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Perfect snacks to prepare this Diwali for a festive feast!

8 Diwali sweets you can make at home to celebrate the festival of lights

Post-Diwali reboot: 8 deliciously light breakfast ideas

Diwali, the festival of lights, is just around the corner, and it's time to start thinking about the perfect gifts for your loved ones. One of the best gifts to give is something that is used frequently and makes life easier. It might be a good idea to go with something like a smartwatch or a Bluetooth headphone as they offer a lot of features without burning a hole in your pocket. Here's a list of some of the best <keyword id="22647823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tech-gifts" source="keywords">tech gifts</keyword> you can consider for this festive season for your friends and family. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G If you are in the market for a powerful and reliable Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G is an excellent option. It features a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset coupled with 12GB RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. It features a quad camera setup at the back and comes with a 12MP front camera. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and comes with 45W charging support. <keyword id="20052997" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OnePlus-12" source="keywords">OnePlus 12</keyword> The OnePlus 12 is a good option if you are looking for a flagship device without burning a hole in your pocket. It features a 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The device offers up to 16GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage. It features a triple camera setup at the back and comes with a 32MP selfie camera. Powering the OnePlus 12 is a 5,400mAh battery with 100W fast charging support. iQOO 12 The iQOO 12 is another value-for-money flagship device that is aimed at users looking for a camera-centric device. The iQOO 12 features a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and offers up to 16GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage. The device comes with a triple camera setup at the back and features a 16MP selfie camera. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 120W fast charging support. Apple iPhone 13 If you are looking to purchase an iPhone without burning a hole in your pocket, the iPhone 13 is currently available at a discounted price. The iPhone 13 features a large 6.1-inch Super Retina display and is powered by the powerful A15 Bionic chipset. The device features a dual camera setup at the back consisting of a 48MP primary camera and is equipped with a 12MP selfie camera. OnePlus Watch 2R Keeping track of your health and wellness is important and these is where smartwatches come in. The OnePlus Watch 2R is a good option that offers good fitness tracking while providing a decent battery life. The Watch 2R runs on runs on WearOS 4 and RTOS. It offers sensors such as an Acceleration sensor, Gyroscope sensor, Optical heart rate sensor, Ratio Optical pulse oximeter sensor, Barometer and more. Noise Twist Go If you are looking for a more affordable option, the Noise Twist Go is worth considering. It features a 1.39-inch circular display. The watch comes with over 100 sport modes and offers continuous heart rate tracking and sleep tracking. The watch is available in several strap options, including metal, silicone and more. OnePlus Buds 3 The OnePlus Buds 3 is a good option if you are looking for reliable TWS earphones at an affordable price. The earphone comes with a 10.4mm + 6mm dynamic driver that delivers powerful bass. It comes with a low latency mode and offers a battery life of up to 44 hours. It offers quick pairing for easy pairing and allows you to quickly switch between devices. Sony WF-C500 Sony is another popular name when it comes to audio products. The Sony WF-C500 is a good option if you are looking for reliable true wireless earbuds. It comes with a compact form factor and fits snugly in your ear. The earbuds come with IPX4 water resistance support, allowing you to use them outdoors and during workouts. It offers a 20-hour battery life and a 10-minute charge offers an hour of playback.

Diwali gifting made easy – best tech gifts to give this festive season

<ul><li><keyword id="19901323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zomato" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Zomato" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Zomato">Zomato</keyword> has increased the platform fees to ₹10 per order.</li><li>The <keyword id="20299300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="platform-fee" source="keywords">platform fee</keyword> is charged on each order irrespective of the order value or Zomato Gold membership.</li><li>With this, the platform fees has increased by five times within a year.</li></ul> The festive season is here and you are more likely to order food and sweets from apps like Zomato and Swiggy. Anticipating a rise in food orders, Zomato has hiked the platform fee from ₹6 to ₹10 and has renamed it to the “Festive season platform fee”. “This fee helps us pay our bills to keep Zomato running. To maintain services during festive rush, it has increased slightly,” a notification on the Zomato app said. <div type="image" title="Zo" msid="114496613" hostid="261" sizebytes="39238" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Festive season platform fee on Zomato&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Zomato introduced platform fees in 2023, which began at ₹2 per order. This was then increased to ₹3 and then to ₹5 in April 2024. In July 2024, the fee was increased to ₹6 per order. Now, the platform fee has been increased to ₹10, marking a five-fold increase in just a year. The platform fee is different from other charges levied on orders such as GST, delivery charges and restaurant charges. Customers are required to pay this charge irrespective of Zomato Gold membership. Zomato recently approved a fundraising of ₹8,500 crore via a qualified institutional placement (QIP). This is aimed at boosting its cash reserves after its recent acquisition of ticketing business from Paytm. <h2>Zomato share price surges</h2>Zomato’s share price increased by 2.3% on Wednesday after the increase in platform fees. The company’s shares were trading at ₹262.25 at 11:50. The company’s share price has increased by over 140% in the past year. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/upi-refund-scam-to-digital-arrest-scam-here-are-most-common-online-scams-in-india/articleshow/114428011.cms">UPI refund to digital arrest scam, here are some online scams you need to be aware of</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/best-credit-cards-for-online-shopping-in-india/articleshow/114354358.cms">Best credit cards for online shopping this festive season</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/the-ola-electric-saga-are-surge-in-complaints-and-declining-market-share-a-wake-up-call-for-bhavish-aggarwal/articleshow/114120828.cms">The Ola Electric Saga: Are surge in complaints and declining market share a wake-up call for Bhavish Aggarwal?</a>

