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Gold prices at record high! Festive demand drops 25%; coins and bars investments surge – The Times of India

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Gold prices at record high! Festive demand drops 25%; coins and bars investments surge – The Times of India


NEW DELHI: Gold demand this Dussehra witnessed a significant decline, with sales falling 25% to 18 tonnes compared to 24 tonnes during the same festival last year, according to the India Bullion & Jewellers Association (IBJA).“Last year Dussehra was a better one as the volume of gold sold was 24 tonnes. This year, the prices have remained at Rs 1.16 lakh per 10 gm on Dussehra, which has dented the demand,” said Surendra Mehta, national secretary of IBJA, as quoted by ET.In terms of value, however, sales rose by around 30-35%, reflecting the higher bullion prices. On Dussehra, celebrated Thursday, gold was priced at Rs 1.16 lakh per 10 gm—a sharp increase from Rs 78,000 per 10 gm the previous year. Buyers also pay 3% GST on gold, along with making charges ranging between 15-30%, depending on design intricacy.Despite reduced sales, many customers are already placing orders for Dhanteras, Diwali, and the upcoming wedding season, expecting that prices are unlikely to drop anytime soon.Gold continues to hold cultural significance, as it is traditionally bought on Dussehra to bring good luck, prosperity, and success. Retail rates on Friday were recorded at Rs 1,16,883 per 10 gm, excluding GST.

Coins and lightweight jewellery gain popularity

Jewellers reported that demand for gold and silver coins remained strong this Dussehra. Coins of 5 gm gold and 20 gm silver were particularly popular among investors.“Investment demand for gold and silver bars remains robust, and customers are making purchases despite price movements. Bullion continues to do well, while bangles, necklaces, and diamond jewellery are showing encouraging momentum,” said Saurabh Gadgil, MD of PNG Jewellers, Pune, as quoted by ET.Lightweight jewellery also saw strong bookings, while old gold exchanges continued to sustain sales, contributing approximately 50-55% of total purchases.In central India, wedding jewellery including diamonds, lightweight, and polki designs performed well.“Wedding jewellery from diamonds to lightweight and polki designs is also performing well, setting a very positive tone for the festive season. Despite higher gold prices, sentiment remains strong,” said Vikas Kataria, promoter of D.P. Abhushan, Madhya Pradesh.In contrast, South India recorded comparatively slower gold sales, with many opting for gold bars to be converted into jewellery later.“Gold bars of 10 gm to 20 gm are selling more. We are also trying to push diamond jewellery in 18 karat, 14 karat and 9 karat, but customers are leaning more towards gold jewellery. Old gold exchange has gone up to 55-60% this Dussehra,” said Varghese Alukkas, MD of Jos Alukkas, which operates 63 stores across five South Indian states, reported ET.





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PM Kisan 21st Installment Live Updates: PM Modi To Release Rs 18,000 Crore To Nearly 9 Crore Farmers

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PM Kisan 21st Installment Live Updates: PM Modi To Release Rs 18,000 Crore To Nearly 9 Crore Farmers


PM Kisan 21st Installment Live Updates: The wait for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’s 21st installment is now going to be over today, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to release the next tranche of Rs 2,000 shortly at an event in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

“The prime minister will release the 21st installment of PM-KISAN on November 19, 2025, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,” according to PM Kisan’s portal.

As per the government data, Rs 18,000 crore will be transferred to nearly 9 crore farmers nationwide. Combined with state schemes, many farmers are receiving additional income buffers ahead of the agri season.

“This instalment comes at a crucial moment: rising input costs, mandi price volatility, and liquidity gaps continue to challenge small and marginal farmers. A deeper lens on how direct benefit transfers are influencing farm decisions, post-harvest management, storage choices, and credit dependency could make for a compelling industry story,” said Amith Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of StarAgri Warehousing & Collateral Management.

PM Kisan: How To Check Beneficiary Status?

