FPI surcharge removal, stimulus measures likely to boost markets: Experts

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday announced rollback of enhanced surcharge on foreign portfolio investors levied in the Budget
• The Centre also announced a raft of measures to revive growth momentum, including exempting startups from 'angel tax'

D-Street dilemma: Cheer FPI surcharge removal or worry about US-China trade war?

• Key benchmark indices the Nifty and the Sensex shed nearly 2% during the week
• For investors in Indian equities, the highlight of the week was FM Nirmala Sitharaman announcing measures to boost liquidity

RBI Board to discuss Bimal Jalan panel report tomorrow

• With economy facing a slowdown in key sectors, the government is looking at RBI dividends and surplus to step up public investment and tackle funding gaps
• The board most likely will announce the normal dividend to be paid to the government for FY19 based on the surplus

PV Sindhu becomes first Indian shuttler to win World Championships gold

• PV Sindhu has also won an Olympic silver in 2016 Rio Games, a silver at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
• The Indian won 21-7 21-7 in the summit clash that lasted just 38 minutes

Opinion | ₹5 biscuits are too pricey for Indian workers

• When purchasing power dries up to the extent that rural laborers, urban blue-collar workers have to think twice about cheap munchies, then the situation is desperate
• The culprit is deep-rooted wage suppression, a long-term issue that needs attention

Centre responsive to slowdown, but more steps needed: Report

• The government announced an additional 15% depreciation on all vehicles acquired during the period from now till 31 March 2020
• According to JM Financial, this move is likely to aid clearing of some of the inventory for personal vehicles and light commercial vehicles

Three things to know if you still use cheques

• Ensure you use a CTS 2010-compliant cheque, and know the types of cheques for different purposes and the consequences of bounced cheques
• A bounced cheque can hit your credit score and the issuer as well as the receiver need to pay a fine

Generally, only a fraction of bonuses is paid on surrender of endowment plan

• Surrender is allowed under endowment plans. The surrender value is pre-determined and shared in the policy schedule.
• You should check, compare the list of illnesses covered under different critical illness plans and prefer a plan that covers the maximum number of illnesses

PM Modi emplanes for France to attend G7 Summit, will speak on global issues

• Though India is not a member of the G-7 grouping, Modi has been personally invited by the French President
• Modi and the US President Donald Trump are likely to discuss the situation in Kashmir, trade issues on the sidelines of the meet

Opinion | Nature and extent of daughters’ rights to HUF property still unclear

When there’s clarity, will such a law be applied retro-spectively or prospectively?

Arun Jaitley: An exceptional leader who posterity will have much to thank for

Future governments, regardless of political composition, will remember his legacy of economic and legal reforms

IndiGo's Rakesh Gangwal flags truce with airline co-founder

• The board of IndiGo has approved a new related-party transaction policy, Gangwal said
• Gangwal now intends to support a move to expand the company’s board to 10 directors

Investors, lenders want tycoon Gautam Thapar removed as Chairman of CG Power

• The company now plans to conduct a detailed forensic investigation to establish wrongdoing
• Sources said some investors, at whose behest the probe was launched, want Thapar and Neelkant to be removed from their posts

What changed for businesses, people during Arun Jaitley’s watch

• In rolling out GST in July 2017, Jaitley had to show strong resolve in the face of protests and fears voiced by several state governments
• NDA will sorely miss one of its most articulate stalwarts

Do we need a backup planet to survive?

• Last week, Elon Musk said that 'a big rock (asteroid) will hit Earth eventually & we currently have no defence'
• Jeff Bezos, on the other hand, worries that we will run out of energy on Earth, leaving the future generations with limited resources which can block their growth, dynamism

FDI in single brand retail: Govt to consider proposal to relax sourcing norms

• As per the proposal, single-brand retail firms would also be permitted to open online stores before setting up brick-and-mortar shops
• Currently, online sale by a single-brand retail player is allowed only after opening of physical outlet

Tejas still to match modern fighters

• The follow up versions of LCA Mk 1 (a) and LCA-Mk 2 will be the improved version of Tejas
• Out of the first 40 Tejas ordered by IAF, only 20 will be FOC certified

FPIs withdraw ₹3,014 crore from capital markets in August so far

• After selling for five consecutive months, FPIs reversed their position in July
• With the withdrawal of enhanced surcharge on FPIs, confidence in the market is likely to be restored, analysts expect

Jabra Elite 85H review: More focus on features but unconvincing in audio quality

• The Jabra E85H are priced at ₹28,999 (MRP) and pitted against the Bose QuietComfort III, Sony MDR 1000XM3 or Bowers & Wilkins P7
• The headphones have a woven finish to them and can be paired to Jabra's SoundPlus companion app

Age is just a number: Vintage MiGs, old vehicles still ply in India

• The rate of equipment replacement has caught public's imagination after Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa's recent comment
• At present, the country heavily depends on imports for its defence-related equipment needs

PM Modi conferred with top Bahraini award

• Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Bahrain
• Modi flew into Bahrain from the United Arab Emirates where he was also conferred with the country's top civilian honour, the 'Order of Zayed' earlier on Saturday

Gaganyaan: Russia offers India semi-cryogenic engine technology

• 'Russia is offering its semi-cryogenic rocket engine technology to India under the `Make-in-India' programme,' Sivan said
• Russian state-run space corporation Roscosmos said the two countries will discuss cooperation in the sphere of piloted space flights, satellite navigation and engine technology

Australian minister likely to meet Gautam Adani in India

• The meeting is expected to discuss Adani's Rs10,000 crore Carmichael coal project in Australia
• Australia's Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan will be on a three-day India visit from August 26

Why is part of the Amazon burning?

