Business
Extensive selling at PSX leads to fifth straight loss | The Express Tribune
KARACHI:
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) lost more ground on Wednesday as early optimism gave way to extensive selling in the second half of the trading session. At close, the benchmark KSE-100 index recorded a loss of 941.03 points, or 0.63%, and settled at 147,494.03.
Concerns over severe flooding in the northern regions of the country triggered a shift in investor sentiment, leading to a sharp downturn in equities.
The index opened on a positive note, climbing steadily during morning hours and reaching the intra-day peak of 149,238 points. However, the upbeat momentum could not be sustained as news of flood devastation began circulating in the mid-session.
This reversal triggered aggressive offloading of stocks across key sectors, pushing the index sharply lower. The day’s low was recorded at 147,337, marking a sharp contrast to the earlier highs. It was the fifth straight day of losses for the benchmark index.
Topline Securities, in its report, wrote that the local bourse extended its losing streak as contract rollover week jitters kept investors cautious while flood warnings from NDMA further dampened sentiment. The authority highlighted a “very high to exceptionally high” flood risk in Lahore and parts of Punjab following heavy rains and release of water by India, with army aid sought in six districts.
The KSE-100 index closed lower by 941 points, slipping beneath the 147,500 mark. Despite an early rebound, selling pressure and risk aversion weighed on the benchmark index, Topline said.
Gains in Meezan Bank, Engro Holdings and MCB Bank added 137 points to the index; however, they were overshadowed by declines in Habib Bank, Fatima Fertiliser, Service Industries, National Bank and Mari petroleum, which dragged the index down by 331 points.
Looking ahead, heightened rollover activity and prevailing flood worries are likely to keep the market volatile, with investors expected to remain cautious in the coming sessions, Topline predicted.
Arif Habib Limited (AHL) reported that the index extended its losing streak to a fifth consecutive session, sliding into the 147.5k range with some panic in the second half following news of major flooding in the north of the country.
Some 21 shares rose while 78 fell, where Meezan Bank (+0.95%), Engro Holdings (+0.61%) and MCB Bank (+0.79%) contributed the most to index gains. On the other side, Habib Bank (-1.38%), Fatima Fertiliser (-5.21%) and Service Industries (-6.42%) were the biggest drags.
Among financial news, AHL said, Pakistan plans to return to international capital markets either this year or next year by most likely floating Panda bonds, as mentioned by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who will be accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to attend the SCO conference in China next week. Additionally, the government is set to impose a 40% tax on the import of used cars.
Meanwhile, heavy monsoon rains have triggered flash floods across Pakistan that prompted PM Sharif to hold an emergency meeting. The meteorological department has warned of intense rainfall in the next 12 to 24 hours across Punjab. Sialkot, a manufacturing hub in the province, recorded 363.5mm of rains in the past 24 hours, the most in 49 years, AHL added.
Overall trading volumes increased to 856.7 million shares compared with Tuesday’s tally of 665.4 million. Traded value stood at Rs29.3 billion.
Shares of 477 companies were traded. Of these, 129 stocks closed higher, 312 dropped and 36 remained unchanged. Pace Pakistan topped the volumes chart with trading in 87.8 million shares, rising Rs1 to close at Rs7.06.
NEW DELHI: People with job cards assigned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme will be able to get work without disruption when transition takes place to new rural employment framework under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.Even though exact timeframe is not known yet, rural development ministry officials said the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force in the coming financial year after the Centre frames and notifies the rules. After govt notifies the Act’s commencement date, states will get six months to make their schemes to enable implementation of the law.To ensure there is no disruption and job guarantee is upheld during transition from MGNREGA, it has been proposed to enable workers to use the same job cards issued under MGNREGA with Aadhaar-based eKYC.The officials said that as of now, around 75% of job cards have been verified with eKYC under the ongoing scheme. Moreover, ongoing projects under MGNREGA, if incomplete when the transition happens to the new scheme, would stay on course.Meanwhile, work is on to frame rules, lay out regulations on normative allocations, fund flow plan, IT framework, a national-level steering panel and social audits.Under the new law, focus will be on transparency to weed out leakages and duplicacy of work,the social audit system will be strengthened, and technology leveraged to create systems to establish work progress, timely wage payment and accountability through ‘e-measurement’ books, sources said. Demand for work will have to be entered on a digital platform. Officials made it clear the new law in no way interferes with demand-driven character of the scheme.
