Business - The Purbottar

25 May

Star Health launches affordable ‘Value Plus’ insurance plan in Guwahati

Business BureauBusiness

Marking 20 years since its foundation, Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited on Thursday launched ‘Value Plus’, an affordable health insurance product aimed at expanding healthcare coverage in Tier 2, 3 and 4 cities, including Guwahati. The company said the new plan offers sum insured options ranging from ₹7.5 lakh to ₹25 lakh for both individual and family floater covers at nearly 20 per cent lower premiums through a curated hospital network. The offering is available for adults aged 18 years and above and dependent children from 91 days to 25 years. According to the company, customers will receive…

25 May

Škoda Auto India launches ‘G.O.A.T’ campaign with national track record

Business BureauBusiness

Škoda Auto India has launched its new brand campaign titled ‘G.O.A.T – Greatest On A Track’, highlighting the company’s motorsport legacy and performance-oriented engineering across its product range. The campaign began with the company setting an India and Asia Book of Records title for the “Fastest Multi-Car Relay of a Single Manufacturer on a Circuit” at the Coimbatore Automotive Sports and Technical Training (CoASTT) track. The record-setting fleet, comprising the Kylaq 1.0 AT, Kushaq 1.5 DSG, Slavia 1.5 DSG, Octavia RS and Kodiaq Selection L&K, completed the relay in 12:30.97, including pit-lane changeovers. The Octavia RS emerged as the fastest…

25 May

Schneider Electric Projects Surge in India Data Center Business, Driven by AI Demand

nanika EditorBusiness

Schneider Electric expects its India data center business to outpace its core operations over the next four to five years. Driven by a surging demand for AI-ready infrastructure, the segment currently accounts for 15 to 20 percent of the company’s India revenue. Speaking to Reuters, Sumati Sahgal, Vice-President for Secure Power and Data Centres, Greater India Zone, highlighted that data centers and grid modernization will remain the company’s strongest growth themes. According to industry data from Astute Analytica, India's data center market is projected to skyrocket to over 31 billion dollars by 2035, maintaining a compounded annual growth rate of…

25 May

Huawei Skirts U.S. Sanctions Using New 1.4Nm Architectural Blueprint

anuprova EditorBusiness

Chinese tech giant Huawei has launched a new revolutionary semiconductor design framework to counter strict U.S. export controls. In a major tech forum, the company said it plans to achieve high-end computing performance comparable to a leading-edge 1.4-nanometer process by 2031, thus narrowing the gap with global leaders such as TSMC. With Washington blocking China’s access to the advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines needed for traditional manufacturing, Huawei is moving away from conventional methods. Rather than focusing only on shrinking transistor sizes—an industry trend known as Moore’s Law that is already approaching atomic-scale limits—Huawei introduced what it calls the…

25 May

Sarala Microfinance empowers Darjeeling artisan with livelihood support

Business BureauBusiness

Sarala Development & Microfinance Pvt. Ltd. has continued its efforts to support women micro-entrepreneurs and preserve traditional rural craftsmanship through financial inclusion initiatives in West Bengal. In Darjeeling district, Anita Das, a local artisan engaged in crafting traditional rattan stools, has expanded her livelihood activities with the help of microfinance support provided by the company. Using techniques passed down through generations, Das produces small rattan stools that contribute to her household income while helping sustain indigenous craftsmanship in the region. According to the company, Das received her first microfinance loan of ₹50,000 from Sarala’s Champasari branch in January 2024. The…

25 May

Airbnb expands travel offerings with car rentals, FIFA experiences and boutique hotels

Business BureauBusiness

Global travel platform Airbnb on Wednesday announced a major expansion of its services and experiences, introducing car rentals, grocery delivery, airport pickups, luggage storage, boutique hotels and exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026 experiences as part of its summer 2026 update. The company said the new features are aimed at making travel more convenient and personalised for users worldwide. Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said travel should be “meaningful” and help people explore and learn through unique experiences. Among the new additions, Airbnb users can now book grocery delivery in partnership with Instacart across select US cities, airport pickups through…

24 May

Bonus Issues in Focus: LIC and PAE Limited Reward Shareholders with Free Shares to Boost Liquidity and Signal Financial Strength

Preeti SinghBusiness

Bonus shares and stock splits are key corporate actions companies use to reward existing investors and make their stock more accessible in the market. Bonus shares are additional equity shares issued free of cost to current shareholders, funded from a company’s accumulated reserves and surplus. While they increase the total number of shares held by an investor, the overall value of the holding remains unchanged immediately after the issue. Such moves are often seen as a sign of a company’s robust financial health and are aimed at reinforcing shareholder confidence.Stock splits work similarly in principle. In a split, the face…

24 May

BHIM app records over 300% growth in FY26 as digital payments surge

Business BureauBusiness

The BHIM Payments App, developed by NPCI BHIM Services Limited, registered a sharp rise in digital payment transactions in FY26, recording a 301 per cent increase in total transaction volumes compared to FY25, the company said on Thursday. According to the company, monthly transaction volumes on the app increased from 5.93 crore in April 2025 to 21.6 crore in March 2026. The growth momentum continued in April 2026, with transaction volumes touching 22.49 crore and transaction value reaching ₹26,040 crore. In West Bengal, the app witnessed rising adoption in daily payment activities, with 71 per cent of transactions categorised as…

23 May

Tata Soulfull launches millet muesli range to tap growing wellness market

Business BureauBusiness

Tata Soulfull has expanded its breakfast portfolio with the launch of its new Ultimate Millet Muesli range, aimed at consumers looking for targeted nutrition solutions linked to weight management, protein intake and gut health. The company on Tuesday announced that the new range includes three variants — Tata Soulfull Ultimate Millet Muesli Slimcare for weight management goals, Ultimate Millet Muesli Hi-Protein for protein goals, and Ultimate Millet Muesli Probiotic for gut health support. The products are built around millets as the core ingredient as the company looks to strengthen its position in India’s growing millet-based foods segment. Alongside the launch,…

23 May

NCVET holds first Research Advisory Committee meeting to boost evidence-based skilling policies

Business BureauBusiness

The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), on Tuesday convened the first meeting of its Research Advisory Committee (RAC) to strengthen research-driven policymaking in India’s vocational education and training ecosystem. The meeting was chaired by Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE and Chairperson of NCVET. Senior representatives from government bodies, industry, academia, think tanks and research organisations participated in the discussions, including NITI Aayog, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Directorate General of Training (DGT), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), IIM Calcutta, NCAER, TISS, Ashoka University and NIEPA. The committee discussed…