Category Archives: Business

Silver Prices Gain on MCX as Fresh Buying Emerges

New Delhi, Apr 16 (BNP): Silver prices gained in futures trade on Thursday, rising 0.82% to ₹2,53,800 per kilogram, supported by fresh buying interest and global market uncertainty.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), silver contracts for May delivery advanced by ₹2,058 per kg, with a total trading volume of 2,095 lots during the session.

Market participants attributed the rise to renewed position-building activity, as traders responded to volatile global cues, including concerns over US trade policy direction.

Analysts said the movement reflects cautious sentiment in the commodity market, where investors continue to take positions in precious metals amid uncertain international conditions.

Overall, silver remained firm in futures trade, tracking global risk sentiment and steady speculative demand.

Unemployment Edges Up to 5.1 pc in March, Urban Areas Drive Rise

New Delhi, Apr 16 (BNP): India’s unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 years and above rose to 5.1% in March 2026, up from 4.9% in the previous month, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Monthly Bulletin released by the statistics ministry.

The increase was largely driven by rising joblessness in urban areas, where the unemployment rate climbed to 6.8% in March, compared to 6.6% in February. The data indicates continued pressure in city labour markets, even as overall employment conditions remain broadly stable in rural regions.

The PLFS report highlights a modest but noticeable uptick in unemployment, reflecting ongoing structural challenges in urban job creation and labour absorption.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is engaging with commercial banks to explore ways to strengthen deposit mobilisation, amid growing concerns over shifting household savings patterns.

According to discussions held over recent weeks, RBI officials have sought feedback from lenders on strategies to attract more stable and long-term deposits. This comes as an increasing share of household savings is moving towards equities and other financial market instruments.

Banking sector experts note that this trend could pose challenges for liquidity management if deposit growth fails to keep pace with credit demand. The central bank’s consultations aim to ensure that the banking system remains resilient and well-funded despite evolving savings behaviour.

India Steps Up Biogas Blending in CGD Networks Amid Global LNG Supply Pressure

Apr 16 (BNP): India is accelerating the integration of compressed biogas (CBG) into city gas distribution (CGD) networks as global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplies tighten amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The move reflects a broader push to strengthen domestic energy security and reduce dependence on imported natural gas.

The government has shifted from a voluntary adoption model to a structured mandate under the Compressed Biogas Obligation (CBO). As per the phased rollout, CBG blending in compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG) will begin at 1% in FY 2025–26 and gradually increase to 5% by FY 2028–29.

The policy push comes at a time when India imports nearly half of its natural gas requirements, making it vulnerable to global price volatility and supply disruptions. The recent LNG supply crunch has further reinforced the urgency to diversify into domestic renewable fuel sources.

To support large-scale adoption, the Union Budget 2026–27 has removed central excise duty on the green component of blended CNG, improving cost efficiency and enhancing the financial viability of compressed biogas production. The move is expected to encourage greater private investment in the sector.

Infrastructure expansion is also gathering momentum, with around 170 compressed biogas plants currently operational and more than 300 additional plants under construction. These developments are being supported through policy frameworks that aim to strengthen linkages between biomass collection systems and city gas networks.

The programme is designed to convert agricultural residue, organic waste, and sewage into usable clean fuel, offering both environmental and economic benefits while reducing waste disposal challenges.

Officials believe the structured expansion of biogas blending will play a key role in reducing import dependence, supporting rural income generation, and advancing India’s long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

India, US Advance Trade Talks as Envoy Meets US Officials in Washington

Washington, Apr 16 (BNP): India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, held meetings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and former US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, as both countries continue discussions on a proposed bilateral trade agreement.

The meetings come at a time when India and the US are working to refine the details of their bilateral trade framework, aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and addressing tariff and market access issues.

According to official inputs, a delegation of Indian officials is expected to travel to the United States for further negotiations on the agreement in the coming weeks.

In an earlier social media post, the Indian envoy noted that discussions covered a wide range of bilateral cooperation areas and also included exchanges on key global developments. The engagement was described as constructive, with both sides reaffirming support for stronger India-US relations.

