Section 87A rebate confusion: Why taxpayers with capital gains are receiving notices
The Section 87A rebate, a key provision in India’s income tax law, has sparked confusion among taxpayers, especially those with capital gains income. While Budget 2025 increased the rebate limit to ₹12 lakh under the new regime, ambiguity remains over whether it applies when a taxpayer has both regular income (like salary) and special rate incomes, such as Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG).
The issue: Does the rebate apply to capital gains?
Taxpayers with total income up to ₹7 lakh under the new regime can claim a rebate, effectively reducing their tax liability to zero.However, experts say its application to special rate incomes like capital gains is unclear.“There is an issue with the application of the Section 87A rebate, specifically for taxpayers with both regular income and special rate incomes such as STCG. While Budget 2025 clarified its exclusion for special rate incomes, confusion persists on whether the rebate should be calculated on total income or only on the regular income portion,” said Yeeshu Sehgal, Head of Tax Markets, AKM Global.
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Leveraged bets shrink amidst sell-off in Indian stock markets
Margin loans used for trading in Indian equities fell to its lowest level since June, as traders pared leveraged bets amid a prolonged downturn in the nation’s $3.8 trillion stock market.
Outstanding margin loans have declined 14% this year through end-February to $8.2 billion, according to data from the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. compiled by Bloomberg. The contraction in speculative liquidity risks amplifying volatility at a time when foreign funds have pulled nearly $15 billion from local stocks in 2025. The reduction is in contrast to markets like Hong Kong, where a frenzy around new share sales has seen retail investors take $353 billion in margin loans.
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Trump delays Canada, Mexico tariffs for goods under USMCA
President Donald Trump exempted Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the North American trade agreement known as USMCA from his 25% tariffs, offering major reprieves to the US’s two largest trading partners.
Trump signed orders Thursday paring back the tariffs, which are related to illegal immigration and fentanyl tracking, until April 2. That is the date when the president is expected to start unveiling plans for so-called reciprocal duties on nations around the world as well as sector-specific duties.
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Starting March 7, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank will offer lower home loan rates: Check details
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has announced a revision in its Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate (MCLR) and Repo Linked Lending Rate (RLLR), effective March 7, 2025. The bank has reduced the one-year MCLR to 9.60% from the previous 9.75%, while the RLLR has been revised down to 9.25% from 9.45%.
The decision follows the bank’s ongoing adjustments to its lending rates, reflecting changes in market conditions and internal cost structures. The revised rates are expected to impact various loan products linked to the MCLR and RLLR benchmarks.
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Women are investing more in SIPs, lump sums than men, PhonePe data finds
Women investors in India are not just catching up—they’re leading the way. According to new data from PhonePe Wealth, women are now outpacing men in both Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) and lump sum mutual fund investments, marking a significant shift in the country’s financial landscape. Between January and December 2024, PhonePe analysed data from 1 lakh women investors, revealing how these women are embracing long-term investing with renewed confidence.
Female SIP transaction value 22% higher than men’s
The findings are striking. Women’s average SIP transaction value is 22% higher than that of men, and when it comes to lump sum investments, women are investing 45% more than their male counterparts. This trend paints a picture of women moving away from traditional, conservative financial behavior and towards a more proactive, diversified approach to wealth creation.
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Women’s share in mutual funds doubles in five years, now at 33% of total assets
Women investors are increasingly making their mark in the mutual fund space, with their share of investments growing significantly over the past five years.According to the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), women now hold 33% of the total individual investor assets under management (AUM) as of March 2024. Their total mutual fund investments have more than doubled, rising from ₹4.59 lakh crore in 2019 to ₹11.25 lakh crore in 2024, reflecting a strong shift toward financial independence and wealth creation.One of the key drivers of this growth has been the rising adoption of systematic investment plans (SIPs). Over the past five years, total SIP AUM has surged by more than 319%.
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Agility Robotics to launch first safety-certified humanoid robot by end of 2025, says CSO Daniel Diez
Agility Robotics, a leading developer of humanoid robots, is set to launch the world’s first safety-certified humanoid robot by the end of 2025. This milestone marks a significant step in the evolution of automation, enabling robots to work safely alongside human employees without needing safety cages.Daniel Diez, Chief Strategy Officer of Agility Robotics, emphasised the company’s mission to address the growing labour shortage with its humanoid robots.
“Right now, in the US alone, there are over a million unfilled positions in materials handling. These are repetitive, injury-prone jobs with high absenteeism and turnover. Humanoid robots with two legs and two arms are a great fill for that massive labour gap that keeps growing,” Diez explained in a conversation with CNBC-TV18 at the Web Summit in Qatar.
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All the tools content creators need to redefine storytelling
Stories such as a retired teacher becoming a cooking sensation or an endearing grandmother-grandson duo from rural India capturing millions of hearts have become increasingly common, all thanks to content creation.
India, with around 2.5-3.5 million content creators, is seeing a huge surge in content creation and consumption. Content creators are playing a critical role in bringing the richness of local customs, festivals, cuisine, and more to not just people in the country but beyond. Interestingly, language ceases to be a barrier as their visuals — videos and pictures — are understood universally.
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Zoho’s new composable architecture aims to slash SaaS implementation delays, says CEO Mani Vembu
Zoho, the global technology company, is set to transform SaaS implementation with its new composable architecture platform, promising to significantly reduce deployment delays, according to CEO Mani Vembu.The announcement comes at a crucial time, with a recent IDC study revealing that 75% of Indian enterprises face implementation delays, resulting in substantial financial losses.”The whole implementation delay happens because the requirements keep changing as the implementation grows, the integration challenges keep growing,” Vembu stated in an interview to CNBC-TV18. “So, we said, let’s give a composable architecture where you can mix and match the domain-specific platforms with the point products, wherever you need out-of-the-box functionality.
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