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Longitude 77, the premium Indian single malt from Pernod Ricard India, has expanded its presence in eastern India with its official launch in Kolkata. The unveiling took place at ITC Sonar, bringing together whisky enthusiasts, industry experts, and select guests. The Kolkata launch comes on the back of strong global recognition for Longitude 77, which has won Gold medals at the London Spirits Competition, The Global Spirit Masters by The Spirits Business, and Monde Selection, along with a Bronze at The International Wine & Spirits Competition. The whisky is crafted by the master blenders associated with globally known brands such…

Ahead of the Union Budget 2026, leaders from the life insurance sector have outlined a set of fiscal and regulatory measures aimed at improving retirement readiness, expanding insurance penetration and sustaining long-term economic growth. VenkyIyer, Co-Chairperson of the Insurance Awareness Committee (IAC-Life), said taxation has a disproportionately harsh impact on pension earners. He proposed aligning pension taxation with other fixed-interest instruments by taxing only the interest or gains, a move he said would enhance post-retirement income while mobilising long-term savings through life insurance solutions. Iyer also called for a standard deduction for pensioners who do not commute their corpus to ensure…

Maithan Steel, a leading name in the Indian steel industry, celebrated 25 years of operations with its dealers’ meet Jashn-E-Maithan 2026, highlighting its growth journey and future expansion plans. Founded in 2001 with a 60,000-tonne sponge iron unit, the company expanded into TMT bar manufacturing in 2012 and has since grown into a 5,00,000-tonne integrated steel plant with operations across 25 states and Union Territories. The company currently works with over 250 institutional buyers and a network of more than 2,500 channel partners, serving over 25 lakh home builders and consumers. Maithan Steel has also generated direct and indirect employment…

Samsung is set to introduce a new layer of privacy protection for its Galaxy smartphones, aimed at preventing “shoulder surfing” and keeping personal information safe in public spaces. The company said the upcoming feature has been developed over more than five years of engineering, testing and user research, as concerns around mobile privacy continue to grow. According to Samsung, smartphones have become deeply personal, storing messages, passwords and daily routines, yet they are often used in crowded places such as buses, elevators and queues. The new privacy layer is designed to shield sensitive on-screen content, allowing users to check messages…

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey for 2025–26 in Parliament, formally marking the beginning of the build-up to the Union Budget, which will be presented on Sunday, February 1. Notably, this year’s Budget announcement is scheduled for a weekend. The Economic Survey 2026 drew attention to the much-debated India–US trade agreement, noting that while negotiations have advanced, certain tariff-related impacts are already visible. At the same time, the Survey observed a gradual shift in India’s export strategy, with exporters reducing their dependence on the US market. Data from April to November of FY26 show increased focus on destinations…