< Back Govt approves health insurance for Senior Citizens aged 70 and above 12 Sept 2024 Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or AB PM-JAY, will offer ₹5 lakh health insurance coverage to approximately six crore Indian citizens. Besides new enrolments, those already enrolled under AB PM-JAY will receive an additional health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per annum per family. This amount cannot be shared with family members below the age of 70. The beneficiaries from around 4.5 crore families will be issued a new ID card under the scheme. Citizens enrolled in CGHS, ECHS, or CAPF can choose between their existing coverage and AB PM-JAY. Those with private insurance or enrolled with Employee State Insurance (ESIC) will also be eligible for this scheme. Citizens and families of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AWWs and AWHs) will also be eligible. AB PM-JAY is the world’s biggest government-funded health insurance scheme for secondary and tertiary care hospitals. Secondary care involves expert medical services offered after referral from a primary care provider, while tertiary care offers highly specialised services for complex health conditions. Previous Next

< Back Phone, car, and FMCG sales rise ahead of the festive season Ishita Nigam 2 Oct 2023 FMCG sales grew by up to 12%, car sales by 5%, and smartphone sales by 2% in July and August. Continuing the annual trend, FMCG, phone, and car sales rose in the quarter ending September 2023. FMCG sales, which experienced a major decline since the second half of 2021 due to pandemic related demand and high inflation, rose by up to 12% by value and by 15% by volume in the last quarter. Rural India has been a steady contributor to this growth. Eatables and washing products, like detergents, sold well, while personal care products weren’t far behind. Mid to premium range electronics drove sales growth in India. High valued items like TVs and washing machines saw a jump in sales, while entry level products didn’t budge. Vijay Sales and Reliance Retail reported sales growth in double digits. Consumer demand for SUVs, combined with enhanced availability of semiconductors, pushed the growth figures past 5% for the auto industry. Among them, Maruti Suzuki alone witnessed an uptick of 24% around Onam. Previous Next

< Back MSC IRINA, world’s largest container ship, docks in India 10 Jun 2025 It was launched in March 2023 and started its journey in April 2023 from China. IRINA, built in China and operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has docked in Southeast Asia for the first time. It is currently in Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It has been to South Korea, China, and Singapore since it began sailing in April 2023. The IRINA sails under the Liberian flag due to its favourable maritime regulations and tax benefits. It is almost 400 meters long and 61.3 meters wide, four times the length of a FIFA football field. It boasts a capacity of 24,346 TEUs, the largest for a container ship, and 150 TEUs more than its predecessor, OOCL Spain. A post-Panamax ship carries up to 10,000 TEUs. IRINA has docked in Southeast Asia, highlighting India’s capability to handle Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs). It can stack containers up to 26 tiers high and has energy-saving equipment, allowing it to reduce carbon emissions by up to 4%. Never miss another post from SalestorrsNews150. Follow Salestorrs on WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . Previous Next

< Back Royal Enfield EV to launch in the first quarter of 2026 3 Jun 2025 The electric bike has been showcased many times, even at EICMA, the world’s biggest motorcycle trade show held every year in Milan. Flying Flea C6, Royal Enfield’s new EV, was set up for an exclusive event at Officine del Volo, Milan, where a select few influencers and media got a private preview. This built anticipation before the bike’s public debut at EICMA. The Flying Flea C6 is positioned as a retro-futuristic electric bike, less than 110 kg, with a forged aluminium frame, a round touchscreen display, a Snapdragon processor to enable over-the-air updates, and customisable ride modes. Royal Enfield began developing it two years ago as a part of its Rebalance strategy, to balance electric and fossil-fuel-based products. Flying Flea was originally a 59 kg WWII motorcycle, designed to be air-dropped via parachute to help the British army cross enemy lines and fight Nazis during the Normandy landings in 1940. The Flying Flea C6 will be a sub-product aimed at an audience different from Royal Enfield’s traditional customer base. Never miss another post from SalestorrsNews150. Follow Salestorrs on WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . Previous Next

