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Maruti Suzuki India&#39;s shares on Wednesday rose by over five per cent, helping the auto major break into the top-five league of most valuable companies with a market valuation of Rs 2.96 lakh crore.

The scrip gained 5.33 per cent to settle at Rs 9,804.50 on BSE. During the day, it jumped 5.87 per cent to Rs 9,855.

On NSE, shares of the company were up 5.28 per cent to close at Rs 9,801.50.

The company&#39;s market valuation surged Rs 14,997.39 crore to Rs 2,96,174.39 crore.

Led by the surge in its market capitalisation (m-cap), the company entered the club of top-five most valued companies list.

RIL is the country&#39;s most valued firm with a m-cap of Rs 5,85,215.73 crore followed by TCS (Rs 4,92,938.63 crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 4,87,888.91 crore) and ITC (Rs 3,22,499.99 crore).

So far this year, the carmaker&#39;s stock has zoomed over 84 per cent or 4,481.5 points.

Meanwhile, strong buying was seen in other auto stocks also, with Hero MotoCorp rising 4.70 per cent, Motherson Sumi Systems (3.47 per cent), Tata Motors (3.39 per cent), Ashok Leyland (3.33 per cent) and Bharat Forge (3.20 per cent).

The BSE auto index gained 3.42 per cent to settle at 26,742.51.

The scrip gained 5.33 per cent to settle at Rs 9,804.50 on BSE. During the day, it jumped 5.87 per cent to Rs 9,855.

Maruti Suzuki India's shares on Wednesday rose by over five per cent, helping the auto major break into the top-five league of most valuable companies with a market valuation of Rs 2.96 lakh crore. The scrip gained 5.33 per cent to settle at Rs 9,804.50 on BSE. During the day, it jumped 5.87 per cent to Rs 9,855. On NSE, shares of the company were up 5.28 per cent to close at Rs 9,801.50. The company's market valuation surged Rs 14,997.39 crore to Rs 2,96,174.39 crore. Led by the surge in its market capitalisation (m-cap), the company entered the club of top-five most valued companies list. RIL is the country's most valued firm with a m-cap of Rs 5,85,215.73 crore followed by TCS (Rs 4,92,938.63 crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 4,87,888.91 crore) and ITC (Rs 3,22,499.99 crore). So far this year, the carmaker's stock has zoomed over 84 per cent or 4,481.5 points. Meanwhile, strong buying was seen in other auto stocks also, with Hero MotoCorp rising 4.70 per cent, Motherson Sumi Systems (3.47 per cent), Tata Motors (3.39 per cent), Ashok Leyland (3.33 per cent) and Bharat Forge (3.20 per cent). The BSE auto index gained 3.42 per cent to settle at 26,742.51.

Maruti up over 5 per cent; enters league of most valued companies

Most of us consider stock market as a complex web where people either make a lot of money or lose all of their money. Worse, the common assumption is: people, mostly, make or lose their money in a way of gambling. The feeling about the stock market is best summed up as, &ldquo;I consider it a bad option, so I will stay away from it&rdquo;.&nbsp;

So, today I am going to help you understand: what is a stock market, does it help in nation building, why people lose money and how can you proceed in a safe manner.&nbsp;

What is a stock market?

I am sure you must have seen &lsquo;Guru&rsquo; - the biopic on &lsquo;Dhirubhai Ambani&rsquo;. In case you have not, I will urge you to watch it. At one point in the movie, Abhishek Bachchan wants to expand his business and he decides that he won&rsquo;t go to the banks. On the contrary, he decided to go to the people to raise funds and, in the process, his company gets listed on the stock market.

Therefore, according to Indian norms set by SEBI, the stock market is a place where companies get listed to raise money. Companies, such as Jockey, Asian Paints, Britannia as well as Tata&#39;s, Reliance and Aditya Birla group have been raising money through stock markets for decades as well.

Now, in the movie, Abhishek could either borrow from the bank at a certain interest rate which is normally around 15-25 per cent based on company credit rating or can borrow from the general public. In the latter case, he had to make them part-owner of the company, paying them a part of the profit and expecting them to share a part of the losses as well.

As the companies get listed, the common man, institutional investors and anybody can be part of the corporate journey in buying the shares of their company.

Thus, the most basic definition of the stock market is a lending platform which the big business houses can use to borrow money from common people in lieu of a part of their company (called shares in common parlance).

Now there are few ways to take part in the stock market and it will help you understand why people lose money.&nbsp;

Day trading: This is the most risky way in which people participate in the stock market and it, in reality, doesn&#39;t benefit the companies much. Just imagine, how many times have you taken a loan for a single day and do you really think that someone can use that money for such a short span of time to expand their business or build a new refinery. So day traders try to predict the price on a daily basis and if they are correct they make millions and if they are wrong, they lose their whole capital.

We at NiveshGyaan can&rsquo;t predict and, thus, advise our readers also to stay away from it. As we don&rsquo;t feel it benefits anyone apart from the stockbroker due to the high transaction charges, and this happens to be the most commonly misinterpreted and abused way of trading.

Long-term investing: In this form of trading, you buy a stock after considering its basic fundamentals and then you stick with it for a long time, at least for a year or until you are in some dire need of money.

In this process, you help the company and it rewards you with the gains or sometimes you do make losses (but then which business is 100% risk-free) though you are not gambling and over a long run_ you will realize great companies have always increased your wealth.

We advise you to take part only in long-term investing.

Stock Market&#39;s role in nation-building exercise&nbsp;

&nbsp;Let&#39;s consider for a moment there is no stock market and Tata&#39;s want to expand their business by 100 Crore, so where do you think they can borrow this money; it will be either banks or individuals or some group of investors. Though, it must be tough to borrow 100 crores from a single individual or let&rsquo;s suppose 10-15 people who are close to Tata&rsquo;s as well.

If they are going to go to banks or institutional investors, they will be required to keep some form of security and also pay the lending rate i.e. 15% -20% based on different channel, the risk involved in the project and the fixed deposit rate is 7%.

So, let&rsquo;s suppose this company borrows from the bank at 15% annually. As a result, it definitely has to make profits and also worry about earning 15% extra on the money to pay off the interest.

Now, let&#39;s bring the stock market in the picture. Let&#39;s consider that TATA&#39;s are evaluated to be a 1000 Crore organisation and they want to borrow 100 Crore. So they put their 10% of the company (i.e. 100 Crores) on Stock and distribute these shares in various proportion, including individuals, HUL&rsquo;s and institutional investors.

From Tata&#39;s perspective, two good things could happen:&nbsp;

? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The shares got divided among a lot of people, which reduces the chances of taking over the company.

? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They got the required money while not actually being worried about generating 15% extra income.

The national perspective

Now, with the formulation of a new unit of Tata&rsquo;s, new employment will be generated, which will bring more money in the economy, which in return will boost the local economy, thus, churning the wheel of the country.

Therefore, companies should expand if a country needs to develop and it is beneficial for both country and the company if this happens through the stock market.

Now, let&rsquo;s see how &lsquo;You&rsquo; get benefit out of all this.

Common Man&rsquo;s Perspective

The options in front of you for your idle money are either keeping your money in the bank account or keeping it with yourself, considering you don&rsquo;t rely on the stock market, and which gives you the best interest rate of 7%.

Now, let&rsquo;s take TATA&rsquo;s again and I hope you agree they have a good management, they will try their best to earn more than the bank F.D. rate. Else common sense tells that they could have also put all their money in a bank and sit nicely at home; there was no need of so much effort IN running companies, managing employees and handling agitation, including the whole Cyrus Mistry scandal.

Therefore, stock market opens up a new avenue for you to put your money and grow at a faster rate than bank F.D&rsquo;s and this, in turn, help both the companies and the economy.

Happy investing and happy growing your money.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Stock market opens up a new avenue for you to put your money and grow at a faster rate than bank F.D?s and this, in turn, help both the companies and the economy.

Most of us consider stock market as a complex web where people either make a lot of money or lose all of their money. Worse, the common assumption is: people, mostly, make or lose their money in a way of gambling. The feeling about the stock market is best summed up as, “I consider it a bad option, so I will stay away from it”. So, today I am going to help you understand: what is a stock market, does it help in nation building, why people lose money and how can you proceed in a safe manner. What is a stock market? I am sure you must have seen ‘Guru’ - the biopic on ‘Dhirubhai Ambani’. In case you have not, I will urge you to watch it. At one point in the movie, Abhishek Bachchan wants to expand his business and he decides that he won’t go to the banks. On the contrary, he decided to go to the people to raise funds and, in the process, his company gets listed on the stock market. Therefore, according to Indian norms set by SEBI, the stock market is a place where companies get listed to raise money. Companies, such as Jockey, Asian Paints, Britannia as well as Tata's, Reliance and Aditya Birla group have been raising money through stock markets for decades as well. Now, in the movie, Abhishek could either borrow from the bank at a certain interest rate which is normally around 15-25 per cent based on company credit rating or can borrow from the general public. In the latter case, he had to make them part-owner of the company, paying them a part of the profit and expecting them to share a part of the losses as well. As the companies get listed, the common man, institutional investors and anybody can be part of the corporate journey in buying the shares of their company. Thus, the most basic definition of the stock market is a lending platform which the big business houses can use to borrow money from common people in lieu of a part of their company (called shares in common parlance). Now there are few ways to take part in the stock market and it will help you understand why people lose money. Day trading: This is the most risky way in which people participate in the stock market and it, in reality, doesn't benefit the companies much. Just imagine, how many times have you taken a loan for a single day and do you really think that someone can use that money for such a short span of time to expand their business or build a new refinery. So day traders try to predict the price on a daily basis and if they are correct they make millions and if they are wrong, they lose their whole capital. We at NiveshGyaan can’t predict and, thus, advise our readers also to stay away from it. As we don’t feel it benefits anyone apart from the stockbroker due to the high transaction charges, and this happens to be the most commonly misinterpreted and abused way of trading. Long-term investing: In this form of trading, you buy a stock after considering its basic fundamentals and then you stick with it for a long time, at least for a year or until you are in some dire need of money. In this process, you help the company and it rewards you with the gains or sometimes you do make losses (but then which business is 100% risk-free) though you are not gambling and over a long run_ you will realize great companies have always increased your wealth. We advise you to take part only in long-term investing. Stock Market's role in nation-building exercise Let's consider for a moment there is no stock market and Tata's want to expand their business by 100 Crore, so where do you think they can borrow this money; it will be either banks or individuals or some group of investors. Though, it must be tough to borrow 100 crores from a single individual or let’s suppose 10-15 people who are close to Tata’s as well. If they are going to go to banks or institutional investors, they will be required to keep some form of security and also pay the lending rate i.e. 15% -20% based on different channel, the risk involved in the project and the fixed deposit rate is 7%. So, let’s suppose this company borrows from the bank at 15% annually. As a result, it definitely has to make profits and also worry about earning 15% extra on the money to pay off the interest. Now, let's bring the stock market in the picture. Let's consider that TATA's are evaluated to be a 1000 Crore organisation and they want to borrow 100 Crore. So they put their 10% of the company (i.e. 100 Crores) on Stock and distribute these shares in various proportion, including individuals, HUL’s and institutional investors. From Tata's perspective, two good things could happen: ? The shares got divided among a lot of people, which reduces the chances of taking over the company. ? They got the required money while not actually being worried about generating 15% extra income. The national perspective Now, with the formulation of a new unit of Tata’s, new employment will be generated, which will bring more money in the economy, which in return will boost the local economy, thus, churning the wheel of the country. Therefore, companies should expand if a country needs to develop and it is beneficial for both country and the company if this happens through the stock market. Now, let’s see how ‘You’ get benefit out of all this. Common Man’s Perspective The options in front of you for your idle money are either keeping your money in the bank account or keeping it with yourself, considering you don’t rely on the stock market, and which gives you the best interest rate of 7%. Now, let’s take TATA’s again and I hope you agree they have a good management, they will try their best to earn more than the bank F.D. rate. Else common sense tells that they could have also put all their money in a bank and sit nicely at home; there was no need of so much effort IN running companies, managing employees and handling agitation, including the whole Cyrus Mistry scandal. Therefore, stock market opens up a new avenue for you to put your money and grow at a faster rate than bank F.D’s and this, in turn, help both the companies and the economy. Happy investing and happy growing your money. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why you should invest in stock market

Foodpanda India, the popular food take away service has been bought over by ride-sharing app Ola.