Business
Gurugram Attracts Rs 86,588 Crore In Real Estate Investments In 2025 As RERA Clears 131 Projects
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Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to safeguard homebuyer and investor interests
Gurgaon Real Estate (Representative Image)
Gurugram emerged as one of India’s top real estate investment destinations in 2025, with projects worth Rs 86,588 crore receiving regulatory approvals during the year, according to data from the Gurugram Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Gurugram RERA).
Market observers said the numbers reflect strong investor confidence in the NCR’s largest commercial and residential hub.
Gurugram RERA registered 131 projects in calendar year 2025, representing development potential of 35,455 units across housing and commercial segments.
A striking feature of the data was the dominance of large-ticket projects. Just 28 major developments accounted for investments worth Rs 59,360 crore, highlighting the growing influence of institutional capital and large developers in shaping Gurugram’s property market.
Residential assets continued to attract the bulk of investment interest. Of the total units approved, 31,455 were residential, underscoring sustained end-user demand and long-term confidence in the city’s housing fundamentals.
According to Authority data, the residential mix included 17,405 group housing units, 5,720 mixed land use units, 4,040 residential floor units, 2,122 affordable group housing units, 1,954 units under the Deen Dayal housing scheme, and 214 residential plotted colony units.
Market observers said this diversified supply pipeline indicates capital deployment across both premium and mass segments, helping reduce concentration risk and deepen market resilience.
On the commercial side, Gurugram RERA approved about 4,000 commercial units, of which 168 were dedicated to IT parks, reinforcing Gurugram’s position as a preferred hub for technology firms and Global Capability Centres.
Analysts noted that the combination of office-led employment growth and residential expansion continues to make Gurugram attractive for long-term capital deployment.
Industry experts said the scale of investments approved in 2025 highlights Gurugram’s ability to attract capital despite global uncertainty, supported by infrastructure growth, a strong corporate base and an improving regulatory environment.
“With a large pipeline of approved projects and sustained interest from developers and institutional investors, Gurugram is expected to remain a key real estate investment destination in the coming years,” a Gurugram-based real estate expert said.
Tighter regulatory checks
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to enhance transparency and safeguard homebuyer and investor interests.
“These steps included stricter scrutiny of developer submissions, mandatory site inspections by domain experts, and public consultation through mandatory notices before project registration,” an Authority official said.
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January 16, 2026, 07:44 IST
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National Startup Day highlights India’s thriving startup ecosystem, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation driven by founders, unicorns and Startup India mission
National Startup Day 2026 honours Indian startups, entrepreneurs and innovators driving economic growth and job creation.
National Startup Day 2026: India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into one of the world’s most vibrant and promising innovation hubs. To recognise the contribution of entrepreneurs, founders and startups transforming ideas into impactful solutions, National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16 across the country.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the day celebrates visionary entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in economic growth, employment generation and technological advancement.
National Startup Day serves as a reminder that innovation, backed by determination and policy support, can reshape society and create global impact.
National Startup Day 2026 Theme
The official theme for National Startup Day 2026 is yet to be announced. However, the core focus areas are expected to revolve around:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
- Startup India Mission
- Youth empowerment
- Job creation
How Startups Are Shaping India’s Future
India currently ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of early 2025. Backed by 100+ unicorns, the ecosystem continues to grow rapidly.
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR lead this expansion, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are emerging as new innovation centres, adding diversity and scale to India’s entrepreneurial journey.
Startups across fintech, edtech, health-tech, e-commerce and deep-tech are addressing real-world challenges and gaining global recognition. Technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and IoT are increasingly driving innovation, according to Startup India ecosystem reports.
Industry-Wise Startup Impact
DPIIT-recognised startups have generated over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across sectors as of October 31, 2024, strengthening India’s employment landscape.
- IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs
- Healthcare & Life Sciences: 1.47 lakh jobs
- Commercial & Professional Services: 94,000 jobs
Through the Startup India initiative, the government continues to focus on skill development, funding access, ecosystem collaboration and global outreach.
Key Initiatives Under Startup India
- Capacity building and mentorship
- Outreach and awareness programmes
- Ecosystem development events
- International exposure and global linkages
- Collaboration between startups, corporates and institutions.
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January 16, 2026, 07:00 IST
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