&w=3840&q=100)
L&T Technology Services bags $60 million order from US telecom firm
Under the agreement, LTTS will deliver advanced network software development and application engineering solutions.
"L&T Technology Services wins around $60 million software engineering engagement from US Tier-I Telecom Provider," LTTS said in a statement.
LTTS will establish a delivery centre in the United States to further support and enhance project delivery.
Under the terms of the agreement, LTTS will provide crucial engineering services, including research and development lab integration, new product development, and functionality testing for the customer's network software automation platforms.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Mint
5 minutes ago
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Market volatility continues: Should investors reconsider continuing their mutual fund SIPs?
Mutual Funds: Stock markets in India have been under pressure for a few days now, and US President Donald Trump's announcement to impose a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods has not helped. Although markets ended positively on Thursday, they have been under pressure for the past few days. One may wonder whether investors should reconsider continuing their systematic investment plans (SIPs) for mutual funds? Meanwhile, financial experts do not recommend investors pause their SIPs – at least not on account of panic or scepticism. The reasons they share are as follows. I. Rupee cost averaging: By buying securities in a staggered way (every month, fortnight, or quarter), you get to average out the buying price. This improves your chances of earning gains. So, when you buy mutual fund units via SIPs, you can make the most of rupee cost averaging. This concept is similar to the dollar cost averaging espoused by Ben Graham. "SIP provides the benefit of Rupee Cost Averaging, which is an approach in which you invest a fixed amount of money at regular intervals. This, in turn, ensures that you buy more units of a particular mutual fund when prices are low and less when they are high," says Preeti Zende, founder of Apna Dhan Financial Services. II. Volatility is the part and parcel of the investing journey: Experts recommend that investors stay put regardless of volatility. After all, this is the part and parcel of life as an investor. 'It is very difficult for common investors to see their portfolio bleeding daily. This leads to shaking up their confidence in an equity asset class whereas other asset classes like gold and debt could be giving better returns. The new investors perhaps never saw such deep correction but pausing the SIPs is counter productive,' adds Ms Zende. III. Financial goals: Another pertinent reason for not pausing SIPs is that your investments are meant to meet financial goals. So, temporary bumps in the road do not hold any significance. 'Being committed to financial goals requires you to stay invested and maintain the financial discipline of continuing your SIP regardless of volatility,' says Deepak Aggarwal, a Delhi-based financial advisor. IV. Long-term is always good: As indicated above, the losses and negative returns stand to get recouped in the long run. Despite a steep correction, the Sensex had delivered a modest 8 percent return last calendar year in 2024. Since 2016, Sensex has been on a winning streak of positive annual returns, notes this Livemint article. 'If you are investing in equity mutual funds towards your long-term goals, correction is the best time to continue your SIPs to acquire more units. This helps you increase the value of your overall portfolio once the market recovers,' Ms Zende adds. Note: This story is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a SEBI-registered investment advisor before making any investment-related decision. For all personal finance updates, visit here


Fashion Value Chain
8 minutes ago
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RBI Hits Pause on Rate Cut at 5.5%: Real Estate Set to Gain from Stable EMIs and Festive Demand
In a move widely anticipated by market watchers, the Reserve Bank of India has chosen to maintain the repo rate at 5.5%, following a cumulative 100 bps reduction over the past three Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meetings. For the real estate sector, this pause reinforces a climate of stability, keeping home loan EMIs unchanged and encouraging end-user confidence. With the festive season approaching and earlier rate cuts still transmitting into the system, developers look forward to seizing the opportunity to drive sales through flexible payment plans and festive incentives. A further cut in the coming quarters, if macroeconomic conditions permit, could act as an additional trigger for housing demand. RBI Holds Repo Rate Steady at 5.5% Mr Manoj Gaur, CMD, Gaurs Group, says, 'This status quo reflects a prudent and laudable step by the RBI, especially in light of current international dynamics, including the impact of the Trump Tariff. With inflation significantly below the RBI's target, the decision will definitely boost the economy and impart positive sentiment to the real estate sector, particularly at the onset of the festive season, a critical period for housing demand. We believe this consistency in policy will help strengthen buyer confidence and stimulate activity across the real estate landscape. It also enables developers to plan ahead with greater clarity, especially for integrated and long-term projects.' Deepak Kapoor, Director, Gulshan Group, says, 'The two successive rate cuts resulting in a total reduction of 100 bps over the last six months, the RBIs stance to keep the repo rate steady at 5.5% is as per the realty sectors expectations. The move aligns with the central bank's cautious stance against the backdrop of global economic volatility. 