Germany&#39;s Delivery Hero announced it was selling Foodpanda India to Ola with the taxi-hailing service ready to invest $200 million into the company.&nbsp;

&quot;The partnership with Ola will allow us to further consolidate markets where it strategically makes sense to collaborate with leading local players,&quot; Delivery Hero&#39;s Chief Executive Niklas Ostberg said.

Last month, India&#39;s food online marketplace had registered a 64 jump in the financial year 2016-17.

The company had earned Rs 62.16 crores in the financial year 2016-17 compared to Rs 37.81 crores in the previous financial year.&nbsp;

Ride-sharing app Ola has taken over foodpanda's India operations

Foodpanda India, the popular food take away service has been bought over by ride-sharing app Ola. Germany's Delivery Hero announced it was selling Foodpanda India to Ola with the taxi-hailing service ready to invest $200 million into the company. "The partnership with Ola will allow us to further consolidate markets where it strategically makes sense to collaborate with leading local players," Delivery Hero's Chief Executive Niklas Ostberg said. Last month, India's food online marketplace had registered a 64 jump in the financial year 2016-17. The company had earned Rs 62.16 crores in the financial year 2016-17 compared to Rs 37.81 crores in the previous financial year.

Ola buys Foodpanda India

A recently published report studied the pattern of internet consumption in the country and revealed surprisingly interesting facts about internet penetration in India and other technology-led behavioural traits of an average Indian internet consumer.&nbsp;

The report, &#39;Currency of Trust, Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,&#39; published by a non-profit entity called the Omidyar Network noted that that number of Indians owning a smartphone versus a basic handset has grown from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2017 which is estimated to touch 54% by 2020.

&quot;However, a sizeable population will continue to be content with a basic feature phone,&quot; noted the report.

The study also noted that people in India are highly frugal with respect to their data usage, always finding ways to save or economise their data consumption.&nbsp;

&quot;Even financially savvy consumers are wary of accessing financial services on their phone and believe that formal financial services are not for them,&quot; noted the study.

The report also listed some of the top applications and internet tools in India going by the quantity of data consumed.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/data-20171219065250.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Data consumption in India, report and image via Omidyar Network. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Close to 30% of total data usage by Indian consumers goes into accessing communication tool and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Opera, UC Browser and PSIPHON, an internet censorship circumventing tool.&nbsp;

YouTube, Hotstar, Xender, SHAREit, Facebook, Instagram, Flipkart and Paytm featured among as top applications going by data usage; 13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications.&nbsp;

13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications

A recently published report studied the pattern of internet consumption in the country and revealed surprisingly interesting facts about internet penetration in India and other technology-led behavioural traits of an average Indian internet consumer. The report, 'Currency of Trust, Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,' published by a non-profit entity called the Omidyar Network noted that that number of Indians owning a smartphone versus a basic handset has grown from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2017 which is estimated to touch 54% by 2020. "However, a sizeable population will continue to be content with a basic feature phone," noted the report. The study also noted that people in India are highly frugal with respect to their data usage, always finding ways to save or economise their data consumption. "Even financially savvy consumers are wary of accessing financial services on their phone and believe that formal financial services are not for them," noted the study. The report also listed some of the top applications and internet tools in India going by the quantity of data consumed. Data consumption in India, report and image via Omidyar Network. (Others) × Close to 30% of total data usage by Indian consumers goes into accessing communication tool and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Opera, UC Browser and PSIPHON, an internet censorship circumventing tool. YouTube, Hotstar, Xender, SHAREit, Facebook, Instagram, Flipkart and Paytm featured among as top applications going by data usage; 13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications.

Indians spend most internet data on communication apps, social media: Study

The Sensex and NIfty closed at record highs on Tuesday after the BJP&#39;s wins in Gujarat and Himachal.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex rose 0.7 per cent to end at 33,836.74, while the NSE Nifty ended 0.72 per cent higher at 10,463.20.&nbsp;

The Sensex&#39;s previous closing high of 33,731.19 was hit on November 6, the Nifty&#39;s of 10,452.50 on November 3.

Both indexes rose for a fourth straight session.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-results-bjp-wins-gujaratand-himachal-27098" target="_blank">Election results prove country ready for reform, says Modi after Gujarat, Himachal wins</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-gujarat-but-does-not-cross-100-mark-takes-himachal-easily-27117" target="_blank">BJP wins Gujarat but does not cross 100 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-gujarat-but-does-not-cross-100-mark-takes-himachal-easily-27117" target="_blank">mark</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-gujarat-but-does-not-cross-100-mark-takes-himachal-easily-27117" target="_blank">, takes Himachal easily</a>

There were a number of reasons for the closing highs.

Risk appetite grew with the BJP&#39;s electoral wins.

The rupee climbing to an over three-month high against the dollar during the day came as a morale booster.

And while Asian shares were mixed, Europe opened higher after a record-setting session on Wall Street on bets that US lawmakers would pass a proposed tax cut.

India&#39;s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki was in top gear, with a maximum rise of 5.33 per cent. Other auto stocks were also in demand.

NTPC, ONGC, ICICI Bank, HUL and PowerGrid ended in the green.

On the sectoral front, barring the IT index, all others ended the day with gains.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

Both indexes rose for a fourth straight session

The Sensex and NIfty closed at record highs on Tuesday after the BJP's wins in Gujarat and Himachal. The BSE Sensex rose 0.7 per cent to end at 33,836.74, while the NSE Nifty ended 0.72 per cent higher at 10,463.20. The Sensex's previous closing high of 33,731.19 was hit on November 6, the Nifty's of 10,452.50 on November 3. Both indexes rose for a fourth straight session. Also read: Election results prove country ready for reform, says Modi after Gujarat, Himachal wins Also read: BJP wins Gujarat but does not cross 100 mark, takes Himachal easily There were a number of reasons for the closing highs. Risk appetite grew with the BJP's electoral wins. The rupee climbing to an over three-month high against the dollar during the day came as a morale booster. And while Asian shares were mixed, Europe opened higher after a record-setting session on Wall Street on bets that US lawmakers would pass a proposed tax cut. India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki was in top gear, with a maximum rise of 5.33 per cent. Other auto stocks were also in demand. NTPC, ONGC, ICICI Bank, HUL and PowerGrid ended in the green. On the sectoral front, barring the IT index, all others ended the day with gains. (With inputs from PTI)

Sensex, Nifty close at record highs after BJP's Gujarat, Himachal wins

Widening its probe into bitcoin investments and trade, the Income Tax (IT) department is set to issue notices to 4 to 5 lakh high networth individuals (HNI) across the country who were trading on the exchanges of this unregulated virtual currency.

The taxman had conducted surveys at nine such exchanges last week to check instances of tax evasion.

The department, official sources said,&nbsp;that out of the estimated 20 lakh entities registered on these exchanges, about 4 to 5 lakh were &quot;operational&quot; and indulging in transactions and investments.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/i-t-dept-conducts-surveys-at-bitcoin-exchanges-country-wide-26625">I-T dept conducts surveys at Bitcoin exchanges country-wide</a>

Sources said that the Bengaluru investigation wing of the tax department, which supervised last week&#39;s operations, has now dispatched the information of the individuals and entities found on these databases to eight other such wings across the country for a detailed probe.

&quot;Those individuals and entities whose records were recovered by the department are now being probed under tax evasion charges. Notices are being issued and they will have to pay capital gains tax on the bitcoin investments and trade,&quot; a senior official privy to the operation said.

About 4-5 lakh HNIs and their businesses are being issued notices which will first seek their relevant financial details and subsequently establish the tax demand, if any, he said.

As the bitcoins or the virtual currencies (VCs) are illegal and unregulated in the country as of now, the IT department has taken action as per the existing provisions, they said.

The survey operations conducted last week, under section 133 A of the Income Tax Act, were undertaken for &quot;gathering evidence for establishing the identity of investors and traders, the transaction undertaken by them, identity of counter-parties, related bank accounts used, among others,&quot; they said.

A survey action under the IT law pertains to the tax officials making a surprise visit to the business premises of the party under action but not their residential ones.

The trigger for the action is understood to be the huge spike being registered in the value of bitcoins and other virtual currencies in the recent past.

Suspected black money being converted into white, post demonetisation, through the use of bitcoins was also under the department&#39;s scanner, officials said.

Earlier this month, there was a spurt in the value of a bitcoin. It rose from under USD 10,000 at the start of the year to close to USD 20,000, before a sharp 20 per cent plunge within hours.

Bitcoin, a virtual currency, is not regulated in the country and its circulation has been a cause for concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also cautioned users, holders and traders of virtual currencies. The government has also said that it does not recognise &#39;crypto-currency&#39; as legal tender in India.

In March, the Union finance ministry constituted an Inter-Disciplinary Committee to take stock of the present status of virtual currencies both in India and globally and suggest measures for dealing with them.

The committee has submitted its report which is being examined.

The notices will first seek the relevant financial details and then establish tax demand, if any

Widening its probe into bitcoin investments and trade, the Income Tax (IT) department is set to issue notices to 4 to 5 lakh high networth individuals (HNI) across the country who were trading on the exchanges of this unregulated virtual currency. The taxman had conducted surveys at nine such exchanges last week to check instances of tax evasion. The department, official sources said, that out of the estimated 20 lakh entities registered on these exchanges, about 4 to 5 lakh were "operational" and indulging in transactions and investments. Also read: I-T dept conducts surveys at Bitcoin exchanges country-wide Sources said that the Bengaluru investigation wing of the tax department, which supervised last week's operations, has now dispatched the information of the individuals and entities found on these databases to eight other such wings across the country for a detailed probe. "Those individuals and entities whose records were recovered by the department are now being probed under tax evasion charges. Notices are being issued and they will have to pay capital gains tax on the bitcoin investments and trade," a senior official privy to the operation said. About 4-5 lakh HNIs and their businesses are being issued notices which will first seek their relevant financial details and subsequently establish the tax demand, if any, he said. As the bitcoins or the virtual currencies (VCs) are illegal and unregulated in the country as of now, the IT department has taken action as per the existing provisions, they said. The survey operations conducted last week, under section 133 A of the Income Tax Act, were undertaken for "gathering evidence for establishing the identity of investors and traders, the transaction undertaken by them, identity of counter-parties, related bank accounts used, among others," they said. A survey action under the IT law pertains to the tax officials making a surprise visit to the business premises of the party under action but not their residential ones. The trigger for the action is understood to be the huge spike being registered in the value of bitcoins and other virtual currencies in the recent past. Suspected black money being converted into white, post demonetisation, through the use of bitcoins was also under the department's scanner, officials said. Earlier this month, there was a spurt in the value of a bitcoin. It rose from under USD 10,000 at the start of the year to close to USD 20,000, before a sharp 20 per cent plunge within hours. Bitcoin, a virtual currency, is not regulated in the country and its circulation has been a cause for concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also cautioned users, holders and traders of virtual currencies. The government has also said that it does not recognise 'crypto-currency' as legal tender in India. In March, the Union finance ministry constituted an Inter-Disciplinary Committee to take stock of the present status of virtual currencies both in India and globally and suggest measures for dealing with them. The committee has submitted its report which is being examined.