The trade talks follow the announcement of a framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement earlier this year, under which tariff reductions and market access measures were discussed as part of broader negotiations.

However, the evolving global trade environment and policy shifts in the United States have influenced the timeline for finalisation. Officials have indicated that the agreement is expected to move forward once the revised tariff structure becomes clearer.

The negotiations are also taking place amid broader trade-related reviews initiated by the US under its trade enforcement mechanisms, adding further complexity to ongoing discussions.

Despite these challenges, both sides continue to express commitment to advancing the trade partnership and strengthening economic ties.

WEF Highlights Middle Income Economies as Growth Engine

Indian investors now hold 50.3 Percent stake, strengthening local ownership

Paytm, India’s full stack merchant payments leader serving MSMEs and enterprises, and a leading financial services distribution company, and the pioneer of mobile payments, QR codes, and Soundbox, today announced that it has become an Indian Owned and Controlled Company (IOCC).

As per the shareholding pattern for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, domestic investors now hold 50.3% of the Company’s equity share capital, establishing majority Indian ownership and control.

Domestic institutional investors continue to increase their participation, with their holding rising to 23.1% in Q4 FY26 from 20.3% in the previous quarter and 14.0% a year ago. Indian mutual funds hold 16.6% stake in the Company, with 41 mutual funds as shareholders. Domestic insurance companies have also increased their holding to 5.1%.

This milestone reflects growing confidence of Indian investors in Paytm’s business and its role in expanding mobile payments and financial services across the country.

With this, Paytm further strengthens its commitment to building for India, with ownership increasingly aligned with domestic institutions and investors.

Rupee Rises 6 Paise to 93.27 as Crude Oil Eases, Dollar Weakens

Mumbai, April 16 (BNP): The Indian rupee strengthened in early trade on Thursday, appreciating by 6 paise to 93.27 against the US dollar, supported by easing crude oil prices and a softer American currency.

The domestic currency opened at 93.29 per dollar at the interbank foreign exchange market and later firmed to 93.27 in early deals.

Market sentiment was buoyed by a decline in global crude oil prices, which remained below the USD 95-per-barrel mark. Expectations of easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia also contributed to improved investor confidence.

However, forex analysts noted that the rupee’s gains were limited due to continued dollar demand from importers and sustained foreign fund outflows, which kept pressure on the currency.

Traders also pointed out that stability in global energy prices provided some support to domestic equities, although broader macroeconomic factors continued to influence currency movements.

Overall, the rupee’s movement reflected a mix of positive global cues and persistent domestic demand for the US dollar, resulting in a narrow range of gains in early trade.

Study Explores Why Fasting Can Lead to a Longer Lifespan

DALLAS, April 16: Restricting calories has long been recognized as a powerful way to live longer, with periods of intermittent fasting proving more effective than a steady diet. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon has been unclear.

Research led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists and published in Nature Communications suggests it’s not the fast itself that extends life, but how the body metabolically pivots during refeeding after fasting. Although the findings were made in Caenorhabditis elegans, a roundworm often used as a lab model, they could eventually lead to new ways to boost health in humans.

“Our discoveries shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the refeeding phase. Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” said study leader Peter Douglas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern. Dr. Douglas co-led the study with Lexus Tatge, Ph.D., a former member of the Douglas Lab.

When organisms undergo fasting, their cells quickly burn through meager glucose reserves and shift to breaking down stored lipids, a potent source of energy. This process, called catabolism, is mediated by a protein known as NHR-49, which activates when glucose runs low and prompts cells to digest lipids. Refeeding causes NHR-49 to shut down, preventing cells from breaking down lipids and allowing them to rebuild their reserves. In 2022, Dr. Douglas and his colleagues published a study showing that NHR-49 also serves as a sensor for intracellular lipid stores, activating a mechanism that prevents cellular starvation when lipid supplies deplete.