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While a rate cut would have further boosted home loan affordability, the current stability still bodes well for the real estate sector-especially luxury housing, where demand remains robust. With borrowing costs steady, both end-users and investors can plan confidently, and developers are likely to continue exploring untapped micro-markets. This move reinforces policy consistency and supports ongoing recovery across the sector while contributing to broader macroeconomic resilience.' Sanjay Sharma, Director, SKA Group, says the RBI's decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.5% injects optimism amid economic uncertainty. Setting a positive tone for the real estate sector, this will continue to ease the homebuying process, enhancing home loan affordability and supporting demand across the segments. We see this announcement as a positive push toward a broader recovery in real estate and the economy at large. Saurabh Saharan, Group Managing Director, HCBS Developments, says, 'The RBI's decision to hold the repo rate steady supports buyer confidence and keeps home loan EMIs stable. In Gurugram, demand remains strong, particularly in the mid and premium segments. While the recently proposed circle rate hikes may impact pricing in select pockets, overall market sentiment is upbeat and growth momentum continues. Stable rates will further drive residential demand and encourage developers to bring new projects aligned with evolving buyer preferences.' Ajay Tyagi, Chief Sales Officer, Better Choice Realtors, says, 'Given global economic uncertainties, the RBI keeping the repo rate at 5.5% sends a strong message of authorities being considerate towards real estate. This move will encourage borrowing, prompting more individuals to invest in property purchases and driving demand in the housing sector, especially amid the recently imposed U.S. tariffs.'


The Hindu
8 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Live like a local when you check into India's luxury heritage homestays
In the early 1700s, Abraham Guerre came from Switzerland to work in Puducherry as a hospital administrator with the French East India Company. Now, you can check into his home for a relaxed, and unique, holiday. In 2004 the once dilapidated property was given a new lease of life as Gratitude Heritage, a homestay with eight en-suite private bedrooms. 'When my business partners Jyoti Cariappa and Kakoli Banerjee found the property, it was a crumbling husk of its former self,' says Siddarth Saikia, managing partner, Gratitude Consultants, which runs two properties in the Union Territory: Gratitude Heritage and Kariappa House. Instead of demolishing it and building anew like many other places in Puducherry, the team decided to restore it with historically accurate methods and materials to retain its original essence, working with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage Conservation (INTACH), under the guidance of architect Ajit Koujalgi. According to an economic impact research report published by the World Travel and Tourism Council, a global body representing private travel and tourism companies, domestic travellers in India spent ₹14.5 trillion in 2024. This indicates a clear preference among Indians to holiday on home shores. As more private heritage properties enter the sector, they offer visitors a unique window into local life. Siddarth quit his corporate job in Gurgaon in 2017 and shifted to Puducherry to be part of the project. 'Gratitude is not a hotel; it is also my home, as I live there,' he says. 'We take the best aspects of a homestay but elevate the level of service and comfort to a point where a guest feels like they are coming back to their long-lost ancestral home.' 'Every heritage home is special, because it gives a glimpse into history. It is not just the architecture, but also the artefacts that are passed down generations which carry stories with them,' says Tejas Parulekar, co-founder, SaffronStays. The Mumbai-based company operates a curated network of 325 handpicked, serviced private vacation homes, luxury villas, and estates across India. Close to 10 heritage homes are also part of the company's growing portfolio. The sector has flourished after COVID-19, driven by customers' preference for offbeat destinations. This includes ASanjA, also known as the Hobbit Home of India, nestled in the Sahyadri Hills. The earth-sheltered villa is an oasis of luxury, with two pools and starlit bedrooms. Explore the villages A lot of heritage homes are now being built in small villages. Many of these homes are lying waste, where nobody is developing them. 