Business
Industry associations call for legislative route to resume mining in Goa
With the BJP getting re-elected in Goa, the call for resuming mining operations in the state has grown louder. It has been four years since mining was stopped in Goa and industry associations claim that the ban has severely hurt the state’s economy, along with adversely affecting people’s livelihoods. According to a recent survey, nearly two in five Goan households have been impacted by the mining ban in some way or the other.
Despite several appeals by different stakeholders to the government in the past, no action has been taken on the ground. In a fresh set of recommendations, CII Goa State Council and Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) have urged to immediately resume sustainable mining to revive the state economy.
Last week, the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) too urged the state and central leadership to act in the matter. In February 2018, the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases in Goa, bringing the local iron ore industry to a standstill. The decision affected the livelihoods of over 3 lakh mining dependents in the state.
Recommendations have been made by CII Goa to the Centre and State to resume mining in the State. CII as an apex industry body strongly recommends the resumption of sustainable mining to bring Goa’s economy back on track. Though great efforts have been put in by various industry bodies in the state, very little has been seen on ground.
Since the mining concessions which were given in perpetuity under Portuguese Law were converted into Mining Leases by the Abolition Act 1987, it is only fair that the benefit of a tenure of 50 years from date of grant which is available to leases throughout the country as per the 2015 MMDR Amendment Act, be made available to Goan leases. Though the leases came into being in 1987, the tenure was made effective retrospectively from 1961 to protect the revenue collected by the state government from 1961-1987.
This retrospective application of the Act has been struck down by the High Court and the issue is pending before a 9 judge bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Ministry of Mines has even filed an application before the Hon’ble Supreme Court urging that the matter be expeditiously heard since till then, no further action can be taken with respect to the leases. Under the circumstances, a legislative cure as suggested above is the only option for a swift resumption of mining which is a source of revenue not only to the government but also to many secondary and tertiary industries in Goa.
It’s also relevant to point out that almost 30 per cent of the sale price of ore produced goes to the State exchequer in the form of royalty, contribution to District Mineral Fund, Iron ore Permanent Fund etc. “There is an urgent need for the authorities to take necessary decisions in the interest and growth of the state” said Swati Salgaocar, Chairperson, CII Goa State Council.
Voicing similar concerns, Ralph De Sousa, President, Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI), said, “Mining is the lifeline of Goan economy. Mining is going on normally all over the Country except goa. It’s up to the Central Govt to restart Mining with proper checks & balances. GCCI strongly feels that the State’s Commerce and Industry needs a boost to get over the current economic lull that is caused due to mining closure for the last 4 years and further worsened with Covid pandemic. The Ukraine war may further affect the business some way or the other. Need of the hour is that both these sectors have to jump start to tide over the economic crisis for overall socio-economic development of the state. We have already represented to the state Government for its immediate attention to resolve the mining matter in a sustainable yet quickest possible manner. GCCI membership is awaiting the opportunity to benefit from mining which will in turn address the unemployment crisis of the state.”
Glenn Kalavampara, Secretary, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association said, “The Wealth of the Minerals are meaningless unless they are extracted, processed & converted into goods, meant for the benefit of mankind. It’s rather unfortunate that despite generating valuable economic returns as well as providing livelihood to many, mining in Goa had been under a constant suspension since Mid-March 2018. Concerned Stakeholders have repeatedly been raising concerns & hopeful of a solution since long. Post 4 years, the stakeholders dependent on the mining operations have only undergone endless pain, depression and anxieties.”
The industry associations have said that mining activities should be immediately resumed in the state to undo the livelihood and economic deadlock and allow Goans to earn a stable income and work for a better future.
Business
Sensex up 350 points, Nifty above 24,850; IT stocks lead rally

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Mumbai, Sep 9: The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday, with Nifty IT index leading the rally with 1.7 per cent surge in the early trade.
At 9.23 am, Sensex was up 355 points or 0.44 per cent, at 81,142 and Nifty was up 99 points or 0.40 per cent, at 24,873.
The broadcap indices stayed flat, as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 0.05 per cent, and the Nifty Small cap 100 dipped 0.01 per cent.
Nifty IT advanced on the back of strong gains by Infosys (up 3.35 per cent) as the company had announced that it will consider a buyback of shares along with its results next month. IT company Wipro also advanced 2.36 per cent.
Tech Mahindra, TCS, Bajaj Finserv were other major gainers in the Nifty pack. Major losers were Titan Company, Shriram Finance, ICICI Bank, Tata Consumer and Tata Motors.
Among sectoral indices, apart from Nifty IT, the top gainer, Nifty pharma (up 0.47 per cent) and Nifty Auto (up 0.21 per cent) were in green. Many other indices made marginal losses.
Analysts said that Nifty index had formed a small red candle with a long upper shadow on the daily chart, highlighting consolidation and volatility.
“While buying interest is visible at lower levels, the 24,900–25,000 zones remains a stiff hurdle. Support is placed at 24,620, and as long as Nifty trades below 25,000, some consolidation or mild weakness may persist,” they noted.
“Upside momentum vanished on test of 24,870, which we had pencilled in as a critical pivot yesterday. Though the turn lower thereof was abrupt and steep, oscillators remain accommodative towards further upsides. We will look for a close beyond the 24,730-870 for further clarity,” said Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.
The US markets ended in the green zone overnight as the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.25 per cent, while the Nasdaq advanced by 0.45 per cent and the S&P 500 gained 0.21 per cent.
In the US, investors are now awaiting two key inflation reports that could determine what Federal Reserve policymakers will do at their meeting next week.
The Asian markets traded mixed in the morning session. China’s Shanghai index declined 0.35 per cent, and Shenzhen lost 1 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.2 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.82 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 1.06 per cent.
On Friday, foreign investors (FIIs/FPIs) turned net sellers with outflows worth Rs 2,170 crore of Indian equities, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net bought shares worth Rs 3,014 crore.
Business
Stock market opens higher, auto stocks lead rally over GST booster

