Page 5 - Diwali

US President Joe Biden plans to hold Diwali celebrations at White House

US President Joe Biden has plans to celebrate Diwali at the White House this year, his spokesperson said. Details and nature of preparations have not been revealed yet. Yes, he has plans to celebrate Diwali just like he did last year, White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference here. We don't have a date to share with you at this time but it is an event that he thinks is very important as he sees a partnership with India as well as Indian Americans here in this country, Jean-Pierre said in response to a question. Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Lawrence Hogan has declared October as Hindu Heritage Month. Beginning with the Bush Administration, Diwali is being celebrated at the White House every year.

Stock market closed today for Dussehra; all trading holidays for 2022

The stock market in India will remain closed today for Dussehra

Ration card holders in Maha to get grocery package at Rs 100 for Diwali

The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to provide a package of groceries at Rs 100 to holders of the ration card in the state for the upcoming Diwali festival. The package will contain 1 kg of rawa (sooji), groundnuts, edible oil and yellow lentils. "There are 1.70 crore families or seven crore people who have ration cards and are eligible to buy foodgrains from state-run fair price shops," the statement said. The proposal was moved by the Department of Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Protection. As per the Reserve Bank of India's consumer price index, the country's retail inflation rate is 7 per cent. Against this backdrop, the state government's decision to offer essential items at subsidised rates will enable the economically-weaker sections to prepare snacks and sweets for Diwali using the package of groceries. Notably, many civic and local governing bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in the state are due for elections in the coming months.

Lava to launch affordable 5G smartphone at Rs 10,000 around Diwali

Indian smartphone maker Lava International on Monday said it will launch an affordable 5G smartphone, LavaBlaze 5G, for about Rs 10,000 before Diwali. The mobile device was unveiled by telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the India Mobile Congress here. A mobile device expert claimed that at Rs 10,000, the phone would be the cheapest 5G smartphone in the market. "It has always been our desire to develop an accessible 5G smartphone that is made in India. The product aligns with the larger vision of providing the next-generation 5G technology to Indians at an affordable price point. With the launch of this smartphone we are making the power of 5G technology accessible to all," Lava International President and Business head Sunil Raina said. Pre-bookings for the Lava Blaze 5G will commence around Diwali this year, he said. Built on MediaTekDimensity 700 chipset, the smartphone will have 50 megapixels (MP) AI triple rear camera and 8 MP front camera and come with an anonymous call ...

CM Shinde announces Diwali bonus for health workers, employees, teachers

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced a Diwali bonus for health workers including Mumbai Municipal Corporation, BEST employees and teachers.

Ad spends likely to get double-digit boost as festive cheer returns

Ad spend projected to be Rs 30,000 crore this time - growth of 15% over last year's Rs 26,000 crore

FTA talks in final phase with Diwali deadline in sight: London Lord Mayor

The free trade agreement (FTA) talks between India and the UK are now in their final phase and despite some outstanding issues to be resolved, there is optimism on both sides that the Diwali deadline for a draft will be met, according to the Lord Mayor of London. Vincent Keaveny, the 693rd Lord Mayor who represents the financial hub of the City of London globally, has just returned from a four-day visit to India following meetings with leading Indian businesses and investors and finance chiefs at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI). As London's ambassador for financial and professional services, the Lord Mayor's visit was aimed at strengthening India-UK financial services links, building strong and sustainable two-way capital flows. It was a really good time to be in India with the FTA negotiations entering into their final phase, Keaveny told PTI. Prime Minister Modi has made it clear that he wants to sign the FTA by Diwali. There are some

Diwali an auspicious date to sign India-UK FTA: British High Commissioner

Currently, both countries are at the last leg of negotiations towards a trade deal that kick-started in January

'Signing India-UK free trade pact will be best way to celebrate Diwali'

The best way to celebrate Diwali will be to have a good free trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said on Tuesday. He observed that the free trade agreement (FTA) will lead to creation of more jobs, growth and opportunities for both India and the UK. Speaking on the sidelines of an event, he asserted that there was "high ambition" to complete the India-UK FTA by Diwali -- a deadline set earlier by both nations -- and added "that would be an auspicious date". Asked if one could expect a 'Diwali Dhamaka' for India in relation to the FTA, the British High Commissioner quipped, "I hope so." Earlier addressing an Assocham conference, Ellis said: "We have the aim to finish the FTA by Diwali." Speaking at the conference, Joint Secretary in the Commerce and Industry Ministry Rajendra Ratnoo said leaders from the countries "are very very committed towards this FTA and have set a very, very ambitious goal of gifting to the peopl

Sky high: Flying during Diwali likely to cost 20-30% more this year

While ATF price has jumped 83% in Sept on a YoY basis, capacity deployed by airlines has also increased. Airlines flew 37% more flights and carried 50% more passengers last month compared to Aug '21

Diwali deadline for India-UK trade pact not to be missed: Commerce secy

Negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement between India and the UK are at the last stage and the deadline of Diwali (in October) would not be missed, commerce secretary B V R Subrahmanyam said on Saturday. In April, both sides had set the Diwali deadline for the conclusion of an India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). "We are on track (to meet the deadline). We are in the last stages. 19 out of 26 chapters are closed. There are a couple of areas where we are negotiating Diwali deadline is not going to be missed," he told reporters here. Talks are happening on certain goods like cars and spirits from the UK side and certain products from the Indian side. In January, both countries formally launched talks for a free trade agreement to boost bilateral trade and investments. In such pacts, two countries either eliminate or significantly reduce customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them besides easing norms for promoting investments and services trade. Ind

Ambani announces 5G launch by Diwali, Rs 2 trn investment for digital play

Jio is working with Google to develop an affordable 5G-enabled phone and also tied up with Qualcomm to build solutions and infrastructure for 5G services in India and abroad

CAIT upbeat about consumer spending in upcoming Diwali festive season

"The expected growth in business among cities will not be restricted to cities alone but traders in small towns and rural areas will also witness growth," it said.

Boris Johnson hails India-UK free trade agreement as 'biggest of them all'

Johnson and PM Narendra Modi during UK PM's visit had announced that the negotiating teams on both sides must work towards a Diwali timeline for the completion of a draft free trade agreement.

Favourable wind speed bring Delhi's air pollution level down marginally

Strong surface winds lowered pollution levels in the national capital marginally on Monday and its 24-hour average AQI at 4 pm was in the 'very poor' category at 390, according to agencies

Maha sees 661 new Covid cases as number of tests dips due to Diwali; 10 die

The number of recoveries in Maharashtra rose to 64,58,045, leaving the state with 14,714 active cases

Diwali festive sale crosses Rs 1.25 trn, breaks all records in 10 yrs: CAIT

Local shops on Amazon clocked a 2x spike and sold over 10 products every minute

Day after Diwali, Delhi records its poorest air quality in 5 years

Delhi recorded its poorest air quality in five years the day after Diwali with a deadly cocktail of noxious fumes from firecrackers and stubble burning pushing the 24-average AQI to 462

Fireworks led to major changes in pollution levels on Diwali: DPCC

Fireworks led to major changes in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in Delhi, DPCC said

Delhi's poor air quality a result of anything but Diwali, says BJP

The BJP on Friday hit back at Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai for blaming the party for bursting of firecrackers by people on Diwali despite a ban