The finance ministry has relaxed norms for expenditure exceeding ₹500 crore to accelerate capex (capital expenditure) that is pegged at ₹11.11 lakh crore for the current fiscal.

This will give a push to government spending, which suffered a slowdown for a couple of months due to general elections.

A recent survey conducted to gauge awareness about clean energy sources revealed about 50 per cent of Gen Z respondents prefer solar solutions, followed by Millennials at 46 per cent.

The study showcased that awareness of alternatives to traditional energy sources is on the rise among Indians.

Realty firm Ashiana Housing has sold 168 apartments for ₹403.49 crore in its residential project in Gurugram on strong consumer demand.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ashiana Housing Ltd. said that the company has sold 168 apartments in the fourth phase of its kid-centric project 'Ashiana Amarah'.

"On Day-1, 168 out of a total of 280 units in Phase 4 have been booked, representing a remarkable sale value of ₹403.49 crore. The total saleable area for Phase 4 covers 4.95 lakh square feet, featuring premium 3 BHK units," it added.

The total project is spread over 22 acres.

Cottonseed oil cake prices on Wednesday declined by ₹21 to ₹2,999 per quintal in futures trade as participants reduced their bets following weak trends in spot markets.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, cottonseed oil cake for December delivery fell by ₹21, or 0.70 per cent to ₹2,999 per quintal with an open interest of 21,980 lots.

Analysts said a sell-off by participants at existing levels amid a subdued trend in the market mainly weighed on cottonseed oil cake prices.

Software firm PDRL on Wednesday launched BhuMeet, an advanced SaaS (Software as a Service) platform to help bridge the gap between drone service providers and farmers.

BhuMeet will enable users to find and hire drone service providers based on their service records and proximity, ensuring efficient and localised service delivery, a company statement said.

Auto component maker Minda Corporation Ltd. on Wednesday said it has signed a technology licensing agreement with China's Sanco Connecting Technology to offer electrical distribution systems solutions for the electric vehicle market.

Sanco Connecting Technology is a leader in EV connection systems.

Under the agreement, Minda Corp and Sanco will locally develop EV connecting systems, charging gun assemblies with sockets and accessories, bus bars, cell contact systems, power distribution units (PDU), and battery distribution units (BDU), the company said in a statement.

India's services sector activity growth touched a five-month high in August on a stronger rise in new work orders, while payroll numbers rose solidly as companies remained upbeat regarding the economic outlook, a monthly survey said on Wednesday.

The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services Business Activity Index rose from 60.3 in July to 60.9 in August, registering the fastest expansion since March and was largely supported by productivity gains and positive demand trends.

With the global demand for Indian spirits growing at a healthy rate, the government is planning to promote both Indian alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in the international markets and is eyeing $1 billion (about ₹8,000 crore) exports in the next few years.

The commerce ministry's arm APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) said that India currently ranks 40th in the world for alcoholic beverage exports. As per estimates, the country has huge unrealised export potential.

"It is potentially eyeing USD 1 billion in export revenue over the next few years," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday requested traders to pay their share of taxes to increase revenue collection and stabilise the cash-strapped country's economy on a long-term basis.

Aurangzeb was addressing a press conference in Islamabad, days after the traders held a countrywide strike against the new tax scheme to bring over 3.5 million retailers into the tax net.  

Aurangzeb said Pakistan increased its tax revenue by 29% last year, but it was still at 8.8%tax-to-GDP.

Infopark, Kerala's premier IT hub, has reported an impressive 24.28 per cent growth in IT exports, earning Rs 11,417 crore in 2023-24, a new record in its 20-year history.

The newest figure is in continuation of a major rise over the past eight years, as the value of IT exports from Infopark during 2016-17 was just Rs 3,000 crore. That was when the IT complex housed 328 companies and 32,800 employees in a built-up space of 70 lakh square feet, according to a statement on Tuesday.