New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Gross loans outstanding of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) rose 10.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 5.78 lakh crore in FY 2025–26 from Rs 5.24 lakh crore in the previous financial year, while their average achievement under the Reserve Bank of India’s Priority Sector Lending (PSL) framework reached 91.7 per cent of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC), the government said on Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Finance, RRBs continued to strengthen their role in rural econ…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The National Highways Authority of India has extended the online FASTag Local Pass facility to 121 toll plazas nationwide, enabling eligible commuters to buy monthly local passes through the Rajmargyatra mobile app, an official statement said on Tuesday.The Online Local Pass enables eligible commuters to subscribe the monthly Local pass online through the Rajmargyatra Mobile App, eliminating the need for physical visits to toll plazas and manual submission of supporting …

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Leading industry body, the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), in its unified recommendations to the Central government urged BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation on advanced energy storage technologies and mineral security, a statement said on Tuesday.The industry body stressed BRICS collaboration during a virtual event organised by the Ministry of Power, in which officials from Brazil, Russia and the United Arab Emirates were in attendance.”The initiative aims to …

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has called for a uniform regulatory framework for quick-commerce dark stores — such as Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart — raising concerns over food-safety and hygiene violations reported during a recent inspection drive in Maharashtra, according to a report.A report by NDTV Profit said that the federation’s remarks follow inspections by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 86 establis…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Air India on Tuesday announced that it has voluntarily undertaken a testing programme covering all its pilots, going beyond existing regulatory requirements as part of its commitment to safety and professional standards, the airline said in a statement.The airline said the testing process is currently underway and urged the media and other stakeholders to refrain from speculation or reporting based on unverified or unsubstantiated information.”Air India has voluntarily u…

Mumbai, Aug 18 (IANS) The benchmark indices extended their losses on Tuesday, with the Sensex and Nifty coming under pressure amid heightened geopolitical tensions and weakness in key sectors.The Sensex fell 493 points, or 0.63 per cent, to 77,235.46, while the Nifty declined 132.75 points, or 0.55 per cent, to 24,154.90.Commenting on technical outlook, the 24,300 zone is likely to act as the immediate resistance.”A sustained move above 24,300 could help stabilise the structure and support a rec…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has completed more than 2 crore (20 million) mandatory biometric updates (MBUs) for schoolchildren nationwide under a special campaign aimed at ensuring Aadhaar records remain updated, an official statement said on Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), the initiative has been supported by UIDAI’s integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), enabling …

Seoul, Aug 18 (IANS) The labour union of Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday it will stage partial strikes throughout this week after failing to reach an agreement with management over wages.The automaker’s union said it decided to stage four-hour strikes on Wednesday and Thursday and an eight-hour strike on Friday, reports Yonhap news agency.The union also said it will launch four-hour partial strikes on Monday and Tuesday as well next week.So far, the union has staged a combined 44 hours of partial …

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) India’s general insurance industry closed FY26 with gross direct premium income of Rs 3,36,000 crore, up 9 per cent year‑on‑year, a report said on Tuesday.The report from BCG said Gross Written Premium rose 10 per cent to Rs 3,44,000 crore as private insurers, including standalone health insurers, continued to lead market expansion.Private insurers saw GDPI growth of 10 per cent versus 8 per cent for public sector insurers. The report said the industry’s underwri…

Mumbai, Aug 18 (IANS) Tata Sons’ Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday called off due to a lack of quorum for the first time in the holding company’s history that an AGM has been deferred, according to a report.A report by NDTV Profit — citing sources — said the development was linked to a restriction involving the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT).The deferred meeting comes at a time when Tata Sons is preparing for a leadership transition following Chairman N. Chandrasekaran’s decision not to see…