Income Tax to send notices to 4-5 lakh people trading in bitcoin

Moto Z users rejoice as the Chinese smartphone maker has come up with three exciting Moto Mods in India.

Moto Mods are essentially modular backplates that can be magnetically attached to the back of Moto Z series devices.

A Moto Mod can turn a Z series handset into a boombox, a movie projector or a battery powerhouse depending on the Mod used.

Each Moto Mod is designed to offer an enhanced user experience to customers - from extra battery life, great sound to excellent video quality.&nbsp;

Motorola has partnered with RentoMojo to offer Moto Mods on rent to its customers for Rs 399 a week.

The rental service will be available December 23 onwards across top eight metro cities.&nbsp;

The three new Moto Mods -- JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker Mod (Rs 6,999), Moto TurboPower Pack battery Mod (Rs 5,999) and the GamePad Mod (Rs 6,999) -- will be available on sale at Flipkart and Motorola exclusive stores starting December 17.

Previously launched Moto Mods include Moto Insta- Share Projector, Hasselblad True Zoom and JBL SoundBoost. 
&nbsp;

Moto Mods are modular backplates that can be magnetically attached to the back of Moto Z series devices

Moto Z users rejoice as the Chinese smartphone maker has come up with three exciting Moto Mods in India. Moto Mods are essentially modular backplates that can be magnetically attached to the back of Moto Z series devices. A Moto Mod can turn a Z series handset into a boombox, a movie projector or a battery powerhouse depending on the Mod used. Each Moto Mod is designed to offer an enhanced user experience to customers - from extra battery life, great sound to excellent video quality. Motorola has partnered with RentoMojo to offer Moto Mods on rent to its customers for Rs 399 a week. The rental service will be available December 23 onwards across top eight metro cities. The three new Moto Mods -- JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker Mod (Rs 6,999), Moto TurboPower Pack battery Mod (Rs 5,999) and the GamePad Mod (Rs 6,999) -- will be available on sale at Flipkart and Motorola exclusive stores starting December 17. Previously launched Moto Mods include Moto Insta- Share Projector, Hasselblad True Zoom and JBL SoundBoost.

Motorola launches brand new Moto Mods in India; buy or simply rent one

A Japanese company will start paying part of its employees` salaries in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/i-t-dept-conducts-surveys-at-bitcoin-exchanges-country-wide-26625" target="_blank">Bitcoin</a>, as it aims to get better understanding of the virtual currency, a spokeswoman said on Friday.

GMO Internet, which operates a range of web-related businesses including finance, online advertising and internet infrastructure, will start paying up to 100,000 yen ($890) monthly by Bitcoin to its employees in Japan from February next year.

&quot;Employees can receive salaries by Bitcoin if they want to,&quot; company spokeswoman Harumi Ishii told AFP.

&quot;We hope to improve our own literacy of virtual currency by actually using it,&quot; she said.

The offer will be open to around 4,000 employees of the GMO group in Japan, she said.

The company started a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-bitcoin-is-a-highly-speculative-investment-why-caution-is-required-26092" target="_blank">Bitcoin</a> trading and exchange business in May.

And next month, it will join the so-called &quot;Bitcoin mining&quot; business -- gaining the right to receive new Bitcoins as a reward for helping keep the network secure by approving transactions.

World Bitcoin prices have surged globally this year, soaring from less than $1,000 in January to $17,000 this week.

World Bitcoin prices have surged globally this year, soaring from less than $1,000 in January to $17,000 this week

A Japanese company will start paying part of its employees` salaries in Bitcoin, as it aims to get better understanding of the virtual currency, a spokeswoman said on Friday. GMO Internet, which operates a range of web-related businesses including finance, online advertising and internet infrastructure, will start paying up to 100,000 yen ($890) monthly by Bitcoin to its employees in Japan from February next year. "Employees can receive salaries by Bitcoin if they want to," company spokeswoman Harumi Ishii told AFP. "We hope to improve our own literacy of virtual currency by actually using it," she said. The offer will be open to around 4,000 employees of the GMO group in Japan, she said. The company started a Bitcoin trading and exchange business in May. And next month, it will join the so-called "Bitcoin mining" business -- gaining the right to receive new Bitcoins as a reward for helping keep the network secure by approving transactions. World Bitcoin prices have surged globally this year, soaring from less than $1,000 in January to $17,000 this week.

Japan firm says it will pay part of salaries in Bitcoin

The much-awaited <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/ready-for-the-limited-edition-oneplus-5t-star-wars-device-amazon-to-make-it-available-in-india-25901" target="_blank">OnePlus 5T Star Wars</a> edition is out finally and is available on Amazon India and OnePlus India online store.

The special edition device was launched officially at 7 pm on December 14 at Carnival Cinemas Wadala - Mumbai.

The smartphone launch coincides with the release of the latest in the Star Wars franchise -- <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-star-wars-the-last-jedi-releases-today-analysts-wonder-if-it-will-be-top-earner-for-franchise-26775" target="_blank">The Last Jedi</a>.&nbsp;

OnePlus5T Star Wars Edition is available at Rs 38,999 in India. The device sports an all-white back and black exteriors on the front.

The special edition handset comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage with a fingerprint sensor located at the back, right above the standard OnePlus badge.

The device runs on Snapdragon 835 and comes with Full Optic AMOLED 18:9 Display and dual (16+20) cameras.&nbsp;

OnePlus&#39; flagship of the year, OnePlus 5T was previously launched only in black colour after which it was also released in attractive &#39;Lava Red&#39; for Chinese users.

OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16.

The Star Wars edition smartphone comes bundled with a range of goodies for the true &#39;Jedi&#39; fans. The handset is offered with an attractive custom phone-case.

The limited edition device will be available on sale via OnePlus Experience stores in Bengaluru and Noida, while stocks last.

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We&rsquo;re also celebrating our 4th anniversary and as a thank you, we&#39;re giving away 10,000 tickets to complimentary screenings of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnePlusAndStarWars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnePlusAndStarWars</a> <a href="https://t.co/enxEMBOPyo">pic.twitter.com/enxEMBOPyo</a>
&mdash; OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/OnePlus_IN/status/941317394625994753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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OnePlus celebrates its 4th anniversary this week and gives out a range of offers, discounts and giveaways, you can log on to the official website to browse through the offers of your choice.&nbsp;

OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16.

The much-awaited OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition is out finally and is available on Amazon India and OnePlus India online store. The special edition device was launched officially at 7 pm on December 14 at Carnival Cinemas Wadala - Mumbai. The smartphone launch coincides with the release of the latest in the Star Wars franchise -- The Last Jedi. OnePlus5T Star Wars Edition is available at Rs 38,999 in India. The device sports an all-white back and black exteriors on the front. The special edition handset comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage with a fingerprint sensor located at the back, right above the standard OnePlus badge. The device runs on Snapdragon 835 and comes with Full Optic AMOLED 18:9 Display and dual (16+20) cameras. OnePlus' flagship of the year, OnePlus 5T was previously launched only in black colour after which it was also released in attractive 'Lava Red' for Chinese users. OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16. The Star Wars edition smartphone comes bundled with a range of goodies for the true 'Jedi' fans. The handset is offered with an attractive custom phone-case. The limited edition device will be available on sale via OnePlus Experience stores in Bengaluru and Noida, while stocks last. We’re also celebrating our 4th anniversary and as a thank you, we're giving away 10,000 tickets to complimentary screenings of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.#OnePlusAndStarWars pic.twitter.com/enxEMBOPyo — OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) December 14, 2017 × OnePlus celebrates its 4th anniversary this week and gives out a range of offers, discounts and giveaways, you can log on to the official website to browse through the offers of your choice.

OnePlus 5T 'Star Wars' Edition comes to India - All you need to know

Walt Disney Co has struck a deal to buy film, television and international businesses from Rupert Murdoch&#39;s Twenty-First Century Fox Inc for $52.4 billion in stock, giving the world&#39;s largest entertainment company an arsenal of shows and movies to combat growing digital rivals Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc.

The deal brings to a close more than half a century of expansion by Murdoch, 86, who turned a single Australian newspaper he inherited from his father at the age of 21 into one of the world&#39;s most important global news and film conglomerates. The new, slimmed down Fox will focus on TV news and sport.

Early indications are that the deal will not face strong resistance from antitrust regulators as AT&amp;T Corp&#39;s bid to acquire Time Warner Inc has done. US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who has attacked the AT&amp;T deal, spoke to Murdoch on Thursday and congratulated him on the deal, according to the White House.

Shares of Fox, which have surged more than 30 per cent since talk of the deal surfaced in early November, closed up 6.5 per cent. Disney shares rose 2.7 per cent, spurred on by the company&#39;s plan to buy up to $20 billion of its own shares to offset dilution from the all-stock deal. Disney will also assume about $13.7 billion of Fox debt in the deal.

Fox stockholders will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each share held and will end up owning about a quarter of Disney.

Under the deal, expected to close in 12 to 18 months, Disney acquires 21st Century Fox&#39;s film and television studios, its cable entertainment networks and international TV businesses.

That brings marquee franchises like &quot;Avatar&quot; and &quot;The Simpsons&quot; inside the Mouse House, on top of Iger&#39;s previous purchases, including Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Entertainment and &quot;Star Wars&quot; producer Lucasfilm.

The deal also includes 22 of Fox&#39;s regional sports networks that have the rights to televise live games of US&nbsp;professional baseball, basketball and hockey teams as well as popular college and high school games.

Disney&rsquo;s global footprint expands with the acquisition of Fox&#39;s international satellite assets, including Star TV network in India and a stake in European pay-TV provider Sky Plc and sports rights in several countries.

The new pipeline of shows and movies will help Disney battle technology companies siphoning audiences away from traditional TV networks.

Amazon is on track to spend at least $4.5 billion on video this year, according to analyst estimates, while Netflix plans to spend $8 billion on content next year. That is closing the gap on Disney, which spent $13.5 billion on content, half of that on sports, in the latest fiscal year, according to analysts.

&quot;The deal illustrates the huge strategic challenge traditional media companies face and how they need to reinvent their business models to compete with digital, online competitors such as Netflix, Google and Amazon,&quot; said Nick Jones, partner and head of technology at Cavendish Corporate Finance. &quot;(It) helps Disney dramatically reduce its reliance on traditional television, a business that has declined over the last two decades.&quot;

New Fox

Immediately before the acquisition, Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, its sports channels FS1, FS2 and the Big Ten Network, into a newly listed company that it will spin off to its shareholders.

&quot;This will be a growth company, centred on live news and sports brands and the strength of the Fox network,&quot; 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Murdoch told investors. He said Fox was not retreating, rather &quot;pivoting at a pivotal moment.&quot;

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, 66, will extend his tenure through the end of 2021 to oversee the integration of the Fox businesses. He has already postponed his retirement from Disney three times, saying in March he was committed to leaving the company in July 2019.

If Iger sees out his new term, that would rule out a presidential bid in 2020, which had been the subject of some speculation.

&quot;This acquisition reflects a changing media landscape, increasingly defined by transforming technology and evolving consumer expectations,&quot; Iger told investors on a conference call.

He said new technology would be necessary to meet the demands of viewers who want to access content anytime. Fox&#39;s regional sports networks and cable network puts Disney in a better position to sell more shows directly to more consumers, he added.

Disney has been struggling to bolster its TV business as cancellation of cable subscriptions is pressuring its biggest network, sports channel ESPN.

The company plans to launch its own streaming service in 2019, a calculated gamble that it can generate more profit in the long run from its own subscription service rather than renting out movies to services like Netflix.

It is not clear who will head the new Fox. Iger said current Fox CEO James Murdoch, Rupert&#39;s younger son, will help with the transition and that the two will discuss whether he will have a longer-term role at Disney.