Dr. Douglas and colleagues suspected that NHR-49’s activity could be key to fasting’s life-extending benefits. To test this idea, the team used genetic engineering to delete NHR-49 in C. elegans, then fasted the worms for 24 hours. Surprisingly, this did not diminish life extension. Fasting still boosted the altered worms’ average lifespan by about 41% and made older worms behave more youthfully, reflected in more movement, much like fasting did in C. elegans with intact NHR-49.

On a hunch, the researchers decided to examine the flip side of NHR-49 activation: What happened when the worms were refed after fasting and NHR-49 shut off?

To do this, they needed to better understand how NHR-49 naturally becomes inactivated. Experiments led by Vincent Tagliabracci, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at UTSW and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Victor Lopez, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Tagliabracci Lab, revealed that this occurs when an enzyme known as protein kinase CK1 alpha 1 (KIN-19) chemically modifies NHR-49 through a process called phosphorylation. When Dr. Douglas and his colleagues tampered with this system to keep NHR-49 turned on – which maintained lipid breakdown even when C. elegans was refed – it eliminated any life extension from fasting.

Together, Dr. Douglas said, these results suggest that being able to efficiently deactivate NHR-49 after fasting is a key factor in caloric restriction’s ability to lengthen lifespan. Finding ways to manipulate this system could eventually help people live longer without the need to fast.

“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” Dr. Douglas said. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”

Dr. Douglas is a Southwestern Medical Foundation Scholar in Biomedical Research. Dr. Tagliabracci is a Michael L. Rosenberg Scholar in Medical Research.

A complete list of other UTSW authors who contributed to this research can be found in the study.

This study was funded by the Clayton Foundation for Research, The Welch Foundation (I-2061-20210327), the American Federation of Aging Research (AFAR 2023), and the National Institutes of Health.

 

Adani Wind Unveils 5 MW Turbine Prototype in Mundra, Strengthening India’s Clean Energy Ambitions

Gujarat, Apr 16 (BNP): India’s clean energy sector received a boost as Adani Wind commissioned a 5 MW wind turbine prototype at Mundra, marking a significant step in domestic renewable energy innovation.

 Pic Credit: Pexel

The prototype is among the largest wind turbines developed in India and is expected to enhance power generation efficiency while lowering the cost of wind energy. The project reflects the company’s focus on building advanced, locally manufactured renewable energy solutions.

Located in Gujarat’s key renewable energy hub, the Mundra facility will serve as a testing ground for next-generation wind technologies before large-scale deployment. The development aligns with India’s broader push to expand its renewable energy capacity and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Industry observers note that larger turbine capacities can generate more electricity per unit, improving project viability and accelerating the country’s transition toward clean energy.

India’s Gem and Jewellery Exports Slip in FY26, but New Markets Offer Hope

New Delhi, Apr 16 (BNP): India’s gem and jewellery exports saw a slight decline in FY26, as global trade challenges and tariff pressures weighed on demand. However, the industry showed resilience by expanding into new markets and adapting to changing conditions.

Pic Credit: Pexel 

Exports during the year stood at $27.72 billion, reflecting a modest drop compared to the previous year in dollar terms, even as rupee earnings remained broadly stable.

The slowdown was largely due to weaker demand from the United States, where higher tariffs and policy uncertainties affected export volumes. At the same time, ongoing geopolitical tensions and fluctuations in global markets added to the pressure on the sector.

Despite these challenges, Indian exporters made steady progress in diversifying their reach. Markets such as the UAE, Australia, Hong Kong, and Canada emerged as important growth drivers, helping offset declines in traditional destinations.

Trade agreements with countries like the UAE and Australia supported this shift, making it easier for exporters to access new opportunities. While some geopolitical tensions in West Asia impacted momentum toward the end of the year, overall demand from these regions remained encouraging.

The industry is also witnessing a gradual shift in product demand. While certain segments like cut and polished diamonds faced pressure, others such as silver and platinum jewellery gained traction, reflecting changing global consumer preferences.

Experts believe that this phase marks a transition for the sector, with a stronger focus on market diversification and value-added products. Looking ahead, potential trade deals with regions like the UK and the European Union could further support growth and help the industry regain momentum.