1. Visit the official PM Kisan portal: https://pmkisan.gov.in

2. On the homepage, under the ‘FARMERS CORNER’, click on ‘Beneficiary List’.

3. Enter your state, district, sub-district, block, and village.

4. Click ‘Get Report’ to view the list of beneficiaries in your village.



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Satya Nadella To Visit India From December 10–12; To Meet Top Leaders, Discuss AI Push

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Satya Nadella To Visit India From December 10–12; To Meet Top Leaders, Discuss AI Push


New Delhi: Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella will begin a three-day visit to India on December 10.  

The India-born tech leader will travel to Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai as part of his tour, during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and other senior government officials.

Nadella will start his visit in Delhi on December 10, move to Bengaluru on December 11, and conclude in Mumbai on December 12. This will be one of his several visits to India in recent years as Microsoft continues to expand its presence and strengthen its position in the fast-growing cloud and AI services market.

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During his earlier visit in January this year, Nadella had announced a $3 billion investment to build cloud and AI infrastructure in India and to support skilling programmes. 

At that time, he said India was becoming a global leader in AI innovation and stressed that Microsoft wanted to help make the country “AI-first.” The company also said it would train 10 million more Indians in essential AI skills by 2030. 

Microsoft had already exceeded its 2025 target by training 2.4 million people within a year, with a majority of participants coming from Tier-II and Tier-III cities and 65 per cent of them being women.

Rival Google has also announced a major push in India, with a $15 billion investment to set up a state-of-the-art AI hub in Visakhapatnam.

The build-up to Nadella’s visit saw another important meeting on Tuesday, when Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal met Lisa Monaco, President of Microsoft Global Affairs. 

After the meeting, Goyal posted on X that the discussion focused on Microsoft’s continued engagement in India and its support for AI-led innovation and infrastructure development. 

He added that both sides also explored ways to strengthen the India–US partnership in AI, digital trade, and workforce skilling to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.



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Buy or sell: Stock recommendation by brokers for November 19, 2025 – The Times of India

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Buy or sell: Stock recommendation by brokers for November 19, 2025 – The Times of India


Jefferies has initiated its coverage of WeWork India with a buy rating and a target price of Rs 790. Analysts said that the company is the largest flexible workspace operator by revenues in India. At about 17% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR), flexible workspace stock is growing at two times the pace of office stock, with room for further penetration. They said WeWork’s premium positioning helps command higher average revenue per member and margins than peers.Motilal Oswal Securities has initiated its coverage of PB Fintech with a neutral rating and a target price of Rs 2,000. Analysts expect PB Fintech to post a strong FY25-FY28 revenue, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) and profit after tax (PAT) CAGR of 35%, 156% and 56%, respectively, after factoring in a strengthening position in under-penetrated credit and insurance industries. However, they believe the stock is fairly valued, and all positives are priced in at current levels. Any possibility of commission restructuring by insurance companies due to the loss of input tax credit post GST exemption poses a key risk for the company’s top-line growth.Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating on Eternal (formerly Zomato) with the target price at Rs 427. They believe Eternal has the best risk-reward matrix and investors would use the current weakness to accumulate the stock. Like Eternal’s strategy of doubling down on customer market share as wallet share expansion can follow later. Theyassume a stress case of higher aggression could mean push out of profitability but this is not a game changer. They are assuming a stress case scenario where the stock would bottom out at Rs 280 – Rs 285.UBS has a buy rating on Max Healthcare Institute with the target price at Rs 1,550. Analysts expect the company’s brownfield capacity addition to drive growth and earnings. The management said that it recently commissioned a Mohali facility including an oncology facility. It’s also commissioning a facility at Nanavati hospital inMumbai.Also the construction activity at other new hospitals is progressing well. The management indicated that the issues related to cashless service for insurance patients has been resolved and mentioned there was no/only limited impact as patients shift from insurance to cash in such instances.Nomura has a neutral rating on Oil India with the target price at Rs 430. Analysts said the company’s July-Sept quarter was a soft one as volumes were impacted by external factors. The expansion work at Numaligarh Refinery was on track, with first crude intake expected next month and a meaningful volume uptick by the July-Sept quarter ofnext year. Analysts cut Oil India’s FY26 and FY27 profit estimates by 37% and 18%, respectively, to reflect: Lower gas sales volume, lower crude price realizations, higher depletion & depreciation expenses, and sharply higher exploratory write-offs and impairments.





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