Archives April 2026

The Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) is positioning itself as a future-focused business school by combining global exposure, industry partnerships, and technology-driven learning to prepare students for evolving management careers.

At the centre of this transformation is the leadership vision of Dr. Prabina Rajib, Director of BIMTECH, who has emphasised building an institution rooted in innovation, industry integration, student development, and global engagement.

A key milestone in this journey is BIMTECH being recognised as a 2026 AACSB Global Impact Award winner for its “AI-Enabled Interview Mastery” initiative. The project, honoured in the Teaching & Learning Excellence category, uses AI-powered interview simulations to provide students with real-time feedback, helping them improve communication skills and professional readiness.

Beyond digital learning tools, the institute is expanding its global footprint through international academic collaborations, including programmes with Singapore Management University. It has also strengthened ties with industry leaders such as Swiss Re and UNIQLO, offering students direct exposure to real-world business environments.

BIMTECH has further enhanced experiential learning through facilities like the Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab and a Centre of Excellence established with Hexalog Technologies. These platforms allow students to work with industry-standard tools and engage in applied, hands-on problem-solving.

Officials said these initiatives are helping the institute strengthen key academic performance areas, including teaching quality, research output, industry engagement, and graduate outcomes. Over time, this approach is expected to improve BIMTECH’s national rankings and global academic reputation, positioning it as a modern benchmark in management education.

India is working on a plan to reduce carbon emissions from its steel industry by around 25%, as part of its broader efforts to decarbonise one of the country’s most energy-intensive sectors.

The steel sector is a major contributor to industrial emissions, and the proposed reduction is expected to be achieved through improved energy efficiency, greater use of cleaner technologies, and a gradual shift towards low-carbon production methods.

Officials said the initiative aligns with India’s long-term climate commitments and its goal of balancing rapid industrial growth with environmental sustainability. The focus will also be on promoting greener manufacturing practices without affecting production capacity or economic expansion.

The move is seen as a significant step toward transforming the steel industry into a more sustainable and climate-resilient sector in the coming years.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has introduced a new healthcare-linked facility under ‘NPS Swasthya’, aimed at combining retirement savings with medical support for subscribers.

Under this initiative, eligible National Pension System (NPS) subscribers can now use a portion of their pension corpus to meet hospitalisation and in-patient treatment expenses, while the remaining funds continue to grow through market-linked investments.

Subscribers are allowed to access up to 25% of their “Net Eligible Balance” for medical emergencies. This marks a shift from the traditional NPS structure, where funds remain locked until retirement, offering greater flexibility during healthcare needs.

The programme has been developed through a partnership involving the pension regulator and multiple stakeholders, including pension funds and health insurance players. It is powered by Medi Assist’s digital “Maven” platform, which is integrated with the Central Recordkeeping Agency system for seamless processing.

The initiative also provides access to a wide hospital network across India, enabling cashless treatment facilities for subscribers in more than 1,500 cities, along with support for outpatient care services.

Officials said the move aims to strengthen India’s social security system by linking retirement planning with healthcare protection, ensuring financial support during medical emergencies without disrupting long-term savings.

Chennai, Apr 10 (BNP): Former India Test cricketer C D Gopinath, the last surviving member of India’s first-ever Test victory team, passed away in Chennai at the age of 96.

Gopinath was India’s oldest living Test cricketer and the second oldest in the world after Australia’s Neil Harvey. Born on March 1, 1930, he was part of India’s early Test journey and remains closely associated with one of Indian cricket’s most historic milestones.

He represented India in eight Test matches and also featured in 83 first-class games for India and Madras. A right-handed batter, Gopinath played during a formative era of Indian cricket and contributed to the team’s early development on the international stage.

He was part of the Indian squad that secured the country’s first-ever Test win against England, a landmark achievement in Indian cricket history.

Gopinath’s passing marks the end of an era, closing a chapter linked to the very beginnings of India’s Test cricket legacy.

