Filmmaker-choreographer Ahmed Khan recalled superstar Sunny Deol’s support as instrumental during a critical phase of his directorial venture “Lakeer – Forbidden Lines”. He said the actor “immediately said yes to the film.”

Ahmed said, “Sunny and I have been friends for decades, and his support has always meant a lot to me. During my first directorial venture, I remember getting a call from his office while I was playing football. When I went to meet him, he immediately said yes to the film.”

“I didn’t even have to share a full script, just the basic plotline. He loved the idea, hopped onto it and asked his team to close the shoot dates at the earliest with me,” he added.

India’s mutual fund industry saw a historic surge in systematic investment plan (SIP) contributions in April, with investors pouring in a record Rs 26,632 crore last month, according to data by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) released on Friday.

This marks the highest-ever SIP inflow for any month, the report said.

In April, 1.36 crore SIP accounts were either closed or matured as part of this process. However, investor interest remained strong. The number of active SIP accounts grew to 8.38 crore in April, up from 8.11 crore in March, showing that people are still keen on building long-term wealth through mutual funds.

April also saw the creation of 46 lakh new SIP accounts, higher than the 40.19 lakh new accounts opened in March.

AMFI said the spike in account closures was due to a planned clean-up and is likely to reduce sharply from May onwards.

Information technology (IT) sector in India is witnessing strong growth, with hiring activity increasing by 16 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in April 2025, a new report said on Friday.

A major driver behind this growth is the rapid expansion of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which have created over 110,000 new tech jobs during the financial year 2024-25, according to data compiled by jobs platform foundit (formerly Monster APAC and ME).

This hiring boom comes despite an 11 per cent month-on-month dip in April, which the report attributes to seasonal trends.

Overall, the outlook remains positive, with consistent demand across experience levels and an increasing focus on specialised, future-ready skills.

According to V. Suresh, CEO of foundit,, the sector is entering a new phase of ‘strategic growth'. He emphasised that India is moving from quantity-based hiring to skill-based, innovation-led employment.

The Ministry of Defence on Friday issued an advisory to the media to refrain from showing live coverage of defence operations and movement of security forces.

In a post on its social media handle X, the Ministry said, "All media channels, digital platforms and individuals are advised to refrain from live coverage or real-time reporting of defence operations and movement of security forces."

The MoD said that the disclosure of such sensitive or source-based information may jeopardise operational effectiveness and endanger lives.

It also cited past incidents like the Kargil War, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and the Kandahar hijacking, which underscore the risks of premature reporting.

Civil flight operations have been closed at seven key airports across Gujarat, after India-Pakistan tension escalated.

The temporary shutdown comes under the latest series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) aimed at bolstering national defence readiness.

The affected airports - Jamnagar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla, Bhuj, and Mundra (Adani) - are among 24 Indian airports currently under NOTAM directives, which restrict airspace use for civilian flights.

The order is expected to remain in force until 11.59 p.m. today, unless extended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) or defence authorities. The NOTAM measures follow a wave of aerial incursions from across the border.

Pakistani drones and missile systems reportedly attempted to strike targets in Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Indian air defence units responded swiftly, neutralising the threats before any damage could occur.

Amid high alert across Rajasthan in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the state government has cancelled the leaves of all officers and employees of various government departments, including the police, doctors, and paramedical staff. Guidelines have been issued to all border districts to ensure preparedness and public safety in light of the situation.

In several regions, daily blackouts have been enforced.

Barmer and Jaisalmer will observe blackouts from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., while Jodhpur will enforce the same from 9.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Earlier, the blackout time was set for 12.30 a.m., but it was advanced by three hours as a precautionary measure in Jodhpur. Similar blackout measures were implemented in Pali, Nal (Bikaner), and Mount Abu, the state's only hill station.

The Indian retail sector witnessed 169 per cent growth (year-on-year) in the January-March quarter, as strong momentum in new retail store openings continued to play out in major metropolitan cities, a report said on Friday.

On a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, gross leasing activity in the retail sector noted an uptrend of 9 per cent, according to the report by JLL India.

While demand for retail spaces continued unabated across the top seven cities, the infusion of new retail spaces also totalled to a new high.

During Q1 2025, 3.1 million square feet was leased by retailers in shopping malls and high streets across top seven cities. On the supply front, Q1 2025 witnessed new retail space additions of 2 million sq ft.

Six flights from Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna have been cancelled until Sunday as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan.

According to airport officials, the cancelled flights include routes to Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, and Hindon (Ghaziabad).

These include four Indigo Airlines flights (Bhubaneswar-Patna) and Patna-Bhubaneswar, (Chandigarh-Patna) and Patna-Chandigarh and two Air India Express services (Hindon-Patna) and Patna-Hindon.

In the last two days, the footfall at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport has been reduced by 1,000 passengers.

While Patna airport remains operational, the cancellations are due to heightened airspace restrictions and security protocols following the Indian Armed Forces' precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.

India’s warehousing sector recorded leasing of 16.7 million square feet in the January-March quarter, marking a significant 50 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase, a report showed on Friday.

There was a strong performance in warehousing leasing across the top eight markets during Q1 2025, primarily driven by the manufacturing sector, which recorded a remarkable 94 per cent surge in leasing volumes, reaching 8 million sq ft in the first quarter, said the report by Knight Frank India.

Manufacturing companies accounted for 48 per cent of total warehousing demand, underscoring the sector’s continued momentum and long-term investment outlook.

E-commerce players also registered a notable resurgence, with a 151 per cent increase in space uptake — albeit from a lower base — indicating renewed expansion activity.

India will oppose Pakistan’s case for availing a fresh $1.3 billion IMF loan at an executive board meeting of the multilateral institution to be held on Friday.

Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that India’s executive director, Parameswaran Iyer, will participate in the upcoming IMF board meeting to highlight concerns related to Pakistan as a country that funds and actively promotes terrorism as a state policy.

He said that “the case with regard to Pakistan should be self-evident to those who generously open their pockets to bail out this country.”

He urged IMF board members to “look within and study the facts before extending further assistance.”