BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) Following are the top business stories at 2045 hours:

     DEL30 BIZ-RBI REPORT-GUV
     * Prospects of economy expected to improve in 2025: RBI Governor
     Mumbai: Facing criticism from the government over the central bank prioritising inflation over growth, the new RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Monday said that prospects of the Indian economy are expected to improve on the back of high consumer and business confidence in 2025. *

     DEL43 BIZ-2NDLD ADANI-WILMAR
     * Adani to exit consumer goods venture Adani Wilmar in $2 bn deal
     New Delhi: Billionaire Gautam Adani's group on Monday announced its exit from FMCG joint venture Adani Wilmar by selling its entire stake to the Singaporean partner and in the open market for over USD 2 billion in a first major deal since the US bribery indictment. *

     DEL29 BIZ-LD-STOCKS
     * Sensex drops by 451 pts, Nifty ends below 23,650 on selling in blue-chips, FII outflows
     Mumbai: Benchmark Sensex declined by nearly 451 points on Monday due to selling in heavyweight stocks HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries, weak global trends and unabated foreign fund outflows. *

     DEL47 BIZ-LD RBI-BAD LOANS
     * Gross NPAs of banks decline to 12-year low of 2.6 pc: RBI report
     Mumbai: The Reserve Bank on Monday said the asset quality of banks improved further, and their gross non-performing assets (GNPA) or bad loans ratio declined to a 12-year low of 2.6 per cent in September 2024 on the back of falling slippages and steady credit demand. *

     DEL50 BIZ-LD RUPEE
     * Rupee falls 4 paise to close at 85.52 against US dollar
     Mumbai: The rupee dropped 4 paise to 85.52 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday, as dollar demand from importers, foreign fund outflows and a muted trend in domestic equities dented investor sentiments. *

     DEL36 BIZ-AIRLINE-CUSTOMS
     * Airlines to mandatorily share int'l passenger data with Customs from April 1
     New Delhi: Airlines will have to mandatorily share details of foreign travellers with the Indian Customs authorities from April 1, 2025, and non-compliance can attract penalties. *

     DEL46 MANMOHAN-MONTEK
    * Manmohan Singh welcomed criticism; took on board diverse views on eco issues: Montek
     New Delhi: Former Deputy Chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission and eminent economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday recalled his long association with Manmohan Singh, saying he welcomed criticism and took on board different options on economic issues. *
    
     DEL34 BIZ-GOLD-PRICE
     * Gold rises Rs 150 to Rs 79,350 per 10 gms; silver rules flat
     New Delhi: Gold prices rose Rs 150 to Rs 79,350 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday, according to the All India Sarafa Association. *

     DCM21 BIZ-YEAR-REAL ESTATE
     * India's housing market in de-growth phase, pins hopes on Budget
     New Delhi: New home sales in India declined for the first time since the pandemic, as a sharp rise in housing prices and elevated borrowing costs ruined buyers' appetite in 2024 and the real estate industry is now eyeing the upcoming Budget for favourable economic conditions -- a key to reviving demand conditions. *

     DCM4 YEAR-RETAIL
     * 2025 to be a year of transformation for retail industry; AI & automation to play a crucial role
     New Delhi: With the rapid evolution of channels like quick-commerce and the emergence of ONDC, the Indian retail industry is 'cautiously optimistic' for 2025, in which new-age technologies such as AI and automation will play a crucial role, driving efficiency and personalisation. *

     DCM2 YEAR-TECH
    * Big AI bets, demand reboot: Indian IT sector bytes into 2025 with cautious optimism
     New Delhi: The Indian IT industry steps into 2025 with hope and optimism of improved tech spending and stronger deal pipeline as businesses across-the-board take bold AI bets, but all eyes are on global macroeconomic cues as well as the US' stance on trade and high-skilled immigration as President-elect Donald Trump returns to White House next month. *

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)