Mega bank consolidation: Meeting 1 April deadline appears challenging

• The merger of Oriental Bank of Commerce with Punjab National Bank and Andhra Bank with Union Bank of India will have similar issues, the official said
• Last year in August, the government announced the consolidation of ten public sector banks (PSBs) into four mega state-owned lenders

Govt officials meet to discuss relief measures for AGR-hit telecom industry

• Sunil Mittal had last week made an appeal to the government for cut in levies and taxes to pull the sector out of what he had described as an 'unprecedented crisis'
• The crucial meeting comes at a time when the telecom companies are staring at ₹ 1.47 lakh crore in unpaid dues

Can sporty sedans still thrive in an SUVs’ world?

Alfa Romeo’s tasty Giulia has lovely curves, a powerful engine and an updated UX inside. So why are sales plummeting? Dan Neil explores how this immortal beauty fits into the current auto landscape

From Namaste Trump to Taj Mahal visit, US Prez has a jam-packed schedule

• Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the US President will begin the nearly 36-hour-long trip with a visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad at around 12:15 pm on Monday
• This will be followed by Trump's participation at the 'Namaste Trump' event at around 1:05 pm

GDP numbers will be key to watch for cues to further market confidence

• In the coming week, all eyes will be peeled on the Gross Domestic Product figure that will be announced on Friday
• Trump’s visit to India will also be the highlight for the week, though the Indian markets have already discounted any hopes of a trade deal

IndianOil expected to ink agreement with ExxonMobil & Chart Industries

• The proposed plan in the works is to provide gas access in regions where the gas grid is not present
• India is the world’s third-largest oil importer and the fourth-largest buyer of liquefied natural gas (LNG)

A battle in the Clouds is brewing in India for Microsoft's Satya Nadella

Microsoft faces shifting customer loyalties as newer and nimbler rivals expand market share helping as Indian companies migrate their infrastructure and applications to the cloud

Coronavirus is China's biggest health emergency, says Xi Jinping

• Among the 40,127 hospitalised patients, 8,583 were still in severe condition and another 1,845 in critical condition.
• Officials in Wuhan ordered that all patients who have recovered and discharged from hospitals be sent to designated places for two weeks of quarantine and medical observation

Clashes break out at anti-CAA protest in Jaffrabad

• Police fired tear gas shells as members of the two groups pelted stones at each other in Maujpur
• There was heavy security deployment in the area

Pine Labs plans to deploy 1.5 lakh Android POS devices by next fiscal

• The company, which had launched Plutus Smart (its Android-based point of sale machines) about nine months ago, has already deployed over 50,000 of these POS terminals
• The company plans to considerably scale up its Android POS network in 2020-21 to 1.5 lakh machines

ITC hotel's uber-luxurious suite to host Donald Trump in Delhi

• The two-bedroom Grand Presidential Suite, known as 'Chanakya', has hosted several heads of states including former US presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W Bush
• The suite also has the facility of a microbiological laboratory for food testing

Coronavirus LIVE: Fear of global outbreak as S Korea, Italy face spike in cases

• The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China has climbed to 2,442 as 79 more died of the deadly infection Saturday, while the overall confirmed cases almost neared to 80,000
• Global outbreak fear worries world health authorities as the deadly virus spread to 28 countries. 1,500 cases have been confirmed outside China, multiple infections in the US, Italy, Iran, UAE and 1 in Egypt

GenZ asks tough questions on Namaste Trump mega event

• The ‘Namaste Trump’ mega event seems to have failed to generate much enthusiasm among the students
• Students say the event and the roadshow seem like a public relation exercise and a payback to the Howdy Modi event held in Houston last year

Third death from Japan cruise ship as new cases raise quarantine doubts

• Japan has been criticised in the face of mounting evidence that the quarantine imposed on the Diamond Princess did little to stop the virus spreading
• Still left on the ship are some travellers waiting for charter flights home and roughly 1,000 crew

NHAI collects ₹20 cr from 18 lakh defaulters entering FASTag lanes

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had said that double toll charge would be collected from the vehicles entering FASTag lanes without the tag
• RFID based FASTag, an electronic toll collection system implemented by the NHAI, has proved to be instrumental in easing the lives of commuters on national highways within two months of its nationwide implementation

RBI reviewing monetary policy framework, says Governor Shaktikanta Das

The monetary policy framework is in operation for three and a half years. We have initiated a process of internal review of how the monetary policy framework has worked, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said

Namaste Trump: Walk-up from Motera stadium

• The Motera stadium is the biggest cricket ground which will be inaugurated jointly by President Trump and PM Modi
• The 'Namaste Trump' event will see Indian businessman, celebrities in attendance.

