Business highlights

Following are the top business stories at 1900 hours: DEL20 BIZ-BIRDFLU Bird flu outbreak reported in 4 states; advisories issued to contain further spread: Centre New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said Avian Influenza, or the bird flu outbreak, has been reported at 12 epicentres in four states -- Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh -- and advisories have been issued to contain further spread of the infection in poultry ducks, crows and migratory birds. DCM10 BIZ-PM-ECONOMISTS Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interact with leading economists on Friday New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with leading economists and sectoral experts on Friday to deliberate on measures that may be included in the upcoming budget for promoting growth, amid uncertainty on multiple fronts caused by COVID-19.

DCM44 BIZ-FM-NIP FM reviews progress of projects worth Rs 3.6 lakh cr under National Infrastructure Pipeline New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday reviewed the progress of projects worth Rs 3.6 lakh crore under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), an official statement said. DCM23 BIZ-PETROL-PRICE Petrol price nears all-time high after oil cos hike rates after month-long hiatus New Delhi: Petrol price on Wednesday neared all-time high after state-owned fuel retailers hiked rates after a nearly month-long hiatus. DCM3 BIZ-PMI-SERVICES India's services sector activity expands at slower rate in Dec; staff hiring halts New Delhi: India's services sector activity expanded at a slower pace in December as rates of growth in sales eased to a three-month low and staff hiring came to a halt amid weak business optimism, a monthly survey said on Wednesday.

DCM45 BIZ-LD SPECTRUM-AUCTION Bidding for spectrum auction to start from March 1: DoT notice New Delhi: Bidding for the sixth round of spectrum auction for radiowaves worth Rs 3.92 lakh crore will start from March 1, according to a notice issued by the Department of Telecom on Wednesday. DEL37 BIZ-LD STOCKS Sensex snaps 10-session winning run, skids 264 pts; RIL top drag Mumbai: Snapping its 10-session rising streak, equity benchmark Sensex tumbled 264 points on Wednesday as investors booked profits in Reliance Industries as well as IT, finance and FMCG stocks amid mixed global cues.

DEL29 BIZ-RUPEE-CLOSE Rupee settles 6 paise higher at 73.11 against US dollar Mumbai: The rupee appreciated by 6 paise to close at 73.11 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and weaker American currency against key rivals. DCM32 BIZ-RBI-RATES-REPORT RBI to be on a long-pause in rates on sticky non-food inflation: Report Mumbai: The non-food component in the price basket will continue to keep inflation at a high level and result in a ''long pause'' in interest rates, a foreign bank said on Wednesday.

DCM9 BIZ-TAX-REFUND I-T refunds worth Rs 1.64 lakh cr issued to 1.41 cr taxpayers till Jan 4 New Delhi: The Income Tax department on Wednesday said it has issued refunds worth over Rs 1.64 lakh crore to over 1.41 crore taxpayers so far this fiscal. DCM20 BIZ-HMSI-EMPLOYEES HMSI initiates voluntary retirement scheme for permanent employees New Delhi: Two wheeler major Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has initiated a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for permanent workers amid challenging market conditions, as per a company notice.

DCM7 BIZ-HOUSING SALES Housing sales plunge 50 pc in NCR during 2020; demand falls 37 pc across 8 major cities New Delhi: Housing sales in the national capital region (Delhi-NCR) plunged 50 per cent year-on-year during the 2020 calendar year to 21,234 units on low demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic, property consultant Knight Frank India said on Wednesday..