Sky&#39;s future

Through Fox&#39;s stake in the Hulu video streaming service, Disney will assume majority control of one of Netflix&#39;s main competitors. Hulu is also partially owned by Comcast Corp and Time Warner Inc.

A majority of antitrust experts contacted by Reuters said the deal would likely win approval from US&nbsp;antitrust authorities, although the US&nbsp;Department of Justice may require asset sales or conditions, they said.

Fox said it remained committed to buying the 61 percent of Sky it does not already own and expects to win regulatory approval from Britain and to close the deal by the end of June, 2018.

Britain&rsquo;s Takeover Panel said Disney had informed the watchdog that should it only buy 39 percent of the company - if Murdoch fails to buy the rest of Sky - it did not think it should be forced to make a full bid for the company. The statement prompted Sky&rsquo;s stock to fall by 1 percent.

In Britain, any investor acquiring 30 percent of a listed company is automatically forced to make a bid for the rest of the stock. The Takeover Panel said it would seek the opinions of Sky&rsquo;s independent directors before making a decision.

Fox stockholders will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each share held and will end up owning about a quarter of Disney

Walt Disney Co has struck a deal to buy film, television and international businesses from Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox Inc for $52.4 billion in stock, giving the world's largest entertainment company an arsenal of shows and movies to combat growing digital rivals Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc. The deal brings to a close more than half a century of expansion by Murdoch, 86, who turned a single Australian newspaper he inherited from his father at the age of 21 into one of the world's most important global news and film conglomerates. The new, slimmed down Fox will focus on TV news and sport. Early indications are that the deal will not face strong resistance from antitrust regulators as AT&T Corp's bid to acquire Time Warner Inc has done. US President Donald Trump, who has attacked the AT&T deal, spoke to Murdoch on Thursday and congratulated him on the deal, according to the White House. Shares of Fox, which have surged more than 30 per cent since talk of the deal surfaced in early November, closed up 6.5 per cent. Disney shares rose 2.7 per cent, spurred on by the company's plan to buy up to $20 billion of its own shares to offset dilution from the all-stock deal. Disney will also assume about $13.7 billion of Fox debt in the deal. Fox stockholders will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each share held and will end up owning about a quarter of Disney. Under the deal, expected to close in 12 to 18 months, Disney acquires 21st Century Fox's film and television studios, its cable entertainment networks and international TV businesses. That brings marquee franchises like "Avatar" and "The Simpsons" inside the Mouse House, on top of Iger's previous purchases, including Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Entertainment and "Star Wars" producer Lucasfilm. The deal also includes 22 of Fox's regional sports networks that have the rights to televise live games of US professional baseball, basketball and hockey teams as well as popular college and high school games. Disney’s global footprint expands with the acquisition of Fox's international satellite assets, including Star TV network in India and a stake in European pay-TV provider Sky Plc and sports rights in several countries. The new pipeline of shows and movies will help Disney battle technology companies siphoning audiences away from traditional TV networks. Amazon is on track to spend at least $4.5 billion on video this year, according to analyst estimates, while Netflix plans to spend $8 billion on content next year. That is closing the gap on Disney, which spent $13.5 billion on content, half of that on sports, in the latest fiscal year, according to analysts. "The deal illustrates the huge strategic challenge traditional media companies face and how they need to reinvent their business models to compete with digital, online competitors such as Netflix, Google and Amazon," said Nick Jones, partner and head of technology at Cavendish Corporate Finance. "(It) helps Disney dramatically reduce its reliance on traditional television, a business that has declined over the last two decades." New Fox Immediately before the acquisition, Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, its sports channels FS1, FS2 and the Big Ten Network, into a newly listed company that it will spin off to its shareholders. "This will be a growth company, centred on live news and sports brands and the strength of the Fox network," 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Murdoch told investors. He said Fox was not retreating, rather "pivoting at a pivotal moment." Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, 66, will extend his tenure through the end of 2021 to oversee the integration of the Fox businesses. He has already postponed his retirement from Disney three times, saying in March he was committed to leaving the company in July 2019. If Iger sees out his new term, that would rule out a presidential bid in 2020, which had been the subject of some speculation. "This acquisition reflects a changing media landscape, increasingly defined by transforming technology and evolving consumer expectations," Iger told investors on a conference call. He said new technology would be necessary to meet the demands of viewers who want to access content anytime. Fox's regional sports networks and cable network puts Disney in a better position to sell more shows directly to more consumers, he added. Disney has been struggling to bolster its TV business as cancellation of cable subscriptions is pressuring its biggest network, sports channel ESPN. The company plans to launch its own streaming service in 2019, a calculated gamble that it can generate more profit in the long run from its own subscription service rather than renting out movies to services like Netflix. It is not clear who will head the new Fox. Iger said current Fox CEO James Murdoch, Rupert's younger son, will help with the transition and that the two will discuss whether he will have a longer-term role at Disney. Sky's future Through Fox's stake in the Hulu video streaming service, Disney will assume majority control of one of Netflix's main competitors. Hulu is also partially owned by Comcast Corp and Time Warner Inc. A majority of antitrust experts contacted by Reuters said the deal would likely win approval from US antitrust authorities, although the US Department of Justice may require asset sales or conditions, they said. Fox said it remained committed to buying the 61 percent of Sky it does not already own and expects to win regulatory approval from Britain and to close the deal by the end of June, 2018. Britain’s Takeover Panel said Disney had informed the watchdog that should it only buy 39 percent of the company - if Murdoch fails to buy the rest of Sky - it did not think it should be forced to make a full bid for the company. The statement prompted Sky’s stock to fall by 1 percent. In Britain, any investor acquiring 30 percent of a listed company is automatically forced to make a bid for the rest of the stock. The Takeover Panel said it would seek the opinions of Sky’s independent directors before making a decision.

Disney buying Fox film, TV units for $52 billion in digital push

India&#39;s wholesale price based inflation rose&nbsp;to 3.93 per cent in&nbsp;November, as against 3.59 per cent in October.

&nbsp;The annual wholesale price inflation accelerated in November to an eight-month high, driven by faster rises in prices of food and fuel products, government data showed.&nbsp;

Inflation, based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), had risen to a six-month high in October due to increase in prices of food, onions and vegetables.

The government data had shown&nbsp;inflation in food articles more than doubled to 4.30 per cent in October.

In April, India&#39;s inflation stood at 3.85 per cent.

Last month, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) had kept benchmark interest rate unchanged on fears of rising inflation while lowering growth forecast to 6.7 per cent for the current fiscal.

RBI also raised its inflation forecast to the 4.2-4.6 per cent range for the rest of the current fiscal as against 4-4.5 per cent previously.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The government data had shown?inflation in food articles more than doubled to 4.30 per cent in October.

India's wholesale price based inflation rose to 3.93 per cent in November, as against 3.59 per cent in October. The annual wholesale price inflation accelerated in November to an eight-month high, driven by faster rises in prices of food and fuel products, government data showed. Inflation, based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), had risen to a six-month high in October due to increase in prices of food, onions and vegetables. The government data had shown inflation in food articles more than doubled to 4.30 per cent in October. In April, India's inflation stood at 3.85 per cent. Last month, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) had kept benchmark interest rate unchanged on fears of rising inflation while lowering growth forecast to 6.7 per cent for the current fiscal. RBI also raised its inflation forecast to the 4.2-4.6 per cent range for the rest of the current fiscal as against 4-4.5 per cent previously.

India's wholesale inflation rises to eight-month high in November

As the year nears its end, international advertising giant Ogilvy released its top trends and predictions for the upcoming year.

The advertising giant has been releasing an annual report to &quot;spot the key trends in digital and social media marketing that are likely to be important in the coming year,&quot;. This year&#39;s release will be the fifth in the row.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/Ogilvy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ogilvy</a> Key Digital Trends for 2018 report touches on everything from the future of influencer marketing to the rise of Amazon, augmented reality, video dominance and disposable content. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OgilvyTrends2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OgilvyTrends2018</a> Check it out now: <a href="https://t.co/ylz60LLUQg">https://t.co/ylz60LLUQg</a> <a href="https://t.co/5DzBeUXQk2">pic.twitter.com/5DzBeUXQk2</a>
&mdash; @OgilvyRED (@OgilvyRED) <a href="https://twitter.com/OgilvyRED/status/940549986089086976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Some of the key predictions for 2018 are shared below.

1. Safeguarding the digital space

On the official website, Ogilvy talks about the fast-paced growth of digital marketing which also makes it imperative to guard the medium against probable security threats and other attacks.

&quot;There is also an array of initiatives to address problems with fraud in digital display and confront client concerns about programmatic buying. Platforms are working to make measurement more transparent and deliver a clearer link between marketing activity and business outcomes. Governments will have to make progress on state-sponsored hacking,&quot; as mentions the official release.&nbsp;

&quot;We&rsquo;re even doing passwords wrong. That annoying protocol that forces you to change your password every six weeks? And have different passwords for every system at work? And use crazy combinations of special characters so passwords are impossible to remember? Pointless,&quot; noted the release.

2. A departure from typing

The following year is predicted to see a move away from typing onto to a space that encourages the visual and the audio modes.

&quot;Every form of technology, user interfaces are evolving away from fingers and thumbs and towards less tactile forms of interaction like voice and images,&quot; shared the release.

3. Next stop, Augmented Reality

The proliferation of good mobile tech and vastly improved AR platforms have now enabled mass-user penetration of said platforms.

Facebook has been one such brand promoting AR-user interaction, the extension of this will continue to be seen in the coming year as well.

4. Amazon, the dominant digital advertiser

Amazon &quot;might soon rival Google and Facebook&quot; when it comes to digital advertising.

&quot;This is not about product pages. It&rsquo;s about thinking of Amazon as a useful platform for advertising in every part of the sales funnel,&quot; said the release.&nbsp;

5. Influencer marketing, a bane?

Influencer marketing is predicted to grow in the following year as well, however, cracks might begin to show, &quot;especially at the high-end where digital influencers straddle the line between influencer and celebrity&quot;. as mentioned by Ogilvy.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OgilvyTrends2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OgilvyTrends2018</a> Bonus feature for 2018: Reflections on 5 years of trends and some recurring themes. Including: 
 
* Demise of organic reach 
* Twitter&#39;s cloudy future 
* Dominance of video 
* Prevalence of disposable content 
 
Big changes and big implications.<a href="https://t.co/eVGZ2aA1mv">https://t.co/eVGZ2aA1mv</a>
&mdash; Marshall Manson (@marshallmanson) <a href="https://twitter.com/marshallmanson/status/940539094207205376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The complete list of Ogilvy&#39;s trends for 2018 is exhaustive and includes over 90 predictions some of which, apart from the one mentioned above, are mentioned below:

- The emergence &amp; domination of video content.

- Search is moving towards voice ComScore - 50% of searches will be done by voice by 2020.

- Search will get more visual.

- More serious measures for digital privacy, data security.

