🗞️ Daily Business Brief – DEC 21, 2025
- Instamart opens an experimental offline store in Gurugram; stores will be Instamart-branded but seller-owned & operated. Currently a pilot, not an omnichannel shift; products include fruits, vegetables, pulses, D2C brands, and more.
- Railway Ministry announces marginal fare hike from Dec 26 for long-distance travel beyond 215 km; fares up by 2 paise/km for Mail/Express Non-AC & AC classes, 1 paise/km for Ordinary class; no hike for suburban & monthly season tickets; ₹600 cr expected via fare rationalisation.
- Amazon cautions employees on rescheduling of US visa appointments; internal memo advises employees with late Dec–Jan appointments to remain in the US; cancelled slots may cause long work disruptions if stuck abroad.
- UltraTech Cement receives tax notice amounting to ₹782 crore.
- Electricity Amendment Bill aims for cost-reflective tariffs, reduced cross-subsidies, green energy push; SERCs may exempt discoms from supplying large consumers, enabling competitive power sourcing.
- REC incorporates Musalgaon Power Transmission as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
- Emmvee Photovoltaic commences 2.5 GW solar module line at Bengaluru unit; total capacity rises to 10.3 GW.
- GE Vernova T&D India wins multi-year contract from AESL Projects for 2,500 MW HVDC VSC terminal station.
- Fortis Healthcare acquires People Tree Hospital in Bengaluru via 100% acquisition of TMI Healthcare.
- SEBI simplifies stock broker rules and rationalises penalties; enabled electricity futures launch on NSE & MCX in July 2025 to improve market efficiency.
- SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey says corporate governance ensures restrained use of power; listed companies now answer to a wide investor base; governance uncertainty is difficult to tolerate.
- SEBI Chairman highlights that strong capital markets are built on confidence, fair rule application, trusted disclosures, and proactive boards.
- Shree Cement to invest ₹2,000 crore in a manufacturing unit in Maharashtra.
- RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra says real GDP growth may exceed 7% vs earlier 6.5% estimate; core inflation remains range-bound at 2.5–3.4%; RBI to stay data-dependent with neutral stance.
- China launches WTO dispute challenging India’s ICT tariffs and solar subsidy policies, alleging violation of global trade rules.
- BSE proposes imposing charges on order messages exceeding 10 crore in the cash segment.
- Indian H-1B Visa Holders face disruption as US consular appointments in India were cancelled and rescheduled months later, leaving many stranded.
- China Rare-Earth Exports to the US declined in November, reflecting supply constraints amid export controls and trade tensions.
- United States announces arms sales package worth over $10 billion to Taiwan, escalating tensions with China.
- KEC International gets relief as High Court stays PGCIL order excluding the company from tenders for 9 months; participation in ongoing bids allowed.
- IIFL Finance appoints former RBI Deputy Governor B. P. Kanungo as Chairperson of the Board.
- NLC India commences mining operations at Pachwara South Open Cast Project.
- Granules Life Sciences completes US FDA inspection with five procedural observations; none related to data integrity or product safety.
- RITES signs MoU with Botswana to modernise railway and transport infrastructure.
- REC group incorporates Ambernath Power Transmission Ltd as wholly-owned subsidiary for 400/220 kV GIS transmission project.
- Centum Electronics discontinues operations of subsidiaries in Canada.
- Craftsman Automation subsidiary DR Axion to acquire Suprash Developers for ₹145.85 crore to set up a new manufacturing facility in Chennai.
- Waaree Energies incorporates a wholly-owned subsidiary, Hydro Bloom Energy.
- Great Eastern Shipping contracts to buy a second-hand Very Large Gas Carrier; vessel to join fleet in Q4 FY26.
- CESC unit issues binding LoI to Klasscorp Solutions for consultancy services for a 250 MW wind farm in Karnataka.
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