Kiren Rijiju takes additional charge of food processing industries ministry
New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI) Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday took additional charge as the Union Minister of Food processing Industries. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Union Food processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras. After this, Rijiju was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Food […] Key Points
ThePrintOwais Metal and Mineral IPO: GMP rises, subscription status on Day-3, issue details, all you need to know
Stock Market Today- Owais Metal and Mineral IPO: The issue opened for subscription on February 26, 2024 and closes on February 28, 2024. The was IPO subscribed 221.18 times on February 28,(Day 3) by 6.20 PM Key Points
mintUS to hike premium processing fees for H-1B and other visa categories; effective Feb 26
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalized a rule announcing an increase in premium processing fees for specific visa categories, including H-1B applications. Immigration attorneys advise sponsoring employers to consider the new fees in their immigration budget planning. Key Points
Economic TimesUSCIS announces increased premium processing fees for H-1B and other visa categories, effective Feb 26
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalized a rule announcing an increase in premium processing fees for specific visa categories, including H-1B applications. Immigration attorneys advise sponsoring employers to consider the new fees in their immigration budget planning. Key Points
Economic TimesApple MacBook Pro with M3 chips to be available in India from Nov 7
The company announces the launch of three M3 chipset models with built-in next-generation GPU architecture and faster CPU with an eye on AI. Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops and iMac with M3 chipsets will be available across 27 countries, including India, from November 7 onwards, according to an official statement. Key Points
The Tribune India
US passport face 17-week nightmare: Tips to get your passport renewed smoothly
Passport renewals now take 10-13 weeks for routine processing and 7-9 weeks for expedited. Here are some tips to ensure a smooth renewal process. | World News Key Points
Hindustan TimesLulu Group to invest Rs 10,000 crore in India over 3 years to complete ongoing projects
Lulu group also has plans to set up an agriculture sourcing and logistics hub near Hyderabad Airport for facilitating exports and promotion of local Telangana produce across India and the world, he said. With more than 250 hypermarkets and 24 shopping malls across 22 nations, Lulu Group has been expanding rapidly in India as well, with investments in food processing and retail projects. Key Points
Economic Timesprocessing charges a drag on fast-growing payments startups
Digital payment startups are facing rising payment processing charges despite revenue growth, impacting profitability. High operation costs persist due to fees charged by network operators and system maintenance expenses. Key Points
Economic TimesMahyco Group Company Fowler Westrup India acquires Netherland-based Seed processing Holland (SPH)
Mayco Group Company Fowler Westrup India acquires Netherland-based Seed processing Holland (SPH). Fowler Westrup India Pvt Ltd, a Mahyco Group company, today announced the acquisition of Netherland-based Seed processing Holland (SPH), a global leading producer of advanced seed processing equipment from H2 Equity Partners. With this strategic acquisition, Fowler Westrup will serve its customers in the vegetable and field crop seed processing segments in different parts of the world with an extended product portfolio and innovative solutions. Key Points
Economic TimesClorox says production sites back up after August cyberattack
Clorox (CLX.N) said on Friday all its manufacturing facilities resumed operations and it is ramping up production to restock inventories after a cyberattack last month disrupted the bleach maker's business. Key Points
Reuters
Wait time for US tourist visa interviews reduced by 50 per cent
The wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in India has been reduced by more than 50%, according to United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti. The goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas. Garcetti highlighted the progress made in visa processing, stating that the US Mission in India is currently processing visas faster than ever before. Key Points
Economic TimesIndia to double manpower to process IP applications: Piyush Goyal
India's Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, has announced plans to double manpower for processing Intellectual Property (IP) applications in order to streamline the process and increase transparency. He also suggested initiating criminal proceedings against those who file frivolous pre-grant opposition. The Indian Patent Office will hire an additional 900 people to handle the growing number of IP applications. Goyal also proposed the digitization of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks to improve efficiency. Key Points
Economic TimesClorox expects quarterly loss on hit from cyberattack
Clorox (CLX.N) said on Wednesday it expects to post a loss in the first quarter after a cybersecurity attack in August caused product outages, processing delays and wide-scale disruption to the bleach maker's operations. Key Points
ReutersBSP MP meets PM, draws his attention towards works done in Amroha
BSP MP Kunwar Danish Ali met PM Modi and discussed development works in his constituency and issues related to the welfare of Muslims. He also highlighted the need for addressing key issues associated with the Muslim community to make them a massive human resource for India's growth. Additionally, he drew attention to the problems faced by residents in Amroha and urged for the construction of a railway line, passport processing center, high court bench, and institutes like IIT and AIIMS in west UP. Key Points
Hindustan TimesCanadian visa processing for Indians expected to return to normal by early 2024
The reduction of staff in India due to the recent diplomatic dispute between India and Canada is expected to result in a backlog of 17,500 'final decisions' within the global immigration system over the next two months. However, the Canadian government aims to restore normal processing by early 2024 as the immigration staff gradually reestablish themselves in Canada. Key Points
