India's services sector growth rose to a 4-month high in December as robust demand boosted business activity with strong job creation taking place during the month, according to a survey released on Monday.

The HSBC India Services Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global, increased to 59.3 in December from 58.4 in November, which is the highest level since August.

Strong underlying demand was identified by companies as the primary factor behind output growth in the services sector. In some instances, survey members indicated that recent efforts to expand capacities allowed them to accept more work.

Amid the growing popularity, South Korea's exports of cosmetic products exceeded $10 billion last year, marking a significant milestone for the K-beauty industry, government data showed on Monday.

The combined shipments of cosmetic products jumped 20.6 percent on-year to an all-time high of $10.2 billion in 2024, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a press release, reports news agency.

The record result was helped by the growing popularity of Korean cultural content, such as K-pop and K-dramas, it added.

By country, China was the biggest importer of South Korean cosmetics, with purchases worth $2.5 billion, followed by the United States with $1.9 billion and Japan with $1 billion.

"The government will strengthen cooperation with trading partner countries to help local firms continue the growth of cosmetic exports while helping them meet safety standards in the U.S. and China," Food Minister Oh Yu-Kyoung said in the release.

Samsung Electronics will propose Home AI, a hyper-personalised solution combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence and enhanced connectivity, at CES 2025 in the US.

The South Korean tech giant will run a 3,368-square-meter showroom at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the largest among corporate participants at the annual tech show that will run from Tuesday to Friday.

The exhibit, themed "AI for All," will focus on showcasing the company's latest AI technologies and SmartThings connectivity for homes, providing solutions for a more personalised AI experience that reflects diversified lifestyles, reports news agency.

The exhibit will demonstrate how Home AI customses living spaces for families by analysing data collected through the SmartThings platform integrated into a wide range of Samsung products, from washing machines and TVs to laptops and smartphones.

Samsung Electronics also envisions extending this connected experience beyond homes to vehicles, ships and commercial spaces.

Coal production reached an all-time high of 1,039.59 million tonnes (provisional) in 2024, marking a significant 7.28 per cent growth compared to the previous year’s total of 969.07 MT, the government said on Saturday.

Similarly, coal dispatches also reached a record high, with 1,012.72 MT (provisional) dispatched across the nation, surpassing the 950.39 MT recorded in 2023 by 6.56 per cent, revealed the government data.

"This consistent growth in both production and dispatch underscores the sector’s commitment to ensuring timely availability of coal for power generation and other industries, further bolstering national energy security," said the Ministry of Coal in a statement.

The ministry further stated that the focus on optimising coal production and infrastructure development aligns with the goal of reducing dependence on coal imports, strengthening the country’s self-sufficiency, and contributing to long-term sustainable growth.

The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced two new deposit schemes, 'Har Ghar Lakhpati' and 'SBI Patrons', to provide greater financial flexibility and better value to its customers.

SBI has a market share of about 23 per cent in deposits. With these offerings, the bank said it is committed to prioritise innovation and further empower people.

‘Har Ghar Lakhpati' is a pre-calculated recurring deposit scheme designed for customers to deposit Rs 1,00,000 and its multiples.

With this product, customers can focus on planning and saving to achieve their financial goals.

This scheme has also been introduced for the age group below 18 years, so that this class can also work on their financial planning and savings plans from an early age.

It was a volatile week for the Indian stock markets as investors shifted towards a multi-asset strategy amid geo-political uncertainties, with Donald Trump’s impending return as the 47th US President.

The domestic benchmark indices concluded the week with a pessimistic note as a sell-on-rally sentiment prevails in the market due to a strong US dollar and high valuation, according to market experts.

After a strong pullback, benchmark indices took a breather on Friday, with the Nifty index closing on a negative note at 24,005. The volatility index, India VIX, cooled by 1.43 per cent to 13.54, reflecting reduced market volatility.

“As long as the index maintains above 23,900, a buy-on-dips strategy is recommended for Nifty,” said Hrishikesh Yedve of Asit C Mehta Investment Interrmediates Ltd.

Sensex ended at 79,223.11, down by 720.60 points or 0.90 per cent, on Friday.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's leading automaker, said on Friday its annual sales slipped 1.8 per cent from a year earlier in 2024 due mainly to a decline in domestic demand.

Hyundai Motor sold 4,141,791 units last year, down from 4,216,898 units sold the previous year, the company said in a press release.

Domestic sales fell 7.5 per cent on-year to 705,010 units, while overseas sales edged down 0.5 per cent to 3,436,781 units, reports news agency.

The Indian stock market witnessed an initial public offering (IPO) boom in 2024 as compared to any other global stock exchange, with the National Stock Exchange's (NSE) Rs 1.67 lakh crore ($19.5 billion) capital raised through them becoming the highest in the world, according to a report by the exchange on Friday.

The 268 successful IPOs across mainboard (90) and SME (178) raised Rs 1.67 lakh crore, and were also the highest number of IPOs within Asia.

The 268 IPOs are also the highest figure of public issues recorded ever in India, demonstrating the growing confidence of investors in the capital markets.

It includes the largest IPO in India and the second largest IPO globally of $3.3 billion of Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL).

India’s smartphone market is projected to cross $50 billion in value by 2025, driven by the ongoing trend of premiumisation and thrust on local manufacturing, a report showed on Friday.

The retail average selling price (ASP) of India’s smartphone market is expected to cross the $300 mark for the first time this year, according to latest research from Counterpoint’s ‘India Smartphone Outlook’.

Apple and Samsung are leading this shift by offering competitive options in the premium and ultra-premium segments.

Apple is expected to see strong demand for its Pro models, driven by local manufacturing and recent price reductions across its iPhone lineup.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s value-focused strategy is gaining traction, particularly with its flagship S series. OnePlus, with the launch of its flagship OnePlus 13, is aiming to increase its share in the ultra-premium segment (above Rs 45,000), the report mentioned.

The total cargo volume of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) grew 8 per cent (year-on-year) to 38.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in December 2024.

The company's container volume grew 22 per cent and liquids and gas volume grew 7 per cent on YoY basis in the last month. APSEZ is the country's largest private port operator.

Adani Ports had handled a total of 36 million metric tonnes of cargo in November, driven by higher container volumes.

On a month-on-month basis, the total cargo volume saw 6.6 per cent growth.