Saturday, October 17
India Monday imposed restrictions on import of gold and silver in unwrought, semi manufactured and powdered form, allowing imports only through nominated agencies, qualified jewellers and valid tariff rate quota holders under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).The restrictions are based on Budget FY26 announcement to introduce new HS (Harmonised System) codes or tariff codes for key items like gold dore, silver dore and platinum containing at least 99% platinum.Some importers used this loophole to bring in products that were 99% gold from Dubai, labelling them as platinum alloy to take advantage of lower duties under the India-UAE CEPA.To block this misuse, the government introduced a new HS code specifically for platinum containing 99% or more pure platinum.
Smartwatches, once among the fastest growing consumer electronics segments, are now finding fewer takers in India. Shipments fell for the fifth consecutive quarter by 33% on-year in the January-March period, amid a shift from volume-driven sales of budget devices to a focus on premium features.The quarter also saw a decline in the number of active brands in the segment and new models launched.Market trackers said 2025 will be a year of correction for the industry where brands will focus on higher-end price segments to fuel growth. Shipments are expected to grow 2% on-year by the end of the year, after declining 34.4% on-year in 2024.For top brands, launches have gone down from around five to six new models per quarter last year to an average of two to three models in Q1 2025, Counterpoint
Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth.These films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas."There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer."Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companie
