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International hydroponic cannabis smuggling syndicate busted; 40 accused identified

The syndicate cultivated hydroponic cannabis in Thailand capable of producing 144 plants per cycle and used nearly 300 carriers to smuggle the contraband into India

Youths told to avoid attraction to tobacco and cultivate good habits

Quote of the day by Zendaya

Zendaya's insights in 'Between U and Me' resonate powerfully with tweens, as she passionately advocates for embracing one's individuality over blending in. By urging them to cultivate their unique abilities, she inspires a journey toward self-acceptance and inner happiness, empowering them to shine in their own light.

Rs 25 lakh theft at Raveena Tandon's brother's house; caretaker arrested

In a dramatic turn of events, Rashi Chhabria, a caregiver, has found herself in handcuffs for supposedly stealing jewellery worth ₹25 lakh from the home of Raveena Tandon’s brother in Mumbai. Entrusted with the care of the star's mother, Chhabria had cultivated the family's trust before the precious items disappeared from a secure location.

Inside Mohanlal’s half-acre organic farm

Beyond his acting career, superstar Mohanlal has cultivated a deep passion for sustainable living and organic farming. His half-acre property in Kerala has transformed into a thriving garden, yielding a variety of vegetables and herbs. Mohanlal actively encourages others to embrace home gardening, even in small spaces, promoting chemical-free produce.

Patanjali Foods Q4 Results: Profit jumps 46% to Rs 524 crore despite margin pressure

Patanjali Foods reported a 46% year-on-year rise in net profit for the March quarter, aided by strong growth across its edible oils and FMCG businesses. However, higher raw material and packaging costs weighed on profitability. The company's profit after tax rose to Rs 524 crore in the quarter ended March 2026 from about Rs 359 crore a year earlier.Revenue from operations increased 17% year-on-year (YoY) and 6% sequentially to Rs 11,217 crore during the quarter. Despite the strong top-line performance, margins remained under pressure due to rising input costs.Gross profit stood at Rs 1,398 crore, translating into a margin of 12.47%. The company said profitability was impacted by a sharp rise in packaging material costs during the latter half of March, particularly for PET bottles and polyester films, driven by crude oil volatility and higher freight expenses.Cost of goods sold increased by 294 basis points as a percentage of revenue on a YoY basis. EBITDA, excluding exceptional items, came in at Rs 502 crore with an EBITDA margin of 4.48%.The edible oils business remained the largest contributor to revenue. The segment reported revenue of Rs 8,324 crore during the quarter, up 23% YoY and 13.5% sequentially. Segment EBITDA stood at Rs 215 crore, with margins of 2.58%.Branded edible oils accounted for nearly 75% of total edible oil sales and continued to drive growth.The company said palm oil prices strengthened sharply during the quarter, with refined palm oil prices rising nearly 20% between January and March 2026. The increase was driven by higher import costs from Malaysia and Indonesia, elevated freight charges, rising insurance costs and expectations of tighter global supplies.Soya oil prices also moved higher, rising 23% during the quarter.The FMCG segment continued its strong performance and generated revenue of Rs 2,890 crore, up 14% YoY. Segment EBITDA rose 14% to Rs 292 crore, while margins stood at 10.1%.The FMCG business contributed nearly 26% of quarterly revenue and almost 58% of segment EBITDA during the quarter, underscoring its growing importance in the company's earnings mix.Within FMCG, biscuits remained a key growth driver. Quarterly biscuit revenue rose nearly 14% to Rs 478 crore. For FY26, biscuit revenue crossed Rs 1,907 crore, growing 16%.The company said its Doodh biscuit brand has now become a Rs 1,300-crore-plus annual sales brand, while Nariyal biscuits continued gaining market share.The Staples portfolio generated quarterly revenue of Rs 849 crore, while the home and personal care business posted strong growth of 35% to Rs 840 crore. The skincare category emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments, with revenue rising 58% YoY.The ghee business reported quarterly revenue of Rs 339 crore, while textured soya products contributed Rs 106 crore.Beverages and juices also witnessed improved demand toward the end of the quarter as summer consumption recovered after an initially delayed season.The company's nutraceutical business generated revenue of Rs 18 crore following internal restructuring initiatives. Exports contributed Rs 32 crore during the quarter, while annual export revenue stood at Rs 187.8 crore. Patanjali Foods exported products to 37 countries during FY26.For the full year, Patanjali Foods reported its highest-ever annual revenue from operations at Rs 40,170 crore, representing growth of 19% over FY25.The edible oils business generated annual revenue of Rs 29,313 crore, while the FMCG segment reported annual revenue of Rs 11,188 crore, up nearly 20%. The company also continued expanding its oil palm plantation business under the government's edible oil self-sufficiency push.As of March 2026, the total oil palm cultivated area under the company's network stood at 1.11 lakh hectares across 12 states, reflecting growth of 24% YoY.Patanjali Foods spent around 2% of quarterly revenue on advertising and brand-building activities during the quarter.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times.)