Banks may face network disruptions as service provider Hughes fears closure

• Hughes' India unit provides services to defence, education and banking sectors in the country and the closure could disrupt connectivity at over 70,000 banking locations, many critical defence satellite networks and railways
• Hughes told Indian govt in a letter dated Feb. 20 that it faces bankruptcy as it can't pay the ₹600 crore it owes

Narendra Modi, Donald Trump focus on big crowds, sidestepping differences

Donald Trump says the PM Modi has promised that millions of people will line 22 kilometers of roads between the airport and a new, 110,000-seat cricket stadium where both leaders will speak

Central Bank of India plans to exit housing finance subsidiary

• Central Bank of India holds 64.40% in the unlisted housing finance company, while the remaining stake is held by HUDCO, UTI and NHB
• The lender has floated a request for proposal (RFP) for appointing merchant bankers

Bikaner-Sealdah Duranto Express launch on Monday

• Train no. 12260 will start from Bikaner at 12.15 pm and reach Sealdah at 12.45 pm the next day, whereas train no. 12259 will leave Sealdah at 6.30 pm and reach Bikaner at 7.15 pm the next day
• The Duranto Express via New Delhi will run four days a week

US surpasses China to become India's top trading partner

• During Apr-Dec 2019-20, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at $68 billion as against $64.96 billion with China in the same period
• In 2018-19, India has a trade surplus of $16.85 billion with the US, while it has a deficit of $53.56 billion with China

Of Namaste Trump and Amdavad's Circus Maximus

• It's like a show that Ahmedabad has never seen before
• There are mixed feelings about the three-hour mega show

Why India-US trade deal remains elusive

• India has increased buying crude oil and civilian aircraft from the US in recent times
• US fixation over tariffs, e-commerce curbs, data protection bill have put India in a spot

Trump visit: Diamond traders seek more business, revival of alloy trade

• The industry has been witnessing a demand slowdown
• Traders hope the two countries would revive trade for alloys

Donald Trump, first lady Melania to spend an hour at Taj Mahal

• Donald Trump's plane will land in Agra at 4.45pm on Monday where he will be greeted by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and governor Anandiben Patel
• Trumps will also sit at one of the marble benches installed in 1908 by Lord Curzon also known as Diana bench

The wall built for Trump in India

• Saraniyavaas slum has been hid behind a 6-7 feet high concrete wall
• Its home to around 5,000 people who live in 700-odd kaccha houses

Modi says New India not ready to continue with old approach

• Women have taken up new challenges for positive change in society
• Diversity of the country was the pride for every citizen

Trump's Ahmedabad visit: Airlines ask flyers to arrive 3 hrs before departure

• This has been done keeping in view of the heavy traffic congestion due to blocked roads in the city
• Passengers have been asked to keep a tab on live traffic and to carry a hard copy of their itinerary and photo-ID to access the blocked roads

Six of top-10 Indian firms lose ₹29,487 cr in m-cap, Bharti Airtel worst hit

• Bharti Airtel's market valuation tumbled ₹10,692.9 crore to reach ₹2,97,600.65 crore
• TCS, HDFC, HUL, HDFC Bank and RIL were the other bluechip firms which witnessed a drop in their market capitalisation for the week ended Thursday

FPIs remain bullish on India, invest ₹23,102 crore in Feb so far

• FPIs invested a net sum of ₹10,750 crore into equities and ₹12,352 crore into the debt segment, taking the total net investment to ₹23,102 crore between Feb 3-20
• FPIs have been net buyers in the Indian markets since September 2019, the data showed

Market to remain volatile ahead of F&O expiry, investors eye Donald Trump visit

• Domestic market is expected to remain volatile ahead of derivatives expiry as investors await fresh cues from Trump's visit next week, according to analysts.
• Market participants will also be eyeing GDP estimates and infrastructure data, due to be released on Friday

Petrol pumps to soon switch to BS6 fuel. Here’s what will change

• The BS6 norms will drastically pull down emissions which contribute to global warming
• BS4 and BS6 indicate the different levels of emission norms that India has set