Monday, August 24
New Delhi: The organised refurbished smartphone market is expected to end this calendar year with a double-digit growth in sales despite the exit of two large ecommerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart from the segment, denting sales in the first half.A robust festive season, however, helped the sector regain momentum, industry executives said. Companies have also started expanding into categories such as laptops, cameras, smartwatches, and gaming consoles to diversify revenues, they added.In the first half of 2025, both Amazon and Flipkart restructured their businesses of selling refurbished smartphones by discontinuing sales of externally-refurbished products due to high return rates, and inconsistent quality. This led to a dip in sales for companies selling refurbished handsets through the
The United States is preparing to begin a nationwide biometric entry-exit programme for foreign travellers, with new rules coming into force from December 26, 2025. The programme will require all non-US citizens entering and leaving the country to undergo facial biometric collection at airports, land borders, seaports and other authorised exit points. The introduction of this rule updates existing regulations and clears the way for full-scale implementation of the long-planned biometric entry-exit system. The programme is aimed at strengthening border security while streamlining identity checks for international travellers. What will change when the programme startsUnder the new rule, US Customs and Border Protection will collect facial biometrics from all non-citizens at entry and exit.
New Delhi: Global economic growth is expected to remain resilient in 2026, with India continuing to be one of the fastest-growing major economies, according to Goldman Sachs' Global Economics Analyst Report Macro Outlook 2026.The report projects global growth at 2.8 per cent in 2026, above the consensus estimate of 2.5 per cent, supported by stable inflation and easing monetary conditions across several economies."We expect sturdy global growth of 2.8 per cent in 2026, versus a consensus forecast of 2.5 per cent. The US is likely to outperform substantially (2.6 per cent vs. 2.0 per cent) because of reduced tariff drag, tax cuts, and easier financial conditions," the report notedThe report said that emerging markets, including India, are expected to outperform developed peers amid stronger
