Business

UPI achieved 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore this year, transforming India's financial landscape. It is now being accepted in seven countries, furthering financial inclusion and access to digital payments. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has achieved 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore from January to November this year, 'reflecting its transformational impact on financial transactions' in India, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday. The Finance Ministry also said that UPI is now accepted in seven countries, including France, UAE, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bhutan and Nepal. The UPI system provides a cheaper and faster alternative to the available channels of cross-border remittances. UPI has succeeded in increasing financial inclusion ...

New Delhi: Gold and silver prices fell in the national capital on Friday, with the precious metal sliding below the Rs 80,000 mark amid heavy selling by jewellers and stockists, according to the All India Sarafa Association. Besides, traders said a weak trend in international markets also put heavy pressure on bullion prices. The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity fell by Rs 1,400 to Rs 79,500 per 10 gram. It had closed at Rs 80,900 per 10 gram in the previous session. Silver fell by Rs 4,200 to Rs 92,800 per kg, its biggest fall in the month of December. The white metal had closed at Rs 97,000 per kg in the previous trading session on Thursday. The price of gold of 99.5 percent purity also fell by Rs 1,400 to Rs 79,100 per 10 grams, while its price was Rs 80,500 per 10...

Vodafone Idea share price witnessed a sharp surge during intraday trading on Friday, December 13, rising as much as 5 per cent from an intraday low of ₹7.68 despite a volatile market environment. Vodafone Idea share price opened at ₹7.83 against its previous close of ₹7.87 and fell over 2 per cent to hit ₹7.68 levels. However, the telecom stock recovered sharply and touched ₹8.07 levels. Around 1 pm, the stock was trading 2.4 per cent higher at ₹8.06. Vodafone Idea NewsVodafone Idea shares surged after the company revealed details of an investor presentation that highlighted four key strategies for the company's future growth. In an exchange filing during market hours on December 13, the company said competitive and adequate spectrum would drive its growth. It said it has sufficient...

RBI data shows that the number of credit cards issued by banks has also increased sharply to 10.61 crore by September 2024 from 9.3 crore in September 2023, 7.36 crore in March 2022 and 6.20 crore in March 2021.Credit card repayment defaults are on the rise, reflecting growing stress and debt burden among customers. Credit card repayment defaults or portfolio risk (PAR) in banking parlance for credit cards with 91-180 days past due (DPD) have increased by 110 basis points to 7.6 per cent by June 2024 from 6.5 per cent in June 2023, a study said.This means that defaults or delays in repayment of credit card dues by customers even after 180 days have increased. The study conducted by CRIF High Mark, a credit information bureau registered with the Reserve Bank of India, said that credit card...

According to CLSA, the Indian cement sector may see a price increase of 4% in the second half of FY25 and this will be good news for companies that have been affected by low prices across India for the last several quarters. However, the sustainability of these price increases remains a key monitorable factor, according to the brokerage. Cement prices increased by Rs 10-30 per bag in early December. The increase was the highest in the eastern and central regions of India at Rs 20-30 per bag, while the rest of the regions saw an increase of Rs 10.This means that cement prices across India have increased by 3.5% quarter-on-quarter so far in the third quarter. However, prices are still down 5% year-on-year. According to CLSA, cement demand remained weak throughout October, but it gradu...

According to data compiled by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association, retail sales of vehicles across categories in India rose 11.21 percent to 32,08,719 units in November as against 28,85,317 units in the same month last year. Retail sales of two-wheelers rose to 26,15,953 units in November as against 22,58,970 units in the same month last year. This shows a robust growth of 15.8 percent.

Oil prices rose more than 1% on Monday, as top importer China took its first step toward easing monetary policy for the first time since 2010 to boost economic growth, state media reported, citing a politburo meeting. Brent crude futures rose $1, or 1.4%, to $72.12 a barrel at 1356 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.09, or 1.6%, to $68.29. "Oil prices are likely to jump as monetary policy easing in China has boosted risk sentiment," said UBS analyst Giovanni Stauno. China's growth has stalled, as a slowdown in the property market has hit confidence and consumption. China's slowdown also led oil producer group OPEC+ to decide last week to postpone its plans for higher output until April. China will adopt a "moderately loose" monetary policy, a ter...