Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited on Wednesday reported a 6.5 per cent decline in its net profit to Rs 355 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, compared to Rs 379.8 crore in the same period last fiscal (Q4 FY24).The drop in profit came as the company faced slower urban demand and increasing competition in the market.Revenue for the March quarter also dipped slightly, falling 1.9 per cent to Rs 1,462.5 crore from the previous year.Operating profit, or EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation), stood at Rs 498 crore, down 6.4 per cent from Rs 532.2 crore last financial year.The company’s EBITDA margin also shrank to 34 per cent, compared to 35.7 per cent in the same quarter a year ago.Despite the weaker performance in the March quarter, Colgate-Palmolive (India)’s overall financial performance for the full year was positive.For the financial year 2024–25 (FY25), the company reported a 6.3 per cent increase in net sales to Rs 5,999 crore, compared to Rs 5,644 crore in FY24.Net profit for the full year rose 8.5 per cent to Rs 1,437 crore, according to its stock exchange filing.Colgate has declared a second interim dividend of Rs 27 per share, which will be paid from June 16.This follows the first interim dividend of Rs 24 per share announced in October 2024 and paid in November 2024.Colgate-Palmolive (India)’s Managing Director and CEO, Prabha Narasimhan, acknowledged that the second half of the year was challenging, especially in urban markets.She said rising competition also added pressure. However, she emphasised that the company’s focus on strategic priorities remains firm.She added that their ‘funding the growth’ initiative helped maintain margin strength and that Colgate will continue investing in the business, despite the near-term challenges.Ahead of the earnings announcement, shares of Colgate-Palmolive (India) closed 1.2 per cent higher at Rs 2,662 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).–IANSpk/na
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Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, on Wednesday reported a decline of 11.19 per cent in its net profit to Rs 7,258.4 crore for the full financial year FY25, compared to Rs 8,172.5 crore in the previous financial year (FY24). However, in the January–March quarter (Q4 FY25), IndiGo recorded a sharp 61.89 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 3,067.5 crore.This was up from Rs 1,894.8 crore in Q4 FY24. Excluding foreign exchange impact, the profit rose 44.7 per cent to Rs 2,981.1 crore in Q4, compared to Rs 2,060 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.Revenue from operations in Q4 increased by 24.3 per cent to Rs 22,151.9 crore, up from Rs 17,825.3 crore in a year-ago period.The airline’s EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortisation, and rent) also rose significantly by 57.5 per cent to Rs 6,948.2 crore during the quarter.The EBITDAR margin improved to 31.4 per cent, compared to 24.8 per cent in the same quarter last financial year.IndiGo witnessed a 21 per cent rise in capacity and a 19.6 per cent increase in the number of passengers during the quarter, reaching 3.19 crore travellers.The load factor also went up slightly to 87.4 per cent, compared to 86.3 per cent in Q4 FY24.Commenting on the airline’s performance, CEO Pieter Elbers said the company delivered a ‘healthy financial performance’ — both in the fourth quarter and for the full year.He attributed this to record passenger volumes, operational efficiencies, and the efforts of IndiGo employees.However, Elbers also acknowledged challenges. The closure of Pakistan’s airspace and 32 airports impacted the airline’s operations in May.Out of those, 11 were served by IndiGo, leading to the cancellation of around 170 flights per day.He said while April started well, May is expected to be weaker, but the airline expects traffic to recover from June onwards.Elbers also announced that IndiGo’s shareholders would be rewarded with a recommended dividend of Rs 10 per share.He added that a leading international credit rating agency has assigned an investment-grade rating to IndiGo, recognising its strong balance sheet and continued performance.Looking ahead, the airline plans to continue focusing on cost leadership and expand its international presence, including the launch of European operations.–IANSpk/na
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) In a key step towards combating cyber fraud and financial crime via mobiles, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Wednesday announced sharing of “Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)” with its stakeholders.The multi-dimensional analytical tool, developed as part of the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), empowers financial institutions with advance actionable intelligence for cyber fraud prevention.This will enhance cyber protection and validation checks in case of mobile numbers flagged with this tool when digital payment is proposed to be made to such numbers, said the Ministry of Communications.It is a risk-based metric that classifies a mobile number to have been associated with Medium, High, or Very High risk of financial fraud.Leading UPI platforms — PhonePe, Paytm and Google Pay who collectively account for over 90 per cent of UPI transactions — have begun integrating DIP alerts into their systems.