&nbsp;

A surge in voice-based search is predicted

As the year nears its end, international advertising giant Ogilvy released its top trends and predictions for the upcoming year. The advertising giant has been releasing an annual report to "spot the key trends in digital and social media marketing that are likely to be important in the coming year,". This year's release will be the fifth in the row. The @Ogilvy Key Digital Trends for 2018 report touches on everything from the future of influencer marketing to the rise of Amazon, augmented reality, video dominance and disposable content. #OgilvyTrends2018 Check it out now: https://t.co/ylz60LLUQg pic.twitter.com/5DzBeUXQk2 — @OgilvyRED (@OgilvyRED) December 12, 2017 × Some of the key predictions for 2018 are shared below. 1. Safeguarding the digital space On the official website, Ogilvy talks about the fast-paced growth of digital marketing which also makes it imperative to guard the medium against probable security threats and other attacks. "There is also an array of initiatives to address problems with fraud in digital display and confront client concerns about programmatic buying. Platforms are working to make measurement more transparent and deliver a clearer link between marketing activity and business outcomes. Governments will have to make progress on state-sponsored hacking," as mentions the official release. "We’re even doing passwords wrong. That annoying protocol that forces you to change your password every six weeks? And have different passwords for every system at work? And use crazy combinations of special characters so passwords are impossible to remember? Pointless," noted the release. 2. A departure from typing The following year is predicted to see a move away from typing onto to a space that encourages the visual and the audio modes. "Every form of technology, user interfaces are evolving away from fingers and thumbs and towards less tactile forms of interaction like voice and images," shared the release. 3. Next stop, Augmented Reality The proliferation of good mobile tech and vastly improved AR platforms have now enabled mass-user penetration of said platforms. Facebook has been one such brand promoting AR-user interaction, the extension of this will continue to be seen in the coming year as well. 4. Amazon, the dominant digital advertiser Amazon "might soon rival Google and Facebook" when it comes to digital advertising. "This is not about product pages. It’s about thinking of Amazon as a useful platform for advertising in every part of the sales funnel," said the release. 5. Influencer marketing, a bane? Influencer marketing is predicted to grow in the following year as well, however, cracks might begin to show, "especially at the high-end where digital influencers straddle the line between influencer and celebrity". as mentioned by Ogilvy. #OgilvyTrends2018 Bonus feature for 2018: Reflections on 5 years of trends and some recurring themes. Including: * Demise of organic reach * Twitter's cloudy future * Dominance of video * Prevalence of disposable content Big changes and big implications.https://t.co/eVGZ2aA1mv — Marshall Manson (@marshallmanson) December 12, 2017 × The complete list of Ogilvy's trends for 2018 is exhaustive and includes over 90 predictions some of which, apart from the one mentioned above, are mentioned below: - The emergence & domination of video content. - Search is moving towards voice ComScore - 50% of searches will be done by voice by 2020. - Search will get more visual. - More serious measures for digital privacy, data security.

Ogilvy releases key trends in digital marketing for 2018

The Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted survey operations at major Bitcoin exchanges across the country on suspicion of alleged tax evasion, official sources said.

They said various teams of the sleuths of the department, under the command of the Bengaluru investigation wing, today visited the premises of nine such exchanges in the country including in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Gurugram, since early morning.

The survey, under section 133A of the Income Tax Act, is being conducted for &quot;gathering evidence for establishing the identity of investors and traders, transaction undertaken by them, identity of counterparties, related bank accounts used, among others,&quot; they said.

The survey teams, sources said, are armed with various financial data and inputs about the working of these exchanges and this is the first big action against them in the country.

Bitcoin, a virtual currency, is not regulated in the country and its circulation has been a cause of concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now.

The Reserve Bank of India has also cautioned users, holders and traders of virtual currencies, including bitcoins.

In March, the Union finance ministry had constituted an Inter-Disciplinary Committee to take stock of the present status of VCs both in India and globally and suggest measures for dealing with such currencies.

Bitcoin is not regulated in the country and its circulation has been a cause of concern

The Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted survey operations at major Bitcoin exchanges across the country on suspicion of alleged tax evasion, official sources said. They said various teams of the sleuths of the department, under the command of the Bengaluru investigation wing, today visited the premises of nine such exchanges in the country including in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Gurugram, since early morning. The survey, under section 133A of the Income Tax Act, is being conducted for "gathering evidence for establishing the identity of investors and traders, transaction undertaken by them, identity of counterparties, related bank accounts used, among others," they said. The survey teams, sources said, are armed with various financial data and inputs about the working of these exchanges and this is the first big action against them in the country. Bitcoin, a virtual currency, is not regulated in the country and its circulation has been a cause of concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now. The Reserve Bank of India has also cautioned users, holders and traders of virtual currencies, including bitcoins. In March, the Union finance ministry had constituted an Inter-Disciplinary Committee to take stock of the present status of VCs both in India and globally and suggest measures for dealing with such currencies.

I-T dept conducts surveys at Bitcoin exchanges country-wide

LG&#39;s much-awaited flagship smartphone of the year, the V30+, was launched in India today at an event in New Delhi.

LG V30+, successor to LG V30, will be available in India December 18 onward via Amazon India.

The premium smartphone was previously launched at LG&rsquo;s press conference at IFA 2017, Berlin.

LG V30+ comes with a large 6-inch 18:9 OLED FullVision display. The main camera on the rear features an F1.6 aperture that facilitates clearer and brighter shots.

&quot;The second lens in the V30+ dual camera is an upgraded 13MP wide-angle lens,&quot; notes the press release.&nbsp;

LG&#39;s new Cine Video mode lets a user take high-quality videos. The camera is capable of zooming in on any subject and not just zoom in on the centre of the frame.

LG V30+ runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Android 7.1.2 Nougat.

The dual-camera smartphone boasts of 16MP Standard Angle and 13MP Wide-Angle rear cameras and 5MP Wide Angle camera in front.

The smartphone is backed by a 3,300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support. The handset will be available in two exciting colours - Aurora Black and Cloud Silver.&nbsp;

On the storage front, the handset comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which is also expandable to 2TB with the help of a micro-SD card.

The smartphone also features Google Assistant, voice and face recognition and a fingerprint sensor which doubles up as the power button.&nbsp;

The device is dust resistant and &quot;can be immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes without impacting the function,&quot; noted the media release. The V30+ also offers wireless charging.&nbsp;

With respect to the &#39;second screen&#39; feature, unlike its predecessors, the LG V30+ comes with a modified version. The AOD replaces the Second Screen when the display is off. It provides shortcuts to Quick Tools and Music Player without letting a user switch on the display.

LG V30+ is priced at Rs 44,990 and is set to compete with other flagship competitors in the market like Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5T.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

LG V30+ will be available exclusively via Amazon India

LG's much-awaited flagship smartphone of the year, the V30+, was launched in India today at an event in New Delhi. LG V30+, successor to LG V30, will be available in India December 18 onward via Amazon India. The premium smartphone was previously launched at LG’s press conference at IFA 2017, Berlin. LG V30+ comes with a large 6-inch 18:9 OLED FullVision display. The main camera on the rear features an F1.6 aperture that facilitates clearer and brighter shots. "The second lens in the V30+ dual camera is an upgraded 13MP wide-angle lens," notes the press release. LG's new Cine Video mode lets a user take high-quality videos. The camera is capable of zooming in on any subject and not just zoom in on the centre of the frame. LG V30+ runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The dual-camera smartphone boasts of 16MP Standard Angle and 13MP Wide-Angle rear cameras and 5MP Wide Angle camera in front. The smartphone is backed by a 3,300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support. The handset will be available in two exciting colours - Aurora Black and Cloud Silver. On the storage front, the handset comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which is also expandable to 2TB with the help of a micro-SD card. The smartphone also features Google Assistant, voice and face recognition and a fingerprint sensor which doubles up as the power button. The device is dust resistant and "can be immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes without impacting the function," noted the media release. The V30+ also offers wireless charging. With respect to the 'second screen' feature, unlike its predecessors, the LG V30+ comes with a modified version. The AOD replaces the Second Screen when the display is off. It provides shortcuts to Quick Tools and Music Player without letting a user switch on the display. LG V30+ is priced at Rs 44,990 and is set to compete with other flagship competitors in the market like Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5T.

LG V30+ launches in India at Rs 44,990, comes with modified secondary display

The Asian Development Bank(ADB) in its report said South Asia will remain the fastest growing region in Asia Pacific with India projected to grow at 7.3 per cent next year, slower than ADB&#39;s pervious estimate of 7.4 per cent.

The Manila-based ADB said India&#39;s&nbsp;growth will be at a lower rate of 6.7 per cent in 2017 from previous estimate of 7.0 per cent with South Asia growing a tad slowly at 6.5 per cent from earlier forecast of 6.7 per cent this year.

The recovery in the Indian economy &ldquo;is more subdued than assumed earlier due to rising crude oil prices, soft private investment growth, and weather-related risks to agriculture,&rdquo; the ADB said.

ADB raised the growth outlook for Southeast Asia to 5.2 per cent for both this year and in 2018, higher than the September forecasts of 5.0 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively.

ADB said the overall growth forecast for South Asia next year would be maintained at 7.0 per cent.

On China, the ADB report said the country is projected to grow at 6.8 per cent this year which is higher than its estimate of 6.7 per cent, however, in 2018, China&#39;s growth could see a dip with the economy growing at 6.4 per cent.

&quot;Developing Asia&#39;s growth momentum, supported by recovering exports, demonstrates that openness to trade remains an essential component of inclusive economic development,&quot; ADB chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada said in a report.

The Manila-based ADB said India will growth at a lower rate of 6.7 per cent in 2017 from previous estimate of 7.0 per cent

The Asian Development Bank(ADB) in its report said South Asia will remain the fastest growing region in Asia Pacific with India projected to grow at 7.3 per cent next year, slower than ADB's pervious estimate of 7.4 per cent. The Manila-based ADB said India's growth will be at a lower rate of 6.7 per cent in 2017 from previous estimate of 7.0 per cent with South Asia growing a tad slowly at 6.5 per cent from earlier forecast of 6.7 per cent this year. The recovery in the Indian economy “is more subdued than assumed earlier due to rising crude oil prices, soft private investment growth, and weather-related risks to agriculture,” the ADB said. ADB raised the growth outlook for Southeast Asia to 5.2 per cent for both this year and in 2018, higher than the September forecasts of 5.0 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively. ADB said the overall growth forecast for South Asia next year would be maintained at 7.0 per cent. On China, the ADB report said the country is projected to grow at 6.8 per cent this year which is higher than its estimate of 6.7 per cent, however, in 2018, China's growth could see a dip with the economy growing at 6.4 per cent. "Developing Asia's growth momentum, supported by recovering exports, demonstrates that openness to trade remains an essential component of inclusive economic development," ADB chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada said in a report.

India's growth set to be higher than China in 2018: Asian Development Bank

In a move to simplify its platform the popular photosharing app, Instagram,&nbsp;has introduced two new features.&nbsp;

The new feature will provide users with a simplified search technique by following hashtags.&nbsp;

They can now follow hashtags in addition to other people&#39;s account.

Users will be able to track the topic of their interest by following a hashtag. Two tabs will appear after the users search for a topic. One of the tab will include the list of people related to the topic, while the other will have related hashtags.&nbsp;

The users can follow any hashtag page from the available list after which they will get to see top feeds and stories related to the hashtag.&nbsp;

Not showing every piece of information tagged with the&nbsp;hashtag, the app will use an algorithm to provide content to the user that he has engaged&nbsp;with the most.

Besides this, it&nbsp;has also introduced another feature which will show the photos liked by user&#39;s friend on the&nbsp;newsfeed.&nbsp;

It will help in the easy discovery of new content in the news feed.&nbsp;

Also, the stories bar will feature the latest story related to the hashtag.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Users will be able to track the topic of their interest by following a hashtag. Two tabs will appear after the users search for a topic. One of the tab will include the list of people related to the topic, while the other will have related hashtags

In a move to simplify its platform the popular photosharing app, Instagram, has introduced two new features. The new feature will provide users with a simplified search technique by following hashtags. They can now follow hashtags in addition to other people's account. Users will be able to track the topic of their interest by following a hashtag. Two tabs will appear after the users search for a topic. One of the tab will include the list of people related to the topic, while the other will have related hashtags. The users can follow any hashtag page from the available list after which they will get to see top feeds and stories related to the hashtag. Not showing every piece of information tagged with the hashtag, the app will use an algorithm to provide content to the user that he has engaged with the most. Besides this, it has also introduced another feature which will show the photos liked by user's friend on the newsfeed. It will help in the easy discovery of new content in the news feed. Also, the stories bar will feature the latest story related to the hashtag.

