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Tax notice alert! Buying land above Rs 30 lakh? Here’s why you may come under Income Tax Department scrutiny and how to avoid it – The Times of India

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Tax notice alert! Buying land above Rs 30 lakh? Here’s why you may come under Income Tax Department scrutiny and how to avoid it – The Times of India


A new property purchase can feel like a proud milestone — until a letter from the Income Tax Department lands in your inbox asking where your money came from. Experts say that such notices are becoming increasingly common as tax authorities use advanced data analytics to verify whether property buyers’ declared income matches their level of investment.“Land purchases above Rs 30 lakh are mandatorily reported to the Income Tax Department by the Registrar’s office under Section 285BA (Statement of Financial Transactions). Once this data is captured in the taxpayer’s Annual Information Statement (AIS), the department cross-verifies whether the buyer’s declared income supports the investment,” said Abhishek Soni, CEO and Co-founder of Tax2win, in an interview with ET.Why land purchases attract I-T scrutinyWith tighter digital surveillance and automatic reporting of property deals, every high-value land transaction now feeds into the tax department’s monitoring system. Even those using legitimate savings may receive queries seeking an explanation of their funding source.According to Soni, the tax department’s primary concern is whether an individual is living beyond their declared means — a potential indicator of tax evasion. The most common notice seeks clarification on the “source of funds” used for the property purchase.Such scrutiny often arises when funds come from sources not automatically reflected in tax records — such as savings accumulated before tax filing began, gifts from relatives, inheritance, sale of gold or shares, or loans from friends or family.An income tax notice may also be triggered if there is a mismatch between the declared purchase value and the stamp duty value (SDV), or if the transaction appears undervalued. Under Section 133(6), tax authorities can seek information for up to three years from the relevant assessment year, and up to ten years if the unreported or “escaped” income exceeds Rs 50 lakh.Soni explained to ET that if the stamp duty value exceeds the actual purchase price by more than 10 per cent (and the difference is over Rs 50,000), the excess is treated as taxable income in the hands of the buyer under “income from other sources.”How to handle a tax noticeExperts advise that the first step after receiving an income tax notice is to respond promptly and accurately. “Organise your bank statements, loan documents, gift deeds, sale receipts and any other relevant records. The clearer your documentation, the quicker the resolution,” Soni said.Most notices provide a short response window. If more time is needed, taxpayers should at least file an acknowledgment and request an extension. Ignoring the notice or providing incomplete responses could lead to penalties under Section 272A(2) — Rs 100 per day until compliance — or even a full reassessment under Section 148, where the assessing officer can estimate income and proceed on their own judgment.Urban agricultural land purchases are also reportable, Soni said, as they are treated like capital assets. “While rural agricultural land purchases are less likely to be flagged, the department may still ask for proof of income if the transaction value looks disproportionate,” he added.How to avoid getting flaggedTax professionals recommend proactive financial transparency to avoid I-T scrutiny. “Maintain a clear money trail — record every transaction and avoid large cash payments,” Soni told ET.He added that formal documentation for all sources of funds — including family loans, inheritances, and sale proceeds — is crucial. “If such income isn’t reflected in your ITR, file an updated return before making the property purchase,” he advised.For those with multiple income streams, consulting a chartered accountant before large purchases is advisable to ensure income declarations and expenditures align.Soni concluded that with the government’s digital monitoring expanding, the tax department’s systems are becoming more data-driven. “Prevention is always better than scrambling for documents after a notice arrives. Paying taxes honestly and keeping proper documentation isn’t just about compliance — it’s about long-term financial peace,” he said.





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Four ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh, Centre tells Lok Sabha – The Times of India

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Four ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh, Centre tells Lok Sabha – The Times of India


The Centre is pushing port-led infrastructure expansion in Andhra Pradesh, with four ports currently under construction, even as it steps up nationwide port modernisation and efficiency measures.As per information shared on Friday in Parliament, the ports under construction in Andhra Pradesh are Mulapeta Port (formerly Bhavanapadu Port) in Srikakulam district, Machilipatnam Port in Krishna district, Ramayapatnam Port in SPSR Nellore district, and Kakinada SEZ Port in Kakinada district.The government said it is undertaking measures such as mechanisation of berths and terminals, digitalisation and logistics integration, new berth construction, capital dredging for larger vessels, and connectivity upgrades across road, rail and waterways.It has also rolled out initiatives including elimination of manual forms, direct port delivery and entry, container scanners, e-delivery of documents and payments, RFID-based gate automation and Maritime Single Window platform SagarSetu 2.0 to cut vessel turnaround time.Two new ports — Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra and Galathea Bay Port in Andaman and Nicobar Islands — have been notified as major ports. At present, 12 major ports operate under the central government, while 68 other-than-major ports are under state governments.Under the Sagarmala scheme, financial assistance is provided across five pillars including port modernisation, connectivity, port-led industrialisation, coastal community development and inland water transport.The government has also launched HaritSagar green port guidelines, the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), and the Cruise Bharat Mission to promote sustainability and cruise tourism.The information was given by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.At present, 12 major ports operate under the administrative control of the central government, while 68 operational other-than-major ports are under state governments.The government said it has launched multiple national programmes for port development, expansion and upgradation. Under the Sagarmala scheme, financial assistance is provided under five pillars — port modernisation, port connectivity, port-led industrialisation, coastal community development, and coastal shipping and inland water transport.Green and sustainability-linked initiatives have also been introduced. The government has launched HaritSagar green port guidelines to promote environment-friendly port ecosystems and initiated the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP) to shift harbour tugs towards greener fuel alternatives.Further, the Cruise Bharat Mission has been launched to prioritise cruise tourism development across the country.



