The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts for the procurement of 1,868 Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLT) at a total cost of Rs 697.35 crore for the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

RTFLT is a critical equipment which will assist in various combat and logistics support tasks by avoiding manual handling of the enormous number of stores and thus enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

The “Buy Indian” order will enhance national defence equipment manufacturing capabilities.

This project has immense potential for direct and indirect employment generation by encouraging MSME sector through component's manufacturing.

The procurement marks a pivotal step towards modernising India's defence infrastructure and empowering indigenous industries, which will be a proud flag-bearer of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', according to a Defence Ministry statement.

In yet another sign of thawing ties between the two countries, a Chinese diplomat on Thursday hailed India's ascent in the Asia Power Index that was released last year.

"India has become the 3rd most powerful and influential country in Asia, after the US and China," Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, posted on X citing the 2024 Asia Power Index by Australia's Sydney-based Lowy Institute.

The report released in September 2024 had placed India as the third-most powerful nation in Asia, behind only the United States and China, highlighting India's remarkable improvement in various categories, particularly in Diplomatic Influence, which surged due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's increased international engagements.

As India overtook Japan to grab the third spot in the Asia Power Index, several leaders attributed the country's ascent to PM Modi's visionary leadership and global strategy.

High frequency indicators point towards a sequential pick-up in momentum of India's economic activity during the second half of 2024-25, which is likely to sustain moving forward, according to the latest RBI monthly bulletin.

In a challenging and increasingly uncertain global environment, the Indian economy is poised to sustain its position as the fastest growing major economy during 2025-26 as per the IMF and World Bank estimates of GDP growth of 6.5 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively, the report points out.

It further states that the Union Budget 2025-26 prudently balances fiscal consolidation and growth objectives by continued focus on Capex alongside measures to boost household incomes and consumption.

The effective capital expenditure/GDP ratio is budgeted to improve to 4.3 per cent in 2025- 26 from 4.1 per cent in 2024-25 (revised estimate).

Retail inflation moderated to a five-month low of 4.3 per cent in January, mainly due to a sharp decline in vegetable prices driven by the arrival of winter crops in the market, the report states.

Vehemently pleading the case of the state before the Ravi Beas Water Tribunal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday categorically said that the state does not have a single drop of water to share with the other states.

The Centre on Wednesday released grants to the tune of Rs 1,086.06 crore under the Fifteenth Finance Commission to the Rural Local Bodies of Bihar, Haryana and Sikkim for financial year 2024–25.

Bihar has been given the 2nd instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs 821.80 crore and withheld portion of 1st instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.47.9339 crore.

These funds are for all 38 District Panchayats, 530 eligible Block Panchayats and 8,052 eligible Gram Panchayats which fulfilled the mandatory conditions for the release of funds.

Rural Local Bodies in Haryana will get the 2nd instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.202.47 crore and the withheld portion of the 1st instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.7.5993 crore. These funds are for the 18 eligible District Panchayats, 142 eligible Block Panchayats and 6,195 eligible Gram Panchayats.

The Jharkhand government has announced a complete ban on the production, distribution, sale, and storage of gutkha and paan masala containing nicotine and tobacco within the state.

The state’s health department has issued a notification that this ban will be effective for the next year, starting from the notification date.

The authorities have stated that the ban period may be extended further based on a review of the situation.

In 2020, Jharkhand banned 11 brands of gutkha and paan masala, effective until June 2023. The ban lapsed for about one and a half years. This time, all types of paan masala containing nicotine and tobacco, in addition to gutkha, have been prohibited in the state.

According to the notification signed by Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department and State Food Safety Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh, this ban is imposed under Section 30(2)(A) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Regulations 2, 3, and 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011.

The government has directed the concerned department to disseminate this information through the media.

The Nifty index could reach 25,000 by December 2025, driven by a revival in consumer spending, improved employment trends and easing foreign investor selling, a new report said on Tuesday.

According to Emkay Institutional Equities, the Indian stock market is expected to remain volatile in the near term, but a recovery is likely in the second half of 2025.

The research firm has projected that the first quarter of 2025 is likely to witness increased market fluctuations due to weak demand and global uncertainties.

India's GDP is expected to grow at 6.6 per cent in the October-December period of 2024-25, which is slower than the corresponding figure of 8.6 per cent for the same quarter of 2023-24, but remains robust with support from agriculture, government spending, and services, according to a Bank of Baroda report released on Tuesday.

The increase in the government's capital expenditure (capex) is a major driver of economic stability while the financial sector and rural demand show resilience, the report points out.

It states that the government’s capital expenditure has increased significantly to 47.7 per cent in Q3FY25 (up from 24.4 per cent in Q3FY24) which has led to an increase in construction activity in sectors such as highways, ports and railways resulting in more jobs and incomes being created in the economy.

Raghav Chadha Expresses Deep Condolences to Families of New Delhi Railway Station Stampede Victims

India is emerging as the fastest-growing hub for Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals, with their numbers rising by 18 per cent in the country, according to a report on Friday.

The report by FPSB India, the Indian subsidiary of the Financial Planning Standards Board, (FPSB) showed that CFP professionals grew to 3,215 in 2024 from 2,731 in 2023 – a 17.7 per cent growth.

CFPs are experts who play a key role in helping individuals plan their finances, manage wealth, and achieve long-term financial stability.