Business News: Economy & Markets

Centre announces maritime insurance pool worth 12,980 crore to protect Indian vessels

IANS | April 18, 2026 3:51 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Amid the West Asia crisis and geo-political tensions, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved the proposal for creation of a domestic insurance pool with a sovereign guarantee of Rs 12,980 crore, to facilitate continuous maritime insurance coverages for Indian flagged or controlled vessels or vessels destined to or starting from India.

Cabinet okays continuation of PMGSY-III till March 2028 with revised Rs 83,977 crore outlay

IANS | April 18, 2026 3:37 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The Cabinet on Saturday approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III (PMGSY-III) beyond March 2025 up to March 2028. The revised outlay of the scheme will be Rs 83,977 crore.

Cabinet approves 2 pc Dearness Allowance hike for Central government employees

IANS | April 18, 2026 3:28 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved a 2 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees effective from January 1, 2026, providing an increase in their take‑home pay.

India moves beyond ‘blind exploration’, adopts data-led approach: Hardeep Puri

IANS | April 18, 2026 2:54 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India is moving from "blind exploration" to data-driven discovery, emphasising the need for a more collaborative and open data ecosystem, it was announced on Saturday.

Pakistan biggest market of illicit cigarettes globally: Report

IANS | April 18, 2026 2:19 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Pakistan has the biggest market of illicit cigarettes in the world, according to Simon Trussler, British American Tobacco (BAT) Group's Head of International Trade and Fiscal Affair.

BECIL inks pact with C-DAC for AI, 5G, cloud and digital solutions

IANS | April 18, 2026 1:58 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) State-owned Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to collaborate in the areas of advanced technologies, digital transformation and capacity building, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Saturday.

India, South Africa look to deepen trade ties via Dube TradePort SEZ: Report

IANS | April 18, 2026 1:38 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) India Inc is exploring investment opportunities in South Africa’s Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone (SEZ), as New Delhi looks to strengthen its economic engagement with a key logistics and manufacturing hub in Africa, according to a new report.

Central team to investigate deadly accident at Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh

IANS | April 18, 2026 1:34 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A central team, comprising officials from the Department of Industrial Safety and Boiler Inspectors, is likely to begin a probe into the deadly accident at the Vedanta power plant in Dabhra tehsil of Sakti district, Chhattisgarh, that led to the death of several workers, while many others sustained serious injuries.

Indian states can accelerate investment flow from East Asian nations: Report

IANS | April 18, 2026 12:17 PM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) As the world economic order changes rapidly amid the West Asia crisis, central government and state governments in India should work jointly for giving a strong push to economic linkages between India and ASEAN countries, as well as East Asian nations, according to a new report in Modern Diplomacy.

No new RBI norms on allowing exchange of discontinued currency: PIB fact-check unit

IANS | April 18, 2026 11:39 AM

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The fact-checking unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has dismissed reports circulating online, which claimed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced new guidelines permitting the exchange of discontinued currency.

BUSINESS

Centre announces maritime insurance pool worth 12,980 crore to protect Indian vessels

Cabinet okays continuation of PMGSY-III till March 2028 with revised Rs 83,977 crore outlay

Cabinet approves 2 pc Dearness Allowance hike for Central government employees

India moves beyond ‘blind exploration’, adopts data-led approach: Hardeep Puri

Pakistan biggest market of illicit cigarettes globally: Report

BECIL inks pact with C-DAC for AI, 5G, cloud and digital solutions

India, South Africa look to deepen trade ties via Dube TradePort SEZ: Report

Central team to investigate deadly accident at Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh

Indian states can accelerate investment flow from East Asian nations: Report

No new RBI norms on allowing exchange of discontinued currency: PIB fact-check unit

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