MUMBAI: Light-weight jewellery was the flavour this Akshaya Tritiya, as a steep rise in gold prices nudged consumers to strike a balance between their budgets and love for the yellow metal that’s considered auspicious in Indian culture.For context—gold has risen nearly 57% year-on-year since last year’s festival—from around Rs 97,000 per 10 grams to roughly…

Indian workers are putting in fewer hours weekly compared to pre-pandemic levels, with self-employed individuals seeing the steepest decline. This trend, alongside modest real earnings growth, suggests lower aggregate demand and a recovery driven by a select few. Women’s increased labor force participation, particularly in rural agriculture, indicates distress-led employment. NEW DELHI: Indian workers put…