Commercial cylinders costlier by up to ₹17 before Diwali:Caller’s real name will be displayed on phone; 5 changes taking effect from today

Commercial LPG cylinders have become up to ₹17 more expensive from Sunday, 1 November, 2026. From today, when you receive a call from an unknown number on your mobile, the caller’s real name will also be displayed along with the number. Vehicle owners living within a 20 km radius of a toll plaza will get a one-year local FASTag pass. In November 2026, following five changes related to cylinders, telecom, transport and investment are taking place: 1. Commercial cylinders become up to ₹17 more expensive Change: Oil companies have increased the price of commercial gas cylinders by up to ₹17 ahead of Diwali. Impact: The increase in commercial cylinder prices will marginally raise restaurant owners’ costs. As a result, this may increase the prices of tea and snacks. Wedding catering may also become more expensive. No change in the price of the 14 kg domestic cylinder 2. The real name of an unknown caller will appear on the phone Change: From today, whenever you receive a call from an unknown number, the caller’s real name will appear on your phone’s screen along with the number. This will be the name the person provided on their government ID, such as Aadhaar, when purchasing the SIM. You will not need to download any third-party app or activate any service for this; it will work automatically. The Department of Telecommunications has made it mandatory for all telecom companies to implement this rule. Impact: At present, apps such as Truecaller have to be used to identify unknown numbers, but now you will be able to find out who is calling without any third-party app. This will make it easier to avoid fake and fraudulent calls. 3. FASTag local pass for people living within 20 km of a toll plaza Change: Private vehicle owners living within 20 km of a toll plaza will no longer have to pay toll tax every time. The government has implemented a new rule from today under which they will get a one-year local FASTag pass for a fixed fee of ₹1,500 or ₹3,000. Impact: People living near toll plazas will save the substantial amount they spend on tolls every month. They will no longer have to worry about paying tolls repeatedly and can travel easily throughout the year by paying the fixed pass fee just once. 4. Direct plans will be the default on mutual fund apps Change: From 1 November, the direct plan will be automatically selected as the default option when investing through mutual fund companies’ digital platforms. If an investor chooses a regular plan, a warning will appear on the first screen stating the additional cost involved in a regular plan, ranging from 0.66% to 1.7%. Impact: Ordinary investors who invest directly without a distributor will save money. Since direct plans do not involve any commission, their expense ratio remains lower, giving investors an additional benefit over the long term. For example, a 20-year SIP could provide an additional benefit of up to ₹22 lakh. 5. Easier for small online sellers to sell goods in other states Change: From 1 November, small e-commerce sellers will be able to sell goods across the country without opening separate offices in other states. The CBIC has relaxed GST rules, allowing sellers to use the address of the warehouse of the e-commerce platform-such as Amazon or Flipkart-where they sell their products as their GST registration address in other states. Impact: This will significantly benefit around 9.5 lakh small businesses and suppliers across the country. They will not have to bear the high cost of opening physical offices in different states and will be able to reach markets across the country more easily.