Author: Aruna Kaim

Speaking at the 167th Income Tax Day celebrations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to urgently address the heavy backlog of income tax appeals. While total pendency dropped by over 34,000 cases to 5.4 lakh appeals, the minister noted that the current rate of reduction is insufficient given the continuous influx of new appeals. “I would have thought the pending appeals would have come down to less than 1 lakh… It cannot be that the cases keep mounting; it will take a century to clear them if growth in complaints outpaces reduction.” —…

CreditAccess Grameen Limited, India’s largest rural-focused microfinance institution, delivered a strong financial performance for the first quarter of FY27 (Q1 FY26–27). Driven by moderating credit costs and steady portfolio growth, the company reported an over 8-fold (720%) jump in consolidated net profit to ₹493 crore, up from ₹60.1 crore in the same period last year. Key Financial Highlights (Q1 FY27) Metric Q1 FY27 Q1 FY26 YoY Change Net Profit (PAT) ₹493 crore ₹60.1 crore +719.7% Assets Under Management (AUM) ₹30,319 crore ₹26,050 crore +16.4% Pre-Provision Operating Profit (PPOP) ₹873 crore ₹653 crore +33.6% Disbursements ₹6,107 crore ₹5,458 crore +11.9% Credit…

Macroeconomic pressures and geopolitical conflict in the Middle East continue to drag on market sentiment across global and emerging equities. Despite near-term volatility and sector-specific headwinds in Indian markets, equity analysts highlight that select large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks with strong fundamental setups still possess 25%+ annual return potential. Global Factors Driving Near-Term Headwinds Current market pressure stems from a convergence of global economic and geopolitical shocks: Energy & Inflation Shocks: Crude oil breaching the $100/barrel threshold has heightened concerns over elevated transportation costs, lingering inflation, and sustained pressure on corporate operating margins. Tech & AI Trade Cool-Off: Global technology…

When evaluating companies, most investors look straight at revenue growth or profit margins. But big accounting blowups rarely start on the income statement—they begin quietly on the balance sheet, where cash is deployed away from the core business into secondary investments, subsidiaries, or related-party entities. Management holds significant discretion over when to recognize impairment losses on these investments. By delaying bad news, a failing allocation of capital can sit on the books at full value long after its true worth has evaporated. The Three Questions Every Investor Should Ask You don’t need an accounting degree or forensic auditing skills to…

Geopolitical friction and renewed global tariff concerns are injecting noticeable volatility into equity markets. In times like these—where broader indexes chop sideways—stock selection driven by improving fundamentals and relative strength offers a grounded strategy to find resilient opportunities. The Strategy Behind the Scores When filtering for companies positioned to weather current macroeconomic headwinds, five core quantitative pillars are evaluated: Earnings Trajectory: Consistent upward revisions in EPS estimates and quarterly performance beats. Fundamental Health: Strong balance sheets, debt-to-equity resilience, and expanding operating margins. Relative Valuation: Attractive pricing relative to historical multiples and sector peers. Risk Profile: Manageable beta levels, offering downside…

WhatsApp is reportedly developing a major security upgrade aimed at protecting users against account hijackings and SIM-swapping attacks. According to early details spotted in Android beta builds, the messaging platform is preparing to swap its long-standing six-digit numeric Two-Step Verification (2FA) PIN for a stronger alphanumeric password option. What’s Changing in Account Security? Letters + Numbers: Rather than relying solely on a simple numeric code, users will be required to mix letters and numbers, drastically increasing complexity and resistance against brute-force guessing attempts. Strength Verification: Beta strings indicate WhatsApp will automatically evaluate password strength before letting you save it. Double-Layer…

Google is rolling out a new authentication and recovery option that lets users log into their accounts using a short video selfie. Joining passwords, passkeys, and recovery contacts, this feature gives users a biometric fallback when they forget their credentials or lose access to their primary devices. How Video Selfie Sign-In Works When enabling the feature, users perform guided head movements in front of their front-facing camera (on mobile, tablet, or PC) to capture multiple angles of their face. Setup: The initial video creates an encrypted reference baseline tied to the Google Account. Verification: When logging in or recovering an…

Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone—informally dubbed the iPhone 20—could usher in the company’s most dramatic design overhaul since the iPhone X. Reports indicate Apple is prioritizing an ultra-immersive, bezel-less display alongside major internal hardware upgrades. A 7-Inch Quad-Curved Panel Prominent Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station revealed that Apple is internally testing a 6.96-inch display that could be marketed as a full 7-inch panel. The Design: Built in partnership with Samsung, the panel is expected to eliminate the traditional polariser for a slimmer profile and feature curves on all four edges. Dimensions: Despite the larger screen area, the device may maintain the same…

As digital storefronts shift and legacy hardware ages, video game preservation has become one of the industry’s most pressing concerns. Microsoft is taking a major step forward to address it, expanding its Xbox backward compatibility program directly to Windows PCs and handheld gaming devices for the first time. The goal is straightforward: build an ecosystem where your game library and memories travel with you, regardless of the screen you choose. Key Takeaways from Microsoft’s Classic Xbox PC Expansion Initial Title Lineup: The rollout kicks off with four original Xbox classics: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper Conker: Live & Reloaded Crimson Skies:…

Shares of Star Health and Allied Insurance Company slipped over 1% on Friday following market confusion over a drop in Rekha Jhunjhunwala’s direct holding. Star Health quickly issued a BSE/NSE stock exchange filing clarifying that the shift was an internal succession transaction—not a market exit or stock dump. Key Details of the Transaction The Transfer: 7.82 crore equity shares were transferred off-market to Sitara Partners LLP—a promoter entity where Rekha Jhunjhunwala serves as a Designated Partner. Resulting Stake: Following the transfer on June 24, 2026, Sitara Partners LLP holds 13.29% of Star Health’s total paid-up share capital. Regulatory Clearance: The…