• The dramatic scale of this year's fires is the result of a significant acceleration of deforestation for the lumber industry, for agriculture or for other human activities
• Human use of fire to manage land explains the astronomical number of fires — more than 75,000 since January in Brazil

How retail investors tripped up on Yes Bank – Zerodha CEO releases data in blog

• Zerodha CEO said 2 lakh people out of the 7 lakh who have demat accounts with Zerodha, hold Yes Bank stock and his clients are collectively sitting on an unrealised loss of over 59% in the stock
• Yes Bank has fallen 84.75% over the past year

Konkan Railways announces more train trips ahead of Ganesh Utsav

• Ganesh Utsav or Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha
• Anti-sabotage checks at stations will be done in coordination with the State Police to ensure additional safety of passengers

Kerala set for another round of poll battle as EC announces Pala byelection

• The election panel today announced byelections to the Pala assembly constituency in Kerala to be held on 23 September
• This round of bypoll may see some internal bickering that could decide the fate of the second-biggest Kerala ally of Congress — Kerala Congress (Mani) or KC(M) party

Why Netflix, Amazon Prime concentrating more on desi shows in India

• In order to cater to a wider user base in India, some players are also experimenting with cash payments
• Indian language internet users are expected to grow to 536 million by 2021 from 234 million in 2016

Arun Jaitley's Amritsar link and love for 'Amritsari kulchas'

• Arun Jaitley had once said he was getting a regular supply of 'Amritsari kulchas' even when he was in Delhi
• 'If you ask me about my ancestral town, I would say Amritsar as I have at least 40 cousins and relatives who live here,' Jaitley was often quoted as saying

From 'Panglossian countenance' to 'Floccinaucinihilipilification'

• Earlier this month, the MPC unanimously voted for a rate cut and with a 4:2 majority chose an unconventional 35 bps
• Average English-speaking Indians should thank Tharoor for introducing the word 'Floccinaucinihilipilification' to them

When breathing becomes scary

Air pollution may be far worse in rural India as millions still use traditional cooking methods that generate fumes laden with PM2.5

Paytm Money expects its market share in direct MF to increase to 50% in 6 months

• Paytm Money is planning to start 'Paytm Switch' option for mutual funds (MFs) in 10-15 days that will enable customers to switch from regular MF to direct MF
• Paytm has started new fund offers (NFOs) of MFs which allows investments in NFOs from all 40 asset management companies (AMCs) in India

ISRO all set to spur commercial space sector with its newly-built SSLV

• A mini-rocket launcher has been specially designed by Indian scientists to carry smaller commercial satellites into the low-earth orbit less than 2,000 kms above the earth’s surface
• The launcher has a payload capacity of 500 kgs to low earth orbit

Islamic countries ignoring Kashmir due to selfish interests: Pakistan

Pak official urged the United Nations and other international human rights organisations to take note of the situation in Kashmir

Growth steps, oil prices set to boost equities

• The escalation in the US-China trade war and release of key macro-economic indicators are expected to induce some volatility in the stock markets
• India's GDP numbers for June quarter will be out on 30 August, that are expected to grow by 5.6-5.7%

NASA dangles $7 billion carrot for next moon landing

• NASA is seeking US firms that can deliver cargo, experiments and supplies to a spacecraft named Gateway in lunar orbit as part of the planned Artemis landing mission
• A month ago, NASA sought bids for a $2.6 billion contract to build the next generation of lunar landers

Last rites of former minister Arun Jaitley performed with full state honour

• Political leaders across the spectrum were present at the Nigambodh Ghat when the last rites rituals were performed
• A guard of honour was also given to Jaitley by the soldiers of the Indian Army as Jaitley had also been a defence minister

Toyota to keep selling diesel models in India as it expects demand to continue

• TKM vice-chairman Shekar Viswanathan said the firm will continue to manufacture diesel models till it has the future technology setting in
• Viswanathan said the firm will keep rooting for hybrid vehicles despite the govt favouring only EVs in the country

PM Modi becomes emotional, condoles his 'dear friend' Jaitley's demise

• 'I cannot imagine that I am here in Bahrain while my dear friend Arun Jaitley is no more'
• 'At a time at a time when people are celebrating janmashtami, I am mourning the death of my friend Arun'

Seven of top-10 firms lose ₹86,878 crore in m-cap; ITC takes biggest knock

• The m-cap of ITC dropped by ₹20,748.4 crore to stand at ₹2,89,740.59 crore
• TCS, HUL and Infosys finished the week with gains in their m-cap

Drug regulator preparing list of dual-use APIs imported from unregistered firms

• India imports almost 80% of its API requirement from China
• Once the list of such APIs are prepared, it will be submitted to the Department of Pharmacueticals

“India is really poised for explosive growth,” Bryan Jones of Dell Technologies

• Bryan Jones, SVP & GM, OEM and IOT Solutions at Dell Technologies talks about the role the US based company is playing in digital transformation
• Jones believes that India now has an evolving and growing initiative of investments in IT industry with regards to manufacturing and Dell wants to evolve with it

Our vision is to be number one infrastructure provider: Dell's Rajesh Janey

• Rajesh Janey said Global Alliances works with partners, alliances like cloud service providers, systems integrators, strategic outsourcers to deliver solutions both on and off premise
• Janey said Alliance Partners' global revenue is $11.1 bn in FY19 with 580 plus team member across 27 countries

What will you wear in 2030?

• Futuristic closets, biosensors and phone-charging jackets—these clothing innovations are not unreachable
• Why the great stagnation in clothing needs to end with technological advancements

Trump paints picture of unity at prickly G7 summit

• Trump arrived in France just hours after escalating his trade war with China in a tit-for-tat battle
• The G7 gathering is taking place against a backdrop of growing worries about a global economic downturn