by a sharp selloff in IT stocks after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the first quarter (Q1) of FY25.

The Sensex dropped 689.81 points, or 0.83 per cent, to close at 82,500.47. Similarly, the Nifty index slipped 205.4 points, or 0.81 per cent, to settle at 25,149.85.

The Income Tax Department on Friday released the excel utilities for ITR-2 and ITR-3 forms which can be used by taxpayers who have taxable capital gains, crypto income, and others for filing their returns.

The Income Tax Department had earlier released only ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms (both online and excel utility) which enabled a limited set of taxpayers with specified income classifications to file their ITR.

Household credit extended heavily to 42.1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in FY24, which was steady in the range of 32 to 35 per cent during FY13 to FY20, a report revealed on Friday, showing growing optimism in the resilient economy.

The Indian stock market ended lower on Thursday as investors awaited key triggers in the Q1 earnings reports.

Uncertainty looming around the US tariff deals also played a major role in deciding the market sentiment.

Sensex fell 345.80 points or 0.41 per cent to settle at 83,190.28. The 30-share index opened at 83,658.20, up against the previous closing of 83,536.08. However, the index dragged into negative territory amid selling across the sectors. It touched an intraday low at 83,139.97.

Meanwhile, Nifty closed at 25,355.25, down 120.85 points.

“Domestic equities witnessed a lacklustre session, reflecting cautious investor sentiment ahead of key triggers,” said Sundar Kewat, Technical and Derivatives Analyst at Ashika Institutional Equity.

The Indian quick commerce (Q-commerce) market’s gross order value is poised for exponential growth, nearly tripling from an estimated Rs 64,000 crore in FY25 to around Rs 2 lakh crore by FY28, according to a report on Thursday.

India’s Q-commerce market is estimated to have reached around Rs 64,000 crore in FY25, growing at a staggering CAGR of 142 per cent during FY22-FY25, driven by evolving consumer preferences, hyperlocal infrastructure, and a lower base, according to the report by CareEdge Advisory, a subsidiary of CareEdge Ratings.

“While growth remains strong, the focus is shifting from rapid expansion to reviving profitability and operational efficiency. Going forward, deeper penetration in Tier 2 and 3 cities, and tech-led innovations will likely define the next phase of India’s Q-commerce landscape,” said Tanvi Shah, Senior Director and Head, CareEdge Advisory and Research.

The Q-commerce market revenue generated through fees has grown at a significantly faster pace than the GOV.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified bonds issued by Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) as "long-term specified assets" that are eligible for tax exemption benefits under section 54EC of the Income-tax Act.

The tax benefit has kicked in with effect from July 9, 2025.

The CBDT notification states that bonds redeemable after five years and issued by IREDA on or after the notification date will qualify for tax exemption benefits under section 54EC, of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which allows capital gains tax exemption on investments in specified bonds.

The proceeds from these bonds will be utilised exclusively for renewable energy projects capable of servicing debt through their project revenues, without dependence on State Governments for debt servicing, according to the official statement.

The creation of a strong launch pipeline by large and midsized developers in India highlights confidence in demand continuity and improves growth visibility over the medium term, a report showed on Thursday.

While real estate companies in the residential segment have reported a mixed bag of operational performances in Q1 FY26, many listed companies (large and mid-sized) have made major progress in business development, according to the report by Emkay Global Financial Services.

This was mainly due to a strong set of launches, supported by healthy demand. Since demand remains healthy, companies have maintained their full-year guidance, as they step up launches ahead.

“On the back of healthy footfalls at project sites and continued traction for newly launched projects in the sector, Emkay Global Financial Services expects prudent real estate companies to largely meet their FY26 pre-sales guidance,” the report mentioned.

The Indian benchmark indices opened flat on Thursday amid mixed global cues as selling was seen in the auto and IT sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.29 am, Sensex was trading 40.96 points or 0.05 per cent down at 83,495.12 while the Nifty declined 17.70 points or 0.07 per cent at 25,458.40.

Nifty Bank was up 29.50 points or 0.05 per cent at 57,243.05 in early trade. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 59,448 after adding 108.40 points or 0.18 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 19,057.75 after adding 50.35 points or 0.26 per cent.

According to analysts, with trade and tariff news feeling more routine these days, the market is bracing for the start of earnings season.