Now, follow hashtags on Instagram

India&#39;s economy is projected to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019, despite a slowdown observed this year and the lingering effects from the demonetisation, the UN has said.

The outlook for India remains largely positive, underpinned by robust private consumption and public investment as well as ongoing structural reforms, despite the slowdown observed in early 2017 and the lingering effects from the demonetisation policy, the United Nations said.

&quot;GDP growth for India is projected to accelerate from 6.7 per cent in 2017 to 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019,&quot; the UN said in its report &#39;World Economic Situation Prospects&#39; (WESP 2018), released at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday.

At the same time, the report said, the performance of private investment remains a key macroeconomic concern.

&quot;Gross fixed capital formation as a share of GDP has declined from about 40 per cent in 2010 to less than 30 per cent in 2017, amid subdued credit growth, low capacity utilisation in some industrial sectors and balance sheet problems in the banking and corporate sectors.

&quot;In this environment, vigorous public investment in infrastructure has been critical in propping up overall investment growth,&quot; it said. 
According to the report, there exists some degree of uncertainty over the monetary policy stance in India.

&quot;Subdued inflation, coupled with a good monsoon season, offers scope for additional monetary easing,&quot; it said.

Fiscal deficit in India has declined visibly, and it is expected to narrow further to 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2018, it added. 
An upturn in the global economy - now growing by about three per cent - paves the way to reorient policy towards longer-term issues such as addressing climate change, tackling existing inequalities and removing institutional obstacles to development, according to the WESP report.

&quot;The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 demonstrates that current macroeconomic conditions offer policy-makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that continue to hamper progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,&quot; said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the foreword of the report.&nbsp;

The UN added that India would grow at 7.4% in 2019

India's economy is projected to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019, despite a slowdown observed this year and the lingering effects from the demonetisation, the UN has said. The outlook for India remains largely positive, underpinned by robust private consumption and public investment as well as ongoing structural reforms, despite the slowdown observed in early 2017 and the lingering effects from the demonetisation policy, the United Nations said. "GDP growth for India is projected to accelerate from 6.7 per cent in 2017 to 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019," the UN said in its report 'World Economic Situation Prospects' (WESP 2018), released at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday. At the same time, the report said, the performance of private investment remains a key macroeconomic concern. "Gross fixed capital formation as a share of GDP has declined from about 40 per cent in 2010 to less than 30 per cent in 2017, amid subdued credit growth, low capacity utilisation in some industrial sectors and balance sheet problems in the banking and corporate sectors. "In this environment, vigorous public investment in infrastructure has been critical in propping up overall investment growth," it said. According to the report, there exists some degree of uncertainty over the monetary policy stance in India. "Subdued inflation, coupled with a good monsoon season, offers scope for additional monetary easing," it said. Fiscal deficit in India has declined visibly, and it is expected to narrow further to 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2018, it added. An upturn in the global economy - now growing by about three per cent - paves the way to reorient policy towards longer-term issues such as addressing climate change, tackling existing inequalities and removing institutional obstacles to development, according to the WESP report. "The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 demonstrates that current macroeconomic conditions offer policy-makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that continue to hamper progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the foreword of the report.

India's economy to grow at 7.2% in 2018: UN

In an innovative move to modernise restaurant, a restaurant owner from South India, Tamil Nadu has employed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/ges-2017-meet-mitra-the-humanoid-from-hyderabad-25378" target="_blank">robots</a> to serve food to the customers, a media report stated.&nbsp;

A Chinese restaurant in Chennai, located near the Old Mahabalipuram Road, was known&nbsp;for the&nbsp;authentic&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;food. However, the restaurant is&nbsp;now popular for&nbsp;&quot;one-of-a-kind&quot; waiters.

It has four robots who sever food to the customers.&nbsp;

The owner of the restaurant, Venkatesh, is a former IT employee.&nbsp;He has founded the restaurant in collaboration with another friend.&nbsp;

Venkatesh has imported four robots from China. Each of&nbsp;different colours pink, red, purple and blue.&nbsp;

He said that it took him three months to get the robots from China. It also included getting permissions from the customs department.&nbsp;

Every table in the restaurant has a tablet.&nbsp;The customers place their order by entering it into the tablet. The order reaches the cook in the kitchen who then sends it via robots.&nbsp;

The robots are also designed to understand Tamil.&nbsp;

The restaurant also has trained people to program the robots.&nbsp;

The owner of the restaurant said that the trend of robots restaurants is quite usual in Japan, Bangladesh and Western Countries too.&nbsp;

India already showcased <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/ges-2017-meet-mitra-the-humanoid-from-hyderabad-25378" target="_blank">country made robot &quot;Mitra&quot; </a>in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-general-entrepreneurship-summit-25317" target="_blank">Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017</a>&nbsp;organised in Hyderabad

Mitra is a humanoid invented by a Bengaluru based company&nbsp;&quot;Invento Robotics&quot;.

It has been working in Canara Bank and PVR Cinemas in Bengaluru.The robot speaks to the customers, reviews their preferences based on previous purchases and suggests them for a perfect purchase.&nbsp;

Vishwanathan, owner of Mitra also added that the robot can be used as a customer service agent in multiple domains like banks, hospitals, airports, hotels.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A Chinese restaurant in Chennai, located near the Old Mahabalipuram Road, was known?for the?authentic?Chinese?food. However, the restaurant is?now popular for?'one-of-a-kind' waiters

In an innovative move to modernise restaurant, a restaurant owner from South India, Tamil Nadu has employed robots to serve food to the customers, a media report stated. A Chinese restaurant in Chennai, located near the Old Mahabalipuram Road, was known for the authentic Chinese food. However, the restaurant is now popular for "one-of-a-kind" waiters. It has four robots who sever food to the customers. The owner of the restaurant, Venkatesh, is a former IT employee. He has founded the restaurant in collaboration with another friend. Venkatesh has imported four robots from China. Each of different colours pink, red, purple and blue. He said that it took him three months to get the robots from China. It also included getting permissions from the customs department. Every table in the restaurant has a tablet. The customers place their order by entering it into the tablet. The order reaches the cook in the kitchen who then sends it via robots. The robots are also designed to understand Tamil. The restaurant also has trained people to program the robots. The owner of the restaurant said that the trend of robots restaurants is quite usual in Japan, Bangladesh and Western Countries too. India already showcased country made robot "Mitra" in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 organised in Hyderabad Mitra is a humanoid invented by a Bengaluru based company "Invento Robotics". It has been working in Canara Bank and PVR Cinemas in Bengaluru.The robot speaks to the customers, reviews their preferences based on previous purchases and suggests them for a perfect purchase. Vishwanathan, owner of Mitra also added that the robot can be used as a customer service agent in multiple domains like banks, hospitals, airports, hotels.

Chennai restaurant uses robot to serve food

The stock market set the clock back today as the Sensex tumbled 228 points -- in a break with three sessions of gains -- after investor worry heightened over rising global oil prices ahead of inflation numbers.

Participants were at a crossroads as they had a clutch of macro pointers such as industrial production (IIP) and inflation in their sights, slated for release after market hours. Other Asian shares turned weak.

The Sensex closed at 33,227.99, down 227.80 points, or 0.68 per cent. The gauge had rallied 858.61 points in the previous three sessions.

The broader Nifty settled below the key 10,300-level, down 82.10 points, or 0.80 per cent, at 10,240.15.

&quot;With few cues to push ahead, the caution ahead of key macroeconomic release weighed on prices. Asian peers also offered little support with dollar&#39;s firmness ahead of key major central banks&#39; meetings. With pre-Budget talks under way, markets are also weighing the likelihood of the government levying taxes on long-term capital gains,&quot; said Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

Realty, power and banking were in the grip of selling.

Global Brent crude oil prices jumped above the USD 65 a barrel for the first time since 2015, which could spoil any chance of rate reduction by the Reserve Bank, traders said.

Losses in oil marketers such as HPCL, BPCL and IOC stocks too weighed.

The Federal Reserve, which is scheduled to issue an interest rate policy update on Wednesday, kicks off its meeting. It is expected to lift rates by 0.25 per cent.

Back home, in the Sensex pack, Coal India tanked the most, losing 2.45 per cent, followed by Cipla, down 2.17 per cent, after participants took profit off the table.

Other major losers were Hero MotoCorp, TCS, Tata Steel, ITC and L&amp;T.

Dr Reddy&#39;s took a different trajectory, advancing the most by 2.83 per cent after the company said it has received Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the USFDA for its Hyderabad facility.

Adani Ports, ONGC, Lupin, Infosys, SBI and Maruti Suzuki too rose.

On the sectoral front, telecom fell by the widest margin of 2.12 per cent. Realty, power and FMCG lost too.

A weak trend also extended to the broader markets, with BSE mid-cap and small-cap indices retreating up to 1.01 per cent.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned net sellers, diluting shares net Rs 185.60 crore yesterday while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities to the tune of Rs 108.94 crore, as per provisional data. PTI

The broader Nifty settled below the key 10,300 level, down 82.10 points, or 0.80%, at 10,240.15

The stock market set the clock back today as the Sensex tumbled 228 points -- in a break with three sessions of gains -- after investor worry heightened over rising global oil prices ahead of inflation numbers. Participants were at a crossroads as they had a clutch of macro pointers such as industrial production (IIP) and inflation in their sights, slated for release after market hours. Other Asian shares turned weak. The Sensex closed at 33,227.99, down 227.80 points, or 0.68 per cent. The gauge had rallied 858.61 points in the previous three sessions. The broader Nifty settled below the key 10,300-level, down 82.10 points, or 0.80 per cent, at 10,240.15. "With few cues to push ahead, the caution ahead of key macroeconomic release weighed on prices. Asian peers also offered little support with dollar's firmness ahead of key major central banks' meetings. With pre-Budget talks under way, markets are also weighing the likelihood of the government levying taxes on long-term capital gains," said Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Financial Services. Realty, power and banking were in the grip of selling. Global Brent crude oil prices jumped above the USD 65 a barrel for the first time since 2015, which could spoil any chance of rate reduction by the Reserve Bank, traders said. Losses in oil marketers such as HPCL, BPCL and IOC stocks too weighed. The Federal Reserve, which is scheduled to issue an interest rate policy update on Wednesday, kicks off its meeting. It is expected to lift rates by 0.25 per cent. Back home, in the Sensex pack, Coal India tanked the most, losing 2.45 per cent, followed by Cipla, down 2.17 per cent, after participants took profit off the table. Other major losers were Hero MotoCorp, TCS, Tata Steel, ITC and L&T. Dr Reddy's took a different trajectory, advancing the most by 2.83 per cent after the company said it has received Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the USFDA for its Hyderabad facility. Adani Ports, ONGC, Lupin, Infosys, SBI and Maruti Suzuki too rose. On the sectoral front, telecom fell by the widest margin of 2.12 per cent. Realty, power and FMCG lost too. A weak trend also extended to the broader markets, with BSE mid-cap and small-cap indices retreating up to 1.01 per cent. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned net sellers, diluting shares net Rs 185.60 crore yesterday while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities to the tune of Rs 108.94 crore, as per provisional data. PTI

Caution on inflation puts stocks to test, Sensex slides 228 points

Fuelled by soaring food prices, retail inflation climbed to a 15-month high of 4.88% in November.

It was at 3.58 % in October.

