In a major development, WhatsApp will be able to roll out its digital payment platform, WhatsApp Pay, across India after securing a key regulatory approval on Thursday.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has granted WhatsApp a licence to operate its digital payment service in a phased manner, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) executive told Business Standard on Friday. The official didn’t want to be quoted.

As the death toll crossed over 500 in the coronavirus outbreak, immigration officials have suspended all visas issued before February 5 to all Chinese passport holders from any part of the world, apart from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

All visas issued to Chinese passport holders coming from anywhere in the world, including regular (sticker) and e-visa issued before February 5, have been suspended with immediate effect, the officials said.

IT major Cognizant on Thursday reported over 39 per cent decline in net profit at USD 395 million for December 2019 quarter on account of factors like restructuring charges, and said it expects its topline to grow by 2-4 per cent in 2020.

The company also appointed Vinita Bali, former managing director and chief executive officer of Britannia Industries, as a new independent director, effective February 24, 2020.

On the penultimate day of campaigning for the Delhi polls on Wednesday, the AAP, the Congress and the BJP slugged it out over issues ranging from citizenship law, appeasement politics and unemployment.

The Congress fielded its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to attack the AAP and the BJP, even as war of words escalated between the BJP and the AAP which traded barbs over the Shaheen Bagh shooter.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will on Thursday (February 6) announce its sixth and last monetary policy for the current financial year, i.e. FY19-20.

The MPC resolution of the RBI will be placed on the website at 11.45 AM on February 6, 2020. will announce its decision whether it will cut or keep the benchmark lending rates unchanged on Thursday. The RBI committee, which is led by Governor Shaktikanta Das, announces its decision on a bi-monthly basis.

Shares of Avenue Supermarts, which operates supermarket chain DMart, rallied 5 per cent to Rs 2,361, also its new high on the BSE on Thursday, after its board approved the launch of a qualified institutional placement (QIP) by the promoters.

The stock was trading higher for the fourth straight day, thus gaining 14 per cent during the period, against a 4 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.

Ajanta Pharma surged 11 per cent on Thursday, a day after the company reported strong set of numbers for December quarter of the current fiscal (Q3FY20).

The company repored 61 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in its net profit at Rs 108 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. It had posted profit of Rs 67 crore in the year-ago period. Revenue from operation stood at Rs 651 crore, up 34 per cent YoY while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 73 per cent YoY to Rs 186 crore.

At least three people were killed and 179 injured on Wednesday when a Pegasus Airlines plane flying into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport skidded off the wet runway, caught fire, and split into three after landing in rough weather.

Turkey's Health Minister, Fahrettin Koca, confirmed the reports that said that the three people had died in the hospital while 179 more were injured. The plane was carrying a total of 183 people including 177 passengers and six crew members, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya had earlier said.

The number of confirmed fatalities from China's coronavirus outbreak rose to at least 560, after authorities in hardest-hit Hubei province reported 70 new deaths on Thursday.

In its daily update, the health commission in Hubei also confirmed another 2,987 new cases.

Avenue Supermarts has launched its qualified institutional placement (QIP) programme to raise at least Rs 4,000 crore.

The country’s most valuable listed retail chain will issue 20 million fresh shares at a base price of Rs 1,999. Avenue Supermarts’ board will meet on February 10 to approve the QIP price.

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