There has been a steady increase in corporate investments during 2024-25, with core infrastructure industries playing a lead role in the growth, according to a report compiled by the Bank of Baroda’s economic research department.

The report, based on data from 1,393 companies across 122 industries, estimates that gross fixed assets, including capital work in progress, increased by 7.6 per cent to Rs 28.50 lakh crore in FY 25 compared with Rs 26.49 lakh crore for FY24.

Refineries accounted for the largest share of fixed assets at 31 per cent, followed by telecom services with 8.6 per cent, iron and steel products (5.9 per cent), cement (5.4 per cent), and power (4.8 per cent).

These five sectors constituted 56 per cent of the total fixed assets, the key contribution of core infrastructure industries to capital formation.

Google may launch a cheaper version of YouTube Premium without its music streaming component in South Korea in a move aimed at addressing concerns over alleged anti-competitive practices, the country's antitrust watchdog said on Thursday.

The self-proposed measure is part of negotiations between the U.S. tech giant and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which has been investigating Google over suspicions that it violated fair trade rules by bundling YouTube Music to its premium subscription service.

In July last year, the FTC issued a report equivalent to a formal prosecution complaint, accusing Google Korea of unfairly bundling YouTube Music with YouTube Premium, thereby restricting consumer choice and abusing its market dominance, reports news agency.

The regulator claims Google's practice effectively forced consumers to subscribe to both services, limiting options for those who may have only wanted access to ad-free video streaming.

Well known producer Anil Sunkara, who is one of the producers of 'Kalam', featuring actor Dhanush in the lead, has now penned an emotional note about the upcoming film, saying that the film will not be just a normal biopic of the People's President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam but that it will be "an epic with perfect drama, action, humour and emotion."

On Wednesday, an official announcement was made about the film. The makers said that the film would be directed by Om Raut, best known for having directed 'Adipurush', and that actor Dhanush would essay the role of Doctor Kalam, India's most loved president, in the film.

Soon after the announcement, Anil Sunkara, one of the producers of the film, took to his X timeline to pen an emotional post on the phenomenal effort the producers had to make to put the project together.

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) continued its demolition drive in the city and surroundings.

HYDRAA personnel were seen in action on Thursday in Peerzadiguda in Medchal Malkajgiri district on the outskirts of Hyderabad, clearing encroachments and demolishing unauthorised constructions.

Bulldozers were pressed into service since early morning in Parvathapur under Peerzadiguda Municipal Corporation amid tight security by the police.

Residents staged a protest over the demolition. They demanded that officials give them two hours to vacate the houses. Some of the protesters were detained by police.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued its raids for the second consecutive day on educational institutions linked to Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara in Tumakuru city.

While ED sources confirmed that the raids and search operations were being conducted in connection with financial transactions related to the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, official confirmation was awaited.

The BJP, however, has linked the raids to actress Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case, and the Congress has condemned the ED action.

The raids have continued on the Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology (SSIT) located on Kunigal Road, Sree Siddhartha School of Engineering near Kyatsandra Till Gate on the national highway and Sri Siddhartha Medical College in Tumakuru.

The Kerala police have arrested a close male relative of a three-year-old girl who was thrown into the Chalakudy river by her mother earlier this week. The arrest follows a post-mortem report that confirmed the child had been sexually assaulted shortly before her death.

The incident came to light on Monday night when Sandhya, the child’s mother, returned home without her daughter, Kalyani, who was at the local Anganwadi around 3.30 p.m.

Her mother, Ally, questioned her about the child’s whereabouts, to which Sandhya initially responded vaguely, saying, “Kalyani has gone.”

Later, she claimed the child had gone missing from a bus.

Police launched an immediate search operation. CCTV footage from the area revealed Sandhya near the Chalakudy river, raising suspicions.

Actress and former “Bigg Boss 18” contestant Shilpa Shirodkar has “finally recovered” from Covid-19 and said that she is “feeling fine.”

Shilpa shared her health update and wrote: “Finally recovered, feeling fine, thank you each one of you for your love. Have a super blessed Thursday.”

It was on May 19, when the actress had announced that she tested positive for Covid-19, a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Taking to Instagram, Shilpa shared: “Hello people! I have been tested positive for COVID. Stay safe and wear your mask!- Shilpa Shirodkar.” For the caption, she wrote, “Stay Safe.”

A rise in Covid-19 cases has been recorded across Asia. Several cases have been reported in Hong Kong and Singapore. According to the Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, the virus is quite active.

The Spices Board has launched the 'Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED)' scheme for the fiscal year 2025-26 under which financial assistance is offered across the value chain to farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to enhance the production, quality and export of spices.

The scheme is aimed at increasing the productivity of small and large cardamom, improving the quality of post-harvest processes, and encouraging the production and export of value-added, GI-tagged, and organic spices. It also helps in enabling compliance with global food safety and phytosanitary standards and boosting the capacity of stakeholders across the value chain.

Online applications for the SPICED scheme will open on May 26. Spice exporters can apply under the scheme’s export development and promotion components until June 30, while farmers and FPOs can submit applications under the development components in other categories until September 30.

The HSBC Flash India Composite Output Index – which measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of India's manufacturing and service sectors – on Thursday reported robust business activity in May in the country, climbing to a 13-month high of 61.2, compared with 59.7 in the previous month.

At 61.2 in May, the HSBC Index showcased a sharp rate of expansion in private sector activity.

“The increase was the most pronounced since April 2024. There was a mild loss of growth momentum in the manufacturing industry but service providers reported the fastest rise in output in 14 months,” according to a HSBC Flash India PMI note.

The HSBC Flash India Manufacturing PMI was little changed from April's reading of 58.2. At 58.3 in May, the latest figure was consistent with a sharp improvement in the health of the sector.

Private sector growth in India moved up a gear during May, boosted by an acceleration in the service economy.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has thanked India for its commitment and support to the historic Pandemic Accord.

After three years of negotiations, the Agreement was adopted by consensus by member countries of the WHO at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva this week.

India is also a signatory to this treaty, which has been in talks since the Covid-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people worldwide. The treaty aims to bridge global healthcare gaps and inequities in case of future pandemics.

“Namaste, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for joining us virtually at a historic 78th WHA when the Pandemic Accord was adopted. We are grateful for India's commitment and support to the WHO,” the WHO chief said in a post on social media platform X.