“One of the leading UPI platforms has introduced transaction delays, with alerts and needing user confirmations. Other banks are also actively using the data for mitigating cyber frauds,” said the Ministry.With UPI being the most preferred payment method across India, this intervention could save millions of citizens from falling prey to cyber fraud. The FRI allows for swift, targeted, and collaborative action against suspected frauds in both telecom and financial domains.The Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) of DoT regularly shares the list of mobile numbers, that were disconnected, with stakeholders along with the reasons for disconnections — found involved in cyber-crime, failed re-verification and exceeding prescribed limits. These numbers are also usually used for financial frauds.As soon as a suspected mobile number is flagged by a stakeholder, it undergoes multi-dimensional analysis, and classifies it into Medium, High, or Very High financial risk associated with it. It then shares this assessment about the number immediately with all stakeholders through DIP.DoT said it is committed to prevent misuse of telecom resources by implementing national level technology driven solutions and collaborating with stakeholders, thus ensuring a secure and safe telecom ecosystem for all citizens.–IANSna/
Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) NTPC Green Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the state-run power giant NTPC Limited, announced on Wednesday that its consolidated net profit nearly tripled in Q4 FY25, rising by 188 per cent to Rs 233.21 crore compared to Rs 80.95 crore in the same quarter last fiscal (Q4 FY24). Compared to the previous quarter, the profit soared by an even higher 255 per cent from Rs 65.61 crore in December 2024 (Q3), according to its stock exchange filing.The company’s consolidated revenue from operations also showed strong growth. It increased by 22.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) from Rs 508.14 crore in the March 2024 quarter to Rs 622.27 crore in the quarter under review (Q4 FY25).On a sequential basis, revenue rose by over 23 per cent from Rs 505.08 crore in the December quarter.Other income increased significantly from Rs 45 crore in the same quarter last financial year to Rs 129 crore in the last quarter of FY25.This rise includes interest earned on the IPO proceeds that were temporarily kept in scheduled commercial banks before being utilised.Meanwhile, the company’s expenses increased moderately by 4.41 per cent YoY to Rs 444.63 crore.These results indicate improved efficiency and strong growth momentum for the company.NTPC Green Energy is a company focused on renewable energy projects, pursuing growth through both organic development and acquisitions.As of March 2025, the government held an 89.01 per cent stake in the firm.Following the strong results, the company’s stock closed the intra-day trading session at Rs 107.3, up by Rs 4.16 or 4.03 per cent on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday.In the last five days, the shares was up by 4.67 per cent or Rs 4.79. The company’s equity shares were listed on both the NSE and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on November 27, 2024.–IANSpk/na
Thiruvananthapuram, May 21 (IANS) The Kerala Education Department has issued a new order asking teachers not to “indulge in making reels” and instead concentrate on developing knowledge, which will benefit the overall development of children.Over the years, the Education Department conducts camps, during the summer vacations, for their teachers to ensure that they brush up on the latest developments in various subjects so this can be passed on to their students when the fresh academic year begins in June.A government school teacher, on condition of anonymity, told IANS that the weeklong camp for teachers is presently on.”Trouble broke out when the social media was filled with reels posted by the teachers on what was happening in the camps. There are a few activities that are scheduled, but what was put out on social media contained other things. This invited a wrath from one section of teachers, who found that what was posted had nothing to do with improving the academic capabilities of students,” the teacher said.”When this issue was taken up, the authorities decided to come out with a circular asking teachers to concentrate on issues that will benefit the children and nothing else,” the teacher added.Consequent to the order, teachers have been banned from posting reels from these camps on topics which have nothing to do with teaching.It has also been directed that if pictures or videos have to be posted, then permission should be taken from higher authorities, and only those that are cleared by them can be posted online.In Kerala, there are five lakh teachers teaching in state-run schools under three sections – primary, high schools and Plus 2 classes.Across the state, there are around 12,000 schools, which include around 4,500 in the government sector, while over 7,000 are in the government-aided sector.–IANSsg/vd
Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) The Indian stock market closed in positive territory on Wednesday, with the benchmark indices showing gains despite some ups and downs during the day.The Sensex reached an intra-day high of 82,021 but later retreated slightly to close at 81,596.63, up by 410.19 points or 0.51 per cent.The Nifty also ended the day higher, gaining 129.55 points or 0.52 per cent to settle at 24,813.45.“The index was caught in a tug-of-war between bulls and bears, ending the day volatile and directionless,” Sundar Kewat of Ashika Institutional Equity said.“Meanwhile, pressure mounted on consumer durables, private banks, and media stocks, weighing on overall sentiment,” he added.On the Nifty options front, significant ‘call OI buildup’ was noted at the 25,000 strike, while 24,700 and 24,000 held the highest open interest on the put side.Most stocks in the Sensex performed well, led by Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, and Bajaj Finance, which saw their share prices increase by up to 2.02 per cent.On the other hand, top losers included IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Power Grid Corporation, ITC, and Ultratech Cements, with losses reaching up to 1.87 per cent.The midcap and smallcap segments performed well too, as the Nifty Midcap100 index rose by 0.78 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap100 gained 0.38 per cent.Sector-wise, all major indices on the NSE finished in green except for consumer durables.Realty and pharma sectors led the gains, with the Nifty Realty index climbing 1.72 per cent and the Pharma index rising 1.25 per cent.However, the fear index, India VIX, which measures market volatility, moved up by 0.93 per cent to 17.55 points.”Markets exhibited a broadly positive undertone today; however, overall sentiment remained confined within a narrow range, indicating risk of “sell on rallies” strategy in the near future amid escalating uncertainty around India-US trade negotiations,” said Vinod Nair of Geojit Investments Limited.–IANSpk/na
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) With a financial outlay of Rs 2,000 crore, the PM E-Drive scheme will support the installation of approximately 72,000 EV public charging stations across the country, the government said on Wednesday.These stations will be strategically deployed along 50 national highway corridors, within high-traffic destinations such as metro cities, toll plazas, railway stations, airports, fuel outlets, and state highways, the Ministry of Heavy Industries said in a statement.Union Minister for Heavy Industries, HD Kumaraswamy, chaired a inter-ministerial coordination meeting to review and accelerate the implementation of EV charging infrastructure under the PM E-Drive scheme.The scheme, launched under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to build a nationwide EV-ready ecosystem to enable cleaner transport and reduce India’s dependency on fossil fuels.“India is on the path to becoming a global model for sustainable transport. The PM E-Drive scheme is a transformative initiative aimed at giving our citizens access to clean, affordable, and convenient mobility options. We are not just building infrastructure; we are building the foundation for energy security and green economic growth,” said Kumaraswamy.The minister also acknowledged the integrated role of various stakeholders in the execution of this initiative. BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) is being considered as the nodal agency for demand aggregation and for the development of a unified digital super app that will serve as a single platform for EV users across India.The app will feature real-time slot booking, payment integration, charger availability status, and progress dashboards for tracking national deployment under the PM E-Drive scheme. BHEL will also coordinate with states and ministries to compile and evaluate proposals for charger installations.“The clean energy transition cannot succeed in silos. This meeting reflects our commitment to working as one government. Ministries, public sector enterprises, and states are all aligned to deliver results on ground. We are confident that PM E-Drive will catalyse new industries, generate green jobs, and offer seamless electric mobility to every Indian,” said Kumaraswamy.–IANSna/
Seoul, May 21 (IANS) South Korea’s exports to the United States and China are expected to decline further in May, as the impact of the Donald Trump administration’s sweeping tariff scheme has begun to materialise, the country’s top trade official said on Wednesday.Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo made the assessment after government data showed that exports declined 2.4 percent in the first 20 days of May compared to a year earlier, due to a drop in shipments to the U.S. amid ongoing tariff measures.During the first four months of 2025, cumulative exports totaled $217.9 billion, representing a 0.7 percent decrease compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, reports Yonhap news agency.Shipments to the U.S. and China went down 3.3 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, while exports to ASEAN and the European Union rose 5.9 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.”In May, the impact of the U.S. tariff measures is expected to be fully reflected, leading to a decline in exports to the U.S. and China,” Cheong said during a meeting with officials overseeing export-related issues.”We will maintain an emergency response system in cooperation with relevant agencies and continue to provide tailored support to address export challenges