Mumbai, Sep 8: The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Monday over the GST booster, amid tariff-related uncertainty between India and the US.
As of 9.35 am, Sensex was up 280 points or 0.35 per cent, at 80,991, and Nifty was up 84 points or 0.34 per cent, at 24,825. The broadcap indices, Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 0.77 per cent, and the Nifty smallcap 100 inched up 0.72 per cent.
Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Auto was the top gainer, rising 1.52 per cent, followed by Nifty Metal and Nifty Realty. In the Nifty pack, Tata Steel (up 2.57 per cent), Tata Steel, Tata Motors NTPC, Hindalco and SBI were the major gainers, while losers included SBI Life Insurance, Asian Paints, Dr Reddys Labs, Titan Company and Trent.
Analysts said that on the technical front, Nifty showed resilience after last week’s sharp midweek sell-off, rebounding strongly from the 100-day EMA near 24,633. The index formed a hammer candlestick pattern on the daily chart, indicating buying interest at lower levels.
The GST Council has reduced rates across insurance, medicines, and daily essentials, providing significant relief to households, farmers, and industries.
“Key support is placed around 24,600–24,280, where the 100-day and 200-day EMAs converge. A decisive close above the 25,000 mark will be critical to confirm the next leg of upside, potentially opening the path toward the 25,500–25,675 supply zone,” said Amruta Shinde from Choice Broking.
Analysts said that the heightened uncertainty surrounding the US-India trade relations will continue to weigh on markets.
However, US President Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding the “special US-India ties” indicate improvement in the strained relationship.
“Rumours suggest potential restrictions on India’s IT exports, despite the fact that reciprocal tariffs have not yet affected trade in services. These concerns will continue to influence the market, which got a morale boost from the GST reforms. The euphoria from GST reform was short-lived since the market had already partly discounted the GST rate cuts,” said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.
The US markets ended in the red zone on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 0.48 per cent, while the Nasdaq declined by 0.03 per cent and the S&P 500 dipped 0.32 per cent.
The Asian markets traded mixed. China’s Shanghai index inched up 0.16 per cent, and Shenzhen added 0.18 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei was up 1.42 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.36 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.2 per cent.
On Friday, foreign investors (FIIs/FPIs) turned net sellers with outflows worth Rs 1,304 crore of Indian equities, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net bought shares worth Rs 1,821 crore.
Business
Banks Expect Increased Credit Demand Across Retail, MSME, & Agricultural Segments After GST Reforms

New Delhi: With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, banks expect increased credit demand across retail, MSME, and agricultural segments as incomes rise and business investment picks up.
According to Ajay Kumar Srivastava, MD and CEO, Indian Overseas Bank, the reform will create a strong effect across the economy, leading to improved cashflows for distributors and retailers, greater working capital access for small businesses, and expanded credit requirements amid rising demand.
“Overall, this decision acts as a catalyst for inclusive growth and economic transformation aligning itself to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat”, said Srivastava. This move makes taxation more transparent and easier to follow. “We expect these measures will drive an estimated growth in consumption over 8-10 per cent in the next two quarters in rural markets, particularly benefiting farmers through reduced costs on agricultural products where GST has been brought down from the 12 per cent to 5 per cent,” according to Srivastava.
The price cuts on daily essentials like dairy products, household items, and consumer durables will provide more relief and reduce the burden to the consumers. The reduced GST on vehicles, electronics, and housing materials will create demand for these segments, while making insurance policies completely tax-free will enhance financial inclusion.
According to Sanjay Agarwal, Senior Director, CareEdge Ratings, GST rate cuts result in a decrease in the final price of goods and services, which enhances consumer purchasing power and could stimulate demand across various sectors.
The impact is generally visible in the consumer durables segment. Lower GST rates on automobiles, electronics, and appliances not only make these products more affordable but also expand the addressable market to include price-sensitive consumers who were previously priced out.
“Banks could see an increase in auto loans, personal loans for electronics purchases,” he mentioned. Outstanding housing loans, vehicle loans, credit card and consumer durables account for around 16.7 per cent, 3.5 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 0.1 per cent of banking credit, respectively.
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