Diwali gift from Zomato – Platform fee increased to ₹10 ahead of the festive season

<div type="image" title="Save yourself the trouble of buying physical gold this Diwali, and instead, go digital with Gold ETFs!" height="900" width="1200" msid="114507055" hostid="261" sizebytes="439216" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Save yourself the trouble of buying physical gold this Diwali, and instead, go digital with Gold ETFs!&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Ah, <keyword id="18712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gold" source="Orion">gold</keyword>! The shiny metal that's been making humans lose their minds since time immemorial. And yet, from <keyword id="23657519" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="king-midas" source="keywords">King Midas</keyword> to our neighbourhood aunty and even our moms (and secretly dads), everyone seems to have a super soft spot for the <keyword id="6384667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bullion" source="Orion">bullion</keyword>. But here's the kicker: right now, gold prices are breaking all records on their upward trajectory! As of today, prices of 24k carat gold have passed the Rs 80,000 mark per 10 grams. And if experts are to be believed, this train isn't stopping anytime soon! So, as shiny as gold might look, adding even a bit of its glitter as we start decking up for the festive season might not be so easy on your pockets. But let's admit it—we love our gold and can't live without it. No wonder India is the second-largest consumer of the yellow metal in the world, only behind China. Such is our fondness for the metal that the <keyword id="20195223" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-gold-council" source="keywords">World Gold Council</keyword> had to up our 2024 annual demand forecast to 850 tonnes, up from the previously estimated 750 tonnes. However, our love for gold isn't just about looking fabulously embellished and blinding people with its bling. Indians also see gold as a long-term, trusty investment, supporting our other hard-earned assets, especially when high <keyword id="22195" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Inflation" source="Orion">inflation</keyword> rates pull our returns down. After all, while inflationary pressures generally weaken the purchasing power of our regular paper money, gold is built differently. When the world is buckling to inflation, gold gains value during these times. This is also why it is considered a solid hedge against inflation. With <keyword id="188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali" source="Orion">Diwali</keyword> and <keyword id="4067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhanteras" source="Orion">Dhanteras</keyword> knocking at our doors, the inflation demon continued to bother India like a guest who refused to leave. Just last month, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 5.49%, much higher than the anticipated levels. Moreover, the diverging policy stances among central bankers worldwide, growing geopolitical tensions, tough job markets, and extreme weather events are only adding to the uncertainty. In such economically uncertain times, what should your gold strategy be this festive season? To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Well, let’s get to it. <h2><keyword id="20050894" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gold-etfs" source="keywords">Gold ETFs</keyword> to the rescue</h2>See, buying physical gold jewellery is certainly a flex, but also a financial fuss. First, you pay a heavy amount to buy gold. Not to mention all those extra, hefty jewellery-making charges. And then you pay even more money to keep it safe in a bank locker, lest it get stolen. But what if we tell you that you can own pure 24k gold, minus all these frills? Welcome, Gold ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). Simply put, gold ETFs are like the cool cousins of your traditional gold investments. Instead of stashing gold bars under your mattress like those maniac millionaires we see in Bollywood films, you can now invest and trade in gold through the stock market. It's basically buying units of an <keyword id="19930506" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="etf" source="keywords">ETF</keyword> on the stock exchange that directly mirror the ongoing domestic prices of gold. Generally, gold ETFs are equivalent to 99.5% pure physical gold bars, and each ETF unit denotes actual, one gram of gold. And let's face it, who would not want that golden glow in their lives? Gold ETFs have witnessed an over seven-fold surge in their AUM (assets under management) in just the last five years. From Rs 5,613.22 crore in September 2019 to Rs 39,823.50 crore in September 2024, gold ETFs seem to be in-thing. Inflows in gold ETFs have shot up by a whopping 2,695% over the last 5 years. In September 2019, gold ETFs had garnered a mere Rs 44.11 crore. Compare that to the inflows worth Rs 1,232.99 crore gold ETFs received last month. Talk about growing, or glowing popularity! In fact, in just 2024, inflows in gold ETFs have surged by nearly 88% since the beginning of this calendar year. From Rs 657.46 crore in January 2024 to Rs 1,232.99 crore in September 2024, good old gold is never out of season. <h2>So, how do these ETFs work? Should I invest in them now?