From left, this combo of file pictures shows cricketers Prashant Veer, Auqib Nabi Dar and Kartik Sharma. (PTI)

The IPL 2026 player auction began with limited action in the uncapped players’ category before Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma were signed by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 14.20 crore each, setting a new record for uncapped players.The uncapped batters’ category opened the auction, but all six players listed went unsold. The group included Aarya Desai, Yash Dhull, Abhinav Manohar, Anmolpreet Singh, Atharva Taide and Abhinav Tejrana.

The next major development came with Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Auqib Dar, who was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.4 crore. Delhi Capitals outbid Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SunRisers Hyderabad to secure the player.Prashant Veer followed, with multiple teams entering the bidding before Chennai Super Kings secured him. Along with Kartik Sharma, Veer became the most expensive uncapped player in IPL history at the mini auction for the 2026 season held at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.Both players entered the auction at a base price of Rs 30 lakh, with CSK paying Rs 14.20 crore each. Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer’s price rose significantly as CSK competed with Rajasthan Royals early in the bidding and SunRisers Hyderabad later to sign the 20-year-old left-arm spinner and middle-order batter.Veer is set to make his IPL debut. He came into focus after playing for Noida Super Kings in the UP T20 League and has since played domestic cricket. In 12 T20 matches, he has scored 112 runs at a strike rate of 167.16 and taken 12 wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 6.45. His performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy added to his profile, with CSK identifying him as a long-term option in the squad.Soon after, CSK signed Rajasthan batter Kartik Sharma for the same amount of Rs 14.20 crore following bidding involving Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.Kartik has scored 334 runs in 12 T20 matches at a strike rate of 164, including 28 sixes, and featured among the leading six-hitters in the Ranji Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy league stage, he scored 133 runs in five matches at a strike rate above 160. Across his 12-match T20 career, he has maintained a strike rate above 160.Top 5 Indian uncapped players in IPL auction 2026

Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) sales declined by over 4 per cent in early December, driven by IndiGo‘s widespread flight cancellations, according to preliminary industry data released on Tuesday. The aviation sector in India had shown steady growth in jet fuel demand for two years following recovery from Covid-related disruptions. However, this pattern shifted when IndiGo experienced extensive cancellations due to new pilot duty-time regulations, staff shortages and winter weather conditions.The airline cancelled approximately 5,000 flights, including more than 1,600 from their usual 2,300 daily flights during peak disruption. Services returned to normal over the weekend.

Data showed ATF sales fell to 331,400 tonnes during December 1 to 15, compared to 345,400 tonnes in the corresponding period last year. The sales decreased by 7.2 per cent month-on-month, as reported by PTI.While jet fuel declined, other major fuels demonstrated strong growth. Diesel consumption, representing about 40 per cent of India’s fuel usage, increased by nearly 5 per cent to 3.3 million tonnes during December 1-15, although month-on-month sales decreased by 5.5 per cent post-festive season.Compared to 3.16 million tonnes consumption during December 1-15, 2023, diesel demand rose by 4.4 per cent. The increase was 15.2 per cent against 2.87 million tonnes sales in early December 2022.Petrol usage in early December increased by 7.7 per cent to 1.33 million tonnes. Sales were up 8.4 per cent compared to December 1-15, 2023, and showed a 24.7 per cent increase from 1.06 million tonnes in early December 2022. Monthly consumption declined by 5.1 per cent.LPG sales increased by 15.1 per cent to 1.55 million tonnes during December 1-15, driven by domestic cooking requirements. The demand rose by 4.4 per cent month-on-month compared to 1.49 million tonnes sold in early November.The PMUY scheme expanded to include 2.5 million additional households, increasing total coverage from 103.3 million to 105.8 million households.

AI image (Representative)

US saw a significant cutdown in jobs in November, marking a record unemployment high since 2021. It gained 64,000 jobs in November, over October’s loss of 105,000 positions, primarily due to federal workforce reductions under the Trump administration. The unemployment level increased to 4.6%, reaching its peak since 2021.The Labour Department’s delayed reports, released on Tuesday, were postponed by the 43-day federal government closure. November’s employment growth exceeded economists’ predictions of 40,000, while October’s decline stemmed from 162,000 federal workers departing by fiscal year 2025’s end on September 30, influenced by Elon Musk‘s reduction of government personnel.Official revisions reduced August and September employment figures by 33,000 positions. Employment growth has slowed, affected by uncertainty regarding President Trump’s tariff policies and the lingering impact of Federal Reserve’s elevated interest rates from 2022-2023 to control inflation.

