Business highlights

Following are the top business stories at 1710 hours: DEL56 BIZ-RBI-CURRENT ACCOUNT Current account surplus moderates to USD 15.5 bn in Q2: RBI Mumbai: India's current account surplus moderated to USD 15.5 billion or 2.4 per cent of the GDP in the July-September quarter of the current fiscal. DEL46 BIZ-LD STOCKS Sensex, Nifty extend record run on vaccine booster Mumbai: The Sensex and Nifty raced to fresh record highs on Wednesday as gains in financials, auto and cement counters helped benchmarks extend their winning run for the sixth straight session amid positive global cues. DEL57 BIZ-TAX-DEADLINE Govt extends 2019-20 ITR filing deadline till Jan 10 New Delhi: Extending the deadline for the third time, the government on Wednesday allowed individuals to file income tax returns for 2019-20 fiscal till January 10. DEL48 BIZ-LD-RUPEE Rupee rises by 11 paise to end at over 2-month high; extends gains for 5th day Mumbai: Rising for the fifth straight session, the rupee on Wednesday appreciated by 11 paise to close at more than two-month high of 73.31 against the US dollar on the back of foreign fund inflows and a weak greenback in the global markets.

DCM46 BIZ-CAB-LD ETHANOL Cabinet approves Rs 4,573 cr interest subvention to raise ethanol production capacity New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a scheme to provide bank loans at lower rates to distilleries producing ethanol for doping in petrol, with a view to raising India's ethanol production capacity to suck out surplus sugar as well as cut oil imports. DCM51 BIZ-CAB LD-LOGISTICS Cabinet approves multi-modal logistics, transport hub at Greater Noida New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved construction of multi-modal logistics and transport hub at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh with an estimated cost of Rs 3,883.80 crore. DCM50 BIZ-VEDANTA-SHARES Vedanta says no pledge on shares; fund raise conditions bar promoters from share sale New Delhi: Vedanta Ltd's promoters cannot sell or create any security on shares they hold in the group as part of the terms attached to the recent USD 1.4 billion fund raising -- conditions which technically fall within the definition of 'encumbrance' but no pledge on shares has been created, the company said on Wednesday.

DCM20 BIZ-RELIANCE-GAS Reliance-BP invites bids for 7.5 mmscmd of gas from KG-D6, priced against international benchmark New Delhi; Reliance Industries and its partner UK's BP Plc on Wednesday invited companies to bid for incremental gas it plans to produce from the second-wave discoveries in the KG-D6 block, pricing them for the very first time against an international gas benchmark. DEL34 BIZ-GOLD-PRICE Gold marginally lower; silver gains New Delhi: Gold was marginally down by Rs 16 to Rs 49,484 per 10 gram in the national capital on Wednesday amid a stronger rupee, according to HDFC Securities.