Business - The Purbottar

09 Feb

India’s Largest Refiner Buys Non-Russian Crude as Trade Talks Loom

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Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has purchased around six million barrels of crude oil from West Africa and the Middle East through spot tenders issued last week, traders said.The deals are for April delivery and reflect a shift away from Russian crude as India recalibrates its energy sourcing amid ongoing trade discussions with the United States. In addition to the six million barrels, IOC also bought two million barrels of Upper Zakum crude from trading firm Mercuria. Upper Zakum is produced in the United Arab Emirates.Indian refiners and trading firms typically do not comment on spot market purchases due to confidentiality…

08 Feb

Sunrise Spices launches Til Chicken Masala in Assam, bring traditional flavours to modern kitchens

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ITC Ltd.’s Sunrise Spices has launched Sunrise Til Chicken Masala in Assam, introducing what the company describes as a first-of-its-kind spice blend designed to simplify the preparation of the state’s popular festive dish, Til Chicken, while preserving its authentic regional taste. The new product is part of Sunrise’s strategy to develop region-focused spice blends tailored to local culinary traditions. Known for Assam-specific offerings such as Haah Salkumra (Duck Curry with Ashgourd) masala and other traditional meat blends, the brand said the latest launch reflects its continued emphasis on regional consumer insights and local food heritage. Til Chicken, a winter favourite…

07 Feb

MSDE, IPE Global join hands to boost women-focused skilling across India

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The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IPE Global Limited to strengthen a gender-responsive and future-ready skilling ecosystem for young women across the country. The collaboration aims to improve programme design, raise women’s participation in aspirational job roles, and create stronger linkages between skill training, employability and inclusive economic growth. The partnership will focus on addressing structural barriers faced by women, aligning training programmes with industry demand, and strengthening placement pathways through enhanced private sector engagement. Speaking on the occasion, MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said…

07 Feb

TAFE launches MASSEY DYNASTAR contest Season 3 to spotlight farm innovations nationwide

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Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited has announced the launch of Season 3 of the ‘MASSEY DYNASTAR Contest 2026 – #SabseBadeAllrounder Ki Talaash’, expanding its national search for innovative ideas that can transform agriculture and rural enterprises across India. Building on the success of the previous two editions, the third season has been positioned as the biggest yet, inviting farmers, entrepreneurs, students, startups, academicians and rural innovators to showcase original, practical ideas using Massey Ferguson tractors. This season widens its scope by allowing innovations powered by any Massey Ferguson tractor across agriculture, allied activities and rural businesses. Shortlisted participants will gain…

07 Feb

Medanta posts 19% jump in Q3 FY26 income; Noida expansion weighs on profit

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Global Health Limited, which operates the Medanta hospital network across North and East India, on Tuesday reported a 19.1 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated total income to ₹11,428 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3 FY26), driven by strong patient volumes and improved realizations. EBITDA excluding the newly commissioned Noida hospital rose 10.9 per cent year-on-year to ₹2,814 million, with margins of 25.4 per cent. However, consolidated EBITDA including Noida declined 1.7 per cent to ₹2,494 million, reflecting initial operating losses at the new facility. Medanta Noida, which began operations in September 2025, reported revenue of ₹343…

06 Feb

DSP Mutual Fund unveils Multi-Asset Omni Fund of Funds powered by DSP Netra

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DSP Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the DSP Multi Asset Omni Fund of Funds, an open-ended fund-of-funds scheme designed to simplify investing for individuals who find it challenging to track markets or manage asset allocation across cycles. The New Fund Offer (NFO) will open on February 5, 2026, and close on February 19, 2026. The fund is powered by DSP Netra, the fund house’s in-house market intelligence framework that analyses market data, valuations and long-term historical patterns to assess risk and margin of safety across asset classes. Based on these signals, asset allocation is dynamically adjusted as market…

06 Feb

Meta launches third edition of ‘Scam Se Bacho’ campaign with I4C, SEBI to tackle rising online fraud

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Meta has launched the third edition of its nationwide anti-scam awareness campaign, Scam Se Bacho, in collaboration with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), aimed at helping users identify, question and report common online frauds. The renewed campaign was kicked off with an educational film featuring actor Neena Gupta and popular digital creators Sukriti Chaturvedi, Yuvraj Dua and Shreyas Mendiratta. Using humour and everyday situations, the film highlights prevalent scam formats such as fake job offers seeking upfront payments, “digital arrest” scams impersonating law enforcement, and fraudulent investment schemes promising…

06 Feb

V-Guard Q3 revenue rises 10.6% to Rs 1,403.51 crore; profit slips on one-time labour code impact

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V-Guard Industries Ltd, a leading consumer electricals and electronics company has announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, reporting steady revenue growth despite pressure on profitability due to a one-time exceptional expense. The company’s consolidated net revenue from operations for the third quarter of FY 2025–26 stood at ₹1,403.51 crore, registering a year-on-year growth of 10.6 per cent compared to ₹1,268.65 crore in the same quarter last year. However, consolidated profit after tax (PAT) declined by 5.2 per cent to ₹57.06 crore from ₹60.22 crore a year ago, mainly due to an exceptional charge linked…

06 Feb

India’s employee medical costs seen rising 11.5% in 2026 as growth shows signs of moderation: Aon report

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Employee medical plan costs in India are projected to rise by 11.5% in 2026, remaining above the global average of 9.8%, according to the latest Global Medical Trend Rates Report released by Aon. While costs continue to climb, the report notes a moderation in growth, supported by stabilising healthcare utilisation across markets. The report highlights that cancer and cardiovascular-related conditions remain among the most significant drivers of medical costs globally and in India. In the Asia-Pacific region, including India, improved access to advanced diagnostics and therapies is enhancing patient outcomes but also increasing utilisation, placing added pressure on healthcare systems…

06 Feb

Amazon, IIT Roorkee partner to develop eco-friendly packaging from farm waste

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Amazon India has announced a research collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee to develop innovative packaging solutions made from agricultural waste, aimed at reducing dependence on virgin wood pulp and curbing stubble burning. Under the project, crop residues such as wheat straw and bagasse will be converted into high-quality pulp to produce strong, lightweight paper mailers comparable to conventional paper packaging. The initiative seeks to divert agricultural waste from burning, reduce imports of virgin wood pulp, and create additional income opportunities for farmers by building a market for crop residues. The collaboration with IIT Roorkee’s Department of Paper and…