While organisations maintain current staff, they hesitate to expand, grappling with artificial intelligence integration and adaptation to Trump’s unpredictable policies, particularly his substantial import tariffs. This situation complicates job searches, while Federal Reserve officials debate interest rate adjustments amidst delayed economic data following the shutdown.The unemployment rate, though historically moderate, has risen since its 54-year low of 3.4% in April 2023. The situation is further complicated by advancing technology potentially reducing workforce requirements.“We’ve seen a lot of the businesses that we support are stuck in that stagnant mode: ‘Are we going to hire or are we not? What can we automate? What do we need the human touch with?”’ said Matt Hobbie, vice president of the staffing firm HealthSkil in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as quoted by Associated Press.“We’re in Lehigh Valley, which is a big transportation hub in eastern Pennsylvania. We’ve seen some cooling in the logistics and transportation markets, specifically because we’ve seen automation in those sectors, robotics,” he added.Employment concerns prompted the Fed to reduce its benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points, marking the third reduction this year. Three Fed officials opposed this decision, marking the highest dissent in six years. Some officials resist further cuts while inflation exceeds the 2% target. Two maintained their position for unchanged rates, while Trump appointee Stephen Miran supported a larger reduction.The shutdown delayed the Labour Department’s September, October and November reports. The September report emerged on November 20, with partial October data released alongside November’s report on Tuesday. October’s unemployment rate remained uncalculated due to the shutdown.

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NEW DELHI: Bihar minority affairs minister Zama Khan on Tuesday defended Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after a row erupted over an incident in which he was seen removing the hijab of a woman doctor during a public function.Addressing the issue, Khan said, “The CM is, perhaps, older than the father of the woman in question. I have a daughter, and I could sense the fatherly affection he had expressed.”The incident took place on Monday at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat during a programme where appointment letters were distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. More than 1,000 doctors were appointed at the event.

Nusrat Parveen, one of the appointees, stepped forward to receive her appointment letter directly from Kumar. While standing on a raised platform, the Chief Minister noticed Parveen’s veil, remarked, “what is this?” and pulled it down, revealing her face.Rejecting the criticism, Khan said, “Only recently has the NDA secured a landslide victory in assembly polls under his leadership. Those trying to create a scandal have a very twisted mindset.”He further said the Chief Minister’s actions were being wrongly interpreted. “The CM had simply tried to highlight the fact that girls of the minority community, too, are making progress in Bihar. But the mudslingers are causing embarrassment to the poor girl, too,” Khan said.The episode triggered sharp political reactions, with Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar, also facing allegations questioning his mental fitness to govern the state.The Congress party strongly attacked the Chief Minister over what it termed a “disgusting act” and demanded his immediate resignation. In a statement, the party said, “If a person occupying the highest post in the state behaves in such a disgraceful manner in public, one can only imagine how safe women are in the state.”The programme involved the distribution of appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors, including 685 Ayurvedic, 393 Homeopathic and 205 Unani practitioners. According to officials, the newly appointed doctors will be posted at various health institutions under AYUSH Medical Services and the National Health Mission.

MUMBAI: Mumbai: Axis Bank expects India’s economy to grow 7.5% in real terms in FY27 and is not unduly worried about recent weakness in the rupee, arguing that macro headwinds are easing and could turn into tailwinds next year.Presenting the bank’s outlook for 2026, Neelkanth Mishra, chief economist at Axis Bank, said India would remain “among major economies, the fastest growing in the world,” aided by a shift from stabilisation to acceleration as monetary conditions ease and structural reforms begin to show results. The forecast is higher than the broader consensus of about 6.8%, which Mishra said reflected the time lag in some analysts reviewing forecasts following new data.

