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The upcoming Electricity Amendment Bill will address challenges, including losses and debt of power distribution companies (DISCOMs), non-cost-reflective tariffs, and excessive cross-subsidies. New Delhi: The upcoming budget session, starting on February 1, is slated to bring landmark changes in the power sector, as the concept of cost-reflective tariffs has been included in the Electricity Amendment Bill, which aims to reduce losses for power distribution companies (Discoms).  Cost-reflective tariffs become crucial in the backdrop of the long-standing debt and losses faced by power distribution companies in the country.  In his address to the first annual conference of the All-India Power Distribution…

Reports suggest that the increased budgetary allocation to the defence sector could be used to meet the needs of the armed forces, which include essential procurement and research and development. New Delhi: With the Union Budget 2026-27 round the corner, experts believe that the defence sector is likely to see an increased allocation in the wake of geopolitical challenges emerging in the recent past. Following India’s successful anti-terror campaign last year—Operation Sindoor—the government is likely to place special attention on the defence sector as it will stress enhanced capital expenditure.  Experts are also of the view that the government is…

Sensex, Nifty Today: In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 2972 stocks advancing against 1,395 stocks declining on the NSE. 87 stocks remained unchanged. Mumbai: Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, opened in the green on Friday, January 23, 2026, amid positive global cues. While the 30-share BSE Sensex added 28.57 points to start the session at 82,335.94, the Nifty added 54.7 points to open at 25,344.60. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 82,307.37 and the Nifty 50 at 25,289.90. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the green in the opening session. While the…

Gold Price Today, Gold MCX Rate: In the international market, the COMEX gold price was up by 0.91 per cent to approximately USD 4,958.2 per troy ounce. Mumbai: Rates of precious metals in futures trade rebounded on Friday, January 22, 2026, to hit all-time peaks due to weakness in the US dollar and heightened geopolitical risks. The gold February 5 contract on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) opened with a gain of Rs 2,548 at Rs 1,58,889 per 10 grams against the previous close of Rs 1,56,341. It gained further to hit the intraday high of Rs 1,59,226, a…

The stress in India’s affordable housing segment has become increasingly hard to ignore, even as luxury and premium home sales continue to post robust growth. New Delhi: Budget 2026 is shaping up to be a defining moment for India’s real estate sector, as policymakers grapple with a widening divergence between booming luxury housing and a steadily weakening affordable segment. While premium and high-end homes have continued to attract strong buyer interest and capital inflows, the mass housing market, critical for first-time buyers and urban workforce absorption, has struggled under rising input costs, tighter margins and waning incentives. Against this backdrop,…