US President Donald Trump hosted a power-packed cohort of technology executives, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google chief Sundar Pichai, at the White House, saying the high IQ group is leading a revolution in business.

The most brilliant people are gathered around this table. This is definitely a high-IQ group and I'm very proud of them, Trump said, sitting at the centre of a long table and flanked by First Lady Melania Trump, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on one side and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other.

The recast of goods and services tax (GST) rates on Wednesday exceeded expectations in select product categories, but the markets had priced in most positives ahead of the outcome, suggest analysts.

Once the GST-triggered euphoria settles, analysts believe the markets will start to focus on India Inc’s earnings trajectory and developments on the US tariff front.

Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering investigation related to an illegal betting app, officials told news agency PTI on Thursday.

The probe agency will record Dhawan’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an investigation into an 'illegal' betting app named 1xBet.

The 56th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced on Wednesday that GST rates will be reduced to 5 per cent and 18 per cent. Most of the items useful for common man have been moved to 5 per cent slab.

"These reforms have been carried out with a focus on the common man. Every tax on the common man's daily use items has gone through a rigorous review, and in most cases, the rates have come down drastically..", the Finance Minister said.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has welcomed the GST Council's rate rationalisation and rate cuts, while criticising the timing of the reforms as being “8 years too late".

In a post on X late Wednesday, the former Union finance minister said the current GST design and rates should not have been introduced in the first place.

GST rationalisation is likely to boost demand in the auto sector where entry-level buyers have stayed away since the pandemic due to steep rises in automobile prices and subdued income growth.

While small cars are the biggest beneficiaries, larger SUVs are also set to gain as vehicles under four metres will see tax rates slashed from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, and bigger ones will be taxed at 40 per cent.

In a big relief for policyholders, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on individual health and life insurance premiums has been slashed to zero. The decision was made during the 56th GST Council meeting held on Wednesday and will come into effect from September 22, 2025.

This means the 18 per cent GST that is currently added to your insurance premium will no longer apply. The change is expected to directly reduce the total amount paid by consumers, making insurance more affordable for individuals and families.

A day after her suspension from KCR-led BRS, senior leader K Kavitha on Wednesday announced her resignation from the party and trained her guns against cousin and former minister T Harish Rao.

Kavitha, daughter of party founder and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao(KCR), also announced quitting as Member of the Legislative Council and indicated there was 'pressure' on her father to act against her.

Food delivery and quick commerce company Eternal Limited, which owns Zomato and Blinkit brands, has increased its platform fee on food delivery orders from ₹10 to ₹12, a 20 per cent rise. The hike, effective Tuesday (September 2), comes less than a year after the previous revision.

Zomato, led by CEO Deepinder Goyal, first introduced the fee at ₹2 in August 2023 as part of a strategy to improve margins and move toward profitability.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has announced a bandh in Bihar on September 4 to protest against alleged abuses directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Congress' 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in the state. The BJP Mahila Morcha will lead the demonstration.

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