New Delhi: India is set to scrap capital gains tax on investments in government securities by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in an effort to shore up overseas capital inflows into the country as the Centre seeks to mitigate the effects of the Iran war on the economy, said people familiar with the matter.

The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, approved the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Income Tax Act to pave the way for this exemption, the people said. A notification is expected soon after the President gives her assent to the ordinance.

More measures are expected to encourage capital flows.

Foreign investors are currently subject to 12.5% long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax on listed shares and bonds held for more than 12 months. They also pay a 20% withholding tax on interest earned from government bonds. The government had ended the concessional 5% rate available to them in 2023.

Industry Demand

The government had used the ordinance route in 2019 to cut the corporate tax rate to encourage private investment.
Market participants have been urging a reduction in LTCG tax and withholding tax on interest earned on government bonds amid sustained capital flows out of India.
The latest move comes in the backdrop of foreign portfolio flows turning negative and the rupee weakening sharply against the dollar with the West Asia conflict continuing.
Regulators are expected to initiate further measures to complement the government’s efforts to make the Indian markets attractive for foreign capital, said one of the persons cited above.

In the calendar year so far, exits by FPIs add up to a net Rs 2.47 lakh crore, more than double the Rs 1.04 lakh crore they pulled out in calendar 2025. The rupee hit an all-time low of 96.965 to the dollar on May 20 but has since rebounded as the Reserve Bank of India has stepped up support and oil prices eased after renewed US-Iran peace efforts.

(With inputs from Anuradha Shukla & Jatin Takkar)

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Wednesday withdrew its treasury bill auction of 182-day and 364-day totalling ₹12,000 crore, with some dealers saying the central bank seemed unwilling to pay high yields bid by participants.

The cancellation of the auction, which effectively curtails the supply of government securities, lent support to bond prices. The yield on the benchmark 10 year government bond fell three basis points from an intraday high of 7.04% to 7.01%, and ended at 7.02% on Wednesday.

“The bids for yields on the T-bill could have been higher than the comfort level of the RBI,” said a trader from a private sector bank, explaining a possible reason for the RBI cancelling the auction.
The 91-day T-bill had an average yield of 5.54% on Wednesday, versus 5.52% last week. The 182-day t-bill and 364-day t-bills had average yields of 5.67% and 5.87% respectively last week.
Another trader said that it could also be a function of high cash balance with the government after the RBI dividend.

The RBI approved a record dividend of ₹2.86 lakh crore in late May, for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The central bank is set to auction the 10 year 2036 paper for ₹34,000 crore on Friday, along with announcing its monetary policy decision.

Mumbai: IIFL Finance has raised $500 million by selling international dollar bonds to investors across the world in an issue which was priced on Wednesday. The 3.25 year issue was priced at 7.6% after building an order book of close to $2 billion from large institutional investors.

This is the first dollar bond issued out of India since January this year when ReNew Energy raised $600 million by issuing a five year bond. Since then though geopolitical volatilities more particularly due to the US-Israel attack on Iran has meant that the high overseas yields were beyond the expectations of Indian companies looking to raise funds from abroad.

Nirmal Jain, founder and managing director at IIFL Finance said the successful issue comes at a time of heightened volatilities, pressure on the rupee and capital outflows from India.

“It’s a positive thing at a time when there has been no issue from India for a long time. This is also the first social issue from IIFL Finance. The proceeds of this issue will be used to lend to economically weaker sections of society which includes MSMEs, gold loans and loan against property,” Jain said.
Prathamesh Sahasrabudhe, MD & Head, Capital Markets, India, Standard Chartered Bank said, “This marks the market reopening dollar bond transaction for Indian issuers since the onset of the West Asia crisis.

A woman was arrested at Walt Disney World‘s Contemporary Resort in Florida, after deputies say she threw multiple glasses of water at a restaurant manager, allegedly grabbed another manager by the shoulders and snatched a cast member’s name tag during a dispute over seating arrangements.

Leslie Helen Varley, 57, was arrested and charged with two counts of battery, robbery by sudden snatching and criminal mischief, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit reviewed by FOX Business.

The incident happened May 19, at Steakhouse 71 inside Disney‘s Contemporary Resort.

According to the affidavit, restaurant manager Jessica Lee Brunk told deputies she was helping a large party that became upset after learning the group could not all be seated together. Brunk said the conversation was cordial until staff informed the party that tables could not be moved.

DISNEY WORLD REVIVES ‘LADIES AND GENTLEMEN’ GREETING AFTER YEARS OF GENDER-NEUTRAL MESSAGES

That’s when Varley allegedly grabbed Brunk by both shoulders and moved her about six steps, the affidavit states.

A second manager, identified in the report as John Kevin Ortiz, then stepped in to assist. Ortiz told deputies Varley became irate and threw three glasses containing water and ice at him. All three glasses struck the front of his body, according to the affidavit.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
DIS	THE WALT DISNEY CO.	99.39	-2.02	-1.99%

Deputies said Varley then approached Ortiz and snatched his Disney name tag from the left side of his suit jacket before walking away from the restaurant.

Ortiz followed Varley to the front desk to retrieve the name tag. During the confrontation, Varley allegedly dropped and broke four glasses valued at about $20, according to investigators.

DISNEY WORLD HONORS WORLD WAR II VETERAN’S BIRTHDAY WITH MOVING FLAG RETREAT CEREMONY

Neither manager reported visible injuries and both declined medical treatment at the scene, the affidavit states. Both told deputies they were willing to prosecute.

When questioned by deputies, Varley admitted she became upset after a comment was allegedly made about her disabled daughter touching a cast member, according to the affidavit.

Varley told investigators she threw a glass of water at Ortiz before throwing two more. She also acknowledged taking his name tag, telling deputies she wanted to photograph it because she was upset and intended to report him.

According to the affidavit, Varley said Ortiz did not give her permission to remove the name tag, though she claimed she returned it shortly afterward.

Deputies issued Varley a trespass warning from the property and advised her she could be arrested if she returned.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Based on statements from the victims and Varley’s own admissions, deputies arrested her on two counts of battery, one count of robbery by sudden snatching and one count of criminal mischief involving less than $200 in damage, the affidavit states.

A representative for Walt Disney Parks did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

By Jennifer Nash

The economic mover and shaker this week is Friday’s employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This monthly report contains a wealth of data for economists, the most publicized being the month-over-month change