The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of RBI's ex-Governor Shaktikanta Das as Principal Secretary-2 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with effect from the day Das assumes office. "His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or until further orders, whichever is earlier," an order said. Das retired as RBI Governor in December 2024.

Gold reclaimed its all-time high of ₹89,400 per 10 grams in Delhi this week, while spot gold crossed the $2,950 per ounce mark. Prices of gold, considered a safe-haven asset, have been rising globally amid growing economic uncertainty driven by US President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Inflationary pressures, dollar index weakness and banks' gold accumulation are also affecting prices.

Shaktikanta Das, the 67-year-old ex-RBI Governor appointed as PM Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary-2, is a retired 1980 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. He did his schooling from the Demonstration Multipurpose School, Bhubaneswar, and BA and MA in History from St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He also pursued a postgraduate course in Public Administration from the University of Birmingham, UK.

S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average crashed around 1.7% each on Friday to record their worst day this year. This comes after an S&P Global report revealed that the US business activity slowed to 17-month low in February due to uncertainty caused by the government's tariff policy. It also found that consumer sentiment is deteriorating amid rising goods prices.

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted his discomfort on Air India Flight AI436, where he was assigned a faulty seat (8C). Despite crew warnings about its condition, he chose to remain seated to avoid inconveniencing others. He called the practice unethical and questioned whether Air India’s Tata management would address such issues to ensure better service.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was allocated a broken seat on a Bhopal-Delhi Air India flight. He claimed the staff told him they had informed management about the broken seat. "I don't care about discomfort...but it is unethical to make passengers sit on...uncomfortable seats after charging them the full amount. Isn't this cheating the passengers?" he asked.

A report by CLSA suggested that the cheapest Tesla car will cost around ₹35-40 lakh in India even if import duties are reduced to 15-20%. After accounting for additional costs like road tax and insurance, Tesla's Model 3 will have an on-road price of around $40,000, CLSA said. Reports earlier said Tesla could sell EVs priced around ₹21 lakh.

The Good Glamm Group has sold ScoopWhoop to WLDD, a meme marketing firm. According to ET and The Morning Context, Good Glamm Group sold ScoopWhoop to WLDD in a deal valued at approximately ₹20 crore, a fifth of the ₹100 crore valuation at which Good Glamm Group acquired ScoopWhoop in 2021. Recently, Sirona Founders repurchased their startup from Good Glamm.

As global markets evolve, AI and Machine Learning (ML) are now essential for a competitive edge. They are transforming supply chain management by optimising logistics, forecasting, and customer service. Top applications of AI/ML include route optimisation, demand forecasting, supply chain risk management, quality control warehouse automation, etc.

Speaking on being illegally arrested in Uganda last year, billionaire Pankaj Oswal's daughter Vasundhara said she spent two weeks in a prison housing murderers and human traffickers. "My human rights were grossly violated. They...denied me food and water," she said. She was arrested over the murder of her father's ex-employee Mukesh Menaria, who was later found alive.

Elizabeth Lopatto argues that Elon Musk’s leadership has caused lasting damage, stating that this isn’t just about Twitter, it’s about the broader tech landscape. She highlights mass layoffs including 10,000 federal workers cut and 75,000 taking buyouts. Concerns include regulatory instability, weakened public infrastructure, and economic disruption that could take decades to repair.

Chinese researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology discovered a new bat coronavirus, HKU5 CoV-2, that binds to the same receptor as SARS-CoV-2. The finding boosted vaccine stocks, with shares of Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, and BioNTech rising. Shi Zhengli said, "We must remain vigilant," emphasizing the need for robust vaccine development.

Elon Musk's wealth has dipped the most this year, falling by $47 billion to $385 billion as of February 22, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He is followed by Gautam Adani, Venture Global LNG founders Michael Sabel and Robert Pender, and Indonesia's Prajogo Pangestu. India's Dilip Shanghvi, Shiv Nadar and Ravi Jaipuria's wealth also dipped by roughly $4 billion each.

Indian stock markets remained in a consolidation phase this week, with benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slipped over half a per cent amid weak global cues and trade war concerns. Sensex, Nifty gain as pharma, metal, energy stocks rise. The broader sentiment was cautious as investors reacted to renewed tariff threats from the US which led to profit-taking in large-cap stocks.

Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd has been recognised as India's top power utility by the Ministry of Power based on two independent areas of performance excellence and customer service excellence. For the third consecutive year, Adani Electricity has secured the leading position in the 13th Integrated Rating Exercise by the PFC, highlighting its strong financial stability.

A TeamLease EdTech report predicts increased demand for fresh graduates and professionals with less than five years of experience in early 2025. Hiring is expected to rise across IT, manufacturing, e-commerce, and AI-related fields. Freshers should develop digital and AI skills to stay competitive. Employers also prioritise soft skills like analytical reasoning and adaptability.

Himachal Pradesh plans to lease the historic Hotel Wildflower Hall near Shimla to generate revenue amid financial strain. The state regained control of the property after a long legal battle and is now inviting global bids. The Oberoi Group, which currently operates the hotel, may compete with other hospitality firms for the lease as the government seeks a suitable partner.

Stronger policy frameworks and robust macro fundamentals remain the key to resilience and fostering overall macroeconomic stability, according to RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra. Monetary Policy Committee's minutes revealed focus on growth momentum and price stability. Headline inflation, after moving above the upper tolerance band in October, has moderated in November and December.

Domestic air passenger traffic in India continued its upward trend in January, reaching an estimated 150.3 lakh passengers, according to a new report. This represents a 0.7 per cent increase compared to December 2024 and a significant 14.5 per cent jump compared to January last year.

Chairman of Zydus, Pankaj Patel, emphasised on Friday that people are the most valuable asset to any organisation and they must be well taken care of. "People are the core to anything you do," he said at a formal announcement of the SOUL (School of Ultimate Leadership) -- a privately funded leadership institution in Gujarat established by a group of like-minded individuals.

Petroleum prices in India are among the lowest in the world, said Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, he said that fuel prices in the country have reduced both in absolute terms and in real terms over the years.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said markets misinterpreted the impact of Chinese startup DeepSeek's RI AI model on the chipmaker's business. "Market responded to R1, as in, 'Oh my gosh. AI is finished'," Huang said. Markets thought computing wasn't needed anymore but it's "complete opposite", he stated. NVIDIA's m-cap fell by $600 billion after DeepSeek's launch of its model.

US President Donald Trump said he recently met Apple CEO Tim Cook, who claimed the iPhone maker is investing "hundreds of billions of dollars" in the US. Trump further said that Apple has "stopped two plants in Mexico" and will move the production to the US. "They don't want to be in the tariffs," Trump stated.

US President Donald Trump said he'll inspect the country's gold reserves at Fort Knox "to make sure the gold is there". "We want to find, did anyone steal the gold at Fort Knox...I don't want to open it, and the cupboards are bare. Could happen," Trump said. This comes after conspiracy theories concerning gold reserves at Fort Knox surfaced.

SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said there is no need for the regulator to comment on the recent dip in small and mid-cap stocks' valuations. Last year, Buch had warned about froth building in the segment. "At a point of time when the regulator felt the need to make a statement about it, the statement was made," she said.