Schengen visa delays have led Indian holidaymakers to explore alternative destinations like Georgia, Australia, and Japan for summer vacations. Trips to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, are witnessing a surge in interest.

N Vaghul, a banking industry pioneer, passed away at 88 in Apollo hospital. He redefined ICICI, India's second-largest bank, and earned the Padma Bhushan. Vaghul led Bank of India, championed gender-neutral meritocracy, and mentored a generation of financial leaders like K V Kamath and Shikha Sharma.

The chief judicial magistrate of Pithoragarh convicted three persons, including the assistant manager of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, to six months in prison and fined them all for failing a soan papdi food test. On Oct 17, 2019, a food safety inspector visited Lila Dhar Pathak's shop at Main Market in Berinag, Pithoragarh, where concerns were raised about Patanjali Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi (a sweet).

A finance ministry official raised concerns about the impact of futures and options trading volumes on capital market growth and household savings. The discussion included financial sector development, Nirmala Sitharaman's caution, and various financial indicators like investments in physical assets, bank advances, and mutual funds.

How to be a crorepati: SIPs allow you to invest a fixed amount in mutual funds at regular intervals, whether daily, weekly, or monthly. While standard SIPs are beneficial, step-up SIPs can significantly enhance your investment growth.

Stock market today: BSE Sensex and Nifty50, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in green on Saturday as part of a special trading session. BSE Sensex rose over 100 points and Nifty50 was above 22,500.

Stock market today: The special live trading session is being conducted in accordance with Sebi guidelines, which require testing the preparedness for handling unexpected disasters from the main trading centre in Mumbai.

A recovery in rural stocks is also positive news for Indias broader stock market, which has seen significant growth in recent years, primarily driven by investment-heavy firms reaping the benefits of increased government infrastructure spending. Additionally, abundant rainfall can help the central bank's efforts to control inflation by stabilizing food prices, thereby enhancing the prospects for India's economic growth and corporate earnings.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed above the 40,000 mark for the first time on Friday, with other major indexes also scoring weekly gains, as data supported expectations for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. The benchmark S&P 500 edged higher after paring losses while the Nasdaq fell, but both chalked up a fourth straight week of gains. The Dow rose to end the fifth week of advances in a row.

US prosecutors arrested an American woman and a Ukrainian man for aiding North Korea-linked IT workers in obtaining remote-work jobs at hundreds of US firms, including Fortune 500 companies and banks, and stealing identities to generate revenue for North Korea in violation of sanctions.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India study reveals recovery rate link to resolution time. Lenders recover 49.2% in 330 days, dropping to 36% for longer cases. Delays, triggered by litigations, erode distressed defaulter value, reducing creditor recovery value, as highlighted by IBBI chairperson Ravi Mital. IBC aims at business preservation.

Govt, Trai, and consumer affairs ministry are revising regulations to counter pesky calls and unsolicited commercial messages, tightening mechanisms.

Trai plans to regulate OTT services like WhatsApp and Facebook, excluded from the new telecom act. Chairman Lahoti announced open discussions on the matter at a symposium on 'Strengthening Atmanirbhar: Securing domestic industry and technology' by the Parliament. The consultation paper, licensing regime, and IT Act are key aspects to be considered.

Serum Institute of India (SII) invested in IntegriMedical, a med tech firm, for needle-free injection system tech. The partnership aims to provide 'health for all' and 'transform healthcare globally' by ensuring patient comfort, reducing needle-stick injuries, and enhancing liquid medication efficacy with N-FIS.

UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects report revised India's 2024 GDP growth to 6.9%, surpassing China. The IMF and RBI also raised growth forecasts. India's economy is a bright spot with strong domestic demand, robust exports, and efforts to control consumer price inflation, particularly in the face of elevated food prices in Q1 2024.

Odisha's high inflation contrasts with Delhi's lower rates, influenced by volatile vegetable prices and RBI's insights on food price uncertainties and wheat production impact.

Dehydration and Electral sales surge in India's pharma retail market in April, per IQVIA data. Cardiac, gastroenterology, and dermatology therapies show growth. Poor sales of respiratory and anti-infectives affected market in March. Gastroenterology medicines like Pan, Pan D, liver therapies like Liv-52, and Udiliv 28 contribute to growth.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman advocated for higher manufacturing investment, contrary to some economists' advice. She emphasized collaboration with the private sector and addressed Raghuram Rajan's support for a services-led strategy.

Employees should understand their employer's EPF setup for optimal tax benefits. Contributions to EPF accounts managed by EPFO or an exempted trust offer advantages. Unexempted EPF trusts have tax implications. Employers' role in managing EPF schemes is crucial, affecting tax benefits. Knowledge of the EPF withdrawal process and account access enhances financial planning.

New regulations mandate PAN or Aadhaar for gold purchases over a limit. Income Tax Act prohibits cash transactions exceeding Rs 2 lakh in a day. KYC compliance and PMLA rules affect high-value transactions.

India has consistently been the top recipient of remittances from its diaspora. In the fiscal year 2022-23, the remittances surpassed the $100 billion mark, reaching $112 billion, with a record-breaking $29 billion in the December quarter alone.

Stock market today: BSE Sensex and Nifty50, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in red on Friday. BSE Sensex dipped 100 points and Nifty50 was around 22,375.