Indian equity markets open flat; financial shares drag

IANS | October 8, 2026 9:32 AM

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Domestic equity benchmarks opened largely flat on Thursday with Nifty opening around 22,600 mark as gains in IT and pharma stocks were offset by weakness across financial, FMCG and auto stocks.

RBI rate hike to impact cost of doing business, especially for MSMEs: Industry leader

IANS | October 7, 2026 10:00 PM

Mumbai, Oct 7 (IANS) President of the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Prof. Mahendra Kumar Chouhan, said on Wednesday said that the Reserve Bank of India’s 25-basis-point repo rate hike to 5.5 per cent is likely to raise the cost of doing business, particularly for SMEs and MSMEs, and urged the central bank to adopt a measured stance amid other underlying strengths in the economy.

USA’s Montana state eyes tie-ups with India in quantum technology, photonics

IANS | October 7, 2026 9:37 PM

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Montana (US) Governor, Greg Gianforte, who is here with a delegation of more than 30 professionals from higher education and advanced technology, said on Wednesday that he has held some "very, very productive meetings" on quantum technology and photonics as well as aerospace and defence technology.

PM Modi calls for rules-based maritime order

IANS | October 7, 2026 8:29 PM

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed policymakers, maritime leaders, and experts from around the world to the third edition of 'Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue', calling for a "free, open, secure, and rules-based maritime order" that brings peace and prosperity to all nations.