Business
Trade pacts with UAE, Australia will fuel economic growth: Finance Minister
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday the country’s trade pacts with the UAE and Australia will chart the way for economic growth.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ outreach programme on India-UAE CEPA and India-Australia ECTA here, Sitharaman said awareness events about these pacts are happening across the country.
She also said the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has been asked to translate the details of the trade pacts in Tamil and share them with the media and stakeholders.
Tamil Nadu has a long-time connection with the leather sector, and the industry has achieved modernisation, Sitharaman said, as she went on to add that Tamil Nadu has been a frontrunner in trade for a long time.
She urged entrepreneurs to know the features of these agreements and make best use of them.
“If you want any support in connection with the agreements, feel free to convey it to us,” she added.
“The industry should equip itself to cater to the changing tastes and preferences of consumers post Covid. Access the available markets that are part of the agreements,” she said.
According to Sitharaman, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE some years back, the Royal family promised $75 billion worth investments in India.
Sitharaman added that a formal agreement has also been signed, and entrepreneurs should scale up their businesses to get share from the investments.
“We are now dependent on one country for APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients). So enough investments need to be made after much thought. I request the state government to invite raw material makers to invest here. We should not depend on others for our raw materials. Backward and forward industries should be supported by the governments,” she said.
On the trade pact with Australia, Sitharaman said it is for the well-being of the Indo-Pacific economy.
While there are many hurdles because of the Russia-Ukraine war, there are also opportunities since their exports are hit, she said.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel, said all efforts are being made to reach out to the stakeholders all over the country to explain the details of the trade agreements.
“The India-UAE trade agreement was concluded in record time. India is the second largest trading partner of the UAE. Several benefits will flow out of the comprehensive agreement between the two countries. There is huge scope and there are so many employment opportunities to be created. Bilateral trade will double in the next five years,” Patel said.
“The India-Australia agreement is a clear signal to the other developed economies to partner with India,” she added.
Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, L.A Murugan, congratulated the Department of Commerce and Industry for organising the awareness event in Chennai.
“We are making huge exports in the marine sector. For the first time in history, Rs 20,000 crore was announced for fisheries under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) by Nirmala Sitharaman,” he said.
Murugan also said that Rs 7,500 crore was allocated for fisheries infrastructure development by Sitharaman.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, India’s maritime sector registered growth, Murugan said, adding that seafood exports will touch Rs 1 lakh crore before 2025.
Tamil Nadu Minister for MSME, T.M. Anbarasan, Consul General of Australia, Chennai, Sarah Kirlew, industry leaders from various sectors and other stakeholders took part in the event.
Business
ED arrests real estate firm MD in PMLA case, accused sent to 14-day custody

New Delhi, Nov 15: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ocean Seven Buildtech Pvt. Ltd. (OSBPL) Managing Director Swaraj Singh Yadav after conducting searches at nine locations across Delhi-NCR and other regions in a money-laundering probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an agency statement said on Saturday.
The action stems from allegations that Yadav diverted and laundered funds collected from homebuyers across multiple projects, including those under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
The searches on Thursday led to the recovery of Rs 86 lakh in cash, suspected to be proceeds of crime, along with incriminating documents and digital evidence.
According to the ED, Yadav orchestrated a large-scale diversion of homebuyer funds through fraudulent cancellation and resale of units at inflated prices, cash-based premiums collected outside banking channels, and misuse of escrow accounts.
He allegedly routed substantial sums into shell entities and concealed cash proceeds with relatives, the ED statement said.
Investigators also found a pattern of rapid liquidation of assets held personally and through company entities in Gurugram, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, which the agency believes was intended to secure illicit gains and evade legal scrutiny.
His wife and children have already relocated to the United States, the probe revealed.
The agency said Yadav operated a dual-payment mechanism in the resale of PMAY flats and even in the sale of parking spaces — routing only nominal amounts through banks while collecting the bulk in cash. These activities form part of a wider probe linked to multiple FIRs alleging cheating, forgery, and other predicate offences.
Following his arrest, Yadav was produced before the Court of ASJ-06 at Patiala House Courts on Friday, in compliance with Supreme Court directions.
After detailed submissions from both sides and a pass-over granted to allow him legal assistance, the court sent him to ED custody for 14 days, until November 28.
The agency has been directed to produce him before the court at 2 p.m. on the date of expiry of remand.
The ED said it is pursuing further investigation to trace, freeze, and attach assets acquired from the laundered funds, to ensure recovery and restitution to affected homebuyers.
Business
IndiGo to start flights from Navi Mumbai International Airport from Dec 25