'Overtourism is concentrated in little pockets, and the infrastructure caves during the holiday periods. If we open up a house in a remote village, the locals get employed with us, grocers and essentials suppliers get an opportunity to grow,' says Ramit Sethi, who co-founded luxury villa stay brand Seclude Hotels with his friend Rohit Sethi. Despite their novelty value, heritage homestays are not an easy prospect for hoteliers unless they are persistent. 'Until now, the renovation of such properties would be feasible only for royal families, tycoons, or large corporate groups due to the huge budget layout. Materials like steel and cement did not exist when these structures were put up. You can't install an air-conditioner, a bathroom, or even connect floors, because only wooden rafters connect them,' says Ramit. Artistic restoration and practical modernity are essential. 'Today's traveller will love heritage, but not an old-looking bathroom. Heritage homes are solid, and their basic structure will survive if you don't tamper with it. New elements like pipes for water and electricity conduits, have to be concealed under the floor, or placed in a way that doesn't disturb the aesthetics,' he says. This creates a new ecosystem of local business, from builders to skilled site workers. Restoration projects Tejas and her husband Devendra began SaffronStays 10 years ago initially as a tech platform for hotel visitors. This was to change after they took up the restoration of Parsi Manor, a 200-year-old colonial British mansion in Matheran, Maharashtra, at the owner's request in 2015. 'It was not in the best condition, but the owner was open to restoration, as long as we were in charge of it. Meals, featuring dishes from Parsi and Maharashtrian cuisine, are prepared by staff at the property, with breakfast being included in the tariff,' says Tejas adding that a night in Parsi Manor, which can house up to 12 guests in its four bedrooms, can cost upwards of ₹5,000. The heritage suites at the 19th Century Abbott Milton Estate near the Ooty Golf Course in the hill station of Udhagamandalam, in the SaffronStays portfolio, is also a hit with visitors. The bungalow is situated on a 4.5-acre estate surrounded by lush greenery, where birdwatching, garden sit-outs, golf course trails and starlit bonfire nights are among the many activities that can keep guests busy. Chefs here serve Tamil, Sri Lankan, and English delicacies. 'Some of the homes, such as the Kurinji Estate in Kodaikanal, are over 150 years old and they usually set in the middle of a tea or coffee plantation. These are experiences you can't get in regular tourism. Holidayers are willing to overlook the absence of air-conditioning in exchange for living in a heritage property, with its original furnishings,' says Tejas. These holidays are getting more accessible as more homes open their doors to paying guests. Seclude Hotels has properties in Shimla, Palampur, Ramgarh, Mussoorie, Lansdowne, Kasauli, Goa and Delhi. The brand's business model relies on a chargeable service for refurbishing, restoring and recreating heritage homes, such as Seclude Bantony Cottage, a jungle lodge built in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh by the royal family of Sirmur and Seclude Falling Cashews, a restored 80-year-old Portuguese villa in Chorao, Goa. Seclude's Taraview, for instance, a refurbished mid-19th Century bungalow with four cosy rooms in Shimla, has been built using the traditional Dhajji wall technique, featuring earthquake-resistant walls that are made of timber frames filled with stone or brick, creating a patchwork effect. Network like a local Besides the luxury of living in a boutique space, a draw of these properties is the ability to get insider tips from local hosts. At Nirvriti, tucked away in Kerala's Kozhinjampara, Palakkad, hosts Ria and Joseph Chakola follow a single key policy. 'Irrespective of the number of guests, we allow only one booking at a time. We take only a maximum of four adults and two kids,' says Joseph. The couple prefers to be present when guests visit. 'We give out the property on rent primarily from mid-September to the end of March, which is also the holiday season for international travellers,' says Joseph. The villa also hosts private dining parties featuring an eclectic mix of dishes made by the Chakolas, for a maximum number of 15 guests. The homestay's main attraction is a palatial residence, constructed in 1865. Gifted to Joseph by his brother, Nirvriti was restored by architectural firms Space Art, Kozhikode and the Bengaluru-based Centre for Vernacular Architecture Trust, in two phases from 2016 onwards. 'The house was with us since 2004, but we hadn't done much to it and were using a portion of it as a holiday home with the help of caretakers. It had a guest block and a service block separated by a courtyard. The revamped design blends seamlessly with the new structure. Our private living quarters became part of the service block, and we had spaces to serve food,' says Joseph. He adds, 'We started Nirvriti in 2021 by inviting our friends over to stay, and slowly it shifted to referrals from friends of friends. That's when we added a small commercial edge to it. We enjoy the company of our guests, as much as they enjoy our hospitality.'