What you should know about the alleged Kochhar-Dhoot nexus

Jobs Jumble

Psychiatrist to help Zomato deliver right

Food delivery company has hired psychiatrist Rohit Garg to counsel employees 2-3 times a week.

• Jobs galore for engineers as startups, IT companies, MNCs vie for their attention
• ET Budget survey: No crisis but jobs are scarce

Telecom Tales

More Indians talk despite data surge

The average revenue each minute for telcos from voice calls has dipped in the same period.

• Voda Idea okays Rs 25000-cr rights issue
• Bharti Infratel, Indus seek exit charges post Vodafone-Idea merger

Defence Diary

Slow HAL impacting India's air combat strength: IAF to Govt

Pointing to delays ranging from two to six years, the air force has brought out that HAL has not been able to meet delivery schedules, resulting in both fleets being in a sub optimal state, besides raising questions on the trainer aircraft being developed by the agency.

• All the President's men: on parade with India's elite bodyguards
• In joint operations, Forces check layers of coastal security

Internet Domain

Microsoft says Bing search engine blocked in China

A search performed on Bing's China website - cn.bing.com - from within mainland China directs the user to a page that says the server cannot be reached.

• After FB, Google builds political ad database in India
• Google India spent Rs 1,100 cr on media investments in 2018

Stories in Pictures

Amazon's cooler-sized robot 'Scout'

Amazon becomes the latest entry to the market for robotic or autonomous delivery aimed at getting meals or other goods to customers without a human driver.

• How PM Modi reacted when he was gifted a cap worn by Netaji
• Budget 2019: What's in the briefcase?

Startup Features

For a betterhalf: Indians turn to algorithms for love

So the MIT Sloan School of Management alum decided to build an AI-powered matchmaking app, one that would determine emotional, intellectual and social compatibility.

• Groww raises $6.2 million from Sequoia & others
• FirstCry parent to get Rs 2,825 crore from SoftBank’s Vision Fund

International Affairs

China very much wants to make trade deal with US: Trump

Trump wants to reduce the massive trade deficit with China. Last year, he had imposed massive import duties on Chinese products.

• Britain must pay EU bill even in ‘no deal’: Michel Barnier
• Russia, in effort to defuse US nuclear dispute, displays new missile

Politics Pointers

Can Priyanka Gandhi repeat 1999 magic of Rae Bareli in 2019?

For long, Congress ranks have touted Priyanka as the trump card who could flip political equations in a jiffy.

• BSP-SP can almost halve BJP seats in UP, according to 2014 poll data
• Amit Shah to meet UP booth-level chiefs from January 30

In The News

Oracle in race row, paid Indians less than white

Indians were being discriminated in wages along with African nationals and Hispanics compared to whites.

• Why Dipa Karmakar wants to talk to Nita Ambani
• Snatch voting rights, govt jobs of people with more than two kids: Yog guru Ramdev

The Economic Perspective

Finance ministry mulls hiking minimum pension under EPS

The govt spends about Rs 9,000 crore per annum on pensions under the Employee Pension Scheme.

• WTO reforms: India readies counter to US, set to float paper that could stir the Davos pot
• India to remain fastest-growing economy in 2019, 2020: UN report

Auto Buzz

Boeing flying car takes off to show a glimpse of the future

Propelled by electricity, the model is designed for fully autonomous flight, with a range of as much as 50 miles, Boeing said.

• Hyundai plans to make Kona electric SUV
• Maruti looks to revive market with WagonR

Budget 2019: Expectations and Reality

Black, dream, rollback: How Budgets got their names

Black Budget, Rollback Budget and Dream Budget are some of the Budgets that are remembered for their uniqueness.

• Ex-CBEC Chairman pitches for GST rate rationalisation
• Despite DeMo & GST, India wants more reform

Investors 'obsessed' with equity schemes of Axis Mutual Fund, say advisors

Mutual fund investors want to invest only in equity schemes of Axis Mutual Fund these days, say mutual fund advisors.

• After birla and HDFC MFs, UTI marks down IL&FS SPVs’ debt
• Till elections, it will be a flat market with a bit of volatility: Gautam Sinha Roy, Motilal Oswal AMC

Why mutual funds marked down investments in IL&FS SPV

Mutual funds have holdings in three SPVs of IL&FS — Jharkhand Road Projects, Hazaribagh Ranchi Expressway Limited, and Jorabat Shillong Expressway.

• RBI making U-turn, seen shifting to neutral in February, cutting rates by mid-year
• Best short duration or short term mutual fund schemes to invest in 2019

"Don’t look for short cuts to create wealth"

How to maximise returns? Ashish Modani, Founder, SLA Financial Solutions, a leading financial advisory firm in Jaipur, remembers the question very well.

• Will these mutual funds help me buy a house in 10 years?
• Two mutual funds mark down IL&FS SPV debt

2019 will give moderate returns to equity investors: Rahul Singh, Tata Mutual Fund

"We should weigh the moderate return outlook in 2019 against the risks that are more immediate and can be monitored and leave the discussion on elections for a later date."

• ABSL Pure Value Fund is giving negative returns. What should I do?
• Crisil downgrades NCD of IL&FS arm JRPICL