in each region,” he added.The government has pledged to swiftly execute the funds allocated through the supplementary budget, including 84.7 billion won for the exporter voucher program and 150 billion won for small and mid-sized exporters through trade insurance.”Technical consultations with the U.S. on the tariff policy are under way, and we will actively engage in discussions to find mutually beneficial solutions, while prioritizing our national interest,” Cheong said.South Korea and the United States began a second round of working-level discussions in Washington on Tuesday (U.S. time), as Seoul has sought a complete exemption from the tariff scheme.Last month, the US began imposing reciprocal tariffs on partner nations, including 25 percent duties on South Korea, only to pause them shortly afterward to allow for one-on-one negotiations.Seoul and Washington subsequently agreed to work toward a “package” deal on trade and other related issues before July 8, when Trump’s 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs is to expire.–IANSna/
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Mission Karmayogi, the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building, has achieved a major milestone with the iGOT Karmayogi portal crossing one crore registered civil servants across India, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday.The Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Karmayogi platform is a digital learning platform operated and managed by Karmayogi Bharathas, aimed at providing a comprehensive learning ecosystem accessible to civil servants across India.Launched in 2022, the iGOT platform marked a 30-fold growth from 3 lakh users onboarded till January 2023, in over 2 years.“This rapid scale-up underlines the growing digital adoption in public administration and reaffirms the Centre’s commitment to building a future-ready and citizen-centric civil service,” Singh said.The MoS attributed the success of the portal to active participation of both central and state/UT civil servants.Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are the states with relatively higher number of registered civil servants on the platform.Over 60 per cent of the registered users on iGOT Karmayogi platform are from all 36 States/UTs. The remaining are from central government ministries, departments and organisations.“This demonstrates pan-India outreach of the platform and growing integration with state-level governance frameworks,” Singh said.“So far, more than 3.1 crore learning certificates have been issued to civil servants based on course completion which aggregates to more than 3.8 crore learning hours,” Singh said.Currently, iGOT Karmayogi platform offers over 2,400 courses in 16 languages contributed by more than 200 course providers including Central and State Government Ministries and Departments, Civil Services Training Institutes (CSTIs), Civil Society Organisations, philanthropic bodies, premier Indian academic institutions, and private industry experts.All courses are aligned with the indigenously developed Karmayogi Competency Model (KCM) — rooted in Indic wisdom and the tenets of Mission Karmayogi.Singh said that Karmayogi platform aims “to increase the number of courses in regional languages, improve course quality, partner with more content providers, and improve the user experience using AI and other technologies” in the near future.–IANSrvt/
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) EV penetration in India has improved with new model launches over the last six months, and new model launches and government incentives will drive hybrid penetration growth in the near term, an HSBC report said on Wednesday.Contrary to popular assumptions, hybrids are not currently competing with EVs, but rather, are complementary to them. For instance, in states with hybrid incentives, EVs have grown more even after incentives were announced, said HSBC Research in its note.“We think India will remain a multi-powertrain industry over the medium to long term,” it stated.Hybrids, CNGs and biofuels are practical medium- to long-term solutions, while the country moves towards eventual electrification.“We think strong hybrid electric vehicles (SHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are not cannibalising each other but, rather, are attracting different sets of customers. In states where incentives are offered for SHEVs, BEV sales have also seen strong growth,” said the report.In FY25, the growth in EV sales was similar to the growth in SHEV sales, despite incentives being offered on SHEVs by Uttar Pradesh, the largest PV selling state in India.This trend suggests that SHEV adoption is having a positive effect on BEV sales, said the report.According to the report, 4-wheeler EV penetration has improved from 1.9 per cent in H1 FY25 to 2.5 per cent in Q4 FY25 and 3.2 per cent in the Q1 FY26 quarter-to-date period, driven by launch on MG Windsor and M&M BEVs.The SHEV share in total PV has increased to 2.4 per cent in FY25 from 2.1 per cent in FY24.“The perception that promoting SHEVs will hinder EV adoption is misplaced, in our view. This is not a zero-sum game, but rather an incremental opportunity where incentivizing SHEVs contributes to the broader development of the clean mobility ecosystem, benefiting BEVs and advancing overall market growth,” the report emphasised.–IANSna/