India offers stability, seen as ‘safe anchor’: Shaktikanta Das

NEW DELHI: Shaktikanta Das, principal secretary to PM, on Thursday said that the West Asia crisis highlighted the importance of energy security and self-reliance, while asserting that India is seen as a “safe anchor” as it offers stability, predictability and prospects of long-term growth amid global uncertainty. “Even with all the turbulence around the world,…

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Need to strengthen supply chains amid crisis: Ficci report

NEW DELHI: Indian companies should secure additional funding and strengthen supply chains, while govt should consider emergency financing for MSMEs and tax reforms to mitigate impact of the ongoing West Asia conflict, according to a Ficci report. “The ongoing disruption in West Asia carries far-reaching implications for import-dependent economies, such as India, with likely impact…

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US economy grows 0.5% in Q4; shutdown, weak consumption weigh on pace

The US economy grew at a sluggish 0.5% annual pace in the October–December quarter, lower than earlier estimates, as a prolonged government shutdown weighed on activity, AP reported.The Commerce Department revised down its estimate of fourth-quarter GDP growth from 0.7% to 0.5%, marking a sharp slowdown from 4.4% growth in the July–September period and 3.8%…

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Middle East crisis: Govt reviews shipping, packaging issues with exporters; relief measures discussed

The commerce ministry on Thursday held consultations with exporters to address disruptions in shipping, port operations and packaging arising from the ongoing West Asia crisis, PTI reported.Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal chaired two meetings attended by Shipping Secretary Vijay Kumar, export promotion councils (EPCs), commodity boards, shipping lines, ports and exporters.Officials said the discussions focused on…

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Middle East war fallout: IMF chief warns of ‘unavoidable pain’, urges central banks to curb inflation

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday urged central banks to prioritise tackling inflation even at the cost of growth, warning that the global fallout of the US-Israel war on Iran will inevitably bring economic “pain”, PTI reported.“A word of caution upfront: this being a classic negative supply shock, demand adjustment is unavoidable. We cannot go…

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India witnesses ‘record’ PNG transition as Centre urges nation to switch from LPG to piped natural gas

India is witnessing a major shift in household cooking fuel consumption, with piped natural gas (PNG) emerging as a rapidly expanding choice across the country. Energy sector officials say adoption has accelerated sharply in recent months, marking a clear transformation in consumer preference.Petroleum and natural gas regulatory board (PNGRB) chairperson Anil Kumar Jain and Indraprastha…

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Pakistan’s stock market tumbles! KSE-100 tanks over 3800 points after record gains; doubts on US-Iran ceasefire holding weigh

Pakistan’s stock market came under heavy pressure on Thursday, with investors reacting sharply to growing uncertainty in the Middle East. The benchmark KSE-100 index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange plunged by over 3,800 points during intraday trade, slipping to a low of 161,993 before trimming some of its losses later in the session. The sell-off…

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