The Indian research and development wing of global luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz plans to recruit another 1,000 people next year to further its research and development (R&D).

Currently, the R&D staff in India accounts for 3,500 people, up from 700 only five years earlier.

Tata Motors became the first company in India to introduce liquefied natural gas-fuelled bus in Kochi recently. As it awaits a final notification from the government recognising LNG as an automotive fuel, the company sees a big market for these vehicles, especially in coastal areas with good connectivity to LNG terminals.

Speaking to Business Standard, Ajit Jindal, head, engineering, commercial vehicles, passengers, said LNG could be used as an alternative fuel to diesel.

Reliance Industries (RIL) has entered into a global partnership agreement with NYSE-listed GE to enter in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) space by building joint applications on the latter's Predix platform, it said on Thursday.

Predix-based apps connect industrial equipment, analyse data and deliver real-time insights. The two partners aim to provide IIOT solutions to customers in oil & gas, fertiliser, power, health care and telecom, among other sectors.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said that more people died due to demonetisation scheme by government than that in terrorist attacks by Pakistan. This lead to heated exchange of arguments between treasury and opposition benches as BJP took objection to the leader’s remark. Azad said that 40 people had died following government’s decision on demonetisation. Even lesser number of people had died in firing by Pakistani terrorists in Uri, he said. Terming the remarks as “anti-national”, IB Minister Venkaiah Naidu demanded an apology from the entire Congress party. Naidu also asked Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to expunge the statement.

Fixed deposit investors, beware. The government's decision to abolish Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes and replace them with new currency notes to crack down on black money may spell bad news for fixed deposit investors.

With crores of cash pouring into banks everyday, some banks have sought to cut deposit rates. Banks need to reduce their deposit rates in order to pass on the benefits of Reserve Bank of India rate cuts, amounting to 175 bps since January 2015, to borrowers. So while borrowers can avail cheaper loans, fixed deposits will turn unattractive.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise Rs.500 and Rs.1000 currency notes.

Addressing a rally at Azadpur Mandi in Delhi, Mamata Banerjee gave an ultimatum to Centre to withdraw the scheme in three days reasoning that demonetisation will take the country backward by 100 years. "The crisis of this proportion was not seen even during the Emergency," she said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday, that new Rs 1,000 notes will bot be introduced into the system.

The government's demonetization move took out Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from the system. The government had said that the decommissioned notes would be replaced with Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, several ATMs are now dispensing the new notes.

E-commerce players Flipkart and Snapdeal have resumed cash on delivery for goods sold on their respective platforms, even as the ongoing liquidity crisis continues to affect the nation ever since the government announced the withdrawal Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes as legal tenders last week.

Both firms are also encouraging customers to adopt e-wallet so that transactions can be made digitally. Snapdeal said that it is also allowing its customers to defer deliveries until they get the required cash amount for payment of purchased goods.

Jet Airways (India) extended losses to hit a 52-week low of Rs 362, down 3% on BSE in intra-day trade, after it reported a disappointing set of numbers for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 (Q2FY17).

The company reported a flat consolidated net profit at Rs 85 crore in Q2FY16 against Rs 83 crore in Q2FY16. Total revenues grew 3.2% at Rs 5,682 crore on YoY basis.

The government on Thursday allowed households to withdraw up to Rs 2.5 lakh for weddings from bank accounts which are KYC compliant, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta said while addressing gathered members of the press and releasing the rules pertaining to the demonetisation drive.

Das added that one member of the family, be it the father or the mother, can withdraw up to the above amount for a wedding.

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