Business Finance

GST Council Approves Simplified Tax Slabs

By BPN News Desk September 7, 2025

In the 56th GST Council meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new, simplified Goods and Services Tax structure. The overhaul reduces GST to two main slabs—5% and 18%—alongside a 40% rate for certain high-end or “sin” goods. Changes Aimed At Simplification And Relief The restructuring shifts hundreds of items, including everyday essentials like packaged

Business

IndiGo Returns to Kochi After Technical Snag Mid-Air

By BPN News Desk September 6, 2025

An IndiGo flight (6E-1403) from Kochi to Abu Dhabi was forced to return to Cochin International Airport mid-air due to a technical snag. The Airbus A320neo departed at 11:10 pm on Friday and landed back safely at 1:44 am on Saturday after flying for over two hours. Passengers Safe The aircraft was carrying more than […]

Business

EU Fines Google €2.95B Over Adtech Practices

By BPN News Desk September 6, 2025

The European Union has fined Google €2.95 billion (about $3.5 billion) for abusing its dominance in the digital advertising technology sector. This is the fourth major antitrust action taken by the EU against the tech giant. Self-Preferencing Allegations Investigators concluded that Google unfairly favored its own advertising services, including AdX and DFP, while

Business Finance

August UPI Hits Record 20B Transactions Despite Gaming Ban

By BPN News Desk September 6, 2025

UPI crossed a new milestone in August 2025 by processing 20.01 billion transactions in a single month. This marked the first time UPI volume went past the 20 billion mark. The total transaction value was ₹24.85 lakh crore, slightly lower than July’s ₹25.08 lakh crore. On average, UPI handled 645 million transactions a day, amounting […]

Business

Dassault Gains Control of India JV with Reliance

By BPN News Desk September 6, 2025

Dassault Aviation has bought an additional 2% stake in Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL), raising its holding from 49% to 51%. With this move, Dassault has taken majority control, while Reliance Aerostructure Ltd, a unit of Reliance Infrastructure, now holds 49%. Deal Value and Completion Timeline The stake transfer is valued at about ₹176 crore […]

Business Finance

Nirmala Sitharaman Demands GST Cuts Reach Consumers

By BPN News Desk September 5, 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said businesses must ensure that GST rate reductions are reflected in retail prices, not absorbed as extra profits. She added that the government has put in place a monitoring system to track compliance and will intervene where needed. GST 2.0 Structure The new GST framework, effective from September 22, simplifies the […]

Business Trade

Switzerland Eases Rules for India-EFTA FTA Rollout

By BPN News Desk September 4, 2025

Switzerland has streamlined its regulations to activate the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with India, effective from 1 October 2025. The move clears the way for the pact to come into force as scheduled. Regulatory Changes Enable Entry Into Force Switzerland, the largest economy within the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA), has completed

Business Finance

GST Council Rolls Out Two-Slab Tax, Adds 40% ‘Sin’ Tier

By BPN News Desk September 4, 2025

The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has approved sweeping reforms to India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST), effective from 22 September 2025, coinciding with the Navratri festival. New GST Structure Under the new framework, the existing four tax slabs—5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%—are replaced by a simplified two-slab structure of 5% and […]

Business Finance

GST Council Meets to Discuss Major Rate Changes

By BPN News Desk September 3, 2025

The 56th GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, began a two-day meeting in New Delhi on September 3. The meeting includes representatives from the Centre and states to discuss major reforms in India’s indirect tax system. Simplifying the Tax Structure One of the key proposals is to replace the current four-tier GST system […]

Business Industry

India Unveils First Indigenous Chip at Semicon India 2025

By BPN News Desk September 2, 2025

At the Semicon India 2025 summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described semiconductors as the “digital diamonds” of the 21st century. He said these chips, though small, are powerful engines of global innovation and economic growth. Modi added that “India’s smallest chip will drive the world’s biggest change,” underscoring India’s rising role in […]