Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, in its report, stated that gold smuggling in the year 2024–25 remained concentrated in hotspots like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and West Bengal, serving as entry points or redistribution hubs due to their strategic location, higher number of flights and transit routes.

In 2024–25, the DRI seized 1,073 kg of gold having a market value of approximately Rs 785 crore, the report stated. Mumbai emerged as the main hotspot for gold smuggling through airports, far surpassing all other locations in both the quantity of gold seized and the number of cases detected, the agency stated in its report.

According to the DRI, gold smuggling syndicates operate through a structured network: masterminds located abroad or in India fund operations, organisers recruit carriers, carriers transport concealed gold into India, and handlers receive gold for delivery to key members of the network in India for further sale.

Sometimes, gold smuggled in forms other than foreign-origin bars, such as wax or jewellery, is melted into 24-carat bar form at illicit facilities, sold domestically, converted into jewellery and integrated into domestic markets. Proceeds are usually repatriated abroad via hawala or illegal forex channels, sustaining a multi-layered, highly networked smuggling operation.

“Air routes, especially flights from the Middle East and Southeast Asia that connect to metro and Tier-II airports, are the primary channel for gold smuggling into India. Smugglers exploit diverse passenger profiles, including women, families and airline crew, to smuggle gold into India. Increasingly, smugglers are also concealing gold inside aircraft cavities for later retrieval by crew, passengers or airport staff. Sometimes, gold concealed in the aircraft during the international leg is retrieved by passengers during the domestic leg of the aircraft. Further, transit passengers smuggle gold via body concealment and hand it over to airport staff,” the report stated.

“A more sophisticated and dangerous method involves concealing gold inside the human body. Syndicates mould gold in wax form into small capsules, which are then inserted into body cavities to evade detection by scanners and manual checks. This trend reflects a growing shift towards high-risk concealment techniques that endanger the carrier’s health,” stated the report.

“The gender profile of gold smuggling carriers for 2024–25 revealed that the majority of individuals apprehended were male. However, the presence of women, making up one-tenth of the persons apprehended, highlights a growing trend of female involvement, possibly due to perceptions of lower suspicion during checks. The domicile profile of gold smuggling carriers in 2024–25 indicates that the overwhelming majority were Indian nationals, which highlights the dominance of domestic carriers in gold smuggling. Carriers from Kenya and Iran contributed modestly, with isolated cases involving carriers from Thailand, Turkey, Afghanistan, Oman, the UAE and the USA,” the report further stated.

Mumbai, Dec 18: The unified payments interface (UPI) transaction volumes rose 33.5 per cent (year-on-year) to 59.33 billion transactions in the July-September period, as transaction value grew 21 per cent to Rs 74.84 lakh crore, a report showed on Thursday.

India reached 709 million active UPI QRs, marking a 21 per cent increase since July 2024. Dense QR acceptance across kiranas, pharmacies, transport hubs, and rural markets has made scan-and-pay the default payment mode nationwide, according to the report by Worldline India.

Person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions continued to outpace person-to-person (P2P), reflecting UPI’s dominance in everyday retail payments.

P2M transactions were up 35 per cent to 37.46 billion transactions while P2P transactions rose 29 per cent to 21.65 billion transactions, the report said.

The third quarter (Q3 2025) further reinforced India’s position as the world’s most dynamic real-time payments economy — where every scan, tap, and click is reshaping consumer and merchant behaviour.

The average ticket size declined to Rs 1,262 (from Rs 1,363), highlighting increased usage for micro-transactions such as mobility, food, healthcare essentials, and hyperlocal commerce.

Point of sale (PoS) terminals grew 35 per cent to 12.12 million (July 2024–July 2025). Bharat QR stood at 6.10 million, witnessing marginal decline amid the shift toward UPI QR dominance.

Private banks led acceptance deployment, accounting for 84 per cent market share. While credit card issuance grew by 8 per cent (on-year) to 113.39 million cards, debit cards reached 1.02 billion and prepaid cards stood at 470.1 million.

Credit card transactions grew 26 per cent to 1.45 billion, with transaction value at Rs 6.07 lakh crore. Debit card transactions declined 22 per cent, reflecting migration of low-ticket spends to UPI, the report showed.

Mobile and tap-based payments continued to accelerate, with contactless adoption gaining momentum across metros, mobility services, and quick-service retail.

“The outlook for Q4 2025 and early 2026 points to accelerated innovation and deeper ecosystem integration. Interoperable QR is expected to move from pilot phases to everyday usage across mobility, healthcare, fuel stations, and public utilities—delivering a unified scan-and-pay experience,” the report mentioned.

Bhiwandi: Trade unions and workers’ organisations staged a strong protest in Bhiwandi against the four labour codes introduced by the Centre and implemented by the state government, terming them “anti-worker” and a direct attack on hard-earned labour rights.

The protest was organised at late Anand Dighe Chowk under the leadership of Comrade Sunil Chavan, president of the CITU-affiliated Lal Bavta Powerloom Warper and Unorganised Workers’ Organisation. Workers from multiple sectors, including powerloom, domestic work and the beedi industry, participated in large numbers, giving the agitation a strong grassroots character.

The protesters demanded the immediate withdrawal of the four labour codes, under which 29 existing labour laws have been repealed and consolidated. According to union leaders, these changes dilute statutory safeguards that Indian workers secured after decades of struggle.

Addressing the gathering, Comrade Sunil Chavan warned that the new labour framework would severely weaken job security, collective bargaining rights and social protection for workers. “These labour codes will push workers into extremely vulnerable conditions, virtually reducing them to bonded labour,” he said, alleging that the reforms overwhelmingly favour employers at the cost of workers’ dignity and livelihood.

Union leaders said that the labour codes undermine provisions related to minimum wages, working hours, industrial dispute resolution and social security, particularly affecting unorganised sector workers who already lack adequate legal protection.

Chavan pointed out that central trade unions across the country are opposing the labour codes and have repeatedly demanded that the government hold meaningful consultations with workers’ representatives before implementing such sweeping reforms.

The protest saw participation from senior labour activists including Anil Tyagi, Kamla Gattu, Mumtaz Sheikh, Suryabhan Yadav, Premchand Saroj, Sadanand Bharti, Pramod Yadav and Suresh Sachan. A significant number of women workers from the powerloom sector, domestic work and the beedi industry were also present, highlighting the gendered impact of the labour reforms.

The demonstrators raised slogans against both the Centre and the state government, accusing them of ignoring workers’ voices and prioritising corporate interests. They warned that if the labour codes are not withdrawn, trade unions would intensify their agitation through larger protests and strikes in the coming days.

The protest in Bhiwandi reflects growing unrest among industrial and unorganised sector workers across Maharashtra, as labour groups continue to mobilise against reforms they believe threaten the very foundation of workers’ rights and social justice.