The Income Tax Department on Friday (May 15) said it has enabled Excel utilities and online filing for ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms for the assessment year (AY) 2026-27 on the e-filing portal, marking the beginning of the income tax return filing season for individual taxpayers and small businesses. In a post on X, the department…
India’s capital markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India, has proposed a broad restructuring of the regulatory framework governing exchange-traded derivatives (ETDs), seeking to simplify compliance requirements for market infrastructure institutions while streamlining trading rules across segments. In a consultation paper, SEBI proposed measures aimed at reducing operational complexity, removing redundant provisions and consolidating…
India rewrote its income tax law this year. The Income Tax Act, 2025, replaced a 65-year-old framework on 1 April, and the government has since been running awareness programmes across the country, attempting to explain within a matter of weeks what changed in legislation that had evolved over decades. The Prarambh 2026 outreach campaign is…
India’s gems and jewellery exports declined more than 9% year-on-year in April 2026, weighed down by weak global demand, volatile precious metal prices and cautious buyer sentiment amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. According to industry data released on May 14, gross exports of the sector fell 9.07% to $2.45 billion (₹20,952 crore) in April 2026, compared…
Gold and silver prices fell sharply on Friday (May 15), with both precious metals heading toward weekly losses as rising crude oil prices, a stronger US dollar and concerns over prolonged higher interest rates weighed on investor sentiment. COMEX gold last traded at $4,626.30 per ounce, down $59 or 1.26%, after touching an intraday low…
India’s insurance sector is undergoing a shift, from standardised, distributor-led policies to embedded, data-driven and highly personalised protection products integrated into everyday financial journeys. According to Sunny Bhatia, Senior Vice President – Retail at Turtlemint Fintech Solutions, the transformation is being shaped by three parallel forces: simpler product design, digital ecosystem integration, and data-led personalisation….
The Tamil Nadu government has said that the May 2026 instalment of the Kalaignar Women’s Entitlement Assistance Scheme will be credited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts soon, even as the delay in disbursal has triggered political criticism from the opposition, according to news agency ANI report. According to the state government, Chief Minister S Joseph…
Global markets are currently navigating a period of heightened uncertainty, shaped by geopolitical tensions, fluctuating crude oil prices, inflation pressures and currency volatility. In such environments, investment experts say the focus shifts less toward predicting short-term market moves and more toward building resilient, diversified portfolios. A key theme highlighted by market experts is that oil…
IDFC FIRST Bank has launched a fixed deposit (FD)-backed Business Multiplier Metal Credit Card targeted at founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners. The bank said the card is designed to help users manage business expenses separately from personal spending by offering a dedicated credit limit for operational use. The metal credit card displays both the business…
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has relaxed its norms on surrender of annuity policies under the National Pension System (NPS), allowing limited exit options in specific hardship cases, including critical illness and legacy policies issued before October 24, 2024. In a circular issued on May 14, the regulator clarified that while the…
