Business

Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) has launched Reimagine Ideathon 2.0, a nationwide student innovation initiative aimed at strengthening financial literacy, investor awareness and cyber safety, with a total prize pool of ₹11.5 lakh for the top five teams. Launched during World Investor Week 2026 under the theme ‘Samajh Se Investing Simple’, the initiative supports the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) Project Jagrook and complements its Mentoring of University/College Students by Trainers (MUST) programme. The initiative comes amid a widening gap between financial awareness and market participation. SEBI’s Investor Survey 2025 found that around 3.21 crore households, representing 9.5% of India’s estimated 33.72 crore households, invest in securities ma...

ICICI Life Insurance Limited reported a 26.5% year-on-year increase in profit after tax to ₹760 crore in the first half of FY2027, alongside growth in insurance coverage and continued payouts to families and policyholders. The company’s new business premium rose 25% to ₹11,821 crore, while its value of new business (VNB) increased 22.3% to ₹1,283 crore, with a margin of 26%. Retail protection grew 47.2% and annuity business expanded 50%, taking retail sum assured up 34.9% to ₹2.32 lakh crore. Chief Operating Officer Sidharatha Mishra said customer centricity remained at the heart of the company’s approach, with protection and annuity products addressing significant unmet needs in India. He highlighted its diversified distribution network, customer-focused products, service standards...

L&T Finance reported its highest-ever consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 975 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, 2026, marking a 33% year-on-year increase, alongside a 28% rise in its consolidated loan book to Rs. 1,36,635 crore. Retail disbursements grew 27% to Rs. 24,027 crore during Q2FY27, while the retail book expanded 29% to Rs. 1,34,600crore. The company attributed its performance to sustained business momentum, improving asset quality, lower credit costs and a focus on profitable, risk-calibrated growth. Commenting on the results, Sudipta Roy, Managing Director and CEO of L&T Finance, said the company delivered strong performance across business parameters despite macroeconomic uncertainties, inflationary pressures and seasonal headwinds. He emph...

Indian IT services giant Infosys has lowered its full-year revenue growth guidance for FY27 to 1–2 percent in constant currency terms, down from its Q1 projection of 1.5–3 percent, citing persistent pricing pressures, intense competition, and muted discretionary spending across key industry verticals like retail and hi-tech. The guidance revision comes despite a solid financial performance in the second quarter of FY27, during which the company reported a 6 percent year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit to ₹7,823 crore, up from ₹7,364 crore recorded in Q2FY26. Revenue from operations also expanded by 11 percent year-on-year to ₹49,244 crore compared to ₹44,490 crore in the same period of the prior year, prompting the board to declare an interim dividend of ₹26 per share. Highlig...

Weverse Con Festival India is set to enter the country's live entertainment market with a two-day debut in New Delhi on March 27–28, 2027, bringing together international K-pop acts and Indian musicians. The event, the festival's first edition outside South Korea, reflects the growing commercial opportunities around India's expanding K-pop fanbase. The lineup includes ENHYPEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, LE SSERAFIM, Hwasa, Eric Nam, Bumzu, Dayoung, Lee Hyun, Lara of KATSEYE and Rhea Raj. Indian performers Gini, King, RANJ X Clifr, Reble and DJ Zelo will represent hip-hop, indie and electronic music, broadening the festival's appeal across audiences. HYBE INDIA and BookMyShow Live will co-produce the event with HYBE and Weverse. Kia India, Mastercard, Project B and Samsung Galaxy are prese...

ICICI Life Insurance Limited plans to recruit 20,000 women advisors across India by the end of FY2027 under its Narishakti initiative, expanding opportunities for women to build careers in financial services while strengthening the insurer's distribution network. Announced during Navratri, the recruitment drive marks the second anniversary of the initiative, launched in 2024 to help women become financial planners without upfront investment. The programme combines training and professional support with flexible working schedules, enabling homemakers, salaried professionals and businesswomen to balance family responsibilities with career development and financial independence. As of September 30, 2026, the company had more than 78,000 women advisors, who represented around 32% of its...

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Sunil Kumar, currently serving as executive director at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), as the next chairman of the state-run energy giant for a three-year term beginning December 7, 2026. Under the official order, Kumar will hold the top post from the date he assumes charge on or after December 7 until his superannuation in December 2028, continuing thereafter on a contractual basis to complete his combined three-year tenure. Selected after two rigorous rounds of interviews conducted by a search-cum-selection committee under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Kumar creates historical precedent by becoming the first leader in ONGC's history to be elevated directly from executive director rank t...

HYBE will bring its flagship Weverse Con Festival to India for the first time, with the two-day event scheduled for March 27-28, 2027, in New Delhi. The India edition will also mark the festival’s first outing outside South Korea, bringing together global and Indian artists, live performances, fan engagement, brand activations and cultural experiences. The festival is being positioned as part of HYBE’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy and its expansion in India, which the company views as a key market for global growth. HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee said the event would combine the company’s global capabilities with India’s creativity and create locally relevant fan experiences. Weverse Company President Zooil Yang said the festival would extend Weverse’s digital fan ecosystem into a...

Vi Business, the enterprise arm of telecom operator Vi, has partnered with Hindalco Industries Limited to deploy a dedicated private network at the latter’s Baphlimali Bauxite Mine in Rayagada district, Odisha, marking Hindalco’s first private network deployment and a significant step in its Industry 4.0 journey. The multi-year managed services deployment will cover spectrum, core, radio access network (RAN) and managed services, creating a secure and scalable connectivity backbone for the mine. The initiative is expected to support digital use cases including worker safety solutions, fleet management, drone and CCTV-based surveillance, real-time monitoring and operational efficiency. A key component will be an Integrated Command and Control Centre, designed to provide centralised o...