IT employee union stages protest against increasing working hours in Bengaluru

Information technology employee union Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) staged a protest in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on August 3 against increasing working hours. Manjunath G, Additional commissioner, Labour Department, assured protestors that the demands would be taken up for consideration by the government, after being handed over documents opposing the proposed bill. Read here

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Broader indices outperformance continues; 56 smallcaps rise between 10-32%

The broader indices continued to outperform the main indices, which reached a fresh record high amid quarterly earnings, progressing monsoon, and supportive global data points with the Fed's indication of a rate cut in the September meeting. However, fear of possible recession and geopolitical escalations dragged indices from record levels. The BSE Small-cap index rose 0.6 percent with Neuland Laboratories, PCBL, TCPL Packaging, Ester Industries, Black Box, Kokuyo Camlin, SJS Enterprises, Cressanda Solution rising between 19-32 percent. On the other hand, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam, Aegis Logistics, Birlasoft, Udaipur Cement Works, Waaree Renewable Technologies, Thomas Cook (India), Johnson Controls -Hitachi Air Conditioning India, Ideaforge Technology, Sonata Software, Dredging Corporation India, Datamatics Global Services, Yasho Industries, Wonderla Holidays fell between 10-22 percent. Read more here

Are REITs and InvITs more appealing to investors post Budget 2024?

Under the new Budget proposals, investments in REITs and InvITs will be considered long-term if investors hold the units for more than 12 months, instead of the previous 36 months. Has this made these instruments more attractive for investors? Subahoo Chordia, Head of Real Assets Strategy, Edelweiss Alternatives addresses this in Simply Save Podcast.

FDs for senior citizens: Equitas SFB, Ujjivan SFB offer up to 9% on 15-month tenor FDs

Several banks have announced special tenure fixed deposit schemes for senior citizens with higher interest rates, aiming to attract investors. When it comes to savings, senior citizens prefer to invest their money in bank fixed deposits for their apparent stability and steady income through interest payments. Small finance banks top the list of entities that offer the highest interest rates on short-term fixed deposits. Read here

Lexus NX Overtrail

The Lexus NX Overtrail, with its new 'Moon Desert' beige color scheme and blacked-out features, turns heads while delivering the hybrid efficiency of the NX 350h without the long charging times. The range indicator on the Lexus NX’s gauge cluster reads “820 km”. Therein lies the appeal of a hybrid powertrain, especially the self-charging kind. Because at the end of said 800-odd kilometers you’re not met with extensive charging downtime. You can just put some petrol in and carry on. Read more here

Google Chrome to get three new AI features with Lens integration, tab compare, and improved search history

Google has introduced three new AI features for its Chrome browser which utilize Google AI and Gemini models. These tools aim to provide improved shopping comparison and browsing history. Read more here