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Anthropic At $380 Billion Surpasses India’s Top IT Firms Combined As AI Fears Rock Stocks

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Anthropic At 0 Billion Surpasses India’s Top IT Firms Combined As AI Fears Rock Stocks


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Anthropic’s AI tools have triggered a sharp decline in Indian IT stocks like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, eroding Rs 3,11,873 crore in market value.

Anthropic's valuation surpassed combined value of total IT firms in India

Anthropic’s valuation surpassed combined value of total IT firms in India

The entire Information Technology (IT) industry in India is battering with the existential threat, which comes on the heels of rising generative AI, posing doubts over the viability of their business model.

Stocks of the IT industries, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, etc., hit brutally over the past week. This was triggered with the launch of new AI tools by Anthropic’s Claude for Cowork, which is like an office teammate helping the user to do tasks such as file sorting, reading legal drafts, etc.

Anthropic’s Valuation vs Nifty IT Index

Anthropic’s phenomenal valuation rise has surpassed the combined value of India’s top IT firms. Standing at a valuation of $380 billion, the US-based AI company has eclipsed India’s Nifty IT index, whose market cap was at $296.4 billion by the time of writing this report.

Investors are accelerating their exit from technology stocks as concerns intensify that advanced artificial intelligence tools could disrupt core segments of the global software and IT services industry.

This week alone, TCS, Infosys and HCL Technologies dragged 9-11 per cent.

The sharp correction has wiped out substantial investor wealth. Based on intraday lows, the combined market capitalisation of the top five domestic IT companies has eroded by nearly Rs 3,11,873 crore this week.

TCS emerged as the biggest laggard, losing Rs 1,28,800 crore in market value, with its market capitalisation slipping to Rs 9,35,253 crore. The fall also pushed it to the fifth-most valued listed company from the fourth position.

Infosys has seen its market capitalisation shrink by Rs 91,431 crore following a 15 per cent decline this week. HCL Technologies has lost Rs 53,647 crore in market value over the past five trading sessions. Wipro and Tech Mahindra have also recorded declines, with their market capitalisations falling by Rs 22,762 crore and Rs 15,233 crore, respectively, during the same period.

Company Name Mcap ($Billion)
Tata Consultancy Services 107.4
Infosys 61.2
HCL Technologies 43.6
Wipro 24.8
Tech Mahindra 16.6
LTIMindtree 16.7
Persistent Systems 9.5
Oracle Financial Services Soft 6.4
Coforge 5
Mphasis 5.2
Total 296.4
Source: Bloomberg

Anthropic’s Recent Funding Round

Anthropic has recently raised $30 billion in Series G funding led by GIC and Coatue, valuing Anthropic at $380 billion post-money, as announced by the company in the press release.

The investment will fuel the frontier research, product development, and infrastructure expansions that have made Anthropic the market leader in enterprise AI and coding.

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IndiGo plans to hire over 1,000 pilots after December’s crew crunch – The Times of India

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IndiGo plans to hire over 1,000 pilots after December’s crew crunch – The Times of India


IndiGo, the country’s largest airline is set to go on a hiring spree, bringing over 1,000 pilots on board. This comes after the aviation giant faced massive operational disruption last December, when the company was forced to cancel more than 5,000 flights within seven days.The fresh intake will span trainee first officers, senior first officers and commanders. A recruitment notice shows the carrier is also ready to accept applicants without time on the Airbus A320, the workhorse aircraft across its network, ET reported.Under the updated framework, the number of landings permitted between 12 am and 6 am has been limited, while the mandatory weekly rest period for pilots has gone up.A review carried out by the irectorate General of Civil Aviation concluded that the airline had neither hired in line with the new rules nor accelerated its training capacity. This, the probe noted, resulted in pilots being stretched through repeated reassignments, lengthier duty spans and greater use of deadheading, in which crew are moved as passengers to operate flights elsewhere.

Stepping up expansion

A senior official, as cited by ET, maintained that IndiGo is now lining up a steady supply of cockpit crew to keep pace with rapid aircraft additions. The airline’s in-house system is currently upgrading about 20–25 first officers to captain each month. Now, alongside hiring, the carrier has begun adjusting its network planning to create more breathing space in daily operations. From almost no buffer in December, the margin has been raised to 3% this month. Standby crew availability has also been lifted to a minimum of 15%.Fleet expansion is continuing at a brisk rate, with roughly four aircraft joining the airline every month on average.Training remains a long lead activity. Trainee first officers require around six months before they are cleared to operate, while promotion to captaincy demands at least 1,500 hours of flying, though airlines may prescribe stricter benchmarks.While the regulator’s baseline requirement is three sets of pilots per aircraft, including one captain and one first officer, IndiGo’s intense utilisation levels push its need to well over twice that figure.Figures placed during the inquiry into the December episode showed the airline needed 2,422 captains but had 2,357.

DGCA findings

After the disruption, the watchdog stepped in with temporary relaxations, suspending night-duty restriction rules until February 10.In its assessment, the DGCA said there was an overriding focus on maximising utilisation of crew, aircraft, and network resources, which significantly reduced roster buffer margins.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that the airline structured its crew schedules to extract the longest possible duty hours, leaning heavily on deadheading, tail swaps and stretched work patterns while leaving very little room for recovery. It noted that such planning weakened roster integrity and hurt operational resilience.



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