The Centre will introduce new guidelines for releasing subsidies to farmers for the purchase of farm machinery and tools, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje has said. A major portion of the subsidy is at present set apart for the purchase of tractors and farmers are not able to purchase other farm machineries and tools required for their daily work, she said.  The minister asked youth...

Economic Times Unilever global chief executive Alan Jope said high inflation impacted demand from low income consumers in Indian villages even as growth remains stronger in cities. "The market growth in India remains stronger in urban areas than in rural areas and that reflects the high impact of high food inflation on low income consumers. We are seeing rural markets broadly flat in value terms with lower volumes," Jope said during its...

Economic Times A parliamentary panel has asked the government to increase financial assistance provided under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) to help beneficiaries in completion of houses and improve monitoring of houses being constructed under the flagship scheme. The 30-member committee on estimates, headed by BJP MP Girish Bhalchandra Bapat, asked the ministry of rural development to revise the financial assistance provided to help beneficiaries in timely completion of houses sanctioned. The...

Economic Times With investors tightening their purse strings because of the volatility in the global economy, many unicorns and startups such as Byju’s, Swiggy and Ola have slowed down hiring or even resorted to firing employees. Startups in India fired about 6,000 employees in October-December 2022 and another 4,000 or so in January 2023, the Economic Times reported, citing a report by CIEL Human Resources services.  Many unicorns and startups like Byju's, Swiggy...

Economic Times The significant increase in budgetary outlay for the PM Awas Yojana is expected to enable Uttar Pradesh to provide houses to all remaining rural beneficiaries of the scheme in the upcoming financial year leading to the PMAY(Rural) quota in the state being filled completely ("saturated") by 2024, when the general elections will be held. Allocation for PMAY saw a 66% increase to Rs. 79,000 crore in the Union budget tabled...