New Delhi, Apr 10 (BNP): Equity mutual funds in India recorded a sharp rise in inflows in March, showing strong investor participation despite ongoing market volatility. Data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) showed that net inflows into equity schemes surged 56% month-on-month to ₹40,450 crore, compared with ₹25,978 crore in February.

The figure marks an eight-month high, reflecting continued confidence in equity-linked investments among retail investors.

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions also remained strong, rising 7.5% to a record ₹32,087 crore, indicating steady and disciplined long-term investing behaviour.

Across categories, large-cap funds saw healthy growth in inflows, while mid-cap funds recorded strong gains. Small-cap funds also attracted higher investments, reflecting broad-based interest across market segments.

However, the overall mutual fund industry saw volatility, with net outflows of ₹2.39 lakh crore in March, driven largely by movements in non-equity segments.

Market experts said the trend highlights sustained retail participation and growing preference for equities through SIPs, even in uncertain market conditions.

Paradip (Odisha), Apr 10 (BNP): The Paradip Port Authority (PPA), in partnership with CEMS, has successfully completed the first batch of its CSR-supported skill development initiative focused on training youth from Odisha for industry-ready careers.

Under the programme, 25 participants were awarded certificates in Supply Chain Management, gaining practical skills relevant to the maritime and logistics sectors. The training aims to improve employability and prepare candidates for opportunities in key logistics centres such as Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.

Officials said the initiative is designed to strengthen job readiness by providing focused, industry-aligned training and bridging the gap between academic learning and workforce requirements.

The certificate distribution event was attended by Paradip Port Authority Chairman P.L. Haranadh, along with senior port officials. Commander Gopi Krishna Sivvam (Retd.), Chief Operating Officer of CEMS, also participated in the programme.

The initiative is aimed at building a skilled talent pool to support the growing needs of India’s logistics and maritime sectors, while also contributing to youth empowerment in the region.

New Delhi, Apr 10 (BNP): The government’s ‘Womaniya’ initiative has recorded significant expansion, with over 2.1 lakh women-led micro and small enterprises (MSEs) registering on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in FY26.

According to official data, these enterprises secured around 13.7 lakh orders, with total contracts worth more than ₹28,000 crore awarded during the year. This represents a 27.6% year-on-year growth, reflecting rising participation of women entrepreneurs in government procurement.

The initiative enables women entrepreneurs and self-help groups (SHGs) to directly supply goods and services to government buyers through the GeM platform, improving market access and reducing dependence on intermediaries.

Women-led enterprises accounted for 5.6% of total GeM orders, comfortably exceeding the government’s 3% procurement target for women entrepreneurs.

The scheme supports sectors such as handicrafts, handloom, jute, coir, home décor, and office furnishings, where women-led businesses have a strong presence. At the ground level, district administrations and training institutions are conducting onboarding drives, workshops, and capacity-building programmes to improve seller participation.

Officials said the digital system—from registration to payments—ensures transparency, efficiency, and ease of doing business for women entrepreneurs, helping them scale operations and gain wider market visibility.

They added that ‘Womaniya’ is not just a procurement platform but a step towards enhancing economic independence and strengthening women’s participation in formal markets.

Mumbai, Apr 10 (BNP): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed a set of enhanced security measures aimed at strengthening the safety of digital payment systems amid a sharp rise in fraud cases driven largely by social engineering tactics.

According to the proposal, the central bank is considering layered safeguards, including delayed processing of certain transactions, stronger authentication mechanisms for vulnerable users, and tighter monitoring of bank accounts to detect suspicious activity more effectively.

The move comes as digital payment frauds have increased in recent years, with criminals often exploiting users through deceptive calls, messages, and online manipulation rather than technical hacking.

Under the proposed framework, banks and payment service providers may also be required to adopt more proactive fraud detection systems and improve real-time monitoring of high-risk transactions.

The RBI said the objective is to strike a balance between convenience and security, ensuring that the rapid growth of digital payments is not undermined by rising fraud risks.

The proposed measures are part of the regulator’s broader efforts to strengthen trust in India’s fast-expanding digital payment ecosystem.