Business
Iraq signs deal with France’s Total on 4 energy projects

Petrol. (File Photo: IANS)
Iraq has signed a deal worth $27 billion with French oil and gas company Total on four energy projects, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The deal, signed on Sunday, includes three contracts between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and Total to develop the oil field of Artawi in the southern province of Basra, while the fourth was signed between the Ministry of Electricity and Total to establish a solar energy project, reports Xinhua news agency.
The French company will increase output of the Artawi oil field from 85,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 210,000 bpd, build a gas complex to exploit the associated gas from the oil field, and provide seawater with the capacity of 7.5 million bpd to it, the statement said.
The fourth project is to build a solar energy project with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, it added.
Iraq’s economy relies heavily on the export of crude oil, which brings in more than 90 per cent of the country’s revenues.
Business
IndusInd Bank’s stock hits 20 pc lower circuit, erases Rs 14,000 cr in market value

Mumbai, March 11: IndusInd Bank shares were locked in a 20 per cent lower circuit on Tuesday as the lender’s internal review projected an adverse impact of approximately 2.35 per cent on its net worth (as of December 2024).
The steep fall erased around Rs 14,000 crore in the bank’s market value. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 720.35, to go below the lower band on the NSE.
The bank’s net worth is expected to decline by nearly Rs 2,100 crore after accounting discrepancies of 2.35 per cent of its net worth were found in its derivatives portfolio during an internal review.
The Hinduja-promoted lender plans to absorb this loss in its Q4 earnings or the first quarter of the next fiscal year (FY26).
The internal review findings have sparked a string of target price cuts from several brokerages for the bank’s stock amid fresh turmoil, days after the Reserve Bank of India allowed only a one-year extension to Chief Executive Officer, Sumant Kathpalia.
The bank has appointed an external agency to independently review and validate its internal findings on the derivatives portfolio, as per the Reserve Bank of India’s September 2023 guidelines on bond investment classification and valuation.
IndusInd Bank will face a “litmus test” from the succession viewpoint and the board is likely to evaluate both external as well as internal candidates, Citi said. Recent developments have raised the risk perception and impact disclosed borrowings cost too, it added.
“We downgrade IIB to ‘HOLD’ from ‘BUY’ as we cut multiple to 1.0x from 1.4x driven by uncertainties relating to earnings quality and future leadership. Woes continue for IIB since an irregularity was unearthed in derivative accounting,” said Gaurav Jani from PL Capital- Prabhudas Lilladher.
This discrepancy spanned across a 5-7 year period till March 31 2024, however, due to an RBI directive, there are no irregularities with effect from Apr 1 2024.
“In our view, this episode had a bearing on RBI’s decision to extend MD and CEO’s tenure only for 1 year. Valuation is 0.9x on FY27 ABV and we trim target price to Rs 1,000 from Rs 1,400,” said Jani.
Business
Maharashtra presents deficit budget, new tax burden on citizens

Mumbai: Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar presented the state budget in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today. The public has expressed confidence in us in the assembly elections, so Mahayuti is committed to maintaining their trust. In this budget, special concessions and facilities have been given to the middle class. An attempt has been made to solve the problems of the people. With this resolve, Ajit Pawar has presented the budget for 2025-26, which is the first annual budget presented by the Mahayuti government.
Presenting the budget in the Assembly, Ajit Pawar said in his speech that Maharashtra will not stop, development will not be delayed, he also claimed that large-scale projects will be completed in the state, which will increase employment opportunities and boost the economy.
The state has set a target of an economy of one lakh trillion. Work on the Bengaluru-Mumbai Industrial Corridor is underway. Along with better industrial facilities in the state, employment opportunities and a technical center in the state and establishment of Maharashtra Technical Textile Mission for development work have also been implemented. It has also been assured in the budget that electricity rates will be reduced in the state. Electricity rates in the state will be lower than the rates of other provinces.
Ajit Pawar has also promised to complete many facilities and projects in the state budget. The work of Navi Mumbai airport is 85 percent complete, while work has started on Nagpur airport. Establishment of markets for agriculture has been ensured. Rs 3610 crore has been allocated for the transport department, out of which work has started on a 41 km long metro route in Mumbai.
A special project has been included in the budget for Mumbai, in which Rs 64,783 crore has been allocated for Versova to Madha, Versova to Bhayander Coastal Road, Malind to Goregaon, Thane to Borivali and Orange Gate to Marine Drive underground road to eliminate traffic problems in suburban areas. Thane to Navi Mumbai International Airport will be connected to the international airports of Thane, Dombivali, Kalyan and other important cities.
The work of the missing link at Khapoli-Khandala Ghat on Mumbai-Pune Highway will be completed by August 2025. Mumbai, Navi Mumbai Global Market will be established as well as Taluka Market Committee will be established across the state. Housing Scheme: Financial assistance of Rs 50,000 will be given for the house. Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana will be ensured in the state. Under this scheme, assistance of Rs 50,000 will be provided to each person. Under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana, Rs 1.30 lakh has been allocated for domestic electricity and Rs 1,000 crore for power generation of more than 500 MW.
The state government has so far spent Rs 33,232 crore on Ladli Behan in the budget, while the Finance Ministry has allocated Rs 36,000 crore for it. A Hope Mall will be started in every district to establish savings banks and 10 malls will be set up in the first phase.
A 200-bed hospital will be built in Thane of Ratnagiri district, which will provide medical facilities to the citizens. The second phase of construction of metro route will be implemented in Pune. In the second phase, Rs 9894 crore has been allocated for two metro routes. Both the metro projects have been sent for approval from the Central Government. A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be installed in Sangameshwar. Apart from this, Maratha Shaurya Smarak will be built in Panipat. A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be built in Agra.
In this budget of the state government, a new tax has been imposed on the citizens. In this, a lump sum tax of 7% has been ensured on the purchase of cars. This tax has been imposed on electric cars and other things. This tax has been imposed on the purchase of cars worth more than 30 lakhs so that the common citizens do not face any problem. The state government has presented a budget of 7 lakh thousand crores. In this deficit budget, the burden of tax has been imposed on the citizens.
Business
Maharashtra Budget 2025: Dy CM Ajit Pawar Says Will Create 50 Lakh Jobs With ₹40 Lakh Crore Investment In 5 Years

Mumbai: The Maharashtra state budget for fiscal year 2025-26 is being presented by the state Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra State Assembly in Mumbai.
Jobs In Maharashtra
During the speech, the FM Pawar said that his government intends to create 50 lakh jobs for citizens of Maharashtra through a Rs 40 lakh crore investment over the next 5 years.
Pawar added that Maharashtra’s new Industrial Policy 2025 will soon be announced.
Special polices will also be announced in space, defence, electronics, MSME and circular economy.
Pawar also spoke about the introduction of new labour laws in the richest state.
In the speech, the FM said that he intends to build new business corridors in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, or MMR, and make it a Growth Hub.
Mumbai-Bengaluru Corridor
Highlighting CM Fadnavis’s trip to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Pawar said, MoUs signed with 63 companies at Davos Economic Summit, investment of a whopping Rs 15.72 lakh crores and estimated creation of 16 lakh jobs.”
The finance minister also updated the house on the status of the Bengaluru-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
He said that land acquisition for the Bengaluru-Mumbai Industrial Corridor is underway and this project will help set up industries in drought-prone areas of the state.
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