Business

Pakistan’s effort to lower the cost of contraceptives by cutting General Sales Tax has hit a roadblock. The International Monetary Fund has refused to approve the request, meaning condoms and other family planning products will stay pricey amid economic pressures under the IMF programme.

In a newly signed trade pact with Oman, India has strategically excluded sensitive products including dairy, certain agricultural items, gold and silver from tariff benefits to protect domestic sectors. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement expands market access overall while preserving key local industries.

Indian Railways has unveiled an ambitious plan to strengthen the support ecosystem for Vande Bharat trains with a ₹14,000 crore investment in modern maintenance depots. The move aims to boost reliability, efficiency and future scalability of India’s semi-high speed train operations across the network.

Global technology giants are writing multi-billion-dollar cheques for India — fueling a surge in cloud infrastructure, AI development, and data-centre projects. This influx of investment signals a fresh wave of growth that could transform the way India consumes, produces, and secures digital services.

A seismic shift is underway in the global technology landscape. AlwaysFirst reports on why Silicon Valley giants and global IT leaders are making unprecedented investments in India, moving beyond cost savings to tap into a booming digital economy and world-class innovation hub.

A deep dive into the global indigo dye industry reveals a startling concentration of power, with one company, Indigo, commanding an overwhelming market share. This dominance raises critical questions about supply chain resilience, environmental accountability, and the true cost behind the world’s iconic blue jeans.

The Indian rupee breached the psychologically significant mark of 90 against the US dollar, marking a sharp decline that has economists and markets on alert. AlwaysFirst delves into the complex global and domestic factors driving this slide and analyzes what the future may hold for the currency and the common citizen.

In a powerful display of economic resilience, India’s GDP surged to an impressive 8.2% for the April-June quarter of FY25, marking the fastest growth in a year and a half. This performance, driven by a robust manufacturing sector and strong investment activity, solidifies India’s position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy and sets a confident…