Business
Several women candidates emerge favourites for CEA’s position
Woman power may make a strong statement in next years Union Budget as the economic policy recommendations may come from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the top, ably guided by a first-ever woman Chief Economic Advisor (CEA).
The process of selection of the new CEA, which is underway now, has participation from more women this year with a strong chance that the country for the first time may have a dual combination of a woman FM and CEA guiding the Budget making process for 2022-23.
Sources said that three names are being bandied about in the corridors of power. These include Dr Pami Dua, Professor at Delhi School of Economics; Poonam Gupta, Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and Gita Gopinath, chief economist at the IMF, who vacates her office in January 2022 making her available for assignment in India.
The government has invited applications for the post of CEA which will fall vacant next month (December 7) as present incumbent K V Subramanian completes his three-year tenure. Subramanian has said that he will be leaving the finance ministry to return to academia following the completion of his tenure.
Sources said that though the applications invited from the Department of Economic Affairs are valid till next week, some of the candidates already identified by it may get preference and it is here that the chances of getting the first woman CEA get stronger. Sources also said that the current Principal Economic Advisor Sanjeev Sanyal may emerge as the dark horse for the position as he has been with the government for some time and is aligned to its thinking that would hold the key to framing next year’s Economic Survey.
With regard to women candidates, Dr Pami Dua was picked by the Modi government in 2016 as the first woman member of the RBI’s all powerful Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for four years. Poonam Gupta, on the other hand, was the RBI Chair Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy and was recently appointed as one of the seven members of the reconstituted Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
The name of Gita Gopinath, 50, is also doing the rounds over her strong India connections and talks on pandemic economics where India’s role has been lauded. The only drawback in her candidature comes from her holding US citizenship.
In these circumstances, sources said that Sanyal could be the right candidate. But as the budget is already round the corner, there is also thinking that the government delay the release of the Economic Survey 2021-22, till the appointment of the CEA is completed and the person is able to oversee the survey. However, this would mean that Budget announcements may come without a survey, an unprecedented event.
The process of appointing the CEA involves vetting of candidates by a search committee which will then shortlist at least three candidates whose names will go for approval before the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.
Business
HM Amit Shah congratulates Amul, IFFCO for landmark achievement among world cooperatives

New Delhi, Nov 5: It is a testament to the boundless potential of the cooperatives, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, congratulated daily giant Amul and Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) for occupying the first two ranks among the top 10 cooperatives in the world.
In a landmark achievement for India’s cooperative sector, two of India’s leading cooperatives, Amul and IFFCO, have secured the first and second ranks in the global ranking for cooperatives, respectively.
In a post on X social media platform, HM Shah said, “A proud moment for Bharat! Heartiest congratulations to Amul and IFFCO for occupying the first two ranks among the top ten cooperatives in the world”.
“It is an honour to the tireless dedication of millions of women associated with Amul and farmers contributing to the IFFCO. It is also a testament to the boundless potential of the cooperatives, which is being transformed into a global model of empowerment and self-reliance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” HM Shah posted.
Meanwhile, the India’s dairy sector is the backbone of rural livelihoods and a symbol of inclusive growth. As the largest milk producer in the world, India has combined farmer-led cooperatives, women’s participation and scientific practices to achieve remarkable progress.
Notably, while safeguarding existing gains, there is continued support to the sector through subsidies, credit facilities, R&D in fodder and animal health, among others, to ensure India’s dairy sector remains resilient, inclusive, and capable of meeting future domestic and international demand.
Moreover, the National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL), set up by the Government in 2023, has achieved the impressive milestone of exporting Rs 5,403.01 crore worth of agricultural commodities, including rice, fresh red onion, sugar, baby food, processed food, spices and tea.
Also, NCEL has been promoted by five leading co-operatives — Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO), Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (KRIBHCO), National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF–Amul) and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC).
Business
Indian stock markets closed on Nov 5 for Guru Nanak Jayanti; trade to resume tomorrow

Mumbai, Nov 5: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) remained closed on Wednesday on account of Prakash Gurpurb Sri Guru Nanak Dev, also known as Guru Nanak Jayanti.
Trading across segments, including equities, derivatives, securities lending and borrowing (SLBs), currency derivatives, and interest rate derivatives, stayed shut for the day.
The commodity derivatives market was also closed in the morning session between 9 am and 5 pm but will open for the evening session from 5 pm to 11:30/11:55 pm.
Regular trading on both exchanges will resume on Thursday (November 6).
On Tuesday, Indian stock markets ended lower, with the Nifty slipping below the 25,600 mark amid broad-based selling pressure.
The Sensex fell 519.34 points, or 0.62 per cent, to close at 83,459.15, while the Nifty dropped 165.70 points, or 0.64 per cent, to end at 25,597.65.
The BSE Midcap index declined 0.2 per cent, and the Smallcap index fell 0.7 per cent.
Among major Nifty stocks, Power Grid Corp, Coal India, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Bajaj Auto, and Eternal were the top losers.
On the other hand, Titan Company, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Life, and M&M gained during the session.
Barring telecom and consumer durable sectors, all other indices ended in the red. IT, auto, FMCG, metal, power, realty, and PSU indices slipped between 0.5 to 1 per cent.
Market analysts said that the Nifty has retested its 20-day exponential moving average (EMA). A sustained move below this level could weaken the positive sentiment and extend the correction toward 25,400.
“On the higher side, 25,800 is likely to act as an immediate resistance level. Traders have been advised to remain cautious and focus on risk management until a clear market direction emerges,” experts said.
Business
Indian Hotels clocks 48.6 pc drop in Q2 net profit to Rs 285 crore

Mumbai, Nov 4: Tata Group’s hospitality arm, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), on Tuesday reported a 48.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) drop in net profit to Rs 285 crore for the quarter ended September 2025 (Q2 FY26).
The company had posted a profit of Rs 555 crore in the same quarter last financial year (Q2 FY25), according to its stock exchange filing.
Despite the fall in profit, IHCL’s revenue from operations rose 11.8 per cent to Rs 2,040.8 crore, compared with Rs 1,826 crore in the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
The company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) also showed improvement, rising 14.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 572 crore from Rs 501 crore a year ago.
The EBITDA margin improved slightly to 28 per cent, compared with 27.4 per cent in the same quarter last financial year.
On the market front, IHCL shares ended at Rs 743.75 on the BSE, down Rs 3.30 or 0.44 per cent on Tuesday.
Over the last five days, the stock gained Rs 2.35 or 0.32 per cent, while in the past month, it rose Rs 20.65 or 2.85 per cent.
However, over a longer period, the stock has faced some pressure. In the last six months, IHCL shares fell Rs 57.60 or 7.18 per cent, and on a year-to-date (YTD) basis, they are down Rs 129.40 or 14.81 per cent.
Still, over the past one year, the stock has gained Rs 77.65 or 11.65 per cent.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is South Asia’s biggest hospitality group. It was founded in 1903 by Jamsetji Tata, who started it with the opening of The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai.
The company is best known for its Taj hotels and its unique culture called “Tajness,” which combines Indian tradition with modern hospitality.
Today, IHCL runs more than 550 hotels across four continents and focuses on being both innovative and sustainable.
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