Business
With GST rate cuts, govt expects lower prices to reach consumers – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The govt expects businesses to pass on the benefit of lower goods and services tax (GST) to consumers and the states and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC) and Customs will engage with industry on the issue. “…last time, industry had passed on the benefits of rate cuts and you would have seen that a lot of industry have come out and committed to transmitting this benefit… we will engage with industry and ensure that benefits are given to the consumers,” revenue secretary Arvind Shrivastava said at a press conference.There are indications that industry will respond positively. “CII strongly holds the view that industry would swiftly pass the benefits to the consumers and partner with govt to ensure a smooth, timely rollout that lifts demand and supports jobs,” industry body CII said in a statement within minutes of the announcement. When GST was introduced in 2017, the govt had put in place an anti-profiteering provision, which pushed industry to pass on the benefits. While the anti-profiteering agency has been disbanded, the provision still sits in the statutes.Shrivastava, however, suggested that industry was largely compliant, pointing out that 704 cases (60%) were registered in the initial years of GST, with alleged profiteering of Rs 4,362 crore. Shrivastava also said that CBIC will issue guidance on transition for goods that have already been sourced and are lying with dealers and distributors. A govt official said that goods that are in stock and will see reduction in GST will have to be sold at the new tax rate after Sept 22, but businesses will be able to get credit for it.
Business
Starbucks wants its cafes to be more welcoming — and accessible. Take a look at a recent renovation
As Starbucks revamps its U.S. locations, the coffee chain is trying to make its cafes welcoming to all through more inclusive design.
As part of its broader effort to bring back customers, the company has prioritized plans to give makeovers to roughly 1,000 locations by the end of 2026. It will sideline major store renovations and development in the meantime.
While the changes will vary based on the location, expect more seating, dark wood paneling and other tweaks that make its cafes cozier. The renovations will also include changes like less harsh lighting that won’t affect customers with light sensitivity.
“We’re uplifting more than 1,000 coffeehouses over the next year, blending our global heritage with local relevance to create spaces that are immersive, inclusive, and deeply human,” Dawn Clark, Starbucks senior vice president of coffeehouse design and concepts, said in a statement to CNBC.
“Whether it’s the laid-back warmth of the Palisades or the urban energy of Manhattan, intentional design encourages customers to stay longer, connect more, and return often — and translates into meaningful business impact,” Clark said.
Starbucks is planning to spend about $150,000 on each “uplift,” without closing the stores down. The company started with locations in New York, followed by cafes in Southern California.
The makeovers are intended to make the stores more welcoming, returning Starbucks to its prior status as a “third place” for customers to hang out between home and work. In recent years, Starbucks had lost that reputation, fueled by decisions like removing seats as mobile ordering become popular and getting rid of outlets to discourage lingering.
Under CEO Brian Niccol, the chain plans to reverse many of those decisions as it tries to break a sales slump. For example, he previously told employees in June that he plans to add back the 30,000 seats that had been removed from cafes.
But trying to appeal to a wider swath of customers isn’t new for the company. Starbucks first unveiled an accessible store design in early 2024, before Niccol’s tenure. At the time, the company said that the design took about two years and included input from baristas.
Take a look inside a recently renovated New York City cafe near Manhattan’s Union Square.
The Starbucks Union Square East location before the renovation
Source: Starbucks
Before the renovation, the location lacked many decorative touches, besides some large-scale photos of the chain’s Hacienda Alsacia, its coffee and research farm in Costa Rica.
With such sparse seating, the cafe’s concrete floors were more obvious. Harsh lighting didn’t help the store’s appearance either.
A large seating area now has even more seats, plus a gallery wall and lighting with less glare.
Source: Starbucks
The location now features much more seating near the entrance. Leather accents to the wraparound booth make the seats more comfortable. The tables are easily movable and at an accessible height for wheelchair users.
Starbucks also brought back the electrical outlets that disappeared in prior makeovers. Now customers who want to study or work from the location can charge their laptops or phones, encouraging them to stay longer.
Large area rugs bring a cozy touch, in addition to dampening some of the cafe’s ambient noise. Live plants also add to the homey vibe of the space.
Tweaks to the location include adding high-top tables and bar stools for more seating options.
Source: Starbucks
High-top tables, positioned closer to the barista bar, offer a seating option for customers looking to sit down with companions. The makeover adds 16 more seats to the location.
Starbucks also changed out its lightbulbs to soften the store’s lighting and reduce glare, giving it a warmer atmosphere. The improved lighting helps highlight an existing mural, seen on the right of the photo above.
Starbucks added a shelving unit that highlights its coffee beans.
Source: Starbucks
Behind the barista bar, the company added a large shelving unit that highlights bags of its coffee, plus decorative burlap sacks that hold beans. Touches of purple are a nod to the nearby New York University.
Customers waiting to pick up their drinks can sit off to the side. Previously, the area was a standing bar that wasn’t accessible to wheelchair users.