The figure is higher than the Reserve Bank of India&#39;s 4% medium-term target, reducing room for the central bank to change the repo rate -- the rate at which the central bank lends money to commercial banks -- in the near future.&nbsp;

Economists polled by Reuters had predicted consumer inflation would rise to 4.2 % in November, following unseasonably heavy rains which increased food prices.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indias-economy-to-grow-at-72-in-2018-un-26543" target="_blank">India&#39;s economy to grow at 7.2% in 2018, says UN</a>

Industrial output growth meanwhile slowed to 2.2% in October from 3.8% in September, with demand continuing to suffer from the&nbsp;disruption caused by the rollout of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST). &nbsp;&nbsp;

At its December 6 policy meeting, the RBI raised its inflation projection by 10 basis points to between 4.3% to 4.7 % for the six months ending in March.

&nbsp;

The number is higher than the RBI's 4% medium-term target

Fuelled by soaring food prices, retail inflation climbed to a 15-month high of 4.88% in November. It was at 3.58 % in October. The figure is higher than the Reserve Bank of India's 4% medium-term target, reducing room for the central bank to change the repo rate -- the rate at which the central bank lends money to commercial banks -- in the near future. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted consumer inflation would rise to 4.2 % in November, following unseasonably heavy rains which increased food prices. Also read: India's economy to grow at 7.2% in 2018, says UN Industrial output growth meanwhile slowed to 2.2% in October from 3.8% in September, with demand continuing to suffer from the disruption caused by the rollout of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST). At its December 6 policy meeting, the RBI raised its inflation projection by 10 basis points to between 4.3% to 4.7 % for the six months ending in March.

Retail inflation hits 15-month high of 4.88% in November

India&#39;s retail inflation likely breached the central bank&#39;s 4&nbsp;per cent medium-term target in November after unseasonably heavy rains sent food prices soaring, a Reuters poll showed.&nbsp;In the poll of more than 30 economists, annual consumer inflation, due to be released on December 12 at 1200 GMT, was seen surging to a 13-month high of 4.2&nbsp;per cent in November from October&#39;s 3.58 per cent.

The higher inflation rate is unlikely to push the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to change its key rate anytime soon, economists in the poll said.&nbsp;November&#39;s heavy rains &quot;created lots of damage&quot; for perishable fruit and vegetable crops, said Rupa Rege Nitsure, group chief economist at Larsen &amp; Toubro. &quot;We have seen that translated into price rises for onions, tomatoes and other perishable commodities&quot;.&nbsp;

Increased house rent allowances for government employees and rising crude oil prices added to inflationary pressures alongside higher raw material costs due to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, she said.&nbsp;Wholesale prices are expected to have risen 3.78 percent last month from a year earlier, compared to a 3.59 percent rise in October.

Neutral Stance

At its December 6 policy meeting, the central bank raised its inflation projection by 10 basis points to between 4.3 and 4.7 per cent for the six months ending in March. It kept interest rates steady and stressed a neutral policy stance.&nbsp;The RBI cut rates by 200 basis points from January 2015 until August this year while food and energy prices were down.

It is likely to keep them unchanged through the end of 2018, according to a separate Reuters poll.&nbsp;&quot;Interest rates will remain stable for some time before they (the RBI) start hiking them because industrial growth is still weak&quot;, Nitsure said. &quot;Recovery is happening in a few sectors but it has not spread to all sectors and private investment sentiment also remains low&quot;.

Industrial output growth eased to 3&nbsp;per cent in October from September&#39;s 3.8 per cent, as demand continued to suffer from the disruption caused by the new national sales tax as well as last year&#39;s currency clampdown that wiped out over 85 percent of the cash in circulation.&nbsp;But halting a five-quarter slide, India&#39;s economic growth rebounded in the three months ending in September with businesses starting to overcome troubles from the implementation of the new tax.

&quot;We still have some output gap but it&#39;s not as bad as it used to be a couple of quarters back. It will not make any sense for the RBI to just react to the (inflation) number. They also have to look at other factors&quot;, said Arun Singh, lead economist at Dun &amp; Bradstreet India in Mumbai.&nbsp;The poll also showed India&#39;s trade deficit likely narrowed to $13.75 billion last month from October&#39;s near three-year high of $14.02 billion.

Heavy rainfalls, damage of perishable fruits and vegetables, rising crude oil prices, higher raw material cost, and risen wholesale prices - the inflation rate in India is likely to pass 4 per cent marked target of RBI for the month of November.

India's retail inflation likely breached the central bank's 4 per cent medium-term target in November after unseasonably heavy rains sent food prices soaring, a Reuters poll showed. In the poll of more than 30 economists, annual consumer inflation, due to be released on December 12 at 1200 GMT, was seen surging to a 13-month high of 4.2 per cent in November from October's 3.58 per cent. The higher inflation rate is unlikely to push the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to change its key rate anytime soon, economists in the poll said. November's heavy rains "created lots of damage" for perishable fruit and vegetable crops, said Rupa Rege Nitsure, group chief economist at Larsen & Toubro. "We have seen that translated into price rises for onions, tomatoes and other perishable commodities". Increased house rent allowances for government employees and rising crude oil prices added to inflationary pressures alongside higher raw material costs due to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, she said. Wholesale prices are expected to have risen 3.78 percent last month from a year earlier, compared to a 3.59 percent rise in October. Neutral Stance At its December 6 policy meeting, the central bank raised its inflation projection by 10 basis points to between 4.3 and 4.7 per cent for the six months ending in March. It kept interest rates steady and stressed a neutral policy stance. The RBI cut rates by 200 basis points from January 2015 until August this year while food and energy prices were down. It is likely to keep them unchanged through the end of 2018, according to a separate Reuters poll. "Interest rates will remain stable for some time before they (the RBI) start hiking them because industrial growth is still weak", Nitsure said. "Recovery is happening in a few sectors but it has not spread to all sectors and private investment sentiment also remains low". Industrial output growth eased to 3 per cent in October from September's 3.8 per cent, as demand continued to suffer from the disruption caused by the new national sales tax as well as last year's currency clampdown that wiped out over 85 percent of the cash in circulation. But halting a five-quarter slide, India's economic growth rebounded in the three months ending in September with businesses starting to overcome troubles from the implementation of the new tax. "We still have some output gap but it's not as bad as it used to be a couple of quarters back. It will not make any sense for the RBI to just react to the (inflation) number. They also have to look at other factors", said Arun Singh, lead economist at Dun & Bradstreet India in Mumbai. The poll also showed India's trade deficit likely narrowed to $13.75 billion last month from October's near three-year high of $14.02 billion.

India's November inflation likely to exceed RBI's 4 per cent target

Oil prices fell on Monday as last week&#39;s rise in the US rig count pointed to a further increase in American production that could undermine OPEC-led efforts to tighten markets.&nbsp;A statement by Kuwait&#39;s oil minister that OPEC and other oil producers will study before June next year the possibility of exiting their global oil supply-cut agreement also weighed on prices, traders said.&nbsp;

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $57.14 a barrel at 0418 GMT, down 22 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last settlement.&nbsp;Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were down 25 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $63.15 a barrel.

&quot;The largest concern for investors currently remains the rise in the US rig count, which could potentially jeopardise the OPEC and Russian agreement when they meet for a review in June 2018&quot;, said Shane Chanel, equities and derivatives adviser at ASR Wealth Advisers.&nbsp;

The number of rigs drilling for new oil output in the United States rose by two in the week to December 8, to 751, the highest level since September, General Electric Co&#39;s Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday.&nbsp;A higher rig count points to a further rise in US crude production, which is already up by more than 15 percent since mid-2016 to 9.71 million barrels per day (bpd).&nbsp;

That&#39;s the highest level since the early 1970s, and close to levels from top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;Rising US output threatens to undermine efforts led by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-slip-as-us-drilling-undermines-opec-led-production-cut-16196">Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries</a> (OPEC) and a group of non-OPEC producers, including Russia, to support prices by withholding supplies.&nbsp;

OPEC and its allies started withholding supplies last January and currently plan to continue doing so throughout 2018.&nbsp;Kuwait&#39;s oil minister Essam al-Marzouq said on Sunday, however, OPEC and other oil producers will study before June possibly ending the global oil supply cuts earlier.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-dive-after-britain-votes-to-leave-eu-1097">Oil prices dive after Britain votes to leave EU</a>

United State's rig count rose to 751 with 2 more adding in last week alone. The number points to rise in crude production in U.S. leading to price drops of crude oil

Oil prices fell on Monday as last week's rise in the US rig count pointed to a further increase in American production that could undermine OPEC-led efforts to tighten markets. A statement by Kuwait's oil minister that OPEC and other oil producers will study before June next year the possibility of exiting their global oil supply-cut agreement also weighed on prices, traders said. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $57.14 a barrel at 0418 GMT, down 22 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last settlement. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were down 25 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $63.15 a barrel. "The largest concern for investors currently remains the rise in the US rig count, which could potentially jeopardise the OPEC and Russian agreement when they meet for a review in June 2018", said Shane Chanel, equities and derivatives adviser at ASR Wealth Advisers. The number of rigs drilling for new oil output in the United States rose by two in the week to December 8, to 751, the highest level since September, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday. A higher rig count points to a further rise in US crude production, which is already up by more than 15 percent since mid-2016 to 9.71 million barrels per day (bpd). That's the highest level since the early 1970s, and close to levels from top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia. Rising US output threatens to undermine efforts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and a group of non-OPEC producers, including Russia, to support prices by withholding supplies. OPEC and its allies started withholding supplies last January and currently plan to continue doing so throughout 2018. Kuwait's oil minister Essam al-Marzouq said on Sunday, however, OPEC and other oil producers will study before June possibly ending the global oil supply cuts earlier. Also Read: Oil prices dive after Britain votes to leave EU

Oil prices drop on increased US drilling activity

Uber will defend its right to operate in London in a court hearing on Monday after the app was deemed unfit to run a taxi service and stripped of its licence in its most important European market.&nbsp;

Regulator Transport for London (TfL) shocked the Silicon Valley firm by rejecting its licence renewal bid in September, citing its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.&nbsp;

Uber&#39;s 40,000 drivers, representing around one in three of all private hire vehicles on the British capital`s roads, can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted, which could take years.&nbsp;

The legal battle pitches one of the world`s richest cities against a tech giant known for its forays into new markets around the world that have prompted bans, restrictions and protests, including by drivers of London`s famous black cabs.

Uber`s lawyers will begin their appeal at Westminster Magistrates` Court on Monday, in what is expected to be a largely administrative hearing designed to set a date for a fuller hearing next year. 
Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi has apologised to Londoners and met TfL Commissioner Mike Brown in October for what both sides described as constructive talks.&nbsp;

Brown told Reuters in November that &quot;there are some discussions going on to make sure they are compliant.&quot;&nbsp;

Months of legal wrangling are likely unless the Silicon Valley app, valued at around $70 billion with investors including Goldman Sachs, can come to a new arrangement with the regulator.&nbsp;

&quot;We continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London in order to resolve this,&quot; an Uber spokesman said ahead of the hearing. &quot;As our new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said, we are determined to make things right.&quot;

Losing its London licence was just one of many blows to Uber this year as a stream of executives left amid controversies involving allegations of sexual harassment and issues surrounding data privacy and business practices.

In Britain, Uber is looking to appoint a new boss after Jo Bertram announced her departure less than two weeks after London`s decision.