On the currency, Mishra played down concerns after the rupee weakened past 91 to the dollar, calling it a “mild but not wild depreciation.” He said India’s balance of payments position remained comfortable and saw no structural vulnerabilities. “There are no structural issues here which need to be addressed,” he said, attributing recent moves largely to speculative flows and endorsing the RBI’s approach of letting the currency find its level. Axis Bank’s base case sees the rupee drifting to 92–94 by June 2027.Mishra said growth slowed to about 6.5% in the past year due to “significant monetary and fiscal tightening,” estimating that fiscal drag (due to reducing debt) and credit constraints (due to slower credit growth amid caution on credit-deposit ratio) together shaved around 3.3 percentage points off potential growth. “FY27 is when the first tailwinds start to appear,” he said, adding that monetary policy is likely to move from being a drag to supporting growth.Mishra’s optimism is rooted more in structural changes than in a cyclical rebound. He said the worst of fiscal consolidation was behind the economy. While FY25 saw fiscal tightening of about 130 basis points, FY27 is expected to see only around 20 basis points, easing pressure on growth.He also pointed to regulatory and state-level reforms as a quiet but powerful boost to potential growth. Citing GST changes and labour reforms, Mishra said 16 states had implemented 38 major measures, including allowing women to work night shifts. “This is like a systemic unlock,” he said, arguing that such steps raise India’s long-term growth potential.On investment, Mishra said early signs of a revival were visible, with corporate capital expenditure, excluding telecom, growing about 15% in the first half of the current fiscal. As borrowing costs ease, this could mark the start of what he called a “golden age for Indian entrepreneurship.”At the same time, Mishra flagged policy priorities to sustain growth. He said 10-year government bond yields, currently near 6.6%, should “correct significantly” towards 6.1%. He criticised the long-duration bias in government borrowing, saying it had become “too much of a good thing,” and suggested issuing more T-bills to help lower yields.On inflation, Mishra said policymakers should not rush to tighten policy, arguing that there was still significant slack in the economy. “It’s not enough that growth rates are above trend that you start to tighten,” he said, adding that Axis Bank does not expect inflation to rise to levels that would force policy tightening through 2026.

The rupee on Tuesday depreciated to another record low, by 23 paise against the US dollar, reaching 91.01 (provisional) . This decline was attributed to continuous foreign fund outflows, stalled India-US trade negotiations, and sustained US dollar purchases.The domestic currency initially dropped 36 paise to touch 91.14, its lowest point ever, before recovering slightly. Despite the US dollar’s weakness and significant reductions in global oil prices, the rupee continued its downward trend, according to currency traders.Over the past 10 trading sessions, the rupee has moved from 90 to 91 against the dollar. The currency has declined by 1 per cent versus the US dollar in just five sessions.Currency traders suggest that the rupee could potentially exceed 92 against the dollar this month.In interbank foreign exchange trading, the rupee began at 90.87 and fluctuated between 90.76 and 91.14 before closing at 91.01 (provisional), showing a 23 paise decline from its previous close.The domestic currency had closed at 90.78 against the US dollar on Monday, recording a 29 paise decrease from its earlier close. “Rupee made a new lifetime low as dollar buying continued with news that (US President) Donald Trump has not agreed to the new trade proposals from India. So the deal goes into limbo till a new one is finalised,” said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, as quoted by PTI.“FPIs will continue to sell while speculators will continue to take USD/INR up in the absence of RBI intervention… 92 looks imminent unless RBI has other ideas or a deal is finalised,” he added, forecasting tomorrow’s range between 90.75 and 91.25.According to exchange data, foreign institutional investors divested equities worth Rs 1,468.32 crore on Monday.

Gold prices declined in futures trade on Tuesday as traders booked profits and turned cautious ahead of the outcome of the US non-farm payrolls report, which is expected to offer fresh cues on the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate path. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold futures for February delivery slipped by Rs 341, or 0.25 per cent, to trade at Rs 1,33,789 per 10 grams, with a business turnover of 13,900 lots. In the international markets, Comex gold futures for February delivery snapped a three-day winning streak, decreasing by $37.8, or 0.87%, to $4,297.4 per ounce.Here’s how much gold costs in your city today:

Gold rate in Delhi today

In the national capital, 22K gold is priced at Rs 12,285 per gram, while 24K gold is selling at Rs 13,401 per gram. 18K gold stands at Rs 10,054 per gram.