In addition to adding rugs, Starbucks also improved the location’s overall insulation to cut down on the clamor of a busy coffee shop. For baristas, the change means that conversations among customers are less likely to disturb their work, whether that’s hearing an order correctly or focusing on making a latte.
Business
Stock Market Update: Is There Trading On NSE, BSE This Monday, September 8? Check

New Delhi: India’s festive season kicked off in September with Eid-e-Milad and Onam being celebrated across different parts of the country. Despite the festivities, stock market operations have continued without disruption. However, a bit of confusion did arise among traders and investors over whether the markets would remain open on September 8, after the RBI shifted the earlier-declared money market holiday from September 5 to September 8.
Both NSE and BSE will remain open on September 8, with trading beginning as usual at 9:15 AM, unaffected by the festive celebrations.
Will Markets Remain Open on September 8?
Yes, but only the money market. The Maharashtra government has shifted the money market holiday from September 5 to September 8, which was earlier aligned with Eid-e-Milad. This change was made to keep settlement cycles smooth on September 5. However, equity markets will remain unaffected. Trading will continue as usual on September 8 and on all other weekdays for the rest of September 2025. (Also Read: Notification On Handling Goods Stocked Under Higher GST Slabs Soon)
Because of the Eid-e-Milad settlement holiday on September 8, mutual fund transactions will see slight changes in processing. Any purchase or redemption requests made after the cut-off time on September 5 in liquid or debt schemes will now be processed on September 9.
Transactions like allotments and redemptions set for September 8 will be settled a day later, on September 9. The only exception is equity schemes, which will be processed as usual on September 8. Redemption fund payouts, however, will not take place on September 5 or September 8. (Also Read:Â Govt Launches Angikaar 2025 Campaign Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban 2.0)
Upcoming Stock Market Holidays in 2025
– October 2 – Markets closed for Gandhi Jayanti.
– No separate holiday for Dussehra, since it also falls on October 2 this year.
– October 22 – Markets closed the day after Diwali, as per the usual schedule.
Stock Market Holidays in November and December 2025
In the last two months of 2025, markets will close on two occasions. November 5 will be a holiday to mark Guru Nanak’s Birthday, and on December 25, trading will remain shut for Christmas. Christmas is one of the rare days when stock markets across the globe also stay closed.
Muhurat Trading 2025: Date and Time
Just like every year, a special Muhurat Trading session will be held on Diwali day, October 21, 2025. The session will run for one hour, from 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM, during the auspicious time of Lakshmi Puja. Though largely symbolic, Muhurat Trading is considered a lucky time to invest, and many traders and investors participate to mark the beginning of a prosperous year.
Business
Jaguar Land Rover staff to stay at home after cyber attack

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has instructed factory staff to stay at home until at least Tuesday as the company continues to grapple with the fallout from a cyber attack.
The attack at the weekend forced the company to take vital IT systems offline, which has affected car sales and production.
Production remains halted at car factories in Halewood on Merseyside and Solihull in the West Midlands, as well as at its engine manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton.
The situation remains under review and output could remain suspended for longer.
Car sales have also been heavily disrupted, although the BBC understands some transactions have been able to take place.
JLR, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, shut down its systems on Sunday in order to limit potential damage from the cyber attack.
It is now working to restore them in a controlled manner, but this is understood to be a highly complex process. It is also introducing work-arounds for systems that remain offline.
The attack occurred at what is traditionally a popular time for consumers to take delivery of a new vehicle. The latest batch of new registration plates became available on 1 September.
The disruption extends well beyond JLR’s own production lines, with its network of parts suppliers also forced to restrict their operations. Some have complained of a lack of transparency from the company.
Some repair garages have also warned that existing Jaguar or Land Rover owners may face delays if their cars need new parts.
James Wallis of Nyewood Express, an independent garage in West Sussex that repairs and services Land Rovers, told the BBC’s Today programme that he “can’t look up what I need to repair cars”.
“Essentially the parts list is a giant database of items that relates to every single car,” he said. “And if I can’t find the parts, I can’t buy them. I can’t fix the car.”
He added: “If you need parts which come from just one source and you can’t find them, you can’t order them. The job stops. You cannot repair the car. The car sits idle, and the poor old customer has to wait.”
On Wednesday a hacker group which was also responsible for a highly damaging attack on Marks and Spencer earlier in the year said it had infiltrated JLR’s systems.
The group of young English-speaking hackers – who are thought to be teens calling themselves “Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters” – told the BBC how they allegedly accessed the car maker but have not revealed if they successfully stole private data from JLR or installed malicious software onto the company’s network.
The group posted two images, which showed apparent internal instructions for troubleshooting a car charging issue and internal computer logs.
A security expert said those screenshots suggested the group had access to information they should not have.
JLR says it is investigating the hack, but there is no evidence at this stage any customer data has been stolen.
In 2023, as part of an effort to “accelerate digital transformation across its business”, JLR signed a five-year, £800m deal with corporate stablemate Tata Consultancy Services to provide cybersecurity and a range of other IT services.
The halt in production is a fresh blow to the firm which recently revealed a slump in profits attributed to an increase in costs caused by US tariffs.
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