Stand up to US, continue to buy oil from Iran: Congress, CPM tell PM Modi

With US President Donald Trump ending exemptions from sanctions for India and other countries buying oil from Iran, the Congress and the CPI(M) have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “stand up” to the American government. The Congress said the US decision was a “direct assault and attack on India’s political and economic sovereignty”, adding […]

No Maharatna status for HPCL without ONGC consent: DPE to Petroleum Ministry

Citing procedures and antecedents, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has thrown a spanner at Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s push to grant more autonomy to refining and marketing company Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL). Through a letter dated February 12, the DPE has insisted that the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) should first obtain consent […]

High oil prices an ‘Achilles heel’ for Indian economy: Report

The surging price of oil is an Achilles heel for the Indian economy, complicating its inflation, current account, fiscal balance and currency outlook, a market report by Singapore’s DBS banking group has said. “The sharp rally in oil weighed on all asset classes; USD-INR jumped to 69.87 high before closing slightly lower, while equity markets […]

Punjab budget: Cut in diesel price a cruel joke, say farmer union leaders

Agricultural experts and farmer union leaders on Monday dismissed the state government’s budget as “deceptive”, adding that reducing diesel price by Re one while cutting petrol price by Rs five was a cruel joke on the ‘farming community’. While welcoming the allocation of Rs 3000 crore for waiving of loans of ‘landless farm labourers’ and […]