Gold rate in Mumbai today

Mumbai is seeing 22K gold at Rs 12,270 per gram, with 24K gold available at Rs 13,386 per gram. The price of 18K gold is Rs 10,039 per gram.

Gold rate in Bengaluru today

Bengaluru markets list 22K gold at Rs 12,270 per gram, whereas 24K gold is priced at Rs 13,386 per gram. 18K gold is selling at Rs 10,039 per gram.

Gold rate in Chennai today

Chennai continues to record among the highest figures, with 22K gold marked at Rs 12,350 per gram and 24K gold at Rs 13,473 per gram. The rate for 18K gold is Rs 10,300 per gram.

Gold rate in Kolkata today

In Kolkata, 22K gold is being sold at Rs 12,270 per gram, while 24K gold is available at Rs 13,386 per gram. 18K gold is quoted at Rs 10,039 per gram.

Gold rate in Hyderabad today

In Hyderabad, 22K gold is priced at Rs 12,270 per gram, and 24K gold at Rs 13,386 per gram. The 18K variant costs Rs 10,039 per gram.

Gold rate in Ahmedabad today

Ahmedabad buyers are paying Rs 12,275 per gram for 22K gold and Rs 13,391 per gram for 24K gold. Meanwhile, 18K gold is priced at Rs 10,044 per gram.

Gold rate in Jaipur today

Jaipur has 22K gold priced at Rs 12,285 per gram, with 24K gold tagged at Rs 13,401 per gram. The rate for 18K gold is Rs 10,054 per gram.

Gold rate in Bhubaneswar today

In Bhubaneswar, 22K gold stands at Rs 12,270 per gram, while 24K gold is quoted at Rs 13,386 per gram. 18K gold costs Rs 10,039 per gram.

Gold rate in Kanpur today

Kanpur’s market shows 22K gold at Rs 12,285 per gram, with 24K gold selling for Rs 13,401 per gram. The price of 18K gold is Rs 10,054 per gram.

​Based on the HSBC Flash India Composite Output Index, the private sector saw robust business activity. (AI image)

Business activity in India moderated in December, with the HSBC PMI Composite Index that measures India’s manufacturing and service sectors’ combined output, came in at 58.9, dropping from November’s 59.7. Despite this reduction, the index remained significantly above 50.0, indicating continued business expansion.HSBC noted, “The index was down from 59.7 in November and pointed to the softest output growth since February.” Although December registered the lowest growth rate since February, the private sector maintained substantial expansion levels. Analysis revealed decreased growth rates across both manufacturing and service industries in December, primarily attributed to a moderate increase in new orders. Nevertheless, new orders maintained strong momentum, driven by positive developments in customer demand, according to an ANI report quoting HSBC PMI data.Based on the HSBC Flash India Composite Output Index, the private sector saw robust business activity in the final month of 2025, albeit at a slower pace than the previous month. The growth in new orders displayed a similar trend, maintaining healthy levels despite the deceleration.The report indicated that December saw minimal changes in workforce numbers across companies, with employment levels remaining largely stable without significant hiring or redundancies.Organisations saw increased caution regarding future prospects, as evidenced by diminished business confidence. The inflation scenario was subdued, suggesting stable cost conditions.The manufacturing industry experienced a moderation in growth, with both output and new orders showing reduced momentum. Similarly, employment expansion and purchase stock levels grew more gradually. The reduction in suppliers’ delivery times suggested improved supply chain efficiency.The HSBC Flash India Manufacturing PMI showed a decrease to 55.7 in December compared to 56.6 in November.Whilst manufacturing activity maintained solid expansion above the long-term average, December’s figures indicated the most modest improvement in the sector’s health over the previous 24 months.For the outlook towards 2026, HSBC reported that firms maintain positive expectations regarding business growth continuation. Nevertheless, confidence levels have diminished, with business sentiment declining for the third consecutive month in December, reaching its lowest point since July 2022.The HSBC PMI findings indicate that despite India’s slight business growth deceleration in December, the economy continues to demonstrate robust expansion momentum.