</h2>All you need is a Demat account. Log into your account, choose the gold ETF scheme you want to invest in, and voila! You’re now a bullion-aire! All your gold ETF units will be stored in this account. Then, you can buy and sell gold ETFs just like you buy shares—in real-time. So, if gold prices inch upwards, which is where gold is currently going, the value of your ETF units will also rise in lockstep. Ashwini Kumar, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Data at ICRA Analytics, says that of late, gold ETFs have been increasingly gaining popularity among investors due to the liquidity, safety and transparency they offer. "With the escalating global geopolitical tensions boosting the ‘safe-haven’ appeal of the bullion, investors are preferring to park their funds in gold ETFs as compared to investing in physical gold, as there is no hassle of storing it. The heightened activity in gold ETFs is also driven by the prospects of an imminent further interest rate cut by the <keyword id="20078761" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="u-s-federal-reserve" source="keywords">U.S. Federal Reserve</keyword> in the coming months,” he added. “Investors with a short- to medium-term investment horizon may consider investment through gold ETFs. A buy-on-dips strategy here may help investors capitalise on a temporary correction in prices. Also, given the current market dynamics where equities are showing mixed trends, a modest, 5-10% allocation to gold may serve as a hedge against inflation and market volatility, which may help you balance risks in an optimum manner,” Kumar noted. <h2>Wait, there is no dearth of options</h2>But if ETFs make you go WTF, there’s always digital gold. You can invest in the yellow metal without actually physically holding it for as low as Rs 1. The best part? You can buy or sell this gold 24 X7 seamlessly via multiple apps without having to pay storage costs. On your behalf, your gold is stored in insured vaults by the seller. But remember, digital gold continues to remain unregulated territory in the country, where you venture at your own risk. In 2021, market watchdog SEBI had even asked its members to desist from selling digital gold. Then there are gold mutual funds and the Sarkari SGBs, or sovereign gold bonds. While gold mutual funds invest primarily in gold ETFs, SGBs are issued by the RBI and are also a reliable substitute for holding physical gold. However, with the RBI currently putting brakes on issuing SGBs, investing in them is out of the question. Plus, you should only get your hands on SGBs if you're in for the long haul. Apart from a 2.5% p.a. interest, you don't have any yearly earnings from them. Moreover, no premature redemption is allowed before 5 years, and you'll have to wait a good 8 years to maximise your returns. <h2>Okay, tell me about returns</h2>In contrast, the seventeen gold ETF schemes currently present in the market offer an average one-year return of 29.12%. Stay with it a little longer, and you can end up with returns worth 16.93% and 13.59% over a 3- and 5-year period, respectively. If you look at it, these returns are comparable with the returns delivered by actual, physical gold. Data from Value Research indicates that gold, as a commodity, has delivered returns worth 27.24%, 16.53%, and 14.18% over a 1, 3, and 5-year period, respectively. So, worth investing, right? <h2>What are the risks?</h2>See, markets are as unpredictable as monsoons in Mumbai. One significant market correction can wash away your returns, and one sunny day or an upswing can leave you wallowing in wealth. Since your gold investments are directly linked to these markets, you should steel yourself up for some volatility. Plus, international gold prices are in dollars. So, if our rupee decides to take a nosedive, your returns might look a bit tarnished. Also, know that your ETF might not always perfectly mirror gold prices, which is also known as a tracking error. It's like expecting your Zomato-ordered food to look exactly like the picture on the menu—it's close, but not quite. Then there’s the taxation bit. The budget this year brought down the LTCG (long-term capital gains tax) on gold ETFs from the previous 20% to 12.5% (sans indexation). LTCG is what you pay if you sell your ETF units after 12 months. If you sell your gold ETF units within a year and make handsome returns, the tax you’ll have to pay will be equivalent to your income tax slab rate. <h2>Is gold just for old?</h2>A survey by fintech firm Moneyview thinks otherwise. Per their findings, over 85% of the 3,000 respondents it talked to considered gold to be a valuable asset for wealth preservation, with its intrinsic value and historical performance continuing to drive consumer confidence. Particularly, young investors in the age group of 25–40 years are also investing in gold via both physical and digital ways to build wealth for retirement and other long-term goals. So, young or old, everyone’s going for gold. So, this festive season, with gold prices going north, investing in gold can add that much-needed glitz to your financial attire. But remember, don't go overboard since gold isn't exactly a high-return-yielding asset. But whether you're a seasoned investor looking to diversify or a newbie trying to make their way in the markets, investing in gold offers you a glittering safety cushion. Just remember, while gold can make your portfolio shine, it's your smart investment decisions that truly make you golden. Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified, and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

Simply put: Can investing in gold this festive season add the much-touted Midas touch to your investments?

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Perfect snacks to prepare this Diwali for a festive feast!

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8 Diwali sweets you can make at home to celebrate the festival of lights

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Post-Diwali reboot: 8 deliciously light breakfast ideas

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Diwali gifting made easy – best tech gifts to give this festive season

Sourabh Jain

Diwali gift from Zomato – Platform fee increased to ₹10 ahead of the festive season

Sourabh Jain

Simply put: Can investing in gold this festive season add the much-touted Midas touch to your investments?

Ira Alok Puranik

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