Business - The Purbottar

05 Feb

South Africa woos Kolkata Inc. with MICE push at corporate think tank

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South African Tourism concluded the fifth edition of its flagship corporate engagement initiative, Corporate Think Tank, with Kolkata as the fourth and final stop of the current four-city series. The event brought together over 25 corporate leaders for discussions focused on business travel trends, collaboration opportunities and destination-led experiences. Designed to deepen engagement with India’s corporate sector, the initiative showcased South Africa’s growing strengths as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), alongside leisure travel. Through interactive sessions and destination presentations, the programme highlighted the country’s positioning as a value-driven and experience-rich choice for business events. Kolkata has…

05 Feb

JSW Cement Shares Jump Over 9% After Return to Profit in Q3

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JSW Cement shares surged over 9% on February 5 after the company reported a strong turnaround in its Q3FY26 financial performance, marking a return to profitability. The stock climbed to an intraday high of ₹127 following the announcement. For the quarter ended December 2025, JSW Cement posted a net profit of ₹130.6 crore, reversing a loss of ₹80.22 crore reported in the same period last year. Revenue from operations rose 13% year-on-year to ₹1,621 crore, supported by a 14% increase in cement volumes to 3.56 million tones. Operating performance also improved, with EBITDA rising 32% to ₹285.1 crore and margins…

05 Feb

Škoda Kylaq marks one year, crosses 50,000 sales; expands line-up with new variants and anniversary offers

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Škoda Auto India marked the first anniversary of its compact SUV Kylaq by announcing that the model has crossed the 50,000 sales milestone, underlining its growing footprint in the highly competitive sub-4-metre SUV segment. The automaker also unveiled an expanded variant portfolio and limited-period anniversary benefits for customers. Since its launch, the Škoda Kylaq has emerged as a key growth driver for the brand, contributing significantly to Škoda Auto India’s best-ever sales performance in 2025. To build on this momentum, the company has expanded the Kylaq range from four to six variants, now spread across 11 price points. The new…

04 Feb

Security Solutions business of Godrej Enterprises Projects Strong wedding season growth as home locker demand surges

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The Security Solutions business of Godrej Enterprises Group has announced a strong growth outlook for its home locker business this wedding season, with sales expected to grow by 20%, driven by rising consumer preference for secure, long-term gifting solutions amidst India’s peak marriage period. The wedding season has emerged as a critical consumption period for home security, driven by rising investments in gold, jewellery, cash, and important documents. With gold prices skyrocketing, the risk profile has gone up, and hence the need to secure the jewellery is a pressing need. Weddings are one of those events of household asset creation, and a…

04 Feb

Union Budget reinforces agriculture’s central role in Viksit Bharat vision: Godrej Agrovet

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Reacting to the Union Budget, Sunil Kataria, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Godrej Agrovet Ltd, said the proposals place strong emphasis on productivity, resilience and inclusive growth, once again reaffirming agriculture as a key pillar in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat. Kataria said the targeted focus on livestock, fisheries and allied sectors signals a clear policy shift towards diversified and income-resilient farm systems. He welcomed the introduction of loan-linked capital support for veterinary education, hospitals, diagnostics and breeding infrastructure, noting that the move would expand capacity and improve access to high-quality services across rural India. He said future…

04 Feb

Statement on Union Budget 2026–27: Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Government of India

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The Union Budget 2026–27 presents a confident roadmap for India’s next phase of growth. I congratulate Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for his visionary leadership and thank Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman ji for a Budget that balances ambition with inclusion, and reforms with responsibility. This is a truly Yuva Shakti–driven Budget, anchored in the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. By prioritising productivity, competitiveness and cutting-edge technologies, including AI, it lays a strong foundation for Viksit Bharat through sustained structural reforms and people-centric growth. It reinforces India’s steady economic trajectory through fiscal discipline, sustained growth and strategic…

03 Feb

INDIAWOOD 2026 set to be largest ever as India–EU trade push boosts woodworking sector

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INDIAWOOD 2026 is set to return to the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) from February 26 to March 2, positioning Bengaluru once again as a global hub for the woodworking and furniture manufacturing industry. Organised by NürnbergMesse India and supported by EUMABOIS, the 26th edition will be the largest in the event’s history. The biennial exhibition will host over 1,000 brands from more than 50 countries, attract upwards of 90,000 industry professionals, and cover 85,000 square metres of exhibition space—registering a 15 per cent increase over the previous edition. The scale of participation reflects growing global confidence in India’s manufacturing…

03 Feb

Budget 2026–27 puts education at the centre of jobs, AI and workforce growth: Edtech industry

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The Union Budget 2026–27 has positioned education as a critical driver of India’s economic and workforce transformation, with a strong focus on employability, artificial intelligence (AI) integration and industry-aligned skills, industry leaders said. The budget’s emphasis on directly linking education with jobs, entrepreneurship and services-led growth reflects a clear understanding of how careers and talent requirements are evolving. Commenting on the budget, Arjun Nair, Co-founder of Great Learning, said the push to embed AI across learning systems, expand higher education capacity around industrial corridors, and promote modular, industry-designed programmes would significantly strengthen India’s talent pipeline. He noted that repositioning education…

03 Feb

Budget FY27 positions agriculture as growth engine with innovation and climate focus: Kotak Mahindra Bank

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Reacting to the Union Budget FY27, Pinakin Simaria, Head – Agri Business Group, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said the Budget signals a decisive long-term shift in policy stance by simultaneously prioritising innovation, investment-led growth and climate resilience. Simaria said the Budget ensures continued focus on small and marginal farmers (SMFs) through the “Third–Kartavya Framework”, which emphasises productivity enhancement and entrepreneurship. He noted that agriculture is now being treated as a “credible engine of economic growth”, underpinned by a growth rate of 4.45 per cent between FY16 and FY25—the highest recorded in recent decades. Highlighting key policy measures, Simaria pointed to the…

03 Feb

Budget 2026 sets growth path with strong push for MSMEs, says Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Shekhar Bhandari

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Reacting to the Union Budget 2026, Shekhar Bhandari, President – SME, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said the Budget strikes a careful balance between growth aspirations and fiscal discipline while laying the foundation for long-term economic expansion. Bhandari noted that the fiscal deficit being contained at 4.4 per cent for the current year and projected to moderate further to 4.3 per cent next year provides much-needed macroeconomic stability as India moves towards its Vision 2047 goals. He said this fiscal clarity would help strengthen investor confidence and support sustained economic momentum. Highlighting the focus on capacity creation, Bhandari welcomed the proposed revival…