< Back The Burmans acquire Religare for ₹2,116 crore 24 Feb 2025 The Burmans plan to convert it into a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). After an 18-month-long legal battle, the Burmans, Dabur’s owners, acquired Religare, the Delhi-based financial services company. They infused ₹2,116 crore for an additional 26% stake and now own over 50%. Religare’s former promoters, Malvinder and Shivinder Mohan Singh (Ranbaxy), were arrested in 2019 for defrauding Religare Finvest, REL’s main lending business, for approximately ₹2,400 crore. Rashmi Saluja was appointed CEO-Chairperson in 2019. The company’s management had been in conflict with the Burmans ever since. She faced charges of financial irregularities and attempts to thwart the Burman acquisition. She was ousted on February 7th, 2025, after failing to secure a reappointment by shareholders. After seven consecutive profitable quarters since March 2023, Religare reported a ₹63 crore loss in the December 2024 quarter. In September 2023, the Burmans increased their ownership in Religare from 20% to 25% and offered to buy an additional 26% from the public by pumping in $255 million. Never miss another post from SalestorrsNews150. Follow Salestorrs on WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . Previous Next

< Back Structural changes galore at Air India as a part of Vihaan.AI 31 Jul 2024 Vistara could be merged with Air India and AirAsia India with Air India Express by the end of 2024. Air India Group plans to combine its cargo operations and form a separate entity with dedicated freighters to serve the growing demand. SpiceJet executed a similar strategy by demerging its cargo operations from the passenger side, and IndiGo is planning a similar move. Air India witnessed a 30% spike in air cargo revenue in the past two years. Its cargo tonnage is expected to cross 2.5 million tonnes by 2027. To facilitate this growth, Air India is partnering with more freight forwarders, sales agents, and last-mile delivery agents. It is also developing a new portal for optimising the cargo network. Since last year, it developed a worldwide Key Account Management program to onboard and manage customers. It is investing $200 million in an IT upgrade and switched to Salesforce CRM for customer management. Air India announced a five-year transformative plan, Vihaan.AI , in September 2022 and completed its first phase. Previous Next

< Back Four IAF Fighter Pilots to man the Gaganyaan Mission 27 Feb 2024 The mission will launch crew members into the 400 km orbit for three days before returning them via splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed on Tuesday the names of four astronauts selected as test pilots for ISRO’s first human space flight mission, Gaganyaan (G1). All four are Indian Air Force fighter pilots who underwent extensive training in Russia since 2021 and then at the ISRO facility in Bengaluru. These four have been selected from a batch of twelve sent to Russia for training in 2020. Group Captain Prashanth B. Nair is a trained Sukhoi pilot from Kerela. He joined the Air Force in 1999, earning the prestigious Sword of Honour as the best-performing cadet. He also secured the first rank at the United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College. Group Captain Angad Prathap trained in Russia for 13 months. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla received training in space movement at Moscow’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. The mission should be launched between April and June this year. Previous Next

Depuis 1er juillet, une loi entrée en vigueur qui permis certaines entreprises d’adopter une semaine de travail de six jours et de 48 heures. < Back En Grèce, une loi nouvelle permit allongement du temps de travaille Depuis 1er juillet, une loi entrée en vigueur qui permis certaines entreprises d’adopter une semaine de travail de six jours et de 48 heures. Pour combattre de l’abaissement de la démographie et du manque de travailleurs qualifiés, le gouvernement conservateur est passé une loi qui permettre des entreprises du Grèce de faire de travaille leurs employés une semaine de six jours et de 48 heures ou deux heures supplémentaires dans le cas d’une semaine de cinq jours. Les employés recevront un salaire élevé de 40 % pour le sixième jour travaillé. L’augmentation sera 115 % si celui-ci tombe un jour férié ou un dimanche. Cette loi s’applique aux entreprises privées qui fonctionnant en continu 24 heures sur 24, sept jours sur sept. Cette s’applique aussi aux entreprises qui déclarant une charge de travail grande, qu’elles devront prouver à l’inspection de travail en l’évènement de vérification. En Grèce, le salaire mensuel moyen est de 900 euros. La Premier Ministre Kyriákos Mitsotákis l‘appelé « profondément axée sur la croissance et vise à stimuler la productivité. » Previous Next

