Navi Mumbai, Jan 07: Navi Mumbai police have imposed traffic restrictions in parts of Vashi from January 14 to January 16, between 6 am and 9 pm, in view of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) election process, including distribution of polling material, voting and counting.

The restrictions have been enforced as strong rooms for wards 16, 17 and 18 have been set up at the NMMC Swimming Pool Building in Sector 12, Vashi.

Polling material will be distributed from the strong room on January 14, voting will be held on January 15, and counting of votes will take place on January 16.

Three polling booths have also been established at the same premises, leading to a significant movement of election officials, vehicles carrying sensitive election material, candidates and their supporters.

As per the traffic notification, the movement of all types of vehicles from Kopar Khairane towards Vashi railway station will be prohibited on the stretch between Blue Diamond Junction and Bassien Catholic Bank Junction during the specified period.

Similarly, vehicular movement from Vashi railway station towards Kopar Khairane will be restricted on the road between Catholic Bank Junction and Perfect Ceramic–IDBI Bank Junction.

To minimise inconvenience, the traffic police have announced alternative routes. Vehicles travelling from Kopar Khairane to Vashi railway station have been advised to proceed via Kopri Signal and Palm Beach Road to reach their destinations.

Those heading from Vashi railway station towards Kopar Khairane have been directed to take a left turn at Gavdevi Temple, travel via the Juhugaon creek-side road within Sector 12, Vashi, and continue through IDBI Bank Junction.

The restrictions will not apply to police vehicles, fire brigade units, ambulances, government vehicles, vehicles requisitioned for election duty, and other essential service vehicles.

Issuing the order under the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Navi Mumbai, Tirupati Kakade said the measures were necessary to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of the election process.

“Considering the movement of election officials, sensitive polling material and candidates during the NMMC election process, traffic restrictions have been imposed in parts of Vashi to maintain security and avoid congestion,” DCP Kakade said.

The Navi Mumbai traffic police have appealed to commuters to cooperate and follow the revised traffic arrangements during the election period.

New Delhi, Jan 7: Business chamber PHDCCI has, as part of its wishlist for Union Budget 2026–27, sought easier access to finance at lower interest rates and a reduction in the regulatory burden, to cut costs for the MSME sector, which is driving growth and employment generation in the economy.

Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises (MSMEs) hold the key to catapulting India’s economy to a 10 per cent growth path, according to a statement issued by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Wednesday.

The MSME sector’s contribution to manufacturing, exports and employment generation in the country has shown an increasing trend. In 2025, the sector contributed as much as 30 per cent to manufacturing output and has emerged as the second-largest employer next only to agriculture, it added.

More than 7.30 crore small and micro enterprises have registered on the Udyam Registration Portal and Udyam Assist Platform (UAP), from July 2020 to December 2025, bringing them into the organised sector ambit. This trend holds the key to initiating targeted policies and schemes in a structured way, the statement said.

“Put together, our Union Budget 2026–27 proposals present a comprehensive policy package aimed at easy access to finance for growth, reducing regulatory burdens, and strengthening much-needed institutional support for MSMEs,” PHDCCI CEO & Secretary General, Ranjeet Mehta, said.

The business chamber has sought reintroduction of an interest subvention scheme for MSMEs with a 2 per cent interest subsidy on new and incremental loans from banks and NBFCs to bring down the cost of credit for the sector. This is expected to enhance global competitiveness amid the current geopolitical volatility.

The chamber has also stated that the costs of projects have gone up since the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana started in 2015; therefore, loan limits should be revised upwards under the scheme.

It further stated that in order to cushion MSME exporters amid rising global tariff pressures, the Interest Equalisation Scheme on pre- and post-shipment export credit should be reintroduced. This includes extending eligibility to service exporters, alongside manufacturing exporters, to broaden the export support basket for improving price competitiveness in global markets.

The business chamber also observed that to grow at a faster rate, MSMEs require cheaper financing options. To do so, money from the Fund of Funds in the form of equity should be infused, especially for startups and will cater to seed capital requirements for these startups.

The PHDCCI has also pointed out that under the MSME Development Act, 2006, only small businesses can approach Facilitation Councils to get help with payments that are late, and this help should also be available to medium-sized businesses that need this protection too.

In order to fast-track the adoption of modern, green, and eco-friendly technologies, the Credit-Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme should be enhanced with an investment ceiling of Rs 2 crore, up from the limit of Rs 1 crore, as it no longer reflects current technology costs.

Besides, the chamber has sought amendments to Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act to exempt all micro enterprises with turnover up to Rs 10 crore from mandatory tax audits, irrespective of profit margins. This is expected to reduce compliance costs, estimated at Rs 75,000–Rs 1.5 lakh annually.

Mumbai: As many as 60 silver and gold-studded trophies valued at Rs 15.24 lakh, won by a club owner in Mumbai in various derby events, have allegedly been stolen from his residence by his domestic help, police said.

The Gamdevi police here have registered a case against the domestic help in connection with the theft, they said.

The thefts occurred between 2023 and November 2025 at a flat located in Westfield Estate Compound, Breach Candy in south Mumbai, an official said on Tuesday.

Shiven Surendranath (59), an advertisement film director and owner of the Royal Western India Turf Club Limited (RWITC) Club and the Diamond Band Racing Syndicate Pvt Ltd, recently filed a police complaint in this connection, he said.

The complainant had won various prominent derbies since 2006 and received silver and gold-studded trophies. He alleged that all those trophies were stolen by his domestic help, Rajendra Benudhar Jena (42), hailing from Odisha.

Jena was employed at Surendranath’s house for the past five years and had been staying there for the last six months, the police said.

On November 23, 2025, Jena told the complainant that he needed to travel to Kolkata for a couple of days for urgent work. He called five days later to say he was returning, but subsequently stopped answering calls, the official said.

After Jena failed to return and remained unreachable, Surendranath checked his collection of trophies and other valuables on January 2 and found that several items, valued at Rs 15.24 lakh, were missing.

He then approached the Gamdevi police station and lodged a complaint, based on which a case was registered against Jena on Sunday, the official said.

A probe was on into the case, he added.