It also faces potential problems in the northern English city of Sheffield where its licence has been suspended and in Brighton, southern England, where local officials extended the firm`s licence for only six months to give them more time to consider the outcome of the dispute in London.&nbsp;

Uber`s 40,000 drivers can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted

Uber will defend its right to operate in London in a court hearing on Monday after the app was deemed unfit to run a taxi service and stripped of its licence in its most important European market. Regulator Transport for London (TfL) shocked the Silicon Valley firm by rejecting its licence renewal bid in September, citing its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers. Uber's 40,000 drivers, representing around one in three of all private hire vehicles on the British capital`s roads, can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted, which could take years. The legal battle pitches one of the world`s richest cities against a tech giant known for its forays into new markets around the world that have prompted bans, restrictions and protests, including by drivers of London`s famous black cabs. Uber`s lawyers will begin their appeal at Westminster Magistrates` Court on Monday, in what is expected to be a largely administrative hearing designed to set a date for a fuller hearing next year. Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi has apologised to Londoners and met TfL Commissioner Mike Brown in October for what both sides described as constructive talks. Brown told Reuters in November that "there are some discussions going on to make sure they are compliant." Months of legal wrangling are likely unless the Silicon Valley app, valued at around $70 billion with investors including Goldman Sachs, can come to a new arrangement with the regulator. "We continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London in order to resolve this," an Uber spokesman said ahead of the hearing. "As our new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said, we are determined to make things right." Losing its London licence was just one of many blows to Uber this year as a stream of executives left amid controversies involving allegations of sexual harassment and issues surrounding data privacy and business practices. In Britain, Uber is looking to appoint a new boss after Jo Bertram announced her departure less than two weeks after London`s decision. It also faces potential problems in the northern English city of Sheffield where its licence has been suspended and in Brighton, southern England, where local officials extended the firm`s licence for only six months to give them more time to consider the outcome of the dispute in London.

Uber heads to London court to fight regulation, drivers can continue taking passengers

The craze for cryptocurrencies entered a new chapter on Monday as bitcoin futures rocketed by one-fifth of their value at a closely-watched launch, while Asian shares climbed amid optimism about global growth.&nbsp;

The most-traded contract on the Chicago-based CBOE Global Markets exchange opened at $15,460 in New York on Sunday evening, before leaping to a high of $18,700 - a gain of 21 per cent. They were last quoted at $17,550 a premium of more than $1,600 to the price on Gemini Exchange.&nbsp;

The futures are cash-settled contracts based on the auction price of bitcoin in US&nbsp;dollars on the Gemini Exchange, which is owned and operated by virtual currency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.&nbsp;

The cryptocurrency has boasted a gravity-defying 15-fold gain since the start of the year, attracting institutional interest and no small amount of question marks.&nbsp;The acting governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Sunday said bitcoin appeared to be a &quot;classic case&quot; of a bubble.

&quot;With a bubble, you never know how far it is going to go before it comes around&quot;, Grant Spencer told TVNZ.&nbsp;Some market participants believe the fallout across other financial assets from a potential bursting of the bubble will be limited.&nbsp;

&quot;Bitcoin&#39;s market capitalisation is currently around $240 billion, which is much smaller, say, than the value of gold outstanding&quot;, said Andrew Kenningham, an economist at Capital Economics.

&quot;If the price of bitcoin fell to zero today, the paper losses would be equivalent to a 0.6 per cent fall in US&nbsp;equity prices. As most investors have bought bitcoin at much lower prices, the relevant losses would arguably be smaller&quot;.&nbsp;Asian shares were buoyant following strong US payrolls data and better-than-expected Chinese trade data on Friday.&nbsp;

The MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.4 per cent, staying well above a recent two-month trough of 542.27 points.&nbsp;Japan&#39;s Nikkei added 0.4 percent while Chinese shares rallied, with the blue-chip CSI 300 index up 0.9 percent. Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng index gained 0.5 percent.&nbsp;

Rate Rises?

Currency market investors were cautious ahead of a big week for policy meetings globally, with the Federal Reserve the only major central bank expected to raise interest rates. The Bank of England and the European Central Bank are likely to hold rates steady.&nbsp;

The dollar rose to a near one-month top against the yen, after climbing 1.2 percent last week. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was steady near a three-week high.&nbsp;

Traders will keep their eyes peeled for the Fed&#39;s future rate projections as US&nbsp;wages growth and inflation crawl at a snail&#39;s pace.&nbsp;Data out on Friday showed average hourly earnings in the United States nudged up 5 cents or 0.2 percent in November when economists had looked for a 0.3 per cent gain.

The weakness persisted despite stronger-than-expected non-farm payrolls, which rose by 228,000 in November.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ll be listening closely for any signs of a dovish shift&quot;, said Aerin Williams, New York-based forex strategist for Citi about the Dec. 12-13 Fed meeting.&nbsp;Elsewhere, oil prices slipped after the latest rise in the U.S rig count pointed to an increase in production there.

US&nbsp;crude was down 24 cents at $57.12 a barrel and Brent crude inched 27 cents lower to $63.14, drifting away from a recent 2-1/2 year peak of $64.65.&nbsp;Spot gold was barely changed at $1,248.06 an ounce.

Bitcoin on Monday rocketed by one-fifth of their value at a launch. It opened at the price of $15,460 before leaping to $18,700 - a gain of 21 per cent

The craze for cryptocurrencies entered a new chapter on Monday as bitcoin futures rocketed by one-fifth of their value at a closely-watched launch, while Asian shares climbed amid optimism about global growth. The most-traded contract on the Chicago-based CBOE Global Markets exchange opened at $15,460 in New York on Sunday evening, before leaping to a high of $18,700 - a gain of 21 per cent. They were last quoted at $17,550 a premium of more than $1,600 to the price on Gemini Exchange. The futures are cash-settled contracts based on the auction price of bitcoin in US dollars on the Gemini Exchange, which is owned and operated by virtual currency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The cryptocurrency has boasted a gravity-defying 15-fold gain since the start of the year, attracting institutional interest and no small amount of question marks. The acting governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Sunday said bitcoin appeared to be a "classic case" of a bubble. "With a bubble, you never know how far it is going to go before it comes around", Grant Spencer told TVNZ. Some market participants believe the fallout across other financial assets from a potential bursting of the bubble will be limited. "Bitcoin's market capitalisation is currently around $240 billion, which is much smaller, say, than the value of gold outstanding", said Andrew Kenningham, an economist at Capital Economics. "If the price of bitcoin fell to zero today, the paper losses would be equivalent to a 0.6 per cent fall in US equity prices. As most investors have bought bitcoin at much lower prices, the relevant losses would arguably be smaller". Asian shares were buoyant following strong US payrolls data and better-than-expected Chinese trade data on Friday. The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.4 per cent, staying well above a recent two-month trough of 542.27 points. Japan's Nikkei added 0.4 percent while Chinese shares rallied, with the blue-chip CSI 300 index up 0.9 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.5 percent. Rate Rises? Currency market investors were cautious ahead of a big week for policy meetings globally, with the Federal Reserve the only major central bank expected to raise interest rates. The Bank of England and the European Central Bank are likely to hold rates steady. The dollar rose to a near one-month top against the yen, after climbing 1.2 percent last week. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was steady near a three-week high. Traders will keep their eyes peeled for the Fed's future rate projections as US wages growth and inflation crawl at a snail's pace. Data out on Friday showed average hourly earnings in the United States nudged up 5 cents or 0.2 percent in November when economists had looked for a 0.3 per cent gain. The weakness persisted despite stronger-than-expected non-farm payrolls, which rose by 228,000 in November. "We'll be listening closely for any signs of a dovish shift", said Aerin Williams, New York-based forex strategist for Citi about the Dec. 12-13 Fed meeting. Elsewhere, oil prices slipped after the latest rise in the U.S rig count pointed to an increase in production there. US crude was down 24 cents at $57.12 a barrel and Brent crude inched 27 cents lower to $63.14, drifting away from a recent 2-1/2 year peak of $64.65. Spot gold was barely changed at $1,248.06 an ounce.

Bitcoin futures surge past $18,000 in US

Apple Inc is in talks to acquire Shazam Entertainment Ltd, whose software helps users identify songs by pointing their phone at an audio source, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Shazam&#39;s smartphone app is already tightly integrated with Apple&#39;s Siri digital assistant. Users of Apple&#39;s iPhone with the Shazam app installed can say: &quot;Hey Siri, what&#39;s that song?&quot; and the app will identify it. But Shazam has other features, such as the ability to identify television shows, that do not yet work with Siri.

Tech news website TechCrunch reported the talks earlier, writing that Apple could pay about $400 million for Shazam and that a deal could be signed as early as next week.

Shazam did not respond to a request for comment.

Privately-held, UK-based Shazam has raised $143 million from DN Capital Limited, Institutional Venture Partners, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp; Byers, among others, over its 18-year history, according to PitchBook, a firm that tracks private venture investments.

The price TechCrunch reported would fall far below Shazam&#39;s most recent $1 billion valuations reported by PitchBook.

An acquisition of Shazam could help bolster Apple&#39;s music efforts by making it easier for users to find songs and add them to playlists in its Apple Music service. As of mid-2017, Apple Music had 27 million subscribers, behind rival music streaming service Spotify&#39;s 60 million users.

Shazam's smartphone app is already tightly integrated with Apple's Siri digital assistant.

Apple Inc is in talks to acquire Shazam Entertainment Ltd, whose software helps users identify songs by pointing their phone at an audio source, according to a person familiar with the situation. Shazam's smartphone app is already tightly integrated with Apple's Siri digital assistant. Users of Apple's iPhone with the Shazam app installed can say: "Hey Siri, what's that song?" and the app will identify it. But Shazam has other features, such as the ability to identify television shows, that do not yet work with Siri. Tech news website TechCrunch reported the talks earlier, writing that Apple could pay about $400 million for Shazam and that a deal could be signed as early as next week. Shazam did not respond to a request for comment. Privately-held, UK-based Shazam has raised $143 million from DN Capital Limited, Institutional Venture Partners, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, among others, over its 18-year history, according to PitchBook, a firm that tracks private venture investments. The price TechCrunch reported would fall far below Shazam's most recent $1 billion valuations reported by PitchBook. An acquisition of Shazam could help bolster Apple's music efforts by making it easier for users to find songs and add them to playlists in its Apple Music service. As of mid-2017, Apple Music had 27 million subscribers, behind rival music streaming service Spotify's 60 million users.

Apple in talks to acquire music identification app Shazam: Reports

Market benchmark Sensex surged 301 points to close at 33,250.30 today on unabated buying by domestic institutional investors amid positive global leads.&nbsp;The wider NSE Nifty too went past the 10,250-level.&nbsp;

The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a strong footing at 33,034.20 and maintained its upward trend to hit the day&#39;s high of 33,285.68 before ending at 33,250.30, up 301.09 points, or 0.91 per cent.&nbsp;The index had rallied 352.03 points in the previous session on value-buying by investors in recently-battered blue-chip stocks.

The Nifty finished the day at 10,265.65, a hefty gain of 98.95 points, or 0.97 per cent, after shuttling between 10,270.85 and 10,195.25.&nbsp;

On a weekly basis, the Sensex gained 417.36 points, or 1.27 per cent, while the Nifty advanced 143.85 points or 1.42 per cent.

Most Asian and European markets rallied as investors awaited major economic data from China and the US amid overnight gains at Wall Street following reports that President Donald Trump is planning to unveil a big-spending public works plan.

Most Asian and European markets rallied as investors awaited major economic data from China and the US

Market benchmark Sensex surged 301 points to close at 33,250.30 today on unabated buying by domestic institutional investors amid positive global leads. The wider NSE Nifty too went past the 10,250-level. The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a strong footing at 33,034.20 and maintained its upward trend to hit the day's high of 33,285.68 before ending at 33,250.30, up 301.09 points, or 0.91 per cent. The index had rallied 352.03 points in the previous session on value-buying by investors in recently-battered blue-chip stocks. The Nifty finished the day at 10,265.65, a hefty gain of 98.95 points, or 0.97 per cent, after shuttling between 10,270.85 and 10,195.25. On a weekly basis, the Sensex gained 417.36 points, or 1.27 per cent, while the Nifty advanced 143.85 points or 1.42 per cent. Most Asian and European markets rallied as investors awaited major economic data from China and the US amid overnight gains at Wall Street following reports that President Donald Trump is planning to unveil a big-spending public works plan.

Sensex soars 301 pts, reclaims 33,000-mark