Trade pact breakthrough: Switzerland ratifies India-EFTA agreement; $100 billion investment and 10 lakh jobs likely

Switzerland has completed the ratification process for the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), paving the way for the landmark deal to come into force in October. The pact, signed in March after nearly 16 years of negotiations, aims to significantly reduce trade barriers and enhance investment flows between India and the four EFTA…

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Tax collections dip: Net direct tax mop-up falls 1.34% to Rs 5.63 lakh crore as refunds surge; gross receipts rise 3.17%

India’s net direct tax collections declined 1.34% year-on-year to Rs 5.63 lakh crore as of July 10, dragged down by a sharp surge in refunds, according to government data released on Friday. Gross tax collections — before adjusting for refunds — rose 3.17% to Rs 6.65 lakh crore during the period, reflecting an underlying improvement…

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Reliance Infra upgrade: Infra major credit rating raised 3 notches by Ind-Ra; big move after debt clean-up

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has upgraded Reliance Infrastructure’s credit rating by three notches — from ‘IND D’ to ‘IND B / Stable / IND A4’ — on its non-fund based working capital limits, citing the company’s successful deleveraging to net zero debt and improved debt servicing record.The upgrade marks a significant improvement in the…

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FASTag compliance: NHAI to blacklist ‘loose tag’ users; move aims to curb toll fraud and ease congestion

In a bid to improve toll plaza efficiency and prepare for upcoming digital tolling upgrades, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a stricter policy for blacklisting users of ‘loose FASTags’—those not affixed to vehicle windscreens.The NHAI said the move is crucial to ensure the authenticity of FASTags and the integrity of the…

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Forex update: Reserves fall by $3 billion to $699.736 billion in early July; foreign currency assets slip sharply

India’s foreign exchange reserves declined by $3.049 billion to $699.736 billion for the week ended July 4, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday.This comes after a sharp rise of $4.849 billion in the previous week, which had taken the reserves to $702.784 billion. The all-time high of $704.885…

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Electric truck push: Government offers up to Rs 9.6 lakh incentive per vehicle under PM E-DRIVE; SAIL to procure 150 e-trucks

The government on Friday launched its first customer-facing incentive scheme for electric trucks under the PM E-DRIVE initiative, offering up to Rs 9.6 lakh per vehicle. The scheme, announced by Union minister H D Kumaraswamy, has earmarked Rs 500 crore for e-truck incentives out of a total Rs 10,900 crore programme outlay.Targeting industries such as…

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