Patanjali Foods Q4 Results: Profit jumps 46% to Rs 524 crore despite margin pressure

Patanjali Foods reported a 46% year-on-year rise in net profit for the March quarter, aided by strong growth across its edible oils and FMCG businesses. However, higher raw material and packaging costs weighed on profitability. The company's profit after tax rose to Rs 524 crore in the quarter ended March 2026 from about Rs 359 crore a year earlier.Revenue from operations increased 17% year-on-year (YoY) and 6% sequentially to Rs 11,217 crore during the quarter. Despite the strong top-line performance, margins remained under pressure due to rising input costs.Gross profit stood at Rs 1,398 crore, translating into a margin of 12.47%. The company said profitability was impacted by a sharp rise in packaging material costs during the latter half of March, particularly for PET bottles and polyester films, driven by crude oil volatility and higher freight expenses.Cost of goods sold increased by 294 basis points as a percentage of revenue on a YoY basis. EBITDA, excluding exceptional items, came in at Rs 502 crore with an EBITDA margin of 4.48%.The edible oils business remained the largest contributor to revenue. The segment reported revenue of Rs 8,324 crore during the quarter, up 23% YoY and 13.5% sequentially. Segment EBITDA stood at Rs 215 crore, with margins of 2.58%.Branded edible oils accounted for nearly 75% of total edible oil sales and continued to drive growth.The company said palm oil prices strengthened sharply during the quarter, with refined palm oil prices rising nearly 20% between January and March 2026. The increase was driven by higher import costs from Malaysia and Indonesia, elevated freight charges, rising insurance costs and expectations of tighter global supplies.Soya oil prices also moved higher, rising 23% during the quarter.The FMCG segment continued its strong performance and generated revenue of Rs 2,890 crore, up 14% YoY. Segment EBITDA rose 14% to Rs 292 crore, while margins stood at 10.1%.The FMCG business contributed nearly 26% of quarterly revenue and almost 58% of segment EBITDA during the quarter, underscoring its growing importance in the company's earnings mix.Within FMCG, biscuits remained a key growth driver. Quarterly biscuit revenue rose nearly 14% to Rs 478 crore. For FY26, biscuit revenue crossed Rs 1,907 crore, growing 16%.The company said its Doodh biscuit brand has now become a Rs 1,300-crore-plus annual sales brand, while Nariyal biscuits continued gaining market share.The Staples portfolio generated quarterly revenue of Rs 849 crore, while the home and personal care business posted strong growth of 35% to Rs 840 crore. The skincare category emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments, with revenue rising 58% YoY.The ghee business reported quarterly revenue of Rs 339 crore, while textured soya products contributed Rs 106 crore.Beverages and juices also witnessed improved demand toward the end of the quarter as summer consumption recovered after an initially delayed season.The company's nutraceutical business generated revenue of Rs 18 crore following internal restructuring initiatives. Exports contributed Rs 32 crore during the quarter, while annual export revenue stood at Rs 187.8 crore. Patanjali Foods exported products to 37 countries during FY26.For the full year, Patanjali Foods reported its highest-ever annual revenue from operations at Rs 40,170 crore, representing growth of 19% over FY25.The edible oils business generated annual revenue of Rs 29,313 crore, while the FMCG segment reported annual revenue of Rs 11,188 crore, up nearly 20%. The company also continued expanding its oil palm plantation business under the government's edible oil self-sufficiency push.As of March 2026, the total oil palm cultivated area under the company's network stood at 1.11 lakh hectares across 12 states, reflecting growth of 24% YoY.Patanjali Foods spent around 2% of quarterly revenue on advertising and brand-building activities during the quarter.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times.)

A rain forecast hints at more pain for India

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday retained its forecast for below-average monsoon rainfall in 2026, with the weather office warning that the El Nino weather pattern is likely to develop during June and July.The weather watchdog said monsoon rainfall this year is expected to be at 90% of the long-term average, while rainfall in June is likely to be around 92% of the long-term average.The IMD said neutral ENSO conditions over the equatorial Pacific are now transitioning towards El Nino, with a 92% probability of El Nino conditions prevailing during the 2026 monsoon season. Most global climate models indicate that the weather pattern is likely to strengthen as the season progresses.Also Read: Southwest monsoon further advances in Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep, Bay of Bengal, says IMD According to the IMD’s forecast, June is expected to witness weak El Nino conditions, while July and August could see weak-to-moderate El Nino conditions. By September, the weather office expects El Nino to intensify into a moderate-to-strong phase.The weather office also warned that the monsoon core zone, which includes most rain-fed agricultural regions across central and northwest India, is likely to receive below-normal rainfall of less than 94% of the long-period average (LPA). Northwest India is expected to receive rainfall below 92% of the LPA, while central India and the southern peninsula are also likely to see below-normal rains. Only northeast India is forecast to receive normal rainfall, in the range of 94-106% of the long-period average.Also Read: El Nino, Strait of Hormuz risks may fuel fresh global food inflation surge, says Citi Research Report The IMD’s probability forecast showed that below-normal rainfall is likely over most parts of the country during the June-September monsoon season. However, some areas in northwest India, parts of the southern peninsula, adjoining east-central India and isolated pockets in the northeast could receive normal to above-normal rainfall.The forecast comes at a time when concerns are rising over the impact of weaker rains on farm output and food prices, further adding to already rising inflation in India amid the ongoing Iran-US war.El Nino conditions, which are associated with lower rainfall in the Indian subcontinent, are expected to emerge in the coming weeks, the weather office said. The phenomenon typically leads to hotter temperatures and uneven rainfall distribution across several parts of the country.A below-normal monsoon could put pressure on agricultural production and may increase risks of higher food inflation later in the year. India’s farm sector remains heavily dependent on seasonal rains as a large part of cultivated land still lacks irrigation coverage.The monsoon usually begins over Kerala in June and accounts for nearly 70% of India’s annual rainfall. The June-September rainy season is critical for kharif crop sowing, reservoir replenishment and rural consumption.

Opinion: Opinion | Why Pakistan Will Not Risk Signing Abraham Accords - Even For Best Friend Trump

A fanatical opposition to Israel has been assiduously cultivated by successive regimes in Pakistan, so much so that anti-Semitism has been normalised. A U-turn could cause massive unrest.

Farmers are an integral part of alco-bev industry, do not leave them behind: Timmapur urges industry

Most raw materials required for breweries — including barley, grains, fruits, and other agricultural produce — are cultivated by farmers. The government is committed to grow the industry beyond Bengaluru