Global trade and tariff uncertainties​ can become catalyst for reforms in India: HSBC Research

New Delhi, (IANS): Global trade and tariff uncertainties could become a catalyst for reforms in India over the medium term and for growth results, the reforms must run deep, an HSBC Research report said on Tuesday.Potential US tariffs may have already become a catalyst for reforms like lowering import tariffs, opening up to regional FDI, fast-tracking trade deals, and making the Indian rupee more flexible."And India does not have to look too far for models to emulate. Its success in services exports has demonstrated the power of moving up the value chain, from basic (call centre services) to high-tech (professional services)," said the report.India's goods trade deficit narrowed sharply in February to $14.1 billion, from $23 billion in January.“The trade deficit tends to narrow in February but this time, it narrowed rather sharply to the lowest in more than three years,” the report mentioned.India's goods trade deficit narrowed to $14 billion and the services trade surplus rose to $18.5 billion, putting the overall trade balance in a rare surplus zone in February.A normalisation in...
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NPCI in talks to remove ‘pull transactions’ on UPI to reduce digital frauds

Mumbai, (IANS): In an effort to curb rising digital frauds, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is reportedly in early discussions with banks to eliminate ‘pull transactions’ on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).Most frauds are happening through the pull method, and NPCI is exploring the possibility of removing this feature altogether to reduce fraudulent activities.A 'pull transaction' happens when a merchant sends a payment request to a customer, while a 'push transaction' occurs when a customer directly makes the payment using a QR code or other methods.By removing 'pull transactions', fraud cases could decline, but some bankers fear that genuine transactions may also be affected, potentially lowering efficiency, according to a report by NDTV Profit.However, NPCI, which operates retail payment and settlement systems in India, has not commented on this development yet.The discussions are still at an early stage, and a final decision on implementation has not been made yet, the report said.This development comes at a time when UPI payments are gaining immense popularity...
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Centre launches ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’ to address societal, industrial challenges

New Delhi, (IANS): The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Monday announced the ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’, a six-month initiative aimed at accelerating the development of innovative 5G-powered solutions to address societal and industrial challenges.Open to students, startups and professionals, the programme provides mentorship, funding, and access to over 100 5G Use Case Labs, enabling participants to transform visionary ideas into scalable technologies, according to the Ministry of Communications.Winners will receive significant rewards, including Rs 5,00,000 for the first place, Rs 3,00,000 for the runner-up, and Rs 1,50,000 for the 2nd runner-up.Also, special mentions will be given for Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype, each receiving Rs 50,000. Ten labs will also be given Certificates of Appreciation for Best 5G Use case and one Certificate for Best idea from Emerging Institute.The hackathon invites proposals focused on key 5G applications such as AI-driven network maintenance, IoT-enabled solutions, 5G broadcasting, smart health, agriculture, industrial automation,...
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