< Back A 34-year low Yen strengthening India’s imports from Japan 30 Jul 2024 When the Bank of Japan increased its interest rate from negative to 0-0.1% in April 2024, the Yen depreciated to a 34-year low, thus making imports cheaper for India. Since 2003, India has been the biggest recipient of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans. Japan has funded several infrastructure projects, like the Delhi metro and India’s first bullet train, by giving loans at meagre rates of 0.1 to 1.8%. Japan authorised the 50-year loan for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train at a 0.1% interest. A declining Yen catapulted Indian imports, especially those from the automotive industry. Between FY2023 and FY2024, India’s imports from Japan increased by approximately USD 1.2 billion, while exports to Japan reduced by USD 0.31 billion. With negligible domestic opportunities, Japan seeks large-scale infrastructure projects abroad. It lends loans at dirt-cheap rates on the condition that India imports technology, machinery, and metals from Japan. Compared to the Bank of Japan’s negative interest rates, 0.1-1.8% rates become profitable for Japanese lenders. Japanese imports from India include marine products and apparel, which are not locally produced in that country. Previous Next

< Back India to host EU’s top leaders for Republic Day, India-EU Summit 19 Jan 2026 European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend the Summit. India and the European Union may sign the much-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA), during the 16 th India-EU Summit on January 27 th if pending issues are resolved. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal calls it the “mother of all deals”. India has pursued the pact for two decades. Climate-linked border taxes, services mobility, and non-tariff barriers could become the highlight of the agreement, or an uneven bargain. Negotiations, stalled for years over issues like tariffs, intellectual property, wine and spirits, automobiles, data rules, public procurement, labour standards, and market access. It regained momentum after 2020 amid pandemic‑driven supply‑chain disruptions and geopolitical shifts. The EU seeks lower Indian tariffs on automobiles, alcohol, and medical devices, while India aims to protect sensitive sectors such as agriculture and steel. India expects stronger access for its textiles, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and services. The agreement could also boost investment, diversify trade dependencies, and strengthen supply‑chain resilience. Check out my new book, THE BLACK FLAMES . A gripping, high-stakes mystery. Previous Next

< Back Byju’s to settle BCCI’s ₹158 crore dispute within 10 days 1 Aug 2024 Byju Raveendran’s brother and largest shareholder, Ravi Raveendran, will pay BCCI in three instalments over the next ten days. Distressed ed-tech startup Byju’s signed a three-year jersey sponsorship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in March 2019. It renewed the agreement for another year in June 2022 but had to seek termination in November 2022 due to a paucity of funds. In September 2023, BCCI initiated insolvency proceedings against Byju for failing to pay ₹158 crores. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) admitted this plea last month. On July 30th, Ravi Raveendran’s advocate said that the amount would be paid in three instalments over the next ten days. Meanwhile, a group of US lenders has opposed the settlement, claiming that the money Ravi Raveendran is offering BCCI belongs to them. With this development, the NCLAT did not pass an order on Byju Raveendran’s challenge to the insolvency proceedings. Instead, it asked the company’s counsel to submit an underwriting revealing the source of these funds. Previous Next

< Back 10 companies who contributed to Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration Ceremony 22 Jan 2024 Nifty hit a record high of 22,124 on January 16th, which is being touted as a divine coincidence due to its connection to the date of the temple’s consecration on 22-1-24. As NSE rallied this month to achieve record highs, ten companies who contributed to the consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir enjoyed the limelight today. Among these are IRCTC, the online railway ticket booking platform, and SIS Limited, which signed an agreement with Ram Mandir Trust to provide security personnel at the complex. Pakka Limited provided compostable and disposable cutlery for today’s ceremony. Kamat Hotels plans to inaugurate a new hotel with 50 rooms in Ayodhya this month and two more in the near future. Praveg has opened a luxury tent resort in the city with a capacity of 30 tents and one restaurant. Apollo Sindoori Hotels is constructing a multi-level car park, and Genesys is building the official map for Ayodhya city. Allied Digital is providing CCTV surveillance. EaseMyTrip and Thomas Cook, the online tourism portals, have crafted special Ayodhya Ram Mandir trip packages. Previous Next