Mumbai, Nov 15: Low-cost airline IndiGo on Saturday announced flight operations from the newly-opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) starting December 25, connecting the airport to 10 cities across the country.
IndiGo will connect the future-ready airport to 10 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, North Goa (Mopa), Jaipur, Nagpur, Cochin, and Mangalore, the airline said in a statement.
The airline said it plans to expand operations at NMIA progressively by adding direct routes to more destinations in due course.
NMIA, the second airport in the Mumbai metropolitan area, is designed to complement Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and meet growing demand for air travel from India’s financial capital.
NMIA is expected to enhance regional connectivity and support economic development in western India due to its strategic location.
By enhancing regional connectivity and supporting economic development in western India, the launch of IndiGo’s operations will connect the airport to its vast domestic network of 95 airports across the country, it added.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, as a major achievement in India’s economic development and “a symbol of Bharat’s aspirations”.
PM Modi said that Mumbai welcomed its second international airport, marking a significant milestone in its journey to becoming Asia’s premier connectivity hub. “Through this new airport, the farmers of Maharashtra will be able to connect with supermarkets in Europe and the Middle East as well,” he observed.
NMIA will ease congestion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and significantly increase India’s aviation capacity.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport Private is designed to accommodate both domestic and international passengers, featuring state-of-the-art facilities. It includes a 3,700-metre runway capable of handling large commercial aircraft, modern passenger terminals, and advanced air traffic control systems.
Business
Stock markets end week on a strong note as NDA secures landmark win in Bihar

Mumbai, Nov 15: Indian equity markets ended the week on a strong note, with benchmark indices gaining on the resolution of the US government shutdown, supported by strong domestic fundamentals, better-than-expected Q2 earnings, easing inflation and NDA’s historic victory in Bihar, according to analysts.
Record-low October inflation reinforced expectations of an RBI rate cut, adding momentum to domestic equities.
According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, sectoral momentum was broad-based, led by gains in IT, Pharma, healthcare and Auto stocks.
“Toward the week’s close, the NDA’s Bihar election victory bolstered investor confidence, but fading expectations of a U.S. Fed rate cut triggered profit booking in IT stocks, tempering their earlier gains,” he mentioned.
The indices remained under pressure for most of the session on Friday, oscillating between losses and brief recoveries, before a strong late-afternoon rebound pushed them into the green.
Volatility picked up as markets tracked the Bihar election outcome, the day’s key trigger.
Sentiment was also weighed down by weak global cues after Wall Street fell sharply overnight, led by declines in Nvidia and other tech majors as investors dialled back hopes of near-term rate cuts amid lingering inflation worries, according to a note by Bajaj Broking Research.
At close, the Sensex ended 84 points or 0.1 per cent higher at 84,563, while the Nifty finished 31 points up at 25,910. Sectoral trends were mixed, with PSU banks leading gains at 1.17 per cent, followed by firm moves in pharma and FMCG.
Energy and infrastructure saw mild upticks. On the downside, IT declined 1.03 per cent, while auto, metal, and realty ended lower.
Among the broader market space, Nifty Small-cap 100 rose 0.38 per cent, while the Midcap 100 gained 0.08 per cent.
According to analysts, Nifty on the weekly chart has formed a strong bull candle with a higher high and a higher low signaling pullback after two weeks of corrective decline, “in line with our expectations from the key support area of 25,400-25,300”.
Going ahead, bias continues to remain positive and a follow through strength above last month high of 26,100 will open upside towards the previous all-time high of 26,277 in the coming week.
Looking ahead, market direction will hinge on key macro triggers such as India’s PMI data, US jobless claims, FOMC minutes and progress on US–India trade negotiations.
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