SpiceJet Ltd on Monday said it has hived off its cargo and logistics business SpiceXpress into a separate entity — SpiceXpress and Logistics Pvt Ltd, from April 1. The move results in a one-time gain of Rs 2,555.77 crore for SpiceJet, substantially reducing its negative net worth, the company said. It also paves the way for SpiceXpress to raise funds independently, SpiceJet said.

Manufacturing activities in India touched a three-month high in March boosted by faster expansions in new orders and output amid demand resilience and easing of cost pressures, according to a monthly survey. The seasonally adjusted S and P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from 55.3 in February to 56.4 in March, signalling the strongest improvement in operating conditions in 2023 so far. The March PMI data pointed to an improvement in overall operating conditions for the 21st straight month.

The market share of discount brokers – such as Zerodha, Groww, Upstox, and Angel One – has grown fivefold in five financial years, with more than half of the National Stock Exchange’s (NSE’s) active client trading coming through them, reveals a report by CLSA. For the first 11 months of 2022-23, discount brokers held sway over 57 per cent of active clients, up from 11 per cent in 2017-18. Moreover, the number of active clients on the NSE with discount brokers has grown from just 1 million to 19 million during this period. Active traders are those who have traded at least once in 12 months.

Politicians and Twitter warriors around the globe have a new buzzword among them: Net zero. Everyone appears to be keen to state their commitment to net zero, with India providing an outlay of Rs 35,000 crore to achieve energy transition and net-zero objectives in its Budget for FY24, even as the latest and final report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that current efforts are not enough to curb global warming. A number of small factory owners and businesses, however, have pointed out that the transition to net-zero emissions will cost them hugely.

Nine of the top 10 valued firms together added Rs 2,34,097.42 crore in market valuation amid a positive trend in equities last week, with Reliance Industries emerging as the biggest gainer. The 30-share BSE benchmark jumped 1,464.42 points or 2.54 per cent in a holiday-shortened last week. Equity markets were closed on Thursday on account of ‘Ram Navami’.