India logged 43,509 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,15,28,114, while the active cases registered an increase for the second consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

The death toll climbed to 4,22,662 with 640 fresh fatalities.

Panatone Finvest Limited, a subsidiary of Tata Sons, will buy a 43.3 per cent stake in Tejas Networks, a global optical, broadband and data networking products company, for Rs 1,850 crore.

Panatone is Tata Sons' investment arm and also the promoter entity of Tata Communications.

The Central government on Wednesday advised all States and Union Territories (UTs) to conduct sero-prevalence surveys in consultation with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to generate district-level data.

As per a letter written by the Union Health Secretary to Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary (Health) of all States, sero-prevalence survey is essential in formulating localised public health response measures.

Federal health regulators on Wednesday again extended the expiration dates on Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, providing health workers with six more weeks to use millions of doses of the shot.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a letter to J&J that the shots remain safe and effective for at least six months when properly stored and refrigerated.

Minimalist, a homegrown skincare brand, has raised Series A funding of Rs 110 crore ($15 million) through multiple international investors in just nine months of its inception. This milestone, the company said validates the brand as a forerunner in the personal care segment. The round was led by Sequoia Capital India, with participation from Unilever Ventures, the venture capital arm of British multinational consumer goods company.

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday raised its minimum prepaid recharge plan from Rs 49 to Rs 79, making the announcement weeks after revising its post-paid tariffs,

Airtel has discontinued its Rs 49 entry level recharge plan, the company said in a statement.

The price of of 10 gm of 22-carat gold fell marginally on Wednesday to trade at Rs 46,660: a change of Rs 210 from Tuesday. Silver slipped Rs 400 compared to yesterday's prices to sell at Rs Rs 67,100 per kg, according to the website Good Returns.

Gold jewellery price varies across India, the second-largest consumer of the metal, due to excise duty, state taxes, and making charges.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday hailed the recent Supreme Court verdict that begging could not be banned until poverty is eradicated and said his government aims to put an end to it in the state in the next five years.

No one turns to begging as they want it but poverty and hunger force them to do so, he said in a Facebook post.

India recorded 43,654 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday that took its tally to 3,14,84,605 while 640 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 4,22,022, according to Union health ministry data.

The number of active cases stood at 3,99,436, an increase of 1,336 in a span of 24 hours, and comprises 1.27 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 97.39 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Over 30 people are reported missing after a cloudburst in a remote village in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir early Wednesday, officials said.

Rescue teams have been rushed to Honzar village of Dacchan tehsil and further details are awaited, they said.

Most parts of the Jammu region have been receiving heavy rains for the past few days.

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