Economic Times
Canadian visa processing at standstill as federal workers' strike enters Day 7
As of March 31, number of backlogged applications dropped below 9,00,000 for the first time since pandemic, with another 20,17,700 applications under processing. There will be limited capacity during a strike, so delays in processing are expected. This includes delays to applications currently being prioritized, the IRCC has said. Citizenship events have already been canceled and will be rescheduled after the IRCC strike ends. Key Points
Economic TimesEuropean summer in mind? These countries are offering a quick visa now
Countries like Greece, Hungary, Czech Republic and Budapest have appointments as early as March and April but the processing time range from four to eight weeks. In the thick of all of this, there are still few European countries that are still processing visas in a matter of days. Spain, Sweden, Finland, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are offering quick visas to make your European summer dream come true. Key Points
Economic TimesTsingshan Unit Plans Indonesian Battery Plant as Trade Frictions Mount
The battery unit of Tsingshan Holding Group Co., the world’s top nickel producer, plans to build a plant in Indonesia, the latest in a series of Chinese investments that will help the Southeast Asian nation step up from commodities production to more lucrative processing and manufacturing. Key Points
mintPLI schemes report card: Production/sales touch Rs 8.61 lakh crore; over 6.78 lakh jobs created so far
PLI schemes form a major plank of India's Atmanirbhar plan. Currently, PLI schemes for 14 key sectors (with an incentive outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore) are under implementation. Key Points
Economic TimesRBI raises automatic payment limit via UPI to Rs 1 lakh
UPI emerges preferred mode of payment for a large section of population with over 11.23 billion transactions recorded in November. The Reserve Bank of India on Tu Key Points
The Tribune India
US consulate in Mumbai sets new record, issues over 1.2 million non-immigrant visas in 2023
Consul General Mike Hankey emphasized the enduring relationship between the United States and India, expressing dedication to promoting prosperity, inclusion, and security. In an official statement, he stated, Today's special Saturday represents our sustained commitment to utilize innovative solutions to further reduce visitor visa wait times in the year ahead. Key Points
Economic TimesPLI schemes have started to yield desired outcomes
Pointing out that the PLI for Food processing are on track, Anita Praveen, Secretary, Ministry of Food processing Industries said that more than 2 lakh jobs have been added to the 80 lakh existing ones in this sector. “We are completing our investment target by March 2024 under the PLI,” she said while adding that the Food processing Ministry is now to push for smaller units that will likely generate the largest growth for the sector. Key Points
Economic TimesJack Henry & Associates revenue rises on steady demand for fintech products
Fintech firm Jack Henry & Associates (JKHY.O) reported a rise in its first-quarter revenue on Tuesday, helped by steady growth in its processing as well as services and support segments. Key Points
ReutersCanada says it will only be able to process half of the visa applications from India before end of the yea
IRCC is hopeful that Indian visa application processing will return to normal by early 2024. The department plans for the 22 immigration staff who have been relocated from India to Canada and the Philippines to resume their duties. Key Points
Economic TimesHow Canada plans to fast track your PGWP and work permit extension application
Canada is implementing automation technologies to speed up the processing of post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) and work permit extensions. The automated tools will handle sorting and assigning applications, as well as assessing applications for eligibility, allowing immigration officers to focus on making final decisions. Key Points
Economic Times
Travelling to Switzerland to get tougher? Swiss embassy suspends Schengen visa applications for Indians next few months
Swiss embassy in New Delhi suspends Schengen visa applications for Indian tour groups until October due to backlog. Tour operators unhappy. Key Points
mintSBI home loan: State Bank of India offers concession, 50-100% processing fee waiver till this date
All variants of home loan and top up there is a 50-100% waiver in card rate, minimum Rs.2,000 and maximum of Rs. 5,000 plus applicable GST Key Points
Economic TimesFacing delay in your Canada immigration application? Take these steps
Canada's immigration system is facing backlog issues due to reasons such as COVID-19 pandemic, aging technology, high demand, and staffing shortages. The delay can lead to frustration for the applicant. However, applicants can take some steps to get information on the status of their application. These steps include checking the status of the application on the IRCCs website, filing a web form enquiry or calling at the IRCC customer care number, requesting GCMS, CAIPS, or FOSS notes etc. Key Points
Economic TimesGovt sets up Centre for processing Accelerated Corporate Exit
The establishment of the C-PACE will help to reduce the stress on the Registry along with keeping the registry clean besides availability of more meaningful data to the stakeholders. The C-PACE will also benefit the stakeholders by providing hassle-free filing, timely and process-bound striking off their company's names from the register, the corporate affairs ministry said in a release. Key Points
Economic TimesOil extends drop as US slowdown concerns eclipse stockpile draw
In Asia, meanwhile, gasoline markets are showing signs of weakness as profits from producing the fuel slump. Diesel is also lagging, with some refiners considering cuts to processing as margins decline. That’s weighing on prices of crude grades. Key Points
Financialexpress
Schengen visa delay to spoil your summer travel plans? Expert says ‘there's solution’
There are no appointment slots available for Italy. For France, visas take 35-40 days to process.Countries such as Switzerland, Denmark, and Austria still offer relatively smooth visa processing Key Points
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